In war, there will be casualties. There is no way around it!
At the foot of Huangtuling Mountain, Zhang Ruoqi, the commander-in-chief of the Ming Dynasty's aid division to the Liao Dynasty, was caressing the ruins of a section of the pier and platform, and said with emotion: "The Ming Dynasty spent so much manpower and material resources, but it was unable to stop the invasion of the Tatars. Now they are all in ruins, and they are no longer what they were back then. majestic."
Bingxian Zhang Dou looked up at the loess ridge to the east and said leisurely: "The desolate desert is surrounded by yellow sand, thousands of miles of desolation reflect the red clouds, the vast smoke and dust bury the loyal bones, and the bustling rubble buries the prosperity!"
Zhang Ruoqi also seemed to be interested. He turned around and looked at Zhang Dou and said, "The words are good, but a little bit desolate. In my opinion, it should be 'but with Zhang Cheng of the Xuanfu here, we won't teach the Tartars to show off their ferocity!' yes."
Hearing this, Zhang Cheng smiled and continued: "Director Zhang's words are exaggerated. How can Zhang Cheng be so virtuous and capable? He dares to be praised like this when he is the director."
Fu Yingchong was unwilling to be left alone, and interjected: "From the perspective of the last general, only Zhang Shuai can be praised as the commander-in-chief of the troops in the towns that assisted Liao and the commander-in-chief of the army.
Don't you see, this loess ridge is full of ruins. If it weren't for the sharp artillery fire, how could there be such a scene? The Tatar thief died here before he even fought. Such a strong captive was wiped out in an instant.
Besides Zhang Shuai's Xuanfu army and horses, who else could do it? "
"Hahaha……"
Zhang Cheng couldn't help laughing wildly after hearing this. He punched Fu Yingchong in the chest with his backhand and said with a smile: "Okay, my brother Fu is awesome. Let's entertain my little brother."
He then said sternly: "The Shenji Camp has sharp artillery. The first success of the attack on Huangtu Ridge should be remembered by the Shenji Camp.
If the brothers of the Shenji Battalion had not worked tirelessly to bombard us with such fierce artillery fire, how could our Xuanfu army and horses have taken down the defense line at the foot of Huangtu Ridge so easily. "
After Zhang Cheng finished speaking, he pointed to the ruins of the surrounding piers and platforms with his finger, and continued: "We have all witnessed it with our own eyes. The ruins of these surrounding piers and platforms are clear evidence. All we can see is the scene of artillery bombardment. How can there be any knife or axe?" Traces of splitting!”
Fu Yingchong had a look of joy on his face. At this moment, he had stolen the limelight, and his face was filled with the feeling of spring breeze.
Commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi spoke at the right time and said: "The artillery fire of the Shenji Battalion is sharp, and it should be remembered as the first achievement. However, the Xuanfu army and horses are strong and brave, and their clothes are sharp. This entire loess ridge still depends on the bloody fighting of the Xuanfu Town soldiers." Gotta win it eventually.
In this final evaluation of merit, if nothing unexpected happens, the first merit should be attributed to General Zhongchen’s Xuanfu troops. "
After Zhang Ruoqi made the final decision, no one would comment anymore.
In fact, the Ming army was divided into two battlefields on the northern and eastern fronts this time, and there was no secret rivalry in private.
It is not only a competition between the Xuanda Army and the Jiliao Army, but also a competition between the Governor of Jiliao Hong Chengchou and the Commander-in-Chief Zhang Ruoqi. Therefore, all parties are actually working hard.
However, with his strength here, Zhang Dou was satisfied that the battle on Zhang Cheng's side went so smoothly. He stroked his beard and smiled without saying a word, quietly watching a few people joking, but he looked thoughtful.
…………
Zhang Cheng, Zhang Ruoqi and others were at the foot of Huangtu Ridge.
The place where they stood was originally a pier built by the Ming army. Judging from the ruins, it was estimated that it was at least two stories, and it was estimated that it was four to five feet tall.
The ground is now covered with bricks and stones, and of course there are many iron cannons. The corpses of the Qing soldiers who died in the battle have been piled up, with some wood placed next to them, presumably to be burned on fire.
Of course, their heads have been cut off. How could they forget this important item of military merit?
The Ming Dynasty has been operating in Liaodong for more than two hundred years, especially in the past few decades, it has been fighting fiercely with the Qing army in the western Liaoning Corridor. Naturally, a large number of piers and platforms were built for defense.
The structure of the piers here is typical of one pier for three miles and one pier for five miles. Especially those enemy towers are mostly two-story hollow enemy towers. These enemy towers are generally three to five feet high and about twelve feet wide around them, or It ranges from seventeen to eighty feet.
The middle floor is empty, with arrow windows on all sides. The upper floor is built with oars and is surrounded by crenels. It is mostly made of large stones, but it is very strong.
There are also many such pier buildings on the mountains around Songshan Fort. On weekdays, there are hundreds of generals, Taitou and other military officers stationed there.
However, since the Qing army besieged Jinzhou, most of the fireroad piers and enemy towers around Songshan Fort were captured by the Qing army and used as defense lines for the Qing army.
