The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 86 I'm waiting for reinforcements, what are you waiting for? (Part 2)

Upon receiving the message from Hei Zi, Jiang Han immediately understood that the visitor was Ai Mu, the adjutant of the Yan'an Battalion.

At the same time, he also learned of Hei Zi's idea and thought it was worth a try. He wanted to see if he could attack from both sides with Hei Zi and take down some of the government troops' field forces.

So he stepped out of the central command tent, preparing to have his troops gather in preparation for the enemy.

At this time, Jiang Han's troops were outside the north gate of Ganquan County, poised to attack the city.

Dong Erzhu stood in front of the artillery position, his face full of excitement. With a wave of his hand, more than a dozen heavy cannons in the position opened fire at the same time, and flames shot into the sky and smoke filled the air.

More than a dozen solid cannonballs pierced the sky and crashed heavily onto the city wall, instantly shattering the rammed earth battlements into pieces.

After a round of shelling, the city fell silent, and not a single person could be seen on the city walls.

Ganquan County was no match for Jiang Han's band of ruthless bandits. After just one round of artillery fire, the garrison was wiped out.

The conscripted militiamen and patrolmen, seeing the dozen or so dark cannon barrels pointed at them from outside the city, ran faster than rabbits.

Not to mention the thousands of infantrymen on the side, clad in armor and eager to fight.

"Stop! Stop hitting!"

Seeing this, Jiang Han immediately shouted, ordering the people feigning an attack on the city to stop immediately:

"If we keep fighting, the city will really fall soon!"

Dong Erzhu, standing to the side, was quite surprised:
"Second Brother Han, isn't it a good thing that the city has fallen?"

"We've occupied the city walls, so why should we be afraid of the government troops attacking us?"

Jiang Han glanced at him and explained:
“We have nearly three thousand men here. Aimu isn’t stupid. How could he dare to attack the city with more than four thousand men?”

“If he sees us defending the city, he will definitely go back to find reinforcements.”

Jiang Han looked around at everyone and continued to explain:
"Hei Zi just sent word that he wants to join forces with us to attack Aimu."

"I want to lure him into a direct confrontation with us, so that the black guy can attack him from behind!"

Dong Erzhu nodded, seemingly understanding, but Jiang Han, too lazy to explain further, gave the order:
"Aimu is almost here! Quickly form ranks and prepare for battle!"

"Turn all the cannons around here! Stop firing randomly at the city walls! My ammunition isn't something I picked up off the street!"

"Leave a few hundred men to guard the city gates, to prevent those inside from escaping and causing trouble!"

Upon receiving the order, everyone nodded, rubbed their hands together, and went to prepare.

Meanwhile, on the official road, Aimu was leading his army slowly approaching Ganquan County.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered, the clanging of armor filled the air, and the disciplined ranks exuded a chilling aura of menace.

Suddenly, a messenger on horseback came from ahead with an urgent report:

"General Ai! The main force of the rebels has been spotted ahead and is besieging the north gate of Ganquan County!"

Before Aimu could speak, a young man beside him couldn't contain himself any longer and excitedly volunteered:

"General, please let me be the vanguard!"

"Give me another two hundred elite cavalry, and watch me charge straight into the enemy lines and take that bandit's head!"

This young man was none other than Ai Huaiguang, the eldest son of Ai Mu.

He was in his early twenties, full of youthful vigor, and the long spear in his hand gleamed with a chilling light.

Ai Mu also came from the Ai family of Mizhi. He had five sons: Ai Huaiguang, Huaixiang, Huaiying, Huaiqian, and Huaiyuan.

In his early years, he followed his father, Ai Yingzhao, to guard the border in Dingbian Camp.

After Ai Yingzhao's death, Ai Mu inherited his father's will and continued to guard the border for the Ming Dynasty.

He also sent all five of his sons to the army to serve the country.

Among them, Ai Huaiguang, as the eldest son, was carefully nurtured by his father and is now a valiant general in the army.

