In front of Anda are the trophies sent from the south.
There were quite a few this time, nearly two hundred Ming army armors, bows, arrows, and muskets.
They paid three times the loss in exchange for only 500 Ming casualties. Except for the nearly 200 musketeers who were initially cut off and surrounded and killed, the rest of the Ming army's casualties were taken back to the city.
And looking at these armors and weapons, his mood became heavier and heavier.
For more than ten years, the large and small tribes in the pastures outside the Khan Court were frequently burned and harassed by the Ming army, and it was not that there were no gains at all.
But now these armors and weapons have changed again.
Ming army armor is actually the pinnacle of armor craftsmanship in the cold weapon era.
The armor of the mountain lizard fish scales is neatly tied, with a hood, shoulders, arm guards, and belly... The whole set of armor is actually not too heavy and has very strong protective power.
And the armor I see now is made of cotton. Not only the cotton armor, but also a layer of cotton felt inside. I only see warmth in it, but I don’t know about this kind of solidity, soaking it and pressing it tightly.
The cotton felt also has a good protective effect against musket projectiles at this stage.
Although among the other enemies of the Ming Dynasty, there are currently very few who can use firearms in large quantities.
As for the blunderbuss...in the past battles with the Ming army, it was not impossible that there were guns that could both fire projectiles and stab. They seemed to call them quick guns.
But today's blunderbuss is different from the fast gun in that the gun head is inserted into the barrel, but is set on the barrel. It does not affect the firing of the musket, and can also stab directly after approaching the enemy.
This kind of musket is also different from the previous one. There is something like an eagle's beak on the handle.
I am now sure that this kind of musket should be better than those used before the Ming Dynasty. I don’t know now whether only the elite guards around the general staff of their Military Affairs Council can equip them, or whether they have been distributed to the border soldiers on a large scale.
Thinking of the appearance of the mine after entering the territory of Khalkha Ten Thousand Houses and subduing them, Ida snorted coldly.
If this continues, it is really possible that the Ming Dynasty will use this method to completely corrupt Khalkha and empty the grasslands of coal and iron.
"Use the armor and save the rest. At times like this, only the weapons you are used to are handy!"
I looked around at the less-than-heated battlefield, turned around and walked back: "The hard battle is not over yet, please wake me up if something unexpected happens!"
The peasants and slaves carried the soil from a distance and carried it to the front to pile it up into a slope. It was not yet within the effective shooting range of the Ming army on the city wall.
The rest of the harassment only serves as a diversion.
From the perspective of the defenders in the city, there seemed to be several giant dragons slowly rising on the plains outside the east and north of the city, slowly approaching.
It was not yet the stage for the enemy to set up a shield wall to cover the civilian workers behind, so Mao Bowen looked coldly into the distance with his binoculars.
It makes sense that the Northerners are not good at attacking cities.
They are nomadic, at least in their own internal disputes and don't have much experience in city attack and defense.
As long as they can go south to plunder, it's not that the defenders are already frightened and they won't attack the city easily.
And piling up earth to attack a city should have been a protracted affair.
Even though there are many people now, it seems that the progress is not slow, but with such heavy physical work and so many civilians and slaves, their food must be less. When they are exhausted, it will become slower and slower.
When the pile was about to reach the city wall, you could use a long wooden ladder to reach the city wall from the end of the slope. By then, it was already within the range of the Ming army's artillery fire.
Mao Bowen was happy for them to try this extremely labor-intensive method first.
The city wall of Jining is not high, but the power of Ming military weapons is no longer what it used to be.
During such a long period of time, the only people under my command in Mobei encountered were light cavalry sent by the Ming Dynasty for the purpose of harassment.
"Dismantle and transport all the Shenwei artillery to the south and west, let them observe it, do calculations in advance, and then directly divide the tasks and destroy the back road!" Mao Bowen said calmly, "You must wait for my order.
Fire again, and the longer I stay here, the better it will be for the battle. It makes him feel hopeful, but prevents him from actually breaking through Jining City!"
Jining is not an isolated city. There are many defenders in the city. Mao Bowen is here and his will to defend the city is very firm.
Under such circumstances, do I really think that we can conquer this city quickly?
Faced with troops several times larger than our own, there are countless examples of successful defenses that lasted for months.
In Mao Bowen's opinion, apart from being firm in my determination, the rest of my answer was extremely unwise.
Isn't he worried or surprised that he didn't see the Ming Dynasty's large-scale cavalry on the battlefield?
…
Mountain of corpses!
