Cutting over the end of the Ming Dynasty: a dog-leg knife at the beginning

Chapter 863
The fresh air in Datong Basin is overwhelming, and the cold wind is like a long knife, repeatedly sweeping away all living things, and the world is vast.

It's cold, it's too cold!

Surprisingly, even in this hellish season of splashing water and ice, you can still see a large number of farmers dragging their families with them, braving the cold wind, and taking heavy steps towards Datong City.They were cold, hungry, and exhausted. Many of them fell down because they exhausted their last bit of strength. Once they fell down, they couldn't get up again.These are all immigrants from the Hetao Plain. Originally, they had built many villages and towns in the Hetao Plain, and built roads. They thought they could finally live a good life. Who knew that the situation would change suddenly, and the Mongols seemed crazy. The people rushed towards the Hetao Plain and fought with them. The brutal battle lasted from spring to autumn, and from autumn to winter. The endless battles forced every farmer into a warrior. They held guns and settled down. Some settlements were breached, but most of the settlements were still in their hands. The Mongols attacked again and again, and they fought back.They firmly believe that as long as the Tianxiong Army can give them strong support, they can make the Mongols bleed dry on the Hetao Plain!

But now everything has changed.Chongzhen's reckless and reckless imperial conquest took away one-third of the Tianxiong Army's strength, and a huge hole appeared in the long defense line.Originally, this loophole could be filled by frontier troops from Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Ningxia, but the hell is that after Lu Xiangsheng was transferred, most of the frontier troops who had been obedient to Tianxiong's army suddenly turned their backs and stepped aside one after another. The defense line, the Mongolian army rushed in from the defense line like a flood that broke the embankment. It was originally unbreakable, and the nine-border defense line that made the Mongols cry in despair just collapsed. The Tianxiong army distributed on the long border defense line was divided one after another. Surrounded, the rear was messed up by the Mongolian cavalry, and there was smoke and fire everywhere.The Tianxiong Army had no time to protect itself and could no longer provide strong support to the immigrant settlements. Many settlements were flooded by the surging Mongolian cavalry. Lei Shisheng reluctantly ordered all the immigrants to temporarily withdraw to Datong.The results of two years of hard work were destroyed in this way, and the feelings of those immigrants who had shed too much blood on this land can be imagined.The mood of the Tianxiong army covering their retreat was even worse. The Mongolian cavalry no longer dared to circle around them, because as soon as they saw them, the Tianxiong army would rush up to fight them like crazy, and they would not drive them all to death. Don't give up, in terms of fighting head-on, they are far from being the opponents of the Tianxiong Army!
The fighting power of the Tianxiong army is still unsurpassed, but the claws of this army have been tightly bound, and the mouth is also sealed, and it is almost impossible to swing the claws or roar.I believe that the mood of the soldiers of the Tianxiong Army at this time is the same as that of the soldiers of the Tang Army who still insisted on the Four Towns of Anxi and the Hexi Corridor after the great loss of vitality in the Tang Dynasty more than 1000 years ago, angry, sad, and desolate.They obviously have such a powerful combat power, no enemy dares to confront them head-on, and they are powerless to guard such a vast land. They can only watch the iron cavalry from outside the Great Wall come flooding in and drown them!
A cavalry roared in, their blood-red cloaks fluttering in the cold wind like large blood-red flags.Each knight had one or two bloody heads hanging on his horse's neck. Some of them had hairy heads and belonged to Mongolian Tartars, while others had money rat tails and belonged to slaves. Li, not angry but self-promoting, is none other than Zu Dabi, a famous fierce general in Guan Ning's army.Apparently this fierce general led his cavalry out to cause trouble for the enemy again, and killed a lot of them.This team of cavalry rode their horses and galloped, avoided the refugee team, and went straight into Datong City. Looking at their valiant and vigorous figures, the refugees felt a sense of security in their fearful hearts.

These loyal and brave soldiers are still there, hope is there, Hetao Plain, they will definitely go back!
Zu Dabi galloped into the city and went straight into the Chinese army's tent.In the Chinese army tent, Lei Shisheng was looking at the sand table, helpless, and asked without raising his head when he heard footsteps, "You're back?"

Zu Dabi didn't say a word, just took a pot of hot kumiss and gulped it down.

Lei Shisheng asked, "Have all the immigrants from the Baiyangtan area been withdrawn?"

Zu Dabi threw the empty flagon on the table, and said mockingly: "It's taken down, it's completely removed, and it's clean!" Having said this, he couldn't suppress the anger in his chest. He kicked a chair away and said loudly, "Old Lei, this is not going to work! I haven't fought much during this period, and I have lost all the results of the two-year war, and lost the hearts and morale of the people! This is not the way to fight, you must move, move and fight! Who are we afraid of in field battles!"

