Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3294 Changes in Changes

The original Cao army camp at Poxia under the night has now become Fei Qian's front-line command station.

After a thorough cleaning and inspection, Fei Qian moved some baggage and utensils on Emei Mountain to the camp at Poxia.

The north side of the camp at Poxia was severely damaged, but the other three sides were basically intact.

The Qiang people and Xiongnu people in the cavalry army seemed to have no difficulty in sleeping outdoors. They could sleep anywhere with the sky as a cover and the ground as a bed after spreading their fur coats.

The cavalry would be more meticulous. They used long spears to support a shed, and then put up a thick tarpaulin, and people and horses rested under the tarpaulin.

The moving firelights were patrolling cavalry.

Fei Qian checked the last battle deployment in the central army tent, and then issued the orders one by one. After seeing the personal guards send the pigeons to the sky, he was silent for a moment, then rode on the horse and led people to patrol the camp.

When Xu Chu heard that Fei Qian was going to patrol the camp, he hurried over to hold the reins.

Fei Qian smiled and told Xu Chu not to follow, but Xu Chu insisted, so Fei Qian didn't say anything, and the group began to walk around the camp.

Fei Qian knew that Xu Chu had a lot of questions to ask.

These questions were also the problems that Cao's army had to face and could not avoid.

After the appearance of the demon of gunpowder, many things would be disrupted, including the previous military thinking, tactical arrangements, and everything would change.

Standing before this new change, all the old experiences were at a loss, and looked confused, like a boy who saw a great omen for the first time, feeling something surging in his body, but couldn't say what it was.

In the cavalry military code, the lantern is the flag of the night.

Fei Qian only needs to look at the lantern on the flagpole to know which formation it is.

In the early years, some teams liked to attract attention, making lanterns colorful and even painting beauties on them, but over time, these lanterns gradually became simple and plain words and patterns, and some even looked like totems.

The reason is actually very simple.

Because all the flag team lanterns are hand-painted, but lanterns are not very sturdy and durable. They are inevitably damaged during marches and battles. The more complex and delicate the lanterns are, the more troublesome it is to repair them after they are damaged. Even if you make a new one, it may not be as good as the original one. After all, there are too many possibilities in the army. It just so happens that the person who painted the lanterns got injured, or was transferred to other teams, or was promoted, or even died. So over time, it slowly became a combination of simple words and unique symbols.

The simpler, the more practical.

The same is true for gunpowder.

Gunpowder in history has taken many detours.

Because of the needs of the sons of the gentry, gunpowder became a pursuit of diversity and eventually became fireworks, and lost the most pure essence of gunpowder, explosion.

So, what is the essence of the military formation?

Xu Chu walked in front of Fei Qian by the reins, silent, as if thinking, and as if summarizing.

Xu Chu's martial arts may be at the top of the current Han Dynasty. On the one hand, Xu Chu has good innate conditions, big shoulders and waist, and very strong central strength. On the other hand, he has been studying hard for many years and constantly improving.

In the era of cold weapons, men with strong fighting ability must not be like the small waist that may break in the wind in idol dramas, let alone the so-called inverted triangle, but a typical bucket waist, a bit like the meaning of Hong Jinbao physique.

Xu Chu's body shape is like this. He is also a one-on-one in the camp of the cavalry guards.

But all his pride in martial arts was torn to pieces in front of the artillery.

Is tyranny useful?

Yes, but no matter how strong he is, he can't break the city gate with a single sword.

What?

Guan Erye?

That's right, Guan Yu can't do it, but Guan Erye after being deified can do it.

Xu Chu was confident back then. When he was holding a heavy shield and wearing heavy armor, even if Lu Bu came, he might not be able to step over him. But when he saw the artillery, this confidence began to waver. Until he saw the artillery easily tear open the camp wall at the bottom of the slope, causing Cao's army to flee in all directions, he suddenly realized that the era of personal force would come to an end in front of gunpowder and artillery.

No matter how strong the martial arts are, you can dodge arrows, crossbow arrows, and even chariot crossbows and stones, but can you dodge artillery shells?

