The key is that it's quick and cheap to build! Military artisans can build it themselves according to blueprints. It has similar characteristics to pine tree cannons and elm tree spray guns, and can be deployed to troops in a short time.

Moreover, the combination of grenade launchers and bombs, coupled with the advantage in numbers, can unleash considerable power.

It's probably not that sharp to kill someone directly and send their arms and legs flying; but it's not difficult to injure someone.

You can imagine the scene of black thunder bombs flying across the sky, exploding on the ground, and shooting out countless broken pottery pieces and iron sand.

Xiong Tingbi led the group on a tour, commenting and giving instructions. He imagined how the enemy would attack and how his side would defend, perfecting various tactics.

After the inspection, when Xiong Tingbi and others returned to the city, they met a general who had been waiting for him for a long time at the city gate.

"Sir," Huang Degong bowed respectfully.

Xiong Tingbi nodded slightly and asked, "Are you ready to go to the capital to study martial arts?"

Huang Degong's face turned bitter, and he said with a grunt, "I feel that there is nothing worth learning about fighting in battle formations, so I would like to ask you, sir..."

"Nonsense." Xiong Tingbi glared and scolded, "It is the Emperor's grace to honor a warrior. Hurry up and pack up, and rush to the capital tomorrow."

After saying that, Xiong Tingbi turned his horse's head and went straight into the city, leaving Huang Degong there.

He Kegang couldn't bear to see Huang Degong standing there stupidly, so he dismounted, walked to Huang Degong's side, and said, "Huang Chuangzi, going to the martial arts school is a good thing. Others want to go but can't!"

Seeing Huang Degong looking up at him, He Kegang reached out and patted his arm, saying, "Your Majesty attaches great importance to martial arts. From now on, if a military officer wants to be promoted, he must have a martial arts background or have studied martial arts."

"Can I?" Huang Degong blinked and said, "I fought bravely, killed the enemy and made great contributions. Shouldn't I be rewarded and promoted?"

"See, you still don't understand." He Kegang laughed and said, "If you have made great achievements in battle, or are recommended by the governor, or selected by the emperor, you will eventually have to study martial arts."

Huang Degong scratched his head and thought for a while, then seemed to have some enlightenment. He asked, "If I don't study martial arts, will the emperor be worried and not trust me?"

He Kegang grinned, not daring to jump to conclusions. He smiled helplessly, patted Huang Degong again, turned around, mounted his horse, and rode away.

"It seems I guessed right." Huang Degong rolled his eyes and shrugged helplessly, "We have to go sooner or later, so there's no need to delay. We can set off tomorrow."

In fact, many people, including Xiong Tingbi and He Kegang, saw clearly that Zhu Youxiao's purpose of constantly replacing generals under the pretext of martial arts training was obvious.

This is the emperor seizing military power and controlling the Ming army.

Through martial arts, he conducted inspections, training, and selections, and at the same time replaced or placed capable generals that he trusted, and gradually took over the military power in various places.

If they performed well and were recognized by the emperor, they could naturally lead troops and become officers, or even be promoted; if they failed, martial arts would be the end of some people's military career.

First it was the capital, then the northern border towns, and in the future it would be expanded to the interior and the south. This step-by-step process was not hidden, nor was it difficult to guess.

To put it bluntly, if you don't pass the test of martial arts, there is basically no hope of gaining the emperor's trust and reuse, regaining military power and getting promoted.

But the emperor's thoughts are easy to guess. Who dares to speak out directly, and who dares to resist?

………………

Pi Island.

Mao Wenlong, who knew the emperor's thoughts, was scolding his adopted son Mao Chenglu in the tent.

"Never mention this matter again in the future."

Mao Wenlong stared at Mao Chenglu, who had been kicked in the head by a donkey. Seeing his bewildered look, he simply made his words clearer, "Martial arts is the method used by the Emperor to select generals. Those who learn martial arts are considered disciples of the Son of Heaven."

Mao Chenglu blinked his eyes, then understood. Cold sweat immediately broke out on his back. He kowtowed and said, "It was my own foolishness that nearly harmed my father."

Mao Wenlong snorted, sat down in his chair for a while, and waved his hand, saying, "I understand. It's a good thing there are no outsiders, otherwise..."

Shaking his head vigorously, Mao Wenlong stopped talking and softened his tone, "Get up!"

Mao Chenglu stood up and stood aside with his head drooping, regretting in his heart: Why couldn't I figure this out? I still wanted to improve efficiency and build a martial arts school similar to this in Dongjiang Town to train low-level officers on the spot?

"Martial arts also involve military reform, which is beyond our reach." Mao Wenlong warned again in a deep voice, then explained, "The training of the Dongjiang Army must be accelerated. In just over a month, they will be deployed for battle."

Mao Chenglu quickly bowed and replied, "In another month, the four Dongjiang factions will all have firearm battalions. With the support of grenade carts and other artillery, they will be able to launch a large-scale attack on the Eastern Tartars."

Mao Wenlong remained silent, pondering for a moment before saying, "Our army is newly established, and most of our officers and soldiers have never fought in battle. It's not appropriate for us to engage in a major battle with the Eastern Tartars. We should first attack where the enemy is weak. This will serve as both training and a small victory to boost morale."

"Then send more people to spy on the enemy." Mao Chenglu said, "And please, General, let me fight this battle. I will surely win it in return."

"Don't call each other father and son in the army." Mao Wenlong smiled and said, "I know how determined you are to achieve success. Go and train your troops diligently, so that we can win the first battle."

Mao Chenglu bowed and left.

Mao Wenlong waited for his adopted son to leave the tent, then leaned over the map on the table, frowning slightly as he looked for the enemy's loopholes.

Now, the Dongjiang Army has expanded to more than 20,000 people, with 5,000 in each group, stationed in Pi Island, Guanglu Island, Changshan Island, Lu Island, Zhangzi Island and other places.

It can be said that the deployment of the Dongjiang Army is almost complete. It is spread out along the coastal islands of Liaodong and southern Liaoning, forming a strategic encirclement.

In the process of completing the strategic encirclement, the Dongjiang Army also took advantage of the navy to seize or destroy all the ships along the coast, making the Later Jin lose the ability to fight at sea.

Of course, the Later Jin had few large ships and no navy, so it was relatively easy to prevent them from going out to sea.

In other words, it was relatively easy for the Dongjiang Army to harass the land from the sea. After all, the coastline was so long that the Later Jin could not set up defenses everywhere.

However, Mao Wenlong still wanted to use the more than one month of training to continue reconnaissance and spying to find the best attack point.

Moreover, the Ming army in western Liaoning abandoned Guangning and retreated to Ningyuan, leaving a large empty area. If the Later Jin army invaded and occupied it, it would be an easier opportunity for the Dongjiang army to succeed.

The Later Jin had only so many troops, and the wider their territory, the more dispersed they became. This is the principle behind the saying, "divided forces weaken."

However, the Later Jin Dynasty was obviously aware of this problem and did not take any action, not even sending troops to Guangning City.