Lei Shisheng slowly raised his head and looked at him.Over this period of time, he lost a lot of weight, bags under his eyes appeared, his beard was unkempt, and his eyes were bloodshot.He said solemnly: "Move to fight? Now our entire army is divided along the long border and is isolated and helpless. Once those small troops of a hundred or dozens of people leave the fortress, they will be eaten immediately. How do you get up and fight?"

Zu Dabi became more and more angry: "So the multilateral army is vegetarian!?"

Lei Shisheng's expression became even more bitter: "Of course they are not vegetarian... They are not idle, they are helping the Mongolian Tartars and Jiannu to attack our army's fortress! Patriarch, you don't know? According to our army's reconnaissance The army reported that the Jiannu army was heading towards Datong against the wind and snow. Only those that had been discovered included the Zhenghong Banner, the Zhenglan Banner, and the Xianglan Banner. We’ve arrived in Taiyuan!” At this point, he laughed out loud, with tears streaming down his face, “The frontier troops we’ve trained so hard are now worse than before. The strong bows and crossbows, firecrackers, armor, steel knives and spears we provided to them were all respectfully presented to the Tartars. The Tartars threw away the smelly leather armor and stone-toothed arrows, and replaced them with With these sophisticated equipments, they slaughtered Ming's soldiers and civilians recklessly, and they followed the tartars to take advantage of the fire! Those literati even criticized us for being too belligerent and murderous, for not being good to our neighbors, slaughtering gentry, and disrespecting scholars. It's self-destruction... Hahaha, do you think it's fun? Do you think it's funny? We shed so much blood and died so many people, just to regain this territory for Ming Dynasty, but in exchange for "self-destruction" '!"

The desolate laughter resounded throughout the city of Datong, echoing in the hazy sky, making people's hearts sink.

When Lei Shisheng was laughing wildly, tens of thousands of Mongolian cavalry were rushing in from the huge gap made by the frontier army, sweeping across Shanxi.As Lei Shisheng said, most of the well-trained frontier troops of the Tianxiong Army have now become accomplices. Steel knives, spears, strong bows and crossbows... everything that should be used by the frontier army to defend against the enemy, but now they are all the spoils of the Mongols. The breastplate and helmet made of steel, the scimitar that would be useless after a few slashes were discarded, and the saber made of high-carbon steel was replaced.Shanxi is not a rich and prosperous place, but it still makes those tartars who have been blocked outside the border wall for more than 200 years eat sand and gnaw grass roots red-eyed, killing and robbing like crazy, as if to All the sufferings I have endured for more than 200 years have been imposed on the civilians of Ming Dynasty with interest.Under the day and night of fortified cities, Shanxi, which is composed of a series of pearl-shaped basins and is easy to defend and difficult to attack, has turned into a sea of ​​blood in front of the roaring Hu Qi. Unexpected, right? Just as the soldiers and civilians of Nanliang during the Northern and Southern Dynasties never dreamed that thousands of Hou Jing rebels would turn the entire Jiangnan into hell. Once this barbaric torrent broke through the side wall, it would be so terrifying!
Leading the vanguard of the Mongolian army was Haidu, a despicable villain who was extremely cunning and forced to turn against the brave and scheming Tie Muer.But it was not he who commanded this army, but Oboi.The face of this Manchurian general who won the championship of the three armies was cut by the cold wind, and he didn't care, just urging the Mongolian army to speed up and speed up.It is very cold and cold, and it is very dangerous to march for a long distance. During this journey, two or three hundred people have lost their combat effectiveness due to frostbite and falls, but the Mongols are already crazy. The wealth and prosperity of Ming Dynasty made them go crazy. They rushed to Taiyuan, where countless gold, silver, food, and women were waiting for them!

Taiyuan was already in sight, and the Mongolian cavalry was exhausted. Haidu looked at the looming city in the distance and asked Obai with some worry: "Sir, is it really feasible for us to attack Taiyuan in depth alone? Our army does not have artillery. !”

Obai smiled fiercely, like a poisonous snake: "Don't worry, the city gate of Taiyuan will be opened in front of us. We will enter Taiyuan smoothly, take a short rest there, and then head towards Yangquan and Zhending. Go to the Daming Road and raze the Daming Road to the ground to see what the stubborn Tianxiong army will do to fight us!"

When he mentioned the Tianxiong Army, his eyes burst into flames, and endless hatred surged into his heart.There have been too many Jurchen athletes who have died at the hands of the Tianxiong Army in the past few years. Many people in every Niulu in the entire Qing Dynasty have died under their guns. This hatred is too deep!The powerful combat power of the Tianxiong Army comes from the tens of thousands of factories in Daming Dao. As long as all these factories are destroyed, the tens of thousands of elite soldiers will be nothing more than a pile of withered bones!

