Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 886 Crossing the Yellow River and Luo River (Part 1)
On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the pontoon bridge that had been prepared was laid out on the Yellow River, and the naval forces that had been transferred to the Yellow River began to patrol on both sides.

The ferries kept coming and going, continuously transporting Han soldiers to Henan.

The Yellow River meanders and flows long, making it impossible for the Jin army, with its overwhelming numerical superiority, to deploy such a long defensive line.

Therefore, the main force of the Jin army only guarded a few key crossings, while the rest of the area could only be defended by local people and second-line troops, with elite cavalry rushing to the rescue at any time.

However, given the current state of panic in Kaifeng, it is truly wishful thinking for Pu Sanzhongyi to expect the people of Henan to adopt a posture of resisting foreign enemies in response to the Han army.

Therefore, after a series of tactical deceptions, the Han army successfully built a pontoon bridge on a shallow beach and transported more than a thousand armored soldiers across while the main Jin army had not yet arrived.

Relying on the advantage of cavalry, the Jin army quickly assembled and attempted to block the Han army from crossing the river.

The Han army was fighting with their backs to the river, while the Jin army was advancing with overwhelming force. It should have been a battle like a comet hitting the earth.

However, in reality, just as the more than two thousand Jin soldiers dismounted, lined up, and advanced, eight Han warships passed by and took their positions.

Before the Jin army arrived in a dense formation in front of the Han army's armored soldiers, and before any battle could even begin, the cannons on the Han army's warships began to roar.

The Western Jin troops, as expected of the elite troops personally trained by Pu Sanzhongyi, held out for a full quarter of an hour before collapsing in the face of the relentless bombardment of the new artillery.

After these mobile forces were defeated, the Han army firmly established itself on the beachhead.

The auxiliary soldiers carried simple wooden railings across the Yellow River, set up camp on the spot, dug trenches, and established a camp.

Two hours later, when Pusan ​​Zhongyi personally led 20,000 troops to the battlefield, 3,000 Han soldiers had already crossed the Yellow River, and the camp had been built to a considerable size.

Pu Sanzhongyi never expected that his carefully arranged Yellow River defense line would be breached so easily. In his anger, he immediately looked at the defeated Xingjun Meng'an: "Boshulu, I remember I gave you two thousand elite cavalry, didn't I?"

Bo Shulu, covered in dust and dirt, immediately bowed and apologized: "Marshal Du! It's not that we weren't careful, but Liu's Heaven-Opening Thunder was too powerful, and the men couldn't withstand it."

Pu Sanzhongyi had long known that the Han army had cannons and that these things were powerful. He trapped Heshilie Zhining in Daming Prefecture and beat him until he was in agony.

But Bokusan Tadashi never imagined that cannons would be so powerful.

Only after being beaten can one truly understand.

Seeing that Pusan ​​Zhongyi was silently watching the Han army camp on the banks of the Yellow River, Boshulu couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "General, where are our gunpowder weapons? Why aren't we using them?"

Pusan ​​Zhongyi glanced at Boshulu but said nothing.

Since the Han army blew up Jinan Prefecture that day, both Jin states realized the power of gunpowder and devoted themselves to its research and development.

The research and development process went very smoothly because black powder technology was already quite mature in this era, and there were hundreds or even thousands of private fireworks workshops. All that was missing was the final step: a change in thinking.

Of course, "mature" here means something that is easy to use and readily available, but it is still quite difficult to improve it into a powerful firearm.

The deflagration ratio and granulation of black powder, among other issues, all had to be tested one by one.

By now, the gunpowder technology of the Western Jin Dynasty was similar to that of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but its power was less than half that of the Han army. Moreover, both were still in the early stages of making gunpowder bags with explosives, and they could not even achieve miniaturization, let alone cannons.

In addition, due to the limitation of raw materials, the two Jin kingdoms had very low explosive production.

It's fine to have a lively time during holidays, but it's difficult to fight a strategic battle.

