Chapter 573: Infantry Assault

A linear formation roughly four hundred meters long advanced to the beat of drums. Amid the booming tread of marching feet, row upon row of bayonets rose and fell in steady rhythm. Over 3,600 line infantry moved forward in near-perfect lockstep, their motions identical, advancing at eighty-five meters per minute in precise unison.

To Tang Wei's left front was his company commander. As he marched, the commander watched the companies on both flanks. Whenever his own company pushed too far ahead, he would face the advancing ranks and walk backward, holding his saber level across his chest with both hands. The company's speed would ease slightly, and once they were roughly even again, he would turn back, point his saber forward, and advance toward the Later Jin army. The entire company would then resume the standard quick-march pace. The commander would once more begin observing the flanking companies and the position of Zhu Feng's battalion banner. After advancing a hundred paces, the entire battalion still held a basically straight line.

The sound of brass fifes mingled with the rousing drumbeats. The bright, lilting melody settled Tang Wei's nerves somewhat. He pursed his lips to work up a bit of saliva, and his throat felt much more comfortable. The sensation of hitting the drumbeat felt good. His mind clearing a little, Tang Wei recalled his instructor's words: "If you don't know what to do in battle, just watch what the veterans do and do the same." So as he walked, he kept glancing from the corner of his eye at their positions.

To his left and right were comrades he knew well. His entire squad was in the first rank. The two ranks behind them were the other two squads of the same banner company. No one was wounded yet; the battle line was still at full strength.

The artillery on both wings was firing in support. On the front facing the Second Battalion headquarters, the Later Jin army had only one cannon. A few gunners were operating it, firing solid shot. The Later Jin bronze cannon lacked a mechanism for adjusting the breech, so as the Dengzhou garrison advanced, the gun crew had to keep adjusting the wooden wedges beneath it, drastically slowing their rate of fire.

On the outer right flank, the Dengzhou cavalry began to widen the battle line, shifting toward the Tianyou Army's left flank. The Plain Yellow Banner armored horsemen in the rear were forced to dispatch a detachment to defend in the direction of the Tianyou Army, to prevent the Dengzhou cavalry from striking their flank.

After advancing for roughly three minutes, the Dengzhou infantry reached two hundred paces.

Later Jin left flank. The Tianyou Army formation.

Kong Youde looked out over the heads of the chaotic Later Jin ranks and saw a mass of gleaming helmets and bayonets bobbing at the same frequency. A wave of inexplicable tension gripped his heart.

Tang Yingtai had brought not only a letter from Chen Xin, but also letters from Mao Chenglu and Geng Zhongming. Chen Xin's letter offered generous terms. Geng Zhongming and Mao Chenglu described their current situations and urged him vehemently to betray the Later Jin and defect to the more promising Dengzhou garrison. Kong Youde was the man in the entire Later Jin who understood the Dengzhou system best. The longer he stayed in the Later Jin, the more he felt that the Later Jin's savage tribal system could not compete with Dengzhou.

Especially in the last two years, conditions inside the Later Jin realm had deteriorated steadily. Gaizhou was raided by Dengzhou year-round, and Kong Youde's life had become very hard. Chen Xin's attitude had steeled his resolve to defect to Dengzhou, but he had not yet figured out how to coordinate with Chen Xin. Moreover, the battlefield shifted moment by moment; he also needed to be certain that Dengzhou would ultimately win before making his final decision.

"Regional Commander Kong." A voice beside him spoke in fluent Chinese. "You have fought the Dengzhou garrison many times. How do their musketeers usually operate?"

The speaker was Suoni, a Bakshi at Huang Taiji's side — one of the ministers later entrusted with the young emperor's care, a powerful grandee who would one day dominate the Manchu Qing court. He had been dispatched to the Tianyou Army this time, ostensibly to assist in battle, but in reality to serve as army supervisor.

