November 27, the 27th year of Chongzhen.
In the military camp outside Fengyang City, Deputy General Yi Bangcai reported to Liu Zhaoji: "Your Excellency, there is still no movement in the city. I think they will not surrender, so we should attack them by force."
"No," Liu Zhaoji shook his head. "Most of the artillery is with His Royal Highness Prince Ding. Without the help of artillery, forcibly attacking the city will only increase our casualties."
Yi Bangcai advised: "If we continue to delay it, I'm afraid..."
"No hurry," Liu Zhaoji asked with his eyes closed, "How many days has the siege lasted?"
Yi Bangcai replied: "Half a month."
Liu Zhaoji opened his eyes and said, "From the perspective of time, it is almost time. Send out orders to open a gap in the south of the city. Change the previous encirclement of four sides to encircling three sides and leaving one side open."
"Yes." The messenger quickly ran out to convey the military order.
Deputy General Yi Bangcai stepped forward and asked, "Why are you only surrounding three gates and one now?"
Liu Zhaoji smiled and said, "Only those who have experienced despair will cherish the opportunities that suddenly appear."
......
In Fengyang City.
Ma Shiying is thinking about how to cook the bark to make it taste better.
Ma Shiying was about to face a food shortage.
Because the retreat was too hasty, he did not have time to stockpile food and fodder in Fengyang in advance.
After retreating to Fengyang, the army's limited food reserves were quickly exhausted.
The people in the city didn't have much food left, and after some was collected, there was little left.
In order to fill his stomach, Ma Shiying began to think about boiling tree bark to eat.
After cooking for a long time, Ma Shiying gave up the idea.
It's so disgusting.
If the soldiers were allowed to eat tree bark, he believed that Zhu Guobi would not have to attack the city.
The soldiers below would tie him up and send him to Liu Zhaoji.
"Someone come here," Ma Shiying shouted outside, "throw away this pot and the bark together."
Just as he finished speaking, a personal soldier ran in from outside and shouted, "Sir, there is a situation outside the city."
Ma Shiying's mouth trembled: "What...situation?"
"The bandit troops in the east, west and north of the city are not moving, while the bandit troops in the south are retreating, as if to leave a way for us to escape."
Ma Shiying didn't believe it, and immediately took people to climb up the city wall to check.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be true.
Ma Shiying knew clearly that this was a conspiracy of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open.
But he had no choice but to go ahead with it.
In order to escape successfully, he planned to flee at night.
Late that night, Ma Shiying and a group of trusted men rode out of the city quietly on war horses.
After finding the right direction, he started running.
They were soon discovered by Liu Zhaoji.
Ma Shiying ran in front and Liu Zhaoji chased behind.
If it were daytime, Ma Shiying would have no chance of escaping.
But with the help of darkness, Ma Shiying actually managed to shake off Liu Zhaoji's pursuers.
The next day dawned.
In order to avoid running his horse to death, Ma Shiying had to stop and rest.
Shortly after stopping, the sound of hurried horse hooves was heard from behind.
Ma Shiying grabbed the warhorse and planned to continue his escape.
But the warhorse just wouldn't move.
He waved the whip hard, but the horse didn't move.
During the stalemate, the sound of horse hooves came from far away.
After seeing the enemy's flag clearly, Ma Shiying weakly threw down the reins and whip, sat on the ground and sighed.
Those people were Liu Zhaoji's cavalry.
They each rode three horses and surrounded us with red eyes.
As soon as Ma Shiying left the city, the soldiers in the city came out to surrender to Liu Zhaoji and told him that Ma Shiying had escaped.
Liu Zhaoji was furious and ordered all the cavalry to leave the camp and pursue.
With the help of human wave tactics, they finally found Ma Shiying.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the soldiers around Ma Shiying dropped their weapons and surrendered.
Ma Shiying was captured and brought back to Fengyang.
Seeing Liu Zhaoji's ferocious appearance, Ma Shiying said stubbornly: "Kill him if you want. I have nothing to say."
"Haha," Liu Zhaoji snorted coldly, "Sometimes it's not up to you to say it or not."
Ma Shiying panicked immediately, his voice trembling: "What...what are you going to do?"
Liu Zhaoji patted Ma Shiying on the shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid. I'm just escorting you to the capital. You'll understand once you get there."
Ma Shiying pleaded in fear: "You... you'd better kill me. I can't go to the capital."
Liu Zhaoji was too lazy to talk nonsense with him and arranged for people to escort Ma Shiying to the capital.
As Ma Shiying was arrested.
Some of the Western Route Army soldiers died and some surrendered.
It can be said that the entire army was wiped out.
After a brief rest for half a day, Liu Zhaoji led his troops south to prepare for the attack on Nanjing.
On the first day of December, Liu Zhaoji met with Zhu Cijiong.
The army began to cross the river.
The first batch of troops had just boarded the ship and left the shore when suddenly loud drum sounds were heard on the river upstream.
Soon after, countless ships came from upstream and docked on the south bank of the Yangtze River.
The soldiers on the ship rushed to the shore and formed a battle formation without waiting for the ship to stop.
Zhu Cijiong was shocked by the scene before him.
Before he could ask, a patrol boat returned to the shore and reported: "Your Highness, the troops just now were Qin Yiming and Ma Wannian from Sichuan. They said they were ordered by Your Majesty to come to Nanjing to quell the rebellion. They have already landed and formed a battle array, ready to attack the city."
Zhu Cijiong asked: "Where are Zhu Guobi's troops?"
"It will collapse at the first blow and is retreating towards Nanjing."
Zhu Cijiong no longer hesitated, drew his sword and pointed it at the sky: "Order all units, attack with all your strength!"
boom!
The signal gun sounded and the soldiers on the north bank of the Yangtze River began to cross the river.
Countless fishing boats and merchant ships poured into the river and rushed towards the south bank.
At this time, Zhu Guobi had retreated outside the city.
He knew he had no chance of winning and was only doing this to buy time.
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