The Imperial Guard Fuhuo Crossbow Battalion, each battalion is equipped with six heavy front-loading smoothbore cannons and twelve light front-loading smoothbore cannons.
The heavy front-loading smoothbore artillery is one foot long and weighs more than 5,000 kilograms. It can fire up to 3,000 steps with solid bullets. The light front-loading smoothbore cannon is six feet long and weighs more than 2,000 kilograms. It can also fire up to 3,000 steps with solid bullets.
One thousand six hundred steps that stunned the generals of the world.
In addition to solid bullets, Luoyang Academy has also developed two special artillery shells: grape bullets and chain bombs, which are used to kill enemies at close range of three to five hundred steps in a fan-shaped area. However, these two kinds of artillery shells have higher operational requirements for the gunner; blooming bullets
It is still in the experimental stage, and the technology is not yet mature enough to be used in actual combat.
After the Luoyang Academy successfully trial-produced artillery that could be put into actual combat, with the production capacity of the Luoyang Ordnance Institute, it was not a problem to cast three to five hundred light and heavy artillery pieces in the past year. However, the training of skilled gunners would become the initial armed expansion of the Fuhuo Crossbow Battalion.
the biggest obstacle.
As an epoch-making weapon of war, how artillery can cooperate with traditional infantry and cavalry in actual combat after being put into the battlefield is also a brand-new topic for Luoyang Military Academy.
A year ago, the Military Academy secretly opened relevant professional courses, selecting people from the army and students from the Luoyang Military Academy for specialized training and drills. Currently, a total of eight battalions of Fuhuo Crossbows have been formed; and they are all first in the Royal Guards
Under the sequence, a Fuhuo Crossbow Battalion is formed, and then allocated to the armies for use as needed.
In addition to the four battalions of Fuhuo Crossbows that have been deployed, the Imperial Guard has only newly formed four battalions of Fuhuo Crossbows.
In order to observe the actual combat use of artillery at close range, Li Zhigao discussed with Tian Cheng and decided to merge the four ambushes and crossbow battalions to form a new artillery brigade. Chen Kun concurrently commanded the brigade and led more than a dozen military academy supervisors.
The staff combat group composed of Jiao Yu led the artillery brigade to southern Shanxi to participate in the battle.
Including auxiliary personnel, gunners, and sword and shield guards, a crossbow battalion of the Imperial Guard has a full strength of 300 people; a full strength of the artillery brigade has 1,200 people, which is equivalent to a normal cavalry. Mixed in
Among the logistics troops transporting grain and fodder, they rushed to the front line in southern Shanxi, and they were all outstanding.
The artillery was towed by a heavy-duty horse-drawn carriage, and the gun body was wrapped in thick linoleum cloth, making it look like an accessory for a heavy-duty cyclone gun.
However, the steel-hub rubber wheels left deep ruts on the post road, and each towed artillery carriage was towed by two to six strong horses, which could also make the enemy scouts lurking along the post road spot some abnormalities.
However, even if the enemy troops lurking nearby saw something unusual, or even directly saw the true appearance of the cast iron barrel, who could have imagined what role this black cast iron pipe would play when put on the battlefield.
?
Feng Yi and Han Jianji stayed in Luoyang to deal with the affairs of the newly established Honglu Division. Wen Ruilin accompanied Sima De and Shu envoy Cao Zhe and others, and arrived together with the artillery brigade and the logistics force transporting a new round of supplies.
Watching the battle in Zezhou.
Cao Zhe is the son of Cao Gan. His father, Cao Gan, has followed Wang Yong, the lord of Shu, since the Yuzhou period. He is one of the six new commanders of the imperial army in Shu. This time, headed by Cao Zhe, the envoy to Luoyang is mainly
Composed of generals drawn from the Shu Imperial Army and the Privy Council, in addition to congratulating Liang Jun on their victory over the Fanchuan River and further promoting the Liang-Shu alliance, they can also fully understand how strong and where Liang Jun's current combat effectiveness is.
