mtl008 Chapter 197 Planning for the Future
Chapter 197 Planning for the Future
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"Cease fire, bayonet charge!" Quartz pointed his saber forward, his voice cracking from the force of his shout.
All the soldiers held their rifles level with their right sides, parallel to their abdomens, and charged forward shouting. The fifty paces were covered in a single charge, and the gleaming bayonets plunged viciously into the remaining scarecrows.
Three volleys of fire from 100 meters away, one volley of fire from close range, and finally a bayonet charge—there were no "enemies" left standing on the field.
Zhao Yue's face turned pale. He finally understood where Liu Ye's arrogant confidence came from. A musket capable of firing continuously in a short time, combining long-range and close-range combat, well-trained, disciplined, and orderly in formation—if tens of thousands of such musketeers were trained, where in the world couldn't they go?
Before he could even react, the second round of exercises began. The mountain artillery company's mountain howitzers were brought up, and 1,500 infantrymen regrouped.
The mountain grenade launcher, which had distinguished itself in numerous battles, once again demonstrated its power to Zhao Yue and his men. Its solid shot accurately hit a mound of earth 500 meters away, igniting the gunpowder buried within. The violent explosion created a dazzling effect. This tactic had effectively intimidated the experienced Sun Yuanhua, and it was no surprise that it had impressed Zhao Yue and his group.
After several rounds of artillery fire, the fifteen infantry companies advanced in orderly formation, platoon by platoon. When they were within a hundred paces, they fired a salvo and then charged with bayonets.
Even without on-site commentary, Zhao Yue could understand that the previous drills simulated localized battles, while this one simulated a complete battle. The cannons shook the enemy's formation, and then, taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, they moved into effective firing range, firing a salvo before finishing off the opponent with bayonets.
Zhao Yue was speechless, drenched in sweat. With such a powerful army, aided by cannons, who in the entire Ming Dynasty, let alone Guangdong, could defeat such an army? Given sufficient troops, if Liu Ye so desired, even changing the dynasty wouldn't be impossible. How could a small prefecture like Qiongzhou possibly stand against them?
He recalled that Liu Zezhong had actually offended Liu Ye to his face at the wedding banquet last night, and he was afraid that Liu Zezhong was about to die. He couldn't help but turn around and look at Liu Zezhong, only to find that Liu Zezhong had somehow woken up and was staring blankly at the scene in front of him.
The officials were stunned, while the common people who followed were dumbfounded. They only knew that the Qiongzhou garrison nearby was formidable, but seeing is believing. After witnessing the power of volleys and cannons firsthand, they truly understood what kind of army had risen up on their doorstep! If such an army was disciplined, it would be a blessing for them; if it committed atrocities, then the entire Lingao County and even Qiongzhou Prefecture would be reduced to a living hell!
The entire area was silent, except for the rumbling footsteps of the troops as they re-formed and ran.
The fifteen infantry companies and two mountain artillery companies participating in the exercise assembled in a very short time and formed a square formation facing the reviewing stand.
Looking at the neatly arranged square formation with its rows of spears, Zhao Yue felt an overwhelming pressure and an urge to turn around and leave.
At this moment, Liu Ye approached and asked, "Lord Zhao, how did my subordinates perform in their rehearsal? Do they meet your approval?"
Zhao Yue forced himself to speak and replied, "General Liu is too modest. This is Qiongzhou, no, Guangdong, and it is home to one of the strongest armies..."
"I am honored by your kind words, Lord Zhao." Liu Ye smiled. "I had intended to invite the Prefect to attend the ceremony in person, but unfortunately he is too busy with official duties to make it. However, it is the same if you, Lord Zhao, can come. I would like to ask you to put in a good word for me when you return, and say that the soldiers I have trained are worthy of the court's military pay and are capable of sharing the burden for the Prefect."
"Definitely, definitely." Zhao Yue forced a smile, but inwardly he was cursing: What kind of nice words were these? All he wanted to do was tell Prefect Qin that you, the military commander, have trained a powerful army and want to get involved in all the affairs of Qiongzhou Prefecture. If you know what's good for you, don't try to stop him.
"Then thank you in advance." Liu Ye put away his smile. "Changhua County was unable to attend the banquet and ceremony this time. It is said that there was a pirate disturbance, and the people in the area were unstable and unable to leave."
Zhao Yue's heart skipped a beat. What was this all about? He said, "So, Lieutenant General Liu also invited Changhua County. But if there really are pirates causing trouble, then that's understandable."
"As I just said, I have the ability and am willing to share the burden for the prefect and contribute my modest efforts to protect the people and the region. Since there are thieves in Changhua County, I will go and help them suppress them." Liu Ye said with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression.
Zhao Yue's heart skipped a beat. This probably wasn't about suppressing the bandits, but rather an opportunity for revenge. He tried to dissuade the other party: "Unauthorized deployment of troops is a major taboo; it must be reported up the chain of command and decided by superiors..."
"As the military commander of Qiongzhou, my jurisdiction covers the entire prefecture, and suppressing bandits within its borders is my duty. As for my superior's orders, I'll speak to Governor Mu later." Liu Ye dismissed Zhao Yue's reasoning with a casual remark, while also subtly showcasing his relationship with the governor.
The governor governs both the people and the army; with his orders, the prefect wouldn't dare utter a sound.
"This..." Zhao Yue thought for a moment, then tried to persuade him from a different angle, "As the saying goes, 'an army marches on its stomach.' When a large army sets out, we need to raise funds for its departure. Casualties are inevitable in war, and we also need to prepare compensation for the wounded. In addition, it will take some time to procure the provisions. We need to give the Prefect some time..."
Liu Ye waved his hand magnanimously: "Suppressing the bandits is my own choice, and the expenses are none of your concern, Prefect. I will raise the funds myself."
Zhao Yue was speechless. The other party could obtain military orders and provide its own food and supplies, and was willing to spend money to fight. What could he do? He sighed inwardly. Changhua County failed to see the situation and suffered the consequences. This was all he could do to help.
With the show over, Zhao Yue and the others declined Liu Ye's offer to stay a few more days and hurriedly embarked on their journey home.
a few days later.
This "pirate uprising" ended with the surrender of the Changhua County magistrate. Shi Ying did not personally handle the aftermath, but left it to the magistrate and others to avoid provoking the city's residents—the methods used in the siege were, after all, inhumane, and it was impossible for the people not to feel resentment. Having local military households handle the situation would at least prevent the conflict from escalating. Fortunately, the siege took place at the west gate, where the residential areas were relatively sparsely populated, so the casualties were not too severe, and it did not incite too much public resentment.
South Garden.
Through manufacturing guns, casting cannons, and building sailing warships, we grew from nothing to something, from weak to strong. A powerful army emerged from a remote island, defeated more than 10,000 government troops from Guangzhou, and successfully intervened in all affairs of Qiongzhou Prefecture, rapidly developing our strength.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Liu Ye formulated the following battle strategy: First, support Li Zicheng's army of refugees to capture Beijing ahead of schedule, using the pretext of defending the emperor to hasten the demise of the Ming Dynasty. Second, defeat Li Zicheng's army of refugees and the Tartar army. Third, establish a powerful dynasty.