Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

At this time, a young officer dressed in the uniform of a technical officer stepped forward quickly, clasped his fists and saluted: "I am Zhang Cheng, the captain of the Firearms Battalion, and I am here on the orders of the Prince Consort to help the Duke of Liang get familiar with the new equipment."

Lan Yu dismounted from his horse and showed a rare politeness: "Captain Zhang, there is no need to be so polite. Are these firearms really as powerful as the rumors say?"

Zhang Cheng smiled slightly and took out a new rifle from his waist: "Please have a look, Duke..."

He loaded the ammunition skillfully and aimed at the wooden target a hundred steps away.

"boom!"

After a deafening gunshot, a hole as big as a bowl appeared in the center of the wooden target.

"This," Lan Yong gasped, "is more than twice as far as a bow and arrow!"

Zhang Cheng pointed to the artillery position again: "Those light field guns can destroy earth walls with one shell, and the range is three miles. As for the 'Fire Dragon Out of Water'," he lowered his voice, "Once it is used, no grass will grow within a hundred steps."

Lan Yu's several sworn brothers were stunned. They had been on the battlefield for a long time, so they naturally understood the value of these weapons - with them, the Northern Expedition was almost certain to win!

"Good! Good! Good!" Lan Yu said "good" three times in a row, and suddenly laughed up to the sky, "God helps me! With such a great army, why should I worry about my son's death?"

He turned around abruptly and shouted to several of his sworn brothers, "Pass the order down, the entire army will march out! Within three months, I will return to the capital with Nai'er Buhua's head to report!"

"Understood sir!" All the generals responded in unison, their voices shaking the sky.

As the horns blew, the 50,000 new troops marched northward like a steel torrent. Their orderly steps shook the earth slightly, and the people along the way stopped to watch, all marveling at the might and majesty of this army.

Lan Yu rode on his warhorse, looking at the army formation that stretched for miles, with great pride in his heart: "Ouyang Lun, Ouyang Lun, I will remember your favor!"

Lan Yu rode on his warhorse, looking at the army formation that stretched for miles, feeling extremely proud. However, his adopted sons Lan Yong and Lan Meng were still immersed in shock, and they kept looking back at the new firearms, their eyes full of disbelief.

"Godfather," Lan Yong finally couldn't help but speak, lowering his voice, "Are these firearms really that powerful? How could the Prince Consort Ouyang Lun be willing to give them all to us?"

Lan Yu's eyes flickered when he heard this. He stroked the brand new sword at his waist and said in a deep voice: "Yong'er, do you know how this new rifle is better than a bow and arrow?"

Lan Meng rushed to answer: "The range is longer and the power is greater! When the captain demonstrated it just now, he shot through a wooden target a hundred steps away. If it is used on the battlefield..."

"Not only that." Lan Yu interrupted him, his eyes deep, "An archer needs ten years of hard training to become a good archer, but with a musket, ordinary soldiers can go into battle and kill the enemy after three months of training."

Lan Yong suddenly realized: "No wonder the Prince Consort dared to boast that he could form a new army of 100,000 firearms!"

Hearing the title "Prince Consort", Lan Yu frowned slightly. Not long ago, when the Huaixi Party mentioned Ouyang Lun, who didn't grit their teeth? Now even his adopted son began to respectfully address him as "Prince Consort".

"Foster father," Lan Meng hesitated for a moment and asked, "Why would the Prince Consort help us? Isn't he afraid that our Huaixi Party will turn against him after a comeback?"

The cold wind whistled, blowing up Lan Yu's cloak. He was silent for a long time, and suddenly sneered: "What do you think those 'colleagues' hiding in the capital are doing now?"

The two adopted sons looked at each other.

"They," Lan Yu said with unprecedented sarcasm in his tone, "are they probably toasting at Li Shanchang's house, celebrating that I, Lan Yu, have become useful again?"

Lan Yong was shocked: "Why did you say that, father? The Huaixi Party is of the same blood."

"We are of the same blood?" Lan Yu pulled the reins hard, and the warhorse neighed and stopped. He turned his head and stared at his adopted sons, his eyes flashing coldly, "When I was demoted, apart from you adopted sons, was there any 'colleague' who spoke up for me? Now that I have regained the military power, they have come forward one by one!"

Lan Meng whispered: "But Lord Li is..."

"Li Shanchang?" Lan Yu snorted coldly, "He just treated me as a chess piece. If he wins, it's because of his planning; if he loses, it's because of my stubbornness."

At this point, Lan Yu suddenly remembered what Ouyang Lun said to him in the armory that day - "The Duke is the pillar of the country, how can he be abolished because of party disputes?" At that time, he only thought it was a polite remark, but now thinking about it, it was actually somewhat sincere.

"Remember," Lan Yu said in a low voice, "the people who truly serve the country and the people in this world are those who do not form cliques or pursue personal interests. Although Ouyang Lun has a grudge against us, the firearms he developed have indeed doubled the military strength of the Ming Dynasty."

