In theory, when in use, these should be linked end-to-end and locked tight with thick ropes, iron rings, wooden stakes, with the wheels facing outward and the carriages facing inward, which could effectively prevent them from being rammed open.
This would directly form a wagon formation. In addition, it seemed that things like doors, wooden planks, shields would be erected upon the formation, something else appeared to be strapped to the outside.
Zhu Ci held the blueprint, turning it horizontally and then vertically, staring at it intently for a long time, yet he still could not make out what was tied onto it.
Fu asked, "Your Majesty, is there something wrong with this blueprint?"
Zhu Ci shook his head. "I am not sure; I simply cannot make out what these things are."
Fu took a glance and pointed to a section on the map, saying, "What's tied here should be quilts or felt, of course, it could also be straw mats. There should be earth and straw stuffed into the gaps of the siege tower."
Zhu Ci's gaze was momentarily drawn to Fu Chunsheng's fair, slender hand, leaving him only half-focused on what he was saying; even after listening, he wasn't truly paying attention and asked subconsciously, "What is the use of this?"
“Hmm?” Fu Lue was somewhat surprised; the Little Emperor shouldn't have failed to realize that.
Zhu Ci immediately snapped back to his senses and hurriedly tried to make amends: "Oh, right, wetting them can effectively counter rockets; these holes should be reserved for Birdlock Gun fire or archers."
Fu withdrew his hand and said, "Siege Towers like this should have already begun being set up over in Xiaoxian. Next, we'll have to see if General Liu can capture Xiaoxian."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Quan rushed over, standing outside and bowing in salute as he said, "Reporting to His Majesty, we have just received urgent military intelligence. General Liu has failed to capture Xiaoxian and has now retreated to defend Yonggu Mountain."
Zhu Ci instinctively looked up at Fu, who had an expression on his face that said, "I knew it."
He also looked down at Zhu Ci, his pale blue eyes filled with concern; clearly, he was more worried about the Little Emperor before him than the defeated Liu Zhaoji.
After all, ever since his Little Emperor began leading troops, he has been victorious in almost every battle, never once losing even when the situation was at its worst.
The current situation of the Ming Army is much better than before; they are not few in number, aside from the lack of Red-coated Cannons, their weapons and equipment should be somewhat better than those of the Qing Army.
Of course, things like blades and spears might be slightly inferior; after all, the Qing Army had looted the Beijing armory, so even if Fu had all the money in the world, he wouldn't be able to compare with the Great Ming.
Even if the Great Ming had fallen on hard times by then, a starving camel is still larger than a horse; the Great Ming's armories would certainly still have many reserves.
Zhu Ci looked into Fu's light blue eyes and said, "Mhm, this is called an accurate prediction, not a jinx."
He had previously heard many people say that Fu Tian-sheng's extraordinary signs meant he was an ill-omened person. Zhu Ci had scoffed at this, but such people were bound to appear during Fu's upbringing and might invisibly affect something, which was why Zhu Ci had said that.
After a brief stun, Fu Lue couldn't help but break into a bright smile: "Alright."
Zhu Ci looked up at him, thinking to himself that the Grand Secretary was perfect in every way, except for his habit of keeping a cold expression on his face; if he smiled more, who knows how many people he would enchant.
Fu sensed his gaze and asked, "Your Majesty?"
Zhu Ci blinked and said, "I feel as though I have grown a bit taller."
He remembered that he used to only reach Fu's chin, with a very obvious height difference, but just now when he looked up, he realized he had already reached his nose.
Unless Fu had shrunk, he must have grown quite a bit.
Fu did not expect the conversation to turn to this; it seemed the Little Emperor cared a great deal about his height.
He suppressed a laugh and said, "Yes, Your Majesty has grown much taller."
Zhu Ci's face instantly lit up with a wide smile.
Jiang Quan and Jiang Xueyan, standing to the side, exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat confused. Weren't they just talking about General Liu's defeat? Why had the Emperor and the Grand Secretary started discussing height?
What should be done now?
Fortunately, Zhu Ci still remembered his priorities. He turned to Jiang Quan and said, "Pass the order to the General of Pinglu to fight however he sees fit."
