stubborn thief

Chapter 695 Soaring

Vultures soar in the sky.

The horses were galloping across the land.

Hong Chengchou wandered all the way in the Gobi Desert.

He had never felt such a strong sense of oppression in his life.

First, the expected time to start the war was brought forward, causing the vanguard army to be surrounded and unable to move.

Afterwards, in order to avoid losing troops due to continuous reinforcements, they simply sent out all their troops, determined to push the front line back in one go with their powerful force.

As soon as Hong Chengchou's main force of the Ninth Battalion entered Lingzhou City, it was discovered by the Tang Cavalry of the Second Brigade of the Marshal's Army. The Tang soldiers advanced and retreated, and in less than half an hour, Ren Quaner received the news that the enemy army was coming to support in large numbers sixty miles away.

The Second Brigade immediately launched a fierce attack on Jinyintan where Zhang Yingchang’s troops were stationed.

Zhang Yingchang was so frightened that he was stunned.

Because the attack came so suddenly.

Ren Quaner spent both day and night trying to persuade him to surrender, and the work made great progress.

At the beginning, Zhang Yingchang just wanted to delay time. After all, the three people he hated most in the world were Yang Yanchang, He Renlong and Ren Quaner.

Especially in the past he only hated Yang Yanchang and He Renlong. Looking back on the past, the fighting between the three camps in Lintao Prefecture was still vivid in his mind, but now none of the three of them had a good ending.

Only Ren Quaner, after defecting once, became a top general in the Marshal's Office.

When Zhang Yingchang recalled the details, many things that were difficult to understand in the past became clear, and he felt more and more that Ren Quaner was a good-for-nothing.

However, Ren Quaner sent four groups of envoys successively, and also shot letters of persuasion to surrender to the camp in an overwhelming manner, using both reason and emotion to persuade Zhang Yingchang to feel that... this war might not be able to continue.

The main reason was that both sides wanted to delay time. Ren Quaner was waiting for rockets to arrive at the front line, while Zhang Yingchang was building fortifications while waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

As they waited, at night, one of his officers, along with dozens or even hundreds of soldiers, crossed the defense line and fled to the Marshal's Mansion.

Ren Quaner was not a good general like Zhang Tianlin who was used to fierce attacks and charges. He knew the mentality of the Ming army well. On the one hand, he recruited the Ming army to come and get food, and on the other hand, he announced the policy of the Marshal's Office towards their hometown.

This kind of propaganda was very destructive to Zhang Yingchang's troops.

Half of Zhang Yingchang's men were demoralized Ningxia soldiers, and the other half were foreign troops from Shaanxi and Yansui. Among them were many veterans from Suide, Yan'an and Guanzhong. When they heard that there was a chance to go home, many of them became interested.

It’s mainly the battlefield mentality.

Ren Quaner was able to persuade the Ming army to surrender without any burden, but Zhang Yingchang had no confidence to persuade Ren Quaner to surrender.

After all, their army, which was affiliated with Hong Chengchou, had almost lost its legitimacy, so how could they have the face to persuade others to surrender?

Especially last night, Ren Quaner sent people to shout loudly outside Jinyintan, informing that Ningxia rear guard reinforcement Zhao Huai was defeated by Marshal Ding Guodong at Huamachi, which caused an uproar in the army.

The two captains led their troops to surrender to the enemy at night, leaving a large gap in the defense line.

Zhang Yingchang didn't know if he could survive three days.

It is easy for soldiers and low-ranking military officers to surrender, but generals have to consider more things.

His family was in Yulin, his third brother Zhang Dechang was in Yulin, and his second brother Zhang Quanchang was in Xuanfu. Surrender was not just his own decision.

Even so, the fact that surrender became an option under the pressure of the situation is very telling.

But just when he thought that the persuasion to surrender would continue for two days, Ren Quaner suddenly ordered a fierce attack without any warning, which scared Zhang Yingchang badly.

Not only because Ren Quaner received the news that Hong Chengchou's army was attacking, but also because rockets and ammunition supplies were delivered from the rear.

Faced with the information that Hong Chengchou's army was coming to support, Ren Quaner and Zhang Xianzhong did not panic. After a brief discussion, they chose to attack between retreating and defending.

They divided the Second Brigade into two parts, one led by Ren Quaner to attack Jinyintan, and the other led by Zhang Xianzhong and deputy general Ouyang Gun, deployed in the north of Jinyintan to attack Hong Chengchou's reinforcements.

