In July of the third year of Chongzhen, the outposts of the Lion Camp that went out to collect food gradually returned.
Today, Wei Qian'er is still in charge of the defense Tangqi in Lion Bay, but Gao Yingxiang made a request for all kinds of news outside the river valley.
When each sentry returns, tell him the news directly, but do not tell the other leaders who broke into the camp.
Liu Chengzong was still puzzled by this at first, and told Gao Yingxiang clearly: "If the information is not clear, I am afraid that when the sentries come back, they will scare the people who break into the camp."
He knows very well what his gang looks like.
Wearing the clothes of a frontier army, walking in the ranks of a frontier army, using the tactics of a frontier army, they are even still frontier soldiers themselves.
Just go to that point and you can scare the soldiers of the leaders.
Little did he know that this was exactly what Luo Gao Yingxiang wanted: "Yes, just to scare them."
"My soldiers are different from yours. This is an opportunity for reorganization."
The biggest difference between Gao Yingxiang's troops and Liu Shizi's troops is that their troops are all independent leaders.
Unlike the Lion Battalion, which absorbs defeated soldiers every time, the middle-level officers will not surrender to him. The surrendered soldiers have no organization since joining and can easily receive reorganization and distribution.
Gao Yingxiang's Shanxi leaders, Ke Tianhu, originally each had three to five hundred people. Even if he wanted to break up and reorganize them, others might not be willing.
With Gao Yingxiang's three thousand headquarters alone, he was able to suppress the eight or nine scattered Shanxi leaders when the army was reorganized, but if those leaders were unwilling to accept reorganization, he really had no other choice.
Liu Chengzong thought to himself, isn't this just a way for the fox to pretend to be the tiger's power?
He immediately agreed to Gao Yingxiang's request, but when Cao Yao and the others came back, they scared the camp into a panic.
Greatly increased Gao Yingxiang's prestige.
In fact, after the leaders of the camp were worried at first, Gao Yingxiang took Liu Chengzong together and proposed reorganization in the camp, and everyone probably understood this trick.
But there is nothing I can do to understand it.
The Lion Battalion is stationed nearby, and the camp is full of heroes from the frontier army. Even those Shanxi leaders who are not convinced by the reorganization do not dare to jump out here.
Liu Chengzong never thought that Gao Yingxiang would reorganize his troops in such a hasty manner.
He thought that what Gao Yingxiang discussed with him was just a general idea, so the brigade-level establishment he mentioned was also a general idea.
But Gao Yingxiang directly did what he said.
Liu Chengzong was shocked, what is this called?
This is called the dedication of being a guinea pig!
The ninth day of the lunar month.
Gao Yingxiang reviewed the eight thousand troops under his command in Lion Bay and reorganized them into the Chuangzi Brigade. He appointed himself the brigade commander and the commander of the Chinese Military Standard Battalion, with two battalions on the left and right under his jurisdiction.
There are general Gao Yingen in the left camp and General Ke Tianhu in the right camp. Each battalion has five sentries for soldiers and one for baggage. The standard camp of the middle army has another artillery post.
Not all of the six outposts of the Lion Battalion returned. This time they had a great harvest, and the large amount of food and grass they received was difficult to transport at once.
Therefore, Yang Yao and Feng Yu were stationed in Ningzhou, Qingyang Prefecture, and were looking for suitable locations in Heshui and Ningzhou.
Qingyang Mansion borders Pingliang to the west and Yan'an to the east, which is their next step.
When Shi Chengwo and Gao Yingxiang came back, the lion cannon finally fell into the hands of Liu Chengzong, but according to Shi Chengwo, some of the thirty-six cannons were cast for Chuangying.
In order to distribute these cannons, Liu Chengzong called Gao Yingxiang and asked: "Master Gao, does the Chuangzi Brigade have the ability to cast cannons now?"
"There should be."
Gao Yingxiang was a little embarrassed when he said this, and said: "When the master craftsman was casting cannons, I sent many craftsmen to follow him, but they didn't learn well, and they didn't cast a single cannon in Shanxi."