Mao Bowen's eyes were about to burst, and he gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Beast!"
Chaos finally broke out in the east and north of Jining City. The first round of Tatar cavalry from both directions was not against the Ming Dynasty, but against the civilians who were carrying earth and building mountains.
No, it should be said to the captive slaves.
At the end of the earth slope, which was only a few dozen steps away from the city wall, after this round of "civilians" arrived here carrying earth, some people may have realized something and began to flee in a hurry.
Then there was a rain of arrows coming from behind.
Then, there were the civilian men who were actually recruited from the tribes of the Khan Court. Fearful but numb, they dragged the bodies of the captive slaves from the Western Regions down the hillside and piled them between the slopes and the city walls.
The last distance was actually filled by the corpses of these slaves.
Over the years, how many slaves were captured during the Western Expedition?
At this moment, although there is chaos in the east and north of the city, and some slaves are trying to escape, how much energy do they have left after working hard for more than two days?
At the same time, the loud trumpet sound finally sounded.
"Use the blood of foreigners to let Changshengtian see the bravery of his people! Even if they return to Changshengtian's arms, they will all be heroes!"
The Ming army sat and watched as the Tatars piled up the soil dozens of paces away, with only symbolic harassment throughout the process.
It not only caused the Tatars to misjudge the firing frequency of the Ming army's artillery defending the city, but also made them believe that the ammunition and gunpowder in the city were limited and should be reserved at the critical moment.
But now the critical moment has come, and the first step of the Beilu is to use their own people to sacrifice the flag.
It is not known how the ordinary soldiers of the Ming army were psychologically shocked, but the bodies of tens of thousands of civilians were pushed into the pit in the last section, and then the cavalry who were not afraid of death continued to throw rain of arrows at the end of the slope towards the city wall.
.
"To fill the gap with his life? As he wished!" Mao Bowen finally saw An Da's determination and ordered in a deep voice, "After waiting for so long, let them know how deep the last stretch of the gap is! Beat the drum!"
The war drums sound.
There was an array of newly made squatting tiger cannons on the city wall, aiming at the horsemen who were gathering at the end of the slope to rain down arrows.
The powerful cannon on the fixed turret is aimed farther away.
The projectiles flew towards the captives and the civilians working nervously nearby, splashing blood, flesh, and dust.
"The child of Changshengtian will also be a good son in the next life!"
Among the prisoners who were stabbed by flying shrapnel, someone screamed and jumped into the pit.
It was almost dusk at this time, and the dim sunset shone from the direction of the city wall, only outlining their determined figures.
On both sides of the slope, there are people like ants. One after another, carrying sheepskin bags on their backs or pushing small wheelbarrows, they move forward along the path that is two people wide. At the bottom of the tunnel at the end, there are still people who have died.
What was wailing, whether it was a person or a horse, was followed by soil being thrown down from a high place.
There are stones and clods of earth. North of this wall, everything is starting to get cold in this weather.
As night falls, it is indeed suitable for the cavalry to start such a heroic general attack.
From behind, even the already very determined An Da couldn't help but his eyes were slightly warm at this moment, and he murmured: "They are all good men... They are all good men who work hard for the future of the tribe..."
Compassion does not lead the army. The grassland tribes have been forced into this desperate situation. What can they do if they don't fight hard?
Playing tricks with the Ming army, attacking in the east and attacking in the west?
Which city is easy to attack? What's the point of just plundering all the troops? Can it change the general situation?
We can only use our lives to fill in the gaps and let the Han people know that we can’t go too far!
The Han cavalry naturally went further north, right?
But so what! As long as they can force the Han emperor back here, can they really control the bitter cold land thousands of miles away?
After all, they have to return to the south and the grassland that they are more familiar with. It can only belong to the children of Changshengtian.
Now no one will understand what kind of dilemma the people of Changshengtian are facing.
He replied that this official who usurped the throne was worthy of his heart and worthy of the Immortal Heaven!
As night fell, the Ming army's artillery fire was obviously much more violent, but the more violent artillery fire only accelerated the speed at which the last few dozen steps were filled with corpses.
The fiercer the artillery fire, the more broken the flesh and blood, and the more solid the mountain of corpses at a distance of dozens of steps.
On the city wall, Mao Bowen's eyes were scarlet.
If the enemy is not afraid of death, how can he be afraid of death?
Mao Bowen didn't know how Anda used the dual beliefs of Changshengtian and Huangjiao to incite these subordinates, but at least at this moment, Beilu seemed unstoppable.
"Broken Mountain!"
