The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Just as the hammers of the muskets in the hands of the Jingnan Army soldiers fell and the gunpowder in the ignition pool was ignited, a large number of heavy arrows flew in.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

A large number of armor-piercing heavy arrows carrying terrifying force were already shooting out of the Qing army's formation in an almost straight line!

The heavy arrows, flying straight at you, tore through the air the instant after the storm of lead bullets from the Jingnan army left the barrel, traversing that brief, despairing thirty-step distance.

At a distance of thirty paces, the Qing army's heavy arrows could easily pierce through the cloth-covered iron armor worn by the Jingnan Army's musketeers.

A barrage of heavy arrows rained down relentlessly.

The sounds of arrows piercing armor, the muffled thuds of arrows penetrating flesh, and the painful cries of the wounded exploded along the Jingnan Army's musket lines amidst the roar of muskets!

The screams instantly tore through the ranks.
The Jingnan Army's musketeer line, which had just completed a volley, suffered a heavy blow.

The Jingnan Army's formation fluctuated violently. Under this volley of heavy arrows, almost half of the Jingnan Army's soldiers on the entire front line fell.

Almost at the same moment, the Qing army's lines were filled with the sounds of lead bullets piercing through armor and flesh, and muffled groans and screams instantly filled the Qing army's lines.

Yang Chengjin's heart trembled; just moments before, a heavy arrow had nearly grazed his neck.

The helmet he wore was not the same iron-tipped helmet with neck protection as the cavalrymen.

However, Yang Chengjin had no doubt that even with a helmet that had a bridle, at this distance, the heavy arrow could still pierce through the bridle.

Their cloth-covered iron armor was completely ineffective against the heavy arrows of the Qing army.

Fear continued to spread in Yang Chengjin's heart. He had already witnessed the bravery of the Qing army and the power of their heavy arrows during the previous siege of Jining.

He heard the screams of his comrades on both sides, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that many of his comrades had already fallen.

Yang Chengjin was at a loss. His mind went blank, and his hands trembled uncontrollably with fear and tension. He could only instinctively grip the Hai Shi gun tightly in his hand.

With trembling hands, he aimed the bayonet at the thick smoke and the ever-approaching shadow ahead.

Just then, the flag commander's hoarse voice appeared in his ears again.

"Raise your guns! Engage in battle!!"

This time, the voice of the flag chief was closer than ever before, almost within arm's reach.

And indeed, the flag commander was very close at hand.

Yang Chengjin subconsciously tilted his head slightly, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure, which made his heart skip a beat.

That's their flag bearer!
That was a young officer who had been transferred from the elite Hanzhong Town of the Jingnan Army a year ago.

At this moment, he actually left his command position, picked up a Hai Shi gun with a bayonet, and stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder with him on the front line.

The soldiers in Hanzhong Town were all very young.

They always possess a quality that sets them apart from others.

Their gaze is always firm, their will is always firm, their steps... always forward...

During training, these young military officers from Hanzhong Town were so strict they were almost inhuman.

Every movement and every loading must be precise; the slightest slackness will result in severe reprimands and extra training, making people both fearful and resentful.

But in their daily lives, they are quite different.

When they encounter villagers in distress, they will take the initiative to lend a helping hand and do their best to provide assistance.

They can read and write, just like scholars.

But they weren't like those high-ranking scholars and gentlemen.

They would write letters home for everyone, word by word, and when the letters arrived at the camp, they would read the contents of the letters aloud to the illiterate soldiers.

They would care about the difficulties ordinary soldiers encountered in their lives, and would sit together with everyone during their rest periods to chat and laugh.

Although they don't talk much, they listen attentively to everyone's stories about their hometown.

They are always so full of fighting spirit; they are always so energetic...

Like the rising sun at dawn...

Yang Chengjin couldn't understand why they could disregard life and death.

But he admires people like that.

At that moment, the flag commander stood right beside him.

His young face was contorted with intense focus, but his eyes were exceptionally sharp and calm, showing no fear or confusion.

This silent standing side by side is more powerful than any impassioned shout.

An indescribable courage seemed to be silently injected into Yang Chengjin's body, which was almost unable to move due to fear, through their side-by-side stance.

For some reason, Yang Chengjin felt his eyes start to sting.

He wanted to cry.

at this moment.

He finally understood the meaning of military songs.

Orders are clear, rewards and punishments are readily available.

