To put it bluntly, Nurhaci was telling the Ming army that we also have artillery. In general, the number of soldiers defending a city is small, so be careful of our attack.
According to Fan Wencheng's estimation, building a strong city like Ningyuan and equipping it with such powerful artillery would definitely cost a lot of money and take a long time.
In order to delay the Ming army's advance in western Liaoning, Nurhaci obviously anticipated the impact of this setback on the Later Jin.
This not only requires time to rest and recover, but also requires guarding against the recurrence of the Mongolian tribes and the counterattack of the Dongjiang Army.
To put it bluntly, Nurhaci had a new understanding of the Ming army's equipment and combat effectiveness.
Even if the Ming army rashly advanced to Guangning City, giving the Later Jin army an opportunity to launch a surprise siege, Nurhaci believed that the siege would at least be a war of attrition with considerable casualties, which was beyond the Later Jin's ability to withstand.
Fan Wencheng was almost certain that during the withdrawal, Nurhaci would order the destruction of cities along the way. Jinzhou, Dalinghe, and Guangning would not become ready-made fortresses for the Ming army.
The Khan has lost confidence in attacking the city and even feels fear!
Fan Wencheng looked up at Nurhaci, who was surrounded by generals under the banner. His figure seemed to be still upright, riding on the tall warhorse without moving. Who knew that such changes would take place in his heart?
First defeated at Guangning and then at Ningyuan, the Later Jin were not unaware of their disadvantages in attacking strongholds, nor were they without improvement. They had prepared to the utmost with heavy armored infantry, artillery, trenches, bridges, and siege engines, yet they suffered an even more devastating defeat and suffered even greater casualties.
The changes in the Ming army—Fan Wencheng sighed helplessly. One year was unbelievable.
Boom, boom, boom... The sound of artillery in the distance interrupted Fan Wencheng's thoughts. Everyone, including Nurhaci, looked out and watched.
Is there still hope of breaking the city? Nurhaci and his companions probably didn't have such thoughts. Without a real artillery battle, the powerful artillery of the Ming army had already made them reach the final conclusion.
But since the cannons were brought here, and the lives of the Han soldiers were not at all serious, why not try bombing the city! It would be a way to vent our anger, but it would also give us a sense of just how effective the cannons were at attacking a city.
The shells flew in arcs towards Ningyuan City, crashing into the city walls and splashing out clouds of ice and ash.
The artillery on the city began to fight back, smashing the Han soldiers' artillery positions with several times more shells, stirring up clusters of snow, dust and dirt, which bounced away.
Tong Yangxing received the order without complaint, but was very active. He took some personal soldiers to urge the Han soldiers to load ammunition, and then ran to a distance and ordered more Han soldiers to push more artillery to the front.
Under the bombardment of artillery on the city wall, the Han soldiers were terrified and became even more flustered as they heard the screams and wails of their companions around them.
Cannons were probably the most powerful weapons of the era, but they were not only cumbersome to operate but also extremely dangerous. A little carelessness could lead to accidents and even personal injury.
For example, if you fill the barrel with too much gunpowder, it will explode; if you forget to clean the residue and sparks in the barrel with a wet mop after firing a shot, you can imagine what the result will be when you load gunpowder.
In terms of professionalism and time spent in training, the Han soldiers were far from adequate. Being able to master the steps of loading gunpowder and firing a shell was already a remarkable achievement.
As for their performance on the battlefield, do you expect slaves who are treated as worthless to have a fighting spirit and a mental quality as stable as a rock?
Boom! After a loud bang, amidst rising fireworks, the cannon exploded, affecting many Han soldiers around, and immediately there were screams and wails.
Arrows flew through the air, knocking down several fleeing Han soldiers. The Jiannu cavalry rushed forward to suppress the enemy, mercilessly shooting down the cowardly and shrinking Han soldiers.
Under the threat of Tong Yangxing and the Jiannu, more than a dozen cannons were pushed to the edge of the trench, loaded with powder and ammunition, and fired towards Ningyuan City.
The artillery on the city wall was firing back, and the infantry also moved out, killing the wounded and cutting off heads while advancing along the trench.
Although the Jiannu had artillery, the solid shells had no killing power on the infantry in the trenches.
Once the Ming army's musketeers advanced to the outermost breastwork of the trench, they could use their heavy muskets to directly fire at the Han soldiers operating the artillery, which was more accurate than the artillery on the city walls.
Heads were carried one after another on high poles, accompanied by the cheers and shouts of the Ming army. The cannon fire had not yet stopped, and the Ming army seemed to have begun celebrating their victory.
Nurhaci's body finally shook, veins popping out of his hands as he grasped the reins, and his legs subconsciously clamped around the horse's belly. The warhorse, thinking it was a command from its master, kicked and strode forward.
Yangguli, the first-class general, was quick to act. He urged his horse forward, leaned forward and grabbed the reins, saying urgently, "Khan, this is a trick of the enemy. Don't be provoked by it."
Nurhaci's eyes moved, and he sobered up from his rage. The old slave smiled bitterly and patted Yangguli's arm holding the reins, indicating that he knew the pros and cons and would not act impulsively.
Yangguli loosened the reins, but did not dare to move away, and protected Nurhaci closely.
Retrieving the bodies would certainly be good for morale, but how many lives would be lost?
Nurhaci was helpless and powerless. The bloody and fiery area hundreds of meters below the city was like a slaughterhouse. He would never fill it with Jianzhou warriors again.
The Ming army was so ostentatious, and its intentions were obvious.
The outcome of the distant artillery battle was decided, but in fact the outcome was already determined. The Han artillery team only used their blood and lives to let the Jiannu see the effect and gain some experience.
When the Ming army's heavy muskets opened fire within a hundred meters, causing heavy casualties to the Han soldiers, and even the Jiannu cavalry supervising the battle did not dare to move forward, Nurhaci finally gave the order to retreat.
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