Late Ming Dynasty: Starting with the overthrow of the county magistrate, a rebellion was launched to

Judging from the fire's intensity, it doesn't resemble the kind of fire caused by an explosive ignition source. It looks more like a signal fire lit by someone using wet firewood, chaff, old cloth, etc., producing a large smoke and a small flame.

It was initially very inconspicuous... but after about half an hour, the thick smoke did not dissipate with the cold wind, but instead accumulated more and more, gradually enveloping half of the city.

Actually, nothing much had happened yet, but suddenly someone in the city shouted those few words again.

"Fire! Fire in the city!"

"The Ming army has broken in! We're surrounded!"

"North Gate! The North Gate has been breached! Run!"

This is very serious. How could the soldiers on the city walls and the reserve troops inside the city not panic when they heard these desperate and chaotic shouts echoing throughout the city?

Therefore, it became crucial for Wang Tui to have spies mixed in with the refugee garrison, spreading rumors far and wide. Eventually, the rumors spread like wildfire, until even the spies themselves were spreading the news; almost all the refugee soldiers heard it.

Very serious consequences

For example, some people no longer cared about defending the city, and they threw down their weapons and armor and fled in all directions. Some people squatted in the corners of the walls, trembling with fear, while others took advantage of the chaos and darkness to escape...

The eighty veteran soldiers on the north gate were naturally unwilling to give up when they saw this, so they tried to suppress the unruly soldiers. Unfortunately, the soldiers were too numerous to stop, and in a short while, the defenses of the north gate actually collapsed on their own!

"General! Something terrible has happened! The city is on fire! Shouts of battle are coming from the north gate; it seems the Ming army has already entered the city!"

The general, his face deathly pale, announced the devastating news that had been circulating in the city for some time.

Feng Shuangli had heard similar remarks before, but since they occurred during every major battle, and he was currently focused on defending the city, he hadn't paid much attention to them.

However, the fact that the guards themselves reported this terrible news suggests that it is most likely true.

Feng Shuangli was instantly jolted, abruptly turning his head to look northwest. Three plumes of thick smoke still rose into the sky, though the faint sounds of chaotic cries could be heard. Whether real or not, he could only force himself to steady himself, gritting his teeth and saying fiercely...

"Fake! All fake! This is Zhang Da's feint! He wants to trick us into dividing our forces so he can take the opportunity to break through the east gate! Don't panic! Keep defending! Anyone who dares to speak nonsense again will be executed!"

This must be Zhang Da's elaborate scheme! If we hold out for another half hour, the Ming army will surely retreat once their morale is exhausted.

Just then, Zhang Da, shrouded in darkness outside the city, suddenly raised his hand and began to command his most important unit.

"Main force—surprise attack on the north gate!"

"kill!"

Thus, the two thousand two hundred elite soldiers of Baoqing, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally revealed their fangs. Under the cover of thick fog and night, they rushed straight for the completely undefended North Gate like ghosts!

Once within range, the archers in the front ranks of the Baoqing Army all used rapid-fire bows, simultaneously drawing their bows and firing a volley!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"

The massive number of arrows did not require careful aiming; after they rained down on the north gate, the remaining defenders fell to the ground, and any sporadic resistance was instantly wiped out.

At this moment, more than ten siege ladders finally arrived at the city wall and were simultaneously erected on it. Soon, some people got there first...

"Break down the city gate!"

Then, about a dozen soldiers carried the giant wooden battering rams that had been prepared in advance, and charged towards the north gate of the city, stepping on the muddy ground.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Three heavy, violent impacts caused the old, dilapidated wooden door to groan under its strain. The hinges snapped, the latch shattered, and the heavy city gate collapsed to the ground with a deafening crash.

"Enter the city! Control the streets! Close off alleys! No disorder!"

Zhang Da, barely containing his excitement, charged into the city gate first. His two thousand loyal followers followed, pouring into the north gate of Hengzhou. They then advanced rapidly along the main street, setting up guards every three steps and sentries every five, quickly taking control of street corners, alleyways, and key roads...

Just as Zhang Da was about to lead his troops to quietly take over the entire city of Hengzhou, and the situation was about to be settled, an unexpected event occurred.

A sentry from the Western Army, responsible for keeping watch at the north gate, narrowly escaped a hail of arrows. He risked his life to slip down the other side of the city wall and escape. Naturally, he ran like a madman through the streets and alleys, then dashed towards the east gate.

"General! Something terrible has happened! The north gate has been breached by the Ming army! Their main force has entered the city! Retreat immediately!"

Upon hearing this again, Feng Shuangli was about to draw his sword to kill him in an attempt to reassure the troops when he quickly swore an oath.

"It's absolutely true, General! The Ming army is a dark mass, and they've already reached the west city! I saw it with my own eyes, and they're charging towards you right now!"

After hearing this, Feng Shuangli stared blankly to the northwest, where thick smoke was billowing. Feng Shuangli himself wasn't sure if it was just a bluff.

"Zhang Da! I'll fuck your mother!"

In the end, Feng Shuangli could only let out a desperate and angry roar, his heart aching, but there was no time for regret.

Then he abruptly threw off the sentry and roared...

"Order! The entire army to retreat! Retreat to the crossroads! Hold this strategic point at all costs! We must not allow the Ming army to encircle us!"

To Feng Shuangli's surprise, his military order became the final straw that broke the camel's back for the defending army.

The sudden shift from "defend to the death" to "retreat" in military orders suggests that the North Gate has indeed been breached.

Thus, the already struggling garrison at the East Gate completely collapsed. What began as a retreat gradually turned into a rout... and finally into a chaotic escape, with soldiers abandoning their armor and weapons and fleeing in disarray.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Wen, who was feigning an attack at the eastern city, disregarded whether he should have launched the attack at all and seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to launch a fierce offensive.

This time, with the Ming soldiers bravely scaling the city walls, the eastern gate finally changed hands, the gate was opened, and three thousand Ming soldiers surged in, forming a pincer movement with the troops entering from the northern gate...

Feng Shuangli's entire army suffered a complete defeat.

"Kill! Don't let Feng Shuangli escape!"

Amidst the sounds of battle from all sides, Feng Shuangli, much like Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, disregarded the heavy casualties among his soldiers. With the desperate protection of over a hundred personal guards, he broke through the encirclement and fled frantically towards the city's crossroads.

The crossroads of Hengzhou are the city's vital choke point. It connects to the city gate to the east, the western city to the west, the south gate to the south, and is near the Prince Gui's residence to the north. Holding this position would allow the city to maintain its footing, perhaps even hold off Zhang Da for a while longer, and maybe even negotiate some terms with him.

still have a chance!

"Form ranks! Spears facing outwards! Hold the line!"

Feng Shuangli gathered the last eight hundred soldiers at the crossroads, with their backs to the houses and their faces to the streets, attempting to put up a final, desperate resistance by arranging them in a formation of spears.

"Charge! Tear apart the enemy lines!"

Since Zhang Da had already gone this far, it was naturally impossible for him to negotiate calmly anymore. So he sternly ordered the Ming soldiers to swarm forward.

Thus began the most bloody scene of the two armies clashing with spears and hacking and slashing with swords and axes.

Forced into a corner, the remnants of the Great Western Army knew they had nowhere to retreat, and thus unleashed their final ferocity, even launching three desperate counterattacks against the Ming army.

Therefore, Zhang's large army was forced to retreat, casualties increased sharply, and the battle situation instantly became stalemate.