Chapter 500

"Kill the slaves!"

The B-Rank long-pikemen roared as they attacked fiercely. With their excellent coordination and dense battle formations, they forced the armored soldiers of the opposing banners back step by step.

The blood of comrades and fallen brothers also made them mature quickly. Their battlefield experience and predictive judgment constantly improved, and their mutual coordination grew ever tighter.

Tartar soldiers were continually stabbed to the ground by them. How could those hastily organized Qing assault columns, thrown together in chaos, be a match for the Jingbian Army's strict and disciplined formations?

Even if there were some exceptionally fierce tiger-spearmen and saber-and-shield men among them, facing a head-on battle, with clustered spears thrusting forward and clustered spears thrusting back, even if they managed to kill or wound some Jingbian Army pikemen, the final result was still them being stabbed to death by the massed spears.

One after another, howling Qing armored soldiers charging forward were slain before the formation, watching the dense pike formation opposite them still pressing closer step by step.

Amid the smoke, their densely packed bright red armor and dense forest of armor-breaking spears loomed in and out of sight. Under the sunlight, their gazes were grim and cold. The hedgehog-like long spears dripped bright red blood from time to time. Their fierce courage struck awe and fear.

The Jingbian Army pikemen pressed forward layer upon layer. Many Tartar soldiers mounted on horseback were exposed before the pikemen. They were essentially huge targets. Zhao Rongcheng and the others stabbed the horses first, then the men, their coordination growing ever tighter. Seeing their ferocious demeanor, more and more Tartar armored soldiers fled in terror.

Between the various wagon formations, Qing cavalry trying to retreat or advance were packed tight. The A-Rank soldiers inside the formations could hit the enemy without even needing to aim.

Every wave of grenades thrown out brought a chorus of screams. And from the cannons in front of each formation, every shot fired carved out a bloody alleyway. Moreover, the falling figures of the Qing soldiers mostly showed their backs.

The A-Rank and B-Rank troops, arquebusiers and pikemen, struck from front and rear in a pincer, with firepower raining down incessantly from all directions. Amid another wave of drumbeats, the front rank of pikemen withdrew, and the rear rank surged forward to take over the fight.

Seeing yet another wave of fresh troops arrive, again with dense peaked iron helmets and a gleaming expanse of arm-guards, the Qing cavalry before the B-Rank formation finally panicked. Ignoring that the rear had not yet sounded the gongs to withdraw, and despite the roaring shouts of their officers, all the Qing soldiers assaulting the formation howled and fled in rout.

They admitted that whether in firearms or hand-to-hand combat, the Jingbian Army was exceptionally outstanding. When they clashed with them, they felt truly deep fear.

……

"The Tartars are coming up, fire!"

In the Divine Machine Battalion position on the left flank of the infantry formation, the roar of arquebuses was like thunder, the sound of volley fire rising continuously. Numerous Divine Machine Battalion lumie arquebusiers nervously bombarded the Tartar soldiers outside the wagon camp. Tian Dayang was among them.

When the surging Qing cavalry attacked the Jingbian Army wagon formations, the officers and men of the Divine Machine Battalion had naturally broken out in a cold sweat. But later, seeing the Tartar cavalry battered and bloodied between the wagon formations, suffering heavy casualties, they all cheered and rejoiced.

However, the good times did not last long. Although the Qing soldiers mainly attacked the several small wagon formations on the right side of the wagon camp, after suffering firepower strikes from all directions by the Jingbian Army, they naturally sought a safe way out.

Although the terrain around the several wagon formations on the left was more undulating, with many hilly slopes, the fleeing Qing cavalry still surged in rolling waves toward this side. Some cavalry even surged to the Divine Machine Battalion position on the far left, where they came under fire from the right side of the Divine Machine Battalion wagon formation.

And in between, Wagon Formation No. 1 on the far left of the first Jingbian Army column, Wagon Formation No. 7 on the far left of the second column, plus the arquebusiers behind the B-Rank war wagons at the very bottom, together with the Divine Machine Battalion wagon formation, formed a four-winged field of fire that battered the Qing cavalry caught in between into a wretched state.

The Divine Machine Battalion arquebusiers in that spot naturally had an incomparably satisfying time shooting. Every time their arquebuses roared, rolling waves of cavalry fell. And since the enemy was in complete chaos, they could inflict no harm on their own side.

This kind of easy military merit was what the Divine Machine Battalion soldiers liked most. They shot with immense delight. Had the Tartar soldiers not been outside, they would have rushed out to take heads.

