On the bank of the Huangshui River in the night, a series of gunfire briefly illuminated the outline of the military formation, and the three-eyed cannons were fired again and again. The reflection of the Mongolian cavalry surrounding the general's formation was even more terrifying.
But the most terrifying opponent in the darkness is the ghost-like team of gunmen and cavalry.
This convoy was supposed to protect tens of thousands of people in Nanshan, but Liu Chengzong's retreat exposed Nanshan to the enemy's detection range, and also made Zhong Bao aware of dangers and opportunities.
The dark night made Zhong Bao eager to try, so when he saw He Huchen and Yang Qi leading an army of thousands of people, lighting up torches and heading west, Zhong Bao immediately lit up his 240 guards and followed them.
The cavalry guard is not a normal army.
Although they undertook very important combat missions in the early days of the Liu Shizi Rebellion and served as the elite regiment that was the final word in the Lion Army's rampage on the battlefield.
However, with the establishment of the three major training camps of the Marshal's Mansion, the army has formal training and selection channels, and the elite guard team has also followed a group of servants to become officers in the army, entering the dilemma of a shortage of all-round warriors.
Today's convoys cannot mount their spears and form a formation to charge for four rounds, then take out their bows and arrows and shoot left and right. If they lose their horses, they can still dismount and form a formation to fight like the best infantry.
They are just a group of cavalry escorts who specialize in melee combat, focus on maneuverability, and have the primary mission of protecting the generalissimo.
Although they were riding the tallest and strongest Hequ war horse in Liu Chengzong's hands, which could bear the weight of the heavy horse armor, their war horses only had a small iron chest.
The armor on the human body is also very light, just ordinary cotton-padded jackets and mails and helmets, not to mention iron armbands and iron boots.
There is no spear, only a feather knife, a bone knife and a notched buckler; there is no bow and quiver, only a Franco gun hanging on the horse.
This makes them lighter and more dangerous, both to our enemies and ours.
Zhong Bao's cavalry retreated into the darkness after a successful attack. The people reorganized without lights. After a brief period of confusion caused by human voice recognition, they reorganized into a dense formation and attacked the other corner of He Huchen's army.
Impact.
For those cavalrymen holding lances, when standing with a gap between the front and back, the four-step interval is not too loose.
But for Zhong Bao's spear-less cavalry troops, if they advance forward and backward through gaps in the daytime, they can even reduce the distance between soldiers to one step.
They held muskets and lined up into twenty twelve-horse teams. Each team stood with six in front and six behind. When they were ready, they walked forward, one team after another, and each team lined up in a long column with an interval of more than ten steps.
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But this column is not a straight line. The front row turns a corner to the inside of the official army's position. It is a squad of twelve cavalry led by Zhong Bao himself. It is more than twenty steps away from the column and marches parallel to it.
When a whistle sounded from the Mongolian cavalry on the left and right, Zhong Bao's guards raised their shields and launched a slow attack towards the corner of the phalanx.
In the darkness, their vision was clearer than that of the officers and soldiers, because the officers and soldiers were holding torches, and their eyes adapted to the light of the torches, but they could not see farther away.
What he wants to attack this time is the northeast corner of the official army's formation.
While the gunmen of the army were frantically searching for their figures in the dark, Zhong Bao had already led his escort and fired his gun 40 steps away in the dark.
A row of handguns burst out with fleeting light, and a row of lead crossed the boundary between darkness and light, hitting the shield wall built with shields at the foot of the army's position or the helmets of the soldiers behind it.
I can only hear a sound.
No matter whether it is a three-eyed gun or a hand gun, it cannot break armor at this distance. The most it can do is to paste a small lead sheet on the shield and helmet.
However, the officers and soldiers responded fiercely to them.
The gun hand held a three-eyed blunderbuss and set it up on the long shield. He held the blunderbuss shaft under his ribs. He held the match rope in his left hand and skillfully lit the blunderbuss. There were three bangs and bangs, and seven or eight lead pieces were fired in the flames and smoke.
