Yue Tuo was directing his men to shoot arrows outside the camp. Although this did not provide any help to the cavalry, he believed that this would prevent the Ming army from approaching and attacking.
Such a fierce fire attack indicates that the Ming army will launch an attack next, which is basically certain.
The gates of several camps had been blocked by the Ming army's lancers. This was the advantage of speed, as it gave the enemy in the camp no time to provide reinforcements.
Facing the neatly arranged Ming army musketeers standing with their guns, Yue Tuo knew that trying to rush out from the narrow camp gate to provide reinforcements would be useless except for a pile of dead bodies.
"Why didn't you rush out earlier? Idiots." Yue Tuo scolded loudly, and the two Niulu were so embarrassed that they couldn't even raise their heads.
Looking up, he saw Nurhaci rushing over. Yuetuo hurried forward and saluted, "Khan, this place is dangerous. Please..."
Nurhaci waved his hands vigorously and frowned, saying, "Where is not dangerous?" After that, he continued to move forward to observe the enemy's actions.
Yue Tuo hurried to catch up, reporting as he went: "The enemy launched an attack very quickly, and it was all cavalry. Before launching the attack, they suddenly fired artillery with a very long range. They must be newly built and hidden from our army."
Nurhaci nodded, roughly understanding what had happened. The Ming army had quietly deployed new artillery behind the cavalry, and then suddenly launched a fire attack, catching the Ming army off guard.
At this time, the sky was already turning pale, and the vision became much clearer.
Under the protection of soldiers holding steel shields, Nurhaci climbed up the wall of the village and looked around.
The enemy was swarming in thickets. Not only was the village gate blocked, but military formations were also formed outside the village walls. If it weren't for the trenches, such a large number of enemies would have been enough to terrify this old slave.
It really was the posture of a decisive battle and general offensive. The old slave narrowed his eyes and made a judgment based on the intensity of the artillery attack and the number of enemies dispatched.
To be honest, the Ming army's massive counterattack was somewhat unexpected by me. Although the Ming army successfully defended during the day and broke through Haicheng, they did not show a strong desire to attack.
Moreover, in all the failed battles, the Ming army basically took a defensive stance, using fortifications and firearms to kill and injure its own troops.
But now, I think this is not a bluff, nor a feint to intimidate, but a major counterattack launched by the entire army.
The explosions of rockets gradually became less frequent, and the chaos in the camp gradually subsided. Under the command of officers at all levels, the Jiannu army was stabilizing, which also gave Nurhaci and others confidence.
Nurhaci issued a series of orders, and each banner and niulu prepared for defense. Lao Nu also ordered a cavalry unit to sneak out from behind the camp and conduct a circuitous pursuit when the Ming army's attack suffered a heavy blow.
At this time, Daishan also rushed over. Ever since his injury was healed, this guy's health has been much worse than before, the most obvious being that he was always short of breath.
The old slave glanced at Daishan and didn't get angry, but he felt a little sad in his heart.
Daishan's internal injuries persisted, Manggurtai was half-crippled, and Amin had been hacked to pieces. Daishan's fourth son, Wakda, died in battle, and his second son, Shuotuo, was hanged for public display.
"Father Khan." Daishan's breathing calmed down a bit, and he bowed hurriedly and said, "You go to the back and take charge. I will command the battle here."
Nurhaci shook his head and was about to speak when he was interrupted by a loud noise.
Dozens of artillery pieces suddenly rolled out from between the Ming army's lines and opened fire on the Jiannu camp. Such speed and skill clearly showed that they had made thorough preparations and carried out accurate measurements beforehand.
The sound of artillery continued. At a distance of about 200 meters, the field artillery fired solid shells, flying straight towards the village wall.
The weight and speed of the shells gave them great impact and destructive power, and they slammed hard into the wooden wall of the village.
Under such bombardment, even if the wood of the village wall was not broken, it would crack and twist, and wood chips would fly out.
Screams were heard. Some of the Jiannu soldiers behind the village wall were injured by broken wood, while others were shot in the face and body by flying wood chips.
"Father Khan, quickly get down from the wall." Daishan was shocked and rushed forward to protect Nurhaci. He also ordered his personal soldiers, "Quickly escort the Khan to a safe place."
Nurhaci was escorted down the village wall by the guards. He turned around and shouted, "The enemy's artillery fire is fierce. Let the children come down and take shelter for a while."
Boom, boom, boom... More shells were fired, more screams were heard, and some Jiannu soldiers were hit and fell down.
"Fire!" the artillery officer shouted the order, pointing his saber forward.
Boom! A dazzling flame burst out from the muzzle, and a shell shot out from the barrel in the smoke, flying towards the enemy camp.
Dozens of artillery pieces were used together, fiercely bombarding an area of 200 meters. The purpose was simple: to break through and charge into the camp, just like in a siege.
Farther away, in the heavily pressed Ming positions, hundreds of water-jar-shaped cannons were pointed obliquely at the enemy camp, ready to fire. They waited for a breach to be opened, then concentrated their fire, killing and wounding the Jiannu and providing cover for the infantry.
The wall of the village trembled and was damaged by the bombardment. First it looked ugly like a broken tooth, then it was broken like a door or window, and then there was a small gap, which continued to expand.
"Shield cart, push the shield cart over here." Daishan commanded in a hoarse voice, and then gasped for breath.
Not only were the walls of the fortress being destroyed, but the men were also being killed. To resist the artillery fire, Daishan could only think of using shield carts to block the gaps and provide protection.
Cleaning the gun barrel, loading ammunition, advancing forward, igniting and firing... The Ming army artillery operated at the fastest speed, bombarding the increasingly fragile village wall.
The Jiannu on the wall had been beaten to the point of being unable to stand, and the Jiannu below could only raise their shields for protection. Only a fool would be so foolish as to try to counter artillery with bows and arrows.
Along with the artillery, the Ming army's musketeers advanced. They stopped only when they were a hundred meters away and fired at the enemy.
The gap in the wall grew larger and larger, and the Jiannu could already be seen swaying. As the muskets and artillery approached, their power became even more ferocious, and the Jiannu defending here suffered increasing casualties.
The shield carts were pushed forward, barely forming a barrier at the gap. Under the command of the officers, the Jiannu began to fight back with bows and arrows.
The battle situation seemed to be a stalemate, but in fact it was leaning towards the Ming army. The Ming army still had a backup plan, while the Jiannu were already struggling with all their might.
Bang! The shell slammed into the shield cart, sending wood chips flying and cracking the shield. Another or two more shots would surely shatter it into pieces.
The shield carts barely blocked the gap in the fortress wall, providing cover for the Jiannu. However, the destruction of the fortress wall gave the Ming heavy cavalry a place to use their skills, and the characteristics of the indirect shooting were brought into play.
After a quick and brief adjustment, with a series of roars, a black mass of shells flew through the air and smashed down heavily.
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