Chapter 332
Although Cheng Shijie only led the reconnaissance cavalry of the Annan Army of the Ning Navy and did not carry artillery, the reconnaissance cavalry also had heavy weapons, namely the fire dragon water, which was more portable than rockets, and was also a rocket launcher.
After development, Ning Haijun's rocket launchers are now barely a shadow of guerrilla warfare artifacts. Even the latest Fire Dragon Type IV has a range of only 2,500 meters and can carry sixteen kilograms of nitrocellulose, which is roughly equivalent to more than seven kilograms of TNT. The power of the explosion.
The Mongolian army in Mobei was still wondering why the remnants of the Ming army burst into enthusiastic cheers when they heard a scream coming from the air.
Then there was a roar, and twenty or thirty wounded Mongolian soldiers who had just retreated from the city wall were turned into countless fragments in the loud noise. Their severed arms and legs were thrown high into the sky, and then fell like raindrops.
Before the Mongolian army could react, screams sounded one after another. In the Mobei Mongolian army's formation, orange-red smoke and flames rose up one after another. The sharp shrapnel became extremely hot at the moment of explosion. Explosions were fired densely in all directions, and clouds of blood mist suddenly sprayed out among the Mongolian soldiers in Mobei. Screams and curses came one after another, mixed with ear-piercing screams and rumbling explosions, which was particularly thrilling.
"Artillery attack! Ming army artillery attack!"
Chechen Khan Wang Shuolei shouted: "The Ming army is shelling!"
The overwhelming roar drowned out the roar of the Chechen Khan. Smoke and flames billowed from the launch site of the Ning Navy Rocket Artillery Corps outside the east gate of Pingding Prefecture. Dozens and hundreds of fire dragons rose from there, crisscrossing the sky. , drawing out dazzling arcs, curling down, and the erupting flames suddenly turned a corner of the sky red!
Where have the Mongolian soldiers in Mobei seen rocket fire? They stared blankly at this scene. Their extreme horror caused them to lose their ability to think and forget to dodge. They just stared blankly at the shells flying towards them.
In fact, they can't hide even if they want to! Rocket artillery shells turned into streaks of fire and rained down from the sky. The loud rumbling sound shook the sky for ten miles. The shrapnel flying with flames was like festive fireworks. The Mongolian army was surrounded by flames and screams. The earth shook. God knows how many people were blown up into the air. God knows how many people were shattered into pieces in the flash of fire!
The surviving Ming army officers and soldiers on the city wall of Pingding Prefecture were dumbfounded as they looked at the flames rising high in the Mongolian army formation. Even Xie Shangkui felt a little sympathy for those Mongolian soldiers when he saw this scene. How could such a power be endured by flesh and blood?
However, thinking of the soldiers and civilians who died at the hands of the Mongolian army, Xie Shangkui's compassion only stayed for a moment, and he said harshly: "Dog Tatars, you didn't expect that you would also be here today!"
"Launch! Launch!"
There were constant roars from the firing position shrouded in gunpowder smoke. The reconnaissance artillery of the Annan Corps of the Ning Navy was firing as fast as possible. Another wave of rocket launchers roared out, causing terrible casualties to the Mongolian army.
Being so far apart, it was impossible to talk about accuracy, but there was no need for it. There were too many Mongolian soldiers in Mobei, and they were so densely packed that even with their eyes closed, they could hit the middle of the Mongols with artillery shells.
Three miles away, the Mongolian army had no counterattack that could reach these hateful artillery pieces. They could only endure the beatings. The rocket shells falling like raindrops and the rocket shells falling from the sky like rain of fire were causing great damage to them. At the same time, it also brought them futile fear. In the military formation with smoke rising into the sky, the soldiers of the Mobei Mongolian army cried loudly, running wildly, trampling on each other and killing countless people. Even the Ming army had not yet When they came over, they were completely in disarray.
Cheng Shijie paid a high price to carry these rocket launchers. Of the more than 10,000 war horses captured from the Baihe River, three or four thousand of them died from exhaustion on the road alone. You must know that in the Ming Dynasty, war horses were silver, and hard horses were worth more than silver. Currency, war horses worth six to seven hundred thousand taels of silver, were thrown on the road along the way.
Some of these war horses did not die immediately, but these war horses became the belly meat of the victims along the way, so it was not a waste. Without these thousands of war horses, God knows how many victims would have starved to death?
Li Dingguo didn't wait for the rocket attack to stop and the smoke to clear, and he charged at the Mongolian army. More than two thousand cavalrymen fired the bullets from their guns before drawing out their sabers. There were rocket launchers flying above their heads, but none of them had any Looking up, there seemed to be no worry that the shells would fall among them and kill them.
When Li Dingguo and more than 2,000 cavalry rushed less than 500 meters in front of the Mongolian army, the terrible rain of rockets finally stopped. Li Dingguo raised his sword and said: "Charge!"
More than two thousand cavalry roared together and suddenly accelerated. Tens of thousands of horse hooves rose and fell, making the ground tremble and flying snow. More than two thousand light cavalry swept in like a flood!