Lan Yong looked at his adoptive father in surprise, and could hardly believe that these words came from the mouth of Lan Yu, who had always been hostile to Ouyang Lun.

Lan Yu seemed to be aware of his own transformation and laughed at himself: "Why? Do you think your godfather has changed?"

He looked towards the vast sky and earth in the north, and his tone gradually became firm: "I, Lan Yu, have fought for half my life, and all I want is to achieve success and defend my country. Now that I have such a powerful weapon in my hand, I will go all out to expand the territory for the Ming Dynasty! As for those petty intrigues in the court..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a commotion ahead. A group of cavalrymen came galloping over, led by Zhang Cheng, the captain of the Firearm Battalion.

"Duke Liang!" Zhang Cheng reined in his horse and clasped his fists. "The vanguard has reached Juyong Pass. Should we rest as planned?"

Lan Yu's eyes gleamed, and he instantly regained his appearance as the iron-blooded general who dominated the battlefield: "No need to rest! Pass the order, the whole army must march quickly and reach Xuanfu within three days!"

"Understood sir!" Zhang Cheng took the order and left.

After Zhang Cheng walked away, Lan Yong whispered, "Godfather, is this technical officer sent by Ouyang Lun working well for you?"

Lan Yu raised his lips slightly: "Although Zhang Cheng is Ouyang Lun's man, he is indeed proficient in firearms and is efficient in his work." He paused and said meaningfully, "He is much better than those 'colleagues' who can only flatter."

The two adopted sons looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes. They knew that their adoptive father's attitude towards Ouyang Lun had changed subtly.

The army continued to march northward, their orderly footsteps rolling like thunder. Lan Yu looked at the outline of Juyong Pass gradually emerging in the distance, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.

He recalled what Ouyang Lun had said when he came to see him off before he left Beijing: "The Duke will surely achieve great success on his return. When he returns victorious, Ouyang will definitely commend the Duke for his achievements in front of His Majesty."

At that time, he just thought it was a polite remark. Now thinking about it, Ouyang Lun's eyes were sincere when he said this, without any hypocrisy. On the other hand, Li Shanchang, apart from urging him to "win at all costs and not let down the Huaixi Party", did not say a word of concern for the lives of the soldiers.

"Godfather, Juyongguan is ahead." Lan Meng's voice interrupted Lan Yu's thoughts.

Lan Yu came back to his senses, his eyes were clear. He suddenly drew out his sword, the blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight: "Send a message to the three armies! After leaving the pass, march day and night! I will catch Nai'er Buhua off guard!"

"Got the order!"

Looking at the backs of his adopted sons riding horses to pass on the message, Lan Yu's heart became even more heroic. He suddenly realized that it was better to fight with real swords and guns on the battlefield than to engage in intrigue in the court. And the one who gave him this opportunity was precisely his most hated enemy - Ouyang Lun.

"Ouyang Lun, Ouyang Lun," Lan Yu whispered to himself, "If we win this battle, I will definitely drink three cups with you!"

The north wind howled, blowing up yellow sand all over the sky. Lan Yu squeezed his horse's belly, and the warhorse neighed as it rushed towards Juyong Pass. Behind him, 50,000 iron soldiers poured out of the pass like a torrent, rushing towards the vast battlefield in the north.

Lan Yu's 50,000-strong army advanced like a steel torrent into the heart of the grassland where the Nai'erbuhua tribe was entrenched.

The scouts reported that Nairbuhua had assembled 80,000 cavalry and was ready for battle.

"Report! Duke Liang, the main force of the enemy has been spotted thirty miles ahead, and is approaching our army!"

Lan Yu stood on a high slope, with her eyes as sharp as torches, gazing into the distance at the billowing smoke and dust gradually rising on the northern horizon - that was the snow, fog and dust raised by the Mongolian cavalry's charge.

"Form a battle array!" Lan Yu ordered in a deep voice. In an instant, the Ming army's battle array changed rapidly.

The infantry square was in the front, the musketeers were arranged in three rows, the muzzles of their guns pointed forward; the artillery position was in the center, fifty light field guns were lined up, and the gunners had finished loading; the cavalry wings were spread out, ready to outflank at any time. The entire army was silent, with only the howling of the north wind.

The ground began to tremble.

In the distance, Nairbuhua's 80,000 cavalrymen surged in like a tide, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and the shouts of the Mongolian warriors shook the earth. They brandished scimitars and had bows and arrows strung, obviously intending to use traditional cavalry archery tactics to break through the Ming army's formation.

Lan Yu sneered: "You don't know your own limitations!"

He waved the flag fiercely: "Artillery ready - fire!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Fifty light field guns roared at the same time, and the shells cut through the sky and smashed into the Mongolian cavalry like the hammer of death.

"Bang! Boom! Boom!"

The shock wave of the explosion instantly knocked over dozens of horses, shrapnel flew everywhere, and the Mongolian cavalry's charge was stagnant, the horses were frightened, and the formation was in chaos.

"First row of musketeers—fire!"

"Bang! Boom! Boom!"