Kong Youde replied respectfully, "In answer to Master Suoni, the Dengzhou garrison is one of the strongest armies under heaven. Their infantry in particular dares to fight fiercely. However, with the Great Khan personally commanding the battle formation today, the Dengzhou army is nothing more than clowns prancing about. Based on my many years of experience fighting the Dengzhou garrison, they generally adopt a defensive posture. Their formation is immovable as a mountain. They first use artillery to strike the densest parts of our battle formation, forcing us to charge toward their lines. From one li down to two hundred paces, they use solid iron shot. Within two hundred paces, they choose their moment to use canister shot, so that our brave warriors must advance under their cannon fire the entire time. By then, our formation is gradually disordered. After entering one hundred paces, the Dengzhou infantry fires volleys at our charging Great Jin warriors. Their crouching-tiger cannons deliver another round of fire at thirty to fifty paces. At that moment, bullets and shot fall like rain. Before our Great Jin warriors even reach their formation, they have often already suffered over half casualties. When morale plummets, their armored soldiers then sally forth to counterattack. That is why our Great Jin has often lost battles."

Suoni felt the same. Across the field, the Dengzhou artillery was deployed on both wings. Their rate of fire was extremely fast, double that of the Later Jin artillery, and their accuracy was higher as well. Somewhat worried, he said, "I am just concerned whether the Ujen Choha can hold. The Great Khan has ordered the right flank to withdraw north of Zhuanshan Village. That side is already in chaos; it won't be back in just a short while."

Li Jiucheng, standing nearby, said ingratiatingly to Suoni, "This time the Dengzhou musketeers are coming to attack on their own initiative. Their cannons are lagging behind, while our cannons can strike them painfully. In particular, they usually stop at seventy paces. The Ujen Choha's arquebuses can reach them just the same. Though it will be hard to defeat the Dengzhou troops, holding steady should be safe enough."

Suoni nodded. None of the three believed the Dengzhou army could approach too close under fire. Based on their understanding, they should stop at around seventy paces. As long as armored soldiers held the line, the Ujen Choha would not collapse quickly.

As the three spoke, the Dengzhou infantry had already advanced to two hundred paces. The Later Jin bronze cannons fired intermittently. Iron shot kicked up sprays of snowy mud near the Dengzhou formation. A few places in the Dengzhou battle line were punched through.

Li Jiucheng was just about to laugh out loud when a roar erupted from the opposite side. Several four-pound iron shots came howling over. Li Jiucheng ducked his head and hurriedly looked toward the right flank of the Dengzhou infantry, only to see that the cannons there were still firing at the Ujen Choha. He looked around in alarmed confusion and discovered that the cannon fire was coming from the Dengzhou cavalry formation ahead.

Suoni frowned as he looked at the cavalry formation opposite. "These cavalry have brought cannons too. This position will be hard to hold. I don't know when the right flank can be pulled back."

A scout rider returned beneath the Later Jin Khan's banner and said loudly to Huang Taiji, "Reporting to the Great Khan, the order has been delivered to the right flank. The Fourteenth Beile says that Unage has fallen in battle and his body could not be recovered. The Fourteenth Beile is gathering his men now."

Huang Taiji let out a slight breath of relief. He had seen life and death too often; one Unage was no great matter. As long as the right flank withdrew smoothly, he believed the battle line could be maintained. The most urgent thing now was to buy time for the withdrawal.

Thinking of this, he looked eastward. The sound of cannon fire from that direction had not ceased. A wall of red-clad men was advancing toward his position. Between them stood only some three thousand Ujen Choha and over a thousand Plain Yellow Banner armored horsemen. This was the full-force strike of the Dengzhou garrison. Whether this flanking blow from Dengzhou could be stopped was the key to whether the Later Jin army could avoid a major defeat.

The crack of guns and cannon from Wangjiatun on the front suddenly intensified. As Huang Taiji turned back, a scout rider of the Bordered Yellow Banner came galloping up. "Reporting to the Great Khan, a Dengzhou unit armed with short trumpet guns has entered Wangjiatun. This unit is extremely fierce. Master Darhan has also been wounded. He begs the Great Khan to send troops to relieve him."

