Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 216 Whale Falling
At the gate of Zhangzhou City, a team of hundreds of people stopped in front of the city gate

There were more than a hundred cavalrymen in iron armor and with thin braids on their heads. Behind them were two or three hundred civilians in linen clothes.

A group of civilians stood in the team with their heads shrunk. They had long pigtails on their heads. Beside them were carts, but at this moment, the carts were empty, covered only with a layer of black waterproof cloth.

Among the troops, a young soldier who looked like a leader rushed to the city and shouted at the top of the city wall:
"Brothers in the city, I came from Zhangpu, under the order of General Liu Dayou, the garrison commander of Zhangpu, to come to Zhangzhou to transport grain to the front line of Zhao'an."

Shi Lang shouted several times from the bottom of the city wall, and soon a hanging basket dropped from the top of the city wall.

Shi Lang did as the commander on the city wall said and put the grain transfer document with the seal of the commander of Zhangpu into the basket. The bamboo basket was soon hoisted up to the city wall.

A man who looked like a general on the top of the city looked through the letter, then leaned over to look down.
It was a cold winter day in the wild. Shi Lang's horse trod the ground and exhaled a cloud of white air.

Shi Lang sat on the horse's back with his head hunched, rubbing his hands to keep warm, but his face looked normal, without any abnormality.

The general on the city wall looked at Shi Lang below the city wall and suddenly spoke

"Why are you transporting grain again? Why haven't I seen you before?"

"General, although we just transported 3,000 dan of grain five days ago, the pseudo-Ming court seems to have increased its troops in Zhao'an, as if preparing to besiege the city. So we were ordered to transport another 3,000 dan of grain to Zhao'an. General Niu has not returned from transporting the grain, so the general sent me here."

The commander on the city wall heard the people below the city wall clearly explain the grain transportation five days ago, and there was also the grain transfer document from the commander of Zhangpu, so he did not doubt it any more, and waved his hand to signal the people below the city wall to open the gate.

The gate of Zhangzhou slowly opened. Shi Lang's eyes flashed with a strange look when he saw the open gate.

He waved his hand behind him, and the sturdy civilians behind him looked at each other, then pushed the carts towards the door.

Several Qing soldiers in the city walked out of the gate and came towards Shi Lang, who was standing by the door, and were about to make another handover.
When the soldiers saw the horse beside Shi Lang, which was covered in red sweat, they looked at him with strange eyes and were about to ask

Shi Lang stood beside the horse, watching as a number of carts were pushed into the doorway. Suddenly, a cold light flashed in Shi Lang's eyes. He drew his knife and stabbed a Qing soldier beside him in the stomach.

The Qing soldier looked stunned, staring blankly at the young officer in front of him. Shi Lang's face was cold, and without any hesitation, he drew out his long sword with a snort, and boiling blood gushed out. Only then did the Qing soldier react and fell to the ground with a scream.
As Shi Lang attacked, the guards behind him also jumped up and chopped down several Qing soldiers on the edge of the city.

Shi Lang killed a Qing soldier with a single blow, but his face showed no reaction. He threw down his long sword, took down the longbow hanging beside his horse, and shot a whistling arrow directly into the sky.

In the cold winter wind, the arrows flew through the air, and a sharp whistle suddenly sounded inside and outside the city wall.
Inside the doorway, the laborer who was pushing the cart heard the sharp whistling of arrows, and a ferocious look suddenly flashed across his face.

A group of civilians suddenly pulled out long swords from under the carts, and several brave soldiers jumped over the carriages and charged directly towards the inner side of the city gate.

The soldiers at the rear quickly pushed carts into the gate, and then laid the carts horizontally to block the gate.
"Enemy attack, ring the bell to warn!"

Suddenly, the guard on the city wall looked shocked and angry. He immediately shouted
The rapid sound of the bell above the city wall caused chaos on the top of the city wall.

The city guard led more than 300 soldiers and rushed down the tower frantically, immediately hacking and killing the Ming army in the gate, trying to retake the city gate.

