The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Arrive at Weiyuan City.

Wang Shouren ordered people to set up the Song astronomical telescope on the city wall, as well as artillery and boulders. The boulders prevented the artillery from being shaken back.

A cannon weighs more than a thousand kilograms, and it is not easy to move fifty of them onto the city wall.

"We are tired from the march, so let's get some rest first." Zhang Mao said.

Wang Shouren insisted: "No, the artillery transportation has been delayed for some time. The next wave of Tatar offensive must be coming soon."

During the time they came to Weiyuan, the defenders had been dealing with the Tatars. They knew that the defense of Weiyuan City was getting weaker and weaker, and the Tatars would definitely take advantage of the situation to pursue them.

Wang Shouren personally moved the Song telescope onto the city wall. What Brother Gao gave him was a magical tool, and he could see clearly even ten miles away.

At night, Wang Shouren hugged the quilt and slept on the city wall.

Early the next morning.

Zhang Mao and Wang Shouren were suddenly startled. There seemed to be the sound of horse hoofbeats coming from a distance. Was it a Tatar cavalry?

Wang Shouren leaned over the Song telescope.

The sound of iron hoofs trampling on the ground, the smoke and dust rising, the vast water, there were not only 20,000 people, but at least 50,000!

Coming on the run!

Zhang Mao shouted loudly, and the Shenji Camp on the city wall cheered up.

"My lord, to fight or not to fight?" the deputy general asked.

Wang Shouren said: "There is no need to use so many cavalry to attack Weiyuan. What the Tatars really want to attack is Datong! If Weiyuan retreats to defend the city, the Tatars will cross Weiyuan and attack Datong directly. With Datong's The military strength is bound to defeat!"

The Tatars were getting closer and closer, and there were still six or seven miles to go.

"General, you dare to lure the enemy!" Wang Shouren looked at Zhang Mao.

"We only have 500 people in total, and the opponent has 50,000 people. How can we lure this enemy?"

Wang Shouren fell into deep thought.

At first he didn't understand why Yan Chengjin didn't send cavalry to confront the Tatars head-on, but instead gave them artillery. Now after taking a look, he finally understood that he couldn't win by sending cavalry.

Only the Ningxia border troops led by Wang Yue were the only ones capable of fighting the Tatars. However, losing Weiyuan from Ningxia might lead to the loss of Hetao.

What Wang Shouren couldn't understand was how could Brother Gao know the strength of Huoshai in advance?

"I have a plan. Your Excellency, you can go to meet the enemy. Even if you die, I can still save Weiyuan City."

Zhang Mao's old face twitched slightly, and he seemed to have no choice, "Tell me about it."

Wang Shouren and Zhang Mao discussed the plan. Zhang Mao led a hundred-man cavalry out of the city to lure the enemy, leading the Tatar army over and into the range of the artillery. The Tatars did not know that they were equipped with fifty artillery pieces.

Yan Chengjin vaguely reminded Wang Shouren how to use artillery and Song's astronomical telescope.

The use of astronomical telescopes to assist artillery aiming occurred a hundred years later in the middle period of Chongzhen.

At that time, the rogue bandits invaded Anqing. Zhang Guowei used an astronomical telescope for observation and commanded the battle. He could see fifty miles away as if it were close at hand. Although his troops were small, he inflicted heavy casualties on the rogue bandits.

Zhang Mao questioned: "Can this artillery fire such a long distance?"

"This... I haven't tried it yet. I heard from Master Yan that this cannon was improved by Song Jing," Wang Shouren said.

Zhang Mao looked outside the city and sighed: "I'm leaving!"

Zhang Mao selected two hundred elites from the Weiyuan garrison and the Beijing camp, rode fast horses, and rushed towards the Tatars. He met the Tatars about three miles outside the city.

The Tatars, who were originally going to attack Datong, saw that such a small number of people dared to fight. The horn sounded and the army surrounded them.

A small stock meets a large stock.

"withdraw!"

Zhang Mao didn't want to fight. After charging into the formation, he reined in his horse and drove back. He was still two miles away from Weiyuan City, and the Huoshii cavalry pursued them hard.

Just about to catch up.

With a bang,

Several streaks of fire fell from the sky, and exploded when they hit the ground. They exploded in front of them, filling the air with smoke and dust.

While guarding the city, Wang Shouren clearly saw the landing point of the artillery shell through his telescope, and immediately shouted: "Missed! The second row raised the muzzle of the gun higher!"

The firing range will be different depending on the angle at which the artillery is installed.

