Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 404 Great Merit
Ningbo, on the twelfth day of the first lunar month, in the early morning, there was silence outside the city of Ningbo

Yesterday, the city was crowded with people fleeing the chaos, but just one day later, no one was in front of the city gate.

Nearly a hundred large and small warships filled the river outside Ningbo City, and military flags were also everywhere on land. More than ten thousand troops surrounded Ningbo City on all sides.

Ningbo City is close to the seaside and has direct access to the sea via the East City Waterway.

On the east side of the waterway is Dinghai City, where the Qing government set up Dinghai Camp to control the waterway with soldiers and guard against the Ming army at sea.

The Ming army from Zhoushan set sail from Zhoushan at dawn on the 11th. By the morning, they had already entered the river from the estuary and surrounded Dinghai City.

Zhejiang Province is close to the front line, and the soldiers in Dinghai City are more alert than those in other places.

Although the Ming army also sent internal forces to Dinghai City in advance, these internal forces were suppressed by Dinghai General Zhang Jie as soon as they started the rebellion.
When the Dinghai general discovered that the Ming army was attacking, he closed the city gates and held on, and at the same time immediately sent people to Ningbo to warn and ask for help.

After the Ming army failed to capture Dinghai, they made a prompt decision to leave some troops to surround Dinghai, and then immediately sent the main force to attack Ningbo.

Although the Ming army acted quickly, it was still a step late.

When the Zhoushan navy suddenly arrived at the city yesterday, the people in Ningbo had already received the warning and closed the city gates.

After Zheng Cai, Zhang Mingzhen and others arrived, they immediately organized people to attack the city, but they still failed to break into the city.
In the early morning, the wind was cold and biting on the top of the city wall. Chen Mo, the Qing Dynasty's Censor and Ningshao Prefecture Governor, stood on the top of the East City Wall, looking at the densely packed red military flags outside the city, with a solemn expression on his face.
Although Ningbo had closed its gates yesterday, preventing the Ming army from taking over, the situation in the city was still extremely critical.

When Chen Mo learned that the Zhoushan navy was coming, he immediately realized that the Ming court must have planned this in advance.
After the Ming army arrived in Ningbo yesterday afternoon, they immediately sent troops to attack twice. Seeing that they could not capture the city, they immediately sent soldiers to surround the city from all sides, and kept spying on various places in the city.
Seeing the Ming army frequently looking out from the city, Chen Mo immediately realized that there must be a Ming army inside the city.

The Ming army sent soldiers to look out from the city, not to observe the weaknesses of the city's defenses, but to observe the signals of internal supporters in the city.

After Tian Xiong led his troops away, there were only a thousand or so Green Camp defenders left in the city. These soldiers were the main force defending the city at this time and could not be easily mobilized.
The rumors spread by Hua Xia and others helped them sneak into the city, but also attracted a large number of gentry families in the city.
After Chen Mo realized that there was a high possibility of internal support in the city, he immediately ordered martial law in the city and recruited the gentry from all over the city to help defend the city.
The Green Camp soldiers led a group of gentry and their servants to patrol the city. All the people in the city were ordered to return home. Anyone who went out to spy or wandered the streets would be killed on the spot by the patrolling soldiers.
Chen Mo's actions were swift and ruthless, but although they were fierce, they only temporarily suppressed the people in the city. Chen Mo was completely powerless against the army outside the city.
Chen Mo stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the Ming army gathering outside the city, his face became more and more gloomy.

Next to Chen Mo stood Liu Dengying, the Green Camp guerrilla. After Tian Xiong led his troops away, this man was responsible for commanding the remaining Green Camp soldiers in the city.
Chen Mo retracted his gaze, looked at Liu Dengying beside him, and said

"We can discuss the situation outside the city. How many troops are there in this invading bandit army?"

"The enemy troops are coming in such a fierce force that it is difficult for the city to send out scouts to investigate. The exact number of enemies is difficult to estimate."

"But the enemy troops surrounded the city from all sides, and set up camps outside the city on all sides. Each camp has no less than 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers. I estimate that the enemy troops this time may be no less than 10,000."