While Zhang Xianzhong and Ouyang Gun were moving northward, A Liu's reinforcement battalion took the lead in pushing artillery across the Qin Canal, and Zhang Yingchang also sent Zheng Jiadong and Liu Shaozong's battalions to fight.

Both the Zheng and Liu camps had military academies who defected to the enemy, and were not fully staffed. They hoped to take advantage of the fact that the Marshal's troops were not yet fully equipped to launch an attack and gain an advantage.

They were also a heavily armed firearms battalion, but the Ming army's field firearms were mainly Portuguese-style cannons, which could provide support to their own troops with faster firing rates and stronger firepower within a shorter combat distance.

However, they did not expect that the real heavy equipment of the Marshal's Army was not the artillery pushed and muled by the people of the A Liu reinforcements camp, but the cavalry of the mobile camp.

Marco's mobile battalion arrived later but was the first to cross the Qin Canal. They set up the launch pad directly in front of the front line, unloaded the rockets from the backs of mules, and fired 200 rockets at the heads of the Ming army who were pulling heavy equipment out of the camp.

Then the cavalry ignored the launcher and mounted their horses, wielding their swords and charging into the battle formation.

It’s still Zhang Tianlin’s old stuff, simple and efficient.

In the smoke of rockets exploding everywhere, the stunned Ming army was in disarray, and as cavalry units broke through the defense line one after another, they began to flee and rushed towards Zhang Yingchang's main camp.

At the same time, Ren Quaner's headquarters sounded the horn from the flank and launched a fierce attack on Jinyintan.

Zhang Yingchang spent a lot of effort and two whole days building trenches and walls, but it turned out to be his own carefully crafted coffin.

The defeated soldiers ran around in the three camps, but were trapped inside the trenches and walls and could not escape even if they wanted to.

They could only watch as teams of the Marshal's cavalrymen rushed into the camp, wielding goose-feather knives and golden hammers, cutting through the army formation cleanly and neatly like a sharp knife piercing tofu.

Ah Liu's reinforcement battalion did nothing in this battle except pushing their artillery forward.

From the moment he pushed cannons across the river and announced the start of the general attack, to the moment he pushed more cannons into the camp and pointed the muzzles at the last Ming army formation, the entire reinforcement battalion did not fight anyone from beginning to end.

However, it had the greatest deterrent effect, so that wherever the cannon was pointed, the stubborn Ming army squads would lay down their weapons and surrender.

But they were also very tired. It was already hard enough to push their own artillery forward, and Liu Shaozong and Zheng Jiadong also pushed out the Ming army's artillery, which resulted in them being blown up by rockets. Then, Liu had to pick up the generals who had loaded their ammunition and push them towards the camp.

By the time Zhang Yingchang's last desperate troops saw Ah Liu, each captain of the battalion already had a cannon in his hands, which was very scary for them.

What was even more frightening was that while Ren Quaner's troops were reorganizing the surrendered prisoners, A Liu's artillery team was firing at targets in the air on Jinyintan.

No one knew why, but the surrendered captives could only watch as Ah Liu's reinforcement battalion bombarded the open space with their cannons.

Some people even loaded the captured bird guns, formed a formation, and fired dozens of shots into the air.

But the surrendered prisoners had little chance to appreciate the performance art of the Marshal's troops. They laid down their weapons and took off their armor, and almost without stopping, they were led by their officers and supervised to repair the chevaux de frise and continue digging trenches outside the trenches.

The sound of artillery fire on Jinyintan continued, and the shocking sound could be heard far away in the open wilderness.

Ren Quaner did not give Zhang Yingchang, who was forced to surrender, any good face. When they met, he asked his subordinates who were holding him to release him. Before the tied Zhang Yingchang could even open his mouth, he rushed forward and punched him, knocking him unconscious.

This action made Mako, who was wiping the blood off the knife, dumbfounded: "Hey, Ren Shuai... do you have a grudge against each other?"

Ma Ke and Ren Quan'er have a good relationship, and both of them are Li Bei's apprentices.

"I?"

Ren Quaner rubbed his wrist and said, "When we were stationed in Lintao, this guy insulted the commander a lot. I have wanted to do this for a long time."

As he spoke, he said to the guards who were escorting Zhang Yingchang: "Take my order and take your men. Do not enter any prefectures, counties, or cities along the way. Take him and Zheng Jiadong and others to Xi'an. After the battle, they will wait for the commander's decision."

After saying that, Ren Quaner sniffed, and the smell of gunpowder mixed with blood went straight into his nose.

