Annan was under a lot of pressure.

Especially after receiving the news that the coastal navy had been completely destroyed.

Hu Jima almost vomited blood.

My originally noisy heart has become a little timid.

It is actually not Hu Jima's fault that he underestimated the Ming Dynasty. The last war between Annan and the Central Plains was in the early Yuan Dynasty a hundred years ago.

And achieved a pretty good comeback victory.

In Hu Jima's view, it would be difficult for the Central Plains dynasty to penetrate into the heart of Annan.

When the Mongolian army entered Annan for the first time, they withdrew within less than nine days.

After three consecutive wars, which consumed a huge amount of manpower and financial resources, the Ming Dynasty had no choice but to retreat in disgrace. How could the current Ming Dynasty be much stronger than the Mongolian army?

pity.

Although the Ming Dynasty's firearms were affected to a certain extent, Annan could not bear it.

In small-scale combat, the lethality of muskets is simply at a dominant level.

We haven't even touched the people yet, but we've already been defeated.

Now Annan can be said to have been surrounded by the Ming Dynasty, and Champa has also begun to attack Haiyunling.

Perhaps the slightly better news is that the Ming Dynasty did not provide any help when the Champa army attacked, otherwise Haiyun Ridge would probably have been lost by now.

Right now, there is only Duobang City.

Hu Jima spent the whole night alone in his room thinking about how to break through the situation.

In the end, it was sadly discovered that under the powerful encirclement and suppression of the Ming Dynasty, the only way was to defend Duobang City to the death.

"Order the entire army to defend Duobang City to the death!"

The next morning, when the door opened, Hu Jima gave the order in a hoarse voice.

Of the 100,000 imperial guards in the capital of Annan, only 10,000 were retained, and the rest were all sent to Duobang City.

And the more than 400,000 troops in the wild also entered Duobang City.

Among them, the city of Dobang itself has 40,000 troops stationed.

Calculated in this way, there are nearly 600,000 troops.

Not only that, Hu Jima mobilized the people of Annan in the name of the King of Annan and gathered towards Duobang City.

He wanted to block all the military forces of Annan, and all of them were stationed under the city of Dobang.

It has to be said that Hu Jima still has some strategic vision.

He knew very well that once Dobang City was forced, then Annan would have no place to resist.

For the Ming army, there were too many options to choose from.

Whether going north to the western capital of Thanh Hoa, south to the eastern capital of Thang Long, or cleaning up the surrounding areas, they will not be hindered by Annan.

The battle of Dobang City naturally became the most important battle in Annan this time.

…

Annan capital dungeon.

Liu Sheng said with some self-mockery: "Although Hu Jima rebelled, he probably thought there was no hope of victory."

"After such a long time, our Ming army is about to come to conquer us. In a month or two at the fastest, we will be able to capture the capital of Annan."

Liu Sheng was not talking nonsense.

Although they were in the dungeon, jailers still came to deliver meals to them every day.

At the beginning, these jailers were extremely arrogant and did not take Liu Sheng and the other two seriously at all.

As time goes by, especially in recent times, I have become more polite.

Li Xiucai said: "If it weren't for the Ming army coming here, these jailers would still be so good-tempered. They are almost trying to curry favor with us."

"That's right. How can a small country like Annan resist the army of the Ming Dynasty? I estimate that the northern part of Annan will soon be ruled by the army of the Ming Dynasty."

"As long as we open the gate of Dobang City, what else can Annan use to resist?"

"These jailers are not fools. They are afraid that we will settle accounts with them later."

Li Xiucai felt much better.

The recent meals have included meat, which is a rare thing. Even if there is no news, they can still infer something from it.

Liu Sheng looked at Li Xiucai who was very proud and joked: "I don't know who this guy is, but he was howling like a ghost a few days ago, saying that he would be on the road soon."

"I don't feel scared of a man this old."

Li Xiucai's face flushed a little, and he retorted: "I have been eating porridge for so long, and suddenly I am given a good meal. I don't think it is the last meal of my life."

"Those guys are also insidious. They don't say much. Who knows what they mean."

Liu Sheng chuckled.

There were only three of them in this dungeon, and it was very boring.

