Chapter 948: Kill the general and the enemy!
Just when the atmosphere among the Cuman generals was extremely tense, the Cuman general Shamuhar stood up and asked Esidogan passionately:
“This dog thief named Ye, the Khan, has humiliated the Khanate so much, we must not let him go. Please, Khan, let me attack the city…”

Although he thought it would be difficult for him to capture Dagu County when the Fengwu Army was well prepared, he was shaken by the determined look on his beloved general Shamuhar's face. He nodded and ordered:
"I'll have the artillery battalion help you bombard the city!"

"Thank you Khan!"

With the permission from Esdoan, Shamuhar couldn't help but cheer up. He patted his chest towards Esdoan and led his troops to attack Dagu County.

At the same time, the Cumans' gray cannons also began to roar. Although the conservative forces within the Cumans were very strong and they were very confident in the Cumans' traditional riding and archery skills, they believed that they should not rely on firearms, as firearms would make the Cumans cowardly.

However, after the previous Khan Huodu saw the advantages of the firearms of the Great Zhou Imperial Army, he also vigorously developed firearms technology and developed some fire guns and cannons. However, due to the limitations of technology and craftsmen, as well as the excessive obsession of the Kipchak soldiers with their own riding and shooting skills, firearms were not widely equipped in the Kipchak Khanate.
Asdogan himself is a loyal supporter of firearms and believes that firearms will play a decisive role in future wars. So even though it was a surprise attack this time, Asdogan also made a lot of efforts to bring firearms to the current Otani County...

Among the firearms that Asdog brought were fifteen Serban cannons weighing about a thousand pounds. These cannons played a crucial role in the past wars between the Golden Horde and the Robes and some foreign ethnic groups in the west. Therefore, Asdog considered them to be his secret weapon against Ye Mingsheng.

As the Cuman artillery adjusted its position and determined the distance, the Serban cannon, which the Cuman Khanate was proud of, soon began to roar, and one shell weighing three or four pounds after another hit the Dagu County.

Because Otani was just a county town, the city wall was only ten and a half feet high and five feet thick. Therefore, it was still difficult to defend against the heavy artillery of the Cumans. Some battlements would immediately fall apart even if they were just hit by a cannonball.

At the same time, although he wanted to rush into the city as soon as possible, chop off the head of the Zhou man named Ye Mingsheng and present it to the Khan, he was faced with the three large trenches in front of him.

Shamuhar, who was in charge of the siege, had to return to reality. He could only suppress the firearms of the Fengwu Army with the continuous archery of the Cuman cavalry to cover the other people's horses carrying sandbags and trenches.

Because he had always been paying close attention to the movements of the Golden Horde, Ye Mingsheng was not surprised that the Golden Horde possessed such heavy artillery. However, he was indeed very surprised that Asdogan brought these artillery over.

Because the news passed on by the Coordination Office only said that the Kipchak army would launch a surprise attack, but did not report detailed information such as the equipment carried by the Kipchak army··························

Therefore, Ye Mingsheng and a group of generals of the Fengwu Army also had a preconceived notion that in order to pursue the fastest speed, the raiding Cuman army would be lightly equipped and would not carry too much baggage and artillery, so there might be some deficiencies in dealing with the enemy's artillery.

However, the Fengwu Army responded very quickly under Ye Mingsheng's command. The artillery on the city wall also bombarded the enemy's artillery positions, trying to suppress the enemy's firepower.
Although the Serban cannon equipped by the Golden Horde was also very good, it still had some shortcomings in range and accuracy compared to the red cannon equipped by the Fengwu Army.

However, due to the distance of several miles, the Fengwu Army's red cannons did not perform very well in terms of accuracy. Although they had some advantages, they were still unable to effectively suppress the enemy's artillery fire.

Seeing that hundreds of their men had been killed and wounded by the Fengwu Army's guns, they were still unable to break through the Fengwu Army's first trench, and their artillery fire was gradually weakening.

Shamukhar, a fierce Cuman general, was anxious when he saw it. Thinking about the big words he had said to Eskoy, Shamukhar did not care about anything else and rushed to the front line to take command.

