Zhang Xin was one of the officers with the most experience in fighting the Mongols.
During the Battle of Yehuling, Zhang Xin was the guard of Qianhu in Huanzhou, and fled all the way to Hebei with the defeated troops. Guo Ning established himself in the Xijunhe camp and began to recruit Hebei defeated troops, so Zhang Xin and his accomplice Liu Cheng With two of them, he took hundreds of people from his headquarters to seek refuge. Guo Ning organized his subordinates into five capitals at that time, and Zhang Xin and Liu Cheng were the generals of the third and fourth capitals respectively.
But Guo Ning soon learned that Zhang Xin and Liu Cheng's defection was due to Zhang Rou's instructions. Zhang Rou and Miao Daorun, two big tycoons in Hebei, wanted to use this to add sand to Guo Ning's new force.
Guo Ning always treated his subordinates with sincerity, but it did not mean that he did not have basic mental skills and political skills. So Zhang Xin quickly changed from a general directly leading troops to a military academy where Guo Ning's subordinates were responsible for selecting auxiliary troops and conducting preliminary military training. , when Guo Ning settled in Shandong, he became Hao Duan's deputy and went to Ninghai Prefecture to arrange for military households to be granted land.
But Zhang Xin was not willing to do this. Guo Ning's performance in the Zhongdu Incident proved that his future height would be far greater than that of Zhang Rou and others, and his violent expansion after arriving in Shandong made Zhang Xin clearly understand that If you follow Guo Ning and make great achievements, you will surely gain glory and wealth.
Therefore, Zhang Xin has tried his best to demonstrate his talents in the past two years, and in several documents reported to Guo Ning, he has stated that he is loyal and ambitious, and is willing to serve on the battlefield for the propaganda mission.
After Guo Ning took control of the entire Shandong East Road, his military strength expanded rapidly, but the number of generals who could serve as the backbone was slightly insufficient. Zhang Xin seized this opportunity and was transferred from the deputy capital of Ninghai Prefecture to the post of Qiu Huiluo, the marching commander. Control, responsible for assisting military aircraft and participating in military command.
The role of this senior officer is best displayed when facing a powerful enemy.
Because the formation of the cavalry was loose, the soldiers in the queue were limited to their positions and could not see the enemy clearly. They could only guess that the Mongolian army's second wave of offensive would involve at least 3,000 cavalrymen, and perhaps 5,000. But everyone could clearly feel the ground shaking and the roar getting closer and closer.
It felt like being in a turbulent boat. The boat could capsize at any time, and the Mongolian cavalry was the sea water that could drown them.
Fortunately, the soldiers have someone to rely on.
They rely on the calm veterans around them, and the officers who occasionally walk between the ranks to comfort the soldiers. Everyone wears the same armor and carries soldiers. In the past few months, they have received the same training. With the same military pay and the same military discipline, each other gradually has the same trust and mutually recognized responsibilities.
They trust their coach and firmly believe that Guo Ning can lead them to victory at any time. They also know their responsibilities and are determined to fight for their hometown in Shandong and the future of their relatives and family members.
Of course, all of this combined could not conceal the tension of witnessing the enemy's charge. Even some veterans began to be afraid as the enemy gradually approached. Because they had experience fighting the Mongols, they clearly understood I remember that the last time we fought against such a large force of elite troops from the Mongolian army headquarters was at Yehuling, Huihe Fort, or Migukou, and we failed every time.
Fortunately, the soldiers are no longer the same as before. The long-term rigorous training of the Ding Navy has deeply ingrained many things into their minds, allowing them to show stability and tenacity that exceeds that of any army of the same era.
The roar of the horses' hooves became louder and louder, and the noise of the Mongolian shouts got closer and closer. The smoke picked up by the horses' hooves was blown into the military formation by the wind, choking people's throats and making them want to cough.