Sima De, as Sima Yan, died of illness in Bianliang nine years ago. In order to avoid the suspicion of his uncle Sima Tan in recent years, he removed himself from all military and political affairs in Xuzhou and cut off contacts with Xuzhou generals. He specialized in poetry, calligraphy and painting, etc.
technique.
Sima De still has some sense of belonging to Daliang mentally.
After the battle of Fanchuan River, Xuzhou was naturally panicked when he saw how vulnerable the Chuzhou army was. He hurriedly recalled the secret envoy who had been sent to Chuzhou to negotiate peace with King Xin Yang Yuanyan, and pushed him to Luoyang. However, Sima De
It's also very satisfying.
Of course, Xu Si's army's secret envoy, in addition to Sima De, the two deputy envoys were close associates of his uncle Sima Tan.
Although the Battle of Fanchuan River directly eliminated Xu Si's people's intention to surrender to Chu, in the past, the iron hoof trampled on the Central Plains, and the invincible Mongolian army was beaten to death. Zhu Rang, Liang Ren, Liang Shixiong and Wei Bo's elite troops were destroyed in Xingyang.
It would be difficult to become a noble after that, Xu Mingzhen was bedridden, and his son Xu Sizhao might not be able to suppress the generals of the Shouzhou Army. These all decided that Xu Si and others wanted to switch to Daliang.
However, everyone in Xu Si still had many ideas in mind as to how they would return to Daliang's arms.
It was a pity that they had been in Luoyang for a few days. Not to mention Han Qian, the leader of the Liang Kingdom, they did not have the opportunity to meet Gu Qian, Feng Liao, Li Zhigao, Tian Cheng, Han Daoming and other important ministers of the Liang Dynasty. In the end, Wen
Ruilin came forward and invited them to go to southern Shanxi to watch the battle.
They also accompanied the logistics troops and artillery brigade.
They were naturally familiar with Chen Kun's name, and they were also curious about the logistics transport troops heading north this time. This special troop was directly commanded by Chen Kun.
However, even when they were camping, they could see the soldiers of Daliang carefully cleaning and maintaining the cast iron barrels stained by rain and snow, but they had no idea what kind of new war weapon this was.
Of course, they don't take it lightly. They all think that in the past three or four years, Liang Jun has put spring-arm weapons on the battlefield, which has caused everyone to suffer a lot. This new type of weapon can only be a few points stronger.
, this battle will most likely cause the main force of the Mongolian army to return defeated.
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Cross the Yu River from Mianchi Mausoleum, go north to Jiangxian County via Zhiguanxing, and then go to Qinshui County at the southern foot of Taiyue Mountain. The post roads along the way have been carefully renovated and widened. The artillery brigade and the logistics of transporting supplies this time
The soldiers and horses moved very quickly.
At the end of November, we entered southern Shanxi. At this time, southern Shanxi was already in the severe cold season when dripping water turned into ice.
After entering Zezhou, the logistics transport troops and horses passed through Qinshui County, but did not stop in Yangcheng County, nor did they go to Jincheng to join the main force of the Northern Expedition Army led by Kong Xirong. Instead, they went directly north to Gaoping County.
The condition of the post roads in Zezhou is pretty good, and the local township department has organized manual clearing of the snow. However, the snow on both sides of the road has not been cleared in the past two days, and is almost two feet thick.
This is a rare heavy snowfall in the past thirty years, when the North has clearly entered the Cold Age.
The logistics troops arrived at the southern foot of Jinquan Mountain, which is located in the north of Gaoping County and the junction with Huguan County in Luzhou, and dispersed to the garrison camps at the southern foot. Sima De, Cao Zhe, Chen Kun, Wen Ruilin and others rushed directly
Go to the main camp.
Thousands of soldiers and civilians can be seen along the way, braving the wind and snow, working hard to build camps and winding mountain climbing roads.
