Jianlu passed through Jizhou and Jianlu passed Shimen. Jianlu was only more than thirty miles away from Zunhua. Jianlu's vanguard started a fierce battle with the Dongjiang Army at Baozidian, ten miles away.
The dark clouds of the war were completely shrouded, and the soldiers and civilians in the city immediately felt their hearts heavy, their smiles were gone, and their faces became gloomy.
The deputy general's banner stood high on the city. Guo Dajing stood at the top of the city, listening to the faint sound of gunfire in the distance. His face was calm, looking calm and composed.
The first line of defense is defended by Shen Zhixiang of the Mixed Association, with one thousand flying cavalry and one thousand lance cavalry each responsible for supporting them. This is just an appetizer for the Jianlu, to dampen their energy first.
Zunhua City and the positions blocking official roads outside the city are the battlefields for the decisive battle. The Dongjiang Army must not only successfully block the Jianlu, but also use fierce counterattacks to completely defeat the enemy.
"You seem to have retreated?" Cao Huachun listened to the approaching gunfire and glanced at Guo Dajing, seeming to be talking to himself or seeking comfort.
Guo Dajing smiled faintly and looked at Shen Shuoqing.
Shen Shuoqing understood this, got closer to Cao Huachun, and said: "Eunuch Cao's judgment is very accurate. After the first line of defense weakens the enemy's spirit, he will retreat and fight the enemy here."
Someone answered and Cao Huachun relaxed a little. To be honest, there was no need to explain too much to him. He already knew the specific battle plan. He was just nervous and needed to be relieved.
"In Lushun and Nanguan, our army fought head-on with the Jianlu. Relying on fortifications like this, we inflicted heavy losses on the Jianlu." Fang Zhenghua said: "Now that the strength of the troops is equal, our army is waiting for work, and the defeat of the Jianlu is certain. "
Cao Huachun nodded vigorously and was confirmed again, making him feel more at ease.
Behind Cao Huachun and Fang Zhenghua were the generals who came to deliver their war horses. General Yang Chun, Guerrilla Manku, and General Zou Zongwu were all honest. Although they felt unhappy, they did not dare to express it.
A life-and-death battle really frightened these generals and their soldiers to death.
Fifty against a hundred, it was like chopping melons and vegetables, the battle was over in a very short time. If surrender had not saved death, not a single one of the hundred knights would have been left.
This bunch of lunatics are red-eyed when it comes to fighting, and their fearlessness of death is not much worse than Jianlu's.
With such fear and shock in their hearts, no one dared to resist Guo Dajing's order. Not only did they happily give up their horses, they were also assigned errands.
This will probably become an unforgettable nightmare for the generals and soldiers of the Ming Army. Flesh and blood are flying everywhere, cavalry galloping, and the people shouting and horses neighing are as bloody and cruel as a slaughterhouse.
Fifty versus one hundred is a bully, but I still feel like I got a huge advantage, which is really embarrassing and senseless.
"He won't regret it, right?" Manku blinked and whispered to Yang Chun.
Yang Chun rolled his eyes, "It's not nonsense. So what if you regret it? Why don't you go fight him? If you can't beat him, then you'll give in. You still think so much."
Zou Zongwu whispered: "Probably not. Unless we are defeated by Jianlu, what else do we want?"
They came with the intention of picking up bargains and gaining military merit, and did not want to fight bloody battles with the Jianlu soldiers. Guo Dajing took their horses and promised to give them some heads as compensation after the war, so he would not let them come in vain.
Guo Dajing was not sure how much he would give, and they did not dare to bargain. In addition, they were worried that Guo Dajing would kill them all, fabricate charges of rebellion, and kill them all.
They don't know how to rebel, but what about those people under their command? Since it was a fabrication and suppressed, then there is no proof.
Anyway, at this point, they can only hope that the Dongjiang Army will win. The number of heads divided is a trivial matter, and it is important not to risk their lives.
The sound of gunfire was getting closer and closer, and the troops retreated step by step with the help of mines laid in advance and obstacles arranged layer by layer, making it impossible for Jianlu to pursue quickly.
Both sides were paying casualties, and the Dongjiang Army took advantage of the preset fortifications, mines, and heavy gunfire strikes.
Defense and offense are not equated in terms of casualty ratio. Unless the defense line collapses and the defenders flee, the attacker can make up for the battle losses and achieve a comeback.
Therefore, Jianlu did not realize that the casualties were too great, but he felt that he was so powerful that he made breakthroughs one after another and shattered the enemy's continuous blockade.
Moreover, since he chose to follow Zunhua to leave seclusion, Jianlu already knew that he would face a big battle. He was mentally prepared and must move forward bravely.
