[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army":3,"chapter-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-544":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Little Soldier of the Late Ming Border Army",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1205833,1561,"Chapter 544: Artillery Duel Across the River (5)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-544",544,"\u003Cp>Wang Dou also dispatched several hundred grenadiers from the supply battalion to Yang Xingling. Compared to the pikemen of the various battalions, these were professional grenade throwers who, within thirty paces, could accurately hurl ten-thousand-man bombs into the trenches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, the supply troops of the Border Garrison Army at Songshan were already few in number, because over a thousand more had been transferred to Changling Mountain. At this time, only fewer than a thousand remained in the army. Sun Sanjie's defense line at Changling Mountain, however, had over three thousand several hundred supply troops defending it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The signal flagman on the observation mast cart indicated that the Han Banner's Ujen Choo artillery camp was already pressing toward the riverbank. Wang Dou's spirits lifted, and he raised his telescope to gaze at the northern bank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing troops on the opposite bank surged forward in vast numbers. It seemed that most of them were men and horses of the Han Banners, and faintly visible among them were some cannons being dragged by oxen and horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought to himself, \"Finally, an artillery battle is about to begin. I wonder how powerful the Qing army's cannons are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in the Battle of Julu that year, the Qing army's heavy Hongyi cannons had inflicted great damage on the Shunxiang Army. What would be the outcome of this battle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked solemnly toward his own side's grand artillery formation. They were set up on the right side of the small pontoon bridge, basically all over a hundred paces from the bank. About two li to the left of the small pontoon bridge, there was also a small artillery position, used to bombard the left flank of Yang Xingling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terrain there was undulating with hills, so the small artillery position was set up atop a high mountain ridge, only a few dozen paces from the river. The opposite bank was flat and open, convenient for artillery bombardment. If the Qing army attacked the left flank of Yang Xingling from that direction, they would suffer merciless strikes from the artillery on this side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Wang Dou looked toward the artillery position of the Divine Machine Battalion, which was one li to the right of the Border Garrison Army's grand artillery formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enormous artillery position contained Great Divine Might General Cannons, mortars, a large number of rocket carts, falconets, and the like. However, only those twenty-five Great Divine Might General Cannons could bombard at long range, reaching three or four li. The remaining rockets and falconets could not reach one li, or only just over one li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this distance, the Border Garrison Army's artillery camp could already display its full prowess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought to himself, \"I hope the Divine Machine Battalion's cannons can deal a heavy blow to the Qing army from afar!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The artillery skills of the Divine Machine Battalion's gunners, in truth, could not satisfy Wang Dou. If those cannons were operated by the Border Garrison Army's gunners, perhaps the power unleashed would be even greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was impossible. Fu Yingchong could support Wang Dou, but he could not hand the artillery camp over to Wang Dou's hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the cannons cast by the Border Garrison Army were relatively standardized, so gunners could be interchanged without issue. The cannons of the Divine Machine Battalion, or those of the remaining Ming garrisons, had varying calibers, and each cannon had its own temperament; the gunners were all fixed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even disregarding Fu Yingchong's feelings, hastily replacing them with Border Garrison Army gunners might not yield any good results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The rebel slaves' distance: five li... four li...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within the Divine Machine Battalion's artillery position, an observer came over and nervously reported the distance between the Qing troops and the artillery camp to Fu Yingchong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Fu Yingchong's artillery position was almost piled full with hemp sacks and earth baskets. Throughout the position, densely packed earth carts were also placed. The complex layout looked like a maze from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside a circle formed by thick hemp sacks, the gaunt and lanky Fu Yingchong was craning his neck and peering toward the riverbank. The hemp sacks filled with earth here were piled so high and solid that they nearly submerged Fu Yingchong's neck. For safety, he had also deliberately placed his command flag far away, calling it with a fine-sounding name: all is fair in war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through his telescope, watching the Qing soldiers draw closer and closer, especially as their cannons came distantly into view, Fu Yingchong unconsciously parted his lips, revealing two large front teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiding inside the circle, he constantly encouraged his subordinates: \"Brothers, hold steady. Wait until the Tartars enter firing range before we shoot. We must let the Tartars on the opposite bank see the might of our Divine Machine Battalion...