The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 190: Unstoppable Force (I)

Soldiers from the two flag teams escorted artillery, shield vehicles and ladders across the ice and successfully reached the other side of the Suzi River.

To the two captains' surprise, when the artillery crossed the river, there was no movement from the other side, and no attack was launched while the artillery was crossing the river.

Shao Jiechun said disdainfully: "The Jiannu have lost their nerve, and this city will soon be captured!"

Deng Changxiong looked back at the 2000th Headquarters. A group of veterans stood there like statues, while young instructors were mobilizing the battalions for battle.

The 5,000th headquarters was also mobilizing. Shao Jiechun was not impressed by those loud-mouthed instructors, thinking that they were all slick and unworthy of being used.

He looked back at the shield trucks and ladder trucks slowly moving across the river. "Too slow! When will we be able to cross the river?"

He sighed, pulled out the goose-feather knife and put it back into the sheath.

Soldiers could only approach the city walls and launch attacks under the cover of shield carts, otherwise they would suffer heavy casualties. Ye Bu Shou discovered that there were cannons mounted on the top of Hetuala City, but due to the distance, it was impossible to distinguish whether they were falconets or general cannons.

It should be the artillery of the Ming army that they seized on the battlefield of Sarhu in the 47th year of Wanli.

This thing has considerable lethality within 200 steps. Before the siege, Liu Zhaosun repeatedly reminded them to be on guard against Jiannu firearms. Shao Jiechun ignored these warnings, his mind full of thoughts of making a contribution and ensuring that the 5000th headquarters won the first victory.

This time, the Kaiyuan army launched a war on both the north and south fronts.

The first, second and fifth thousand headquarters attacked the city of Hetuala, and the third, fourth and sixth thousand headquarters attacked the city of Yehe.

The 1,000th Headquarters is recognized by everyone as the strongest army in Kaiyuan, and there is nothing to argue about.

The competition for second place was very fierce.

Especially the 5th and 6th thousandth headquarters composed of new recruits, the two chief officers were at loggerheads, trying their best to ensure that they were not the last one in line.

Kaiyuan values military merit. The headquarters of the 7,000th and 8,000th troops are about to be full. As the number of troops increases, if any unit becomes the last in the entire army, it will have no chance of being rewarded for military merit. The commander and soldiers will not be able to hold their heads up in Kaiyuan.

Deng Changxiong noticed the anxiety displayed by the 2,000th commander, patted Shao Jiechun on the shoulder, and said soothingly, "Don't be nervous. I'll let you go first later. The 2,000th commander will provide flank cover."

Shao Jiechun grabbed Deng Changxiong's hands and asked excitedly, "Really?"

