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The two soldiers of the Datong Army who were in charge of carrying the baffle broke their arms and flew upside down in an instant, and their whole bodies were covered with sharp wooden thorns.The four people behind were also affected, all were killed and injured by the baffle and wooden thorns. A civilian man was injured and could move, but was hit by bullets just as he stood up and tried to escape.

"boom!"

The artillery of the Datong Army on the high platform fired more than forty cannons in a row, and finally hit the enemy artillery position.

A Cossack gunner was smashed in the head, and the artillery behind him was also smashed over. The shell jumped diagonally and killed two enemies.

Counting from the beginning of crossing the river, 36 soldiers of the Datong Army were killed or injured, 18 civilian husbands were killed or injured, and 49 warriors of the Sauron tribe were killed or injured. Finally, several deep pits were successfully dug on the river bank.The soldiers and civilians who followed the river jumped into the pit under the artillery fire, and widened the tunnel desperately.

Losing two more teams of six, Li Zheng stopped crossing the river and only covered the soldiers and civilians digging pits who had already crossed the river with artillery fire.

The Cossacks in the city also stopped shelling upon seeing this.Their ammunition reserves are limited, since it is difficult to bombard the Datong army in the tunnel, they should save it for the Datong army to attack the city.

At night, torches were lit in the tunnel, and soldiers and civilians took turns digging the tunnel.

In the darkness, with these firelights pointing the way, the crossing operation began again.Soldiers and peasants rowed their boats and headed towards the flames. When the Cossacks in the city noticed the movement, they could only fire shells randomly on the river. Whether they could hit or not depended on whose luck was better.

The next whole month was spent digging and shelling.

The tunnels of the Datong Army directly surrounded the Nerchinsk Castle.There are more and more soldiers and civilians crossing the river, and there are "Z" shaped tunnels in all directions outside the city.

At night, torches were lit in the tunnels everywhere, and the men in the tunnels were all digging in shifts.Bashkov wanted to attack at night, but he didn't know where to launch it, so he could only watch helplessly as the tunnel was dug closer and closer.

I'm going to die!

The Datong Army is not the Eight Banners Army in history, but it will not be stumped by a bastion.

During the Battle of Yaksa, the earthen walls built by the Qing army also surrounded the castle.The next thing I didn't know what to do, I only knew that there was no water and food, plus shelling, but I couldn't dig out a "Z"-shaped passage to dig.

What's more, the hot air balloons of the Datong Army can also play bombing!

After three months of shelling and bombing, there were only 372 Cossacks left in Bashkov's hands.Especially the bastion in the southeast, no matter how brave the Cossacks were, no one would dare to climb up there, where more than 30 people were killed by thousands of enemies.Even if he didn't die at the time, he would have died due to a wound infection. The iron sand in Ten Thousand Enemies has been soaked in golden juice!

"Guardian, two tunnels have been dug under the city wall. Don't dare to dig too wide, this place is prone to collapse."

"Very good, move the gunpowder barrel in, and blow up the city before dawn!"

Before doing so much, Li Zheng didn't think of a strong attack, but just diverted the enemy's attention and dug tunnels to bury explosives.

The city of Nerchinsk is next to the river, and a large area of ​​land was alluvial by the river.In addition to occasionally digging into groundwater and the tunnels are prone to collapse, the digging here is very fast, and even stones are rarely dug.

"kill!"

In the dark night, torches were raised everywhere outside the city, and the sound of shouting and killing resounded loudly.

The defenders in the city are used to this, because the Datong Army comes here every now and then.At the beginning they were still nervous, but they relaxed after a few more visits, leaving only a few people on guard, while the other defenders slept when they should.

There are two tunnels, one with 36 gunpowder barrels and the other with 28 powder barrels.

This kind of small city built on loose soil does not have a deep foundation like Nanjing City. Twenty or thirty gunpowder barrels are more than enough.

"Is there going to be a war tonight?" Qiao Guangyong asked while curled up in the outer tunnel.

Qiao Nian said: "We must fight, all the soldiers are being mobilized."

"It's good if we can fight tonight." Qiao Guangyong looked tired.