The Mongolian army was blown out of their bodies by the fierce round of artillery fire. Before they could recover, the Ning navy cavalry had already rushed in front of them. They had no time to organize a resistance. They could only watch the cavalry rushing towards them and shouted: A scream of despair!
Cheng Shijie did not participate in the charge. If he participated in the charge, Officer Ning Haijun would go crazy. In fact, no one was willing to let Cheng Shijie take the risk.
Cheng Shijie rode a tall horse and watched the cavalry charge through binoculars. Seeing that the cavalry rushed into the Mongolian army without any resistance, this was the first time Ning Haijun cooperated with artillery and cavalry. It was so powerful that it even scared him!
More than 2,000 Ning navy reconnaissance cavalry rushed into the middle of the Mongolian army that was ten times their size. They chopped with swords and trampled on their hoofs, turning the Mongolian army formation upside down. The Mongolian army was never able to organize effective resistance... ...It is estimated that even if their strength were doubled and they encountered such a fierce attack, the result would not change in any way!
Finally, the Mongolian army collapsed. The centurions and commanders of the Mongolian army roared hoarsely, asking the soldiers to gather among them, regain their composure, and fight to the death with the Ming army.
It has to be said that this kind of effort is extremely pale. From the moment the Ning Navy reconnaissance cavalry rushed into the Mongolian army, the Mongolian army began to collapse. The defeat was complete. What could they change no matter how hard they tried?
However, futility is better than doing nothing. Thanks to their efforts, a group of Mongolian soldiers gathered around them and began an organized resistance. If those big shots can stay calm and make full use of what they have won. Time will gather the defeated troops. I dare not say that they can turn defeat into victory, but at least the defeat will not be too disastrous.
However, they were disappointed.
Compared with the degeneration and decay of ordinary Mongolian soldiers, the degeneration of the Mongolian nobles was more complete. In fact, as early as when the rocket launchers began to fall, the Mongolian nobles, including the Chechen Khan Shuolei, had already begun to retreat. This made these brave Mongolian soldiers All the efforts were in vain.
More and more Mongolian nobles abandoned their troops and fled the battlefield in panic. The Mongolian army was horrified to find that the Ming army was everywhere, but their leader could not even be found. In such a desperate situation, even the most tenacious and tenacious people became discouraged. They threw away their weapons and dismounted, sitting on the ground and breathing heavily.
Cheng Shijie did not take advantage of the victory to pursue him. After all, they only had more than 2,000 troops and they were tired.
Xie Zhiliang fell into a coma when he learned that the reinforcements had arrived. His ability to survive until now was all due to his tenacious perseverance. The medical team of the Ning Navy Scout Cavalry treated Xie Zhiliang's wounds. He had eleven arrow wounds on his body. , seventeen stab wounds, the most serious of which was the gunshot wound to the abdomen, which already showed signs of inflammation.
Cheng Shijie ordered: "Rescue General Xie with all our strength, no matter the cost!"
What Cheng Shijie said at all costs means that the medicines in the red medicine box can be used. Due to Cheng Shijie's limited transportation capacity when traveling through time, the quantity of anti-inflammatory medicines in later generations is limited, especially for outsiders who are not Ning Navy officers. This kind of medicine Generally not used.
Seeing that Xie Zhiliang was working so hard, Cheng Shijie was not stingy.
Xie Shangkui and other five to six hundred wounded soldiers were also receiving treatment from Ning Haijun.
After Xie Shangkui simply bandaged up, he came to see Cheng Shijie: "My subordinates pay homage to Cheng Shuai!"
"Your name is Xie Shangkui, right?"
"You played very well, and I'm very satisfied. I think, with your abilities, being a general is more than enough."
Xie Shangkui was overjoyed when he heard this. Although he was Xie Zhiliang's son, he now only held an official position of commander of personal soldiers, that is, at the level of General Qian. Cheng Shijie directly promoted him from the rank of General Qian to General, which was a three-level promotion in a row.
Xie Shangkui knelt down on one knee, his voice a little waggish: "Thank you, Commander-in-Chief, for your cultivation, thank you, Commander-in-Chief, for your cultivation!"
Cheng Shijie said: "You deserve it. Hurry up and organize people to clean the battlefield and treat the wounded. Enough people have died today. Don't let more people die after the battle."
Xie Shangkui seemed to have thought of something and asked tentatively: "But my father is handsome..."
At first, Xie Zhiliang had the ambition to die, so he naturally dared to commit suicide as a magistrate without permission. But the problem was that they were safe now. Ning Haijun's medical soldier even told Xie Shangkui that Xie Zhiliang's health was good and his life could be saved.
However, he has not forgotten the trouble Xie Zhiliang caused.
Cheng Shijie naturally knew Xie Shangkui's worries and said with a smile: "I will protect you and your son. For the soldiers who are still participating, go down and make statistics. For the soldiers who died in this battle, I will also provide compensation for them. The soldiers shed blood, so naturally they can no longer Let the soldiers shed tears."
