1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3896

When Nanchang was rebuilt and renovated in the early Ming Dynasty, the geographical environment was taken into consideration. The relatively flat and open southern area of ​​the city was very likely to become the main direction of the enemy's attack in wartime. Therefore, the city wall near Jinxian Gate was more than three zhang high and two zhang thick, which can be said to be one of the most solid sections of the entire Nanchang city defense fortification.

Even if Haihan had heavy artillery, it wouldn't be easy to breach these thick city walls in a short time. That's why Ding Baoguo was confident in deploying a large number of troops inside Jinxian Gate, waiting for Haihan's army to attack the city.

The temporary barracks inside Jinxian Gate were only about ten feet away from the city wall. Logically speaking, unless a cannonball directly penetrated the city wall, it would be impossible for it to hit the barracks behind the city wall. Otherwise, a cannonball flying from above the city wall into the city should have hit a place a hundred feet or so behind the city wall, and it was unlikely to fall at the location of the barracks.

However, the actual situation was that several shells exploded in the camp, causing countless casualties in a short period of time.

Finding the answer to this question wasn't difficult. Soon, someone reported that what had been observed from the city wall was not the massive siege cannons firing outside the city, but rather several inconspicuous small cannons.

Moreover, these small cannons had their muzzles pointing upwards, and the shells they fired seemed to fly high up before falling down and crashing into the city. The trajectory of the shells was extremely strange, not as straight as ordinary cannons, but a parabola that rose and fell, which is why they were able to hit the temporary barracks behind the city gate.

Judging from the results, these shells were clearly not solid shot used by the Ming army, but some kind of more lethal explosive.

The dead and wounded were mainly distributed within a radius of three to five zhang (approximately 10-15 meters) from the explosion's epicenter. Most injuries were caused by small fragments embedded in or even penetrating the body. What's terrifying is that even those wearing full armor were unable to withstand the shrapnel at this distance.

However, just as the city was still frantically treating the wounded in the barracks, a second round of shelling arrived unexpectedly. Several shells fell from the sky with a whistling sound, hitting the temporary barracks that had just been shelled again.

Ding Baoguo was less than a hundred feet away from the point of impact. This time, he witnessed firsthand how the shell exploded after landing, kicking up a cloud of dust and screams.

Ding Baoguo's eyes widened in fury. This was no coincidence; the Haihan Army outside the city had timed it perfectly, judging that the city was treating the dead and wounded from the first round of shelling. They used this method to attack the rescuers and, incidentally, finish off the wounded who had escaped the first round of shelling.

Ding Baoguo believed that this artillery tactic was extremely vicious. Although the casualties caused by this second round of attacks may not have been more than those of the first round, the psychological impact on the defenders was quite severe.

For example, in the current situation, should we immediately organize another group of people to clean up the scene and rescue the dead and wounded? But what if there is a third round of shelling in the same way?
As Ding Baoguo hesitated, he saw Zhao Mingyu stride forward, shouting, "Help! Quickly come with me to save people!"

Ding Baoguo quickly grabbed Zhao Mingyu and ordered the two military officers beside him to organize a rescue and prevent Zhao Mingyu from entering the danger zone.

Regardless of whether Zhao Mingyu's actions were genuine or a deliberate public display, Ding Baoguo absolutely could not allow Zhao Mingyu to put himself in danger. If something were to happen here, Ding Baoguo could not bear such a heavy responsibility.

Firstly, Zhao Mingyu is currently the highest-ranking official in the city. Although he can't participate in the actual military operations, logistics and security still rely on his command and coordination. This city defense battle truly cannot proceed without him. Secondly, it's no secret that Ding Baoguo and Zhao Mingyu have always been at odds. However, if Zhao Mingyu were to die under mysterious circumstances on Ding Baoguo's territory, the outside world would undoubtedly believe it was no coincidence. Even if Hai Han is the culprit, Ding Baoguo would be unable to clear his name no matter what.

After being pulled back, Zhao Mingyu did not struggle. After standing there for a moment, he said to Ding Baoguo, "Lord Ding, the enemy's artillery fire is so accurate. I'm afraid the location of this barracks has already been leaked."

Ding Baoguo frowned and said, "But this barracks was set up two days ago, and the troops only moved in yesterday. Before that, personnel were prohibited from entering or leaving the south of the city. How can the other side confirm this location?"

Zhao Mingyu said, "Lord Ding may have forgotten about the flying object that flew over Nanchang City earlier."

Ding Baoguo exclaimed in surprise, "You mean they spotted the military camp inside Jinxian Gate from a high vantage point, confirmed its location, and were able to arrange the corresponding artillery tactics? But this flying object flew back to the north bank of the Gan River, which is quite far from the Haihan position to the south. How could this message have been transmitted so quickly?"

Zhao Mingyu said, "The Haihan people have a method of transmitting messages over a thousand miles, and this is not the first time they have used it on the battlefield. Lord Ding, have you not heard of it?"

Ding Baoguo's face betrayed his frustration as he replied dejectedly, "I've heard of it, but I never imagined it could be used like this..."

As the commander of Jiangxi, Ding Baoguo naturally had some understanding of the Haihan Army as their opponent. However, most of the information he possessed came from written sources, consisting of various intelligence reports and battle reports, and what he lacked was practical experience in fighting the Haihan Army.

The history of the Haihan Army using radio for command and communication on the battlefield can be traced back to the early days of the People's Republic of China thirty years ago. This is not a new tactic, but those who have never fought against it can hardly imagine the various applications of this tactic in actual combat environments from written materials.

It was only after Zhao Mingyu's reminder that Ding Baoguo realized he wasn't entirely unaware of this. But who could have imagined that the object that had flown over Nanchang a few hours earlier would be so closely related to the artillery barrage that the Haihan Army would subsequently launch south of the city?

Zhao Mingyu solemnly said, "The Haihan people's tactics are cunning and unpredictable. We must be on high alert and deal with them carefully!"

Ding Baoguo nodded and said, "Lord Zhao is right, but although this kind of artillery bombardment can cause casualties in the city, it is difficult to break through the city. In the end, it is just a trick, which can be used once or twice, but not three times. I have already ordered the troops to move forward to the city wall. Even if their shells can fly over the city wall, it will be difficult to hit the area at the base of the city wall."

"Lord Zhao, this is a battlefield after all. You have important responsibilities, so you should return to the city to take command. If there is any progress here, I will send someone to inform you as soon as possible."

Zhao Mingyu did not insist on his own opinion. He understood that at this time, it would be pointless for civil and military officials to compete for credit on the front lines. Only through clear division of labor and close cooperation could they hope to repel the invading enemy outside the city. He immediately confirmed some details with Ding Baoguo again, and then hurriedly returned to the Provincial Administration Office with his subordinates and entourage.