The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Just as the fighting on the southern front of the Marang Valley was in full swing.

The northern front, led by Zhu Yi, appears to be much easier and more relaxed.

Although Zhu Houzhao envisioned his newly adopted stepson as undertaking a very heavy task, facing the Di cavalry who were retreating northward and trying to fight like cornered beasts, and Zhu Yi's side had even fewer troops, making the task of blocking them even more arduous.

But in fact……

The disparity in troop numbers between the two sides was too great. Furthermore, the Ming side, using the breech-loading cannons on the southern front with a range of less than one mile, along with its superior position and the narrow valley terrain, fully unleashed the power of the breech-loading cannons.

In the face of night battle, the Doyan cavalry had no will to fight. By the time they reached the North Valley Pass, they were mostly a group of defeated and remnant soldiers who were scrambling to escape and had not been able to mount an effective counterattack.

Zhu Yi's side was not assigned heavy firepower support.

They used lightweight firearms, though Chen Qian's troops in this town also had some heavier muskets. But they were basically set up in one position, like shooting birds. They would shoot when they came, and if they missed, they would run away. Then they would aim and shoot the next one.

With the continuous barrage of muskets and crossbow bolts, even if some of the Doyan Guard cavalry managed to break through the valley entrance, they would still bear some marks, with at least a few arrows stuck in their armor, to justify the ambush effect brought about by the narrow valley entrance terrain.

"Your Highness, we should charge in now!" Chen Qian said anxiously when he saw that another large number of Tatars had arrived and were almost escaping the valley entrance under the cover of heavy armor and shields.

Zhu Yi said, "Of course we should pursue them, but not now. Have you seen the commander of the Duoyan Guard arrive?"

"That bandit leader?" Chen Qian suddenly realized that he still hadn't seen any banners or flags of his sons and grandsons.

Zhu Yi picked up his flintlock musket, aimed at a man, and when the man got within a few dozen meters, he fired a shot. The cavalryman was knocked off his horse. Only the horse ran out of the valley, while the cavalryman lay motionless on the ground. The heavy armor he wore had caused him considerable secondary damage.

Chen Qian was filled with awe upon seeing Zhu Yi's marksmanship.

Because right under his nose, Zhu Yi had sniped at least three people, not to mention those he hadn't even seen yet.

The enemy only had a little over a thousand cavalrymen entering the valley; how could they withstand such a massacre?

Zhu Yi said, "If we're going to pursue someone, let's pursue a big one. This battle is crucial for establishing the Emperor's prestige through his personal campaign. If we can capture the leader of the Eastern Mongolian Doyan Guard, we'll be able to give an account to the court. Do you want to be promoted and ennobled?"

Chen Qianqian swallowed hard.

He instantly realized that his own level of understanding was completely different from that of the young prince who had been adopted by the emperor.

He also realized that this time he was not only accompanying the emperor on a personal expedition, but also sharing a comradeship with this potential heir apparent of the Ming Dynasty. If this young prince really had the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of power in the future, then his own future would be limitless.

"Your Highness, what do you suggest we do?" Chen Qian had already given up on his own ideas.

Those who know the current affairs are handsome.

Zhu Yi reloaded the musket but didn't fire it immediately, perhaps waiting for the barrel to cool down. He casually said, "Is that even a question? Of course, keep an eye on it and see if the commander of the Duoyan Guard retreats. Once his men appear, that's when you lead your troops out to intercept and kill them!"

"Yes, sir!" In his nervousness and excitement, Chen Qian didn't know how to accept the order.

Even though the young prince in front of me doesn't even hold a military rank, for some reason, it's comforting to listen to him speak.

……

……

After experiencing a bizarre battle, the sons and grandsons, filled with resentment, led their troops toward the direction of Beigukou.

Just when he thought there were no Ming troops lying in ambush at Beigukou, he discovered during his retreat that the road had also been blocked.

Only then did his children and grandchildren realize the enormity of their mistake.

He couldn't even understand how the Ming soldiers could spot the enemy without advancing, restrain themselves from letting them into the valley, and even almost launch a surprise attack from the south... Under such circumstances, how could the Ming soldiers calmly launch an ambush?

This would have been unthinkable in the past.

After all, he had tested the waters several times. If there were really ambushes on both sides, it was impossible for the Ming soldiers to both expose their presence and pretend to be powerless... Instead, they would think that they had only been discovered by Ming scouts and would not suspect that there were a large number of ambushes around them!

Unless the Ming Dynasty's garrison has absolute confidence and is not under any pressure to make a name for themselves.

To put it bluntly, he never expected that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty would be personally in charge this time.

No other official or general could have handled this so "effortlessly".

Because the Ming Dynasty's border army's military rule of "advancing when encountering the enemy" was not just for show.

Fortunately, his grandson boasted that he had brought several hundred elite troops from the tribe, and that the elite troops had not suffered heavy losses in the previous battle, so he believed that breaking through the valley entrance would not be a problem.

Moreover, there was no sound of cannons coming from here, but rather some low-pitched firing sounds of firearms. These were the Ming Dynasty's divine guns and cannons that he had seen many times before... Not only were they short-ranged, but their accuracy was also terrible and their penetration was poor. In most cases, heavy armor was enough to deal with them, and the main purpose was to prevent shock injuries rather than penetrating injuries.

Furthermore, he believed that it was impossible for the Ming Dynasty to have elite firepower everywhere. Even if the Ming Dynasty was well prepared, could it really transfer all of the Ming Dynasty's elite troops to an inconspicuous place like Malan Valley?

But when he actually led his troops to the direction of the valley entrance, he found that the problem was not so simple.

"Bang!"

When his children and grandchildren witnessed his personal attendant being shot off his horse by a musket, with even his armor pierced through, he realized that, in certain situations, a musket might not be any less powerful than a cannon.

His elite troops all carried shields. Some had lost their horses, or some had their horses carrying loads and could only flee on foot. They were in an infantry formation, using their shields to block incoming firearms and bullets, while protecting themselves and their horses... because for most soldiers, their horses were their greatest possessions.

The horse must not die, and the valuables must not be lost.

Otherwise, even if he survives, he will be ruined when he returns home, and he will not be able to protect his family, livestock, or property. In the end, he will still end up with his family destroyed and his family dead.

However, unlike previous impressions, the muskets used by the Ming soldiers this time had significantly improved in terms of impact, penetration, and even shooting accuracy.

"Bang bang bang..."

Previously, there were only sporadic sounds of firearms being fired.

As the Ming dynasty's sons and grandsons personally led the troops to retreat, the Ming's firearms seemed to be deployed instantly, vying to be fired.

The grandson originally intended to arrange a cavalry charge, but after discovering that some soldiers had fallen from their horses, the subsequent soldiers also wanted to send others to their deaths while they themselves took advantage of the cover to break through the encirclement.