Anti-Qing: Starting from the Reincarnation of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 87

Zhennanguan is the boundary between Guangdong and Guangxi. Although the terrain is not very dangerous, due to its critical location, the defense of the ancient city is quite strong.

There are also two thousand green battalion soldiers stationed inside, responsible for the defense of Zhennanguan.

It can be described as easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Therefore, Zhu Jing'an asked this question.

He also wants to drag the main force of the Ming army to Zhaoqing to fight the main force of the Qing army in Guangdong.

But they couldn't bear to let the Ming army's already not abundant troops be lost in vain at Zhennan Pass.

Of course, the Zhennanguan Pass that the Ming army is now preparing to attack is not the same place as the Zhennanguan Pass where Feng Zicai fought against the French invaders.

Zhennanguan, where Feng Zicai defeated Zhennanguan, is located at the border of Guangxi and Vietnam. It was later renamed Friendship Pass.

But now the Zhennanguan Pass that Zhu Jing'an wants to fight is located at the junction of Guangxi and Guangdong provinces.

There is little relationship between the two.

It just happens to be called Zhennanguan.

The reason why it is called this is actually similar to the terms Dongguan, Xiguan, Nanguan and Beiguan, and has no special meaning.

There are not just one or two places called Zhennanguan in the world, nothing special.

The town of Zhennanguan on the border between Guangxi and Vietnam became famous after Feng Zicai won the victory at Zhennanguan.

Before that, the so-called Zhennanguan Pass was actually just a little-known pass.

When the old patriarch heard this, he thought for a while, then stroked his beard and said.

"The city defense of Zhennanguan is indeed strong, but the pass is located at the junction of Guangdong and Guangxi, and there are many merchants coming and going. The defenders can make a lot of money. As time goes by, they no longer have to be vigilant."

"Furthermore, it is precisely because of the large number of merchants that new grains can be replenished from time to time. Therefore, the Guancheng of Zhennanguan usually does not store too much grain and grass."

"If the Grand Governor wants to attack Zhennanguan, he may be able to adopt a siege strategy. As long as the king's division can besiege Zhennanguan for ten days and a half, the Qing captives in Zhennanguan will be put to an end..."

The reason why the old patriarch is so sure that there is not much food and grass in Zhennanguan is because Zhennanguan is not far from the big market of Chishui Market.

Chishui Market also provided food and grass to Zhennanguan.

Therefore, he knew that Zhennanguan seemed easy to defend and difficult to attack, but the defenders had never had the habit of storing food and grass, which was his biggest weakness.

The reason why the old patriarch can remember this matter so clearly is because when the defenders of Zhennanguan purchased grain and grass from Chishui Ruins, they did not pay them in cash, but paid them on credit.

Well, I haven’t paid it back yet!

Can’t the old patriarch be impressed? !

Hearing this, Zhu Jing'an touched his chin and fell into deep thought.

The siege strategy may be regarded as a record, but if possible, Zhu Jing'an still wanted to capture Zhennanguan as soon as possible and then march to Zhaoqing.

Time really does not wait for anyone. Zhu Jing'an estimated that the imperial decree from the Qing court to mobilize troops to encircle and suppress the Ming Dynasty was probably coming soon.

If he delays for a long time, what Ming Dynasty will face next is not only the main force of the Qing army in Guangdong, but also a joint encirclement and suppression by the Qing army from several provinces.

……

In Zhennan Pass, there is Dusi Mansion.

A Qian Zongda Qian'er knelt in front of Mr. Du Si, who was in charge of Guancheng's defense, and said with a cold sweat on his face.

"Lord Dusi, everything I said is true!"

"When the villain led his people to collect food in Chishui Ruins, they really encountered the vanguard of the Ming thief."

"The army of Ming thieves is rushing towards Zhennanguan to kill them. Master Dusi should make plans early."

After hearing this, Du Si Liu Shang couldn't help but frowned.

"If that's the case, things will be in trouble!"

Although the city defense of Zhennanguan is strong, and it is the key point at the junction of Guangdong and Guangxi, it is highly valued.

However, the number of defenders is limited after all. Among the two thousand defenders, there are more than one-third empty, and most of the remaining people are the old, weak, sick and disabled.

There are only three to four hundred soldiers who can really fight and dare to fight.

Without reinforcements, Liu Shang really had no confidence that he could hold Zhennang Pass.

You know, the main force of the Qing army in Guangxi is now surrounded by the Ming army and dare not move easily in Yong'an Prefecture, let alone the small Zhennanguan?
Mr. Qian raised his head and said.

