Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 428 Quick Wisdom

As the saying goes, sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of wood. Since the strategy of slowly advancing to the capital and wearing out Dorgon had already been decided, Meng Jun was not in a hurry to force a siege on Cangzhou City.

Zhao Yongping's method of attacking Jining was very effective, and Meng Jun had no reason to forcefully attack the city. Therefore, Meng Jun did not choose a head-on attack. Instead, he drew on Zhao Yongping's successful experience in Jining and adopted a more covert and effective method, which was to dig tunnels and bury gunpowder.

Meng Jun had read a short piece of information before, but he could not remember the details. However, there was one detail that he remembered clearly. During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the technology of burying explosives was very advanced. It could carry out upper and lower layer blasting. In the corridor, the upper layer of gunpowder would blow up the city wall but would not damage the passage below. When the Qing army defenders hurried over to block the gap, the second layer of gunpowder would be detonated, making the Qing army defenseless.

In the Zhou army camp, Meng Jun discussed the feasibility of upper and lower level blasting with a group of craftsmen who were doing earthwork during the last battle of Jining.

But all the craftsmen shook their heads. It was extremely difficult. It was almost impossible to not damage the lower passage when the upper level exploded.

Seeing that the craftsmen said that it was not feasible, Meng Jun had no choice but to give up. He ordered them to continue working according to the successful experience from last time and not to mess around.

The commander of the Eight Banners in Cangzhou City was Adari, a subordinate of Dorgon. He looked at the motionless stronghold outside the city with some confusion.

Adari felt that he had killed the messenger, and this was a slap in Meng Jun's face. Why was Meng Jun like a turtle, not moving at all? In this way, how could he complete the task of the regent? If Meng Jun did not attack the city, how could the regent surprise attack Meng Jun!

Adali thought hard and came up with another idea. He captured a young officer who could read from the city garrison and said to him, "Go to the Zhou camp outside the city and tell them that the general who killed the envoy in the city was killed by the soldiers. Everyone is ready to surrender to King Zhou. Ask King Zhou to send a general or envoy into the city to take charge of the situation! Just say that it is best to send a general because a general can stabilize the situation."

Seeing that the young officer looked reluctant, Adari said that as long as he did the job well, he would be promoted and rewarded when he returned. If he failed, his life would be in danger and his whole family would suffer.

In order to increase credibility, Adari opened the city gates and took down the Qing flag on the top of the city wall.

The young officer's face turned bitter when he heard that. Under Adari's coercion, he could only go towards Zhou camp tremblingly. But after walking for a while, the young officer seemed to remember something and his expression suddenly improved.

It was not until the soldiers patrolling outside Zhou’s camp discovered him, stopped him, searched him and questioned him that they reported the intelligence.

When Qian Biao, who was in charge of the security of the camp, heard this, he was almost overjoyed and immediately ordered someone to bring the Qing envoy over.

When the young officer saw Qian Biao's ferocious appearance, his legs went weak and he quickly knelt on the ground, begging, "General, I am just a small soldier in the city. I was forced here by the Manchu soldiers in the city!"

Qian Biao stopped raising his fist and asked in confusion, "How do you know it's a Manchu soldier?"

"I'm a Cangzhou garrison soldier. How could I not know about so many extra people? The most important thing is that some of them don't speak Chinese. Our superiors don't allow us to have conflicts with them. They just say that we have to give in to them in everything. So I guess they are Eight Banners soldiers." The young officer said honestly.

Qian Biao stroked his stubbled chin with his hand, thinking, and said, "Hmm, hmm, hmm?"

Qian Biao suddenly felt something was wrong. How could the city send someone to leak information? He immediately grabbed the man and said harshly, "No, how could the city guard be so stupid to send you out and leak information so easily!"

The officer shook his head like a rattle and said, "I'm not talking nonsense. The Eight Banners general didn't know me at all. He sent me out because he heard from his superiors that I could read. He threatened me with my family, but I'm so poor now that I don't have the money to marry a wife. I don't have any family in Cangzhou! So for the sake of my life and my family's incense, I will naturally say whatever the general asks."

Qian Biao was stunned. This seemed to be logical. He scratched his head and asked, "What's your name? What do they want to do by sending you out?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Hu immediately responded, "My name is Qian Hu, and I am a squad leader. The Eight Banners general asked me to come out and said that the garrison commander was killed by soldiers, and the city is now planning to surrender to King Zhou. The reason I was asked to leave the city is to ask King Zhou to send someone into the city to take charge of the situation. Oh, that person also said it would be best to send a general in."

"You are uneducated. What King Zhou? No, your last name is Qian too, right?"

Just as Qian Biao was speaking, the defenders on the wall discovered that the gate of Cangzhou had been opened, the Qing army flags on the city wall had been taken down, and a small group of cavalry hurried to Zhou's camp.

After a while, this team of cavalry had approached the Zhou army camp. They were waving white flags and had no weapons in their hands. Only the leader was holding a package.

Qian Biao climbed up the wall and looked down. The cavalryman dismounted and placed the package under the wall. He shouted to Qian Biao, "General, this package contains the head of the city's garrison commander. This man tried to resist the heavenly soldiers. The righteous soldiers in the city have already killed him. Please present the thief's head to His Majesty King Zhou!"

The cavalry then rode away. Qian Biao ordered his men to bring in the head and asked Qian Hu, "Is this man the commander of Cangzhou?"

Qian Hu took a look, shook his head with some disgust and said: "I don't know the general, so I don't know if it is true."

With so many things happening at the same time, Qian Biao's brain was obviously not enough. He shook his head, pulled Qian Hu up, and headed towards the central military tent.

Qian Biao and Qian Hu came to the outside of the central army tent. The security here was tight, and the soldiers patrolling along the way crossed each other, with almost no gaps.

Outside the big tent, dozens of King Zhou's personal guards surrounded it, hands on swords, eyes alert. This was the core of the entire army and even the world today, so no matter how rigorous it was, it would not be excessive.

As soon as they arrived outside the tent, Yu An took people to search Qian Biao and Qian Hu.

Qian Biao curled his lips and said, "Yu An, I'll search once. I'll come ten times a day and tire you out."

Yu An laughed and said, "We have to search even if we come a hundred times."

As for Qian Hu, who came from the enemy camp, he was searched even more thoroughly, as if to search his entire body.

Without mentioning these trivial matters, Qian Biao entered the main account and saw Meng Jun. He told Meng Jun all these things clearly.

Meng Jun lowered his eyes to look at Qian Hu who was still kneeling on the ground, and said, "I know!"

Qian Biao was stunned and asked, "My king, what should we do? You are not going to send anyone into the city, are you? If you do, I won't go!"

Meng Jun smiled lightly and asked, "Should we send Bai Yongfu in?"

Qian Biao immediately shook his head and said, "Although Bai Yongfu is a bit annoying, this looks like a suicide mission, so let's not do it."

"Hahahaha," Meng Jun laughed twice and signaled Qian Biao to take the person out.

Seeing Qian Biao's anxious look, Meng Jun turned around and sat behind the desk, explaining to Qian Biao: "The generals in the city still have some quick wits, but the loophole lies with Qian Hu. As for the solution, Qian Biao, send someone to say that I have ordered that if anyone in the city wants to surrender, they should lay down their weapons and leave the city, and I will not kill anyone."

(A big guy actually gave me a big sword as a reward. I won’t say more. Godfather, please help me…O(n_n)O