In Xuyi City, the war has lasted for nearly half a month.

From the beginning of the Northern Expedition Army's attack to the present time defending the city.

The intensity of the battle can be imagined when the host and the guest are transferred.

Outside the city, the Qing army from Linhuai and Fengyang City had reached 20,000, but in the city, Chi Erhan, Shi Kun and Huang Dahong had already added up to less than 6,000 people.

Outside the city, the Qing army gathered no less than ten 3,000 kilograms of red barbarian cannons, and bombed the west gate of Xuyi day and night.

Fortunately, Huang Dahong saw the opportunity and ordered the city gate to be blocked with civil engineering.

The Qing army's Red and Barbarian cannons were direct-fired cannons. Even if the muzzle was raised, they could not accurately shoot the city like the curved cannons.

This makes the cannons outside the city only bombard the city towers, gates, and walls, and cannot kill the living forces of the defenders in the city. It is more of a deterrent to the defenders in the city.

The Xicheng Gate was already covered in scars and broken under the continuous war.

But six thousand to twenty thousand, but the enemy has not allowed the enemy to attack the city in the past half month. I have to talk about the comparison between the two armies.

Needless to say, the defenders led by Chi Erhan and Shi Kun was the first army known as the most elite of the Northern Expedition Army.

This army has always been regarded as a "forbidden body" by Wu Zheng and has never been easily shown to others.

If the Qing court wanted to understand it, it could only make indirect guesses and predictions from the details.

For example, the composition of soldiers, the amount of food and salary, the popularity of firearms, etc.

But this time, the First Army tried a small trial in Xuyi City. In just half a day, it easily captured the city with two thousand Qing soldiers defending. The firepower was so dense and the bravery of the soldiers had been discovered by the Qing army.

The subsequent battle for more than ten days made the Qing army outside the city less and less confident, and could easily capture this small city that was not big or solid.

So, did the Qing army outside the city really dare to ignore the order of Ajige and fight passively?

This has to start with the commander of this Qing army.

As we all know, the largest component of the 100,000 troops Ajige had at this time was the former 80,000 troops garrison in Xuzhou.

The 80,000 troops garrisons were of varying quality, and they were actually a hodgepodge of the Qingming Army at that time.

Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Huguang, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as long as there was no accident, the Qing court would hoard these surrendered troops to Xuzhou.

Since ancient times, Xuzhou has been a must-fight for military strategists.

The reason why the Qing court did this was that Xuzhou was not far from the capital, and if there was something wrong, it would be easier to suppress it.

Secondly, the Qing court had already planned to erode the entire China at that time, and stockpiled these troops in Xuzhou to facilitate the dispatch of troops in all directions.

Among these 80,000 people, there are not many surrendered troops like Jiang Guan who followed Ajige for many years.

For example, among these 80,000 people, the most powerful troops were Zuo Menggeng's troops, who were the first-class Jingqinihafan (equivalent to the viscount).

Zuo Menggeng, the son of Zuo Liangyu, the famous general of the former Ming Dynasty.

After his father Zuo Liangyu died, he led his father's 200,000 old subordinates to surrender to the Qing Dynasty.

From the extent of his evil deeds, he was no less than the infamous "big traitor" Wu Sangui.

Wu Sangui surrendered to the Qing Dynasty because his position was very awkward at that time. Chongzhen had already hanged himself. He was caught between Li Zicheng and the Qing army. Although he was both Han people, the Dashun Army forced Emperor Chongzhen to death after all, and he was Wu Sangui's enemy.

In Wu Sangui's view, the Dashun Army was far inferior to the Qing army. Instead of joining with the "enemy", it would be better to surrender to the Qing army.

As for what "a angrily makes a beautiful woman" is a joke, it's nothing to listen to, you can't take it too seriously.

But Zuo Menggeng was different. Chongzhen hanged himself, and his father Zuo Liangyu was also a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Zuo Liangyu was the one who was Ning Nanbo, and also guarded Wuchang for the Hongguang Dynasty.

