The Rise of Ming Dynasty 1646

Chapter 195

The team of Han Gushan and Zhang Cunren rushed to the front of the Ming army for more than 150 steps, and was blocked by the trench in front of them, so they had to slow down again.At this moment, when they raised their heads, they could vaguely see the outlines of the soldiers of the Ming army on the opposite side.

Those one-person-high standing shields standing like a wall in the front row separated the narrow gap.The soldiers in the back row or carrying sacks or pushing wheelbarrows got out of the gaps, poured the soil in the sacks or carts into the trench, and hurriedly hid behind the shield wall.

They had just started filling the ditch when they suddenly heard the roar of cannons from the Ming army's position.In an instant, a few iron balls effortlessly tore open the standing shield in the front row, and instantly tore the Qing soldiers holding the shield to pieces. The remaining prestige remained undiminished, and they pierced through several people before falling to the ground.

"Hmph, the artillery was fired at such a distance. It is expected that there are only small cannons in the Ming army." Han Gushan snorted coldly, and ordered the soldiers loudly, "A few small cannons are not enough to be afraid of! Let me continue to move forward, every day today A Ming army head can be exchanged for five taels of silver!"

Zhang Cunren also offered a considerable reward, and the [-] Qing soldiers immediately gained some morale, and the action of filling the trench was also accelerated a bit.

After the six-foot-deep ditch was filled with several passages, the captive army continued to advance under the cover of the large shield again.

But Han Gushan, who was in the back row, frowned a little.He could see clearly right away that it only took a cup of tea time to fill the ditch, but judging from the gaps in his formation, the dozen or so small cannons of the Ming army killed at least 300 of his people!
The positions of the cannons placed by the Ming army are very strange.Judging from the direction from which the gunfire came, they were not evenly lined up in front of the formation as usual, but concentrated on both sides of the formation, bombarding his troops obliquely.

Of course, it was impossible for him to understand advanced military concepts such as the so-called crossfire and concentrated use of artillery. Seeing that his troops had passed the trench, he immediately sent an order to storm the Ming army's defense line, and at the same time repeated the previous reward a few times loudly.

Zhang Cunren also ordered a strong attack.

Immediately, the seven thousand Qing soldiers they led rushed forward.Han Gushan listened to the Ming army cannons that were still making loud noises one after another, and suddenly understood—it is beneficial to arrange the cannons in this way!If they line up in front of the formation, the gunners can only retreat into the infantry formation when the enemy rushes to them.But if you place them on both sides, you can keep firing!

When his subordinates rushed to about seventy or eighty steps away from the Ming army, the front standing shields were neatly tied to the ground, and gunners and archers stepped forward one after another, ready to shoot at the opposite side from the gap in the shield wall.

At this time, the Ming army line also moved.

As the dragon guards shouted in unison, "Ten steps forward!" The entire line of infantry nearly two miles wide walked forward ten steps with the drumbeat of the army drum, and then thousands of soldiers stood up together, leather shoes at the same time. Stepping on the ground, there was a dull and neat "snap".

The Polu camp phalanx on both wings also issued their own passwords at the same time, and more than 20 Morris phalanxes moved forward one after another.

Even Zhang Cunren's former invaders who "traveled south and north" have never seen such a shocking army mobilization on the opposite side, let alone Han Gushan's men who "have never seen the world".

Tens of thousands of Ming troops mobilized at the same time, moving neatly like one person.The dozens of huge moving phalanxes also kept sharp edges and corners, almost like an invisible wooden frame surrounding them.

The seven thousand Qing soldiers suddenly felt an invisible momentum rushing towards them, which gave them the illusion of being overwhelmed, and even the movements of their hands were slowed down.

At the same time, the military drums in the Ming army stopped suddenly, and then more than a dozen command flags were raised at the same time, and the soldiers of the Ming army burst out in unison shouts of "aiming".

There was a sound of military uniforms rubbing against each other, and the gunners of the Dragon Guards and Polu Camp raised their guns at the same time.

