Emperor Ming's grandson
Chapter 312-Victory
Chapter 312-Victory
The current military organization of the Ming army has completed the transformation to modernization. Traditional shield soldiers, spearmen, crossbowmen, archers, etc. have basically disappeared. It is mainly composed of two parts: firearms units equipped with guns and swords, and more traditional cavalry units.
There is no way. Cavalry was useful until World War I. Before the emergence of mechanized infantry, cavalry with stronger mobility played an irreplaceable role.
However, the equipment of the Ming cavalry has also been upgraded to a certain extent.
They were equipped with some carbines, three-barreled guns, and cavalry-specific grenades called "thunder fire pots".
Well, the infantry did not have large-scale grenades, not because they could not be made, but because the tactics were not suitable. After all, the throwing distance of grenades was limited. There was no trench warfare at that time. Under the conditions of frontal plain field battles, there were a large number of artillery, and there was no need for infantry to throw grenades to make up for the lack of firepower. Besides, the infantry in the front could throw forward, but what about the infantry in the back? Throw it directly at the heads of the front? You have to know that the hollow square has four sides, and most people can't use it.
Therefore, the infantry simply did not equip it.
Of course, if there is a need to disperse for combat or fight in the mountains, they will still be equipped depending on the situation. For example, in the Mandarin Duck Formation, there are soldiers who are specifically responsible for throwing grenades during training.
As for things like hand cannons, they are basically not equipped because their actual combat value is too low and their range is too short.
In terms of absolute numbers, the Ming army had far fewer people than the shogunate's army, but its cavalry was not much different. In fact, they achieved quite impressive results because of their better armor and equipment, richer combat experience, stronger physique, and more sophisticated techniques and tactics.
The Ming army's cavalry rode on sturdy war horses and wore iron armor that shone with cold light. They looked like a group of steel warriors from the future, forming a sharp contrast with the shogunate samurai who were still stuck in the traditional stage.
"Bang bang bang!"
From a long distance away, the Ming army's cavalry fired a round of continuous fire with three-barreled guns at the shogunate's samurai cavalry in front of them. Each discharge of the three-barreled gun was accompanied by a ball of blazing flame and a sharp sound of breaking through the air, tearing the shogunate's samurai cavalry's ranks into pieces.
The warriors who were accustomed to the flashing of swords and the scuffles of sabers seemed helpless in the face of this sudden firearms attack. Many of them fell in a pool of blood in the first round of volleys. The war horses neighed in fear and the battlefield instantly fell into chaos.
However, the shogunate army was not completely unprepared. Among them, there were a few elite troops equipped with simple and primitive muskets, who tried to respond with firepower.
However, this firepower response was not from the cavalry deployed on both wings, so it was neither timely nor effective, and did not cause any significant casualties to the Ming cavalry.
On this smoke-filled battlefield, the Ming army's cavalry shuttled like sharp blades, the guns in their hands flashed coldly in the sun, and each charge was accompanied by thunderous sound of horse hooves, tearing apart the shogunate army's defense line again and again.
And those "thunder fire cans" became the secret weapons of the cavalry. When the cavalry approached the enemy formation, they would suddenly throw these small cans filled with gunpowder. Accompanied by deafening explosions, flowers of death would bloom in the formation of the shogunate army.
Despite being outnumbered, the Ming army relied on its equipment advantages and excellent tactical qualities to forge a path on the battlefield.
Although the shogunate army's cavalry had a large number of people, they lacked patience and combat skills. When they encountered the Ming cavalry, they were completely in a passive position and were beaten.
At this time, the Ming army launched another large-scale offensive.
"Rumble"
The artillery opened fire again, and there were huge explosions, accompanied by a series of blood and flesh flying. A large number of broken limbs and arms suddenly appeared on the left side of the shogunate army, and the fighting between the two sides became more and more intense.
The shogunate army's left and right sides were intercepted and killed by the Ming cavalry. Almost no one could withdraw from the battlefield, and their casualties continued to grow.
Ping An, who had no specific mission but the vague responsibility of breaking through the right wing, rushed into the enemy camp with a spear in hand.
The violence that had been suppressed deep in his heart was completely released at this moment. The blood and bones made him even more ferocious. Under the charge of the warhorse, Ping An was like the god of death. Every time he raised his gun, a life would be lost under the horse.
Wailing sounds continued to ring out on the battlefield, but this was war, and death and injury were the norm.
“Puff~Puff~~”
The Ming cavalry rushed into the crowd, blood splattered, and heads rolled to the ground.
A spear stabbed from the side.
