serious man in the red chamber

Chapter 304 Gold and Iron Horse
The main force of Commander Jia Hu arrived at the former Chechen Khan tribe's Zhongmo Banner camp at night. The vanguard battalion that retreated here cleared the ruins in advance. Although they were on the march, due to the large temperature difference between day and night, they still had to set up camp and built a camp with carts. A simple wall was built to prevent cavalry raids, and night patrols were sent out for thirty miles to observe the surrounding movements.

The soldiers fed the horses fodder and water, had a simple meal to replenish their strength, and then returned to the camp to rest.

The lights in the Chinese army tent were brightly lit. Jia Hu was sitting cross-legged on the tiger skin mattress in front of the table. He was looking down at the information about the Cossack cavalry recorded by Liu Xianglian. This booklet recorded the weapons and equipment of the Cossack cavalry. The war horses and combat strength assessment only lack the tactics of the Cossack cavalry.

Li Si, Wang Dalei and other generals were gathering together to observe the captured weapons and equipment of the Cossack cavalry.

After reading the last page, Jia Hu raised his head and thought silently. The Cossack cavalry's horses were much faster than the Zhou army's horses, especially their explosive power. With one charge, they left behind the pursuing Yongwei battalion cavalry. Behind him, and with strong endurance, he quickly left the battlefield.

Cossack cavalry far surpassed the Brave Guard cavalry in terms of maneuverability.

However, the weakness of the Cossack cavalry is also very fatal. Their defense ability is poor. As long as the brave guard battalion can stick it, they can defeat the Cossack cavalry.

Thinking of this, Jia Hu knocked on the low table and said, "Now we need to confirm one thing. Whether the Cossack cavalry is equipped with firecrackers."

The tent immediately became quiet.

The Pioneer Battalion seized more than [-] self-made fire guns from the Cossack camp. Liu Xianglian suspected that they were the equipment of these Cossack cavalry. As for why they were not used, they probably did not regard the Mobei Mongolian cavalry as a threat at all.

If the Cossacks are all equipped with firecrackers, the Yongwei battalion will stop attacking, or even retreat to defend, waiting for the arrival of the firearms battalion and artillery battalion.

After being silent for a while, Wang Dalei spoke: "Didn't the people of the Xilin Gol League say that there are only [-] Cossacks? Even if they are all equipped with self-generated fire guns, we are not afraid. We have the advantage in numbers and can withstand the first round of attacks!"

Jia Hu glanced at him, and asked Lin San, "Where is General Xie Qiong?"

Lin San replied: "We have already entered the territory of Tuxietu Khan's tribe, and there are still 170 miles away from here."

Jia Hu nodded. Even if the artillery battalion was hindered, he would definitely be able to reach here after three days of rapid march.

At this moment, a rapid sound of horse hooves came in, and then a sentinel ran in and reported loudly: "Commander, we have tracked the Rakshasa people's foothold, less than two hundred miles away from our army. "

Jia Hu stood up, walked to the map, the sentry came over and pointed at the map, and then said: "After dusk, a Mongolian convoy entered the Raksha camp."

"Mongols?!" Everyone was shocked.

Jia Hu glanced at them and said to the sentinel, "Go down and rest."

The sentry: "Yes." He ran out again.

Jia Hu took a few steps and turned to Lin San: "Go see Xie Qiong in person and tell them to get here within three days."

Lin San replied loudly: "Yes." He turned around and strode out.

Li Si said: "Commander, he must be from the Xilin Gol League. For safety's sake, let's retreat."

Wang Dalei: "Yes. We retreated to join the firearms battalion, and then attacked the Rakshasa people."

Jia Hu shook his head: "We cannot let the Cossack cavalry and the main force of Rakshasa join forces. We must eliminate them on the prairie, or at least severely damage them. Two hundred miles, a rush march is only a day's journey. Of course, the Cossacks will not A long-distance attack means that we will have a cavalry decisive battle with the Cossacks in two days."

