Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 118 A deafening roar of cannons, do you even know what saturation attack means?!

"They also cannot attack Yuzhou, which is the old stronghold of the Yuan family. Although neither Yuan Shao nor Yuan Shu has returned to Yuzhou to take over the Yuan family, they regard it as something in their pocket."

If we attack Yuzhou, these two will get angry. Yuan Shao is the leader of the Guandong Coalition. If he leads the Guandong Coalition back to reinforce, we'll be in a very difficult situation.

Moreover, the Yuan family is a top-tier aristocratic family with a profound foundation, and no one knows how much strength they are hiding.

Even without a leader, it won't be easy for us to quickly take Yuzhou.

"And this place has the same problem as Yanzhou: it is located in the heart of the country, with no natural defenses around it. It is easy to take it but difficult to hold it!" Xi Zhong said.

Jia Xu said, "We absolutely cannot attack Xuzhou, can we?"

Xuzhou is the strongest of the four provinces, and its absolute strength far surpasses that of our army.

Our army can hold out by taking a defensive posture, relying on the Xuzhou passage. To send troops to attack Xuzhou would be tantamount to suicide!

"Since Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Xuzhou are all unassailable, it seems we can only attack Qingzhou?" Ji Qiu said with amusement.

Guo Jia immediately said, "My lord is wise! Qingzhou has a large population and a thriving commerce. It has been a land of plenty since ancient times."

Furthermore, this state is surrounded by the sea on three sides, with only its western part bordering the Central Plains.

Throughout history, the struggle for supremacy has always emphasized strategic positioning – a strategically advantageous location with a strong central position and a well-developed, strategically advantageous border. Qingzhou, being both a strategically important corner and a strategically advantageous border, is undoubtedly a top choice!

"Qingzhou may seem powerful, but in reality, each prefecture fights its own battles and cannot form a united force. To our army, it is utterly vulnerable!"
Kong Rong and Zheng Xuan, though seemingly powerful, were well known to be Confucian scholars who were good at governing but not at military strategy!
Therefore, neither the Kong family of Beihai nor the Zheng family of Gaomi could compete with our army!

"If our lord can force these two families to surrender, it will greatly accelerate the recruitment and training of our internal affairs talents," Xi Zhong said.

Jia Xu said, "It is said that Zheng Xuan's lectures can improve students' aptitude and comprehension."

If our lord can win over Zheng Xuan, it may solve the problem of insufficient personnel qualifications that is currently causing headaches for various departments.

It is said that the Kong family of Beihai possesses clues about the Qingzhou Ding.

If our lord obtains this clue, he may be able to acquire the Qingzhou Cauldron.

The Qingzhou Cauldron is one of the Nine Cauldrons of Yu the Great, and it has the power to condense the Mandate of Heaven!

I've heard that the LEGO Sun family possesses a legacy left behind by Sun Tzu, the military strategist.

If our lord can obtain it, it will greatly enhance our army's strength!

It is said that the Tian family of Qi County possesses treasures left behind by the royal family of Qi.

If my lord can obtain it, it will surely be of great help to your cause!
......"

"Alright, alright, stop talking. There are so many benefits to attacking Qingzhou, it seems we absolutely have to take it!"

But what reason should we use to fight?
"There has to be a legitimate reason for this!" Ji Qiu asked.

Reputation is still quite important.

Only by having a legitimate reason for war and raising a righteous army can we unite people's hearts, gather strength, and reduce the cost of governance.

Not to mention now, even in the United States in later years, wars had to be fought under the guise of human rights!

Guo Jia laughed and said, "This matter is easy. When our lord went to Taishan County, the imperial mission he was entrusted with was to suppress the Yellow Turbans of Taishan."

The Yellow Turbans of Mount Tai and the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou share the same origin. My lord, you can easily claim that this campaign into Qingzhou is to eliminate the very source of the Yellow Turbans of Mount Tai—the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou!

"Hmm, if we march into Qingzhou under the pretext of eradicating the Yellow Turbans, but instead directly attack the powerful clans in various places, wouldn't that be a bad idea?" Ji Qiu asked hesitantly.

Xi Zhong said decisively, "There's nothing wrong with it. These are all the same evil forces as the three great families of Taishan County back then, colluding with the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou to plot wicked things!"
The reason why the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou have been able to wreak havoc in Qingzhou for so long and have never been eradicated is because they have been constantly indulged and supported!
Our army attacked them precisely to eliminate the Yellow Turban rebels of Qingzhou ahead of schedule!

