Wu Yidao: "I have led the troops for more than two years, and there are nearly 10,000 people under my command, and they have occupied Wujiang City three times, but it is the limit to command 1,000 people, and it is often inadequate to command more than 5,000 people." ”

Xia Wanchun also said: "Interlacing is like a mountain, such as poetry and songs, Wanchun is never arrogant, but when it comes to marching and fighting, there is indeed something that is not enough." But fortunately, I'm young, I can learn while playing, no one is born to know, I waited for two years, didn't I come over like this? ”

Wu Zheng said: "Cungu is right, learning to fight from the battlefield is the best and fastest. But the price to pay is also the greatest. Dare to ask the three, how many Ming troops and rebels have been lost from your hands? Those are all loyal ministers and righteous men of the Ming Dynasty! ”

These words made the scene fall silent instantly, and only when you really experienced it did you know how strong the smell of blood was behind it.

Wu Zheng continued: "I ask you this question today, and what I really want to say is that it doesn't matter if it's wrong, but it has to be changed. If the city of Suzhou is recovered, we will face a real change, how to form the imperial court? Who is in charge, who is in charge of internal affairs, and who is in charge of the army? If you really want to be like the Hongguang Dynasty, which has half of the country and a million troops, and in the end it will be scattered in a hurry, everyone, how will we face those dead fathers, relatives and friends? ”

Wu Zheng's words made the three of them look solemn.

Indeed, according to the current troop structure, it is not too difficult to capture Suzhou City.

But the problem involved is that once Suzhou is recovered, then Shaoxing Mansion will have the land of five prefectures.

This will be a challenge for Shaoxing Mansion, which once only occupied a corner of the land.

How to govern, how to defend, and who to use?

These are all questions.

Except for Wu Zheng, the three present were all jinshi or juren.

They were far better than Wu Zheng in this regard, but they were just as silent.

……。

The next day, the general offensive began.

Suzhou City really did not expect the Ming army to suddenly go north.

They even thought it was just a local rebel army when Xia Wanchun and Qian Sudian were approaching.

When the south gate was besieged, it was alerted that the Ming army was about to counterattack.

So he hurriedly asked Ying Tianfu for help, and closed the city gate tightly and took a defensive position.

That's right.

But this conservative approach made Xia Wanchun and Qian Sudian almost bloodless across the canal and approached the city of Suzhou.

Of course, this is not a big deal in normal times.

The city walls of Suzhou are thick, the city gates are strong, and the troops in the city are not tight, even if there are 50,000 or 60,000 Ming troops attacking the city, it should be no problem to support it for ten days and a half months.

What's more, Ying Tianfu will definitely send reinforcements, so the defenders don't think that this defensive battle will be lost.

It was precisely in this way that the defenders were almost only waiting on the city walls and towers, and never thought of sending troops out of the city to attack and harass the Ming army.

But in fact, they could not have predicted that Wu Zheng would gather seventy-one artillery pieces (sixty-three small cannons, eight red-coated cannons) to cover the south gate (Panmen) with an unprecedented artillery fire.

Its scope, intensity, and duration are unprecedented.

However, even with such high-intensity artillery fire, the southern city wall still did not collapse, and it was indeed extremely strong.

But the gates were gone, the towers collapsed, and the defenders of the towers were almost gone.

The small cannon was used as a flowering bullet, and it beckoned to the city tower and the city wall.

The red-coated cannons can all be used for solid bullets, and the muzzles of the eight cannons are all pointed at the city gate.

An hour later, Wu Zheng issued the order to siege the city.

The cavalry stormed the city gates, and the infantry climbed the wall with ladders.

The battle was fierce until it was dark.

The cavalry battalion faced the broken city gate, and it simply couldn't rush in.

And the resistance from the city walls is almost endless.

That night, Wu Zheng convened the generals in the tent to discuss.

"My lord, this matter is a bit strange, according to careful investigation, there are only 28,000 defenders in Suzhou City, and they have to defend the three city gates in the south and east directions at the same time, and it stands to reason that the resistance in the city should not be so tenacious."

"Yes, my lord, unless the enemy bet that our army will only attack the south gate, and all the horses are bet on the south gate."

Qian Sudian glanced at his nephew Qian Qiaogong, in this battle, the losses of the cavalry battalion were indeed very large, more than 600 cavalry were killed, almost 10% of the cavalry of the whole army at the moment, and this was the first day of battle.

"My lord, do you want me to lead the cavalry to the east gate to try it out on an unknown day?" Qian Sudian suggested.

Wu Yi pondered and said: "I thought that maybe it was because the reinforcements from Ying Tianfu had arrived. ”

Xia Wanchun shook his head and said: "Impossible, as far as I know, Ying Tianfu is only 30,000 defenders, send troops to aid Suzhou, won't Ying Tianfu be in chaos?" ”

This makes sense, in such a big Nanjing city, how many old and young people are left behind in the Ming Dynasty?

It's only been a year since the occupation, who dares to sing about the empty city?

Wu Zheng is also hesitating, should he divide his troops to attack the east of Fengmen, of course, if he really wants to divide his troops, it will definitely not work to send cavalry only, but if he divides his troops, won't the siege force be weaker?

If reinforcements really arrive in the city, it will be a big trouble if they go out of the city to fight back.

It is better to cut off one of his fingers than to hurt his ten fingers, Wu Zheng said: "No need, tomorrow will still attack the city according to the original plan, and there is Songjiang Wu Shengzhao's department in the east to cooperate with the feint, so you don't have to pay attention to it." ”

Wu Yi said leisurely: "Don't believe in Wu Shengzhao too much, in my opinion, maybe he will temporarily defect to the enemy." Perhaps the resistance in the city suddenly became stronger, because this thief led his troops to surrender. ”

These words moved Wu Zheng's heart, which just explained the reason for the continuous resistance in the city today.

Could it be that Wu Shengzhao really voted for Qing again?

But at this time, the morale of the army must not be shaken, Wu Zheng said: "This official believes that he will not do such a shameless thing, and the resistance in the city has become stronger, and there may be other reasons." I also hope that you will fight tomorrow, perform your duties, and strive to break the city. ”

"Yes!"

After the generals retreated, Wu Zheng was not at ease after all, and decided to send scouts to the east to search for Wu Shengzhao's department.

……。

Just when the generals of the South Gate were doubting whether Wu Shengzhao had already surrendered to the enemy.

Wu Shengzhao, who was not far from the east gate, sneezed several times in succession.

If you want to talk about surrendering to the enemy, Wu Shengzhao really doesn't blink.

But Wu Yi really wronged him, and he didn't want to vote for the Qing court anymore.

Why?

He hates!

Some of the hatred in this world has a reason, and some has no reason.

Since he was punished by the Qing court and fined for half a year, Wu Shengzhao really didn't think about voting for the Qing Dynasty again.

He is now hesitating, whether to vote for Shaoxing or for Fujian, thousands of miles away?

Should you believe Wu Zheng's promise to himself outside Songjiang City?

Wu Shengzhao has already arrived at the east gate, but it is not the southeast gate, but the northeast corner of the Loumen.

Even arrived before Wu Zheng, after all, he set off first.

But he can't make up his mind, can he attack or not?

As long as there is an attack, there will be casualties.