5,277
edits
Zhu Bolin: Difference between revisions
m
no edit summary
mNo edit summary Tag: 2017 source edit |
mNo edit summary Tag: 2017 source edit |
||
| Line 72: | Line 72: | ||
Impeded from advancing to the north of the island by a chain of fortifications, the only choices were taking the fortress or retreating by sea. With the army suffering from bouts of dysentery and plague and mounting heavy casualties, Zhu Bolin, his commanders convened a late night conference that included representatives of the soldiery. It was agreed on one final assault attempt on November 22th, if it failed the siege would be abandoned. During the early morning of the 22th a sustained cannonade finally cracked a hole in one of the northern walls, upon seeing this a general assault was ordered. [[Daxia]]n assault columns charged forth with mobs of pickaxe-wielding slaves running ahead to clear the rubble. The battle for the collapsed gap in the wall saw the most ferocious melees of the siege yet; two of the defenses chief lieutenants were killed there as was the mercenary leader Răzvala who lost an arm and was speared through the neck. Zhu Bolin charged into the battle firing a specially made crossbow from atop a palanquin carried by slaves. The fighting raged for hours but eventually the gap was choked up with bodies and the [[Daxia]]ns began to pull back, with the dwarf leader being carried off after his palanquin was set on fire. The failure to take the gap mean the last effort was defeated, the Daxians burnt their siege camps along with the dead they had recovered before reembarking and sailing southwards; the siege of [[Dun-Kurrengev]] ended in a victory for [[Kiravia]]. | Impeded from advancing to the north of the island by a chain of fortifications, the only choices were taking the fortress or retreating by sea. With the army suffering from bouts of dysentery and plague and mounting heavy casualties, Zhu Bolin, his commanders convened a late night conference that included representatives of the soldiery. It was agreed on one final assault attempt on November 22th, if it failed the siege would be abandoned. During the early morning of the 22th a sustained cannonade finally cracked a hole in one of the northern walls, upon seeing this a general assault was ordered. [[Daxia]]n assault columns charged forth with mobs of pickaxe-wielding slaves running ahead to clear the rubble. The battle for the collapsed gap in the wall saw the most ferocious melees of the siege yet; two of the defenses chief lieutenants were killed there as was the mercenary leader Răzvala who lost an arm and was speared through the neck. Zhu Bolin charged into the battle firing a specially made crossbow from atop a palanquin carried by slaves. The fighting raged for hours but eventually the gap was choked up with bodies and the [[Daxia]]ns began to pull back, with the dwarf leader being carried off after his palanquin was set on fire. The failure to take the gap mean the last effort was defeated, the Daxians burnt their siege camps along with the dead they had recovered before reembarking and sailing southwards; the siege of [[Dun-Kurrengev]] ended in a victory for [[Kiravia]]. | ||
===Fall from grace=== | ===Fall from grace=== | ||
The defeat at Dun-Kurrengev proved to be a severe blow to the reputation and career of Zhu. Shortly after the return of his fleet to port he was summoned to appear at court and explain the failures. He was ambushed by hid old enemies among the ministers who attacked him and swayed others against him; they lambasted him as an arrogant and overly ambitious buffoon. Zhu Bolin was stripped of his position as admiral and incomes and ordered to report to the [[Imperial Lemon Grove]] to work there as a lowly gardener. This was a catastrophic fall from grace for someone who just weeks ago had commanded one of the largest fleets under the banner of the Qian. Zhu spent the next four years alternating between despondently working as a gardener and plotting his comeback. He still had currency with some of his former allies, he could still bribe people with money from secret stashes he had managed to hide. While to all appearances he was a lowly gardener, he had built a network of eunuchs working and reporting news and whispers back to him; be it what concubines and prostitutes were the ministers having sex with to who was stealing food from the kitchens. | The defeat at Dun-Kurrengev proved to be a severe blow to the reputation and career of Zhu. Shortly after the return of his fleet to port he was summoned to appear at court and explain the failures. He was ambushed by hid old enemies among the ministers who attacked him and swayed others against him; they lambasted him as an arrogant and overly ambitious buffoon. Zhu Bolin was stripped of his position as admiral and incomes and ordered to report to the [[Imperial Lemon Grove]] to work there as a lowly gardener. This was a catastrophic fall from grace for someone who just weeks ago had commanded one of the largest fleets under the banner of the Qian. Zhu spent the next four years alternating between despondently working as a gardener and plotting his comeback. He still had currency with some of his former allies, he could still bribe people with money from secret stashes he had managed to hide. While to all appearances he was a lowly gardener, he had built a network of eunuchs working and reporting news and whispers back to him; be it what concubines and prostitutes were the ministers having sex with to who was stealing food from the kitchens. In 1668 the Xiaodan emperor carried out a purge of the court, sweeping many of Zhu Bolin's strongest detractors to their deaths. The former admiral was plucked again from obscurity and restored to his old responsibilities. Zhu Bolin carried out his own purge of his enemies and fair weather friends, one of the first to go was the High Gardener under whom he had served in the [[Imperial Lemon Grove]]; the man was reportedly thrown down a well. | ||
===War of the Eastern Crag=== | ===War of the Eastern Crag=== | ||
===Later life=== | ===Later life=== | ||
[[Category:Daxia]] | [[Category:Daxia]] | ||
[[Category:Dwarfs]] | [[Category:Dwarfs]] | ||