If the Ming army's usual fighting style was followed, those giant cannons would fire out projectiles one after another. Even if they hit these piers, it would be mostly harmless.
However, Zhang Cheng did the opposite. He wanted the Shenji Battalion to calibrate the center point and no longer need to aim and calibrate it. Instead, it would use it as a benchmark to bombard the surroundings indiscriminately.
Such a fierce bombardment, with many artillery shells concentrated in one place, even if the Qing army's defense line could not be destroyed, just imagine that countless artillery shells turned into ricochet, flying around in uncertain directions. Who could escape? ?
What's more, Shenji Battalion also fired two rounds of poison bombs and gray bombs during the shelling. Such a chaotic scene and the sudden poison bombs and gray bombs became the straw that broke the camel's back.
In the flying dust, yellow smoke and white mist filled the sky again. No one could imagine how this was different from the previous smoke and dust. Even if they knew that it was poisonous smoke and white ash, where would they go to find protection in a daze?
In this way, the Xuanfu army easily captured the Qing army's position at the foot of Huangtuling Mountain. When the poisonous smoke cleared, Zhang Cheng suggested that the mountain attack headquarters be moved forward here.
The artillery battalion of the Shenji Battalion can also be moved forward and deployed here, and can also target the Qing army's positions below the mountainside for precise bombardment.
Zhang Cheng looked not far away, and saw that the Chinese army's tent had been erected, and a general's platform was built in a relatively flat place next to it.
He said to several people: "The Tatars are at the foot of the mountain. They never expected that our army would have such fierce artillery fire. They suffered heavy losses and not many Tatars escaped back.
In this way, there will not be too many defenders on the mountain, and the battle to attack the mountain will indeed be much easier. "
When Zhang Cheng said this, he raised his finger and pointed to the waist of Huangtu Ridge to the east, and continued: "There is also an enemy tower on the main ridge over there. According to previous observations, it should be occupied by the Tatar bandit chiefs. at.
It's a pity that our army's artillery can't hit it! "
Hearing this, Zhang Ruoqi and Zhang Dou also looked over there, but the distance was slightly farther and they could only vaguely see some shadows, but the specific situation could not be clearly seen.
Zhang Ruoqi asked: "General Fu, can the Shenji Battalion's artillery really not be able to hit that place?"
Fu Yingchong's face was originally filled with an expression of contempt for the world, but when he suddenly heard Zhang Ruoqi's question, he couldn't help but be stunned, and for a moment he didn't know how to answer.
However, he has always been the kind of person who refuses to admit defeat and is always lovable. He was just stunned for a moment and then continued: "Yes, of course I can. I will make arrangements now, but this little cannon If it doesn’t resist, it will take some time to move the cannon forward.”
When Zhang Ruoqi heard that he said he could fight, he felt happy and said with a smile: "Okay, it's good if you can fight. General Fu will go and take care of it quickly and capture Huangtu Ridge. With my officer here, no one will lose your credit!" "
Zhang Cheng looked at Fu Yingchong walking away, secretly admiring his stern face. However, he just snickered secretly and did not expose it.
…………
People screamed and horses neighed, sentries and cavalry roared, and drums and trumpets sounded incessantly. Nearly ten thousand officers and soldiers of Datong Town were dispatched, but there were only more than a thousand fine cavalry inside, and the rest were all infantry.
In fact, the original number of cavalry in Wang Puzheng's barracks was nearly three thousand. However, Zhang Cheng proposed to gather the entire division's elite cavalry in one place to prepare for emergencies, and most of Wang Pu's elite cavalry were also mobilized.
Even Zhang Cheng's command only had the Huwei battalion and Yang Guozhu's retainers, and Zhang Guangda's cavalry battalion was also transferred there together with Guo Yingxian.
Of course, the Datong Army also has a battalion of tanks supported by Zhang Cheng. They can form vehicle formations in open areas to protect themselves. In addition, the firepower of the vehicles is also very fierce. In addition to the Fo Lang machine, tiger squat gun, and mortar gun, Each vehicle also has two rocket boxes, in addition to some flying cannons.
Now, their army of more than 10,000 people is forming a formation in a valley on the west bank of the Xiaoling River between Shimen Mountain and Huangtu Ridge. A road that can pass large vehicles is cut off by it.
Their purpose was to block traffic between Shimen Mountain and Huangtu Ridge, so that the Tatars in the direction of Shimenshan would not be able to support Huangtu Ridge, and the Tatars on Huangtu Ridge would not be able to escape.
Wang Pu also had more than 3,000 infantry troops under his command, all of which were new troops. Although he was ordered to train the new troops, he did not actually train 5,000 troops like Yang Guozhu. He only recruited 3,000 strong soldiers and ate two. Thousands of empty wages.
I saw these new army officers and soldiers, all with serious expressions, and their heads were all wearing cloud-winged helmets of the same color. The spearmen were all wearing red waist-length armor. The combination of red and green was touching.
However, the few fire gun soldiers in Wang Pu's new army did not wear iron armor, but wore red cotton armor. They looked like fire clouds, but the bird guns they held in their hands looked very old.