Huang Taiji roared angrily, "Tell him that We have no spare troops here. If he cannot hold Wangjiatun, then let him die in Wangjiatun."

The scout rider retreated two steps in fear, not daring to speak further, then turned his horse and left.

A slight panic stirred in Huang Taiji's heart. The short trumpet guns were used by the Dengzhou combat engineers. He had witnessed this unit at Lushun. Most of those soldiers came from mining backgrounds, laboring year-round in the harshest and most dangerous environments. Not only were they physically strong, but their temperaments were tenacious. In battle after joining the army, they fought with the utmost ferocity and rarely surrendered. Their weapons were also the most suited for fighting in villages. Their commitment to Wangjiatun meant the Later Jin defenses there would certainly face a grave threat.

After thinking for a moment, he recalled that Yue Tuo still had a contingent of armored horsemen that could be drawn to reinforce Wangjiatun. He raised his telescope and looked toward Zhuanshan Village, only to see roughly two thousand Dengzhou troops attacking Zhuanshan Village from the rear. Yue Tuo's remaining armored horsemen had already been fully committed to the fight.

Huang Taiji lowered his telescope dejectedly. The Later Jin's entire line was pinned down. His only reserve was the Gabsihiyan Choha behind him. They were elite in both mounted and foot combat, but Huang Taiji was still worried about the left flank. If the Ujen Choha could not hold, he would still need the Gabsihiyan Choha to salvage the crisis on the left.

After thinking a moment longer, Huang Taiji beckoned to a Bayara behind him. "Go find the Second Beile. Ask him to be sure to send a detachment of armored horsemen into the village."

After the Bayara departed with the order, Huang Taiji once more observed the Dengzhou troops on the left flank. Their two thousand-plus cavalry were arrayed opposite the Tianyou Army but had made no move to charge yet, as if waiting for the outcome of the infantry assault in the center. Huang Taiji knew the power of the Dengzhou cavalry. Their calm waiting made his heart feel even more hollow. Once that cavalry formation charged forward unhindered, even his five hundred Gabsihiyan Choha would be hard-pressed to stop them.

After steadying his emotions, Huang Taiji called over another Bayara. "Go tell Dorgon not to waste time gathering troops. Immediately bring back the Mongol left flank and the Plain White Banner men — as many as there are. Forget about those outer-vassal Mongols. Within a quarter of an hour, I want to see his command banner back north of Zhuanshan Village. Also, have Dodo of the Plain White Banner detach five hundred armored soldiers and Bayara to come to the main army. At once!"

He had just finished giving orders when a burst of gunfire erupted from the left flank. Huang Taiji saw clouds of white smoke billow up between the two armies. The infantry engagement had begun.

A sharp, shrill whistle sounded. Dozens of paces to the left, a chaotic clatter erupted as shattered limbs, armor, and weapons flew in all directions. Zhang Zhongqi was breathing in rapid gasps. Gripping his flintlock, he looked left and right within the ranks, not even knowing himself what he was looking for.

The Dengzhou artillery fire was growing more and more accurate. Every salvo made Zhang Zhongqi's heart quake with terror. Fortunately, the impact points of the shells gradually shifted away from the center, because the advancing Dengzhou infantry ranks were blocking the lanes of fire toward the middle. The Dengzhou artillery on both wings was concentrating its fire more and more toward the flanks.

The threat from cannonballs lessened, but the Dengzhou infantry was already closing in. Opposite him, the Dengzhou skirmishers had already advanced to around a hundred paces. Zhang Zhongqi was standing in the very first rank and could clearly see the Dengzhou army rolling toward them, their red uniforms starkly visible through the white smoke. Some scattered infantry ahead of their main formation had already entered a hundred paces. A few had already raised their muskets and were firing with loud cracks. Sporadic men in the Plain Blue Banner were hit, falling before the formation and wailing. A stir of agitation ran through the ranks.