"Lord Du Si, didn't you say that the Governor arrived in Zhaoqing with his troops?"

"Perhaps we can ask the Governor for help!"

After hearing this, Du Si Liu Shang continued to frown.

"Nanguan of my town is located in Guangxi, not Guangdong."

"There is no order to mobilize troops across provinces, but it is a big taboo. I am afraid that the Governor will not take the risk of sending troops."

Mr. Qian continued.

"Master Dusi, we have no other option now. We might as well ask the Governor for help."

"If you pass Zhennanguan, you will be the boundary of Guangdong. If you are not passing Zhennanguan, you will be Guangxi. It shouldn't be a taboo for the Governor to send troops to reinforce Zhennanguan."

Hearing this, Liu Shang took a deep breath and said.

"That's it, that's all. Send people to Zhaoqing immediately to ask for help from the Governor. Make no mistake."

After saying this, Mr. Qian responded with a chirp and then withdrew.

That night, fast horses were dispatched from Zhennan Pass overnight towards Zhaoqing.

Prepare to ask for help from Yang Jingsu, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi who is leading troops in Zhaoqing at this moment.

……

The Ming army spent the night repairing at Chishui Ruins.

On the second day, they broke camp and set off towards the south gate of this town.

Along the way, they saw several abandoned villages.

Buildings of civil structures were turned into ruins, and there were traces of fires burning and then extinguishing everywhere.

The smell of corpses can be faintly smelled in the air, which is quite pungent.

And almost all of these are the masterpieces of the Qing army in Zhennanguan.

If it were normal times, the Qing army would not dare to openly plunder the villages and towns near the station.

Because there was still order at that time, and no one dared to take things too far.

I’m afraid that the court will blame me!

However, with the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, a series of wars broke out with the Qing army in Guangxi, which greatly damaged the local ruling order of the Manchu Qing court.

The Qing army all rejoiced!
Facts have proven that even the worst order is better than no order at all.

After the order is destroyed, no one really knows what the armed forces will do.

The Ming army looked at the tragic scenes of villages and towns on both sides of the road that had been swept away by the Qing army.

From top to bottom, there was anger brewing in everyone's hearts.

The morale of the military and the boiling fighting spirit are constantly gathering!

Everyone was silent, speeding up their march towards Zhennanguan Pass.

Soon the Ming army arrived near Zhennanguan.

A sentinel came galloping forward.

"Report to the Commander-in-Chief, Zhennanguan Pass is ten miles ahead!"

"Our army's sentry cavalry came into contact with the Qing army's sentry cavalry, and a fierce battle broke out. The Qing army's sentinel cavalry has been driven back. Please give instructions from the governor."

When Zhu Jing'an heard this, he nodded slightly.

"Send the order to speed up the march of the army." "We must arrive at Zhennan Pass before noon today and prepare to launch a tentative attack."

Immediately, he said again.

"Send the order again, and continue to send additional sentries to investigate the surrounding environment of the battlefield to ensure safety and guard against an ambush by the Qing army."

When the ordering soldiers heard this, they clasped their fists and left.

Went to convey Zhu Jing'an's orders to the Ming army.

……

At the same time, Zhennan is closed!
Liu Shang, wearing an ancestral cotton armor, stood at the head of Zhennanguan.

Looking at the mighty army of Ming thieves outside the city and the large black mass of red turbans, a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Especially when he saw the dark cannons in the Ming army's formation, he felt like his heart was trembling.

"Pass... pass the order, the whole army is preparing for war, and be on guard against Ming thieves attacking the city!"

Liu Shang spoke with a trembling voice.

Liu Shang knew that even the main force of the Qing army in Guangxi, led by the admiral, had suffered heavy losses at the hands of Ming thieves.

Even Dong'an's general soldier was killed on the battlefield!

You know, in that battle, the army dispatched by the Ming thieves was only five thousand.

But this time, the army of Ming thieves that appeared outside Zhennang Pass numbered nearly ten thousand people at a glance.

How could Liu Shang not feel scared?
If it weren't for the wall under his feet that gave him a certain sense of security, Liu Shang would have led his men to Guangdong as soon as possible after the Ming army arrived...

Liu Shang's military order was issued, and the Qing army began to actively prepare for war.

Traditional defense equipment such as arrows, rolling logs and stones were moved to the city wall.

The gunners of the Qing army also began to tinker with the wrought iron artillery that was placed on the city wall.

But looking at the severely rusted gun barrel, the gunners couldn't help but look gloomy.

Due to the material used, the wrought iron cannon is of poor quality and is very easy to explode or rust.

And the two often complement each other.

The more corroded the barrel is, the higher the probability of the barrel exploding.

