weaving

Chapter 1605 Truly a Tiger Son of a Military Family

Hana was killed instantly by the cannon fire. The Mongol Plain Yellow Banner Tartars lost their commander. The incident happened suddenly, and for a time they were leaderless. Even though the strongmen and Niru still tried to organize resistance, they could not play a significant role in the short time.

The two Mongol Plain Yellow Banner cavalry units behind them had just received Hanachu's orders and were about to rush to support him when they discovered that they had become the target of another Ming cavalry unit.

Although the Mongol cavalry of the Plain Yellow Banner were also very brave, it was only natural for them to panic when suddenly attacked. However, the fact that more than 400 enemy cavalrymen in front of them were defeated in just one moment was truly shocking.

Moreover, each Mongol cavalry force consisted of only four hundred or so riders facing over a thousand elite Ming cavalrymen, putting them at a significant disadvantage in terms of numbers. Coupled with the repeated defeats they suffered in the initial engagements, their morale plummeted, making them no match for the Ming army, whose morale was soaring.

In particular, the elite cavalry led by Hu Zichen at the rear had more than three times the strength of the Mongol Tartars. Furthermore, the main force of Hu Zichen's Ming cavalry had participated in the Battle of Julu and had been deeply involved in both suppressing bandits in the Central Plains and fighting against the Jurchens in Liaodong. Therefore, they were not very afraid of the Jurchens.

Hu Zichen personally led 700 elite cavalry in a frontal assault on the last 400-plus Mongol Tartars, while his subordinate Han Zikai led 500 elite cavalry to circle around and intercept the Mongol Tartars from the rear, in case they saw the situation was unfavorable and fled along the same route.

The remaining three hundred elite cavalry, led by Commander Liu Gengshan, plunged directly between the rear and central Mongol forces, completely cutting them off and preventing them from supporting each other.

Without a doubt, no matter how brave and fierce the Mongol Tartars were, they were destined to gain no advantage against the Ming army's elite cavalry, which outnumbered them three to one.

The reason why Hu Zichen's cavalry were so brave in battle was not only due to their long years of experience, but more importantly, after joining the Yongyi Army, they not only received a complete set of new equipment and weapons, but also received full pay and were rewarded for every meritorious service in battle.

Most of the veterans under Hu Zichen's command had various kinds of hatred towards the Tartars. Even if they didn't have any deep-seated hatred, they had been influenced by what they saw and heard in the Yongyi Army, especially by those model operas that promoted the cruelty and tyranny of the Tartars, which portrayed the Tartars as the enemy and the root of evil of the entire Han people. This had long since instilled in these soldiers a deep hatred for the Tartars.

Now that they've got the chance, how could they possibly show any mercy to these ruthless Tartars?

…………

As the commander-in-chief of this ambush, Wei Zhice was standing on a mound. He had just put down his binoculars but was still holding them in his hand, a smug smile on his lips: "Qiu Yingquan, that black man, is not bad. He has defeated the Tartars right in front of him as soon as the battle began."

Lieutenant General Jin Yong grinned and said, "Our commander-in-chief is truly amazing! With cannons, aren't our cavalry invincible?"

Tang Xiancheng chimed in, "The commander-in-chief is truly a genius! Why didn't we think of equipping the cavalry with cannons?"

Wei Zhice smiled slightly and said, "It is not unprecedented for cavalry to be equipped with cannons, but it will affect the speed advantage of cavalry. In addition, the cannons made by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works are mostly crudely made and of poor quality. They often explode in battle, which is why they are disliked by the soldiers of various camps."

The artillery issued to our cavalry has been improved, making it not only lighter but also easier to operate and fire. Furthermore, the cannons manufactured by our artisans in Yunzhou are of impeccable quality; as long as they are operated strictly according to regulations, there is absolutely no risk of them exploding. How can they be compared to the shoddy cannons of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works!

"Yes. The general is absolutely right." Jin Yong affirmed Wei Zhice's words.

Tang Xiancheng raised his own question: "General, I feel that twenty cannons seem a bit few."

"Hehe..." Wei Zhice said with a smile, "What's the rush? Our commander-in-chief is always prudent in his actions, and he would never act rashly without being 100% certain."

He pointed to the distant battlefield: "This time, Qiu Yingquan's troops have proven the commander-in-chief's idea with their achievements. Once the Tartars are driven out, it will surely be promoted throughout the army. At that time... it is not impossible that a cavalry artillery battalion will be formed."

"The cavalry artillery battalion?" Jin Yong and Tang Xiancheng exclaimed simultaneously.

"The commander's actions have taken us by surprise, and how can we presume to know what he's doing?" Wei Zhice continued, "However, equipping the cavalry with cannons has indeed increased their power considerably. If it is as I see it, we can consider forming a separate cavalry artillery battalion for the final battle!" At five quarters past Shen time, the ambush battle north of Cuzhuang was drawing to a close.

Qin Dazhong also came to Wei Zhice's side: "I am about to go and take stock of the battlefield and record the merits of the frontline soldiers. Does the general have any orders?"

"This battle went very smoothly, and our casualties were not high, which makes me very happy. The rest is up to Commander Qin. I have no other instructions."

Wei Zhice pointed to the battlefield ahead and said, "Yu Deshui, lead the central cavalry to escort Commander Qin to check the battlefield."

"Yes, sir!" Yu Deshui responded loudly and followed Qin Dazhong away.

…………

"I really didn't expect Chen De to be such a good fighter, living up to his family's reputation as a scion of a military family," Jin Yong said with a smile.

Tang Xiancheng continued, "This lad is indeed remarkable. He comes from a military family and has a good background. He is already a guerrilla at a young age and has the merit of shooting out the bandit Li. Now he has also gained the appreciation of our commander-in-chief. His future is bright."

"Don't be so critical of him," Wei Zhice said softly. "The commander-in-chief only took Chen De under his command and is training him because he sees that Chen De is indeed a tiger general. As for his future achievements, that depends on Chen De's own abilities."

He turned to look at Jin and Tang, and said, "Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that the commander-in-chief is using the matter of bringing Chen De under his command to win over Chen Yongfu."

After all, General Chen wasn't a coward, and besides, Li the bandit was still lingering in Henan. Who knows, after driving back the Tartars, they might even need to send us to Henan to suppress the bandits. Having General Chen, this local strongman, would certainly be more convenient for us.”

"Yes, General, you are absolutely right," Tang Xiancheng nodded.

Wei Zhice then said, "Jin Yong, you lead the cavalry of the Left Rear Division to Hu Zichen's side to help clear the battlefield and pursue the remaining enemy. Remember, do not overextend them!"

"Yes, sir." Jin Yong acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Wei Zhice patted Tang Xiancheng on the shoulder again: "Xiancheng, call the Right Division Chief of the Rear Department and come with me to check on Chen De."

"Here."

…………

In a sudden ambush, almost all 1,500 Mongol Plain Yellow Banner troops sent to aid Buyandai were killed or wounded. More than 300 were captured, and only about 200 escaped.

The Yongyi Army suffered fewer than 100 dead and only about 300 wounded, most of whom were non-fatal superficial wounds. In contrast, the Mongol Tartars were mostly hit by gunfire and cannonballs, making it difficult for them to survive.

Of course, medicines are precious, and the Earl of Yongning was unwilling to spend a large amount of military supplies and medicines to treat them.

However, according to Yongningbo, it was "necessary for united front work," so Wei Zhice still ordered all officers and soldiers to do their best to treat the wounded Mongol soldiers so that they could be used to unite the Mongol tribes in the future.