Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 341 The Throne of the Great Qian Dynasty, Who the hell Doesn't Want It?

Li Ben, the King of Han, raised the banner of rebellion and declared himself king.

in fact,

Essentially, it was caused by the decline of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Over the years, the Great Qian Dynasty has been turbulent, beset by internal and external troubles.

Not only did it pay large sums of silver in reparations to the Western powers, but it was also plagued by internal strife and widespread suffering.

Prince Ning (Li Mu), Prince Shu (Li Chuang), Prince Han (Li Ben), Prince Min (Li Gang), and so on, were all ambitious individuals.

When the Great Qian Dynasty was in utter chaos internally, it was like dry grass, ready to ignite at the slightest external stimulus.

Actually, at the very beginning.

King Li Ben of Han never even considered raising a banner of rebellion, nor did he ever think of establishing the 'Chu Kingdom'.

However, when they saw the Great Qian Dynasty constantly levying taxes and declining, they realized that the dynasty was in constant decline.

He finally couldn't bear it anymore!
Especially when they saw Prince Ning, Li Mu's, Northwest Army rise up in rebellion.

Li Ben, the Prince of Han, began to take a risk and decided to gamble.

If he succeeds, he will fight for a future for his descendants.

To put it simply, the throne of the Great Qian Dynasty is still very attractive!
Everyone fucking wants to be emperor!

Although both the princes and the emperor shared the surname Li, the power they wielded was entirely different.

A single thought can lead to completely different results.

To be honest, Li Ben, the Prince of Han, was able to command an army of 500,000, making him the most powerful rebel army in the Daqian Dynasty.

All of this is no accident!

His tenacious character, bravery in battle, and ability to use people are all closely related to his achievements today.

Therefore, it was no accident that Prince Li Ben of Han became a thorn in the side of Emperor Li Zheng.

Compared to other regional princes, Prince Li Ben of Han was extremely steadfast in his beliefs and had a clear goal.

Even when he fought a major battle with Prince Ning, Li Mu, in Xiangyang Prefecture and nearly suffered defeat, he never yielded.

in addition,

He was hardworking and shared weal and woe with his generals, never acting superior to others.

Most importantly, he did not covet wealth and luxury, nor did he fall into the trap of women's affections. He didn't even have any other hobbies and disliked indulging in pleasures.

He was the most frugal of all the regional princes.

This is why all the generals under Li Ben, the King of Han, were willing to follow him in conquering the world without any complaints.

This can be seen.

Prince Li Ben of Han was by no means an incompetent fool, but a highly capable prince who should not be underestimated.

-

In the telescope,

Chen Jie saw that the rebel army under the command of Prince Li Ben of Han was stationed in a '回' (hui) shaped formation.

In front of a large tent, a golden battle flag stood tall.

On the battle flag fluttering in the wind, there was a huge character—Chu!

at this time,

You can see a person riding a warhorse.

He wore a felt hat and had a golden sword at his waist, looking very imposing.

The warhorse was a fine steed, covered in a thick layer of armor.

Although the distance was too far, it was impossible to see the person's appearance clearly.

but,

Judging from his attire and the golden sword at his waist, one could almost immediately identify him without guessing.

Prince Li Ben of Han!

That's right,

The middle-aged man riding on a tall horse is none other than Li Ben, the Prince of Han.

Chen Jie put down the binoculars and frowned slightly.

The image of Prince Li Ben of Han did not seem so bad; in fact, he even bore some resemblance to Emperor Li Zheng in demeanor.

Although the two are related by blood, they are separated by an unknown number of generations.

Surprisingly, the two people actually have similarities in appearance and demeanor.

It must be said that bloodline inheritance is indeed a very magical thing.

to be frank,
Chen Jie did not feel any aversion towards Prince Li Ben of Han.

Although he led troops from Qingzhou in Shandong to the Hanzhong region in an attempt to quell the rebellion.

However, he never intended to kill Prince Li Ben of Han.

