nucmednet Chapter 720 The Battle of Luoyang (Part 1)
Chapter 720 The Battle of Luoyang (Part 1)
The bandits were highly mobile, raiding wherever they went, without the cumbersome procedures of raising flags and setting off, nor the pressure of logistical support; they could leave at any time. After Li Zicheng made up his mind, the rebel army set off immediately, first capturing Yiyang County near Luoyang, and three days later, they captured Yongning County and Xin'an County in one fell swoop, forming a four-sided encirclement of Luoyang.
The urgent report reached Luoyang, the capital of Henan province. Former Minister of War Lü Weiqi, Henan Governor Li Fengxian, Luoyang Prefect Kang Menghui, and Henan Commander-in-Chief Wang Shaoyu held an emergency consultation and immediately petitioned the court for swift reinforcements to Henan. However, all troops within Henan, and even in southern Beizhili, had been mobilized by Yang Sichang to defend the capital, leaving Henan with virtually no troops available. Finally, they received an imperial edict ordering Li Fengxian, Wang Yinchang, Wang Shaoyu, and others to strengthen defenses and await reinforcements.
Faced with this imperial edict, everyone felt helpless. Reinforcements were nowhere in sight, and they could only rely on themselves. So Li Fengxian and Wang Yinchang ordered the entire city to be mobilized, with everyone ready to fight.
As surrounding prefectures and counties fell one after another, and the rebel army advanced relentlessly, the fear of war spread throughout the city. The people of Luoyang were in chaos, various rumors circulated, wealthy families began seeking escape routes, and tens of thousands of refugees and wealthy households from various counties fled into Luoyang. Local armed forces from nearby areas also retreated into the city. Temples and monasteries within the city were filled with refugees, and government officials and large merchants set up soup kitchens to provide relief.
The government troops released several hundred prisoners from the jail and forced them to haul large blue stones from the Luo River beach into the city for defense. The city walls were piled high with these stones. More militia members began patrolling the streets. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the government issued a proclamation that all men and women aged fifteen to fifty in the city must participate in city defense; men were to climb the city walls, and women to cook. Anyone who disobeyed would be executed on the spot. That night, bonfires were lit throughout the city, illuminating the city brightly. The government troops patrolled incessantly, and Luoyang spent each night in unease.
On the seventh day of the fifth lunar month, the four main gates of Luoyang were closed. The Luoyang Prefectural Government summoned the village and township heads to mark their respective defensive positions on the city walls. The government troops also divided their defense zones: the East Gate was guarded by Deputy General Liu Jianyi; the West Gate by Councilor Wang Yinchang; the South Gate by Deputy General Luo Tai; and the North Gate by General Wang Shaoyu. Cannons and various types of earthen cannons were set up on the city walls, guarded by government troops and local militia who had fled into the city from various counties. The men from the villages and townships who had participated in the city's defense, along with the men among the refugees, began practicing for the defensive battle.
On the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, the government opened the county treasury, and the men began transporting war supplies such as large blue stones, bricks, logs, and water to the city. The women began setting up sheds, building stoves, grinding flour, and picking vegetables in the city's vegetable gardens. To save their own lives and those of their families, the people of the city were busy, and although they were nervous and afraid, they were all very enthusiastic.
Time passed day by day in a tense atmosphere, and the shadow of war drew ever closer.
The inevitable had finally arrived. On the tenth day of the fifth month of the tenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, over two hundred thousand rebel troops marched in a massive force outside Luoyang, surrounding the city from all sides. A great battle was imminent. The defending soldiers looked out from the city walls and saw countless people stretching as far as the eye could see, and they couldn't help but feel tense. Could they withstand such a massive attack? However, to their surprise, the army did not immediately attack the city. Instead, they erected layers of large tents outside the city, surrounding it without launching an assault.
Surrounded by Liu Zongmin, Hao Yaoqi, Gao Yigong, and others, Li Zicheng rode to Anxi Gate, north of Luoyang, to inspect the city's defenses.
Luoyang is a famous city, the capital of thirteen dynasties, and its city walls have always been fortified. In the sixth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1373), the walls were further fortified. The original city wall, which had a circumference of eight li and three hundred and forty-five steps, was rebuilt into a brick wall reinforced with large blue bricks, four zhang high. Four major city gates were built, along with gate towers. Thirty-nine anti-enemy platforms and corner towers were constructed around the city. A moat, five zhang deep and three zhang wide, was also dug outside the city, with water diverted from the Chan River. After the fortification, the city walls were strategically located, sturdy, and magnificent, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Liu Zongmin spat at the city wall and said sullenly, "These idiots have built the city like a turtle shell. It seems that it will be difficult to take it down without losing ten or twenty thousand people."
Li Zicheng gazed at the towering city walls and the wide moat, his brows furrowing into a deep frown. The refugee army's usual tactic was mobile warfare; siege warfare had never been their forte. Although they had secretly cooperated with the Qionghai Army and acquired quite a few small cannons, while these cannons were formidable in field battles, they were insufficient to breach such a fortified city. He turned and asked, "Where is Brother Liu from the Qionghai Army? Call him over."
After Liu Heizi was brought over, Li Zicheng asked bluntly, "Brother Liu, didn't you say your general was going to give me a generous gift? Now my troops are ready to go, where is the gift?"
"Don't be impatient, King Chuang. This great gift is already on its way. The journey from Qiongzhou to Henan is long, and even though the brothers are traveling day and night, it will probably take several days to reach Luoyang."
Li Zicheng waved his hand somewhat dejectedly, dismissing Liu Heizi, and then asked his men, "The Qionghai Army's siege weapons haven't arrived yet. Should we wait or take action directly?"
Liu Zongmin snorted: "If we don't have Butcher Zhang, does that mean we have to eat hairy pigs? Their stuff sounds pretty amazing, but without seeing it for ourselves, nobody knows if it's any good. In my opinion, we can't rely on them completely. We should attack the city ourselves first and wait for their stuff to arrive. If it works, it'll be icing on the cake; if it doesn't, we won't suffer any losses."
Hao Yaoqi, Gao Yigong, and others agreed: "That's right. Even without cannons, we still fought, didn't we? At worst, we just used human lives to fill the gaps."
Li Zicheng nodded: "What you say makes sense. Since we started our rebellion in northern Shaanxi, we've had nothing, yet we still defeated the government troops with sticks and knives. Now we can't rely too much on the firearms of the Qionghai Army and forget our duty." He pointed to the city tower a few miles ahead and shouted, "Order the entire army to cook, eat and drink their fill, get a good night's sleep, and begin the attack on the city at dawn tomorrow!"
As night fell, the rebel army outside the city lit bonfires, their flames shooting high and illuminating the night sky. Inside the city, however, was eerily quiet. The government troops and civilians patrolling the city walls kept on a constant watch to prevent the enemy from scaling the walls under cover of darkness.
The atmosphere inside and outside the city walls was tense and solemn, but inside the Fu Prince's Mansion, the lights were on and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air. After finishing his dinner, Fu Prince Zhu Changxun was enjoying the singing and dancing of the courtesans.
Outside the gate of the Prince's Mansion, a sedan chair hurriedly arrived and stopped at the gate. An attendant stepped forward, knocked on the door, and introduced himself: "Mr. Yu Shi requests an audience with His Highness Prince Fu."