But he thinks the future is bright: "I have hired a hundred goldsmiths from Shanxi and plan to build a cannon-casting site in the mountains of Lion Bay. I will think about it more. It may not be as good as the master craftsman."
Liu Chengzong nodded, and then said: "Since Mr. Shi said that there are a batch of cannons made for Chuangying, thirty-six cannons, I will give you twelve, and eleven of them will weigh 300 kilograms, and I will give you another one."
What do you think of Master Gao who weighs 200 pounds?"
So generous?
Gao Yingxiang was surprised: "Give me all three hundred kilograms?"
This suddenly made him even more embarrassed.
Gao Yingxiang thought for a long time and pondered: "How about you see what you want from my money and food?"
"I can handle the money and food now. If I run out of money in the future, I'll ask you for it."
Liu Chengzong waved his hand and said very seriously: "Master Gao, I will give you twelve cannons in this batch, but if you cast any more cannons, you must follow the example of the 200-jin cannon."
Gao Yingxiang had plans to make cannons, especially since Liu Chengzong told him that Lion Bay could boil salt and soak it with nitrate, so he even planned to make cannons.
But he couldn't understand, it would be nice if the cannon were more powerful, why did he have to catch a 200-jin cast?
Even if he didn't say it, Liu Chengzong could understand his thoughts and said with a smile: "Master Gao, let me calculate an account for you. How much difference is there in performance between two hundred catties and three hundred catties?"
He glanced at Shi Chengwo and said: "Mr. Shi said that the small lion cannon can fire a two-pound bullet and lay it flat for 170 steps; the big lion cannon can fire a three-pound bomb and lay it flat for 190 steps."
"There are a hundred little lions and a hundred and sixty big lions, all taken at a hundred paces."
Liu Chengzong raised his hand and said: "No matter whether it is two kilograms or three kilograms of closed-mouth artillery shells, it cannot attack the city, and it cannot penetrate the rammed earth even if it is a foot thick. The only difference is that it takes twenty more steps and sixty more loose shells."<
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"The weight is half the weight. It requires an extra mule to be rotated during transportation, and an extra 100 kilograms of copper material is used during casting."
Liu Chengzong analyzed the pros and cons and asked: "Is it appropriate for this range advantage?"
"But it's even more cruel!"
Gao Yingxiang said: "Two cannons can be used as three cannons, and they are more vicious."
"Then why not cast three doors?"
After Liu Chengzong finished speaking, he raised his hand and said: "Master Gao, two hundred and three hundred catties can do the same thing on the battlefield, but it is lighter. The soldiers and mules have more physical strength to do other things."
"If you pursue ruthlessness, you will be able to cast cannons weighing 600 kilograms or even heavy cannons weighing more than 1,000 kilograms in the future."
After saying that, he motioned Gao Yingxiang to wait in the tent for a while, got up and walked out.
Liu Gao Yingxiang and Shi Chengwo looked at each other in the tent. They looked at each other, both confused.
How could Liu Chengzong, a man who had never touched a lion cannon, behave better than the two of them, who made and used cannons, and knew more about lion cannons?
After a while, the sound of horse hooves was heard outside the tent.
It was Liu Chengzong who came back riding a red flag, carrying a big package in his hand. After putting it in the account, he put it on the ground. It felt quite heavy.
Gao Yingxiang stretched his neck to look and saw two silk-wrapped cylinders placed in a purple cloth parcel.
Then Liu Chengzong brought the two cylinders to Gao Yingxiang: "The shells of the Qianjin Hongyi Cannon weigh seven pounds and eight taels. The left is closed ammunition and the right is loose ammunition."
Gao Yingxiang looked at the two silk-wrapped pillars, then at Liu Chengzong, and then at the silk-wrapped pillars.
From top to bottom, I can’t tell that these two things are cannonballs.
In comparison, we can see a little bit of Luo Rucai.
He could only look at Shicheng me for help, but Shicheng me didn’t know what was going on here.
The fabric ammunition pouches were produced in the Battle of Wen'anyi. After we joined forces, I followed Gao Yingxiang to find a place to cast cannons in the Fenhe Plain of Shanxi Province, knowing nothing about it.
