The southern city wall was shorter but the pirates had crossed the sea and did not have many siege weapons. Under the fierce counterattack of the Ming army, the first wave of attacks left many corpses on the ground and the pirates retreated.
Liang Xinghua did not eat and hurriedly patrolled the four cities. He saw that the pirates were concentrated on the east side of the city so he moved the main force of the city to the east to defend. The other three cities were on high alert. As soon as there was an alarm, he would immediately send a message and send troops over.
The sky was bright and Liang Xinghua discovered that the Wokou pirates had infiltrated the residences near the city walls and were brutally slaughtering the commoners. Liang Xinghua stood on the city walls and commanded the soldiers to fire arrows at the Wokou pirates. However, the Wokou pirates were too strong and there was no way for them to leave the city to rescue the commoners. Liang Xinghua could only watch helplessly as the commoners were slaughtered and humiliated. Soon after, he discovered that the Wokou pirates were trying to connect to the residences near the city walls.
The Wu people had always used guerrilla warfare and rarely took the initiative to attack large cities and passes. However, although this Wu army had suffered setbacks in attacking and defending the city, they refused to retreat. In the afternoon, the pirates used the wood from the destroyed residences to make a large number of ladders and carriages to attack again.
Liang Xinghua was commanding the counterattack when he suddenly heard the alarm from the south side of the city. Liang Xinghua quickly handed over the defense of the east side of the city to Deputy General He Wen. He took 500 soldiers and rushed to the south side of the city. He climbed up the southern city wall and saw 500 to 600 pirates outside the moat. About a mile away was a dense forest and there seemed to be many soldiers lying in ambush.
The deputy general Mao Wenjun nervously reported, "Commander, the pirates are cutting wood in the forest. I think there are at least 2000 of them. I'm afraid that there are not enough soldiers to defend the city so I have to inform you."
Liang Xinghua carefully observed for a while and coldly laughed, "This must be a trick by the pirates. They are trying to make us split up and reduce the defenses of the east side of the city. Don't panic and focus on defending the city. There is no need to sound the alarm as long as the enemy doesn't attack. The situation at the east side of the city is critical and I am worried.
Mao Wenjun was timid and hesitated, "There is a saying in the art of war: a real attack is a fake attack and a fake attack is a real attack. The Japanese are very cunning and have not attacked yet. What if they are trying to weaken our morale?"
At Mao Wenjun's words, Liang Xinghua also hesitated. He gritted his teeth and said hatefully, "Persevere. Once the Suzhou reinforcements arrive, everything will be fine. I will leave another three hundred men for you. Be careful at all times."
Liang Xinghua left behind another three hundred soldiers to guard the south side of the city. By the time he rushed back to the east side of the city, the Wokou's new wave of attacks had already ended. Corpses littered the ground beneath the city walls. The city gates had been battered by the Wokou who had risked their lives to attack the city. Cracks had already appeared in the city gates and the city gates were shaking and swaying. The deputy general in charge of guarding the city was instructing the strong people and the young labourers who had been recruited at the last minute to block the stones and soil under the city gate, and to press on the poles to reinforce the gate.
Liang Xinghua climbed up the city wall and held onto the opening of the battlement to look outside. He couldn't help but groan inwardly. The Wokou pirates outside the city temporarily retreated. The Wokou pirates at the back took a detour and disappeared without a trace. The Wokou pirates had used the tactic of reducing their numbers. It looked like there were less than two thousand Wokou pirates outside the east side of the city. It was hard to predict where the main force of the Wokou pirates would go. At this time, a warning came from the north side of the city. Liang Xinghua didn't dare to be careless and immediately led his troops to reinforce the city.
As a result, whenever there was a warning from the four cities, the soldiers in the city would be exhausted. By nightfall, the soldiers were exhausted and their horses were tired. If this continued, they wouldn't be able to last until dawn. The soldiers and commoners in the city were all on tenterhooks, waiting for reinforcements from Suzhou. They were getting more and more anxious.
The moon gradually rose. The moon of Jiangnan was like a gentle and beautiful woman. The thin clouds were like a veil that covered one's shyness. The moonlight was like water, shining down on the earth. Beneath the four city walls, in the bushes and in the ditches, the frogs and insects were all quiet. The torches on the north and east sides of the city were as bright as day, and the shouts of battle shook the earth.
At this time, in order to concentrate their forces on the lower east side of the city, the Wokou pirates had already withdrawn the soldiers from the west side of the city. Under the moonlight, a few shadows quietly ran to the bottom of the city. The soldiers in the city didn't dare to be careless. They immediately picked up their bows and shouted, "Stop! Someone from below the city wall, report your name! "
A trembling voice shouted up, "He … Damn it, what are you shouting for? Be careful not to attract the Wokou."