After Zhang Zhongqi had regained his senses, that same cowardice had returned. Especially after Taketan disappeared, the fear of death had come back upon him.

"I have to save my own life first," Zhang Zhongqi muttered to himself. The Plain Blue Banner Ujen Choha had just been reorganized from the old structure. They used the same fall-back-to-reload tactic as the Dengzhou formation's accompanying musketeers. After the front rank fired, they would withdraw to the rear to reload. To leave room for falling back, their formation was relatively sparse. To increase the intensity of fire, they fired two ranks together in each volley.

Zhang Zhongqi hoped to finish firing his first shot as quickly as possible, so he could then hide in the rear ranks, where it was safer.

At that moment, Zhang Zhongqi's banner captain stepped to the front and bellowed at the formation, ordering them not to fire. They were only to shoot upon hearing the volley command.

The main Dengzhou formation soon reached a hundred paces. Their skirmishers entered seventy paces. The skirmishers fired repeatedly at the Later Jin ranks. More and more men in the Plain Blue Banner were being hit. From the corner of his eye, Zhang Zhongqi could see nearly ten men fall struggling before the formation. That dangerous sensation of being shot at for nothing made Zhang Zhongqi's whole body go numb.

Some Later Jin armored horsemen pushed through the crowded Ujen Choha and charged toward the skirmishers opposite, engaging them with bows and arrows. The skirmishers showed no fear. Under the direction of bamboo whistles, they began firing in volleys of five or six men.

With the cover of these armored horsemen, the Ujen Choha's formation steadied somewhat. At that moment, the red wall of Dengzhou men opposite them advanced to eighty paces amid drumbeats and fife music.

A conch horn sounded. The banner captain roared, "Present arms!"

Tang Wei marched to the drumbeat, moving through the ranks like a machine remotely controlled by the rhythm. Ahead, the skirmishers were locked in scattered skirmishing. The remaining Later Jin armored soldiers fought while retreating before the great formation. With the Dengzhou skirmishers firing incessantly, the Later Jin soldiers had few chances to calmly draw their bows and shoot. Facing the oncoming Dengzhou main formation, they had no choice but to retreat again and again.

Tang Wei held his flintlock at an angle. The bayonet at its muzzle gleamed with cold light. Commands rang out repeatedly from the Later Jin troops opposite. He could see them raising their guns. Tang Wei had undergone countless rounds of rigorous training under Zhong Lao Si. He could estimate the distance at roughly seventy paces. Perhaps they would halt at any moment.

But the drumbeat did not stop. The formation continued to advance. A bugle call sounded from the opposite side. Countless clouds of white smoke burst across the Later Jin formation. Dense muzzle flashes flickered. The roar of the volley was deafening.

As numbness coursed through Tang Wei's entire body, miserable screams rang out along the Dengzhou line. Dozens of Dengzhou soldiers toppled to the ground. Only when the lingering echoes of the explosive gunfire faded did Tang Wei recover from his numb state. The drumbeat and brass fife were still sounding. He continued to advance mechanically. The stride length drilled into him countless times did not falter.

Tang Wei finally felt his legs moving normally. He felt no pain anywhere on his body. He confirmed that he had survived this volley. But from the corner of his eye, he saw an empty spot to his right. A soldier from behind was moving up to fill it. He did not know who had been killed.

Several of the skirmishers ahead had been hit in this volley. Even two of the Later Jin armored soldiers had died. The armored soldiers ceased their skirmishing one after another and fled back toward the Later Jin formation.

The Dengzhou skirmishers, however, did not flee. They returned fire sporadically with their muskets. The Later Jin formation opposite was submerged in a cloud of smoke. There would be a small measure of disorder after a volley. Seizing this moment to volley would strike harder at the enemy's morale. But the drumbeat was still sounding.

Xie Fei on the right said in a low voice, "Why haven't we stopped yet?"

