Chapter 150: The Battle of the Four Cities (10)

Chen Xin calmly watched the smoke-filled street ahead. The center of the crossroads was already a hundred paces away. The Jianzhou Bandits' resistance on West Avenue was extremely fierce. Although they were steadily retreating, the Jianzhou Bandits had transferred reinforcements from both the East Gate and South Gate, continuously throwing them into West Avenue, which severely delayed the Third Unit's attack. The Jianzhou Bandits' reaction was not slow either. Wang Zhangfu, the Company Commander of the Third Unit, kept sending men through the alleys to outflank them, forcing the Jianzhou Bandits to keep pulling back.

Chen Xin sat on horseback, looking over the heads of the Third Company's formation in front of him. He could see the thick dust and smoke at the East Gate, but the Jianzhou Bandits had been transferring troops from the East Gate to reinforce West Avenue all along. The Central Army lookout who had climbed onto a rooftop also said the Jianzhou Bandits' banners to the south were still there. It seemed the Ming army's attacks on both those fronts were ineffective; it was even unclear whether they had begun assaulting the city walls.

After Ma Shilong's Regional Commander red banner reached the West Gate tower, the loyalist troops from the west were streaming into the city in a continuous flow, but none of them came this way. Instead, they all entered various side streets. Chen Xin did not need to ask to know what they were doing. In any case, they were of no help.

According to those very vague intelligence reports, there were not many Jianzhou Bandits in Luanzhou. The real Jurchen numbered probably just over a thousand, the bondservants perhaps another thousand, plus a small number of Mongols, making it just over two thousand in total. Even if the Ming troops on the other two fronts were passive, they could still tie down some of the enemy.

Chen Xin asked Liu Pojun beside him, "Has Lu Chuanzong asked for reinforcements?"

"No. He just reported back that one platoon has already reached North Street. Also, the lookout says Acting Company Commander Dai's Second Unit is about to approach the North Gate barbican."

Chen Xin nodded. He estimated that the Jianzhou Bandits' attention had been drawn entirely to West Avenue. As long as the Second Unit captured the North Gate, the Jianzhou Bandits would be effectively trapped.

"My lord, should we send someone to urge Company Commander Wang on? It's been a quarter of an hour for just this short stretch of a hundred-odd paces."

Chen Xin thought for a moment and said, "Go and send someone to tell him that the other two company units have nearly achieved their objectives. Nothing else needs to be said. Go yourself, and take the Central Army guard unit with you."

Liu Pojun acknowledged the order and personally hurried forward. Wang Zhangfu had already run to the very front. A group of firearms troops was firing repeatedly at a three-story food shop ahead, riddling the second and third floors with flying splinters, but there were still Jianzhou Bandits braving the lead shot to shoot back at them. Occasionally, there were also arquebus shots fired at this side. Wang Zhangfu paced back and forth among the ranks, loudly issuing orders.

Wang Zhangfu was one of the earliest trackers to follow Chen Xin. He had some courage and strength, dared to take responsibility, and had a nimble mind, so he was promoted very quickly. Most of his old subordinates from back then had also become Platoon Leaders or Squad Leaders. In the very first squad he led, only Zhong Lao Si and Zhou Shao'er were the two stragglers; one was a squad leader and the other a fireteam leader.

During this attack along West Avenue, the place that had taken the longest to overcome was this food shop right in front of them. It was a three-story structure. The Wendeng Battalion had taken the first floor, but the stairway was narrow, and the second floor was held by Later Jin soldiers. Some archers up there used bows and arquebuses to seal off the street. Because of their elevated position, the protective effect of the column formation was reduced, and the Third Company had failed to take it after several attempts.

If they had enough time, they could simply set a fire and burn them to death, but there was no time for that now.

Liu Pojun went before Wang Zhangfu and relayed the situation of the other two units. Wang Zhangfu bit his lip and shouted curses at the three Platoon Leaders, "Transfer all your saber-and-shield men out, assign them thirty trident men, and all of you get up there for me!"

The several Platoon Leaders immediately went to pass the order. Soon, all the saber-and-shield men assembled at the front line. The military judge beside the First Company drew his waist saber and shouted, "Anyone who takes a single step back will be beheaded on the spot!"

