Now, Harhan could no longer keep on nagging. As the troops were marching forward, a fierce shell hit them and smashed Harhan into a pile of rotten flesh...

Thinking of the pile of broken bones and rotten flesh mixed with internal organs and feces, Muhusa's abdomen began to churn violently again, and his Adam's apple rolled up and down involuntarily.

The gunfire from the opposite side became sparse, the cold wind blew away the smoke, the scenery gradually became clear, and Niu Lu'e's howling became more real.

The comrades in front of him crossed the trench on a hook ladder, their heavy armor making them look a little clumsy. When it was his turn, Muhusa swallowed again, and the "gulp" sound he made was so loud.

Stepping on two stacked hook ladders, Muhusa carefully held the shield in front of him and walked forward step by step.

The trench was too wide, and the sturdy hook ladders that could have been used to climb the city wall were shaky. Below—Muhusa didn't dare to look closely, as the sharp wooden stakes would make his legs weak and his heart palpitate.

The roar erupted suddenly, and the brief pause was only to allow the field of vision to clear. Using black powder has this disadvantage: the smoke produced when firing muskets and artillery is too heavy.

There were hundreds and thousands of flickering flames, so many, so many, that Muhusa could only use poor words to describe it. In the rising white smoke, he saw the enemy opposite him.

A head wearing an iron helmet protruded from the fortification, along with the neck and a bit of the shoulders. Some unknown pattern was painted on the dark and cold iron surface, a bit like a shaman's face painted with oil paint.

Bang! A powerful lead bullet struck Muhusa's shield. Even though he was prepared, the impact made him stagger and fall back. He was only one step away from reaching the trench.

The sharp pain in his arm made Muhusa scream. Another lead bullet shot out and hit the shield again. Muhusa could no longer keep his balance and fell into the trench in a spin.

With a cold, emotionless gaze, Muhusa once again saw the enemy who was shooting from behind the camera the moment he fell...

Intense pain interrupted Muhusa's thoughts. He screamed in agony, but only his hands and feet could move. Two sharp wooden stakes, as thick as spear barrels, pierced his body, and the weight of his body caused him to sink continuously.

Muhusa looked at the bloody spike that was growing longer and longer on his left abdomen with extreme fear and despair, then raised his face and let out an inhuman howl.

The sky was blue, but was that smoke or white clouds? As blood gushed out, Muhusa's voice grew fainter and fainter, his mind blurring. Another armored soldier fell from above, bringing him into eternal darkness.

Casualties continued to mount, and the closer they got to the Ming army's positions, the more powerful the firearms and artillery became. Not only were heavy muskets invincible, but light muskets could also cause damage to armored soldiers.

Nurhaci listened to the continuous reports from the scouts and wanted to order a halt to the attack several times, but he decided to persist.

The reason is very simple. The cost of casualties is not ineffective. The Ming army is constantly retreating, and there is hope of attacking the city.

Fan Wencheng was also in a state of tension and conflict, with beads of sweat oozing out of his pores and slowly flowing down his face. Every time the scouts reported back, his lips trembled violently, and his eyes flashed with anxiety and panic.

Nurhaci had a fiery temper and could sometimes lose his mind. What if he got angry at him? The consequences would be so severe that Fan Wencheng couldn't imagine it.

"Report to the Khan, our army has captured the first line of the enemy's fortifications." The scout reported again on horseback. No sooner had he finished the good news than he delivered the bad news: "Commander Damubu, Deputy Commander Zhuona, and Baisangwu were killed in action."

The Later Jin army was divided into eight banners, with Gushan Ezhen as the banner leader, who was in charge of five lieutenants (later changed to Jiala, the third rank), who were senior military officers.

The flesh on Nurhaci's face twitched twice, and he waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Probe again."

Despite his forced composure, those around him could hear a slight tremor in Nurhaci's voice. This was the first time since he rebelled against the Ming that so many generals had been killed in a single battle.

Regret, anger, helplessness and powerlessness, this is Nurhaci's current mood.

When Nurhaci turned his gaze to Tong Yangxing, Tong Yangxing immediately bowed and asked, "Khan, please send me to lead the Han soldiers to attack the city with artillery."

"Go!" A hint of admiration flashed in Nurhaci's eyes, and his tone softened slightly.

Based on the power and range of the Ming army's artillery, and the advantage of being high above, it can be said that it is a very dangerous and arduous task to bombard the front with these old artillery.

Tong Yangxing's bravery in volunteering made the old slave feel quite relieved.

After receiving the order, Tong Yangxing rode away. Soon, he led the Han soldiers and artillery towards the city of Ningyuan.

At this moment, a roar suddenly erupted from the top of Ningyuan City, and artillery and muskets fired fiercely, dealing a head-on blow to the attacking enemy.

Nurhaci frowned, but then slowly relaxed. He guessed that this was fire cover, allowing the Ming army outside the city to retreat smoothly into the city.

In fact, this was indeed the case. The Ming army abandoned their positions outside the city and did not give the Jiannu a chance to engage in close combat. They all retreated into the city.

But retreat does not mean defeat, nor does it mean danger; for the Jiannu, it is not the dawn of victory, but the beginning of a more cruel and bloody nightmare.

………………Dividing line……………………

Boom, boom, boom...

The continuous explosions were like thunder in a clear sky, and clouds of black smoke rose in the shining flames.

"Whoa!" Sahalian called out softly, reaching out to stroke the horse's head, soothing the restless warhorse.

The warhorse pawed the ground with its hooves, panted heavily, and soon settled down. But Sahalian was still restless, even more agitated than the horse.

According to Nurhaci's arrangement, Daishan led the Zhenghong and Xianghong banners, as well as thousands of Mongolian and Han vassal soldiers, to station in Fuzhou and suppress the Ming army.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!