The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 118 Siege War

At this moment, Wang Jiayin looked at the city wall, which was more than three zhang high, and the moat below it, and felt a little scared.

"Damn it, I didn't expect Kelan County to be so difficult to conquer."

"Without an inside man, it would probably take tens of thousands of people to take down a city like this, right?"

With this in mind, he summoned Li Zicheng to his side:
"Brave warrior! Tell me again."

"That Jiang, no, Shangshanhu, how is he planning to coordinate an attack from the inside and outside? Is it reliable?"

Li Zicheng quickly responded:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, Shangshanhu has already led four hundred men to infiltrate the city."

"We need to make the first move and draw the defenders' attention to this area."

"As soon as a fight breaks out, he will attack the defenders from inside and seize the city walls."

Wang Jiayin felt a little relieved after hearing this, but he was still somewhat worried.

He fled in such a hurry that he didn't have time to bring siege equipment such as shield carts and battering rams.

At present, all we have are some portable cannons that we bring with us and some hastily made siege ladders.

Such a fortified city would certainly require cannons and rolling logs and stones.

If we launch a direct assault, the casualties will likely be very heavy.

He was increasingly regretful; if they had attacked the city at night, the pressure would probably have been much less.

Just as Wang Jiayin was plotting how to attack the city, suddenly, a scout on horseback came galloping up to report:
"Report! Your Majesty! Another group is approaching!"

"They sent a messenger over, saying it was the rear guard of the Mountain Tiger, coming to assist in the battle."

Wang Jiayin was overjoyed upon hearing this; there was actually a backup plan?
This suddenly appearing force was the supply battalion and artillery battalion led by Zhu Zi and Shao Yong.

They had been hiding well in a remote mountain valley, following Jiang Han's orders, preparing to attack the city at night.

However, the scouts sent out suddenly discovered that Wang Jiayin's main force had arrived outside Kelan City ahead of schedule and was already preparing to attack the city.

After discussing it with Zhu Zi, Shao Yong realized they couldn't wait any longer.

If Wang Jiayin's attack on the city fails, Jiang Han and Li Laowai, who are hiding inside the city, will be in danger.

So the two immediately led their team over and joined the siege.

To avoid any misunderstanding, Shao Yong specially sent a messenger to contact Wang Jiayin in advance.

With the two groups united, Wang Jiayin immediately felt much more confident.

His confidence increased even more after seeing the pillar's artillery battalion.

He made a decisive decision and ordered the entire army to prepare to attack the city!

As the attacking side, Wang Jiayin's first task was to deal with the outermost moat, otherwise his men, horses, and artillery would be unable to get through.

The moat in Kelan County is not wide, only about 10 feet long and 3 feet deep.

Wang Jiayin looked at the moat, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and gave an order to Wang Ziyong beside him:
"Left Prime Minister, I'm entrusting this matter to you!"

“You personally lead the men and have those starving people fill in the river and build roads.”

"Tell them they must fill in the moat within two quarters of an hour!"

"If it's done well, I'll let them eat as much as they want within three days!"

Wang Ziyong nodded and led the supervisory team to the famine camp.

Upon hearing the order, the starving people who had been coerced into coming immediately became agitated.

Fill in the river? Wouldn't that be sending them to their deaths? The city walls are full of bows and arrows and cannons!

But when they heard the promise of "eat as much as you want," a hint of madness flashed in the eyes of many people!
Moreover, Wang Ziyong didn't come here to discuss things with them.

The supervisory team behind him had their steel knives drawn; anyone who disobeyed in the slightest would be dragged out and made an example of.

Faced with the threat of death and the lure of food, the starving people unleashed their final frenzy.

They carried whatever soil, stones, and firewood they could find, and surged forward like a tide.

Upon seeing this, Xie Xiangwen, the county magistrate who was overseeing the battle from the city wall, turned ashen-faced.

"These bandits are truly worse than beasts!"

But he had no choice but to reluctantly give the order.
"Shoot me!"

"We absolutely cannot let them fill in the moat!"

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Arrows rained down from the city walls, and the starving people at the forefront fell in droves, like wheat being cut down.

Screams and wails filled the air, and blood instantly stained the moat red.

However, the number of starving people was simply too great.

More than ten thousand people, like a black tide, rushed towards the moat one after another. Those in front fell, and those behind immediately trampled over the corpses of their comrades to rush forward.

The starving people were naturally afraid, but with the steel blades of the supervisory team right behind them, they had no choice but to charge forward.

