In fact, Man Gui had already done some research. He got some information from Lou Daji and Hei Yunlong and knew that the new artillery cost a lot. However, Man Gui did not expect that Tie Mo would invest in it for so many years. Half a year.
After investing 4.7 million taels, it was a waste of money.
"Is this... such a big investment? Really?"
"Of course it's true. We are our own people. I won't lie to you. If you don't believe it, ask Hai Lanzhu and Min Yue to show you the account books when you get back? Elizabeth knows that, right? Aren't you curious about what I am doing?
Do you want to take her with you in the war? She is in charge of artillery supervision. Before she came, she asked her brother for follow-up expenses. If you don’t believe it, ask her now."
"Is there still such a thing?" Man Gui rolled his eyes, obviously not really believing it. He waved his hand and called the soldiers from a distance over. After muttering a few words, the soldiers ran out to do things.
In just a moment, the soldiers came back and whispered a few words. Mangui's face changed, "Well... this woman is really a cannon maker? Is she trying to get money? I just sent someone there."
When asked, she actually asked me for money..."
"Hey, brother, do you believe it now? I am also very poor recently, so I still have money to let her continue to work hard. Cannons, gold-eating beasts, once the cannon is fired, there will be ten thousand taels of gold, this is not just talk
of!"
The more Man Gui listened, the more frightened he became. Not everyone could play with this artillery. But when it came to studying artillery, only Tie Mo could play with it in the Ming Dynasty. Thanks to the wealth of Shanxi merchants, and Tie Mo's
Only by making a decision can this be successful. Otherwise, how can it be possible with millions of taels of silver a year? The Ming Dynasty's treasury cannot withstand such consumption.
Although Man Gui muttered and complained, he actually believed in Tie Mo in his heart. He frowned, leaned back, and leaned against the pillar and said awkwardly: "Brother, you know me, I am no better than you, the people under my control are
I don't have much savings. I have a little extra money over the years, and I earned it by reselling supplies with you. However, brother, I really want to get two of these artillery pieces. Otherwise, how about 80,000 taels for each one?
Brother, I will share less of the materials I obtained this time...You sell me two cannons for fun..."
Tie Mo touched the corners of his eyebrows, thought for a while, and said seriously: "Let's see, we are all on our own, just eighty thousand taels per gun, and I will give you another cannon with twenty rounds of shells, as for the extra supplies.
Let’s not talk about the matter anymore. But from now on, the consumption of artillery shells must be according to the rules. You also know that things are complicated here. I have to think about others."
Man Gui was immediately overjoyed and hugged Tie Mo's arms affectionately. Man Gui knew everything about Zhang Bei, and he knew that what Tie Mo said was true. Zhang Bei's military, political and business affairs were all inseparable from Shanxi merchants.
, all aspects are related to the interests of Shanxi merchants. Take the Military Factory as an example, if there is no interest, it will be very difficult for Shanxi merchants to continue to invest money in the future. Therefore, Tiemo must let Shanxi merchants make money.
.
"Brother, don't worry, I know your difficulties. You will suffer some losses this time, and my brother will find a way to make up for it in the future. In my opinion, this artillery business can be big. Mr. Sun never mentioned Liaodong to you.
Are they interested in buying cannons from you?"
Tie Moqi said: "No, is there still such a thing?"
"Hey, I heard what Lao Cao said. You also know what Lao Cao's background is. He has better information than us. Those people are all local rich people. Don't think they are constantly asking for money from the court. In fact, they are secretly
But they all have a lot of good stuff in store. If they want to buy it, don't be polite. These people have been fishing for so long and they should be slaughtered!"
Man Gui gritted his teeth, a cold light flashing. Tie Mo couldn't help but smile to himself. It seems that the nine borders of the Ming Dynasty have opinions on Liaodong. This is true. In recent years, Liaodong has swallowed gold beasts, the imperial court's own sons, and several other border towns.
You are a fool, and most of the time you have to find a way to solve things yourself. It is understandable that Mangui seized this opportunity and took revenge on Liaodong.
Not to mention Man Gui, even Tie Mo can't stand it. The Liaodong gang is so arrogant that it's time to bleed. Since the teacher hasn't sent a message yet, it means that he has made up his mind not to interfere in this matter.
Well, if the teacher cares about this matter, I would be really embarrassed to be cruel.
...
The Zhenxi Guards can be said to be the strongest fortress in the northwest corner of Shanxi. In the past, when the peasant army had cholera in Shanxi, and the situation was severe, the Zhenxi Guards were well defended. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the peasant army would not attack Zhenxi at all.
Wei Qing thought, if Rao Yonghui hadn't been in trouble this time, the situation wouldn't be so bad.
On the second day of April in the third year of Chongzhen, the troops and horses of Xuanfu and Datongfu were assembled and supplied more than 14,000 people. The troops were divided into two groups and approached Zhenxiwei. One group went straight to Zhenxiwei, and the other group was led by monk Geng Zhongming.