Wang Zhangfu waved his hand, and a Platoon Leader led this group in a charge. With a battle cry, they raised their shields high and all charged into the first floor, where a combat team was holding the position. The long-shield bearers held their long shields up and charged upward. The round-shield bearers behind them raised their round shields above their heads. The Jianzhou Bandits guarding the second-floor stairway saw only a mass of shields surging up toward them. A chaotic melee erupted there. After the Ming army lost over ten saber-and-shield men, they finally fought their way onto the second floor. Their Qi-family sabers were more effective indoors than long weapons. The trident men behind them swarmed upstairs and slaughtered all the Jianzhou Bandits on the second floor. A few Jianzhou Bandits with no way out jumped directly onto the street and were killed by the combat team below. Those saber-and-shield soldiers then continued charging toward the third floor…

The food shop's attack capability was greatly reduced. Without waiting for them to take the third floor, Wang Zhangfu immediately ordered the last intact platoon to push forward. When they reached thirty paces from the central intersection of the crossroads, another group of Jianzhou Bandits arrived. This was a mixed force of Bayara and armored soldiers. They actually did not break under two volleys of musket fire and threw themselves into a tangled fight with the assault team, with a desperate, life-throwing-away ferocity. Instead, they forced this platoon into a steady retreat.

The sound of gongs ringing retreat came from both the East Gate and South Gate. Wang Zhangfu could already see the Later Jin soldiers fleeing continuously past the intersection. Seeing this situation, he let out a loud curse, drew his own waist saber, and charged forward with his personal guards.

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On North Gate Avenue, a chest-high wall of corpses had been erected, with door planks wedged in some places. Behind the corpse wall were over thirty musketeers, and further behind them were thirty soldiers from the assault team. This was all the men the Second Platoon had left.

The street in front of the position was covered with the corpses of men and horses, providing a clear demonstration to the Jianzhou Bandits behind. After several groups of Jianzhou Bandits were wiped out in succession, the scattered Jianzhou Bandits no longer dared to charge head-on at this spot and all detoured through the alleyways on the east side.

Standing in the back row, Zhong Lao Si looked around. The rest of the First Unit had still not arrived. Only their platoon was still holding this position. The scattered Jianzhou Bandits did not come, so the area in front of their position had actually fallen quiet, but the gunfire all around was growing increasingly intense.

Guandi Miao, holding a head-taking knife, ran back and forth to the corpse wall in front to cut off Jianzhou Bandit heads, then tossed them into his own carrying pole baskets. When he had finally finished cutting, the two baskets were filled with dead heads bearing all kinds of expressions. He caught his breath, then came over and said quietly to Zhong Lao Si, "Squad Leader, why haven't the others come yet? What if a large group of Tatars shows up?"

Zhong Lao Si stomped on Guandi Miao's foot and cursed, "You dog, all you do is speak ill…"

Before his words faded, a dense group of cavalry turned out from the east side of the crossroads, their hooves thundering as they charged this way.

Zhou Shao'er cursed under his breath, "Your mother, Guandi Miao, you damn crow's beak. Hurry and get that carrying pole of yours out of the way, grab your blade and stick, and get ready."

Guandi Miao stared blankly at the main street for a moment, slapped himself across the face, moved the carrying pole to the side of the street, and stood behind Zhong Lao Si holding a large club. Huang Yuan loudly directed the musketeers, who formed three ranks and waited for the Jianzhou Bandits to charge close.

An officer in the front rank of the Jianzhou Bandits shouted loudly, and the Jianzhou cavalry began to accelerate. The sound of hooves was as dense as a rainstorm, and the bluestone slabs on the ground trembled continuously.

Zhong Lao Si had seen many times in drills how horses would stop on their own in front of a chest-high wall, but he was still somewhat nervous in his heart. Facing a head-on cavalry charge required tremendous courage; real combat was, after all, different from drills.

