Zhu Hongyu didn't have any airs. Even if Ma Xin gave him a Mongolian horse with good endurance and good looks, he didn't ride it.
Instead, he chose to walk with the soldiers of the Liberation Army, sharing the joys and sorrows. During the march, he talked and laughed loudly with the soldiers to boost their morale.
Even when he saw an artillery cart and a baggage cart that was stuck in the mud and couldn't be pushed, he would step forward to help push the cart and shout slogans.
The marching team dragged forward and backward for a long time. It was midsummer now and the weather was very hot. Although the terrain of the central plain of Luzon was flat, its degree of development was limited.
Many places are filled with mud and weeds that are as tall as a person or half a person. It is impossible to see the road clearly. If you step down, your legs will get stuck in the mud, making the road very difficult to walk.
This was a road that the Liberation Army had simply repaired in advance in order to prepare for the war.
Otherwise, marching will only be more difficult!
Although the road was difficult, no one complained.
As the commander-in-chief, Zhu Hongyu has been sharing the joys and sorrows with them. What do they have to complain about?
Ma Xin also led the horse on foot and said to Zhu Hongyu beside him.
"The general will admire the fact that the Governor can share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers!"
Zhu Hongyu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.
"Now that the world is in decline and the Manchu forces are strong, if our clan does not share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers and does not take the lead in war, how can we rectify people's hearts and stabilize the country?"
Ma Xin laughed and agreed.
Suddenly, Ma Xin saw the artillery cart beside him and asked out of curiosity.
"Grand Governor, are all the artillery used in this army bronze cannons?"
Zhu Hongyu reached out and brushed the cannon body, which was getting a little hot under the sun, and said.
"No!"
"It's just that this decisive battle is of great importance, so the bronze cannons used are of the highest quality."
"All the iron cannons in the army were left in Weiyuan City and used as city defense artillery!"
Ma Xin asked again.
"Is Luzon really so rich in copper? The military government actually uses copper to make cannons?"
In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, with the beginning of the great voyage to the west and the Longqing switch of the Ming Dynasty, a large amount of gold and silver flowed into China.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, copper coins were always used as currency.
In other words, copper is money!
Using copper to make cannons means using money to make cannons. What a luxury!
Zhu Hongyu smiled and said.
"Luzon Island is rich in copper, iron, gold, silver, coal and other mineral reserves!"
"After this war is over, I can designate a few mines and give them to Mr. Guo Xing as a thank you gift!"
"When the time comes, the benefits of the admiral will be indispensable!"
Ma Xin nodded and said nothing else.
…
Both the Liberation Army and the Spanish are marching towards St. Jones, and the decisive battle is about to begin!
In early July of 1661 AD, the sentinels from both sides came into contact for the first time.
At this time, the main forces of the two sides were less than thirty miles apart.
The sentinels from both sides just made contact, and they retreated without getting entangled!
Zhu Hongyu received the report from the sentinel and the news of the battle with the Spanish sentinel, and gave the decisive order.
"Send the order to the entire army to repair where they are!"
"Recover your strength and prepare to engage the enemy!"
After receiving the order, the Guangfu Army and Zheng Jun took out dry rations and food and ate them in big gulps.
Zhu Hongyu summoned the generals of the Liberation Army to discuss specific matters for engaging the enemy.
At the same time, the Spaniards also received news of encountering a Liberation Army sentry.
The commander ordered the army to prepare for war and be ready for battle.
…
Meanwhile, the Port of Manila!
The Spanish fleet pulled anchor and set sail, leaving the harbor and heading north.
The main force of the fleet was deployed, carrying a certain number of marine troops, and headed straight for Lingayen!
They are planning to take advantage of the moment when the main forces of the Liberation Army and the Governor's Mansion are fighting against St. Jones to sneak attack on Lingayen and cut off the Liberation Army's retreat!
Since the Liberation Army came out, Lin Jiayan has been focusing on business.
