After convening the military summary meeting, Shang Yi immediately began to make preparations and arrangements for the various methods discussed at yesterday's meeting the next day.
First of all, Shang Yi accepted Zhou Shaohuan's suggestion and asked the craftsmen of Tu Gongfang to build stone platforms on the city wall so that artillery and firecrackers could still be used when the Qing army attacked the city. In fact, Zhou Shaohuan's suggestion was not original.
, in this era, there has been a structure of double-layered city walls with upper and lower walls, but generally only large cities at the capital level or important border passes have walls with this structure.
The city wall of Mulinguan is about six meters wide, and the battlement wall takes up about half a meter. After on-site testing by Shang Yi, craftsmen and musketeers, the thickness of the stone platform was determined to be eight feet, which is about two and a half meters.
The height is five feet, the width is two feet, and the distance between the two stone platforms is one foot. The wall is six feet high, one foot thick, and the width of the crenel is two feet. At the same time, on the other side of the stone platform, there is also a
A low wall two feet high was built for the soldiers who were loading ammunition to sit down.
The high platform is first built with bricks and stones, and then filled with gravel and sand. After compaction, it is covered with a layer of red bricks, and then stacked walls are built to create a low wall. This method is not only more economical than building it entirely with bricks and stones.
material, and the time is much faster.
Therefore, in the future, the focus of the Qing Army's attack is expected to be Nancheng, so all the high platforms will be built in Nancheng. There are thirty high platforms in total. Each high platform has a shooting position for six musketeers, or two artillery can be placed.
At the same time, Shang Yi was inspired by the high platform and built twelve more arrow towers on the edge of the city wall. They were wooden structures, five feet high and divided into two floors. Each arrow tower could accommodate six to eight archers.
And there are flaps that can lead to the high platform, but it does not occupy the position of the city wall. Even if the Qing army attacked the city wall, they could not reach the arrow tower.
Once the high platform and arrow tower are built, the defense of Mulingguan can become three-dimensional, and the defensive ability will inevitably be greatly enhanced.
At the same time, Shang Yi asked the carpentry and blacksmith workshops to make the barriers for the battlements. This barrier was two feet wide and more than four feet high. The main body was made of wood, with a layer of iron on the outer layer, and a two-inch opening at the bottom.
The notch is as wide as three inches high and can accommodate musket shooting. At the same time, a small slope is cut out on the outward side of the battlement. On the one hand, it reduces the focus point of the ladder's barb, and on the other hand, it also allows the musket to be fired.
It has a downward shooting angle. After testing, it turns out that it not only has a good protective effect, but also has little impact on the musketeer's shooting.
However, Shang Yi was still worried, so he still strengthened the protection for each musketeer. Because a large number of iron armors were obtained in the last battle, which could be used after simple repairs, each musketeer was issued a set.
All the armored vests that were eliminated by the musketeers were given to the new recruits.
While strengthening the defense inside the city, Shang Yi also adopted Cheng Jin's advice. Not only did he dig out the trenches outside the city that had been filled in by the Qing army, but he also built earth walls between the trenches.
The earthen wall is trapezoidal, eight feet wide at the bottom and six feet wide at the top, but only three feet high. It can effectively block the advancement of vehicles, but it cannot provide cover for the Qing army.
After planning these projects, the men, women, and children in the city once again started working together to start a new round of building the defense line of Muling Pass.
While building the defense line project, Shang Yi also did not forget to intensify the training of the soldiers. The gaps in the soldiers who died in each team were filled by new recruits. Although the basic quality of many recruits did not meet Shang Yi's requirements, they are now
There is no other way but to rely on veterans to guide them and let them grow in battle.
In order to avoid happening again, when the Qing troops attacked the city, the soldiers were in chaos. Shang Yi stipulated that while the Qing troops were still attacking the city, the soldiers guarding the crenels were only allowed to guard the crenels, regardless of other matters. The soldiers at the top of the city were fought by the soldiers in the back row. Three simulated trainings were conducted on this point to familiarize the soldiers with this method of warfare.
The gap in musketeers must be filled by selecting people from the youth corps, because the current supply of young and middle-aged troops is limited and they need to be used where needed, and archers require strong physical strength. Only musketeers are suitable for soldiers in the youth corps. After all, although the musketeers are equipped with bayonets, the opportunities for hand-to-hand combat are still much less than those of other arms. Moreover, Shang Yi also tried his best to select older teenagers to supplement them, and allowed them to withdraw after the enemy troops climbed up the city wall. Do not engage in bayonet combat with the enemy.
According to this standard, Shang Yi selected 200 soldiers from the youth team and asked them to start musket shooting training. The main reason why so many people were selected was because the people in Muling Pass began to make their own muskets. As the number of muskets increases, more new musketeers are needed. Moreover, musketeers will also die in future battles, and they may be replenished at any time.
On the third day after the Qing army withdrew, Shang Yi received another good news. A new type of firecracker designed and supervised by Sun Heding had been manufactured, and a total of twelve samples were made.
