My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 163: Ninety thousand bullets per minute. Can you handle it?

But the soldiers in charge of food distribution stopped them and asked them to line up in turn to receive their meals.

Each person had a bowl of meat, a bowl of vegetables, a bowl of rice, and a bowl of wine.

Except for alcohol, everything else is unlimited. How much you can eat depends on how big your stomach is!

After receiving the food, the soldiers immediately ate it with relish, enjoying the sumptuous food to their heart's content.

As they ate, they talked about the reward they received and the emperor's kindness, with satisfied smiles on their faces.

At this moment, their hearts were filled with loyalty and gratitude to the court.

After the meal, many people secretly took a bowl of meat with them before leaving.

The soldiers responsible for distributing food did not stop them and let them leave.

On the other hand, because it was only the first batch of soldiers, numbering only about 5,000 people, the reward money was distributed soon.

After the rewards for ordinary soldiers were distributed, it was the turn of the officers to receive their rewards.

However, this time, all officers above the rank of small flag will be issued personally by Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen.

Don't ask why!
Asking is just to win people's hearts!
When those small flags and centurions walked up to Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen with nervousness and excitement, their hands trembled involuntarily.

When they personally received the reward money from the emperor and the prince, tears of excitement flashed in their eyes and they almost cried.

They originally thought that they would never have the chance to see the emperor they served in their lifetime, but now not only did they see him, they could also personally receive the reward money from the emperor and the prince.

This is simply the highest honor for them!

It seems that all the years of dedication and hard work have been rewarded perfectly at this moment!
At this moment, their morale was instantly ignited, reaching an unprecedented height, and a strong sense of mission and responsibility surged in their hearts!
It seems that even if Chongzhen wants them to die now, they will do it without hesitation!

In the next few days, such exciting scenes were played out every day in Ningyuan City.

Every day, soldiers who were changing guards came to collect their rewards, and the appearance of Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen was deeply imprinted in the minds of all the soldiers.

Especially those officers above the rank of small flag, they had a deep impression of the appearance of Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen and would never forget them.

Of course, as a qualified future king, Zhu Cilang would not favor one over the other.

The Beijing Camp, the Five Tengxiang Guards, the White Spear Soldiers, the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the Clean Army, and the accompanying guards who came with them will each be rewarded with silver!
Even the civilians who came along received a reward of three taels of silver each!
It is no exaggeration to say that after this series of measures, the loyalty of the army has reached an unprecedented level, almost exceeding the limit.

After all, from ancient times to the present, how many emperors were willing to be so close to the people and personally distribute rewards to the soldiers?
In addition, Zhu Cilang also issued an imperial decree on behalf of Chongzhen to exempt all land taxes in Liaodong this year!
This move was warmly cheered by the people of Liaodong!

It took three days to finish all these things.

The whole Liaodong knew that Chongzhen had led the army in person, including the Jiannu side.

The Jiannu also began to integrate their troops and entered a defensive state. All the troops were basically concentrated near Jinzhou!
It is obvious that they are still unwilling to give up Jinzhou, and plan to make the Jinzhou area the final main battlefield!
Zhu Cilang naturally also received this information, but he didn't care at all, because the development of things was still under his control!

Just like a map he had drawn long ago, every step was proceeding in an orderly manner according to plan.

On this day, Zhu Cilang, in the name of Chongzhen, issued a call to several generals, including Yang Guozhu, the general of Xuanfu, Wang Pu, the general of Datong, Tang Tong, the general of Miyun, Bai Guangen, the general of Jizhou, Ma Ke, the general of Shanhaiguan, Wang Tingchen, the general of Qiantunwei, and Wu Sangui, the general of Ningyuan, as well as Hong Chengchou.

After receiving the order, everyone did not dare to delay for a moment and rode their horses at full speed towards the Governor's Mansion.

When everyone gathered in the Governor's Mansion lobby, they saw it had been completely transformed. The originally spacious lobby had now been renovated into a temporary battleground.

