Chapter 84: Decisive Battle

The appearance of the volley guns left the rebel army stunned.

In less than a quarter-hour of fighting, the rebels suffered over a thousand casualties.

Such a devastating cost was clearly beyond what a rabble could endure.

The endless cries of pain further shattered the morale of a force already low in spirit.

Countless soldiers dropped their weapons and turned to flee back.

For a moment, even the execution squads were overwhelmed.

“Uncle Wu, the enemy’s defenses are too tight—we simply can’t break through!”

The young commander in charge of the assault bowed his head in shame before Wen Jianshao.

“I saw it all myself—do you think I need you to waste my time with this nonsense?”

The troops are starting to break—order the gongs to sound the retreat immediately!”

As he spoke, Wen Jianshao kicked out with his foot.

The flaw in the family militia lies here: the main commanders are all relatives.

Even if you wanted to punish them severely, you couldn’t bring yourself to do it.

We originally planned to win a victory to boost troop morale.

Instead, the battle had barely begun, and we’d already handed the enemy a fresh batch of heads.

With the way we’ve been fighting, we don’t even know if we can breach their camp—but our own army is certain to collapse.

The offensive halted, but the moans of the wounded continued without pause.

“Send the children up to carry the wounded back—the imperial troops won’t target children!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Wen Jianshao ordered grimly.

Wounds from firearms are not easy to treat.

At another time, he would have ordered mercy killings for the wounded.

But not now—this is precisely when morale is at its lowest.

Ordering the killing of wounded men outright would provoke too much hatred and risk mutiny.

Even if everyone knew the wounded couldn’t be saved, they still had to appear to be doing everything possible to save them, to calm the restless troops.

As seconds ticked by, one wounded soldier after another was carried back from the battlefield, yet Wen Jianshao’s face showed no trace of relief.

Deep inside, he desperately wished the imperial troops would slaughter the children carrying the wounded—this would ignite the entire army’s shared fury.

Unfortunately, the enemy soldiers merely shouted warnings against carrying weapons, showing no intention to stop them.

At one point, he had even considered sending these child soldiers into battle to see if the imperial troops would kill them.

But seeing the terrifying stares his own troops fixed on him, Wen Jianshao ultimately abandoned this horrifying idea.

The only reason he could compel able-bodied men to fight was because of their families.

Without this vulnerability, no one could guarantee these men wouldn’t turn their weapons against him.

…

Night fell.

In the imperial army’s camp, which had just won a minor victory, joy filled every corner.

Soldiers gathered in small groups, discussing how much reward money they would receive after the battle.

Though they felt a flicker of sympathy for the rebels’ plight, they quickly cast aside this extra emotion for the sake of their own pockets.

“Captain Li, aren’t you planning a night raid?”

The Marquis of Wuyang asked, visibly excited.

After experiencing the battlefield up close, he felt not only the brutality of war, but even more so, exhilaration.

Having succeeded once before, he was especially eager for a night raid.

“My Lord, the enemy has suffered a heavy blow—tonight is precisely when their vigilance is highest; a night raid is unsuitable.”

The rebel commander just committed a grave battlefield blunder.

By dragging back so many wounded, tonight their camp will be filled with wailing—their soldiers won’t be able to sleep.”

Let our troops rest well tonight; when the enemy soldiers are exhausted, that’s when we strike!”

Hearing Li Mu’s explanation, the Marquis of Wuyang’s eyes lit up.

These battlefield details were never recorded in military manuals.

Without elders to teach by word and example, mastering them through personal trial and error could not be accomplished overnight.

In fact, even those who had studied these lessons rarely applied them flexibly on the battlefield.

Over thousands of years of civilization, our ancestors had stepped into every possible trap.

All military tactics were nothing new.

If merely reading military texts could absorb and internalize such knowledge, warfare would have long since become a battle of gods.

More likely, since everyone understood the tactics, every stratagem would be obvious, and defenses would be prepared in advance.

Commanders could only return to simplicity: build solid camps and fight slow, grinding battles.

…

In the rebel camp.

The wounded’s moans drove Wen Jianshao to distraction.

Originally meant to rally morale, this effort had instead plunged troop spirit even lower.

