Chapter 962 The smoke of gunpowder has not dissipated

The air is filled with a unique tea fragrance.

After a pot of tea was brewed for the third time, Zhu Gaoxu asked inadvertently: It is reported that before the official army set out from Sai Kung Port, a Mantao envoy had come. Did the envoy Liu not know in advance?

When I heard about this, the envoy of the Manchus and the others had been expelled and were not in the army.Liu Ming spoke slowly.

He seemed to realize immediately that the emperor's question was not as casual as his tone.

Liu Ming answered, as if he was thinking.

Zhu Gaoxu nodded.

After a while, Liu Ming said again: Before General Chen hung his seal on the southern expedition, many court officials opposed it. General Chen surrendered twice and lost many times in previous battles, but he had almost no decent victory. All the officials did not recognize their integrity and ability. During this southern expedition, when I saw General Chen, I felt that he was particularly humiliated by the past. When he was defeated by the Zhenla Army, General Chen was anxious about his greed for merit.

After hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu felt something was right.Because he remembered the fact that before sending troops south, in order to motivate Chen Xuan and reminded him to seize the opportunity to avenge his shame.

Chen Xuan launched an unnecessary battle this time, which was vaguely influenced by Zhu Gaoxu.So Zhu Gaoxu felt that Chen Xuan's actions seemed to be under his control.

Liu Ming's words appeared to demote Chen Xuan, but actually helped Chen Xuan.However, civil officials usually do not speak specifically for military generals, and it would be fine if they don’t complain.

Zhu Gaoxu said: So that's it.

The tea had almost been drunk, so Liu Ming then stood up and bowed, thanking him and leaving.

The situation in the south has temporarily eased, and Manta, Java, and Zhenla have all submitted their respects to peace. The Siamese people finally followed the advice of the Ming officials and stopped taking advantage of the Zhenla Kingdom.

The imperial court successively established fortress strongholds such as Songtaiwei, Da Nang, Saigon, and Long Yamen along the ocean coast, and established two major governor's offices.

The strategy of using troops in Liaodong in the north was determined, and the preparations for the army were already in full swing.

In May, after the first batch of Xingguang guns were equipped with the Beijing infantry, Zhu Gaoxu went to the large school ground outside Hongwu Gate to observe the soldiers and practice tactics.

In addition to the great Han generals of the Jinyiwei, there were also civil officials such as Qi Tai, Xia Yuanji, Qian Xun, and other nobles such as Qu Neng and Liu Ying.

There are two other special people, Mao Kaishan and Ma Xingguang. They look a little eye-catching around the emperor surrounded by ministers and nobles.

The people responsible for the overall practice on the school are Wang Bin, Wu Gao and Chen Zhen.Zhu Gaoxu specifically asked them to train their soldiers so that they could know from the very beginning how the soldiers fought in front of the formation.

The field in the university was very noisy. As soon as people left Hongwu Gate, the sound of gunfire over there was vaguely heard.

When we arrived at the school ground, we saw white smoke on the open ground, and countless people and vehicles were moving, trampling the solid land into dust. At first glance, Zhu Gaoxu seemed to be suddenly in the battle formation.

Zhu Gaoxu rode his horse to the next to a military formation and saw the soldiers skillfully loading muskets.

The soldiers of the Beijing camp have been using firearms for a long time and are familiar with the comb-rope gun originally called Chunhan Gun. It is not difficult to switch to the flintlock gun at this time, because it is easier to use than a comb-rope gun.

The soldiers in the army carried two kinds of tools related to firearms, not used on the battle formation. One was to make the pincer molds of lead balls by themselves, and the other was a spoon that looked like a measuring wine.

The soldiers would use this measuring gauge spoon in advance, and put the gunpowder into a small bamboo tube, and then seal it with oil paper and rope.

So each of the musketeers had a lot of things hanging on their bodies. They first took out a bamboo tube from their waist pocket, then bit the seal with their teeth, and poured the quantitative launching medicine into the barrel.

Then take the lead balls with silk pads and use a strip to stick them in and compact them.

Finally, open the reed mechanism, pick up the gourd hanging around your waist, and pour the firing medicine into the lid of the medicine pot at the end.

The loading is completed and is just waiting to be launched.

The whole process is much simpler than the cotshot and is much faster.

Although muskets are still troublesome than crossbows, they have more benefits.

Ranged soldiers do not need too much technology or strength. Reloading and launching are all hand-held jobs, and there is no need to train archery skills for a long time.

The firearms also have little demands on the transportation logistics of the baggage battalion. The ammunition carried by a single soldier can be fired dozens of times in a row, which can almost meet the consumption of the entire battle; if it were the supply of arrows, it would be unimaginable.

Li Ling, a famous Han Dynasty general, once fought against the Huns with a small number of enemies, but it is said that Li Ling was originally a baggage soldier responsible for transportation. He accidentally encountered the Huns and carried a large number of arrows in the camp.

Even so, Li Ling surrendered in the end because he had exhausted his arrows.

If it is a musket battalion, it will be difficult to exhaust ammunition in one battle.

At this time, Wang Bin and Wu Gao also rode a horse to welcome him, and they dismounted and held their fists and held their salutes.Zhu Gaoxu nodded, still watching the soldiers practicing there.

The loaded soldiers were entering the launching position one after another, located behind a row of Wuhan Iron and Steel Vehicles.

There was a huge shield in front of the Wuhan Iron and Steel Truck, and the soldiers stood behind the perforation hole with muskets.