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the artillery pieces sheltered by the crenellated protective walls formed by numerous hemp sacks, the many gunners of the Divine Machine Battalion were also taut with nerves, tensely awaiting orders. Many of them were dressed in a motley array. After the great victory at Huangtuling, Wang Dou had gifted Fu Yingchong a large batch of captured Qing army armor to replace their showpiece armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of their own lives, those Divine Machine Battalion soldiers had all donned the issued armor. Only a few, for the sake of appearance, wore the armor underneath, making them look bulging and lumpy; those who didn't know better would think they were wearing multiple layers of heavy armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After many battles, these Divine Machine Battalion soldiers were much calmer and more composed than in days past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, another observer came over and reported the distance of the Qing troops on the opposite bank to Fu Yingchong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Yingchong let out an earth-shattering roar, his shrill voice shaking the air for over a dozen li: \"Open fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The artillery position shuddered, emitting deafening cannon fire. The twenty-five Great Divine Might General Cannons roared one after another, spewing thick white smoke forward. The dense smoke and dust instantly enveloped the bulky silhouettes of each cannon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of cannonballs weighing over ten catties each howled as they hurtled toward the Qing army on the opposite bank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou raised his telescope, tracing the flight trajectories of these cannonballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Divine Machine Battalion's cannons used four-wheeled gun carriages and were dug into pits with stakes driven in, once the cannons were fixed, they could only be adjusted up and down, with difficulty moving left or right. Thus, the flight trajectories of the cannonballs afterward were relatively fixed, making the range covered by the first volley of cannon fire quite critical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Fu Yingchong had ordered the firing when the Qing army was not yet three li away. Although the Great Divine Might General had a range of three or four li, still...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This round of bombardment seemed to have struck some Qing soldiers and achieved some results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst a series of booms, iron balls howled as they came, kicking up clumps of dirt and dust. The cannonballs shrieking past made the advancing gunners of the Ujen Choo battalion break out in cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, at such a long distance, the accuracy of the cannons was extremely low. Most of the cannonballs either fell short or bounced into the air. However, one large iron ball weighing over ten catties still sailed over a row of earth carts ahead and hurtled straight toward a cannon being dragged by seven or eight exhausted but sturdy oxen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the cannonball coming straight at them, the Han artillerymen beside the cannon scattered in a rush, and several Han soldiers holding whips also threw down their leather whips and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the oxen pulling the cannon did not know to flee, nor could they. The fiery hot iron ball spun as it plowed into the herd of oxen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loud cracking of bones breaking erupted. This heavy iron ball felled many sturdy oxen. Amidst mournful bellows and a mist of blood, it then slammed heavily into a shield cart not far behind, smashing the shield cart into splinters that flew up. Several bondservants pushing the cart howled as they were thrown to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some iron balls shrieked as they struck some earth carts pushed by bondservants. Amidst flying dirt, most lost their momentum and soon stopped bouncing on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One bizarre cannonball, after bouncing on the ground, actually burrowed under the bottom of an earth cart. Amidst miserable screams, this cannonball rolled on and snapped off the lower leg of a bondservant pushing the cart, then lunged toward a group of artillerymen further behind...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Qing army tried their utmost to learn certain Ming military equipment, they failed to grasp much of the essence. For example, the Ming army's current earth carts had many earth bags tied to the front underside, leaving no gaps, so that cannonballs could not burrow through and snap off the legs of the cart pushers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, the Qing army's earth carts still used a large number of single-wheeled carts. One single-wheeled earth cart was struck by a cannonball, and the tremendous concussive force caused a bondservant pushing the cart to spray blood from his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Youde bellowed loudly, ordering the artillerymen to drive the oxen and horses to evade, and to try their best to remember the trajectories of those incoming cannonballs, so as to avoid those paths next time. He knew that the Ming army's Divine Machine Battalion cannons, unlike the Great Qing's four-wheeled millstone gun carriages, could only fire straight ahead and were difficult to traverse left or right. As long as they were not directly facing them, they could evade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also loudly encouraged his subordinates to speed up their advance. The Divine Machine Battalion had already fired one volley. After two more volleys, they would need to let their cannons cool down, and within those one or two quarter-hours, it would be even safer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, a shadow lingered in his heart. He had already received intelligence that the Border Garrison Army's cannons could actually fire over fifteen volleys before needing to cool down. It was truly unbelievable. Were the cannons they used not Hongyi cannons, but all falconets?