In the battle south of the city, Li Yu and his court officials almost lost control of the situation. The only thing they could do was to refuse to surrender and fight a decisive battle with the Zhou army.
As for the specific deployment of the war, it was very chaotic due to the various disadvantages of being surrounded in an isolated city, low morale and panic. The defense of the water fort guarding the river was very messy and sloppy, and was easily burned by the Zhou army at the beginning. Then the imperial army, which was originally an elite, collapsed at the first touch and could not rescue each other.
The Southern Tang army of more than 100,000 people was defeated in one day. Only then did Jiangning City become a lonely city. The land outside the city wall was completely lost and controlled by the enemy.
The next day, when Li Yu climbed the gate tower of the imperial city, he could already hear the sound of stones from catapults hitting the city wall, as well as shouts from far away. The Zhou army in the south of the city began to attack the city first, and I am afraid that the enemy troops in other directions will also begin to besiege this city, the foundation of the decades-old foundation established by the ancestors of the Li family.
Even though Li Yu had never fought a war, he knew that Jiangning City could not be defended for too long and could be breached at any time. As the ancients said, a country lies in virtue, not in danger; no matter how strong the fortifications are, how can they be defended if the people's morale is not there
He suddenly felt less stressed, a very strange feeling. In the past, when the Zhou army was approaching, he was always worried; but now he felt relieved, because the end was in front of him and he was completely helpless.
Li Yu returned to the court hall and thought for a long time, then asked people to prepare firewood and kerosene and bring them to the hall. He wanted to set himself on fire after the city was broken, and put an end to it all.
This move alarmed his biological mother, Empress Dowager Zhong, who led the palace ladies to the main hall and cried bitterly, urging Li Yu to save his life. Li Yu said: "The country has been destroyed by my hands, and I am ashamed of my countrymen. This is the only way out."
Empress Dowager Zhong burst into tears and choked up, saying: My son is a kind and benevolent person, and he has done nothing wrong. The mistake is that I shouldn't let you be the emperor. You are not fit to be the emperor.
After all, Li Yu was born to Empress Dowager Zhong, who knew his character, so she told him about the painful situation during the fire and the tragic situation after death. As expected, Li Yu looked frightened.
But he still didn't give up the idea of self-immolation. At this moment, Li Yu's eyes were inadvertently attracted by the little girl behind Queen Mother Zhong. She was Zhou Jiamin, the younger sister of Queen Mother Zhou Ehuang. The girl was only nine years old, but she was beautiful and charming, more delicate and beautiful than Ehuang; Ehuang had been a queen after all, and her temperament and face were more dignified, but this second sister was born charming, and had her own style at a young age.
Li Yu couldn't help thinking: That damned blacksmith Guo, he caught Zhou Ermei, how could he let her go
"There is no need to persuade me, mother. Please leave Jiamin in this palace to accompany me." Li Yu said.
Although the girl was less than ten years old, she was smart and understood the meaning immediately. She turned around and tried to run away, but was immediately grabbed by an eunuch. Li Yu sighed and said kindly: I am doing this for your own good.
People from the palace went to the military camp to get kerosene for defending the city. When General Wei Yan learned about it, he asked what it was for. The eunuch replied that the matters ordered by His Majesty should be moved to the main hall.
After hearing this, Wang Yan, along with his general Ma Chengxin and others, knelt down in the direction of the imperial city, overwhelmed with grief. Wang Yan was overwhelmed with shame: We are the recipients of the emperor's grace and salaries, but now we cannot protect the emperor and sit back and watch the country fall. We have lost all our face and have no face to live.
After hearing this, the soldiers around him lowered their heads in sadness.
Yan Yan looked up at the ramp leading to the city. Some law enforcement officers were holding weapons and shouting and forcing soldiers to go up the city. The defending soldiers were in chaos and had no will to fight. He knew in his heart that the city could not be defended. Soldiers could not fight by threats or coercion.
Bang, bang, another stone flew from the sky and kept hitting the city wall. Wang Yan was in the military camp below the city, and at this moment he felt it even more strongly. Bricks and stones on the parapet flew everywhere, and the whole city seemed to be shaken.
The generals stood up and raised their heads, saying, "Since ancient times, there has been no country that has not perished. Surrender is only a waste of humiliation. Your Majesty is also going to die for the country. Who is willing to fight to the death with me for the country?"
Ma Chengxin and other generals agreed and were willing to fight to the death with Wang Yan.
Wang Yan said again: The city can no longer be defended, let's deploy our own troops in the city, wait for the enemy to enter the city, and then fight them in the streets.