The Jianlu forwards were led by Mang Gurtai, Abahai, Azig, Dorgon and others, together with Mongolian soldiers from Horqin's tribe, who took turns attacking without stopping or retreating.
This is the battle plan formulated by Huang Taiji. Once the war begins, he will attack with all his strength, without giving the enemy a chance to breathe and adjust.
"Our army advanced two miles further, and General Ingourdai was killed in battle..."
"The enemy received reinforcements and relied on defense again. The battle was fierce. The guerrilla Wuerkun and the guerrilla Erjig were killed. The Mongolian soldiers suffered 300 casualties..."
Mang Gurtai narrowed his eyes slightly. Although he was mentally prepared, the intensity of the battle still exceeded his expectations.
Ying Guerdai lost Zunhua. He had done meritorious service and fought bravely to be the first, but was killed by a gravel mine set by the Dongjiang Army.
The guerrilla Wuerkun and the guerrilla Erjige lost their lives when they were attacked by Dongjiang Army's heavy musketeers during the command operation.
"The Dongjiang Army's muskets are indeed sharp." Azig seemed to sigh, but also seemed to be feeling emotional, and said from the side: "It is more powerful than bows and arrows, and it is difficult to defend against heavy armor."
Mang Gurtai nodded and said: "But that's all. It seems that the artillery that shoots super far and the Hongyi cannon were not brought."
"Maybe it is hidden and used suddenly during the decisive battle." Dorgon was not too optimistic and kept frowning.
Mang Gurtai thought for a while and said: "It is also possible, but I don't think it is very big. Calculating the time, if the Dongjiang Army carries a lot of heavy artillery, it cannot arrive at Zunhua so quickly."
"Yes, the Dongjiang Army does not have many horses. They are basically infantry." Abahai agreed: "If people push artillery, they will definitely not be able to move faster."
Azig glanced at Dorgon, the meaning in his eyes was very clear, don't say any more frustrating words. If Huang Taiji knew about it, this would probably be another crime.
The fierce battle ahead was still going on. One unit stepped forward to attack, and the other unit retreated to rest and adjust. The continuous attacks made Jianlu continue to advance forward, and the shadow of Zunhua City had already entered the sight.
At this time, the Dongjiang Army suddenly launched a short counterattack. More than a dozen Fran machine guns opened fire in turn. The musketeers were also reinforced by the cavalry. The firepower was suddenly fierce, which frustrated the Jianlu offensive.
Mang Gurtai hurriedly sent reinforcements, strengthened the offensive again, and regained the initiative to attack.
However, the Dongjiang Army used this to counterattack and gained time to retreat calmly. With the support of flying cavalry and lance cavalry, it retreated into Zunhua City.
Jianlu broke through the obstacles and continued to advance, finally arriving at the foot of Zunhua City. The tall city wall, the stronger fortifications on the official road, and more defenders were all vivid in his mind.
What could be seen more clearly were the soldiers on the city, as well as Cao Huachun and others.
The defenders in the city include Xiang Zuolin's troops from the mixed association, plus Shen Zhixiang's troops who have retreated to the city, as well as flying cavalry and gun chairs, totaling approximately six to seven thousand troops.
As for those who blocked Jianlu on the official road, they not only had 16,000 to 7,000 troops, but most of the rockets were concentrated here.
But Jianlu could only see the five or six thousand people in front of him, while the rest of the troops were hidden on the back of the mountain behind the bend of the official road. Rockets were also deployed on the mountain, from a high position, and could hit three miles away.
The misunderstanding has been created, so let Jianlu continue. Didn't they estimate that the Dongjiang Army only has more than 10,000 troops, so let them think it is correct.
"The Zhenglan flag, the two white flags, and the red flag are the four left flags of Jianlu." Shen Shuoqing pointed with his hand and explained to Cao Huachun and others, "When Jianlu entered the pass, they were divided into left and right wings. The left wing. The Four Banners plus Mongolian soldiers are commanded by the slave chief Mang Gurtai..."
Cao Huachun nodded and said, "Mang Gurtai is the third prince of Jianlu. I heard he is a reckless guy."
Shen Shuoqing continued: "Mang Gurtai is the flag owner of the Zhenglan Banner. Dorgon and Duoduo, the flag owners of the two white flags, also followed Huang Taiji into the pass and should be there now."
"There are so many slave chiefs coming." Cao Huachun said with emotion: "If your army can kill one or two, it will greatly boost the morale of the people."