The Qing troops who were able to stay in Zhangzhou were naturally elite. At this time, as the alarm bells on the city walls rang, the Qing soldiers on the two adjacent city walls also rushed towards the South Gate along the corridors of the city walls. In a blink of an eye, nearly a thousand Qing soldiers had gathered in front of the South Gate.
The Qing army reacted quickly, but the Ming army was also prepared. The sound of arrows rang out, and more than 300 cavalrymen rushed over from a distance in an instant.

In just a moment, three hundred cavalrymen had already rushed to the gate. Each of these three hundred cavalrymen was wearing cloth armor, and each of them was an elite soldier selected from the army.

In the South Gate, more than 600 Ming soldiers and more than 1,000 Qing soldiers were instantly killed.

The Han soldiers in the Qing army pushed the cart in the doorway from behind, trying to push it out of the doorway again. The armored soldiers shouting in Manchu jumped on the cart and rushed forward fearlessly, trying to kill the Ming army behind the cart.

But these Jurchen soldiers would often be stabbed by several short spears the moment they jumped onto the carts, and would either be thrown to the ground or fall to the ground covered in blood.
The narrow doorway suddenly became extremely bloody. Soldiers from both sides of the Ming and Qing armies kept hacking and killing each other. Limbs and blood flew in the doorway. Soldiers in the front were hacked to the ground, and soldiers in the back shouted and stepped on the corpses of the soldiers in front and continued to fight forward.
Half a quarter of an hour later, a burst of hurried horse hoofbeats sounded in the city. Nushan, the defender of Zhangzhou, led the remaining 1,000 soldiers in the city and hurried over. Among these 1,000 soldiers, there were 200 to 300 Jurchen soldiers, who were also the last elite force in the city.
As these Jurchen soldiers rushed into the gate fearlessly, the Qing army at the gate finally gained the upper hand and began to drive the Ming army out of the gate little by little.
Although the Qing army in the gate had the upper hand, Nushan did not show any joy on his face.

Nushan stood on the top of the city wall and saw that on the official road in the distance, smoke and dust were everywhere. Countless Ming soldiers in vermilion uniforms were rushing towards the south gate of Zhangzhou City like a torrent.
Nushan looked at the countless Ming troops in the distance, who were like ants, and a trace of fear suddenly flashed across his face. There were too many of them. There were no less than three thousand Ming troops in the vanguard who were running towards the city wall, and there was smoke and dust on the road behind. There was no way to know how many Ming troops were there.
There are only 2,000 Qing Dynasty defenders in Zhangzhou City. Now the city gates are blocked. Once these Ming army infantry arrive, they will be replaced one by one. The Qing army in the city will be overwhelmed by these Ming troops that keep coming like a tide.

Zhangzhou City now holds almost all the Qing army's food and fodder. Once Zhangzhou falls, not only will the Qing army in Fujian Province be cut in two, but the two Qing armies will also lose their food and salary supplies. Nushan doesn't even dare to think about the consequences of losing Zhangzhou.

The only way to defend Zhangzhou now is to retake the city gate. As long as the city gate can be retaken, the city can be defended with the city wall, even if the Ming army sends tens of thousands of people, the city will be able to hold on.

Zhangzhou Changtai is not far away. As long as we can hold on for one day, the Qing army in Changtai will come back to help.

When Nushan thought of this, a hint of sternness flashed in his eyes. He immediately pulled a terrified man in a purple robe to his side and said in stiff Chinese:
"Hurry up and order the people under the city to retreat. If they don't, I will kill you."

Nushan had a ferocious look on his face, and he put the long knife in his hand directly behind Zheng Zhilong. The sharp long knife instantly cut through Zheng Zhilong's robe, leaving a knife mark on his back.

Zheng Zhilong was suddenly brought to the top of the city wall. He saw the Ming army below the city wall still thinking about how to escape, but at this moment, the cold blade cut through his flesh, and a chill ran straight through his back. Zheng Zhilong's heart suddenly tightened, and he could no longer care about anything else. He shouted loudly to the soldiers below the city gate!
"Listen, my brothers below the city. I am Zheng Zhilong, the Duke of Ping. I have surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and was appointed the Governor of Fujian Province. Now my Fujian army and the Qing court are one family."

"My Great Qing army is sweeping across the world. Even if you capture a city, you will surely die once my Great Qing army comes to your aid. Don't let others deceive you and seek your own death."