Seeing his son's eager expression, Aimu's face darkened, and he said sternly:
"Huaiguang! We must not be careless!"

"These aren't the vagrants and bandits we usually encounter!"

"This was the main force of the loyalist troops from Yansui Town in the past, and they occupied Yan'an Prefecture for several months. Their strength should not be underestimated!"

Upon hearing this, Ai Huaiguang's expression turned solemn, and he bowed respectfully in response:

"Yes!"

But then he changed the subject, sighing sullenly:

"If these people hadn't gone to the capital to defend the emperor, the bandits in northern Shaanxi might have been pacified long ago."

After hearing this, Aimu shook his head, unsure of what to say.

He joined the army at a young age and, from the Tianqi era to the Chongzhen era, gained some knowledge of the changing political landscape of the court.

He experienced the eras of the "Nine Thousand Years Old," the eunuch faction, and the Donglin Party.

But he couldn't understand why so many political parties were created.

All he knew was that the border region had become increasingly dilapidated and the military towns had fallen into disrepair over the past decade or so.

Border soldiers deserted and rebelled frequently.

During the Tianqi era, they could still lead troops beyond the Great Wall to cause trouble for the Mongols, but now they can only travel to various places to suppress various bandits.

Now they've even turned against his former comrades, which makes him feel a pang of regret.

But he could not disobey the emperor's command, so he could only suppress his distracting thoughts and shout in a deep voice:

"Pass on my orders!"

"Put on your armor! Prepare to meet the enemy!"

At a single command, four thousand officers and soldiers sprang into action.

The cavalry on both sides immediately split into two groups and dispersed, patrolling five miles away from the main army.
The infantrymen deftly removed their armor and weapons from their packhorses, and in pairs, they donned their armor and helmets.

The swordsmen and shieldmen consciously stood at the forefront, raising their shields high, ready to block the incoming arrows and lead bullets at any time.

Aimu cautiously led the team forward, fearing they might fall into Jiang Han's ambush.

However, there were no obstacles along the way.

The army successfully arrived ten miles outside Ganquan County, and from a distance, Jiang Han's army formation was clearly visible.

Aimu immediately ordered his troops to rein in their horses and stop in place.

He dared not position his troops too close together, as he knew from what he had learned in Yan'an that the rebel army had a great many artillery pieces.

They even dismantled and took away the four heavy cannons on the city wall.

If they were to launch a direct assault, they would likely be met with heavy artillery fire and suffer heavy casualties.

Therefore, he planned to use the tactic of "delay" to keep Jiang Han at a distance.

Once General Wang, who had circled around to the rear, arrived, the two armies attacked from both sides, annihilating the rebels in one fell swoop.

Aimu instructed the messenger beside him:
"go with!"

"Let Huaiguang lead his men to charge and test the mettle of these rebels!"

"Remember not to charge forward, just hold them off!"

"Don't let them get away so easily!"

The messenger obeyed and left. Before long, Ai Huaiguang led several hundred elite troops and charged towards Jiang Han's army formation.

With thunderous hooves and billowing dust, he held a longbow and led his cavalrymen toward Jiang Han's army formation.

On Jiang Han's side, Shao Yong sneered upon seeing this and led his cavalry to meet them.

Ai Huaiguang, the leader, charged ahead, crouching low and hiding behind his warhorse, gradually approaching Shao Yong.

When there were less than forty paces left, he suddenly stomped his right foot on the stirrup, straightened up like a snake, leaped forward, nocked an arrow, and headed straight for Shao Yong.

This little trick of hiding in the right foot was naturally no match for Shao Yong, a veteran of many battles.

He sneered, jerked the reins sharply to the right, turned his horse around, and easily dodged the attack. The cavalry behind him followed closely, drew their bows to the fullest extent, and fired arrows at Ai Huaiguang.

Caught off guard, Ai Huaiguang was struck hard in the chest by several arrows, leaving him breathless for a moment.

Fortunately, the armor plate on his chest was thick enough to protect him from the fatal blow.

