Chapter 1820: Magistrate Shang’s confusion
“Did the Fengqiao Camp be attacked by Japanese pirates? Master Zhu led his troops to ask for help?”
Magistrate Shang looked at Feng Seeing the big change in the direction of Qiao Daying, I opened my mouth in shock and couldn't calm down for a long time. I watched the Zhejiang Army galloping directly towards Suzhou City on horseback and asked the people around me in surprise.
A general who had been paying attention to the direction of the Zhejiang Army’s camp shook his head slightly and explained to Magistrate Shang, “Sir, it’s not like the Fengqiao Camp was breached by Japanese pirates, it’s more like the Zhejiang Army’s The Zhejiang Army took the initiative to break through and abandoned the camp. Today's change was caused by the Zhejiang Army's cavalry roving outside. Suddenly, the Japanese pirates appeared to attack from the south, and then the Zhejiang army in the camp also attacked the Japanese pirates from the south. The Japanese pirates thought that the Zhejiang army's camp was going to help the Zhejiang army return to the camp, and they tried their best to stop it. Originally, the general also thought that the Zhejiang army was trying to cooperate with the outside. The Zhejiang army outside entered the camp, but when the Japanese pirates were chasing and intercepting them, a sudden change occurred. More Zhejiang troops in the camp suddenly appeared to the north, using dense muskets and artillery to break through the Japanese siege in one fell swoop. After the Zhejiang army broke through the Japanese siege from the north, they abandoned the camp and left. The Japanese pirates rushed into the place that Master Zhu and the others had given up. camp, and then there was an explosion in the camp, and the Japanese pirates were killed."
< br>After hearing this, Magistrate Shang frowned slightly, walked around the city wall twice, and couldn't help but ask, "Why are the Zhejiang Army eager to break out? The Zhejiang Army's camp should have sufficient food, grass, ordnance, and baggage. It’s not a problem to hold on for a month or two, so why are we so eager to break out and abandon the camp at this time?”
No one around could answer Magistrate Shang's question, and they didn't know why the Zhejiang army would take the initiative to break out of the encirclement at this time.
"Why do you think the Zhejiang army is eager to break out?" Magistrate Shang turned to ask the deputy general on the side.
The deputy general shook his head. He really didn't know why the Zhejiang army was eager to break out of the encirclement at this time and lost the camp they had spent so much effort building to the Japanese pirates. In his opinion, the Zhejiang army had no need to break through at this time.
A few days ago, the Japanese pirates attacked the Zhejiang Army’s Fengqiao camp with all their strength, but failed to break through the Zhejiang Army’s Fengqiao position. Instead, they suffered serious casualties, especially the earth-shattering explosion in front of the formation, which caused heavy casualties to the Japanese pirates. .
These days, the Japanese pirates were obviously afraid of the sharp firearms of the Zhejiang Army. They only dared to surround the Zhejiang Army's camp, and did not dare to attack the Zhejiang Army's camp.
Since the Japanese pirates dare not attack the Zhejiang army's camp, the Zhejiang army is very safe in the camp. They only need to guard the camp firmly and form a corner with Suzhou City to contain the Japanese pirates. When the Japanese pirates retreat, the Zhejiang army will A great achievement is indispensable, and there is no need to break through at all.
Moreover, the Zhejiang Army relies heavily on firearms, which are slow to reload, and are afraid of the enemy's close approach. They rely on camps to better supply, reload, and take advantage of firearms to protect their soldiers. If they abandon the camp and fight in the field, at least 40% of them will be destroyed. Martial arts.
Absolutely unnecessary.
"Perhaps Sir Wu has other considerations." The deputy general couldn't think of the reason, so he had to reply.
Just as the lieutenant was answering, the situation on the southern battlefield changed again.
The explosion at Fengqiao Camp caused heavy casualties to the Japanese pirates and made them angry. The main victims of the explosion were the Japanese pirates who encircled the camp from the south. The Zhejiang Army abandoned the camp and headed north. The Japanese pirates who surrounded the camp in the south naturally pursued the Zhejiang Army's camp. First, occupy the Zhejiang Army's camp, and second, pass through the Zhejiang Army's camp and go north to pursue the Zhejiang Army.