Usually they are lazy and don't pay attention to the maintenance of their artillery. When they really need to use it, these Qing gunners start to go blind.

Anyway, they would definitely not dare to use these Yama's performance refreshers in front of them.

As long as you dare to load and ignite this thing, it will 100% explode.

Whoever loves to use the area, they definitely don’t use it anyway.

Looking at the several wrought iron cannons in front of them that were severely rusted and obviously old, the gunners of the Qing army started discussing them.

"If I remember correctly, this cannon should have been made when Emperor Kangxi conquered San Francisco. It has been so many years, it is older than my grandfather, and it is rusty like this. It must not be used anymore."

"Hey, that's not it. I remember that it was clearly cast when King Pingnan was fighting against King Li Jin of the Ming Dynasty."

"Stop fighting. No matter when he cast it, it will definitely not be usable now. There is no point in fighting over it."

"Report it and give Shangguan a headache!"

"Yes, yes, this gun is designed to explode when fired. I don't want to die."

"This thing is really deadly. It's no joke. It's better to report it to Lord Tosi for decision."

"..."

Not long after, Liu Shang received the news that the cannon could no longer be used, and strode forward surrounded by a group of personal soldiers, Ge Shiha.

Looking at the several cannons in front of him that were severely rusted, and even the fire doors were blocked by rust, Liu Shang felt his eyes turning black.

This is so...

He couldn't help but want to curse.

He didn't have much confidence in defending Zhennanguan, and these artillery pieces could be regarded as one of his only sources of confidence.

Now, I see that these artillery pieces have been rusted into this horrible state and are completely useless.

How could Liu Shang's face look so good?

Seeing this, the several Qianzong guerrillas on the side also looked solemn, as if they could drip water.

Liu Shang looked at the several forged iron cannons in front of him and said with a cold face.

"Go find some blacksmiths and ask them to grind off the rust on the cannon body and fire door. After the rust is removed, we can see if the cannon can be used..."

However, before he could finish his words, he heard the roar of several heavy cannons.

……

Boom!Boom!
On the Ming army's position, a large amount of gunpowder smoke spewed out from the muzzles of several heavy artillery pieces, and the light of fire loomed.

The terrifying recoil pushed the gun body back sharply, and the wedge at the rear of the gun carriage used to fix the position left a deep mark in the soft soil.

The Ming army's gunners gathered around, skillfully pushed the gun carriage back to its original position, and then reloaded.

Several foreign artillerymen guided the Ming soldiers to calculate and adjust the firing points of the artillery.

Most foreigners at this time still knew the rules.

They collect money to do things. Since they have received Zhu Jing'an's money, they will try their best to teach the Ming army's gunners how to operate the gun, and will not hide it.

The cannonball drew a beautiful arc in the air, and then hit the city wall of Zhennanguan heavily.

The city wall trembled as the heavy cannonballs hit it, and the masonry cracked and became embedded in the city wall.

Spider web-like cracks spread around the impact point of the cannonball.

Then, several artillery shells hit the city wall of Zhennanguan. The Qing troops on the pass looked frightened and scurried around the city wall like headless flies.

Zhu Jing'an put down the telescope in his hand, patted the shoulder of the foreign artilleryman Old Pete on the side, and said.

"Well done, old Pete, you trained the boys very well!"

"Look at how accurate their cannons are now!"

Hearing this, Old Pete opened his mouth with a smile on his old face.

"Dear General, your soldiers are the smartest, most diligent, and most studious students I have ever seen."

“They learn things really fast!”

Old Peter was an old artilleryman who participated in the Seven Years' War and was once a member of the French Royal Guards Artillery Regiment.

However, he has a gambling habit.

After he retired, all the wealth he had accumulated through hard work on the battlefield was quickly lost at the gambling table.

He even owed hundreds of francs in foreign debt!
In order to make a fortune and pay off his debts, he resolutely chose to take the risk of boarding a ship heading to the East.

Then, after arriving in Macau, he was attracted by the high salary offered by the Ming Dynasty, and naturally became one of the artillery instructors of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Jing'an laughed loudly after hearing this.

"Isn't this a good thing? Anyway, you come to the governor to get paid according to the number of qualified gunners you have taught. In this case, isn't it better for the boys to learn things as quickly as possible?"

Old Pete heard this and spoke.

"Of course, General!"

"The salary you gave old Pete is really generous. If it weren't for the fact that I'm a Frenchman, I would swear in the name of God to offer you my loyalty."

The French at this time were still very proud.

They are the only ones in the world who are qualified to compete with the British.

(End of this chapter)