Time passed little by little. The gunshots, explosions and intermittent screams coming from the city kept stimulating my nerves.
After all, muskets are not the automatic rifles of later generations. Even so, I am more confident than anyone else in the world about firearms. But after all, the stakes are high. This is the first time to engage in such a large-scale street battle. So I have always been calm. I can't keep my mind calm either.
I was restlessly riding on my horse "Feiyan". From time to time I raised my telescope and looked at the blown-up Mingzhou City Gate. Of course, except for the incomplete stones, I couldn't see the inside of the city at all. In any situation, on the contrary, the war scenes from later TV works always appeared in my mind. You stabbed me and I shot. It was bloody and cruel.
I don't know how long it took. I heard Fang Ling beside me whisper: "Brother, why don't I go to the city to have a look."
I said "Ah" and realized. It must have been Fang Ling who noticed something strange in my expression and mentioned it. I took out my pocket watch and looked at it. It was less than a quarter of an hour before the last troop entered the city. Then he shook his head and said, "We'll talk about it later."
Another ten minutes passed. I finally couldn't hold it any longer. I told Lu Wenxin, the commander of the Black Carbon Regiment in the Guards: "General Lu, you lead the Black Carbon Regiment into the city to join the battle."
"Your Majesty," Lu Wenxin said after a moment's hesitation. "Once the last general is gone, the bodyguard around the Emperor will be very weak."
"It doesn't matter. There will be no Yuan troops south of Mingzhou City. You can enter the city immediately."
Seeing my firm attitude, Lu Wenxin immediately said to the soldiers of the Black Carbon Regiment behind him: "All the soldiers of the Black Carbon Regiment, set off."
I felt relieved as I watched more than 3,000 Black Carbon Regiment soldiers rush into Mingzhou City like a gust of wind.
At this time, the sound coming from the city was still shaking. Yuan Ji said: "Your Majesty, the sound of bombs exploding in the city is dominant. Compared with the previous time, the number of bombs used by our army has increased significantly."
I nodded, but there was still a trace of worry on my eyebrows. After another five minutes of silence, I suddenly gave the order: "Guards, follow me into the city."
"Your Majesty, no." Hu Yande, the commander of the Guards, dissuaded. "The situation inside the city is unclear. Your Majesty, it is better to stay outside the city."
"Why, General Huyan, don't you have the confidence to protect me?"
Hu Yande said sarcastically: "Go back to the Emperor. I don't mean that. Even if I am torn to pieces, I will protect the integrity of the Emperor."
"That's it." I picked up the reins and said, "Enter the city."
Hu Yande glanced at Yuan Ji beside me and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."
After dismounting in front of the city gate of Mingzhou City, I entered Mingzhou under the protection of more than 200 personal guards.
Although there was no scene of soldiers from both sides fighting in front of the city gate, the feeling of being there was completely different. The first was the sound. The shouts of killing mixed with gunshots and explosions were much clearer. It sounded like It was like a stereo amplified by a power amplifier. It seemed heartbreaking. It penetrated directly into people's hearts and made people shudder. Secondly, the front was shrouded in smoke. Everywhere in the field of vision was filled with billowing smoke. It was still impossible to see the clues ahead.
I looked around, walked up to the city wall, and looked in from a high position. Although the sky was clear, I could only see through the smoke. Occasionally, I could see battle scenes slightly closer. However, most of the people nearby were me. Soldier Fang rarely encounters confrontations. Lu Wenhuan, who was in command, saw me entering the city. He immediately followed the city wall and said: "Your Majesty, judging from the current situation, the two sides are intertwined. However, our casualty rate is significantly lower than that of the enemy."
"Okay, General Lu, let's not save ammunition. Even if we throw out more than 20,000 projectiles, it is still feasible."
"Yes. You will eventually understand."
In addition to being unfamiliar with the terrain, the Song Army had the upper hand in terms of weapons and morale. However, the terrain did not seem to be much of an obstacle. When encountering obstacles from ordinary houses, the Imperial Forest Army did not go around and directly threw dozens of missiles. If there are bombs, they will blow up the houses. If they encounter some solid brick houses, they will take a detour. Anyway, there are enemies everywhere. It doesn't matter even if you get lost. It is the same everywhere. There is only one purpose: to kill the Yuan army.
Unknowingly, it was already noon, but the sound of fighting coming from the front showed no signs of stopping.
As the bombs exploded one after another, the number of the Yuan army began to decrease sharply. Although a thrown bomb sometimes failed to kill anyone, it caused a great increase in the number of wounded soldiers of the Yuan army. Secondly, they could only crawl on the ground to avoid it. .This gave the Song Army musketeers ample time to reload.
As one went and the other went, the Song Army's advantage began to gradually turn into victory.
Lu Wenhuan kept reporting to me the development of the war. From these scattered news, I can imagine the intensity of the war.
