Chapter 174

Time passed second by second, and the enemy camp was soon set up.

Perhaps having learned the lesson of being raided at night, apart from the main gate, the surroundings of the camp were filled with crisscrossing pits.

Even attacking during the day was full of risks, and the path for a night raid was directly blocked.

To break the enemy, apart from a head-on assault, there was no better choice.

There are pros and cons to everything.

Such a layout, while increasing the camp's defensive power, also affected the movement of the rebel soldiers.

Traps don't distinguish between friend and foe; whoever steps on them suffers indiscriminate damage.

"Regional Military Commissioner, the enemy camp is too large; only half is within the artillery range."

Artillery Company Commander Wen Shuyu reported with a difficult expression.

The camp of an army of seventy thousand was not small in area.

Yet the artillery's range was limited; even if mounted on the city walls for parabolic fire, increasing the range somewhat, it still couldn't fully cover the enemy camp.

In fact, covering half the area of the enemy camp was a significant exaggeration.

Different models of artillery had different ranges.

Apart from a few heavy cannons, most artillery had a range of only two or three miles.

As for accuracy, there was no need to mention it.

When artillery pursues maximum range, accuracy is metaphysics.

"No matter!

This opportunity was delivered by the enemy themselves.

Pass the order down: the whole army is to immediately light fires and cook."

Li Mu ordered calmly.

Opportunities for battle always come unexpectedly.

If the rebels had been a bit more cautious and set up camp further away, they wouldn't have been targeted.

Of course, if they were really that far away, the defenders would have killed their way out while the enemy was setting up camp.

Letting the enemy set up camp was nothing more than bullying the rebels for their lack of knowledge.

Troops like the Yangzhou Camp that were heavily equipped with artillery were few and far between in the entire Great Dayu Dynasty.

The most famous was naturally the Divine Machine Camp.

However, that unit didn't have time to perform before being buried on the Liaodong battlefield.

The rebuilt Divine Machine Camp hadn't been pulled onto the battlefield to fight yet, so its specific combat effectiveness was still an unknown.

The White Lotus Sect rebels mostly encountered local garrison units; let alone being equipped with a large amount of artillery, the bird-guns in their hands might have been passed down from the Taizu era.

Even the officials in the court mostly stopped their understanding of firearms in the previous era.

They were completely ignorant of the progress in artillery technology.

"Marquis, smoke is rising from the city.

It seems the pseudo-dynasty's army is preparing to stir up trouble at night again."

Hearing the secretary's reminder, Kong Siliu frowned.

This group of imperial troops before him was not easy to deal with; if he weren't the commander of the army, he would want to avoid the battle.

Just on the way here, they had encountered over twenty attacks of varying sizes.

The casualties caused to the army were not large, but it was disgusting.

After being tossed around all the way, he was filled with anger and had nowhere to vent.

"Hmph!"

"These imperial officials of the pseudo-dynasty are used to being arrogant and really think night raids are omnipotent.

I am not those three idiots who have no precautions at all.

If they dare to come tonight, I will definitely make them pay a heavy price.

Pass my commander's order: have all units prepare for battle!"

Kong Siliu said with disdain.

Although he spoke lightly, deep in his heart, he had increased his vigilance.

During the last Battle of Lianzhou, the White Lotus Holy Kingdom buried an army of one hundred thousand.

The enemy is not stupid; since they dare to repeat the same trick, they must have some certainty.

"Marquis, if the imperial army leaves the city, why not let them come over?

Then dispatch the cavalry to outflank them from both wings and swallow the enemy army in one bite!"

Just as Duan Lao Er finished speaking, Liu Erwa on the side reprimanded:

"Idiot!"

"Didn't you hear the military advisor say the enemy wants to raid at night?

What is your intention in letting the cavalry move at night?

If they accidentally fall into a trap, wouldn't the losses be heavy!

Even if we have to dispatch the cavalry, we should fill in the traps first, or ambush them outside now."

Where there are people, there will be disputes.

Although the White Lotus Holy Kingdom had been established for a short time, factional culture had been implemented from top to bottom.

Duan Lao Er and Liu Erwa grew up in the same village, but they had been at odds since childhood.

After entering the army, they continued their habitual bickering.

Being able to become military generals, apart from their daring to fight, was also an important factor that they looked down on each other.

If the two had a close relationship and were fellow villagers, it would be absolutely impossible for them to be promoted together.

"Enough!"

"You two roll out and reflect; come back to discuss matters when you've figured out what you did wrong."

Kong Siliu reprimanded angrily.

However, everyone could see that he wasn't really angry at the two; it was mainly that the two guys' proposals were too stupid.

Cavalry moving at night is something only elites can do.

The White Lotus Holy Kingdom's cavalry unit was in its infancy and couldn't withstand such a test.

Ambushing outside in advance was even more nonsense.

The enemy might raid at night, but it wasn't certain they would move.

If the enemy didn't come tonight, wouldn't the cavalry ambushed outside have to freeze for a night in vain?

Even if the cavalry had good health and could hold on, the warhorses also needed rest.

After being tossed around for a night, they definitely wouldn't be able to participate in the battle the next day.

On the city walls.

