The Imperial Guard Fuhuo Crossbow Battalion, each battalion is equipped with six heavy front-loading smoothbore cannons and twelve light front-loading smoothbore cannons.

The heavy front-loading smoothbore artillery is one foot long and weighs more than 5,000 kilograms. It can fire up to 3,000 steps with solid bullets. The light front-loading smoothbore cannon is six feet long and weighs more than 2,000 kilograms. It can also fire up to 3,000 steps with solid bullets.

One thousand six hundred steps that stunned the generals of the world.

In addition to solid bullets, Luoyang Academy has also developed two special artillery shells: grape bullets and chain bombs, which are used to kill enemies at close range of three to five hundred steps in a fan-shaped area. However, these two kinds of artillery shells have higher operational requirements for the gunner; blooming bullets

It is still in the experimental stage, and the technology is not yet mature enough to be used in actual combat.

After the Luoyang Academy successfully trial-produced artillery that could be put into actual combat, with the production capacity of the Luoyang Ordnance Institute, it was not a problem to cast three to five hundred light and heavy artillery pieces in the past year. However, the training of skilled gunners would become the initial armed expansion of the Fuhuo Crossbow Battalion.

the biggest obstacle.

As an epoch-making weapon of war, how artillery can cooperate with traditional infantry and cavalry in actual combat after being put into the battlefield is also a brand-new topic for Luoyang Military Academy.

A year ago, the Military Academy secretly opened relevant professional courses, selecting people from the army and students from the Luoyang Military Academy for specialized training and drills. Currently, a total of eight battalions of Fuhuo Crossbows have been formed; and they are all first in the Royal Guards

Under the sequence, a Fuhuo Crossbow Battalion is formed, and then allocated to the armies for use as needed.

In addition to the four battalions of Fuhuo Crossbows that have been deployed, the Imperial Guard has only newly formed four battalions of Fuhuo Crossbows.

In order to observe the actual combat use of artillery at close range, Li Zhigao discussed with Tian Cheng and decided to merge the four ambushes and crossbow battalions to form a new artillery brigade. Chen Kun concurrently commanded the brigade and led more than a dozen military academy supervisors.

The staff combat group composed of Jiao Yu led the artillery brigade to southern Shanxi to participate in the battle.

Including auxiliary personnel, gunners, and sword and shield guards, a crossbow battalion of the Imperial Guard has a full strength of 300 people; a full strength of the artillery brigade has 1,200 people, which is equivalent to a normal cavalry. Mixed in

Among the logistics troops transporting grain and fodder, they rushed to the front line in southern Shanxi, and they were all outstanding.

The artillery was towed by a heavy-duty horse-drawn carriage, and the gun body was wrapped in thick linoleum cloth, making it look like an accessory for a heavy-duty cyclone gun.

However, the steel-hub rubber wheels left deep ruts on the post road, and each towed artillery carriage was towed by two to six strong horses, which could also make the enemy scouts lurking along the post road spot some abnormalities.

However, even if the enemy troops lurking nearby saw something unusual, or even directly saw the true appearance of the cast iron barrel, who could have imagined what role this black cast iron pipe would play when put on the battlefield.

?

Feng Yi and Han Jianji stayed in Luoyang to deal with the affairs of the newly established Honglu Division. Wen Ruilin accompanied Sima De and Shu envoy Cao Zhe and others, and arrived together with the artillery brigade and the logistics force transporting a new round of supplies.

Watching the battle in Zezhou.

Cao Zhe is the son of Cao Gan. His father, Cao Gan, has followed Wang Yong, the lord of Shu, since the Yuzhou period. He is one of the six new commanders of the imperial army in Shu. This time, headed by Cao Zhe, the envoy to Luoyang is mainly

Composed of generals drawn from the Shu Imperial Army and the Privy Council, in addition to congratulating Liang Jun on their victory over the Fanchuan River and further promoting the Liang-Shu alliance, they can also fully understand how strong and where Liang Jun's current combat effectiveness is.

Sima De, as Sima Yan, died of illness in Bianliang nine years ago. In order to avoid the suspicion of his uncle Sima Tan in recent years, he removed himself from all military and political affairs in Xuzhou and cut off contacts with Xuzhou generals. He specialized in poetry, calligraphy and painting, etc.

technique.

Sima De still has some sense of belonging to Daliang mentally.

After the battle of Fanchuan River, Xuzhou was naturally panicked when he saw how vulnerable the Chuzhou army was. He hurriedly recalled the secret envoy who had been sent to Chuzhou to negotiate peace with King Xin Yang Yuanyan, and pushed him to Luoyang. However, Sima De

It's also very satisfying.

Of course, Xu Si's army's secret envoy, in addition to Sima De, the two deputy envoys were close associates of his uncle Sima Tan.

Although the Battle of Fanchuan River directly eliminated Xu Si's people's intention to surrender to Chu, in the past, the iron hoof trampled on the Central Plains, and the invincible Mongolian army was beaten to death. Zhu Rang, Liang Ren, Liang Shixiong and Wei Bo's elite troops were destroyed in Xingyang.