He also admired Mr. Zhao, who was usually silent except for making a few analyses, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Therefore, he could only tease Li Xiucai to pass the time.

The jailer only delivered meals once a day.

It is impossible to eat enough, I can only say that I am hanging on to my life.

Zhao Yuanhong suddenly said, "The jailer who delivered the meal just now can't wait any longer."

"Next time you come, Li Xiucai, go and sound out the situation. Maybe you can learn something about the outside world."

Li Xiucai immediately frowned: "Why is it me? Wouldn't it be better if anyone of you could say it?"

After he finished speaking, Liu Sheng laughed and said, "Although you are in a temporary position, at best you are just a teacher, but it sounds better."

"I don't know why I arrested you."

"No matter what we are discussing, if it's not you who is going to speak, then how can I and Mr. Zhao speak?"

Li Xiucai was immediately discouraged.

As the saying goes, a higher-ranking official can crush people to death.

With his status, he can only be regarded as a younger brother in front of Liu Sheng and Zhao Yuanhong.

He was speechless at the moment.

The next day.

A faint light came from the dungeon entrance.

It's obviously time for dinner again.

The people who deliver meals take turns, but over the past few months, there are basically only a few of them, so we are quite familiar with them.

After the person arrived, Li Xiucai could only ask.

"Hey, little brother, the food allowance here has been greatly improved recently. Is it almost time for the Ming army to get it?"

Hearing this, the jailer's hands trembled slightly.

He hesitated for a moment, but didn't say a word.

Li Xiucai didn't care and said to himself: "If the Ming Dynasty seizes the capital, all of us will be released. Little brother, you should think carefully."

"If there is any accident, why not tell us? Anyway, we are in this dungeon and there is no way to get out without anyone to save us."

"Tell us how much human affection there is."

There was a slight gleam in the jailer's eyes.

Especially when looking at the meat in the bowl, he subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

The food these prisoners eat is better and richer than that of the jailers.

Obviously the higher-ups have their own ideas.

"The Ming army has already reached Duobang City. All the masters in the capital have left, and the Prime Minister has also left."

After saying this, the jailer didn't dare to talk any more and left.

He had already reached his limit by saying this.

The three of them were relieved.

…

Under the city of Dobang.

More than 300,000 troops of the Ming Dynasty have already gathered.

However, due to the long journey, the physical strength of the Ming army soldiers had basically not recovered, and they could only rest for one day before starting to fight again.

"I have never been to this place. Compared with the previous checkpoints, this one is pretty good."

"It can't be destroyed easily with a few dozen artillery shells."

After taking a closer look, Chen Heng said to Ye Sheng next to him.

Ye Sheng's gaze was on the city wall of Duobang City.

After looking for a while, he said, "It looks like we'll have a tough battle tomorrow."

Although they said so, their tone was not overly serious.

Even though Dobang City is the northern gateway of Annan, it is a military stronghold.

The defensive fortifications on the city walls were in place, with giant crossbows and cannons placed on them. In the eyes of Yu Yesheng and Chen Heng, these were not big problems.

Having fought in wars all his life, he might not be so good at cavalry expeditions, but he has a lot of experience in siege warfare. With the current military strength, it won't be a big problem to win the battle.

Same old thing.

The next day began with artillery bombardment.

The power of today's artillery is still very considerable. Every shot that hits the city wall can create a very obvious hole.

Ye Sheng was not in a hurry either. He ordered the logistics troops to use all the artillery and ammunition, and he didn't care even if they were over.

The city walls were riddled with rubble and the scene was spectacular. The walls were riddled with pits from the Ming army's artillery fire.

After firing a few rounds, they began to clean the debris inside the cannon and continued after a half-hour break.

The stock of artillery gunpowder is still relatively sufficient.

The fight lasted from day till night.

It is generally rare for the army to fight at night, but Ye Sheng waited until late at night and then began another bombardment.

Nothing else is needed, just to make these soldiers sleep uneasy.

For three or four days in a row, the whole city of Duobang was in turmoil.

Hu Jima's eyes had turned into two huge dark circles.

"Prime Minister Hu, why don't you go and take a rest first? These Ming troops are so abominable. They keep dragging us down like this."

"I don't know when the real attack will begin."

Behind the city wall, a military officer said to Hu Jima.

