I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Therefore, the orthodox "cavalry charge" always begins with a moderate pace, and only after closing the distance to the front line does it suddenly accelerate and attack the enemy formation with lightning speed.

Sagawa Kanbei took the lead, personally serving as the spearhead of the attack.

The other cavalry followed closely behind, forming a small wedge shape.

And so, this small wedge formation pressed relentlessly toward the enemy lines.

When the two sides were only a few hundred meters apart, Sagawa Kanbei gave a wink to his subordinate on the left.

The man immediately understood and raised the conch shell in his hand, blowing it forcefully.

Woo-woo—! Woo-woo—! Woo-woo—! Woo-woo—!

As the clarion call of the horns sounded, the warhorses began to take small steps, gradually accelerating, their hooves kicking up clouds of dust! Along with the dust rose a chilling aura of killing intent!

As the distance between them closed, Sagawa Kanbei gradually saw the enemy's current situation—before the enemy's advance, the filthy bandits had already scattered and fled.

—As expected, they are just a rabble!

This situation further boosted Sagawa Kanbei's confidence.

The sight of the bandits fleeing in terror at the sudden appearance of the cavalry not only caught the eye of Sagawa Kanbei, but also of the other cavalrymen.

They were all full of confidence, just waiting to storm into the chaotic enemy ranks and slaughter them!

Sagawa Kanbei brandished his scythe with great spirit and shouted with gusto:

"The enemy has been routed! Slaughter them all..."

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A sudden series of loud noises interrupted Sagawa Kanbei's words.

In addition to his "mobilization speech," the bugle calls beside him also ceased.

"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

The cavalryman in charge of blowing the horn screamed and fell from his horse, the conch shell in his hand naturally falling to the ground as well, and the horn sounding came to an abrupt end.

"..."

Sagawa Kanbei stared wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape, as he turned to stare blankly at the cavalryman who had fallen to the ground and was no longer alive, looking as if he had lost his soul.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The series of loud noises brought his soul back to reality.

Sagawa Kanbei, belatedly realizing what was happening, screamed at the top of his lungs in a hoarse voice:

"Armored cannons! Armored cannons! Scatter! Scatter quickly! Scatter, everyone!"

However... it was too late.

Two more cavalrymen were shot down.

Woof woof woof woof woof woof—!

The warhorse growled uneasy.

The once tightly packed wedge formation instantly became loose and chaotic.

*******

*******

Happy Lunar New Year's Eve! The Year of the Dragon is here! (Leopard.jpg)

May all my fellow book lovers become outstanding individuals like Qingdeng in the new year! May you soar like dragons in the boundless sky!

Leopard isn't greedy, please give some monthly tickets to this book! Consider it a New Year's gift for Leopard (crying leopard head.jpg) Please give monthly tickets! Please give recommendation tickets! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

P.S.: Why did the bandits have muskets? I wonder if any readers can guess?

Chapter 642 "I wield my bow and arrows, and Zuo Nako wields his naginata; what can a million men do to me?" [4100]

Sparkling sparks, drifting smoke...

With his fairly good eyesight, Sagawa Kanbei saw the bandit musketeers a hundred meters away, arguably adjusting their formation.

The gunmen who had just fired the shots hurriedly retreated, all the way to the back row. They opened the powder cauldron, cleaned out the remaining ash, then took out the priming canister, poured an appropriate amount of priming powder into the cauldron, and then took out the gunpowder bag, pouring the gunpowder into the muzzle along with a thumb-sized bullet.

The gunners in the back row stepped forward, attached the lit match cord to the breechblock, adjusted the length of the match cord to ensure it could be properly lit in the powder cauldron, blew on the red-hot match cord, opened the lid of the powder cauldron, and completed the firing preparation.

The enemy soldiers did not fire simultaneously, but rather in three columns, taking turns firing.

When the first column fires, the second column prepares, the third column loads ammunition, and after the first column finishes firing, it moves through the gap between the two columns to the rear column. The second column then moves forward to fire, and the third column fills in the position of the second column. This progressive firing is repeated in a cycle to ensure an inexhaustible rain of bullets!

This is the classic tactic of the matchlock gun – the three-stage volley!

Looking around, the musketeers of the bandit army appeared very unskilled.

Whether it's changing formations or loading ammunition, everything exudes a chaotic, rushed feel.

There was even a ridiculous incident where people moving backward and those moving forward collided during an array change.