It would be difficult to become a noble after that, Xu Mingzhen was bedridden, and his son Xu Sizhao might not be able to suppress the generals of the Shouzhou Army. These all decided that Xu Si and others wanted to switch to Daliang.

However, everyone in Xu Si still had many ideas in mind as to how they would return to Daliang's arms.

It was a pity that they had been in Luoyang for a few days. Not to mention Han Qian, the leader of the Liang Kingdom, they did not have the opportunity to meet Gu Qian, Feng Liao, Li Zhigao, Tian Cheng, Han Daoming and other important ministers of the Liang Dynasty. In the end, Wen

Ruilin came forward and invited them to go to southern Shanxi to watch the battle.

They also accompanied the logistics troops and artillery brigade.

They were naturally familiar with Chen Kun's name, and they were also curious about the logistics transport troops heading north this time. This special troop was directly commanded by Chen Kun.

However, even when they were camping, they could see the soldiers of Daliang carefully cleaning and maintaining the cast iron barrels stained by rain and snow, but they had no idea what kind of new war weapon this was.

Of course, they don't take it lightly. They all think that in the past three or four years, Liang Jun has put spring-arm weapons on the battlefield, which has caused everyone to suffer a lot. This new type of weapon can only be a few points stronger.

, this battle will most likely cause the main force of the Mongolian army to return defeated.

…………

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Cross the Yu River from Mianchi Mausoleum, go north to Jiangxian County via Zhiguanxing, and then go to Qinshui County at the southern foot of Taiyue Mountain. The post roads along the way have been carefully renovated and widened. The artillery brigade and the logistics of transporting supplies this time

The soldiers and horses moved very quickly.

At the end of November, we entered southern Shanxi. At this time, southern Shanxi was already in the severe cold season when dripping water turned into ice.

After entering Zezhou, the logistics transport troops and horses passed through Qinshui County, but did not stop in Yangcheng County, nor did they go to Jincheng to join the main force of the Northern Expedition Army led by Kong Xirong. Instead, they went directly north to Gaoping County.

The condition of the post roads in Zezhou is pretty good, and the local township department has organized manual clearing of the snow. However, the snow on both sides of the road has not been cleared in the past two days, and is almost two feet thick.

This is a rare heavy snowfall in the past thirty years, when the North has clearly entered the Cold Age.

The logistics troops arrived at the southern foot of Jinquan Mountain, which is located in the north of Gaoping County and the junction with Huguan County in Luzhou, and dispersed to the garrison camps at the southern foot. Sima De, Cao Zhe, Chen Kun, Wen Ruilin and others rushed directly

Go to the main camp.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians can be seen along the way, braving the wind and snow, working hard to build camps and winding mountain climbing roads.

The Jinnan Basin between the Taiyue Mountains and the Taihang Mountains covers an area of ​​more than 100,000 square miles. Although it is dominated by low mountains and hills with relatively open terrain, there is still the Danzhu Ridge at the junction of Zezhou and Luzhou.

Jinquan Mountain is dominated by two mountain ranges, with the main peak reaching a height of three to four hundred feet. The geographical barrier that is insurmountable by soldiers and horses separates the two states of Ze and Lu.

From Jinquan Mountain to the east to Ducheng Ridge in Lingchuan County, there is an open gap of about 13 to 4 miles in the middle, which is the main passage between Zelu and Zelu. This is also the Mongolian army's reinforcements from Luzhou south, or the Mengwu soldiers and civilians from Jincheng.

The only way to retreat northward in Zezhou.

The situation is obvious. To prevent the hundreds of thousands of Mongolian soldiers and civilians from Jincheng from escaping northward, and to block the main force of the Mongolian army from going south for reinforcements, the east of Jinquan Mountain is the best interception point.

After entering October, the main force of the Taiyue marching army, which had shrunk to Gaoping County, mainly relied on the mountains at the eastern foot of Jinquan Mountain to build military forts.

The Mongolian army also knew very well that if they wanted to support the tens of thousands of Mongol soldiers and civilians in Jincheng to retreat northward, they would have to defeat the Liang army stationed at the western foot of Jinquan Mountain in order to open up the north-south passage.

In mid-to-late November, the Mongolian troops in Taiyuan continued to gather at Luzhou City and Huguan City in the south. Their forward line also advanced to the northeastern foothills of Jinquan Mountain. The situation also determined the next large-scale battle between the two sides.

It will erupt around various key passes at the eastern foot of Jinquan Mountain.

Amidst the ice and snow, thousands of civilians recruited from the local area, not afraid of the severe cold, are building and widening the narrow mountain road in the south to facilitate the passage of soldiers, horses and vehicles.

Sima De and Cao Zhe could tell from their accents and clothing that these civilian husbands were recruited from the local area, but looking at their looks and appearance, there was no unwillingness or resistance to being forced. Most of the civilian husbands' faces were filled with specific expectations and expressions.

Motivation.

