Under the flames, several Ming soldiers who were on fire ran out of the fire screamed and rolled on the ground. In the end, they jumped into the moat without caring about anything, but more people were trapped in the sea of ​​fire and could not run out. The flames soaring into the sky were accompanied by the rolling smoke and the silence of the roar, and finally floated in the air with the black and gray...

"Go to the second team and continue!" Looking at the fire on the other side of the city wall, Yang Xu frowned slightly, but his face was still as calm as usual.

He calmly issued an order to continue attacking and digging, without any wavering at all by the scene that just happened under the city.

Hearing such an order, the officer on the side hesitated for a moment, but when Yang Xu's sharp eyes swept towards him, the officer immediately became clever and quickly conveyed the order.

Standing on a high place, looking at the Ming army launching another attack and continuing to move forward, Yang Xu couldn't help but feel a little regretful. He thought that the Qing army would not notice the Ming army's actions so quickly, but who thought that the Qing army on the top of the city had reacted after just a while of digging, and it was really surprising that it took such a rapid counterattack.

However, Nian Gengyao was guarding the city. Yang Xu has always hated Nian Gengyao to the core, but he has to admit that Nian Gengyao is indeed a difficult opponent. As a literati from a Jinshi, he not only has the careful mind of a literati, but also has the decisiveness of a soldier. If it were not for each other, there were indeed some admiration for Nian Gengyao, but unfortunately, Nian Gengyao is not only Yang Xu's enemy, but also a lackey of the Qing Dynasty for the tiger, so his demise was inevitable.

Yang Xu never hoped that the tactic of using gunpowder to attack the city would be successful easily. You must know that it was impossible for him to avoid discovering this under Nian Gengyao's nose. Yang Xu just hoped that the later the other party would find out, the better. This would not only shorten the time to take down Chengxiang, but also reduce the casualties of the Ming army.

Unfortunately, Nian Gengyao's nose was as sensible as a dog's nose. He discovered it not long after the beginning, and he also used fire attack to stop the first Ming army from coming up, causing the Ming army who had not had time to withdraw to be buried in the fire.

But even so, Yang Xu could not stop. Since the Qing army already knew its own methods, there was no need to dodge at this time and directly carried out forced blasting operations. As for casualties, where is there an immortal in this war? Instead of consuming lives meaninglessly in the battle for the top of the city, it is better to continue blasting operations. As long as the gap in the city wall is opened, Chengxiang will have no hope, and the casualties that have been paid before then are worth it.

After the order was issued, the second echelon, which had already been prepared, rushed up immediately. But unlike the previous feint attack to carry out blasting operations, the Ming army's goal this time was very clear, that is, to dig out a medicine room that could store gunpowder under the city wall and then blast it.

As for other Ming troops, the current task is to cover friendly forces acting on the city wall, and at the same time, firmly block the city gates, preventing the Qing army from leaving the city to directly attack the Ming army that was working. The attacks on the city wall, whether it was bows, arrows, muskets, and even fire attacks that were poured with tinder oil, were all handled by the assisted Ming army.

After rushing across the moat, Ming Jun first used the prepared long pole to lift all the burning debris, and then used wooden boards to build a shield under the body to block the top-down attack. As for Ming Jun, who was working, he was naked and rushed to the work area with the heat waves, and digging quickly with the tools in his hand.

The speed and strength of excavation almost used all the strength of these Ming troops. After they dug for a while, these extremely tired Ming troops would retreat under the cover of friendly forces, and then a group of new forces would be replenished in to ensure the fastest speed and maximum efficiency.

"Master, the rebels can't fight at all under the city, and even the fire attack is not good. What should I do?" The Ming army outside the city frightened the Qing army in the city at a rapid speed. The general who had previously commanded the fire attack quickly reported to Nian Gengyao. Seeing his sweating and anxious look, Nian Gengyao frowned.

It is impossible to say that the Qing army's counterattack was not effective at all, but compared with the first fire attack, although the Ming army was well prepared for casualties, these casualties were not large. You should know that the foot of the city wall and the city wall were 90 degrees, and there were certain angles from the downward shooting or throwing objects. Moreover, while the Ming army was operating, the Ming army outside the city had been attacking and covering the area where the city wall was operating, whether it was cannons or muskets, and so on, it restricted the top-down counterattack of the Qing army.

Take the shooting of bows and muskets as an example. Bows and arrows require people to stick their bodies out and then shoot downwards. This is not a right angle of ninety degrees. Moreover, it is even more difficult to use the shelling outside the city and blockade of muskets. The same is true for muskets, not to mention that the muskets of this era are smoothbore guns, and bullets are loaded from the muzzle. Once they are tilted to a certain angle, they will fall out without shooting the bullet.

