Those survivors who escaped from the front line brought back the panic as expected.
In fact, even if they did not escape back, panic began to spread rapidly among the Changzhou Army.
The one-sided terrorist offensive that just happened was all seen by the soldiers of the Changzhou Army.
Seeing that one's own long-range troops were easily annihilated, and seeing the enemy's long-range troops coming slowly, the indescribable monster named "Panic" began to expand rapidly.
"Hey, is the situation a little bad?"
"The Shinsengumi is coming!"
"This, how to fight this?"
…
Restlessness, turmoil, disturbance... Even the guerrillas who came to the island and relied heavily on the military guards were no longer as calm as before.
The soldiers are like this, and the generals of our formation are not much better.
Looking up, the main formation of the Changzhou Army is so bright and beautiful.
This is a once-in-a-century "Expedition to the East" that only happens once in a century. How can we not be well prepared?
Therefore, all of them put on their ancestral armor and gorgeous array of feathers.
At this moment, these well-dressed generals - including Kurushima Matabei - were all dumbfounded and looked arrogant, without the composure that a general should have.
Most of them had personally experienced last year's Shimonoseki War, so they were by no means ignorant of the world.
However, although they saw with their own eyes the power of the Western powers' cannons and battleships, they knew nothing about muskets, let alone what "line tactics" were.
In fact, few people in Japan today realize that in addition to naval warfare, the form of land warfare has also undergone earth-shaking changes.
Since the "Black Ship Incident", Western powers have never sent an army to land in Japan, and they have always relied on their navy to win.
The Black Ship Incident was like this, the Shimonoseki War was like this, and the Sa-Ying War was like this.
Because Japan is a long and narrow island country, and important cities such as Edo and Osaka are built near the sea, the navy alone is enough to show off its power.
This is an important reason why Japanese people today lack a correct understanding of muskets.
In addition, this is also the main reason why the Zunba faction is still confident in the so-called "war against the barbarians" - the Western barbarians are only powerful in sea battles! Once on land, let's see how we teach these barbarians a lesson!
In order to resolve the current predicament and calm the uneasiness in their hearts, the generals of this formation turned to look at Kurushima Matabei.
"Kurushima-sama! Please give the order!"
"Mr. Kurushima! What should we do now?"
"Kurushima-sama, let's... withdraw?"
Kurushima Matabei stared at the 6th and 8th divisions that were getting closer and closer to them. His mind was racing, thinking hard about how to defeat the enemy.
However... now that all the long-range troops have been wiped out, no matter how hard he racks his brains, he still feels empty!
Nothing can be done!
The organization level of the Shinsengumi Musketeers far exceeded Kurushima Matabei's expectations, and it can even be said to have reached an incredible level!
How can such a musketeer team, which can advance safely despite the barrage and arrows, stop it?
Send infantry to the hard top?
Send cavalry to harass?
I'm afraid that before I even get close, I'll be beaten into a sieve!
Although Kurushima Matabei is very reluctant, there are only two options before him now——
One is to retreat and escape from this place.
Second, launch a general attack! Launch a desperate assault with huge casualties, and survive in the midst of death!
Maybe this is the saying that "a leak in the house only happens when it rains all night".
At this moment, accompanied by the piercing roar of "Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo [oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo you...", a black spot fell on the Changzhou military formation - it was an artillery shell!
Before Kurijima Matabei could react, blazing flames and dazzling flashes of light struck him!
The strong aftermath of the explosion overturned all the generals in the formation.
Kurushima Matabei also flew out and hit the military flag next to him.
"Uh...!"
The pain in my ears was severe, and a noisy "sizzling" sound was repeatedly produced deep in my ears and eyes, as if I was in deep water, and the sounds around me became extremely blurry.
After struggling to get up, he quickly followed the movement of the explosion - what he saw made him gasp!
Although the cannon's hit rate is not ideal, as long as it continues to fire, one or two shells will always hit the target.
The cannonball just now hit the Changzhou military formation squarely and hit the crowd.
