Chapter 27: Baoyi's head is also a human head
At the second quarter of the si hour on the 24th, which was around 9:30 in the morning, the Later Jin army began to move out. A large number of baoyi slaves poured out of the Later Jin camp, pushing the shield carts and ox carts forward with all their might. More than 20,000 horse-riding Tatars wearing four-color dark armor followed suit, arriving at corresponding positions according to their respective banners, dismounted and rested in the flat area two miles away from the city wall, waiting for the baoyi and siege equipment to arrive.

Nurhaci was not a man without martial ethics. He would always persuade the enemy to surrender before the Eight Banners went to war or attacked a city.

Leng Geli, the leader of the right wing of the Plain Yellow Banner, led more than 20 riders to the north gate of the city. On behalf of Nurhaci, he shot an arrow at the Ningyuan defender, on which was a document of persuasion for surrender.

Unfortunately, Lenggeli found the wrong person. Man Gui, the leader of the Ningyuan generals, was in the south, Yuan Chonghuan, who was the real person in charge, was guarding the center of the city, and Zhu Mei, the commander of the north city wall, tore up the letter of surrender in front of Lenggeli.

"You have torn our Khan's kindness apart. If the Liaodong Governor and other high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty knew that you provoked border conflicts, would you still be able to keep your position? Take my advice and open the city gates obediently and accept the Khan's gift."

Although it was just a formality, Lenggeli's tone was very sincere when he spoke. Putting aside the fact that his brother Yangguli was Nurhaci's son-in-law, he really felt that the Eight Banners were better than the Ming Dynasty.

"You ignorant Tartar, my Great Ming no longer has the post of Liaodong Governor. Let's have a fight first. My Great Ming's 100,000 Heavenly Soldiers will march north today to see how long you Tartars can keep being so arrogant."

Zhu Mei was from Guangning, Liaodong, and a staunch advocate of war. While he was talking to Leng Geli and others, he secretly ordered his men to prepare to fire the cannons.

Hundreds of Tiger Cannons and large and small General Cannons were basically deployed on the city walls, and the area near the city gates was the focus of defense. After receiving the order from the commander-in-chief, more than a dozen small cannons were fired one after another, giving Lenggeli and others a great gift.

The results of the battle were not very significant. The twenty or so Tatars who came were originally standing at a safe distance of fifty steps. After being shot, they fled back in a panic and no one was hurt.

It was still a long time before the bannermen pushing the carts arrived, so Lenggeli and the other two yellow flag leaders led their men on horseback to circle the city wall. Occasionally, when a Tartar advanced to the front of the moat, they would draw their bows and shoot.

Originally, the moat was frozen solid. In order to make it as difficult as possible for the Eight Banners to attack the city, the Ningyuan defenders had sent people to dig through the ice. Without the assistance of the bannermen, the Tatar cavalry was blocked by the large trench and could no longer get close to the city wall.

However, the Ming's artillery and bird guns could not threaten the mounted Tatars, and the two sides entered a stalemate until the shield carts, ox carts, etc. came into the range of the Ming's artillery.

Every one or two breaths, there was the sound of artillery firing, and smoke was coming out of the city walls. If you ignore the solemn atmosphere of defending the city, the north city wall at this time was even more lively than the New Year's Day more than 20 days ago.

The soldiers in the camp and the garrison troops who obeyed the order were guarding under the city. Li Hao, holding two large axes, also mixed in with his men.

Because of killing the great Tartar leader Daishan, General Li became very famous in the city. The three or four thousand soldiers and garrison troops were either sitting or leaning against the north wall, and there were two main topics they talked about: the horror of the Tartars and General Li and his axe.

"Is this the magic axe that the Daoting Yamen made specifically for General Li? The axe blade looks bigger than a human face."

"In my opinion, even the Tartars wearing iron helmets can't withstand this axe. It's a pity that Master Li was born too late. If he was born five or six years earlier, there would be nothing I could do."

"You are a bunch of people who have no luck with seeing things. I watched the battle where General Li killed Daishan from beginning to end the day before yesterday. General Li was like a god, charging straight at the central flag of the Zhenghongqi Tartar army..."

Li Hao, who was being talked about in a low voice by everyone, was focusing on the sound of the cannon.

"I feel that the sound of artillery has decreased. When the shouting and killing sounds, we will go up to the city. I will guard a ladder and you will protect my back. We will kill as many Tartars as climb up."