Hu Jima hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly.

Over the past three days, the Ming army had been firing artillery fire from time to time, and the loud noise made it impossible for the soldiers of Duobang City to rest.

This kind of confrontation is already very tense, and being in this state for a long time can easily lead to neurasthenia.

Hu Jima did not expect that the Ming army would be so despicable.

Because in the distance, the Ming army had already set up siege ladders and could launch a siege at any time.

The siege ladder is not the very long ladder shown in later movies and TV shows. That is just misleading.

In fact, the siege ladder is a large box like a chariot at the bottom, with eight wheels underneath, and the ladder is more than ten meters high.

At the front of the ladder, there is a large iron hook.

A siege tool like a ladder usually comes with some accessories and is then assembled to a height that is about the same as the city wall.

When a siege is needed, a dozen soldiers push the cart quickly below, and there are sword and shield soldiers around to provide cover.

When they reached the city wall, the iron hooks hooked onto the wall, and with the stability below, it was impossible for a few people to overturn the ladder.

And now there are more than 30 siege ladders in the Ming army's lineup.

From the start to the beginning, it only takes a stick of incense to hook the ladder onto the opponent's city wall.

What follows is a hand-to-hand fight to capture the city.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty kept bombarding the city walls was to create an illusion and false impression for the soldiers on the opposite wall.

Then they took advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness and attacked the city by force.

It was a dark and windy night.

Artillery bombardment was heard again outside the city.

The Annan soldiers on the city wall hid behind the corners to avoid being splashed by the rubble.

"It's almost done, let's go for it."

Ye Sheng waved his hand, and the soldiers next to him immediately took out their whistles and blew them.

After hearing this sound in the distance, several whistles were heard.

At this time, the artillery was carrying out the final round of bombardment.

The sound of the explosion drowned out the whistles, making it difficult for the Annan soldiers on the city wall to hear clearly.

Pushed by the soldiers, more than thirty ladders quickly rushed towards the city wall.

When the ladder started moving, more than 80,000 vanguard soldiers followed closely behind.

Under the cover of darkness, Annan had difficulty seeing clearly.

Soldiers these days generally suffer from night blindness.

The burning torches on the top of the city wall became a guide in the darkness.

"Enemy attack!!!"

It is difficult to remain completely undetected, after all, a siege weapon like a ladder is a large target.

When they were halfway there, they were discovered by Annan soldiers.

"put!!!"

With a loud shout, a new round of artillery fire was fired.

Bombard the city wall again.

In fact, using artillery at this time can easily cause casualties to one's own people. Only experienced and well-coordinated soldiers would dare to use it in this way.

The purpose was to provide the final cover for the siege ladders.

The battle for the city walls has always been the most brutal.

If it was in a big city in the Ming Dynasty territory, Ye Sheng would never dare to do this.

The defenders have a very strong advantage.

Bows and crossbows, boulders, cannons, and gold juice can easily cause huge casualties.

Human life is the least valuable at this time.

The first wave of casualties occurred among the Ming army.

A large number of Ming army soldiers lost their lives before they even approached the city wall.

Ye Sheng and Chen Heng sat on their horses, looking seriously at the unclear view of the city wall.

A kind man cannot command an army.

Any siege battle like this will inevitably be accompanied by heavy casualties.

Due to the special geographical location of Dobang City, the purpose of besieging the city cannot be achieved. Now it all depends on the courage and personal strength of the soldiers on both sides.

A large number of Ming troops fell from the ladders. The Annan soldiers only needed to hide on the city walls and stab down with their spears to stab down those who climbed up the ladders.

It doesn't necessarily mean being stabbed to death, as long as it falls, it's basically gone.

In this case, it is piled up.

The densely packed Ming army soldiers forced a landing operation in this way. As long as they were the first to get there, a melee would occur on the top of the city wall, and then more soldiers could enter the city wall through ladders.

The individual fighting strength and overall quality of the Ming army soldiers, including their armor, were far superior to those of Annan.

After a stalemate of nearly half an hour, the Ming army had gradually advanced to the top of the city.

However, at this moment, the city gate below suddenly opened and a long, distant sound was heard.

A huge black shadow began to emerge from the city gate, accompanied by strong ground shaking.