(0404) "Tom Tom! ”

"Tom tom!"

"Tom tom!"

The sound of artillery continued, rumbling, and the smoke of gunpowder filled the air. [Full text reading]

On the head of Ningxia City, there are more than 150 artillery pieces of various kinds. Generally speaking, the towns garrisoned by the Ming army were rarely equipped with so many artillery. At that time, the price of the Franc machine artillery was still very expensive, and it was easy to equip it. However, Ningxia City was the front line against the southward invasion of the Tartars, and in order to prevent the city from being broken by the Tartar cavalry, it was necessary to break the standard equipment. In fact, the Franc cannon was an important weapon for the Ming army to deter the Tatar cavalry. Without a sufficient number of artillery, it was simply impossible to stop the siege of the Tartar cavalry.

Because of the north gate of Ningxia City, it has always been the focus of the Tartar cavalry. Therefore, the number of cannons here is particularly large, almost fifty pieces. As soon as the white-clothed army approached, the defenders of Ningxia City opened fire desperately. The Franc cannon fired shotguns, also known as grape shells, and one by one the shotguns were fired and scattered in the sky, forming a rain of bullets, which continued to fall to the ground, splashing a large amount of dirt.

Attacked by grapeshot shells, the advancing white-clothed soldiers, as well as the soldiers who helped in the battle, had to stop. The lethality of those marbles is still very strong, and if they rush in, as long as one is hit, it will be the consequence of either death or injury. In fact, some of the more impulsive military households had already rushed into the range of the Franc machine guns, and as a result, they were wounded by marbles and bled profusely. Others were killed on the spot.

After all, a cannon is a cannon, and its power is definitely not comparable to that of a musket. Although it is said that the maximum range of the Moon Gun is also several hundred meters. However, compared to the Franc machine gun, it is not a grade at all. One is a gun, the other is a cannon, which is simply not comparable. In the deterrent range of the marbles fired by the Franc machine artillery, no one dared to enter it at all. The result of rushing in is only death. Many white-clothed soldiers could only watch the artillery wreak havoc from behind, but there was no way to do it.

The white-clothed army did not have artillery in his hands, which was Xu Xingxia's biggest shortcoming. Cannons are not muskets, they are not something that can be made by a small craftsman's workshop. Only the huge Ordnance Division, including such specialized institutions as the Bureau of Arms and the Bureau of Ordnance, is possible to cast. Of course, after taking Ningxia City, Xu Xingxia may also have a chance to cast. This is one of the reasons why he is in a hurry to take Ningxia City. Only Ningxia City has all the conditions for casting cannons.

"Demolition team!"

"Ready! Above! ”

In the face of the defenders' frantic shelling, the counterattack of the white-clothed army was to send more demolition teams to try to approach the direction of the city gate. Just blow open the city gates, and you're done. However, the artillery fire of the defenders was indeed very fierce. The Francophone guns of one by one are simply crazy, and the sound of cannons has never stopped. Li Guozhen knew that his limit was approaching, so he personally went to the city to supervise the battle, and ordered desperate artillery shooting. Li Maohui also came to the city to help supervise the battle. All the private families of the officials were forcibly recruited to fight in the city.

The army of the Ming Dynasty, depending on the different types of troops, has a great difference in combat effectiveness. Among them, the weakest combat effectiveness is, of course, the Weisuo Army, and the waste mentioned by Li Guozhen is them. Those with medium combat effectiveness are soldiers, that is, recruited troops. They were the main force of the Ming army. In large-scale wars, they are basically the ones who are dispatched. As for the strongest combat effectiveness, it is the private armed men of various officials. Their equipment is good, their treatment is good, their morale is relatively high, and they are the most reliable at critical moments.

As one of the important towns on the nine sides, Ningxia Town has a large number of military attachés. Basically, every high-ranking military attache has his own private armed man. There are many, there are 2,000 people, such as Li Guozhen, the chief military officer. There are few, and there are thirty or forty people, such as the level of deputy thousand households. Some civil officials also have their own private armed families, such as Li Maohui and others. All the private armed men in Ningxia Town add up, and there are still 5,000 people. It was these 5,000 men who were the main force defending the city.

As the private armed men of the officials, their fate is closely related to the fate of the officials. If their masters are finished, they will be finished. Therefore, their first task is to preserve the surname and status of their masters. In view of the current special situation of Ningxia City, specifically, it is to first keep Ningxia City from being breached. Therefore, the strength of their counterattack is still relatively high, much higher than that of ordinary soldiers. Many private households, even if they are wounded, will not leave the city easily.

This point is the biggest difference between Pingyu City and Ningxia City. If there is no such group, how can the officials of Ningxia Town live in peace and stability in ordinary times? I'm afraid that the military households below will have rebelled long ago. In fact, the average military household is most afraid of this group. They are the thugs of officials, the executioners of officials, and the most direct perpetrators of all crimes. As long as this group exists, they have no chance of rising up and rebelling. If Xu Xingxia wants to conquer Ningxia City, he must eliminate this group.