I would not hesitate to face fire and water!
Report to the nation and save the common people.

Slay the enemy, brothers united in hatred!

"Tiger!"

A roar erupted from the hoarse throat of their leader.

"Tiger!!"

Tears streamed down Yang Chengjin's face as he gripped the Hai Shi gun tightly and responded hysterically.

On the broken battle line, the remaining Jingnan Army musketeers who could still stand also raised their Hai Shi guns and roared in the same way.

next moment.

The dark, heavily armored infantry line was already pressing in, with a large number of throwing axes and maces swirling around, making the already dilapidated Jingnan army's lines even more vulnerable.

Immediately afterwards, the Qing army's infantry line crashed into the Jingnan army's musket forest like an overturned tidal wave.

The dull thuds of impact, the cracking of bones, the snapping of metal bayonets, the muffled thuds of knives and spears piercing flesh, and the dying roars instantly engulfed everything.

The front line of the battle instantly transformed into a frantically operating meat grinder.

On the muddy grass, soldiers from both sides were piled up, with almost nowhere to hide.

The high-pitched, distorted swan song sounded like weeping blood. Although the other three lines of the hollow square were also under pressure, many soldiers, led by their officers, resolutely left their original positions and rushed to reinforce the broken line on the west side, which was about to be breached, in an attempt to plug this fatal gap.

In the central area, the commander-in-chief, who was at the core of the formation's command, had already grasped the situation.

"Fellow soldiers!"

He took one last look at his battalion commander's flag, then forcefully planted it into the damp, soft mud.

The commander of the Jingnan Army resolutely drew his goose-feather saber from his waist and smiled calmly at the dozen or so guards around him. "The time for martyrdom has come..."

Immediately, he led this last reserve force and resolutely charged toward the broken front line to the west.

The integrity of the entire hollow square formation is rapidly disintegrating.

The originally tight four-sided battle line became weak due to the withdrawal of troops. Amidst the smoke and fire, the Mongol light cavalry, who had been lurking and spying on the periphery, immediately took advantage of the situation and launched a surprise attack, like hyenas that smelled blood!

They charged into the gaps and weak points in the formation, raising their sabers and indiscriminately slashing and firing at any moving target, further exacerbating the chaos.

Inside the formation, the wounded soldiers who could still move struggled to support their broken bodies, leaning against the corpses of their comrades or scattered supplies, propping up their muskets that were out of ammunition, and attempting a final stand.

The medics, barely clad in armor, silently drew their short knives from their waists...

……

Chen Wang gripped the telescope tightly in his hand.

The scene in the camera lens began to tremble along with his shaking hands.

He witnessed the bravery of the soldiers on the front lines.

It is said that a kind heart cannot command an army; generals and officers should not be swayed by their emotions.

But those soldiers who fought on until their dying breath
These are not just cold battle reports and numbers; they are people, living, breathing people who have entrusted their lives to him!

Chen Wang stared silently into the distance, his heart aching, yet his resolve remained firm.

Sacrifice is inevitable.

From the west, a massive Qing army surged in like a torrent.

Wave after wave of attacks relentlessly assaulted the western defenses.

The positions of the First Division of Huguang Garrison, led by Zhou Yumao, and the Seventh Division of Henan, led by Li Dingguo, which were stationed on the western outskirts, encountered fierce attacks.

The first to bear the brunt of the attack were the Third Battalion of the First Division of Huguang Garrison and the Second Battalion of the Seventh Division of Henan Garrison. The ten hollow square formations, consisting of more than 6,000 soldiers from the two battalions, had nearly half of them disintegrated under the Qing army's resolute and fierce attack.

The once orderly formation is now reduced to a broken outline; amidst the smoke and fire, only countless figures can be seen fighting to the death.

The red flags representing the Jingnan Army were decreasing, while Qing soldiers in red and yellow uniforms were constantly pouring in and spreading.

The Qing army first deployed 6,000 Mongol light cavalry, and then deployed the remaining 4,000 cavalry.

With the help of the Mongol light cavalry drawing fire, the elite infantry of the Qing army's Bordered Red Banner and Bordered Yellow Banner approached on horseback, then dismounted and formed infantry formations to launch a surprise attack.

The two battalions on the left flank, because they were arranged in a hollow square formation, had great resistance to cavalry charges.

However, it proved extremely vulnerable to infantry charges, and it was unable to suppress them with firepower from the front.

