Huangming

Chapter 284 A Decisive Victory Over the Jurchens, A Triumphant Start
Smoke and fire filled the air at the foot of the Great Wall.

The Ming troops in the Shifang Temple Fortress camp were like gunpowder that had been ignited, and they immediately launched a counterattack.

They poured out from behind the fence and into the tents, their muskets still smoking, and drew their long swords from their waists, howling as they charged towards the Jin soldiers at the breach.

The eyes of these Ming soldiers were bloodshot, their faces splattered with gunpowder and blood, but no one bothered to wipe them away.

A musketeer with a scar on his face was shot in the shoulder by an arrow. He groaned, but drew his sword with his other hand and lunged forward, stepping over the corpse of his comrade. The blade was aimed straight at the neck of a Jin soldier.

The spearmen beside them formed a square formation, their spear tips like a forest, forcefully piercing through the Jin soldiers who tried to retreat. Blood flowed down the spear shafts, accumulating into dark red pools on the ground.

"Kill! Don't let these Jurchens escape!"

"Fifty taels of silver for every head cut off! Ten heads for every head cut off! Raise the flag!"

Hidden within the roars are the most basic yet most fervent desires.

The great victory in Shenyang a month ago is still fresh in our minds.

Those brothers who followed He Shixian and You Shigong into battle, some received a hundred taels of silver for carrying the head of the Jurchen leader, and some rose from ordinary soldiers to junior officers and general officers, and even their families moved into tiled houses in the city.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Ming army...

These Jin soldiers in front of me, clad in dark blue armor, are hardly jackals or wolves.
In their eyes, they were clearly money that could run away and official hats that could breathe!
It was my hope that my mother would no longer go hungry and that my wife could wear silk!
A young soldier who had just enlisted, barely able to grip the knife, bit his lip and charged forward with the veteran.

His elder brother died in battle in Shenyang. According to the rules, as long as he could cut off a head, he could inherit his brother's official position and receive dozens of acres of land.

At this moment, there was no fear in his eyes, only an obsession with the future. Even when his arm was grazed by a stray arrow, he simply wiped the blood away and continued to lunge forward.

With both sides charging fearlessly, the battle at the breach in the fence had become a meat grinder.

The Ming army stepped over the corpses to fill the gap, trapping the Jin soldiers in the middle, unable to advance or retreat.

Outside the camp, Mangultai's roar could be faintly heard, but it was no match for the shouts of the Ming army.

The cavalry flanking from both sides had already charged forward, their hooves crushing the earth and shattering the Jin soldiers' last hope.

The Ming soldiers' eyes turned even redder.

If one escapes, you lose a reward; if you let a whole squad escape, you lose a string of military merits.

They were like a pack of starving wolves, biting their prey's throat with knives, stabbing with guns, and biting with their teeth. Even if it meant mutual destruction, they wanted to drag the Jurchens in front of them into hell before they fell.

at the same time.

On either side of the desolate plains, Ming cavalry, like two torrents of iron carrying fury, were closing in with overwhelming force. The sound of their hooves shook the earth, and the dust they raised mingled with the firelight of the camp, forming a giant net that descended upon Mangultai and Amin's troops.

The Jin soldiers at the breach were pinned down by the Ming army, unable to advance or retreat, their screams echoing everywhere, the situation already extremely precarious.

The initial panic swept through the Jurchen camp like a tidal wave, even Amin's face changed, his eyes filled with fear.

But at this critical moment, Mangultai suddenly reined in his restless warhorse, took a deep breath of the air mixed with blood and gunpowder, and the shock and anger in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by an almost cruel calmness.

He was all too aware of his current predicament.

When surrounded by enemy forces, the worst thing you can do is to lose your composure.

"When the enemy surrounds us, we must strike first!"

This key military strategy resonated deeply in his mind.

His two Blue Banner cavalrymen were best known for their ability to gallop across the open fields, relying on their lightning-fast mobility.

If they were to rally their troops and form ranks to resist at this moment, it would be tantamount to turning themselves into live targets for the Ming army's cannons and muskets, which would be a dead end.

"Second Prince!"

Mangultai turned his head sharply, his voice like iron tempered by ice, piercing through the noisy battle cries.

"Take the main force of the Bordered Blue Banner and go rescue Abatai and the others!"

His whip lashed out at the chaotic battle at the breach.

"Hold off the Ming army at all costs, both on the front and the left flank, and buy me time!"

Amin was stunned for a moment, then realized that there was no way out but to fight to the death.