There were gaps between the Wuhan Iron and Steel Vehicles, but at this time, the refusing rifles had been removed from the car and the intervals were supplemented. The musket soldiers stood behind the refusing rifles, and the guns and shield soldiers who were responsible for covering them retreated one after another.

With a shout, the soldiers fired one after another, and the sound of guns on the chariot array was dense, and the flames and smoke flew together, and the formation was very terrifying.

Seeing this, everyone exclaimed.

Zhu Gaoxu didn't say a word, sat on the horse's back and looked at the bulky Wuhan Iron and Steel Truck, and turned around and said: Thinking about some things, it's really magical. Wuhan Iron and Steel Truck has been used for thousands of years, and we are still using them now.

When Zhu Gaoxu of Wude Dynasty personally conquered the Tatars, the army carried a large number of Wuhan-steel chariots.Later he learned that this thing has been available since the Han Dynasty and the Central Plains dynasty.

Wu Gao's voice said: The emperor clearly understands that the threat of the nomadic cavalry in the north to the Central Plains has been more than a thousand years. This chariot has miraculous effect on cavalry and cavalry charges, so it has been used to this day.

Zhu Gaoxu said: Everything has its advantages but its disadvantages. It is easy to prevent it, but how can you fight back? This carriage has difficulty moving, so if you make a slight counterattack, you can only rely on cavalry. As for cavalry, our official army has no advantage over all Mongolian tribes. No wonder Zu Gongyan said that Taining and other guards were united with the Korqin tribe, and their combat power was still very strong.

Wu Gao had no choice but to admit: The wise and the wise.

Zhu Gaoxu said again: For such a heavy car to run for a long distance, a large number of civilians need to be recruited.Moreover, the more peaceful the world is, the more the cavalry of our dynasty has no advantage over the cavalry of the northern tribes.Perhaps how to use infantry to fight cavalry is a better idea?

At this time, Liu Ying's voice said: When there is no Wuhan Iron and Steel Cartel, the official army also has tactics, and there are roughly two ways.One of the front rows of guns and shield soldiers guarding the muskets squatted down and waited for the muskets to be fired.The second one is arranged at a distance between the spearmen and the musket soldiers, and the gunmen are used to protect the musket soldiers, while the military formation can also maintain shooting.

Liu Ying was proficient in various infantry formation tactics, and what he said was the formations used by the Ming army before.

Zhu Gaoxu shook his head and said: The flintlock rifle has a characteristic, because it does not require open fire and can arrange more dense firepower.What the Duke of Zheng said is the same as the use of a coercine and a fire door gun, so he cannot use the advantages of a new firearm.My idea should ensure the density and killing of firepower to the greatest extent, reduce the burden on infantry and increase mobility.In this way, of course, you have to give up some defensiveness, just how to choose the pros and cons.

Liu Ying said: What the emperor said is that the same is true for people and horses before the Song Dynasty, which were eventually abandoned by the world.We are facing a vast territory, with a desert of thousands of miles north, and the light cavalry is the right way.

Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said: You may use dense stair formations, and fire in rows of two to three, and one shot will hit the enemy severely.The vehicle must also be lightweight, and the shield and iron spear on it are all burdens.

At this time, Maokaishan Road beside him: If the carriage is only used to transport grain and heavy artillery, I think the wooden board can be changed to wooden strips and made into a rack cart, and then stretched the top with lighter materials such as cowhide, which can greatly reduce the weight.

Zhu Gaoxu turned around and said: Can it be done if the vehicle is remade?

Ma Xingguang, who had not said anything, spoke: It was nothing more than riveting with wooden strips.

Wu Gao's voice said: To camp like this, you can only defend against horse-resisting rifles and trenches and traps.He thought about it and said that above the battle formation, the front and back military formations can only change weapons, not queues.After firing the muskets in the front row, they will change the long spears with the rear row to resist the enemy.

Wu Gao always thought about how to defend.But his statement is correct. Once the musket soldiers are rushed to the front by the cavalry, they have almost no resistance, and it is necessary to prepare for how to defend.

It makes sense.Zhu Gaoxu nodded and praised, and then turned to look at Ma Xingguang. Is there any way to install the iron spear head at the front of the musket and make a bayonet?

Ma Xingguang was stunned for a moment and pondered: How about putting the sharp blade on the wooden handle, and then inserting the wooden handle into the muzzle?

Ma Xingguang's idea angle is a bit strange, but he has never seen a bayonet, so it may be normal to think so.Zhu Gaoxu was different. His inherent impression was that the bayonet should be installed at the bottom of the muzzle.

Zhu Gaoxu asked: Can a snap mechanism be installed at the bottom of the muzzle?

The gun barrel is forged with cooked iron, and it is probably not reliable to make a new iron hoop, so I have to think about it for a while.Ma Xingguang bent down and said.

Zhu Gaoxu said: Report it immediately after it is effective.

Ma Xingguang said: I will receive the order.

The king and his ministers discussed for a while, then rode away from the place and continued to patrol along the school ground.

Qi Tai, Pei Youzhen and others from the Ministry of War looked at the new weapons very carefully, and seemed to be thinking about it while looking.

The officials are generally very pragmatic and clearly distinguish between the cultivation of sages.

For example, after the emergence of Liu Kun's emergency repair and water-burning and sand-burning, officials in charge of the river all regarded these skills as their ability to be officials; most of the people in the Censorate Department could do coronation and autopsy.

In actual work, everyone will not follow the previous rules, after all, things that later on are more useful.