Pu Sanzhongyi naturally wouldn't report such a thing to the Xingjun Meng'an level. Upon hearing this, he simply shook his head: "Boshulu, it's a fact that I gave you two elite Meng'an, and it's also a fact that Liu's army initially only had a thousand men crossing the river. Don't you acknowledge this great defeat?"

Boshulu was terrified upon hearing this and immediately kowtowed, begging for mercy.

Military judges were already waiting. After pinning him down, they beheaded him with a knife and hung his head on a flagpole.

Pusan ​​Zhongyi looked around at the silent Jurchen generals, sneered twice, and then flew into a rage: "You bunch of idiots with shit in your heads! You used to oppress the Han people and bully them all day long, and now you've all lost your spirit."

What time is it now? The person who's backing up Han'er has arrived, and he's here to kill people like you! Why aren't you fighting back? Are you really just waiting to die?!

"If Boshulu had fought against ten thousand Han soldiers and been defeated, I would have nothing to say but praise. But this fellow was defeated to this extent even against a thousand soldiers, and he blamed it all on Liu Bei's gunpowder weapons. Does he really think I'm a fool?! The fate of the Great Jin Dynasty is ruined by people like this!"

The Jurchen generals were all dignified.

Pusan ​​Zhongyi shouted, "Now is the time of life and death! Even now, our army outnumbers the enemy army several times over! We have 20,000, while the enemy only has 3,000!"

"The entire army shall advance! I will personally oversee the battle!" Pu Sanzhongyi drew his sword and slashed through the air: "Push that traitor Liu into the Yellow River!"

"Here!"

Amidst a resounding response, the Jin cavalry dismounted and formed ranks, with a few explosive charges carried by the vanguard suicide soldiers, and the entire army poised for battle.

As a general who had fought many battles, Wang Youzhi, the commander of the Tianxiong Army who led the vanguard across the Yellow River, quickly sensed the impending start of a major battle.

"Big brother!"

Lieutenant General Chen Zhongkan strode over: "We just received news that the Jin invaders have deployed ships both upstream and downstream of the Yellow River."

Especially upstream, there seem to be fire ships; the navy must set off immediately to engage them and protect the pontoon bridge.

Wang Youzhi nodded slightly: "So, in other words, for the next few hours, our Tianxiong Army will be fighting alone? Does the Prince of Han have any military orders?"

Chen Zhongkan: "Yes, he said he wanted to see Chief Steward Wang show his skills, to see our Tianxiong Army defeat the enemy army with a small force and become famous throughout the world." Wang Youzhi sighed: "This is Han Wang Langjun giving our Tianxiong Army face, and it can be considered compensation after the Battle of Daming Prefecture. If we still can't capture them, wouldn't it be only natural that we would be looked down upon by Wenren Ziqi and the others from the Wulu Army?"

Both the Tianxiong Army and the Wulu Army were mainly composed of people from Hebei. Logically, people from the same hometown should have looked out for each other and cooperated with each other.

However, in reality, Wang Youzhi and Wenren Ziqi were embroiled in a bitter dispute over who should be the leader of the Hebei martial arts community.

This is not just a battle of wits between the two, but a matter of whoever has the qualifications and ability will likely take on the next role.

Isn't Xin Qiji the best example?
To put it more bluntly, the difference in status now could very well become the difference between a founding duke and a founding marquis in the future.

Wang Youzhi's qualifications need no further explanation. He was a general who had raised an army on his own several years ago and was then a leader of the Shandong rebel army of the same rank as Geng Jing and Wei Sheng.

However, during the crucial Battle of Damingfu, the Tianxiong Army served almost entirely as the general reserve force, and when it came to recognizing merits, they were almost always ranked last.

This could be fatal.

This directly led to the fact that later Hebei military men were not particularly close to Wang Youzhi, and indirectly led to the rise of Wenren Ziqi.

Although it was a matter of timing and fate, and no one could be blamed, how could Wang Youzhi not feel indignant?