The reason why Ximen Tang sent troops to attack the rebel army of Prince Li Ben of Han was partly to deter internal rebellions within the Daqian Dynasty.

Another, more important reason is that Chen Jie wanted to establish a foothold in the Hanzhong region, leaving room for the future development of Ximentang.

of course,

When Chen Jie learned that Prince Li Ben of Han was actually colluding with the Japanese, his mindset changed.

The rebel army under Prince Li Ben of Han must be eliminated!
If the Japanese were to infiltrate too deeply, it would have endless consequences for the Great Qian Dynasty.

in fact,

Chen Jie hoped that Prince Li Ben of Han could fight Prince Li Mu of Ning to the death in Xiangyang Prefecture.

Because he wanted to establish the 'Chu Kingdom', he needed to occupy the two strategic locations of Xiangyang and Wuchang Prefecture.

but,

After a major battle between Prince Li Ben of Han and Prince Li Mu of Ning in Xiangyang, Li Ben was defeated and headed east, where he actually attempted to attack Jinling.

To know,
In Chen Jie's mind, Jinling belonged to Ximentang.

Although Ximentang has not yet taken over all of southern Jiangsu, it is absolutely impossible for Han King Li Ben to occupy Nanjing.

Given this situation, Chen Jie had no choice but to eliminate the rebel army under the command of Prince Li Ben of Han.

The geographical location of Xianning Prefecture was not as large as that of Wuchang Prefecture.

There are no natural defenses here; directly in front of the city walls lies a flat plain.

The city wall looks very simple; it only encloses three-quarters of Xianning Prefecture, leaving a quarter undefended.

There are several towers around.

Unlike the Dagu Fortress in Tianjin, there is no fortified city here, only a moat.

It's currently the rainy season, and the moat is swollen.

Numerous defensive fortifications were built along both sides of the moat.

When Chen Jie first occupied Xianning Prefecture, the fortifications there were actually quite rudimentary.

One of the most important reasons why Zhang Datong led his troops out of the city to meet the enemy was that the defenses of Xianning Prefecture were not good.

Once attacked by artillery, it could easily be destroyed.

but,

After Ximentang was stationed in Xianning Prefecture, Chen Jie arranged for the civilians and prisoners to widen the moat.

Simultaneously,

Three more defensive fortifications were added directly in front of the city gate, and five lines of trenches were dug.

and,

Along the main roads surrounding Xianning Prefecture, many horses were moored in a 'Z' pattern to prevent cavalry charges.

Numerous landmines were laid on both sides of the trench.

As soon as the rebels launch an attack, they will be stopped by five lines of defense.

The army currently stationed in Xianning Prefecture consists only of the 10,000 elite troops from Ximentang and the 5,000 supply troops.

The troops of Guo Feng, Lin Rui, Meng Ying, and others have been arranged by Chen Jie to depart from Fengbo Pavilion and set up camp in a valley twenty miles away from Xianning Prefecture.

His instruction to the generals of the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty was to have them lead their troops to ambush on the outskirts so that they could encircle the enemy once the battle began.

By the time,
As long as the army of the Great Qian Ministry of War cuts off the rebels' rear, they can wipe them out in one fell swoop!
This arrangement delighted Guo Feng and the others, who couldn't have asked for it more.

of course,

Chen Jie's goal was simple: to get them all away so that Ximentang would not be disturbed while defending the city.

If they are allowed to defend the city together, they will not only be unable to provide assistance to Ximentang, but may even cause trouble.

From beginning to end,

Chen Jie never considered relying on the troops of the Daqian Ministry of War, nor did he expect these people to be able to stop the rebel army of Prince Han, Li Ben.

Chen Jie had already ordered Aman's 20,000-strong army to be stationed on both flanks of Xianning Prefecture, ready to encircle them at any time.

This time, Prince Li Ben of Han came with great force, deploying almost all of his elite troops.

In addition, they brought fifty newly arrived Japanese heavy cannons, along with ten thousand elite heavy cavalry.

Including the remnants of Dong Chuan and Sun Zhong's forces, there were about 20,000 men.

