Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 135 I defeated His Highness like slaughtering chickens and dogs! (-word update to start tomorrow)
When Zhu Di saw Xia Zhibai saw the musket at a glance, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He waved his hand and said, "Since you want to see it, it's okay to show it to you."

"This thing is called a three-eyed gun."

"It is one of the most sophisticated firearms in our Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Di raised his chin slightly, with a hint of pride in his eyes.

Firearms first appeared in the Song Dynasty, but were later learned by the Jin people and created the "flying fire gun".

The Southern Song Dynasty took it back and improved it, turning it into the "fire lance", but the range of the lance at this time was only a few meters, and it mainly sprayed flames and iron sand.

Therefore, it is extremely unstable.

Starting from the Yuan Dynasty, single-barreled and three-barreled guns appeared in the world.

The muskets at this time were significantly different from those in the past. They were no longer loaded with iron sand, but with gunpowder and bullets. They were also ignited with a fuse or burning incense, and then connected with a wooden stick for holding. After the bullet was fired, a three-barreled gun that was heavy enough could also be used as a blunt weapon.

After discovering the tremendous power of firearms, Zhu Yuanzhang attached great importance to firearms.

In the Ming Dynasty today, firearms were managed by specialized military equipment bureaus and weapon bureaus, and standardized production was implemented.

On some parts of the gun body, there are inscriptions such as the casting time, place, gun body weight, name of the gun caster, and place of use, to ensure the production quality and institutionalization of use.

In the 13th year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang also issued an order: for every 100 soldiers, there should be 10 guns, 20 swords and shields, 30 bows and arrows, and 40 spears.

All this is enough to prove the importance the Ming Dynasty attached to firearms.

Xia Zhibai nodded.

He naturally recognized that it was a musket.

He took it, looked at the fuse, held it in his hand for a few seconds, and returned it, asking, "How far can this musket shoot? What is its lethality?"

Zhu Di frowned.

He was a little confused as to why Xia Zhibai asked these questions.

However, Zhu Di did not stop him and let the soldier who was questioned go back.

The soldier looked a little nervous, looking at the musket in Xia Zhibai's hand and said, "My lord, this musket weighs six pounds, uses three cents of medicine and two cents of lead bullets, and has a range of about ten to two hundred steps, but it can really kill within forty steps."

"But the firing of a musket will make a lot of noise and create a lot of smoke, so even at a distance of forty steps, it can still have an impact on the enemy."

Xia Zhibai stared at the soldier and said, "That means the effective range is only forty steps. How accurate is it within forty steps? Can it kill with one shot? Is it easy to load the ammunition for the musket? How long does it take to use? Will the barrel explode during use? Or are there any other problems such as operating problems?"

Xia Zhibai asked a lot of questions in a row.

The soldier's face changed slightly. He looked at Zhu Di nervously and was afraid to speak.

Zhu Di narrowed his eyes, looked at Xia Zhibai suspiciously, and took the initiative to ask: "Why are you asking these questions?"

"Fireguns are more complicated than you think, and there are more types than you think."

"The firearms used by a single soldier are called hand guns, and those used by warships and guarding pass are called bowl-mouth guns, cup-mouth guns, and multi-barrel guns. However, firearms are related to gunpowder after all, and are somewhat dangerous, so they naturally take time to reload and are not very accurate, but they are sufficient for use on the battlefield."

"The most important thing is that it can scare the horses!"

"The Mongols are good at riding. Once their horses are frightened, they will not be able to launch an effective attack on our Ming army."

Zhu Di drove the horse with one hand, exuding a heroic spirit.

He actually attaches great importance to muskets and has been studying them privately.

Through his research on firearms, he did figure out some things. The guns were in the front and the cavalry were in the back. The vanguard should be sparse and the rear should be dense. A sparse front will make it effective, and a dense formation will make it solid. When the battle begins, the guns should be used first to destroy the vanguard, followed by the cavalry to charge into the stronghold.

Because of this.

He is so confident.

He believed that he would be able to demonstrate his prowess in the subsequent Northern Expedition.

Xia Zhibai shook his head and said, "What I want is the specific situation of the musket."

"In how many steps can a single shot kill an enemy? In how many steps can an enemy be effectively injured? Will a musket explode? In recent years, have there been any military casualties due to musket operation errors or maintenance problems? Or the total number of people injured or killed by the use of muskets."

Zhu Di was silent.

Xia Zhibai withdrew his gaze and looked at the soldier again, seeking an answer.

The soldier hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Within ten steps, the chances of killing the enemy with one strike are very high, but not absolute. Within fifty steps, we can cause effective damage, but beyond fifty steps, we can only harass the enemy."

"The musket will explode!"

“And there were quite a few explosions.”

"Among the three hundred musketeers in the army, half of them have encountered this before."

“It’s just that the specific circumstances are different.”

