Chapter 215

【The first row fires, retreats to reload;

The second row steps forward to fire, then retreats;

The third row steps forward... repeating this, it can form a continuous rain of bullets, called "three-stage shooting."

Although the crossbow array is dense, there are always gaps, and the range and armor-piercing ability of crossbow arrows are not as good.】

Ying Zheng was heart-stirring as he listened. He looked at the ugly musket and looked into the distance, muttering:

"With this thing... why do I need so many cavalry? Line up and move forward, who can stop it?"

Gu Shanhe added: "Cavalry is still needed. The firearm camp crushes the enemy formation from the front, and the cavalry is used for flanking, chasing down the defeated enemy, and scouting the enemy situation."

"Infantry, cavalry, artillery... oh, firearms, coordination, is the kingly way."

"Infantry, cavalry, fire coordination... Good! What a kingly way!"

Ying Zheng laughed loudly, "Order! Tiangong Workshop to produce this musket with all its might!"

"Qin Huali, Gongshu Chou, you two have made unworldly merits, each promoted three ranks, rewarded with a thousand catties of gold. All participating craftsmen will be heavily rewarded!"

"I want to establish the Divine Machine Camp, Meng Tian, the soldiers will be selected by you from the elite soldiers of each army, and strictly trained!"

"Yes!"

Everyone responded loudly, each full of energy.

Just when Great Qin was in full swing with the "Industrial Revolution" and "Military Reform," some discordant voices emerged in the dark.

Former land of Chu, Xuyi.

In an abandoned noble manor, the campfire went out.

A giant man with an extremely burly figure, wearing old leather armor, holding a long, large iron halberd, stood on a large rock, roaring at the dense crowd below.

He was Xiang Yu, the one in history who could lift a tripod and was brave in the army.

However, in this plane of time and space, he hadn't had time to rise up with his uncle Xiang Liang, and Great Qin was in full swing, conquering the north and east, its power growing stronger day by day.

He could only take some Chu nobles and rangers who were dissatisfied with Qin, hiding east and west, holding a fire of evil in his heart.

"Old man Ying Zheng, tyrannical and lawless! Attacking the Xiongnu in the north is exhausting the soldiers and wasting money!"

"The eastern expedition to Fusang is even more competing with the people for profit! And that bullshit Guoshi, playing god!"

Xiang Yu waved his iron halberd, the halberd tip flashing cold light in the fire,

"My Great Chu was destroyed by such a tyrannical Qin!"

"I, Xiang Ji, swear here today that I will reorganize the Chu army, break into Xianyang, take Ying Zheng's dog head, and sacrifice to our Chu ancestors!"

The crowd below was incited by him to howl, mostly frustrated old nobles and some desperate people who believed in Xiang Yu's bravery.

They gathered about seven or eight thousand people, calling themselves the "Chu Army," and Xiang Yu called himself the "Overlord of Western Chu," which looked quite decent.

They had recently robbed several small Qin army supply stations, obtained some weapons and armor, and their arrogance was even more rampant.

"Overlord! I heard that the Qin army has come up with some new weapons, very powerful!" a subordinate reminded.

"Pah!"

Xiang Yu spat disdainfully,

"What bullshit new weapons, Ying Zheng just likes to engage in these strange skills!"

"In the face of true bravery, they are all earthen dogs!"

"I, Xiang Ji, could lift a tripod at sixteen, and behead generals before the battle at eighteen, what am I afraid of his bird gun?"

"Pass the order down, gather the troops, let's go and plunder the commandery grain depot! Let the Qin dogs see who is the true hero of this world!"

The news soon reached Xianyang.

At this time, the first batch of three hundred flintlock muskets had been equipped to the first "Divine Machine Camp" unit carefully selected and trained by Meng Tian, and they were conducting final adaptive drills near Xianyang.

At the morning court.

Ying Zheng looked at the military report and sneered: "Xiang Yu? Is that the Chu remnant who is said to have some strength?"

