Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 986: Relocation of the Arrow Platform
Although he repatriated 10,000 Tatar prisoners, Zhu Xiongying had not expected that they would be so cruel as to ignore the losses and use human wave tactics to attack the camp.

The Tatars were extremely ambitious. They wanted to establish themselves as Khans and refused to accept the rule of the Ming Dynasty. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that they were still dreaming of restoring the Yuan Dynasty and wanted to compete with the Ming Dynasty. Since they had to face the huge Ming Dynasty, the Central Plains people thought that they should "build high walls and store up food" and slowly accumulate strength. The manpower under their command was also part of their strength.

You shouldn't spend money casually at the beginning of your business.

But it is obvious that both Zhu Xiongying and Zhu Su underestimated Arutai and Bayanchur, or in other words, underestimated the cruelty in the nature of these grassland nobles.

In their view, the soldiers under their command can be recruited at any time if they want, and they can even go to plunder and rob. They are like the grass on the grassland, after eating one crop, there is still plenty in other places.

If they could trade their worthless lives for the Ming Crown Prince...it would be totally worth it.

Seeing Zhu Xiongying's face full of worry, as if he wanted to kill the enemy himself, Fang Xiaoru could not help but persuade him: "Your Highness, the war is dangerous and fierce. You are responsible for the country, so you must not act rashly."

"Duke Chang has been through hundreds of battles, and our Ming army is composed of elite troops who have fought hundreds of battles. We will surely be able to turn danger into safety."

"Mr. Xizhi, I also believe that there is no reason for the Ming Dynasty to lose the war." Zhu Xiongying said. "But if the Tatars break into the camp wall, who knows what a huge price we will have to pay."

"The situation ahead is extremely precarious. Gentlemen, I want to send someone to the front to take a closer look at the battle situation. Although I won't go to the front line, I think there may be some areas where I can help..."

Fang and Xie were touched by Zhu Xiongying's sincerity. They were both scholars, and they learned new Confucianism from Zhu Su. They admired the new Confucianism that "literary scholars can pacify the world with their pens and martial scholars can rule the world with their horses". Xie Jin said first, "Since that's the case, I will go to the front and watch for Your Highness."

"I have also followed His Majesty the King of Zhou and have seen battles in Guizhou. Perhaps I can think of a strategy or two."

Fang Xiaoru and Xie Jin came together. They were both eager to compete with each other. After hearing this, they said, "Fang is also willing to go. I have been practicing under the master for several years. I have also read some of the military books and strategies that the master admires."

"There are always people in the court who say that we, the new Confucians, are only arrogant in words, but are useless in battle. I am willing to use my humble body to serve Your Highness. If I can kill a few Tartars, it will bring honor to my ancestors."

"Good, good!" Zhu Xiongying said happily, "You two gentlemen have none of the stale air of Confucianism. I can now see the vigorous and progressive spirit of the new school of thought!"

"However, you two are both talented people, so you should stay here to be useful. Just keep an eye on the situation. When you know the situation ahead, come back and we can think of countermeasures together."

Xie Jin and Fang Xiaoru took the order and went to the front with a few of Zhu Xiongying's personal guards. After a while, when they came back from the front, there was an arrow stuck in the Confucian hat on Xie Jin's head.

"How amazing! How amazing! Now I know what it's like to have thousands of arrows fired at me!" Xie Jin said with lingering fear. The shields held by the guards were also filled with arrows like hedgehogs.

"Your Highness, the Tartars are so cruel that they are suppressing our camp walls with bows and arrows. They don't care about the lives of our friendly troops who are attacking the walls like ants."

"The soldiers on the wall were unable to aim their weapons at will, so they were forced into close combat."

"What?" Zhu Xiongying asked anxiously. "We are in a high position, so we can't suppress it with bows and arrows?"

"On the camp wall, there are only a thousand people at most. How can we suppress them if the Tatars mobilize so many archers?" Xie Jin said.

Archers suppressed, this was the fourth wave of the Tatars' offensive. After the third wave of sword and shield soldiers pushed forward and completely broke through the Ming army's spear forest, Alutai did not hesitate to send out his archers. All the grassland herdsmen were accustomed to riding horses and shooting arrows. Although riding horses could not be used when attacking camps, archery could be used for attacking and suppressing.

There are tens of thousands of people, and almost everyone is an archer. Even if upward shooting has some disadvantages, how can it compare to the suppression of numbers?
The pouring rain of arrows undoubtedly caused great trouble to the Ming army's defense.

"I miscalculated when I built the camp. I should have built the camp wall higher and wider to accommodate more archers..." Zhu Xiongying said in annoyance. But it was just annoyance. It was very rare to build such a strong camp like a hedgehog.

If it is built higher and bigger, it will be very unrealistic even if Daningdusi has cement.

"Well, maybe we could have built a few more arrow platforms..." Fang Xiaoru also said with regret. It was not practical to build a taller camp wall, but if a few more arrow platforms were built on the east side at that time.

The archers also had enough footholds to suppress the Tatar army from a high position.

"Arrow platform, arrow platform!... I have an idea!" Zhu Xiongying's mind was active. From Fang Xiaoru's sigh, he actually thought of a method that might be able to help the front line. He hurriedly said to Fang Xiaoru: "Mr. Xizhi, please go to find the Duke again and tell him that I want to do this and that, and ask for his permission..."

……

"What? Tear down the other three arrow platforms and build more on the east side?" In the east, facing the Tatars' locust-like rain of arrows, Chang Mao also felt a headache. He was even ready to personally lead people to block the gap in the camp wall if the camp wall was lost... Then he heard Zhu Xiongying's idea conveyed by Fang Xiaoru unexpectedly.

"Duke, we are at a disadvantage now because the Tatars are suppressing us with a rain of arrows at all costs... but they injure 10,000 enemies and lose 8,000 of their own. How long can they maintain the morale of the army by shooting without regard for the loss of friendly forces?"

"If we have enough archers to suppress their archers from a high position... will they still be able to wade through our mountain of swords?" The battle was noisy, and Fang Xiaoru almost shouted at Chang Mao with all his strength.

Chang Mao's thoughts flashed through his mind, and he immediately made a decision. "Okay! Mr. Fang!"

"Go, let His Royal Highness do it!"

"If we can kill these thieves, we will ask for credit for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" He shouted loudly while beating the drum.

Fang Xiaoru immediately clasped his fists and left, returning to Zhu Xiongying. Upon hearing the news, Zhu Xiongying immediately mobilized his personal guards and the political and educational group, and began to lead a battalion of soldiers to start the work of relocating the arrow platform.

As for how to move the arrow platform, he had already thought about it: the arrow platform was higher than the camp wall, with multiple platforms on it, each of which could accommodate more than a hundred archers. Each layer was also equipped with an arrow shield, which made it impossible for the enemy to hurt it from a high position, making it a great weapon for defending the city.

If the arrow rest is equipped with wheels to make it movable, it will become another famous weapon on the battlefield:

Well-travel car!
(End of this chapter)