"Ding~"
Ping An reacted incredibly quickly and blocked the attack with his spear. Then, he took advantage of the situation and snatched the spear. He grabbed the spear and swept forward, knocking down the oncoming shogunate soldiers. Then, he rode his horse and charged again, sweeping the spear across, cutting the soldiers in front of him in half, and blood splattered everywhere.
At this time, a shogunate soldier raised his sword and rushed towards Ping An.
"Hmph!" Ping An snorted coldly, pulled the spear back, and then stabbed out again.
With a "puff", a hole as big as a bowl appeared in the abdomen of the Shogunate soldier. Then, Ping An made a beautiful gun-swinging move, and the long spear nailed the Shogunate soldier to the ground, killing him with one shot.
At this time, Heian rode his horse to charge again. His target was clear: he went straight for the flag of the shogunate army.
Although it was very far away and almost impossible to rush there, Heian still did it. His purpose was to disrupt the formation of the shogunate army and force the opponent to make a "rewind" movement. As long as the formation continued to be chaotic, the shogunate army's defeat was inevitable.
At this time, seeing Ping An being so brave, other Ming army soldiers immediately followed him and charged towards the shogunate army's flag.
He rushed forward recklessly, killing all the shogunate soldiers who blocked his way.
At this time, Ping An heard a burst of shouting and killing coming from the side.
Ping An turned his horse's head and looked over there, and found that a group of shogunate samurai cavalry had turned around and was charging towards him, obviously intending to intercept him.
"Humph! Since you are looking for death, I will satisfy you!"
As he spoke, Ping An kicked the horse's belly and the warhorse under his crotch charged towards the enemy formation.
At this time, the shogunate army had rushed to Ping An. Ping An waved the spear in his hand and stabbed continuously. Every time he stabbed, a shogunate soldier would be pierced.
"Oh!"
A dark shadow attacked Ping An from behind. Ping An turned around hurriedly and saw the other party swinging his weapon and chopping at his shoulder.
"Keng~"
Ping An used the spear in his hand to withstand the attack, but his arm was numb from the shock and he could hardly hold the spear.
"嗖~嗖~嗖~~"
At this moment, several feather arrows shot towards Ping An.
Ping An hurriedly lowered his head to avoid the arrow, but the arrow was too fast and one of it scratched the skin on Ping An's left arm.
Apparently, Ping An was too brave, so that he and his cavalry were now surrounded.
And just when Ping An was surrounded.
"Kill!!"
At this moment, shouts of killing were heard in Chinese. Ping An turned his head and found that it was a group of armored knights. They were holding various weapons and were bravely charging the enemy. The armored knight in the lead was tall and strong, with a firm face and a murderous look on his face.
"It's Duke Zheng!"
Ping An recognized the general leading this group of armored knights, and it was none other than Duke of Zheng, Chang Mao.
Logically speaking, Chang Mao should appear on the left wing.
But there was no time to think about it. Since the scheduled plan had been changed, it meant that there must be other tasks arranged.
Chang Mao, like Ping An, took the lead and rushed into the formation of the Shogunate cavalry that surrounded Ping An. As the son of Chang Yuchun, Chang Mao was a superb martial arts master, and a big spear made him look very powerful. Many brave warriors gathered around him. Although they were not armored cavalry, their horses were also covered with light armor on some key parts, and at this time they were more lethal than ordinary cavalry, especially in the chaotic situation, they were like wolves and tigers, killing the Shogunate soldiers and making them cry for their parents.
Ping An charged forward while observing the surrounding environment. The battle situation at this time had become very stalemate, with the two armies entangled with each other, the screams of fighting were heard everywhere, and the strong smell of blood filled the air.
Immediately afterwards, a loud noise came from behind the Tiece Army led by Chang Mao.
"Boom~Boom~"
Suddenly, there was a loud sound of horse hooves.
Nearly a thousand armored cavalry suddenly rushed into the battle circle from the rear, and then charged all the way. The long-handled weapons in their hands either directly chopped at the heads of the shogunate soldiers, or stabbed directly into the bodies of the shogunate soldiers, killing them.
Afterwards, the Changmao cavalry suddenly dispersed and attacked to both sides.
Ping An was stunned. What did this mean? Weren't they trying to save him? If not, what were they doing? Ping An couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it and continued to command his soldiers to charge towards the shogunate army.
But he didn't have a God's perspective, while Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who was standing on the high platform and commanding, had a broader perspective. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu immediately understood the intention of the Ming cavalry! The purpose was not to charge his own flag, that was impossible, because Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was surrounded by countless soldiers who were heavily protecting him. Their purpose was to cut through the army formation pushing the wheelbarrows in the middle army!