Xu Chu himself has an estimate. At 300 steps away, you can basically dodge it. At 200 steps away, you have to keep an eye on the muzzle of the cannon. Once you enter within 100 steps...

If it is closer, 50 steps?

Xu Chu couldn't help but shudder.

"Zhongkang, what's wrong?" Fei Qian asked.

Xu Chu took a breath, "My Lord, I have something I don't understand, I hope you can give me some advice."

"Well, go ahead." Fei Qian replied.

"If the artillery is stronger," Xu Chu looked at the gray blocks in the sky, his voice floating in the night wind, "people like Chu, wouldn't they be just like ordinary soldiers..."

"Well?" Fei Qian didn't react for a while.

Xu Chu continued: "What I mean is... ordinary soldiers can't avoid this artillery... I, if I get close, I can't avoid it either..."

Fei Qian finally understood and couldn't help laughing, "Isn't this a good thing?"

Xu Chu was stunned, twisted his neck and looked at Fei Qian, "This, is this a good thing?" 』

Fei Qian nodded, "There was a witch in ancient times." Do you know this? 』

"Know. ” Xu Chu nodded.

"How do witches survive and how do they perish?" Fei Qian asked again.

"A witch is a person who has access to the gods and understands the mysteries of heaven and earth. He can use spells to drive away evil spirits and offer sacrifices to seek blessings." His magical powers are extraordinary and beyond the reach of ordinary people. Fei Qian smiled and said, "Why is there no trace of such an extraordinary person after the Spring and Autumn Period?" 』

Of course, there were some "supernatural powers" in the Han Dynasty, such as Zhang Jiao, Zuo Ci and so on. But it is a pity that Zhang Jiao was not only dug up and whipped, but his head was also cut off and sent to Luoyang to repay his merits. Zuo Ci was also trying to gain a reputation under Fei Qian back then, but he didn't expect that Fei Qian broke the trick and had to obey orders.

As for any kind of clone technique, whether it's multiple births or makeup, it can be done. In this era before cameras and video cameras, perhaps a hairy wart on the face was the only feature that could identify the same person.

To put it simply, there were still some "supernatural powers" in the Han Dynasty, but most of these "supernatural powers" were just making a living, unlike the witches in ancient times who held power and held the king hostage.

"Why?" ” Fei Qian said, “The Book of Changes is the only witch in the world. Zhongni is known throughout the world as a scholar-bureaucrat. 』

Xu Chu's eyes widened, "Master, you..."

Fei Qian laughed and said, "It's early." Think about it, the Book of Changes has been passed down for 800 years. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and even in the Han Dynasty, prophecies are still rampant... Zhongni worked hard to teach without distinction. Today, nine out of ten Han people are illiterate. 』

After Xu Chu heard this, he let out a long breath.

Yes, this is a bit unfounded on his part. At least it didn't have much influence on his generation...

The more worried you are, the more confused you will be.

Xu Chu seemed to understand something.

Fei Qian smiled slightly.

Not to mention big men, even in later generations many people know the ratio of black powder, but how many of them will use this thing to even out the gap in force?

Isn't it a joke to get angry and want to seek fairness when fighting alone?

Therefore, the laws of later generations will be strictly controlled, prohibiting all explosives, and even black powder is under strict control.

I'm just afraid that if someone can't figure it out and uses this thing to forcefully level the class differences, that would be Barbie Q.

Just like Midi, although guns and ammunition are not prohibited, it is difficult for ordinary people to obtain body armor, bulletproof vehicles, etc., especially heavy bulletproof equipment, let alone bombs...

Only in the face of death can it be truly fair.

Fei Qian tapped Xu Chu's helmet with his riding crop, "Zhongkang, you'd better think more about how to improve the soldier array and cooperate with artillery, crossbows and other equipment. That's the right thing to do." 』

"The lesson is right, my lord." ” Xu Chu chuckled, and then said, “Chu also feels that the military formation needs to be changed now. 』

…

…

The moon moved silently and silently.

When you keep staring at the moon, she seems to be silent, such a graceful beauty, looking back at you lovingly behind the tulle. But when you are distracted and don't stare at her for a while, you will suddenly find that the moon has quietly gone to the clouds to wash your hair...

