With a loud bang, the three-pound shell hit the shield cart. The shield cart jumped suddenly and fell to the ground in pieces. The flying wood chips and blood from the coating flew into the air amid screams.
The artillery fire continued, and more shield cart fragments flew into the air and landed on the heads and bodies of the Baoyi people. The sharp wooden thorns also continued to cause them casualties.
Boom! A shield car was destroyed like a toy.
The shells fired by the thousand-jin falconets used their huge kinetic energy to blast the front plate of the shield car into countless pieces. The flesh and blood of the people behind the car flew everywhere, and they were knocked several meters away, screaming miserably.
The trench was not even half filled, but the shield carts had been nearly half destroyed, the gap was getting bigger and bigger, and the shield carts behind had not been pushed up in time to provide reinforcements.
A burst of dense gunfire rang out, and the musketeers behind the breastwork, under the command of the officers, finally launched the first round of volleys in the defensive battle.
More than a hundred light and heavy muskets fired at the same time, thick white smoke rising from the breastwork. Lead bullets arrived instantly, easily penetrating the light armor covered with armor. Amidst the blooming blood, streams of blood shot out.
Boom, boom! The two Tiger Crouching Cannons roared and ejected countless pellets, forming a fan-shaped pattern that poured down on the enemy like a violent storm.
Zhao Huaiyi squatted behind the shield cart with his head in his hands and his mouth wide open. His ears were filled with the roar of gunfire and he couldn't even hear the screams and wails around him.
In the pool of blood next to them, there were companions struggling and rolling in pain. No one knew how many lead bullets had hit them. Blood first spurted out, then gurgled out, and a trace of hot steam was rising on the icy ground.
Finally, another shield cart was pushed up from the back, barely blocking the broken shield cart wall.
Zhao Huaiyi didn't know how long the wooden wall in front of him could hold out, but he couldn't see the flickering flames and flying shells on the opposite side, and he seemed to have found some self-deceptive comfort in his heart.
This is just the first trench. How many casualties will it take before we can break through the third trench?
When Zhao Huai thought of this, the psychological comfort he had just received turned into sadness and fear in an instant.
Turning his eyes slightly, he saw that the blood puddle on the ground that was slightly steaming had already dissipated the heat and was becoming sticky and solidifying.
The injured companion also stopped struggling in pain, his eyes wide open like a dead fish, appearing strangely stiff.
The wailing sound of the horn woke Zhao Huaiyi up, and his dull eyes turned to the distance.
Nurhaci issued another order, and the baoyi who were filling the trenches rushed forward again under the urging and coercion of the Jiannu.
Those who suffered casualties from the bombardment in the front were in hell, but from the commander's perspective, this was just a prelude to the attack and the losses were expected.
When the ants attack the city, with guns and cannons raining down, blood and flesh flying everywhere, and casualties everywhere, that is the real tragedy. And a true general will not frown at this.
………………Dividing line……………………
The intelligence that the Later Jin army was approaching Ningyuan was sent to the capital on the fifth day of the first lunar month. It was delivered from Juehua to Tianjin by sea, and then expedited by 800 miles, which was extremely fast at the time.
The support plan from Dongjiang Town was delivered almost at the same time, which means that the action had already begun.
The action plan had been approved and supported by Teacher Yuan, and was almost the safest and most reliable one. It involved sending more troops and launching a frontal attack to fight against the two red flags of the Later Jin army.
Dengzhen dispatched a brigade, which, together with the vanguard brigade of Dongjiangzhen and the three brigades of Lüda, had a total force of 30,000, exceeding the two red flags.
In fact, in Zhu Youxiao's view, such restraint is dispensable.
There was no problem in defending Ningyuan, Zhu Youxiao was quite confident about this; 30,000 troops against two flags did not have an overwhelming advantage, and there was also the need to garrison Luda, so they could not send out all their troops.
But the plan has been made, so let’s just treat it as training.
Zhu Youxiao did not give any special instructions, but simply wrote a reply to Teacher Yuan and Mao Wenlong, reiterating the importance of Lüda and asking them not to let the diversionary action affect Lüda's defense.
In the battle with the Later Jin army, Zhu Youxiao was quite conservative. This was also because he did not have enough knowledge of ancient combat methods, and his command of the battle was based on his imagination and some knowledge from later generations.
Therefore, field battles were what Zhu Youxiao tried to avoid. In his plan, the mature mastery of cavalry wall tactics and the large-scale equipment of flintlock rifles were the basis and prerequisite for the Ming army to engage in field battles with the Later Jin army.
As for the present, it is not easy for the officers and soldiers of Liaozhen, Dongjiangzhen, Dengzhen and Jinzhen who have actual combat experience to grow up, and Zhu Youxiao does not want to suffer heavy casualties.
If he could defeat the Later Jin by relying on money and attrition, Zhu Youxiao would definitely choose it without hesitation. Even if it meant saving a few lives, he believed it was worth it.
As an emperor, he seemed to have integrated into the present era, but his thoughts and ideas still maintained the tenets and principles of his previous life. Although there were some changes, it was impossible for him to become exactly like the people of the Ming Dynasty.
This might be a good thing, as it still had some humanity in it. Although he had killed many people, it seemed that only Sun Dasha had wiped out an entire family.
Zhu Youxiao gave a wry smile, sealed the reply, and handed it to Wang Tigan. He then casually asked, "Have the houses outside the palace been decorated?"
Wang Tigan quickly replied, "Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. It's very close to the palace, and the servants are reliable. It will definitely not be visible."
After a pause, he added, "It's getting late today. Your Majesty can go and inspect it tomorrow. If it doesn't suit your taste, it can be corrected quickly."
It's hard to tell that the servants aren't eunuchs, and they don't live there; it's just a gathering place! Zhu Youxiao nodded, motioning Wang Tigan to leave. He sat upright at the desk and began to write "Chemistry".
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