At this moment, Chen Zhongkan looked at the row of gleaming copper pipes at the breach on the south side of the camp and said with a sinister smile, "With these twelve great treasures, it will be difficult for us not to become famous throughout the world!"

Wang You spat out the mint leaf in his mouth and pointed to the field guns that could fire five-pound iron balls: "The King of Han said that this thing... uh... what was that saying again... oh, it hasn't been tested yet. Each gun can only fire ten shots at most, otherwise it will explode. In the end, we still have to rely on the soldiers to fight to the death."

"Old Chen! Our Tianxiong Army has three thousand regular soldiers who crossed the river, and another two thousand will follow. We also have camps to rely on. It's pure wishful thinking for the Jin invaders to think that they can defeat us with twenty or thirty thousand men!"

However, battles must be fought step by step. You lead a thousand men to hold the line for a couple of quarters, and we'll take turns. Our army doesn't even need a great victory; just repelling the Jin invaders will be enough to earn us a great achievement!

Chen Zhongkan nodded emphatically: "What you say is absolutely right, elder brother!"

As soon as he finished speaking, warning horns sounded from the small slopes on both sides, and black flags, signifying the approaching army, were raised high and waved.

"Send the order to artillery commander Shi Wang, instructing him to fire at will!"

After giving the order, Wang Youzhi simply patted Chen Zhongkan on the shoulder and headed towards the rear camp.

Once the Han army's war machine is activated, everyone on the battlefield is a cog in this massive machine, and ordinary cogs don't need to know the overall picture.

This applies even to critical components.

Shi Wang was unaware of the ambitions of the Tianxiong Army's commander and deputy commander. He simply held a ruler and kept measuring on the cannon barrel, making final calculations.

As a top student who had intensively studied mathematics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shi Wang was among the first batch of artillery commanders, but due to time constraints, he only conducted a dozen or so live-fire training exercises.

Whether what you learn in school is useful or how reliable the copper lump in front of you is, those things have not yet been tested in practice.

Or rather, the period of prosperity is part of the practical test.

Liu Huai made this clear in his graduation course: although the casualty rate of the first batch of artillery commanders was lower than that of generals who fought hand-to-hand in battle, it would inevitably be much higher than that of the artillerymen who followed.

Moreover, these artillery commanders are likely to experience several barrel explosions or even explosive detonations before they can develop reliable artillery manuals.

Those who are willing to leave can shine in other positions, after all, top students are sought-after everywhere.

However, those who are willing to stay, regardless of life or death, will receive comprehensive preferential treatment in terms of reputation, status, money, and material possessions.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Wu Qi laid the foundation for heavy infantry warfare, which later enabled him to be ranked alongside Sun Tzu as a military sage.

Once the first batch of artillery commanders laid the foundation for artillery, their reputation would be no less than that of Wu Qi!
Young people are always easily excited, and Shi Wang was naturally filled with enthusiasm.

However, even if he had been on the battlefield, it was only a small-scale conflict with a thousand or so people. How could he have seen such a scene of armored soldiers and cavalry as rain?

Therefore, he naturally became nervous.

However, this high-achieving student's way of dealing with tension was not by shouting or screaming, but by constantly calculating math on scrap paper and measuring with a ruler, to the point that each cannon was fine-tuned three or four times in the end.

"Five hundred paces! This five-pound cannon only has an accurate range of five hundred paces!"

"Listen to my orders! Strike only when you've made your aim!"

"Everyone is in position!"

"preparation!"

The artillerymen compacted the gunpowder, stuffed the shells into the cannon barrels, then inserted a piece of fuse into the rear hole of the cannon, raised their torches, and waited quietly.

Shi Wang looked at the row of small red flags on the ground in the distance, and a black line pushing towards the flags, and his heart grew more and more nervous.

Only after the small flag was trampled to the ground by the Jin soldiers did Shi Wang shout the order: "Light the fire! Fire!"

"boom!"

(End of this chapter)