The problem is that Zhu Jishi didn't lack artillery, not even the most advanced kind. He had powerful backers.
On the one hand, Zhu Jishi was a viscount of the British Empire, a pawn supported by Britain to divide the Qing Dynasty. On the other hand, one of his lovers, Maria, was a high-ranking French official with close ties to Napoleon III.
Therefore, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang truly had no shortage of advanced weapons. Basically, he could have anything that countries like Britain and France possessed. At most, he would just have to spend a little more pounds and francs.
"Alright, let the infantry get ready first, then bombard them with cannons. When they can't take the bombardment, they'll naturally come out to fight us," Zhu Jishi ordered.
At a command, rows of high-quality nine-pound and twelve-pound cannons were pulled out. They stood in rows, their dark, gaping openings pointing directly at the Qing army camp opposite.
For some reason, looking at those rows of neatly arranged cannons, Tacha suddenly felt a sense of crisis. He quickly asked, "What kind of cannons are these? Can they really shoot that far?"
Upon hearing this, most of the surrounding generals fell silent. They were all native Asians, had never studied abroad, and were not interested in the foreign knowledge recorded in Emperor Zhu's newspapers. Therefore, it was normal that they didn't recognize it.
Seeing this, Tacha couldn't help but sigh. They'd already attacked, and they still knew nothing about their intelligence? Wasn't that a huge underestimation of their enemy?
boom!
With a loud bang, cannonballs were launched in unison and landed on the opposite camp.
With the violent explosions, those who were unlucky were killed instantly. Those who were even unlucky were maimed. Those who were of average luck were demoralized and trembled with fear.
"It's devastated for dozens of miles! It's devastated for dozens of miles!" Sai Shang'a exclaimed in surprise.
He wasn't ignorant about military matters; he had even fought with Chen Ming of Lushan before. He had also seen the cannons Chen Ming carried, which, while somewhat more advanced than those of the imperial court, weren't significantly more advanced.
But why is there such a huge difference when it comes to Zhu Jishi? It doesn't make sense. They're all rebels, but this Zhu traitor is far too powerful.
boom!
With each bombardment, although not many were killed (the Qing army later learned to be more cunning and dispersed more widely), all the camps were completely destroyed. The morale of the Green Standard Army plummeted to rock bottom.
In Lin Yang's eyes, with each bombardment, the Qing army's fortunes decreased by one point, while Zhu Jishi's fortunes increased by one point.
If Tacha remains inactive, the Qing army's morale will plummet. At that point, they'll likely riot!
Looking around, although Tacha didn't know any aura-reading techniques, as a general, he knew deeply that he had to do something. Otherwise, they would truly be doomed.
"Beat the drums, distribute silver, and send the entire army out. Bring out all the silver you have left; victory or defeat hinges on this one battle," Tacha commanded.
"In this battle, it's a fight to the death. The safety of Guangzhou City rests on this one battle. Lord Sai, you will personally lead the swordsmen and stand at the gate of the camp. Regardless of whether they are Manchu or Han, anyone who retreats will be executed!" Tachaer said in a very loud voice.
Although everyone knows this is just a polite remark. If a Manchu retreats, they certainly won't be beheaded; they are a nationality, after all. But if a Han Chinese retreats, well, they will truly face certain death!
Upon hearing this, Sai Shang'a immediately agreed, saying, "Very well, I will now bring out the Imperial Sword bestowed by the Emperor. Any official, even a general, who retreats to the gate of the camp, I will use this sword to cut off his head."
After saying that, he took out a box. Inside the box was a precious sword, the Shangfang Sword, painstakingly crafted by the court's artisans.
Then, Sai Shang'a bowed to the box, and after bowing, he carefully took out the sword with both hands. This sword was extremely powerful, and it was also imbued with the imperial court's fortune, making it a first-rate divine weapon.
Upon seeing this, the Green Standard Army generals present all gasped in shock. This was for real! If they tried to escape, they might really be beheaded on the spot.
Standing in the distance within the military camp, Lin Yang scanned the area with his divine eye and noticed that the aura opposite them had suddenly surged. Observing the military aura further, he could easily determine that they were about to leave the camp.
"My lord, the Qing army is about to be mobilized," Lin Yang warned.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jishi didn't ask why, but nodded and immediately began to relay the orders.
"All the honored commanders of the Imperial Guards stepped forward, ready to mobilize the army."
As soon as the words were spoken, hundreds of Jinyiwei commanders, dressed in flying fish robes and with embroidered spring knives at their waists, stepped forward. They were, of course, not real Jinyiwei commanders, and naturally had no real power; they were merely honorary commanders.
However, looking at these honorary commanders, Lin Yang was truly astonished. All of these hundreds of people possessed second-tier red aura. This meant that each and every one of them possessed second-tier strength!
In this world, they would be considered mid-level rank experts. Within a sect, they would hold the position of guest elder. But where did so many of them come from?
Seeing this, Zhu Jishi laughed and said, "Haha, many of these honorary commanders are from the Hongmen. They may know nothing about politics and military affairs, but they have a heart for overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming. Therefore, I naturally cannot let them down."
"As for the rest, they are some heroes. I am based in Hong Kong, and I am fair and upright in my dealings. In addition, I am committed to overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming. Therefore, I am a good candidate for those heroes who have failed in their rebellion."
"These honorary commanders were actually the forces held by those heroes who failed in their rebellions. Now, they have been temporarily incorporated into my ranks," Zhu Jishi said with a smile.
With hundreds of innate masters working together, even though their exposure to military qi was relatively short, their sheer number made up for it. Several hundred people, each responsible for a hundred soldiers, were more than enough.
Soon, tiny rays of light were extracted from the 20,000 elite soldiers and gathered in front of Zhu Jishi.
"Good, good, good, this is destiny!" Zhu Jishi said happily, looking at the large, pale red orb in front of him.
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Chapter 52: Tearing Apart the Tartars with Hands and Hiding a Mine in the Crotch
At the same time, hundreds of innate masters formed hand seals in unison. Lin Yang could tell that this was the same manual he had presented.
After glancing at the enormous sphere of light visible to the naked eye above his head, Lin Yang could only say that from this day forward, the history of this world had been completely altered.
Military might, this powerful weapon used by the imperial court to suppress the world, has officially emerged. From now on, the changes that the Chosen Ones will bring to this world will undoubtedly continue to increase.
"Fire at close range, starting when they are 300 paces away. However, there should be fewer attackers. Give them the illusion that although the firepower is strong, as long as they are not afraid of sacrifice and death, they can still break through."
"When the distance is between 300 and 100 paces, the firepower should be gradually increased. In fact, this means gradually increasing the number of people covered by the military aura from one-tenth to about one-third. The rest remain the same. Put pressure on them, but also give them hope."
"As for within fifty paces, at most half of all members can receive the military aura bonus. Only when the Eight Banners cavalry charge will there be a true full-member buff. Yes, that's the gist of it. As for the specific command, Old Pierre, you guys handle it," Zhu Jishi said.
After all, with the advent of military might, the nature of warfare has undergone a radical transformation. Previously, generals had far too many things to consider.
But now, with military aura, basically anyone with normal intelligence can become a true general. All you need to do is learn how to utilize military aura.
Bump Bump Bump
When the Green Standard Army soldiers, who had received their reward and were in high spirits, entered within three hundred paces, they were met with a dense hail of bullets.