"Reload!"
Following the platoon leader's order, the artillerymen of each squad began to load ammunition for the "Longqing" mortar in pairs.
Due to the large caliber of this gun and the short barrel, it is very easy to load the artillery. The structure of the artillery is simple, and even soldiers with little relevant experience can easily use it.
All ammunition uses fixed charges produced by Anmin Factory. Each package of propellant weighs one kilogram. In order to extend the range, the explosives are
The medicine pack was reduced from ten kilograms to eight kilograms.
Although the "Longqing" mortar is very crude, it is also equipped with some auxiliary equipment, such as a firing angle adjuster.
Before leaving the factory, craftsmen drew a straight white line on the outside of the gun barrel from the breech to the muzzle.
A small triangular plate is installed on the rib of each gun, marked with thirty, forty-five and sixty degree marks.
The officers of the artillery unit can ask their subordinates to adjust the elevation of the artillery according to the enemy's distance in order to achieve maximum lethality.
Through multiple tests, it has been shown that at an elevation angle of 45 degrees, the "Longqing" mortar can project an eight-pound medicine pack to a distance of 300 meters.
This can fully meet the needs of combat. Before the enemy cavalry rushes over, the artillery can be reloaded and fired once.
"One shot and done!"
"Second artillery is over!"
"Three shots completed!"
"Four shots completed!"
"ignition!"
"Boom, boom, boom..."
There are four mortars in a platoon, and each mortar is a squad with a capacity of six people, including one squad leader, one deputy squad leader, and four soldiers.
It is equipped with one main cannon, one spare cannon, three pack horses, three carriages, and forty sets of fixed charge bags. The grain and grass it carries can last for five days.
In addition, each person is equipped with a new blunderbuss. The armor factory also rushed to produce a batch of sleeve bayonets for the artillerymen, which can be installed on the muzzle of the blunderbuss for use in hand-to-hand combat.
In line with the operational principle of concentrated use and violent strikes, the artillery of the Qin army was mainly composed of Niu Chenghu, the commander-in-chief of Lintao, and the artillery of Hong Chengchou was selected from Yang Guozhu, the commander-in-chief of Xuanda.
A certain prince originally wanted Yang Guozhu to go north with Yang Wenyue, the governor of Baoding, to destroy Wang Pu, a prodigal who was entrenched in Datong and resisted the imperial decree. However, considering that several of Hong Chengchou's subordinates were not so obedient.
Ma Ke, Li Fuming, Bai Guangen, and Tang Tong all basically had the same virtue, and were not as good as Yang Guozhu, who died in Songshan, so they deliberately exchanged the positions of Xuanda Commander-in-Chief Yang Guozhu and Shanqian Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming.
Niu Chenghu and Yang Guozhu each have a mortar unit. They adopt a three-three organizational system. Each regiment has three battalions. Each battalion has three companies. Each company is equipped with twenty-four mortars, half of which are spare guns. .
Each mortar regiment, including infantry and handymen, has a quota of 1,200 people. It can officially fire up to 108 guns on the position. It is known as "Seventy-two Heavenly Gangs and Thirty-six Earthly Demons descend to the earth at the same time"!
Originally, a certain prince did not want to adopt a regiment-level organization. It was more convenient to vertically manage battalion-level units under the infantry brigade.
However, the artillery brigade is under the control of the infantry brigade commander, who is also the commander-in-chief. The artillery brigade commander will also be the commander-in-chief in the future. There will be a conflict in military rank between the two, so the establishment can only be reduced.
Besides, the artillery brigade with only a thousand people does not even have the ability to protect itself. If it is expanded, it will directly become an infantry brigade. It is better to compress it into an infantry brigade and manage it as an auxiliary combat unit.
"Boom boom boom boom..."
The artillery regiment under Niu Chenghu first conducted live ammunition firing. Today was also their first test firing since the formation of the regiment. Previously, they used sandbags of equal weight. Although the propellant was real, it was just to familiarize the artillerymen with the operation process. .
Today was different. More than a hundred explosive packets were projected out in an instant. After drawing a beautiful arc of death, the target area was exploded into a sea of fire. The armored targets on the ground were all rapidly expanded. A string of fireballs engulfed them all.
As the explosion continued, the terrifying air waves soon spread in all directions. Even a certain prince and a group of civil servants and generals who were watching from the distant hills felt this surging force, and the ground under their feet was even more violent. There was an obvious tremor already.
"Now that our army is equipped with the weapons from the immortal world given by His Highness, there is no need to worry about the stubborn enemy being destroyed!"
Seeing such a spectacular scene, Sun Chuanting felt extremely satisfied. This kind of firecracker looks inconspicuous, but its power cannot be underestimated. With more than a hundred volleys fired, even if there are thousands of troops rushing towards the opposite side, they will still be bombarded. They had to throw away their armor and flee in all directions.
Because in addition to the regular version, the explosive pack also has a shotgun version, which is bound with hundreds of soybean-sized iron beads. It seems a bit childish, but as long as they are exploded and popped out, they will cause direct damage to any part of the human body. .