A soldier turned his face slightly and glanced in the direction of the central army. The flag of the central army did not move. The regular drums rumbled non-stop, which meant that there were no new orders from the central army.
The officers, including Zhang Xin, began to shout: "Steady! Steady!"
Suddenly there was a sharp whistle in the air, and all the officers shouted at the same time: "Raise your shields!"
The higher the defensive power of the shield, the larger and heavier it is. The armor worn by the soldiers is very heavy in itself. At the same time, raising the shield to defend against arrows consumes more physical strength. Even soldiers who are well-trained and have excellent physical strength
, the number of times you can raise your shield in one breath is also limited.
Therefore, except for the soldiers on the outer edge of the military formation, the soldiers in the formation would only raise their shields to greet them when they heard the sound of arrows breaking through the wind in the air.
Hundreds of large and small shields were raised at the same time, and the soldiers using spears and spears immediately moved forward, using the cover of the sword and shield hand in front. Everyone's vision dimmed instantly, and the surrounding environment seemed to become quiet all of a sudden.
many.
Because the production capacity of the ordnance workshop is limited, for the time being, it only takes care of the big parts such as soldiers and armors. Therefore, the navy has not yet been able to achieve a unified standard for shields. The shields in the hands of the soldiers include captured leather shields and home-made pentagonal joints.
The wooden sign, with several sides painted with colorful paint, is a side sign imported from the Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties.
Looking into the air from the gaps in the shield, you can see dense black spots flying and falling. This is the Mongolian cavalry performing their best galloping shot. The arrows arced from the air, crackling and hitting the shield.
It was like a downpour, clanking on the soldiers' helmets and armor, and like a hailstorm.
But neither rain nor hail lasts long; it passes in just a few moments.
The soldiers lowered their shields at the officer's command.
Just after the heavy sound of the shield hitting the ground, several muffled groans were heard from the queue. Zhang Xin immediately asked: "How is it? Who was injured? Is there anyone dead?"
"I was hit by an arrow and injured my arm. It's nothing serious."
"We are all alive here, but two of General Feng's men next to us are dead."
Putting this loss on the battlefield, it is as if it does not exist. The soldiers continued to maintain their original formation, and a soldier with dense pockmarks on his face whispered: "General Feng Du, they are a bit unlucky. Their area, front and rear
There are rows of large vehicles covering the car. The wood in the carriages of the large vehicles is so thick that it is impossible for arrows to penetrate... People will die just like this? Maybe they collided with some ghost or god..."
Before he finished speaking, Zhang Xin had already cursed: "Wang Mazi, you are talking nonsense! Write down the ten army sticks!"
Wang Mazi said "Hey" and stopped talking. He shrank his head, began to look at his shield, and pulled out an arrow nailed to it.
Everyone knows that the enemy's shooting and disturbance will not be just once. The Mongols are like wolves on the grassland, possessing superior tenacity and endurance. They will keep shooting, intimidating, and constantly looking for enemies in the military formation.
flaw.
The first wave has passed, and the next wave will come at any time. The Mongols can even run around the formation dozens of times, not stopping until dark, and continue to repeat it again and again without any pause the next day.
Therefore, it is wise to seize the time to recover your strength and repair the shield quickly if it is broken.
Outside the large naval formation, Ah'erhe Saler reined in his horse and looked over, watching as his four thousand cavalry divided into three groups and circled back and forth three times around the perimeter of the formation.
But this is just the beginning. Running, shooting and harassing are the Mongols' best skills. To maximize the effect of running, shooting and harassing, it requires not only the skill of riding and shooting, but also accurate judgment and good patience.
At this time, the Mongolian army continued to test the details of the Ding Navy, and the Ding Navy responded with an unpredictable and profound gesture of silence. Seeing that their formation was always tight, it was not easy to test their details or even create loopholes.
Aerhehesar absolutely believes in the tenacity of the grassland warriors, but Dinghaijun is also by no means a weakling, so this situation may last for a long time.