Chapter 135 The Invaders
"Shield bearers, protect the riflemen; spearmen, prepare to change positions..."
"Riflemen, retreat immediately after firing and replace them with pikemen. Maintain tight formation..."
The instructors shouted orders and issued commands, while the brigade, equipped with rifles, continuously fired and changed formations. The initial scattered formation gradually became orderly, finally allowing Liu Renguang and others watching from a high vantage point to discern the strategy.
"Your Highness, this new battle formation is different from the previous ones. Its key point is the riflemen in the formation. Moreover, you see, whether the coordination between the riflemen and the spearmen can be suitable for the environment of Luzon is still unknown. We need to think about it more."
Jiang Bensheng spoke eloquently to Liu Renguang beside him, who humbly accepted the advice and did not treat him as a staff member at all.
Jiang Bensheng is one of the oldest members of Qin Mo's retinue. He has remarkable insights into both military and political affairs and is one of the few wise and capable individuals left behind by the old Prince Qin Lan.
Before leaving, Qin Mo said something to Liu Renguang that made him feel uneasy: "Now you are the governor of Luzon. If you can bring peace to the entire island of Luzon, then you will be the governor of Luzon."
Liu Renguang would never frown if he were to charge into battle, but he was very troubled by how to conquer and pacify a new territory. Only after being advised by others did he think of the idea of hiring people with high salaries.
Jiang Bensheng, who was old and frail and no longer fit to charge into battle, was bored at home, so he came to Luzon to act as a strategist for his old brother.
“Brother Jiang, Your Highness, these riflemen are fine in the rain, but they won’t be able to fire in heavy rain. We need to come up with a solution.” Liu Renguang respected this new strategist very much, even though he was just an old man.
"The bowstrings are damp from the heavy rain and can't be used. Just draw your knives and fight. What can a bunch of natives do?" Jiang Bensheng had followed Qin Lan in battle for decades and was very familiar with war in all kinds of situations. If he weren't old, Qin Mo would have taken him with him when he went to fight in the north last year.
Qin Mo did not immediately replace all his men with musketeers; he wanted to adopt a more stable transitional approach. After much deliberation, Qin Mo chose Qi Jiguang's Mandarin Duck Formation and the Spanish phalanx, which was popular in Europe at the time, as models to establish a new combat mode for his army.
A fast horse galloped from afar, bypassing the military formation in the drill, its speed undiminished. The rider was dressed entirely in black, with a red flag tucked behind his back, indicating his special identity as a "Red Flag Messenger."
"Hmm? It's coming from the northern camp..." Liu Renguang felt a bad feeling as he looked at the military intelligence messenger rushing towards him.
"Your Excellency, the northern camp has been besieged! Captain Wu has sent his men to report this!" The messenger arrived before Liu Renguang, bowed, and presented the urgent military report.
Liu Renguang hurriedly opened the urgent report, read it carefully, and then asked with suspicion, "Did your captain send you to report... or to request reinforcements?"
The messenger bowed his head and replied, "Reporting to my lord, the northern camp is besieged by tens of thousands of natives. My captain has ordered his men to break through the encirclement... Reporting!"
"Tell me the truth, what's the situation up north? Are you here to report or to ask for help?"
Liu Renguang was anxious. According to the letter, the northern camp was in dire straits, but there was no mention of requesting reinforcements. This greatly angered Governor Liu. Should he send troops or not?
The messenger who brought the message was almost in tears. "I see that the northern camp is on the verge of collapse, but my captain did send me to report this, he did not ask for reinforcements!"
"You bastard, you should have realized this sooner. If your captain gets into trouble, you, as his personal guard, won't be able to escape either."
Even if Liu Renguang was stupid, he would understand that the commander of the northern camp was young and arrogant and thought that the natives were no match for him, but he sent someone to report this because of military law.
After arriving in Luzon, Jiang Bensheng surveyed the terrain and soil conditions and concluded that Qin Mo's "using a point to drive the whole area" strategy was quite feasible.
Qin Mo's strategy was to establish several camps in Luzon, build connecting roads for mutual support, and ultimately radiate outwards from the camps to the entire island of Luzon.
The northern camp was the first camp besides Luzon Port, and the garrison commander of the camp was Wu Mingyi, Wu Shengze's beloved son.
Wu Mingyi fought alongside Qin Mo in the north for nearly a year, gradually honing himself into a qualified military commander. Among the younger generation of soldiers from Dayuan County, he had already become a leading figure.
After Wu Mingyi arrived in Luzon, he volunteered to expand the northern camp, and this incident happened in just a few days, which angered Liu Renguang.
"Guards, summon all brigade commanders to my tent for orders!"
As night fell, the young leader of the Da Yuan clan, along with his five subordinate cultivators, quietly made their way towards the Tu Rao camp.
At night, bonfires blazed in the indigenous camp, illuminating the messy, makeshift thatched huts—a chaotic and disorganized scene. After observing for a while, Wu Mingyi was certain that the brightest spot in the camp was where the indigenous chieftains were gathered.
He and his men's skill in scouting was honed under the prince's tutelage, and it had always worked well against the fierce orcs of the north, let alone these foolish natives. Soon they reached the edge of the campfire and saw their target.
A dozen or so strong natives sat in a circle, eating roasted meat with gusto; their heads were covered with feathers, signifying their status as leaders.
Beside the leaders sat another group of people, who also had many bright feathers on their heads. The only difference between them and the others was that they wore clothes made of Songjiang cloth.
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