In order to realize this offensive intention on the battlefield, in addition to the command of the general, the cooperation of the subordinates is also required. Moreover, in this situation, if anyone makes a mistake, he will lose his life at best, or even his life at worst.
Because as soon as the enemy moves, the opponent's commander will be able to determine who is the real core of the enemy at the first moment. In the eyes of the general, the enemy's attack point is his own defense target.
Therefore, at this time, Chang Mao and others were in a highly nervous state. If they relaxed even a little, the entire army might be destroyed.
The Tiece Army led by Chang Mao was okay, with strong mobility and able to rush out, but those iron cans behind them all depended on their guidance. Only by opening a path for them and pointing out the direction, those armored cavalry wearing visors and relying only on two slits to see the way, could they clearly identify their real targets and launch an attack.
"kill!"
Chang Mao galloped across the battlefield, mowing down a group of shogunate troops with one spear and piercing a man's chest with one sword.
Then Chang Mao pulled out a spare pistol and threw it forward with force, knocking the shogunate soldier in front of him to the ground.
Chang Mao wielded a spear, and his moves were tricky and brutal. Every time he stabbed with the spear, he could take a life. He killed more than 20 shogunate soldiers in a short period of time, which was terrifying.
“Is this the coming of God?”
Some of the shogunate soldiers who managed to escape were terrified. They never expected that they would meet such a powerful opponent today.
Soon, with Chang Mao personally leading the way, nearly a thousand Ming army armored cavalrymen who had accelerated behind them began to try to cut the entire shogunate army's center in half from the vertical direction!
If you look down from the sky, it looks like a very thin line that gradually extends and expands.
Soon, the tin cans "smashed" into the formation that was pushing Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's secret weapon, uh, that is, a large hand-pushed cart.
The shogunate foot soldiers who were pushing the large wheeled carts equipped with extremely thick iron plates were struggling to move forward. They used all their strength to push the carts and did not carry many weapons for self-defense. They were not equipped with armor because it was in the way. As for the troops protecting them, they were not able to stop the Ming army's cavalry torrent.
Facing the armored cavalry of the Ming army that was pouring in like a tide, these foot soldiers had fear and despair in their eyes. The carts in their hands had originally been the hope of the shogunate army, but now they had become a burden to their escape.
Because of these carts, their possible escape routes were seriously blocked.
"Boom~"
Accompanied by a deafening sound of metal collision, the armored cavalry of the Ming army, like sharp blades, pierced fiercely into the center of the shogunate army.
Those seemingly indestructible large-wheeled carts were completely useless without the large number of people pushing them.
Of course, the Ming army chose this place to break in not only because it could block the Ming army's musket fire, but more importantly, this was the most vulnerable position of the entire shogunate army - it required a large number of manpower to push, which meant that there was no ability to resist here.
Under the fierce attack of the Ming cavalry, they were like paper and were easily knocked over and crushed.
"Ugh!"
The foot soldiers of the shogunate army screamed in agony. They were either knocked away by the Ming army's horses or pierced by the cavalry's spears. Blood and limbs splattered everywhere, and the battlefield instantly turned into a living hell.
However, the armored cavalry of the Ming army were like soul-catchers, emitting a cold aura. The long-handled weapons in their hands were like soul-catchers, reaping the lives of the shogunate army time and time again.
"Come on!"
"Ming army will win!"
The cavalry of the Ming army let out earth-shaking shouts and swung their weapons more fiercely. They moved forward like sharp blades, and every charge took the lives of countless shogunate soldiers. The shogunate army's foot soldiers, facing this sudden attack, had long lost the courage to resist. They fled in all directions, trying to escape this horrific battlefield.
Obviously, the Ming army's cavalry, relying on their equipment advantages and excellent tactical qualities, tore a hole in the battlefield. They completely tore apart the shogunate army's center, causing the entire shogunate army's formation to fall into chaos.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu stood on a high platform, watching his central army being torn apart by the Ming cavalry, his heart filled with despair. If the complete failure of the front army at the beginning might have provided some room for recovery, he now understood that the battle was irreversible and the disastrous defeat of the shogunate army had become inevitable.
At the same time, the Ming army.
Seeing that the cavalry troops led by Chang Mao and Ping An had achieved the expected results, Zhu Xiongying no longer hesitated and deployed the next combat plan one by one according to the plan prepared in advance.
"Order Sheng Yong's artillery to stop firing and prepare to move forward."
Because the front line is moving forward, the range of the artillery is almost reaching its limit. If the pursuit needs to continue, the artillery group must start moving to a more forward position in advance. It takes time for horses to tow cannons with wheels, it takes time to set up cannons, it takes time to build positions, and there is also the calculation of firing parameters, etc. These cannot be accomplished with just one command, and they must be prepared in advance.