The Qing soldiers who had been staring "watching a big show" just now suddenly realized that they were going to beat them!

The next moment, there was a loud noise like thunder in the Ming army's line, and thousands of firecrackers spewed anger at the Qing army at the same time, and the huge tremor made the ground shake slightly.

At a distance of sixty steps, bullets as dense as lead nets roared into the Qing army formation.

In Zhang Cunren's department, which lacked large shield protection and seldom wore armor, three to four hundred people were smashed to pieces in an instant. Those who play are also covered in minced flesh and blood, looking at each other, so scared that they are at a loss.

Han Gushan's side was a little better. The large full-body shield wrapped in thick wood and iron sheets still had a certain protective effect against the three-dollar lead bullets. The Ming army only killed about [-] people in the first round of shooting.

However, the eleven-dollar lead bullets and six-dollar lead bullets were not what the standing shield could resist. There were still a large number of wooden shields pierced by a single blow, and the Qing soldiers hiding behind were also killed immediately.

Especially the eleven-coin heavy-duty firecracker, when fired at about sixty paces, is as powerful as a miniature artillery.The lead bullet the size of a hickory hit the standing shield, instantly blasting a hole the size of a watermelon, which could then penetrate two or three enemy troops.

After a round of volleys, nearly half of the shield wall in front of Han Gushan's formation fell down.The Qing soldiers behind looked at the shield soldiers in the pool of blood, and for a moment no one dared to go up and prop up the standing shield.

After all, Zhang Cunren had fought against the Mongols in the north, and he was the first to wake up from his shock. He didn't care to find out why the Ming army's firepower was so terrifying, and hurriedly ordered his subordinates, "What the hell are you doing in a daze?! Take advantage of the enemy's pretending Bomb, hurry up and fight back!"

His department is mainly the remnants of trespassers left by Li Chengdong, but he has seen many bloody scenes, and he knows that if he continues to be in a daze, then he will be the next to be shot to pieces.

When they heard Zhang Cunren's order, they hurriedly picked up the crossbows and firecrackers in their hands, but before they could shoot a few shots, they heard a chorus of shouts from the opposite side, "Aim!"

"put!"

The Qing army, which had just begun to organize a counterattack, was immediately baptized by the second round of lead bullets. The soldiers who fought back in the front were the first to be killed, and the desperate wailing of dying came one after another.

In just a dozen or so breaths, the Ming army had finished loading and firing the guns!Every captive soldier was full of fear, this is not the Ming army they are familiar with, it is a group of monsters!

Due to lack of food, Han Gushan proposed to Azig to use "two-legged sheep" as military rations. As a result, he and Zhang Cunren's green battalion ate human flesh for several days, saving military rations for the Eight Banners soldiers.

Who in a normal person wants to eat this thing?For this reason, the morale of their soldiers has long been low.Originally holding the idea of ​​bullying the "vulnerable" Ming army, coupled with the temptation of silver rewards, these people could barely make a move, but now they found that the Ming army on the opposite side was approaching death, how could they want to fight again?

At this moment, the Ming army on the opposite side shouted again, "Ten steps forward!" Then they marched forward in unison, aimed and fired.

The Qing army fell down again like cutting wheat.

Now no matter how hard Han Gushan and Zhang Cunren tried to strictly order, no one dared to take half a step forward, and many people secretly retreated.

But the Manchu infantry soldiers with their machetes unsheathed behind them immediately pressed forward viciously, beheading hundreds of retreating green battalion soldiers in a row, and continued to charge forward with the tip of their knives against these people.

Not far away, Tulai and Tong Yangjia were commanding the soldiers of the Eight Banners to advance in formation, and the battle formation composed of Niulu as a unit could be regarded as orderly.

A guard drove his horse to Tulai's side and whispered a few words to him.

"This group of southern soldiers can't be counted on at all." Tu Lai turned to Tong Yangjia and said, "Gu Shan Ezhen, we must let our people speed up, otherwise those wastes of Zhang and Han will be defeated!"

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(End of this chapter)