Seeing them shooting so happily, ignoring their officers' shouted orders, quite a few lumie arquebusiers from the left flank, rear flank, and forward positions of other wagon formations also rushed over here to blast away.

Then the situation changed. After getting a clear picture, the rolling Qing cavalry, braving the rain of bullets, burst out through the open ground between Wagon Formation No. 1 and the Divine Machine Battalion position, reaching the open wilderness outside. Already terrified of the Jingbian Army positions, they shifted their main effort to attacking the Divine Machine Battalion position.

Although the Divine Machine Battalion's formation was situated on a hill, outside the wagon formation there were similarly undulating slopes. In some places, there were also ditches and pit traps. This terrain was not conducive to the movement of large cavalry forces.

However, they employed scattered cavalry skirmishing tactics, squad after squad, coming and then retreating, retreating and then coming again, continuously shooting arrows. Though only a little over a thousand cavalry, they exerted immense pressure on the Divine Machine Battalion soldiers.

These cavalry were mostly from the Mongol Plain Yellow Banner and the Outer Domain Mongol Tumed troops, who were naturally skilled at mounted archery. Among them were also some Manchu Plain Blue Banner, Plain Yellow Banner, and Bordered Blue Banner troops.

The Qing military organization: one squad of fifty men, within which twenty wore heavy armor and carried polearms, and thirty wore light armor and wielded bows. Their light-armored men likewise formed up left, right, front, and rear to gallop and strike in coordination. Within a few dozen paces, they loosed arrows in volleys, wave after wave of arrow showers shooting over.

They darted left and right, spread very wide, and their horsemanship was masterful. Most of the cavalry controlled their horses purely with their legs, practically standing on the stirrups, bending their bows and nocking arrows just like that, looking left and shooting right, wheeling left and veering right. Many Divine Machine Battalion soldiers watched dumbstruck, fear rising in their hearts.

While their light-armored men shot from horseback, the heavy-armored men of each squad watched covetously from the rear. As soon as they spotted a weakness or gap in the military formation, they would close in with their own formation, or dismount and fight on foot, shooting arrows.

However, they did not attack the left flank of this Divine Machine Battalion formation, because not far to the lower left, there was another Divine Machine Battalion position below this formation. If they attacked this formation's left flank and rear, they would suffer converging fire from several positions, as well as being driven off by Ming cavalry.

As for being caught in converging fire, these Qing cavalry had just fled out from the Jingbian Army formations not long before and already feared it like venomous serpents. So although these cavalry continuously galloped close to the hilltop war wagons to shoot, making many Divine Machine Battalion soldiers' faces turn pale, the soldiers still kept firing their arquebuses, fighting these Qing cavalry to a standstill.

But not long after, perhaps seeing that attacking the Jingbian Army wagon formations was useless, and that no matter how many troops they had, they could not deploy them between the wagon formations—

So amid the sound of horns, besides the earlier wave under Jueluo Guoke, several thousand more of the ten thousand Qing cavalry attacking the Jingbian Army infantry formation head-on came rolling toward the Divine Machine Battalion position on the left flank, hoping to break through a gap here and relieve the pressure on the front.

Although the terrain restrictions made their formation scattered, the large force of cavalry charging over, seemingly covering the hills and plains like raging tidal waves, still made many Divine Machine Battalion arquebusiers' legs go weak.

Many people's faces were as white as sheets of paper. Had their own wagon formation's firepower not been so formidable, and had several thousand Jingbian Army troops not been nearby, they might well have fled.

Tian Dayang's heart was pounding just as hard. Watching the Qing soldiers rolling toward them, he muttered, "Good heavens, that's really a lot of Tartar soldiers."

Just as he was gripped by fear, he suddenly heard a gentle voice beside him say, "Don't panic. The Tartars can't break through!"

Tian Dayang turned his head to look. It was his newly made good friend Chen Cheng. He immediately felt much more at ease.

He also saw beside him Ju Yiwu, whose expression had been cold all along, say, "Didn't Brother Tian want military merit? Here it comes."

The Divine Machine Battalion Mobile Corps Commander commanding this formation, Lin Jinsi, stood on the high hill, watching the Qing cavalry surge over like the tide. He took a deep breath and asked Lei Xianbin, the Jingbian Army Rear Battalion Company Commander beside him, in a low voice: "General Lei, do you think this formation can hold?"

