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

On November 17th of the twelfth year of the Chongzhen reign, when Li Zicheng no longer concealed his intentions and directed his troops toward Nanyang, the entire city of Wancheng was gripped by boundless panic. Cries and screams echoed through the streets and alleys, and people, young and old, rushed toward the four gates like headless flies, scrambling to enter the city to escape the disaster. Countless people were trampled to death or injured.

The city guards brandished their swords and shouted, trying to drive them away with their rifle butts, but to no avail. The entire city of Nanyang was on the verge of complete collapse in an instant.

"The rebels have surrounded us from three sides! Liu Zongmin's main force is launching a fierce attack on the west gate, Li Guo's cavalry has broken through the outer pass of Sanya Road, and Gao Yigong's troops have sealed off the official road in the southern suburbs. The outer defenses of Nanyang have been completely lost!"

Chen Yongfu slammed his hand hard on the pear wood table, cursing and swearing. Teacups shattered, ink splattered, and his face turned ashen.

"Regret! Regret for not heeding Zhang Qianshi's words! We naively believed the rogue rebels' feigned attack on Luoyang, which has led us to this desperate situation!"

At this moment, Deputy General Zuo Guangxian was filled with remorse and pain, feeling as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer. He felt utterly humiliated and deeply guilty.

"It was my fault for failing to grasp the military situation! The fault lies with me."

When Huang Degong, the adjutant general who came to reinforce from Yunyang, saw that the generals were either ashen-faced, whispering among themselves, or at a loss for what to do, and that the whole room was filled with a sense of dejection, he immediately advised them...

"Why are you all panicking? Things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more! I remember that the defensive foundations that Vice Commander Zhang arranged before he left are still intact. The city walls are still standing, and the weapons are still there. As long as we quickly re-establish our defenses and hold on to the death according to the original plan, we may still be able to hold out until a turning point comes!"

"Speaking of Zhang Qianshi, where is he? Didn't he say he wanted me to live and die with him?"

One of the generals asked this question.

"Zhang, the Vice Commissioner, went to Luoyang to seek reinforcements, and they set off soon."

"I don't think they're coming..."

As soon as these words were spoken, insidious rumors spread like wildfire inside and outside the hall.

Zhang Da owes no one anything. After going to Luoyang to seek reinforcements, Prince Fu and the others will likely ignore the war in Nanyang... So, will Zhang Da come back to Nanyang? No, there's no need for him to return. At most, he'll be dismissed from his post if Nanyang is lost, but if he comes back, his life will probably be in danger...

"I heard that Zhang Qianshi was retained in Luoyang by Prince Fu and is enjoying all the riches and honors there, so he has no intention of returning!"

"We're fighting tooth and nail to defend this city, while he's enjoying wealth and luxury in Luoyang. It's so unfair!"

"Defending or surrendering, we'll both die. We might as well open the gates and surrender; at least we'll save our lives!"

Rumors reached their ears, further exacerbating the already crumbling morale of the army. Officers and soldiers exchanged furtive glances and furtive looks, and the thought of surrendering to save their lives grew wildly in their minds.

However... however, most of their families were in Luoyang, Kaifeng, Ruzhou and other places. If they surrendered to the rebels, their families would be purged by the court and their entire families would be punished. But if they held on to their deaths, the day the city fell would be the day their families would be wiped out. So everyone was caught in a dilemma and were in agony.

Meanwhile, inside the Zhenlu Hall, the once orderly ranks of officers gradually fell apart. Some sighed softly, some secretly wiped away tears and pondered the contents of their wills, and some quietly retreated, already harboring thoughts of abandoning their posts.

"Shut up, all of you!" Unable to bear the rumors any longer, Chen Yongfu drew his sword, its blade pointing directly out of the hall. He strode out of the Zhenlu Hall, stood on the stone steps of the government office, and roared at the assembled officers and soldiers, "Zhang is the Vice Military Supervisor of Henan, personally appointed by Commander-in-Chief Yang. He bears the heavy responsibility of controlling the troops of Nanyang and Yunyang, and the mission of suppressing bandits and protecting the people. How could he possibly desert his post and seek only to survive! Right now, he must be in Luoyang desperately pleading for our aid, running around and shouting for help. These rumors are deliberately spread by spies of the rebel leader, intended to sow discord and subdue our troops without a fight!"

