Chapter 854: Ignorant of Warfare

The shouts of encouragement rang out loudly, but they lacked true vigor. The government army's pace visibly slowed and slackened; what little resolve they had just moments ago vanished like smoke. The men shouting these words didn't even believe them themselves — how could they possibly convince anyone else?

"Whoever damn well refuses to advance, I'll cut his head off myself! Military law is absolute — anyone who doesn't move dies!" a military officer roared at the top of his lungs.

After all was said and done, the threat of death proved most effective. Take one step back and you'd die at the hands of your own comrades; charge forward and perhaps you could carve out a bloody path, earn military merit, and still have hope. Weighed against each other, everyone knew which choice to make.

Meanwhile, the "Xuzhou bandit rabble" opposite them advanced slowly. Throughout this movement, their orderly ranks showed not the slightest sign of disorder, pressing forward step by step.

With threats urging them from behind and mountain-like pressure bearing down from the front, the government army's formation began to stir restlessly. Someone — no one knew who — shouted first: "They're putting on an act! What's there to fear? Charge and fight them!"

This cry was less a rallying call than a release — a release under immense pressure. The government soldiers began to roar and shout wildly in response, their pace quickening, then faster and faster. Their formation began to lose cohesion; the once reasonably orderly government ranks suddenly collapsed, like a breached dam bursting forth.

Brandishing their weapons, the government troops charged madly toward the Zhao Battalion's formation. The soldiers still clung to a sliver of hope — that under their ferocious assault, under the weight of their superior numbers, the enemy would falter, would panic and waver, would disintegrate step by step.

But the closer they charged, the more the Zhao Battalion's formation continued its steady advance. Even catching a glimpse of tension on the enemy's faces became an impossible luxury.

Fifty paces. The crack of fire lances sounded again. The fire lance retainers positioned in the gaps between companies could now fire at their leisure; no one panicked now, because they knew they could fall back behind the pike formation at any moment — and that pike formation stood as steady as a mountain, utterly unshakable.

Fire lances from several positions delivered overlapping fire. At this moment, there was no need for aiming or range-finding; at this distance, as long as you leveled the weapon and fired, the heavy lead and iron projectiles flying from the barrels would inevitably strike some government soldier's body.

The fire lances thundered. The bodies of the government soldiers charging at the front jerked backward, as if struck head-on by a sledgehammer, toppling straight to the ground. Those behind, seeing this, wanted to slow their run, but still more soldiers surged forward from the rear. Slow down a step and you'd likely be shoved to the ground and trampled to pulp — or worse, finished off with a blade by the man behind you, because he too was fleeing from those behind him.

The fire lances kept up their rotating volleys. Within the gaps, the fire lance retainers were arrayed in several ranks; the rotation gave them enough time to reload. The fire lances dealt ample killing power, yet their density of fire remained limited. The government soldiers shot down by fire lances were like a single drop of water amid the waves — utterly insignificant to the larger picture. The government host still charged forward.

At roughly thirty paces, the archers began loosing arrows forward. All they had to do was draw their bows and let fly. Experienced archers often drew only half or seven-tenths of full draw; at such close range, that was more than enough to kill.

A shower of arrows rained down. Government soldiers fell screaming, but their momentum was not broken. Against several thousand government troops, fewer than two hundred bows meant little in the end. Moreover, every man in the government army, from top to bottom, knew that stopping would only get more of them shot dead. Once they closed in, neither bows nor fire lances would be of any use.

The two sides collided just like that. At this critical juncture, the Zhao Battalion's slowly advancing pike squares finally halted.

But how were they to charge through? The government soldiers at the very front swung their blades, trying to bat aside the pikes before them. Deflect one shaft, and a second pierced their bodies. Some, seeing their comrades' gruesome fate, tried to retreat or dodge, but at this moment, the surging tide of men behind them gave them no chance whatsoever. Pushed and shoved relentlessly forward, they were driven bodily onto that forest of pikes.

Some, at their wits' end, madly hurled their blades and spears. What chilled their blood even more was that the "rioters" opposite them did not even bother to dodge — they merely ducked their heads. The thrown weapons were either knocked to the ground by the pikes of the rear ranks, or glanced off pike shafts and went wide. Some did find their mark, but the sound of weapon striking armor only deepened the despair. Sons of bitches — they really are clad in iron from head to toe!

Some did spot an opening. In the gaps between the pike squares were the fire lances and bows — weapons suited only for ranged attack, useless in close combat. If they could charge into those gaps, they could strike at the flanks of the pike squares. Perhaps they could turn the tide; at the very least, they wouldn't have to face that maddening thicket of countless spearpoints.

But at those several gaps, there was no advantage to be had. The fire lance retainers might panic while firing, but when it came to meeting the enemy face-to-face, they knew exactly what to do. At times like this, the wooden fork-rests that supported the fire lances became short spears. The men stood shoulder to shoulder, plugging the gaps, and the government troops could not advance a single step.

These wooden fork-rests were, after all, no match for the government army's long spears. But with the front blocked, the fire lances and bows behind kept firing and loosing without pause. The government soldiers quickly learned that these gaps were even more dangerous than facing the pikes head-on. Before the pike formation, you could at least stay beyond the reach of the shafts; here, death reached out for dozens of paces.

