Sun Chuanting inspected from the right flank position of the Ming army to the left flank, and did not stop until the bottom of the local so-called Batazi Mountain. Batazi Mountain is a small hill running north-south, and unlike the remaining veins of the pine ridge wrapped in the jungle to the west, this barren mountain more than 100 meters high only has a little barren grass and shrubs, and the exposed cliff section is all red gravel layers, which is somewhat incompatible with the nearby mountains.

Because of its peculiarity of the mountain, and there are eight fortress-like peaks protruding, it is regarded as the incarnation of the evil dragon by the local people, and I don't know when someone built eight solid brick towers on these eight protruding peaks to suppress the evil dragon, so this mountain is also called the Eight Towers Mountain.

There is a river with little water potential on the north side of Batazi Mountain, which winds to the north after a detour in front of the Ming army's position, and the south side of the mountain is a ravine that is difficult to pass. The left wing of the Ming army relied on this mountain to set up a formation, but Sun Chuanting did not find any fault.

However, looking at the slopes of Batazi Mountain and the artillery positions under the mountain, as well as the piles of shells and barrels in the rear, Sun Chuanting couldn't help but ask Li Hongyuan, who was accompanying him: "I see that there are only 5 or 60 artillery pieces on the right flank, why are there more than 100 artillery pieces here?" Are you bringing the entire artillery of Liaoxi here? Wouldn't you be favoring one over the other? ”

Li Hongyuan replied with an unchanged expression: "According to the combat report sent back by Colonel Lu from Japan, we believe that artillery is more powerful when used intensively. Unlike the front of the right flank, which has several hills that obscure the view, the front of the left flank is relatively open and flat, which is also conducive to the impact of enemy cavalry. Therefore, we believe that if Houjin launches an active attack, he will definitely take this as the key offensive direction, which is why we have set up two-thirds of our artillery here.

In addition, the end of the wartime railway is behind us, so it is easier to carry supplies such as shells and *. 44 3-kilogram cannons, 32 6-kilogram cannons, 31 9-kilogram cannons, 24 12-kilogram cannons, and 891-kilogram shells will be fired in one round, which costs catties*.

In other words, just by firing all these guns in front of us, we will shoot out more than half a ton of supplies. With 12 rounds of shooting as a combat base, it is nearly 7 tons of supplies. Just to prepare 10 bases of ammunition for these guns, 70 tons of supplies were needed.

It is clearly not appropriate and safe to move so many supplies around. Therefore, Xia Guan thought that the artillery positions should be mainly set up here, which would reduce our manpower consumption, which would also be a more economical approach..."

Listening to the new terms that popped out of Li Hongyuan's mouth, Sun Chuanting also smiled bitterly in his heart. At the age of 27, he was admitted to the Jinshi, and he can be regarded as both civil and military. After all, he still served as an instructor at the Army Military Academy, and it should be said that he did not lack military knowledge.

However, in front of Li Hongyuan, a young staff officer who is not yet 30 years old, Sun Chuanting, who is only 41 years old, always feels that he is a little outdated. If a few years ago, he could still evaluate the gains and losses of the Ming army in several battles in Liaodong to his friends on the map, then now the battle plans formulated by the staff officers of these general staff departments have made him quite incomprehensible.

After all, the battle plan of the past may have been a page of orders of several hundred words, and a little more detailed would not exceed ten pages. How to fight on the battlefield depends mainly on the temporary play of the army's commanders. The Ministry of War regards the performance of these armies on the battlefield, one is to remember the merits of each person, and the other is whether the army has attacked the designated targets according to the order.

But now, just a detailed battle plan is enough to be nearly one person tall. Each regiment has detailed regulations on the defensive area and combat mission on the battlefield, and the part of the battle plan on logistics scheduling is more than half of the content, not only with textual explanations, but also with various charts and numerical formulas.

Sun Chuanting felt that the former enemy's staff headquarters was able to refine the combat content to such an extent in just over 10 days. However, he also determined that even the most outstanding and talented generals would not be able to handle the workload of the former enemy's staff in the future.

In the future, the commander-in-chief who commands a large army only needs to put forward an operational plan, and then ask the staff officers to draw up various operational rules, and then make judgments and make a decision. Even if it is a mediocre person who commands the army, the battle plan formulated will not be a mess. If the current big war can really be won, then the brain of the army in the future will not be the chief generals of the various armies, but the staff command system headed by the General Staff.

At the foot of a hill a few hundred meters away from Sun Chuanting and Li Hongyuan, on the edge of a sparse forest, a sergeant in his early 30s was sitting on a stump of a tree 30 to 40 centimeters above the ground, asking a young soldier to wipe his calf-length boots.

The quality of these boots made of whale skin is quite good, and the cost alone is 5 yuan per pair, and it is mainly supplied to officers and non-commissioned officers in the army. Such a pair of boots, combined with a new military uniform made of woolen wool and leather armed belts, immediately made the young man energetic.

The costumes that became popular from the Jinyi Guard and the Guards soon swept the troops on the left side of the capital, and the first division of the new-style army was naturally no exception. Except for the vermilion lacquer Yongzi helmets worn on everyone's heads, the costumes of the first division and regiments no longer bear any resemblance to the costumes of ordinary border troops.

Of course, the first division's outfit made the western Liaoning border army blush, and when the soldiers of the two armies met, the border army inevitably had to "puff" behind their backs and scold: look good. And the officers and men of the 1st Division also looked down on these border troops, and said: Hillbillies who have never seen the world are also common.