"What Master Sun said is true. From now on, the enemy will no longer have the courage to fight against our army!"
Hong Chengchou's point of view was basically the same as that of Sun Chuanting. With such a sharp weapon on his side, even if the army and the bandits engaged in a battle involving tens of thousands of people, they would not be afraid.
It only takes one salvo to kill or injure nearly a thousand people. Even the surviving thieves will be frightened out of their wits, become intimidated by the officers and soldiers, give up the idea of fighting to the death, and then turn around and run away.
If you are injured by a shotgun explosive pack, you will basically lose your combat effectiveness. This is something that a certain prince can be completely sure of, because it has been tested with pork before, and the guy who is closer to the explosive point will be directly blasted into a hornet's nest.
The two of them didn't talk about exterminating the bandits, and the whole court was kept in the dark. If anyone knew about it in advance, either the "right-hand man" was telling the truth, or Yang Jinchao wanted to be "snapped".
After this earth-shattering drill, the civil servants and generals in the court had roughly the same view. Although the Donglu had many fine cavalry and strong foot combat, they still could not match the powerful power of firearms.
If five hundred of these guns can be deployed to western Liaoning, Shanhaiguan will be impregnable, and the capital will no longer be afraid of the threat of Huang Taiji's troops entering the pass. Perhaps they can also show their skills and become famous in one battle.
"Your Highness, this is a target damaged by artillery fire!"
Yang Jinchao sent two dummies to the court, both of which had been blown up beyond recognition. There was still some green smoke coming out of the armor. They were roasted into medium-cooked dishes and were ready to be enjoyed on the table.
"Yes, let Yang Guozhu's artillery conduct a test firing!"
Nearly a thousand kilograms of explosives were used at one time, which cost a lot of money. I must not miss any of it, otherwise it would be a loss.
The second volley did not disappoint a certain prince. Everything was ready, and the army could set off early tomorrow morning.
These days, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Household took advantage of the opportunity of issuing silver rewards to conduct a thorough investigation of the men and horses under the command of various generals.
Former garrison commander Wang Tingchen's troops numbered more than 15,800 people, Jizhou commander Bai Guangen's troops had more than 12,600 troops, and Shanqian commander Li Fuming's troops were smaller, with 6,400. The remaining people.
The troops of Xuanda Commander-in-Chief Yang Guozhu and Miyun Commander-in-Chief Tang Tong were both in their early 7000s, which was only equivalent to Wang Tingchen's troops.
Ma Ke, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan who succeeded Wang Tingchen, led his troops just arrived outside the city yesterday and accepted the military pay for the next month. After statistics, the number of troops in his troops was 16,652.
From this point of view, Wang Tingchen and Ma Ke switched defenses, and Yang Guozhu and Li Fuming were swapped. It is quite suitable in terms of military strength. I just don't know if there will be some gap in combat effectiveness, but it will take a long time to compare.
Hong Chengchou, who set out from the capital, could lead Ma Ke, Tang Tong, and Yang Guozhu, with a total force of about 30,000, to sneak attack Liu Zeqing's troops. If the opponent is not strong, even if it is a head-to-head confrontation, it will form a force advantage of about three times. .
Moreover, Yang Guozhu's command was equipped with hundreds of "Longqing" mortars. If he still couldn't win, Hong Chengchou could retire early and return home to play mahjong with his mother.
If it were not for the "semi-propelled artillery", that is, the production speed of the vehicle-mounted version of the mortar was too slow, Yang Guozhu's unit was equipped with one hundred "semi-propelled artillery", and there was almost no solution to the use of horizontal push tactics.
With the field capabilities of Zhang Xianzhong's group and the twelve general military headquarters under Hong Chengchou, more than 100,000 troops went to Hard Steel to seek death.
If the "big zongzi" really dares to do this, a certain prince will welcome him with both hands, which will definitely speed up the process of "making zongzi" significantly, and may save more than a year.
Since he had to keep a low profile and march secretly, the so-called expedition ceremony would not be held tomorrow. A certain prince had to make a final check on the suppression of the bandits with his right-hand man today to reduce the possibility of strategic misjudgment.
The ministries under the jurisdiction of the two commanders-in-chief have been determined, and there will be no further changes in personnel, nor can the route and time of the advance be changed.
Sun Chuanting must first lead his troops to Luoyang and eliminate Wang Shaoyu, the commander-in-chief of the area.
Hong Chengchou also wanted to go south to Jining along the canal to kill Liu Zeqing, who was causing harm to the people.
After that, the two commanders-in-chief could perform their respective duties, gather nearby troops, and go from the northwest and northeast to attack Luo Rucai Group and Zhang Xianzhong's headquarters.
All the arms factories in the city, such as Anmin Factory, Armor Factory, and Chariot Factory, are busy producing weapons and ammunition these days, and various materials seized from the Beijing Camp are also given priority to the two armies.