When the deputy general heard the news, he hurriedly ran up the city wall and asked, "Who is below the city wall?"
A person with the local accent of Wujiang County shouted, "Daren, we have already sent the military intelligence to Suzhou. The Governor-General has already sent reinforcements."
Another person scolded, "Shut up, let Commander Liu speak to Daren Li."
The deputy general was called Li Bin. When he heard the people below the city wall call out his surname and mention Commander Liu, he couldn't help but say happily, "Liu Qian? You sent the letter? "
Someone below the city wall replied, "Yes, Daren Li, quickly open the city gate. I have a secret letter from the Governor-General to present to the Garrison Commander."
Li Bin and Liu Qian were familiar with each other. When he heard the voice, he confirmed that it was his accent. In the city, he was anxiously waiting for reinforcements. How could he have time to think? What's more, there were seven hundred soldiers on the city wall and only eight people below the city wall. He hurriedly ordered, "Quickly open the city gate and let Commander Liu in."
Hearing that the Governor-General's army was about to arrive, the soldiers on the city wall excitedly ran down the city wall. They moved aside the thick wooden door and slowly opened the city gate. They stuck their heads out and quietly said, "Quickly come in."
A silhouette as fast as a monkey leaped forward with a whistling sound. A snow-white blade chopped down like lightning, and a head rolled on the ground. A mouthful of warm blood sprayed all over that person's face.
The man was extremely fierce. He reached out to wipe his face, wiping away the blood that had clogged his eyes. Twisting his body, he charged into the city. He brandished his five foot long knife, and within a radius of ten feet, there was white light everywhere. Caught off guard, the soldiers screamed and fell to the ground. The remaining soldiers let out a cry, turned around, and fled.
Outside the city gates, several Wokou pirates wielded long spears and charged into the city. They opened the gates wide and took advantage of the darkness of the night to sneak into the nearby bushes. With a loud roar, they charged into the city.
Liu Qian stood by the side of the road and watched the Wokou pirates charge into the city. Trembling with fear, he said to the pirate beside him, "Big Brother Fang, we are from the same village. You said that as long as I trick them into opening the city gate, you will spare my life. I … can I leave now?"
The pirate holding the knife laughed evilly, "Of course. I said that I will spare your life. Naturally, I will not go back on my word."
Hearing this, Liu Qian's heart relaxed. His life was saved. His selfishness and greed for life caused the last shred of shame in his heart to disappear. He immediately thanked the pirate with tears in his eyes, "Many thanks to Big Brother Fang. This little brother will take his leave now. When we meet again, I will treat Big Brother to some wine to thank you."
Just as he finished speaking, a gleaming sword pierced through his chest. Liu Qian's eyes bulged out as he stared in shock at the blurry smiling face in front of him. The pirate surnamed Fang laughed, "When I said that I would spare you, I didn't say that other people would spare you. This wine, you can drink alone on your way to the underworld." As he finished speaking, he laughed maniacally and charged into the city with his knife in hand.
Liu Qian's face was full of pain and remorse. Cries and shouts could be heard from within the city, and flames could be seen everywhere. But to him, all of this seemed so distant. His corpse fell limply to the side of the road. The moonlight, as clear as a veil, gently shone upon his ugly, sinful corpse. It was a scene of misery.
Wu River City had fallen …
* * *
As the moon set in the west wing, the doors facing the wind were half open. The shadows of flowers fluttered against the wall, and one suspected that a beautiful woman had arrived.
Along the gravel path, under the shade of the flowers, Yang Ling and Cheng Qiyun sat opposite each other. The moonlight shone brightly. The beautiful woman's face was plain and her green robe was light. Her posture was extremely seductive, especially with the bright red on her face after drinking. Even under the moonlight, it did not diminish her beauty.
Yang Ling let out a light breath, put down the ivory spear, and stroked his knee, saying, "It's been a long time since I've been in such a good mood. Ai, just think about the Northwest Army's rudeness, the Northeast Army's valiance, and even the Southwest Army's arrogance and ferocity in those barren mountains and unruly rivers. Any one of these armies would be like tigers and wolves when placed in Jiangnan. When would it be the turn of a small pirate to cause trouble? Even if I broke my head thinking, I would never have thought that the Jiangnan soldiers would be like a flock of sheep. Mourning their misfortune, angry that they don't fight! Nothing more than this. "
"Mourning their misfortune, angry that they don't fight?" Cheng Qiyun's eyes shone with a strange light. She happily said, "Daren's words hit the nail on the head. It's incisive and incisive. This sentence is too wonderful!"