Li Si hesitated for a moment: "There is a saying in the art of war. Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win a hundred battles. We don't know much about the Cossacks, especially their tactics and tactics. But they can learn about our intelligence through the Xilin Gol League. That's it. Put us at a disadvantage”

Jia Hu raised his hand: "The Xilin Gol League wants to be a fisherman and wants both the Zhou Dynasty and the Rakshasa people to suffer losses. They will definitely not provide accurate information to the Rakshasa people. In addition, they will send over the Cossacks' information."

After hearing this, Li Si stopped talking.

Jia Hu stood there in silence for a long time, and then waved his hand: "Send the order, and the army will camp on the spot." After that, he walked to the back tent.

Everyone looked at each other and had no choice but to retreat.

Two days passed quickly. As Jia Hu expected, the Cossack cavalry arrived and set up camp a hundred miles away. They did not attack the Yongwei camp. Jia Hu also stood still and waited for Xie Qiong to lead the army. , is also waiting for people from the Xilin Gol League.

At this time, in the large tent of the Chinese army, Jia Hu held a letter, looked at it, and smiled to himself.

Two months later, Jia Hu finally received a letter from home, a very special letter from home, half text and half white, and divided into five fonts, all of which are beautiful, the most beautiful ones are Lin Daiyu's Zhongwang Xiaokai and Tanchun Xichun's handwriting is a bit poor, and Yingchun and Xiangyun's are not bad either. The sisters wrote a full six pages, and they are still the kind who write a sentence when anyone thinks of it. Jia Hu can't laugh or cry.

The apricots in the Grand View Garden are ripe, the lotuses in the pond are blooming, and the peonies transplanted by Jia Hu in Lin Daiyu's courtyard are blooming. Unfortunately, they only bloomed for one day before they were ruined by the two cranes. Cheng Shiyao quickly brought new flowers from the south. Mother Jia was greedy and ate a few more pieces of the watermelon that was on the market. She got up twice in a row during the fifth watch. Most of the time, Xichun complained, saying that Xiangyun robbed the delicious food Lin Daiyu had prepared for her during the day and robbed her quilt at night. The last sentence of the letter home was written by Lin Daiyu, and it was also the most important sentence. Ma Shang came to Beijing.

At this moment, Lin San hurriedly walked in: "Second Master, Albuquerque is here."

Jia Hu smiled: "Let him in." He said and put the letter into the box.

After a while, Lin San led Albugu in.

Albuque immediately stepped forward and bowed to salute: "See Duke Ning."

Jia Hu waved his hand and said with a smile: "Good news is brought so quickly!"

Albugu smiled apologetically and said, "That's right. Duke Ning must have received the news that the Rakshasa cavalry is camped a hundred miles away."

Jia Hu nodded.

Albugu: "This cavalry is the cavalry transferred from the mainland by Governor Rakshasa, specifically to deal with the cavalry under the command of the Duke."

Jia Hu raised his hand: "Are they equipped with fire guns?"

Albugu was startled: "No."

Jia Hu looked at him: "Think it over before you talk."

Albugu was shocked: "This"

Jia Hu looked at him with a smile: "Two days ago, the Yongwei Battalion defeated a group of Cossack cavalry and captured more than [-] self-made fire guns."

Albugu felt cold and said in a trembling voice: "It's not that the villain deliberately concealed it. It's really a Rakshasa. No, the Cossacks are not equipped with firecrackers. Those firecrackers were privately seized by Ivanov and the Cossack commander. Prepare to sell it to our King Khan."

Jia Hu: "Is this happening?"

Albuquerque quickly replied: "I dare not lie to you. The little ones can swear in the name of Changshengtian."

Jia Hu looked at him deeply, then nodded: "Okay. Any other information?"

Albug: "The Cossacks' horses move quickly and can travel long distances in bad weather and terrain, even at night. In addition, the Cossacks have superb combat effectiveness. The Lord must be careful."

At this time, a sentinel rushed in. When he saw Albugu, he was startled for a moment, then looked at Jia Hu: "Commander, urgent military situation!"

Jia Hu: "Tell me."

The sentry: "Yes. The Cossacks have broken out of camp and are less than seventy miles away from our army."

"Pass my order, the army will rest immediately, and dinner will be served in half an hour."

Jia Hu stood up and said to Albugu: "Don't leave."

Albugu laughed: "Even if the Duke drives me away at this time, I won't leave."