However, the terrifying thing about musketeers... or rather, muskets—is that even a novice who has just started out can be incredibly lethal once he picks up a musket!

Although Sagawa Kanbei immediately ordered his men to disperse to avoid being targeted by concentrated fire, it was too late.

His momentum had waned, and the horse beneath him, startled, became uneasy.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Another volley of bullets came hurtling in.

The scorching bullets stirred the air, releasing the scent of death.

Extremely poor accuracy was the fatal weakness of the matchlock gun.

If linear tactics are not employed... that is, the so-called "line-up shooting," then hardly any people will be hit.

This time, thanks to Sagawa Kanbei's order for his men to disperse, no one was unfortunately hit by a bullet.

However, the primary purpose of the matchlock gun was not to kill enemy soldiers, but to suppress their momentum and create panic among them.

Even without being shot, it can make one's hair stand on end and create a sense of pressure.

Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!

Stimulated by the repeated, deafening gunshots, the warhorses beneath Sagawa Kanbei and his men became increasingly restless.

A very few horses even started to react to stress, becoming unruly and no longer charging forward. Instead, they thrashed about in place, trying to throw their riders off their backs.

Given this situation, any competent cavalry commander would immediately conclude that this charge is unlikely to achieve any results!

Sagawa Kanbei stared blankly at the musket formation in front of him and his men behind him, who were showing clear signs of defeat.

A strong sense of hesitation tugged at his eyes.

Finally, he gritted his teeth—so hard it seemed he wanted to crush his molars—and roared:

"Retreat! Retreat! Withdraw! Everyone, retreat!"

As soon as he gave the order, the Aizu cavalrymen immediately turned their horses around as if granted a pardon and charged towards the Shinsengumi camp.

They didn't even dare to turn their heads... leaving the celebratory shouts of joy at defeating the powerful enemy far behind them...

Just minutes before, the Aizu cavalry were full of vigor, but in the blink of an eye, they were fleeing in disarray, their morale completely shattered before they even reached the outer perimeter of the enemy lines...

Such a tragic outcome left not only Sagawa Kanbei, who led the cavalry charge, in disbelief, but also everyone in the Shinsengumi camp.

……

……

Shinsengumi camp —

The Aizu cavalry charged, the Aizu cavalry were routed, the Aizu cavalry fled back... These scenes, full of tension and contrast, were clearly reflected in the eyes of Aoto and the generals of the Shinsengumi.

No one spoke... A heavy atmosphere descended upon them.

In the midst of this silence, Yamanami Keisuke murmured, without a trace of sorrow or joy:

"It's practically a carbon copy of the Battle of Changshu..."

The Battle of Nagashino – a famous battle of the Sengoku period, a decisive battle between the Oda and Tokugawa allied forces and the Takeda army.

In 1575, the Otoku allied forces fought against the Takeda army at Nagashino.

Oda Nobunaga mobilized over a thousand matchlock muskets, and with his well-constructed fortifications and overwhelming firepower, he wiped out the world-renowned Takeda cavalry in one fell swoop. Three of the "Four Heavenly Kings of Takeda" were gone, and the once mighty Takeda clan began its decline.

Whether it was the Aizu cavalry's spirited charge or the overwhelming power of firearms against cavalry... as Yamanami Keisuke said, it was all like a reenactment of the Battle of Nagashino two hundred years ago.

Todo Heisuke muttered slowly, his face full of confusion:

Why do the bandits have arquebuses?

His question was a shared concern of everyone present.

Although Western countries now use advanced firearms such as the Spencer lever-action rifle and the Henry M1860 rifle, matchlock guns are still very rare weapons in Japan today.

Generally speaking, it was considered quite remarkable for small fiefdoms to have four or five usable matchlock guns.

Where did the bandits get so many matchlock guns?

Also, where did they find so many musketeers?

When did these "former farmers" who previously only knew how to wield hoes learn to operate complex matchlock guns?

"...Let's go."

Suddenly, Qingdeng, holding the Vairocana pendant at his waist, turned and walked down the earthen slope.

"Go and greet that idiot who wanted to show off but ended up making a fool of himself."

……

……

"..."

Sagawa Kanbei hung his head, his face was pale, his eyes were empty, and he looked like the embodiment of the word "disillusioned".

The remnants of his army behind him all looked utterly terrified.

After riding through the gate, Sagawa Kanbei suddenly felt someone blocking his way.