the world is at stake

Its east city is relatively large, with a side length of about 400 meters. There are two gates in the southwest. The city wall has fortifications such as "horse face" and "corner tower", as well as a gate of "Aiyang City".

And it was all ruined.

Like Phoenix City, Aiyang Fort was also burned.

The Huangtai level played with strong walls and cleared the fields. When retreating, all the population and materials were removed, and those that could not be moved were burned and killed, so as to ensure that no tiles were left in the city.

Zhou Qingfeng walked half a circle along the wall of the fort, and the logistics officer of the expedition team hurried over to report, "Chief, we found seven wells inside and outside the city. Some wells were filled with feces, and some were filled with excrement. Butchered corpses.

Also, we searched around and found a hundred or so survivors, mostly women.But they all seemed to be infected with the disease, and the health team had already taken over, and the suggestion was to isolate them immediately. "

Zhou Qingfeng remained expressionless, and only said indifferently: "Try to treat the survivors as much as possible, and give some humane care to those who cannot be treated.

In addition, let the communication team establish wireless communication as soon as possible, inform other troops of the situation, and guard against Jiannu spreading diseases to us. "

"Yes." The logistics officer raised his hand in salute, turned and left.

The so-called "humane care" has been implemented in Phoenix.

Jiannu is no stranger to engaging in 'biochemical warfare'.It is not uncommon in ancient times to deliberately get some diseases to infect the opponent's territory.

When Zhou Qingfeng took down Phoenix City, there were 'survivors' deliberately left by the Huangtai class in the city.Some seemed to be normal, and some had vomiting, diarrhea, fever and coma.

Most of them are young women, who are helpless and will inevitably make a living by selling themselves.

Huang Taijiu felt that the Xinhua Expeditionary Team was like the 'Eight Banners' and the Ming army. The young soldiers had enough to eat and drink, and they must have fun when they entered the city. Naturally, they would not let the young women go.

The soldiers of the expedition team have been trained for a long time, have good ideological education, are more disciplined, can follow orders and prohibit them, and are less animalistic.But their number is too small, and a group of Liaodong naturalized soldiers who do odd jobs are needed to supplement them.

The military discipline of the naturalized soldiers in Liaodong is poor, the personnel are complicated, the training is insufficient, and ideological education is even more impossible to talk about.The expedition team did not dare to establish a large-scale "naturalized infantry battalion" at all, because they were worried that the tail would not be lost, and they would suffer from it.

The reason why Zhou Qingfeng was "slowly thriving" was also because the naturalized personnel brought too much trouble.It's easy to feed these people, but it's annoying to keep them from shitting and peeing everywhere.

Regardless of these naturalized personnel, if you are not careful, there will be big troubles.

There are currently more than 8000 people gathered in Zhenjiang Fort, and there are endless fights and fights. There have also been two large-scale intestinal disease infections, which spread to the headquarters of the expedition team.

It was later found out that the naturalized cook did not wash his hands after defecating, causing dysentery infection.This incident is by no means an exception—uncle Zhou thought that he often went to the army to eat in the big cafeteria, and he almost died of nausea.

The Huangtai class may not care about military discipline and hygiene, but Zhou Qingfeng cannot.He couldn't control the naturalized soldiers who had some money in their pockets to do things secretly, so he could only control the survivors.

The newly-occupied area is listed as an epidemic area, and all inmates must be quarantined for more than seven days. Those who are seriously ill are given 'humane care' so that they can die easily and with dignity.

The communication team set up the radio antenna to the height of the castle, and reported to Xiao Jinlang, who had arrived at Zhenjiang Fort, that Zhou Qingfeng's troops had arrived at Aiyang Fort—Old Xiao was the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong operations, and he coordinated the actions of various departments in the rear.

According to the telegram, Chen Ding of the military team also led several battalions upstream along the Pushi River, and was beating Mangurtai loudly.

But Aiyang and Kuandian were regarded as the end of the waterway. If the fight continued, the expedition team had to go ashore and face the mountains of Liaodong.For example, there is a "Zhenshuo Pass" to the east of Aiyang Fort, which is an important place stuck on the road between two mountains.