"Reloading is very troublesome. Often, after firing a volley, there is no chance to reload. Therefore, compared to the single-barreled gun, the army prefers to use the three-barreled gun because the three-barreled gun can be fired continuously and can be used as a weapon after use. It will not be impossible for the Mongolian cavalry to charge head-on and have no ability to fight back."

Xia Zhibai frowned and said, "That is to say, firearms are not very practical in the army, and they are more of a deterrent."

"At the same time, the current use of firearms in the army is to place them in front of the battle formation. When facing the enemy's vanguard, they fire a volley to penetrate the enemy and then retreat to the rear. Overall, firearms only play a supporting role and are not that 'powerful'?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

Zhu Di frowned.

He didn't quite understand what Xia Zhibai was doing.

Isn't this enough?
The Mongols were good at riding, and as long as the enemy's horses were frightened, they would almost certainly be defeated and retreat.

Even if the enemy dared to force their way forward, the infantry units attached to the chariots would line up in military formation, with the rattan shield bearers in the front, followed by the palladium bearers, then the spearmen, and then the musketeers fighting with the enemy. When the enemy formation was in chaos, the dense cavalry in the rear would attack the enemy's main force with an overwhelming momentum and pursue and annihilate the defeated and fleeing enemy.

This was Zhu Di’s ideal way of deploying troops.

Xia Zhibai smiled.

He walked away from the soldier.

We went to another place, where there was a cannon.

Xia Zhibai stretched out his hand and clapped it. It was very heavy and almost made no sound. Xia Zhibai looked forward and said to the soldiers below: "How many gunners are there in the army now?"

Zhu Di raised his eyebrows.

He became increasingly confused.

Isn't Xia Zhibai a scholar? Why is he only staring at these firearms?
What does he know about firearms?
Yuan Gong then took the initiative to say: "This is a cannon."

"There is one cannon for every five hundred households in the army."

"There are now twenty guns and a hundred gunners in the army."

"Compared to the fire guns that Xia Jinshi saw earlier, cannons are obviously larger and heavier, and more difficult to carry. Therefore, they are mostly used to defend or attack cities. As for field battles, naval battles, or sea battles, they can also be used, but the effectiveness will be reduced."

"In addition, the barrels of most guns are filled with stone, lead, iron, etc., and of course sometimes they are also filled with explosive balls."

"The range of artillery is generally between a few hundred steps and two or three miles."

"It can be called a divine weapon for attacking strongholds."

"Although firearms are powerful, they are also unstable."

"However, the chance of a cannon exploding is much smaller than that of a musket. It's just that sometimes it's easy for it to fail to fire and get stuck. If it fires explosive pellets, there's a chance of it exploding. This has happened in the military before." Xia Zhibai glanced at Yuan Gong.

Yao Guangxiao smiled and said, "This is Yuan Gong from East Zhejiang, the best physiognomist in the world."

"Currently working for His Royal Highness Prince Yan."

Xia Zhibai looked Yuan Gong up and down. It seemed that he had heard of him, but he didn't have much impression of him.

He bowed his hands in salute.

Xia Zhibai didn't seem to care much about Zhu Di's manpower, but was more concerned about the situation of these artillery. He put his hand on the artillery and asked again: "Is there any accurate artilleryman in the army who can hit whatever he points to?"

Zhu Di and others looked at each other.

This is artillery.

This is not a game of house for kids. How can it be so easy to just point and hit?
The size of artillery projectiles varies from projectile to projectile, and it is difficult to control them accurately. If you can guarantee that it can be hit within twenty steps, it can be considered accurate.

Zhu Di said coldly: "You really don't understand firearms. Firearms are related to gunpowder and are difficult to control. It is very impressive to be able to launch them stably and cause certain casualties. If you can point and hit wherever you want, the Mongolian cavalry would have surrendered long ago."

Xia Zhibai said: "There should be someone in the army who can fight more accurately, right?"

"Of course there are." Zhu Di said proudly, "I, Zhu Di, attach great importance to military affairs, and firearms as well. I have specially selected suitable artillerymen from thousands of soldiers. Each of them is an elite."

"But not every one of them can hit accurately." Xia Zhibai said.

Xia Zhibai walked back slowly, looked at Zhu Di with his eyes, and said with a smile: "Your Highness, do you have any craftsmen who can make or maintain firearms?"

Zhu Di nodded.

Xia Zhibai said: "Then I can clearly say that Your Highness does not care much about military affairs. If Your Highness really cares about military affairs, you should hold these craftsmen accountable for the continuous explosion of firearms and artillery in your army and the lack of improvements for several years."

"If only a few people can't shoot accurately, then maybe it means it's a human problem."

"But among so many people, only a few can shoot accurately. That means it's a problem with the firearms. The firearms problem can actually cause the army that Your Highness is so proud of to lose men in a non-war state, and Your Highness not only did not notice it, but even didn't care. This fully proves that Your Highness doesn't care about the real situation of the army."