The Jinnan Basin between the Taiyue Mountains and the Taihang Mountains covers an area of more than 100,000 square miles. Although it is dominated by low mountains and hills with relatively open terrain, there is still the Danzhu Ridge at the junction of Zezhou and Luzhou.
Jinquan Mountain is dominated by two mountain ranges, with the main peak reaching a height of three to four hundred feet. The geographical barrier that is insurmountable by soldiers and horses separates the two states of Ze and Lu.
From Jinquan Mountain to the east to Ducheng Ridge in Lingchuan County, there is an open gap of about 13 to 4 miles in the middle, which is the main passage between Zelu and Zelu. This is also the Mongolian army's reinforcements from Luzhou south, or the Mengwu soldiers and civilians from Jincheng.
The only way to retreat northward in Zezhou.
The situation is obvious. To prevent the hundreds of thousands of Mongolian soldiers and civilians from Jincheng from escaping northward, and to block the main force of the Mongolian army from going south for reinforcements, the east of Jinquan Mountain is the best interception point.
After entering October, the main force of the Taiyue marching army, which had shrunk to Gaoping County, mainly relied on the mountains at the eastern foot of Jinquan Mountain to build military forts.
The Mongolian army also knew very well that if they wanted to support the tens of thousands of Mongol soldiers and civilians in Jincheng to retreat northward, they would have to defeat the Liang army stationed at the western foot of Jinquan Mountain in order to open up the north-south passage.
In mid-to-late November, the Mongolian troops in Taiyuan continued to gather at Luzhou City and Huguan City in the south. Their forward line also advanced to the northeastern foothills of Jinquan Mountain. The situation also determined the next large-scale battle between the two sides.
It will erupt around various key passes at the eastern foot of Jinquan Mountain.
Amidst the ice and snow, thousands of civilians recruited from the local area, not afraid of the severe cold, are building and widening the narrow mountain road in the south to facilitate the passage of soldiers, horses and vehicles.
Sima De and Cao Zhe could tell from their accents and clothing that these civilian husbands were recruited from the local area, but looking at their looks and appearance, there was no unwillingness or resistance to being forced. Most of the civilian husbands' faces were filled with specific expectations and expressions.
Motivation.
Wen Ruilin accompanied us all the way, and he did not hesitate to introduce the many tasks done by the Daliang soldiers and horses before and after their advance into southern Shanxi, in addition to military operations.
All of this is actually closely related to the infiltration work done three or four years ago.
After the great victory of Zhiguanxing, although Tian Weiye was not reused, he still received extremely high service arrangements after surrendering, which greatly reduced the hostility of the captured generals in southern Shanxi to a considerable extent.
At this grassroots level, the General Staff Office naturalized captured soldiers from various counties in southern Shanxi, focusing especially on cultivating those prisoners who came from poor backgrounds, suffered oppression from local forces, and were captured and strong men and forcibly recruited into the Luzhou Army.
The Taiyue Marching Army and the First and Second Central Military Camps entered the southern Shanxi region in late July. These surrendered captives played a huge role in Daliang's rapid establishment of ruling order in Zezhou.
At present, except for Jincheng, other areas of Zezhou, including Yangcheng, Gaoping, Lingchuan and other counties, not only have county-level government offices, but also are preparing to build a Zezhou government office in Lingchuan County. Chen Yuanchen also leads Zezhou.
The prefecture magistrates, who ruled the local areas, and the county and township bureaus also mobilized the middle and lower class poor on a large scale to carry out a campaign to reduce rents, reduce grain, and suppress the bully and tyrants in the townships.
The Taiyue Marching Army, the First and Second Marching Camps entered southern Shanxi to fight, and not only could they recruit tens of thousands of local brave men to build trenches, military forts, roads and bridges, but they could also use cotton cloth, salt, and iron tools
As well as the copper yuan and silver coins issued by Daliang, large quantities of grain were purchased directly from the local area.
