If muskets and artillery were not enough, then the Marine Corps had two Thunder Thunders and a thousand swordsmen.
Although there are only five thousand people, people like Luo Yi can be said to be armed to the teeth.
Seeing such a luxurious lineup of the Han army, even Liu Shu couldn't help but be speechless.
He has not returned to Guanzhong for many years. When he left Guanzhong, there were only a few muskets in the army, and artillery had not yet come off the production line. The main equipment for sieges was still the Thunderbolt Chariot.
, and now the thunderbolt vehicles in the army have gradually withdrawn from the front line, and their status has been replaced by artillery with a longer range and greater power.
In fact, in terms of power alone, the power of artillery shells is not necessarily greater than that of thunderbolt chariots. Especially now that the Han army still uses relatively primitive black powder, whether it is a solid shell or a blooming shell, the power of a single shot is naturally incompetent.
Compared with the huge rocks thrown by the thunderbolt car or the burning pot of fire.
However, the penetrating power of cannonballs is much stronger than the stones of thunderbolt chariots, especially against the firearms of the Han army. The Zhou people also actively improved their city defense facilities, etc., such as Yecheng, a powerful northern city.
The outer walls of the city wall have been covered with bricks. When it comes to the wall covered with bricks, the Thunderbolt Cart can't help. However, the artillery shells can still break the bricks after concentrated bombardment and continue to tear open the city wall.
Moreover, the firing frequency of artillery is much higher than that of thunderbolt vehicles. In addition, there is no need to use huge rocks to achieve the effect that can be achieved with small shells.
In addition, no matter how bulky the artillery is, it is still much better than the Thunderbolt Vehicle, and it is easy to carry on the march. For cross-sea expeditions such as the Marine Corps, the Thunderbolt Vehicle is not easy to carry even if it is disassembled, and the artillery
Even if it is carried by people on shoulders, it can still be carried, not to mention that we are not marching in the mountains. These artillery are usually served by carts.
The rapid development of military equipment undoubtedly gave Liu Shu more confidence.
Only when Luo Yi arrived in the village did he realize that Baipao had done more than just establish a few footholds. Each village had its own guard team, composed of young adults, who took turns patrolling and protecting the village. These young men
Most of the people in their prime are refugees from the surrounding areas that Liu Shu and the others have gathered over the years. Liu Shu and the others have given these people the possibility of survival, so they naturally obey the advice of the boss, Liu Shu.
After all, humans are social animals. Except for a few exceptions, most people still tend to choose to live in groups.
If these villages were placed in Jizhou, they might not be considered a strong fort. Real forts often have high walls and thick fortresses, and even have crossbows and large trebuchets. However, these villages in front of us are obviously still far behind.
, but in Youzhou, it should be pretty good.
No wonder the officials of the Northern Zhou Dynasty did not come to trouble and allowed Liu Shu and others to deliver food and taxes. After all, in a village of this size, several villages competed with each other. It was only with a group of officials and the
It is true that the rural soldiers may not be able to defeat them. They need to mobilize heavy troops from Yuyang. However, they have paid taxes and grain on time, so why should they go so far to cause trouble for them?
Luo Yi walked around the village and couldn't help but sigh: "In two years, brother Liu, you will become the king of earth."
Liu Shu couldn't hide his pride. In any case, this was the result of his painstaking efforts: "I don't dare to be a local king, but if we can give it another two years, even if you really come to 20,000 people, I won't be able to accommodate you."
Luo Yi glanced at him and deliberately emphasized his tone: "Brother Liu, are you really addicted to being a local king? Don't forget that we want to capture Youzhou as soon as possible and truly restore peace to the people here."
Liu Shu immediately cheered up. He had indeed made a mistake just now. He solemnly handed over his hand and said, "Thank you, General, for your advice."
Luo Yi patted him on the shoulder: "You are still young, and you have a long way to go."
Liu Shu nodded gratefully. He knew that Luo Yi was reminding him that he must pay attention to his words. As a big man in white robe, he planned the most secret actions of the big man. He must have a strong enough mind. This kind of local king should
There must be no addictive behavior, not even thoughts.
"Originally, I was thinking about how many people should be left to defend these villages, lest Dugu Yongye react and outflank our retreat first," Luo Yi changed the topic, saying some things just once, and people who can understand will naturally understand.
I understand, but no matter how much people who don’t understand say it, it’s useless. “Looking at the young men protecting the fortress like you, it’s enough for me to leave a few people with them. As for the muskets, I’ll go to the navy ship to get them.”
Although there are not many people protecting the stronghold, if they are all equipped with muskets, even if there are thousands of people coming, it will be difficult to do anything."
Liu Shu nodded: "Having been here for a long time, the upper and lower joints are already ours. Now that the army is coming, local officials and rural soldiers are definitely not willing to fight with us, so the general should rest assured about the safety of the village.
"
"In this case, without further delay, I will lead my troops along the river tomorrow morning, and I have to leave the back to my brother." Luo Yi said directly.
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Although it is already the spring season, the sky in the north is still bright late.
The genius was bright, and the Han army was ready to go.
If we hurry, we may be able to reach Yan County early the morning after tomorrow.
The Marine Corps landed on the north bank of the estuary of the river, but they still crossed the river and reached the south bank. There was no other way. All the way from the river to the northwest, there was also the Lushui that ran halfway across the river, which is an important tributary downstream of the river.
Going upstream along the Lu River is Yuyang County (today's Tongzhou). Once the Han army reaches the mouth of the Lu River, they will definitely be discovered by the defenders of Yuyang County or at least the villagers, and their whereabouts may be exposed.
In comparison, walking on the south bank is actually safer. You can reach Yan County directly along the river. Once you capture the center of Youzhou, the surrounding counties will not be a concern.
Luo Yi left ten capable old soldiers to guard the village with the strong men in the village, while Liu Shu gave his capable men and horses to Luo Yi, letting this clever boy lead the way. Liu Shu himself
He took a few white robes on a small boat and headed for the upstream town of Lukou along the river to gather information.
Ma Cai is a native of the north. His ancestors were from Youzhou. It is said that he was a servant of Fan Yang's ancestors. After living in the Central Plains, he joined the Han army. Because of his good brain, he was selected by the white robe. This boy has always been known as the descendant of the ancestors' loyal servants.
Since childhood, my dream has always been to complete Zu Ti's goal of striking the river and exploring the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains.
So when Liu Shu went north, this guy voluntarily signed up to follow him.
Luo Yi looked at this young man who was not very tall: "Boy, are you afraid of death?"
"If you're afraid of death, you won't follow Commander Liu." Ma Tian smiled and said, "Don't you know, general, that there are many generous and tragic people in Yan and Zhao? My dream is to kill the enemy generously."