The changes that were taking place in the city of Delhi did not affect the army of Ma Da, who was on the front line of Isgreen Fort at this time, and the latter was cautiously facing the important city in front of him.

Some people may wonder, Da Ming held a heavy artillery in his hand, and directly opened the old routine to bomb the city, and then attacked all the way over, Ma Dajun also thought so at first, but after only three rounds, he was stopped by himself.

"Something is wrong."

Frowning, Ma Dajun said: "Do you say that the armor of the Timurid Khanate is riding in the city?" ”

"Yes, yes."

In the tent, a group of staff officers and generals expressed their opinions one after another.

"Cavalry guarding the city, what is the difference between it and infantry?"

Before walking quickly to the sand table, Ma Dajun's hand was on the large plain outside the city, which was the place where the Ming army's camp fell.

"What kind of combat effectiveness is the armored cavalry, we all know it now, 5,000 people, 10,000 on our army, if it weren't for Zhou Jinshan's life, our 10,000 cavalry guards would be wiped out by 5,000 people, and even, we don't even know how many enemies we have injured."

"It's not because Zhou Jinshan has suffered a loss of equipment."

A staff officer was not convinced: "It's nothing more than a copy of the Iron Float, it looks very powerful, and there are many weaknesses, if you want me to say, if it wasn't late at night, our army's light cavalry held each other with mobile power, interspersed with running, and they were tired to death." ”

"That's it."

Many generals echoed one after another: "The countries of the Western Regions like to engage in this kind of heavy cavalry at every turn, but they don't know that the most important thing in cavalry is mobility. ”

"I see that you have fought so smoothly over the years, and you are all dizzy!"

With a bang, Ma Dajun smashed his fist on the edge of the sand table, knocking down the flag.

He looked at the staff officers in the tent and shouted: "The retreating cavalry guard Ben Shuai asked, even if this cavalry is equipped with men and horses, it can run faster than our cavalry guards. ”

"Impossible!"

This news is obviously unbelievable to everyone in the tent, how can there be a reason that heavy cavalry runs faster than light cavalry, if so, it is not invincible in the world?

"Hmph, look at your lonely appearance."

Ma Dajun began to recall: "Are you really on vacation in Nanjing for the past two years?

In the General Staff, the commander looked through all the travelogues and records about the Timurid Khanate, and this army was Timur's lame guard, consisting of a group of believers completely loyal to the so-called Allah, and this group of believers, mostly slave-born, called Mamluks, was bought by Timur to train and train at a very young age.

You don't know about them, and so does Ben Shuai, but Ben Shuai only gives one example, you can estimate its combat effectiveness yourself, when Temujin went west, he relied on his superb cavalry and mobile power to destroy all the countries along the way, but do you know why the westward expedition stopped? ”

Seeing that everyone shook their heads, Ma Dajun said solemnly.

"The travelogue may not be true, and it may be boastful, but according to its records, 20,000 Mongol rangers who came and went like the wind encountered a Mamluk cavalry with a number of 5,000, and at that time 5,000 fought 20,000, but the result was that the invincible Mongols were completely annihilated! Didn't run away! ”

In the handsome tent, there was a gasp of cold air.

"The speed of the Mongolian horse is obviously not as fast as that of the opponent, and the reason why the Mongolian cavalry makes people feel like the wind is because when Temujin was marching west, the army rode two horses, or even three horses, and could change back and forth, running without sleep. But when fighting, you are one man and ten horses, how fast you should run or how fast, the horse breed of this heavy cavalry is better than that of Mongolian horses. ”

Unable to win, unable to run, 20,000 Mongols rode and were wiped out head-on by 5,000 Mamluk youths in Ain Jalu.

This battle, known in the history of the Eurasian war, is known as the most important turning point of Genghis Khan's western expedition, and it is unceremonious to say that Genghis Khan was frightened.

The proud cavalry could not break through the opponent's armor, and once it was close to it, Mongolia at that time did not have highly skilled blacksmiths and full industrialization.