If we keep pushing forward, there might still be a glimmer of hope, and we might still have a chance to get a decent meal.

They could only grit their teeth and charge forward, throwing all the earth, wood, and firewood they were carrying into the moat.

If the person next to you falls, then push their body into the river as well.
Thus, with countless starving people rushing to the city, the already narrow moat gradually began to become blocked.

Meanwhile, Wang Jiayin's four thousand soldiers were already ready.

They stood with thick shields, forming a dense military formation, ready to charge as soon as the moat was filled in!

Seeing that the situation was not good, the defenders on the city wall immediately pushed the cannons forward and pointed them at the enemy soldiers not far away.

As soon as Wang Jiayin's soldiers entered within 500 paces, the dozen or so cannons on the city wall would fire simultaneously, blasting the invading enemy soldiers to pieces!

Wang Jiayin had already prepared for this.

A cold smile appeared on his lips. He ordered Wang Ziyong to lead the supervisory team and continue to drive the starving people forward, in order to attract the defenders on the city wall to fire their cannons.

The starving people, who had just escaped death, had no time to celebrate when the supervisory team's steel knives were pointed at them again.

Left with no other choice, they could only continue charging forward, braving the artillery fire and carrying ladders.

After several rounds of shelling, although many starving civilians were killed, the location of the cannons on the city wall and the approximate impact points were completely exposed.

"good chance!"

Wang Jiayin's eyes lit up, and he immediately gave the order.
"Go! Tell Wang Jiye to disperse his troops and attack the city immediately!"

Before long, the originally dense military formation was instantly divided into dozens of small teams.

Led by Wang Jiye, the squad bypassed the area covered by artillery fire, carried ladders, and rushed quickly toward the base of the city wall!

Upon seeing this, the artillerymen on the city wall immediately reacted and quickly switched from solid cannonballs to loose cannonballs, bombarding the crowd relentlessly.

At the same time, the other defenders and militiamen on the city wall began to desperately pour arrows, logs, stones, and even scalding hot molten metal down on the ground!

Everyone was doing their utmost to desperately stop the enemy soldiers from attacking the city.

But this was exactly what Wang Jiayin wanted.

Taking advantage of the moment when most of the cannons on the city wall were being reloaded and there was a gap in their firepower, Dong Erzhu, who had been waiting for a long time, led the artillery battalion to the top.

The auxiliary soldiers pushed the four Hongyi cannons and other heavy cannons forward together, until they were about four hundred paces away from the city wall, before they stopped.

The artillerymen skillfully adjusted the muzzle elevation, loaded solid shells, and aimed at the area where the defenders on the city wall were firing most intensely.

"put!"

At Dong Erzhu's command, the four Hongyi cannons roared deafeningly.

Immediately afterwards, other heavy artillery pieces also opened fire one after another.

Dozens of heavy solid cannonballs slammed into the city walls.

Before many people could react, their heads were blown off by incoming shells.

Some unfortunate souls had half their bodies blown off by artillery shells, lying in pools of blood howling in agony, struggling for a long time before gradually losing strength and collapsing to their deaths.

After several rounds of fierce shelling, the battlements were smashed, the cannons were overturned, and even the corner towers were blasted to the point of collapse.

The defensive firepower on the city wall was silenced by a large amount in an instant.

"Rush!!"

Taking advantage of this lull, Wang Jiayin's soldiers also set up ladders on the city wall and began to climb up, carrying shields.

The defenders and militia on the city wall suffered heavy casualties, and the survivors were terrified and wanted to retreat down the city wall to escape.

"No retreat!"

"Come back to me!"

The county magistrate, Xie Xiangwen, on the city wall kept shouting and trying to organize a resistance.

But the garrison and militia were terrified and no longer wanted to defend the city; they only wanted to abandon it and flee for their lives.

Xie Xiangwen's eyes widened, and he suddenly grabbed a militiaman, angrily shouting:
"Where do you think you're going? Your parents, children, wives, and daughters are all still in the city, right behind you!"

"If the city is really breached by the enemy soldiers, will they still be alive?"

He pointed at the city wall and roared:
"If you are willing to let your wives, daughters and family members be humiliated by the bandits, then run away, I will not stop you!"

"If you guys are any real men, come back up with me and hold them off!"

"I, Xie Xiangwen, hereby guarantee that if the enemy soldiers want to breach the city, they will have to step over my dead body first!"

"As the magistrate of Kelan County, I will die on this city wall, and I will never retreat a single step!"

(End of this chapter)