Li Hao gave these instructions to Cao, the big and small Caos, the servants Li Tianyang, Zhugou Liuyang and other soldiers in the camp.

"General, when the Jiannu attacked the city with all their might in the first wave, the real Tatars would not come out in large numbers. Usually, the bondservants would come first to consume the gunpowder, gold juice, and stones. The second wave would be the hard battle, probably around noon."

Cao Wenzhao reminded.

Deputy General Zhu Mei's transfer order had not yet come down, and he might be reprimanded if he went to the city without permission. "The heads of bondservants are also human heads, so what's the difference between real Tartar and fake Tartar?"

The shouts of fighting outside the city had already begun. Li Hao stood up and rushed towards the city wall with two axes as long as his body.

If you go too late, the lives will be lost.

All the soldiers under Li Hao stood up, put on their helmets, picked up their weapons and followed him up.

Some soldiers under the command of other captains and generals were also encouraged and prepared to go to the top of the city to fight the Tartars together, but they were stopped by the servants sent by Zhu Mei to maintain order. They did not dare to dissuade General Li and only dared to take care of these soldiers.

After reaching the city wall, Li Hao saw the scene of smoke and beacon fire everywhere outside the city.

Hundreds of shield carts were arranged in four rows, seven or eight steps apart, in front of the large ditch in the moat. Armored flagmen hid behind the shield carts in groups of three, and the flagmen in the first row waited for the right opportunity to shoot arrows at the city wall.

This type of shield cart is a two-wheeled carriage, roughly equivalent to a two-wheeled cart with a square wooden board placed across it. In order to resist the Ming Dynasty's light artillery, the baffles of the Later Jin shield cart were reinforced to five to six inches, or fifteen to eighteen centimeters. With the baffles, the total weight of the shield cart could reach one thousand pounds.

In order to enhance protection and stop rockets, the baffles are also covered with cowhide or iron sheets.

Originally, this kind of heavy shield vehicle was not convenient to operate, but after Sun Chengzong vigorously developed the chariot camp, in order to facilitate the movement of chariots, Liaozhen specially repaired the post road, which happened to be a good thing for the Later Jin.

Wherever the Ming Dynasty’s chariot camp can go, the Later Jin’s heavy shield chariots can also go.

More than a thousand eunuchs were crawling on the ground behind the flagmen who were shooting arrows and the shield carts. It was estimated that there were twelve or thirteen people lying behind each shield cart. In order to make room for the flagmen to shoot arrows, these eunuchs had to move from time to time. After the flagmen finished shooting and retreated, they hid again.

When the flag-bearing Tartar waved the two yellow flags, the baoyi slaves behind the first row of shield carts rushed down the ladder at the foot of the city wall with their swords in hand, and the baoyi slaves in the second and third rows moved forward one by one.

Twenty or thirty ladders had been hooked onto the parapet, and a bondservant would pop out from the ladders every few breaths. Except for those who were firing cannons and shooting arrows, the Ming soldiers on the city wall basically stayed in a circle around the ladders, stabbing the bondservants who climbed up the city wall to death with swords and guns.

The situation on the north city wall was relatively stable, except that there were dozens of bondservants carrying wooden boards and chiseling the wall between the two enemy towers on the west side. Deng Maolin was leading hundreds of soldiers to deal with that group of bondservants, pouring kerosene, manure and other things down on them.

Zhu Mei, who had a full beard on his chin, was quite optimistic. After being reminded by the servant that Li Hao was going up to the city, he smiled and said to General Li:

"Brother Tianqiong, why don't you go downstairs and rest? The two yellow flags haven't used their full strength yet, and the Bayala wearing two layers of armor hasn't appeared yet. It's enough for us to guard here for now. When the Bayalas climb the ladder, brother Tianqiong can come up to calm the situation."

"It's alright, I'll chop off my own heads. The heads of bondservants are still heads! If any of you can't hold on any longer, call me."

Li Hao asked him for the enemy tower on the west side that was closest to the artillery position, because that was obviously the Tatars' main attack area.

After he arrived with his men, he ordered the other Ming soldiers to stand aside, then swung his axe and split the only remaining Baoyi on the city wall into two.

While the baoyi behind him hadn't climbed up, General Li shouted toward the city: "It was me who killed Daishan, Nurhaci, do you dare to come here to avenge your son?"

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(End of this chapter)