He said to Mako, "It is enough to have the main camp and reinforcements on Jinyin Beach, and the mobile camp will also go to support."

Upon hearing this, Mako put his sword back into the scabbard and clasped his fists, saying, "I obey your orders!"

Soon, the cavalry of the mobile battalion crossed the trench and galloped north again.

Ren Quaner looked at the vast smoke and dust rising from the north, took a deep breath, and looked for a long time before he raised his head and twisted his neck, frowned and ordered: "Tell the reinforcement camp not to stop the artillery fire, keep firing!" He wanted to use the artillery fire on the fields to create the illusion that Zhang Yingchang was still resisting on Jinyintan, and urge the Ningxia reinforcements in the north to hurry.

His soldiers discovered the enemy sixty miles away, which meant that the enemy was still seventy or eighty miles away, which was at least a normal day's march.

Under the urging of artillery fire, the enemy might be forced to run another thirty or forty miles like a mad dog.

Of course, it is uncertain whether this sound can be heard.

For example, at this moment, the person who truly responded to the sound of artillery fire on Jinyintan was Liu Chengzong in the west.

If Ren Quaner had not directed the Tangqi's attention to the north, the Tangqi of the First Brigade under Liu Chengzong should have stuck to the Tangqi of the Second Brigade at this time.

The Tangqi general passed the news of the artillery fire in the east to the central army, causing Liu Chengzong to lead the main force to turn around on the way. After running ten miles, he received information that Ren Quaner had ended the battle and the artillery fire was to lure the enemy. Then he led his troops north again, trying to complete the encirclement of Hong Chengchou from the flank.

As they moved, Ouyang Gun, deputy general of the Second Brigade, who was rushing to the front line of the battlefield, was also running forward frantically.

Ouyang Gun's original intention was actually to advance safely.

He had no intention of making achievements. He was promoted from a lieutenant general to deputy general of Lintao, which was almost the highest position for a military officer in the court.

Unfortunately, Lintao Town was gone, and he had no place to take up his post. He was demoted to the Marshal's Office in Gansu and was idle for a while, basically giving up his desire for fame, wealth and power.

When people are in a chaotic environment, it is easy for them to become depressed when they encounter a little frustration and a little stability.

As a result, as Liu Chengzong conquered Xi'an Prefecture and entered Guanzhong, he was re-employed when the time came to recruit people, but he was also displaced.

He was first appointed as the deputy general of the Longxi Brigade. Later, just after it was formed, Li Wanqing came and he was transferred to the deputy general of the Second Brigade. Then he teamed up with Ren Quaner.

To put it bluntly, he is just a hardworking old ox who never complains. He has no intention of making any achievements and has no expectations of Liu Chengzong. He just wants to get by.

As a result, he was entrusted with an important task by Ren Quaner.

The new officers in the Marshal's Office, regardless of their background or etiquette, always put ability first in everything. They have fewer old habits, but more new ones.

It's like everyone has the style of "Liu is the boss, Tian is the second, and I am the third", no one is convinced, and it is difficult to control them.

But Ren Quaner is a typical old-time military officer.

Ouyang Gun served as deputy general under Wang Wenxiu. On his first day in office, he was scolded for riding in a carriage instead of a horse.

As for Ren Quaner, he really relied on his seniority as the deputy general of the Ming army, and he even received a gift from Ren Quaner during the New Year.

Because of this, Ouyang Gun wanted to be more cautious in this march to avoid destroying his army.

After all, their Tangqi had already discovered that the enemy had more than 10,000 soldiers, perhaps even more than 20,000. The huge smoke and dust rising from the ground could be seen ten miles away.

It would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot if he wanted to rush forward to stop the enemy with just this one special force battalion.

But he couldn't resist the fact that the staff officer following him was Zhang Xianzhong.

Zhang Butang was like a military supervisor holding a small whip, whipping Ouyang Gun hard and urging him to advance quickly.

On the other side of the battlefield, Bai Guangen ran faster.

While leading his troops at a gallop, Bai Guangen couldn't help but suppress the upturned corners of his mouth.

He had asked the messenger sent by Zhang Yingchang to Ningxia for help.

  Zhang Tianlin is not on the front line!

Even the cavalry that had so frightened him was not at the front.

  Bai Guangen rushed to the battlefield with his newly developed rocket gun. There was no doubt that he thought the time had come to show his skills!

After all, based on his rich combat experience with the Marshal's Army, it seems that only Zhang Tianlin's battalion has ever carried rockets and used cavalry to defeat the enemy, while the others all used red cannons.