Then he swung his sword fiercely, snapping a flagpole as thick as a bowl in front of the steps. "I hereby pledge my military oath! The city stands, I stand; the city falls, I stand! Those who retreat will be executed; those who undermine morale will be executed; those who collude with the rebels will be executed; those who spread rumors will be executed! We, as generals of the Ming Dynasty, are paid by the emperor and have a duty to defend our land! If anyone in the city dares to utter a word of surrender or harbor any rebellious thoughts, they will taste my blade first!"

Seeing this, Zuo Guangxian and Huang Degong also drew their swords and stood on either side of Chen Yongfu, responding sharply.

"We are willing to fight to the death with the General! We will live and die with Nanyang! Commander Zhang will surely return! Reinforcements will surely arrive!"

The generals were subdued by this surge of fervor, none daring to surrender, and all knelt on one knee in unison in agreement.

"We are willing to fight to the death! To defend Nanyang!"

So everyone immediately began to defend the city according to the defense plan that Zhang Da had previously arranged.

Chen Yongfu held the western gate, Yong'an Gate, against Liu Zongmin's main force, relying on the city's defenses and suppressing the enemy with firearms.

Zuo Guangxian led his Shaanxi border troops to defend the north gate, Bowangmen, and block Li Guo's cavalry offensive!

"Huang Degong, leading the reinforcements from Yunyang as the general reserve force, is maneuvering between the four gates!"

"Zhou Shilu, leading his 600 men, was in full charge of city defense and military discipline, patrolling the entire city, suppressing rioters, executing those who wavered, and gathering up the remaining soldiers."

"Wang Dingguo, leading his 500 men, is stationed in the central district to guard key locations such as the government office, granaries, and armories, preventing spies from causing trouble and deserters from disturbing the peace!"

Military orders are absolute, and the generals dared not delay. They each accepted their orders and rushed to their respective defense zones. The originally chaotic city of Nanyang was finally able to barely regain some of its defensive character under the iron-fisted command.

Soldiers climbed the city walls, set up firearms, and moved rolling stones and hot oil. Under mobilization and coercion, the people either carried grain and fodder, repaired the city walls, or boiled water and delivered food...

The war began soon

At this moment, at the North Gate, Bowang Gate, Li Guo, as the vanguard, had already led four thousand elite cavalry to rush over. The cavalry dismounted and fought on foot, carrying dozens of siege ladders and rushing towards the city wall like a tide. More than ten battering rams covered with thick iron plates, under the cover of layers of shield soldiers, blasted straight at the city gate.

"Welcome the rebel leader, no more taxes!"

The rebel soldiers, with red turbans wrapped around their heads and shouting slogans, charged forward one after another, fearless of death, stepping on the corpses of their comrades to climb the battlements like zombies. Even when they were hit by arrows and stones and rolled down the city walls, it did not stop the charge of the following troops.

Seeing the critical situation, Zuo Guangxian had no choice but to personally climb to the top of the north gate, don armor, take up his spear, and stand at the forefront, shouting himself hoarse as he supervised the battle.

Thus, the morale of the Ming soldiers on the city walls rose again, and their fighting strength recovered somewhat. They fought desperately, with rolling stones raining down like hail, scalding hot oil being poured on them, and three-barreled guns and muskets firing in turn... Under these measures, the rebel soldiers at the forefront fell in droves, their corpses piling up into small hills at the foot of the city walls. Their blood melted the snow, forming dark red streams that flowed down the city walls and froze into ice marks...

Most of the rebel soldiers were starving civilians who couldn't survive, and with their supervisors armed with swords and axes, retreat was out of the question. They had no choice but to charge forward relentlessly.

After half an hour of fierce fighting, seven ladders had been erected on the north gate wall. Soldiers of the rebel army repeatedly scaled the crenellations, engaging the Ming troops in hand-to-hand combat. Amidst the flashing blades, the city walls were stained with blood and littered with corpses. At this moment, the consequences of Zuo Guangxian's act of leading from the front came... He was struck in the left arm by an arrow that penetrated deep into the bone, leaving several scars on his body. Yet, he continued to wield his spear, fighting until the shaft broke, then drew his sword and fought again, covered in blood, repelling three waves of fierce attacks from the rebel army.

Meanwhile, at the Yong'an Gate of the West Gate, Liu Zongmin also arrived outside the city and led more than 10,000 rebel troops in a fierce attack, which was no less intense than that of the North Gate.