"Is that really the case?" Ji Qiu asked Jia Xu.

Jia Xu immediately chimed in, "That's exactly right. The Outer Command has already obtained evidence of the major families in Qingzhou colluding with the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, and they will have no way to deny it!"

"Excellent! In that case, let's issue an order to the entire army to prepare, choose an auspicious day, and set out!" Ji Qiu praised with satisfaction, and then said.

……

Qingzhou Passage.

Like an iron chain winding through towering mountains, with sheer cliffs on both sides that seem to have been carved by a knife and axe, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, it adds a touch of gloom and mystery.

On the ancient road, which can only accommodate two vehicles side by side, there are jagged stones and uneven surfaces. Every turn is fraught with danger, and a slight misstep could lead to falling into an abyss.

A fierce wind howled past, stirring up clouds of dust and wailing as if telling the story of the tragic battles that had taken place here.

At the exit of the passage, a large camp lay like a giant beast.

The antler-shaped chevaux-de-frise, layer upon layer, with their sharp spikes pointing straight to the sky, formed an insurmountable barrier.

The rammed earth wall, three zhang high, stood majestically, its surface glistening with tung oil in the sunlight, so that even if enemy soldiers tried to climb it, they would slip and fall instantly.

The gate was made of a single giant log, covered with iron sheets, and covered with copper nails the size of bowls. On the watchtowers on both sides, soldiers held crossbows and vigilantly scanned the area. At the slightest sign of trouble, a volley of arrows would be fired.

The tents in the camp were lined up one after another, with smoke from cooking fires mingling with the rising heat.

The rammed earth of the drill ground was iron-gray, and the 30,000 elite soldiers, clad in black iron chainmail, resembled a solidified wave of metal.

The thirty-six square formations were perfectly aligned, with no difference in the spacing between each row, and even the dragon patterns on the scabbards of the ring-pommel swords all faced the same direction.

The morning mist drifted among the armor leaves, but it could not dispel the soldiers' rock-solid stance.

The shield bearers in the front row lowered their shoulders to brace the shields, the mountain-patterned shields fitting together perfectly.

The swordsmen in the back row held their weapons at an angle, the blades drawing sharp, cold lines in the dim morning light.

The command flag on the high platform in the center of the army was suddenly unfurled, its crimson flame pattern piercing the sky.

In an instant, the entire training ground seemed to be turned by an invisible giant hand, like a finely geared machine.

The front row of formations resembled crashing waves, their shields flipping and their barbs clanging as they instantly formed a ladder-like structure.

The rear formation transformed into a swimming dragon, with each slash precisely overlapping the trajectory of the blades, and the dust stirred up by the blade winds settled in perfect unison.

As the command flag changed again, the lightly armed soldiers on both flanks used the iron claws of their ring-pommel swords as fulcrums, moving swiftly across the rammed earth walls like geckos. When they landed, even the gravel kicked up by their boots formed a straight line.

Amidst the sound of war drums, command flags fluttered, casting long, lingering shadows.

The formation sometimes broke into smaller units, scattering like mountains to hold key points.

At times, they gather like thunder, their swords and shields intertwining to form an impenetrable copper wall.

Every movement seemed to have been honed through countless trials; the crisp sound of sheathing the sword and the vibration of stepping and turning were all synchronized.

Even as the mountain wind whipped up sand and gravel, the shield-bearer remained unmoved, and the swordsman did not tremble.

On the high platform.

Zang Hong, draped in a crimson cloak with a gleaming longsword at his waist, surveyed the entire army with a satisfied expression on his face.

His personal guard praised, "General's ability to train troops is truly first-rate in this era!"
These 30,000 strong Tian family troops were handed over to the general, and in just one year, the general transformed them completely.

Their current arcane skill level hasn't increased much compared to a year ago.

But their combat power has more than doubled!

"The Tian family truly deserves a great reward from the general!"

“I am training troops, not for the reward from the Tian family,” Zang Hong said, shaking his head.

He was the head of the Zang family in Guangling County, Xuzhou, and had no connection with the Tian family in Qi County, Qingzhou.

The reason I accepted the invitation from the Tian family of Qi Commandery to lead their army was because the Tian family had agreed to the request of the late Grand Tutor Yuan Wei to send troops to block the Qingzhou passage of Taishan Commandery!

Ultimately, Zang Hong trained the Tian family's troops not for the Tian family's own benefit, but for Ji Qiu's.

