This displeased Zhu Xiong Ying. Over the years, he had placed great emphasis on firearms, trained many craftsmen, and invested considerable resources. However, the progress of firearms research and development was not satisfactory to him.

Forget about hand grenades, even muskets couldn't compare to matchlock guns, which frustrated Zhu Xiong Ying.

The Ming dynasty's warhorses appeared to have undergone some training, remaining relatively calm in the face of the cannon fire. The Mongol tribes' warhorses, while also well-trained, were only slightly panicked.

As the arrows were fired in unison, the first rank of muskets opened fire, followed by the second rank, and then the third rank of musketeers immediately followed suit.

That's it, that's the basic attack. Modern arquebuses are pretty much limited in effectiveness; their range is short, and their reload is slow. Basically, a single volley is all it takes, but the effect is still quite good, sending many galloping Mongol knights flying.

Seeing that the Mongol cavalry's charge had stalled, Zhu Xiong Ying was somewhat satisfied. The battle-hardened Ming soldiers were also perfectly in sync at this moment; as the musketeers retreated, the infantry began their advance.

With shields raised and spears pointed diagonally, these infantrymen possessed unwavering determination to withstand the charge of cavalry. This was a tactic employed throughout history; while infantry's ability to fight cavalry was inherently disadvantageous, there were still many effective strategies employed.

The Ming cavalry on both flanks are still conserving their strength. They need to wait and strike at the crucial moment to turn the tide and secure victory. After all, in this era, cavalry is king, and the Ming cavalry is invaluable.

Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and turned to say, "Second Uncle, those Tartars are still using bronze arrows and stone arrows. It seems that resources are scarce on the grasslands. The people here are having a hard time."

Zhu Shuang laughed at this moment, quite pleased with himself, "Father and elder brother are wise and insightful. These Tartars are not skilled in any crafts, and their retreat to the grasslands has cut off their iron tools. Now they rely on our Great Ming for tea and needlework, so what iron tools do they have to offer!"

The Mongol tribes, which no longer even have iron pots, have degenerated considerably. For them to become the Mongol cavalry that once dominated the Asian continent is extremely difficult and unrealistic.

When these Mongols have no suitable weapons at their disposal, even if they are skilled horsemen, they will quickly fall into a disadvantageous position.

When the cavalry on both flanks charged out, the Mongol tribes collapsed at the first touch. The once mighty Mongol cavalry were no longer charging; these people were now fleeing for their lives.

Zhu Xiong Ying was somewhat disheartened. When the Mongols began to flee, he was truly at a loss. Capturing these skilled cavalrymen was no easy task, and Zhu Xiong Ying could only watch helplessly as these young and strong men of the nomadic tribes escaped.

The loss of a large workforce caused Zhu Xiong Ying immense heartache. If they had taken on all the work, the pressure of building bridges and roads would have been less, and the silver mine would have had an additional large number of hardworking miners.

Unfortunately, although Zhu Xiong Ying felt very sorry, he didn't say much and didn't think about arresting those people. He knew that it wasn't very realistic.

"These people are quite clever; they've only come to test the strength of our Ming Dynasty's military," Zhu Shuang said with a smug smile. "Nephew, shall we march north and strike straight at Huanglong, achieving our goal of sealing the wolf's lair?"

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and shook his head, saying to Zhu Shuang, "Second Uncle, don't joke around. I think Grandfather will soon issue an edict ordering us to return to the capital."

Zhu Shuang laughed too. He felt that Zhu Xiong Ying's statement was definitely not problematic. Small-scale skirmishes were fine, but they knew that it was impossible for Zhu Xiong Ying to lead troops on a distant expedition; they knew the Emperor would not allow it.

This could hardly be called a major battle, but Zhu Xiong Ying was still somewhat satisfied, since he had at least been to the battlefield and commanded a battle.

Although it was an easy victory, Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't entirely satisfied with the battle. The Ming Dynasty had demonstrated its strength, but Zhu Xiong Ying also saw many shortcomings; the Ming Dynasty needed to become even stronger!