Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 281 Zhu Chongba's First Show
Boom boom boom boom——

The revolving cannons on the tower ship were still firing continuously. Each revolving mother-and-child cannon was equipped with six sub-guns. The shells and gunpowder were loaded in the sub-guns in advance. After firing a shot, one only had to pull out the iron flash (the breech block, a wedge used to tighten the sub-gun) at the back to replace the sub-gun, then tighten the iron flash, aim in the direction, and then ignite and fire again.

Since this time they were facing the enemy on one side, only one side of the cannon on either side could fire, and with the use of standardized common parts, they simply used the sub-guns on the other side as well. In this way, each gun had 12 sub-guns available, and the fighting was naturally continuous. It was like a rain of iron on the top of the city wall, and anyone who dared to climb onto the top of the city wall would have no chance of survival.

Although the firepower of the tower ship is strong, the last two or three hundred meters of waterway is difficult to navigate. It is necessary to sail from the Yangtze River into the Guxi River, and then from the Guxi River into the moat. The moat is only a hundred meters wide. The closer to the city wall, the narrower the river, and the less useful the sails.

So Liu Chuanyi had no choice but to order the sails to be lowered. The last 200 meters were all reached by the gunners and sailors on the lower level holding oars, rowing and paddling to slowly reach the city wall.

Fortunately, there was artillery suppression on the third floor, otherwise it would have been difficult for the ship to pass through.

Boo hoo hoo hoo——

Buckshot was still flying from the top of the city wall. A Yuan soldier poked his head out from the stairs with a shield in his hand. After a few clangs, several holes were made in the shield. The man bravely stretched his head to take a look, and was almost paralyzed by fright at just one glance.

"Oh my god, they're all dead, ugh~ they're all smashed to pieces."

Listening to the whistling sound of the cannonballs overhead and the soldier's description, Nahachu looked gloomy under the city wall and rubbed the iron bullets in his hands vigorously, but he quickly made a decision and shouted, "The enemy's guns are well-equipped, but they do not distinguish between enemies and friends. Once the enemy soldiers climb the city, they will definitely stop shooting. That will be our chance to climb the city and resist the enemy.

"Hide the armored soldiers on the stairs and under the city walls. Send people to keep an eye on the top of the city walls. As soon as the muskets stop firing, charge up. The remaining archers climb up the roofs of the streets behind the city and aim at the top of the city walls. Once the bandits reach the city walls, shoot them hard."

"Yes."

It is always better to have a way than to have no way. When everyone heard this, they thought it made sense, so they all acted according to Nahachu's orders. In the end, the remaining one hundred or so archers climbed onto the roof of a street behind the city wall. This place was lower than the city wall and would not be hit by shotgun shells, but it was not much lower than the city wall. When the enemy appeared on the top of the city wall, they could also shoot at the top of the city from here. Nahachu had chosen a good place.

Unfortunately, he made another wrong prediction, or rather, he simply had no idea how many tricks and tricks Lu Jin had.

At the same time, outside Dangtu City, while the tower ship was trying to approach the top of the city and constantly making adjustments, Bai Guangtai also commanded a large number of troop transport ships to continuously send the siege troops to the land on the east coast.

Yang Jing led four regiments of soldiers and assembled outside the west gate under the cover of artillery fire from the tower ships. Zhu Shou also assembled outside the south gate with four battalions of musketeers. The trap camp led by Xu Yong was the closest. They would first board the tower ships to seize the city, and then let the main force in after controlling the city gate.

Just as the three troops gathered in place, the three officers took out the orders that Lu Jin had issued in advance from their arms.

Yang Jing looked at the soldiers of the Fourth Regiment and shouted, "The commander-in-chief has issued an order!"

The army pricked up their ears when they heard Yang Jing shouting, "Nahachu, the commander of Dangtu City and the commander of Taiping Road, is the descendant of Muhuali, a general who founded the Mongolian Empire. He helped the Tartar invade China and enslaved our compatriots, lost our territory, and slaughtered our people. He deserves his credit by paying homage to the King of Lu."

"His hero is my enemy!"

Zhu Shou was also giving a loud lecture to the four musket battalions of the First Brigade of the Imperial Guards. "Although Mu Huali is dead, his descendant Nahachu is still alive and still bullies the Han people. Right here in Dangtu City, Nahachu is still inciting the Han people to serve the Tartars and fight against us, killing our brothers and sisters. What should we do?!"

"kill him!"

"eye for eye!"

"Drive out the Tartars and restore China!" The imperial guards below also responded loudly.