Shen Shuoqing smiled and said: "During the battle to aid Korea, the Dongjiang Army killed Yue Tuo and Shuo Tuo, the flag owners of the two red flags; during the defense battle of Lushun Fort, they maimed the successor flag owner with the red flag. "
"The Zajia family has also heard about this." Cao Huachun said with a look of admiration on his face: "Compared with the Dongjiang Army, other military towns are far behind."
Guo Dajing held up the telescope and observed Jianlu's movements, showing a sneer.
As he expected, Jianlu sent out a cavalry group to monitor Zunhua City, while the rest of the troops were adjusting. The direction of attack was obvious, which was the Dongjiang Army across the official road.
The whimpering sound of the horn echoed in the air. After Mang Gurtai adjusted his deployment, he immediately launched an attack.
Jianlu retreated along the way and used the plundered craftsmen to build many carriages. Although some corners were cut, the basic functions could still be guaranteed.
Dozens of carriages were in front, covering Jianlu's advance. Although the Dongjiang Army's position was silent, the soldiers were ready and waiting to deal a heavy blow to Jianlu.
The carriage is the most commonly used and most relied upon offensive weapon by Jianlu, not only on the plains, but also as the main weapon in sieges.
However, although the carriage can play a very good protective role, it also has its own shortcomings. For example, the obstacles set up by the Dongjiang Army on the ground can effectively block the advancement of the carriage.
Even the tanks of later generations will struggle in the face of solid roadblocks, let alone earthen tanks like Zhenche.
To clear the roadblock, Jianlu had to come out from behind the carriage and wield his sword and ax. In other words, the protection of the carriage was also very limited.
In fact, many Ming troops would not use such a simple obstruction method. The most common tactic they used was to put vehicles, shields and guns in front to block the Jianlu's advance.
Obviously, the muskets and artillery equipped by the Ming army at that time could not effectively stop the advance of Jianlu's carriages, and it was also difficult to prevent the Jianlu's heavy armor soldiers from approaching and engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
Another point is that the large arrows of Jianlu's infantry bow are not inferior to muskets in terms of range, and their rate of fire is several times higher.
Therefore, the battle formations of the Ming army either collapsed in close combat, or went from chaos to rout under the rain of arrows.
The carriages were like monsters, their heavy wheels making a heart-wrenching sound as they gradually approached the garrison's position on the official road.
On the garrison position, the guns and cannons were still silent, which made Jianlu feel even greater pressure.
Being able to have this steady and calm quality, and being able to have strict military discipline, proves at all times that Jianlu is facing a powerful army.
"They should be the elite of the Dongjiang Army." Mang Gurtai made an accurate judgment, because this was very different from the Ming army he had fought with.
It is said that the Ming soldiers fired guns and cannons like rain and snow, but our army attacked and no one was killed. Isn't it a blessing from God?
The Jianlu were also very good at boasting. Just like the Ming army's guns and cannons were like children's toys, the Jianlu were all invulnerable.
Although Jianlu would definitely suffer casualties when faced with the Ming army's artillery bombardment, on the other hand, the casualties were indeed small.
The reasons for this are very simple. First, the firearms of the Ming army were not powerful enough to cause too much damage to the Jianlu in heavy armor.
The second is that the shooting distance is too far and is not within the effective range. Such shooting is largely daring and cannot guarantee accuracy or lethality.
The last point exposed the Ming army's lack of fighting will and quality. The fear of Jianlu made it difficult for the Ming army's musketeers to remain calm.
Mang Gurtai, who was an expert at reading and had experienced hundreds of battles, made an accurate judgment. He could see the calmness and strict military discipline of the defenders.
Boom! The roar of artillery finally broke the silence of the battlefield. The artillery moved from Zunhua City fired heavy shells at Jianlu.
Although they were all old artillery pieces that Guo Dajing and the Dongjiang Army looked down upon, the shells fired within the effective range were still extremely destructive to the carriages.
The artillery on the high ground on the left roared one after another, and the shells hit the carriages one after another, or passed over the carriages and smashed into the prisoners behind the carriages.
More than twenty trebuchets were hastily built, using a lot of wood that didn't even have time to process the bark. They made a creaking sound and sent bombs and stones flying into the air toward the enemy.
"Hit." Cao Huachun held up the telescope and shouted excitedly.
In his field of vision, a pallet truck was hit by an artillery shell. Countless wood chips and parts were thrown out, and even the Mongolian soldiers behind the truck were injured.
Boom, boom, boom...
Bombs exploded among the enemy groups, flames burst out, smoke rose, and the captives staggered around, causing heavy casualties.
For Cao Huachun, this should be the first time to see the battlefield up close and watch the battle scene.
Just like a rookie, very ordinary sights would shock and excite him. He didn't yell and he was quite restrained.