When Liu Chengzong opened the silk bag, Gao Yingxiang could see clearly.
There were gunpowder, wooden horses, and cannonballs in the package, but they were just wrapped in silk.
I heard Liu Chengzong say: "This thing is inserted directly into the barrel of the gun, and when it is opened through the fire door, the gunpowder will leak out, making it easier to fire."
"The powder is similar, but it's not that good. In the future, if you have the opportunity, make a thin iron shell, put the powder inside, paper the outside, and wrap it with gunpowder in satin. It will be very convenient to beat."<
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Liu Chengzong introduced this thing to Gao Yingxiang, then sat back and said: "If I have three kinds of cannons, then I need to prepare six kinds of fixed-charge artillery shells. Then these three kinds of cannons must be responsible for different situations on the battlefield."
"For example, the light artillery fires together with the three-eyed muskets at a distance of fifty or sixty paces after a volley of crossbows and muskets; the medium artillery fires closed-mouth ammunition at a distance of 250 paces, which can hit wooden villages and other fortifications; the heavy artillery fires at a distance of 400 paces.
If you fire from a distance, you can attack the battlements."
Liu Chengzong was talking about horizontal distance. He raised his hand to Gao Yingxiang and said: "Just like Master Gao said that the establishment of leaders from all walks of life should be unified. In fact, I think not only the establishment, but at least the use of firearms and artillery should be unified."
Unified specifications."
"Just talking about artillery, at least there are two of us. Master Gao is a brigade, and I am still a battalion. At least we use the same specifications of cannons and the same specifications of artillery carriages. Your artillery carriage is broken; my cannon was robbed.
, the gun carriage is given to you and you can use it."
"Artillery is universal, and so are artillery shells. Once we have a station, we will establish an ordnance bureau. The parts for bird and fire muskets must also be universal, and they must be incompatible with the weapons of the army."
"This... this is too far." Gao Yingxiang looked at the silk-wrapped ammunition pillar and raised his hand to scratch the back of his neck: "In the past two years, if we can cast some cannons, we will be very powerful. The weapons will be unified and organized. I'm afraid it will take two or three years.
Neither can be done."
Unexpectedly, Liu Chengzong raised his hand and spread his fingers: "Five years, we should have a foothold in five years, right?"
Gao Yingxiang nodded, disapproving.
He just had one thought: It’s great to be young.
What gives you the confidence that leaders from all walks of life can survive for five years under the siege of the imperial court?
But this is a very beautiful fantasy: "Five years, if I'm still waiting for you in five years, then I should have established my footing."
During the Zhengde period, Liu Liu and Liu Qi, who were very powerful, raised troops in Bazhou, which lasted only three years.
More rebellions only started to rise and fall within a year or two. In fact, Gao Yingxiang felt that people like them were already very powerful if they could persist until now.
Gao Yingxiang sighed as he spoke: "If it's like what you said, Guan Ning's army enters the pass to crusade, maybe it won't be able to survive this year."
Guan Ningjun was like a knife hanging over his head. Ever since Gao Yingxiang received the news from Liu Chengzong, he couldn't sleep well for several days.
"Master Gao still remembers Li Bei, right?"
Liu Chengzong said: "Li Bei's servant is the Guan Ning Army. Their warfare is best understood by Pharaoh Hui Hui. The soldiers are very fast and fierce. They are indeed very powerful... But they are so powerful, why can't they achieve great things in Liaodong?" Gao Yingxiang never thought about this, he blinked and said: "Is Donglu more powerful?"
"Master Gao, no matter how powerful Donglu is, can he be so powerful that he has 50,000 or 60,000 Liu Chengzong? Don't forget how I got my martial arts skills. How can I be cultivated in the poor mountains and rivers of Jianzhou?"
Gao Yingxiang shook his head and said decisively: "You must have something to rely on if you win. We haven't destroyed the Donglu in so many years, so don't underestimate them."