As for the same fire attack as before, the Ming army under the city had used wooden boards and shields to make double covers. After the turmeric and debris fell, the outermost wooden boards were burned first. The Ming army only needed to throw these wooden boards outward into the moat and then replace them with new wooden boards. Then the fire attack could no longer threaten the Ming army.

Of course, compared with bows and arrows and muskets, fire attack and rock-beating methods cannot be said to be of no use, but they cannot effectively stop the Ming army's operations. Seeing the Ming army digging the city walls faster and faster, the Qing army was extremely anxious.

"Open the city gate! Just drive the thief outside to me to cross the river!" Nian Gengyao gritted his teeth, and the muscles on his face twitched unconsciously.

"Yeah!" The general replied loudly and quickly left the summoning troops. There was no better way now. Instead of watching the Ming army work outside, it would be better to rush out of the city and fight to the death. If the Ming army could be defeated outside the city, it might be possible to protect the city wall.

But how could Yang Xu make Nian Gengyao so happy? He had already made some arrangements for this situation. When the Qing army in the city gathered two thousand troops, opened the city gate and rushed out of the city, trying to kill the Ming army, which was already in full swing, the Ming army, who had been waiting for the battle, instantly started to move.

First, more than ten artillery aimed at the city gate area roared at the same time. A burst of artillery fire made the Qing army cry out to the mother, and then the main force of the Ming army attacked. With the cooperation of infantry, the Ming army, carrying new muskets, turned the city gate area into a hell. The Qing army that fell to the ground with a scream for a while was one after another, while more Qing army turned around and ran away in fear. As for the Qing army inside the city gate, they wanted to rush out. In this chaos at the city gate, the Qing army generals who were commanding the team were also sandwiched in the middle and could not move forward and retreat. He was so anxious that he shouted loudly but had no effect.

Finally, relying on the accompanying personal soldiers, the Qing army generals barely stabilized their positions, but at this time, all the hundreds of Qing troops rushing out in front had been eliminated. As for the injured Qing army, there were even many injured. In addition, the Ming army was in full swing, and they were already shouting to attack directly towards the city gate, which immediately scared the Qing army, who had not yet left the city, into a cold sweat.

"Close the city gate! Hurry!" The brothers and sisters ran into the city with their land, and the Qing generals couldn't help but shout. If the city gate was broken, everything would be over, and the Ming army outside the city would no longer have to do any blasting operations, and would directly follow the city gate to kill them.

With his life, the general commanding at the city gate finally closed the city gate the moment the Ming army broke through the city gate, and then used stones and wood inside the city gate to block the city gate. After doing all this, the general was almost exhausted and collapsed on the ground. Sitting under the city wall, he listened to the constant sound of cannons and the shouts at the city gate. The two lines of tears couldn't help but fall.

He knew in his heart that Chengxiang would definitely not be able to defend it. He went out of the city to fight and could not defeat the Ming army. If he defended it to the death, the Ming army would also have a way to blast homework. The fall of Chengxiang was only a matter of time.

When the situation was reported to Nian Gengyao, Nian Gengyao's face was pale and he didn't say anything for a long time. At this time, he had no better choice. He looked up at the dim sky. Unless he had a pair of wings, Chengxiang County would be where he was defeated and died.

The trapped beasts were still fighting. Although Nian Gengyao knew what the result would be, he still did not give up his final efforts at this time. Within more than ten hours, Nian Gengyao tried all his strength to try to break the deadlock and save his destiny, but failed one by one.

During this period, with the continuous operation of the Ming army, the medicine room where the gunpowder was placed was finally dug. When the next evening, as the gunpowder came and was transported into the medicine room, the Ming army working under the city wall began to evacuate, both Nian Gengyao and the Qing army in the city understood that their doomsday had arrived.

"Mobilize all the troops to the North Gate and prepare for breaking through!" Nian Gengyao issued a breakout order. Although he knew that Yang Xu had the North Gate obviously had a tactic of surrounding three and missing one. Such a breakout would definitely be surrounded by the Ming army and would be annihilated by the Ming army in the wild.

But at this time, he had no choice. He rushed out to fight and said that he could not have hope of escaping. But if he continued to stay in the city, he would be a dead end.

In order to ensure the smooth breakthrough, Nian Gengyao brought all his two thousand supervisors and the selected 1,500 elite soldiers. The last capital of these 3,500 people was his last capital. It depends on whether he could rush out. When he was ready, Nian Gengyao quietly came to the north gate with his troops, but did not immediately order a breakthrough, so he could only wait patiently.

Time passed by one by one, as if time had suddenly solidified. For the first time, Nian Gengyao felt that time had passed so slowly. Finally, a low rumbling sound suddenly came, and the land under his feet shaking, and the solidified breath in the air was blown away by the wind from nowhere. Then a loud noise like thunder exploded. Looking back, a cloud of smoke and dust rose from the city gate of the Ming army, and at the same time, countless cheers came faintly.
Chapter completed!