, bypassing the Zhenxi Guards and heading straight for Fugu in the rear.
At this time, the people stationed at Zhenxiwei were not ordinary people, but Sun Kewang, Zhang Xianzhong's number one general. It can be seen that Zhang Xianzhong still wanted to guard Zhenxiwei. Sun Kewang was never idle, ordering the soldiers and civilians in the city to continuously build up defenses.
The fortifications are being built to prepare for the upcoming attack. Now, among the peasant army in northern Shaanxi, Sun Kewang has become famous, even more powerful than Yuan Ma.
Yuan Ma is famous for his cannibalism and ruthlessness, while Sun Kewang is famous for fighting tough battles. The officers and soldiers were also afraid of Sun Kewang's ability, so they did not rush to attack, but stationed outside the city.
.
Mangui and Tiemo ordered soldiers and horses to seal off the east and west sides. The army was divided into three camps and stationed, and they were not busy attacking. But the more this happened, the more panicked Sun Kewang became.
At the head of Zhenxi Guards City, Sun Kewang kept patrolling, looking at the military camp less than five miles outside the city, his brows furrowed tightly. What on earth were the officers and soldiers doing? He wanted to wait until Fugu started fighting first,
Attacking Zhenxi Wei again? The feeling of waiting is very bad. It feels like I have been preparing for a long time, but only punched the cotton.
On the fourth day of April, after a peaceful day, the situation suddenly changed. Mangui sent his guerrilla general Zhuang Zhiwei to storm the east side of the city wall. At the same time, the officers and soldiers also launched two weird-shaped artillery pieces.
Since new artillery was rarely used, at least Tie Mo had never used artillery on the land of the Ming Dynasty, so the ill-informed peasant army had almost no knowledge of the new artillery. On top of the city, Sun Kewang raised his knife and sneered.
, "Haha, the officers and soldiers finally couldn't bear it anymore. Do they want to blow open my city defense with two broken cannons?"
While he was talking, a cannon shot pierced the sky, with a strange roar. The boom accurately landed on the northeast corner. There were not many people there, so the casualties were not large, but the shells fell and dust flew up.
, the masonry shattered. After a while, when I looked closely, Sun Kewang's eyes suddenly bulged, and he was breathing heavily.
What kind of cannon is this? Damn it, with one cannon, more than a dozen stone bricks were blown off. When did artillery become so powerful? If it took a hundred hits, wouldn't a hole be blown out of the city wall?
Sun Kewang is not an ignorant person. He has seen a lot of artillery. Cao Wenzhao in Shaanxi has several cannons, but those cannons are terrible and heavy. One shot can leave a black ash on the fortified city.
, the power is simply incomparable to the artillery in front of you.
"You bitches, brothers, cheer up, don't be afraid, the officers and soldiers will definitely not be able to fire a few cannons!"
Sun Kewang was really right about everything. After a few cannon fires outside the city, the sound of the cannons stopped. Thousands of soldiers carried ladders and started the most primitive siege mode. It wasn't that Tie Mo and Man Gui didn't want to continue firing, it was really the cannonballs.
The amount is limited, and it would be a waste if all the firepower was poured into Zhenxiwei.
The elite soldiers of Datong Prefecture are by no means comparable to those of the guards under Rao Yonghui. At the first encounter, the bravery of the frontier troops made Sun Kewang suffer a heavy loss.
The fire cover made the guards at the city head want to lock their heads behind the battlements. As soon as the ladder was released, many soldiers rushed up with their shields. In less than a quarter of an hour, someone climbed up to the top of Zhenxi Guard City. Fortunately, Sun Kewang also
It was not Yi Yi who led a counterattack and drove down the officers and soldiers on the city wall. Zhuang Zhiwei did not force himself. After being driven down, he immediately ended the first wave of offensive.
Sun Kewang also knew in his heart that the first wave of attacks was just a test. The purpose was to see the combat effectiveness of the defenders. But it was just a test attack, and the casualty results were enough to surprise him.
Although young Sun Kewang has fought countless battles, where has he ever encountered such a situation? In a short battle, the brothers who defended the city lost more than a thousand people, while the officers and soldiers who attacked the city only suffered more than 200 casualties. Who is the attacker?
Who is defending the city?
Deputy General Du Zhongnian wiped the blood on his face, his eyes a little wandering, "Leader Sun, if this battle continues like this, tens of thousands of our brothers will die in Zhenxi Wei."
"Hmph, I would like to ask. Most of the brothers who were killed were yours. How did you fight this battle?" Sun Kewang asked sharply. Du Zhongnian grimaced and said in pain: "The officers and soldiers sent out a musket.
The team blocked under the city wall and fired guns. The brothers stuck their heads out to defend the city. Many people were killed directly. Our archers and firecrackers fought back, and most of them were blocked by the opponent's shield wall. Some of the firecrackers actually
They can’t even reach them.”