The fire gun made by Sun Heding is also a type of matchlock gun. It also uses a weldless double-tube gun structure, but it is simpler than the Lumi gun, but its range and power are greater than that of the bird gun. After testing, this The effective range of the fire gun can reach 80 to 90 steps. It can break armor at 60 steps, and it can break through three layers of armor at around 50 steps. After the test, Luo Yuanbin also praised the performance of this fire gun. Never stop talking.
What Shang Yi is concerned about is the production cycle of this kind of firecrackers, whether they can be launched in large quantities and produce as many as possible in the short term.
Sun Heding told Shang Yi that there were still twelve firecrackers in the final assembly, and they were expected to be out in two or three days. At the same time, the iron craftsmen had made a total of twelve drilling machines. Each drilling machine was manned by fifteen women, and three people pushed it at a time. , working day and night to make the gun barrel. It only takes six to seven days to drill a gun barrel. With post-assembly and adjustment, a fire gun takes less than ten days, and it can be made in one go. Twelve branches come.
Shang Yi knew that with the current manufacturing level of Mulingguan, it was very rare to achieve this level of experience, and it was impossible to ask any higher. However, Shang Yi once again proposed to Sun Heding that although it was a rush for work, the quality could not be reduced. Standard, otherwise I would rather go slower.
All the preparations were going on in an orderly manner. But trouble soon arose again, and the refugee issue was still Shang Yi's biggest problem.
It turned out that after the Qing army suffered a disastrous defeat at Muling Pass, they retreated to Yishui County. Although Luntai did not want to make it public, there were more than 4,000 people when they left the city, but only more than 2,000 people were left when they came back, and each one They were all dejected, and there were many wounded among them. Everyone could see that the Qing army had suffered a huge defeat.
Soon the news that the Qing army was defeated at the foot of Muling Pass by the troops led by General Shang Yi and Shang Qian spread around Yishui County. Now Shang Yi's name is still in Yishui County.
Several other surrounding counties were famous, and the people hated the Qing army deeply. Finally, they found such an official who could defeat the Qing army, and they felt very relieved. Therefore, some people added fuel to the fire and made Mu Mu
The process of how the Ling army defeated the Qing army is described vividly.
As a result, some villages that had not been looted by the Qing army began to flee towards Muling Pass to seek shelter. Therefore, more and more refugees gathered under Muling Pass. Within a few days, more refugees gathered.
More than a thousand people left and settled outside Muling Pass. No matter how Shang Yi sent people to persuade him, he was unwilling to leave.
But now Muling Pass can no longer accommodate new residents. Even if they can squeeze in people, it is difficult to maintain food. Therefore, Shang Yi and the generals in the pass can only be cruel and refuse to open the door.
They didn't even give out porridge. But even so, the people still refused to leave and insisted on staying outside the customs. Shang Yi had no choice but to let them go.
At this moment, someone suddenly came to report that Zeng Hualong, the governor of Denglai, sent two of his subordinates, Xiao Wenjun and Han Zhi, to Muling Pass to inspect and guard against the Qing army.
It turned out that Shang Yi wrote news of these two victories and had them sent to Dengzhou and informed Zeng Hualong.
Zeng Hualong received Shang Yi's first victory: beheading nine levels and capturing three people alive. He was also very happy. He felt that he had not misjudged the person. This Zong Yi was indeed a talent that could be cultivated. At the same time, he immediately took this person
The success of the report reached the Ming Dynasty court in Beijing.
But only three days later, Zeng Hualong received the second report of victory from Shang Yi: beheading level 885, including one Niu Lu Ezhen, four leaders, twenty-three white-armored soldiers, and horse soldiers.
Sixty-five soldiers, seventy-six combat soldiers. Thirty-seven prisoners, including one white-armored soldier, five horse soldiers, ten combat soldiers, fourteen auxiliary soldiers, eight handymen, and nine coated soldiers
name.
Zeng Hualong simply couldn't believe his eyes. If this victory report was true, then the court had not experienced such a great victory in twenty years. And Shang Yi was promoted by Zeng Hualong single-handedly. Such a victory
Come, Zeng Hualong will also have a lot of glory.
But even when Yuan Chonghuan won the great victory in Jinning, the victory reported to the court was only the beheading of more than 500 people. Therefore, Zeng Hualong could not help but wonder, could this be true? A small Mulingguan talent
With how many men and horses, Shang Yi was able to achieve such a great victory? Could it be that he was killing good people and taking credit? This practice was also quite common among the Ming army.
But when Zeng Hualong thought about it carefully, he felt that it didn't look like it, because judging from his contact with Shang Yi, Shang Yi was not that kind of person. Moreover, Shang Yi's first contribution was not too small, and there was no need to create another one.
Such a false report came quickly. And the report was very detailed. Even the identities of those soldiers who were killed were clearly written. If it was a false report, it should not be written so clearly, because it is easy to verify. Especially if it is a false report.
There are thirty-seven prisoners. If dead people can be faked, then living people cannot be faked. You can find out by just asking.
But if Ru Gao was true, Zeng Hualong couldn't believe it, so Zeng Hualong thought about it and finally decided to send his two cronies, Xiao Wenjun and Han Zhi, to Muling Pass to see with their own eyes.
After interrogating the prisoners, wouldn’t it be clear at a glance?