After a pause, "This is the safest place!" Jia Hu looked at him: "Are you so sure?"

Albugu blinked: "The Rakshasa people have received intelligence from Liaodong and know that the main cavalry of the Yongwei Battalion is there to wipe out the Manchu and Qing Tatars. The villain told them that the Zhou army that appeared here was the Emperor of Zhou's army from Yi. The temporary army formed by the Kezhao League, the Mongolian tribes outside the Pass, and the Yongwei camp only had more than [-] Yongwei camp cavalry at most.

The villain also told them that the Duke of Guo is staying in the army. You are not only a noble of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but also the brother-in-law of the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. You have a lot of money in the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Jia Hu seemed to understand, and asked, "They want to catch me for a ransom?"

Albuquerque: "Yes."

Jia Hu just wanted to laugh, but held it back: "Let's go, I'll treat you to roast leg of lamb and drink mare's kumiss."

Albuquerque breathed a sigh of relief.

Half an hour later, the sentry sent word that the Cossacks had stopped to rest and eat thirty miles away, while the army continued to rest.

At the end of noon, news came from the sentinel that the main force of Cossacks appeared twenty miles away. At this time, Jia Hu's [-] troops had formed a square formation and were ready to attack.

The Zhou army's military formation was not complicated. Jia Hu personally commanded [-] brave cavalry troops to press the formation. Li Si, Wang Dalei, Zhao Qiang and Meng Mu led [-] coalition troops to fight. The center was composed of [-] armored men wearing sheepskins. Aozi's brave cavalry.

At the beginning of Weishi, a strong wind suddenly blew up, and Zhou Jun's banner was slapped.

Under the banner, Jia Hu sat on the horse. He did not hold up the telescope, but just looked at the other end of the grassland.

"Coming!" Lin San reminded in a low voice.

On the other side of the grassland, dust was flying and the sun was blocking the sky. The Cossack cavalry finally arrived.

As the saying goes, if there are ten thousand people, there is no limit.

Nearly [-] Cossack cavalry were mighty and mighty, and their densely packed spears looked cold under the sunlight, giving people a great sense of oppression.

The two armies were getting closer and closer. Less than three miles away, the Cossacks stopped. They quickly adjusted their military formations and waited for the order to attack.

Lin San put down his clairvoyance and said, "Second Master, the number of people seems wrong."

Jia Hu smiled and raised his hand.

A herald holding a black flag next to him waved the black flag left and right.

Several goshawks suddenly flew out from behind the army, soared into the sky, and then quickly passed over the army. They flew over the Cossack cavalry and circled for several times before letting out a long cry and disappearing into the sky.

"Ugh-"

The sound of horns suddenly sounded in the Cossack cavalry army on the opposite side, and the sound of horseshoes sounded from the northeast. In a moment, a Cossack cavalry of two to 3000 people rushed towards this side.

Jia Hu laughed, and the laughter was loud: "Bang the drum!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The huge war drum was sounded, and the sound of the drum shook the sky.

Jia Hu raised his hand.

A herald with a red flag waved it forward.

Li Si, Wang Dalei and others led an army of 2 to press forward. Jia Hu was confident of winning this battle. He had 3000 main cavalry of the Yongwei Battalion and [-] Mongolian cavalry. The opponent only had There are less than [-] people, and they are only equipped with spears and sabers. Even if they don't force out this surprise army of [-] or [-] people, there won't be much change.

"Woo~woo~"

The Cossacks blew the horn again, Jia Hu raised the telescope, and the Cossack cavalry finally launched. Except for 4000 people who did not move, more than [-] cavalry launched a fierce attack on the coalition cavalry formation.

They waved their spears, shouted, and came with an overwhelming momentum to kill.

Looking at this posture, the Cossack commander wanted to defeat the [-] coalition cavalry in one go.

This momentum is three points stronger than the Eight Banners Soldiers two years ago!

With a loud "boom", the two teams collided fiercely like a tide of shock. The cavalry in the front died instantly, and the cavalry of the brave guard battalion collided head-on with the Cossack cavalry. With the advantage of equipment, In an instant, a huge hole was torn open in the Cossacks' formation, heads rolled to the ground, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and the brutal fighting began.