It was merely a temporary setback; how could a battle always go so smoothly? The fact that Liu Zhaoji could still regroup his forces at Yonggu Mountain proved it was not a rout, but rather that the enemy had reservations and had not pursued. Since the strength of both sides was relatively similar, there would be no problem.
Opposite them was the long-renowned Qing Army general Dodo. Dodo's previous retreat was due to a deus ex machina; once he finds a way to counter the rockets, the next battle will depend on the general's own skill.
The joy of finding the Heirloom Seal of the Realm was dampened by this defeat; at this moment, many people realized that there was still a gap between the Great Ming and the Tartars.
However, Zhu Ci acted with great composure in front of everyone, which allowed many people's hearts to settle as well.
But no matter how much they were reassured, the rockets they had placed such high hopes on were indeed being countered.
The Tartars could not advance southward, but they were also unable to move northward, leaving both sides in a stalemate at Xuzhou for the time being.
At a time like this, Fu also brought two pieces of news: the Tartars had dispatched Jirgalang to reinforce Dodo and Haoge, to reinforce Ajige.
Listening to these familiar names, Zhu Ci couldn't help but remark with emotion, "The Tartars truly produce one capable person after another."
As the saying goes, heroes arise in times of chaos. No matter how much one might despise the Qing Dynasty, when it comes to conquering the world, the overall quality of the Qing Dynasty's generals is indeed much higher than that of the Great Ming.
Right now, the Regent Dorgon has not yet made a move, but simply sending out Jirgalang and Haoge has already put some pressure on him.
Jirgalang and Haoge were both commanders with illustrious military achievements; among them, Jirgalang was Nurhaci's nephew. After the Qing Army entered the pass, he was titled the Prince of Xinyi, like Dorgon, he was also a Regent.
It was just that Dorgon's brilliance was so overwhelming that many people were unfamiliar with this Prince Regent.
Zhu Ci did not know this person well before, but since he had gone to war with the Qing Army on all fronts after his ascension to the throne, he still needed to familiarize himself with the enemy's generals.
Although Jirgalang's reputation in history was not as great as that of Dodo and Ajige, his ability to command troops in battle was not inferior to theirs, was perhaps even slightly stronger.
One must realize that this man is the only non-Nurhaci direct descendant among all the Iron-Cap Princes, he is also the only "Prince of Xinyi" besides Dorgon.
Sending this person to Xuzhou to reinforce Dodo proves that the Tartars do not merely want to defend the city; they also intend to continue their southward advance.
Zhu Ci felt pressure for the first time.
He went straight to Xiaoxian, Fu, who was originally about to return, also changed his mind.
Zhu Ci was somewhat surprised: "You aren't going back?"
Fu's expression was extremely serious: "The situation is grave; if necessary, I can also command an army single-handedly."
Zhu Ci blinked. "Huh? You want to lead an army?"
Fu Wei lowered her eyes and looked at the Little Emperor, tilting her chin up slightly as she smiled. "Has Your Majesty forgotten that I personally led the troops during the late Emperor's funeral procession?"
Watching him in his high spirits, Zhu Ci realized that the usually steady and experienced Marquis of Huating was, in truth, nothing more than a twenty-five-year-old young man.
In the future, at twenty-five years old, just one year after graduating from university, many people would still be worrying about their rent.
He nodded seriously and said, "Fine, but it would be better if you stayed in the rear. Unless even I am defeated, in which case I will let you go."
Setting aside everything else, Fu Chunsheng really does have some skill when it comes to managing logistics.
Ever since he arrived in Fengyang to take over those miscellaneous affairs, not only did Zhu Ci feel much more relaxed, but even the operation of all supplies became much smoother.
If it weren't for the fact that he felt it would be inappropriate for both the Emperor and the Grand Secretary to be out in the open, he would have wanted to keep Fu right where he was.
In this era, it is easy to find someone capable of leading troops into battle, but those who can manage logistics are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Fu felt truly helpless after hearing his words. Since when was it acceptable for an Emperor to charge into battle while his ministers hid behind him?
However, in the end, he said nothing at all.
