Chapter 415: Banner Soldiers Arrive to Help
Wuchang is located on the west bank of the Yangtze River and is a famous metropolis in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The city is 28 feet high, 68 feet thick at the base, and 54 feet thick at the top. It is built with bricks and stones on the outside and rammed earth on the inside.

There are nine gates in the city: Binyang Gate and Lvxiao Gate in the east, Pinghu Gate and Hanyang Gate in the west, Baoan Gate and Wangshan Gate in the south, Wusheng Gate in the north, Wenchang Gate in the southwest and Zhonghe Gate in the southeast. There are two water gates with sluice gates, located between Hanyang Gate, Pinghu Gate and Wusheng Gate. Each gate has a moon city, a watchtower, artillery platforms and barracks. The water of the Yangtze River is drawn outside the gate to form a moat, which is two feet deep and two feet and eight feet wide.

Before the development of firearms, city defense technology had been perfected, but siege methods were still lacking. Even though the Red Army had accumulated a lot of siege experience, they could only sigh in despair when faced with the strong city of Wuchang.

Cen Dan assessed the situation at first and decided not to organize a strong attack, but to concentrate on clearing out the outer strongholds and intensifying the siege of Wuchang.

The Qing army gradually lost its strongholds outside the moat, and the waterway and the food route to Xiaoguishan in the northeast of the city became increasingly difficult. It seemed that they were about to be completely blocked by the Red Army.

The next day, the Qing army opened the city gates and rushed out from nine gates to engage in a fierce battle with the Red Army outside the gates.

The laborers who were digging trenches were shocked. Many of them dropped their shovels, pickaxes and baskets, crossed the trenches and hid behind the Red Army camp.

The Red Army thought that the Qing army was trying to break out, so each unit rushed to fight and desperately encircled and blocked the Qing army.

Cen Danchu was in the Hongshan camp. He was shocked when he heard the news and ordered all his troops to pursue and intercept the enemy.

Gradually, scouts sent intelligence and the situation became clear. The most intense fighting took place in Niuyutao, Xiaoguishan, and Qingpingshan. Among them, the fighting in Niuyutao was the most intense, the Qing army used the most firearms, and Oboi’s central army flag also appeared.

“Niuyutao guards the mouth of the Lihe River southwest of the city. Wuchang has always been attacked from upstream, and Niuyutao is the last barrier. Oboi personally led his troops to attack Niuyutao, not to break through, but to retake the stronghold outside the city and continue to defend Wuchang.” Cen Danchu made this judgment with excitement in his eyes.

“That’s right,” Qian Bingdeng echoed, “The Tartars attacked Xiaogui Mountain and Qingping Mountain fiercely, not to break out from the northeast and southeast of the city, but to open up the food route and obtain food, fodder and ammunition!”

“He was afraid that Oboi would break out, but he insisted on defending Wuchang to the death!” Danchu clenched his fists, took out two command arrows, handed them to his personal soldiers, and said, “Pass my oral order to Ma Bao and Jiao Lian, and ask them to defend the position to the death. Don’t let a single Tartar escape, and don’t let a single Tartar cross the trench line!”

The personal soldiers held the command arrows and galloped away on horseback.

Qian Bingdeng reminded: “We should also send letters to Kuangzhen and Huzhen to remind them.”

“Well,” Cen Danchu reminded, “Only if the Second and Fifth Towns fight well can we hold back Aljin and Loto, and then we can have a decisive battle with Oboi under the city of Wuchang. Youguang, use your great talent to write two letters to Kuang Shi and Hu Yiqing.”

In addition to the forces of Oboi and Wu Sangui, the Qing army also had two powerful forces in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

One part was led by General Dingnan Aljin, stationed in Jingzhou. Wu Sangui drove the Han army Li Guohan out of Sichuan. Li Guohan broke through the resistance of the righteous army, went down the river, and joined forces with Aljin.

As a result, Aljin became more confident and crossed the river to attack Yuezhou, intending to threaten Changde and Changsha. If Aljin succeeded, the Red Army’s food supply would be threatened and the front line would be in chaos without a fight.

Hu Yiqing led the Fifth Infantry Regiment to stay in Hunan, and led the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Infantry Regiments to fight against Aljin. The Thirteenth Regiment was mostly composed of Xiangxi Tusi soldiers, and the Fourteenth Regiment was mostly composed of remnants of Shunjun. They were familiar with the route and stubbornly blocked the Qing army.

Another elite Qing army was led by General Luo Tuo of Ningnan, who was originally commissioned by Oboi to lead bannermen to reinforce Jiangxi and assist Jiangxi Governor Cai Shiying in defending Nanchang. Luo Tuo’s army was larger, originally numbering 20,000, all of whom were Manchu, Han, and Mongolian bannermen.