The warehouses under the Ministry of War were almost half emptied, excluding the needs of the Yongwei Camp, and the rest had to be booked by Yang Wenyue, the governor of Baoding who went to attack Datong.
Salaries are paid in advance for one month, and food and grass are carried for ten days. When they arrive at the designated assembly point, they can resupply nearby.
A certain prince has asked Yang Jinchao to write four imperial edicts. Governor Yan Jizu of Shandong, Governor Lu Daqi of Henan, Governor Fang Kongzhen of Huguang, and Governor Zuo Maodi of Shaanxi will cooperate fully after receiving them.
Different from the past, this time Yaoji does not plan to use the supervisors who are very favored by the dumping father. Except for a few talents like Lu Jiude in the Yongweiying camp, most of them just use the guise of the emperor to fight against the enemy. Wanted waste.
Since the combat power has been delegated to the "right-hand man", there is no need to involve the eunuchs, so as to avoid the tragic case of Lu Xiangsheng being raised and buried to death again.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see some clues. All the ministries outside the city have been practicing rigorously for several days. They seem to be getting ready for action recently. It is not known where the troops are pointing.
But the gentry and common people in the city were completely unaware of this and were not very interested in it. Everyone was only concerned about the front page content of today's newspapers.
That was during the court meeting a few days ago, the former Minister of Rites, Lin Yuji, was angered by the prince's words and made harsh words about abolishing the elders and establishing younger ones!
After the content of that day's conversation was published in the newspaper, it instantly stirred up waves.
People who do good things, especially those who have good relationships with high-ranking officials who can go to the palace, all find excuses to go and inquire about it.
After receiving a positive reply from the person involved, they were all astonished beyond measure, and some even directly scolded this bastard who didn't understand etiquette.
It should be noted that during the "Battle of the Country", Emperor Shenzong and his courtiers faced off for a long time. In the end, they had to compromise, because the Ming Dynasty had established the elders rather than the young since the beginning of the dynasty.
Lin Yuji suddenly mentioned this matter. What did he want to do?
Judging from what was published in the newspaper, what this person said was completely like a mad dog!
"Owl leader!"
"Lingchi!"
"Unforgivable!"
"Never tolerate it!"
Readers who support the prince have already gathered outside the newspaper office, shouting at the opposite side to express their indignation.
Almost everyone who had read the newspapers was extremely angry with Lin Yuji, as well as Liu Zunxian, the former minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Shang Zhouzuo, the former censor of the capital procuratorate who were on his side.
Regardless of their age, they lashed out at the prince's government orders at the court meeting, which was already disrespectful to their elders. Later, they spoke unscrupulously and made such treasonous remarks.
Not only did they slander His Highness the Crown Prince, but they also attempted to confront the Ming dynasty. They were trying to stand in the way of the Ming Dynasty. They did not know what they could do. What they said was insulting to the scholars and made all their old friends who had contact with them feel ashamed.
Editor-in-chief Fang Yizhi had long expected that this news would arouse public anger, but he did not expect the response to be so violent. However, these three people and their families were still in the prison of the Ministry of Punishments.
They are a newspaper office and are only responsible for reporting. They have no right to interfere in other matters. Even if you shout at your throat, it will not help.
Depending on the crime committed that day, the male family members will be sent to Ye County, Shandong Province to mine, while the female family members aged between five and forty will be sent to the Jiaofang Division. However, obviously many people think that the conviction is a bit light.
The anger outside will not be quelled unless these three guys are cut into pieces, but judging from the words of the three of them, it is indeed very excessive.
Fang Yizhi asked Gong Yonggu about the situation that day. The prince-in-law was also attending the court meeting in the hall at that time, and he knew everything that happened.
As a friend, and there is no plot that needs to be covered up or ignored, Gong Yonggu has a very good memory, and the content of the ministers’ exchanges that day was particularly exciting, so he has never forgotten it, and he will tell the whole story. Read it again.
After listening carefully, Fang Yizhi, who originally sympathized with the three of them, was silent for a long time. The prince was already forgiving of their proposed sentencing.
He asked himself, if he and his father, who was a governor, encountered similar things, they would definitely not say such deviant words.
This makes it easy to understand the anger of readers outside who are shouting about various ways of "making love".
If everyone can scold the Holy One like this, then why do we need the court?
The dialogue between the emperor and his ministers at the court meeting that day was the most appalling in the past century.
In the eyes of readers who support the prince, Lin Yuji and others are typical treacherous courtiers who rely on their elders to betray their elders, use the big to bully the small, the subordinates to offend the superiors, the weak to bully, and deliberately bully the prince and the queen!
Before the emperor dies, you plan to abolish the elders and establish younger ones. If you collude with the Beijing camp, won't you mean to subvert the government and repeat the situation at the end of the Han Dynasty or the end of the Tang Dynasty?
Fortunately, the prince got the guidance of Taizu Emperor Gao, cut off the traitors, quelled the rebellion, and regained control of the government. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty would have fallen into the hands of these sanctimonious and despicable people!