Tang Wei could not speak. Huang Shan on the left was the same. Tang Wei could only hear his heavy, ragged breathing.

The words had barely faded when another bugle call sounded from the Later Jin line opposite. Tang Wei hurriedly shut his eyes. Another volley arrived. The company commander walking before the formation shuddered and collapsed. A surge of urine pressed at Tang Wei's groin, and a stream of heat coursed through his crotch.

Ignoring the threat of cannonballs, Suoni stood directly on his horse and gazed at the advancing Dengzhou army. He looked down and asked Li Jiucheng, "They have already passed seventy paces. Why are they not returning fire?"

Li Jiucheng replied with full confidence, "To answer the Prince, they will certainly halt at fifty paces, then exchange fire with our troops."

Sonin nodded. As the two spoke, the Dengzhou army had already advanced to sixty paces. The Later Jin army fired its second volley. Faintly, one could see men in the front rank of the Dengzhou garrison constantly falling, only to be immediately replaced by those behind. To Ajige, it felt as if the Ujen Cooha's fire had almost no effect. But since Li Jiucheng had spoken thus, it seemed the Dengzhou army would soon halt. In the next exchange of fire, the Ujen Cooha would likely suffer grievous losses, but the Dengzhou garrison's losses would also be severe.

Sonin estimated that the two sides would exchange fire for some time. He turned to the Bayara strongmen behind him and said, "Inform the Bayara Janggin: if the center army prevails, strike with full force to break their left wing, then drive the routed enemy in retreat, and afterward flank the enemy facing the Bordered Blue Banner."

On the smoke-shrouded Later Jin battle line, the third volley arrived, but its power was far inferior to the first. Because the Plain Blue Banner needed to fall back to reload, chaos arose during the formation shift, causing the fire to become scattered and prolonged.

Amid the crackling of arquebuses, soldiers on the Dengzhou battle line fell continuously. They had now closed to within fifty paces of the Later Jin troops, yet the signal to halt had still not sounded.

At that moment, several more flashes of fire accompanied by thunderous booms appeared ahead—the Later Jin army was firing. Tang Wei's heart clenched, and his scalp tingled. Before he could even pray to gods or buddhas, he heard a "clang," and immediately Xie Fei beside him screamed and pitched forward. A few drops of blood splattered onto Tang Wei's face.

"Xie..."

Tang Wei only managed half a shout before Xie Fei's figure on the ground was left behind by the formation. Wu Mo from the second squad stepped up to take Xie Fei's place.

Every soldier stared straight ahead and continued advancing. Two streams of tears rolled down Tang Wei's face. To him, this brother who had accompanied him into the propaganda unit, played the Tatar together, and enlisted alongside him was closer than kin.

Tang Wei raised his head. Guan Dadi's back appeared where the company commander had originally stood. Holding a flag-lance, he strode forward resolutely with a standard pace. Ahead, the Later Jin formation was within the smoke just over forty paces away, with scattered flames still flickering within. Tang Wei ground his teeth, his face turning ferocious.

The Dengzhou army had already advanced over forty paces. The Dengzhou army showed no intention of stopping. They surged forward along the vast battle line. Under this immense pressure, the Later Jin formation had fallen into chaos. Shouts and gunfire merged into a single din, acrid white smoke hung thick, visibility was poor, and orders could not be heard. The Later Jin army's low-level command was nearly paralyzed. Unable to fire volleys, the line erupted with ragged gunshots, spewing clouds of white smoke and making the view ahead even more blurred.

Zhang Zhongqi, holding a copy of the Shandong Garrison's flintlock smoothbore, tremblingly opened the priming flask lid and poured priming powder into the pan. Beneath his arquebus lay a corpse, head to the west on the ground. The squad leader who commanded Zhang Zhongqi had just had his head blown apart by a shot from a Dengzhou skirmisher. His eyes were wide open, a large hole in the back of his head, from which a pool of red and white fluid had flowed, nearly reaching Zhang Zhongqi's feet. As Zhang Zhongqi loaded the priming powder, his line of sight fell directly upon this corpse, causing him to load far slower than usual. He poured several times before realizing he hadn't removed the flask lid.