Under the strict constraints of military discipline and the imminent situation of a major war, the battle of words and tongues will not develop into an intersection of fists and feet, but the unconvincing psychology of the two sides wanting to compare each other on the battlefield is overflowing.

The young man who was shining the shoes of the non-commissioned officer was obviously very clever, and while he was polishing his shoes, he began to inquire about the precautions for going to the battlefield, and it was obviously his first time on the battlefield.

The non-commissioned officer didn't hide his secrets, and quickly taught him two hands, and then sighed: "... Speaking of which, you have to get yourself out of the battlefield when you go to the battlefield, and the more you are afraid of death, the faster you will die. Either at the hands of the enemy, or at the hands of the commander who oversaw the war.

Of course, it's no longer the same as it used to be. We are eating the imperial food, wearing such good clothes and boots, and if we don't work hard, I'm sorry for Your Majesty..."

Listening to the commander's emotion, the young soldier couldn't help but interject boldly and asked, "But Chief Zhao, isn't your length of service up?" I heard that you took the initiative to ask to join the war this time, why did you take this risk, didn't you say that the Jurchen Tartars were the most ferocious? ”

Zhao Si looked at the boots on his left foot that had been wiped by the young soldier, nodded with satisfaction after a while, and sent the other foot to the young soldier, and then said with a sneer: "Retirement? There is no one in my family for a long time, and there is still the court to take care of the food in the army, will I be a hillbilly with a head of sorghum flowers when I go back?

Plant twenty or thirty acres of land, eat, and not be satisfied; Wear, wear not warm. You still have to think about how to feed your wife and children, and deal with the errand labor who urges food, and everyone can come and step on you. Even if you work for a lifetime, in the end, you will just get a thin-skinned coffin and bury it at the entrance of the village, who will remember you except your family. This is the life of man.

I, Zhao Si, will either be promoted through meritorious service, or I will live a life that everyone envies. Otherwise, you will simply die on the battlefield, and you can enter the martyrs' cemetery and enjoy the incense sacrificed by the court... Isn't it a hundred, a thousand times better than being an ordinary person..."

Looking at the appearance of the chief's eyebrows, the young man couldn't help but be a little distracted, and his heart was a little less afraid of the upcoming war at this time, and a little more eager to try.

Sun Chuanting, who was standing on the hillside talking to Li Hongyuan, suddenly stopped, and Li Hongyuan followed Sun Chuanting's line of sight and found that several cavalry were galloping towards his position in the direction of Yizhou.

Li Hongyuan subconsciously picked up the telescope on his chest and glanced at it, and then said to Sun Chuanting: "My lord, it seems that the night of monitoring Yizhou City has not been withdrawn. ”

Sun Chuanting nodded and said, "Well, let's go down too, go to the big tent and listen, what is going on in Houjin..."

The news brought back by the night was both good and bad news for the Ming army. The good news was that the Later Jin army made a big move towards the positions established by the Ming army. The bad news was that due to logistical transportation problems, only a small part of the barbed wire used to hinder the enemy cavalry was reached, and only a shallow trench was dug in front of the Ming army's position.

If the Houjin army carried out a fierce attack regardless of casualties, then the Ming army would have to use its own flesh and blood to resist the opponent's cavalry, which was really a severe test.

Just when the generals in the big tent looked solemn, Sun Chuanting's expression became relaxed, he smiled and said: "This is obviously a good thing, the Houjin army made a big move, abandoned the city and did not defend it, but fought with our army in the field, isn't it exactly the choice we want?"

Isn't there just no barbed wire, so won't we go to war? Your Majesty and the imperial court did everything they could to ensure that the new army had everything necessary for training, and if they could not meet the cavalry of the opposing side, everyone would be in two wars, and they would not be able to lift their swords and guns. For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, for His Majesty's loyalty and dutifulness, these words, this official will not say it.

This official just wants to tell you that this official and the former enemy headquarters are here, and they will not take a step back if they do not defeat the Houjin army. Before the officer gave the order to retreat, anyone who dared to retreat beyond the former enemy's headquarters would be dealt with by military law, regardless of whom. Do you understand? ”

The officers in the tent suddenly fell silent, and they all agreed. Sun Chuanting nodded with satisfaction, and continued to say to everyone: "Don't panic when you look at the large-scale movement of the Houjin army in Yizhou, in the opinion of this official, there is really a problem in the Houjin army right now, so we have to come to the door first to fight with us..."

Zuo Liangyu, who was sitting on Sun Chuanting's right hand, couldn't help but ask on behalf of everyone: "Is there any basis for what my lord said?" ”

Sun Chuanting said calmly: "After the beginning of the year, there was a turmoil in Jin, and Sanbeile Mang Gurtai was demoted and fined. Isn't Mang Gurtai the banner owner of the Blue Banner Baylor, the Blue Flag is opposite us, but where is Mang Gurtai?

If the Zhenglan Banner and the Red Flag really trust each other, wouldn't it be clear to a war-torn general like Yue Tuo that it is the best strategy to first let our army besiege Yizhou to frustrate their spirits, and then set the Red Flag and then attack our army inside and outside with the Zhenglan Banner?

Now, Yue Tuo is holding the Zhenglan Banner hostage and sending troops, and it is okay if he wins. If we fail to win a single blow, there will be an accident between the two flags, and then it will be our army's chance to win..."