Rebirth of The Deer and the Cauldron, Wei Xiaobao Becomes a God

These foreigners were simply a bunch of pirates. They tied up all the customs officials and dock workers and threw them into the cabin of a huge cargo ship like throwing dumplings. The unfortunate Lord Fahai was no exception. He was also tied up and stuffed into the cabin.

When County Magistrate Zhang heard the news that the Port of Shanghai had fallen and a number of officials had been captured and their lives or deaths were unknown, he was so terrified that his body involuntarily collapsed to the ground.

Because Fahai's father was the commander of the Han army of the Bordered Yellow Banner, a hereditary first-class duke, and the uncle of Emperor Kangxi. If Fahai met with an accident in Shanghai County, he, as the county magistrate, would inevitably be to blame.

Just as Magistrate Zhang was immersed in his worries about the Fahai incident, suddenly there was a shocking news: the yamen runners reported that the coastal defense battalion was completely wiped out, and the red-haired devils were marching towards Shanghai County and were expected to arrive in half an hour at most.

Faced with such an urgent situation, Zhang Chunru, as a scholar and Jinshi in the Shunzhi period, who had never experienced war, fell into extreme panic and helplessness.

At this critical moment, he hurriedly asked for help from the county magistrate beside him. The county magistrate's surname was Cao, and his name was Cao Acai, who was also a juren in the Shunzhi period.

Magistrate Zhang asked anxiously, "Secretary Cao, what should we do now?"

"My lord magistrate, the historian and the captain of the outer commission have closed the east and west gates and stationed soldiers at the gates respectively. The city wall of Shanghai County was newly built in the first year of Emperor Kangxi's reign. The wall is tall and solid. The red-haired troops from the Western Frontier came from afar and lack siege weapons. The military and civilians of Shanghai County share the same hatred of the enemy and should be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive." said County Magistrate Cao.

"Yes, yes. Go to the streets and order all the young and strong men in the county to go up to the city walls and fight against the foreign enemies together." County Magistrate Zhang seemed to have found a solution.

In fact, when the east and west gates were closed, the news of the Red-haired Devils' attack had spread throughout Shanghai County.

Although Shanghai County is small, it is a famous city for resisting Japanese pirates in history. Especially in the Ming Dynasty, the Japanese pirates launched sieges on Shanghai many times, but were all repelled by the military and civilians in the county. Therefore, many heroic stories of resisting foreign humiliation are circulated here, inspiring generations of Shanghai people.

Now, facing the threat of the red-haired devils, the people of Shanghai County did not feel fear, but instead aroused their patriotic feelings deep in their hearts.

There was no need for mobilization at all. Thousands of people in the city spontaneously moved huge stones and sleepers, placed large pots, and held their positions on the city walls holding hoes, shoulder poles, kitchen knives and iron bars. Everyone was united in purpose and shared the same hatred of the enemy.

The captain of the outer commission was named Li Ying. He had served in the Han camp and was a captain before he retired, managing dozens of Han camp soldiers. After retiring, he was hired by Shanghai County as a captain of the outer commission, responsible for managing hundreds of militiamen in the city.

At this time, Li Ying was leading the people of the city to deploy defenses on the city wall, preparing to resist the impending enemy.

The east and west gates have been blocked with sandbags to prevent the enemy from entering through the gates. Sandbag walls are set up every 20 meters on the city wall, which are fortifications that can effectively block enemy artillery fire.

Behind each sandbag wall, there was a large pot, some of which were boiling hot oil, while others were boiling foul-smelling feces. In addition, there were many huge stones and thick rolling logs placed in the middle of the city wall.

However, in sharp contrast to the bustling scene on the city wall, the county government office seemed particularly deserted, as if it was isolated from the outside world.

Magistrate Zhang and Magistrate Cao were trembling in the lobby of the county government office. They had already made up their minds to die as a reminder of their country's integrity, and were ready to hang themselves from the beams once the city was breached.

Half an hour later, a fierce drumbeat came from the hell in the west, as if it was going to tear the sky apart. The sound floated into the east gate of Shanghai County.

The city wall, which was originally bustling with activity, suddenly became as quiet as night. A solemn look appeared on everyone's face. Their eyes were fixed on the dark mass of enemy troops that were getting closer and closer, with angry gleams in their eyes.

“Stop!”

Major John shouted the word loudly two thousand meters away from the city wall, his voice full of majesty and decisiveness.

He stopped the army's advance because he was not sure whether this seemingly shabby county town was hiding deadly weapons like the Red Cannon.

He picked up the telescope, zoomed in, and carefully observed the city gate. Through the lens, he saw that the city gate was closed, and all kinds of flags were flying on the six-meter-high city wall, colorful and messy.

The battlements of the city wall were filled with many untidy civilians, holding swords, spears, halberds and other cold weapons, with tense and determined expressions. However, Major John did not find any trace of the Red Cannon.

So Major John decided to take action. He ordered the artillery team to adjust the elevation angle of the shells to 45 degrees and conduct a round of exploratory firing.

Soon after, eight deafening roars sounded, accompanied by eight huge iron balls whizzing towards Shanghai City. Li Qianzong on the city gate was terrified, and he shouted at the top of his voice: "Hide the cannon! Hide the cannon! ......"

Hearing the shouts, everyone started to move, and they quickly looked for places to protect themselves. Some people hid under the battlements of the city wall, some hid behind the sandbags, and some chose to hide under the city wall. Everyone tried their best to use the surrounding environment to protect themselves and the people around them.

"Boom! Boom, boom, boom..." Suddenly, eight loud noises broke the silence. These eight iron bullets flew over the city wall and flew towards the houses behind the wall.

However, these shells did not hit the young and strong people defending the city, but instead destroyed the houses, causing casualties among the elderly, the weak, women and children inside.

Seeing this scene, hatred escalated instantly, and the soldiers and civilians on the city wall were furious. Their eyes flashed with anger, and they were full of indignation towards the enemy.

Li Qianzong witnessed all this and was filled with anger, but he knew that the most important thing now was to ensure the safety of people's lives.

So he immediately ordered a team of young and strong men to go to the streets and houses under the city wall to help the people inside evacuate and transfer them to a safe area 3000 meters away from the battlefield.

Executioner Major John observed that the iron balls did not hit the city wall but hit it too high. He frowned and issued a new order: "Adjust the elevation angle to 42 degrees and fire a round of salvos." The soldiers immediately followed the order, reloaded the ammunition, and prepared to fire again.

After a while, the sound of cannons rang out, and eight iron eggs hit the city wall accurately. Three of them hit the wall, sparks splashed, and three deep dents were left on the wall.

Five of them hit the sandbag fortifications and were embedded in the sandbags. The high temperature quickly scorched the burlap bags, emitting a smell of burnt smoke. Some hit the passage on the city wall, bounced to the opposite side and fell under the city wall, while others bounced off the opposite wall and injured people.