The immense grief instantly overwhelmed the two men, and they even forgot to punish the derelict soldiers or to inquire about how the tragedy happened.
With tears and snot streaming down their cheeks, Amin and Jirgalang wept bitterly for the loss of their loved ones. And how many people had tasted such sorrow because of the killings of these three executioners?
………………
"Boom, boom, boom!" Several piles of rubble on the side of the road suddenly exploded without warning, sending puffs of black smoke rising and rubble shooting into the air.
The marching Jiannu were dazed by the explosion, the wounded horses screamed and jumped in fear, the injured soldiers cried out in agony, and the army fell into chaos.
Landmines were probably invented in the Song Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, Qi Jiguang invented the earliest trigger mine, using a flint steel wheel as the ignition device.
However, this type of trigger mine is expensive and has a complicated manufacturing process, so it has not been used on a large scale.
The mine attack on the Jiannu this time involved twisting the fuses of dozens of thunder bombs together and extending them. Then, hollow bamboo poles were used to lead them to hidden ignition points, where the lurking Ming soldiers would ignite them at the right time.
After completing their studies at the military academy, the generals returned to their armies and began to demonstrate their abilities based on their own understanding of the Infantry Drill Manual. They also each had different emphases on their own tactical styles.
Zhang Pan was relatively formal. The defensive fortifications were dug meticulously, and he paid more attention to the coordinated use of light and heavy muskets and mine-throwing vehicles.
Kong Youde focused on training battle formations, hoping that one day he could defeat the Jiannu army fairly and force them to flee in panic.
Of course, this depends on the personalities of the generals and their understanding of the new tactics. Having different emphases doesn't mean a unit is only capable of defense or attack; it simply means they're better at a certain style of play.
Unlike Zhang Pan and Kong Youde, Mao Chenglu's thinking was more flexible and his ideas were more unique. When he was still learning martial arts, he had the idea of secretly traveling north along the Yalu River to copy the Jiannu's homeland, which may give us a rough idea of his personality and characteristics.
After successively conquering Manpo and Changcheng and successfully ambushing the hastily arrived Jiannu reinforcements, Mao Chenglu set up another ambush at a major traffic route to intercept the Jiannu.
Mao Wenlong agreed with Mao Chenglu's suggestion and used a small number of troops to defend Manpu and Changcheng. Yang Jisheng's rear support, Mao Chenglu's front support and Kong Youde's right support set up ambushes in dangerous places, repeatedly blocking and attacking the enemy reinforcements.
Just as the Jiannu army was bombed and fell into chaos, bursts of roars suddenly broke out from the woods on the hillsides on both sides.
As white smoke rose, flashes of fire appeared continuously, and hundreds of muskets fired whistling lead bullets at the Jiannu on the road.
At the same time, farther away, a dense roar of musketry erupted, like popping beans, and even more deafening explosions. That was the Jiannu vanguard, who had been deliberately let pass, now also suffered a fierce attack.
Hundreds of muskets on the hillside continued to emit flames, and the Jiannu soldiers screamed and cried out in fear, some dodged in panic, and some were hit and fell down.
The Jiannu army, which suffered a sudden attack, quickly adjusted itself, and the Ming army's gunfire seemed to become less frequent due to the slow loading of their muskets.
Under the command of officers, the Jiannu used bows and arrows to suppress and counterattack, and infantry armed with swords, shields and spears climbed up the hillside to attack the sneak attacking enemy.
But by the time the Jiannu army had finally climbed up the hillside to search and kill, the Ming army had already retreated, leaving behind only simple hiding places and the smell of gunpowder lingering in the air.
Sahalian immediately ordered a team of troops to rush to the rescue and save the hundreds of vanguards who were blocked and under siege.
But the cavalry had only advanced a mile or so when they were met with another fierce burst of musket fire from both sides.
The Jiannu soldiers and their horses kept falling to the ground, screaming and neighing. The frightened war horses that were still shot and alive ran around and rushed around, adding to the Jiannu's chaos.
"No--" Niulu Ezhen Buyantu howled in grief. He saw his brother's face burst into pieces and blood all over the place. The battle-hardened Jianzhou warrior died under his horse.
Blood splattered and bloomed brilliantly. On the official road less than a hundred meters long, corpses of people and horses were scattered everywhere, as well as wounded soldiers groaning and wailing in pain, and Jiannu soldiers who rolled off their horses in panic and looked for shelter.
With every volley of musket fire, a man or horse fell, accompanied by screams and neighs.
A cloud of blood mist burst out from the back of the captain of the personal guards. He turned around and knelt on the ground right in front of Niulu Ezhen Buyantu.
Another lead bullet struck his abdomen. Looking down at the blood-gushing wound, the captain's expression was filled with shock and disbelief. Blood continued to flow from between his fingers, and no matter how he tried to cover it up, it was useless.
A personal soldier who was standing nearby was hit and fell to the ground. He covered his neck and made hoarse sounds.
The lead bullet broke the armor on his neck, blood spurted out from the wound, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.
The gunfire continued, and each volley was like the roar of a cannon, bringing casualties and screams and wails.
Niulu Ezhen Buyantu's eyes were red. The brave and fierce Jianzhou warrior didn't even have a chance to show his strength before falling miserably in a pool of blood.
Suddenly, the warhorse neighed, broke free from the reins, and rushed forward and backward like crazy, kicking and ramming. Another volley of muskets came, and Buyantu was blocked by a personal soldier, but he felt a sharp pain in his right leg and fell to the ground in a panic.
The two bodyguards rushed forward and carried Buyantu as they fled.
The musket fire became sparse again, and shadows of people swayed in the mountains and forests. The Ming army moved its position again.
There seems to be a tactic called sequential blocking. Simply put, it is to set up multiple checkpoints and positions and let the enemy break through.
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