Shamukhar's presence at the front line played a very significant role. His subordinates were all ready to fight. No matter they were the soldiers using horseback archery to suppress the firepower of the Fengwu Army, or the soldiers using sacks to fill the trenches, they all worked harder...
Seeing that everything was moving in a good direction, and at this rate the first trench of the Fengwu Army outside the city would soon be filled up, a smug smile appeared on Shamhar's face, as if he had already seen the door to victory!
At this moment, there was a gunshot, and a wisp of white smoke rose from the gate tower of Dagu County. Shamukhar, who was immersed in the joy of victory, fell from his horse.

An evil bullet just pierced his chest. Seeing Shamukhar fall, the morale of the Cuman army, which had been gradually rising due to his appearance, came to an abrupt halt.

Asdogan, who was standing on a hill observing the battle, slapped his thigh hard when he saw this, and his expression was extremely distressed.
Shamukhar was a fierce general in the Cuman army. He was known for his bravery and fearlessness and had made countless military achievements for the Khanate. What was even more rare was that he was loyal to him and listened to his orders very well!

Now that he was killed by the Fengwu Army on the battlefield, he undoubtedly lost another powerful general under his command, and it also cast a fatal shadow on the upcoming battle!

Seeing that continuing the siege would only cause more casualties among the Khanate’s most elite Tiger Masters and Apprentices, and it would be difficult to achieve any results, Asdogan could only sigh in his heart and order a withdrawal...

As the retreat horn sounded, the soldiers of the Golden Horde, leaving behind a pile of corpses, immediately retreated like a tide.

Seeing this scene, Ye Mingsheng on the watchtower was also a little surprised by Asdogan's decisiveness. Today was the first day of the battle between the two armies, and it was also the time when the morale of the Cuman army was the best.

Ye Mingsheng originally thought that Esdogan would face reality only after suffering a bloody nose, but he did not expect that Esdogan still remained rational.

Although he felt a little regretful that he didn't give the Kipchak Tiger Division more blood, Ye Mingsheng was very happy that he had repelled the enemy's attack so easily. He immediately asked the soldiers around him:
"Who just shot the enemy general?"

Just now, Ye Mingsheng saw it clearly from the watchtower. The enemy general bravely rushed to the front line himself. The enemy army was also inspired and their morale was boosted. At this critical moment, the enemy general was shot and killed, and the enemy's momentum also declined!
Therefore, this shot was very important. Strict rewards and punishments have always been the core competitiveness of the Fengwu Army, so Ye Mingsheng also wanted to reward those who made this contribution!

Ye Mingsheng’s question soon got an answer. A tall and thin young man came in front of Ye Mingsheng. Although Ye Mingsheng’s expression was very gentle, under Ye Mingsheng’s gaze, the young soldier lowered his head and was very reserved...
At the same time, Ye Cheng smiled and introduced:
"Sir, the enemy general was killed by him. His name is Zhang Guang and he is a sharpshooter of the Flying Tiger Battalion. Just now, the captain of the Flying Tiger Battalion, Chen Neng, noticed the enemy general and ordered him to shoot him. Zhang Guang successfully killed him with just one shot!"

After saying that, seeing Zhang Guang still standing there blankly, Ye Cheng gave him a look and reminded him:

"Zhang Guang, why don't you pay your respects to the Marshal?"

Zhang Guang was stunned for a moment, then he reacted, knelt down to Ye Mingsheng and said:

"Little soldier Zhang Guang greets the commander!" Ye Mingsheng smiled and helped Zhang Guang, who was kneeling on the ground, up and said:
"The enemy position is about two hundred steps away from the city wall. You are a really good marksman! Tell me how you shot just now!"

Facing Ye Mingsheng's praise, the young Zhang Guangxian was both excited and a little shy, but he still mustered up the courage to preach:

"Just now the captain told me to shoot the enemy general, so I didn't think much about it. I just aimed at him and pulled the trigger, just like hunting wild boars in my hometown of Liaoyang!"

Ye Mingsheng smiled and nodded slightly when he heard this and asked:

"Are you also from Liaoyang?"

Zhang Guang nodded and whispered:
"I am from Posuo Prefecture, Liaoyang!"