Hai Du said: "That's what I said, but Taiyuan is a famous and powerful city, easy to defend but difficult to attack..." Before he finished speaking, he saw a column of smoke rising from the city of Taiyuan in the distance, and the flames shot straight into the sky. The sky was dyed bright red, and the earth-shattering sound of crying and cursing from thousands of people was torn to pieces by the cold wind, like a ghost weeping, or a trapped animal mourning.The lead clouds in the sky are all together, like a huge lead ingot sinking to the ground, it seems that it has really collapsed!

Burn the city!

The Mongolian army was still dozens of miles away from Taiyuan, and the Taiyuan defenders set fire to the city!

The city of Taiyuan was full of flames and crying loudly. Countless civilians rushed out of the city gate like ants driven by the fire, fleeing the city that had become a melting pot.Under the escort of thousands of officers and soldiers, under the eyes of countless people, a group of Shanxi officials headed by Shanxi governor Zhang Fengyi led their families, either in carriages or sedan chairs, and filed out towards Yangquan.

He Sui, the general soldier of Taiyuan, looked back at the city full of fireworks and the people who were crying loudly. A trace of unbearableness flashed in his eyes. He knelt down in front of Zhang Fengyi and said, "Master, do you really want to give up Taiyuan just like this? Our army has enough strength." Thousands of elite soldiers, and a strong city wall to defend, why not hold on for a few days and let the people evacuate first?"

Zhang Fengyi expressed compassion, and said: "I can't bear to turn Taiyuan into scorched earth with a big fire, but the Hulu are unstoppable and fierce, and Taiyuan is hard to keep. Sticking to Taiyuan will only cost hundreds of thousands of people their lives in vain. The mountains of supplies will be captured by the Hulu, and there will be endless troubles! For the long-term plan, we can only burn Taiyuan by means of thunder, and remove the people in the city, leaving no grain for the Hulu, waiting for them to starve If you are exhausted and fight back vigorously, you will have a chance of winning!"

He Sui's face twitched, scolding in his heart.You put it bluntly. When the fire goes down, I don’t know how many people will be buried in the sea of ​​fire. It’s freezing, tens of thousands of people wander around without food and clothing, and I don’t know how many people will die of cold and hunger. Thank God that one out of ten survived!The lives of tens of thousands of people have come to you, how can you become so light? Are you officials so cold-hearted!He said, "But..."

Zhang Fengyi yelled: "No, but! It's all you warriors who blindly dismissed your troops and angered the Tatars to bring about this catastrophe! The situation has become so corrupted, and for the sake of the people of Shanxi Province, this old man can only do something wrong! Don't talk too much, open the way quickly, otherwise the old man will ask Shang Fang's sword to take your head!"

Heartbroken, He Sui responded with a gloomy voice, got up on his horse, and opened the way ahead.Thousands of soldiers lowered their heads and walked forward in a daze. They didn't know where the destination was.

Zhang Fengyi looked back at the city that had been surrounded by thick smoke and fire and the faces of despair. He sneered and said in his heart, "Don't blame the old man. If you want to blame, blame the gang of warriors! If you don't do this, Huaxia's The orthodoxy will be destroyed in their hands... Don't blame the old man!"

Aobai pointed at the soaring flames in Taiyuan City and laughed loudly, shouting wildly: "Those stupid Nikan have been frightened by us, they dare not even defend such a majestic city! The eagles in the grassland are still hesitating!" What? Go up and kill into the city, the property and women there are all yours!"

The Mongolian cavalry shouted wildly, kicked the horse's belly fiercely, and rushed towards the burning Taiyuan City like a hurricane.The army in Taiyuan City has been withdrawn, and hundreds of thousands of unarmed urban and rural residents have been thrown to them.The gods have closed their eyes and thrown this land to the devil, and Taiyuan is about to become a hell on earth.

Taiyuan fell, Shanxi was shocked, and countless people fled to Hebei, trying to escape the war.In the turbulent situation, there is no hope. Does this country have a future?
Zhang Fengyi, who shamefully burned the city and fled, didn't know, the Mongolian cavalry who were burning, killing and looting in Taiyuan didn't know, and the Manchu and Qing troops slowly coming from the Mongolian grassland like the tide didn't know. Dragging a weak and sick body, against the torrent of fleeing refugees, facing the attacking spearhead of the Mongolian cavalry, the target is Taiyuan.

———— "The end of this volume"

(End of this chapter)