Chapter 297: Flag Language

"Your Highness, after much thought, I have decided not to expose the Flintlock Infantry of the Prince's Personal Army for the time being," Chang Wei said.

Currently, only thirty thousand men in the Prince's Personal Army are equipped with flintlocks.

The other soldiers are still equipped with traditional weapons and armor.

In his view, the previous equipment is sufficient to deal with the Xiliang soldiers in the camp.

After all, several battles have already proven the superiority of the Prince's Personal Army's weapons and armor.

Using flintlocks now would only expose the Prince's new-style weapons prematurely, causing Xiliang to take more cautious actions.

And this would undoubtedly reduce the effectiveness of the flintlocks in key battles and prolong the war in Jinzhou.

Zhao Xu nodded.

He and Chang Wei share the same thought.

Using artillery now is sufficient; after all, Xiliang has long known about the news of the artillery.

It is better to save the flintlocks for battles similar to a decisive engagement to act as a surprise attack.

Moreover, in such a narrow mountain path, the flintlock troops cannot exert their maximum effectiveness.

While the two were talking, the Wangfu Army soldiers gradually approached the Xiliang camp.

And there was movement within the Xiliang camp as well.

However, the Xiliang soldiers had no intention of attacking proactively, but instead lined the front of the camp with caltrops.

Behind the caltrops, it was full of Xiliang archers.

Xiliang camp.

Ye Renrong observed the Wangfu Army soldiers advancing toward the front of the camp.

The armor on these Yan King Army soldiers is bright and distinct.

The marching formation is orderly and not chaotic at all.

He had not even seen this kind of momentum in the Great Song Imperial Guard.

Thinking of this, his heart sank involuntarily; he cannot underestimate the Yan King's soldiers.

It is precisely because of this that he decided to adopt a defensive posture and never attack proactively.

If the situation is not good,

retreat at any time.

"Rumble..."

The Yan King Army soldiers continued to advance, but suddenly stopped at a position three hundred meters away from the Xiliang camp.

Ye Renrong's eyes narrowed, and he looked at the stone throwers behind the wooden fence of the camp.

They were already loaded with crushed stones; as long as they were fired, the sky-filling stones would fall on the heads of the Yan King Army soldiers.

Then he looked at the firearms in front of the camp.

The trees they cut down were not wasted, but were used to build wooden platforms in front of the camp, on which firearms were placed.

As long as the Yan King Army soldiers charged, these firearms would smash stone bullets fiercely at them.

But their range is all around three hundred meters.

And within one hundred meters is the shooting range of the Xiliang archers.

Now the Wangfu Army soldiers have stopped exactly outside their shooting range.

"Artillery." Ye Renrong's heart suddenly jumped.

He knew what the Yan King Army was going to do.

Rumor has it that the artillery has a very long range and immense power.

They must be planning to use artillery to strike their camp.

Although he guessed it, Ye Renrong felt very helpless.

Because he was completely powerless to stop it, and one of his own tasks was to witness the power of the artillery and then pass it back to Jincheng and back to Xiliang.

"Put in some effort."

On a flat hillside in the middle of the mountain path, the artillerymen were struggling to push the artillery up.

This is the shooting location they had chosen days ago.

Twelve pieces of artillery can fit here.

And a hundred meters in front of them, there is another protruding mound where artillerymen are also positioning field artillery.

"His Highness the Yan King is truly thoughtful; he specially built field artillery. If it were siege cannon, it wouldn't be easy to cross mountains and ridges," an artilleryman said while pulling the artillery.

"Indeed, this field artillery is truly suitable for fighting in the field," another artilleryman said.

"..."

Although they were talking, the artillerymen's hands did not stop moving.

The artillery was soon positioned properly, with the muzzles aimed at the Beidi camp.

After finishing all this, one of the artillerymen took two small red flags from his waist and performed a few movements.

This was taught to them by their commander, called Flag Language.

It is said that it was taught to the commanders by the Yan King at the Military Academy, and the commanders then taught it to them.

In two or three months, they have practiced it quite proficiently.

And they understand the meaning of the various positions of the flags.

Now they are telling the artillery Commandant in front that they are ready.

After the Flag Language here was finished, the flag signaler in front returned a few movements, meaning to wait for orders.

On the city wall of Feihu Pass.

Zhao Xu watched the artillerymen's proficient Flag Language movements, feeling very satisfied in his heart.

On the first day of lecturing at the Military Academy, he taught Flag Language, taught the various Flag Language movements to the generals, and even specifically distributed booklets of Flag Language movements to them.

It appears now that they have practiced quite well.

Now with the Telescope, combined with Flag Language.

Over a very large distance, they are all able to transmit messages through Flag Language.

This will make the command of the Prince's Personal Army on the battlefield even more handy.

Once all the Artillery were ready, Chang Wei had the flag signaler beside him wave the flag to transmit the order: "Fire."

The flag movements on the city wall were captured by the flag signalers in the mountain path.

In less than half a minute, the sound of cannons rang out in the valley.

"Boom, boom, boom..." Red firelight and white smoke emerged from the muzzles.

The Artillery, positioned high above, fired black Cannonballs toward the Beidi camp.

The wooden fence in front of the Beidi camp collapsed almost instantly at the sound.

"Deputy Leader!"

The moment the Artillery sounded, the horses in the Xiliang camp let out panicked neighs.

The thunderous explosions triggered their biological instincts, and they only wanted to flee.

Besides the Warhorse, there were also camels in the camp.

If they had not been tethered to wooden stakes, they would have already fled by now.

Ye Renrong struggled to keep himself from appearing panicked.

Even though he had been mentally prepared for such legendary things as Artillery.

But hearing it with his ears and witnessing it with his eyes on the battlefield, he still felt instinctive fear.

And after the loud noise, black afterimages flew toward them.

The afterimages crashed into the wooden fence, and the fence either collapsed or snapped.

A Stone Thrower was hit and tipped over directly.

Some Xiliang soldiers did not react in time, were crushed by the Stone Thrower, and let out bursts of screams.

Even more Xiliang soldiers in front of the camp were hit directly, their arms severed, blood flowing freely.

The loud noise combined with the immense power left not only Ye Renrong but also the other Xiliang generals and soldiers inexplicably terrified.

They could see the location of Yan Wang's Artillery from afar.

The closest ones were still over four hundred meters away.

Yet to strike from this distance and still possess such power!

"Boom, boom, boom..." The massive roaring of the Artillery rang out incessantly.

Black Cannonballs fell into the Xiliang camp like raindrops.

More and more Xiliang soldiers were struck by Cannonballs, and screams filled the air.

A black Cannonball landed less than three paces from Ye Renrong, then bounced up and struck the head of the soldier behind him.

His soldier did not even have time to make a sound before falling directly, with only residual flesh and blood left on his neck.

Ye Renrong swallowed hard.

In such a narrow space, facing Yan Wang's Artillery, they were practically just throwing their lives away.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said to the Main General beside him: "Fighting here will only waste the lives of Xiliang soldiers for nothing. Leave three thousand men to cover the rear and stop Yan Wang's troops from pursuing; the others will withdraw from the camp, let Yan Wang's troops penetrate deep into Jinzhou, and then we shall reconsider."