Chen Mo heard what Liu Dengying said, even though he had already estimated it, his heart sank. If there were ten of them, the army outside the city would be ten times that inside.
Chen Mo frowned and asked again

"Can we send a messenger out of the city?"

"Since yesterday afternoon till this morning, we have sent dozens of messengers to various places in Shangyu Tianzong and Ninghai Tiantai to ask for help."

"But the army outside the city is besieging the city, and the enemy army has sent a large number of cavalry to intercept and kill. Many messengers were killed as soon as they left the city. I'm afraid not many people can escape."

Although Chen Mo heard that the messenger was killed, he did not look too worried. The Ming army's siege of the city would certainly be difficult to hide.

Frontline military towns such as Tiantai and Ninghai are only a hundred miles away from Ningbo.
Even if the Ming army could kill all the messengers in the city, Ninghai and other places would definitely receive the news within three to five days even if the fleeing civilians passed on the news.
Ningbo is on the front line, surrounded by large armies on all sides. Once the large armies arrive, the Ming troops outside the city will surely die.
Ningbo City seems to be in danger now, but what Chen Mo needs to do is just to hold on for a few days. As long as he can hold on for a few days and wait for the Qing troops to come to help, Ningbo's danger will be resolved immediately.

Chen Mo glanced around the city wall, and saw that the surrounding area was already full of soldiers.

Among these people were both Green Camp soldiers and the gentry servants who were temporarily recruited yesterday. However, at this moment, both the Green Camp soldiers and the gentry servants had expressions of fear on their faces.
There are too many Ming troops outside the city. The people inside the city know the situation inside the city better than the Ming troops outside the city. Who can not be afraid of one thousand against ten thousand?

Chen Mo saw that the morale of the people on the city wall was low. After a moment's thought, he said loudly:
"Soldiers, why should you be afraid? I sent a messenger yesterday to ask for help. There are tens of thousands of soldiers in Ninghai Tiantai and other places."

"Tiantai and other places are only a hundred miles away from the city. It is possible that the imperial army is already on the way. When the imperial army arrives, the rebel army outside the city will be crushed to dust immediately!"

"These bandits are ignorant of the will of heaven and dare to invade the territory of the Qing Dynasty. They are really courting death. In my eyes, these bandits outside the city are nothing but dead bones in a grave and can be destroyed overnight."

The soldiers on the city wall were relieved when they heard that reinforcements were on the way. Chen Mo saw this and struck while the iron was hot. He spoke loudly again.

"Generals, defending the city and serving the court, how can you go unrewarded?"

"I have discussed with the city and decided to reward the soldiers. Each person who participates in the defense of the city will be rewarded with two taels of silver. If one of the bandits is killed, there will be a reward of five taels of silver."

As soon as Chen Mo finished speaking, several soldiers came forward carrying a dozen boxes. When they opened the boxes, they were filled with silver ingots and copper coins of all sizes.

The soldiers looked at the silver light shining in the box, greed flashed in their eyes. Chen Mo glanced at the judge beside him. The judge took the hint and stepped forward immediately, speaking loudly.

"The Taotai has ordered that those who defend the city this time will be rewarded!"

"Yesterday, the soldiers of the army fought bravely to defend the city. They have made great contributions. Liu Ma and other soldiers, Zhu Zhaohua and other righteous men who defended the city came forward to receive their rewards."

Chen Mo's main purpose of going to the city today is to publicly reward and boost the morale of the army. The only way to boost morale is to give money immediately.

As soon as the magistrate finished speaking, the meritorious soldiers and gentry who had been waiting on the side also walked out of the crowd immediately.
The magistrate read out the achievements loudly, while Chen Mo stood beside the silver box and distributed silver in person. Silver ingots flowed down like water, and the morale of the people on the city walls was visibly boosted.
A gentry on the top of the city wall took the reward and left. The judge next to him continued to speak.

"The righteous gentleman Hua Xia, with his family servants, bravely defended the city. Yesterday, he helped defend the east side of the city and killed 16 bandits. He is rewarded with 90 taels of silver."

