Although it was only a small battle, the victor did not get much of a bargain, and the defeated side did not suffer much loss. But the significance is significant.

First of all, this is the first time that the Yan and Wu armies have joined forces, and tiger generals such as Feng Guosheng and Fu Youde have appeared one after another, and they have achieved victories, boosting morale; Secondly, this is also the first time that the subordinates of Deng She, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Chakhan Timur have appeared on the same battlefield, and the first time they have fought each other.

Today, there are two of the most powerful forces in the north and south. In the north are Chahan and Deng She, and in the south are of course Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang.

And at this moment, north of Huaisi at the junction of the north and south, north of Xuzhou, at the southernmost tip of Jining, outside the Yangjiaozhuang, on the battlefield within a radius of several miles, there was a competition between the three most powerful forces in the world at the same time, except for Chen Youliang. And the military horses that appear are all their strongest generals and the most elite soldiers. No matter who wins or loses, this moment is destined to be a once-in-a-century experience.

Moreover, the fierce battle between the three is within easy reach, and there is not only the relationship between friends and enemies, but also the subtlety between allies.

It is true that the Yan and Wu armies are now allies, but while they are hostile to the Chahan army, why don't they have the intention of fighting each other? All in all, the prelude to the decisive battle in Shanzhou slowly kicked off. Either Caesar or nothing. The loser will be eliminated from the stage of history; The winner will continue to compete in the world.

……

In Shanzhou City, Wang Baobao was very annoyed.

According to his temper, Hu Linchi and Ba Busha may not be able to escape punishment.

Influenced by the perennial teachings of Chakhan Timur, perhaps in terms of improvised mechanism and sophistication, he still lacks some heat; But the strict reward and punishment have long been learned. However, after all, Hulin Chi and Babusha were brought by Sainchi Dahu, and they are not under his direct control, and it is not easy to deal with them beyond his authority.

It's not just Wang Baobao who is annoyed.

Cai Ziying was also angry. No matter what you say, no matter how many objective reasons there are, no matter how much you put the blame on Hu Linchi and Babusha, this plan of "first the south and then the north", taking advantage of the first arrival of the Wu army, came from his hands in the end. After losing the battle, he looked very bad on his face.

At this time, it became clear that Chakhan Timur had the advantage of using Sain Chi Tahu as the chief general of the reinforcements.

On the one hand, he is Wang Baobao's biological father, and no matter how angry Wang Baobao is, it will not affect the next military affairs; On the other hand, he is very familiar with Cai Ziying, and he is also very familiar with Hu Linchi and Babusha. Don't talk about Ba Busha, just talk about Hu Linchi. Hu Linchi is a native of Henan, and he followed the left and right as early as when Chahan raised his troops, and he was a general of the fathers, and he had known Sai Yin Chi for a long time, and he was an old friend.

In this way, with the help of prestige and seniority, he can minimize the contradictions between his deputies, advisers, and generals.

"It's not a good thing to be on the verge of battle. The more consecutive defeats, the more indiscriminate killing. Sainchi replied to Wang Baobao in private: "However, Baobao, what you said is also right, Hulinchi and Babusha were defeated, and it is really unreasonable not to give some punishment." In this way, when the military is discussed, I propose to behead the two of them, and then you come out to help intercede. I pushed the boat down the river and spared the two of them. Do you think so? ”

Diligent.

not only solemnized military discipline, but also highlighted Sainchi's strictness as a coach; Through this move, Hu Linchi and Babusha can be brave and brave in the next battle. At the same time, he also helped Wang Baobao sell a favor. The rivers and mountains laid by Chakhan Timur are all protected by Wang Baobao sooner or later. The sooner he can establish his majesty, the better it will be. And if you want to establish majesty in the army, it is not enough to just "kill", but more importantly, you need to be both rigid and soft.

Wang Baobao knew that Sai Yin Chi was doing it for his good, so he suppressed his anger and said, "According to what my father said. ”

"......, our army has lost in a row, although victory and defeat are a common thing in soldiers, so you don't have to care too much. However, for the generals, it is necessary to examine the crowd and stimulate the spirit of victory, and it is necessary to know that it is difficult to hold on for a long time. As the Lord taught, our army should put defense first, so it is even more important to 'defend our spirit', and we must also think of a way to boost morale. ”

"What do you think?"