Sprays short bore.
Following closely behind, the light gunner pointed the cannon rod diagonally toward the sky, ignited the gunpowder, and with a few soft pop-pop sounds, several small cylindrical shells broke through the smoke and fired in the direction of the gunfire. After a while, the bomb exploded, leaving a cloud of smoke.
Then there were infantrymen who set their bows and arrows one after another and released arrows into the smoke.
The Mongolian soldiers did not receive such good treatment. The officers and soldiers only became nervous when they saw firearms. They did not even have the time to open their eyes to those stone arrowheads.
But this series of attacks were like nothing. There was no response in the darkness, and not even a scream of men and horses was heard.
Zhong Bao just came over to fire a musket. After firing, he led a team of twelve people to move their horses south. The stress reactions of the officers and soldiers were all in vain and had no effect.
But immediately afterwards, more than twenty paces to the north where the explosive bombs burst into smoke, a real column of muskets ran out of the shadows in the hazy moonlight.
They held round shields in their left hands and pulled the reins. The bottom of the shield was stuck on the saddle. They lowered their heads slightly, leaving only a narrow line of sight between the shield and the brow. In their right hand, they held the blunderbuss, with the muzzle of the blunderbuss resting on the gap in the buckler.<
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Men, horses, shields, and muskets were integrated into one, bumping slowly as they marched, facing the arrows fired from bows and crossbows, approaching the official and army lines seventeen or eighteen steps.
Following the command from the commander of the first formation, the twelve-man cavalry team at the front and rear pulled the trigger in unison. The war horses took another step forward, the gunpowder ignited, and the first six and sixty-two rounds of projectiles were fired into the enemy's position. p>
This is not their drill. The musket guard has never learned to deceive during training. This is Zhong Bao's idea. Moreover, during the training, their requirement is to approach the enemy's position ten steps with lead arrows and then release the musket.
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However, the dark night not only brought fear to the enemies, they were also so nervous that the first group fired their cannons at a distance of nearly twenty steps, which made Zhong Bao frown not far away - this was very stupid.<
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According to the recruits' thinking, shooting at twenty steps from the enemy is much safer than shooting at ten steps. In fact, it is more dangerous.
Because in the distance from a hundred steps to twenty steps, all the firepower that should be withstood has been withstood. Even if the enemy has enough concentration and saves the firepower until within twenty steps, they will shoot in advance and turn around in advance.
The result is the same, it's just the difference between being slapped in the face or behind.
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But it's different when you enter ten steps. Even though it's only ten steps forward, the enemy's sense of oppression brought by the approaching cavalry is completely different from the previous hundred steps.
Within ten steps, you can shoot flatly at this distance without aiming. No matter what armor the enemy is wearing, a hit will result in death or injury.
Especially at this moment, Zhong Bao watched Qian Shi fire the gun early, clenching his fists with a look of hatred on his face. He had defrauded the enemy of a large number of firearms. This opportunity only came once, and he was missed like this.
The first long team did not pose much of a threat to the army's position. It shot down two people. More lead shot penetrated the long team and hit the soldiers behind it, but the effect was not great.
But they caused a huge morale shock to the enemy. The gunslinger holding the three-eyed gun in front of the formation did not even bother to reload, and raised the still smoking muzzle to the sky. Some people quickly lay down and hid in the long
After playing cards, some people even wanted to give the approaching war horse a hammer with a blunderbuss.
The spearmen behind also lowered their spears, and the formation became more compact.
At this moment, the second team of guards came forward. This commander was more courageous, and he might just be performing the drill mechanically. In short, he led the team ten steps in front of the formation, without even placing the musket on the shield, and directly stretched his arm towards
Throw it at a shield bearer holding a torch.
With a bang, the lead shot directly penetrated the red lacquered helmet with the word "Yong" in it. The shield hand heard a clanking sound above his head and the torch fell to the ground.
