Late Ming Dynasty: Conquering the world starting from riding and cutting

“I don’t know how many samurai will shed their last drop of blood in Kumamoto Castle today.

In the telescopes of Takamatsu Yorichu and Yokota Katsuto, Keelung's soldiers and horses stretched north and south from the north of Kumamoto Castle. Looking at the vast area, they could see a sea of ​​flags. They didn't know how many soldiers were among them. I saw dense layers of muskets becoming undulating as the crowd surged.

"boom!"

Before Takamatsu Yorichu could finish his emotion, a test-fired artillery shell flew over the crowd and onto the stone wall. The strong force hit the stone wall and caused gravel to fly everywhere. The scattered gravel filled the city with a burst of smoke.

As this shell hit, the Keelung gunners quickly began to fire cannons to continuously bombard the city head, beating the city head into flying sand and rocks.

"Fire the artillery! Destroy the enemy's big cannon position!"

The artillery fire at Kumamoto Castle also began to return fire.

Because Shimadzu is located in Dora Port, southern Kyushu, and has many exchanges with maritime forces, the artillery used is the Big Fran machine gun produced in the Netherlands, with 10-pound and 8-pound capabilities. Although the caliber of the artillery is not inferior, it is the same as Keelung. Compared with the gunpowder produced, it still seems weak.

However, the advantage of being on top makes up for this shortcoming, and even slightly dominates it.

In an instant, dense and fierce gunshots rang out one after another at the top of the city, and large sheets of gunpowder smoke condensed in the air.

Different from the solid bullets used to bombard the city walls below, most of the cannons on the city used shotgun shells in order to kill the gunners and destroy the muzzles.

The hilly roads make it difficult to transport artillery. As long as one shot hits the enemy, the artillery and its gunner will be disabled.

Small shotshells can easily nick the barrel, and if it has cracks, it cannot be used.

Amidst the intensive sound of artillery, countless shotguns shot into the Keelung military artillery position or passed through the arrayed artillery groups. Wherever he passed, a mist of broken limbs and flesh flew up. There was a burst of screams and moans, and in the blink of an eye, the gunners of three artillery pieces were beaten to a bloody pulp and lost consciousness.

Seeing their colleagues who had laughed together in the past falling to the ground and wailing, the other gunners were furious and continued to load ammunition, vowing to avenge the bloodshed of their brothers.

"Aim the cannon at the top of the city and shoot it for me!"

As three 12-pounders entered the battle, the originally evenly matched situation began to slowly tilt towards the side of the Keelung Army.

A 12-pound artillery shell accurately flew to a gun emplacement in Kumamoto Castle. Hitting a loaded large cannon, there was a loud "boom", the large cannon frame instantly shattered, and the heavy cannon body was lifted and rolled down.

The surrounding Shimadzu gunners were all affected, and the various debris stirred up spared no one around them. They were all beaten to a bloody pulp, and they all rolled to the ground and howled.

What's even more terrible is that the ammunition loaded into the barrel exploded, igniting several artillery shells and gunpowder barrels piled not far away. Seven or eight gunners who were ignited by gunpowder jumped around the city top like crazy and unscrupulously, passing the flames on their bodies to each other.

For a time, chaos gradually broke out in the city, causing a fire in the city.

"Don't fight with me!"

The vanguard ronin under each daimyo waved their long swords and held the flags of their respective employers, and began to charge towards the Kumamoto Castle walls.

With a "boom", a ten-pound cannonball hit the charging Ronin team.

The cannonball smashed the bodies of the two ronin, smashing their bodies into pieces of flesh and blood, and then knocked the head of an Ashigaru behind him who was holding a bamboo gun away flatly. In the blink of an eye, there was a pool of red on the ground. White things.

The falling head was very frightened. His body was standing abruptly supported by the bamboo spear in his hand, and blood arrows were continuously sprayed out from the neck cavity.

Several people nearby were dyed blood red by the flying blood arrows.

One after another, the cannonballs flew down from the top of the city, leaping into the vanguard formation, or passing over from high places, knocking people's hands and heads away, or jumping on the muddy and slippery ground. Breaking countless people's calves.

This made the already disorganized vanguard battalion even more chaotic.

In this round of sudden artillery fire, the casualties of the vanguard reached more than a hundred people.

Amidst the screams, the ronai who had just been clamoring not to compete with him for military glory turned around and ran towards the way they came.

"escape!"

However, on the way, there were five rows of musketeers lined up to supervise the battle. The purpose was to prevent these fleeing Ashigaru from attacking the main camp.