"As long as you retreat, I, Zheng Zhilong, guarantee with my life that the Qing court will never pursue your actions today. As long as you are willing to submit to the Qing court, whether it is official titles, gold, silver or women, I, Zheng Zhilong, can agree to it. I, Zheng Zhilong, have been in Fujian Province for decades, and I never lie."

"Please stop attacking. As long as you join our Qing army, everyone will enjoy wealth and glory. Brothers, please stop working for the unjust Ming Dynasty."

On the top of the city wall, Zheng Zhilong kept shouting, and the soldiers below the city were slightly confused when they heard Zheng Zhilong's name.

Shi Lang looked at Zheng Zhilong, whose hair was disheveled, on the top of the city wall, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. He immediately shouted:
"Don't listen to that villain's nonsense. Duke Ping, Zheng Zhilong, has gone to Guangdong Province to meet with the Regent of the Ming Dynasty. This man is a Qing Dynasty villain in disguise, and his purpose is to disrupt the morale of our army."

"The Tartars are now desperate, so they use this thief to talk nonsense."

"All soldiers, listen up. The first person to enter the city will be rewarded with 1,000 taels of silver and promoted three levels. As long as we enter the city, everyone will be rewarded with 100 taels of silver."

"Brothers, follow me to kill the enemy and capture the city, get promoted and make a fortune"

"Kill the enemy and conquer the city, get promoted and make a fortune"

Shi Lang shouted loudly, and the morale of the Ming army soldiers in front of the city gate was instantly boosted. They shouted loudly and continued to guard the city gate tightly.
The Ming army soldiers in the distance were now approaching within two miles. It was likely that in less than half an hour, the Ming army behind would arrive. If the city gates could not be closed before then, Zhangzhou would surely be breached.

Nushan looked at the dark mass of Ming troops outside the city, his eyes bloodshot, grabbed Zheng Zhilong's hair, pulled him in front of him, and said fiercely
"If they don't withdraw, you will die."

After Nushan finished speaking, a trace of cruelty flashed across his face, and he slashed Zheng Zhilong's back with his long sword.

A huge cut was made on Zheng Zhilong's back, and blood splattered out instantly.
Zheng Zhilong screamed in agony as severe pain struck him. However, looking at Nushan, who was holding a knife in front of him like a madman, Zheng Zhilong was completely terrified. Warm blood soaked his back, and the sharp pain kept reminding Zheng Zhilong that Nushan might really kill him!

Zheng Zhilong was completely panicked. He no longer cared about the pain and lay down beside the wall, watching Shi Lang, who was commanding his soldiers to attack the city.

The moment Shi Lang spoke, Zheng Zhilong had already recognized Shi Lang's identity. Shi Fu was a general under his command, and Shi Lang was a younger generation of Shi Fu who had risen to fame in the army. How could Zheng Zhilong not recognize Shi Lang?
"Nephew Shi Lang, is that you, my nephew Shi Lang, under the city? I am Zheng Zhilong. Where is your uncle Shi Fu?"

"Uncle, please stop attacking. I promise that the Qing troops in the city will never pursue you. Please leave the city quickly."

Shi Lang glanced at Zheng Zhilong on the top of the city wall, but his face was expressionless. He then shouted encouragement to the soldiers in front of the gate.
"Reinforcements are coming. Please hold on for a while. Once the army arrives, kill all the Tartars and everyone will receive a reward."

"Han people, damn it"

Nushan heard Shi Lang's shouting and his face was furious. He swung the knife in his hand towards Zheng Zhilong again. Zheng Zhilong looked at the bloody blade and trembled all over. He shouted at Shi Lang under the city again.
"My dear nephew Shi Lang, your uncle and I have known each other for decades. We are friends for life and death. Now my life is in your hands. Do you really want to force me to death?"

"Please, nephew, for the sake of our decades-long friendship, withdraw your troops for now and let me save my life. As long as I can save my life today, I will come to your uncle's house in the future to thank you for saving my life."

Zheng Zhilong's voice was mournful, and Shi Lang, who was below, also felt a little hesitant when he heard it. He didn't care about Zheng Zhilong, but he knew that his uncle and Zheng Zhilong had a close relationship, and the two of them really had a life-and-death relationship. If he really forced Zheng Zhilong to death under the city, it would be a trouble.

