weaving

Chapter 1602 Slow Cooking
The musketeers of the Yongyi Army were formidable in their ability to freely aim and fire, but their actual lethality was not ideal.

However, since the Northern Tartars of the Mongol Bordered Red Banner did not charge in orderly formations but rather charged freely from different places, they were better suited to the free-firing style of the musketeers.

After firing, the musketeers in the front row immediately crouched down to reload; the musketeers in the middle row stepped forward from the gaps in the ranks, raised their guns, aimed, and fired—the movements were all done in one smooth motion, without the slightest hesitation.

Just as the middle rank of musketeers finished firing and crouched down, the rear rank of musketeers immediately raised their muskets and aimed them at the oncoming Mongol cavalry.

After the crisp crackling of the muskets, another row of Northern barbarian cavalrymen fell from their horses. However, there were simply too many Northern barbarian cavalrymen charging out, and the rain of arrows also greatly interfered with the speed at which the musketeers loaded their ammunition.

Although the musketeers of the Brave Army were not fully armored, they wore wide-brimmed six-lobed helmets and lightweight half-body cloth armor. While they could not compare to cavalry or infantry responsible for close combat, they still provided a certain level of protection.

While the arrows fired by the Mongol cavalry may appear formidable, their actual lethality is quite limited; their primary function is to harass and intimidate the enemy.

However, in order to make loading ammunition and operating the muskets easier, the Yongyi Army musketeers were not equipped with neck guards or handguards to protect their necks. As a result, many musketeers were hit by stray arrows fired by the Mongol cavalry, which, although not fatal, rendered them unable to fight.

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"Boom boom boom..." A series of stirring war drumbeats came from the rear of the Brave and Resolute Army.

Immediately afterwards, a squad of shield bearers charged out of the formation, and the musketeers began to retreat the instant the shield bearers charged out.

Everything seemed so natural and orderly, yet no one knew that this was the result of countless drills and honing by the brave soldiers of the Yongyi Army. The coordination between gunners and infantry, infantry and cavalry, infantry and artillery, and infantry, cavalry, and artillery was all so tight and orderly, without the slightest disorder.

Even the order of retreat would be agreed upon before the battle. If the battle went poorly, it would be decided which unit would retreat first, which unit would retreat last, which unit would provide cover, how the units would connect, and where the retreating troops would establish positions to support the retreating troops. Everything was meticulously planned.

Whether an army can fight is not determined by its charge and attack, but by how it retreats when the situation is unfavorable.

As for how the troops should retreat, including the order of retreat, as well as issues related to cross-cover and rearguard action, the Yongyi Army has made a series of contingency plans and drill manuals, and has practiced them countless times. The soldiers have long since developed muscle memory to ensure that there is no panic on the battlefield.

Just like the scene now, the Yongyi Army's musketeers retreated in an orderly manner into the artillery line, while the shield bearers and spearmen moved forward in turn, forming a tight shield and spear line behind the original positions of the musketeers, ready to meet the charging Northern enemy cavalry.

"Tora! Tora! Tora!"

With three loud shouts, the shields rose up like walls, and long spears with red tassels emerged from the gaps between the shields, their tips pointing diagonally upwards, emitting a dazzling cold light under the sunlight.

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The Northern Tartars weren't stupid. They didn't rush out to fight the Yongyi Army attacking the camp to the death. Their goal was simply to launch a surprise attack on the artillery outside. It would be best if they could eliminate this biggest threat, but it would be even better if they could drive back the Ming army outside in one fell swoop.

Because Buyandai was also afraid that the Ming army outside the camp would take the opportunity to break into the camp through the gap, he adopted an offensive strategy as a form of defense, which was more of a deterrent than a decisive battle.

Seeing that the Ming army's formation was well-organized and the musketeers' retreat was flawless, before they could even get close, the shield formation had already been set up, and rows of spears were ready to reap their lives.

Seeing this, how could anyone be foolish enough to run into it?
When the Mongol cavalry were about twenty paces away from the shield formation, they suddenly turned their horses and galloped to the sides, hurling flying axes, javelins, and maces at the enemy, heading straight for the shield formation. At this distance, these hurled short weapons were more powerful than arrows; even though the shield bearers and spearmen were wearing armor, being hit in a vital spot was still extremely dangerous.

Some skilled Mongol archers would also fire arrows the instant they turned. Unlike long-range projectiles, these close-range arrows were almost always shot straight at the face or areas not covered by armor. Being hit by one could be fatal.

Sure enough, as the projectiles and arrows flew in, many brave infantrymen fell to the ground. However, there were only a few screams, no large-scale wailing, and no chaotic rolling on the ground. The entire shield formation was able to maintain its orderly formation.

This was entirely due to the strict military rules and regulations of the Yongyi Army. Those wounded on the front lines had to lie down on the spot and wait for rescue, and were not allowed to shout loudly or roll around. Otherwise, they would be punished for disturbing the army's formation.

However, this attack by the Mongol Bordered Red Banner Tartars did indeed cause some casualties to the Yongyi Army infantry, and this was under the condition that they were fully armored. Imagine if it were other Ming troops with incomplete armor, they would probably have collapsed after just one such attack.

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"Commander, shouldn't we attack?" Guerrilla commander Zhu Zhicang blurted out.

Without turning his head, Marquis Yongning Zhang Cheng said, "Buyandai's meat is still somewhat useful, there's no need to rush to eat it."

Zhu Zhicang was very puzzled: "This... the camp walls have been breached, why don't we charge in and wipe them out to prevent any unforeseen changes?"

Zhang Cheng turned around, looked at Wei Zhice expressionlessly, and said calmly, "Brother Ce, why don't you enlighten our Zhu Youji?"

Wei Zhice nodded and smiled first, then simply clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute to Zhu Zhicang before saying, "The commander-in-chief's intention is to use this Mongol Tartar with the Bordered Red Banner as bait to lure in other big fish so that we can make a big feast."

"Ah!" Zhu Zhicang seemed to understand but not quite: "This...this is what 'surrounding that thing and attacking that thing' means?"

"Encircle the enemy's stronghold and strike at their reinforcements," Chen De reminded him from the side.

"Yes, yes. It's 'encircling the enemy' and attacking their reinforcements'."

Although Wei Zhice still maintained a smile, a hint of worry was visible on his face: "Commander, this humble general has some concerns."

"speak."

"Commander, do you think Turgh will do everything in his power to save the Bordered Red Banner of Buyandai?"

Zhang Cheng looked at Wei Zhice with a sly smile: "I am also afraid that Turgh will come all the way to rescue Buyandai, so we cannot fight too hard. We must leave a glimmer of hope for Buyandai so that the Tartars can add fuel to the fire little by little, and we can add firewood little by little to heat up this pot of good soup. Once the meat in this pot has absorbed the flavor, we can quickly simmer it over high heat to reduce the sauce. Then we can serve the dish with peace of mind."

"I understand!"

Wei Zhice understood, Chen De seemed to understand as well, but Zhu Zhicang looked completely bewildered...