Lei Xianbin gazed forward, watching the Qing cavalry surge over, yet his expression was relaxed. He said, "General Lin, rest assured. A mere few thousand Tartar troops cannot break our formation!"

Lin Jinsi immediately set his mind at ease. Right on his right, a large force of Tartar soldiers was being battered into fleeing disarray by the Jingbian Army. This lent Lei Xianbin's words powerful persuasiveness.

But Lei Xianbin then added, "General Lin must keep your men under control. Do not open fire before the bandit slaves enter range. When the Tartars come in shortly, first shoot rockets, then shoot falconets. Finally, when the Tartars halt and a large mass of men gathers together, shoot the large and small mortars. After they press close, finish with volley fire from the arquebuses. You will certainly win a great victory!"

He glanced at Lin Jinsi and smiled, "General Lin, just do as I say, and I guarantee you'll be cutting off heads until your hand goes limp!"

Lin Jinsi was overjoyed. He grasped Lei Xianbin's hand and laughed heartily, "I'll rely entirely on General Lei. After this battle, when we return to the capital, whatever General Lei needs, just say the word. Whatever I, Lin, have, I'll give!"

When it came to making friends and wide social connections, Lin Jinsi was confident he was several levels above Lei Xianbin. But when it came to fighting battles, he had better listen to him.

Although Lei Xianbin was merely a Company Commander and he himself was a Mobile Corps Commander, so what? The officers and men of the Divine Machine Battalion might be arrogant, but it depended on who they were dealing with. His own superior, Fu Yingchong, behaved as meekly as a grandson before the Loyal and Brave Count. What did it matter if he acted like a great-grandson?

As long as there were military merit heads, everything was negotiable. Even if Lei Xianbin wanted his beautiful concubines, he would not frown in the slightest and would send over several.

Lei Xianbin had followed Wang Dou since the Shunxiang Fort days and had a bold and forthright personality. Seeing that Lin Jinsi was a straightforward man, he too felt the inclination to befriend him. He likewise laughed heartily and said, "Then it's settled. When the time comes and I pay a visit, General Lin must not forget this Lei."

Lin Jinsi said repeatedly, "I will certainly welcome you with shoes on the wrong feet, with shoes on the wrong feet."

Toward Lei Xianbin, his smile was like a rainbow streaking across the sky after rain. But the moment he turned around, his face became as stern as Judge Bao. He bellowed, "All of you, remember this: do not open fire before the Tartars enter range. Anyone who disobeys military orders will be beheaded on the spot!"

He ordered his hundred-plus personal guards and retainers to spread out and patrol all sides of the formation. Anyone who disobeyed orders or showed cowardice would be cut down on the spot.

The soldiers of the Divine Machine Battalion all had considerable backgrounds. Who knew if some common soldier or some low-ranking officer was a scion of some noble house, or a relative of one? Punishing anyone casually could bring unexpected consequences.

But for the sake of his life, and for the sake of military merit, Lin Jinsi threw caution to the wind and was not afraid of offending anyone.

The rolling Qing cavalry came surging over. As they galloped, they emitted chilling shrieks and howls, along with the constant whistling sound of signal arrows.

In the blink of an eye, they had already charged within one li. Lei Xianbin said softly, "Rockets!"

Lin Jinsi roared, "Fire rockets!"

Instantly, the sixty divine machine rocket carts set up on the hill emitted a thunderous roar. First, gunpowder smoke spread thickly, then brilliant flames erupted. Amid the smoke, countless rockets shrieked, hissing as they streaked forth endlessly, seeming to blanket the sky as they bore down on the charging Qing cavalry ahead.

Men shouted and horses screamed. Even though those Qing cavalry were spread out, wave after wave of men and horses were struck by arrows. Some horses, startled and panicked, reared wildly, throwing their riders off.

Their arrogant swagger was abruptly stifled.

"Good! Well struck!"

Lin Jinsi laughed heartily, though inwardly he felt a twinge of regret. That volley of fire arrows had likely killed or wounded many Tartar men and horses, but unfortunately they were too far away to go and take their heads.

The Tartar soldiers have always been encouraged to retrieve their fallen and wounded comrades, even having a specific military statute: "He who bears the corpse of a fallen comrade back from battle shall receive half of that man's household wealth!"

This is also one of the reasons Qing army heads are so hard to come by.

In some defensive battles, even if many Qing soldiers were killed or wounded, when they retreated they would carry away all the wounded and the corpses. Sometimes several hundred of them were killed, yet not a single head could be taken.

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