[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army":3,"chapter-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-263":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Little Soldier of the Late Ming Border Army",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1205552,1561,"Chapter 263: Flanking Fire","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-263",263,"\u003Cp>At the same time the large rockets were launched, the Ming troops on both wings also kept firing incendiary rockets, intent on burning the Qing army's wooden shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this expedition to reinforce the capital, both Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei's armies had brought a considerable number of incendiary rockets. The arrowheads, coated with grease, could be ignited, and the shafts contained gunpowder for propulsion. The trident-and-fire lance soldiers in both wings' armies braced these incendiary rockets on their tridents, ignited them, and launched them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a distance of twenty to thirty paces, those Qing wooden shields were mostly large targets over a man's height and two men's width — none could miss. However, the wooden shields were mostly made of felled thick logs bound together, each log as thick as a man's thigh or calf, and still damp, cold, and green. Despite the gusting cold wind, it was very difficult to set the wooden shields alight or burn them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the rockets struck those wooden shields made of several thick door planks nailed together did those shields blaze up fiercely. As gusts of cold wind blew, the flames carried dense, thick smoke that was unbearably choking. The Qing soldiers sheltering behind the wooden shields all retreated in panic, dodging behind the remaining wooden shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every wooden shield that caught fire caused chaos in the surrounding area. But such shields were too few, and still could not alter the overall situation of the Qing troops advancing step by step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, fire the cannons from the flank.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yang Guozhu gazed intently at the enemy situation beyond the earthen wall, the artillery unit commander from Han Chao's Shunxiang Army detachment supporting him loudly offered this suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cannons set up on the several passageways naturally had their greatest power when firing head-on, blocking large Qing forces from advancing along the passageways. But now the Qing soldiers had clearly learned their lesson and were attacking only from the low walls and trenches. This rendered the cannons on the passageways useless. However, according to the unit commander's observation, the cannons on the passageways could fire head-on, and could just as well fire from the flank at the Qing troops at the low walls and trenches, blocking their advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the unit commander's words, Yang Guozhu's personal general of the central army, Guo Yingxian, had his eyes light up, but Yang Guozhu pondered: \"The cannons on each passageway are all strictly guarding the front. If we rashly move them and open fire, the slave brigands will seize the chance to charge up, and our soldiers will have to use blades and spears, fighting in bloody close combat to drive them back out of the earthen wall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ming troops on both wings had only four flat passageways; in front of the remaining earthen walls were likewise rows of low walls and trenches. Looking out from within the earthen wall, several dozen paces away were the Qing army's layers of wooden shields, which sheltered the archers or support troops behind them. Looking through the gaps between the wooden shields, roughly every two hours, the armor color of the Qing troops behind the shields changed in batches, constantly rotating fresh troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing soldiers had already filled in three or four trenches. On the flat ground by the low walls near each passageway, tall, crude wooden shields stood in an arc, each shield braced with thick logs. Behind the wooden shields, large numbers of Qing heavy-armored troops had also gathered for cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the Qing troops had considered the possibility of firearms and cannons firing from the flanks of the passageways, or Ming troops charging out from within the passageways to launch a surprise attack on the archers and support troops between the low walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, with the power of grapeshot, concentrating several cannons in a fierce bombardment could still inflict considerable casualties on the Qing troops behind the wooden shields, even with multiple crude shields standing in an arc there. Of course, after the cannons inside the passageway fired a flank salvo, they would have to consider the Qing heavy-armored troops on the other side seizing the chance to charge up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill as many as we can — better than leaving the cannons sitting here as scrap iron, isn't it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Yingxian shouted: \"If the Tartars charge in through the passageway, I will lead my brothers and drive them out, that's all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, the Qing army pressed closer and closer. The heavy-armored troops hiding behind the flanking wooden shields kept firing concealed arrows into the passageway. Even with shield-bearers covering them, the artillerymen were ultimately forced to take cover behind the earthen wall nearby, leaving several cannons sitting there useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Guo Yingxian's words, Yang Guozhu finally made up his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, on the Shunxiang Army's front defensive line, Wang Dou and battalion artillery unit commander Zhao Xuan were pondering the same problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing army's layers of wooden shields had already been pushed to within forty paces of the earthen wall. Since the Qing soldiers were not attacking through the passageways, Zhao Xuan's dozens of cannons were all sitting idle. Watching the Qing soldiers press closer step by step, Zhao Xuan was just as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After careful thought, he suggested to Wang Dou that the cannons fire from the flank: \"General, I believe our cannons inside the passageways can fire from the flank through the gaps, shooting and killing the slave brigands in the low-wall trenches.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou and the various central army officers beside him all pondered. Wang Dou said: \"After the cannons fire, if the projectiles hit the low walls, could they rebound and accidentally injure our own brothers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xuan was taken aback — he had not considered this problem. He pondered for a long moment and said: \"It should not happen. In our Shunxiang Army, each passageway is over ten paces or even over twenty paces wide. If we move each cannon to the far right or far left of the passageway to fire, with that distance, even if the projectiles hit the low walls and rebound, they likely cannot bounce back that far.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added: \"Moreover, the height of each cannon carriage in our army is roughly the same as the low walls. When the projectiles are fired, the chance of rebound is still small.