Twelve lead pellets hit the front of the formation that was twenty men wide, knocking down the musketeers and infantrymen behind the shield hand at a distance of ten paces, and causing shaking and commotion when it was nearly thirty paces wide.
Then they turned their horses around from the left, followed closely by the third team, the fourth team, the fifth team... The smoke of gunfire bloomed one after another under the night. Each team carried a huge sense of oppression and was closer than the previous team.
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In a tiny corner of the huge military formation, the soldiers who were threatened with death had nothing to do. Their firearms were too late to be loaded in the panic, their bows and arrows could not pose a threat, and their spears and swords could not touch the enemies close at hand.
The people retreated in shock. Those in front leaned back. The soldiers in the distance who were holding muskets and preparing to shoot also retreated without knowing where they were. The muskets were fired into the sky, further exacerbating the chaos. The soldiers behind who didn't know what was going on could only move forward.
Pushing and pushing until the northeast corner of the huge military formation began to lose control.
It was too late when He Huchen noticed the commotion on the front and back. His army formation was too large and he was always on guard against the Mongolian cavalry coming from the north and south. However, no one expected that a cavalry team carrying muskets would come from behind.
Just like a corner of a huge glass was cracked by a sharp cone, panic spread across the army like a spider web in the blink of an eye.
In the distance, Liu Chengzong noticed the commotion in the enemy's front and back through his telescope. For a moment, he even thought it was Yang Yao who had returned, but then he noticed the flickering light of fire, and then he remembered the guard team left in Nanshan.
This is an opportunity.
A cavalry team carrying muskets attacked the enemy formation at night, causing a commotion in the army formation, which was an excellent opportunity.
Immediately, the lamp flag in the headquarters courtyard was lowered, and when it was raised again, only one lamp was still on. Then the lights in the courtyards were extinguished, and Basan's army was gathering.
Xie Erhu on the front line also received the light order from the rear, but his grasp of the situation on the battlefield was not as good as that of Liu Chengzong. He knew that a group of his own cavalry had joined the battlefield, but he was only riding on horseback and could not see the situation over there. p>
However, the orders from the rear were unmistakable, and Xie Erhu immediately sent orders to his subordinates to cooperate with Zhong Bao in launching an attack.
The overtones of the Mongolian soldiers resounded across the north and south banks of the Huangshui River as they galloped. The galloping convoys of conscripted cavalry slowly gathered in the darkness. There was also a special Mongolian soldier beside Xie Erhu who got on his horse.
It was a mixed force that included one heavy cavalry centurion, three light cavalry centurions equipped with forged arrow clusters, two horse-armored herdsman centurions, and three unarmored herdsman centurions, with a total strength of 900.
Organize the Mongolian Cavalry Brigade.
All the heavy armor, vests, steel knives, hooks, sickles, spears, and even forged arrowheads in Xie Erhu's hands were all concentrated in the hands of this team, and the officer of this team was... Guitu Taiji from the Han tribe. In fact, this team was established by Xie Erhu with the help of Qututaiji. This is why the Mongolian soldiers who besieged the official army formation only had stone arrows.
Before that, Xie Erhu's fishing camp had varying strength of each thousand-man team, neither that weak nor that strong. However, Tututaiji suggested that he abandon the idea of traditional steppe banditry and organize it in the form of a regular Mongolian army.
An army, even with only a hundred people, can fill the battlefield and play a decisive role when necessary.
Xie Erhu followed his good deeds and actually recruited a Mongolian cavalry of 6,000 people to form this mixed cavalry with a hundred heavy cavalry as the core.
This army has a mixed cavalry of 100 heavy cavalry, 300 soldiers, and 500 grooms. The equipment conditions are not up to the level of equipment in the heyday of Hu Duntu, but compared with the Qinghai Mongolian cavalry in the past, it is better organized
, there has been a qualitative improvement in equipment.