"Is this...is there such a thing?" Sun Kewang stared, a little unbelieving in his heart. But based on his understanding of Du Zhongnian, he was not a liar. The defenders at the top of the city were condescending, but their range was limited.
Not as good as the people below the city. This is too incredible. Could it be that those people below the city are the Yunfu Musketeers?
Not long after, a new round of attack began. This time, it was a direct attack from both sides. Sun Kewang finally experienced the pain of Du Zhongnian. The methods of the officers and soldiers were not novel at all. They still used the musketeers to suppress and cooperate with the attack. The tactics were old-fashioned, but
It was surprisingly effective. Although Sun Kewang had people prepare a lot of rolling logs, the rolling logs could not be thrown that far. Sun Kewang was very unwilling and stuck his head out to take a look. Not long after he stuck his head out, there was a loud gunshot. It was a loss.
He quickly retreated behind the battlements, otherwise he would have to be bled.
The opponent's marksmanship was too accurate, and the range was astonishingly cruel. Hearing the grunts one after another, Sun Kewang's heart was bleeding. Every grunt of pain meant that a brother was leaving forever.
"Don't stick your head in the air, get down on the ground, put the officers and soldiers up, and fight with them!" Sun Kewang roared with red eyes. As long as the two sides fight together, the opponent's musketeers will be useless. This behavior is a bit risky, but it can always be done.
It's better than being passively beaten all the time.
After waiting for a while, the gunfire outside the city became much sparser, and no officers and soldiers were seen climbing the city wall. Soon someone shouted in shock: "Look, the officers and soldiers have withdrawn..."
Withdrawn? Sun Kewang still didn't believe it. He stuck his head out and took a look. Sure enough, he saw the officers and soldiers withdrawing from the battlefield, leaving only the musketeers to raid the formation. Seeing this scene, Sun Kewang was confused. What was the other party going to do? Although he didn't want to admit it,
It's true that with the strength of the officers and soldiers, as long as they work harder, it's possible to defeat the Zhenxi Guards. Why did they withdraw at this time?
The attack and defense of Zhenxi Guards on this day developed so strangely that Sun Kewang did not dare to close his eyes while sleeping.
The next day, it was still the same. The officers and soldiers only relied on their musketeers to kill the defenders at the top of the city. As for the siege troops, they feinted every time. Sun Kewang's head was big, and the peasant army generals in the city were all exhausted and panicked.
...
Outside the city, in a tent, Tie Mo and Man Gui wanted to sit across from each other, eating and chatting. There were no outsiders in the tent at this time, and there were no taboos in their conversation. Man Gui rolled his eyes and asked in a low voice:
"Brother, will your plan work? Are you sure Zhang Xianzhong will pay the ransom?"
"Don't worry, this plan was planned by Mr. Wang. Based on Mr. Wang's understanding of Zhang Xianzhong, the success of this matter is very high. The tens of thousands of people under Sun Kewang's command are Zhang Xianzhong's trump card. I heard that Sun Kewang is still his adopted son.
If he knew that money could buy the lives of these people, Zhang Xianzhong would definitely agree!"
"I hope so!" Man Gui put down the bowl and chopsticks and exhaled with some anxiety. After half a lifetime of fighting in the north and south, this was the first time he fought like this, taking the defenders as hostages and forcing the bandits to pay for their ransoms.
It is simply unbelievable that the elite of the border army actually engaged in blackmailing bandits. Fortunately, this matter was done quietly. If the imperial court knew about it, the gang would not have caused an uproar. This was the first time that Man Gui had done such a thing.
, with a bit of excitement mixed with apprehension.
The battle situation of Zhenxi Guards is confusing, but it is clear at a glance on the Fugu side. With the troops and horses under Monk Geng Zhongming's command, coupled with Fugu's dilapidated city defense, Fugu can be captured with just one charge. However, Geng Zhongming did not rush to fight.
Instead, he sent someone to Fugu to deliver a letter. After Liu Wenxiu, who was in charge of city defense, received the letter, he quickly delivered it to Zhang Xianzhong.
After a while, Zhang Xianzhong's unique voice of scolding came from the yamen: "What the hell do they want to do? Are you scared of me?"
Liu Wenxiu wondered, what made Zhang Xianzhong so angry? He opened the door, came back in, cupped his hands and said: "Father, calm down, why are you so angry? What did the officers and soldiers say?"
"Hey, take a look for yourself." He had just handed over the letter and saw Liu Wenxiu looking embarrassed. Then he remembered that the other party was illiterate, so he explained: "The officers and soldiers said in the letter that we should hand over the money collected from the Zhenxi Guards, otherwise
If so, they will annihilate Sun Kewang's troops."
"What?" Liu Wenxiu was stunned. Are we rogue bandits, or is the other party a rogue bandit? Extortion on this damn battlefield is unheard of.