Parallel Ming Dynasty: The more he compared, the more devastated Zhu Yuanzhang became.

"Your Highness—"

One researcher, his face beaming with excitement and his voice trembling slightly, exclaimed, "This idea is absolutely brilliant! This way, if we want to change to different bullets, we just need to switch the magazine – it saves us so much trouble!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Duo merely curled the corners of his lips slightly and said in a calm tone, "However, for the flintlock musket, let's proceed with your current design and use a double magazine."

After all, the inherent structure of a flintlock musket dictates that it can only be loaded from the bullet exit point.

"As for the magazine you just mentioned, let's call it a magazine for now. We'll have to study it carefully before we can actually build it."

Because of the magazine's structure, it requires lighter and more delicate springs, but our current factories don't yet have the manufacturing capabilities for that.

Zhu Duo's words instantly dampened the excitement on the faces of the researchers present, dimmed their eyes, and made them all feel extremely regretful.

But Zhu Duo quickly reached out and patted the leading researcher on the shoulder, saying encouragingly, "Don't worry, it won't be long before we can make that kind of delicate spring."

By then, flintlock muskets will be completely phased out, and we will be able to use new types of firearms.

But for now, we need to build the flintlock musket first.

"Your Highness, the first batch of flintlock muskets has been completed and delivered to the military training ground."

"Okay, I'll go take a look then."

After arranging everything at the research institute, Zhu Duo led his men straight to the military exercise field.

Upon arrival, they saw that the merchant's guards had already begun tactical training as line infantry.

The so-called line infantry tactics training involves having a squad of soldiers stand in a neat row and then pull the trigger together to fire bullets; after one row finishes firing, they immediately retreat, or another row of soldiers behind them comes up, reloads their bullets, and then rushes to the front again to continue firing.

A large group of guards from merchant houses gathered on the military exercise field, strictly following Zhu Duo's instructions to form a dense formation. Zhu Duo had specifically instructed them that no matter what happened ahead, they were not allowed to lie down, disperse the ranks, or hide in any direction.

The guards followed these rules, repeating the actions of shooting, retreating, and covering for the enemy again and again.

{Original World: This troop deployment is ridiculous! Even a random ordinary soldier could form a better formation.}

{Original World: Absolutely! Such a dense formation is practically sending soldiers to their deaths. A single charge from their cavalry would shatter this formation into pieces.}

{Original World: While Zhu Duo is indeed very talented in business and creative endeavors, he seems to be completely clueless when it comes to military affairs.}

{Original world: Nobody's perfect, that's understandable.}

The people of the original world found Zhu Duo's tactical arrangement quite normal.

After all, Zhu Duo had already demonstrated extraordinary talent in other areas. If he were to also be exceptionally gifted in military affairs, it would be too disheartening.

Zhu Duo's current naiveté in military matters makes people feel that he is just an ordinary person, not some perfect god.

{New World: That's because you don't know how powerful this flintlock musket is!}

{New World: You really think this is just simple troop deployment? No, no, no, this is actually the most direct form of firepower suppression! This seemingly simple and crude tactic can actually unleash its greatest destructive power!}

{New World: This very naive tactic you're talking about actually led to some great victories!}

The people of the original world could not understand this tactic at all, but the people of the new world had long heard of the power of flintlock muskets.

Moreover, they also knew that this line infantry tactic had made remarkable achievements when it was first introduced, and later became a legend in the Ming Dynasty.

{Original World: What?}

{Original World: Was this kind of troop deployment actually used on the battlefield?}

{New World: Don't worry, you'll find out as you read on.}

-

in the picture.

Zhu Duo initially thought that training in line infantry tactics would be difficult, since such tactics required a great deal of courage from the soldiers. However, to his surprise, the training went exceptionally smoothly.

However, after thinking about it carefully, Zhu Duo quickly came to terms with it.

The guards of the merchant guild had the utmost worship and trust in Zhu Duo. No matter what decision Zhu Duo made or what order he gave, they would obey unconditionally and trust him without reservation. They had long since become the most loyal and sharpest "weapons" in Zhu Duo's hands!

It is precisely because of this that they were able to execute every single one of Zhu Duo's orders flawlessly.

After completing the first phase of training in line infantry tactics, Zhu Duo began to arrange training in three-stage firing tactics.

Because these guards usually cooperated very well, and because they had absolute trust in Zhu Duo, their progress was incredibly fast.