Yang Ling jumped in fright. He had always thought that … this was an idiom. It turned out that even someone as knowledgeable as Dai Lou 'er had never heard of this phrase.
Cheng Qiyun said, "This is indeed the true portrayal of those defeated soldiers. However, the Jiangnan soldiers were originally in the affluent areas of Jiangnan. Without the tempering of a harsh land, in addition to the fact that the field was swallowed by the generals, the number of hereditary officials deserters increased day by day. Their morale was low, and their armaments were in disarray. Every time there was a battle, everyone would think of how to escape. Even if this kind of soldiers could fight ten thousand against a hundred, how could they have any battle power?
Right now, the only thing we can do is to first transfer troops here. Then, in battle, we can use strict military discipline and clear rewards and punishments to motivate the Jiangnan Guards. The bodies of this flock of sheep are tigers and wolves. What's weak is only their hearts. As long as they can regain their morale and courage, they will become a powerful army. "
Yang Ling nodded thoughtfully. He said in a low voice, "Sharpening a spear at the last moment, it is too late to reform the army now. Right now, I should first enforce military discipline and strengthen the military's battle power. When the battle has calmed, we still have to find the root cause. The soldiers in the army are not willing to be soldiers and are forced to be soldiers. Suppressing them with military discipline alone is not a long-term solution. The border army's recruitment method is very good. I should report to the Emperor to gradually abolish the army households and implement a recruitment system.
Right now, the craftsmen have already changed to using silver as a substitute for labor. The craftsmen have to make a living on their own. Their income has increased, and everyone is happy. At the same time, the industry and commerce have become more active. The court has increased tax revenue and the burden of supporting people has been reduced. The benefits are very obvious. Abolishing the rigid army household system will increase military expenditure. However, once the sea is opened, the flow of personnel will be inevitable. At that time, the court's taxes will also increase substantially. There shouldn't be any problems. "
As he spoke, he lightly tapped his knee, calculating. Seeing the situation, Cheng Qiyun pursed her lips and said with a smile, "Daren, it is with great difficulty that we have a moment of leisure, and we are also thinking about official matters. These matters can only be gradually implemented after the battle has calmed. If we rush it, it will instead be more haste than speed. There is no use in thinking too much right now. Daren should relax. When the reinforcements arrive, we should first take care of the bandits in Jiangnan."
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Yes, yes, this official also has a headache thinking about it. Good, good, tonight we will only talk about love and not military matters."
Cheng Qiyun smiled faintly and raised her cup, saying, "Holding a cup to persuade the moon in the horizon, wishing for the moon to be round and flawless. Holding a cup to persuade the flowers again, wishing for the flowers to remain, Mo Li Po. Holding a cup to be drunk before the flowers under the moon, don't ask about prosperity and decline. How many people know of this joy? Not drinking when meeting flowers, when are you waiting? "
Yang Ling laughed heartily and said, "What a good 'meeting flowers while drinking', eh …"
Although the moonlight was hazy, the man and the woman were alone, the atmosphere was warm, and it was easy for people to relax after drinking, Yang Ling did not dare to say frivolous words in the end. In front of him was a bundle of dry firewood that could catch fire. How could Yang Ling not know?
He smiled and said, "Come, you and I drink together." The jade cups gently clinked and two cups of sake entered his stomach. Yang Ling picked up a piece of vegetable and slowly savored it while the fragrance lingered in his cheeks and teeth.
Cheng Qiyun said with a smile, "When it comes to drinking, the best time is the outskirts of spring, flowering season, clear autumn, fresh green, accumulated snow, new moon, cool night. The best place is in front of flowers, under the moon, in the bamboo forest, in a high pavilion, on a pleasure boat, in a secluded guesthouse, in a crooked tunnel, in a pavilion. As for the character, it is elegance, chivalry, sincerity, confidante, old friend, beauty, Ke 'er. Daren has been working too hard these days. If you feel satisfied, let's relax tonight. "
Yang Ling clapped his hands and said, "There's such a thing to learn about drinking? In the outskirts of spring, in front of flowers and under the moon, knowing one's lover, everything fits. You should drink a few more cups. You've been working too hard these days. My alcohol tolerance is shallow. If you like it, you can drink a few more cups. "
Cheng Qiyun heard him say that he knew one's lover and was delighted. She couldn't help but smile sweetly at him and immediately raised the cup to her lips.
The night breeze brushed by and a few strands of hair gently brushed against her jade-like cheeks. She lowered her lips and drank the wine. The side of her face revealed her jade-like white earlobes.