Obviously, Wang Pu did not invest too much energy or money in this new army. Although most of the armor and cold weapons were new products, the firearms were obviously insufficient.
Obviously, even the small number of muskets currently equipped were carefully selected from the army depot in Datong Town.
Most of the firearms in the warehouses of various towns in the Ming Dynasty are crudely made, just to make up for the quantity. The quality of the firearms is good or bad, so they love to explode the chamber. This is also the root cause of the rarity of gunshots in the towns and armies in the North.
As for the three-eyed gun, although it is also crudely made, its barrel is thick and short, which greatly reduces the risk of exploding the barrel. Furthermore, it can be directly converted into a cold weapon, so it is naturally used by the armies in border towns. Loved by soldiers.
Wang Pu's side is relatively relaxed. There used to be some Tatar military camps here, but since the Tatars began to shrink their defense lines, they focused on guarding Shimen Mountain and Huangtu Ridge. Almost all the slave camps here have been removed.
The military supplies of Shimen Mountain and Huangtu Ridge are all transferred from the pontoon bridge behind the two mountains. Of course, Shimen Mountain is more convenient because there is a Tatar military camp on the south bank of the Nerv River.
On the Xiaoling River behind Huangtu Ridge, there are only two empty pontoons, which are used to transport military supplies and prepare the Tatars to retreat from here if Huangtu Ridge is lost.
Wang Pu's Datong Army formed three large camps here, and the chariot battalion supported by the Xuanfu Army was also left in the Chinese army for his use.
He had just finished inspecting the New Army camp near Xiaoling River and rushed back to the Chinese Army. He sat on his horse and looked in the direction of Huangtu Ridge. He saw smoke and dust flying all over the sky over there, and the faint sound of bursts of artillery could be heard.
Wang Pu couldn't help but sigh and said: "I really can't figure it out. In just a few years, he was promoted from a thousand generals to the chief soldier of the Xuanfu. How did Zhang Cheng do it?"
His general in the army, Wang Yi, was also a little unconvinced and said: "Huh, what can it be? It's not because of the favor of the Holy One and the care of the elders, soldiers, and governors that we are so prosperous. .
I think he must have spent a lot of money, otherwise he would never have been treated like this. Everything was as smooth as a fish in water, as if he had divine help! "
Wang Pu's eyes were still looking in the direction of Huangtu Ridge with a thoughtful expression. It was obvious that General Wang Xi's words had touched him.
After a moment, he said quietly: "Not necessarily. If it comes to using money, we can do it. In the past few years, we have spent a lot of money in the Governor's Yamen and the Ministry of War. But what is the result?"
Wang Xi said with an unconvinced look on his face: "Maybe it's Zhang Cheng who made too many envoys!"
Although Wang Pu is not good at running an army and fighting, he is indeed very proficient in the common ways of the world. When he heard Wang Xi's words at this moment, it was clear that he was dissatisfied.
Then he smiled and said: "That's nonsense. Does Zhang Cheng's family have a silver mine or a silver mountain? Can he make more money than me?"
Wang Pu paused, and then withdrew his eyes from the direction of Huangtu Ridge, looking at the general Wang Xi and said: "I don't think it's a matter of using money here.
He, Zhang Cheng, is indeed outstanding. Otherwise, no matter how much money he spent, it would be nothing more than a promotion. But where did these tens of thousands of powerful troops come from? "
When he said this, he raised his riding whip with his right hand and tapped Wang Xi's shoulder, saying: "When you meet Dashuai Zhang in the future, you must show more respect to me and don't let me have any feelings for Dashuai Zhang."
"Yes. Lord General!"
…
When the Xuanfu army was attacking the main position on the Huangtuling mountainside with all its strength, the battle on the northern battlefield of the Ming army was also at its most intense.
At this moment, Tang Tong's troops, serving as the eastern route army on the northern battlefield, had already attacked the front of the Sailor Camp.
Not far from the west side of the Mariner Camp, there is a pontoon bridge directly to the south bank of the Nuer River, leading to the Qing army camp that besieged Jinzhou not far away.
A deep trench was dug ten steps away from the sailor's camp in the east, south and west directions, cutting off its connection with the official road. A suspension bridge was used to pass between the wall and the trench.
There are about a hundred Manchurian soldiers of various banners and hundreds of Han Tatars guarding the trenches of the village, as well as about two thousand handymen Aha and so on. This can be regarded as the strongest defensive force around Shimen Mountain. .
Not only that, to the south of the sailor camp is Shimen Mountain. The mountain on this side is very gentle. The Qing soldiers on the mountain have not been completely defeated. They may rush down to help at any time.
When Tang Tong's troops came in for reinforcements, they were said to be a strong army with over 10,000 soldiers. In reality, they only had about 8,000 soldiers. In this battle, except for the more than 1,000 people who stayed in the camp, most of the others Accompany him in battle.
Among them, there were 3,000 horse infantry officers and soldiers in his main camp, and the rest were divided into two battalions, one for generals and one for guerrillas. Each had its own troops and horses, and obeyed Tang Tong's command and dispatch. ??