The Qing infantry were able to get close enough that their bows and arrows came in handy.

At close to medium range, muskets are completely at a disadvantage compared to bows and arrows.

The firearms of that era could only fire a maximum of two shots per minute, and that was only under the condition that there were a large number of gunners and no interference.

Under the intense pressure of the battlefield, even soldiers who have undergone rigorous training can still make mistakes, thus affecting the firing speed of muskets.

Compared to firearms, bows and arrows are much less lethal, but the Qing army's heavy arrows are extremely powerful and still effective at close to medium range.

Most importantly, a skilled archer can fire multiple arrows in quick succession, causing massive casualties.

Most of the troops that had been routed in the initial battles had fallen behind in the exchange of fire. Then, the Qing infantry swarmed forward, and the Mongol light cavalry seized the opportunity to strike, ultimately leading to the complete collapse of the army.

"Our covering cavalry has suppressed the charging Mongol light cavalry, and the First Division of Huguang Garrison has assembled two battalions and deployed a second line of defense, ready to launch a counterattack."

The military officer in charge of observation approached Chen Wang and reported what he had observed.

"The 7th Division of Henan Town has also assembled a battalion on the northern left flank, but it is unable to coordinate with the advance of Huguang Town..."

The military officer paused for a moment, then spoke solemnly.

"The Qing army is pressing forward..."

Chen Wang put down his binoculars and calmed himself down.

within sight.

On the left flank, the tens of thousands of Mongol light cavalry that had entered the battle had lost their original momentum, and the once massive cavalry formation had been divided by the Jingnan Army's hollow square formation.

During the advance, many soldiers were killed or wounded by the gunfire of the Jingnan Army's hollow square formation. They also suffered heavy casualties from repeated attacks by the cavalry covering the formation.

Finally, the Mongol light cavalry charged forward and crashed into the second line of defense of the First Division of Huguang Town on the left flank, leaving them battered and bruised.

The second line of defense was not a hollow square formation, but a long line formation composed of 6,000 soldiers from two battalions of the First Division of Huguang Town. It was divided into two formations, each with four rows, and spread out in a line on the plain.

On the flanks were the cavalry covering each other, and as the cavalry moved back and forth, their red banners stretched out like a raging fire.

The Mongol light cavalry, who had finally managed to break free from the encirclement of the hollow square formation, were already panicked due to the continuous casualties. They quickly collapsed under the salvo of the second line of defense constructed by the two battalions of infantry of the Huguang Town Division.

"What's the situation on the right wing?"

Chen Wang calmly turned his head to look at the front.

Now is far from the time for grief.

He must win this battle.

The soldiers on the front lines were determined to die for their country, filling the gaps in the battle line with their lives; it was their duty.

His duty is to lead them to victory in this great battle!

The situation on the right wing was overseen by Dai Zhenglin.

Upon hearing Chen Wang's question, Dai Zhenglin quickly put down his telescope and reported.

"Our right flank was under fierce attack from the two White Banners under Dorgon's command, but the situation was much better than that on the left flank. Dorgon did not have many Mongol cavalry that could be worn down. General Chen Gong had already led his troops to bite the flank of the Qing army's left flank."

The battlefield in the east was equally fierce, but Dorgon's troops were not as strong as Jirgalang's, while Zuo Guangxian's Hanzhong garrison troops were the most valiant among all the garrisons.

The Qing army in the east did not gain any advantage from Zuo Guangxian.

Zuo Guangxian led his troops in numerous attacks, even managing to repel the Qing army in the east for a time.

"but……"

Dai Zhenglin's expression darkened, and he pointed to the Sishui River to the east.

"The Qing army east of the Sishui River is approaching our right rear. They want to cross the river in the shallow water and launch a flanking attack. Our cavalry on the east side has gone to intercept them, but this disperses our forces. I'm afraid Chen Gong's troops will be unable to continue to exert effective restraint on Dorgon's troops."

Chen Wang frowned slightly, about to speak.

But to the due north, the booming sound of artillery fire was like muffled thunder.

Chen Wang turned his head to the north.

More than 50,000 Qing troops have already advanced.

At the front of the central formation, the sounds of gunfire and cannons were deafening, and thick smoke filled the area in front of the formation.

The deep conch shell's call mingled with the soaring swan's cry, creating a powerful, unsettling sound. (End of Chapter)