As soon as the official finished speaking, Hua Xia, with his hair full of white hair, immediately stepped forward.
When the Ming army attacked the city yesterday, Hua Xia and others wanted to seize the gates of the city and start an uprising.
However, the people in Ningbo received the news in advance. Chen Mo was also very cautious and immediately imposed martial law in the city. Hua Xia and others had no chance to escape.
Huaxia had originally planned to launch a forceful attack, but at this moment, Huaxia discovered that the city was recruiting servants from the gentry to defend the city.

Gao Yutai discussed with Hua Xia and others and immediately changed his plan. He decided to take his soldiers to the government office to apply for the military service.
The soldiers of the Ming army who sneaked into the city this time were all rare elites in the army. After Hua Xia and others went up to the city to defend it yesterday, even though they tried their best to cover it up, they still killed more than a dozen soldiers attacking the city, and almost became the first place in yesterday's military exploits.

"Mr. Hua is a role model in our hometown for serving the country in times of crisis. After the war, I will report to the court and commend him for his loyalty."

Chen Mo gave Hua Xia a routine encouragement, handed the silver on the tray, and was about to ask him to leave, but at this moment Hua Xia suddenly bowed and said

"Your Excellency, I am just an old man in his sixties. How can I fight in the battlefield? The reason why I was able to achieve a small achievement yesterday was all thanks to the bravery of my servant Shi Xian." "It is a pity that this man is so brave and strong, but he lives in my old house. I am not ashamed to accept the reward from the court. I hope to take this opportunity to ask for your grace. I hope you can take him under your command and let him have a future."

"This child and I are like father and son, please help us, sir."

Hua Xia bowed down after he finished speaking. Chen Mo was also stunned when he heard it, but he quickly reacted and realized that the country gentleman in front of him probably didn't want the money, but wanted to take the opportunity to find a job for his family.

When it comes to promotion and wealth, some people value wealth, and naturally some people value official positions. This is also a matter of course.

Chen Mo was thinking about how to respond when the guerrilla Liu Dengying suddenly spoke up.

"Shi Xian, is he the black-turbaned general from East City yesterday?"

Yesterday, Shi Xian and his men served as Hua Xia's servants and went up to the city to help defend it. However, Shi Xian was so excited about killing that he killed five people in a row. He immediately became famous on the city walls. Even Liu Dengying, the chief general defending the city, knew about Shi Xian's deeds.
Chen Mo nodded slightly when he heard that Shi Xian had killed five people in a row. After thinking for a moment, he said

"I didn't expect there would be such a brave man in the city. If so, bring him here. If he is indeed brave, I will recommend him to the court."

A young man in leather armor was quickly brought up from the crowd.

The young man was tall, with a black scarf tied on his head and a sword on his waist. He walked like a wolf or a tiger, which was very scary.
Chen Mo originally just wanted to go with the flow and meet this person, and then give him some rewards to boost his morale, but when he saw Shi Xianxing coming, his eyes lit up and he couldn't help but sigh.

"What a warrior"

Although Shi Xian was wearing a black shirt and old armor, he was still different from the crowd.

When a needle is in a bag, its advantage will be revealed. Chen Mo even felt that the guerrilla Liu Dengying beside him was far inferior to the young man in front of him.

This is not some innate royal aura. Shi Xian assisted Shi Lang in managing a battalion. He could decide the life and death of thousands of soldiers with a single thought. He had also experienced many battles. This temperament cultivated in life-and-death struggles could not be concealed.
Chen Mo looked at the young man in front of him and said softly

"I heard that you killed five bandits in a row on the city wall yesterday. Is that true?"

"They are just a few ordinary bandits. Their achievements are insignificant and not worth mentioning. This time, I will definitely kill them and seize their flags to achieve unparalleled achievements!"

Seeing that the young man in front of him was neither humble nor arrogant, Chen Mo's eyes flashed with admiration and he smiled softly.
"Good ambition, but not rewarding meritorious service is not the way of the court."

"You performed a great deed yesterday. Please tell me what reward you would like. I will grant it to you."

After Chen Mo finished speaking, he glanced at Hua Xia opposite him and nodded slightly to Hua Xia.
Chen Mo has already thought about recruiting this person. As long as this person asks to join his army, Chen Mo will agree.
Ningshaotai Dao was a military official, who had the power to control the troops. Chen Mo also had the ability to place people in the army.
The young man in black was delighted when he heard this. He took two steps forward and was less than three steps away from Chen Mo and Liu Dengying.
The young man bowed and said

"Thank you for your grace, sir. In this case, I have a humble request."