Three hundred new rifles fired at the same time, and lead bullets poured out like a rainstorm. The Mongolian cavalry a hundred steps away fell like wheat being cut, and the warriors charging in the front row were shot and fell off their horses before they even had time to draw their bows.

"Second row—fire!"

"Bang! Boom! Boom!"

Another round of volleys, the Mongolian cavalry's charge was completely suppressed. Their bows and arrows had a range of only sixty or seventy steps, and they could not reach the Ming army's line at all, so they could only passively take the beating.

The generals of the Northern Yuan Dynasty were furious and shouted, "Scatter! Charge forward in a scattered manner! Don't crowd together!"

The Mongolian cavalry quickly changed their formation and tried to approach in a dispersed formation. However, the Ming army's artillery adjusted its firing angle and used shotgun shells instead.

"boom!"

Hundreds of iron beads shot out like flowers scattered from heaven, covering a large area. Even though the Mongolian cavalry were scattered, they were still mowed down in large numbers.

"Cavalry! Outflank from both wings!" Lan Yu ordered again.

The Ming light cavalry rushed out from the flank, holding new short guns and shooting at the Mongolian cavalry at close range. The Mongolians had never seen such sharp firearms, and they suffered heavy casualties in a short time, and their formation completely collapsed.

"kill!"

Lan Yu personally led the elite cavalry to charge directly into Nairbuhua's central camp. Although the Mongols were brave, they were unable to organize an effective counterattack under the suppression of Ming army firearms.

"Release the fire dragon out of the water!" Lan Yu shouted.

“Swish—Boom!”

Ten "Fire Dragons Emerging from Water" were fired at the same time. The incendiary bombs propelled by gunpowder streaked across the sky and fell into the Mongolian army formation like meteors.

"Boom!"

The flames shot up into the sky, and the area within a hundred steps was instantly turned into a sea of ​​fire. The Mongolian horses were frightened and ran away, and the cavalry screamed in pain as they were burned, and the formation was completely disrupted.

**Northern Yuan Central Army Headquarters**
A blood-soaked scout stumbled into the tent and knelt down to report: "Khan! The vanguard has been defeated. The Ming army's firearms are fierce. Our army has suffered heavy casualties!"

The generals in the tent changed color when they heard this, and looked at Nai'erbuhua who was sitting in the main seat. However, this famous general of the Northern Yuan Dynasty looked calm, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle.

"Why are you panicking?" Nai'er Buhua sneered, "Although the Ming army's firearms are powerful, they must have flaws!"

He stood up suddenly and ordered in a deep voice:

"Order all units to abandon the frontal charge, break up into smaller units, and make a detour from the flanks in teams of a thousand!"

"All archers should be equipped with rockets to focus on attacking the Ming army's gunpowder and baggage!"

"Send another 5,000 warriors, wear double heavy armor, charge with giant shields, and tear open the Ming army's musket formation!"

The generals were cheered up and responded in unison: "Yes, sir!"

OTHER SIDE
Lan Yu stood on a high slope, looking at the Mongolian cavalry who were retreating step by step, with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Godfather!" Lan Yong rode over excitedly, "The enemy's left wing has collapsed, and our vanguard has advanced three miles!"

Lan Meng also laughed: "Those Mongolian barbarians are simply vulnerable in front of our new firearms!"

Lan Yu stroked his beard and nodded, feeling extremely happy. Not long ago, the Northern Yuan cavalry was a major threat to the Ming border army, but now they were defeated by his own firearms army.

He couldn't help but think of the scene when Ouyang Lun demonstrated firearms in the armory - that gentle and refined prince consort could actually create such a magical weapon!

"Report!" Suddenly, a messenger came running over, "Duke, the enemy has changed their formation!"

Lan Yu looked intently and saw that the Mongolian cavalry, which had been scattered, suddenly broke up and attacked from all directions like a pack of wolves. What was even more frightening was that a group of heavily armored infantry were holding up huge shields and advancing fearlessly.

"Interesting." Lan Yu smiled instead of getting angry. "Pass the order, change the cannons to chain bullets, and focus on the heavily armored soldiers! The musketeers will fire in three stages, don't give them a chance to breathe!"

As soon as the order was given, the Mongolian army's rockets fell like raindrops.

“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—”

Several rockets hit the Ming army's gunpowder carts, causing violent explosions. For a moment, flames shot up into the sky and smoke filled the air.

Lan Yu frowned and was about to give an order, but he saw Zhang Cheng, the captain of the firearms battalion, had led his men to put out the fire, while shouting: "Disperse the gunpowder carts! Quickly!"

The Ming army quickly changed its formation, demonstrating amazing adaptability.

"What a great Zhang Cheng!" Lan Yu secretly admired, "The person sent by Ouyang Lun is indeed not simple!"

On the battlefield, chain bullets whizzed out, tearing the iron shields of the Mongolian heavy armored soldiers into pieces. The three-stage round of musket fire did not stop, and the barrage of bullets harvested the charging enemy troops like the scythe of the god of death.

Nai Er Bu Hua saw this from a distance, and his expression finally changed. (End of this chapter)