He nodded sharply, drew his sword and raised it high: "Brothers of the Bordered Blue Banner, follow me!"

Mangultai watched as Amin's troops, like a blue dam, fearlessly charged towards the breach, stabilizing the crumbling frontal defense. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

He turned his horse around and looked at the Ming cavalry rushing towards him on his right. Although their attack was fierce, it seemed to be the weakest link in the entire encirclement.

"Warriors of Zhenglan Banner!"

Mangultai's roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, echoing across the battlefield.

"Charge with me! Break through the right flank and fight your way out!"

Mangultai's personally led Blue Banner vanguard heavy cavalry had already formed a sharp wedge formation.

The knights were clad in double-layered iron armor, and even their warhorses were covered in iron mesh armor. Their spears were tilted forward, like giant arrows ready to be released.

Following his order.

"kill!"

The roar of ten thousand horses galloping together instantly tore through the night sky!
The sound of horses' hooves pounding the earth was like thunder rolling across the wasteland. The clanging of heavy armor, the sharp sound of weapons rubbing against each other, and the roars of the knights intertwined, forming an unstoppable torrent.

The tip of the cone-shaped formation pierced through the mist, and the iron armor gleamed coldly in the torchlight, as if it wanted to crush and pierce through everything in its path.

Liu Xingzuo, the Ming cavalry commander on the right wing, suddenly narrowed his eyes.

He lay prone on the horse's back, gripping the lance tightly in his hand, his brows furrowed.

He originally thought he could easily encircle them, but he did not expect the Jurchens to be so fierce, and they condensed most of their main force into an iron fist and smashed it towards his right flank.

When that dark, heavily armored torrent rolled in, even the air seemed to freeze under the pressure.

retreat?

Absolutely impossible!

Once we retreat, the entire right flank will collapse, the encirclement will be completely broken, and we will be chased and slaughtered by the Jurchen cavalry, dying even more miserably!
"When two brave men meet on a narrow road, the bravest will prevail!"

Liu Xingzuo suddenly looked up, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes.

He had fought a bloody battle against the Jurchen cavalry outside Shenyang and knew all too well the habits of these wolves.

If you back down, they'll dare to devour your whole body!
"Musketeers! Ready!"

Liu Xingzuo brandished his lance and shouted, "Three volleys! Fifty paces! Give it your all! After you're done, charge with me!"

These words contain the bloody lesson learned outside Shenyang.

The Ming army had long figured out how to deal with the Jurchen cavalry: although muskets could penetrate armor, their rate of fire was too slow, and they could not be relied upon to defend against the enemy alone.

We must first disrupt the enemy's formation with volley fire, then charge with cavalry, and decide the outcome with courage and the edge of our blades.

The Ming musketeers behind him were already lined up in three rows. Upon hearing the order, they all knelt down, mounted their muskets on their stands, and aimed their dark muzzles at the approaching torrent of armored soldiers.

One hundred steps...

Fifty steps...

"put!"

"Bang bang bang!"

The first volley of muskets fired in unison, and smoke instantly filled the air, as if a thick fog had enveloped the front lines.

The lead bullets whistled sharply as they slammed into the Jurchens' iron armor. Some were deflected, while others pierced through the armor plates, spurting out specks of blood.

The first few Jurchen cavalrymen who charged ahead groaned and fell from their horses, causing the tip of the wedge formation to pause abruptly.

Before the smoke cleared, the second rank of musketeers quickly moved forward and fired another volley!
More Jurchen cavalrymen fell with screams of agony, their warhorses trembling in fear and neighing restlessly, causing the once-orderly wedge formation to crumble.

The third volley of muskets fired immediately afterward, raining down lead bullets.

Although it failed to completely stop the attack, it did dissipate most of that indomitable momentum.

"Cavalry! Follow me!"

Seeing that the time was right, Liu Xingzuo pointed his spear straight ahead and charged out first.

soon.

Two long-awaited cavalry forces clashed fiercely on the open field.

The cavalrymen in the front ranks clashed almost face to face. The muffled thud of lances piercing chests, the crisp sound of scimitars slicing through armor, and the mournful cries of warhorses as they were knocked down instantly intertwined into a bloody symphony.

This wasn't a battle; it was a pure meat grinder.

The armor was crushed, the bones were broken, and scalding blood splattered onto the cold iron armor, quickly congealing into dark red clots.

With the firepower of the first three volleys of musket fire and their fearless charge, the Ming army managed to withstand the first wave of attack from the Plain Blue Banner.