Within a few days, the various divisions of the Zhou army and the Wu Yue army surrounded the city from three sides. The southern city wall was the first to be climbed by the Zhou army. Soon, the southern city gate was opened from the inside, and the infantry and cavalry of the Zhou army waiting outside swarmed in, and the army poured into the city like a flood.
Wang Yan led his army to set up a battle array on the street outside the main gate of the imperial city, and ordered Ma Chengxin to set up a square array on the main street to resist the Zhou army's attack, while he led his troops to ambush in the side alleys. He planned to use the square array to block the Zhou army's vanguard, and then the ambush troops would attack from the flanks and attack from both sides.
After a while, the sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer. The Zhou army's vanguard cavalry was straightforward, and they went straight in from the central avenue and headed straight for the imperial city. At the entrance of the alley, Wang Yan shouted to Ma Chengxin: "You're here, Brother Ma, get ready!"
In anticipation of the Zhou army's cavalry entering from the center first, the square formation was filled with thick spearmen, with sharp spear heads densely pointed forward. Soon, the cavalry was seen coming, a group of chaotic soldiers who were not in formation at all, rushing wildly in a mess. The streets here were paved with flat bricks and stones, and the sound of iron hooves stepping on the hard ground was even louder, making people's ears buzz.
The cavalry's attack showed no sign of stopping. Wang Yan widened his eyes and held his breath, waiting for the moment when the two armies would clash.
Ah, ah! Suddenly, a large number of javelins were thrown from the air, and people in the Southern Tang army fell down one after another. After a while, a man ran directly into the long spear, and the horse was not reined in, and fell to the ground with a neigh. The soldier quickly climbed up with the fallen horse, and chopped with the weapon in his hand, and the clanging sound of collision was endless; the ground was flat and hard, and the horses' hooves did not grip the ground. Several horses hit the long spears in succession, and the heavy man and horse directly broke through the square formation.
A horse raised its front hoof high, then dropped heavily, finally stopping its momentum. On the horse was a nine-foot-tall man, taller and stronger than everyone else. At this time, the square phalanx commander Ma Chengxin was shouting: Fight to the death. The nine-foot-tall man suddenly threw an iron spear at him. Ma Chengxin was alert and raised his shield to block it. With a loud bang, the iron spear actually pierced through the shield and pierced into the chest of Ma Chengxin, who was wearing two layers of heavy armor.
Brother Ma was killed just like that. It all happened in just a moment. Wang Yan was stunned for a moment, then he gritted his teeth, raised his sword and shouted: Kill, then ran out with the sword in both hands.
The Zhou army was as brave as crazy, not afraid of spears and fearless of death. The cavalry rushed into the square formation and trampled on the ranks of the Southern Tang army. After a while, the square formation was broken up and the soldiers scattered. Yan Yan led the crowd to rush forward and fight desperately, but was slaughtered by the cavalry from a high position. Even the knights who fell off their horses were extremely difficult to kill. The sharp weapons could not penetrate the plate armor without strong force, and it was even more difficult to break the armor by chopping. Yan Yan saw two soldiers holding down a knight who fell down and hitting his head with stones.
The troops of Wang Yan suffered heavy losses and retreated while fighting. They retreated back to the alley. The place was narrow and it was difficult for the cavalry to advance. The two scattered riders who came in desperately were also besieged and pulled off their horses. The nine-foot-tall man got off his horse and told his men to dismount and gather together.
At this moment, Wang Yan heard a burst of killing noises from behind, and when he turned around, he saw a group of elite Zhou army infantrymen coming from the other side of the alley. The leader was a fierce man brandishing a big axe, chopping the Southern Tang army to pieces.
Someone shouted: Surrender and you can save your life
Yan Yan shouted: "To die for the country, today is the day for you to die."
He then raised his sword and turned to fight the one holding the axe, but there were too many people and he couldn't squeeze through. The Zhou army cavalry on the street also rushed over. These people didn't fight in formation at all, they just rushed up and fought.
The soldier behind Kuang Kuang Yan was suddenly knocked over, and Kuang Kuang Yan fell to the ground without paying attention. He turned over and tried to get up, but saw a ferocious man stabbing down from above with a spear. He reached out to grab the spear, but it was too late. The force of his grip could not stop the momentum of the stab. Kuang Kuang Yan felt a chill on his chest. He widened his eyes, feeling the strength being drained from his body. The coldness came over him, and he still watched the people around him stabbing each other desperately.