“The imperial troops’ firearms are devastating—does anyone have a plan to break them?”

Wen Jianshao asked, frowning.

“General Wen, this enemy force is unlike any imperial troops we’ve faced before.”

Besides their devastating firearms, their battlefield coordination is orderly and precise.”

When one line fires, another immediately steps forward—their firepower is nearly endless.”

Their camp layout is also carefully constructed.”

No such army exists in the Jiangnan region—they’re almost certainly elite troops from the capital garrison.”

To defeat them, we cannot use our old tactics.”

Fortunately, they’re few in number—we can use a siege strategy instead.”

Once they run out of food, we’ll crush them in one decisive blow!”

The green-robed scholar’s strategy was met with instant cheers.

For the commanders, such a humiliating daytime battle was better avoided if possible.

“A siege is indeed a viable tactic, but the enemy has reinforcements.”

According to our intelligence, these imperial troops come from the Five City Military Command.”

This force is only a portion of their total strength.”

Ten li away, there are two other imperial units.”

Given the distance, if we don’t intercept them, they’ll link up by tomorrow.”

If all their troops are this elite, splitting our forces will make this battle far harder!”

Wen Jianshao said helplessly.

When he received this news, his entire body went numb.

The imperial troops were utterly deceitful—they could have advanced together, yet chose to split into three columns.

With such proximity now, he dared not order a retreat.

With the rebels’ poor discipline, if they fled while the imperial troops pursued, they’d collapse instantly.

The main force had only just departed from Gaoyou and wouldn’t arrive for at least three days.

No matter what, they had to hold out for three days.

If we lost prematurely, the court’s influence would ensure no shortage of traitors to guide them.

With internal collusion, Xinghua County would surely fall.

If the enemy held the city, even the main army’s arrival wouldn’t help much in the short term.

Without defeating the imperial forces one by one, forcing the court to offer amnesty was nearly impossible.

To oppose the entire empire from a single corner offered no chance of victory.

At that point, they’d have to follow the hardliners’ advice: abandon all property, burn the boats, and march west to attack Fengyang.

“General Wen, when did you get this news? Why weren’t we told?”

The green-robed scholar asked, his face pale with anger.

We’re all on the same boat—how could such vital information be withheld?

Had we known enemy reinforcements were nearby, I would have opposed starting this battle.

“I received this news only after the battle ended.”

The exact situation of the enemy reinforcements still requires further reconnaissance.”

It’s pitch black now—we can’t determine anything clearly; more information will come tomorrow.”

Wen Jianshao explained patiently.

The scouts were all unlucky conscripts who’d received no professional training.

Previously, when no enemy was near, the flaw wasn’t obvious—but now it was fully exposed.

If not for the threat of their families, these men would have vanished the moment they left camp, let alone returned with intelligence.

Since they were forced into service, don’t expect them to work with any real effort.

Wanting to assign his trusted men to the task, they hadn’t even left the camp before they began complaining incessantly.

The retainers beside him were all used to luxury and comfort—they weren’t the type to handle hard labor.

The fiercest fighters in the Wen army were still those salt smugglers.

Unfortunately, those elites were all in the main force.

Even if his clan sent men over, he couldn’t control those bastards.

The families who rose in rebellion together were proof—unable to intimidate their salt smugglers, they lost all command after the revolt.

The worst-off family was even wiped out by their own men.

To crush the crisis in its cradle, the Wen clan never let these men expand their influence.

“General Wu, if that’s the case, then strengthen our defenses!”

I heard that in the big battle near Yangzhou, Huang Renlong was defeated because the imperial troops launched a night raid on his camp.

The imperial troops that defeated them came from the Five City Military Command.

The enemy excels at night raids—we must keep watch day and night, leaving no opening for them!”

The man in the blue robe said helplessly.

Reason told him the Wen family’s situation was dire.

The true elite of the Dayu Dynasty were the frontier troops; the capital garrison was merely well-equipped and had seen almost no real combat.

The Five City Military Command was just a police force for maintaining order—it couldn’t even be called elite.

Unfortunately, even this unremarkable army could crush the rebels with ease.

During the day, the enemy’s main problem was insufficient manpower.