Xu Yong glanced at the nearly one thousand heavily armored infantrymen in the Xianzhen Camp and read aloud every word.

"The commander-in-chief has ordered that if this beast is captured alive, he will be promoted three ranks, given the title of baron, and given three hectares of land, three hundred taels of silver, ten cows, and two horses!
"If you behead this beast, you will be promoted two ranks, given one hectare of land, one hundred taels of silver, three cows, and a horse. Did you hear that clearly?!"

“Understood!!”

There was an earth-shaking shout outside the city, and countless soldiers of the Holy Army turned red-eyed when they heard the reward.

Anyone who joins the Shengwu Army and has no land at home will be given 50 acres of land. If the family has less than 50 acres of land, they will also be given the full 50 acres. The rest of the land can be divided among brothers or parents. This is equivalent to resettlement money. In this respect, Lu Jin is very generous.

However, the Shengwu Army did not have any military pay, but only provided food, accommodation and clothing. Soldiers did not need to provide their own weapons, armor, horses, and all military supplies were provided by the commander's office. The soldiers had no worries about food, clothing and accommodation, but apart from the output from the land, they had no other income. They only received an allowance occasionally, which was equivalent to pocket money for the soldiers.

For example, when Dingyuan was producing salt, the finances of the Marshal's Office were slightly more abundant and had a stable income, so they gave the soldiers an allowance.

Generally speaking, as long as the land distributed to their families still produces output, the soldiers will not complain too much. After all, they still have official positions as compensation. As long as they make meritorious services, they can be promoted. Why should they be afraid of not being able to become rich after conquering the world?
However, even with this promotion, some officers privately discussed it. Lu Jin called himself a marshal, but never called himself a king or an emperor. Instead, he created the ranks of commander, commander-in-chief, army chief, as well as major general, lieutenant general, general, and general. However, these were not titles after all, and the soldiers had no idea about them.

Besides, if Lu Jin himself did not claim to be king, how could these officers make progress? They lived on the edge of a knife and fought to the death, all they wanted was to be immediately granted a title of nobility, to have a wife and children with good fortune. However, Lu Jin never mentioned in public that he wanted to be granted a title of nobility.

The incident with Wang Dayuan doesn’t count, as that was said in private.

There were instructors in charge, and although the soldiers didn't say it out loud, they were still thinking about it in their hearts.

This was the first time that Lu Jin promised a title in public in the form of an order. Even if it was only an earldom, it was enough to excite the soldiers.

"How can one become an earl if he kills the general and seizes the flag?"

"The city is almost bald from the bombardment. It's as easy as eating and drinking water to attack the city first. If you were to attack the city like an ant, the reward would be different."

"I think it's because Nahachu is too young. If his ancestor Mu Huali was still alive, the Marshal would definitely offer a reward for the title of Marquis. The younger one is not as valuable as the older one."

"Right."

The soldiers were discussing the bounty, and the Xianzhen Camp was no exception. In Zhu Yuanzhang's squad, Cui Jian, who had previously said that the Seven Stars could not be seen in broad daylight, couldn't help but speak up at this moment.

"Brother Chongba, Earl! You will be granted 300 mu of land and promoted three levels. You can even be a commander of a thousand households. Do you want to do it?"

Zhu Chongba was wearing heavy black armor, and poked the ground with his 2.8-meter-long flower spear in his hand. He said indifferently, "There are more than 10,000 soldiers in the army, and many of them are better than us. How can we be that capable?"

Although he said this, he couldn't help feeling hot in his heart. He used to be a monk in Huangjue Temple and was recruited by Lu Jin as a personal soldier. Lu Jin also helped him find his family. He originally thought that he was the only one alive in the family, but he actually found his sister-in-law, nephew, brother-in-law, and nephew.

Now those two guys have become successful and joined Lu Jin's artillery battalion, learning artillery tactics. Recently I heard that his nephew Lu'er was sent to Anqing to guard a fort, and he has been promoted to the rank of deputy battalion officer, with hundreds of soldiers under him, while his uncle, who joined the army first, is still just a small squad leader.

As the saying goes, first come, first served, first come, first served, but now I have fallen behind my nephew. How can I accept this?
Although he also knew that his nephew was a technical officer and that technical officers could be promoted when needed, while he had to wait to fight and make meritorious contributions to be promoted, there was nothing he could do if there was no war.

He has been training and practicing every day, just waiting for this day. Now the war is finally going to happen, and the Marshal has given him a reward. He can be promoted three levels in a row. How could he not be tempted?
At this moment, Zhou Tong, the deputy monitor of the same class, also spoke with his saber in hand.