It is no exaggeration to say that it was the most powerful army of the Hongguang Dynasty at that time.

But why did Zuo Liangyu "rebel"?

In fact, it sounds very simple. Zuo Liangyu's fame was not to fight against the Qing army outside the pass, but to suppress the uprising of the peasant army. He continued to accumulate military achievements with the heads of peasant army soldiers. He was first appointed as the general of the pilgrimage, and later was named Ningnanbo.

After saying this, the context becomes clear.

When Zuo Liangyu guarded Wuchang for the Hongguang Dynasty, it was when Li Zicheng was driven out of Shuntian Prefecture by the Qing army and retreated all the way south.

The Dashun Army was eager to retreat but refused to retreat, but retreated to the territory of Zuo Liangyu.

You know, the hatred between these two sides is huge. As I said just now, Zuo Liangyu's success was entirely due to killing the peasant army.

But the problem is that in the last few years of Chongzhen, the Dashun Army continued to grow. Zuo Liangyu, who had originally killed "thieves" and killed Shun, had already lost more and won less when facing the Dashun Army.

In other words, Dashunjun was hit with a psychological shadow.

Although the Dashun Army retreated south at that time, it had 300,000 troops and far stronger than Zuo Liangyu.

In addition, Li Zicheng was still alive at that time, so Zuo Liangyu was indeed afraid.

He was quick to learn and took advantage of the fact that the "fake prince" case was happening in the Hongguang Dynasty, so he pretended to be in the will of "Crown Prince Chongzhen" and led his entire army to Yingtian Prefecture, the capital of the Southern Ming Dynasty at that time under the banner of "clearing the emperor".

The matter is obvious. Zuo Liangyu doesn't want to really "rebel". He just wants to change the place and avoid Li Zicheng's limelight.

But the strongest army of the Hongguang Dynasty came to his full horror, which really scared Emperor Hongguang and all the ministers at that time, thinking that before he could die at the hands of the Tartars, he would die at the hands of his own ministers.

If Zuo Liangyu had really led his troops into Yingtian Mansion at that time, perhaps Hongming might not have finished the game so soon.

Because these 200,000 troops are not made of paper after all.

Unfortunately, God did not agree. As soon as the army arrived in Jiujiang, Zuo Liangyu died of illness.

Although the money falling from the tree has not dispersed, the people's hearts and the army's morale have dispersed.

Later, the Hongguang Dynasty transferred Duke of Jingguo from Jiangxi Huang Degong, and the two armies fought in one battle, and the left army was defeated.

Then the problem is even more serious. These 200,000 troops are facing a choice between the Hongguang Dynasty and the Qing army.

It is a pity that Zuo Liangyu at least calls himself a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, but his son Zuo Menggeng is a coward.

Zuo Menggeng hesitated for a while and led his army to the Qing Dynasty without looking back. The target of his surrender at that time was Prince Ying Ajige.

In this way, the Hongguang Dynasty, which claimed to have a million troops, lost its strongest army in one dynasty.

This is not a loss of fighting with the enemy on the battlefield, it is a systematic surrender to the enemy.

One goes up and the other goes up!

This directly caused the rapid destruction of Hongguang Dynasty in more than a year.

This confirms the saying that a solid fortress will always be breached inside.

Zuo Menggeng, his crime should be punished!

In fact, although Zuo Liangyu's "cleaning the king's side" action was jealous of imperial power, it was not an unforgivable crime. Especially in such a chaotic world, even the civil army, the rebel army, and Emperor Longwu could contact each other, let alone being his own minister?

Zuo Menggeng is at most an accomplice. His father died. Whether he surrendered or was "recruited" by the court, he had any merits or demerits, at least he was a merit or demerit.

Unfortunately, Zuo Menggeng walked all the way, which caused Hongguang Dynasty to collapse rapidly, and even more caused countless Han people in Jiangnan to be slaughtered by the Tartars.
Chapter completed!