He was almost transferred to participate in the battle of crossing the river, but fortunately, his superiors temporarily changed the order.Because the Han people in the Heilongjiang River Basin are scarce, each of them is a treasure, so the folk husbands who participated in crossing the river are all indigenous people.Qiao Guang used these Han peasants to go there in batches at night.

The torches and shouts of killing outside the city were purely to cover the mobilization of troops.

The scene was very lively, but the torches did not move, and the soldiers and civilians who were in charge of shouting did not move.The soldiers who were really about to attack the city moved forward in the tunnel, causing the enemy to look like they were still harassing and exhausting the enemy.

Bashkov did not sleep, but stood on the city and watched.

Every time there was a change in the Datong Army, he didn't dare to sleep, who knew when it was really going to attack.

Damn it, this place is too dangerous. After this battle is won, Bashkov plans to be transferred back to the country.He is not a poor Cossack, he is a serious low-level nobleman. He has earned enough from selling furs all these years, and he can be transferred back by bribing Moscow officials.

Whoever loves will come, anyway, Bashkov doesn't want to come again in his life.

"Boom! Boom!"

There were two loud bangs in a row. Due to the error of the clock, it was agreed to detonate at the same time, but there was still a difference of several seconds.

Bashkov felt a shock under his feet, and the violent shock almost made him fall.Returning to the country, Shenlai subconsciously looked to the south. In the darkness, he couldn't see the collapse of the city wall, only the brazier on the city wall was extinguished, and the red-hot logs had already flown out of the city.

And the torches outside the city were also moving, quickly approaching the city wall.

"The walls are down, the walls are down!"

The nearby Cossacks yelled in horror, while the collapsed place on the other side of the northern city was also shouting in confusion.

Countless Datong army and indigenous warriors, some entered through the gaps in the city wall along the tunnels, and some climbed out of the trenches and carried ladders to attack the city. The east, south, and west sides were the main attack directions of the Datong army.On the contrary, it was the only west side with land access, which Li Zheng deliberately kept from attacking.

"Bang bang bang bang!"

Many of the Cossacks and indigenous servants woke up from sleep.To be precise, they hurriedly opened their eyes and stood up, because it was too noisy outside the city, and they had already woken up.Even if he didn't wake up, he was awakened by the gunpowder bombing the city.

These guys didn't understand the situation, so they could only subconsciously shoot guns and arrows at the torches outside the city.

Debuku is a warrior of the Sauron tribe. According to the division hundreds of years later, he should belong to the Ewenki tribe.His name means "wisdom and brave hunter".

His tribe was repeatedly ravaged by the Cossacks. His father died in the battle, and his elder brother was caught as a meat ticket. Because the furs handed in were not enough, his elder brother was tortured to death.This time he heard that the Datong Army was going to fight the Cossacks, so he and his clansmen took the initiative to come to help.

A month ago, they crossed the river in a feigned attack to attract firepower for the Datong army. Debuku participated in it. More than a dozen members of the tribe were killed and injured, and new hatred was added to the old hatred.

At this time, the Datong army was attacking the gap in the city wall, and Debuku led his tribe to attack the city with ladders.

The Cossacks were attracted by the two gaps, and they were defended by some native servants.Debuku resented these servants very much, because most of them came from the defeated Sauron tribe.Obviously there is a bloody feud, but he was tamed by the Cossacks, and he followed the Cossacks to help the tiger!

Another clansman was shot dead. Debuku had already scaled the city wall. He swung a knife and knocked down a servant, and then kicked another person over.

The servants defending the city were frightened repeatedly, their morale was cleared at this moment, they turned around and fled towards the quiet west city.

Debuku didn't chase, but rushed to the nearby bastion, and cooperated with the Datong army on his left to fight.

"Withdraw, quickly withdraw to the defensive battery!" Bashkov shouted.

The defensive artillery fortress in the west city is 11 meters high, and you can stick to it after retreating there.But it is also a dead place. When the Datong army occupies the whole area, the artillery can knock down the defensive fortress.

There was chaos everywhere, and Bashkov's military order could not be effectively conveyed at all.

Many Cossacks abandoned the city walls and fled to the west based on their sense of survival.With the three directions of east, south, and north, the shouts of killing were getting closer and closer. They no longer had expectations of defending the city, and slid down the slope of the west city wall to escape.

Bashkov was also among the routs, and managed to escape outside the city, but there were trenches dug by the Datong army everywhere.