Sainchi replied with a few clicks, thought for a moment, had an idea, and said: "In battlefield battles, often the one with more soldiers wins. At present, more than 10,000 troops are stationed inside and outside Shanzhou, and we can conduct a review. On the one hand, it increases the confidence of the soldiers; Second, you can also show off your strength to the red thief. Kill two birds with one stone! ”

It's a good idea.

People have a herd mentality, and when they review, when they see that they have so many people, they must be more confident; The people who came to help Shanzhou this time are all Chahan elites, with excellent armor and weapons, showing off will definitely put pressure on the Yan army and the Wu army. Without fighting a single battle, without a single sword, the adverse effects can be eliminated.

After improving the fighting spirit, come to "hold for a long time", and you will get twice the result with half the effort.

Wang Baobao said: "Father, this is a wonderful plan! ”

Just do it, and the day after the battle of Giethoorn will be reviewed.

In order to prevent the Yan army and the Wu army from taking the opportunity to raid, not all the troops participated in this event, and two or three thousand people were set aside to be responsible for city defense, vigilance, etc., and the rest of the army, including the spear battalion and the ironclad battalion, were all present. It was originally in a state of combat readiness, and it was mobilized quickly.

The designated place for the review was in the west of Shanzhou City, on the open field.

In order to increase the momentum, not only the Shanzhou garrison participated, but also some of the Chengwu garrison came to participate. And in order to maximize security, Giethoorn and the troops left behind in Chengwu were strictly guarded, and they went out to explore the horses, and firmly watched the Wu and Yan armies on the north bank of Giethoornzhuang, Jinxiang, and Pushui.

In the middle of the review, a high platform was erected. Far and near more than ten miles, flags fluttered everywhere. For the past two days, the drizzle has been intermittent and has not stopped. The weather was gloomy, but the sentry guards were all fully armed and patrolling around, and their armor and swords were brightly polished. One haze, the other bright, two vivid contrasts, giving people a strange feeling.

Sainchi Dahu, Wang Baobao, Zhao Heng, Cai Ziying and others, early in the morning, went straight out of the city and went straight to Gaotai. Yan Sixiao didn't go, he was in charge of garrisoning Shanzhou.

The heads of the various battalions that were included in the review team also traveled in droves. The drums and horns sounded in unison, the momentum shook the sky, more than 10,000 people, divided into multiple echelons, stretching out for several miles. Looking down from the sky, the plain between Shanzhou and Chengwu is densely packed, and there are Yuan soldiers with bright armor everywhere.

The news soon spread to Zhao Guo and Chang Yuchun's camp, both of them were extremely surprised, puzzled, did not know which one the Yuan army was singing, subconsciously thought that it was the prelude to launching an offensive, and on the one hand urgently ordered the armies, ordered vigilance and defense, and on the other hand, sent out the scout horses, sneaked to the periphery, and carefully investigated.

By the time the morning came, Sainchi and Wang Baobao had reached the high platform.

……

The scouts of the Yan army came back and reported: "The Tartar generals, the colonels, and the advisers, the three armies have all moved, and they have all arrived in the Western Plains." Guards along the border, sentry posts. It is difficult for the villains to take a closer look, only to watch from a distance, it seems that the Tartar army of Shanzhou and Chengwu has arrived, and there are more than 10,000 people. The Yuan army's review site was on the field west of Shanzhou, so for the sake of simplicity, the scouts called it "Xiyuan".

In order to facilitate the response, Zhao Guo summoned the generals to gather together and listen to the scout's report. Pan Xianer asked, "Do you know why the Tartars are mobilizing the people?" What is the intention? ”

The scout said, "I don't know yet. ”

"Let's go and find out!"

The same scene also happened in Chang Yuchun's army.

……

On both sides of the high platform in the West Plains, there were 200 strong soldiers, 100 people beat drums, and 100 people blew horns.