A huge sand table was placed steadily in the center, showing the terrain of Liaodong in a simple but clear manner.

Mountains, rivers, towns, etc. are all marked on the sand table one by one, as if the entire Liaodong land is condensed into this small world.

When everyone saw Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang, they immediately knelt on one knee and saluted:

"See your Majesty, see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

Chongzhen sat upright on the main seat, his eyes revealing a complicated expression.

He knew very well that although he was the emperor and nominally the commander-in-chief of the army after personally leading the army, in fact, the real command of this expedition was in the hands of Zhu Cilang.

This was something that had been discussed long ago.

Although he was still a little reluctant in his heart, Chongzhen finally compromised when he thought that now was not the time to be upset.

So he nodded slightly.

"Everyone is safe!"

After everyone stood up, Chongzhen continued:
"My dear ministers, I have decided to hand over the entirety of this war to the Crown Prince. You must obey his orders and not disobey."

Chongzhen's voice was firm and powerful, as if declaring to everyone that his orders must not be disobeyed!

When Hong Chengchou heard this, he looked calm, without the slightest surprise.

It seemed as if this arrangement had been expected.

However, after hearing Chongzhen's words, the other generals present were so shocked that they could not close their mouths, and their faces were full of disbelief.

Because in their eyes, Zhu Cilang was just a boy of thirteen or fourteen years old. Although he was the crown prince, it was simply a fantasy for him to command an army of more than 200,000 at such a young age!

You know, war is not a game!

How can you give the command of 200,000 troops to a child?
Isn't this a joke?
They were filled with doubts and anxieties, and some even couldn't help wanting to speak up to dissuade them.

But at this moment, Hong Chengchou noticed it instantly, and then his sharp eyes were like lightning, stopping those who wanted to speak.

Hong Chengchou knew in his heart that at this critical moment, no one should step forward to cause trouble, otherwise it would affect the entire battle situation!

When others saw Hong Chengchou's actions, although they were full of doubts, they could only choose to remain silent for the time being and decided to wait and see what this young prince was capable of.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang slowly stood up. His posture was straight and he exuded a calmness and confidence that was inconsistent with his age.

Zhu Cilang's eyes swept across the faces of several generals one by one, and it seemed as if his eyes could see through their inner thoughts.

Then he smiled and said slowly:
"I know what you are thinking. You simply think that I am too young to be the commander of an army. Is that right?"

When the generals heard this, they were immediately shocked and hurriedly bowed their hands and apologized:
"Your Highness, I have absolutely no such intention!"

They all knew that this prince was the future emperor. If they offended him, they would have no good life in the future.
Although they appeared respectful on the surface, doubts still existed deep in their hearts.

Zhu Cilang didn't care what they were thinking and remained calm, as if everything was under his control.

Then he continued:

"To tell you the truth, the plan to have the Ming Navy and the Fujian Navy jointly annihilate the Jiannu Navy was my idea!"

"It was also my idea to send 10,000 Guanning cavalrymen to the rear of the Jiannu army to force them to send back to support us!"

"It was also my doing to persuade Abunai to attack Yizhou from Mongolia and force the Jiannu to split their forces again!"

"Now, what else do you have to say?"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a bombshell, causing a huge wave of shock in everyone's hearts!

Several generals were stunned for a moment, with a look of disbelief on their faces!

They had no idea that these ingenious schemes all came from Zhu Cilang, and Hong Chengchou had always kept his mouth shut and never revealed to them the mastermind behind these plans.

They had previously thought that anyone who could come up with such an ingenious plan must be a shrewd veteran.

Who could have imagined the result?

Such a thorough and complicated strategy actually came from the hands of this seemingly immature prince!

Obviously, this prince cannot be regarded as an ordinary young man. His wisdom and strategy are far beyond their imagination!
For a moment, no one dared to look down on the young prince in front of them anymore!
Hong Chengchou spoke at the right time, breaking the somewhat awkward atmosphere.