In just five days, they were able to master all the movements of the three-stage shooting tactic according to Zhu Duo's every request.

The most crucial reason is that they all possessed the courage to face death without fear.

After the successful development of the flintlock musket, Zhu Duo used this new type of firearm to equip the guards of the merchant company on a large scale, roughly estimated to be around two to three thousand people.

-

In the new world, if it weren't for his complete trust in Zhu Duo, Zhu Yuanzhang would have even suspected that Zhu Duo was planning to rebel by forging so many flintlock guns and training so many guards.

After all, he had witnessed the power of flintlock muskets firsthand; they were definitely weapons capable of changing the course of a battle.

But Zhu Yuanzhang also knew that Zhu Duo never intended to use these guards to rebel.

Later on, the imperial army even proactively purchased a large number of flintlock muskets from the Peace Trading Company to equip its troops.

By now, all the armies of the Ming Dynasty had undergone a qualitative leap, and the main reason for all this was the emergence of the flintlock musket, which completely changed the traditional way of warfare.

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but sigh, "In the future, all wars will be completely transformed by the advent of firearms."

In the past, wars were fought without mercy, with soldiers fighting bare-chested and in close combat. Whether they lived or died depended entirely on their individual strength and luck.

But with these firearms, even at a distance of over a hundred meters, one can easily kill the opponent. Moreover, no matter how strong a person's physical strength is, it is useless in the face of firearms.

Even a small child, with a flintlock pistol, could easily kill a strong, healthy man!

Time passed quickly in the scene.

Suddenly, alarming news spread throughout the Ming Dynasty: the remnants of the Northern Yuan showed signs of invading southward.

For a time, people in and out of the government were filled with anxiety, and the common people were also filled with worry.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang at the time attached great importance to this matter and immediately sent people to inquire about the news, eventually confirming its authenticity.

After the news was confirmed, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately ordered the dispatch of people to prepare for the third Northern Expedition, and to make sure to completely wipe out the remnants of the Northern Yuan.

Zhu Duo naturally learned of this matter very quickly.

The Northern Expedition was a major undertaking with far-reaching implications, and it could not be concluded in a single day or night. Therefore, whenever the army set out on a campaign, the imperial court would publicly recruit some volunteer troops to replenish the military strength.

Of course, it is clear to anyone with eyes to see that these so-called volunteer armies are basically just going to their deaths, and most of them are civilians with little fighting ability.

Even so, many people are still willing to participate, because if they can make it on the battlefield, they might be able to earn military merit and change their own and their family's fate.

It was for this reason that Zhu Duo decided to conceal his identity as a prince and go to the front lines with the Northern Expeditionary Army; and since the Peace Trading Company was already very close to the court, it naturally became involved in the affairs of the Northern Expedition.

Moreover, the trading company also dispatched a considerable number of personnel to be specifically responsible for coordinating the logistics and supply of the army.

{Original World: Zhu Duo is far too arrogant! He actually dared to personally participate in such an extremely dangerous undertaking as the Northern Expedition; a slight misstep could cost him his life.}

{Original World: This is more than just arrogance. Judging from his posture, he clearly wants to use this war to see just how capable his trained guard is, and to personally test the combat power of the flintlock musket.}

{Original World: I have a bad feeling about this. Military matters can't be taken lightly; every detail must be arranged perfectly. There can't be any mistakes or unexpected events.}

{New World: Don't worry, nothing will happen in the end!}

The people of the original world remained calm in the face of their anxieties, for they already knew the final outcome of the war.

They were also well aware of the significant deterrent effect and merit that flintlock muskets had played in the Northern Expedition.

However, they did not know that Zhu Duo had personally participated in that war.

If they had known about this back then, many more people would have been inspired and actively joined the Northern Expedition to defend the Ming Dynasty.

-

Just as the Northern Expeditionary Army arrived at the front line, an unexpected incident occurred.

When the army was passing through a narrow canyon, the logistics support team was ambushed and intercepted by the Yuan army.

Moreover, it was clear that the Yuan army had made preparations in advance, with a full 20,000 elite cavalrymen blocking the 3,000-strong logistics force in the center of the canyon, forming a pincer attack.

The soldiers in the logistics unit, who were from the imperial army and responsible for escorting food and supplies, turned pale with fright and were at a loss.