The drums and horns rang in unison, the sound vibrated the ground, and it was heard far away, and it was faintly heard in Shanzhou City more than ten miles away, and even in Chengwu City thirty or forty miles away. All the armies and battalions stood in their positions, and when they heard the sound of drums and horns, the foot soldiers all raised their spears and shouted on the ground; The cavalry also raised their spears and shouted in unison.

More than 10,000 people shouted in unison, and the prestige can be imagined.

It is like a spring thunder suddenly rising in silence, just like a river bursting its embankment in the middle of the night. The waves of the Hanhai Sea set off huge waves; The iron flow rushed, hitting the cliff of a thousand thousands. If you let the faint-hearted people hear it unexpectedly, you can be frightened by just one moment. The river in the distance seemed to be quiet, and the hazy sky seemed to suddenly disperse. Countless forest birds flew up; The hares and pheasants were frightened, and the wolves ran wildly, covered their heads, and ran about. The scouts of the Yan and Wu armies who were lurking a few miles away did not feel that they trembled because of it, as if they were unstable; His face was pale, and he wanted to be careful. It's so powerful!

Three calls, three falls.

The sound of the drum horn stopped.

The cool breeze is gentle, and the wilderness is quiet.

The military salute officer shouted loudly from the audience: "Marshal, major general, generals are on stage!" ”

Behind him, a hundred selected loud military men lined up neatly and shouted in unison: "Great marshal, young general, generals on stage!" ”

Sainchi and Wang Baobao came to power one after another.

……

"The Tartar generals are on stage."

"What did you say?"

"Review the three armies."

Zhao Guo, Pan Xian and others looked at each other: "Review the three armies? ”

Pan Xian'er frowned and pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Making such a big move, just to review the three armies?" Hmph, either there's fraud, or it's ,......? ”

"How?"

"Or are you demonstrating to us?"

Pull out the troops and show the enemy clearly, either there is a deception, or a demonstration, there is no other possibility. Zhao Guo asked, "Which battalion leader participated?" ”

"Before the villain came back, he was in the first team. Listening to its drums and watching its banner, it is a spear battalion. ”

……

The "Lancers" are the descendants of Chahan. The first one passed under the high platform, which is also reasonable.

A thousand elite soldiers were dressed in light armor, holding spears in their hands and short knives at their waists. Every fifty people lined up in a line, ten paces away from each other, and the military flags were unfurled in front and behind, marching to the sound of drums and horns. On the way to the walk, I also practiced various formations. Sometimes it changes into a sharp formation in an offensive formation, and sometimes it changes into a dull formation in a defensive formation. The drum horn sounded, and all raised their guns; The drum horn sounded twice, and both stabbed forward. The third sound of the drum horn, the two yellow flags at the front of the team intersected, the whole army collected their guns, and stomped their feet and stabbed out in unison, shouting in unison: "Woohoo", "Woohoo"!

Thousands of spears, stabbed before a while, are really like trees.

After the three drums, when they reached the high platform, they all put away their spears, raised them high, and shouted in unison: "Handsome!" Major General! Mighty! Mighty! Then he stomped his feet at the same time, "Spear battalion!" ”

It is worthy of the elite of a hundred battles, but it is just a march and review, and it is a strong murderous rehearsal.

……

"Long spears are like forests, and it is indeed difficult to deal with such an enemy on the battlefield and on the battlefield. Pan, Mr. Pan, what are you, what are your strategies? ”

Pan Xianer groaned slightly and said, "There are two strategies to deal with. ”

"Oh? What are the two strategies? ”

"Or without waiting for him to form a formation, he will rush with his heavy cavalry, and then march forward on foot, and he may be defeated."

"The long and pikemen are elites, and when they are about to fight, they want to rush before they are in formation, and I am afraid it is not easy. What's the other way? ”

"Shoot it first with archers and musketeers, and mess up its formation; Then choose the brave to die, with short blades, hand-to-hand combat bloody battles. As long as the timing is right, the sergeant is not afraid of death and can also win. ”

"He, they're spears, let's use short blades. Hand-to-hand and hand-to-hand combat can give full play to the advantages of short blades and make long spears weak. This is a great plan, but it is not easy to choose those who dare to die. ”

"In all battles, those who dare to fight to the death with a short blade will win!"