The total number exceeded 200,000, not including the 50,000 soldiers who served as cannon fodder.

Judging from the array of troops deployed by Prince Li Ben of Han, it's clear he intends to wage a decisive battle against Ximen Tang. He seems to understand his current predicament as well.

If Ximentang is not defeated, he will be unable to advance north or attack Nanjing.

In the Xiangyang area, the army of Li Mu, the Prince of Ning in the northwest, was eyeing the area covetously.

Li Ben had no choice but to fight to the death to have any chance of survival.

Because he knew that Ximentang's cannons were very powerful, he specially obtained a batch of heavy cannons from the Japanese.

Once they encountered a cannon attack from Ximentang.

Then,

The heavy artillery under the command of Prince Li Ben of Han will engage in a firefight with the artillery of Ximentang.

On the left flank of the outer defensive fortifications of Xianning Prefecture, Chen Jie arranged for Xu Xiaodao's Second Special Operations Battalion, equipped with three hundred mortars and twenty heavy machine guns.

The right flank was Liu Ergou's First Special Operations Battalion, with the same firepower configuration as Xu Xiaodao's.

Aman's main force lay in ambush five kilometers away, ready to provide support at any time.

Simultaneously,

Chen Jie dispatched the reconnaissance company of the special operations regiment to gather intelligence eight kilometers outside Xianning Prefecture.

If it is discovered that the rebels have launched a surprise attack with heavily armored cavalry, the scouts will fire signal flares.

Chen Jie stood atop the tallest watchtower in Xianning Prefecture, in charge of the overall command of the battle and the deployment of troops.

With firepower in place, everything is ready.

We are just waiting for Li Ben, the King of Han, to send out his army so that we can start the battle.

Having fought so many battles over the years, Li Ben, the Prince of Han, had one very obvious characteristic: he always took the lead and liked to personally charge into battle on the front lines.

but,

This time, he seemed to sense the danger and did not charge on his warhorse.

Standing in the rear, commanding troops in battle, was something he wasn't used to.

no way,
Since the advent of the era of firearms, he no longer dared to lead the charge.

The power of bullets and artillery is too great, weakening the combat effectiveness of martial arts to the extreme.

He looked up at the five lines of defense surrounding the city wall of Xianning Prefecture and felt that this battle would not be easy!
call--!
Prince Li Ben of Han took a deep breath, clearing his mind of the chaotic thoughts.

Now is not the time for idle thoughts. Now that we're here, it's time to start the war.

"Ninth Army, move out!"

With a command from Li Ben, the King of Han.

Ten thousand light infantrymen of the rebel Ninth Army launched an attack on Xianning Prefecture.

Although Prince Li Ben of Han met with Dong Chuan and Sun Zhong last night to learn more about Ximen Tang's tactics.

He knew that the cannons of Ximentang were extremely formidable, and dared not take them lightly.

but,

He had never experienced a massive artillery barrage.

Therefore,
The purpose of sending out the Ninth Army this time was actually to test Ximentang's combat capabilities.

In any case, the Ninth Army was just a group of menial laborers recruited by the government, essentially a cannon fodder legion of the rebels.

Even if they were all wiped out by Ximentang's artillery fire, it wouldn't severely damage his army.

To ensure the Ninth Army could launch its attack, he specifically arranged for two thousand men to follow behind, using heavy machine guns to maintain order and supervise the battle.

If they retreat, kill them without mercy!

After the order was given by Prince Li Ben of Han, the 10,000-strong Ninth Army began its charge towards Xianning Prefecture.

"Kill--!"

The light cavalry were the ones who led the way, not the heavily armored cavalry.

Although the Ninth Army consisted of soldiers recruited from various regions, they had fought alongside Prince Li Ben of Han in numerous campaigns.

but,

They all understood one thing: without experiencing the baptism of bloody battles, it would be difficult to gain the favor of Prince Li Ben of Han.

During this period, they did not engage in battle with Ximentang.