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, after two more volleys, the Divine Machine Battalion's artillery position on the opposite bank gradually quieted down. Seizing this opportunity, the gunners of the Ujen Choo artillery camp pushed their cannons forward with every ounce of strength they could muster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Kong Youde's eyes flashed coldly, and he barked an order to move the cannons to a certain spot ahead. Eduardo was startled and quickly advised, \"Your Excellency, wasn't it agreed that the artillery position would be set up on that slope?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new location Kong Youde designated had already deviated from the preset artillery position calculated by the observers. Kong Youde's sudden change of plan left him utterly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he was still somewhat in shock. Not long before, a Ming cannonball had shrieked past not far from him, scaring him into a cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a little bit closer, and he would have returned to the embrace of the Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he spoke daily of the glory of the Lord's embrace, he was unwilling to actually return to the Lord's bosom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like how everyone extols the beauty of heaven, but when it comes to actually going to heaven, not a single person is willing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Youde said hatefully, \"That position directly faces the Ming Divine Machine Battalion's artillery formation. Their cannons are inconvenient to turn. I intend to bombard their artillery formation from the flank, so that they can only take hits and cannot bombard us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eduardo felt displeased in his heart. The observers had already calculated the distance to the opposing artillery position and all sorts of data. Many laborers had also arranged hemp sacks and earth baskets over there. Now they had to start all over again, wasting time and energy. The thinking of these Easterners was truly unfathomable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the artillery camp was not Eduardo's to command. He could only follow as the artillery camp shifted its direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Kong Youde's artillery camp deviated from its bearing, Fu Yingchong had not yet noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had also conducted reconnaissance and estimated that the Qing army might set up their cannons on that raised hillock opposite, which was why he had specifically set up his artillery position here. After all, the opposite bank was flat and open, and only that spot held a slight terrain advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the cannons' cooling period ended, he again howled orders for his own artillery camp to continue the bombardment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another three volleys, due to an urgent warning from an observer, he was shocked to realize that the Han Banner's artillery position had deviated considerably from his own, setting up diagonally to the left side. In this direction, only a scant few cannons in his camp could reach them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Yingchong froze for a long moment, then shrieked and roared: \"Turn the cannons around, turn the cannons around!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Machine Battalion fell into chaos; the cannon crews at every gate immediately scrambled into frantic action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in such a short time, turning those heavy cannons around was easier said than done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First the wooden stakes fixing each cannon had to be pulled out, then a dozen or even scores of men had to laboriously swivel the cannon before driving stakes to fix it again. The protective walls also needed to be rebuilt, and because they were set up on high ground, some cannons even had to be dragged and repositioned anew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking again at the Qing army on the opposite bank, they were likewise setting up their cannon positions, only their speed was far faster than the Divine Machine Battalion's side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Yingchong was drenched in sweat, thinking: \"This is very bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou lowered his telescope, expressionless. The Ujen Coohai Cannon Battalion on the opposite bank was oriented more toward the Jingbian Army's cannon position, but they were three li away, so his own cannon position could not reach them with its fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the Ujen Coohai Cannon Battalion, large numbers of Han Banners were massing; they had not yet beaten the drums to cross the river, but the battle at Shuangzi Mountain would not allow them to delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said to Zhong Diaoyang beside him: \"Send the order to Zhao Xuan and the others — have them fiercely bombard the Han Eight Banners troops crossing the river!\" (To be continued.\u003C\u002Fp>",2423,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","b28e996b1512198c72e2c4b059c592ed5ee8c85a80afb91722c9c8f63f817edd","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-545","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-543",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]