Chapter 60 of 100

Chapter 60

16 min read4,091 words

Unconsciously, our army has become so dependent on firearms. Otherwise, with the strong city of Shouchun, even with insufficient personnel, it wouldn't have been captured so quickly." Zhang Hao seemed to be talking to himself, and Gu Yong and the other officials clearly had similar thoughts.

"Grasshoppers, I'm sure the morale of Zhu Jun's army must have soared, right?"

Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes slightly. Since the uprising, this was the first time the Great Qian had suffered such a significant loss. For the imperial army, this was their first victory, breaking the myth of the invincibility of the Great Qian's firearms. Both Zhu Jun's prestige and the morale of the imperial army would rise.

"Your Majesty, when Shouchun fell, the logistics officers in the city promptly destroyed the gunpowder. However, the food and military equipment were not in time," Luo An reported.

Zhang Hao nodded, turned his head, and looked at Gu Yong and the others, saying, "We must take good care of the families of the soldiers who have confirmed to have fallen. Whether it's commendations or various forms of compensation for their families, I don't want any problems to arise."

As for the food and military equipment, although he felt a bit heartbroken, he wasn't overly concerned. Even if the gunpowder hadn't been destroyed in time, it wouldn't be easy for the court to replicate it. Even weapons like cannons require more than just gunpowder; the other technical requirements are even harder to meet.

Not to mention, even the armory under Zhang Hao's command couldn't yet produce cannon barrels that met his requirements, which shows how difficult industrial development is.

Of course, this is partly due to Zhang Hao's strict requirements. Although he didn't demand that the armory reach modern standards, he had very high standards for safety and power.

Zhu Jun, however, couldn't afford to worry about the gunpowder, even though he was indeed very regretful.

After capturing Shouchun, Zhu Jun had part of the city's cannons dismantled and sent back to Luoyang by specialists. After a day of rest and leaving troops to defend the city, he directly led his army south. Having paid such a high price, Zhu Jun knew how rare this opportunity was.

He didn't even bother with the counties along the way, clearly intending to take advantage of the weak forces in Yangzhou and directly attack Linyang. His target was Zhang Hao!

Zhu Jun's direct attack on Linyang was a straightforward strategy.

Of course, Zhang Hao could retreat, but this would undermine the rising momentum and morale of the Great Qian army, and also reverse the growing impression that the Great Qian was destined by heaven. Although this wouldn't be decisive, it would certainly boost the morale of the imperial army.

Moreover, if Zhang Hao retreated, it wouldn't cause any loss to Zhu Jun.

"Your Highness, General Huang, General Taishi, and General Chengyuan have all sent telegrams, requesting to withdraw troops for support," Ding Xuan said at this moment.

"Hah, are they really scared by Zhu Jun? Tell them to continue with the plan and ignore this. With over a hundred thousand troops, after crossing the river and attacking Shouchun, how many are left? Besides, they are fighting in our territory and can't get any reinforcements. Not to mention, they are just intoxicated by false morale. The balance of power hasn't fundamentally changed.

Others say that the defense of Yangzhou is weak, but don't we know that? Not to mention the newly trained recruits, just my Beidou Guard and the Shencè Army, which number twenty thousand. This ratio is much better than when we attacked Linyang initially.

Even with the recent rainy weather limiting the use of firearms, does that mean our army can't fight without them?"

Zhang Hao spoke calmly, and many officials in the hall blushed.

"Reply to Chengyuan, tell him to break through Tao Qian and the Yellow Turbans' resistance and re-seal the Huai River. We can say we lacked experience before, but with the lessons learned, they shouldn't make the same mistakes again.

Seal the Huai River. Since Zhu Jun has voluntarily walked into our trap, we can't let this opportunity go to waste."

Zhang Hao looked at the sand table showing Zhu Jun's current position and turned back, speaking solemnly,

"Order all the armies to prepare, mobilize new recruits to defend the city. The Beidou Guard and the Shencè Army will go out with me to meet the enemy."

"Your Majesty, you cannot do this." The officials in the hall were all shocked. Some of them, who had been initially panicked, had calmed down after Zhang Hao's speech. They realized that Zhu Jun's situation was more dangerous than before, and that Linyang was a strong city. Zhu Jun couldn't sustain a deep advance into enemy territory, ensuring ultimate victory, not to mention the possibility of reinforcements from Jingzhou and Xuzhou.