"Your Highness only cares about his own military achievements."

“It’s just my own achievement.”

"As a general, you haven't made much progress in tactics and strategy. You rely on others to arrange the troops. In terms of military management, you don't enforce strict discipline, and you are lax and careless. You are indifferent to the casualties of your soldiers. The reason why your army can win the battle is not because they are strong, but because Mongolia is too weak now."

"Plus, these Ming soldiers are fearless and brave."

"But is it really worth it to win the war with the blood of so many soldiers?"

“I don’t think it’s worth it.”

"Because Your Highness could have done better."

"If we simulate the aftermath of the war in advance and make adequate preparations for the war, at least we will have a basis for advancing and retreating, and have a clear plan for the specific deployment of troops so that the soldiers can be familiar with it, wouldn't that help reduce the casualties of the army to a greater extent? Planning before taking action has always been the way of leading troops, but Your Highness seems to have no idea at all."

Xia Zhibai shook his head calmly.

He stood with his hands behind his back, staring at Zhu Di, and said with a smile: "Although I am not talented, if I can lead the army for five years, relying on the method of building a strong camp and fighting a stupid battle, I only need to lead the army for five years. The same army will only be slaughtered chickens and dogs when facing your highness's army."

"Because every move of your Highness is within my deduction."

"Xia Zhibai!" Zhu Di was completely furious when he heard Xia Zhibai's words. With a clang, Zhu Di drew out his sword and said proudly, "Since you are so dissatisfied with me, I will grant your wish. You and I will fight each other on the battlefield with real swords and guns."

"I want to see how you can defeat me like a butcher of chickens and dogs!"

Zhu Di was also annoyed.

He has always been the one looking down on others. When will it be others' turn to look down on him?
Or in the military, which he is most proud of.

Xia Zhibai laughed, with a hint of contempt in his eyes, and said: "If Your Highness only has a competitive heart, then it means that Your Highness is not suitable for staying in the army. It is more suitable to stay in the countryside and fight with the ruffians in the folks, doing some cockfighting and running things. Wouldn't that be more fun?"

"You" Zhu Di glared at him.

Xia Zhibai sneered, "Your Highness has no strategy or tactics, no intelligence work, no knowledge of the big things, no grasp of the small things, and even the most basic military discipline, and he doesn't lead his troops strictly. How can people be convinced that Your Highness is an excellent commander?"

"May I ask where Your Highness usually conducts his military operations?"

"Could it be the same pomp and circus as when they came here today? Waving flags and shouting after winning a battle, or taking soldiers out hunting every now and then, or fighting with Mongolian spies, and then coming back in triumph, or simply training the army and shouting slogans?"

"If that's all."

"The combat effectiveness of the Ming army is really worrying."

"The Ming Dynasty was founded only eighteen years ago, and its army has already declined to this point. Only now that Mongolia is in decline and internal conflicts continue, has the Ming army been able to seize the opportunity to pursue the victory, but what about the future? The Ming Dynasty's prosperity is only superficial. If this layer of window paper is broken in the future, wouldn't it be a case of thousands of people poking at it?"

"Who will be able to protect the Ming Dynasty at that time?"

"Depend on the soldiers below?"

Xia Zhibai sighed softly and his eyes became serious.

He glanced at Zhu Di, Yao Guangxiao and the others one by one, and said calmly: "Your Highness, you have led the army for so long, have you ever asked the soldiers under you if they know who they are fighting for and why they are fighting?"

“What’s the point of fighting for them?”

"Has your Highness asked?"

One word fell.

The originally bustling camp suddenly became quiet.

The audience was silent.

The soldiers below all looked confused.

Who are we fighting for? Why are we fighting? What is the point of fighting?

Do they know?
do not know.

They were military households and had always obeyed the imperial court's orders. They had to do whatever the imperial court told them to do and they had no choice.

But do they really like fighting?
dislike.

They seem to have no idea of ​​the meaning of war. What does it matter if they win or lose?

In the early years, the Tartars were expelled, but now all the Mongols have fled north.

Then why continue the Northern Expedition?
Make achievements?

They are just a bunch of small soldiers. What achievements can they make? What careers can they establish?

Zhu Di, Yao Guangxiao and others were also stunned.

They naturally knew what fighting meant to them. It was military merit, achievement, and great honor. It was also an opportunity for them to prove themselves. But this was only limited to a minority of them. For most soldiers, fighting was meaningless.

Then why are they still fighting actively with their lives?

Think of this.

There was a solemn look in Zhu Di's eyes.

Xia Zhibai retracted his gaze, and he stood in front of the army again, and said calmly: "Many of you don't know who you are fighting for or why you are fighting, but I can tell you why you are here, why you want to participate in the war with Beiyuan, and why this war must be fought."

　I've been busy with real life lately and have only slept a few hours a day. I'll resume normal updates tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)