"Your Highness, may I ask how this battle should be fought?"

Hong Chengchou's voice was steady and powerful, with a hint of anticipation.

Zhu Cilang walked to the sand table, looked at the original formation and troop distribution on it, and a confident smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Then he reached out and picked up the bamboo pole beside him, swung it violently, and wiped out the layout on the sand table in an instant.

When everyone saw this, they were all confused and surprised. They didn't understand why Zhu Cilang did this.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang said loudly:
"How else can we fight? Of course, we'll just push forward!"

The voice is firm and heroic, full of absolute confidence!

You should know that the more than 50,000 soldiers and horses brought by Zhu Cilang this time were well-equipped. All of them were equipped with flintlock rifles, including cavalry and infantry.

The infantry's flintlock rifles were of normal size, about one meter and three inches long.

The cavalry's flintlock rifle was improved and became thicker, with a barrel of only 60 cm, to make it easier for the cavalry to use it on horseback.

His battle plan seemed simple and straightforward, but it contained sophisticated tactical arrangements.

First of all, at the front of the team are the shield soldiers, also known as "sword and shield soldiers". They are like a solid line of defense, holding swords and shields, and are capable of both offense and defense.

The main responsibility is to use the shield in the hand to resist the enemy's attack for the companions behind when the enemy rushes over, and at the same time use the sword to counterattack the enemy to protect the safety of the companions behind.

Following them were more than 30,000 infantrymen, all of whom were proficient in using flintlock rifles and adopted a three-stage shooting method, with one person shooting in front and two people loading ammunition in the back.

Zhu Cilang had conducted countless experiments before, and the final result was that by adopting a three-stage shooting method, the shooter could shoot at least seven shots per minute, and up to twelve shots if he was fast, averaging nine shots per minute.

In other words, these 30,000 infantrymen equipped with flintlock rifles use three-stage shooting and can fire 90,000 bullets per minute!

Correct!
You heard that right!
That's 90,000 bullets a minute!
Even if the hit rate is only one in ten, nine thousand enemies can be hit in one minute. What a terrifying number!

What army could withstand such ferocious firepower? Following the infantry was the artillery, equipped with the latest artillery pieces, which were extremely powerful and had a range of more than two kilometers.

It can strike the enemy at a long distance and provide powerful fire support for the infantry's advance.

Next up is the "Air Force" created by Zhu Cilang himself!

That is a manned hot air balloon!

Zhu Cilang carefully improved the existing chariot so that it could pull the hot air balloon along with it.

By then, with the help of a telescope, you will be able to see everything happening within a radius of ten kilometers.

The hot air balloon is equipped with a rope connected to the huge bell on the chariot. When the soldiers on the hot air balloon discover the enemy situation, they pull the bell to pass the message, and then use special flags to convey the enemy's direction, number and distance.

This innovative reconnaissance method gave the Ming army a unique advantage on the battlefield, enabling them to grasp the enemy's movements in advance and quickly make corresponding strategic deployments.

As for the cavalry, they are mainly distributed on both sides of the team. They do not need to charge into the enemy head-on, but only need to chase and kill the enemy when he flees.

As for the other troops, they were all auxiliary troops, mainly serving the 30,000 infantry equipped with flintlock rifles.

They are responsible for providing logistical support, medical assistance, etc., and providing all-round support for the infantry's combat.

In short, these 30,000 infantrymen equipped with flintlock rifles were the main force of this war, and even the famous Guanning Iron Cavalry had to retreat to the second line.

As Zhu Cilang said, the future belongs to firearms, and his army has begun to take shape as a modern army.

The infantry, cavalry, and air force worked together, launched attacks in all directions, and demonstrated strong combat effectiveness.

But at this moment, everyone had no idea about Zhu Cilang's battle plan and just felt it was unbelievable.