"Rebels, how afraid of death are they to still be reinforcing the camp!"

After putting down the telescope in his hand, Li Mu couldn't help but complain.

How many pits were around the camp, he reckoned the rebels themselves weren't even sure.

Just the anti-cavalry stakes at the main gate were deployed in seven layers.

Let alone blocking a cavalry charge, even blocking an infantry attack, he thought it would be enough.

The arrow towers and observation posts in the camp were also unexpectedly numerous.

Observing their behavior, they were building it like a turtle shell.

With such a cautious enemy, if it were a pure cold-weapon duel, he really wouldn't have a good way.

"They must have been scared by us to be so cautious.

The enemy's infantry doesn't count for much, but their cavalry is indeed a bit tricky.

The Huai'an Camp's cavalry organization hasn't been completed yet, so the rebel cavalry can only be handed over to the Yangzhou Camp.

The rebels have a numerical advantage; I'm afraid we won't be able to take them down in a short while!"

Jing Yifeng said, looking slightly troubled.

After seeing the Yangzhou Camp's troop configuration, and then looking at the Huai'an Camp, he always felt it was lacking something.

However, military expansion cannot be completed overnight.

Especially forming technical branches, which takes even longer.

Moreover, he was currently the acting Guangxi Regional Commander; where he would serve after the war was still an unknown.

More energy was placed on cultivating personal retainers.

For military generals, soldiers belong to the court, but only personal retainers are their own.

Li Mu was no exception.

Once it was confirmed he would be transferred to Guangxi, the only ones who could follow him would be his personal retainers.

According to custom, after the war ended, the Yangzhou Camp would return to Yangzhou.

But now it was wartime, and there were many vacancies in the Guangxi Army, which left him with maneuverability.

Arranging for the Yangzhou Camp's officers and soldiers to hold concurrent posts in Guangxi was the first step.

With a temporary concurrent post, there was the possibility of becoming permanent.

How to specifically operate it would depend on the next step of the court's situation development and the officers' and soldiers' personal wishes.

There was no technical content; it was purely a life choice.

Yangzhou had "money prospects," and Guangxi had "future prospects."

It specifically depended on whether everyone liked power more or money more.

"Seventh Uncle, just rest assured.

Our dynasty has long had weapons to deal with cavalry.

Back then, when Taizu Emperor was in the northern grasslands, he beat the Guifang people until they were crying for their fathers and mothers.

The rebel cavalry is at most a semi-finished product, far inferior to the grassland cavalry.

For these things, I've invested quite a bit of money."

Li Mu said with a smile.

The development of firearms in the Great Dayu Dynasty was still quite good.

It was just because of cost reasons that many advanced weapons hadn't been popularized in the army on a large scale.

The equipment provided by the court to everyone was based on the principle of being high-quality and inexpensive.

If you want good stuff, not only do you need connections, but you also need money to throw into it.

"Then I'll wait and see.

Don't make a joke out of it; the Army Supervisor will come to watch the battle.

If he sees it and the news reaches Grand Secretary Xu's ears, our subsequent money and grain will be troublesome."

Jing Yifeng reminded him.

Although they had rushed to plant a wave in winter, the time was too short, and the reclaimed land was only over three hundred thousand mu.

It sounded like a large number, but the yield of spring grain was not high.

Guangxi's land was barren, and to save time, even farm manure wasn't used much.

It was typical extensive cultivation with low yields; no one knew exactly how much the harvest would be.

If some were destroyed during the war, the actual harvest would be even less.

Without the court's support, the future days would be very difficult.

"Time is almost up.

Seventh Uncle, you'd better go and organize the army for battle!

Pass the order down: artillery is to cover the enemy camp for half an hour."

Hearing Li Mu's words, Jing Yifeng was startled.

Wasn't it agreed to be a night attack? The sky wasn't even dark yet!

It was just entering the You hour, and there was still a while before the sun set.

Even deceiving one's own people—this was too much.

Carrying a belly full of grievances, Jing Yifeng still quickly returned to the army.

On the battlefield, military orders are like mountains; since the commander had given the order, it had to be obeyed.

The roaring artillery fire sounded, and countless ammunition poured into the rebel camp, causing casualties everywhere in an instant.

"Enemy attack!"

"Marquis, the pseudo-dynasty..."

Before the guard could finish speaking, Kong Siliu waved his hand and interrupted.

"Alright, you don't need to talk nonsense; I'm not deaf!

Pass the order..."

Before he could finish, a shell landed in front of his commander's tent, taking away the guard in front of him on the spot.

Shrapnel brushed past Kong Siliu's forehead; he even felt the airflow.

Just a tiny bit more, and he would have met the King of Hell today.

Having walked through the gates of hell, cold sweat broke out on Kong Siliu's forehead.

The battlefield was truly too dangerous; even a commander like him could lose his life at any time.

At the critical moment of life and death, Kong Siliu didn't hesitate at all and immediately left the commander's tent, heading toward the rear camp.

"Quickly pass the order down: have all clans move out of the enemy's artillery coverage area!"

While running, he instinctively gave orders to the soldiers around him, completely unaware of what consequences this order would cause.

(End of chapter)