This kind of behavior is like those of the nobles in Shandong.

??????????.??????

Especially the operations of the gentry children in Jizhou really made Cao Cao...

Don't know what to say.

What about the promise that we'll stay together and never leave each other?

Although Cao Cao was lying down, he couldn't sleep.

When did you have this problem of being unable to sleep at night?

In the earliest days, Cao Cao didn't have this problem at all.

You can sleep as soon as you want, and there is no so-called psychological pressure.

But since when, it seems to have changed...

Cao Cao thought about it, oh, I remembered it.

After the failure of Jujube, he encountered Ying Xiao in the middle of the night in Danyang. All the soldiers he had finally recruited ran away overnight, which caused him to have trouble sleeping at night.

The camp at the foot of the slope was destroyed, and Cao Hong suddenly felt that the situation was not good.

The number of artillery pieces possessed by the Hussars exceeded Cao Cao's original estimate, and they had previously thought that the artillery pieces could not move...

But think about it now, if the artillery cannot move, how was it installed on the fort in Tongguan?

It can only be said that Tongguan's fixed fort model made Cao Cao and others mistakenly believe that this was the only way to use artillery. In other words, when Cao Cao and the others faced this brand-new weapon and unfamiliar technology, they subconsciously belittled the power and use of this weapon.

Cao Cao, Guo Jia and others have actually felt that the times are undergoing huge changes in the face of gunpowder and artillery, but they are not adaptable to this change, and they cannot quickly change tactics and strategies to adapt to this new change. model.

Before gunpowder, warfare mainly relied on the physical strength of soldiers and the close combat capabilities of cold weapons.

Group attacks with large numbers of people are the main tone of the battle.

To put it simply, people are being beaten and people are being consumed.

But now, the gunpowder and various gunpowder derivatives that Fei Qian took out turned the competition from a simple manpower competition into a competition of comprehensive quality. Manpower is no longer the only, insurmountable combat advantage.

The layout of the battlefield and the way of fighting will undergo tremendous changes.

Before this change, how could Cao Cao sleep well?

This is a gamble.

Before, Cao Cao always won the bet.

What about now?

The emergence of gunpowder has spawned the development of a series of new weapons, such as grenades, artillery, rockets, etc.

The range and power of these weapons far exceed the traditional cold weapons, making the offensive and defensive forces required on the battlefield higher requirements and more evolution.

The camps and forts that are sufficient to defend against ordinary cold weapons are now unable to effectively resist artillery attacks. Therefore, the design and construction of camps and castles will begin to change to adapt to the new war environment.

Even if Cao Cao understood, and counselors such as Guo Jia or Dong Zhao also understood what designs to add to defend against new artillery, the craftsmen in Shandong did not know, and the civilians did not understand. How long would it take to pass the information from top to bottom?

Shandong soldiers and Cao’s army formations have been dense formations from the beginning, forming formations to meet the enemy. Now if they are to defend against grenades and artillery again, what kind of training is needed and how long will it take?

Of course, as Guo Jia analyzed, gunpowder, cannons and other items are expensive.

If a cannon is cast into a spear head, it may be able to equip three to five hundred people, but can a cannon kill three to five hundred people?

Obviously impossible.

This is also a factor that Cao Cao and Guo Jia and other counselors had the confidence to continue fighting.

But now the battle at the slope camp has made Cao Cao and others realize another thorny problem.

Just as Cao Cao's soldiers could not line up to be bombarded by Fei Qian's cannons one by one, Cao Cao's soldiers could not have eternal morale and courage.

The use of gunpowder weapons will indeed greatly increase the scale and cost of Fei Qian's war, and accelerate the consumption of Fei Qian's war potential. After all, the manufacture of gunpowder and gunpowder weapons requires a lot of resources and money, but in the same way, to deal with these gunpowder weapons, Cao's army also needs more elite and more determined soldiers...

Otherwise, it will be like the slope camp, after the camp wall collapsed, the morale collapsed, and it collapsed without a fight.

Therefore, the whole battle has been going on until now, and Cao Cao had to mobilize the most elite soldiers to go forward.

Then Cao Cao considered another problem.

Is all this in the plan of the cavalry?