This doesn't mean he actually hates Ji Qiu that much.

However, the Zang family of Guangling and the Zang family of Taishan are from the same lineage. Although they have separated, they are still connected by blood.

After Ji Qiu massacred the Zang family of Taishan, Zang Hong, as the head of the Zang family of Guangling, had to make a statement, whether out of personal feelings or for the benefit of his family.

The most appropriate course of action would have been for him to lead the Xuzhou army to block the Xuzhou passage through Taishan County.

However, the one who blocked the passage to Xuzhou was Zang Ba, who was not only a general under Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, but also the head of the Zang family of Mount Tai.

Zang Hong naturally found it inconvenient to compete with him.

So he accepted the invitation from the Tian family of Qi Commandery and led their private army to block the passage to Qingzhou.

As for the Tian family of Qi County, they had no enmity with Ji Qiu either.

However, firstly, the idea of ​​blocking the Qingzhou passage was proposed by Yuan Wei, who at the time was the Grand Tutor of the court and the head of the Yuan family.

The Tian family of Qi County felt obligated to give him face.

Secondly, by taking advantage of the blockade of the Qingzhou passage, they could invite Zang Hong to lead and train the Tian family's private army.

The ancestors of the Tian family of Qi County were certainly glorious; during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, they were the royal family of the State of Qi.

But by now, it has long since declined.

There was no one in the family capable of commanding and training troops.

This resulted in the Tian family's private army having decent levels of secret techniques, generally reaching the ninth rank, but their military formation skills and basic military literacy were very poor.

We should continue to use talented individuals like Zang Hong, who are skilled in training troops, to help them develop their skills.

Thirdly, they judged that this war would not break out.

After all, Yuan Wei had already made it clear to them that they only needed to block the passage and not attack.

Taishan County, which was surrounded on all sides, could not possibly break out.

Therefore, this is simply a blockade and will not weaken the Tian family's private army.

Why not do something so beneficial and cost-free?

The guards knew what Zang Hong was thinking, so they sighed and said, "It's a pity that Ji Qiu is as timid as a mouse, hiding in Taishan County, and doesn't dare to show his face at all."

Otherwise, General, you can certainly cut him down and avenge the Zang family of Mount Tai!

"It's alright. Sooner or later he'll be unable to hold back. When he can't hold back anymore and runs out, then we can let him know how powerful this general is!" Zang Hong said coldly.

The guard flattered, "Then I pray that Ji Qiu will come out of the rat hole soon so that the general can avenge himself!"

As the two were chatting and laughing, neither of them noticed that a dense cluster of tiny black dots had suddenly appeared in the sky above the camp.

These tiny black dots flew at extremely high speeds, growing larger as they approached from afar, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived above the soldiers' formation in the Zanghong camp.

Only then did they realize that these were not small black dots at all, but rather dark green cannonballs! Countless cannonballs, accompanied by a piercing whistle that tore through the air, rained down on the camp like a storm.

A deafening roar echoed throughout the heavens and earth.

The mountain-patterned shields were as brittle as paper before the scorching shrapnel, and the steel watchtowers collapsed with a deafening roar, crushing countless tents.

The thirty-six square formations, which had been so imposing just moments before, were instantly engulfed by a sea of ​​fire.

The shockwave from the exploding shells overturned entire rows of soldiers, the ring-pommel swords drew desperate arcs in the air, and the black iron chainmail twisted and deformed, tightly binding its master into the soil.

The rammed earth city wall collapsed amidst continuous explosions, bricks and stones mixed with limbs flew everywhere, and the once orderly military formation was torn into a shattered mosaic of flesh and blood.

Thick smoke billowed into the sky, and the pungent smell of sulfur made it hard to breathe.

The survivors staggered out of the ruins, only to be blown to pieces by the ensuing artillery fire.

Those once towering tents are now nothing but charred wooden beams struggling in the fire; the once gleaming weapons are now twisted into scrap metal.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, this incredibly stable, even indestructible, camp was reduced to a smoky ruin.

Amidst the ruins and rubble, only a few scattered sparks flicker in the ashes, silently testifying to the cruelty and ruthlessness of war.

……

On the mountain peaks on both sides of Zang Hong's camp, hundreds of Type 89 grenade launchers were densely packed together.

The jet-black metal barrel gleamed with an eerie light, and the short, powerful cannon leaned against the wooden support, like a lurking venomous snake.