"Chongba, I think we can fight for it. The positions of the brothers are too low. Even if they are promoted three levels, they can only be company commanders. But if you are promoted three levels, you can be a battalion commander of a thousand households.

"I heard recently that we are going to expand our army again. After this battle, many people will definitely be promoted. The battalion officers of Qianhu will be promoted to commanders, and the commanders will be promoted to superintendents. This is an opportunity. If you become a battalion officer this time, you will be promoted to commander and superintendent in the future, and it will be soon." Zhu Yuanzhang looked back at them when he heard this. Zhou Tong nodded at him. Another archer and swordsman team leader named Li Wu also said when he saw this.

"What the squad leader said is right. It's useless for brothers to be promoted three levels to company commander. It's such a waste. There are company commanders everywhere in the army. Only when you become a battalion officer can you stand out. Didn't you see that only those above battalion officers were invited to the meeting before? The company commander can't even see the Marshal.

"If you really want to win this military merit, your brothers can help you catch that wolf cub, but when you become rich and become a great master, don't forget your brothers. If any of your brothers die in battle, you have to help take care of our wives and children at home."

"Yes, Uncle Zhu, if you become rich and powerful, please don't forget me. Don't forget to take my little brother with you." Cui Jian also said with a smile.

Zhu Chongba glanced at the others again and asked, "Do you really want me to fight for this military achievement?"

Li Wu nodded again. "We risk our lives and fight for this, why not fight for it? There are tens of thousands of people attacking the city, and it's hard to say who will get the wolf cub! What if we run into him?"

Zhou Tong stroked the long-handled saber in his hand and said, "Zhongba, you know my family is a butcher. I, Zhou Tong, have followed my father to butcher cattle and horses since I was young. I have killed many large animals, and those are all spiritual things. Some people say that my family has committed too much sin of killing.

"Two years ago, my sister was 28 years old. Her family arranged a marriage for her, but the boy was unlucky. He fell ill and died before my sister got married. Now my sister is 19 years old, and because of this, she still hasn't married. If you win military merit this time..."

"Let's marry her!" Zhu Yuanzhang quickly expressed his opinion.

"A few years ago, there was a disaster in Haozhou. My whole family died. I am the only one left, along with my nephew and niece. I have been traveling all over the country, begging for a living. Even God would not accept me. I am very tough and I am not afraid of this. If I am allowed to survive this time and gain military merit, I will definitely marry my sister in a formal ceremony."

"Okay, it's a deal!"

Zhou Tong stretched out his hand, and Zhu Yuanzhang also quickly reached out and clapped his hand.

"High-five!"

Zhu Chongba looked at the others again, and they all nodded, so he spoke.

"Okay, follow me after you enter the city. Yesterday before the battle, the company commander called us to a meeting and showed us a map of the city. The commander plans to surround three gates and one pier, but will not attack the east gate. When the battle starts, Nahachu will definitely escape from the east gate, so let's go to the east gate in advance to intercept him!"

"Okay!" Everyone agreed.

"Use the grenades sparingly. Use them when I tell you to. We are heading to the east gate ahead of time, but we don't have many friendly troops to help us."

"Yeah. I know."

"Check the tinder and the match again. Keep them ready. Don't let them go out."

Everyone checked the fire on their bodies and found that it was burning, so they nodded.

Just as several people were discussing where to attack after entering the city, they heard a loud bang from the city wall. The tower ship finally approached the city wall, and the side of the ship rubbed against the rammed earth wall, making a creaking sound.

When the Yuan army in the city heard the sound, they all rushed up from the stairs behind the city wall. As a result, they were hit by fierce artillery fire from the third deck and were suppressed under the stairs again.

The tower ship finally reached the city wall, and the navy's small boats also took advantage of the opportunity to build a pontoon bridge at the south gate and the west gate to allow the soldiers to cross the river and attack the city.

In front of the Xianzhen Camp, the training officer Han Fa was still mobilizing on the front line.

"Although the old wolf is dead, the wolf cub is still alive. Jackals are born to eat people. Soldiers of the Xianzhen Camp, if you don't want to continue to be slaves for the Tartars, then follow me in and catch the wolf cub. Then you can make great achievements and give your wife and children a good fortune!"

"Achieve great achievements! Give your wife and children honors!" Nearly a thousand heavily armored infantrymen below also shouted in unison.

Boom boom boom boom————

At this moment, the big cowhide drum for siege was finally struck on the tower ship. The shocking drum sound boosted the morale of tens of thousands of troops outside the city. Their eyes were filled with desire for merit!

