"Report!"
"Reporting to the general, the rebels left Nangang early this morning and are now making no attempt to conceal their presence as they head towards Nanze along the official road. They just passed Majiabo an hour ago."
"Their army numbered approximately 100,000, and they were armed with firearms!"
On the tower of Datong City, the scout who had just returned from reconnaissance reported to Commander Kim Jeong-hee. After listening to his report, Kim Jeong-hee frowned and remained silent, lost in thought.
Since Jin Fengluan issued the decree last night, he has gathered his troops and rushed here overnight, and then set up camp here. In his previous plan, Jin Zhengxi estimated that the rebel army should leave Nangang in the next few days, and he also had a rough estimate of their troops.
Even if all the rebels who landed at Nangang disembarked and headed to Nanze, they wouldn't have many troops. I currently have 200,000 well-trained soldiers, plus 10,000 Shenji Battalion soldiers under Prince Qing.
Although his forces far outnumbered the rebels under these circumstances, Kim Jong-hui remained concerned about how many firearms the rebels possessed.
At this moment, upon hearing that the enemy had 100,000 troops and was carrying firearms, Kim Jong-hee was already beyond his expectations.
"How can there be so many people... This is probably going to be troublesome..." Jin Fengxi bit her lip and muttered to herself with a frown.
As soon as he finished speaking, his youngest son, Jin Zhou, said:
"Father, what's the harm?"
"This isn't bad news for us."
"Although we still don't understand why they have more troops, so what? Our forces outnumber the rebels by two to one! We have the advantage of superior terrain, how can we not win!"
"They're walking so arrogantly on the official road, completely disregarding our imperial court. This time, we must wipe them out completely!"
Kim Jeong-hee remained silent with a frown, but his gaze fell on his eldest son, Kim Tam.
This time, apart from his second son, Kim Seon, who served in the Imperial Guard, his other two sons came along as deputy generals. Although it was not customary to do so, they insisted on going on the expedition together, and Kim Jeong-hee had no choice but to agree.
At that moment, seeing the look in his father's eyes, Jin Tan said in a deep voice:
“The rebels have firearms.”
"Even if they are brave and skilled in battle, we can still defeat them head-on with our superior numbers if they do not have firearms."
"But with firearms, everything will be different. Even if there are fewer than 100,000 people, they will still be a tough nut to crack."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Zhou raised an eyebrow and said:
"So what if they have it? We have it too!"
"Isn't the Shenji Battalion fully equipped and ready for battle right there in the military camp? They have matchlock guns and cannons!"
"We have even more troops, what's there to worry about?" Jin Zhou said excitedly, patting his chest.
"That's different."
"Even though they are all firearms, there are differences."
"Although the rebels have never used firearms in past battles, the fact that they have them means they are not just for show."
"As for us, we've never actually used it on a real battlefield, so no one can guarantee how effective it will be," Kim Jong-hee said, frowning.
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Tan nodded and said:
"Father is right."
"Although the prince and the others say these firearms are powerful, to be honest, I have seen them before, and I have witnessed several instances of them misfiring and exploding."
"We haven't spent enough time researching these weapons, so they may not be able to play a particularly significant role."
"In my opinion, we should still focus on the 200,000-strong army as the main force. The Shenji Battalion can only play a supporting role. It is probably not feasible to use them as weapons of mass destruction right now."
Jin Zhou's expression changed, and he said with some dissatisfaction, "It can't be that bad."
"Why are you so lacking in confidence? Do you really think the rebels' firearms are any better?!"
Upon hearing this, Jin Tan chuckled, while Jin Zhengxi stroked his beard and said:
"We'll know once we fight it out."
After saying this, Kim Jeong-hee shook his head and sighed softly:
"At this point, is there really any other choice?"
"It's gone."
Seeing his father's expression, Jin Tan bit his lip and whispered:
“These two princes usually speak very nicely, but when it comes to actually going to the battlefield, they back down. If you ask me, Father, you shouldn’t have volunteered. Let’s see if they can sit still.”
"At your age, why bother coming here?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Zhou rolled his eyes and said to Jin Tan with dissatisfaction:
"Second Brother, what are you saying? We can win this battle!"
"If we can successfully capture Qin Ze, it will be a great achievement! We will all have a great merit added to our record, and our family, from top to bottom, will be honored. Father can even become the Duke of Protectorate!"
Jin Tan glanced at him sideways and snorted coldly, "His Majesty likes people like you."
Jin Zhou agreed with the statement, but he disliked the look in the eyes. He sensed it was sarcasm from his second brother and his face flushed red.
"A real man shouldn't be timid and hesitant; he should step up when necessary!"
Jin Tan turned her face away, crossed her arms, and ignored him.
Jin Zhou, however, persisted, his face flushed as he continued to ramble on and on.
"Enough!" Kim Jeong-hee interrupted his youngest son, then slapped his eldest son on the shoulder.
Jin Tan turned his head and saw Jin Zhengxi's solemn expression.
"Tan'er, you must understand that we must step forward at this time."
Do you think your father is greedy for merit or wants His Majesty's reward?
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