Yangquan County, east of Shanxi, is only more than 100 miles away from Datong, where the Shanxi Governor's Mansion is located.

As long as Yangquan County is breached, the imperial court officials and troops who attack Datong Mansion can drive straight into the city and directly attack the outside of Datong City.

In the eyes of the imperial court, as long as Datong Mansion, where the Shanxi Governor's Mansion is located, is threatened, the Northern Expeditionary Army, which is marching into the capital, will stop a qiē military operation and return to Datong Mansion at any cost.

At that time, the threat of the capital from the northern army will be completely lifted. The imperial court can also grasp the initiative of the entire battle situation because of this, putting the northern army in a dilemma.

Such a good fighter plane is placed in front of the imperial court, and of course the imperial court will not let it go.

On the surface, the elite that the imperial court really used to attack the two provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi was only 60,000 people in the Third Route Army. However, among the 60,000 elites, there is also a real elite division, that is, the official army that attacked Yangquan County.

The 20,000 officers and troops are not only equipped with 10,000 foot cavalry drawn from the border army by the imperial court, but also equipped with 10,000 well-equipped Beijing battalions.

Not to mention a musket per person, even the red-coated cannon is equipped with as many as fifty guns.

Not only that, but the imperial court had just begun to imitate grenades, and they were also equipped with five thousand in advance. As for the subsequent imitation grenades, they are still being sent to this officer and army.

In the face of powerful officers and troops, the Shanxi garrison located in Yangquan County was not idle.

After all the surrounding local garrisons were concentrated, a garrison of 5,000 people was stationed in Dingbian County under the command of the garrison general Tan Liguo. With the city wall of Yangquan County, which is less than one zhang high. Confrontation with 20,000 elite officers and soldiers.

In the face of the continuous tentative attacks launched by the officers and troops. In order not to give the officers and soldiers any opportunity to take advantage of it. Tan Liguo repelled it with very strong means, and successively eliminated four or five hundred officers and troops attacking troops.

On the surface, Tan Liguo, who is on the defensive side, has achieved a temporary advantage in the battle situation. However, he was very familiar with the various tactics and tactics of the officers and troops, and he knew very well that these small-scale battles that had just ended were only an appetizer in this offensive and defensive battle. The real battle has not really begun.

So. The tentative offensive of the official army had just begun, and a letter asking for help was quickly sent to Datong by Tan Liguo.

Subsequently, he ordered his soldiers to impose martial law on the entire Dingbian County. While guarding against the possibility of fishing in troubled waters, the officers and troops should seize the last time and be prepared for a real attack by the officers and troops.

In a military tent less than a hundred steps away from the city tower of Yangquan County, Tan Liguo, who had just come down from the city wall. Before he could take a bite of the hot meal that the guards had just served, the curtain of the closed door of the military tent was lifted......

Under Tan Liguo's gaze, the battalion commander he had just met on the city wall. There was a very rare panicked expression on his face, and he even forgot about the report. He rushed into the military tent in a daze.

After standing less than three steps away from him, he shouted nervously, "General...... The officers and troops, the officers and troops outside the city, seem to be about to attack us...... Not only a few thousand infantry were dispatched, but also dozens of artillery pieces were dispatched...... The last general specially asked people to go out of the city to observe, and the dozens of cannons dispatched by the officials and soldiers were all red-coated cannons that could fire flowering shells. ”

After listening to the report, Tan Liguo felt as if he had been beaten in an instant, and he stood up from his seat after holding it up.

A pair of sharp eyes, stubbornly facing the battalion commander in front of him, asked loudly: "You read it right, the official army really dispatched dozens of red-coated cannons and thousands of musketeers......

After getting the repeated affirmation of the battalion commander in front of him, Tan Liguo's brows subconsciously wrinkled.

After taking a deep breath, he sighed to the battalion commander in front of him: "Now it seems that this time the attack is going to be serious. Otherwise, they would never have sent so many redcoat cannons at once. ”

At this time, the adjutant general who received the news also hurriedly approached the military tent. After seeing Tan Liguo, who was frowning in front of him and seemed to be thinking about something, he asked directly......

"General, the last general has also received the news that the official army is about to launch an attack. However, so far, there has been no news of reinforcements from the Datong Governor's Palace, and can we, the local garrisons, who are not even equipped with heavy artillery, be able to block the attack of the official army? You must know that the officers and troops outside the city dispatched dozens of red-coated cannons for this attack. ”

Tan Liguo replied in a deep voice: "If you can't keep it, you have to keep it...... Don't forget, those of us are all people who have registered in the imperial court. Once we are defeated, ourselves, including our families, will be held accountable by the imperial court. ”

"Besides, all of us were pulled out by the big handsome. If it weren't for the handsome, we might not have the best in our lives. Therefore, even for the sake of the great commander's kindness to us, for our own sake, we must keep this place. ”

"In addition, the last thing the general has to say is: the strong combat effectiveness of the Haw Par Army, we have all seen it. Ben will believe that in this military confrontation, it will be us who will win in the end. As long as we hold Yangquan County, after the battle, with this merit, what awaits us will also be the addition of officials to the knighthood, which is a heavy reward for the marshal......"