"Of course it's true. General Shao, go check on the instructor's mobilization situation first. The artillery is mobilizing their guns, so it's still early to attack the city."

~~~~~~
In front of the first flag team of the 2000th headquarters of the Kaiyuan Army stood a thin young instructor, his neck flushed as he shouted at a group of flintlock soldiers.

Yang Tong and a group of comrades sat cross-legged on the ground, with flintlock rifles leaning against their shoulders.

Yang Tong was listening attentively to the instructor named Huang Yu denouncing the atrocities committed by the Later Jin in Liaodong.

"What is Hetuala? It's the Tartars' lair. They killed and robbed Liao people, and stored the gold, silver, grain, cloth, and women they stole in the city!"

The instructor patted his thigh. Many of the soldiers were of Liao origin. When they heard the word Hetuala, their eyes showed deep hatred.

After the Battle of Sarhu, the old slaves plundered a lot in Liaodong. The slave chiefs would never show mercy to those Han people who refused to serve as bondservants.

After Huang Taiji came to power, he adopted a conciliatory policy towards the Han people. At least on the surface, he was not as cruel as his father.

"Huang Taiji knows everything, right? We blinded one of his eyes, and now he's the Khan of the Later Jin. He knew we were coming, so he started slaughtering the Han people. Our 2000th Headquarters' First Banner Team is the most powerful soldier in the Kaiyuan Army, and we've never been defeated in a battle with the Tartars. This time we're not only here to save the people of Liaodong! We're here for our own sakes. Many of you have already started families. If the Tartars come, they won't care if you're a soldier or a civilian. If they catch them, they'll kill you."

The short instructor took out a coconut ladle and drank some water. Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, he continued to shout:
"Next year, the soldiers will enter Shandong. I don't know what they're going to do specifically. If we leave, the jackals will kill our family. Lord Liu said, 'I won't allow others to snore beside my bed!' How can you sleep peacefully with this vicious wolf in your backyard?!"

Flag Captain Cheng Liang raised his arms and shouted:
"Kill the Tartars! Kill the Tartars!"

A group of soldiers below followed suit and shouted.

Yang Tong followed the people around him and raised his arms, his neck flushed and he shouted a few times.

He remembered that he had not yet started a family and did not even have a woman.

In fact, Yang Tong had the opportunity to get out of being single.

From August to December last year, the Civil Affairs Bureau transported more than 4,000 women back from Shandong in four months. Most of the women had suffered from the "Smell the Fragrance Cult" and were not welcomed by their families when they returned to their hometowns. After returning, they would most likely be sold to brothels by their relatives.

Ping Liaohou provided them with food and clothing, protected their lives, and treated them as human beings.

More than 4,000 abandoned and homeless women immediately chose to return to Liaodong, the so-called "barbarian land", to continue their survival.

After arriving in Liaodong, those who were physically strong were recruited by workshops to help drill gun barrels and weave armor.

With the rapid expansion of the Kaiyuan Army, the army's demand for flintlock rifles and armor increased dramatically, and the workshop was simply not staffed enough.

Drilling gun barrels and weaving armor both require patience and carefulness, and women have advantages over men in doing these.

As for the remaining women, Yuan Chonghuan suggested marrying them to single soldiers from each battalion.

Soldiers had to pay a deposit of two taels of silver, or a betrothal gift, to the Civil Affairs Bureau, and then they could marry a woman they liked (of course, the woman's consent was required).

The entrance to the Civil Affairs Office was filled with soldiers seeking to claim their wives. Yang Tong rescued Liu Yue'er from the Kong Mansion dungeon, but she was carried away by medical personnel and disappeared. The First Flag Squadron of the 2,000th Regiment was deployed that day to pursue the remnants of the Wenxiang Cult, and Yang Tong lost contact with Liu Yue'er.

Encouraged by the flag captain, Yang Tong went to the Civil Affairs Office and queued for a whole day, searching among a group of women in coarse linen clothes, hoping to find Liu Yue'er. However, he searched for a whole day but didn't see a single person.

He was afraid that Liu Yue'er would be married to someone else.

When they went to look for him again, they received an order from the flag captain that their first flag team must immediately follow the main army and march south to fight the Jiannu.

"Do you have any last words for your parents?"

After the instructor finished speaking, the flag captain began chatting with each soldier one by one, leaving notes and thoughts for those in need. This was the latest training system implemented by the Kaiyuan Army.

"No, my parents are dead."

Cheng Liang touched his bald forehead, thought for a while, and suddenly said:

"I heard you were looking for a lame woman..."

Yang Tong interrupted him: "He's not crippled, he just has a leg injury! It will be fine."

Cheng Liang smiled and said, "I know where this woman is."

"where is it?"

Yang Tong, who is usually taciturn, talked a lot today, which was a bit abnormal.

Cheng Liang pointed across the Suzi River.

The artillery was installing cannons on the shore, and the cavalry was circling the city, shooting arrows at the top of the city from time to time. The Later Jin archers behind the battlements also fought back with bows and arrows. The cavalry bows were not powerful enough, and the number of Later Jin archers was far less than that of the Kaiyuan army. The two sides fought back and forth like this, like weaklings pecking at each other.

Yang Tong was surprised and said, "She was captured by the Tartars? How is that possible?"

Cheng Liang quickly shook his head, pointed at the flintlock rifle in Yang Tong's hand, and whispered:

"The 5,000th Headquarters wants to claim first place. They're all archers and spearmen, without firearms. A bunch of new recruits, yet they want to claim first place! Alas! Captain Zheng has assigned our First Flag Team to provide cover fire, and specifically named you to go!"

Seeing the captain's grim expression, Yang Tong didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Cheng Liang's eyes were slightly red. "There were more than a hundred people in our flag team. Half died in Kaiyuan and half died in Hunhe. Almost everyone is dead. Apart from me, only you and Zhou Zhi are left. I don't want you to die again. When you get to the city, protect yourself. The Tartars are very powerful with arrows. Hide behind the shield carts and don't show your head. If you can come back alive, I will tell you where the woman is."

~~~~~
A few sparse waves of light arrows came from the west gate. After shooting their arrows, a group of archers with small white flags on their backs stood there nervously looking at the Kaiyuan artillery in the distance, ready to escape at any time.

Five gunners were struck by light arrows and fell to the ground, one of them dying instantly.

"Musketeers, come forward!"

Cheng Liang, captain of the first flag team of the 2000th headquarters, blew the bamboo whistle and shouted at the musketeers to advance.

A row of spearmen and a row of sword and shield soldiers followed behind the musketeers, covering them as they quickly approached the target.

"Stop!"

"Raise your gun! Aim!"

"shooting!"

After three rounds of firing from the flintlock rifle, thick white smoke filled the surrounding area, and screams of the Later Jin soldiers were heard from eighty steps away.

The Later Jin archers who attacked the gunners immediately collapsed, leaving behind more than a dozen corpses and fled in panic towards the west gate.

The archers ran to the moat and shouted loudly in the barbarian language towards the top of the city wall, urging the defenders to lower the drawbridge quickly.

A group of Bayalas with yellow flags on their backs looked down and couldn't help but draw their bows, aim and shoot.

The archers below the city cursed a few words, then scattered and fled along the city wall towards other gates.

With the help of a halberd-wielder, Wang Changzhi of the artillery battalion climbed ashore from the slippery ice. He looked up and saw this absurd scene. He couldn't help but sigh, "I haven't seen the Bordered White Banner for over a year, and they've become so cowardly."

He turned to look at the deputy battalion officer who was checking the gunner's reloading and shouted, "Old Han, fire as soon as you're done adjusting the gun. Don't dither! The guy behind you can't wait any longer!"

Deputy Battalion Commander Han Zhenyi still looked calm and composed, just like when he was guarding Kaiyuan.

He stared at the Yellow Banner Bayara who was shooting arrows on the top of the Hetuala West Gate three hundred steps away, and then glanced at the young gunner who was busy loading beside him.

Comfort him and tell him not to panic.

After his good friend urged him for the third time, Han Zhenyi patted the gunner's shoulder and said in a deep voice:

"Okay, fire!"

(End of this chapter)