This greatly reduces logistical pressure.
Coupled with the large-scale use of heavy-duty carriages, nearly 100,000 of the Liang Army's main elites entered southern Shanxi to fight, but only 20,000 logistics personnel were needed to travel between Luoyang and southern Shanxi, which could already meet the material supply needs of the front line.
.
Sima De, Cao Zhe and others entered a valley at the southeastern foot of Jinquan Mountain. Li Xiu's general Ya Zhang was located in the valley. There were only more than 2,000 troops stationed in the valley, but it was the core center of Jinquan Mountain's defense line. In the Ya Zhang
Sima De and Cao Zhe saw Li Xiu, Su Lie, Chen Yuanchen, Wen Yuan, Li Yan and other generals of Taiyue's camp.
Among the generals of the Taiyue camp, Li Xiu and Su Lie were relatively older, but they were still in their forties. Chen Yuanchen and Wen Yuan were only thirty-three or four years old, while Li Yan and others were younger.
Seeing this scene, I thought about how when Zhao Wuji led his troops to kill the Fanchuan River, the Chuzhou Army did not have a few young and strong generals to charge into the battle. In the end, the Xinwang Yang Yuanyan, who was over fifty years old, personally led the Silver Halberd Guards and wanted to attack them.
Sima De couldn't help feeling filled with emotion when he captured the enemy general Zhao Wuji's head among the thousands of troops.
Just judging from the age of the middle and senior generals, Chu Ting was already in twilight after the glorious era of Emperor Tianyou passed.
Entering Li Xiu's tent, Sima De also knew that even if it was blocked by heavy snow, the main reinforcements of the Mongolian army had basically entered Huguan City at this time, including the reinforcements from Taiyuan and their early assembly in Luzhou City.
garrison, the Mongolian army supported the retreat of the Mongolian soldiers and civilians who were besieged in Jincheng to the north. It can be said that they tried their best.
The Mongolian army reinforced its main force, with more than 50,000 cavalry, and more than 60,000 infantry, mainly composed of the Yanyun and Liaodong (Bohai) Han armies. Coupled with the soldiers and horses trapped in Jincheng, the total number of Mongolian troops entering the Jinnan Basin was
The number of troops exceeds 150,000.
At this time, the forward reinforcements of the Mongolian army, with more than 10,000 cavalry even approaching the northern foot of Jinquan Mountain, may send troops to attack several of their defense villages at the northern foot of Jinquan Mountain at any time.
In addition to the main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army led by Kong Xirong, the Liang Army surrounded Jincheng from the east and west wings with 60,000 troops. In addition, Li Xiu and other generals led the 30,000 Taiyue Camping Army, mainly stationed on the line of Jinquan Mountain.
If the Mongolian army wants to support the retreat of Jincheng soldiers and civilians to the north, it is bound to open the passage to the east of Jinquan Mountain. For Li Xiu and others, they have two options. The first is to send the First Central Bank Camp Army northward for reinforcements and block it together with the Taiyue March Camp Army.
Stay in front of Jinquan Mountain and directly sniper to severely damage the main reinforcements of the Mongolian army; secondly, the Taiyue marching army shrinks to the southern foot of Jinquan Mountain, first giving up the passage east of Jinquan Mountain, and waits until the main Mongolian reinforcements enter Zezhou territory, the Taiyue marching army
Then attack the rear army, retake the passage east of Jinquan Mountain, block the main reinforcements of the Mongolian army and the Jincheng defenders in Zecheng, and carry out total annihilation.
If the artillery brigade cannot be transferred to Jinquan Mountain in time, the Northern Expeditionary Army will undoubtedly adopt the first strategy, blocking the main reinforcements of the Mongolian army to the north of Jinquan Mountain to ensure that all the Jincheng defenders are eaten. However, Kong Xirong, Li Xiu,
Han Donghu and others hoped to set up the artillery brigade in southern Shanxi and engage in actual combat. Naturally, they saw the possibility of annihilating the main force of the Mongolian army.