Forget it, let him say whatever he wants; he already wants to take to the battlefield personally, which clearly shows that the pressure Jirgalang has placed on the Little Emperor is a bit too great.
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Sigh, the dividends from the rocket cannons are almost exhausted; it's time to think of other ways. Kitten looks up at the sky in contemplation. jpg
How did the nutrition solution reach ten thousand so quickly? Extra update at midnight with more nutrition solution~
Chapter 132
After Zhu Ci arrived at Xiaoxian with his troops, Liu Zhaoji and He Gang went out of the city to kneel and welcome him.
In the current Great Ming Dynasty, unless it is a grand ceremony, officials do not kneel easily.
Zhu Ci was not used to it; he himself hadn't liked kneeling before, now he didn't want others to kneel before him.
Because of this matter, his reputation among the literati had actually improved somewhat; the scholars felt that this Little Emperor showed them particular respect, besides his hot temper and iron-fisted methods, he had no major flaws.
And Liu Zhaoji and He Gang knelt, not merely to welcome him, but more so to beg for forgiveness.
Zhu Ci dismounted from his horse and personally helped the two of them up, saying, "The Ever-Victorious General only exists in plays. Our army's casualties and losses are not significant this time, both generals have done their utmost; there is no need for self-reproach."
Liu Zhaoji and He Gang felt even more ashamed after hearing this.
The two of them had always stayed by the Emperor's side and were deeply valued by him; as a result, the first defeat after the Emperor ascended the throne was one they had brought about. How could they not feel the pressure?
Especially since even the Grand Secretary had mobilized; their pressure was even greater.
Fu stood behind Zhu Ci, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, looking less like he was here for war and more like he was on vacation.
Fortunately, once inside the county magistrate's office, the sunlight was gone; once Fu took off his sunglasses and hat, he didn't look quite so unusual.
Only his fair skin, light blue eyes, the silver hair at his temples made him look somewhat different.
After sitting down, Zhu Ci only asked three questions: what the current situation was, how many men Jirgalang had brought, exactly what Dodo's siege tower was like.
Fortunately, although he had suffered a defeat, Liu Zhaoji had also carefully observed the opposition.
The current situation was that their casualties were not heavy, of course, the Tartars had few casualties either, because they were completely unable to approach the city walls, their several siege attempts had ended in defeat.
And the previous defeat was due to being unprepared for a charge by the Tartar cavalry.
The Tartars' cavalry had always been their trump card. At that time, Liu Zhaoji retreated directly to Yonggu Mountain to preserve his strength, then reclaimed Xiaoxian once the Tartars had not yet stabilized their position.
With this experience gained, the Tartars will not fare well if they attempt to besiege the city again, as the current Ming Army is becoming increasingly proficient at using Red-coated Cannons.
Therefore, both sides were at a stalemate here, neither side could capture the other's city.
Zhu Ci rubbed his chin and said, "I want to see it for myself."
No matter how Liu Zhaoji described the Siege Tower, he had to see it for himself before he could figure out a way to deal with it.
Liu Zhaoji said instinctively, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
If the Tartars knew that His Majesty was personally supervising the battle, they would certainly not let this opportunity slip away.
Zhu Ci knew what he was thinking and gave him a casual glance. "I am already here; they will find out sooner or later. Rather than waiting for them to besiege the city, it would be better if I took the initiative to launch an attack and test them.
He knew that once the Emperor had made a decision, it would be difficult for them to change his mind. He could only look at Fu and ask, "Grand Secretary Fu, what is the Imperial Court saying now?"
Zhu Ci sat above, hearing He Gang call for Grand Secretary Fu, then looking at Fu's young and beautiful face, his expression instantly twisted slightly.
If he weren't in the middle of a meeting, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from laughing.
Fu glanced at them, feeling somewhat speechless; did these people really think he could be persuaded?
The Little Emperor might listen to him regarding trivial matters that come and go, but when it comes to matters of national importance, when has he ever listened to him?
However, Fu still spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty must not act rashly at this time, unless Dodo or Jirgalang personally besieges the city."
Although Zhu Ci said aloud that there was no Ever-Victorious General, in reality, he himself had been the Ever-Victorious General so far.