The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

The Battle of Gaohanling was the first time their rebel army had truly faced the main force of the imperial court in direct combat.

Before this, whether attacking Anding or marching north from Qingjian, the rebels had only encountered small groups of regular government troops and local militia. This time, however, it was a truly tough battle.

For the first time, the rebel army clashed head-on with the main forces of the imperial court, fighting not only the garrison troops but also the elite border troops of the Ming Dynasty.

They ultimately won the battle, and apart from a small number of officers and soldiers who fled over the mountains, they almost completely annihilated the enemy, which was a great victory.

However, the rebel army also suffered considerable losses in this battle.

Let's start with Wang Er and Zhao Sheng's troops. Although these two troops combined outnumbered Mai Danian's border army by several times, and they had ambushed Mai Danian, both Wang Er and Zhao Sheng's troops suffered heavy casualties under Mai Danian's fierce counterattack.

Especially Wang Er, who was in charge of the main attack. Of his more than 3,000 men, nearly half were killed or wounded in the battle, and even Wang Er himself was injured in the melee.

If it weren't for Zhao Sheng's desperate support from the sidelines, and the timely arrival of Gao Yingxiang and Li Wanqing's troops after they dealt with Lu Jinchun's garrison troops, Wang Er probably wouldn't have been able to withstand Mai Danian's fierce counterattack, and the ambush might have ended in failure.

Zhao Sheng's troops fared slightly better, but only compared to Wang Er's. They also suffered nearly a thousand casualties, a considerable loss.

In addition, Li Wanqing and Huang Long's forces also suffered heavy losses. In particular, Huang Long's force, which was nearly breached by Lu Jinchun's elite guards, suffered over a thousand casualties.

Zhou Lun's troops fought exceptionally well, making them the biggest highlight of the battle. However, when the casualties were tallied after the battle, Zhou Lun's face couldn't help but darken.

Of the 500 veterans, 37 died in this battle, and 81 were wounded, some seriously and some lightly. This means their casualty rate exceeded one-fifth. This figure clearly demonstrates the ferocity of the battle.

It's impossible for war to be fought without casualties, and Zhou Lun knew this all too well. But seeing so many of the elite veterans he had painstakingly trained suffer heavy losses, Zhou Lun felt a pang of heartache.

It's important to understand that training this elite veteran battalion was no easy feat. Over several months, Zhou Lun not only poured a great deal of effort into this unit but also amassed a massive amount of supplies from various sources. Otherwise, how could his veteran battalion have become so formidable?

"Leader!"

"Don't speak. Take good care of yourself."

Zhou Lun pressed down on a wounded soldier who was trying to get up, his voice gentle yet authoritative: "Our righteous army won a great victory in this battle. Without our brothers, we would never have been able to defeat the government army. Now that the war is over, just focus on recovering from your injuries."

In the makeshift camp, Zhou Lun personally applied medicine to the wounded soldiers and comforted them with kind words. Seeing how kind Zhou Lun treated them, the wounded soldiers were all moved to tears. Following such a leader, even if they were merely wounded, it would be worth it.

"Leader, I..." A young, heavily wounded soldier struggled to get up. His injuries were more severe than the others; his right arm had been severed, and even if he recovered, he would be crippled.

"Lie down...lie down..." Zhou Lun stepped forward and forcibly pressed the wounded man back down, whispering to him.

"Leader, I'm ruined... ruined..." Tears welled up in the wounded man's eyes as he turned to look at his mangled arm, his voice filled with despair.

"What nonsense!" Zhou Lun glanced at the wounded man's arm, then raised his voice, addressing the wounded soldier and everyone present: "You are all heroes! Heroes of my righteous army! And my brothers in arms! Those with minor injuries, take good care of yourselves and return to your ranks soon! Those with serious injuries need not worry. Even if you can no longer wield a sword or fight on the battlefield, as long as I, Zhou Lun, am here, you will have nowhere to go!"

Zhou Lun looked around and, in front of everyone, made his vow, word by word.

The brothers in the old camp are all his own flesh and blood. How could he, as the leader, abandon them? Losing an arm is fine, even losing a leg is no different.

Once you're in the camp, you're in it for life. Even if you can't fight on the front lines, can't you at least help train new recruits? Even if you can't train the new recruits, can't you do other support work? Even if you can't do any work, Zhou Lun will never abandon his brothers. As long as Zhou Lun is alive, if he has food to eat, his brothers will have food to eat too. Life and death together, heaven and earth bear witness!

Zhou Lun's words deeply moved all the wounded soldiers. The other veteran soldiers were even more determined in their belief that following such a leader was worthwhile.