The battalion officer Xu Yong stood at the front and was the first to jump onto the pontoon bridge. He raised his gun and shouted, "The soldiers who break through the enemy lines will either die or live. We will not turn back until we break this city. Those who want to ennoble their wives and children, follow me and kill them!"

After saying that, he immediately rushed towards the building ship, got on the building ship, climbed up three floors along the stairs, and soon reached the top deck. A huge springboard with iron hooks was firmly fastened to the rammed earth on the top of the city and the side of the building ship.

As soon as the sound of the revolving cannon stopped, Xu Yong took the lead and climbed up the city wall first along the springboard. Then the Yuan army rushed up from the stairs. Xu Yong was wearing heavy armor and holding an iron spear. He didn't care how many people followed him and rushed towards the Yuan army climbing the city wall.

Just when the two men were six meters apart, Xu shook the iron spear in his hand, and with a clang, he deflected the Yuan army's spear. Then he continued to charge forward, piercing the man's chest with the spear, and rushed to the opposite side while pushing the man's body, piercing three people in a row and pushing the Yuan army behind him off the city wall. Suddenly, there was a series of splashing sounds of people falling into the water, and they fell directly from the city wall into the moat outside.

The rest of the soldiers from the Xianzhen Camp also rushed up soon after. When someone saw Xu Yong was blocked at the stairs, they stopped rushing and simply took out a wooden-handled grenade, tore off the outer layer of moisture-proof oil paper on the concave part of the side of the wooden handle, revealing the gunpowder fuse stuck to the wooden handle. They picked up the smoldering fuse at their waist and pressed it upwards. There was a slight hissing sound and the grenade began to smoke.

Then he warmed it up in his hand for two seconds, and then threw it viciously towards the Yuan army crowded on the stairs. With a loud bang, the Yuan army crowded on the stairs was blown to pieces.

Seeing that this tactic was effective, some people followed suit and threw down more than a dozen grenades in a row, completely clearing out the Yuan army on the stairs. Xu Yong immediately led a dozen people down the stairs and launched a fierce attack on the city gate. They wanted to open the city gate from the inside and welcome the main force into the city.

At this moment, the archers that Nahachu had arranged in advance on the rooftops of the streets also took action. Xu Yong and his men below had already been entangled with the Yuan army. The Yuan army archers were afraid of shooting their own people and did not dare to shoot, but now the city walls were full of bandits, so they could shoot arrows at will.

As a result, the soldiers of the Xianzhen Camp who had just climbed the city wall were hit by a hail of arrows. Although they were wearing heavy armor, some of them were inevitably injured. Seeing this, some archers in the Xianzhen Camp stopped and began to stand on the top of the city wall, shooting at the Yuan army on the roofs of the streets in the city from above, and soon suppressed the more than a hundred archers.

Some people did not go down the city wall, but attacked along the wall towards the west gate, preparing to seize control of the west gate and let Yang Jing's four regiments enter the city.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang also led his entire class of twelve people, climbed up to the top deck of the ship, climbed onto the city wall, and then rushed into the city along the stairs. They first followed the large army to seize control of the city gate. Only after the city gate was opened could they implement their previous plan.

Zhu Yuanzhang took the lead and led everyone to charge and fight. Seeing a Yuan army soldier coming towards him with a knife, he relied on his heavy armor to not dodge and stabbed the Yuan army soldier in the chest with a spear. The more than one-foot long, eight-sided thick-ridged Han sword-shaped fine steel spear head easily pierced the Yuan army soldier's armor. Zhu Yuanzhang got his first kill after joining the army.

The deputy monitor of the same class, Zhou Tong, was no less capable. This butcher's son, who was skilled in slaughtering cattle and horses, was tall and strong, full of brute force. Holding a long-handled saber, he rushed into the enemy group and started slashing wildly.

A Yuan soldier wearing leather armor came towards him with a spear in his hand. Guan Chen from the same group swung his knife-clamped stick to knock the Yuan soldier's spear away. Zhou Tong took the opportunity to get close to him, raised his saber high, and struck with all his might, cutting the Yuan soldier from the left side of the neck to the right side of the ribs, and the whole person was cut in half alive.

Just like how he had helped his father at home countless times to split the entire cow carcass into two steaks in the middle, he had become accustomed to this chopping countless times.

"kill!!!"

Zhou Tong shouted loudly, and this ferocious scene immediately scared the surrounding Yuan army into pissing themselves to death.

(End of this chapter)