That was hundreds of years ago, and when the young aristocratic Timur found out, he began to buy these Mamluk teenagers from Arabia to form a new Mamluk heavy cavalry, equipped with the famous Damascus steel swords in the post-modern era.

So, there is no doubt about the result.

Mamluks mean slaves, not a region or a certain nation, and most of the people are teenagers who have been taken captive by the Arabs since childhood, all over the world, all over the world, in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and even North Africa.

These teenagers were bought by the Turkic military aristocracy and cultivated from an early age, just like raising wolves and tigers, supplemented by the ideological baptism of the Green Sect, they are not afraid of death, and even, they are eager to die.

Neither the outlaws nor the army of tigers and wolves can describe this group of people who are not ghosts and ghosts, they are born for war.

The rapid rise of Timur, the lame wolf, is inseparable from the assistance of this army, and the armored cavalry and heavy armored cavalry archers he created single-handedly were established by this group of children as the main force.

It also allowed Timur's fame to spread all the way to Europe, and he was hailed as a new great conqueror after Temujin.

"Let's not care if the record of this travelogue is true or not, but in a war, it is better to pay attention to the enemy than to despise the enemy, let's treat it as if it is true, and then amplify the combat effectiveness of this cavalry, then how to deal with it has become the key."

Ma Dajun picked up the command whip and pointed around the city of Isgreen Castle.

"The geographical environment here is very helpful for the cavalry's operations, the terrain here is open and the plain, once the cavalry runs away, especially a heavy cavalry whose combat strength is likely to be far superior to that of Tiefutu, the power is indescribable, then, you say, if you are the enemy's general, will you be willing to throw such a powerful cavalry in the city as an infantry to defend the city?"

"Of course not."

Now, this group of people has no other doubts, using people as infantry, even if it is ten times more powerful, it is not a paper target under a cannon.

It's really stupid to use it like that.

"It's not in the city, so where is it?"

Ma Dajun was a little worried: "It's been three days since our army came here, and the scouts haven't detected it, which means that it is hidden very deeply, and the reason why it is hidden is that it is unwilling to put this elite directly into the artillery coverage area of our army as cannon fodder to die in vain, and they will wait until our army's artillery is dumb." ”

Will the cannon be dumbfired?

Theoretically, after 20 rounds of firing from a cannon, it must be stopped, otherwise the barrel will be over-conducted, which will lead to an explosion.

Moreover, the cooling time often takes several hours, and if cold water is used to accelerate in this process, the life of the barrel will be shortened, and the internal pipe wall will be deformed, resulting in the hidden danger that the shell cannot be fired.

The commander of the artillery array is a soldier, but the deputy is from the firearms bureau of the professional Ministry of Industry, which is the regular establishment of the Ming army at present, and all kinds of talents must be had.

"We all know now that artillery in the army cannot fire more than 20 rounds, this is the red line, but in fact, many of the artillery is not last year and this year, the Ministry of Industry used the so-called new artillery made of Hegang, many of them are old guns from previous years, and at most ten rounds can no longer be fired, which is why the commander ordered to stop the artillery today."

Ma Dajun said solemnly: "Before detecting the movement of this cavalry, the artillery must not have problems, and at the same time, our army must also concoct horse traps around to prevent surprise attacks. ”

There is always a risk in fighting a war.

Be sure to think about the bad first and then think about the good.

The army of horses, who have eaten a trench and grown wise, has truly regarded this unknown opponent with a plain taste and a mask as the most important enemy force.

"So we're going to do it like that?"

A staff officer questioned.

"Ma Shuai, the military intelligence of the northwest battlefield can't be sent to us, the military information can't be communicated, we must open up the Hindu Kush Mountain, in order to connect with the King of Chu, and once the relationship lasts for a long time, when the Timurid Khanate builds a pass in the Hindu Kush Mountain, then the strategic goal of blockading India as determined by His Majesty cannot be achieved."

Ma Dajun began to move around with his hands in his hands, and the military situation was no more important than the king's order, just like when Mu Chun died at the hands of Dao Ganmeng.

The battle situation in the southwest is complicated, but Mu Chun still has to chase and kill with a dull head, and it is not because Taizu's imperial order is pressed on his head.