The scouts of the expedition team reported that Zhenshuo Pass was very small and the terrain was dangerous. If you don't want to climb the mountain, you have to attack it by force.Jiannu deployed more than 200 people at the pass, and the defense was tight.

In addition, judging from the interrogation of the prisoners, Nurhachi stationed more than 1 main slave troops around Kuandian.

Huangtai and other slave building commanders are rushing to drive the Han slaves to build fortifications like "Zhenshuo Pass" everywhere before the weather freezes, intending to prevent the advance of the expedition team.

"More than 1 people?" Zhou Qingfeng gritted his teeth when he received the telegram, "Even if there are [-] pigs, it's not easy to go all over the mountains to catch them!"

Chen Ding's suggestion is to disperse operations in units of one battalion, adopt a combination of shelling and blasting tactics, and knock down the obstacles set up by Jiannu on the road one by one.

"Battalions? We don't have many battalions at all."

When the "Holy Light" came to the end of the Ming Dynasty, the plan was to train [-] main forces and [-] auxiliary soldiers to send troops to Liaodong and attack Huanglong.

Now the training plan is completed, but it is not easy to transport so many troops to Liaodong and maintain its logistical supplies. The number of naturalized people is an order of magnitude more than expected, and the difficulty of management has increased dramatically.

On the Aihe Wharf not far from Aiyang Fort, more than 100 naturalized soldiers are building trestles and installing pulley block cranes.The sailors of the expedition simply leaned the small steamer against the shore, disassembled a [-]mm muzzle-loading gun, and carried it ashore.

Sixty millimeter caliber, almost the weight of a six-pounder.The gun wheel and gun mount were disassembled, the gun barrel itself weighed more than 100 kilograms, and the whole gun added up to nearly [-] kilograms.

This is not a small weight at present, anyway, don't expect the artillery to push it to march.In the field, being able to push the artillery to the shelling position can exhaust the entire artillery crew to death.

After inspecting Aiyang Fort, Zhou Qingfeng returned to the pier and understood why the 'heavy forces' had poor maneuverability?

The 3000 people of the Huangtai class left without hesitation.It is very convenient for the expedition team to be transported by water, but the speed will not be fast after landing.

Artillery is a powerful weapon, and if it is not carried by a small steamer, it must be pulled by a horse-drawn cart.So a gun group needs at least two carriages, one to pull the cannon and the other to pull the ammunition.

In fact, the artillery crew needs four carriages to maneuver, because the artillery themselves also need to ride, and they also have luggage needs.Just getting these cars from Songjiang is a complicated transportation plan, and there is a whole logistics system behind it.

The weather was getting cold rapidly, Zhou Qingfeng couldn't wait for the gun crew to come ashore slowly.He ordered an expeditionary infantry battalion to immediately attack Zhenshuo Pass, three miles north of Aiyang Fort.

Artillery carriages were temporarily requisitioned.There is no bulky barrel, this thing weighs more than 100 kilograms, and can be pulled by a horse.A few thick wood boards are installed on the gun carriage to become a soil tank, which is used for attacking fortifications.

Aiyang Fortress is adjacent to Dabei Mountain in the east, and the Ai River flows around the city from northeast to southeast.The mountain road leading to Zhenshuo Pass is only three meters wide, and the road surface is paved with chaotic stones, making it impossible for troops to deploy.

An expeditionary infantry company had just disembarked and immediately went north into the mountains to attack Zhenshuo Pass three miles away.The next two companies are ready to respond at any time.

At the head was a platoon of fusiliers, and only one squad advanced with bayonet-tipped rifles.On both sides of them were high hills, and the scouts had to climb up to make sure there were no ambushes around the slopes.

This kind of place is naturally suitable for defense.

Zhenshuoguan was built between two mountains and became a town over time.The main building in the town is a gate more than ten meters wide, seven or eight meters high, and five or six meters thick.

