Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 177 Water War

On March 2nd, the army arrived at Jiangning City in a mighty manner. The arrival of Meng Jun made the originally peaceful Jiangning suddenly tense and solemn. Jiangning is the most important city in the entire south of the Yangtze River. Not only is the city wall tall and solid, the moat wide and deep, but the most important thing is its symbolic significance.

The Qing government occupied the cities of Beijing and Nanjing. In the eyes of the world, the Qing Dynasty had become the power that dominated the world. Although the remnants of the Ming Dynasty still existed, its sphere of influence was constantly shrinking to a corner.

However, if Meng's army can capture Nandu in one fell swoop, the situation will inevitably change drastically. As the most important city in the Jiangnan region, Jiangning's strategic and symbolic significance is self-evident. Once it is captured by Meng's army, it will inevitably change the direction of the entire world war.

At this moment, the world is in an unpredictable situation. All forces, gentry, and powerful people are paying close attention to this battle, looking forward to the final outcome.

But Hong Chengchou had already made preparations. The Qing army strengthened the city's defenses and set up defensive fortifications such as traps, barricades, and deer horns. The houses within a hundred meters of the city wall in Jiangning had already been forcibly demolished to leave a shooting range for the long-range forces on the city walls.

Just when Meng Jun arrived at the city of Jiangning, Shen Tingyang's navy was about to approach Chizhou, and the news of Shen Tingyang's navy going up the river had been urgently transmitted to Geng Zhongming's troops. Although Geng Zhongming did not want to fight, he could not let Shen Tingyang go straight to Lekedehun's troop transport ships.

With no other options, Geng Zhongming assembled all 3,000 naval forces, more than 30 warships, and more than 100 small boats, and sailed out of Anqing Port.

The two fleets then met outside the city of Chizhou, and a battle was about to break out. Shen Tingyang's navy had large ships, large numbers, and was well-trained. Although 30% of the navy was formed by Zhao Yongping, its strength was still much stronger than Geng Zhongming's.

Shen Tingyang's warships rushed towards the enemy formation. Although Geng Zhongming's navy had not been trained for a long time, they were not incompetent. Geng Zhongming had surrendered to the Later Jin in his early years and served as a thousand-man commander. Later, he led the Liao people to flee to Pi Island and followed Mao Wenlong. He was adopted as a grandson and was promoted to lieutenant general. He was in charge of the Dongjiang navy and trade.

Until Mao Wenlong was killed, Geng Zhongming was dissatisfied with Chen Jisheng's jurisdiction and defected to Sun Yuanhua, and followed him to Dengzhou, Shandong. Geng Zhongming began to contact Kong Youde, and the two worked together until the Wuqiao mutiny and the Dengzhou rebellion. Geng and Kong fled to Huang Taiji. Geng Zhongming was considered a general in the Qing court who barely understood naval warfare.

As the two armies engaged each other, the first naval battle broke out between Geng Zhongming's troops and Shen Tingyang's troops.

On the warships, the gunners nervously loaded gunpowder and loaded the cannonballs into the gun barrels. With the order from the officer, the gun barrels suddenly emitted a huge roar, and the cannonballs, with flames and smoke, fell into the Qing army fleet like raindrops. In an instant, wood fragments flew everywhere, and the Qing army's artillery also began to show its power. However, after a round of artillery battle, the warships of both sides began to engage in close combat.

The warships of both sides collided with each other, and the sailors engaged in close combat with hooks, spears and other weapons. Rockets from both sides streaked across the sky like meteors and fell into their respective warships. From time to time, warships caught fire. The sea was filled with smoke and the sound of fighting shook the Yangtze River. Some brave people on both sides of the Yangtze River stopped to watch the battle, and exclaimed from time to time.

Shen Tingyang stared at Geng Zhongming's flagship. Following the military order, his warship pierced Geng Zhongming's flagship like a sharp arrow.