"Send a message to General Mei. The obstacles ahead have been basically cleared. Prepare the hollow square formations of all guards to change their formations and extend to both wings."
Mei Yin was in charge of commanding the front-line troops, which was equivalent to the infantry commander on the front line. At this time, the most important thing was that the cavalry, infantry, and artillery could coordinate in the pursuit.
Otherwise, it would be like a person's waist, legs and feet moving separately. Maybe they can move forward, but it would definitely look very ugly and uncoordinated.
Afterwards, Zhu Xiongying thought for a while in a nervous state, and suddenly asked Li Jinglong, who was in charge of the staff beside him: "Do you think Ashikaga Yoshimitsu has a backup plan?"
Li Jinglong was stunned and looked carefully at the battle situation in front of him.
Although the Ming army is now small in number, they are constantly making progress on the front line relying on the powerful firepower of their hollow square formations. The Shogunate army is like being hit in the belly, with the opponent's fist stuck in their belly and the flesh on both sides rippling out. The two wings of the Shogunate army are now half-surrounding the front of the Ming army.
That's why Zhu Xiongying asked this question.
Because Zhu Xiongying, as the commander-in-chief at the time, had to be responsible for these 40,000 Ming troops and must not make the mistake of underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly.
Of course, this is just Zhu Xiongying's caution.
In fact, this is not the case.
The shogunate army's formation was in chaos, the morale of the front army collapsed, and the center army was dragged back in formation. Moreover, the right side of the center army was pierced through by the Ming army's heavy cavalry. Even if it was only a short-lived blow, it still caused irreparable damage to the shogunate army's entire formation. The ordinary soldiers of the shogunate army did not know what had happened. They only knew that there were a large number of Ming cavalry behind them, and they were caught in a state of being attacked from both sides. In this state, morale was bound to plummet.
Because from the perspective of ordinary soldiers, they could only see the enemy in front of them slaughtering their friendly troops, and from behind they could hear the sound of enemy horse hooves and the wailing of friendly troops being slaughtered.
In this situation, anyone would be nervous. If everyone is nervous, it will be basically impossible to fight this battle.
Of course, Zhu Xiongying's caution was justified, because the terrain where they would fight the decisive battle was at the southern end of the Nara Basin. If Ashikaga Yoshimitsu really had an ambush on the flank and the Ming army's scouts failed to find it, they would be in trouble.
However, the possibility of this happening is very, very low, almost zero. As for an ambush, it is useless if there are too few people, and it cannot be hidden if there are too many people.
How could several thousand people hide in the mountains without being discovered by the scouts sent out by the Ming army from far away?
"If you're worried, you can leave Zhang Yu's center back and right back alone for now." Li Jinglong gave his suggestion.
The original three guards of King Wu were Zhu Xiongying's direct forces. These 15,000 people served as the central army and were the reserve force.
At this time, only Zuowei was able to hold on, and Zhu Xiongying still had 10,000 men under his command.
Just as Zhu Xiongying was making the decision, the situation on the battlefield changed to the disadvantage of the shogunate army. The armored cavalry of the Ming army struck them in the waist, and the chain reaction began to appear.
The Shogunate army's line, like a sand castle hit by huge waves, began to show signs of unstoppable collapse. The originally neat formations became chaotic, and the soldiers either fled or surrendered.
The armored cavalry of the Ming army cut across like a sharp blade. Although there were some losses due to various reasons, such as falling off horses or crashing into carts, the overall tactical intention was basically perfectly executed.
Thanks to Heian and Tsunemori's heroic efforts in clearing the way, the cavalry of the shogunate army failed to hinder them as much as they should have.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu searched the battlefield, trying to find an army that could change the outcome of the battle, but everywhere he looked he saw nothing but chaos and collapse.
At the same time, the Ming army's artillery also began to move. According to the pre-prepared plan, they moved the cannons forward, preparing to launch a more violent attack on the shogunate army. The infantry also began to change their formation, extending to both wings, preparing to counter-encircle the shogunate army.
Although the Ming army's hollow square formation is usually in a square shape, it can be turned into a rectangle when it is necessary to spread out the battle line, thereby reducing the depth and expanding the range of firepower coverage.
Zhu Xiongying stood on the command platform, watching the changes on the battlefield. He felt relieved. He looked at Li Jinglong beside him and said with a smile, "It seems that our caution is unnecessary. The shogunate army has no backup plan."