On the dirt wall of the pass, a few gunmen of the Han army with money rat tails on their heads were holding heavy arquebus guns, their heads sticking out of the gaps in the battlements, looking around non-stop.

A Niu Luerzhen of Zhengbai Banner was wearing armor and holding a big knife, sitting behind the Han army.In the earth wall of the pass further back, more than 200 Jiannu flag soldiers hid in a shelter from the wind, eating rice balls and bacon cooked by the cook.

Guo Hai was wearing a dirty leather jacket and hat, just like a Liaodong businessman.He glanced at the humming and eating Jurchen soldiers, jumped into the two-wheeled carriage carrying goods, rolled up his sleeves, and left with the clatter of horseshoes.

The bannerman who was eating did not know Guo Hai, but only knew that he was a Nikan businessman. In order to earn a lot of money, he specially sent two pigs and a cow.

Meat is rare these days, and the flag soldiers eat very happily.But they also knew that a good meal meant that they had to work hard—a group of Han people from the south, Nikan, came up from the Yalu River and killed Amin, the owner of the Xianglan Banner.

This is unprecedented.

It is said that Nurhachi was furious about this.

A banner soldier was not enough to eat his own rice balls, so he reached out and grabbed the wrapped lunch of the Han people next to him.Bao Yi didn't eat a mouthful, and was stunned for a while, but said a few words with an apologetic smile, "Master, you eat what you eat. The slave will go find something else to fill his stomach."

Seeing the Han people wrapping their clothes to avoid them, the banner soldiers spit thick phlegm on the ground, drank 'get out', and ate with peace of mind.After he finished eating, he whispered to his companion next to him: "The Han people are weak, how could they kill Amin Baylor?"

Another banner soldier muttered, "It is said that they are not Ming Han people, but another group of Xinhua Han people."

"Is there any difference between the Han people?"

"My Jurchen have Jianzhou, Haixi, Yehe and other tribes. I think the Han people are the same. The Han people in Ming Dynasty are probably weaker, but the Han people in Xinhua are different."

"How many Han people are there in Xinhua? Is it comparable to the nearly two hundred Niulu of my Dajin Eight Banners?"

"I heard that there are not many Han people in Xinhua, but the Han people in Ming Dynasty can also become Han people in Xinhua, which is very powerful. Therefore, the Huangtai-level Baylor wants to kill all Han people in Ming Dynasty, so as not to increase the number of Han people in Xinhua."

The banner soldier who was questioned spoke clearly, and the banner soldier who asked the question nodded again and again, as if he understood.They still wanted to discuss, but they heard the loud banging on the high wall of the pass, followed by the scolding of Niu Luerzhen whipping his whip.

Several gunmen of the Han army were screaming at being whipped, as if they were scolded for setting firecrackers indiscriminately, and failed to bring the enemy closer to fight again.The flag soldiers behind the wall raised their heads one after another, and after a while they heard the order, and the archers were transferred to the top of the wall.

The bannerman who asked the question grabbed a spear and said in surprise: "The Xinhua Han people are here? So fast!"

On the wall, a few gunmen of the Han army had their heads and faces covered with blood from the horsewhip, but they could only stand upright, lower their heads and pour black powder into their matchlock guns.

Behind the musketeers, more than a dozen flag soldier archers drew their bows and arrows, and threw arrows towards the mountain road about seven or eighty meters away, falling sparsely.

And on the narrow mountain road between the hillsides, several Xinhua infantrymen wearing iron helmets and iron masks were also probing their heads.

Matchlock guns hit the hillside with a hole as big as a bowl, which was powerful but poor in accuracy.More than a dozen arrows are slow, flying up to the sky and then falling down, at least for a second or two, and the aim is not high.

The Xinhua infantry was a little scared at first, and one squad hid behind the hillside, and retreated when they saw the arrows flying.

The platoon leader who led the team came up to take a look, and gave a low shout to line up.A group of five people stood up in unison, two in front and three in back, squatting forward and standing behind, aiming at the opposite wall.