With only 3,000 men against 20,000, the disparity in troop strength was enormous, and being surrounded from both sides, there was absolutely no possibility of breaking through.

Moreover, they were merely a logistics unit with inherently weak combat capabilities, while the opposing Yuan army consisted of battle-hardened elite cavalry.

The outcome of this battle seemed to have been predetermined: the logistics troops were doomed.

At this critical moment, Zhu Duo immediately ordered all the guards of the merchant houses to take out their flintlock pistols and prepare to engage in battle.

And the tactical training that had been going on for so long finally showed its true power at this moment.

Under the astonished gazes of the imperial army soldiers, the guards of the merchant guild calmly formed a neat formation, facing all the Yuan troops charging from both ends of the canyon from two directions.

"What are you trying to do? Do you really intend to fight the Yuan army to the death with these strange things?"

The military officer in charge of escorting the logistical supplies, named Shan Zhan, was now ashen-faced. Looking at the merchant's guards who had suddenly sprung into action, he was filled with disbelief and didn't know what to say for a moment.

The merchants showed no fear or hesitation in the face of the powerful Yuan army, while the imperial soldiers under their command seemed to have already accepted their inevitable fate. This made Shan Zhan feel both guilty and distressed.

"With the valiant cavalry commander in command, perhaps we can create a miracle."

Zhu Duo suddenly appeared beside Shan Zhan, raised his hand and patted his shoulder. His fingertips touched the armor on Shan Zhan's body and felt a chill.

"Who are you……"

Shan Zhan turned his head and stared intently at Zhu Duo's face, feeling that he looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

"You're a prince?!"

Shan Zhan suddenly realized that he had seen Zhu Duo before – in the palace, but at that time he was of low status and had no chance to learn Zhu Duo’s name.

Zhu Duo smiled faintly and said, "Keep my identity a secret for now. This credit is yours."

"Honors?"

Dan Zhan shook his head with a bitter smile, his heart filled with self-mockery. Now that things had come to this, it was hard to say whether he could even save his own life, let alone dare to hope for any merit.

But Zhu Duo didn't say anything more to him. He just quietly looked into the distance, his gaze falling on the Yuan soldiers who were preparing to charge.

Because this is a narrow canyon, the Yuan army's cavalry, despite their large numbers, were unable to deploy their formations and unleash their full cavalry power.

They could only line up in a row, sending out a hundred cavalrymen at a time to charge, which made it impossible to form a large-scale attack.

But in the eyes of the Yuan army, there was no difference.

With 20,000 against 3,000, even if each of them only stomps once, they can crush all the opponents. There's no need to worry about losing.

However, looking at the strange iron object in the hands of the person opposite them, the Yuan soldiers were puzzled and wondered what it was.

Despite their doubts, the Yuan army immediately launched an attack, with cavalry lines rushing towards the logistics troops in the center of the canyon.

Standing next to Zhu Duo, Shan Zhan closed his eyes tightly and said in despair, "It's over."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"..."

With a series of thunderous roars, the Yuan cavalrymen, who were still two hundred meters away, suddenly fell to the ground without warning.

Men and horses were thrown about, and screams and neighing echoed throughout the canyon.

The firing did not stop. After the first rank of guards finished firing, the second rank of guards immediately stepped forward, blocking the front of the first rank, and pulled the trigger to fire again.

The Yuan cavalry charge was instantly disrupted, followed by a barrage of gunfire, and cavalrymen fell one after another.

The entire Yuan army's formation was completely thrown into chaos. The soldiers didn't even realize what was happening before a serious stampede occurred due to the panic.

The soldiers and horses that were trampled and fell became obstacles for the cavalry behind them, and more and more people fell to the ground, creating a chaotic scene.

This sudden battle has turned out to be a completely one-sided affair!

However, this one-sided situation was different from what everyone had expected; the Yuan army was being unilaterally crushed.

The three thousand logistics troops, with their steady and methodical approach, harvested the lives of the Yuan cavalrymen time and again, like harvesting wheat.

Dan Zhan, standing to the side, was completely stunned, his eyes wide open and his mouth big enough to fit an egg.

Is this still the war he understands?

This didn't feel like a battle at all; it was a one-sided massacre.

Is this really the kind of war he knew before, the kind that required close-quarters combat?

Three thousand men could actually completely defeat twenty thousand elite cavalry?!