Yang Ling's eyes blurred for a moment. Just as he raised his cup, footsteps could be heard from afar. Wu Hanchao's urgent voice could be heard, "Daren, Wu Jiang City has fallen. Thousands of Wokou pirates have invaded the city. They're burning, killing, looting and fortifying the city's defenses. Official Bai and Official Min are waiting at the front hall. Daren, please go and see them immediately!"
Yang Ling was shocked. Looking at the Wokou pirates of the six provinces, it was very rare to see a group of more than three thousand people advancing and retreating together. On one hand, the Wokou pirates had many factions. On the other hand, there were several large groups of Wokou pirates who split up their forces to attack a large city. There were only two or three cases of a few thousand pirates attacking a large city. This group of Wokou pirates actually dared to attack the city of SuZhou, where a large number of troops were gathered?
Yang Ling immediately got up and rushed to the front hall. Wu Hanchao cupped his hands towards Cheng Qiyun and followed behind.
Cheng Qiyun sat in a daze for a while. She picked up the pot and poured a cup. Raising the cup to the moon, she leisurely said, "The sword's aura shoots through the clouds, the sound of the drums shakes the plains. Yellow dust fills the road. The pursuing troops are urgent. The bow is drawn and the arrows fly like rain. Surround them for a hundred miles. Behead five thousand people! "
* * *
Yang Ling was truly enraged. The six provinces' Bandit Suppression Governors were stationed in SuZhou, but the Wokou pirates had gathered several thousand people and brazenly used troops near SuZhou. This was a provocation and contempt. If the Wokou pirates were allowed to burn, kill, and loot and then swagger off, the Governor's Office's reputation would plummet. The originally low morale of the six provinces would become even lower. Even the capital would not tolerate this kind of battle situation.
Yang Ling's face was ashen. He ordered Bai Zhongzan to lead fifteen thousand people to defend the city while he took twenty-three thousand soldiers to reinforce Wujiang City. At the same time, he ordered the soldiers from the nearby Guard Institute to surround Wujiang City.
Seeing the Governor and the Imperial Envoy explode in anger, Bai Zhongzan and the others were as silent as cicadas in winter. No one dared to object and immediately carried out the order. When Cheng Qiyun heard that Yang Ling was personally leading troops to reinforce them, she hurried to the front hall in shock. By the time she arrived, Yang Ling's army had already left the city.
Yang Ling knew that Wujiang City had already fallen. If the Wokou pirates defended the city, the 20,000 soldiers might not be able to break into the city. As a result, he had brought eight Sky-Piercing Thunder Cannons with him for the specific purpose of attacking the city. The army marched over ten li in the darkness of the night. Yang Ling's excited emotions gradually calmed down. He sat on his horse in deep thought for a moment. Suddenly, he pulled on the reins and shouted, "Halt the advance!"
The bugle horns sounded, three long and one short. The messengers all responded, and the army stood in place. Min Wenjian rode over from the outpost with a large saber in hand. He anxiously said, "Sir, why have we stopped?"
Yang Ling glanced at him coldly and asked, "Sir Min, have the Wokou pirates ever occupied a city and defended it?"
Min Wenjian was startled and said, "Yes, if the Wokou pirates stole a large amount of property and didn't have time to transport it out to sea, they would usually occupy a small city along the coast to intercept our army. They would cover their companions as they transported the property and then break out to sea. When they were chased inland and had nowhere else to go, they would suddenly attack and occupy a city to take a breather. However, they would usually escape before our army could surround them."
Yang Ling laughed coldly and said, "Wujiang City is not a small city near the sea. It's one thing for them to plunder, but why do they have to defend the city? If they suddenly attacked, they could have escaped before we realized it. Now that there are no soldiers to stop them, the thousands of Wokou pirates can come and go easily. Why would they retreat into the city and allow us to calmly surround them? "
Min Wenjian was startled and said, "What does Sir mean?"
Yang Ling's eyes turned and he clenched his teeth and said with a cold smile, "Xiang Zhuang's sword dance is for Duke Pei! This group of Wokou pirates has a big appetite. They want to take Suzhou and Wujiang is just a cover. "
Min Wenjian suddenly understood and said in shock, "So it's … it's that luring the tiger away from the mountain? Damn it, do we need to rush back to Suzhou immediately? "
Yang Ling shook his head. He looked up at the sky and thought for a while before saying, "There are still 15,000 soldiers and horses in Suzhou. Even if the Wokou people lure us away to kill our way into the city, we will still be entangled with the defenders in the city. At that time, my army will return to help and the Wokou people will be surrounded like dumplings. They spent so much effort to take Wujiang, they will definitely set up an ambush to eat us first, and then …"
Speaking to this point, Yang Ling suddenly had a thought and said, "They are pretending to defend the city to lure us closer, but also to …" He suddenly turned his head towards the central army and said, "Quickly pass down the order to the supply troops at the rear, bring the eight cannons into the central army, disguise the siege ladders and war chariots as cannons, and place the barrels of explosives in the middle. Quickly go!"