"Fire!"

"Bang bang bang!"

After intensive volleys, dozens of ronin who were at the forefront were knocked to the ground, and the retreating crowd suddenly stagnated.

"Fire!"

The second round of iron cannons was fired at people's heads.

"Go back. Anyone who retreats without military orders will die!"

While talking, more than a hundred Saga samurai rushed out from behind the musketeers and walked up to the ronin. No matter how they begged for mercy, they still raised their swords and cut off the heads of the ronin who were hit by lead bullets and picked them up with their spears.

If Kumamoto cannot be captured today, they will die under the city walls. No one dares to raise objections to the military orders issued by the general himself.

"The vanguard was defeated?! There were more than 500 casualties?"

In Qin Hao's big tent, this bad news made him feel that the fruit wine in his hands had lost its taste. He stood up and went out of the tent. Hearing the sound of charging in front of the battle formation, he touched his chin with concern.

Not washing it for many days has caused some beard to appear on the originally smooth chin.

He is only twenty years old and already has a beard, but that may not be a bad thing.

A hairless chin makes it difficult to work effectively, and my young age always makes people feel frivolous and unsteady.

Zhang Hu, the Shuntian camp officer who came to report the news, broke Qin Hao's reverie.

"Lord, at first, the artillery fire at the top of the city only wounded and killed a dozen people, but the huge panic caused by the artillery fire caused this group of werewolves to trample on each other, push and collide.

The Kumamoto defenders dug a large number of earth pits, trenches and other obstacles on the ground in front of the city. They could go around them during the attack, but when they retreated, people were confused and panicked, and they couldn't choose the route.

Several people fell into the pit, and more than a hundred people trampled through, causing heavy casualties! "

"If you fail to succeed, you will fail! These Japanese slaves are really useless! If our Keelung army attacks this city, with so many soldiers and horses, even hundreds of Kumamoto castles have been captured!"

Zhao Dahai curled his lips and expressed disdain for the defeat of the Zhu family's second army.

"Alas! What a pity these people are. If they were transported to the mines and forest farms in Keelung, they would be a good labor force to build bridges and roads and open up wasteland for iron smelting!" Zhao Dahai had no good impression of these allied forces at all.

"Stop taking care of the casualties, send the order, and remove the artillery team first, leaving a few artillery pieces that are on duty, and just fire a few cannons at the top of the city from time to time!"

Qin Hao glanced at Zhao Dahai meaningfully, "Don't forget your errand!"

In front of the vanguard queue, someone brought thousands of straw bags on a cart, and the commander of the Second Army, Saga Chaoichi, escorted thousands of bags of rice to the front of the formation.

"Fill up those pits and trenches! Anyone who throws a bag of soil within the range of the city's artillery fire will come back and receive a bag of rice! Not much! Ten kilograms!"

Saga took out a bag of rice and threw it in front of everyone. The white rice suddenly scattered on the muddy ground and became dirty.

Incentives can only make most people forget their fears for a short time.

"Attack the front and both wings with all your strength, don't be timid and retreat! Anyone who dares to take a step back will be killed without mercy!"

Arrangements by Saga Chaoichi. The rogues were frightened when they heard this, but their morale was boosted again, with a fanatical light shining in their eyes.

As long as you rush forward and throw a bag of soil, you will receive ten kilograms of white rice when you come back. It only takes ten breaths, which is very fast.

Half of the cannons on the top of the city have been destroyed. Even if they continue to bombard them at this time, they will not be able to hit them. Why not make a profit and come back.

Almost everyone was blinded by the white rice. Even if there were a few conscious people, it was of no avail and they had no choice but to continue charging.

In the blink of an eye, another charge of thousands of people began.

The ronin inserted the Chotachi into the grass belt around his waist, carried the heavy bags of soil, and dropped the bags of grass and soil between the pits in small steps to fill the path for attack.

From the arrow holes on the city, Yokota Katsuto looked down the city. Among the enemy troops rushing over like a sea tide, the most enthusiastic ones at the front were the ronin, each carrying earth bags on their shoulders. . Shouting at the top of their lungs, every one of them seemed to be dying.

"Damn Kitakyushu people, Baga Yalu!" He punched the bluestone platform of the arrow hole, and a stream of blood came out from between his fingers.

Ignoring the pain, Katsuto Yokota ordered the guards beside him: "Send the order. The people filling the trenches will fire immediately after they enter the range of the iron cannon. They cannot be allowed to fill in the ravines!"