Wen Ruilin accompanied us all the way, and he did not hesitate to introduce the many tasks done by the Daliang soldiers and horses before and after their advance into southern Shanxi, in addition to military operations.

All of this is actually closely related to the infiltration work done three or four years ago.

After the great victory of Zhiguanxing, although Tian Weiye was not reused, he still received extremely high service arrangements after surrendering, which greatly reduced the hostility of the captured generals in southern Shanxi to a considerable extent.

At this grassroots level, the General Staff Office naturalized captured soldiers from various counties in southern Shanxi, focusing especially on cultivating those prisoners who came from poor backgrounds, suffered oppression from local forces, and were captured and strong men and forcibly recruited into the Luzhou Army.

The Taiyue Marching Army and the First and Second Central Military Camps entered the southern Shanxi region in late July. These surrendered captives played a huge role in Daliang's rapid establishment of ruling order in Zezhou.

At present, except for Jincheng, other areas of Zezhou, including Yangcheng, Gaoping, Lingchuan and other counties, not only have county-level government offices, but also are preparing to build a Zezhou government office in Lingchuan County. Chen Yuanchen also leads Zezhou.

The prefecture magistrates, who ruled the local areas, and the county and township bureaus also mobilized the middle and lower class poor on a large scale to carry out a campaign to reduce rents, reduce grain, and suppress the bully and tyrants in the townships.

The Taiyue Marching Army, the First and Second Marching Camps entered southern Shanxi to fight, and not only could they recruit tens of thousands of local brave men to build trenches, military forts, roads and bridges, but they could also use cotton cloth, salt, and iron tools

As well as the copper yuan and silver coins issued by Daliang, large quantities of grain were purchased directly from the local area.

This greatly reduces logistical pressure.

Coupled with the large-scale use of heavy-duty carriages, nearly 100,000 of the Liang Army's main elites entered southern Shanxi to fight, but only 20,000 logistics personnel were needed to travel between Luoyang and southern Shanxi, which could already meet the material supply needs of the front line.

.

Sima De, Cao Zhe and others entered a valley at the southeastern foot of Jinquan Mountain. Li Xiu's general Ya Zhang was located in the valley. There were only more than 2,000 troops stationed in the valley, but it was the core center of Jinquan Mountain's defense line. In the Ya Zhang

Sima De and Cao Zhe saw Li Xiu, Su Lie, Chen Yuanchen, Wen Yuan, Li Yan and other generals of Taiyue's camp.

Among the generals of the Taiyue camp, Li Xiu and Su Lie were relatively older, but they were still in their forties. Chen Yuanchen and Wen Yuan were only thirty-three or four years old, while Li Yan and others were younger.

Seeing this scene, I thought about how when Zhao Wuji led his troops to kill the Fanchuan River, the Chuzhou Army did not have a few young and strong generals to charge into the battle. In the end, the Xinwang Yang Yuanyan, who was over fifty years old, personally led the Silver Halberd Guards and wanted to attack them.

Sima De couldn't help feeling filled with emotion when he captured the enemy general Zhao Wuji's head among the thousands of troops.

Just judging from the age of the middle and senior generals, Chu Ting was already in twilight after the glorious era of Emperor Tianyou passed.

Entering Li Xiu's tent, Sima De also knew that even if it was blocked by heavy snow, the main reinforcements of the Mongolian army had basically entered Huguan City at this time, including the reinforcements from Taiyuan and their early assembly in Luzhou City.

garrison, the Mongolian army supported the retreat of the Mongolian soldiers and civilians who were besieged in Jincheng to the north. It can be said that they tried their best.

The Mongolian army reinforced its main force, with more than 50,000 cavalry, and more than 60,000 infantry, mainly composed of the Yanyun and Liaodong (Bohai) Han armies. Coupled with the soldiers and horses trapped in Jincheng, the total number of Mongolian troops entering the Jinnan Basin was

The number of troops exceeds 150,000.

At this time, the forward reinforcements of the Mongolian army, with more than 10,000 cavalry even approaching the northern foot of Jinquan Mountain, may send troops to attack several of their defense villages at the northern foot of Jinquan Mountain at any time.

In addition to the main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army led by Kong Xirong, the Liang Army surrounded Jincheng from the east and west wings with 60,000 troops. In addition, Li Xiu and other generals led the 30,000 Taiyue Camping Army, mainly stationed on the line of Jinquan Mountain.

If the Mongolian army wants to support the retreat of Jincheng soldiers and civilians to the north, it is bound to open the passage to the east of Jinquan Mountain. For Li Xiu and others, they have two options. The first is to send the First Central Bank Camp Army northward for reinforcements and block it together with the Taiyue March Camp Army.

Stay in front of Jinquan Mountain and directly sniper to severely damage the main reinforcements of the Mongolian army; secondly, the Taiyue marching army shrinks to the southern foot of Jinquan Mountain, first giving up the passage east of Jinquan Mountain, and waits until the main Mongolian reinforcements enter Zezhou territory, the Taiyue marching army
To be continued...