May 25, the 23rd year of Chongzhen.
On the south bank of the Ningyuan River, dozens of earthen hills about four or five meters high stood in front of the Ming army camp.
It took the Ming army three days and three nights from the beginning of digging and piling up the mountain to the end.
The reason why it took so long was mainly because there was a shortage of manpower.
It’s not that there is a shortage of people, but that the number of people working at the same time needs to be controlled.
To prevent heavy casualties from being caused by Jiannu artillery fire when digging and piling up mountains.
But even so, the Ming army lost more than a hundred people.
Some were killed by Jiannu artillery, some died of heatstroke, and some lost their ability to move due to sprains and falls while working at night.
Fortunately, the earthen hill had been built, and it was now the Ming army's turn to counterattack.
Inside the central headquarters of the Ping Liao army, Wang Yongji puffed out his chest and his back was straighter than a table.
A group of generals stood on the left and right, waiting for news.
Soon, the messenger came to report: "Your Excellency the Governor, according to the information from the scouts, the Jiannu have already moved their camp and main force northward. Now there is nothing on the north bank of the Ningyuan River except for a small number of Jiannu scouts."
"Okay, go away!" Wang Yongji waved his hand to signal the messenger to go down.
After the messenger left, Wang Yongji looked at the generals present and said, "Everyone, the Jiannu have been frightened back several miles by our Red Barbarian cannons. There are no enemy troops on the north bank of the Ningyuan River now. Have they crossed the river?"
"Please give orders, Governor!" the generals responded in unison.
After receiving responses from the generals, Wang Yongji felt much more at ease.
He began to plan a large-scale military operation and moved troops according to the plan.
The next morning.
The Ming army began to assemble.
The Ming army's plan was to cross the Ningyuan River upstream.
In order to attract the enemy's attention, Wang Yongji arranged for Huang Degong to bombard Ningyuan City on the other side of the river in the middle reaches and pretend to cross the river.
After breakfast, Huang Degong's troops gathered on the south bank of the middle reaches of the Ningyuan River.
The army was still some distance away from the river bank and out of the range of the Jiannu artillery.
Huang Degong stood behind a bunker, looking towards Ningyuan City with a telescope in his hand.
The city walls were covered with flags, and it was impossible to tell how many troops there were.
Deputy General Weng Zhiqi stepped forward and asked, "Sir, the artillery is ready. How are we going to fire later?"
"How do you beat him?" Huang Degong smiled faintly: "Beat him to death!"
"Great!" Weng Zhiqi slapped his thigh. "I was so frustrated the last time the Jiannu invaded the pass. This time I can finally turn the tables."
"Don't be happy too soon!" Huang Degong reminded, "The Jiannu also have red cannons. We can reach them, and they can also reach us."
(Chongzhen only improved the cannon casting method, changing from the previous clay mold casting cannon to iron mold casting cannon. The advantage of iron mold casting cannon is low cost, and it does not improve the performance of the cannon much. In the late Ming Dynasty, only the Ming court, the Eight Banners Army, and the Portuguese soldiers in Macau had red cannons and cannon casting technology.)
"Don't worry, sir," Weng Zhiqi raised his hand and pointed to the earthen hill: "I have people set up bunkers made of wood and soil around the artillery, which can withstand the bombardment of artillery shells."
"That's good. If the cannon is broken, it can be rebuilt! If the artillery is gone, it will be impossible to train in a short time!"
Huang Degong looked for a while with his clairvoyance, then pointed at Ningyuan City and said, "Weng Zhiqi."
"I will be here in the end."
"Pass on my military order, bombard the city!"
"Yes!" Weng Zhiqi snatched the military flag from the messenger's hand and began to wave it.
The Ming army piled up twelve earth hills in the middle reaches of the Ningyuan River.
There were five red cannons placed on each earthen hill, and there were six to eight artillerymen next to each cannon.
As Weng Zhiqi waved his command flag, the Ming army on the hill immediately became busy.
They first loaded it as quickly as possible, and then removed the flags blocking the way ahead.
Then began aiming and test firing.
Boom! A cannon rang out.
The huge solid bullet flew over the Ningyuan River and hit the city wall.
With a thud.
The shell hit the base of the city wall, making a loud noise, and the entire city wall shook slightly.
The artilleryman in charge of observation on the dirt hill put down his telescope and shouted, "It's too short, raise the muzzle half an inch!"
"Yes!" The artillerymen quickly reset the artillery and reloaded.
The Eight Banners soldiers on the city wall were frightened by the sudden sound of artillery fire and hid behind the battlements of the city wall to look into the distance.
"Quickly report to the prince that the Ming army is gathering and seems to be preparing to cross the river!" a general shouted.
As soon as the words fell.
A cannonball fired from another red cannon hit the city wall, scaring the Eight Banners soldiers into lowering their heads.
Before they could raise their heads,
Dozens of shells flew through the air and hit the city walls.
Amid the violent noise and vibration, dust and cloud rose.
The Eight Banners soldiers were choked and kept coughing.
"Quick, fire back!"
The artillerymen on the city wall risked their lives to run to the cannon, load, aim, and fire.
Boom!
The sound of the cannon was like thunder, resounding through the sky and shaking the earth.
Amid the smoke, artillery shells whizzed through the air.
The movement outside the city immediately caught Hauge's attention.
He wanted to climb the city wall himself to observe the battlefield, but was dissuaded by the dense artillery fire of the Ming army.
Although the accuracy of the shells fired by more than seventy red cannons was average, they brought a great sense of deterrence.
No one dared to climb the city wall under the hail of bullets.
Although Hauge was brave enough, as the commander of an army, he could not take such a risk.
A guard took a deep breath and quickly ran up the steps to the city wall.
Not long after, the guards came running down again.
"What's the situation in the south of the city?" Hauge asked.
"Reply...Reply to Your Majesty, the Ming army has assembled on the south bank and is crossing the river!"
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