Outside, the monarch's decree will not grant such words, just listen to it, don't take it seriously, and don't play casually.

"Let's talk about it, what can we do?"

Ma Dajun, who couldn't make up his mind, looked around: "You are all from staff officers, and you all look at what this commander does." ”

The staff officers looked at each other, and someone immediately spoke.

"Or, learn Guan Yunchang to flood Fancheng?"

A staff officer was on the Indus River, which runs around the city: "Let's burst the embankment and blow up the mouth and flood the Isgreen Fort?" ”

"At the moment, the water level is low and shallow, and the terrain of Isgreen Fort is higher than the plain outside the city, so water attack is not feasible."

Objections were immediately raised.

"The way of using soldiers, Qi is compatible, since Qi does not work, then it is upright. The last general suggested that the bombing of the city could not be stopped, and the artillery array should be divided into two waves, bombing alternately, and maintaining pressure on the city wall at all times, which was nothing more than spending more time. ”

Ma Dajun nodded, for now, this should be the safest way.

"Let's try it first."

The resolution was quickly passed, and the Chinese army, which had adjusted its artillery array, began to implement this order, and a hundred guns roared at the Isgreen Fort, and one after another the shells fell on the top of the city and emitted dazzling fire, but the fort of Isturd was obviously stronger than Delhi, after all, it was a huge city built by hundreds of thousands of slaves for more than ten years, and a hundred small-caliber guns of the fifteenth century were not enough to see immediate results.

The artillery bombardment is pushing the process at a speed that is neither fast nor slow.

On the sixth day of the bombing, the first gap was blown open, but the scouts still did not detect any trace of the armored cavalry, and the horse army was still waiting.

On the eighth day of the bombing, the gap was widened to nearly 30 zhang, the city gate area and the outer city river were filled, and Ma Da's army continued to hold its ground.

On the thirteenth day of the bombing, the entire southern city wall was reduced to ruins, but a scene that disgusted everyone appeared.

There's also a wall inside!

Like Nanjing, Isgreen Fort is a double-walled system!

It was just the urn city that was blown up just now.

And what is even worse is that the number of shells is no longer enough to support the continuation, and when the fight is over, there is no means of preparation.

"Increase troops and reduce the stove, lure the snake out of the hole."

Contrary to the staff officers, Ma Dajun laughed heartily.

"Order, two hundred cannons fired at once, hit three rounds and stop, and put in a guard to attack the city directly."

The staff officers were a little confused about the meaning of Ma Dajun at first, but then they suddenly realized.

Da Ming has always been very cautious in dealing with the siege, showing an annoyed and angry expression at this time, but soon dumb fire, pretending to lose a follow-up shell, luring the cavalry out of the formation.

As long as you cheat it, then the battle will be won.

The military order was well conveyed, and after three rounds of earth-shattering roaring cannons, the soldiers of the Ming army, who stopped and rested for more than ten days, and were tired of watching the artillery, launched a charge towards the Isgreen Castle, which was almost razed to the ground.

The broken masonry and rubble have long been paved into a ramp, and the soldiers of the Ming army don't even need things like ladders and siege towers.

The tragic, hand-to-hand white-knuckle battle began.

This was the second encounter between the Ming and the Timurid Khanate, and it was also the first large-scale, real battle, which was by no means different from Zhou Jinshan's previous encounters.

Zhou Jinshan's battle can only be called a small-scale local battle, and the real military strength gap between the two countries cannot be tested, but this time the battle of Islubao is the real main force of the two sides, and it is a large-scale army battle with a total number of nearly 200,000.

"Kill!"

The first hundred households were like fierce tigers, the horizontal knife slashed, and under the sword light, a broken arm holding a knife flew up, and the enemy army opposite him just howled, and the whole person flew to Baihu, opened his mouth and bit Baihu's neck.

"Bastard, asshole."