Liu Xingzuo's lance was stained with blood, and a piece of broken iron armor was even hanging from the tip of the lance. He roared and commanded his cavalry to form a circular formation and charge, trying to plug the gap.

But Mangultai's Plain Blue Banner was clearly more adept at this kind of open-field combat.

They gave the Ming army no chance to regroup. As soon as the first wave of attack was repelled, the second and third waves followed one after another, like crashing waves, each more ferocious than the last. The Jurchen cavalry roared like wild beasts, riding their warhorses and charging wildly at the Ming army's formation, slashing with swords, stabbing with spears, and even trampling with their hooves.

Their only goal is to break through this defense line.

"Crack!"

With a crisp crack, the Ming army's circular formation was finally torn open.

The heavily armored cavalry of the Plain Blue Banner, like sharks smelling blood, immediately surged through the gap, slashing left and right with their scimitars, instantly cutting the Ming army's formation in two.

Liu Xingzuo's heart sank. He was about to mobilize troops to plug the gap when he saw more Jurchen cavalry, like venomous snakes, constantly weaving and cutting through the torn opening.

They did not engage in prolonged battles with the Ming army, but instead used the speed of their warhorses to charge back and forth, further dividing the already fragmented Ming army into smaller pieces, preventing them from supporting each other and forcing them to fight independently.

"Fire arrows!"

Mangultai gave orders loudly from behind.

The Jurchen cavalry, having broken free from the melee, took down their bows and arrows from their backs, nocked them on horseback, and unleashed a dense rain of arrows at the Ming army that had been divided and surrounded.

Arrows fell with a sharp whistle, and the Ming soldiers were unable to dodge in time. One after another, they were hit by arrows and fell down, and their formation became increasingly chaotic.

The situation became increasingly unfavorable for the Ming army on the right wing.

Although the Ming army continued to fight to the death, they were like trapped beasts stuck in a quagmire, and could only watch helplessly as the Plain Blue Banner cavalry galloped across the open fields, using their mobility and archery to constantly erode their manpower.

The scales of victory are gradually tipping in Mangultai's favor.

However, the right wing's local advantages could not reverse the decline on the main battlefield.

The main battlefield in the direction of Shifang Temple Fortress is now a sea of ​​fire.

The Jin soldiers led by Abatai, Ajige, and Amin were relentlessly pursued by the Ming army that rushed out from Shifang Temple Fortress, and the two sides engaged in a brutal hand-to-hand battle in the passage.

The Jin soldiers were fearless and the Ming army was even more enraged, fighting to the death with knives, guns, and even stones and teeth.

However, the Ming army possessed something that the Jin army could not contend with.

Those are artillery!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

On the walls of Shifang Temple Fortress, Ming army cannons continuously bombarded areas where Jin soldiers were concentrated.

The iron bullets whistled down, instantly exploding into a cloud of blood mist among the crowd. Severed limbs and broken armor flew into the sky before crashing down again.

The Jin soldiers who were just charging wildly were blown to pieces in the blink of an eye, their bodies mangled and bloodied.

Amin's Blue Banner was originally responsible for holding the front, but a round of artillery fire threw their formation into chaos, resulting in heavy casualties.

He was furious, but he couldn't find the exact location of the Ming army's cannons. He could only watch helplessly as his soldiers were felled like wheat being harvested.

Abatai and Ajige were no better off.

They were divided into several places by the Ming army. Although they managed to hold their ground temporarily thanks to their bravery, they could not withstand the continuous bombardment of artillery and the constant counterattacks of the Ming army.

Every moment, Jin soldiers fell, every moment, screams rang out, and their casualties increased at a visible rate.

Amin looked at the soldiers falling one after another, and then at the faint sounds of battle coming from the right flank, her face turning pale.

He knew that if this continued, they would not only fail to plunder supplies, but they would also likely perish here.

"That bastard Mangultai, what is he still dawdling about!"

Amin couldn't help but roar, her voice filled with despair.

Mangultai naturally took note of the situation on the main battlefield.

now.

His heart felt like it had been branded with a hot iron; he was both anxious and furious.

Give him another half hour, and he will be able to completely crush these Ming army cavalry on the right wing.

The Zhenglan Banner's wedge formation had already torn open three gaps in the Ming army's lines, and Liu Xingzuo's forces were divided into isolated small groups; their annihilation was only a matter of time.

But Amin and his group are facing the challenge head-on...

I'm afraid we won't live to see that day.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Mangultai abruptly turned his horse around, his voice hoarse like never before.