With an order, several powerful cannons that had not been fired before began to roar.
From a side angle, they began to bombard the shallower area behind the slope.
If that area is destroyed by bombing, there will be fewer horsemen rushing up the slope, and the rhythm will be interrupted.
"The gun barracks is ready!"
On the city wall, gunners divided into hundreds began to aim in the direction where several earth slopes extended.
Through the telescope, Mao Bowen could already see dozens of long ladders being carried up. They were as wide as a walking horse. Needless to say, they were made from local materials on the mountain behind. The Ming Dynasty had no intention of giving up on Xuanning Hetao, so
There is no need to overdo the task of strengthening the walls and clearing the field.
What's more, we can already defend the city with confidence.
Mao Bowen knew that as long as the captives stepped onto the long ladder, the first batch of people would also be the materials to fill the hole.
It was probably only a matter of time before he was pushed into the city wall.
But Mao Bowen did not believe that once the casualties reached a certain level, the Tatars could still avoid collapse.
This must be a long, arduous and cruel night, but Ming Dynasty will definitely win!
"Rocket car ready!"
This is an improved version of the "swarm of bees" that caused Zhu Di's cavalry to suffer a lot in the Battle of Baigouhe as early as the Battle of Jingnan.
In the narrow terrain within 200 steps, the dense "rockets" are enough to make it difficult for the cavalry to move forward.
Such rocket vehicles are now not only the important firepower of the Beijing Camp's Zhongche Barracks and Shenji Battalion, but also a sharp weapon for the city defenders.
Do you want to use your life to fill it? Then pay enough lives.
So what if the pit is filled? No matter how many people there are in Beilu, they can't build a real mountain.
There are a few bridge-like dirt slopes, and there are only about ten people riding on them.
And how many rocket vehicles can shoot in turns in Jining City?
Add blunderbuss, bows and arrows, let’s massacre!
Those who attacked from one direction were mainly bows and arrows and blood warriors.
What came back from the other direction were cannonballs and rockets.
At this time, there is no doubt that a large-scale generation gap in weapons technology has emerged.
Naturally, the Ming army also suffered casualties, but compared to the Beilu, in the city defense battle, which they were best at, the exchange ratio was much greater than in the previous field battles.
But no matter what the cost, what both sides need is to achieve strategic goals.
I replied that Jining should be captured as soon as possible to make Zhu Houcong's advance and retreat a problem.
Mao Bowen wanted to guard Jining and drag Anda here.
All of this still depends on the final ownership of Jining City.
Zhu Houcong had not slept well for several nights. After arriving at Victory Fort, Guo Xun had already led his troops towards Jining. The area around Jinglu's Fifth Fort to the north of Datong was peaceful.
Desheng Fort is located in the middle of Jinglu's five forts. There are four forts and a side wall to the north, and there are also several old side forts and a side wall to the south.
This area is a real fortress.
It is located in the mountains, which is not conducive to large-scale cavalry maneuvers.
Zhu Houcong is indeed very safe here.
But that was only his personal safety, not the overall gain or loss of Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, he did not sleep well because the news coming from the north made him a little worried.
Heaping up earth to attack the city was of average efficiency and resulted in heavy casualties.
I am leading hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers and marching southward. Am I determined to capture Jining City even if I have to lose tens of thousands of lives?
Zhu Houcong's several orders were mainly aimed at surrounding Anda.
Although he would not hesitate to sacrifice Jining, if he really sacrificed Jining, in his heart it would be just a tragic victory.
Fighting with one's life, facing such an opponent, and paying a sufficient price can be said to have equal respect.
But Zhu Houcong was not willing to really accept that result.
The night is quiet, the royal chariot is in the castle, and the lamps are swaying.
Zhu Houcong suddenly said: "Meng Jing, what do you think of the choice between me and me in this battle?"
Zhao Zhenji's heart trembled when he heard this, and he thought for a while before replying: "Your Majesty, I think this man can be called a hero. He has the courage of an overlord, but does not have the wisdom of your Majesty."
"Xiang Yu?" Zhu Houcong sighed softly, "So, is this Jining a giant deer or a Gaixia?"
"At the end of the road, I just gave it a try. Of course it's Gaixia." Zhao Zhenji quickly made up for it.
No matter what, King Chu Ba was defeated in the end, so that’s fine.
"We haven't reached the point of ambush from all sides yet." Zhu Houcong looked at the lights faintly, "His bravery has reached this point. If he really defeats Jining first, and then uses his power to invade Tucheng, Xinghe, and Maoerzhuang, then he is serious.
