"put!"
Following Miao Shao's order, a deafening volley of flint-haired bird cannons sounded, and a thick cloud of white smoke rose up.
The loud noise of the flintlock gun and the scorching fire when the projectiles were fired shocked Yan Jizu, Liu Zeqing, Zhang Youxun and others behind them. Everyone looked ahead and saw that the thick wooden board erected seventy steps away had been shattered and flew into the air. , this kind of power made everyone look pale. They had never seen such a sharp bird gun, and it was also flint-haired!
In front of Liu Yan, Shen Tuo led three teams of flint-haired gun soldiers, who were shooting in three levels, with the first two rows squatting and the back row standing. At this time, it was the back row who was shooting. After shooting, they took out a fixed paper cartridge ammunition from the oil-packed ammunition bag on their backs and quickly loaded the ammunition again.
"put!"
"put!"
"put!"
"put!"
The deafening volleys sounded one after another and continued. After the three teams of flint-haired bird cannon soldiers fired three rounds of flint-haired bird cannons, one piece of the thick wooden board erected in front of them was missing. All of them were completely destroyed by the sharp bird cannon fire. Blast to smithereens. At this time, the school ground was filled with the choking smell of gunpowder smoke. Everyone looked forward and found it difficult to see.
After a long time, Lu Xiangsheng coughed, and Yan Jizu beside him turned pale. Jimo camp general Zhang Youxun, Jimo camp guerrilla generals Li Jiwen, Hu Zongming and others were also stunned, and Liu Zeqing also had a look of disbelief on his face. Their army is also equipped with a large number of firearms, such as bird guns, three-eyed guns, etc., but none of them are as powerful as Liu Yan.
"It's really sharp!"
Everyone started talking excitedly. Lu Xiangsheng raised his hand and called a gunman. He took the flint-haired birdgun handed over by the soldier and looked at it carefully. Everyone around him also gathered around and began to "study" this flint-haired bird gun.
Lu Xiangsheng couldn't put it down and stroked the black and thick gun body, and nodded with emotion. Now the Ming army has various more advanced firearms, such as Lumi guns, Thunder guns, etc. However, they do not have much advantage against the Qing soldiers. In addition to quality issues, it is because the soldiers do not have the courage to fight in close combat. .
In addition, just now Lu Xiangsheng saw Liu Yan using three-layer shooting tactics. In fact, the three-layer firearm shooting tactics are now commonly used in the Ming army. This is not surprising. Even the custom-packed paper tube ammunition did not cause much surprise to Lu Xiangsheng. Most of the firearms of the Ming Dynasty used quantitative packaging of gunpowder and projectiles, but one used a bamboo tube and the other packed the gunpowder and projectiles together. However, this idea can be used for reference.
Lu Xiangsheng added: "Just now I saw that your soldiers were shooting calmly and were not worried about the danger of exploding the barrel. The governor looked at it in detail and found that these flint-haired bird muskets are indeed excellent. Don't you have any skilled craftsmen in Lingshan Guard?"
Although the body of the bird gun in Lu Xiangsheng's hand was very hot and the muzzle was still emitting green smoke, there was indeed no danger of exploding the barrel. The shooting just now also proved this.
Seeing what Lu Xiangsheng said, many eyes looked at Liu Yan. There were many blunderbuss in the army, but the soldiers in each department were generally unwilling to use them. This was related to the poor quality of the blunderbuss and their tendency to explode during combat. But look at the blunderbuss of Lingshan Guard. , it seems that there is no such worry, Yan Jizu, Liu Zeqing, Zhang Youxun and others also want to hear Liu Yan explain the reasons.
Liu Yan said: "I would like to inform you, my subordinates, who are short of food and pay, so how can we find any skilled craftsmen? The current craftsmen of Lingshan Guard are all craftsmen who stayed from the past, and some of them were recruited from other places by my subordinates." A poor craftsman family. In fact, making excellent firearms is very simple. All you need to do is to strictly supervise the craftsmen on a daily basis, severely punish those craftsmen who make unqualified firearms, reward the diligent and punish the lazy, and ensure an adequate supply of raw materials."
Lingshan Guard's flint-haired bird musket is indeed not an advanced weapon, and it has no technical content. As long as generals everywhere are careful, they can actually make flint-haired bird muskets like Lingshan Guard's, so Liu Yan has nothing to hide. of.
Liu Yan said it very simply, but Lu Xiangsheng thought a lot. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head again.
The same goes for Yan Jizu, but Liu Zeqing, Zhang Youxun and other generals disagreed. Although this flint-haired bird gun was sharp, it was laborious and laborious to build, and it also consumed money and food. It was far better to use the money and food to recruit soldiers and directly expand the force. A good deal.
Lu Xiangsheng looked at the generals and saw their expressions, and naturally understood their thoughts. Although he was the governor of Shandong, he didn't have much to do against these local military leaders. In today's world, if you have soldiers, you have power. Even if you are facing Shangguan, as long as you have enough troops, you will ignore him.
