Nanming Engineer

Chapter 65
Xiangyang City is located in the upper reaches of the Han River, side by side with Fancheng on both banks. Xiangyang lives on the south bank, looking at Fancheng across the river, surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side. It has been an important place in ancient times, easy to defend but difficult to attack.The city was built in the Western Han Dynasty, and all dynasties have been expanding and deepening the construction. In the Song Dynasty, it was changed from an earthen city to a brick-covered city. In the Ming Dynasty, it was repaired and reorganized continuously from the Hongwu Dynasty to the Chongzhen Dynasty. Although it has gone through wars, it has become stronger and stronger. The city walls are all rammed with glutinous rice and loess, and are covered with huge green bricks, which are extremely strong. The walls are two feet five feet high and wide enough to run a horse.The circumference of the city is fourteen miles, and there are six gates, all of which are garrison urns. The city is surrounded by deep moats, about sixty feet wide, which are irrigated with Han water, and the defense is strong.

At this time, it was morning, the morning sun was rising, and the huge Xiangyang City was bathed in the morning light, shining with golden light, making the whole magnificent building even more majestic, as if the city was invincible.

"Xiangyang is really made of iron." Wang Huan stood outside the huge south gate, looking at the city from a distance, and couldn't help but sigh: "The history books are really well written, and the number one city in the Ming Dynasty is indeed true."

"What's the use of a strong city? It's not lost. The most ridiculous thing is that Li Zicheng actually fled Wuchang with his entire army, and left the city to the Tartar soldiers for nothing." Xu Goudan laughed softly after hearing this. road.

Wang Huan smiled without saying a word. He knew that the reason why Li Zicheng abandoned Xiangyang and fled to the east was mainly out of the idea of ​​avoiding the edge of the Qing army and preserving his strength. In the face of the heavy armored infantry and field cavalry of the Qing Dynasty, the army could not take advantage of it. After repeated fierce battles, they lost troops and lost their generals, and even lost their hometown in Xi'an. Before, Nanjing was captured, and then by virtue of the natural danger of the Yangtze River, they divided the river and ruled with the Qing Dynasty, divided the country equally, and then planned the follow-up.

Unexpectedly, the British Prince Azige moved quickly, and after occupying Xi'an, he followed closely behind. Dorgon even saw through Li Zicheng's plan, and ordered Yu Prince Duoduo to go south from HN, and captured Yangzhou in front of him. The army rushed for thousands of miles and blocked Li Zicheng's way from the east.

Li Zicheng had Duoduo in the front and Azige in the back. He was at a loss for advance and retreat. The retreating army was defeated in a row. The whole strategy turned from a purposeful retreat to a major defeat. In May of the second year of Nanming Hongguang, they entered Huguang TS County and prepared to go south to Guangdong and Guangxi.

Wang Huan shook his head, remembering Li Zicheng who was about to die for five seconds, and re-examined the south gate of Xiangyang in front of him.At the gate of the city, there was a team of Qing soldiers standing guard, strictly checking the passing pedestrians, vehicles and horses. Those who had any doubts, those who were upside down or had no way to guide them were immediately arrested. Those refugees in ragged clothes were brutally driven aside. , not allowed to enter the city.

"What should we do? Can we enter the city?" Chen Ergou asked.

Wang Huan made some preparations, but before he could speak, he heard screams from the official road. Hearing the sound, he saw the dust flying on the road, and a troop of cavalry came galloping from a distance. The leading general was young and handsome, and he was Su Le.

The rider following Su Le had a scorched complexion, high cheekbones and a pointed chin, a pair of mouse eyes wandering around, wandering around, but it was Tian Xiong who was familiar with Wang Huan and the others.

Wang Huan was shocked. Although the three of them were as dirty as three beggars, their faces were covered with mud and dust, as if they were wearing a mask, but the distinctive feature of having no hair on the top of their heads could not be changed. If they were seen by those two However, with Su Le's shrewdness and Tian Xiong's insidiousness, he might become suspicious, and it would be bad if he was stopped for questioning.

Chen Ergou and Xu Goudan also saw the cavalry rolling in the distance, and their faces also changed color. In desperation, Wang Huan pulled the two of them to the back of a cart pulled by mules on the road, and followed the cart Walking forward slowly, Xu Goudan rolled his eyes and simply motioned for the two of them to join him, lowering his head and pretending to push the cart, doing enough tricks.

The sound of hooves was rumbling, and he arrived beside him in an instant. Hearing the sound of the wind passing by, Wang Huan's heart beat wildly. Let the person on the horse see it.

The horseshoes stomped on the ground, kicking up the loess all over the sky, spreading panic among the pedestrians hiding on the side of the road. Seeing that it was the Qing soldiers passing by, they dared not speak out, and all looked sideways and politely got out of the way. Su Le and others Without stopping, they led dozens of cavalry across the official road, turned a corner outside the south gate, and headed to the other side of the city wall.

Wang Huan and the other three still didn't dare to raise their heads. They just pushed the cart along silently. When the sound of hooves disappeared in the distance and the pedestrians around them began to complain loudly, they breathed a sigh of relief. The crisis was finally over.

As soon as they raised their heads, before they had time to say a word, the three of them smelled a foul smell in their noses. The smell was so unpleasant that it made people vomit. I found that what I was pushing was actually a huge dung truck. There was a huge wooden tank on it. There were many yellow and white things stuck to the tank. It was obviously a dung truck that went to the city to collect night incense.

The situation was urgent just now, and the three of them panicked and feared in their hearts. They were so focused on avoiding Su Le and Tian Xiong that they didn't notice the smell. Now that the crisis was over, they felt the smell was pungent.

Wang Huan wanted to leave, but when he took a look at where he was, he groaned bitterly. He buried himself in the cart just now, and before he knew it, he had already arrived at the gate of the city. in front of myself.

The driver of the dung truck was an old man, sitting high in front of the dung truck, driving the mules with a whip, and he didn't notice that there were three more good boys behind his cart who volunteered to help push the carts. Said: "Master Jun, I'm here to collect Yexiang again."

The stench of the dung truck can permeate from the street to the end of the street. Even residents who are a few steps into the house can smell the smell immediately and come out with chamber pots. Its power is comparable to biological and chemical weapons. The Qing soldiers guarding the gate were Staggering around due to the smoke, the leader, Bashku, covered his nose in disgust and waved his hands. This dung truck came into the city from outside the city every morning. Everyone had developed a conditioned reflex. When they saw the tall round can The mule cart unconsciously backed away a few steps, wishing to let this filthy thing go away as soon as possible.

The three of Wang Huan didn't dare to retreat. By leaving at this time, didn't they make it clear that they had a problem?After exchanging glances, the three of them braced themselves, still lowered their heads and pushed the side of the cart, regardless of the residue of feces and water on the cart, endured the feeling of vomiting that had already welled up in their throats, and pushed the cart step by step, just to get out of the city gate as soon as possible, to escape The sight of the Qing soldiers could also get rid of this disgusting cart.

The old man raised his whip and slapped the rump of the mule driving the cart fiercely. The mule suffered from the pain and exerted all its hooves. The cart creaked and entered Xiangyang City along the stone road at the south gate.

(End of this chapter)