The casualties...can be imagined.
Looking around, there is a bloody mess! There are broken limbs and remains everywhere!
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh-!"
"My leg! My leg is broken!"
"I've had enough! I'm just a farmer! Why do I have to come all the way to Kyoto to fight!"
…
In fact, this shell did not cause huge casualties. At most, it killed a dozen people and injured a hundred others.
However, it was like the straw that broke the camel's back.
The overwhelming combat power gap and the extremely bloody scene... the morale and order of the Changzhou Army finally collapsed completely!
First, the ronin, peasant soldiers who were forcibly recruited into the army turned around and fled.
Then, those independent troops who came as guest troops to assist in the battle began to waver significantly.
Seeing that the army began to collapse, generals at all levels naturally tried their best to suppress it:
"Don't run away! Come back here!"
"Damn! Are you still Changzhou men?!"
"Damn it! You damn warriors always look down on us farmers! You never treat us as human beings, and now you start saying 'we are men from Changzhou'?!"
"Normally, they use different methods to extract money from us farmers, but now that there is a war, they let us go to the battlefield to die! Are you still human?!"
"After all, isn't going to the battlefield what you warriors should do?"
"Let those who want to die go die! I want to go home!"
"Okay! You bunch of spineless guys! You want to get stabbed, don't you?"
"At this time, you still want to threaten us?!"
"Come on! Do you think you are the only ones with knives?"
…
Those who wanted to escape, those who oversaw the battle, those who stood firm, those who were hesitant... everyone huddled together.
Anyone who sees it can see that the military morale of the Changzhou Army has been lost...
At this time, Kurishima Matabei, who had been silent for a long time, finally reacted.
Fight or flee - this was not a difficult choice for Kurushima Matabei.
He turned to look at the general who had just suggested "escape" with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Run away? We still have the strength to fight, so why should we run away?"
His eyes were red, with red bloodshot eyes like flesh worms covering his eyes, which looked extremely terrifying.
"Since the Xiaguan War, our Changzhou has suffered repeated defeats!"
"If we are defeated again now, and it is a disastrous defeat of 'fleeing before fighting', how will the world view us in Changzhou?"
"At this point, we have no choice but to fight against the Shinsengumi!"
At this point, he suddenly raised his voice and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"The whole army attacks! The infantry presses forward, and the cavalry attacks from the side!"
After saying that, he pulled out the saber from his waist.
"The guerrillas are opening the way! I will go out in person! Follow me!"
…
…
Shinsengumi, main formation——
The generals of the vassal army: "..."
When the 11th Squadron started taking action, there was a sudden silence inside and outside the formation.
Although the Owari Clan, Echizen Clan and other larger vassal states also had cannons, they were very backward and were considered outdated even in the Warring States Period three hundred years ago.
Some generals who came from poor or small vassals had never even seen a cannon.
Therefore, they are naturally very new to this Parrott rifled gun, which is the most advanced weapon nowadays.
Dozens of advanced cannons that had never been seen before roared together...Have they ever seen such a formation? Have they ever heard such a movement?
The shocking sound, the huge sound wave, and the terrifying destructive power directly shocked the generals of the feudal army, and their facial expressions changed dramatically.
Caught off guard, a few people even fell down from their horses and suffered a big loss.
It would be an exaggeration to say that the liver and gallbladder are both broken.
But to say it was frightening would be accurate!
Looking around inside and outside the formation, only Qingdeng and others, who had long been accustomed to the power of guns and artillery, remained calm.
Before the two armies engaged in battle, the Changzhou Army on the opposite side suffered a saturation bombardment and was beaten so hard that it couldn't even lift its head...
After a while, they finally came to their senses one by one.
Partly to relieve the confusion in his heart, and partly to get close to Qingdeng, someone took a deep breath and said to Qingdeng in an admiring tone: "Master Anyi, this artillery... is really powerful!"
Due to his limited knowledge, this man thought for a long time before he came up with a "magic" idea.