Once you have broken the cauldron and sunk the boat, you can force me to draw a clear line."
"Duke Yi Guo has left to the north for reinforcements. Your Majesty does not need to worry too much."
Zhu Houcong thought about Guo Xun, who had spots on his temples, and after a while he said leisurely: "My luck is really good."
Zhao Zhenji was stunned, wondering why the emperor suddenly said this.
"He was originally the prince of the vassal, but he was able to inherit the great rule. After he ascended the throne and became the emperor, all the ministers united the country. Except for the chaos in Huguang, the new law was successfully implemented. During the two northern expeditions, there were good ministers and strong generals to correct the omissions. If not for good luck,
, how can there be only a few waves but such great achievements?"
"...This is because your Majesty is destined to be a scholar, diligent in governance, and selfless for the people!" Zhao Zhenji finally heard that something was wrong and knelt down, "Your Majesty, you must not go north again!"
Zhu Houcong looked at him: "Of course I cherish my life, and I hope to watch the Ming Dynasty go further. But look at it now, I have changed from my normal state and am in a desperate posture. He doesn't want his life, but in Jining City,
The generals and soldiers under Duke Yi are all citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and I pity their lives after all."
"Your Majesty!" Zhao Zhenji kowtowed repeatedly, "Your Majesty's body of gold cannot allow for any mistakes!"
"...If I am willing to sacrifice tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of lives, Jining City...may not be able to be defended." Zhu Houcong said this almost to himself.
"If the Tatars really act like this, their army will collapse! If they do this regardless of the cost, they won't be able to defend it even if they attack it, and they won't be able to pry into other places!"
With such a scale of casualties, how many funerals would need to be dealt with?
Zhao Zhenji believes that such a situation is impossible.
Zhu Houcong shook his head: "It's different...it's different this time...why should he defend it? If he can break a city and cause the Ming Dynasty more than 10,000 casualties, then the army can plunder everywhere. Now, he is barefoot,
Daming is wearing shoes..."
After all, it’s the price that counts.
Once, there may be a second time.
If the war situation this time turns out to be like this, even if Hetao and Xuanning are still roughly controlled by the Ming Dynasty, they will not be truly safe and will not be able to build and develop with confidence.
Confidence is sometimes very subtle.
In terms of planning and governing the country, Anda and his ministers may not be able to compare with Zhu Houcong and the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty.
But this is a battlefield. When it comes to fist competition, in addition to skills, there is also the concept that only the brave can win.
I'm using desperate tactics to force Zhu Houcong to put down his strengths and lower himself to the level of just competing with him in martial arts.
He couldn't afford to lose, and the Ming Dynasty couldn't afford to lose either. At least for Zhu Houcong's grand plan, this battle could not be defeated, nor could it just be a miserable victory.
We must win decisively and thoroughly.
"There's no better opportunity than this."
The two kings finally came to the same conclusion. Zhu Houcong took a deep breath: "Taizu and Taizong can come to the front line in person, so why not me? The appearance of my dragon flag in Jining is enough to make me
"The arrows I shot are better than those I pulled out with my own hands." Zhu Houcong laughed, "For more than 20 years, I have no regrets in my heart and the Ming Dynasty! Since I have no guilt, you can believe in everything I have cultivated with my own hands.
Duke Yi, despite his old age, can still rush to the battlefield. Doesn't it show that I trust people in my employment? I didn't order his general."
Zhao Zhenji had a lot to say, but she didn't know where to start at the moment.
"The Beijing camp is ahead, and there is nothing wrong with going to Jining." Zhu Houcong stood up and said, "Let's go without further delay. It's time for me and this opponent to face each other face to face."
When two kings meet on a narrow road, they will know the true king.
Even at the level of martial arts that least requires direct comparison, why should Zhu Houcong be afraid of him?
Becoming an emperor in this life is an opportunity that I never imagined.
He has laid the foundation for everything in the Ming Dynasty.
Now there is no need to think about whether God will continue to be on his side. Zhu Houcong just feels that the glorious and prosperous era of the Ming Dynasty should have such a fearless and scornful victory.
In such a victorious situation, as an emperor, besides reading the battle reports on paper from behind, why not actually go to the battlefield in person?
Lu Bing, who came after hearing this, looked at Zhu Houcong for a long time. He had not looked directly at the emperor like this for a long time since he was a child.
After a while, he said directly: "I will give you the order right now!"
I wish you all good luck in the Year of the Dragon, may heaven and earth work together, and may everything go well!