But the guerrilla guards did not dare not to pursue them. They had already lost face and suffered great misfortune. If the enemy cavalry attacked and they remained indifferent, they would not necessarily be guilty of anything afterwards.

The official cavalry here had just run out not long ago, but they heard a muffled explosion behind them, and the whole formation was screaming and shouting in panic. Could it be that the thieves and cavalry had a back-up plan? Everyone had to put their trust first, and they must not move arbitrarily.

, but when I turned around, I saw thick black smoke rising from the right side of the array where the bandits and cavalry had just attacked.

Everyone knew what had been burned just now, and they also saw the smoke rising, but it was not as thick as it is now. What on earth was it called?

Only when we got back did we find out that when everyone was going to put out the fire, they saw gunpowder sprinkled all over the floor. Everyone hurriedly went over to clean it up. If it was contaminated with sparks, it would be a big trouble. They never thought about the black powder that had been thrown around.

The oil paper bag suddenly burst into smoke and caught fire.

When the black gunpowder was touched by fire, it exploded immediately, and the sizzling sound spread to all directions. Everyone screamed and dodged. The gunpowder was scattered unevenly. Some places just burned, and some places exploded. Fortunately, the thief

People may not understand that the gunpowder was not ignited directly, otherwise it would have exploded directly.

Those oil paper bags were also burned. Naturally, no one knew that there were layers of flammable oil paper with incense heads bundled inside, and some incense ash packages. There was a skill in bundling them. The oil paper bags were breathable but would not let the incense heads burn.

Burning too quickly and catching fire is a method used by people in the world of setting fires, but it is used here.

Guerrilla guard Pingfang rode up to the artillery array. Looking at the messy ground, the Shandong artillerymen all looked sad and kept saying: "It's all destroyed, it's all destroyed. Now I can't fire a single shot."

"The thief is really vicious." Hearing the deep voice behind him, he looked back and saw that it was Lu Qin, the commander-in-chief of Baoding, who had arrived.

The guard guerrillas hesitated for a moment, then gritted their teeth and said: "Sir, these thieves are as numerous as wolves and tigers. No wonder the soldiers and horses of South Zhili are helpless. I am afraid that if we fight, it will only end in a tragic victory. It is better to retreat to Jining Prefecture first."

, waiting for reinforcements from Shandong, and then making further calculations after we are completely sure."

"It doesn't need to be said that we won a disastrous victory. Just say that we are not sure of winning."

Hearing Commander-in-Chief Lu Qin's answer, Wei Pingfang's expression changed. Isn't he still unwilling to forgive? Looking over, he realized that he had made a mistake in his judgment. Baoding Commander-in-Chief Lu Qin had a wry smile on his face and looked at him.

Naruqin sighed and said: "I said before that if the traitor army retreats without a fight, we will definitely win a great victory if we pursue it. But have you ever thought about what would be the result if we retreat at this time and the traitor army comes to cover us up?

?”

This time, Guerrilla Wei Pingfang's face changed drastically. Commander-in-Chief Lu Qin continued: "If such vicious thieves pursue and kill us, our army will definitely be defeated. I'm afraid that you and I will only be able to answer to the court with our heads and official positions."

"

"What should we do?"

"The only solution for now is to fight them openly. You have already led a group to attack them. What is the size of the bandit army?" Lu Qin asked solemnly.

When the common people see the huge force of the army, they will naturally shout that it is tens of thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions. However, the generals rely on their experience and inheritance to estimate the size of the army. Wei Pingfang

After pondering, he said: "The bandit army is in a tight formation, but it will not exceed five thousand."

The commander-in-chief Lu Qin nodded and said: "The rebel army only has five hundred cavalry and five thousand infantry. Our army still has the upper hand. What's more, looking at their use of troops, they are reckless but do not know the rules. If they had just charged directly into the center of the army, the number of casualties would have been

I'm afraid it will be bigger, but they are just staring at the artillery. Against such bloody and brave bandits, as long as we keep calm and attack slowly and with pressure, we may have a chance of victory."

Having said this, Commander-in-Chief Lu Qin glanced at the guerrilla guard Pingfang, and said again: "And if the rebel army continues to move forward, it will take some time to get here, which gives our cavalry time to rest and arrange their formations.

When the rebels arrive, our army can still wait for work, the infantry fights, the cavalry takes advantage of the situation to attack, and there is still a chance of victory."

Guerrilla Wei Pingfang took a long breath, then slammed his right fist on his palm, and said in a muffled voice: "It's good to fight. If we can fight, the thieves' firearms and bows and arrows will be unable to be used?"

"The thieves also have firearms and bows and arrows?" Lu Qin, the commander-in-chief, asked. Guerrilla Wei Pingfang had just returned with his cavalry, and the two sides had not had time to communicate.

Wei Pingfang nodded with an ugly face and said in a low voice: "Dozens or hundreds of muskets, and at least two hundred bows, they are very sharp."

"There are so many bows?" Lu Qin, the commander-in-chief of Baoding, took a breath, then shook his head and said: "If we can fight, these things cannot be used. If we can force the bandit army back, this time it can be considered as an explanation.

Already."

At first they were called "rioters and thieves", but now they are called "thieves' army". They began to think about a great victory and annihilation, but at this time, they just thought about forcing them to retreat.