Seeing the adjutant general's decadent face, because of what he said, he shot out a gaze full of scorching heat.

Tan Liguo's facial expression became stern.

After taking a deep breath, he analyzed to the deputy general in front of him: "For the offensive and defensive battle that is about to break out in front of us, our whole army must have confidence and morale, and firmly believe that the final victory must belong to us." ”

"However, there is a huge gap between us and the enemy, and we must face it and solve it......"

The hot expression on the adjutant general's face was also slowly covered by Yan Sù.

replied to Tan Liguo: "General, as far as the gap is concerned, what the last general is most worried about is the red-coated cannon of the official army. Because, we don't have any heavy artillery in our hands that can confront the red-coated cannons of the officers and soldiers. As for other equipment, what the officers and soldiers have, we also have. ”

"In addition, we are also equipped with 20,000 grenades, and if we use them well, we can definitely inflict a devastating blow on the officers and soldiers outside the city. Therefore, this is the only advantage for us for the officers and the military. ”

Tan Liguo nodded first, then shook his head again, and finally replied: "You analyzed it well......

"For the dozens of red-coated cannons equipped by the officers and soldiers, except for the support from the Datong Governor's Palace, there is no solution here. The only thing we can do is to reduce the damage caused to us by the red-coat artillery of the officers and soldiers as much as possible......"

Speaking of which, Tan Liguo's eyes had already unconsciously shot out two fine lights.

He replied to the lieutenant general: "The general has an idea here, but he must first climb the city wall and see the arrangements of the officers and soldiers before he can make a decision." So, let's go up to the walls first......"

As soon as a few people climbed the city tower, the officers and soldiers arranged a heavy artillery position a mile away appeared in everyone's field of vision.

Seeing this, Tan Liguo became more confident in his thoughts.

Analyzing the lieutenant general who was full of expectations around him: "The red-coated cannon equipped by the officers and soldiers is indeed very powerful. However, it also has a drawback, which is that the shooting accuracy is too poor. ”

"Now his artillery position is a mile away from us. It would have been safe to say that at this distance, the flowering bullets they fired at us were at least ten paces apart...... What's more, twenty or thirty steps are possible. ”

"In this case, it gives us a chance to hide from the artillery fire and reduce casualties......

The adjutant general, who seemed to be a little impatient, asked directly: "General, what is the opportunity......

Tan Liguo replied calmly: "It's very simple, when the red-clothed cannon of the official army fires." The soldiers all hid at the foot of the city wall. After the bombardment, they climbed the city wall and defended it. ”

"With the firing error of dozens of paces from the red-coated artillery, the officers and soldiers absolutely did not have the courage to launch an attack on the front line of the city wall at the risk of being accidentally injured by the flowering shells when the red-coated artillery was shelling."

After hearing this method, the adjutant general's face just showed a hint of joy, and it didn't last long before it was replaced by a solemn look from the heart. and reminded Tan Liguo.

"General, in this way, we have avoided the shelling of the officers and soldiers. But, as you just said, the officers and troops attacking us, in order to avoid accidental injuries, will not attack the line of the city wall. ”

"However, with the knowledge of the officers and soldiers, they will never wait for us to re-ascend the city wall and prepare for battle before attacking us......"

"Therefore, the last general boldly guessed that after the artillery bombardment of the officers and troops began, their attacking troops would approach us. Wait until their shelling has stopped, and then launch the deadliest attack on us from a safe area. ”

"At that time, maybe we haven't climbed the city wall yet, and the official army attacking troops have already rushed to the foot of the city wall, and began to use the ladder to climb the city wall and fight for the city wall with us......

"If that time comes, the muskets that the soldiers are equipped with will be turned into burning sticks. After that, I had to pick up cold weapons and engage in close combat with the attacking troops of the official army......"

Facing the questions raised by the deputy general, the confident smile on Tan Liguo's face did not change in the slightest.

Under the gaze of the adjutant general and several other regiment commanders, he replied in an astonishing voice: "You are right. However, what Ben was going to say was that this was the result that Ben wanted, to abandon muskets, use cold weapons and grenades, and engage in close combat with officers and soldiers......"

Seeing the shock and incomprehension that quickly appeared on everyone's faces, Tan Liguo hurriedly explained.

"Let's not forget that we are armed with muskets, and the officers and soldiers outside the city are also armed with muskets. More importantly, because the new flintlock muskets had not yet been installed in our local garrisons, the muskets in our hands, like the officers and soldiers outside the city, belonged to the old arquebuses. (To be continued......)