Baihu was pressed under him, roaring in pain, but he couldn't break free, the knife in his right hand couldn't be used, and a few times it was just an understatement to leave a few wounds on the enemy's back, as time passed, Baihu's consciousness was a little loose, he felt that his neck was about to be bitten off half, with the only remaining will, this Baihu raised his arm high, and then the tip of the knife rushed down, falling down!

This knife pierces the two people together.

Such a tragic life-fighting life, appeared everywhere in the city, whether it was the Ming army or the Green Cult army, almost all of them were tiger and wolf soldiers who were not afraid of death, and when they broke their hands, they used their heads, mouths, and all parts of their bodies that could be attacked.

Countless bloods, left along the small slope of the rubble ruins, soon merged from the creek into a lake.

"It's horrible."

A staff officer was shocked: "In this world, in addition to my Daming, there is such a strong army?" ”

"Five nonsense, cliffs and mountains jumping into the sea, we can't always be conceited, we must learn the lessons left by our ancestors with blood, and don't underestimate these barbarians."

Ma Dajun said in a deep voice: "I haven't fought before, I have been an imaginary enemy, I always feel that it is a group of barbarians who can have any combat effectiveness, we have contempt for them engraved in our bones, this contempt will take the lives of soldiers on the battlefield, Zhou Jinshan's death, is it not enough to make you wake up?" ”

Since Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, for so many years, Daming has gone too smoothly.

By the way, the entire military started from Zhu Di down, and no one still felt that there were opponents in the world who could be rivaled.

And once the assistance of the cannon is left, the power of the first arquebus is not enough to affect the situation on the battlefield, and the only thing that Daming Jian'er can rely on is the knife in his hand.

"It's always a good thing to suffer a little loss in advance and have a long memory."

Quietly watching the development of the battle situation, Ma Dajun said: "If it weren't for the Taishun expedition to the west, the 20,000 Mongolian cavalry would not have fallen into a situation where the whole army was annihilated. ”

A lesson from the previous car, a teacher from the back.

Time was passing, the first wave of siege ended after lasting more than an hour, the surviving Ming soldiers withdrew, and the first siege ended in a balance of power.

No one had any advantage, the proportion of casualties was about the same, and what Ma Dajun saw here was 10,000 people who rushed forward, but it became less than 6,000 who retreated.

4,000 lives were left at the head of Isgreen Castle.

"This is still the elite Chinese army of our Southwest Army."

Ma Dajun closed his eyes with some heartache.

"If you change the provincial army in Delhi or the coalition army led by Chen Chunsheng, I am afraid that none of the 10,000 people will survive this wave.

There is a certain reason why Timur's cripple can destroy so many countries in just over ten years, and the army he brought out is amazing. ”

Later generations had a debate about Timur's Eastern Crusade, that is, whether Timur's 200,000 troops could win the Ming Dynasty at that time.

Because after all, he has not fought each other, he can only be used as an imaginary enemy, and no one is optimistic about Timur from the perspective of his own country supporting his country, but we can be sure of one thing first, that is, Timur's eastern crusade was not to attack the Ming Dynasty.

Timur's army was sent at the request of Benjamin to fight against Warat and Tatar.

This was also Timur's long-cherished wish, and Timur had always claimed to be a descendant of the Golden Family, even though he was already the absolute hegemon of Central and West Asia and the supreme leader of Allah's Green Religion, but Timur still accepted the ritual of recognition of the identity of the exile Benjameri.

The reason lies in the legal rationality of his identity, Timur claimed to be a descendant of Temujin, a legitimate ruler of the steppes, and wanted to establish a new Great Mongol Empire.

Later, Timur died of illness, and there is no clear record of whether he fought with Varat before his death, or whether the army of the Timurid Khanate fought with Eastern Chagatai and Varat before the Eastern Expedition.

There is only one paragraph in the record, that is, after Timur's eastern crusade, Dongchagatai surrendered directly, and then Mahamu and Arutai surrendered to Zhu Di.

This is a surrender in the real sense, not the traditional meaning of recognizing Daming as a big brother in order to maintain bilateral relations, because at that time, the grassland even gave Zhu Di the honorific title.

"Saint Khan."

means that Zhu Di is the co-owner of the prairie.

