Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 383: Soldiers and Civilians Are Almost Destroyed

(Seeing everyone's confusion, Song Jianping was one of Meng Jun's captains at the beginning, at the same level as Lin Shiqi. When the protagonist revolted, he ran away. Later, when the protagonist conquered Jiangnan, Song Jianping surrendered to Lin Shiqi as a minor official and became a captain again╭(╯e╰)╮)

………………

Under the city of Taiyuan.

When Baiyintu received Dorgon's order, the Qing army had already built a high mound under the east city of Taiyuan. The width was almost ten feet, and one row could accommodate more than a hundred people.

The pile of earth was almost reaching the battlements of the city wall. As long as the soldiers ran up the pile and jumped up, they could cross the battlements and attack the city. However, at this moment, the regent suddenly ordered the troops to retreat, which made Baiyintu very unwilling.

Baiyintu understood that the regent's decision was for the safety of the capital. Zhao Yongping's army had already invaded Shandong, and the regent's worry was understandable. However, he had gone to such great lengths to capture civilians everywhere, and the time to reap the rewards had finally come. Baiyintu was really unwilling to easily give up the fruits of victory that were about to be obtained.

After careful consideration, Baiyintu finally decided to delay for a few days and forcefully attack Taiyuan City.

When the defenders on the city saw that the Qing army had begun to form up, they also began preparations for the battle. Jiang Xuan also knew that it was a critical moment. He stood on the city wall where smoke was billowing, with determination and indomitable spirit burning in his eyes.

Baiyintu's troops were already prepared. With the earthen mounds, the Qing army no longer needed siege equipment. They only needed to hold shields, form a formation and climb the city walls.

Before the first rays of sunlight in the morning had completely spread over the earth, the drumbeats of the attack had already resounded. Like a flood that broke through a dam, the Qing army rushed straight into Taiyuan City from the earth piles and launched a fierce attack on the top of the city wall. The front row of Qing soldiers held shields and stepped on the earth piles in an attempt to break through the defense line of the city wall in one fell swoop.

Arrows rained down from the top of the city wall, artillery shells roared, and the defenders on the city wall fought a desperate battle with the Qing army. The battle was extremely fierce from the beginning. On the city wall, the defenders tried every means possible, rolling logs and stones, pouring hot oil, and doing everything they could.

Team after team of defenders were thrown into this meat grinder. The concept of time became blurred and there was only a fight between life and death. Jiang Xuan personally supervised the battle. Whenever the situation was critical, he would lead his elite soldiers to the front.

Until dark, Baiyintu still did not sound the horn to retreat. Torches were lit, and Baiyintu actually planned to attack the city all night. Teams of Qing soldiers were called into the battle one after another. The Green Camp retreated, but continued to attack the city under the murderous reorganization of the Eight Banners.

The cruelty of the battle was also reflected in the huge casualties. On both sides of the city wall, corpses piled up like mountains, blood dyed the ground red, and the air was filled with the smell of death.

Till dawn, the city wall was still in Jiang Xuan's hands. Bai Yintu was furious and ordered Suo Hong to lead 2,800 banners to attack. At the critical moment, Jiang Xuan mobilized all the reserve troops and even civilians in the city to fight, and sacrificed their lives to drive Suo Hong out of the city.

Jiang Xuan originally thought that after such a fierce battle, Bai Yintu would withdraw his troops to rest, but unexpectedly, the Qing troops under the city still showed no signs of retreating.

Baiyintu, who was standing at the foot of the city, said murderously: "We will never retreat until Taiyuan is conquered. If we retreat again, no matter who is the general or soldier in the Green Camp, we will never let them off easily!"

Many Green Camp generals looked miserable. One lieutenant boldly suggested, "General, can you let the soldiers rest for a day before attacking? They are really tired after attacking the city all night."

This advice was nothing, but it was so harsh in the ears of Baiyintu, whose eyes were already red. Baiyintu immediately pushed down the lieutenant general who had spoken and beheaded him, which frightened the Green Camp soldiers so much that they dared not say a word.

Then Baiyintu stared at the generals with a murderous look in his eyes and said, "If anyone dares to speak out and disturb the morale of the army again, this will be his fate!"

Seeing that the generals dared not speak, Baiyintu shouted: "Organize the army and fight again!"

Jiang Xuan watched as the Qing soldiers below the city began a new round of assembly. Not only the defenders on the city, but even Jiang Xuan showed despair. The defenders on the city were all exhausted. Although there were still a large number of militiamen in the city, how could these people compare with the army that had been fighting for a long time on the city.

But Jiang Xuan also knew that the defenders on the city were too tired to continue defending, so he could only replace most of the tired soldiers, retreat to the foot of the city to rest, and replace them with militiamen to go up to the city.

As soon as these militiamen climbed up to the top of the city wall and saw the bloody battlefield, almost everyone vomited. However, the battlefield did not allow them to slowly adapt because a new round of offensive by the Qing army had begun.

The brutal fighting almost routed the militiamen, and they could only use their lives to buy time. The corpses had already piled up like a mountain on the top of the city, and the Qing army had to climb over the mountain of corpses to get to the city.

Jiang Xuan's personal guards were almost all killed or wounded. In desperation, the old soldiers who had only rested in the city for two hours were called up to fight again.

Another day passed, and Jiang Xuan had transferred all the defenders of the other three walls of Taiyuan to the East City. By now, not only were the defenders on the verge of collapse, but even the Qing army, both the Green Camp and the Eight Banners, had become blood-thirsty. Baiyintu's general Gushan Ezhen Suohong was killed in the battle, his general Lai Ta broke his left arm and was seriously injured and dying, two Eight Banners lieutenants were killed, eight assistant commanders were killed, three Green Camp deputy generals were killed, eight lieutenants were killed, and twelve guerrillas were killed.

Even with such a tragic situation, Bai Yintu still did not order a retreat. Now, with such heavy losses, Bai Yintu had to either capture Taiyuan and intimidate Shanxi, or die under the city of Taiyuan.

Most of the defenders in the city had collapsed, and countless civilians abandoned their weapons and fled into the city.

After two days and two nights of fighting, on the morning of the third day, Bai Yintu, with red eyes, led the team personally and rushed to the top of the city. Even though Bai Yintu had been in battle for many years, he was shocked by the mountain of corpses and the torrent of blood. What kind of scene was that? Even Shura Hell seemed unable to perfectly interpret it.

At this point, the battle had already shifted from the top of the city wall to the city gate, and Jiang Xuan had already given up hope. He just persisted out of inertia and continued to swing his sword to kill the enemy.

There was a general in the city who, seeing that the situation was irresistible, led his people to flee to the south city, opened the city gate and escaped, causing the defenders to lose morale.

It was not until there was no more guard standing beside Jiang Xuan that Jiang Xuan seemed to sober up a little. Bai Yintu looked at the man in front of him who seemed to be soaked in blood, and there was a complicated expression in his eyes. Although he was an enemy, Bai Yintu thought in his heart that this man was a man.

Baiyintu's lips moved. He wanted to say, "Surrender and you can be spared from death."

But the words that came to his lips were: "Kill him and keep his head."

Jiang Xuan laughed loudly twice, and left no last words before he died.

After Jiang Xuan's death, the resistance in Taiyuan City gradually died down. Bai Yintu looked at his subordinates who suffered heavy casualties and ordered the Qing army to kill all the officials, soldiers and civilians in Taiyuan City!

For a time, the streets of Taiyuan were filled with corpses. All the soldiers and civilians in the city were killed, and there were only a few soldiers left.