How can Lao Cao sleep well?

For his junior brother, Lao Cao often thinks that if he could reach out and grab Fei Qian in the Suanzao camp...

Cao Cao sighed silently, and then most likely closed his eyes, suppressing the various distracting thoughts that emerged in his mind.

Trump card, he still has a trump card, but Fei Qian has no trump card?

Cao Cao has been gambling all his life, and fortunately he has won all the bets before.

Unfortunately, he has won all the bets before, so he thinks he will win this time as well.

Even he himself understands that there are difficulties ahead, fires behind, and noises in his team, but he still pushes the chips forward.

The night passed quietly. When the moon was silent and left quietly before the sun got angry, the Cao camp was also noisy. According to the previous order, they had to cook at five o'clock, eat at dawn, and then set off.

As the sky gradually turned white, the Cao army soldiers also stood up one after another.

The army set out without waiting for anyone. The time for eating was fixed. When the time came, the gong was struck, and those who didn't finish eating could only starve.

Because time was tight, in this situation, ordinary Cao army soldiers scrambled for food.

These ordinary Cao army soldiers, after the cook put down the rice bucket and steamed bun basket under the protection of the sergeant, swarmed up, surrounded the rice bucket and scooped directly with bowls, and the impatient ones even stretched out their black claws that had not been washed for many days to grab directly...

The military school watched coldly from the side, and did not step forward to maintain order at all. Anyway, as long as there was no trouble, a little quarrel and fighting would be regarded as a lively atmosphere.

No one spoke, everyone was chewing and swallowing frantically. Everyone knew that eating one meal would mean one less meal.

The shortage of food in Cao's army is no longer a secret, even though Cao's generals have repeatedly denied it.

Although the number of steamed buns is still the same as before, it is obviously more than half smaller than before. At the same time, some meat is not eaten by senior generals, and is only distributed to low-level Cao soldiers.

So even if the Cao's military school repeatedly denied that there was a problem with military rations, the reality is the reality. It will not be able to wipe out the fear, worry, fear and other negative emotions in the hearts of the lower-level Cao soldiers just because there are two on average on the surface, or because there are meat and vegetables.

The whole camp made a gurgling sound.

This movement cannot be listened to carefully, let alone thought about it, otherwise, it is said that a layer of fine sweat will grow on the back.

In the central army tent of Cao's army, Cao Cao was also eating his meal.

Although it was about to set off, Cao Cao still ate his meal very carefully.

A mouthful of rice, a mouthful of vegetables.

Mix them together and chew twelve times.

Cao Cao was not without his voracious appetite, but the older he got, the slower he ate.

When he was young, he didn't pay attention to dental hygiene, and now he has toothaches from time to time.

After Cao Cao finished eating, he took some rice water to rinse his mouth. The guards took the plate away, and then the order to assemble and set off was sounded in the central army.

The soldiers of Cao's army stood in their respective ranks. After the squads finished lining up, they immediately joined the big team and lined up outside the camp.

Although Cao Cao's words and deeds seemed to be still calm, he actually knew that he had not slept well the previous night. His spirit was in an inexplicable excitement and tension, even at this time of departure, it was still the same.

The guard put on the armor for Cao Cao, and after putting it on, he took out a bronze mirror for Cao Cao to check. Facing the bronze mirror, the smooth mirror reflected a slightly distorted face of a middle-aged and elderly person.

Cao Cao moved closer, squinted his eyes, stared at the face in the bronze mirror, then grinned, raised his hand to align the position of the hood, threw the cloak, and strode out.

Outside the big tent, Dong Zhao had been waiting for a long time. When he saw Cao Cao coming out, he followed him and said, "My lord, the advance teams have set off, and the central army and the rear camp are also ready. Please let me know. '

Cao Cao raised his head, squinted his eyes, stared at the flying flags, 'Let's go! '

The last round of cards, the last bet.

Allin.

The ordinary soldiers and auxiliary soldiers left the camp first, but the first to leave were the Central Guards.

As the drums sounded, the flags went out in pairs, and the army slowly moved forward.

The moonlight faded, the sky was slightly bright, and the great banner representing Cao Cao rose and fell in the chaos...