The musketeers moved forward, fired, moved sideways, retreated, and reloaded... and so on. Rows of lead bullets were fired, and the continuous firepower output caused more and more casualties to the Jiannu.

Although the long spears could not be thrust at an angle, it was easy for the rushing Jiannu to pull out or open one or two spears, but there were also spears on the left and right, making it difficult to break through.

Moreover, with lead bullets whistling towards them and thunder bombs hitting their heads from time to time, not many of the Jiannu dead soldiers were able to rush to the front of the formation and draw their spears left and right. They were far less powerful and fierce than when they charged.

The adjacent Ming army battle formations began to advance forward and move eastward. Their intention was obvious: to form a salient to flank the Jiannu who were attacking friendly forces and to support the friendly forces.

The Jiannu's lightly armored archers rushed forward and fired a hail of arrows, both to provide support and to distract the Ming army, in an attempt to disrupt the Ming army's attempt to launch a flank attack.

With the roar of muskets, the Ming army launched a swift and fierce counterattack against the Jiannu's bows and arrows.

Even with full armor, the Jiannu lightly armored archers were on horseback, and their short bows could do limited damage to the Ming army. But firearms were either fatal or fatal to them.

Other Ming army battle formations also advanced forward, protecting the flanks of the friendly salient and bombarding the Jiannu light cavalry with heavy muskets.

Covered by the smoke and the presence of soldiers and horses, and at such a distance, the Later Jin generals such as Sahalian could hardly see the situation where the battle was most intense, namely the changes in the phalanx of the Ming army that was being attacked by the Later Jin army.

The thunder bombs were still bombarding, and the smoke and dust from the explosions continued to rise; the sound of musketry was still dense, and the effect of the dead soldiers charging - Sahalian frowned, wondering why he had not yet broken into or disrupted the enemy formation?

The neighing of dying horses and the screams of agonized soldiers vibrated Sahalian's eardrums. In his sight, the Ming army's front had already expanded by dozens of meters, and the adjacent phalanxes had begun firing to the side.

It's over! Sahalian's heart sank to the bottom. Under such a double attack, the soldiers who rushed forward were in great danger.

His judgment was correct. The Jiannu soldiers had suffered heavy casualties under the continuous barrage of cannons and muskets. The dwindling number of troops, although still fighting desperately, no longer had much impact.

Of course, the Ming army also suffered certain casualties, especially the melee soldiers standing in the front.

But to the surprise of the Jiannu, the Ming army musketeers who seemed to have zero close combat ability kept rushing up to fill the positions. What they were holding were not muskets equivalent to fire sticks, but "long spears" with long spikes.

Times have changed! If it were Zhu Youxiao, he would definitely express such emotion, and a gloating smile would appear on his face.

Three-stage attack, four-stage attack, five-stage attack... What the Western barbarians could do, the Ming army also did, although the methods were different.

Although the Ming army had drill manuals, it did not eliminate the initiative of the generals. Take the square formation for example, each town and even each brigade were not exactly the same.

As long as the advantages of muskets can be brought into play, whether it is a shootout with the Jiannu, continuous killing by firepower, or a hand-to-hand charge after several rows of volleys, it is allowed, and the generals can flexibly control it according to the situation on the battlefield.

This somewhat strange formation that Kong Youde set up was also the result of his careful thinking and rigorous training.

Not to mention, the rotational firing of the muskets did ensure the continuity of the firepower output, causing the Jiannu soldiers to suffer heavy casualties before they could even get close.

The rows of long spears standing still could also be seen as a barricade or chariot formation, blocking the Jiannu from being bombarded by muskets, lead bullets and thunder bombs.

Regardless of whether this style of fighting would be popularized, the Ming army won and crushed the Jiannu attack. Seven or eight hundred Jiannu soldiers were killed or wounded, and the Ming army also suffered more than three hundred casualties.

As the adjacent battle formations advanced, the flanking firepower grew stronger, and Sahalian had to order a retreat to avoid the annihilation of the attacking force.

The sounds of gunfire and explosions became less frequent as the Jiannu retreated. The smoke gradually dissipated, and the sight became clearer.

Sahalian and others were surprised to see that the Ming army, which had suffered heavy casualties, retreated and was replaced by a fully equipped army.

The Ming army had a large number of troops and sufficient reserves, or in other words, not all of them were deployed, but sufficient reserves were maintained.

In other words, even if a phalanx is defeated, it will not cause a reversal of the situation on the entire battlefield.

Moreover - Sahalian was somewhat surprised to find that nearly a thousand cavalry appeared behind the Ming army's front line.

It turned out that the Ming army not only had a large number of infantry, but also had mobile forces that could be quickly reinforced. Sahalian finally gave up the hope of winning the field battle, ordered a retreat, and monitored the Ming army at a certain distance, maintaining a close but not too distant pressure.

In fact, there is another reason. Since the open areas cannot stop the Ming army, the subsequent terrain will make it even more difficult to resist the steady advance of the Ming army.

If the battlefield were a little wider - Sahalian made the assumption, feeling a little regretful and helpless.

………………Dividing line………………

The tall and majestic palace buildings, the mighty and strong generals, and the solemn and dignified atmosphere exuded an intimidating sense of oppression everywhere for the merchants summoned to the audience.

Of course, in addition to this feeling, they also feel excitement, excitement and nervousness in their hearts.

Not to mention those commoners like them, even county magistrates, prefects, and even officials of higher ranks, how many opportunities do they have to enter the palace to meet the emperor?

The Maritime Merchants Association and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce both have four people, while the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce has three people. This is the number of people who can meet with the emperor personally determined.

Zhu Youxiao did this on purpose, to make the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce more aware of the gap between them and the Maritime Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. He wanted them to know that whether in terms of contribution or imperial favor, they were not as good as the other two chambers of commerce.

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