You must know that even after Taizu's several Northern Expeditions, including the Battle of Yuerhai, the grassland has never given Taizu the title of honorific.

At that time, Zhu Laosi was confused.

Extrapolating in this way, it is enough to see how great the external pressure of Timur was on these countries and tribes.

Now, Ma Dajun can be regarded as having personally experienced the difficulty and combat effectiveness of this opponent.

"The enemy rider still hasn't shown his head, let's fight for patience."

The opponent is not a fool, he did not unleash his trump card on the first day, and Ma Dajun was not in a hurry.

"Let's fight, Ben Shuai will see how long they can hold out."

The next day, the besieging Ming army did not continue to choose the white-knuckle battle of fighting for the death, but made full use of the diversification of offensive means and launched a ballista.

This made the Green Sect soldiers who were waiting at the head of the city suffer, and the big guys were still waiting for the siege of the city in clear formations, but although the shells did not wait, they waited for a wave of arrows.

Thousands of dead and wounded were killed and wounded on the spot.

Taking advantage of the panic of the enemy formation, another reorganized guard ascended to the top of the city, taking advantage of the situation to launch a wave of advancement, although it was still driven off the city in the end, but the results were remarkable.

Lose 2,000 self-inflicted losses and destroy at least 5,000 enemies.

"Still haven't found it."

It's good to be patient.

Ma Dajun did not panic, and waited until the third day.

This is enough to write a great command battle in the history of war, in the early morning of the third day, the Ming army continued to launch the ballista array, and the green soldiers on the head of the city were scattered, waiting for the Ming army to attack the city and then meet each other.

Then, one by one, the phalanx began to ascend the city with shields, and everything progressed as if it were the first day, and all the Green Sect soldiers on standby swarmed up, only to find that the Ming soldiers who landed in the city brought a row of 'cannons' with some strange shapes.

Well, it's that giant arquebus.

The shield wall blocked the enemy's view, and with the suppression of the crossbow machine, they did not find that the Ming army besieging the city this time was carrying private goods.

When they swarmed up, they ate a storm of metal in the narrow city.

The fragmented corpses in one place made the Green Cultists a little unbearable.

The results of this day were even more significant, and the Ming Dynasty lost almost less than 1,000 people, exchanging more than five times the results.

"Did you detect the enemy horsemanship?"

Ma Dajun didn't believe it, and the commander of the Timurid Khanate was able to hold his breath so calmly and bear the aggravation of these losses.

"Not yet."

The thousands of households in the scout camp sweated on their foreheads: "Within a radius of thirty miles, I have checked all the places that can be checked, and nothing has been found." ”

"Okay, Ben Shuai will see how deep this group of rats can hide."

Ma Dajun looked at the head of the castle of Islu: "After Lao Tzu captures the city, it will be meaningless for them to show their heads." ”

On the fourth, fifth, and sixth days, the Ming Dynasty began to change the means of attack in different ways, and even built a batch of trebuchets that had not been used for a long time, hit cans of fire oil on the city, and played a fire to burn the city, although it did not burn much, but in the heart, it still gave the defenders of Isgreen Fort a big headache.

The means of military strikes of the Ming army were too abundant.

The balance of war began to tilt towards the Ming Dynasty.

But there is only one thing that Ma Dajun did very well, that is, no matter how endless the means of attack, he insisted on sending 10,000 men to the city every day to fight a white-knuckle battle, wanting to capture the city.

Because whether it is a crossbow machine or a trebuchet, it is only a means of suppression, and it cannot achieve much results, and it cannot be just the killing of dozens or hundreds of people.

And the cannon has never been fired once.

"I don't believe how long they can resist."

On the tenth day of the siege of the castle, the scouts rushed over with excitement.

"Ma Shuai, enemy horseman, here!"

Ma Dajun looked back at the west side in shock, and without the report of the Qianhu official, in his ears, he had vaguely heard the faint, but oppressive, sound of horses' hooves stomping on the ground.

The invincible armored cavalry that swept through Europe and Asia finally couldn't hold it anymore and was about to launch a Jedi charge towards the Ming army camp!