Across the way, drums and music filled the air. Every synchronized stomp of the Dengzhou army made Zhang Zhongqi's heart lurch. Within this backdrop of sound mingled the gunfire around him, the screams of wounded soldiers, the curses of officers, and the choking smell of gunpowder smoke—things he had never truly experienced before, which made him extremely tense.

As he loaded, he stole glances ahead. After the third volley, he should have been in the first rank, but Zhang Zhongqi had used the chaos in the formation to slip back to the third rank. Just as he was congratulating himself, a true Jurchen behind him roared repeatedly, drew his blade, and hacked to death a Han soldier beside him who had snapped his ramrod. Blood sprayed forward onto Zhang Zhongqi.

Zhang Zhongqi shuddered. Just then, someone ahead was trying to retreat. He quickly stepped forward into the second rank, leaving that dangerous true Jurchen behind. Peering through the gaps between the front rank and the smoke, he saw a red tide surging forward to the beat of drums. Zhang Zhongqi stared blankly for a moment, then tremblingly continued loading, but no matter what, he could not complete the task.

At thirty paces, the gong signal still had not sounded. The Dengzhou army's formation advanced in silence with an unstoppable momentum. The firing on the Later Jin line had fallen into complete chaos; after their pre-loaded first wave of ammunition was discharged, only sporadic shots remained.

But as the distance closed, these scattered shots became very accurate. The closer they got to the Later Jin battle line, the more casualties the Dengzhou army suffered. Over four hundred were dead or wounded in the front ranks. As the battle line advanced, it left behind a trail of fallen officers and soldiers. White-clad medical teams shuttled back and forth with stretchers. Occasionally, severely wounded men crawled and wailed loudly, calling for the medics.

Listening to the incoming gunfire and screams, Old Fourth Zhong, riding behind the formation, remained utterly impassive. He turned to the operations staff officer beside him. "What's the distance?" The staff officer hurriedly replied, "Approximately thirty to forty paces from the enemy. It will be a moment yet before fifteen paces. Zhu Feng in the front rank will control the distance well."

Old Fourth Zhong was full of confidence. He turned his head to glance at Wu Sangui, who was following on the outer flank. Wu Sangui's mouth hung wide open as he watched the Dengzhou garrison's attack, not even noticing the drool spilling out.

Huang Taiji stared dumbfounded at the scene on the left wing. Before he could even wait for Dorgon to appear north of Zhuanzi Hill, the Dengzhou troops had already launched this kind of assault.

He had once thought the Dengzhou troops had gone mad. The Ujen Cooha had routed the Liaodong Garrison at Xipingbao with just two volleys, yet the Dengzhou troops had barreled in to thirty paces without stopping. They seemed utterly fearless. What kind of army was this? In a daze, Huang Taiji saw the Flying Tiger Skull Banner fluttering across the way. He murmured, "It is indeed that Dengzhou unit from Caohe Fort."

A moment later, he snapped back to his senses and roared furiously at the two Bayara behind him, "Send another man! Tell that bastard Dodo to bring his armored cavalry immediately! Order Dorgon to withdraw at once!"

The Bayara scrambled away in terror to deliver the order. Huang Taiji urgently turned back to look at the left wing and said to the Janggin of the Gabsihiyan Cooha, "The Gabsihiyan Cooha will follow me to the left wing."

Zhang Zhongqi was drenched in sweat. Like a fearless machine, the Dengzhou garrison advanced against the volleys of arquebus fire, the distance closing steadily. An ominous premonition surged in Zhang Zhongqi's heart. His niru's formation was in disarray. A junior bosoku was still issuing orders in the front rank, but in reality, a volley was no longer possible.

