With the current weapons and equipment of the Ming army, if they adopt a defensive strategy, they are quite confident in defeating the enemy with fewer troops.

As for field battles, everyone, from the emperor down to most of the generals, maintained a cautious attitude. It wasn't that they couldn't win, but rather that they were uneasy.

Therefore, although Weizi Valley was in ruins, it still had something to rely on. This was much stronger than the small hills occupied by the Ming army during the bloody battle in southern Liaoning.

The lethality of the flintlock rifle has exceeded that of the bow and arrow, and the bayonet can also withstand the impact of cavalry. Coupled with the simple and light grenade cart, as long as the fighting spirit is strong enough, it is not difficult to fight a battle with a one-to-one casualty ratio.

Of course, this is the most conservative estimate. The Ming army would certainly not be satisfied with such an exchange ratio. And the Jiannu did not think that defeating a smaller force with a larger one would cost them such a price.

In fact, when Zhu Youxiao led the war to a competition of comprehensive national strength and consumption, the victory or defeat was no longer in doubt, it was just a matter of time.

In ancient times, "elite soldiers and sufficient food" was always used to describe the strength of the army, but Zhu Youxiao preferred to reverse it and use "sufficient food and elite soldiers" to judge the strength of the army.

Hungry soldiers can never be called "elite". No matter how advanced their weapons and equipment are, they will become weaklings if they don't eat two meals.

The Ming army now has not been able to eat full meals for a few days, but for several years.

Not only are they well fed, but they are also transitioning to eating well. They also have adequate military pay, pensions for the disabled, and relief for those killed in action, and their families can also benefit. This treatment is a world of difference from what it was a few years ago.

Of course, strict laws and punishments are also essential. If you're a soldier, don't be afraid of death. Perhaps you'll die by the sword of the supervising officer because of cowardice.

Moreover, if a person is executed for violating military law, all his preferential treatment will be revoked. This will not only affect him but also his entire family, which is really terrifying.

Zhu Youxiao summarized the reason why the army was strong in two words: "rewards and punishments." Although his explanation was not comprehensive, he almost grasped the essence of it.

Over the past few years, even though the court's finances were tight, the emperor was doing his best to ensure food and wages for Liaodong.

To this end, he did not hesitate to attack civil officials, princes and nobles again and again. He did not know how many people he offended and how many people cursed him behind his back.

The world's most advanced weapons and equipment, ample food and wages, strict laws, and various preferential treatments for soldiers and their families inspired the Liao people's bravery and greatly improved the combat effectiveness of the Liaodong Ming army. It is not surprising at all.

Although the emperor could not see or experience it personally and was a little cautious and conservative in strategy, the generals who directly led the troops in battle had a more accurate understanding and stronger self-confidence.

Faced with the aggressive Jiannu army, the Ming army occupying Weizi Valley remained calm. Their tactics had been planned, and under the command of officers at all levels, they simply executed them step by step.

Moreover, we had already anticipated being besieged by the enemy, so how could we not be fully prepared?

Not mobilizing the entire army to dig fortifications was also a way to conserve strength and prepare for battle.

If the enemy arrives late, or even does not come at all, then there is nothing to say. Within a day or a night, this place will become a heavily fortified stronghold.

Although the fortifications were still incomplete, it was precisely because of this that the Jiannu launched a fierce attack. From another perspective, this was exactly what Kong Youde had in mind.

Seeing the momentum of the Jiannu's attack, Kong Youde judged that they were trying to use the horse's power to jump over the trench and then dismount to fight. Or, they might stop in front of the trench and unleash a hail of arrows.

"Heavy muskets, fire!" Kong Youde gave the order, which was passed to each unit through flags and drums.

As the vanguard force, Kong Youde led it personally. He did not carry many artillery pieces, but he deliberately brought a lot of heavy muskets.

This thing could shatter the enemy's armor and helmet, killing or crippling them, and even kill several enemies with one shot. It was extremely powerful. Especially the range was much longer than that of an ordinary musket.

The Ming army, numbering more than 2,000, brought more than 200 heavy muskets, which was almost all the possessions of the Mixed Corps led by Kong Youde.

On the battlefield, a commander not only issues orders but also makes quick judgments. The Jiannu army presses in from all directions, and deciding which direction to attack from, which to attack from, and how to deploy troops are all things that test the commander's ability.

If it's difficult to tell the difference at the beginning of a battle, that's fine. Experienced commanders will always keep reserves to supplement the fighting forces or act as a fire brigade.

Boom, boom, boom... The roar of the gunshots superimposed on each other seemed extremely loud.

The Jiannu cavalry who rushed to the trench were hit by lead bullets head-on, and clouds of blood mist burst out, and balls of flesh and blood flew everywhere. People shouted and horses neighed, and people and horses fell to the ground in chaos.

The denser attack formation, coupled with the power of the heavy muskets, made the killing effect even more pronounced. A single lead bullet hitting several men and knocking down several horses was not an exaggeration in reality.

The defeat of the soldiers and horses in front would inevitably affect the advance of the cavalry behind, thus curbing the momentum of the Jiannu's attack.

After firing a round of heavy muskets, they retreated to the rear of the formation to continue reloading. The flintlock soldiers formed into four rows, with the front row ready to fire upon command.

The chaos is temporary, and nearly a hundred casualties will not stop the Jiannu's attack.

However, due to the head-on attack of heavy muskets, the corpses of people and horses on the ground acted as an obstacle, causing most of the Jiannu cavalry to slow down and their intention to take advantage of the momentum to jump over the trench failed.

The Jiannu did not hesitate. They jumped off their horses, abandoned their horses and walked on foot. Each of them raised their weapons and shouted as they jumped into the trench, which was more than one meter deep. After taking three or four steps, they reached the opposite edge of the trench.

Climbing or rolling, the charging Jiannu soldiers stepped on the flat ground, their momentum seemed even stronger, relying on the protection of heavy armor, they continued to rush forward.

The Jiannu archers who crossed the trench followed forward, stopping only when they felt the distance was appropriate, drawing their bows and arrows, and shooting at the enemy at the maximum range.

The sudden swan sound was very short and was drowned out by the loud gunshot.

Countless flickering points of light disappeared in an instant, thick white smoke rose in front of the Ming army, and the first row of flintlock soldiers fired a volley.

Heavy armor is no longer sufficient to protect against muskets, but at a longer distance, it can still somewhat reduce the damage caused by lead bullets to the body.

A number of Jiannu fell, but some survived the bullets. Charge, charge forward, the Jiannu got closer.

The arrows flew through the air, causing some damage to the Ming army. They were still projectiles, not yet at the range of a direct bow shot.

Boom! The Ming army fired another volley. Due to the closer distance, the power of the lead bullets increased rapidly.

With extremely fast speed, the third row of flintlock soldiers crossed the second row and aimed their guns again in the face of the attacking enemy, which had become much thinner.