Below the city wall, Shi Lang was silent for a while, while above the city wall, Nushan looked at Shi Lang who was hesitant below, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. It turned out that the relationship between the defender below the city and Zheng Zhilong was so deep.
Good, great.

Nushan's face flashed with a hint of viciousness, and he raised the long sword in his hand and chopped Zheng Zhilong's back again. Zheng Zhilong's back was full of blood, and he screamed again, howling miserably.
"Back off or kill him"

Nushan ignored Zheng Zhilong's screams and dragged him to him by his hair. He placed his sword across Zheng Zhilong's neck with a fierce look on his face.
Shi Lang listened to Zheng Zhilong's screams, and then looked at the ferocious Nushan on the top of the city wall. He suddenly sneered in his heart. The reason why he hesitated just now was that he was thinking about how to explain this matter to his uncle if Zheng Zhilong was killed.

The Tartar on the top of the city wall wouldn't think that he would really be forced to leave the city gate because of Zheng Zhilong's threat.
Just kill Zheng Zhilong, what does it have to do with him!

In order to win this great achievement, all the members of the Shi family have put in their efforts. Now that the great achievement is about to be accomplished, how can he give up this great achievement just for Zheng Zhilong? What a joke!

For this great achievement, Shi Lang even risked his life to seize the city. This battle was related to the status of his Shi family in the new dynasty, and even more to Shi Lang's future. Compared with this, what was Zheng Zhilong?

Since Zheng Zhilong chose to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, he had to bear the price of surrendering to the Qing Dynasty. Zheng Zhilong sought his own death. Even if he was killed by the Qing army, it was his own fault. It was not him who asked Zheng Zhilong to surrender to the Qing Dynasty.

Shi Lang glanced at Zheng Zhilong who was howling miserably on the top of the city wall, and then looked away. A trace of indifference flashed in Shi Lang's eyes, and he shouted to the guards beside him:
"Blow the horn, gather the troops, follow me to break the city"

Upon hearing this, the guards beside him immediately took the horn beside them, and the sound of the horn resounded inside and outside the city wall.
The Ming army formation in the distance heard the call for troops to gather and sped up their pace. After three calls, thousands of Ming troops finally arrived at the city.

On the top of the city wall, Nushan looked at the Ming army swarming in from the bottom of the city, and a trace of despair finally flashed in his eyes.

"Han dogs should die, all you Han people should die"

Nushan looked crazy, and suddenly he shouted loudly, and stabbed Zheng Zhilong's chest with the long knife in his hand.

Zheng Zhilong's screams suddenly stopped. He lowered his head and stared blankly at the long knife that pierced his chest. His eyes were full of disbelief. He had never thought that the Qing government would really kill him.

He is Zheng Zhilong, the king of Fujian Province. Countless generals and soldiers in Fujian Province are his subordinates and friends. He is still useful, and he is still very useful.

He also has countless manors and fields, countless rare treasures, and huge ships that can travel across the world. He is Zheng Zhilong, he is the king of the world. How can he die here?
The long sword was pulled out, and hot blood spurted out.
Zheng Zhilong lay on the city wall with his back to the sky, staring at the sky with his eyes wide open. The cold winter wind whistled through the city walls, and the sky in the distance was blue and boundless, just like the sea he had traveled across when he was young.

Under the city wall, Shi Lang was stunned for a moment as he looked at Zheng Zhilong who was lying face up.

But after just a moment, Shi Lang came back to his senses. He looked at Nu Shan who looked crazy above him and shouted coldly:
"Release the arrows and shoot him to death"

Shi Lang waved his hand, and hundreds of archers behind him immediately bent their bows and drew their arrows. A hail of arrows instantly flew towards the top of the city.
On the top of the city wall, Nushan looked crazy, with more than a dozen arrows piercing his body in an instant, but Nushan seemed to be fine, roaring in Manchu and waving his long sword desperately. After blocking more than a dozen arrows, an iron arrow finally shot into Nushan's face.
The long sword in Nushan's hand suddenly stagnated, and then more arrows shot into Nushan's body. Nushan retreated several steps and finally fell on the wall with his back to the sky.
At this time, the Ming army soldiers had already rushed into the city gate and attacked the Qing army that was fleeing in the city.

