Chapter 523 After all, it's a firearm

It took more than half a day for dozens of general cannons to be lined up and installed on the top of the cliff on the south bank. In order to get these iron bumps on the cliff, hundreds of people were exhausted. They used thick ropes and long cables to slowly pull up from the top of the cliff. In order to prevent collisions with the rocks halfway, it is necessary to send people on the mountain road to grasp the direction, adjust the position, and treat these iron bumps like a baby.

Even if he was careful, the barrel of the three general's guns was still knocked and deformed by the cliff wall, and Zhang Ning jumped with pain and cried.

In the afternoon, a basket of shells were carried back to the cliff. Zhang Ning personally, calibrated the direction and angle, ignited and fired the first gun. The fire rope sneered and smoked. Although the officials hid far away to cover their ears, the huge sound wave still pierced into the ear drum, like a thundering on a sunny day, and a black smoke spewed out of the muzzle. The iron-like shell cut through the surging Yellow River at a speed visible to the naked eye and went straight to the top of the cliff on the opposite bank.

The rebels busy building fortifications and arrow towers on the opposite shore were also shocked by the sound of the sound of the explosion. The next moment, the stone foundation of an arrow tower being built exploded beside them. Suddenly, stone debris flew across, mud and waves rolled over. After dust and smoke, a group of stunned rebel soldiers suddenly found the arrow tower stone beside them. Half of the base has been collapsed, and seven or eight people and soldiers who are building the base are blurredly separated, and the smoke between flesh and blood is curling with heat.

"Boom".

Wait for the rebels to understand the situation, there was a continuous roar from the top of the cliff. The top of the cliff beside them suddenly bloomed on all sides, and the smoke and dust rose everywhere. The soldiers suddenly understood that the other side was bombarding here with firearms. Seeing the people around them turn over their limbs and their limbs flying into the air. The rebels scattered their souls and ran away with a shout. .

The slightly shrewd turtle huddled behind the big stone and fled to several stone paths down the cliff in a panic. Thousands of people competed for the path down the cliff. In the panic and pushing, dozens of people cried and fell to the top of the cliff more than ten feet high, and the situation was unbearable to see.

The situation of fleeing at the top of the cliff on the other side fell into the eyes of Yang Yiqing, Jiang Bin, Xu Tai and others. Everyone's eyes flashed with excitement and looked at the tragic situation on the other side with a slightly cruelty. Jiang Bin shouted, "Zhang Ning, bombard me and blow up these bastards."

Zhang Ning scratched his head and said, "Lord Jiang, the shells are expensive. Each cannon is only equipped with 20 shells, and one shot is one less. The people opposite are missing. Is there any need for bombardment?"

Yang Yiqing said, "Hause the bombardment. This thing is really an artifact. As long as they dare not continue to build arrow tower fortifications, we will achieve our goal. This thing will have to be used on the blade. I suddenly felt that if the strong ferry was under the cover of General Zankou, would it not get twice the result with half the effort? You think that if we suppress the other side with this thing, our people and horses will take the opportunity to cross the river, they should have a good chance of winning.

Zhang Yong laughed and said, "It's a good idea. As long as they dare to continue to build arrow tower fortifications, they will be forced to give up with a few cannons. Let's mobilize the boats and people to prepare and press the opposite side. When they react, I'm afraid our people have arrived at the opposite shore."

"That's exactly what I think. You might as well give it a try. Come on, pass on my order, and prepare all armies for forced crossing."

The generals responded and returned to their respective camps to gather troops and horses. The 3,000 people and horses of Yulinwei in Yansui Town first arrived at the dock and boarded hundreds of simple wooden boats and sheepskin rafts into the water and rowed to the opposite shore. The rebels on the opposite bank obviously found the intention of the officers and soldiers, and a lot of people emerged up and down the cliff. With his head coming, he bent his bow and arrow at the river below, intending to stop the forced crossing.