Although Geng Zhongming's navy had not been trained for a long time, they still persisted and shouted for a fierce fight. However, Shen Tingyang's navy was stronger after all. Under the protection of the frigates, Shen Tingyang's four warships successfully broke through the Qing army's defense line and approached Geng Zhongming's flagship.

Facing Shen Tingyang's fierce attack, Geng Zhongming's flagship was besieged and had no time to send out flags. The Qing army's warships began to fall into chaos. Their formation was gradually broken, and Shen Tingyang's troops took the opportunity to launch a more violent attack. As Geng Zhongming's flagship was covered with scars and fled the battle, the Qing army's ships began to leave the battlefield.

After this battle, Geng Zhongming lost more than half of his thirty warships, and more than twenty small boats escaped. Shen Tingyang captured eight large ships, forty-seven small boats, and more than six hundred Qing naval soldiers.

However, after this fierce battle, Shen Tingyang not only consumed a huge amount of gunpowder, but also damaged large and small warships, and a large number of soldiers were injured. Faced with such a situation, Shen Tingyang had to order a withdrawal of troops back to Jiangyin. On the one hand, he could properly resettle the injured soldiers, and on the other hand, he could repair the warships and replenish gunpowder and various types of ordnance.

However, after Lekedehun learned that Geng Zhongming's navy was defeated, he did not dare to go straight to Jiangning along the river. Instead, the entire army abandoned its ships and went ashore in Chizhou Prefecture. Most of the Qing soldiers who had just landed were listless. After a long march on water, not only the Eight Banners soldiers, but also many of the Green Camp soldiers could not withstand the bumps on the water.

The Lekedehun tribe rested for half a day and then marched quickly along the river bank towards Jiangning. Chizhou was still more than 400 miles away from Jiangning. At Lekedehun's speed, it would take at least ten days.

At this moment, Meng Jun was already at the foot of Jiangning City. Jiangning was renamed Nanjing by the Qing court. It was the capital of the early Ming Dynasty and later served as a secondary capital. The population of Jiangning City originally reached over one million, making it the largest and most populous city in the world at that time. Even when Jiangnan was in chaos and wars, the population of Jiangning City was nearly one million.

The walls of Jiangning city consisted of four layers of walls: the palace city, the imperial city, the inner city and the outer city. The outer city was so large that even if Hong Chengchou sent all the soldiers and civilians to the outer city walls, they were still unable to defend it.

The circumference of the inner city of Jiangning City is also 80 li, with 13 city gates and two water gates, namely Zhengyang Gate, Tongji Gate, Jubao Gate, Sanshan Gate, Shicheng Gate, Qingliang Gate, Dinghuai Gate, Yifeng Gate, Zhongfu Gate, Jinchuan Gate, Shen Ce Gate, Taiping Gate, Chaoyang Gate, East Water Gate, and West Water Gate.

Meng Jun led his troops to station at the east wall of the outer city of Jiangning. The army had already set up camp, and a number of generals and civil officials stopped to look at the magnificent Jiangning city.

From afar, Jiangning City looks like a giant beast, majestic and huge, awe-inspiring, and the city walls extend all the way as if there is no boundary.

The city wall is towering, like an insurmountable barrier, with bricks and stones interlaced and fitted tightly together. The city gate is wide and thick, tightly closed, and the doorway is deep. Under the sunlight, Jiangning City looks even more spectacular.

Xia Wanchun couldn't help but exclaimed: "It's really a great city in the world!"

"Yes, no matter how many times you come to Jiangning City, every time you see the city wall, you will be amazed at the grandeur of this city," Bai Yongfu echoed.

Lin Shiqi shook his head and said, "It's too big and hard to defend. Hong Chengchou will definitely not be able to defend the outer city. Even 100,000 people can't defend the outer city."

Meng Jun said in a deep voice: "Rest today and build siege equipment. Tomorrow we will test the outer wall."