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Chapter 1154: Battle of Fau Harbor 8
It was only then that the Ottoman officers discovered that the Ming army's muskets were not only fast, but also could shoot far and aim accurately, and could even maintain a high hit rate at a distance of 400 meters.

The Guards used the heaviest muskets, which took two people several times the reloading time, but could only achieve the same effect at a distance of about 100 meters.

There are no soldiers or generals in the world who are not afraid of death. Faced with the Ming army's superior firepower advantage, the Sipahi cavalry who were already ready in the trenches did not even dare to show their heads, and watched helplessly as hundreds of wounded Guards Corps soldiers rolled and wailed in front of the enemy's trenches.

As the victors, the Ming army did not rush to pursue and expand their victory. No one even left the trenches to clean up the battlefield. Even the lights that could illuminate hundreds of meters were turned off. The banks of the Arab River were once again shrouded in darkness. Except for the increasingly weak wailing sounds, it seemed as if nothing had happened.

"Your Majesty, the enemy has retreated. A rough estimate is that there are nearly a thousand casualties. Should we clean up the battlefield?"

The silence was only an appearance, and both sides would definitely not be able to sleep that night. Just then, the Imperial Horse Supervisor Zhao En trotted to the outside of the emperor's tent, ostensibly to report the results of the battle, but in fact to show off his achievements.

He was originally a junior eunuch under Chen Ju, and served as the assistant secretary of the Imperial Seal Supervisor. When the seal of the Imperial Horse Supervisor changed, Hong Tao needed a reliable person to keep an eye on the new seal of the Imperial Horse Supervisor, so he was recommended by Chen Ju and entered the Imperial Horse Supervisor in 1608.

Nearly 20 years had passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhao En had grown from a young eunuch to a senior eunuch. Since Zhang Ran's death, he had taken over the post of the Imperial Horse Supervisor. Although he still had a seal of approval, in reality, Pingtou Ge was always by the emperor's side and had no time to take care of the supervisory duties, so the supervisor acted as the supervisor.

"Come in and answer the call!" When the night attack took place, Hong Tao had just returned from a combat meeting in the central army tent and was leaning on a recliner smoking when suddenly gunfire rang out.

But he never left, suppressing his uneasiness and completely giving up his power, in order to see if the army and the officers of the Imperial Horse Administration could handle the war on their own without his meddling. Facts had proved that he, the emperor, was becoming more and more redundant, and if he could stay away, the officers might do a better job.

"I am guilty of disturbing His Majesty's sleep!" Zhao En's behavior in front of the emperor was completely different from Wang Chengen and Pingtou Ge. He was very restrained in his words and deeds and body language.

"Well, remember your sins first. When you have committed 10,000 sins, I will carve them on your tombstone when you are buried."

Hong Tao didn't like this eunuch who was rigid and strictly observed etiquette, but he was very satisfied with his style of following orders strictly at work and having remained the same for decades. He couldn't help but want to tease him every time they met.

"..." But the result was almost the same every time. Zhao En was not used to joking with the emperor and became even more restrained.

"Tell me about the effectiveness of the new weapons, mainly their shortcomings!" Seeing this, Hong Tao was no longer in the mood to joke. He put on a stern face and got down to business.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, for adding a new weapon. The Warrior Battalion showed its prowess in the battle just now, defeating the attacking enemy. In my humble opinion, the long spear can be reloaded and fired without any delay in a breath. Although the caliber is slightly smaller, the power is not weakened, and there is no deficiency. The other two have not been used yet, so I dare not make any rash comments."

When talking about business, Zhao En became relaxed and spoke clearly, but his words were conservative and without too many adjectives. This was also an important factor in Hong Tao's decision to let him serve in the Imperial Horse Administration. As a soldier, it is better to do well than to speak well.

"Tomorrow the Imperial Horse Guard will be the main force in attacking the enemy trenches. Even with the help of the naval guns, it will still be a tough battle. Go back and explain to the warriors immediately that they should not fight blindly to death. Using your brain and thinking more about your daily training is the way to win.