At eighty paces, the first rank of muskets fired. Four horses were hit and tumbled to the ground. The cavalry behind bypassed them and continued charging. After the second volley of muskets fired, the Jianzhou Bandit formation was thrown into chaos again. The corpses on the ground blocked them, making it impossible for them to continue the mounted charge.

This group of Later Jin soldiers all dismounted, drew their weapons, and swarmed forward.

Zhong Lao Si looked at the dense mass of Later Jin soldiers in front and felt a bit daunted. This group numbered at least a hundred men. They had only sixty-odd here, thirty of whom were from the firearms squad. The assault squad was also hastily thrown together, so their combat strength was certainly inferior to the old comrades. He said quietly to Zhou Shao'er, "We've blocked their retreat route, so of course they're going to fight us to the death. How comfortable it was killing them at the alley entrance just now. That bastard Huang Yuan just had to come and throw his life away."

Zhou Shao'er swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "Stop complaining. This is just our fate, tormented by these damned soldiers. Except for Lord Chen, none of the other officers are worth a thing."

As the two were talking, the Later Jin soldiers had already charged to thirty paces. The third volley of muskets fired, and seven or eight Later Jin soldiers fell simultaneously. A Later Jin officer behind them roared continuously. The Later Jin soldiers did not take out their bows but instead increased their speed and pounced forward fiercely.

Zhong Lao Si had no more time to complain. He led the team to brace behind the corpse wall. Only Zhou Shao'er had time to throw a javelin before a group of Jianzhou Bandits reached the front of the corpse wall. The armored soldiers and Bayara in the front rank threw a wave of flying axes and hatchets, hitting several Wendeng Battalion soldiers. Then both sides stabbed and slashed at each other across the corpse wall. The Jianzhou Bandits were desperate to escape and fought with reckless abandon. Both sides suffered heavy casualties.

Under the sustained assault of the Jianzhou Bandits, the Wendeng Battalion's battle line could not hold. It quickly devolved into a chaotic melee. Huang Yuan bellowed loudly, and the musketeers all threw down their muskets, drew their waist sabers, and joined in. The corpses of both sides piled higher and higher at the corpse wall. The ferocious Later Jin hunters gained the upper hand in the chaotic fight.

Chen Ying stabbed two Later Jin soldiers who had jumped onto the corpse wall in succession. His long spear was finally chopped in two by a large saber-wielder behind them. That saber-wielder stepped on the corpses and lunged fiercely at him. Chen Ying retreated several steps, dodging a waist-level slash from the saber-wielder. When he stepped back again, he was blocked by someone. The large saber came slashing horizontally again. Chen Ying rolled to the ground. With a thud, the large saber cut into the waist of a musketeer behind Chen Ying.

That brawny Later Jin saber-wielder tried to pull his blade free, but it was caught in the musketeer's muscles and could not be withdrawn for a moment. Chen Ying sprang up from the ground like a leopard and tackled the saber-wielder to the ground. The two grappled together. The saber-wielder was just as stocky and robust, in no way inferior to Chen Ying. The two were evenly matched, rolling back and forth on the ground, each trying to pin the other down. Their own body weight plus their iron armor was close to two hundred jin; whoever managed to get on top would gain a huge advantage.

Amid the shouts of battle came the sound of bamboo whistles. It was Huang Yuan calling for help from nearby friendly troops. Chen Ying had no time to pay attention. The Later Jin soldier inches from his face exhaled a heavy, nauseating stench of bad breath. The two were still locked in a life-or-death struggle. The Later Jin soldier desperately clawed at Chen Ying's face with his hand, trying to gouge out Chen Ying's eyes. Chen Ying twisted his head and suddenly bit down on the Jianzhou Bandit's index finger.

The Jianzhou Bandit cried out, his concentration broken for a moment. Chen Ying seized the chance to pin him down. The Jianzhou Bandit pulled his hand free, roaring continuously and struggling with all his might. Chen Ying used his body weight to hold him down and reached for his dagger, but his hand came up empty; it had fallen somewhere unknown.