These three words struck the hearts of every Jin soldier like a heavy hammer, yet no one dared to question them.

They all knew they had lost the battle.

Not only did they fail to plunder the Ming army's supplies, but they also lost nearly a thousand elite troops. Along with the losses suffered by Abatai and his men, it's likely that their father, the Khan, will skin them alive.

But we can't worry about that now. If we drag this out any longer, everyone will be buried at the foot of the Great Wall.

"Woooooo~"

The sound of the retreat signal suddenly rang out, long and urgent, like a death warrant, piercing through the clamor of battle.

Upon hearing the sound, the Plain Blue Banner cavalry, who were pursuing the Ming army on the right flank, stopped abruptly. Although they were unwilling, they quickly regrouped and rushed towards the gap torn open by Mangultai.

They retreated rapidly along the breach, with heavy cavalry providing cover on the outside and light cavalry carrying wounded soldiers, almost tumbling and crawling as they retreated into the depths of the grassland.

The small groups of Jin soldiers who had been separated from the main force also broke out like madmen. Even if they were cut down by the Ming army, they would still try to take someone down with them. In an instant, another bloody melee broke out on the right flank of the defense line.

Liu Xingzuo's cavalry tried to give chase, but were held back by the remaining Jin soldiers.

Mangultai clearly had a backup plan, using flesh and blood to slow down the pursuers.

Meanwhile, Qi Jin stood on the arrow tower of Shifang Temple Fortress, watching the Jin soldiers retreat like a tide, but did not order a pursuit.

They are not yet confident of engaging the Jurchens in open battle.

If the enemy still has the strength to spare, chasing after them will likely make them easy prey for the Jurchens.

Know when to stop, and don't pursue a desperate enemy!
They've won enough.

Qi Jin's gaze fell on the small groups of Jin soldiers who were surrounded, and he said coldly, "Don't let a single Jurchen who remains in the encirclement escape alive."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the cannons on the city wall roared again, and iron bullets accurately struck the remnants of the Jurchen army who were trying to rally together.

Archers unleashed a hail of arrows at the fleeing enemy, raining down lead bullets and arrows that covered all the Jin soldiers who couldn't escape in time.

Screams echoed across the wilderness, but were quickly drowned out by the roar of artillery.

at last.

As dawn broke, the pale blue morning light pierced through the smoke and shone on the battlefield strewn with corpses.

The burning tents were still emitting wisps of smoke, and the broken weapons and scattered armor gleamed coldly in the morning light. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

The shouts of battle outside Shifang Temple Fortress finally subsided in the morning light.

Qi Jin stepped down from the arrow tower, his footsteps treading on the broken ice on the ground, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

Liu Xingzuo's cavalry were regrouping, musketeers were wiping their smoking gun barrels, the wounded were being carried to the makeshift medical tents at the rear, and the bodies of the annihilated Jin soldiers had been piled up into a small mountain, awaiting further processing.

"General, the inventory is complete."

A guard stepped forward to report, his voice hoarse with fatigue.

"In this battle, we annihilated more than 1,700 enemy soldiers, captured 130, and seized more than 300 warhorses, as well as countless armor and weapons. Our army suffered 712 dead and 1,620 wounded."

Qi Jin nodded, gazing into the depths of the grassland where the Jin soldiers had disappeared, his face devoid of any smile.

This victory was fierce, but it also completely shattered the Jurchens' attempt to plunder resources and taught those Jurchens who thought the Ming army was no match for a lesson learned through blood and fire.

Just then, someone shouted, "We won!"

The voice was choked with sobs, hoarse as if it had been sanded, yet it was like a spark that instantly ignited the entire battlefield.

"We win! We win!"

"We drove the Jurchens away!"

Cheers spread from the city walls and quickly swept across both inside and outside the palisade.

Some of the Ming soldiers who had just been fighting bloody battles collapsed beside piles of corpses, laughing loudly while holding their broken weapons; some hugged their wounded comrades, wiping away tears and roaring; and some waved their blood-stained fists at the sky, releasing all the fear and exhaustion that had been suppressed all night.

Qi Jin looked at the cheering soldiers. The blood on their faces couldn't hide the light in their eyes. It was the relief of surviving a disaster, the pride of defeating a powerful enemy, and the hope for the future.

He took a deep breath and straightened his spine.

Yes, they won.

This battle not only protected the supplies but also proved their bravery.

Ming dynasty!

Things are completely different now!

You still dare to underestimate the soldiers of my Great Ming Dynasty? Then you'll have to pay for this lesson with your lives!

(End of this chapter)