The Dengzhou army's battle line across the way advanced like a wall, and still had not halted at thirty paces. The Ujen Cooha were completely panicked; they had never imagined one could fight like this in the face of arquebuses. As the distance shrank further, the pressure mounted. Although the Later Jin army's fire grew increasingly accurate, whenever a Dengzhou soldier fell, another immediately filled the gap. The formation did not pause for an instant, continuing to push forward like an automaton heedless of life or death. To the Later Jin troops, it felt as if the enemy were inexhaustible. A sense of helplessness welled up in their hearts. Had it not been for the armored troops holding the line, this army of semi-slaves would have collapsed long ago.

Zhang Zhongqi was still in the second rank. He finally succeeded in pouring the propellant charge down the barrel. The drumming, music, and stomping drew nearer and nearer. The cheerful brass pipes sounded to his ears like the ghostly wails of death, and the screams of the wounded on the ground ceaselessly battered Zhang Zhongqi's eardrums.

In Zhang Zhongqi's experience, he had never imagined anyone could advance calmly in the face of arquebus fire. He could no longer comprehend the will of those objects across the way, pressing in like machines.

He knew that the moment the drums and music stopped, they would face the Dengzhou army's volley. He had witnessed the Dengzhou army's volley at long range before. What would happen this time? The more Zhang Zhongqi thought, the more terrified he became. His hands shook more and more violently.

"Fire," the squad leader ahead was again directing a volley. A sparse crackle of gunfire erupted from the first rank, only seven or eight shots. Yet over twenty men withdrew from the front rank, clearly most were muddling through, trying to hide in the rear ranks early. Under the immense pressure from the Dengzhou army, many Han soldiers could not even complete loading. Zhang Zhongqi's niru had not lost many officers, so basic command still existed, but the chaos in the formation left these men powerless to control such occurrences.

Zhang Zhongqi drew out his ramrod and, trembling, moved it to the muzzle. His heart leaped into his throat.

Tang Wei was only twenty paces from the Later Jin army. The signal to halt still had not sounded. Of the fifteen men in his squad, seven—Jiang Laowu, Yuan Guzi, Peng Yunfei, Xie Fei, and others—had fallen along the advance. Yet Tang Wei felt not a trace of fear. His face was ferocious, his entire body and palms soaked with sweat. He could only grip his musket with all his strength.

The faces of the Later Jin troops ahead were obscured by smoke, but their movements revealed that the Dengzhou army's approach had thrown them into panic. Many of them let out meaningless shrieks. Some held their barrels upright while pouring powder, some were drawing ramrods, some were picking up match cords from the ground, some retreated without firing, and a few even threw down their arquebuses and drew their waist sabers, yet dared not charge forward, standing rooted in bewilderment. A Later Jin soldier ahead and to the left of Tang Wei suddenly leaped forward two steps, grabbed his barrel, and shrieking, swung his arquebus wildly left and right at the Dengzhou formation, as if this could drive the enemy away.

Just then, a strong north wind blew, pushing the smoke backward. The view ahead instantly cleared. Tang Wei could even clearly see the panicked and fearful look in the eyes of a Later Jin soldier across from him.

Before he could look more closely, the long note of the halt signal finally rang out. The battalion headquarters' pace drum struck four rapid beats. Guan Dadi bellowed, "Whole company..."

Tang Wei and the soldiers around him who heard it immediately repeated it at the top of their lungs so the other soldiers could hear.

"Whole company..."

"Halt!"

With a thunderous bang, the entire company stamped their right feet hard onto the ground and stood firm.

The shaking, the drums, the pipes, the stomping—all vanished. Across the entire battalion's battle line, the front-rank company commanders of the three company-commander divisions simultaneously issued the halt order. Each company came to a stop in succession. After the long-distance march, the battle line was not a perfectly straight line, and the distance to the Later Jin army was roughly between fifteen and eighteen paces.