"Bang bang bang!" Dense marbles fell like a rain of bullets. The Eight Immortals table and the wet quilt crackled. And there were solid bullets coming over again. The lethality of solid bullets is also very large, as long as the person under the table of the Eight Immortals is hit, the consequences will be serious. Several demolition teams were hit by solid bullets and had to retreat. Some of the demolition teams even sacrificed their entire lives, and none of them were able to come back.

The one responsible for attacking the north gate of Ningxia City was the tiger and leopard cavalry commanded by Gao Meng. This is one of the oldest units in the White Army. However, under the resolute bombardment of the defenders' artillery, more than a dozen demolition teams sent by the Tiger and Par Cavalry in succession were unsuccessful. Some withdrew, some sacrificed altogether. So far, the Hawpanzer has sacrificed more than two dozen warriors. The artillery fire of the defenders was indeed too fierce, and the tiger and leopard cavalry had no chance to get close to the city gate.

In addition, the moat of Ningxia City is also a very fatal existence. Ningxia City is close to the Yellow River, and the moat and the Yellow River are connected, which is three zhang wide and one zhang deep. The water of the moat is always flowing, which makes it very difficult for the people to wade. At this time, the suspension bridge above the moat had already been pulled up. The demolition team of the White Army, if they want to force their way through the moat, is almost impossible. Because it is impossible for the Eight Immortals Table to cross the river.

The defenders' muskets and bows and arrows were still very strong in counterattack. They also prepared a large number of heavy weapons such as rolling wood and thunder stones on the city wall, and once someone approached, these heavy weapons would be thrown down, causing great damage to the white-clothed army. In addition, there are weapons such as incendiary flasks. It can be inferred that the defenders are also out of the way. Because, they also know very well what kind of fate awaits them once the city is broken.

Gao Meng was impatient for a moment, and couldn't help jumping up: "Grass!" I'll go up in person! ”

Xu Xingxia grabbed him and said in a deep voice: "Don't be reckless! Let's find another way! ”

Gao Meng bit his lip fiercely, he had already bitten the blood, and said unwillingly: "What way?" I'll do it right away! Damn, these dogs, I don't believe it, I can't pry them open! When we go into the city, I want them to look good one by one! I'm going to have to skin them and cramp them! Dare to play with Lao Tzu! ”

Xu Xingxia said in a deep voice: "Gao Meng, calm down, now is not the time to be rash!" The enemy's artillery fire was so fierce that we didn't have a chance at all. We must avoid enemy artillery fire and approach the walls from below! Let's dig tunnels! ”

"Good!" Gao Meng and the others suddenly lit up and applauded in unison. That's right, dig tunnels! Quietly digging tunnels underground, the artillery fire of the defenders, no matter how fierce it is, is useless! As long as the tunnel is dug under the wall of Ningxia City, thousands of catties of explosives are piled up, and with a bang, the north gate of the entire Ningxia City will all fly into the sky. After the explosion, it is estimated that the collapsed city wall also just filled the moat, just in time to open the passage to the city.

"Tonight starts!" Xu Xingxia immediately ordered that the whole army would excavate the tunnels starting tonight.

Digging tunnels requires a lot of labor. At that time, tunnels were excavated, but it was purely manual labor, without any mechanization. In addition to this, a large amount of labor is required, collecting wood for support. Miscellaneous matters add up, and it is not an easy task. Otherwise, the Tartar cavalry would have dug tunnels and entered Ningxia City long ago. The reason why the Tartars can't do it is that there is not so much labor and not so much time.

However, the most important thing in the current white-clothed army is labor. Those military households who came from all over the world to participate in the war were the cheapest laborers! Well, to be precise, simply free labor. Just take care of their food, and everything else doesn't need to be paid. As for the time, there is no need to worry either. Even by the most optimistic estimates, it would take about a month for reinforcements from the official army to reach Ningxia City.

The stragglers of the Eagle Cavalry are not vegetarians. They had already been active around Ningxia City, monitoring movements in all directions. Part of the Eagle Cavalry stragglers led by Zhang Yi kept moving south, advancing in the direction of Guyuan Town. Among the four major military towns in Shaanxi, the closest to Ningxia Town is Guyuan Town. The reinforcements that arrived first were estimated to be from Guyuan Town. However, with the Eagle Cavalry stragglers taking care of them "meticulously" along the way, they were able to reach Ningxia City in a month, which was considered a miracle.

"Chen Denglong! You are responsible for the tunnel at the north gate! Xu Xingxia commanded decisively.

"No problem, sir! Just wait for my good news! Chen Denglong replied in the affirmative.

(To be continued)