Cheng Shijie entered Pingdingzhou City under the escort of his own soldiers.
Thanks to Xie Zhiliang's tenacious perseverance, Pingdingzhou City was not burned to ashes in this catastrophe like many towns. Except for some houses that were maliciously set on fire, most of the buildings remained intact. Since the residents of the city also suffered heavy casualties during this defensive battle, their houses were naturally vacated. Ning Haijun's arrival actually added some popularity to Pingding Prefecture.
What troubled Cheng Shijie the most was that the city wall was severely damaged by the Mongolian army. Of course, this was not a problem and the people were organized to repair it quickly.
Li Dingguo said: "Commander, do you think the enemy will attack Pingding Prefecture with all their strength?"
Cheng Shijie said: "Definitely. They traveled thousands of miles and didn't bring much food or heavy equipment. They had to capture Pingding Prefecture before they could break through the Taihang Mountains. Only by attacking the capital could they obtain enough supplies and equipment. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to get enough supplies and equipment. We can’t support their attack!”
Li Dingguo asked worriedly: "Then, can we maintain peace? After all, we only have more than 2,000 troops in hand, especially the rocket launchers have been exhausted. Without gunpowder, they may not be able to hold on for long!"
Cheng Shijie frowned slightly and said, "What exactly do you want to say?"
"Please, Marshal, lead your soldiers out of this dead place, and I will keep the peace."
"Bullshit!"
Cheng Shijie said seriously: "We don't have time, hurry up and prepare for war!"
Just as they were talking, the deep sound of bull horns could be heard faintly in the distance. This was because the Mongolian troops had gathered some strength, which meant that they would come back again.
Sure enough, just as Cheng Shijie had judged, about an hour later, thunderous hoofbeats came from behind the horizon, getting closer and closer. Snow dust rose from the ground and rolled like a wall. Countless cavalrymen screamed and neighed. Come! The Mongolian army reappeared outside Pingdingzhou City.
Outside the city, the Mongolian prisoners and civilians who were cleaning the battlefield and collecting supplies became commotion. It's just that Ning Haijun's rocket launchers left too many shadows on the Mongolian army.
The Mongol army came back but did not launch an attack.
Of course, this is a sign before the storm is coming.
…
Sanniangzi City is the predecessor of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia today, and a pearl on the prairie of Inner Mongolia. During the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty, probably in 1571 AD, Alatan Khan (i.e. Anda Khan) went to Datong Desheng Fort and received the title of King Shunyi from the Ming Dynasty. The following year, Alatan Khan built Kukuhetun on the basis of Sanniangzi City. The specific location is probably within the current Yuquan District of Hohhot.
Soon, it became the largest city on the northern prairie. The city walls were made of blue bricks and were majestic. There were eight buildings in the city and a three-character glazed gold and silver palace. With a large population, most of the business travelers outside the entrance would be here. Gather together, trade here, or rest here, and then continue towards Outer Mongolia.
For those nomads who have always been wandering on the grasslands, this is an incredible miracle. The birth of this city gave them a fixed political center, instead of the capital wandering around with the sheep on the grasslands as before. This area originally belonged to the area controlled by the Tumut Department in Monan.
However, from the perspective of the business travelers in the pass, this pearl on the grassland is actually very watery. The city walls are low and low, and the layout of the city is chaotic. Apart from the palace and the Silver Buddha Temple, there are not many decent buildings.
The most terrible thing is that in the fifth year of Chongzhen, Jian Nu defeated Lin Dan Khan and captured Kuku and Tuncheng. After that, he set fire to the city. Kuku and Tuncheng were reduced to scorched earth. Only a few buildings such as the Silver Buddha Temple remained.
After the Jiannu withdrew from Tumochuan, the Tumote tribe returned to Kuku and Tuncheng, and all they got was a piece of scorched earth. The current strength of the Tumote tribe is far behind that of the Anda Khan period. They are unable to rebuild Kuku and Tuncheng in a short period of time. Therefore, the Mongolians living in the city have to use some of the cracks in the houses that have not been burned. Make do with mending, or just pitch a tent on the scorched earth...
The Tumochuan tribe did not surrender and become slaves like other Mongolians in Monan, at least not yet. When the Mongolian army in Mobei moved southward, the Tumochuan tribe ceased to exist and became the territory of the Chechen Khan tribe.
Here are the food and fodder of the Chechen Khan tribe, as well as their old, weak, women and children. This small city is filled with hundreds of thousands of people.
After the Chechen Khan tribe occupied Taiyuan, the grain seized from Taiyuan and the captured Ming people were sent here. The influx of these materials made the city lively.
In fact, the people left behind in the Chechen Khan tribe did not realize that the danger was coming. Huang Taiji led an army of hundreds of thousands of slaves to arrive at a place less than fifty miles away from Kukuhetun.
With Ezhe as the leading party, Jiannu's arrival in Kukuhe was very smooth.
"King Khan"
Fan Wencheng said with a relaxed smile: "I smell the smell of meat!"
"Command the soldiers, we are going to have a feast!"
(End of chapter)
