Zhang Guoliang, who was preparing to defend Suzhou City, did not intend to waste too much troops outside the city at the beginning, but for the purpose of delaying the Taiping Army's offensive, he still divided his troops to guard the Huqiu, Shantang and other dangerous places outside the Suzhou City, thinking that the city's outer wall was barrier. But what Zhang Guoliang did not expect was that the Taiping Army soldiers would send troops to attack the camps outside the Qing army on the same day after the arrival of the fierce artillery fire and the brave charge of the Taiping Army, the Qing army outside the city only resisted for an hour and was defeated. He sent only less than a thousand people from outside the city to return, and also used several mountain-splitting cannons and a large number of firearms and gunpowder, which made Zhang Guoliang feel a little regretful. If he had known, he would not have set up camps outside the city to defend. It would be better to collect troops early?

Although Zhang Guoliang regretted it, he also saw that Changmao was determined to win Suzhou this time. While the Taiping Army had not completed the encirclement, he sent messengers several times to send alarms and request reinforcements to Shanghai, Hangzhou and other places.

The Taiping Army was very quick to take down the important land outside the city, and quickly divided troops to surround the six gates of Suzhou and large and small water and land passages, focusing on attacking the Changmen to the west, Xumen and Qimen to the north. Zhang Guoliang, Xu Naizhao and Ma Dezhao were respectively stationed in the three gates to defend, and barely fought with the Taiping Army's artillery team with several 3,000-pound cannons.

After several artillery attacks, the Taiping Army launched infantry to attack the city, but the dense bows and muskets on the city caused considerable trouble to the Taiping Army. At the same time, the deep ditch and moat outside the city also hindered the Taiping Army's attack. Zuo Zongtang returned in vain after attacking several times. Finally, Zuo Zongtang decided to send people to fill a way out on the ditch at night.

After spending three nights, the Taiping Army finally filled out several passages with sandbags and stones in the deep ditch, which facilitated the siege. As soon as the sky was dawn, Zuo Zongtang rushed to attack the west gate of Suzhou.

Although the Taiping Army had many artillery artillery, Zhang Guoliang was cunning and not only erected fishing nets, oil cloth, and straw mats on the top of the city walls, but also placed a large amount of dead grass under the city walls. When the Taiping Army rushed forward to attack the city, turbulent oil was thrown down on the top of the city, causing a huge fire to burn and burned many Taiping soldiers. Seeing that the casualties were very serious, Zuo Zongtang had to retreat a little.

Although Zuo Zongtang had many wise plans, there was no good way to attack the city at this time. The defenders always had a high advantage, and even the Hunan Army attacked the city later. There was no good way. In history, Zeng Guofan personally led 15,000 Hunan Army Naval and Land Division to attack Jiujiang, and they were defeated in several battles. There were many casualties and injuries, so they had to retreat. In 1857, famous generals such as Zeng Guofan, Zeng Guoquan, Peng Yulin, and other famous generals together with Hubei Admiral Yang Zaifu, and Li Xubin, the registered censor, led the Hunan Army Naval and Land Division to attack Jiujiang. From January 8, the battle was fought for 6 days and nights. They were all defeated by the Taiping Army. From March to June, the Qing army built a long trench from Guanpaijia to the end of Baishui Lake. It was more than 30 miles long, 3 zhang wide and 5 feet deep, with a total of 6 roads, and 9.

The river formed three sides of encirclement. In October, Xiaochikou and Hukou were successively captured by the Qing army, causing the Hunan Navy, who was surrounded in Poyang Lake as early as 1855, to break out of Poyang Lake and meet with the Yangtze River Navy. The Hunan Army's strength attack on Jiujiang was further strengthened and the situation was very critical. In the spring of 1858, the Qing army's attack on the city became more and more urgent. In the spring of 1858, the Qing army's attack on the city was getting more urgent. He dug tunnels twice and used mines to knock the east gate and the south gate walls of Jiujiang, but they were both severely damaged by the Taiping Army and retreated. On May 19, the Qing army used mines to smash the southeast wall of Jiujiang with mines for the third time. When Jiujiang was broken, Lin Qirong led the soldiers of the Taiping Army to fight bravely. More than 17,000 Taiping Army soldiers died bravely before Jiujiang fell.

It can be seen that in the era when there were no powerful weapons to attack the city, it was quite difficult to conquer a city with heavy troops and strict defense. Even if you were Zhuge Liang, you would be helpless when you defend the city with strict defense in front of you. What's more, Zhuge Liang was helpless in a small Chencang city guarded by Wei general Hao Zhao. The Chinese people have always liked to boast about the strategy of military strategy, as if all wars can be won by tricks. But they didn't know that in the face of true famous generals and absolute strength, all plans would appear pale and useless. Or Americans are pragmatic, and they have a famous saying: "If wisdom can kill an elephant, what else do you need to do to hunt rifle?"

In the following days, Zuo Zongtang thought of many ways to attack the city, water attack, fire attack, cave attack, and even sent death-death soldiers to rush the ox cart filled with gunpowder to bomb the city. However, Zhang Guoliang did not enter the city, and Zhang Guoliang could also find a way to crack the siege method that Zuo Zongtang could think of. In the end, Zuo Zongtang could only concentrate his troops and artillery to attack the Changmen, commonly known as the Great West Gate. After Zhang Guoliang discovered Zuo Zongtang's actions, he immediately adjusted his troops. Several defenders took turns to fight at Daximen and fought with the Taiping Army. The two sides began a tricky war of attrition, competing with the willpower and endurance of the soldiers on both sides.