There are three ways to kill enemies on the battlefield. One is a crossbow, firebolt, artillery, and catapult to kill enemies from a distance; One is a spear and an axe, which kills enemies at a medium distance; One is a short knife, a short sword, to kill the enemy at close range. The one who pays the most attention to the courage and courage of the soldiers is naturally the latter. Those who can fight with the enemy in close quarters, see blood with white blades, and are not afraid, this is the elite.

"First, sir, look at our army, what battalion can be in charge of this?"

Tong Shengyang, Gao Yanshi, etc., all held their heads high, and looked at Pan Xianer eagerly. Pan Xian'er gave an answer that surprised everyone: "It must be Marshal Qing's battalion." ”

"Qing Qianxing?"

"The Goryeo Army?"

The generals were in an uproar. Zhao Guo was also puzzled, and asked: "Although the Qing and Qing Marshals are brave, can't I have nearly 20,000 elites on the front line?" ”

"It's not that it can't, but it's not as labor-saving as Marshal Qing's department."

"What do you mean by that?"

"In close combat, a knife is not as good as a stick. In Marshal Qing's department, in addition to using guns and other military weapons, most of the soldiers carried a short stick with them and used this thing well. When it comes to the battlefield, it can be blocked, framed, stabbed, and smashed, which is convenient for fighting the enemy. And, more importantly, the soldiers of Marshal Qing's department are not tall, and they are particularly suitable for hand-to-hand combat. ”

In white-knuckle combat, a stick is better than a sword.

The pawns of the spear battalion all have light armor, and if they use swords, they can easily get stuck in the armor; In addition, even if you don't get stuck, if you pierce the enemy's body, you may get caught in the bone, and it is not easy to pull out. But it's different with a short stick, there's no such trouble, it's like using a hammer, just smash. With a stick in hand, even in the midst of thousands of armies, come and go freely. Of course, this short stick is not all wood; The outer package has iron and copper, and there are also protruding bumps, which are a bit like maces. If you have a lot of strength, you can even use a stick made of pure copper, and it is also very powerful when smashed on the body, and the lethality is not low.

The Goryeo soldiers of the Qingqianxing Department are low in size. Looking at the other side on the other hand, anyone who uses a spear will not be too low, at least above the medium, because if the height is too low, it will be difficult to use a spear of seven or eight feet. ——, the spear battalion in the Chahan army was full of wooden guns, seven feet and two inches long; The head of the spear is made of wrought iron and is eight inches long. It is eight feet long and weighs about ten pounds.

In this way, on the one hand, the low man uses a short stick, and on the other hand, the tall man uses a long spear, and who takes advantage of hand-to-hand combat? Go without saying.

Zhao Guo slapped his hands in admiration and said: "With my shortness, the enemy's strength." I, my short, is actually my long; The length of the other and the other is actually the shortness of the other. Sir Clever! ”

……

In the past, the spear battalion was the battalion of Li Laobao's generals.

Separately.

Every time a general passes, the military salute officer must report: "The first general of so-and-so, see the marshal and the major general!" ”

Sainchi answered and Wang Baobao came to the stage in person to give encouragement; Or draw his sword and point his finger at the shouts of the soldiers. On the West Plains, the atmosphere is gradually warming; Morale is getting high.

At noon, the last unit, the Ironclad Army.

……

"The Tartar Company has passed through the thirteenth battalion, and now it has begun to pass the ironclad battalion!"

……

The ironclad battalion is full of strong men, wearing heavy armor and holding heavy axes.

Thousands of people moved in unison, even louder than the previous cavalry passing by. It was like a dark cloud, and it was like a mountain rain coming. From a distance, it looks like a moving fortress. The sharp axe makes people tremble when they look at it. Brush and brush, step down, the high platform is slightly shaking.

The soldiers of the various battalions around were all cheering, but when they saw such a momentum, they all unconsciously closed their mouths, watched in amazement, and became silent.

Heavy armor, heavy armor, and the weight is not light, but it can still practice formations.