After all, in their view, although they now have nearly 200,000 troops and the Jiannu only have 60,000 to 70,000, war is not that simple. Can they just sweep them away?
If it were so easy, why would they have to hold on to Ningyuan and fight hard against the attacks of the Jiannu?
For a moment, everyone's hearts were filled with doubts, and everyone's faces showed doubts.

Even Hong Chengchou was a little hesitant.

Seeing everyone's doubtful faces, Zhu Cilang smiled slightly and suggested:
"There's no point in talking any more, how about we practice it first?"

"You send out a thousand Guanning Iron Cavalry, and I send out a thousand Beijing Troops. Let's see who will win."

When saying this, Zhu Cilang's eyes revealed immense confidence, as if he didn't take the thousand Guanning Iron Cavalry seriously at all.

When the other generals heard this, they all found it funny.

After all, everyone knows that the Guanning Iron Cavalry is a heavy cavalry, which is famous on the Liaodong battlefield and can compete head-on with the Jiannu.

When they charged, they were like a torrent of steel, unstoppable.

The Beijing Camp.
It’s not that they look down on the Beijing Camp, but that the Beijing Camp really cannot be compared with the Guanning Iron Cavalry.

If three thousand Beijing troops were against one thousand Guanning cavalry, there would still be a chance of fighting, but if one thousand Beijing troops were against one thousand Guanning cavalry, is there any need to fight?

No matter how you look at it, the Beijing camp is bound to lose!

But someone soon reacted. You know, the Jingying includes the Shenjiying!

If artillery is used, the Guanning Cavalry will probably be unable to withstand it.

After all, the Guanning Iron Cavalry are also mortal, how can they withstand the attack of artillery?

Thinking of this, Jizhou General Bai Guangen hurriedly spoke with a hint of worry in his tone:
"Your Highness, may I ask if we should use artillery? If so, I'm afraid it will cause unnecessary casualties."

When the others heard this, they immediately gasped.

They are well aware of the enormous power of artillery, which, if used in drills, could result in injury or even death of soldiers.

Zhu Cilang smiled and said:
"Don't worry, this is just a drill. How could we use artillery? This time, I will use a flintlock rifle, but you don't have to worry. The bullets are made of clay balls. If they hit you, it will only hurt, not be fatal."

"If the Guanning Iron Cavalry is hit by the mud balls, they will be killed in battle."

It turned out that Zhu Cilang had already anticipated that he might need to demonstrate to everyone, so before setting off, he had someone bake a batch of hard mud-ball bullets in advance.

These mud balls have been specially processed and become extremely hard after firing. Although they cannot kill people, they will cause unbearable pain when hit by them.

Perfect for demonstrations!
When the generals heard this, they suddenly realized that the prince was planning to conduct drills with flintlock rifles.

They had seen flintlock rifles before, and when Hong Chengchou brought back hundreds of them from the capital, they marveled at their power.

However, Hong Chengchou regarded these flintlock rifles as treasures and refused to share them with them. Instead, he formed a musket team, and this team caused the Jiannu people a lot of trouble.

But even so, everyone still felt that it was a bit of an exaggeration to want to defeat the Jiannu army with just flintlock rifles.

In their view, war is complex and depends not only on the advancement of weapons, but also on many factors such as tactics, morale, terrain, etc.

But it is obvious that the prince has made up his mind!
In this case, it is always good to have a rehearsal before the actual war.

Maybe then we can change the prince's decision?
So, Wu Sangui immediately asked for orders, his voice full of confidence:
"Your Highness, I am willing to lead a thousand Guanning cavalrymen in a drill with the Beijing troop."

Wu Sangui was full of confidence in the strength of the Guanning Cavalry and believed that they would definitely win the exercise.

Zhu Cilang smiled and nodded, with a barely perceptible smile flashing in his eyes.

"Go down and prepare. The drill will officially begin in an hour. The location is outside Ningyuan City. You can ambush, surprise attack, and use any method to launch the attack. If you can win, I will allow you to do whatever you want."

