Zheng Zhilong's avoidance of battle allowed Zheng Chenggong to recapture Fushan without bloodshed.
By the time Zeng Ying and Yang Zhan arrived with the main force of the navy, Zheng Chenggong had already taken over the city defense.
After handing over the city defense, he led his troops south again.
Zheng Zhilong still refused to fight and retreated southward again.
Zheng Chenggong recovered the lost territory without spending a single soldier or even shedding a drop of sweat.
Although Zeng Ying and Yang Zhan were jealous, they had no intention of stealing the credit.
Instead, Zheng Chenggong continued to serve as the vanguard of the navy and march southward along the coast.
On October 14, Zheng Chenggong recaptured Lingshanwei.
On October 15, Zheng Chenggong recaptured Xiahezhaiqian.
On October 17, Zheng Chenggong recaptured the Shijiu Island Stronghold.
On October 18, Andongwei was recovered.
At this point, all coastal areas of Shandong have been recovered.
Hundreds of miles away in Xuzhou, Zhu Cijiong was attacking Zhu Guobi.
The Yellow River was frozen at this time.
The three-foot-thick ice surface was so thick that not only soldiers and horses, but even artillery weighing thousands of pounds could pass through it easily.
The only downside is that the ice is slippery.
Even if straw was laid in advance, it was still very difficult to move the artillery.
In order to ensure the safety of the artillery, Zhu Cijiong ordered the cavalry to be in the front, the infantry in the middle, and the artillery at the end.
In terms of formation, Zhu Cixiong divided the army into three parts: left, center and right.
He and Liu Zhaoji were the central army.
Li Dingguo is on the left and Li Xianzhong is on the right.
Under the central army flag.
Zhu Cijiong rode on his horse and looked into the distance.
The biting cold wind hit his face, causing him to squint his eyes.
After a moment, he opened his eyes wide in the cold wind, reached his right hand under his left ribs and drew out the imperial sword.
With a swish sound, he pointed the tip of his sword forward and shouted, "Pass the order, send out the troops!"
As the command flag was waved, three cannons fired at the same time.
Boom boom
The iron hooves stepped on the ice covered with straw, making a thumping sound.
Zhu Guobi on the other side of the river urgently ordered his cavalry to move forward to block the attack.
They lined up along the river bank and shot arrows at the Ming army on the ice.
The Ming army on the ice also fought back with bows and arrows.
Amid the rain of arrows, the two armies were getting closer and closer.
The sword flashed and the two sides began to fight.
Relying on the advantages of terrain and regional military strength, Zhu Guobi temporarily blocked the central army of Zhu Cixiong and Liu Zhaoji.
He let out a long sigh and was about to relax his tense nerves.
But he heard that Li Dingguo and Li Xianzhong crossed the river from upstream and downstream respectively, and attacked his two wings.
He had few cavalrymen under his command, and it was already difficult for him to temporarily stop Zhu Cijiong's central army.
If we divide our forces to deal with Li Dingguo and Li Xianzhong, the central army will not be able to stop us.
After weighing the pros and cons, Zhu Guobi decided to retreat.
Retreat to between the rear of the infantry formation and the city wall.
Zhu Cijiong successfully crossed the Yellow River and arrived at the city of Xuzhou.
Looking at the infantry formation outside the city, Zhu Cijiong did not launch an attack immediately.
At present, only the cavalry has crossed the Yellow River, and the infantry and artillery are still in the rear.
You have to know that these cavalrymen are elite soldiers who have experienced hundreds of battles.
Each one is more valuable than the other.
He would not order his cavalry to attack the infantry formation unless it was absolutely necessary.
Although Nanjing's cavalry was vulnerable, its infantry was adept at using firearms.
If we fail to break the formation in one blow, our cavalry will suffer heavy casualties.
By noon, the infantry and artillery finally arrived at the south bank of the Yellow River.
Under the escort of the cavalry, the artillery began to deploy artillery.
Everything was ready and the artillery began to test the artillery.
With a bang.
The shell hit several dozen steps in front of Zhu Guobi's formation.
"The Central Army has issued an order to move the artillery position forward twenty steps and increase the amount of gunpowder by two ounces. In addition, any cannon with cracks found in the barrel must be immediately melted down and recast and not used!"
Ming Dynasty artillery had a service life.
There is no fixed standard for the specific lifespan.
It is limited by factors such as impurities in the material, usage specifications, frequency of use, and post-war cleaning and maintenance.
Generally, cracks will appear in the gun barrel after firing one or two hundred times.
At this time, iron hoops should be used to reinforce the gun body to prevent it from exploding.
Since the Ministry of Industry mastered the technology of casting cannons with iron molds, the cost and time of casting a cannon were greatly reduced.
In addition, artillery is also a scarce force.
Therefore, the imperial army abandoned the use of iron hoops to reinforce the gun barrel and directly recast it instead.
Zhu Guobi discovered through his clairvoyance that the artillery of the capital had moved their artillery forward and hurriedly ordered them to fire.
Boom boom boom...
Under the chaotic sound of artillery fire.
Except for a very small number of shells that hit the target, the rest all missed.
By the time they finished reloading and were ready to fire, the Ming army on the opposite side was also ready.
The artillery of both sides began to fire at each other.
Zhu Guobi had thirty heavy artillery pieces and more than eighty light and medium artillery pieces.
How many artillery pieces did Zhu Cijiong bring when he went south to quell the rebellion?
Not many, only about three hundred.
Except for dozens of light artillery pieces that are easy to carry, the rest are red cannons.
The main goal is to crush the opponent.
Amid the dense artillery fire, countless shells kept falling from the sky.
At first, Zhu Guobi's artillery was able to withstand the casualties and pressure and continue to fire back.
As time went on, the casualties mounted.
The artillery began to flee.
The infantry behind them also began to waver.
"Those who desert the battlefield will be killed!"
"Don't move, keep your formation!"
Zhu Guobi managed to stabilize the formation with great difficulty, but before he could catch his breath, a scout came to report: the Ming army's artillery was moving forward again.
This tactic is very bold and insulting.
Artillery moves slowly and lacks armor.
If the cavalry launches a surprise attack, the consequences will be disastrous.
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