"Guerrilla Guards, leave your cavalry to the command of this general. Once combined, we will have strength," the commander-in-chief Lu Qin finally said.

Guerrilla Wei Pingfang's face became even more ugly, but at this time, he was not qualified to refute, and in the end he just nodded dullly.

The officers and generals at all levels became nervous, urging angrily to mobilize the troops. No one dared to slack off. Looking south, the cavalry that suddenly charged and retreated just now was still raising smoke. This time, with the thieves,

The battle may not be as easy as I thought. The army's reconnaissance cavalry was sent out again, keeping an eye on the surrounding movements. If at this time, the rebel army made a sneak attack from other directions, it would be a big trouble.

After about half an hour, the tense atmosphere dissipated a bit. In the final analysis, we haven't seen the enemy of the brigade yet. We just saw something from the embarrassment of the defeated cavalry, and then we saw the coming of the rebel cavalry.

It's gone like the wind, but the real fighting hasn't started yet. After calming down and looking at the strength of the army, my self-confidence is gradually restored.

"Here we come, the thieves are here!" The knight immediately shouted and ran back. The army array suddenly became quiet after the noise. They set out from Baodingfu and various places in Shandong, gathered together and headed south. Now they finally have to fight with the "Xuzhou rioters"

Opposite.

The army's reconnaissance cavalry that had been dispersed earlier retreated one after another, while a few brave ones circled behind to see if they could shoot the thieves' leading reconnaissance horses.

By this time, everyone can finally see clearly what the thieves cavalry are capable of. They have good riding skills and excellent shooting skills. Their immediate killing skills are not inferior to the army's scout cavalry. What's even more outstanding is that the thieves' cavalry can separate and attack together.

, they cooperate with each other, which is not as good as the officers and soldiers. However, the officers and soldiers are also elites in the army, so they are not inferior.

When the fight has reached this point, the fight between the light cavalry on both sides is no longer important. It is just about coercing each other to prevent the other from getting too close and disturbing the formation. Everyone knows that the real battle will begin next.

The general's shouts and orders, the sound of the hooves of the light cavalry, and the neat footsteps coming from the opposite side made the scene seem very quiet, but the breathing of the officers and soldiers gradually became rapid, and this thin but rhythmic

What's going on with the drum sound makes people feel panicked.

From a distance, you can already see the big flag in the opponent's formation, with a black border and a red background, exuding a murderous aura. Someone in the army formation muttered: "What color is this? There are no rules." But no one agreed.

On the contrary, many people swallowed their saliva subconsciously and were very nervous.

Lu Qin, the commander-in-chief of Baoding, who was observing the formation from a high place, couldn't help wiping the sweat from his forehead. He thought that his own team was neat enough, but why did the team of the rebel army seem to be like squares, perfectly spaced and neat, with not many flags?

, but the spear is as dense as a forest

"Beat the drums, beat the drums to strengthen our army," the commander-in-chief Lu Qin shouted.

o The war drums of the army were beating loudly. This sound was much louder than the fine and rhythmic drums, and it was also extremely powerful. The cowhide drums pulled by carts were beaten by specialized warriors, and could be heard clearly throughout the battlefield.

Chu.

The atmosphere in the army's infantry queue gradually increased, and the previous nervous and frightened thoughts also eased. The reason is very simple. The thieves did not seem to be many. Thousands of people formed in a loose or tight formation, and the area spread out was very different.

The large, Zhao camp's spear phalanx was arranged closely, while the officers and soldiers were relatively loose, so naturally they felt that there were fewer people on the other side.

On this battlefield, victory or defeat is often determined by the number of soldiers. Seeing that the opponent is weak, he naturally becomes more confident. Just like the rules, the infantry at the forefront of the army began to shout provocations and curses loudly. These people are all veterans.

As a child, dirty words come out easily.

In contrast, the Zhao Ziying opposite them was much quieter. The Guards took their positions on the battlefield first, with the sound of drums and suonas giving signals. The other two regiments moved forward one by one and lined up on the left side of Zhao Ziying. The first

The large group responded behind one team and two regiments, and then the gunmen and archers quickly moved forward, forming a loose line in front of the three square formations, and began to prepare in an orderly manner. It must be said that after the cavalry just now

Impact, the firearms wing has become more quiet.

The horseback servants who had just returned to their own team walked in a large circle, keeping a distance from the guards on the far right, slightly behind, and also stood in line in silence.

On this battlefield, there was finally no movement of large groups of soldiers and horses, and it gradually became quiet. The raised dust also subsided. The two sides were about 400 steps apart, and they could finally see each other clearly.

By this time, the scoldings and discussions among the officers and soldiers had become quieter. Seeing the opponent's strict formation and the clothes on the opponent's body, they still had the intention to laugh and scold.

"Damn it, we look like thieves." Under the banner, Baoding Commander-in-Chief Lu Qin cursed in a low voice.

"The enemy has no artillery, so we can fight them openly." Zhao Jin said with a smile, and no one around him listened.

"Give me the order. The fire gun servants and archers will move forward one by one, shoot two rounds within the range, and then withdraw to the two wings of the spear phalanx and attack with the brigade." A soldier who gave the order quickly ran out.

Zhao Jin took a deep breath, raised the spear in his hand, and shouted again: "Give me the order, and the whole army will move forward."
Chapter completed!