As Zhong Bao's artillery and cavalry troops attacked the northeast corner of the military formation one after another, He Huchen and Yang Qi quickly responded. Their response was to separate the headquarters that was hit in the northeast corner from the military formation, and adjacent to
The ministries distanced themselves from it, and then the two on the left and right moved forward from the headquarters, trying to surround the gun and horse team.
Zhong Bao's team could not even attack for one consecutive round. The twenty twelve-man cavalry only rushed to the fourteenth, and their flanks were threatened by the infantry forming forward. In desperation, Zhong Bao could only draw his bow and shoot a shot.
A resounding arrow signaled the end of the attack, and the cavalry turned around.
But it is enough to shake the army formation and create a gap.
The surrounding Mongolian levy cavalry returned to harassment after a short period of formation. Amidst the overwhelming shouts of various overtones, the scattered Mongolian cavalry launched a more ferocious attack than before. Around the headquarters of the three generals who were pulled by Zhong Bao to change their formation.
, there will even be Mongolian soldiers trying to fight in close combat.
Due to the problem of the material of arrow clusters, Mongolian horse soldiers using copper and iron bones shuttle between military formations, posing a greater threat in close combat.
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But this was painful for Zhong Hu. He watched helplessly as a brave Mongolian cavalry carried Guduo past the edge of the southern military formation. He didn't find a chance to hit him. The artilleryman operating a Fran machine gun in the military formation aimed at him.
Cannon.
The cavalry soldiers quickly passed the gun muzzle, and then the artillery exploded, and a cloud of loose particles penetrated the gunpowder smoke. The Mongolian soldiers were galloping back and forth on the edge of the forest of spear formations, jumping lively, but the muzzle passed him, and it was Zhong Hu's cavalry that was turning.
Direction.
The spray of scattered particles swept across the 60-step front line, sweeping half a dozen soldiers and cavalry off their horses from the flanks.
This shot frightened Zhong Hu, who was leading his troops to evacuate the battlefield. He thought to himself, I didn't even lose six of my cavalry when I charged sixteen, how could you, you bastard, kill six of my cavalry with one shot?
Immediately he frowned, drew his bow, and fired an arrow. The entire cavalry team turned their horses again and ran toward the smoke in front of the enemy's formation.
At the same time, in the southwest position at the other end of the battlefield, Xie Erhu's two light cavalry centurions were also arranged into a large column. They were divided into teams of ten and twenty cavalry, and they used forged arrow clusters to carry blunderbuss and cannons towards the military formation.
A corner filled with layers of splashing arrows.
The person belonging to the left hundred leader let go of the arrow and then turned around from the left to the rear of the formation. The person belonging to the right hundred leader released the arrow and then turned from the right back to the rear of the formation, shooting continuously towards a corner of the formation.
The officers and soldiers in this position were accustomed to being shot at by stone arrowheads. At first, they did not dodge the arrows. However, unexpectedly, this time the bows were heavier than before, and the arrow clusters were more powerful. At one time, more than ten people were involved.
After being shot to the ground, he immediately adjusted his attention and sent out a team of flankers to come out from the side to deal with the turning light horse team.
At this moment, the dull and firm sound of horse hooves rumbled from the rear of the forward troop formation. Xie Erhu's heavy cavalry arrived on the battlefield, hitting the battlefield like a torrent, running over the troop formation, and disappearing into the darkness again like ghosts.
The scattered team broke up and fled into the formation. He Huchen's central army finally realized that their biggest enemy was that their opponents occupied the darkness and would attack from all corners. However, they were trapped and did not dare to disperse, so they could only be treated as
As a target.
If this continues, both positions will be disrupted, and the army will face the threat of scattering in the dark.
In desperation, He Huchen still ordered the army to move westward and enter the bonfire square prepared by Liu Chengzong.
Liu Chengzong on the roof put down his telescope: "You still came in."
The next moment, the roar of the huge flash echoed in the river valley, and twelve seven-pound cannonballs flew and screamed from different positions, falling into He Huchen's formation, smashing out and shattering limbs.