Not only did Zhou Lun personally apply medicine and bandages to the wounded and comfort his subordinates, but Gao Guiying, who had just arrived, did the same. As a woman and Zhou Lun's wife, Gao Guiying had no airs whatsoever. She treated the wounded soldiers like her own brothers and family, bringing them water and medicine, and gently comforting them, which deeply moved all the soldiers.

Just as Zhou Lun was busy in the camp, suddenly, a series of cries and screams came from afar.

Zhou Lun subconsciously stood up and turned to look in the direction from which the sound came. But he was too far away to see clearly what had happened.

"One hit!"

"Here!" Gao Yigong, as Zhou Lun's personal guard, naturally participated in today's battle. However, Zhou Lun specially arranged for him to be placed at the back of the formation.

Firstly, Gao Yigong was his brother-in-law, and it was necessary to take care of him appropriately; he couldn't very well let him be at the forefront. Secondly, Gao Yigong was still young, and this was his first time on the battlefield, so Zhou Lun naturally couldn't use him like the other soldiers. This was not only out of practical considerations, but also for Gao Yigong's own good.

However, Gao Yigong was not intimidated at all; like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger. Although it was his first time participating in battle, he showed no fear whatsoever. Although he avoided the initial fierce fighting by staying in the rear, when Zhou Lun ordered a full-scale attack, this kid took advantage of Zhou Lun's inattention, grabbed his sword, and rushed to the front in a few strides.

Gao Yigong deserves credit for breaking through Lu Jinchun's central army. He not only fought his way to the front but also personally beheaded two garrison soldiers. After the battle, Zhou Lun was stunned to see Gao Yigong covered in blood and immediately went to check on his injuries. But to his surprise, the young man grinned and told Zhou Lun that he was unharmed, that the blood on his body was all from the enemy, and that he hadn't lost a single hair.

Zhou Lun chuckled and scolded him a few times, quite satisfied with Gao Yigong's performance that day. He told him to change his clothes, and then had him help him settle the wounded and assist him.

"What's going on over there? Go check it out." Zhou Lun pointed in the direction from which the commotion was coming.

Gao Yigong nodded in agreement and hurriedly ran over there.

In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Gao Yigong rushed back and told Zhou Lun that there was a commotion on the other side because Wang Erwang, the leader, was killing prisoners.

"Kill prisoners?" Zhou Lun was taken aback, his brows furrowing.

Gao Yigong nodded and recounted what he had witnessed. After listening to Gao Yigong, Zhou Lun frowned and pondered for a moment. Then, he asked Gao Guiying to take care of the wounded, and he led Gao Yigong quickly toward the wounded.

After walking for a while, the screams and cries became clearer, interspersed with bursts of sinister laughter, which sent chills down one's spine.

Zhou Lun pushed his way through the crowd and squeezed to the front.

At a glance, they saw more than a dozen government soldiers prisoners bound hand and foot, forced to kneel on the ground. Wang Er and his two brothers, each holding a large knife and wearing sinister smiles, walked up behind the prisoners.

He raised his broadsword, a flash of light in the air, and with a whoosh… accompanied by a desperate scream, Wang Er severed the prisoner's head. Hot blood spurted high from the headless neck. Wang Er kicked the corpse aside, licked his blood-stained lips, grinned maliciously, and continued walking towards the next one.

When Zhou Lun arrived, there were already a dozen or so headless corpses lying haphazardly on the ground. Blood was everywhere, seeping into the soil, and the air was filled with a strong stench of blood. The surviving government soldiers and prisoners cried out and pleaded desperately, their voices filled with fear and despair.

But Wang Er ignored him, killing him as easily as killing a chicken. He continued to walk behind the next prisoner, raised his broadsword, and prepared to repeat the action he had just taken.

"stop!"

Seeing this, Zhou Lun shouted out without thinking.

His shout of "Stop!" caused Wang Er's arm, which had already raised its broadsword, to pause in mid-air for a brief moment. Then, his broadsword continued to swing down. The prisoner's cries of despair and pleas for mercy abruptly ceased, and another head rolled to the ground. Wang Er casually kicked the corpse aside.

After beheading the man, Wang Er raised his hand and wiped his face. It would have been better if he hadn't wiped it; the wiping revealed the bloodstains on his face, and combined with his狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) expression, he looked exactly like a demon crawling out of hell.

"Heh, I wondered who it was? Turns out it's Chief Zhou." Wang Er turned to look at Zhou Lun, and when he saw who it was, he grinned. His white teeth stood out starkly against his blood-stained face.

"Why isn't Chief Zhou staying in his own camp? What are you doing here?" He tilted his head, his tone slightly mocking.

As he spoke, he glanced at the remaining prisoners and added with a chuckle, "What's up? Chief Zhou is also planning to vent his anger? If so, that's not a bad idea. I'll be generous today; these guys' heads are for Chief Zhou."