I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 411 A Big Trouble

Lead bullets hit the wooden target like a rainstorm, and all kinds of armor were not spared and holes were made in them.

After firing, the captain ordered the ammunition to be reloaded.

The artillery team took advantage of this gap and fired another round.

The sound of the cannon was much louder, as if swords and axes were cutting through the air, and the hissing tail sound floated over the parade ground.

After firing three rounds, the captain ordered the soldiers to check their bayonets, then drew their sabers and shouted to the front, "Charge!"

He rushed to the front with a pistol in his left hand and a sword in his right hand. The whole team of soldiers raised their muskets with bayonets like spears and rushed forward with a roar.

Xue Yi explained, "Your Highness, gentlemen, we have conducted repeated drills and tested them in actual combat in Luanhe and Liaodong. We know that firing a gun can crush the enemy's morale and disrupt their formation. In the end, we have to rely on the bayonet to end the battle and win."

"That's right. Only by fighting face to face and living against each other can we completely defeat the enemy." Cao Bangfu replied, stroking his beard.

“I often see some imperial censors and other upright officials making irresponsible remarks, saying that they have read history books and made careful calculations, and that if the enemy army suffers a certain number of casualties, it will be defeated.

Haha, war is not a simple game of words, it is a game between people. It is not only a life-and-death struggle of physical strength, but also a tough contest of mind and perseverance.

There are too many factors that determine victory or defeat. When fighting, everyone is nervous about who will win or lose. There are too many examples in history books of failure or comeback.

Often, we only find the winning experience after the battle, but it is hindsight. "

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "Mr. Cao is right. The most frightening and anticipated thing about war is its unpredictability."

He turned around and asked Xue Yi and the others, "Which unit is conducting the drill today?"

“In reply to Your Highness, it is the Jiayin Infantry Regiment of the Shenwei Army.

In compliance with His Majesty's order, the six infantry regiments of the Shenwei Army from Jiayin to Yimao are the first batch of all-firearms troops of the Ming Dynasty."

Before this, muskets and artillery were trained together with traditional cold weapon infantry. In Qi Jiguang's mind, firearms were just new weapons and tools to help defeat the enemy and win victory, like bows and crossbows and stone cannons.

No one had ever thought deeply about organizing a completely independent army using only muskets and artillery, and no one thought it was too "advanced".

Finally, Zhu Yijun felt that after several years of use of firearms in conjunction with cavalry and infantry, sufficient experience had been gained, and that smoothbore muskets, field guns and other firearms had also been tested in actual combat and were fully mature, so he ordered the formation of a separate pure firearms unit, still based on infantry regiments.

Zhu Yijun continued, "In today's drill, the firearms infantry regiment has a high chance of winning against ordinary infantry. But how to fight against cavalry in the field and how to win? Have you ever practiced it?"

Everyone focused their eyes on Xue Yi.

Such a sharp firearm is too bullying to use against the rebels in the South China Sea. The navy and the marine battalion are enough to deal with them.

The Shenwei Army will definitely be used first to deal with the Northern Tartars.

Xue Yi replied: "Your Highness, when infantrymen fight against cavalrymen, the first thing they have to deal with is the sudden attack of cavalrymen from the front or side, which is what the Military Academy calls the ability to charge and break formations.

Previously, our infantry relied on spear formations and wooden deer chevaux de frise. However, in field battles, infantry could not carry these heavy equipment everywhere, and spear formations were often limited by the terrain.

Therefore, the predecessors invented the boxcars and connected them into a formation. General Qi moved the light artillery onto the boxcars, reinforced them, and made great progress. However, in field battles, it was good for defense but not for attack, so it still had some flaws.

Taipusi developed barbed wire, which helped the infantry solve a problem. "

“Barbed wire?”

Xue Yi ordered the messenger to wave the flag, and the infantry regiment sent a part of the soldiers to the open space in front of the team formation, and used wood to build sturdy tripods, more than one person tall. Then some soldiers carried rolls of iron wire with spikes on them, straightened them with tools, and hung them on the tripods. They stretched them longer and longer, connecting one tripod after another, and in less than a quarter of an hour, they had almost formed a terrifying barbed wire fence.

The most insane thing was that more than a dozen soldiers attacked at the same time. There were five barbed wire fences. Even if you asked Liu Bei to ride his horse, he might not be able to jump over it.

Lingbi Marquis Tang Shilong was a little surprised, "Such a simple thing can stop the cavalry charge?"