Qingdeng smiled and said lightly:
"This is a cannon imported from overseas by our Shinsengumi. It's called the 'Parrot Rifled Cannon'. Its power... is as you can see."
As he spoke, he raised his chin towards the distant Changzhou military formation which was being bombed.
While they were talking and laughing, the Sixth and Eighth Divisions on the front line had exchanged fire with the long-range troops of the Changzhou Army.
When they saw the 6th and 8th squadrons marching forward without any retaliation, the generals of the feudal army once again looked confused and confused.
Because they were afraid of Qingdeng's power, no one dared to question Qingdeng.
It was not until the 6th and 8th Divisions closed the distance despite casualties, and then defeated the long-range troops of the Choshu Army with just two volleys, that the feudal generals fell silent again.
As for the subsequent "Changzhou Army Collapse", it was no longer enough to shock them.
At this moment, they had the same idea: can the war be fought like this?!
He didn't even use swords and guns, he just used muskets and artillery, and he defeated the enemy force... Could the battle still be fought like this?!
Totally beyond their imagination!
Their understanding of war was still at the level of the Warring States Period - because of this, they were extremely shocked at this time.
Firearms alone will determine the outcome... In that case, what else are needed for swords, guns, swords and halberds? Can't the whole army just switch to firearms?
Qingdeng silently watched the reactions of these people - only the corners of his mouth curled up in an invisible arc.
In fact, the reason why Seito placed most of the feudal troops on the Fushimi battlefield was not only to facilitate monitoring and guarding them, but also to show off his muscles, in order to shock and warn them!
From the geographical point of view, Qinjin Fan is also a member of the large family of "Gyeonggi Fans".
Since we are neighbors, there is no guarantee that there will be any cooperation or confrontation in the future.
Qinjin Fan is a brand-new vassal state that has just been established. There are bound to be many people who are not sure about the specific strength of Qinjin Fan.
Therefore, it is necessary for these "neighbors" to understand who is the real master of the land of Gyeonggi!
Allowing them to recognize the gap and feel the power of Qinjin Fan in person will effectively eliminate hidden dangers, prevent those who have evil thoughts towards Qinjin Fan from daring to come forward, and enhance Qinjin Fan's right to speak in the capital.
Judging from the current situation, Qingdeng's purpose of "showing muscles" has been achieved.
The feudal generals were all so shocked by the terrifying combat power of the Shinsengumi's gunnery troops that they lost control of their expressions and remained silent for a long time.
At this time, Qingdeng silently added:
"This iron cannon is called 'M1861 Rifle'."
"Both accuracy and power are far superior to the old-fashioned iron cannons that use a match rope as a guide."
"Our craftsmen in Qinjin are working hard to imitate this iron cannon and the Parrot rifled cannon."
“The progress is very encouraging.”
"If nothing else happens, our gun factory in Qinjin will be able to officially start production by the end of the year."
These words that made light of Danxi were undoubtedly another critical blow to the generals of the feudal army.
They looked at the front line where the battle situation had become one-sided, and then looked at each other - they all found strong conviction and fear on each other's faces.
Suddenly, some changes on the frontline battlefield made Qingdeng tremble.
"kill!"
When they came to the island, they saw another guard holding a saber in their hands and leaping on their horses in front of the formation.
600 guerrilla soldiers followed closely behind.
Those deserters who had lost their will to fight had no choice but to let them run for their lives.
He gathered all the soldiers who still had the will to fight and were willing to listen to his command - about 800 people in total, including 15 cavalry - and personally commanded them to launch a desperate assault on the Shinsengumi!
Seeing this, the General Secretary said softly:
"They started to jump over the wall. The war is progressing more smoothly than we expected."
Qingdeng curled up his lips:
"Yes. In this way, we can end the war on Fushimi's side in less than half an hour."
He said and slowly stood up.
"Xiao Si, let's go. It's our turn to take action next!"
…
…
"Follow me!"
In order to boost morale, Matabei, who was nearly fifty years old, led the charge personally regardless of his old age and frailty.