In addition, I also want to make it clear that casualties are inevitable. Let everyone leave a suicide note. I will take care of your affairs after your death. Don't worry. This is a rough sketch of the trenches that need to be attacked. Study it carefully. If you have any questions, you can come to me immediately. "

Hearing that the new model of rifles equipped by the Imperial Horse Administration had no problems, Hong Tao felt relieved. But whether he could be completely relieved would depend on tomorrow's battle. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. We raise soldiers for a thousand days and use them for a moment. The Warrior Battalion is our personal army and is blessed with grace. It is our honor to die on the battlefield for our emperor and the Ming Dynasty. We should die for our country!"

Zhao En listened to these instructions that sounded like a dying instruction, without showing any fear in his eyes. He knelt on both knees and kowtowed, saying that if he failed, he would die.

"Wait a minute, this is what I don't want to see. Remember, I don't want loyal subjects to die. I want you all to be alive and pass on your skills. Before dawn, Chief of Staff Ding will personally find you to arrange your advance and retreat. Don't act on your own when the time comes. You must retreat immediately when you see the retreat signal, otherwise you will be deceiving the emperor!"

Hong Tao was certainly happy to be loved by his people and appreciated by his subordinates. But he didn't want this kind of thinking to appear in the army. If they were willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of justice, how many troops would they have to support?

Especially for the royal guards like the Imperial Stable Warrior Battalion and the Four Guards Battalion, their food and drink expenses are of the highest quality, and it is not cost-effective to use them in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy.

The purpose of bringing them out this time is partly to improve their combat effectiveness. Don't just rely on training. What they will produce in that way will only be mere show-offs and unable to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the emperor.

Another meaning is to test the effectiveness of new weapons on a high-intensity battlefield. Only they are equipped with these weapons and have familiarized themselves with them for several months, and no other troops can replace them in a hurry.

"...I obey your command!" Zhao En was at a loss now. No matter in history books or folk tales, emperors liked loyal and righteous people who dared to risk their lives. Why was it different when it came to his own Emperor? Not only could he not risk his life, but he also had to be ready to retreat at any time.

But he had to admit it even if he couldn't figure it out, so he could only keep his doubts and find a chance to ask Wang Chengen and Wei San. These two stayed by the emperor's side all day long, and they should know more than he did.

"Boom...boom boom..." The second day of the Battle of Fao Port was opened by three naval gunshots.

As the sound of cannons rang out, the Ming army camp seemed to come alive. Tents quickly disappeared, and teams of soldiers gathered around dozens of four-wheeled carriages, queuing up with their lunch boxes for breakfast. The scene was both chaotic and orderly.

"Dear brothers of the Royal Horse Guard Warrior Battalion, today, the Governor ordered us to prepare a meal for the officers. There are vegetables, meat, canned food, and cocoa tea. You can eat and drink as much as you want.

Although the Imperial Stables do not belong to the Army, after all, we all rely on horse hooves, wheels and two legs to walk. We must not let those cowards who show off their power by sitting on boats and using cannons make a fool of themselves.

Don't be afraid, with the Emperor here, the bullets won't hit us, the faster you charge, the safer you will be. When charging, don't carry the shovel on your back, put it in your belt like I did.

If you encounter an enemy at close range and don't have time to reload, don't panic, throw your gun away first, and when the enemy dodges, pull out the shovel and chop the neck, and the problem will be solved in one go. Hey, this is a trick I have summed up in my 20 years of military service. I won't teach it to others easily, so you must remember it! "

On the dining car closest to the Warriors Camp's defensive position stood a bald man with a ruddy face and shiny skin, who was obviously overnourished. There was nothing he could do, as the cooks were close to the water and got the moon first, so even if he didn't steal or take anything, he would still get a mouthful of oil.

(End of this chapter)