The world is like this. Although Lu Xiangsheng wants to seek change, he feels powerless.
So Lu Xiangsheng felt a burst of emotion in his heart, and then said to Liu Yan: "Liu Yan, are you willing to give this blunderbuss to my governor?"
Liu Yan said: "The governor is willing to accept this flint-haired bird gun. It is the glory of the Lingshan Guards."
Only the fusillade gun soldier showed a look of pity and reluctance in his eyes. The fusillade gun soldier of Lingshan Guard was the lifeblood of every fusilier gun soldier, but then he got five taels. The reward of silver was given to him by Lu Xiangsheng.
Lu Xiangsheng handed the flint-haired bird gun in his hand to Lu Huaiying, the general beside him. Lu Huaiying couldn't put it down and stroked the bird gun. He looked left and right. Several of Lu Xiangsheng's younger brothers also gathered around to watch. Jimo Camp Commander Zhang Youxun and Jimo Camp Commander Guerrillas Li Jiwen and Hu Zongming were also looking around.
Next, Lu Xiangsheng watched the technical performance of Liu Yan's spearmen. He saw that many of the soldiers could stab various targets on the human-shaped wooden handles with their spears from 20 steps away. Moreover, their indomitable momentum when sprinting left Lu Xiangsheng. Made a deep impression.
If you encounter an enemy who is less courageous and sees the Lingshan Guard spearmen rushing towards you in such a menacing manner, your momentum will be reduced by three points, fearing that it will be difficult to block their shots. Yan Jizu's face turned a little pale when he saw it. Liu Zeqing, the generals of Jimo Camp and the guerrillas also felt that the soldiers of Lingshan Guard were too murderous, but it was undeniable that these were good soldiers.
After reading this, Lu Xiangsheng thought of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Julu and said: "Liu Yan, follow me to the Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village, and then summon the soldiers and civilians in the Qianhu Station. The governor will personally report to them. Express condolences and condolences.”
Liu Yan immediately accepted the order and hurriedly asked Xu Ming to go to the front station first. Then he followed Lu Xiangsheng and the generals of the brigade and rushed towards the Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village.
In the evening of that day, Liu Yan and Lu Xiangsheng arrived at Qianhusuo City in front of Xiahe Village. Then Liu Yan pointed to the north of the city and said: "Master Governor, after I lead my troops back, I will bury the clothes and crowns of the fallen soldiers there. I built a tomb for the fallen soldiers and built a temple."
Lu Xiangsheng slowly closed his eyes, and finally said: "Liu Yan, take this governor to watch. I will personally offer incense to pay homage to the fallen soldiers."
To the south of Qianhusuo City in front of Xiahe Village, in front of a sunny slope.
After Lu Xiangsheng, Yan Jizu, Liu Zeqing and others paid homage to the New Army soldiers who died in the battle, they looked at the densely packed more than a thousand memorial tablets in the hall. The incense was lingering in front of the hall. Lu Xiangsheng was silent for a long time. He asked Liu Yan: "Liu Yan, Can this temple dedicated to soldiers and civilians have a name?"
Liu Yan replied: "Not yet. I dare to ask the governor to give me a plaque to comfort the spirits of the soldiers who died in the battle."
Lu Xiangsheng sighed and said: "Yue Wumu once said that if civil servants do not love money and generals are not afraid of death, then the world will be peaceful. Now that the captive cavalry are attacking, the Gongun princes are helpless and the armored men are timid and dare not enter. , the world only sees people who talk empty talk and make promises. A husband works hard without caring about his own life and then dies. In ancient times, he is also called a fierce husband. We, who have read the books of sages, are actually compared to these new army soldiers. "
"Get pen and ink."
Soon, Lu Xiangsheng swung his pen and wrote the word "loyalty and bravery". The font was strong and powerful, with the momentum of grabbing the sky and picking up the moon. There was Lu Xiangsheng's font size and seal next to it.
After writing it, Lu Xiangsheng was also very satisfied. He looked left and right, and Yan Jizu next to him also had a face full of appreciation.
Lu Xiangsheng said to Liu Yan: "Liu Yan, let's name this temple Zhongyong Temple."
Liu Yan was overjoyed to thank him. He ordered his commander Wang Wenzhen to find a craftsman and quickly paste the words into a plaque and hang it up.
In the envious eyes of everyone, Wang Wenzhen carefully held Lu Xiangsheng's calligraphy treasure and left.
Since then, the Zhongyong Temple dedicated to fallen soldiers has held sacrifices in mid-spring every year, and with the visits of soldiers and civilians on weekdays, the incense is extremely prosperous.
Later, outside the Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village, Lu Xiangsheng looked at the gathered soldiers and civilians and nodded repeatedly. The military households in the Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village were very different from the military households in other places. There was a slight color on the faces of the common people, although It can be seen that they are not very wealthy, but at least they can be seen that they are well fed and warmly clothed, which is very rare in today's world.