Wu Sangui was full of confidence and agreed with a smile:
"I obey!"

Then he turned around and strode out of the hall, secretly swearing in his heart that he must let the young prince see the power of the Guanning Iron Cavalry.

Both sides immediately began to prepare.

On Zhu Cilang's side, not even swordsmen and chevaux de frise were arranged. Only one thousand soldiers from the Beijing camp equipped with flintlock rifles and a chariot equipped with a hot air balloon were deployed, led by Zheng Chenggong and Zhang Shize.

Zheng Chenggong and Zhang Shize were both close confidants of Zhu Cilang. They were full of confidence in Zhu Cilang's tactics and did not take the 1,000 Guanning Iron Cavalry seriously at all.

As for the 'air force' on the hot air balloon, they were all carefully selected from the military.

Their selection criteria are extremely strict.

First of all, they must not be afraid of heights, because on the hot air balloon, they will face the fear of heights and unknown dangers, and they must stay calm at all times!

Then you must be able to withstand high-intensity dizziness and keep a clear head despite the shaking and bumping of the hot air balloon!

Secondly, you need good eyesight so that you can clearly observe the situation in the distance from high altitude.

Finally, you need to be agile and be able to react quickly in emergency situations.

The soldiers who meet these selection criteria are one in a million. So far, Zhu Cilang has only found about thirty such talents.

Their treatment was extremely generous, with monthly military pay reaching as high as thirty taels of silver!

It is seven, eight or even ten times that of ordinary soldiers!
And there is meat for every meal. Even the officers in the army don’t eat as well as they do!
There is no way. After all, they are all special soldiers who play a vital role on the battlefield. They are valuable assets of the army and naturally need preferential treatment!

After everything was ready, the team began to move forward.

Zhu Cilang took Chongzhen, Hong Chengchou and others to the Ningyuan city wall to observe the battle.

Standing on the city wall, they could overlook the entire battlefield and see every move of both sides.

Outside Ningyuan City at this time, the sun was shining brightly, but the surroundings were eerily quiet, as if foreshadowing that a fierce battle was about to begin.

Not long after, a quick bell suddenly rang from the hot air balloon chariot.

The ringing sounded like an alarm, breaking the silence on the battlefield.

Almost instantly, the team stopped advancing.

The soldiers beside the chariot quickly understood the message and shouted:

"The enemy is attacking from both sides, about ten miles away!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Chenggong and Zhang Shize immediately issued an order:

"Change formation and reload!"

The soldiers received the order and quickly changed their formation according to the command, their movements were quick and skillful.

In just a moment, a thousand flintlock rifles were loaded.

Due to the three-stage shooting, the thousand people were divided into more than 300 teams, and then divided into two groups according to the enemy's position.

They were ready for battle, with determination and confidence in their eyes.

Not long after, two cavalry units charged from both sides, the sound of horse hooves like thunder and the dust flying.

As expected, just as the soldiers on the hot air balloon conveyed, the thousand cavalrymen were divided!

Wu Sangui was the first to be attacked, riding on a warhorse, his eyes revealing a hint of anxiety and helplessness.

In fact, as early as when he saw the hot air balloon, he felt very disappointed and knew that his surprise attack plan had been exposed.

But it was too late to change tactics at this moment, because no matter what he did, the soldiers on the hot air balloon would be able to detect it and pass it on to the entire army.

In front of this army, he seemed to have been stripped of all disguises, with no tactics or strategies at all!

Therefore, he could only bite the bullet and lead the cavalry to charge directly, while secretly praying in his heart that the Guanning Iron Cavalry would not embarrass him!

As long as the Guanning Iron Cavalry can rush to the front of the one thousand soldiers of the Beijing Camp, and the number of soldiers who are not hit by bullets is more than 50%, then the Guanning Iron Cavalry will win!

After all, it's just a drill. We can't really let these thousand heavy cavalry charge forward desperately, right?
(End of this chapter)