The two sides clashed on the battlefield, but Ai Huaiguang's archery skills were clearly inferior to Shao Yong's, and he hastily retreated after two rounds of archery.

"General, the rebel leader is quite powerful; I am no match for him!"

Ai Huaiguang, who had retreated back into the ranks, came before his father and knelt down in dejection to beg for forgiveness.

Aimu didn't say anything, he just waved his hand and told him to leave.

Having failed to get off to a good start, Aimu simply adopted a tortoise formation, tightening his defenses in an attempt to lure Jiang Han into attacking.

Jiang Han, who was standing not far away with his binoculars, was taken aback when he saw Aimu change formation and adopt a defensive stance.
Why are they starting to defend?

"I'm waiting for reinforcements, what is Aimu waiting for?"

Jiang Han simply refrained from launching an attack, instead having Shao Yong constantly roam around the battlefield, searching for weaknesses.

Meanwhile, Aimu, ten miles away, was equally puzzled:

"Why haven't these rebels broken through yet? They're so timid and hesitant, what are they planning?"

"I'm waiting for reinforcements, but what is Jiang Han waiting for?"

The battlefield was inexplicably deadlocked for a time, with the rebels and government troops facing each other without launching an attack.

However, Aimu soon realized what Jiang Han was waiting for.

Suddenly, a cannon shot rang out behind them, shaking the earth.

Aimu turned around abruptly and saw a group of several hundred people who had appeared behind him at some unknown time. They were all wearing armor and helmets and exuded a murderous aura.

This is precisely the force that Kuroko has hidden in Wild Boar Gorge!
In order to successfully get to Aimu's backside, Hei Zi waited in Wild Boar Gorge for almost half an hour, until Aimu's main force had gone far away, before daring to lead his men out of the forest.

To avoid detection by the Tang cavalry, he always kept a distance of about thirty miles from Aimu, trailing far behind him.

It wasn't until recently, after the standoff had been established, that he swaggered out and used the sound of cannons as a signal to notify Jiang Han on the other side of the battlefield.

Upon hearing the distant sound of cannon fire, Jiang Han's eyes lit up, and he immediately gave the order to the messenger:
"Heizi is here!"

"Go! Send orders to the left and right divisions, instructing Shao Yong and Li Laowai to launch an attack!"

"Have Dong Erzhu drag out his four treasured weapons and push them forward to shatter Aimu's army formation!"

At a single command, the long-silent army instantly erupted into action.

Upon receiving the order, Li Laowai blew his whistle and led his infantry like tigers descending a mountain, charging straight into the enemy ranks.

Shao Yong pulled on the reins and led his cavalry toward the enemy cavalry. The warhorses neighed, and swords and spears were raised, their momentum unstoppable.

Behind him, Dong Erzhu simply led the entire artillery battalion to the front, with four Hongyi cannons and more than a dozen heavy cannons firing simultaneously, the cannons booming and the smoke billowing.

A heavy lead bullet, weighing three pounds and six ounces, slammed into Aimu's ranks, instantly shattering the heads of several soldiers and carving a bloody path through the crowd.

Aimu's army was thrown into disarray for a moment, but fortunately Ai Huaiguang stepped forward in time and stabilized the army.

After two rounds of shelling, Li Laowai had led his men to within a hundred paces.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Ai Huaiguang hurriedly ordered the archers to draw their bows and nock their arrows, and the musketeers to light the gunpowder and aim at the infantry charging in front of him.

But Li Laowai and his vanguard, clad in double armor, were not afraid at all. They raised their weapons to shield their faces, bravely enduring the rain of arrows and lead bullets, and charged straight into the enemy ranks, wreaking havoc.

Meanwhile, Shao Yong's cavalry had already engaged the enemy cavalry in close combat.

Shao Yong took the lead, thrusting and parrying with his spear, forcing the enemy cavalry to retreat repeatedly, not daring to approach.