After hearing this, Ye Cheng, who had just learned about Zhang Guang's life, saw that Ye Mingsheng was very interested in this, so he introduced in a low voice:
“Sir, this Zhang Guang was originally a hunter with his father in Posuo Mansion. He was very good at archery and hunting. After joining the army, he quickly showed his talent in shooting, so he was recruited into the Flying Tiger Battalion for special training…”

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingsheng patted Zhang Guangdao:
"Young man, you did a great job. You have made great contributions today. I will promote you to the deputy commander of the Flying Tiger Battalion and reward you with 500 taels of silver!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the soldiers on the city wall looked at Zhang Guang with envy in their eyes. As the only special forces unit in the Fengwu Army, the welfare benefits of the Flying Tiger Battalion are almost the best in the Fengwu Army. The military officers of the Flying Tiger Battalion are generally regarded one level higher in the Fengwu Army, just like a captain can be regarded as a commander!

Zhang Guang looks very young, only in his early twenties, but he has become the deputy captain of the Flying Tiger Battalion and even showed his face in front of the Marshal. His future is limitless!

In addition to promotion, these five hundred taels of silver are also very cost-effective. According to the salary of the Fengwu Army, the annual salary of a county magistrate is only more than one hundred taels of silver. These five hundred taels of silver are enough for a county magistrate to work for three or four years!
Take the five hundred taels of silver back to your hometown and buy a three-story house, a shop in the city, an acre of paddy field, marry a few wives, and live a wonderful life that everyone envies.
Facing Ye Mingsheng's offering, Zhang Guang's shy face immediately turned red. He knelt down in front of Ye Mingsheng again and said excitedly:

"Thank you for your grace, Marshal! I will definitely kill more enemies for you!"

Having listened to the flattery of his subordinates, Ye Mingsheng was surprised to hear the simple thanks from this young man. He patted him on the shoulder and said:

"Good job, young man! You are a rare talent, and I am optimistic about your future!"

After finishing his words, Ye Mingsheng said loudly to all the soldiers:
"All the soldiers should follow Zhang Guang's example, defend the country and fight bravely to make sure the enemy will not return. When the time comes, if you have made outstanding contributions, I will definitely reward you generously!"

After hearing Ye Mingsheng's promise and seeing Zhang Guang's living example, all the soldiers were very excited, as if they would be the next one to make military achievements, get promoted, and get rich. They all raised their arms and shouted excitedly:

“Thank you, Marshal! You are so mighty! We swear to be loyal to you until death…”

····································
····································
Hanyang, Lee Mansion

Li Zhengyong, the General of the Jingchu Army, was pacing anxiously in the mansion, but he didn't have to wait long before the housekeeper led someone to him.

The visitor was Ye Pengchao, a centurion of the General Coordination Office. Li Zhengyong's eyes lit up when he saw Ye Pengchao. He did not care about the hospitality and said happily:

"Captain Ye, Sun Chenggong has approved Duan Zhibao to take over Zhao Zongchang's military power!"

Ye Pengchao, who had known the news a long time ago, smiled and nodded. Seeing this, Li Zhengyong realized that he might be a little rude, and immediately asked Ye Pengchao to sit down and talk.

Li Zhengyong sat down and couldn't help but ask Ye Pengchao:
"Captain Ye, Duan Zhibao took the initiative to apply to replace Zhao Zongchang to take over the military power and leave Hanyang at this time. Could it be that..."

Although Li Zhengyong did not explain it clearly, Ye Pengchao understood what he meant. Under Li Zhengyong's gaze, he nodded with a smile.

Seeing this, Li Zhengyong was mixed with joy and sorrow. After hesitating for a while, he said:
"Captain Ye, it's a good thing that General Duan is involved in this matter. With his help, our success will be even higher. But I would like to ask, after the matter is completed, how does Marshal Ye plan to place the two of us?"

Ye Pengchao was not surprised by Li Zhengyong's question. He smiled and said:

"General Li, you asked a very good question. The reason why our Marshal Ye was able to lead the Fengwu Army to sweep across the world in just a few years and lay such a great foundation is because of fair rewards and punishments!"

"So the answer to your question, General Li, is very simple. Between you and General Duan, whoever has made greater contributions will be promoted!"

"I wonder if my answer satisfies General Li?"

(Do a small survey to find out what everyone thinks of the current plot and what suggestions they have for the upcoming plot. Do you want as much main storyline content as possible, or do you want to see more side storyline harem content?)
(End of this chapter)