Niu Lu Ezhen, who was commanding on the wall, was furious, and shouted with a knife: "Shoot, shoot me, shoot those bold Han people to death."

The back of the knife cut on the bony back of the gunner of the Han army, and the pain caused the eyes to turn black.Just lift the firecracker that has just been loaded and pull the trigger, and press down the matchlock to ignite the medicine pool.

The wall of Zhenshuo Pass was bang bang and white smoke came out.When the Xinhua infantrymen standing at attention heard the sound and saw the white smoke, they couldn't help feeling a strong urge to urinate, and their trembling.

The Xinhua infantrymen themselves are most aware of the power of the firecrackers, and if they hit them, they will definitely die.Although there is usually training in queuing up and shooting, and also emphasizes the bravery of 30-meter waves, but the training will not really kill people!

Facing the enemy and shooting firecrackers is the most severe test for Xinhua infantry.

The urge to urinate surged, and the seconds felt like years.

But it was also the second when the desire to urinate was about to become uncontrollable, and all the squads who were facing life and death looked around and found that there was nothing wrong with their side.The firecracker on the opposite side went to a ghostly place.

The platoon leader yelled frantically at the side: "Why are you so stupid? You are still alive. Steady your flintlock, aim at the point, and kill the shooters on the opposite side. If they don't die, we will die."

The platoon leader's shouts could be heard echoing throughout the mountain road, and a series of infantrymen behind them were stunned.On the contrary, the first five infantrymen relaxed their mood, and then gritted their teeth, with the butt of their guns held steady, and their gazes fixed on the figure on the opposite wall through the holes on the sights.

Hold your breath and pull the trigger.

Five infantrymen fired the first volley of guns, and two people were shot immediately on the opposite wall.

A gunner of the Han army was holding the medicine pot with trembling hands and feet, and poured gunpowder straight into the barrel of the gun. The bullet shot hit his left shoulder, and he twisted and fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

Another Jurchen archer wanted to take aim, and drew his bowstring from behind the battlements.The bullet grazed his neck, taking away half of his flesh, revealing the torn wound and the spurting plasma.

The attacking Xinhua infantry turned around and retreated in unison.There is no need to order the next shift, just look at the fierce eyes of the platoon leader, and immediately stand out from behind the hidden hillside, also squatting forward and standing behind, aiming the gun.

"Aim for me, don't waste the shooting opportunity." The platoon leader stood behind the queue, wishing he could also have a battalion-level officer waving a command knife in his hand.

Five guns fired in a burst, only hitting one person on the opposite side.

The platoon leader cursed frantically again: "Aim more accurately, don't waste bullets. What you have in your hands is not a fire stick, but a sharp weapon for my Xinhua to fight the world."

The third squad took over and raised their guns and found that there was no target on the opposite wall—two rounds of guns killed three people, and the cattle on the wall really didn’t dare to stand upright anymore, and all shrank behind the crenel. At best, make a quick head start.

But don't think about attacking if you just show your head.The platoon leader also saw this situation, and shouted angrily: "Let me keep an eye on the third squad, and the first squad will act as the blasting team and blow up the opposite gate."

The mountain road is narrow, and only one is at the front.A squad of five people was loading, and the squad leader heard the words: "Platoon leader, the earth tanks for attacking the fortifications haven't arrived yet."

"I want a bloody earth tank." The platoon leader shouted aggressively: "I, Cui Xiaoer, followed Zhou Tianwang to bomb the Jiangnan Guanshen Fortress, and I bombed it five times in a row. Such a breakthrough, let's see how I send it God!"

Chapter 41 My son of the Han family... mighty!

On the wall of Zhenshuo Pass, Geertai quickly probed from the crenel, and then retracted.The moment he showed his face, five rounds of bullets were fired in a row, all of which hit the position of his probe.

The earthen wall of the crenel was blasted into a large group of debris, which fell on people's heads, faces, and mouths.Geertai spit a few mouthfuls, looked at the crenel again, and a large piece was smashed, which brought him great pressure of life and death.

"The fire guns of the Xinhua Han people are very accurate."