Qian Bingdeng received the order and was about to go back to the camp to write a letter. An intelligence agency detective came to Danchu on horseback and delivered an urgent letter, saying, “Lord, this is extremely urgent.”

After saying that, he took out a greasy, sweat-stained book from his chest, carefully took out the secret letter inside, and handed it to Cen Danchu.

Danchu read the letter with a frown on his face, and said, “The scout reported that Luotuo sent 5,000 troops to aid Wuchang. They are all Eight Banners cavalry. They are moving very fast and have crossed the Fushui River and reached Xingguo Prefecture in Wuchang Prefecture.”

Xingguo is only 300 miles away from Wuchang. Even if there are rivers blocking the way, the Qing army will be able to reach Wuchang within two days.

This move of Lotto brought uncertainty to the battlefield of Wuchang. Qian Bingdeng asked, “How did Kuangshi respond? Did he send troops to pursue?”

Danchu handed the secret letter to Qian Bingdeng and said with some annoyance, “Read it yourself.”

Qian Bingdeng read the letter and first looked at the signature, which was stamped with the seal of the Kuangshi garrison and the seal of the Nanchang station of the Intelligence Bureau. Kuangshi said in the letter that the Fourth Garrison had more infantry and the cavalry could not match the Tatars’ large western horses. It was useless to chase the Tatars. It would be better to concentrate troops and horses to intensify the siege of Nanchang and take Nanchang in one fell swoop while the defense of Nanchang was empty.

The situation in Nanchang was similar to that in Wuchang. Kuang Shi called on the Jiangxi Volunteer Army, with the Second Town and Jiangxi Garrison Town as the main force, to defeat the Lotto’s detachment in a field battle with more troops against fewer. During this period, Zhu Tongjian, the Shuzong of Ning Fan, gathered the Volunteer Army and swept the prefectures and counties around Nanchang, performing particularly well.

Luo Tuo retreated to Nanchang and held out, trying to wait for reinforcements. However, Aobai in Huguang, Zakana in Nanzhili, Liu Zhiyuan in Zhejiang, and Jin Li in Fujian were all under pressure from the Ming army and were unable to reinforce Nanchang.

It is worth mentioning that Liu Zhiyuan and Jin Li, both of whom were born in Liaodong military families, surrendered to the Qing Dynasty very early and were incorporated into the Eight Banners Han Army. Liu Zhiyuan was appointed as the Dinghai General and stationed in Hangzhou. Jin Li was promoted to the first-class Ashanihafan and Tuosalahafan for his meritorious service in the battle against Zhu Chenggong and stationed in Fuzhou.

Liu Zhiyuan and Jin Li were able to take charge of the Eight Banners Han army, which marked the decline of famous generals in the Qing Dynasty. With no one in the army, they had to use the Han army to guard one side.

The Red Army marched through Huguang and Jiangxi, and volunteer divisions rose up in Fujian and Zhejiang. Liu Zhiyuan and Jin Li were too busy to send any troops.

Zakana, who was stationed in Jiangning, was born in the vassal state of Aixinjueluo, the grandson of Shuerhaci and the nephew of Jirgalang. Zakana and Luotuo in Nanchang were cousins. Under the strict order of Oboi, Zakana agreed to send 1,000 bannermen and 3,000 green camp soldiers to reinforce Nanchang.

However, due to the crisis in Wuchang, Loto, under the command of Oboi, had to send 5,000 bannermen to reinforce Wuchang.

“My Lord, what Kuang Shi said makes sense.” Qian Bingdeng pondered and said, “Aobai is defending Wuchang alone and can only get support from Aljin and Luotu. Aljin’s troops are weak, and they are restrained by the Thirteen Families of Kuidong and blocked by the Fifth Town. It is impossible for them to send troops to reinforce Wuchang.

“It is also difficult for Loto to hold on to Nanchang. He can either not send reinforcements or give up Nanchang and send his entire division to fight for Wuchang. If Oboi fights hard, he may be able to escape from Wuchang.

“Now, Luo Tuo has only sent 5,000 bannermen to respond to Oboi in vain. It is a drop in the bucket and they are just coming to throw their heads. In Nanchang, the Tartars’ troops have decreased, so Kuang Shi is more confident of breaking the city.

“Why not write a letter to Kuang Shi and ask him to speed up the attack on the city. Once Nanchang is taken, Kuang Shi can move his troops to attack Jiujiang and Hukou, cutting off the Tartars’ route back to the east. The enemy in Wuchang is completely desperate, and our army can not only capture the city, but also hope to annihilate the Tartars completely.”

Danchu was relieved and said, “That’s the only way. Let’s suffer ourselves first and let Kuangshi speed up the attack on the city.”

(End of this chapter)