More than 100 ferries and sheep rafts struggled towards the opposite bank in the rapid river. After crossing two-thirds of the river, they have gradually approached the shooting range of feather arrows on the opposite bank. With Zhang Ning's order, the cannons fired together and bombarded the defenders on the opposite cliff.

Maybe they knew that as soon as they retreated, they would be broken through the ferry by the officers and soldiers, or perhaps they were forced by the sword of the supervision team. Although the rebels were frightened, they did not retreat, allowing the shells to fall into the crowd at the top of the cliff, setting off a rain of flesh and blood, and still shooting at the river at any time.

The dense arrow rain paid a heavy price for the officers and soldiers who crossed the river. Although the formation was very scattered, there were still heavy casualties. Many people were not hit by arrows, but the sheepskin raft under the seat was shot through and leaked, and the whole raft sank into the water. Dozens of officers and soldiers above were swept down by the torrent.

Jiang Bin roared, "Zhang Ning, bombard me and kill these desperate grandchildren."

Zhang Ning loudly ordered that the soldiers operating the artillery were busy with no time. One shell after another fell on the head of the dense archers on the top of the cliff on the opposite shore, causing dozens of casualties. But the rebels on the other side still hold their positions and seem to regard it as nothing.

When it was glued, a violent explosion sounded around. In a sound of exclamation, a general gun finally couldn't be fired continuously and blew up the burp, blowing up more than a dozen operating soldiers to pieces, and hurt dozens of people on the left.

"What's going on?" Jiang Bin shouted angrily.

Zhang Ning loudly ordered to stop the launch and rushed to Yang Yiqing and others to report anxiously: "Dear gentlemen, you can't launch any more. The mouth is hot and red. General Zankou can't stand such continuous use. If it is launched again, it will all be destroyed."

Yang Yiqing was so helpless that he had to order the horn of withdrawal. The ships on the river quickly turned around and roughly estimated that at least a dozen sheepskin rafts sank, and at least more than 500 people were shot by arrows and washed away.

Jiang Bin cursed angrily, and the generals also looked ugly. Unexpectedly, the rebels were so brave that they would not retreat, which was unexpected.

"You don't have to be frustrated. In my opinion, the casualties of the rebels are at least several times larger than ours. I estimate that at least two or three thousand people have been killed and injured. You have also seen the power of the bomb just now. It has been razed to the ground within a radius of several feet. According to the formation of soldiers and horses gathered on the opposite side, they will suffer at least 40 or 50 casualties with one shot. Xu Taidao.

"But we can't cross the river either." Huang Zheng, the commander of Lingzhou, sighed.

"Why do you have to cross the river? Isn't our purpose to put enough pressure on the soldiers and horses in Ningxia Town to go out? How can the rebels withstand such a large number of casualties? Our soldiers and horses can add that there are only so many people in Ningxia Town. Can they afford it?

"That's right, we can afford it, but they can't afford it." Jiang Bin turned his worries into joy.

Zhang Ning said worriedly, "Half of the shells have been consumed, and several barrels have also been transformed. Originally, this general gun has become scrap iron after firing dozens of rounds, and I'm afraid all of them will be destroyed here."

Jiang Bin patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you become a light pole. Lord Song said in the capital a year ago that our Shenshu camp will expand the scale of the artillery battalion. As long as the rebels can be put down this time, are you afraid that Lord Song won't make you a new cannon? Don't worry, brother, your general has shown great power here, which is a great achievement. Moduo thought about it and quickly went to repair and check it, and then another round before dark. Tell your people to aim more accurately. Don't release the cannon.

Zhang Ning bowed to Yingnu and rushed back to check the remaining cannons one by one. These iron pimples were frightening, and the restrictions of the smelting process made these guys only be majestic for a while. After dozens of shells, they were basically scrapped. Because of the waste of silver, although these guys are very powerful, there is no army in the Ming Dynasty that can scale up except for the Shenji Camp. Master Song had a grand wish to establish a artillery camp in the Shenshu camp, and Zhang Ning was full of expectations for this. At present, although I feel sorry for the fate of these guys, there is nothing I can do.