The cavalrymen following closely behind gripped their lances tightly and, using the momentum of their charge, accelerated into the enemy's cavalry.

Before they could react, the enemy riders were about to raise their spears to fight when they were knocked off their horses by a powerful impact and fell to the ground, unable to get up.

Seeing that things were not going well, Aimu turned to retreat, but his retreat was blocked by Heizi.

The army of several hundred men was like a nail stuck in his lower back, leaving him in a dilemma.

They were on the verge of total annihilation.

At this moment, Ai Huaiguang suddenly stood up and shouted:
"Father! I'll cover the retreat! You take the brothers and get out of here quickly!"

A hint of reluctance flashed in Aimu's eyes, but the situation was critical, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and order a retreat.

Ai Huaiguang stayed behind with several hundred men, brandishing his spear and leading the rearguard to block Li Laowai, who was about to pursue them.

The soldiers who remained were greatly encouraged to see that the young general had shared life and death with them, and they turned around and surrounded the reckless Li Laowai.

With a series of left and right slashes, Li Laowai was forced to retreat repeatedly, unable to defend himself.

Seeing this, Shao Yong quickly spurred his horse over and joined the battle, working together with Li Laowai to besiege Ai Huaiguang.

Ai Huaiguang fought valiantly, constantly wielding his spear, leading his soldiers to repel Li Laowai's attacks time and time again.

Shao Yong rode his warhorse, holding a longbow, hovering not far away, keeping a close eye on Ai Huaiguang's every move.

Ai Huaiguang dared not be negligent. He could only lean forward slightly, curl up, and try to use his armor to block his vital points, so as not to give Shao Yong a chance to aim.

But there's no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days, only to be a thief for a thousand days.
Finally, Shao Yong seized an opportunity when Ai Huaiguang was exhausted and shot an arrow through his throat.

Ai Huaiguang clutched his throat, thrashed twice, and collapsed to the ground. The remaining soldiers covering the rear were also killed by the combined efforts of the other soldiers.

In this battle, Jiang Han defeated Ai Mu's troops at near-peak strength, suffering only two hundred casualties and countless decapitations.

His son, Ai Huaiguang, was killed in battle, and Ai Mu escaped with only eight hundred men, fleeing westward.

Just as Shao Yong and Li Laowai were preparing to lead their troops westward to pursue Aimu, the central command suddenly sounded the assembly horn.

They exchanged a glance, not daring to delay, and quickly led their men back.

Inside the main tent, the other two captains had already gathered and were waiting for a long time.

"Boss Qi, why can't I continue pursuing Aimu?"

As soon as he entered the main tent, Shao Yong asked anxiously.

Jiang Han saw Shao Yong enter and quickly waved to him:
"Stop chasing. We just captured a few surrendered soldiers and got some news. Come and listen to it."

He paused, then continued.

“I heard from the surrendered government troops that when they set off from Yan’an Prefecture, Wang Chengen brought a total of more than 6,000 people with him.”

"As a result, Aimu only had four thousand government troops, while Wang Chengen disappeared with two thousand men."

Hei Zi frowned and looked at Jiang Han:
"Chief, is this information reliable?"

Jiang Han nodded:

"They were reviewed separately, but the statements were consistent."

Shao Yong pondered for a moment, then analyzed:

"I reckon Wang Chengen has led his troops around to our rear."

"He wanted to attack Aimu from both sides, but he didn't expect that Aimu's troops would be defeated by us first."

"Otherwise, why would Aimu adopt a defensive posture and wait for us to attack?"

Jiang Han nodded: "That's right, that's what I think too!"

He looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice:
"We now have two paths before us."

"First, we should immediately break camp and set up camp, and before Wang Chengen can react, we should bypass Yan'an City and attack Yanshui Pass."

"Second, we should rest and recuperate in place, continue to wait and see if we can catch Wang Chengen's flanking force."

"What do you all think? How should we choose?"

　Two chapters combined into one, ten chapters finally finished. My efforts are exhausted, godfathers.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)