Each grenade launcher is equipped with an adjustable metal stand, three legs deeply embedded in the soil, and the firing mechanism at the rear of the barrel gleams with a cold metallic sheen.

The gunners, dressed in dark green military uniforms and wearing steel helmets, were working in an orderly manner.

Someone skillfully adjusted the angle of the grenade launcher by tucking a small 50mm caliber shell under their armpit;
Someone knelt on the ground, squinted, and adjusted the direction through a simple aiming device.

The propellant charges for the grenade launchers were neatly stacked to one side, each carefully wrapped in waterproof oil paper.

With a sharp whistle from the commander, all the gunners quickly took their positions.

The loader aligns the bottom of the shell with the firing pin inside the grenade launcher, gives it a gentle push, and with a click, the shell is firmly locked in place.

"put!"

The moment the order was given, countless grenade launchers simultaneously spewed out orange flames, and small shells streaked out, trailing white smoke.

Explosions rang out one after another, and thick smoke rose from the direction of Zang Hong's camp, with dirt and gravel flying everywhere.

The makeshift gun carriage trembled violently when fired, but this did not prevent the gunners from quickly loading the next shell, and a new barrage of bullets poured towards the target.

In front of the artillery position, Huang Zhong held a tablet computer, on which was a picture taken by a high-altitude reconnaissance drone.

The image above clearly shows the tragic scene at Zang Hong's camp.

Seeing that Zang Hong had been reduced to ruins, Huang Zhong couldn't help but show a satisfied expression.

The mountain battalion delivered a near-perfect performance in their first battle.

The entire mountain battalion is trained in the secret techniques of the Taishan Army.

They traversed the mountains as if walking on flat ground.

However, in terms of offensive power, it is weaker than other powerful armies.

However, Ji Qiu did not equip them with dragon-themed weapons, but instead equipped them with a large number of modern weapons.

The powerful firepower of modern weapons is used to compensate for the lack of firepower in the mountain battalion itself.

Their weapons were mainly rifles, machine guns, and mortars.

The rifle is an AK47.

This is one of the most widely used and most reliable automatic rifles in the modern world.

The caliber is 7.62 mm, the overall length is 870 mm with a fixed stock and 645 mm with a folding stock and 870 mm with an extended stock. The barrel length is 415 mm, the rifling has 4 grooves with a right-hand twist of 240 mm, the sight radius is 378 mm, the muzzle velocity is 710 m/s, the muzzle energy is 1980 joules, the theoretical rate of fire is 600 rounds/minute, the magazine capacity is 30 rounds, the sight range is 800 meters, the effective range is 300 meters, and the maximum lethal range is 1500 meters.

The main machine gun was the MG42.

This is a general-purpose machine gun developed by Germany during World War II, which began to be deployed to troops in 1942.

It uses an air-cooled barrel and fires 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridges. Its theoretical rate of fire is as high as 1200-1500 rounds per minute. When it fires, the sound is crisp, like the sound of tearing cloth, which is why it was called "Hitler's chainsaw" by Allied soldiers.

It has an extremely high rate of fire and excellent reliability, enabling it to form a dense fire network in a short time, causing huge casualties to the enemy and posing a great threat to the Allied forces on the European battlefield of World War II.

The mortars were mainly the Type 89 grenade launchers.

In principle, this thing is an ultralight mortar, mainly used to kill enemies hiding behind fortifications and concealment or to kill enemy personnel at long range.

It has a caliber of 50 mm, a total length of 413 mm, a barrel length of 260 mm, a total weight of 2.7 kg, a maximum range of 700 m, and an effective range of 500 m.

Its gun mount is relatively simple, consisting of a gun barrel, gun legs, and foot plates. It can be carried by a single soldier and fired while concealed behind obstacles, making it highly concealed.

There are three reasons for choosing these three modern weapons as the main combat weapons of the mountain battalion.

First, all three weapons have been tested in actual combat and are very mature and reliable.

It has low requirements for the combat environment and will not frequently cause unexpected problems on the battlefield.

Secondly, all three weapons are from World War II, are simple to operate, and do not require highly skilled operators.

Although the soldiers in the mountain battalion had the highest level of education among all the units under Ji Qiu's command, it was still quite difficult for them to operate modern, information-based weapons and equipment.

The rudimentary mechanized weapons from World War II were just right and could be used.

Third, none of these three weapons are heavy, so they will not affect the mobility of the mountain battalion.

Having discussed the situation of the mountain camp, let's now talk about Zang Hong's troops.