"Gathered a few thousand mobs, and dare to call himself Overlord? And wants to break into my Xianyang?"

Meng Tian stepped out: "Your Majesty, such jumping clowns are not worth mentioning."

"I request to lead a part of the Divine Machine Camp to go and exterminate them, just to test the quality of the new army with actual combat."

Ying Zheng looked at Gu Shanhe: "What does the Guoshi think?"

Gu Shanhe was a bit bored, nodded upon hearing this,

"It can be done. General Meng has worked hard training the army, it's time to see some blood."

"Three thousand Divine Machine Camp, plus two thousand light cavalry to assist, is enough. As for the location... choose an open plain, just right for the new weapons to be displayed."

"Approved!"

Three days later, an open plain somewhere in the Central Plains.

The autumn wind carried a chill.

Three thousand Divine Machine Camp soldiers were arranged in three neat phalanxes, each with a thousand people, twenty in horizontal rows, fifty in vertical rows.

They wore uniform dark red number clothes (convenient for identifying blood stains and gunpowder smoke), covered with light iron-plated armor, iron helmets on their heads, standing silently.

In their hands were the flintlock muskets that had just been issued and were still oily.

On the belts around their waists hung fixed paper bullet boxes and inserted cleaning rods.

Everyone's face carried a trace of nervousness, and more of curiosity and eagerness to try.

They had been trained for several months, every day just loading, aiming, firing (blank or live ammunition target practice), and had never fought with real swords and guns.

Fifty paces in front of the phalanx, a shallow trench was dug, which counted as a simple fortification.

On the flanks of the phalanx were two thousand light cavalry personally led by Meng Tian, with bits in their mouths and bells removed from their horses, waiting quietly.

In the distance, dust rose.

Xiang Yu's "Chu Army" had come.

Seven or eight thousand people, chaotic, horsemen and walkers mixed together, but several "Chu" and "Xiang" flags were raised.

Xiang Yu rode on an exceptionally strong black horse, holding that iconic Heavenly Dragon Breaking City Halberd.

Wearing a complete set of iron armor, he looked quite majestic.

He saw the Qin army phalanx waiting in full battle array in front, the number of people didn't seem to be many, and the formation was strange (no long spears like a forest, only black pipes), and couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"Qin dogs have only this many people? And want to stop me?"

"Children! Follow me and crush them, the first one to rush into the enemy formation will be rewarded with a hundred gold, ten women!"

The Chu army let out a strange cry, and under Xiang Yu's leadership, began to accelerate.

Cavalry in front, infantry behind, although chaotic, the momentum of the charge was not weak.

The sound of horse hooves, footsteps, and battle cries mixed together, and the ground was shaking slightly.

In the Divine Machine Camp phalanx, some new soldiers' palms began to sweat.

But the officers at all levels (all selected by Meng Tian from old soldiers) scolded in a low voice: "Steady! Listen to the orders!"

Meng Tian stood on a slightly higher slope in the center army, calmly watching the Chu army enter two hundred paces... one hundred and fifty paces... one hundred paces!

"First row! Raise guns!" the officer roared.

"Whoosh!"

The first row of one thousand muskets raised in unison, the black gun barrels pointing at the charging Chu army.

"Aim!"

The Chu army had entered the best shooting range of eighty paces.

The ferocious faces of the cavalry in the front could be vaguely seen.

"Fire!"

"Bang！！！！！！"

One thousand explosions almost merged into one earth-shattering loud noise!

Fire flashed, and dense white gunpowder smoke instantly gushed out from in front of the first row of soldiers, forming a smoke wall.

The front row of the charging Chu army seemed to hit an invisible wall, people and horses overturned!

Lead balls easily tore through leather armor, even iron armor that wasn't too thick, drilled into flesh, bringing out patches of blood mist.

Warhorses fell with mournful cries, throwing the riders on their backs far away.

With just one volley, the sharp arrowhead of the Chu army was cut off by a large piece!

At least two or three hundred people fell in a pool of blood.