After three consecutive days of fierce siege, the city walls and towers of the Daximen section were destroyed by the Taiping artillery fire. The Taiping Army bravely climbed the city to the top of the city, either being attacked by the new forces behind Zhang Guoliang, or being driven down by the Qing army's fire and thunder bullets. What's more, the Qing army arranged several artillery on the top of the Miluo treasure pavilion in the city, specifically attacking the city at the Daximen Gate. There were two Taiping Army offensives fiercely. The Qing army was unable to support and the fire and thunder bullets were used up. Zhang Guoliang actually ordered the cannons on the top of the Miluo treasure pavilion to fire, breaking the Taiping Army up, winning time for the concentration of troops, and finally blocking the Taiping Army back.

After a few days of bloody battle, the Taiping Army suffered more than 7,000 casualties, and Zuo Zongtang was also furious. He was in a hurry and could not tolerate him to slowly siege the Qing army in the city. Only when he broke the city in the shortest time could he withdraw his troops to support the Xidian Taiping Army in Shanghai or Hangzhou. Zuo Zongtang knew this, and the rest of the Taiping Army under his command also knew this, so the entire army fought desperately to attack the city. On the day of the fiercest attack, the Taiping Army was killed and two brigade commanders were killed, but the Taiping Army's offensive did not weaken at all.

Compared with the Taiping Army, the Qing army in the city was also miserable. Although the food and grass were sufficient in the city, gunpowder, lead, turret, fire and thunder bombs began to run out. The Qing army had to even start firing stones and iron. If they continued like this, they were afraid that they could only use copper coins as shells. In fact, there were records in the Taiping Army's war history that the Taiping Army used copper coins, even radishes and vegetables as shells. It was not that the Taiping Army was ignorant, but that the real war reached that critical moment. No one would think so much. Those soldiers who were red-eyed would only think about stuffing everything that could be bombed into the muzzle and then killing the enemy.

In addition to the lack of supplies, the Qing army suffered huge casualties, with nearly 6,000 casualties. The Qing army general Ma Dezhao was very unlucky to be killed by Taiping Army artillery in the sixth day of the siege. Qing generals at all levels also suffered heavy losses, and the wounded soldiers were everywhere on the streets. Zhang Guoliang, who was red-eyed, began to force the strong men in the city to guard the city. Although these strong men were not voluntary, as long as you stand on the top of the city, the Taiping Army below will not care whether you are voluntary or not. They will only want to kill the enemies on the top of the city. If the strong men on the top of the city dare to retreat, the Qing army will immediately serve with swords. In this way, these poor strong men of the people had to pick up weapons and fight against the Taiping Army under the city, and they didn't want to die.

In addition to recruiting men, many people in the city were also organized by the Qing army to repair the city wall of Daximen at night. Those who dared to resist would also kill the matter with one knife and use the body to fill the gap in the city wall. The entire Daximen was filled with smoke and flesh. Under the scorching sun, the entire Ximen was as terrifying as purgatory.

After recalling the fierce battles these days, Zhang Guoliang took a deep breath, but the air was filled with smoke and rotten stench, which made him almost vomit. After waving his hand to drive away the annoying mosquitoes and flies around him, he stared at the Western King flag raised in the Taiping Army formation in the distance, and said to himself: "It's still here after all."

In fact, Zhang Guoliang and Zuo Zongtang were very clear in their hearts that after several days of fierce battles, both sides were at the end of their strength. In the end, it depends on who can get their own reinforcements first. As soon as the reinforcements arrive, they will become the last straw that crushed the other side. Unfortunately, what is now appears is the reinforcements of the Taiping Army.

In addition to the appearance of the Western King's banner, Zhang Guoliang pulled up his monocular lens and saw that more than ten new cannons were pulled in the Taiping Army's artillery array by ox carts, mules and horses to the front of the formation. It seemed that Changmao not only had reinforcements, but also a large number of new artillery and firearms were transported.

After the Taiping Army artillery team installed the new artillery, they began to test the fire. The calibration of the three cannons flat-fire required test fire. The Taiping Army artillery did not care about wasting shells and gunpowder, and fired several guns one after another. The previous few guns were all because the firing angle was insufficient, and the shells landed after only a few hundred steps. Then the Taiping Army artillery increased the firing angle again. This time the shells were much closer to the city wall.

As the shells fell closer and closer, the Qing army on the city began to panic, because although the Taiping Army launched the flowering bullets this time, the power was much greater than the ones that were released a few days ago. It can be seen that the mud outside the city was blown up one by one, and it would be obvious what the result would be if these shells were hit on the top of the city.

"Leave a few people who are on guard, and the rest wait for the city to avoid cannons!" Zhang Guoliang shouted loudly. As soon as his roar fell, the first flowering bullet of the Taiping Army cannon exploded on the city tower that was very damaged in the Daximen, causing the entire city tower built in the Ming Dynasty to rise to the sky.

As the gravel bricks and wood fell down, Goshha beside Zhang Guoliang defended Zhang Guoliang desperately, squeezed away the Qing army soldiers who were in a panic and brought him down to the city.

After the Taiping Army's artillery team found the shooting angle, several cannons began to bombard the Ximen city wall. The cannons fired bullets directly hit the already damaged Ximen city wall. The Qing army hiding under the city wall felt the trembling of the city wall.

Zhang Guoliang, who was walking down the city wall with dust, looked back at the dusty wall, and gritted his teeth and shouted loudly: "Build camps in the houses of various streets, and each department uses the streets to defend their own camps, preparing to fight the long-haired thieves in the city!" (To be continued, please search for astronomy, the novel is better and faster!
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