Now, of course, there was no hesitation in withdrawing all the peripheral troops and horses, shrinking towards the southern foot of Jinquan Mountain, leaving the passage to the east of Jinquan Mountain, and waiting for the main reinforcements of the Mongolian army to enter.
Cao Ba and Sima De were invited to watch the battle. After entering the camp, their and a small number of entourage's entry and exit would be strictly controlled, but there was no need to keep a large number of combat plans secret from them. Wen Ruilin even accompanied them to visit the Taiyue camp.
The situation of the military camp near Jinquan Mountain.
After learning about Liang Jun's battle plan, Cao Ba and Sima De were shocked. It can be described as being shocked.
Even though it would be relatively difficult for scouts to detect the military situation in the ice and snow, it is impossible to hide the combat intentions of both sides with such a large-scale mobilization of troops and horses.
Liang Jun intended to invite you to join the urn, and the Mongolian army could of course take advantage of it. The main force would move down from the southeast of Jinquan Mountain first, leaving a small number of reserve troops near Jinquan Mountain. However, when the Taiyue Army marched out from the south foot of Jinquan Mountain to the east, the Mongolian army
The main force of the army can kill a carbine, attack from the front and back with the reserve troops, and eat the Taiyue camp army first.
In addition to the 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers and horses sent to the north of Jincheng to snipe the No. 1 and 2nd Central Camp armies heading north, the Mongolian army can mobilize 80,000 to 90,000 elite troops and horses in Jinquan Mountain and Gaoping County.
Three times the size of the army, and there is no possibility of being defeated by Taiyue's marching army one by one.
What confidence does Taiyue's camp army have in fighting one against three in the low hills to the south of Jinquan Mountain and to the east, which are extremely suitable for the main force of the Mongolian cavalry?
Of course, they had no right to dictate Liang Jun's battle plan. Even if they had strong concerns, they could only express their concerns to Wen Ruilin, who said that they could be sent to a safer place in Qinshui or Qinshui in advance.
Yangcheng.
No matter how timid Sima De and Cao Zhe were, they still had to stay and watch the battle for the sake of face.
Cao Zhe had no worries about his personal safety. As an envoy to Shu, his life would not be in danger even if he fell into the hands of the Mongolian army.
Sima De became even more worried.
Xu Si secretly sent him as an envoy to Luoyang, which is still a shady matter.
If he falls into the hands of the Mongolian army, the Sima family will not admit his existence; if the Mongolian army does not want to break up with the Sima family for the time being, they will most likely have no choice but to pretend that he does not exist.
The dead are best regarded as non-existent.
Of course, before the Battle of Fanchuan River, who would have thought that the Chuzhou Army would be so vulnerable, and Sima De couldn't just think that the Liang Army would fall with one against three at Jinquan Mountain.
They first stayed in the camp. At dusk and early the next morning, they vaguely heard the rumbling thunder from the nearby valley, even at night. This made them unable to sleep well at night - it was a cold day and thunderous times.
It's really surprising that it's far away, sometimes close, and rolling against the ground. Is this normal thunder?
Little did they know that this was an artillery brigade dragging artillery to various camps to test the artillery.
Artillery is an epoch-making new type of war weapon, and most of Liang Jun's generals are unaware of its existence.
If there is no certain degree of contact and adaptation before the war, if the artillery is directly thrown into the battlefield during the battle, and the huge noise when fired first scares the soldiers and horses in one's formation, it will be really funny.
As for the possibility of causing the enemy scouts lurking in Jinquan Mountain to notice something and alerting the Mongolian army in advance, that is also a necessary decision.
Of course, many intelligence reports from inside sources confirmed that the Mongolian army was completely unaware of the existence of artillery among Liang Jun. Even if Wusu Dashi heard the scout's description of the artillery test firing, I believe it would be difficult for him to make a correct judgment.
