PS: Thanks to Shuyoulian (a dot in the middle of the circle) Cheng Yuan for the tip.
"Sir, we will reach Lingqiu in about ten miles. Should we let the army take a rest?" the deputy general in the official army asked from the side.
Yang Guozhu, who was on horseback, raised his head and looked into the distance and said, "No, keep on going. There will be plenty of opportunities to rest after entering Lingqiu."
When the deputy general saw what Yang Guozhu said, he stopped trying to persuade him.
Nearly 20,000 soldiers and horses of the official army formed a long queue on the official road. The Xuanfu soldiers and horses were in the front, and the Datong soldiers and horses followed at the back.
"Sir, we have spotted rebel sentry cavalry ahead." A cavalryman came back to report.
Yang Guozhu snorted coldly and said: "These rebel bandits are very courageous. They actually dare to send out sentries. Come here, give me the order to send a group of cavalry to intercept and kill the rebel bandits' sentries."
"Yes." A general nearby agreed and led the team away.
Soon, a cavalry team was separated from the official army and chased the tiger-shaped flag cavalry that was touching the front.
The lieutenant who stayed beside Yang Guozhu said at this time: "Sir, since there are sentries and cavalry of the Tiger Flag, I am afraid that the people of the Tiger Flag have been prepared for a long time. It is better to let the army temporarily stop to rest and recuperate. Entering Lingqiu."
Yang Guozhu waved his hand and said: "They are just some unworthy bandits. I have seen many of them. When the army arrives, these rebel bandits will be wiped out."
The soldiers and horses of the Xuanfu were full of enthusiasm from top to bottom. No one thought that they would fail. They all thought that after arriving at Lingqiu, they could easily take the Tiger Flag and make a contribution to annihilating the rebels.
The officers and soldiers carried more than a dozen general cannons, each of which weighed several hundred kilograms at the very least, so the marching speed was not very fast.
Not long after, a fast horseman galloped past the front and stopped near Yang Guozhu. A general on horseback said: "General Qi, at the junction of Lingqiu and Guangling ahead, an army of tiger-shaped flags has been spotted."
"Did you see clearly? Are they the soldiers and horses of the Tiger Flag?" the deputy general next to Yang Guozhu asked.
The military general who brought back the news said: "The general is sure to be the soldiers and horses with the tiger character flag. They are holding a big tiger flag. There are nearly ten thousand soldiers and horses at the end."
The deputy general turned to look at Yang Guozhu and said: "Sir, it seems that the soldiers and horses with the Tiger Flag are really intercepting them in front. I didn't expect that they are so courageous and dare to confront the imperial army."
Yang Guozhu sneered and said: "It seems that the last time Zhang Huai was defeated in Lingqiu, these bandits no longer took the imperial army seriously. It's okay. This time, let me lead the Xuanfu troops to complete the victory." Defeat them and save me from having to go to the Tiger Flag's lair to look for them again."
"Sir, do you want the army to rest before fighting?" the deputy general asked from the side.
Yang Guozhu shook his head and said, "Don't bother yourself. The other party is just a bandit formed by businessmen. Don't take them too seriously."
The deputy general thought for a while.
I feel that what my general said makes sense. They have brought more than 10,000 soldiers and horses to the Xuanfu, and they have also brought many more than a dozen general cannons. It is just a matter of catching a bandit with ease.
"Send the order and move forward quickly." Yang Guozhu ordered.
The officers and soldiers on the official road began to march faster, and the road from Guangling to Lingqiu was paved with coal ash and debris, making it much easier to walk than the official roads in other places.
The official army appeared at the junction of Guangling and Lingqiu, and the army stopped.
Yang Guozhu and several generals appeared on horseback at the front of the army.
In front of us is a rare plain area, with many farmlands on both sides of the official road, and green wheat growing in the fields.
Behind the wheat field, a towering banner fluttered in the wind.
"The people of the Tiger Character Banner are so brave. They dare to privately hold the banner. No wonder the court will label them as rebels." The deputy general said from the side.
Dagu can only be used in important ceremonies of the imperial court and in the military. If others use it, it is treason.
Yang Guozhu looked at the army of the Tiger Character Flag in the distance, his eyes were slightly half-squinted, and he said in a calm tone: "It seems that there are experts in the Tiger Character Flag, and they actually know how to use battle formations to meet the enemy. No wonder Zhang Huai will be defeated at the hands of these people."
"Sir, do you want to send troops to attack next?" the deputy general asked.
Yang Guozhu thought for a while and said: "Let the people from the firearms battalion push the general's cannon to the front and bombard the battle formation on the opposite side. At the same time, he ordered the cavalry team below that once the bandits on the opposite side appear defeated, they will immediately charge into the formation and disperse them completely. The rioters in front of you.”
The order was quickly issued.
The firearms battalion pushed the general cannon toward the official army formation little by little.
The Tiger Flag army was far away on the opposite side. Liu Heng held a monocular in his hand and watched the movements of the officers and soldiers.
"Master, do you want to take action?" Jia Liu, who was standing aside, said excitedly.
Although the Second Army Battalion he commanded was the first to be established, he was not responsible for every major war. Now the soldiers and horses of the Tiger Flag have defeated the Mongolian army and the Datong army. This time it is finally his turn. The World War II soldier camp is ready to go into battle to meet the enemy.
Liu Heng took away the monocular telescope in front of him and said: "The army has dispatched the general artillery. Send the order and have our artillery prepare to fire, targeting the army's artillery array."
"Yes." Jia Liu agreed.
The ordering soldier waved the order flag in his hand and issued the flag message.
Jose, the captain of the Tiger Flag artillery team who had been prepared for a long time, ordered: "Each artillery team is ready. The general artillery of the target army is ready..."
The gunner began to adjust the angle of the four-pounder and six-pounder guns in front of him, with wooden wedges placed underneath.
"Fire!" Jose shouted, and at the same time he waved the command flag down hard.
Boom! Boom... boom!
Four- and six-pounders were fired.
The sudden sound of cannons made Yang Guozhu jump.
Just by listening to the sound of the cannons, he could tell that there were more cannons in the Tiger Flag than in the cannons brought by the official army.
He is not a general who knows nothing. He can reach the position of chief soldier of Xuanfu. He knows soldiers better than many generals who were born as generals.
The cannons of the Tiger Flag are still far away from the government troops. It can be said that the government troops are not within the firing range of the Tiger Flag artillery fire.
"Bandits are still gangsters, and they can't stand on the stage." Yang Guozhu sneered.
He did not think that the cannon fodder on the Tiger Flag side could pose a threat to the government and army.
However, the sneer on his face stopped abruptly before it completely faded.
Cannonballs flew from the side of the Tiger Flag, and a small half of them fell within the range of the official artillery array. Although the remaining cannonballs did not fall into the official artillery array, it was not because of insufficient range, but because of the lack of range. Missed.
Seeing this scene, Yang Guozhu's face darkened.
The range of the cannons of the Tiger Flag was far beyond his expectation. Even the general cannons used by the government army did not have as far a range as the cannons that had just been launched in the Tiger Flag.
Even if he didn't want to admit it, he knew that the Tiger Flag's cannon was stronger than the general's cannon he brought this time.
"Sir, in the round of shelling just now, we damaged two general cannons." The deputy general next to him said with an ugly expression.