About an hour later, I said to Lu Wenhuan: "General Lu, there is still a regiment of soldiers on the city wall. Let them also join the battle."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Lu Wenhuan knew that the Yuan army in front should not be able to rush to the south gate of Mingzhou City. He immediately issued an order to attack. The last group of Royal Forest Army officers who received the order, led by their regimental commander, marched towards Rush forward.
When I heard the explosions starting to become scattered, I looked at my pocket watch again. It was a quarter past four in the afternoon.
"It should be almost done." I secretly breathed a sigh of relief and thought.
Half an hour later, news came one after another from the front. The battle in the east of the city ended. The battle in the west of the city came to an end. The Yuan troops in the north of the city withdrew from the north gate. Only a few Yuan troops in the city were still resisting.
Next to the north gate of Mingzhou City is a Yuan army camp. However, this camp is not a resting place for soldiers. It is a place where war horses are raised.
The sky gradually darkened, and the sounds of fighting in the city stopped completely.
I know. The battle is over.
At this time, I realized that I could no longer lift my arms. I didn’t know how many times I had lifted the telescope during the day. And this telescope was quite heavy. At the same time, I also felt that the clothes on my body were all I was soaked. I don’t know if it was due to the weather or nervousness.
After a while, the generals participating in the war gathered around me one by one.
Lu Wenhuan said happily: "Your Majesty, the battle is over. Our army successfully recovered Mingzhou."
"Okay. Thank you for your hard work, general Lu. Immediately clean the battlefield, rescue the wounded, and assign garrisons."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Also, if any injured people are found in the city, they need to be rescued immediately."
"The last general honors his order."
Under the command of Lu Wenhuan, all the generals performed their duties and cleaned up the battlefield in an orderly manner.
When I walked into the center of Mingzhou City, the Yuanjun Marshal's Mansion, I sat down on a chair. After about ten minutes, I got up and took a drink of water. Then I ate some military food I brought with me. Medium dry food.
"Although Mingzhou City has been captured, I don't know the casualties of our soldiers." I sat on the chair and thought while enjoying Fang Ling's massage.
At around ten o'clock in the evening, Lu Wenhuan and other major military generals came to my temporary station with happy faces.
"See the Emperor."
"No gift."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." After the ceremony, Lu Wenhuan said first. "Your Majesty, after a preliminary count, in today's battle, more than 6,300 soldiers of our army were killed. A total of more than 19,000 people were lightly or seriously injured. The wounded include generals at the box level. At the same time, our army killed two generals, Lu Shikui and Fan Tianshun..."
"Wait a minute, General Lu." I stood up and interrupted. "Why are there so many?"
Although I had estimated the intensity of the war in advance and was mentally prepared, I never expected that the number of casualties would exceed 25,000, accounting for almost half of our army.
"Is that much?" Lu Wenhuan muttered in his heart and replied: "Your Majesty, although our army paid the price of more than 20,000 casualties, we killed at least 35,000 Yuan troops. Not counting those who were injured and fled. "
"Judging from the comparison of casualty rates between the two sides, our army has the advantage. But our army has the advantage of firearms." I sighed and said. "It seems that the Yuan army's combat effectiveness is really strong. By the way, General Lu. Lu Shikui How are the injuries of two generals, General Fan Tianshun?"
When I asked about the situation of the two generals, I became nervous again. Even the commander of the compartment was injured. This shows how fierce and cruel this street battle was.
"Your Majesty, the injuries are not serious, but they are not life-threatening."
I breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay. Let the field hospital rescue you."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"General Lu, are there any casualties among the people in this city?"
"Back to Your Majesty, there are almost no common people in Mingzhou City. According to the captured Yuan soldiers, the common people in the city have been moved to other areas one after another after the Yuan army entered."
"Fortunately, the common people were not affected. General Lu and all the generals, please sit down and talk."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"General Lu. As mentioned earlier, the two generals Lu Shikui and Fan Tianshun were seriously injured. Why?"
Lu Wenhuan said: "Your Majesty, General Fan Tianshun met Huaidu, the general of the Mongolian Xue Army during the battle in the east of the city. Huaidu was very skilled in martial arts and killed more than ten of my soldiers one after another. General Fan fought with him and was defeated. He was hit by two knives. Fortunately, General Wen Zhang arrived in time and used his flying knife skills to save General Fan. After that, General Wen shot Huaidu to death. General Lu Shikui fought with Suodu in the north of the city. After the fight, he killed Suodu who was already injured. He was also seriously injured by Suodu's blow before he died."
I have heard the names of Huaidu and Suodu. They are all famous generals in the Mongolian army. I nodded and said: "The two generals are brave and should be commended. General Lu. Which other generals of the Yuan army were... Our troops killed him."
"Your Majesty, among the generals of the Yuan Army who were killed, Huaidu and Suodu were the most brave. However, there was another great achievement. General Guo Kan of the Yuan Army was captured alive by General Meng and General Duan."
"Guo Kan. The commanders of the ten major capitals of the Yuan army in the southern expedition."