Heideng blindly fell into it without paying attention, and some were unable to stand up with broken feet, and were trampled to death by friendly troops fleeing from behind.

Bashkov fled to the only land passage in the city, and counting the defeated servants, he had four to five hundred people left around him.They fled westward in a swarm. The land passage was only more than ten meters wide, and there were deep rivers on both sides.

The rout soldiers who ran at the front had only escaped halfway through the passage, when suddenly crackling gunshots came from the front.

But at some point, a Datong army had already ambushed in the reeds.

The broken soldiers in the front row were shot and fell to the ground one after another, and the broken soldiers behind couldn't see the situation clearly, they stepped on the corpses and tripped.

Bashkov also fell, and was about to get up when a servant stepped on his calf.The servant army ran away in a hurry, lost its balance and fell forward, pressing hard on Bashkov.

The Cossacks who did not fall were frightened by the gunshots. Some jumped into the river to escape, and some turned around and fled towards the city wall.

Debuku caught up and met two Datong armies, and they joined forces to charge towards the passage.

He wanted to kill the enemy several times, but was dealt with by the Datong Army, and he had nowhere to vent his vengeance.Finally, he rushed into the passage and made up the knife to the injured or fallen enemy. When he saw an enemy standing up suddenly, Debuku stepped forward and swung his knife to slash.

Bashkov, the Yenisei warlord, hadn't even stood still yet, so he was stabbed and fell down in a daze.

He still didn't die, but he couldn't stand the knife.

Debuku put his knee on Bashkov's body, felt the position of his neck, and pressed the knife down hard to wipe it.

All the enemies in the passage were eliminated. Debuku knelt among the corpses, looked up at the dark night sky, and cried out with tears: "Father, brother, I have avenged you!"

Chapter 994 [Buryat Mongols]

On the west side of Nerchinsk, more than a dozen small boats went down the river.

"Shut up!"

Suddenly a copper whistle sounded in the forest, three short and two long, followed by two long and one short.Hearing the whistle, the boats docked and stopped, and a scout came after a while.

Chen Yutai saluted the friendly troops who landed, and said: "The First Battalion of the Third Regiment of the Second Brigade of the No. 14 Division of the Datong Army, Sergeant Chen Yutai, the reconnaissance post stationed in Yaksa of the Anton Governor's Mansion, which department is the commander?"

The officer who came by boat was called Yue An. After declaring his family name, he said, "We came from the grassland. Have you finished fighting Nerchinsk?"

"I just took it two days ago, and I am resting, and I am about to attack Chita," Chen Yutai asked, "How is the battle in Mobei?"

Yue An said: "The Mongols in Mobei have suffered a series of civil strife in the past few years, and their strength is already very weak. When our Datong army killed them, the Mongols did not fight at all, and took us around around for two full months. I haven’t even touched a hair. I’m sure there are no Mongols in the east, so let me come and see if you need reinforcements here.”

In Mobei Mongolia, there is a large desert Gobi belt, and the place where people can live is divided into three parts: west, middle and east.

The eastern part is centered on Hulun Lake, and there are many grasslands, especially Hulunbuir Grassland is the most abundant.In addition, there are a large number of mountain grasslands. According to the height of the mountain, the growth season of the grass is different, and the Mongolian herdsmen conduct seasonal nomadism.

This area directly threatens Northeast China. Genghis Khan relied on this area to attack the Kingdom of Jin.Other places in Mobei can be ignored, but the Hulunbeier Grassland must be taken. If the Hulunbuir Grassland is occupied, the Northeast will be stable.

Yue'an came along the Onon River, and after passing through the mountain pass, it was only a hundred miles away from Nerchinsk.

In other words, if there is a rebellion in Hulunbeier in the future, Nerchinsk can also send troops.Follow the river for more than a hundred miles, cross the mountain pass and walk the Onen River, mostly mountainous grasslands along the way, you can reach the north of Hulun Lake.Similarly, if there is chaos in Nerchinsk, the Hulun Buir Grassland can also send troops.

Li was resting in Nerchinsk for two days, and then sent 500 troops to attack Chita.

Due to time constraints, it is already the limit to win Chita this year, because there will be no supplies after winter.