As a result, just as they entered the Zhejiang Army camp, an explosion occurred, causing heavy casualties to them.
Relatively speaking, the Japanese pirates in the encirclement north of Fengqiao Camp were much better. They pursued the Zhejiang Army to the north, but only sent a small number of troops south to occupy the Zhejiang Army’s Fengqiao Camp. In this explosion, they Damage was limited.
Falling twice into a pit, the Japanese pirates suddenly became angry with shame.
Seeing that the Zhejiang army voluntarily abandoned the camp, abandoned their martial arts, and fled to the wilds, the Japanese pirates, who had experienced many battles, suddenly realized that this was a good opportunity to beat the Zhejiang army.
As a result, the Japanese pirates, mainly those in the northern encirclement, began to pursue the Zhejiang army frantically after experiencing a brief period of chaos after the explosion.
Generally speaking, a two-legged man cannot catch up with a four-legged horse, but the Zhejiang army not only rode good horses, but also horse horses, donkeys and mules, and the speed was not very fast.
In addition, since we have just broken through the Japanese pirate encirclement, our horse speed has not increased yet.
Japanese pirates have been attacking various places all year round. They can run very fast and even bite the slower soldiers and horses behind the Zhejiang army.
Seeing that the situation was critical, at the critical moment, under the command of a sentry commander, the more than 100 Zhejiang troops who were lagging behind turned around and rushed towards the pursuing Japanese pirates. The army fights for time and space.
More than a hundred Zhejiang troops rushed against the Japanese pirates on horseback. They first set off fire cannons. The accuracy of the fire cannons fired on horseback was much worse than on the ground, but it also caused considerable losses to the Japanese pirates. After the fire cannons were fired, the Zhejiang troops pulled out their sabers. Hacking Japanese pirates on horseback.
Cavalry naturally restrains infantry. They can fight when they want and leave when they want. Although the Zhejiang Army has only been training on horseback for a short time, it still has a natural advantage.
More than a hundred cavalry rushed into the chasing group of Japanese pirates, like tigers descending from the mountain. After slashing, they turned their horses' heads under the command of the sentry commander, escaped far away to widen the distance from the Japanese pirates, loaded gunpowder, and then Do it again.
But the second time, the Zhejiang army at the rear suffered casualties.
When they rushed towards the Japanese pirates again, the number of Japanese pirates in pursuit increased again. After the Zhejiang army rushed into the formation, the vast number of Japanese pirates quickly surrounded the Zhejiang army that rushed into the formation, making it impossible for the cavalry to take advantage of it. , from time to time, Zhejiang troops were dragged off their horses by brave Japanese pirates.
Once he was pulled off the horse, seven or eight Japanese swordsmen attacked him in an instant. He was unable to resist and died heroically.
Of the more than a hundred cavalry in the rear, only about seventy rode out from the Japanese pirate formation, and more than thirty cavalry stayed in the Japanese pirate formation forever.
Of course, their sacrifice also bought time and space for the Zhejiang army.
The Zhejiang Army's large forces have pushed the Japanese pirates away for more than two miles, and their horses have also increased their speed, pushing them further and further away.
Zhifu Shang and other soldiers on the Suzhou City took a rough look at the city wall from a distance, and saw the Zhejiang Army cavalry behind them rushing towards the Japanese pirates twice, and in the end dozens of cavalry were lost.
Seeing this scene, Magistrate Shang couldn't help but shook his head and sighed, "Oh, why is Zihou so eager to lead the Zhejiang army to break out at this time? So many soldiers' lives were sacrificed in vain. There could have been no bloodshed. Why bother? If it's like this As they had done a few days ago, the Zhejiang Army stood firm at the Fengqiao Camp, with low walls and other barriers as barriers. Taking advantage of their firearms, the Japanese pirates had nothing to do with the Zhejiang Army. Why? As for the death of so many soldiers, although I am not very good at military affairs, I also know that the Zhejiang army relies on firearms, and firearms are not good at field combat. Didn't the Zhejiang army break out of the encirclement and use their own shortcomings to attack the enemy's strengths? ?”
Hearing this, the deputy general couldn’t help but nodded in agreement. He also thought so in his heart. There was no need for the Zhejiang army to break out at this time. (End of this chapter)