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou nodded. This was also a method. Very well — in battle, one cannot rely solely on musketeers to kill the enemy; the pikemen and sword-and-shield soldiers should be put to use. After the cannons fired, he expected the Qing troops would certainly seize the chance to charge up from the other side. He would use the army's musketeers and pikemen to make the Qing troops bleed continuously in front of each passageway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving Wang Dou's approval, Zhao Xuan eagerly ordered the artillerymen to prepare. Caution prevents major errors — they would test it first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two front passageways were each twenty-five paces wide. Each was equipped with one red-barbarian six-pounder cannon, two Frankish breech-loading cannons, and two crouching-tiger cannons. Under Zhao Xuan's command, the cannons were immediately pushed one by one to the far right of the gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, that red-barbarian six-pounder cannon was pushed to the very front, aimed at the cluster of Qing wooden shields on the left, several dozen paces away. Over there, between each stretch of flat ground by the low walls, multiple tall wooden shields stood in an arc, and no one knew how many Qing heavy-armored troops were hiding inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the dark, gaping muzzles of the Ming army, unseen for so long, aimed at this side, the Qing heavy-armored troops behind the wooden shields stirred in agitation. They understood perfectly well the power of Ming grapeshot, and every one of them hid as far back as possible behind the wooden shields or inside the low walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the Qing heavy-armored troops on the right side of the low wall, seeing an opportunity to exploit, stirred at the shouted orders of a Plain White Banner company commander. Officers' shouts rose one after another. Everyone prepared — once the cannons fired, they would immediately charge straight in through the front of the passageway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several paces behind the cannons in this passageway, Zhong Diaoyang led nearly a hundred musketeers from the battalion logistics unit, arrayed in three ranks of over thirty men each, standing ready in tight formation. Behind the musketeers, Squad Commander Yang Tong, under Han Chao's command, personally led the pikemen of his squad, divided into three ranks to guard and kill the enemy, while the squad's several dozen sword-and-shield soldiers were distributed on both flanks and to the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth-shaking roar of cannons, silent for so long in front of the Shunxiang Army's formation, rang out again. That red-barbarian six-pounder cannon fired first. Amid thick, fierce gunpowder smoke, dense clusters of iron pellets and projectiles shot forth. The cluster of Qing wooden shields on the left, several dozen paces away, immediately toppled in swathes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though these wooden shields were all braced from behind with thick logs, facing the fierce grapeshot bombardment from only several dozen paces away, large swaths of wooden shields were still blasted to the ground. Many Qing heavy-armored soldiers behind the shields were struck by the projectiles, screaming and tumbling to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if a gale had swept through, facing the roaring storm of lead pellets, the Qing soldiers on the left side of the low wall screamed and fled far from this area. Not only that, many projectiles struck the low walls and ricocheted back and forth between several low walls, forming a chaotic curtain of flying shot that caused even greater casualties among the Qing troops there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A satisfied smile appeared on Zhao Xuan's face. Wang Dou also nodded — the flanking fire had good effect. Moreover, after the cannons fired, although the projectiles hitting the low walls did rebound, they fell far short of reaching the Shunxiang Army men at the gap. Only, the grapeshot's spread was large, so they could only fire the cannons one by one from the flank; otherwise, the hail of shot would certainly hit their own men inside the earthen wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth began to tremble in waves again. After the red-barbarian six-pounder cannon fired, the remaining two Frankish cannons of various sizes on the passageway, as well as the two crouching-tiger cannons, were pushed forward in succession and opened fire. Deafening cannon blasts rang out one after another, and wave after wave of dense lead pellets roared toward the left side of the low wall, blasting the Qing wooden shields there to the ground one after another, leaving the area in complete disarray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing soldiers there screamed and fled in panic. Many ran back and forth in chaos, not knowing what to do. Some lay flat on the ground, not daring to move, and thus avoided the hail of shot. Seeing that this was effective, immediately the area was densely packed with Qing heavy-armored troops lying on the ground, copying the tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loud shouts and battle cries rang out as dense ranks of Qing heavy-armored troops emerged from behind the wooden shields on the right side of the low wall, brandishing their weapons and charging with yells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the color of their armor, these were the heavy-armored soldiers of Dorgon's Plain White Banner. This passageway was twenty-five paces wide — thirty-seven meters — and each row crammed thirty Plain White Banner heavy-armored soldiers. The number charging forward, front to back, reached seven or eight rows, over two hundred men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The front few rows of Plain White Banner heavy-armored soldiers charging at the very front each held large, thick shields. Many of them carried large shields made entirely of fine iron — one meter high, half a meter wide, and five millimeters thick. These shields were incomparably heavy, likely weighing thirty to forty jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing such large iron shields, even the Shunxiang Army's muskets would probably struggle to penetrate or break them. Aside from these men's large iron shields, the remaining Plain White Banner heavy-armored soldiers also each held large, thick shields, all made of hardwood wrapped in thick leather, with no small defensive capability. They held shields in their left hands and large blades or short axes in their right, every one of them fierce and murderous, charging forward with wild yells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides these men, the Plain White Banner heavy-armored soldiers in the rear rows wore two layers of heavy armor and wielded either long iron-hafted blades, or Eight Banners long spears and tiger spears, likewise charging with furious roars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The artillerymen at the passageway entrance had long since taken cover far away. A portion of the musketeers on both sides of the gap had also withdrawn, replaced by sword-and-shield soldiers for defense. Seeing the Qing soldiers charging with wild roars, Zhong Diaoyang decisively shouted the order to fire. Immediately, the thirty-some musketeers in the front row, standing ready in tight formation, pulled their triggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deafening volley of musketry rang out. The projectiles from dozens of muskets struck the shields the Qing soldiers were holding. Those iron shields were indeed highly protective — at thirty to forty paces, although several shields were hit and the impact points deeply dented inward, they were not broken or penetrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the thick shields of hardwood wrapped in leather held by some Qing soldiers beside them were cracked and shattered one after another by the incoming projectiles...\u003C\u002Fp>",2261,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","ac48ac289f26fb6eb6ac4ef1a626ba121552d1b9dfc548e5fd6a5375616cfa46","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-264","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-262",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]