The Jianzhou Bandit struggled desperately, and Chen Ying could not kill him right away. While grappling, he glanced around out of the corner of his eye and spotted the tail feathers of an arrow stuck in the Jianzhou Bandit's quiver. He freed one hand, pulled out an arrow, and stabbed it violently at the Jianzhou Bandit's face. After several attempts, he finally drove it into the Jianzhou Bandit's eye. The Jianzhou Bandit struggled twice and then stopped moving.

Chen Ying was utterly exhausted, panting continuously. He raised his head to look beside him and saw Zhou Shao'er also rolling on the ground with a Jianzhou Bandit, each choking the other's neck. He staggered to his feet, went over to help, and together they killed that Jianzhou Bandit. Each picked up a weapon and was about to help others when another dense mass of Jianzhou Bandits surged over from the crossroads.

Zhou Shao'er said in despair, "Your mother, we're going to meet our maker today."

Chen Ying laughed heartily. "I've killed enough. I've earned one extra. Following Lord Chen, this life hasn't been a loss."

Zhou Shao'er did not know whether to laugh or cry. He did not share a deep blood feud with the Jianzhou Bandits. Fighting was fighting, but dying was still a loss in his book.

At that moment, the sound of many whistles suddenly rose all around. The other two platoons of the First Company had finally arrived. As soon as they joined the fight, the Wendeng Battalion gained absolute superiority and immediately killed all the first wave of Jianzhou Bandits around the corpse wall. Only a few Later Jin soldiers had taken advantage of the earlier chaos to flee into the North Gate.

The corpse wall had long since surpassed the height of a chest-high wall. Corpses in every posture were piled layer upon layer, as high as a man. Soldiers from the First Company continuously poured out of the alleyways on the west side, forming dense ranks in front of the corpse wall. The sound of musket fire was incessant, and the Later Jin troops coming from the crossroads fell in even greater numbers further ahead.

Lu Chuanzong's company commander banner also appeared on the street. He deployed a platoon to move toward the North Gate, intending to seal the North Gate completely.

Zhou Shao'er burst into foolish laughter. With friendly troops on both flanks, they were now in a safe position. He hurried around to check on his teammates and then discovered Guandi Miao's corpse. He had been stabbed in the chest by a long spear and was already dead. Zhong Lao Si was also wounded; blood kept dripping from his left hand, there were at least seven or eight saber cuts on his armor, and a gash on his face as well, his whole face covered in blood.

Zhou Shao'er quickly took out his own cotton cloth, which Guandi Miao had boiled in water before they set out. Chen Ying helped Zhong Lao Si remove his armor and began to staunch his bleeding.

As the two were busy, a fierce volley of musket fire erupted from the crossroads, followed by a huge cheer. The Third Company's banner appeared at the intersection. Zhou Shao'er turned his head to look, and the Second Company's banner was raised atop the North Gate as well. The Jianzhou Bandits' retreat route through the North Gate had been completely sealed off. From the North Gate tower to the crossroads, the Wendeng Battalion erupted in thunderous cheers.

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Zhang Zhongqi sat on horseback. He had already fled outside the city. Hearing the cheers filling the city, he turned his head to look. Firearms troops in red uniforms had already appeared on the city wall. A few Later Jin soldiers who had just run out of the barbican were struck down by a volley of musket fire from the wall. Ming cavalry also began appearing at both ends of the north city.

Zhang Zhongqi secretly congratulated himself on running fast. After helping the Niru-i Ejen past that intersection, he had found two riderless horses. Take Tan took them in and together they all left the city.

Take Tan was already scared out of his wits, his face ashen. The Niru-i Ejen, a veteran of a hundred battles, was still relatively calm. He broke off the arrow shaft himself and endured the intense pain as he rode on.

The Niru-i Ejen finally seemed to remember something. He turned his head and said to Zhang Zhongqi, "You are a good bondservant. If I don't die when I get back, I'll promote you to a banner household."

Zhang Zhongqi was overjoyed and thanked his master profusely.

The Niru-i Ejen was actually uncertain about his own fate as well. Most of his men had been lost again in Luanzhou. Whether Mang Gūltai would behead him when he returned, he could not worry about for the moment. He hoped these two would not abandon him. He asked Zhang Zhongqi again, "What else do you want?"

"Your slave… your slave wants a mute."