Moreover, the mental outlook of the people was also very good. Not only were their faces glowing, but they were also full of energy and vitality. They all stood up straight and were full of hope for the future.
Yan Jizu also stroked his beard in approval, and his inner evaluation of Liu Yan rose even higher.
However, it seems that there are a little more military households and civilians in the Thousand Household Office in front of Xiahe Village. After all, this is just a small Thousand Household Office. Judging from the population gathered, it has greatly exceeded the size of a Thousand Household Office.
Lu Xiangsheng also noticed this. He briefly asked Liu Yan a few questions, and Liu Yan replied: "There were many refugees going south before. Upon seeing this, my subordinates moved them all to Qianhusuo City and organized them into military households. Save them from hunger and cold and from becoming thieves.”
Lu Xiangsheng nodded and said: "People become thieves mostly because of hunger and cold, and soldiers become thieves mostly because of lack of pay. Liu Yan, it's good for you to do this. The people have a way to survive, so they won't join thieves and cause chaos. It's just that there are so many people, you How will you feed the soldiers and civilians under your rule?"
Liu Yan said: "Build water conservancy projects and reclaim farmland and wasteland. Only when the soldiers and civilians have their own fields will they be able to cultivate and practice with peace of mind. In the future, the farming will flourish and the soldiers and civilians can be well-off."
Lu Xiangsheng asked: "The investment in farming is not small, right?"
Liu Yan said: "Bizhi tried various ways to raise funds. The superior officials also sympathized with Bizhang's hardships and exempted them from collecting grain for three years to open up wasteland. Everyone in the Lingshan Guards is very grateful."
Lu Xiangsheng sighed: "Liu Yan, it's really rare for you to be able to do this."
In the end, Lu Xiangsheng comforted the soldiers and civilians in the Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village and left. All the hundreds of taels of silver he brought were left in the Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village and distributed to the people who came.
It could be seen that Lu Xiangsheng was still in a good mood when he left. Before leaving, Liu Zeqing, General Zhang Youxun, guerrilla general Li Jiwen, guerrilla general Hu Zongming and others all called Liu Yan to say a few words. They looked friendly, but they all asked Liu Yan for a new blunderbuss and left. How could Liu Yan refuse?
After Lu Xiangsheng left, rumors spread that Liu Yan was appreciated by Governor Lu. Liu Yan completely confirmed what Lu Xiangsheng's confidants said. After that, more people came to congratulate him and make friends.
Taking advantage of this "spring breeze", Liu Yan directly reported the roster of more than 9,000 new army officers and soldiers under his command. Yan Jizu, the governor of Shandong, allocated part of the food and salary according to the military roster submitted by Liu Yan, about 20%. , although the amount is not large, Yan Jizu promised that he would try his best to allocate the next batch every year.
At the same time, Shandong Commander-in-Chief Liu Zeqing also sent people to transport a batch of military equipment to Liu Yan, including more than 300 sets of armor, more than 400 firecrackers of various types, and more than 3,000 other spears, swords, shields and other items.
However, Liu Yan checked and found that the quality of these weapons was not very good. More than 70 sets of more than 300 sets of armor were rusty, and most of the more than 400 firecrackers were unusable.
After reading it, Liu Yan's evaluation of Liu Zeqing dropped a few points.
In addition, Zhang Youxun, the general of the Jimo camp, also "showed off" and sent a batch of mandarin duck war jackets, about 3,700 sets of which were ordinary war uniforms for the camp soldiers.
Liu Yan also took his subordinates to watch with great interest. These mandarin duck war coats are still bright red in appearance, with narrow sleeves and a double-breasted style. The length is about from the shoulders to the knees. The coats are made of red cotton and have white linings inside. , and there is a fine square hole mesh made of small iron wires, and the rest is filled with cotton. Below the waist, there is also a barbed skirt or barbed trousers, paired with barbed boots. However, the sleeves are not enriched with iron mesh.
As for the mandarin duck war jackets worn by junior officers, the iron mesh inside their clothes is double-layered. There is a green cloth war skirt hanging down to the calf under the jacket, and there is a sleeveless single-layer iron leaf armor outside the jacket, which reaches to the waist. There are goggles on the front and back. He also wore iron mesh boots and a red military hat on his head. Only team officers and the like had a pair of copper and iron armor.
Speaking of which, the military uniforms of the Ming Dynasty are still very beautiful. The bright red color is eye-catching and makes them look heroic. Liu Yan distributed these mandarin duck war coats to the soldiers of each battalion for use.
Nowadays, although all departments of the New Army are issued with mandarin duck war jackets, the old and new ones are uneven, and many of them are even sewn by the military households themselves.
Liu Yan considered recruiting tailors to customize a batch of new mandarin duck jackets directly according to the style of the new batch of mandarin duck jackets, and update the uniforms of the new army officers and soldiers.
Some people died, but not completely...