"I don't underestimate them, but have you ever thought about the terrain of Liaodong? There are long and narrow corridors, and there are mountains all over the north. Donglu can attack from all over the place, so that the imperial court can fight well in small-scale battles, but loses a big battle." p>
"My subordinate, Commander Cao, participated in the Sarhu, and She'an, Sichuan, also defeated 110,000 imperial troops at one time. Why can't She'an achieve great things? He was surrounded by provinces. He could win one or two battles, but he was finished after losing one.
”
"We don't have the geographical advantage of Jianzhou, but the army must suppress us, so it can still be like fighting Li Bei. When Guan Ning's army comes, we will take him away and retreat westward."
Gao Yingxiang was familiar with northern Shaanxi, but he had never understood the terrain of Liaodong and could not consider these things. Fortunately, he had experience in resisting Li Bei's battle.
"So you are saying that we will withdraw from Yan'an Prefecture to Qingyang and fight in Ningzhou?"
Liu Chengzong shook his head and said: "No, we have to start from Shanxi. Master Gao knows a lot of people. I think we can prepare a big gift for the Guan Ning Army who entered the Pass to put down the rebellion."
Gao Yingxiang became interested, leaned forward and asked: "What kind of gift?"
"It's not like we haven't fought against the imperial border troops before. Guan Ning's army is only as strong as its ability to feed itself, so I think the key to winning or losing this battle is to prevent them from being fed."
"You and I are not muddled. Wang Jiayin and the Luliang bandits in Shanxi. Master Gao knows everyone. Guan Ning's army will advance to Shanxi. When they quell the chaos in Shanxi, they can use Taiyuan or even Beijing to transport grain and grass. We don't have the advantage. Luliang
The bandits will definitely retreat back into the mountains."
Gao Yingxiang nodded in agreement: "So the battlefield must be west of Yan'an Prefecture?"
"Yes, to the west of Yan'an Prefecture, Yan'an Prefecture is very big. It is already a piece of white land and the government cannot get military rations. At this time, Luliang bandits are needed to cut off the mountain-Shaanxi rations road."
Liu Chengzong stepped on the tiger skin blanket in the tent and waved his hands in front of him, depicting a scene after the strong army was deprived of food: "The king's camp will also withdraw to the west, regardless of whether he wants to withdraw from the second border wall or from Yan'an Mansion. In short,
We must retreat westward to Ningxia."
"I'm afraid this won't be easy to withdraw."
Gao Yingxiang shook his head and said: "Wang Jiayin has occupied Fugu. Look at him. He will fight to the death and retreat east to Hequ in Shanxi. If nothing happens, he will return to Fugu and ask him to retreat to Ningxia... I'm afraid I can't persuade him."<
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"Now we can't defend the territory even if we dominate it. If the people are in the city, it's only there. If the city is gone and the people are gone, what does that mean?" Liu Chengzong raised his hand and knocked twice on the small kang table, saying: "Master Gao must persuade him to annihilate
The most important thing is the officers and soldiers."
"When the official army is annihilated, where can't Shanxi and Shaanxi go?"
Gao Yingxiang still didn't have high hopes for this, and nodded: "I'll give it a try, but Wang Jiayin is in a different situation than you and me... Besides, even if Wang Jiayin is not mentioned, there are still two problems if we withdraw to the west."
"First, there are four border towns in Ningxia, Gansu, Lintao and Guyuan in the west. If the imperial court joins forces, we will be the turtle in the urn."
When Liu Chengzong saw the move, he said: "So I went over and demolished the post station first to prevent the court from passing on the news."
Gao Yingxiang thought for a while, this is what they can do, and more clever women can't make a meal without rice, and said: "The second most important thing is that Guan Ningjun is not a fool, and they can go wherever we ask them to go."
Go there."
"What if someone finds out the plan and stays in Shanxi without moving?"
"Don't move? I ask him to move, so he has to move."
Liu Chengzong stood up, walked to the tent, took off his helmet, played with the helmet gun without the helmet flag, and turned to look at Gao Yingxiang: "I will attack Pingliang Fucheng and surround Prince Han's palace. Do you think he can move?"