A terrible thought popped into his mind.
"Artillery..." he murmured, "Zhao Muyun actually used artillery in field battles?"
"Cannons?" Li Biao asked, puzzled. "This humble general only knows that there are catapults and ballistae on the walls of Xijing, but I have never heard of cannons being used in field battles. And how were such heavy iron weapons transported here?"
Ma Zongliang lowered his binoculars, his face ashen: "Have you forgotten how Zhao Muyun defeated the Tartar cavalry? He improved weaponry, established the Divine Machine Battalion... I originally thought it was just catapults and the like, but I never expected..."
He turned abruptly: "Order the vanguard! Hold off on crossing the river!"
But it was too late.
At the exact moment of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the war drums sounded.
The central army of the Fengtian Army raised the attack flag, and 30,000 vanguard troops began to cross the river.
The heavy shield infantrymen formed a tight square, raised their large shields above their heads, and slowly waded into the Yi River.
The river wasn't deep, only waist-deep, but the silt at the bottom made it difficult to move forward.
......
On the south bank of the Yi River, the central army of Yin Army.
Zhao Muyun stood on the command platform, his silver armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.
Holding a telescope, he quietly observed the Fengtian Army crossing the river.
Wu Shangzhi clasped his hands in greeting from below the stage: "General, the vanguard of the Fengtian Army has crossed to the middle of the river."
"How are the Shenji Battalion's preparations?"
"Thirty cannons have been loaded, twenty with solid shot and ten with grapeshot. After three months of intensive training, the gunners can complete two salvos within a hundred breaths."
Zhao Muyun nodded: "When the vanguard of the Feng Army has all landed and the rearguard begins to cross the river, first bombard the troops in the river with solid shot to cut off their retreat. Then cover the enemy who have landed with grapeshot."
"Where is the Mo Dao Battalion?"
"Xi Sheng has received orders: once the vanguard of the Feng Army has completed its formation, launch a preemptive attack. The Mo Dao Battalion will not defend but only attack, using a forceful push to break through their tortoise-shell formation."
Wu Shangzhi hesitated: "General, although the Mo Dao Battalion is brave, three thousand against thirty thousand..."
“Look at the Fengtian Army’s formation,” Zhao Muyun pointed to the opposite bank. “To defend against our cavalry charge, Ma Zongliang has positioned his heavy shield infantry too closely together. This formation is effective against conventional spearmen, but against the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword)…”
He paused, "The advantage of the Mo Dao lies not in slashing, but in pushing and cutting. Three thousand Mo Daos pushing together, advancing like a wall, can cut through even a copper wall or an iron wall."
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