He asked the guerrillas to press forward from the front and tried his best to get close.
As for him, he led the cavalry to attack from the side.
This was the only way he could think of to defeat the enemy.
As long as we close the distance, engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Shinsengumi's musketeers, and eliminate their long-range advantage, we still have a chance to win!
"kill!"
"We must not lose to these rebellious officials and traitors!"
"Now is a great time to show the strength of our guerrillas!"
Roars spread everywhere.
The guerrillas are indeed an elite force founded by Kushima Matabei.
Even though he was in an overwhelmingly unfavorable battlefield, he did not shy away from fighting.
They rushed forward recklessly and with great momentum.
The 6th and 8th Divisions quickly responded with a simple response - they stopped, took aim with their guns, and fired.
In an instant, howls and screams replaced the roar.
Those barrages were like the scythe of death, killing lives like mowing grass!
Bodies fell all over the ground.
Every step the guerrillas take, they have to make countless sacrifices.
Moreover, as the distance between the two sides continues to shrink, their own casualties will rapidly expand.
Kurushima Matabei led the cavalry to attack the flanks of the 6th and 8th divisions, while always paying attention to the current situation of the guerrillas.
When I saw that my own troops, who had worked so hard to build up, were being slaughtered one-sidedly, but could not even touch the enemies, I felt my heart bleed!
He had no choice but to turn his grief and anger into strength - apart from that, there was nothing else he could do.
Soon, the flanks of the Sixth and Eighth Divisions were spread out in front of him.
Just when he was thinking "break in and kill them all", the 6th and 8th divisions suddenly changed their formations.
I saw them running very fast, and in the blink of an eye they changed from an ordinary square array to a huge hollow square array.
Commanders such as Gensaburo Inoue and Heisuke Toudo occupy the hollow position in the center of the square formation.
The musketeers formed the four sides of the phalanx. In this way, no matter which direction you attack from, you will be shot!
Sure enough, before Kamijima Matabei and the others approached, bullets were fired at them.
“Uuuuuuuuu——!”
The horse under Kurushima Matabei was frightened. It raised its two front hooves and screamed, almost throwing Kurushima Matabei away.
After coming to the island, Matabei spent a lot of effort to calm the horses.
Although he was fine, the two unlucky guys next to him were tricked.
Unfortunately, one person was shot in the chest by a bullet and died on the spot.
Another man's mount was shot, and he and his horse fell to the ground.
As a last resort, Kurushima Matabei could only lead his troops to retreat to temporarily avoid the edge.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
For the first time in his life, Kurushima Matabei hated muskets so much!
He couldn't be beaten and could only be beaten like a sandbag! He was really a coward in the extreme!
It was only then that he belatedly realized that even if he successfully passed through the barrage and approached the Shinsengumi's musket formation, he would have no way to defeat the opponent.
Because the Shinsengumi musketeers all have bright bayonets on their muzzles!
If you are far away, shoot, and if you are close, use bayonets to attack the enemy.
These bayonets are arranged together, forming a spear array!
Kurushima Matabei didn't understand foreign history. Anyway, as far as he knew, there was no cavalry team that could break through the spear formation head-on!
Just when Kurushima Matabei was in deep despair, he suddenly heard a thunderous "rumbling" sound.
He turned around mechanically and looked around - a large cavalry force of nearly a thousand people was pressing directly towards them!
The leader was wearing a light green haori, riding a black bull, holding a long spear, and looked at Kurushima Matabei with an indifferent expression.
*******
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Please give me monthly votes! Please vote for recommendations! (Leopard Head Cries.jpg)
PS: In the previous chapter, many book friends said that "the distance is less than 10 meters" was too ridiculous, so Bao Baozi changed the number to 60 meters (Baohan.jpg)
Leopard Leopard has cleared "Sword Star"!
It's really an eye-friendly game, and I like the image of the heroine very much.
I have been addicted to games this month, first "Black Myth: Wukong", and then "Sword Star".
Leopard Leopard is in deep reflection! (Leopard Confessions.jpg)