"Say it!"

"I would like to borrow your head to complete my unprecedented achievement."

After the young man finished speaking, a hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes. Before anyone could react, he rushed forward.

Shi Xian drew his sword from its sheath and slashed it directly on Liu Dengying's neck.
Tsk
Liu Dengying's neck was cut off, and with a look of shock on his face, he fell to the ground with a thud.
Red blood gushed out from Liu Dengying's neck, directly pouring all over Chen Mo's head and face.

Chen Mo touched the blood on his face, his face was stunned, but before he could react, the sharp long knife was already on Chen Mo's neck.
Hua Xia, who was standing by, saw Liu Dengying being killed and immediately shouted loudly

"The imperial court is marching north to restore the Central Plains. Why don't you gentry quickly rise up and welcome the royal army into the city? When will you do that?"

When the Ming soldiers in the crowd saw Shi Lang taking action, they immediately rushed out of the crowd and rushed towards the personal guards beside Chen Mo and others.

Although Chen Mo and his personal soldiers were more numerous, the Ming army suddenly attacked and the personal soldiers were completely unprepared and were quickly killed and dispersed. More than 20 Ming soldiers protected Hua Xia and Shi Xian in the center.
There were hundreds of Qing soldiers on the city wall, but they were shocked and didn't know how to react.

The field was covered in blood. All the soldiers and gentry retreated in a panic, but they did not dare to leave. They instinctively drew their swords and surrounded Shi Xian and others.

Chen Mo finally reacted after hearing Hua Xia's shout. He looked at Shi Xian who was holding a knife beside him and said in a deep voice:
"The Qing Dynasty has an unrivalled military force and has now occupied the Central Plains. This is destiny and cannot be stopped by human power."

"Huaxia is just a pedantic old scholar. He won't live for many days. But you are still young and have a bright future. Why should you accompany Huaxia to die in vain? As long as you can wake up immediately and capture this traitor, I will definitely..."

Shi Xian sneered when he heard this, and before Chen Mo finished speaking, he spoke loudly

"I am the deputy commander of the Left Army under the command of Lu Jianguo, General Shi Xian, and you, a fake Tartar official, think you can persuade me to surrender!"

Chen Mo heard this and felt a sense of panic in his heart. His judgment yesterday was correct. There was indeed a traitor in the city, but this traitor was not in the city. He had recruited him into the army.

Shi Lang no longer cared about Chen Mo at this time, and waved his hand to the side.
The soldiers beside him took out their bows and arrows and shot three arrows directly at the city. The three arrows flew through the air, making a sharp whistling sound.
Not long after the arrows whistled, a fierce shout of killing suddenly sounded from below the city. Not far from the city, there was a fire and thick smoke rising.
Shi Xian looked at the panicked soldiers and gentry on the opposite side and suddenly spoke in a stern voice.

"The imperial army of 100,000 will arrive soon. All of you gentry, if you open the city and rebel, everyone will be rewarded. If you are stubborn and refuse to surrender, your entire clan will be exterminated after the army enters the city!"

Chen Mo heard the shouting and killing in the city and knew that the most critical moment had come.
Chen Mo was about to speak to persuade him, but Shi Xian did not give him a chance and directly knocked Chen Mo to the ground with the back of his knife. Chen Mo felt a sharp pain in his back and immediately fell to the ground.

When Chen Mo fell to the ground, there was a sudden sound of horse hooves from the city. Hundreds of Ming cavalrymen had already rushed out of the formation and rushed towards the city gate.

Chen Mo looked at the Ming army flags fluttering in the billowing smoke and dust, and a trace of despair finally flashed across his face.

The East City Gate burst open, and hundreds of cavalrymen rode through on horseback. The rumbling sound of horse hooves echoed through the city gate like thunder.
The cavalry entered the city, followed closely by countless soldiers in ragged uniforms, pouring into the city like a red tide.

Ningbo, a frontier town garrisoned by a large Qing army, only lasted a day before it was captured by the Ming army.

(End of this chapter)