The Mobei Mongolian cavalry and the Ik-Zhao League cavalry galloped on both sides of the Cossacks. Arrows were shot into the Cossack cavalry like a dense rain. The Mongols began to take advantage of it. There was no need to aim when loading or releasing arrows. The sky was overwhelming. Waves of arrows followed one after another. In an instant, tens of thousands of arrows shot into the Cossack cavalry, and screams and howls resounded throughout the prairie.

Fierce and cruel fighting broke out on the miles-long battlefield. The most brutal one was the head-on fight between the Yongwei battalion and the Cossacks. The Mongolian threat in the north defeated the elite soldiers of the Eight Banners of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. On the one hand, it was a legend that it could gallop in the European battlefield for a hundred years with a horse and a saber.

The two sides fought in a melee, killing blood and flesh everywhere. The ground was covered with corpses. The sound of swords and guns, the sound of broken bones, and the screams before death were so intense that it was suffocating.

The Cossacks are indeed brave. Even when they were under siege, they were still able to withstand the fierce attack of the Brave Guard Battalion. They did not fall behind in the fight. One of the Brave Guard Battalion soldiers was actually shot through the armor by a Cossack, and that Cossack Another man was beheaded by a brave guard cavalryman, and his life was like a drop of grass on the battlefield.

Jia Hu sat on the horse and watched all this quietly. Cavalry needs to be tempered with blood, especially Mongolian cavalry.

No matter how hard the Cossack commander was, he also reacted at this time, and blew the horn in a hurry.

As the horn sounded, the Cossacks immediately gave up their attack on the Brave Guard Battalion and began to attack the Mongolian cavalry on both wings, trying to break out of the encirclement. The horses retreated, firing arrows at the pursuing Cossacks.

At this time, the cavalry of the Brave Guard Battalion also began to change their military formation. They detoured behind the Mongols and re-formed a huge encirclement, encircling the Cossacks, trapping them in the encirclement, and completely cutting them off. retreat.

The Mongolian cavalry began to fire arrows again, and groups of brave guard cavalry began to divide and surround the Cossack cavalry in a formation of thousands of people. They eliminated the Cossacks in the encirclement little by little, completely disrupting the opponent's military formation and causing them to fall into a trap. In the chaos, it gradually collapsed.

Seeing that the Cossack commander opposite was still indifferent, Jia Hu waved his hand.

The herald holding the red flag waved the red flag forward.

Under the leadership of a general, [-] cavalrymen from the Brave Guard Battalion rushed towards the battlefield brandishing their sabers.

At this time, there were only five thousand cavalry left by Jia Hu's side. Jia Hu's eyes were still looking at the Cossack commander in the distance, waiting for him to charge towards him.

With the addition of [-] fresh troops, the situation on the battlefield was one-sided. The Cossacks completely lost their previous momentum and were instantly rushed to pieces. However, the cavalry of the Guards Battalion still cooperated with each other and fought together. Two or three people surrounded and killed one at the same time. The Cossacks killed the Cossacks until their corpses were strewn across the field, and their blood flowed into rivers.

Just when Jia Hu thought that the Cossack commander was about to flee the battlefield, the Cossacks finally moved. In order to make a comeback, or for their own mobile gold mine, they launched a charge.

Jia Hu was slightly taken aback, this horse is indeed good.

He turned back to Niu Ben and said, "You can go out and fight."

At this time, Niu Ben was holding a breech-loaded firecracker, and the five thousand cavalry behind him each held a firecracker, of which more than two thousand were rear-loaded firecrackers. They were the main force protecting Jia Hu's army.

As the herald waved the red flag in his hand, five thousand cavalry armed with muskets rushed towards the last Cossack cavalry.

The two sides rushed to a distance of [-] steps in an instant. Looking at the black muzzles of the guns, the Cossack commander was shocked. Unfortunately, it was too late and he could not leave. With a burst of firecrackers, he felt his eyes go dark, and then fell off the horse
The rest of the Cossack cavalry fled in all directions, and Niu Ben led the cavalry in pursuit. After all, the horses could not escape the bullets, and the dead bodies were scattered all over the ground.

(End of this chapter)