"Grand bandits! These are grand bandits!" On the right flank of the government formation, Lu Qin, Regional Commander of Baoding, surrounded by cavalry riders, watched the bloody battle before him with terror-stricken eyes, muttering to himself without cease. Brigade Commander Wei Pingfang, who should have been commanding within the ranks, was inexplicably lingering among the cavalry as well.

"Commander, shouldn't we use the cavalry to charge this bandit rabble now? Strike straight into their flank and catch them in a pincer with our brothers!" A trusted battalion commander, watching the deadlocked fight, could not help but speak up.

Before Regional Commander Lu Qin of Baoding could open his mouth, Brigade Commander Wei Pingfang roared out a curse: "Are your eyes blind? Look at the bandit army's side — their cavalry hasn't moved either. They're pinning us down. If we move, they'll move too. You think you're the only clever one?"

The cavalry force that Zhao Jin personally led was advancing slowly alongside the line formation. Lu Da's First Great Battalion stood by in tense readiness. All of this, Regional Commander Lu Qin could see clearly enough.

"Why is this? If the bandit army used their cavalry to charge, committed their reserves, our army would surely be defeated. Why do they hold back like this, just standing by and watching!" Commander Lu Qin muttered to himself.

His face was filled with disbelief. Could this bandit army truly be ignorant of warfare? With such a rigorously disciplined military bearing, deployed on the battlefield with such seasoned thoroughness — how could they possibly be ignorant? Yet if they understood warfare, why would they first inexplicably send cavalry on a sudden raid, and then here on the battlefield, not strive with full force for victory?

"Could they be holding back? Could this be... training?" Commander Lu Qin jolted on his horse. The two thoughts that flashed through his mind like lightning shook him to the core.

At this realization, Regional Commander Lu Qin of Baoding found it utterly inconceivable. He, a sanctioned high commander of the imperial court, leading the great northern army that guarded the strategic capital region, was fighting this utterly obscure bandit-rebel army — and the bandit-rebel army was actually holding something in reserve? It sounded absurd, yet the more he thought about it, the truer it seemed.

Commander Lu Qin shook his head forcefully. Looking at the battlefield again, he felt only a chill rising from the depths of his heart. He swept his gaze around, then raised his head and bellowed: "Gentlemen, follow me to the army's rear. Once the vanguard has exhausted the bandits' strength, we shall seize the moment to charge out and catch them off guard. The great banner must not move — do not shake the army's morale!"

This order left the men somewhat baffled, but they obeyed nonetheless. Brigade Commander Wei Pingfang was first taken aback, then seemed to grasp something. He cast an admiring glance at Regional Commander Lu Qin of Baoding, wheeled his horse, and followed.

The deadlock below could not hold for long. The courage and momentum the government army had whipped up and pent up crashed wave after wave against the Zhao Battalion's formation and shattered. Yet the enemy's formation stood utterly unmoved, not shaken in the slightest. Watching the corpses ahead fall screaming one after another, arrows arcing through the sky and plunging down, fire lances thundering — morale sank lower and lower. Then, unable to break the pike squares, they found themselves pushed back step by step instead. Before the gaps, their comrades were gone now; everyone was avoiding those zones, while the arrows and fire lances had begun directing their fire at the front of the pike formations.

Facing that grim forest of pikes alone had already demanded immense courage; with fire lances and arrows striking from the sides as well, how could anyone hold on? Wave after wave charged in, wave after wave died. At last, there was enough open space — even the execution squads had grown sparse. Seize this moment — turn and flee!

The brief stalemate shattered swiftly. The Zhao Battalion's retainers, not breaking formation, swung their arms forward to thrust — but there were no enemies left to strike. All they could see before them were backs. The government army had turned and was routing. Men kept falling under fire lance and arrow fire, but soon, even the fire lances and arrows could no longer reach them.

The drums grew urgent, the suona horns sharp and piercing. The company commanders, platoon commanders, and squad leaders each bellowed their orders. The pike squares began to advance.

"These fire lances do have their uses after all. We hurriedly loosed nearly ten arrows just now, and we'll need to rest for half a watch before we can draw with any strength again — otherwise our shoulders will be ruined. But their fire lances can keep firing round after round; there's no such thing as being too spent to hold them steady." The fire lances had fired roughly four volleys, while the archers had loosed every arrow they could as fast as possible.

To the archers' lament, a fire lance retainer had his own view: "Still, you draw and loose your arrows much faster. We've only gotten off four volleys, and you've already shot ten. And don't think we can keep firing forever — after ten shots, the fire lance overheats and needs to cool before you can use it again."

"Reload! Advance to twenty paces ahead of the pike squares and fire at will!" Meng Zhiqi shouted the order. The fire lance retainers hurriedly began their preparations.

The archers advanced first alongside several of the pike squares, while the fire lance retainers reloaded frantically in the rear. Once they had finished, they quick-marched to catch up with the main force — for the main force's speed was quite limited.

The government army's courage had been short-lived. Their frenzied charge gave way to a chaotic rout. Seeing the pike squares behind them still advancing at that unhurried, steady pace, the already terror-stricken government soldiers quickened their steps all the more. To run faster, they cast aside the weapons in their hands.

Thanks to "Yuan Heng Li Zhen, User Cold Night, User Sword Dance Spread, 123*" and several other old friends for their tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. It's the end of the month — cast your monthly tickets for Great Ming Wufu!