Shi Lang sitting in the lobby of Zhangzhou government office, with a blood-stained sword beside him
At this time, the Ming army had already taken control of all the places in the city. The four gates of Zhangzhou were closed tightly, and the generals of the Ming army were leading their soldiers to search and kill the remaining Qing troops hiding in the city.
Shi Xian walked into the room, looked at Shi Lang who was sitting on top, and said respectfully

"The granary in the city has been taken over by us, and the arsonists have been completely annihilated. A rough count shows that we have obtained more than 20,000 shi of grain."

Zhangzhou was the place where the Qing army stored grain at that time. The grain and salaries of Changtai and Zhao'an were all stored here. It was not surprising that there were 20,000 shi of grain.

Shi Lang nodded slightly, and then said

"Keep an eye on the food and money, and keep the soldiers in the city under control, don't let them loot in the city."

"I understand. I have sent people to the city to issue a notice to reassure the people, and the generals of various units are also restraining the soldiers entering the city," Shi Xian said softly.
Zhangzhou is different from Zhangpu. In Zhangpu, they just occupied it and left. They never thought about defending it, so they could do whatever they wanted after entering the city.

But they had to stay in Zhangzhou to garrison. Zhangzhou's location was extremely important. They could not abandon it at least until the war in Fujian Province was over. Since they had to stay in the city, they could not let those soldiers do whatever they wanted. If they let those soldiers rob Zhangzhou, how could they defend the city?
Shi Lang thought for a moment, then spoke again.

"Also, immediately send an envoy to Zhongzuo to inform Doctor Zhang of the capture of Zhangzhou and have him report the victory to the court."

"Yes, I'll go right away"

Shi Xian's face flashed with excitement, and he was about to leave to find someone to report the news, but before he left, Shi Lang stopped Shi Xian again and said

"I will lead 6,000 men to raid Changtai later. You lead the rest of the people to stay in the city to guard Zhangzhou. Remember, after I leave, unless I personally lead the army back, no matter who comes, you are not allowed to open the door."

When Shi Xian heard what Shi Lang said, his expression changed immediately and he said

“No, this is too dangerous.”

"We have already achieved great success by taking Zhangzhou. It is said that there are still more than 10,000 Qing troops under Changtai City. Why should we take risks again, brother?"

Shi Lang was unmoved when he heard this and said

"There are more than 20,000 troops under Governor Zhang and Zheng Hongkui in Changtai City, and I have another 6,000 troops here, so there won't be much risk."

"Besides, I am not going there to fight a head-on battle with the Qing invaders. If I were to be hesitant about everything, how could I achieve great success? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

A hint of sternness flashed in Shi Lang's eyes. This raid on Zhangzhou was extremely successful. Due to the successful capture of the city gate, the Ming army only suffered a few hundred casualties and completely controlled Zhangzhou. The army that captured the city was basically intact.

The distance between Zhangzhou and Changtai is only about 40 miles. If they defend the city, the Qing army in Changtai will know the news of Zhangzhou's capture by tomorrow at the latest.
Zhangzhou City is filled with all the Qing army's food and fodder. By then, there is no guarantee that the Qing army in Changtai will not come to seize the city at the risk of their lives. In this case, it is better to take the initiative to attack.

At this time, they had just captured Zhangzhou, and the Qing invaders under Changtai City were certainly unprepared. If he could seize the opportunity and cooperate with the Ming army in Changtai City, he might be able to defeat the Qing invaders under Changtai City.
If we can defeat the tens of thousands of Qing invaders under Changtai City, it will be a real great achievement!

After Shi Lang successfully captured Zhangzhou, his appetite grew. At this time, the enemy was in the dark and we were in the light. Zhangzhou and Changtai were very close. If it was really impossible, he could just retreat back to Changtai.

Shi Lang was determined and did not allow Shi Xian to refute him. He led 6,000 troops to Changtai. When Shi Lang led his men to attack Changtai, the messenger in Zhangzhou also took the Shanghai ship to report the victory to Zhongzuo.
(End of this chapter)