Before dark, the officers and soldiers organized a forced crossing again. This time, they made clear their minds and did not want to land successfully, but asked the rebels to go up the cliff to block it, so as to accept the trial of General Zhankou. All the soldiers on the ship are equipped with large shields and arrows, and the sheepskin raft is also covered with hay to avoid being shot into the wooden frame and hurting the airbag below. All the ships were away from the critical point of the firing range of the arrows, forcing the rebels to shoot arrows, but they could not attack intensively.

After cooling, General Zankou showed his power again, dumping hundreds of shells on the heads of the rebels and looking for a crowded place to bomb. In the second forced crossing, less than 100 officers and soldiers were killed, and the rebels on the other side suffered heavy casualties again, with more than 3,000 casualties.

The night fell, and the two sides calmed down and withdrew their respective troops back to the camp.

There was a mourning in the rebel camp four or five miles from the north bank of the Yellow River. He Jin came to an open space in the camp with more than a dozen generals in the dim bonfire. More than 2,000 wounded soldiers were concentrated here. Looking around, it was densely full of wounded soldiers, a cry.

Most of the wounded soldiers are limbless people. The officers and soldiers' cannons did not take their lives, but turned them into useless people. They lay on the cold ground crying and moaning. They all understand that if they lose their sound bodies, they lose all their value. If they can't fight, they can't get their military rations and can't do it after returning home. Living is basically equivalent to death.

He Jin looked at all this in horror, and his heart rose with unprecedented fear. After replenishing his troops, he still had 10,000 horses stationed at the West Cliff Ferry, but after the consumption of officers and soldiers on this day, 2,000 people were killed and 2,000 injured, and half of his people and horses were consumed.

When the first shell landed on the cliff, He Jin understood that in order to prevent the officers and soldiers from crossing the river, he would suffer heavy losses, but he had no choice but to force the soldiers to hold on to the top of the cliff and shoot arrows, otherwise the officers and soldiers would land. Once he landed, a steady stream of officers and soldiers will come one after another. He can't help but rely on the terrain of the Yellow River to defend here. Once the West Cliff is lost, everything is over, and Ningxia Town has become a bag of officers and soldiers. He can't imagine such a result.

He Jin, who was confidently guarding the West Cliff Ferry, now has no confidence in his heart. His soldiers and horses can no longer resist several rounds. If the officers and soldiers do the same tomorrow, where will they go?

"Deputy General Ding, you should be responsible for strengthening the vigilance at night to prevent officers and soldiers from forcibly crossing at night." He Jin sighed at Ding Guangdao around him.

Ding Guang said in a low voice, "The humble position will arrange it in person, but it's not a way to go on like this. We always have to deal with it, otherwise we will lose the west cliff if we can't survive for three days."

He Jin said, "I will go back overnight to report to the prince for more troops to defend."

Ding Guang whispered, "Your Excellency, I'm afraid I will blame you. A few days ago, I lost 5,000 people and horses, and today I lost more than 4,000 soldiers and horses. Tens of thousands of people folded in our hands, and the prince may be furious."

He Jin looked up at the sky and said, "Even if the prince cut off my head, I will go to see him. Xiya can't hold it, and everyone will lose their heads; I will take away all these two thousand wounded soldiers, let the prince see the strong firepower of the officers and soldiers, and let Zhou Ang and others shut up. The imperial court has made a lot of effort, and there is a general to help. This is the help of the divine machine camp out of Beijing. This is not what I He Jin can match.

Ding Guang nodded and said, "Yes, it's difficult."

He Jin whispered, "Do your best and see God's will. You and I have no choice." After saying that, he left the wounded soldiers' camp everywhere as if he were running away with the hilt of his sword.