weaving

What's wrong with Chapter 1601?
"Raise the muzzle by three points, shift it two points to the left, load complete, fire one shot!" the gunner shouted.

After the gunner quickly adjusted the firing angle as ordered, the loader immediately stepped forward to load the cannonballs and propellant. Everything proceeded in a very orderly manner, as if it were happening on their own training ground.

With a loud bang, a wisp of smoke billowed upwards, and the dark cannonball flew out once again, hitting the earthen and wooden wall of the Mongolian Bordered Red Banner camp squarely. A crater the size of a large bowl appeared, less than two zhang away from the camp gate.

"Based on this firing angle, adjust it up or down by one point, from near to far, covering the Tatar camp wall in front, ten shots per cannon, bombarding continuously without interruption."

After the gunner shouted the order, he swung his command flag down forcefully and yelled, "Fire!"

"Thump! Thump! Thump!..."

The cannons roared continuously, and billowing smoke instantly engulfed the entire artillery position, creating a misty, otherworldly atmosphere. Yet, the rapidly firing cannonballs seemed to tell people that this place was actually a hellish place where souls were stolen and lives were taken.

Sixty Yunzhou No. 3 cannons fired simultaneously, unleashing sixty deadly cannonballs at a time towards the Tartar camp, raining down from the outside in, centered on the Jurchen camp wall.

A total of six hundred cannonballs rained down...

Dust billowed up to the west of the Mongol Bordered Red Banner camp, making it almost impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. The deafening roar simultaneously enveloped the artillery lines of the Yongyi Army and the front lines of the Jurchen camp.

For a moment, it was difficult to distinguish one from another; amidst the billowing smoke, a large crowd could be seen...

On the Yongyi Army's side, gunners and loaders were busy loading and firing cannons, while squads of musketeers filed out and lined up behind the artillery positions. Behind them were squads of swordsmen and axemen carrying long ladders, waiting silently.

Meanwhile, the Mongolian Bordered Red Banner camp was in complete chaos. They had never experienced such a large-scale artillery bombardment before. The sudden and fierce artillery fire filled them with fear, as if they were being punished by evil spirits.

Many Tartar soldiers cowered and begged for God's mercy, hoping to escape this calamity!

The camp walls collapsed, the defending soldiers suffered heavy casualties, and even the two wooden camp gates were bombarded and destroyed. It can be said that the western gate of the Mongol Bordered Red Banner Camp was wide open and there was no defense whatsoever.

…………

However, outside the camp of the Mongol Bordered Red Banner, not a single cavalryman was seen. Instead, thousands of infantrymen, mostly elite infantrymen armed with Yunzhou muskets, were the first to approach.

As soon as the shelling ended, before the smoke had completely dissipated, squads of infantry marched forward in perfect formation, arriving at a distance of fifty paces from the Jurchen camp wall, where they formed a terrifying three-tiered firing array.

At this moment, there was still no movement in the Jurchen camp, as if the Mongol Northern Barbarian soldiers of the Bordered Red Banner in the camp had not yet recovered from the fierce artillery bombardment.

The camp gate was smashed by cannon fire, leaving a large hole large enough for a person to squeeze through. The earthen and wooden walls on both sides were also dilapidated, with several places having been smashed open, the largest of which was large enough for two people to pass through.

Just as the musketeers of the Yongyi Army were advancing in formation, screams and cries finally came from the enemy camp, interspersed with the neighing of warhorses, making the scene extremely chaotic and even more desolate.

However, the soldiers of the Yongyi Army had no pity for the miserable state of the enemy camp; they only felt deep hatred. They strictly followed military orders, moved to their battle positions, and raised their muskets to aim at the enemy camp walls fifty or sixty paces away.

Immediately afterwards, one after another, chariots equipped with side plates were pushed out and lined up behind the three-section firing line of the musketeers, instantly forming a tight wall of chariots to prevent the Jurchen cavalry from suddenly rushing out and attacking the artillery formation behind them.

"...Front row muskets, aim at the enemy camp wall in front of you. If any enemy soldiers peek out, fire immediately."

The officers of each musket bureau shouted orders, and the musketeers moved in response. The front rank of muskets raised their guns, aimed at the enemy camp wall fifty or sixty paces away, and prepared to fire.

"The middle rank inspects the muskets, and after the front rank fires, they immediately step forward to take their place and continue firing."

"The rear ranks should prepare to fill in for the middle rank musketeers. We must keep the enemy trapped in the camp and prevent them from coming out."

The musketeers remained silent, but their expressions were very serious. Everyone strictly followed the military orders, some raising their guns to aim, some checking their muskets, and others preparing to fill in for their replacements.

Everyone was intently watching the enemy camp ahead, hoping to be the first to kill the Tartar soldiers who charged out, so as to not only gain merit but also vent the resentment that had been building up for the past few months.

"Fifth Brother, do you think the Tartars have been driven mad by our bombardment? Why aren't any of them coming out?"

The man known as "Fifth Brother" was also a musketeer in the front row. At this moment, he was also aiming his musket at the enemy camp opposite him, saying casually, "What are you worrying about, kid? You better aim carefully, lest some Tartars rush out and you can't hit them."

"No...aren't all Tartars pretty fierce? Why does something feel off about them today?"

"What's wrong with that? No matter how fierce the Tartars are, can they be fiercer than our Brave Army's artillery, or fiercer than the long guns in our hands?"

Just then, a soft shout interrupted their conversation: "Keep a close eye on things, stop gossiping, and if you want a beating, just say so!"

Upon hearing their officer's reprimand, the two immediately shut their mouths and focused intently on the movements of the enemy camp opposite them.

…………

Inside the enemy camp, the originally noisy sounds gradually subsided, and even the screams of the Tartars were hard to hear. Only the occasional neighing of warhorses could be heard, but no Tartars were seen rushing out to fight back.

About fifteen minutes later...

Just when everyone thought the enemy wouldn't come out to fight back, the camp gate with a large hole suddenly opened, and four enemy riders rushed out side by side. At the same time, enemy riders also rushed out from the gaps in the camp walls.

Everything happened too suddenly, and fortunately the Yongyi Army was known for its strict discipline. If it were any other Ming soldiers, they would probably have become complacent by now, and the enemy would have taken advantage of them.

"Front row, aim...fire!"

"Bang bang bang..." The crisp sounds of the Yongyi Army's muskets rang out continuously.

Unlike volley fire, this free-firing method, where each soldier aims at the enemy individually, while seemingly fierce, was limited by the manufacturing technology of the time, making it difficult to effectively improve the accuracy of muskets. Even with proper aiming, hitting the enemy was not guaranteed.

What's more, these were northern barbarian cavalry charging at full speed on horseback.