The enemy's reinforcements did not kill all the prisoners of war, the Cossacks and the servants each kept ten.While tortured, he told them that the two with the most accurate information would be spared death and would serve as the guides of the Datong Army in the future.

Under repeated torture, a few stubborn ones just wanted to die quickly, and most of them just said whatever they asked.

Since they all went to support Nerchinsk, there were only 20 Cossacks and 30 indigenous servants left in Chita, and the rest were all women and children.

More than 400 miles of waterways will be reached in less than ten days.

Chita is obviously easier to fight than Nerchinsk. There is only a single castle, and there is no mother-child castle design.The city wall is shorter and thinner, but the area is also larger, and the Cossacks set it as a stronghold earlier.

When Li Zheng arrived here, he couldn't laugh or cry because Chita had already been besieged.

"Da da da da!"

Hundreds of Buryat Mongolian cavalry rushed over in a panic when they saw the fleet of the Datong Army, ready to fight at any time from a long distance away.

"Who can speak Mongolian?" Li Zheng asked.

Yue An who came from the grassland said, "Li Duhu, I will say something."

Li Zheng said, "Go and negotiate."

Yue An unarmed him, and after landing, he raised his hands to show that he had no malice.

A Mongolian nobleman rode forward and said, "I am Balahubu Taiji Harabin. Are you the legendary Datong Army?"

Buryat is a branch of Mongolian language. Although communication is a bit difficult, the basic meaning can still be understood.

Yue An said: "The hateful Rakshasa ghost invaded the territory of the Celestial Dynasty and killed the people of the Celestial Dynasty. His Majesty the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty was angry and sent troops to conquer. Nerchinsk has been captured by our army. You have also been invaded by Rakshasa ghosts. We have the same enemies as each other, so we should be friends."

Harabin was surprised: "You conquered Nerchinsk? Did the Raksha ghosts escape there?"

Yue An said: "The Rakshasa ghosts have all been killed."

"Great!" Harabin was overjoyed.

Yue An continued: "You used to be subordinates of Tuxietu tribe to Mongolia. Tuxietu tribe has long been defeated by the Celestial Dynasty. From now on, you should submit to His Majesty the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty. As long as you surrender, the Celestial Army will protect your safety."

Harabin was quite vigilant and asked, "Will the Celestial Empire invade our pastures and plunder our herdsmen like the Rakshasa ghosts?"

Yue An said with a smile: "The Celestial Dynasty will occupy several Rakshasa ghost castles and station some soldiers. This is to prevent the Rakshasa ghosts from counterattacking. If the land around the castle is suitable for cultivation, we will occupy part of it, and the rest of the pasture will remain. Belongs to the Mongols. Your Majesty has already decided to set up the Beihai Protectorate here, and the Mongolian tribes will be divided into multiple protectors. If you can’t inherit the tribe, you can take some of your clansmen to move north and reproduce in the pastures occupied by the Raksha ghosts. Your Excellency will be appointed as the protector by the Celestial Dynasty."

"Do you want to pay taxes?" Harabin asked again.

Yue An said: "There is no need to pay taxes, but we have to pay tribute horses to the Beihai Governor's Mansion every year. Don't worry, there are not many war horses that need to pay tribute, and we will bring salt, iron pots, cotton cloth and other materials. trade freely. With these items, the Mongols can live better.”

Harabin said: "This is a big deal, I need to go back and report to my father."

"Of course, you can discuss it." Yue An laughed.

Harabin rode forward to meet Li Zheng, knelt on one knee and said, "Balahubu Taiji Harabin, meet the general of the Celestial Dynasty!"

"Get up quickly!"

Li Zheng helped the Taiji up with his own hands, and praised: "What a young hero, he must be the most powerful warrior among the Buryats."

Yue An was translating by the side, and Harabin was delighted to hear it.

In fact, he is already in his 20s, and he has weathered the storms of the Northland. He looks like he is 40 or [-] years old. How can he be a young hero?

Li Zheng beckoned for a flintlock musket with two packs of ammunition: "The sword is for a hero. Seeing such a heroic Mongolian man as Your Excellency, how could he not bring a gift that fits your status? This firecracker, I will give it to you." friend!"

Harabin took the musket, couldn't put it down, and stroked it repeatedly.