With such confidence, Bai Guangen rushed into Zhang Xianzhong's sight before nightfall that day.

In the plains of southern Ningxia, all gullies are used for irrigation. There is no obstruction within a radius of ten or twenty miles, and everything is within sight, which can avoid ambushes to the greatest extent.

However, the well-functioning Tangbing system still allowed Ouyang Gun and Zhang Xianzhong to seize the initiative.

They had known Bai Guangen's exact location for a long time. The Tang soldiers were hanging far ahead of Bai Guangen, eight or nine miles away, and were scattered in a semi-encirclement state. No matter which direction he advanced, unless he retreated, there would always be dozens of Tang riders watching him.

Every time he advanced one mile, the Tang cavalry would retreat one mile, and at further distances, they would dynamically adjust their positions according to the direction of his advance.

However, the Tangqi at this time were not radical. Not only did they refuse to engage in combat, but they were even driven away three or five miles. The Tangqi behind them were no longer replenished, and they deliberately exposed their flaws from time to time to let Bai Guangen know that there were not many Tangqi surrounding him.

Because everyone was afraid, the enemy was scared away.

The battlefield is full of truth and lies. Sometimes when there are few soldiers in the pond, you have to pretend that you have surrounded the enemy and the main force is right behind you, and use radical tactics to stop the enemy from advancing.

At the same time, they had to let the enemy know that they were outnumbered and their main force was not around, in order to prevent the enemy from stopping.

When Bai Guangen was a rebel, he had a way to hunt down the Tangqi, but until now, he still didn't know how to build the Tangqi unit.

Therefore, seeing the Marshal's cavalry showing fear of fighting, his fighting spirit was greatly boosted. He only let the vanguard cavalry wear armor, while the main force behind him continued to march quickly with light equipment.

It was not until he saw Ouyang Gun's army that he was delighted instead of surprised. He immediately ordered his subordinates to put on armor and mount their horses, and quickly transformed the two columns into a large formation.

The entire camp was centered with a large number of infantry in the middle, marching forward in big strides. The cavalry kept forming up their ranks as they marched on both wings, with those cavalrymen carrying rockets and with extremely strong weapons in the front, and rows of horsemen ready to enter the battle array following behind.

Apart from changing the formation, Bai Guangen's battalion did not waste any time and was always approaching the enemy quickly.

To be honest, this move made Ouyang Gun a little scared. The veteran general from the northwest kept looking back at his own army, as if only by seeing the wheels rolling forward could he feel at ease.

The distance between the two armies was getting closer, and the Marshal's army's line became clearer and clearer in Bai Guangen's eyes.

Several miles away, he saw a large chariot force of the Marshal's army, which soon stopped and formed a loose wall of chariots in front of him.

Car camp?

This is what Bai Guangen is least afraid of.

Because the rockets can be fired from above and explode in the chariot camp, the chariot walls can provide maximum protection for his cavalry who are shooting arrows.

But as he continued to advance two miles south, he gradually realized that the enemy did not seem to be the chariot camp he had imagined, and the chariots that formed the wall were not connected together.

The vast majority of chariots had horses in front, maintaining a posture capable of galloping. They were equipped with long-barreled, large-caliber muskets, and soldiers with muskets on their shoulders were getting on board.

Among them, a few cars were the most eye-catching. There was no one in the cars, only two rows of cylindrical tubes put together.

Bai Guangen was a little hesitant. He was already at the distance to launch the attack, but those cylindrical tubes made him hesitant.

The infantry was still marching forward in big strides, and several large cannons were also pushed forward. The cavalry officers on both wings kept glancing sideways at the center, hoping to get orders for the next attack.

At this moment, a familiar howl was heard from the battlefield.

Behind the chariots lined up side by side, a figure on horseback waved his whip meaninglessly as he watched the rocket vehicles being ignited.

Zhang Xianzhong was laughing wildly.

Chariots carrying musketeers passed by and attacked the enemy formation.

When the voice like the scream of an evil spirit reached Bai Guangen's ears, the arm that was holding up the saber seemed to have lost all its strength in an instant and dropped down, and even his whole body seemed to have withered on the horse's back.

The carefully crafted sword fell and stabbed obliquely into the soft soil that was well irrigated and had plenty of water.

On the chaotic battlefield, Bai Guangen raised his head in despair, his tired eyes reflecting the tail flames rising from the car wall in the distance.

He sighed and shook his head slowly: "Forget it...Fuck your ancestors."

good afternoon!