Linggayan is the core of the rule of the Liberation Army!
In the eyes of the Spaniards, as long as they can capture Lingayen, the Liberation Army will inevitably collapse, and they will definitely win this battle.
Linggayan was located near the sea, and the Liberation Army returned with all its main strength.
In addition, the Liberation Army has almost no maritime power.
In the eyes of the Spaniards, Lingayen is simply an undefended city!
Now Lingayen seems like a beautiful woman who has taken off all her clothes and is posing in front of the Spaniard, an old gangster!
In this case, can this old gangster Spain not come?
…
1661, the first day of July!
Midsummer, cloudy and sunny!
Luzon in July is no different from a big furnace, even the mud is almost dried out by the blazing sun.
The heat wave is rolling!
In the endless wilderness, the Liberation Army and the Spanish army were rapidly approaching each other.
Soldiers from both sides lined up in neat formations and stepped onto the battlefield.
The climate is hot, but the battlefield is full of murder!
The swords, guns, and artillery were all flashing with cold light!
The soldiers marched in unison, raising huge clouds of smoke.
Zhu Hongyu stood under the banner of the Chinese army and commanded the battle. The war drums were beating, and the dull drums resounded throughout the battlefield.
The Liberation Army marched forward in an orderly manner to the beat of the drum.
The musket was leveled and the bayonet flashed with cold light!
Even Zheng Jun, who was assisting in the battle, was lined up and ready to fight.
Zhu Hongyu held a telescope in his hand and quietly looked at the battlefield, sizing up the Spanish troop deployment.
The Spaniards arranged their troops in an inverted shape!
The two square formations in front are composed of mercenaries and indigenous servants.
The phalanx in the rear was all white Spanish soldiers.
They formed a typical Spanish square formation, with spearmen and musketeers distributed in an orderly manner.
There were also many field artillery pulled by pack horses and also dragged into the battlefield!
On the Liberation Army side, after entering the battlefield, they quickly adjusted their marching array into a combat array.
A typical line infantry combat formation was formed!
The infantry takes the company as the basic unit and forms a small square array with three rows to advance forward.
Musketeers accounted for half of the total force in the array, and the rest were sword and shield soldiers.
Behind the infantry array, the artillery has set up a position, started loading, and adjusted the firing elements.
Zheng Jun's array is still behind the Liberation Army.
The combat mission assigned to Ma Xin by Zhu Hongyu was to block the Spanish offensive from the front of the Liberation Army.
Ma Xin led the Zheng army to cover from both sides and attack the Spanish flanks.
Zhu Hongyu handed over the most difficult frontal battlefield with the greatest casualties to the Liberation Army.
It's not that he doesn't want to take advantage, but Zhu Hongyu is self-aware and knows that Zheng Jun will not accept his order to let them become cannon fodder.
So, he simply didn't find it unpleasant!
The clouds of war are gathering, and the armies of both sides are constantly approaching!
The solemn atmosphere on the battlefield is getting stronger and stronger!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
When the arrays on both sides were less than a kilometer apart, the field artillery on both sides opened fire at the same time!
Amidst the rumbling sound of cannons, a large amount of gunpowder smoke spewed out from the muzzle, and the shells were fired towards the opponent's array as if they were free of charge.
The battlefield was filled with the rumble of cannons!
The artillery of the Liberation Army was firing concentrated fire at the Spanish array.
The shells landed on the ground in front of the array, and the terrifying kinetic energy caused the soil to fly. The shells rolled forward, venting their kinetic energy wantonly.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
This is the sound of artillery shells sweeping across everything in the array and tearing apart human bodies.
In front of the cannonballs, the human body was as fragile as paper, and the Spanish array was plowed into bloody gorges by the cannonballs.
…
It’s my birthday today. I’m going out with my friends to drink, make skewers, sing, wash my feet, get a massage... It’s a one-stop service. I’m asking for a day off. There’s only one update for today!