But Zhang Hao's decision to go out and engage in battle was unexpected. Why not use the excellent defensive conditions?

Zhang Hong, a famous scholar who had recently joined Zhang Hao, shouted, "Your Majesty, a man of great wealth does not sit in a dangerous place!"

"Hiding in the city and using the defenses isn't shameful, but it's not the best strategy.

Zhu Jun's isolated army can plunder at will and even capture our civilians to drive them to attack the city. The fields outside the city are not short of food. If we hide in the city, it will only allow him to wreak havoc. This will undermine our people's morale."

Zhang Hao said, and Gu Yong and others had already guessed this possibility. Some suddenly understood, but they didn't expect Zhang Hao to take the civilians and public morale so seriously.

"As for the danger?" Zhang Hao suddenly smiled, and many officials suddenly realized.

"Mr. Zhang, when I say I am a celestial being, I'm not lying. Although I may be a bit weak, I can ensure my own safety. More importantly, I don't believe we will lose. I don't believe that after such arduous training, our generals and soldiers will lose to mostly newly recruited strong men, even if they are numerous."

Zhang Hao said firmly.

Of course, while speaking passionately, Zhang Hao couldn't help but make some preparations to avoid any unexpected situations. This war must not be lost.

At this moment, Zhang Hao was somewhat relieved that he had gone to Africa a few days ago. If he could get a batch of automatic rifles and form a special unit, they would definitely be of great use in a critical moment. Modern automatic rifles are highly adaptable to weather conditions.

"In this battle, we must show everyone that the strength of the Great Qian is not just because of our firearms."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request to lead the charge!" Sun Jian stepped forward and bowed to the ground.

"Wen Tai, you have many opportunities to use your skills. I know your loyalty and bravery, but how can I put you in an unjust position? Trust me, and trust your colleagues. After we leave the city, the defense of Linyang will be your responsibility," Zhang Hao said warmly.

Many officials were moved by Zhang Hao's trust, especially since Sun Jian had only recently surrendered. In the situation where Zhang Hao was preparing to go out and engage in battle, entrusting the city's defense to Sun Jian was a sign of immense trust.

Even though the military system of the Great Qian was very different from that of the imperial army, and officers couldn't act as they pleased.

Sun Jian's eyes were red, and he was at a loss for words.

"Alright, everyone, have some confidence in me. Besides, although it has been raining recently, it might not rain during the battle. That would make things easier," Zhang Hao waved his hand, stopped talking, and asked everyone to prepare.

After returning to his inner chamber, Zhang Hao immediately returned to the modern era. Time was urgent, and he couldn't afford to waste any. He directly found Wang Zhi and asked if the firearms could be delivered as soon as possible, as he had an urgent need. If they couldn't be delivered in time, Zhang Hao hoped Wang Zhi could contact the mine and his wife's tribe.

To see if he could rent a batch of firearms for up to three days.

Although the idea of renting firearms was a bit unusual, Zhang Hao was preparing to use them as a backup for this major battle, so he didn't care about other considerations.

Wang Zhi was stunned by this request, not understanding why Zhang Hao was so urgent, and knowing that he only needed them for three days, he realized Zhang Hao couldn't go far. However, there was no chaos nearby, and Zhang Hao had no other connections in Africa.

Wang Zhi couldn't figure it out, but seeing Zhang Hao's urgency, he immediately contacted the other party to see if the firearms could be delivered quickly.

Upon learning that Zhang Hao could pay more, the arms dealer was much more willing. The goods were delivered that day.

This time, Wang Zhi helped a lot. Using the name of a local tribe, Zhang Hao handed over the gold to Wang Zhi and didn't manage anything else. The firearms and ammunition were now in front of him, much easier and simpler than he had imagined.

Facing Wang Zhi, Zhang Hao didn't say anything pretentious like "thank you"; their relationship had moved beyond that stage.

Under Wang Zhi's guidance, Zhang Hao saw the firearms and ammunition that now belonged to him in a warehouse of the tribe.

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