First, the battalion generals and colonels came out of the ranks, and loudly issued orders to their subordinates, so that the orders were repeated, and then the military flag was lowered and the formation moved forward; The military flag is waved twice, and the latter is the first; The military flag was lowered three times, and the army turned around again, rushing forward.

and the sound of flags and drums and horns.

White flags and drums sounded, and the left and right were in unison. Zhu Qi pointed, the horn moved, and the left and right were separated. Neither the union nor the separation are separated from the central place. The left army rotates in the yang direction, the right army rotates in the yin direction, and the left and right sides are the same as the original. Then, the white flag fell, the drums sounded, the clouds on the left and right were steaming and the birds were scattered, and the rivers were in the wilderness, but the queue was tight. In the end, the Zhu flag fell, the horn moved, and the left and right copies of the original. The front and back, left and right, and the interval are dense, and there is no difference in size from the beginning. The white flag and the Zhu flag soared together, the drums and horns sounded in unison, and then they moved forward neatly, and when they arrived at the high stage, they raised their axes together, and cut down, and thousands of people shouted in unison: "Drink!" Drink! The general is mighty! Ironclad Battalion! ”

This drill was originally the subject of their daily training, and it was launched at this time, before and after, separated and gathered, and there was no mistake at all, just like flowing water.

The more than 10,000 yuan troops who were watching were all excited, until they crossed the stage and retreated, then they reacted, and they couldn't help but agree, and burst into applause: "Okay!" ”

The sky was overcast, Sain Chida suddenly stood on the high platform, pressed his sword and stood up, watching the more than 10,000 tiger ben who had boosted their morale, laughing, looking left and right, and Wang Baobao said: "The defeat of Sheephorn Village is just a small loss, why worry about it!" Son, what do you think of the military horses I brought? ”

"With these 100,000 generations, they can run rampant in the world. With this ten thousand generations, you can crisscross the north. ”

……

"The Iron and Iron Battalion has been famous for a long time, but I didn't know that it had such a prestige! First, sir, how can I, our army, break it? ”

——

1. Spear.

An eight-foot gun is not long. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the gunsmith Wu Zhen wrote the "Arm Record", which recorded that "the Sha Army pole is eight to two zhang four", "Jingyan wooden gun is nine feet and seven inches long", in addition, the Yang family gun is more than four meters long, and the shortest Ma family gun is also more than three meters long. The most suitable for use, Wu Zhen believes that it is the Majia gun, 310cm, whether it is used on the battlefield or for martial arts training, it is the most ideal length.

Three or four meters long, it seems to be very long, but "Examination of the Gongji • Luren": "All soldiers (weapons) do not have more than three of their bodies", that is, the weapon should not exceed three times the height of the person. More than three meters, less than three times.

The body of the gun is already so long, of course, it can't be all made of iron. The Ma family gun and the Yang family gun are both wooden guns, while the Shajia gun is a bamboo gun barrel. Wu Zhen believes that in terms of the weight of the gun, about 10 catties is the most suitable for use, and it is less than 6 catties, because it is too light, it is not easy to use.

However, this is as far as ordinary people are concerned, "some strong generals, in order to penetrate the heavy armor of enemy generals, often make very heavy guns and lances, some weighing dozens of catties", "Sui Shichang of the Yuan Dynasty, 'forging muddy iron for guns, weighing 40 catties, can stab left and right'".

Zhu Yuanzhang is also a good hand at using guns.

When he was in the army in his early years, he fought with two guns, the larger one was one foot six feet long, and the barrel of the gun was one grip thick, which was used for foot combat; The short one is one zhang and two feet, used for cavalry combat, the body of the gun is painted with black paint, and the black tassel and black flag are hung on it, "every time you encounter a big enemy, you will lead the cavalry to rush to the backbone, and go around the enemy", and the subordinates see the black flag on his gun, "the soldiers fight, and the enemy is defeated". This kind of combat style of leading the cavalry to charge into battle and adventurously go deep is quite similar to Li Shimin. Because of the long history of arrows, there are three blade marks on the handle of the gun, and five arrow holes on the black flag. After ascending the throne, he displayed these two guns behind the noon gate to inspire the fighting spirit of future generations.