If they had a few thousand more men, they’d have charged out of camp the moment the rebels sounded the retreat, wiping them out in one blow.

Judging by the current situation, the court had merely extended one finger—and the rebels were already cornered.

To shake the foundations of Dayu’s realm was pure fantasy.

Deep inside, he privately regretted it.

He had boasted himself a descendant of the Dragon-Slaying Art, yet failed to understand the grand scheme of the realm.

The claims that imperial authority had declined and the empire was on the verge of collapse were all illusions.

The people’s suffering was real, but the people had always suffered in every dynasty.

Raising one’s arm and calling forth a thousand heroes—all of it was a lie.

Hardship doesn’t mean rebellion.

When the Seven Great Families rose in arms, only the outlaws of the Two Huai regions were dragged in involuntarily; everywhere else remained stable.

Few of the civilians who joined the rebellion did so willingly.

Without holding their families hostage, it would’ve been hard to get them onto the battlefield at all.

He realized this too late—getting on the pirate ship was easy; getting off was impossible.

……

In contrast to the rebels’ unease, Li Mu slept unusually soundly.

At dawn, as the first light appeared on the horizon, the smell of roasting meat began to spread through the camp.

Frankly, Li Mu couldn’t stand eating meat in the morning, but the soldiers loved it.

Not even if they were dragged out of bed in the middle of the night for meat would they complain.

Before a major battle, improving the rations was military tradition.

For common soldiers, each pre-battle meal might be their last.

Under favorable conditions, commanders always tried to give their men a good meal before issuing combat orders.

The troops of the Five City Military Command were undoubtedly lucky—they served under a commander accustomed to grand affairs, who wasn’t overly sensitive to numbers.

When allocating funds, he did so generously.

Strategic supplies were procured directly by the officers, bypassing civilian officials entirely.

Commanders like Li Mu, who sought advancement, never withheld soldiers’ pay; rations were always high, never low.

While the soldiers were busy eating, he had already climbed the watchtower to observe the rebel camp.

Watching the lazy patrols across the way, Li Mu couldn’t help smiling—opportunity had arrived.

“Issue orders: prepare all units for battle. Full assault at the third hour of the morning!”

Alert the messengers: as soon as battle begins, light the beacon fires.”

Attacking a tired, complacent force doesn’t require great skill.

……

“Boom, boom, boom, boom…”

At the third hour of the morning, thunderous drums sounded.

The barricades blocking the camp gates were swiftly moved aside, and soldiers marched out in perfect formation.

Though numbering only a thousand, their momentum crushed the tens of thousands of rebels, as if a vast army had charged forth.

“General Wu, disaster! The enemy is attacking!”

Wen Jianshao, who hadn’t slept all night, nearly collapsed upon hearing the news.

“What are you standing there for? Organize the defense immediately!”

“Order the archers out—suppress the enemy first!”

“…”

The panicked orders came too late.

By the time the rebels reacted, the battle had already begun.

Shields formed the front line, protecting the soldiers’ vital points, leaving only narrow gaps for spears to thrust through.

Musketeers fired through the gaps; any rebel soldier who drew near was instantly riddled with bullets.

The tightly packed formation advanced relentlessly forward.

The poorly defended rebel camp could not withstand the imperial advance.

Realizing the dire situation, Wen Jianshao gathered his courage and prepared to lead his personal guard to halt the enemy.

Before he could get close, a stray bullet struck his ear.

Perhaps because it was beyond effective range, the bullet only pierced halfway—it hurt like hell, and he screamed in agony.

The commander’s injury plunged the already chaotic rebel camp into deeper disorder.

With a loud “crash,” the towering commander’s banner suddenly toppled.

“Run!”

Someone shouted—and the panicked soldiers began fleeing in all directions.

“Come back!”

“Don’t run!”

“Don’t run!”

……

Wen Jianshao shouted through the pain.

But it was all in vain—the rebel army’s morale had shattered; they had no will to fight.

The conscripted soldiers now only wanted to flee with their families; they had no intention of dying for him.

“General Wu, the situation is beyond saving—order a retreat now!”

“Even if we hold off this enemy, our flanks are being surrounded by overwhelming forces—we’ll be annihilated if we wait any longer!”

……

(End of Chapter)