Li Jinglong also smiled. There was nothing wrong with their decision in this battle. Basically, they had made plans for all possible situations. The Ming army, which was equipped with a large number of new firearms, also performed very well and put what they had learned in training over the years into practice on the battlefield. This was a test for Zhu Xiongying, Li Jinglong and all those who studied and formulated new tactics.
The military is the most rigorous organization in the world. It strictly enforces discipline and everything is as precise as a perfect machine. There may be some redundant designs, but it is never allowed to not operate or to operate slowly, because this will directly lead to failure.
Weapons and equipment are one of the most important things in the military.
The material of a scabbard of a dagger, the length of a bowstring of a bow. Any insignificant little thing will affect the overall combat effectiveness of the army, let alone a complete change of equipment?
In order to form a pure firearms unit over the years, they have paid too much, including how to train, how to organize, how to coordinate and line up, and how to fire. This time is the first big test they face.
Fortunately, they handed in an answer sheet with almost perfect scores.
Without the support of the main force of the Ming army, they defeated the main force of the shogunate of more than 100,000 troops with a force of 40,000.
This is enough to prove that the organization of pure firearms units is the development direction of future wars.
In other words, the future has already arrived.
Li Jinglong nodded heavily and said, "Yes! The shogunate army has collapsed, their morale has completely collapsed, we won this battle!"
With the Ming army's pursuit, the shogunate army's defeat was inevitable.
Those warriors who had once been so powerful were now like stray dogs, fleeing everywhere, while the Ming army soldiers were chasing them like victorious hunters.
"General, let's retreat quickly!" At this time, Yoshimasa Sasaki urged earnestly.
As Ashikaga Yoshimitsu looked at the collapsing battle line, his heart sank to the bottom. The confidence that he once had invincible in Japan had now been shattered by the cruel reality. The failure of this battle was not only a military defeat, but also a devastating blow to the entire shogunate regime. Perhaps, this would be the most painful moment in his life.
"Retreat... retreat..." Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's voice was weak and trembling, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. He made this decision with difficulty, but he also knew that if he retreated, there would be no hope.
If the Ming Dynasty was merciful, or if it wanted to balance the Southern Dynasty, perhaps the division between the Northern and Southern Dynasties could continue. Of course, it is very doubtful whether there is a place for him in the remaining Northern Dynasty.
In short, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's fate, from the moment of his defeat in the decisive battle, had nothing to do with him anymore. Well, he himself might be able to decide on the specific method of death, such as seppuku or taking poison.
The other generals were unwilling to accept this, but they also understood that they had no other choice.
The loyal generals quickly organized the remaining troops and tried to buy a chance of survival for the army under the pursuit of the Ming army.
However, facing the Ming army that was surging like a tide, all these efforts seemed so pale and powerless.
The Ming army's cavalry was like a sharp blade in the wind, constantly cutting through the shogunate's defenses, and the infantry equipped with new firearms poured deadly bullets at the enemy with thunderous force, and the shogunate's soldiers fled in panic.
Ito Tadayoshi, who was lucky enough to survive in the front army, did not die at the hands of the Ming army. Instead, he was trampled to death by friendly forces because of a sprained ankle and was unable to escape at full speed. His bones were shattered and his family heirloom samurai sword was lost somewhere.
The death of Ito Tadayoshi became an insignificant footnote in this battle. To these Japanese, personal destiny seemed so insignificant. Whether they were the despised cannon fodder foot soldiers or the so-called "noble" samurai, they were all ruthlessly swept away by the torrent of history.
On this battlefield of blood and fire, the victory of the Ming army was like the rising sun, shining brightly and unstoppable. Zhu Xiongying stood on a high place, looking at the battlefield that was completely controlled by his army, with unprecedented ambitions surging in his heart. He knew that this battle was not only a heavy blow to the shogunate army, but also a perfect verification of new tactics and new equipment.
"Pass the order, the entire army will pursue, but they must maintain their formation and not rush forward." Zhu Xiongying was very calm. They did not need to and could not completely annihilate the enemy. There were more than 100,000 people running all over the mountains and plains, and they would be impossible to kill them all.
After this battle, the outcome will be decided.
As the order was issued, the Ming army began an orderly pursuit.
As the artillery fire moved forward, it continued to bombard the remnants of the Shogunate army that fell behind. Every cannon shot was accompanied by the wailing and falling of Shogunate soldiers.
The infantry and cavalry fought in coordination, like a giant net, capturing the remnants of the shogunate army one by one.
During the retreat, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu witnessed the disastrous defeat of his own army, and the pain and despair in his heart were beyond words.
However, under the pursuit of the Ming army, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and his remaining troops no longer had any power to resist. They were like stray dogs and were driven all the way by the Ming army until they fled to the southern end of the Nara Basin.
(End of this chapter)
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