, it is even possible to think that Liang Jun deliberately created a suspicious formation to hesitate and shake their determination to go south.
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"Thunder exploded with purple flames?"
Hongjiao Ridge is a remnant of the western foothills of the extremely inconspicuous Taihang Mountains in Huguan County. Looking south to Jinquan Mountain and Ducheng Ridge, it is the only way from Hushan County in Luzhou to Zezhou in the south. Under the white snow,
The color of the rocks on the hillside ridge is like burnt red soil, hence the name Hongjiao Ridge. It was also where the Mongol forward troops were stationed at this time.
Wu Su Dashi organized 50,000 soldiers and horses from Taiyuan to personally assist southern Shanxi. At this time, he was with the forward soldiers and horses, deep in Hongjiao Ridge, watching the situation of Liang Jun's enemy. Xiao Yiqing also sneaked from southern Shanxi.
Come over and meet up with Wusu Dashi.
Wusu Dashi attached great importance to reconnaissance of the enemy's situation. The scouts who sneaked into the depths of Jinquan Mountain not only brought news about Liang Jun's retreat to the southern foot of Jinquan Mountain, but also brought back information about the trial use of certain special weapons in Liang Jun's camp.
"In the early years of the previous dynasty, there was a Taoist alchemy that was made by combining sulfur, saltpeter, realgar and honey. Fire burst out, purple smoke rose and rushed out of the house. It exploded like thunder, and the faces and hands of everyone in the house were destroyed. Later generations called it lead
Dan - the thing used by Liang Jun, is quite similar to lead pill." Xiao Yiqing has read ancient and modern times. After hearing what the scout said, he quickly thought of the situation recorded in the miscellaneous books he read when he was young. "It's just that it is not as powerful as Liang Jun.
Are the new weapons used by Liang Jun another breakthrough based on lead?"
Liang Guo used Luoyang and Liyang Academy to gather thousands of students to deduce new mathematics. From time to time, fantastic ideas came out, which prompted Liang Jun to often come up with wonderful tactics that were different from what ordinary people thought of and use them in actual combat. The Mongolian army suffered greatly from this.
Too big a loss.
In the battle of Zhiguanxing, all signs indicate that Liang Jun had expected heavy fog that night before the decisive battle. This should also be an achievement of Xinxue.
Although Xiao Yiqing has also persuaded Wu Su Dashi to recruit students in Taiyuan in recent years and study new learning, the gap between Liang State and Liang State in terms of scale and progress is still too far.
Liang Jun near Jinquan Mountain was shrinking towards the southern foot of Jinquan Mountain. Xiao Yiqing was not afraid of Liang Jun's plots, but was afraid that Liang Jun would make some new major breakthroughs in weapons, which would cause them to suffer on the battlefield.
You will be caught off guard.
"Liang Jun knew that our army's scouts would definitely infiltrate into Jinquan Mountain to spy on them. They frequently practiced new weapons in various camps. A certain general thought they were there to create suspicion and deter us from going south!" The name in front of the hall was Na Heyan.
The real general stood up and said nonchalantly.
Seeing Wu Su Dashi looking towards him, Xiao Yiqing felt bitter in his heart. If Liang Jun didn't have much confidence, he could have gathered troops and intercepted them north of Jinquan Mountain. Why would he need to use an empty city strategy?
However, both Chu and Shu were frightened by the Liang army. If they retreated in fear of difficulties at this time, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Jincheng would die; and comparatively speaking, this was the last favorable opportunity for them to fight the Liang army.
If it is missed, especially if all the soldiers and civilians in Jincheng are lost in the hands of Liang Jun, the morale and morale of the Mongolian soldiers and civilians are destined to decline day by day, and it will not be long before they are completely expelled from the Central Plains.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yiqing stopped saying any demoralizing words and immediately discussed the battle plan with Wu Su Dashi and other generals to send troops south...