The instantaneous transition from extreme motion to extreme stillness—this starkly contrasting scene seized the attention of the Later Jin troops opposite. Even the soldiers who were loading seemed to pause for a few seconds. They stared dumbly at the silent enemy fifteen paces away, whose eyes and noses were clearly visible, seemingly within arm's reach. Before they could react and figure out what to do, the Dengzhou army moved again.

"Ready!!!" Guan Dadi raised his flag-lance high and issued the command with all his might.

Upon hearing it, Tang Wei and his comrades in the first rank loudly repeated, "Ready!!!" Simultaneously, they raised their muzzles upward, lifted their guns high, and cocked the hammers, bringing the flintlocks to a firing state. A metallic rasp of clicking sounds arose, and the same noise came in succession from the surrounding companies. The forest of bayonets overhead grew a notch taller.

A volley was imminent. The Ujen Cooha finally reacted. Some tried to flee, some tried to charge the Dengzhou garrison, some tried to hide behind others, some shouted wildly, and others continued loading. The Bayara enforcers hacked down many of those shouting and fleeing, but could not control the spreading chaos. Several leaderless nirus jammed together into a mob. The imitation Dengzhou army showed its true colors.

Several Later Jin soldiers opposite Tang Wei aimed at the Dengzhou army and fired, but only two arquebuses discharged normally. The rest either had their matches extinguished or had forgotten to prime. Wu Mo beside Tang Wei screamed and was hit in the thigh, collapsing on the spot. The other soldiers stood firm as a rock. As the rear rank filled the gap, the company commander's second order arrived.

"Aim!!"

"Aim!!" Tang Wei howled hoarsely. On the battle line, over a thousand flintlocks in the front two ranks were leveled in unison. The soldiers of the front two ranks all smoothly leveled their flintlocks, aiming at the Han soldier directly opposite his nose tip. That Han soldier had just drawn his ramrod and was preparing to cock the hammer of his flintlock.

The chaos across the way suddenly filled Tang Wei with a sense of pride. He was a brave and fearless soldier of the Dengzhou army. The Tatars before him were just a bunch of cowards. He could become a combat hero.

After the Dengzhou army raised their guns, the Later Jin troops finally stared directly into the muzzles. The Later Jin battle line was like a river embankment about to collapse under a flood's impact. Parts of it had already crumbled. These Han troops could not bear the psychological pressure of facing gun muzzles at such close range and fell into a semi-crazed state. They desperately fled to the rear, and though the Plain Yellow Banner armored cavalry enforcer unit cut down more than half of them, they paid no heed. Their minds held only one thought: to get as far away from that terrifying battle line opposite as possible, caring for nothing else.

Chen Xin, Huang Taiji, Old Fourth Zhong, Kong Youde, Sonin, the rear formations of both armies, both wings, the artillerymen—everyone's gaze was drawn to the leveled smoothbores. They stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at the battle lines separated by only fifteen paces. People held their breath, not daring to make a sound, silently awaiting the revelation of the outcome.

Zhang Zhongqi had just drawn his ramrod when he noticed the movement of the Dengzhou army halting fifteen paces away. From that moment on, his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. Waves of the urge to urinate kept assailing his lower body, and his legs quivered so much he could barely stand.

He still did not realize he had become part of the first rank. The man who had been in front of him had run to the second rank of another file, wrestling and shoving with a group of people, all trying to hide behind one another.

When the shouted command of "Aim" came from across the way, Zhang Zhongqi looked up blankly. There was nothing between him and the Dengzhou army. The enemy's raised muzzles had been leveled, and a row of black muzzles was aimed directly at him. He felt as if he had been stripped naked and placed on a stage. Directly opposite him was a fat man in a red uniform, a glint of excitement flashing in his small eyes.

Zhang Zhongqi's mouth hung wide open, his whole body numb. He stared dumbly at that fat man. It was too late to flee. The result of a volley at this distance was obvious. In that instant, Zhang Zhongqi suddenly felt the screams and curses around him vanish from his ears. The whole world fell silent, leaving only that row of black muzzles across the way. And time itself seemed to freeze at that moment... (To be continued...)