The central army received the order and hurriedly rushed to the rear. Yang Ling summoned General Hong Peng and asked, "You are a local, let me ask you, on this trip to Wujiang, are there any dangerous places along the way that can be used to set up an ambush?"
Hong Peng thought for a while and said, "The road to Wujiang is smooth, but when we pass near Shiwa Stockade, there is a swamp on the left of the road with a few acres of reeds. On the right is a gentle slope with many short tea trees. If we want to hide people, this is the only place suitable for setting up an ambush for thousands of troops and horses."
Yang Ling dismounted and carefully inquired about the terrain. Hong Peng ordered someone to hold a torch and draw a map on the ground and described it in detail. Yang Ling stood up and looked at the map in deep thought for a while. He then ordered, "Summon all the generals, I want to issue a military order here!"
Wu Hanchao stood behind Yang Ling, holding an imperial sword wrapped in yellow silk. The imperial bodyguards on both sides held torches in their hands, and the light from the torches shone on Yang Ling's solemn face. Yang Ling called all the generals over one by one and pointed to the map on the ground, explaining to them the tasks they needed to carry out.
After Yang Ling finished explaining everything, he slowly stood up and looked around him. In a low voice, he said, "Generals, I don't need to tell you how weak the soldiers of Jiangnan are. You all know it!"
"Are they not as strong as others? Are they not as skilled in martial arts? That's right, those fugitives do this every day. But even a fierce tiger can't fight against a pack of wolves. Sirs! We have 23,000 people, four against one, isn't that enough? "
Yang Ling suddenly roared in anger. He pointed in the direction of Wujiang and shouted, "Who is suffering in front of us? It's the toiling parents who provide food and clothing for you! They are being massacred and humiliated by the Wokou pirates! As the saying goes, 'Raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a single day'. Raise a pig and you can eat meat for the New Year. Are you raising a group of useless people to fertilize the land? "
This kind of unique mobilization before the battle opened the eyes of the generals and each of them was so embarrassed that their faces turned purple.
Yang Ling flipped his hand and pulled out the imperial sword from Wu Hanchao's hand. The sword flashed and pierced the sky. Although he had been working hard these days, he had been practicing martial arts with Wu Hanchao every day. His swordsmanship had reached a certain level. When the sword flashed, the sound was like a dragon's roar.
Yang Ling paused between each word and said with a murderous look, "In this battle, we can only win, we cannot lose! Once the battle starts, all of you will supervise your troops. If the sergeants retreat, kill the sergeants! If the sergeants don't retreat, but the soldiers retreat, they will all be slaughtered. If the Centurion retreats, kill the Centurion! So on and so forth, if the entire army retreats, I will use your head as an offering to the imperial sword in my hand! Do you all hear me? "
All of the generals were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They trembled in fear and were unable to speak. Yang Ling roared again, "Do you all hear me?"
All of the generals swallowed their saliva and cupped their hands in greeting, "This general obeys!"
Yang Ling raised his voice and said sternly, "Inform the entire army of this official's massacre order! Tell all of the soldiers that the Wokou pirates are not a group of fierce tigers, but a group of wild dogs! If you are afraid, he will bare his fangs and brandish his claws and bark even more fiercely than a wolf. If you hurt him, the next time you don't even have to bend over to pick up a brick, he will run away with his tail between his legs! "
Min Wenjian slammed his broadsword into the ground and roared, "Father has also had enough of these cowardly soldiers. No matter if you are an official or a soldier, you all have to touch your crotch. If you don't have that pout, then straighten your back and be a f * cking man, follow the Governor Marshal to beat the wild dogs!"
City Head Luo Yi had been defeated by the Wokou pirates for several rounds. Because the Governor Mansion was located in Suzhou, in order to strengthen the defenses, his troops had been transferred over. When these humiliating words fell into his ears, it was as if they were specifically said to him. Each word was like a needle piercing his heart. He immediately shouted, "Yes, if this general retreats even half a step today, the heavens will strike me with lightning and I will die without a burial!"
All of the generals' blood was ignited and they all rubbed their palms together.
Yang Ling's cold gaze swept across and he shouted in a deep voice, "Move out!"
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