It cannot be said that Zang Hong lacked ability, nor can it be said that the troops under his command were weak.

Quite the opposite.

According to the investigation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zang Hong was actually a very capable general who could both train and command troops. His overall abilities were probably not much worse than those of Yu Jin.

After being trained by him, the 30,000 private troops under the Tian family were no less powerful than the main combat battalion of the same number under Ji Qiu!

At the same time, the location he chose to set up camp was extremely cunning, and combined with the treacherous terrain of the Qingzhou Pass, it was virtually impregnable.

If the Qingzhou passage he blocked were attacked from the inside out under normal circumstances, even a hundred thousand strong troops would not be able to break through!
Since conventional methods couldn't deal with Zang Hong, the only option left was to use a surprise attack.

Therefore, Ji Qiu dispatched Huang Zhong's mountain camp.

The mountain camp could traverse mountains and valleys as easily as walking on flat ground, thus disregarding the treacherous terrain of the Qingzhou Pass.

Their modern weaponry allows them to strike Zang Hong from unexpected directions.

This can be said to be a perfect counter to Zang Hong's forces.

Therefore, the victory in this battle was not only due to the powerful combat capabilities of Huang Zhong's mountain battalion, but also to the brilliant strategy of Ji Qiu and his strategists in selecting the right troops!

Huang Zhong put down his tablet, picked up his walkie-talkie, and said, "All troops, listen to my command! Attack Zang Hong's camp and wipe out the remaining enemy forces!"

Although Zang Hong's camp had been basically razed to the ground.

But there were still some who slipped through the net.

What Huang Zhong wanted was to annihilate all of Zang Hong's troops here!
Therefore, after an artillery barrage, sending infantry to clear the area is a standard procedure.

Thus, the infantry of the mountain battalion poured down from the towering mountains on both sides of Zang Hong's camp like torrents, rushing into Zang Hong's camp.

Half an hour later, Huang Zhong received a message from the front line.

Zang Hong's camp has been completely cleared out.

The body of the commander Zang Hong has been found and confirmed dead.

Huang Zhong then showed a satisfied expression and sent Ji Qiu the code name for the successful plan: "Tiger Tiger Tiger!"

……

At the same time, not far from the Tian family's Wubao in Qi County.

Ji Qiu, Xi Zhong, Gao Shun, and the Trapped Camp are hiding in a dense forest.

Drop drop-

A notification sound suddenly came from the tablet computer.

Ji Qiu took out his tablet and saw that Huang Zhong had sent him a battlefield situation code: "Tiger Tiger Tiger!"

Along with the battlefield situation code, a video of the entire war was also sent.

Ji Qiu watched the video once and couldn't help but smile. He handed the tablet to Xi Zhong and said, "Han Sheng did a good job. The mountain battalion's hard training over the past year has paid off. They are now proficient in using technological weapons!"

The mountain camp represents a preliminary attempt by Ji Qiu to integrate the power systems of two worlds.

The success of this battle gave him a lot of confidence.

It seems we can continue down this path in the future!

After watching the entire battlefield video, Xi Zhong couldn't help but show a look of shock on his face: "I didn't expect that the technological weapons brought by our lord would have such powerful capabilities!"

The combined effect of the Type 89 grenade launcher cluster bombardment is likely to exceed that of ten top-tier Dragon Qi Secret Techniques!
Even the Crimson Sky Sword Light that Wang Yue unleashed with the Crimson Sky Sword could only kill 2,700 elite soldiers with a single strike.

Where could a mountain battalion, like the one that could instantly destroy an elite force of 30,000 strong soldiers, be like that?

The technological system your lord speaks of is far more powerful than the Dragon Qi system!

As the Minister of Military Affairs in the late autumn, this was not the first time that Xi Zhong had witnessed the battle scenes of the mountain battalion.

In the past, all we've seen are drills.

However, exercises and actual combat are different.

His first real combat experience with the mountain battalion was a huge shock to him!
"That's not quite right. Technological weapons have their advantages, and the Dragon Qi Secret Technique has its advantages."

Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and cannot be generalized.

Today marked the artillery unit's debut, catching Zang Hong off guard, which led to such a significant victory.

"Once the world learns about the artillery's situation, it will be very difficult to achieve such a great victory again," Ji Qiu said, shaking his head.

He then said, "Alright, now that Zang Hong's troops have been completely annihilated, it's time to take Tian's Wubao. Gao Shun, let's make the move!"

(End of this chapter)