But how could they not know that Sun Zhong and Dong Chuan's army had been utterly defeated by Ximentang?
The remnants of Dong Chuan's army were talking about how terrifying Ximentang's artillery was last night, which made everyone a little afraid of Ximentang's heavy firepower.

The development of firearms was relatively recent, and the changes were brought about by the Western Allied Forces and the Japanese.

Although the army under Li Ben, the King of Han, had not been in combat with firearms for very long.

but,

Almost everyone has an instinctive fear of artillery.

In particular, the cannons of the Westerners had a very strong deterrent effect on the land of the Great Qian Dynasty.

In recent years, Prince Li Ben of Han has purchased a large number of Western cannons and muskets.

They fought many battles against the army under Prince Ning, Li Mu.

in addition,

They had also seen the cannons of the Japanese.

The rebel Ninth Army's soldiers were mostly used as cannon fodder and were very poorly equipped.

Many of them had never even touched a musket, let alone an artillery.

Therefore,
When they heard the order to charge towards Xianning Prefecture, they were filled with fear.

But then two thousand military governors behind them set up heavy machine guns.

The Ninth Army had no choice but to grit their teeth and launch an attack on Xianning Prefecture.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
When they set off, they had only traveled about a kilometer.

Once within the 7-kilometer range of the 120mm mortars, Ximentang's artillery began firing.

The first round of artillery fire has begun.

Although Chen Jie had already located the coordinates of Prince Li Ben of Han through the telescope.

but,

At a distance of eight kilometers, it's difficult to see clearly even with a telescope.

At this point, relying on positioning results in a very large deviation.

Given Li Ben's sixth sense of crisis, it would be difficult for him to achieve a precise strike if he wanted to use the extended-range cannon to take down the enemy.

Needless to say, sniper rifles, even the Barrett sniper rifle, cannot reach a distance of eight kilometers with its bullets.

not to mention,
Although Li Ben, the Prince of Han, was riding on the back of a warhorse, he was surrounded by defensive fortifications.

A row of shield-clad guards surrounded him on either side.

Mortars bombard targets targets with a parabolic trajectory, resulting in powerful explosions.

but,

The shells are very slow, and if you have a strong sixth sense, you can easily avoid them.

Therefore, Chen Jie abandoned the 'decapitation operation'.

If the decapitation strike fails, King Li Ben of Han will be frightened and may retreat.

For Ximen Tang, pursuing and killing the rebels would be extremely difficult.

Therefore,
Chen Jie waited until the rebel Ninth Army set off and entered the 120mm mortar range before ordering the first round of shelling.

The Ninth Army's charge was a probe.

The 120mm caliber mortars of Ximentang were also a test.

The artillery battalion's most powerful firepower is its 60mm caliber mortars. Although they have a short range, they are easy to carry and highly mobile.

120mm caliber mortars have never been the mainstream weapon in the Ximentang Artillery Battalion.

Perhaps they have never experienced being attacked by artillery shells.

The rebel Ninth Army marched in close formation and did not disperse.

Therefore, the first round of shelling caused a large number of casualties after the 120mm shells landed.

In terms of explosive force, a 120mm shell has a kill radius of 25 meters, which is much more powerful than a 60mm shell.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
After the first round of shelling, a large number of soldiers in the rebel Ninth Army fell.

Many soldiers were blown to pieces before they even had a chance to scream.

The lead pellets from the shells also injured many rebel soldiers.

Suddenly, pitiful howls echoed from all around.

However, the number of shells was not large, and the resulting damage was far less than that of a 60mm caliber mortar with full firepower coverage.

This round of artillery bombardment put a lot of psychological pressure on the rebel army under the command of Prince Li Ben of Han.

A 120mm caliber mortar can suddenly bombard a distance of more than seven kilometers.

Such a long-range bombing was extremely terrifying in this era.

It took Han King Li Ben a lot of effort to obtain fifty of the most advanced Japanese heavy cannons from the Japanese.

However, considering the distance of the artillery attack...

Japanese heavy artillery had no advantage over the 120mm mortars of the Nishintang.

(End of this chapter)