"Yes, Lord Tang, the power of this thing lies in its simplicity. Once an enemy is encountered, it can be deployed quickly. When the cavalry charges, the mount will be stabbed by the spikes and will panic in pain. War horses are animals after all, and they will run away if they can't stand the pain.

If you insist on rushing in, this wire mesh has another characteristic: the harder you push, the tighter it gets, and the harder it is to break free."

After hearing what Xue Yi said, Tang Shilong couldn't help but ask, "Can I go and take a look?"

The large army was disbanded, and the training ground was cleared. Everyone gathered around Zhu Yijun and came to the scene. They looked around for a few times and were amazed. Then Xue Yi asked people to drive a group of cattle and sheep to rush towards the barbed wire. When the cattle and sheep touched the sharp thorns, they turned around and ran away in pain, and they could not be stopped.

Zhu Yijun pointed at the wire mesh and said, "These wire meshes will be very useful for grazing cattle and sheep in the future. The Ming Dynasty built cities along the river, designated pastures around the castles, and used wire mesh to graze cattle and sheep."

Everyone looked at him and muttered in their hearts that the grasslands in the south and north of the desert were very important to his highness, and he was always thinking about managing the grasslands in the south and north of the desert.

As soon as he returned to Xiyuan, Zhu Yijun received an urgent report from Liaodong.

"it is good!"

After reading the urgent report, Zhu Yijun stood up excitedly and said several good words in one breath.

He placed the urgent report on the desk and walked around the room excitedly.

"We have been chasing the enemy for more than ten days and have already reached a place not far south of the North Sea. Qi Yan, do you know where the North Sea is?"

"To answer your question, Your Highness, the North Sea is where Su Wu of the Western Han Dynasty grazed sheep. It is located in the extreme north and is a bitterly cold place."

"It's not the far north, nor is it a bitterly cold place. The lake there is bottomless." Zhu Yijun sighed, "The horses of the Ming soldiers can step on the land there again, and they can see the beautiful lake again.

I am so lucky! "

Zhu Yijun continued happily, "With the surrender of Tumen Khan, the Left Six Wings of Mongolia have been determined. No matter what happens next, the Ming Dynasty will insist on staying here until the castle is built and the iron chain is cast, and it will be the territory of the Ming Dynasty forever!"

Qi Yan and several young eunuchs knelt down hurriedly, "The chief of the Chahar tribe in the south of the desert, Tumen Borjigin, surrendered. The left wing of the south of the desert has been restored to Ming territory. Your Highness the Crown Prince is heroic and brave, and has made great achievements. We congratulate Your Highness!"

Zhu Yijun raised his head and laughed loudly: "Qi Yan, you guys also know how to join in the fun. Well, I will tell Yang Caishen later that there will be a big reward in Xiyuan, and you guys will get a generous reward."

"I thank your Highness for his grace."

"Xiao Ruxun is not bad. He is only fifteen years old. He is a young hero, tenacious and determined. He will definitely achieve great things in the future."

Qi Yan stood up and flattered beside him: "Your Highness, this Xiao Ruxun must be the Huo Qubing of the Ming Dynasty."

"No." Zhu Yijun shook his head.

Qi Yan was stunned, not understanding what was going on.

Zhu Yijun said word by word: "The Former Han Dynasty had Huo Qubing, and the Ming Dynasty has its own General of the Cavalry."

Li Chun hurried over with an urgent report. Seeing this scene, he was stunned for a moment, but still held the urgent report in both hands and said, "Your Highness, this is an urgent report sent by Shaanxi Governor Huo Ji."

Zhu Yijun took it and looked at it, his expression became solemn.

Qi Yan quickly waved his hand, signaling the eunuchs to retreat quickly.

"Altan Khan has great tactics, he is worthy of being a great ruler in the southern desert."

Li Chun said cautiously, "Your Highness, Huo Ji taking in Qie Jin and others is a big trouble."

"It is indeed a big trouble. How can Altan Khan give up so easily?"

Another eunuch came running over.

"Report! Wang Chonggu, the governor of the three borders of Shanxi, has an urgent report."

Li Chun's face changed. He took the urgent report and presented it to Zhu Yijun.

"Altan Khan is handing out gold medals everywhere, gathering troops in Yunfeng, and eyeing Datong and Shanxi covetously."

Zhu Yijun's expression also changed.

After thinking for a while, he turned to Qi Yan and said, "Call all the military officers of the Supervisory Office to the Qinzheng Hall."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)