As Niu Luerzhen with the white flag, Geertai was very reluctant to shrink behind the crenel.In his opinion, only the Han people would be so useless, and the Jianzhou warriors disdain to be such a chicken and dog.

Now the situation is pressing, the Xinhua Han people on the opposite side are standing fifty steps away, and the killing efficiency is extremely high.Don't look at the No. 30 people on the wall, but three people died in the blink of an eye, which is enough to frighten the fearless warriors.

This distance is very embarrassing.

The firecrackers of the Han army in Jianzhou can hit so far, but they can't hit them dead or alive, so they can only scare people.The archers of Zhengbaiqi can also shoot so far, but they have to aim for a while to shoot accurately.

Don't talk about aiming for a while, just show your head, and a volley of guns will come from the opposite side, and you will be killed instantly.The three corpses lying on the ground are proof of this.

After the volley of guns had passed, Geertai probed again, wanting to seize the opportunity to let the archer shoot a wave.But the Xinhua Han people on the opposite side slipped away after the fight, and five more ran out, forming a row again, aiming their guns at a very fast speed.

Geertai could only shrink his head again, for fear that his head would also be opened.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, the gate of the closed wall is blocked. If the Xinhua Han people on the opposite side want to break through, they must send someone to rush up. The two-foot-high closed wall is not easy to climb. They have to tie up wooden ladders.

Even if the wooden ladders are secured, the mountain road outside the pass is narrow, and there will not be many Han people who can come up.I have more than 200 white flag warriors stationed inside the closed wall, and they will not lose in melee combat. "

Geertai comforted himself, but when he turned his head, he saw that the gunner of the Han army beside him was trembling. He was even more annoyed, and pulled him over, threateningly: "Look at what the Han people are doing outside?"

The corpse on the wall was bleeding, and the death was miserable.The gunner cried and begged, "Master, please forgive me, this slave doesn't have the guts."

Geertai put the knife on the neck of the gunner of the Han army, cut his flesh with the blade, and shouted viciously: "Do you have the guts now?"

There were still a few Han soldiers on the wall, and they were all terrified when they saw this, and couldn't help shrinking towards the corner.The gunner, who was forced by the blade, burst into tears immediately, but he could only slowly stretch his head towards the crenel.

As soon as the small part of the head protruded, the eyes didn't come out.There was a bang on the opposite side, and the bullets flew over and opened the skull, and the brains flew out, spraying Geertai all over the face.

The body fell.The latter cursed and wiped the greasy brains on his face, spit out a few mouthfuls, and cursed: "Trash, why are you so stupid? You died without seeing anything."

When Geertai glanced again, not to mention the Han army gunners were out of their wits, even the Jurchen archers who were also hiding behind the crenel on the wall were frightened.It's obvious that it's over if you show your head!

Geertai didn't give up, and changed another crenel, and quickly moved the probe back again.A bullet was also fired from the opposite side, but he still dodged it.

Just for a moment when he probed, Geertai saw four or five Xinhua infantrymen bending over and running quickly towards the wall.But these infantrymen didn't bring anything other than the firecrackers in their hands, especially no wooden ladders.

"Without a wooden ladder, do you want to take a human ladder?"

Geertai thought about it, and felt that it was impossible. "The wall is very high, not to mention that you can't climb it. So what if you go up? It's only four or five people. I, the Jianzhou warriors, won't be afraid."

I thought so, but Geertai was still worried.He dispatched more troops to close the wall, but the top of the wall could not be opened, so they crowded on the steps to the top of the wall.

As long as an opponent climbs up, the Jianzhou warriors on the critical wall can be chopped up immediately.Geertai was a little relieved, and looked out from the crenel again, worried about what tricks the Xinhua Han people would play.

But after watching it, Geertai felt even more strange.

Except for fifty steps away, there were gunfire aimed at it, and there were no more than five Han people rushing up.The five were still not together. After running for a certain distance, two squatted down to aim at the gun, and after running for a certain distance, two squatted down again.

In the end, only one person ran fifty steps quickly and reached the closed wall.