The several artillery pieces in the first row were just for debugging. At this time, the soldiers quickly raised the muzzles of the second row of artillery that had not yet been fired.

Huo Si knew that the artillery was not accurate and continued to pursue.

When Zhang Mao saw that the sky suddenly became silent, he wanted to scold Wang Shouren's father for giving birth to such a son...

But soon,

Several more streaks of fire flew from the sky, and fell into the Tatar formation with a loud bang. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and armor mixed with body parts flew into the sky.

Actually adjusted the artillery?

Huo Si was shocked. This place was at least one or two miles away from Weiyuan City. How could the human eye see clearly where the shells landed?

"Stop, stop chasing!"

The sound of explosions is endless, the war is in chaos, and the fire in the sky is like rain. Every time it falls, a large firework explodes, which makes the eardrums hurt.

He gave the order too late!

Zhang Mao galloped on his horse, and there was a rumble behind him. The power of the artillery made him so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.

When did the Ming Dynasty have such powerful artillery?

"Zeng Jian's grandson has such a powerful artillery, but he didn't even tell me, hahaha."

This artillery is much more powerful than General Wankou, with a range of more than two miles, but in Yan Chengjin's opinion, it is far from enough. The power of the Fran cannon is fully five miles, and there is still a big gap.

If it hadn't been for the fire sieve attack, Yan Chengjin would have asked Song Jing to study for a while longer.

on the city wall,

Wang Shouren shouted: "Get out all the ammunition!"

But the deputy general asked: "Sir, if you don't leave some precautions, if the fire sieve attacks again, how will you resist it?"

According to ordinary people's thinking, some will definitely be left.

But Wang Shouren won't.

They didn't bring much ammunition. If they couldn't defeat the fire screen at once, Weiyuan wouldn't be able to resist when the fire screen attacks again.

This time it hurt them so much that they didn't dare to come.

…………

When Yan Chengjin left the palace, he met Li Dongyang again at the Dismounting Monument next to the Meridian Gate. "How are you, Mr. Li? I am also waiting for the sedan chair."

Li Dongyang turned his head and saw that it was Yan Chengjin, and said with a smile: "He is dressed like a beast."

Yan Chengjin was delighted: "Thank you very much Mr. Li for the compliment."

In the Ming Dynasty, "dressed like an animal" was not a curse word. Officials' clothes had various patterns of birds and beasts. Therefore, "dressed like an animal" usually meant that a person had become an official.

To truly understand, the four words clothing, crown, bird, and beast should be pronounced separately.

Birds naturally fly in the sky, such as cranes, mandarin ducks, golden pheasants, etc.; animals are those that run on the ground, such as bullfighting, unicorn, and Suan Ni.

What he was talking about was that he was wearing the unicorn skin given by him today.

Yan Chengjin became the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and Li Dongyang couldn't help but talk about business: "Has there been any impeachment recently?"

Yan Chengjin looked ashamed: "I have no one I want to impeach yet."

As a royal censor and a dignified official in the Ming Dynasty, you don’t have anyone you want to impeach?

Li Dongyang sighed softly: "I should have told His Majesty that you should go to the Ministry of Rites."

Yan Chengjin thought for a while and said, "I have something to say. I don't know whether I should say it or not?"

"Just say it!"

"Your Majesty...can you impeach Mr. Li?"

Li Dongyang was so angry that he shook his sleeves, you idiot, I asked you to impeach me, not me!

"If one day I am too lazy to do my job, you can go to death to impeach me, no need to be merciful! But... for now, don't impeach me yet."

Yan Chengjin was angry.

I wanted to tell Li Dongyang that it was the first time for Xianguan to be impeached. Could he give him some practice time?

Seeing Li Dongyang's warning look, he could only give up the idea.

Li Dongyang knew that he was cautious and was afraid of dampening his enthusiasm, so he comforted him: "Good people are virtuous and evil people are fearful. You don't have to worry about it, even if you impeach him."

Yan Chengjin knew that impeaching Li Dongyang would probably be impossible in his lifetime.

From the Hongzhi Dynasty to the Zhengde Dynasty, Li Dongyang did not make any big mistakes, but he could consider impeaching Liu Jian. The people he recommended repeatedly were slapped in the face.

I’m going to Sanjiang next week. Thanks to book friends Doubi Seventh Prince, s Xuanyuan Yixing s, Ming Xin Jing Ruo Xi, and Azure Fireworks for another reward. Thanks to Happy Saint King for the reward.