Chapter 47 Initial Victory

  Originally, the fire gun was so fierce that Zhang Guangcai's mouth was wide open, and he observed it carefully. He didn't even have a chance to issue orders, and the Qing army's first attack was repelled. The shields and armor were like useless under the close-range gunfire, and seemed to have no other effect except increasing the difficulty for soldiers climbing the slope.

  No, it's not the fire gun that's powerful, but the method of the lord. Zhang Guangcai involuntarily turned his head to glance at the second line of defense, where the king's flag was proudly standing, fluttering in the wind. A complex emotion flashed across his face. He had seen fire guns before, both the Ming and Qing armies had them, except for the three Shun kings who might have had a well-established fire gun battalion, other troops used them as auxiliary forces that could be dispensed with, and they were not valued in field battles.

  In this way, the rotation of shooting did not stop, and with the dangerous terrain, there were trenches and fences blocking the way. The Qing army wanted to rush over, but they would have to fill it with countless corpses! Zhang Guangcai revealed a hint of cold smile, feeling sorry for the Qing army below the mountain.

  "General." A lieutenant general came over and reminded him: "Do you want to send someone out to collect their heads?"

  Ah, Zhang Guangcai's thoughts were in turmoil, and he had actually forgotten about this matter. He steadied himself, and with a stern expression, he waved his hand and gave the order: "The executioners, go out and behead all of the enemy leaders, then immediately report back to the palace with an accurate count."

  Ladders were quickly set up against the railing, and over a hundred Ming soldiers holding knives and axes climbed up, crossed the 7-8 meter wide and 5-6 deep trench, and swung their blades at the fallen Qing corpses and wounded. The dying, desperate cries and curses rose in the midst of the bloody shadows, as head after head was lifted by the hair, the headless bodies lying pitifully on their stomachs or backs, blood flowing profusely, seeping into the dusty earth.

  The muskets fired in volleys, killing and wounding over 200 Qing soldiers. Moreover, more than a hundred were trampled to death or injured while fleeing down the steep slope. The steep and straight dirt road with an incline of over 70 degrees was covered with loose soil, making it difficult to climb up and even harder to descend. Normally, one would need to use walking sticks for support, tense every muscle in their body, and put all their weight on the toes, which would cause pain after just a few steps, making every step almost unbearable.

  The Qing army was also fighting for the first time in such terrain, lacking experience, and being bombarded by gunfire from a higher position, the front row retreated, squeezing the rear row. On the steep mountain road, what was originally a slight retreat to regroup immediately triggered a stampede and trampling. In the dusty field of vision, the situation became completely chaotic.

  The corpses and wounded soldiers stretched far away along the steep mountain road, although it was difficult to walk underfoot, but the Ming army's knife and axe hands did not want to fall behind a single head, using the tip of the knife and the handle of the axe to support themselves as they walked down, mercilessly harvesting the bloody heads, stripping off the still usable armor and weapons.

  Down the mountain, the Qing army's right banner middle camp commander Wang Jinbao was staring at the royal flag on the mountain with gritted teeth, listening to a dusty and dirty thousand general reporting on the first attack. The mountain road was steep, dust flew everywhere, trenches blocked the way, and guns fired densely... These were indeed difficulties, but the fact that so many people died or were injured all at once still made Wang Jinbao extremely angry.

  Among the officers who rose to prominence under Zhang Yong, Zhao Liangdong and Wang Jinbao were the most famous, also known as the sworn brothers of Wei Xiaobao in The Deer and the Cauldron. Among them, Zhao Liangdong had already been promoted to Vice General of the Yunnan-Guizhou Governor's Office and left Zhang Yong's command. Only Wang Jinbao was still under Zhang Yong's command, undoubtedly also one of Zhang Yong's most powerful generals.

  If measured by strategy, Zhao Liangdong is superior to Wang Jinbao; if judged by military strength, then Wang Jinbao surpasses Zhao Liangdong. In the heat of battle, Wang Jinbao often led the charge, wielding a 60-pound iron whip and charging into the fray with great bravery.

  As the most powerful general under Zhang Yong's command, Wang Jinbao is naturally the vanguard officer. He is also eager to make military achievements and rise through the ranks again. However, he suffered a crushing defeat in the first battle, which made him furious and unwilling to accept.

  "The mountain road is steep, and wooden stakes can be nailed to facilitate support. Step by step, climb up to the enemy's trenches." Wang Jinbao suppressed the anger in his heart, thought for a moment, and proposed his own plan, "Our northwest strongmen are good at shooting, we can first use bows and arrows to kill the enemy from a distance, and then take advantage of the opportunity to launch a fierce attack."

  Although there are still difficulties that have not been resolved, is there a battlefield where everything goes smoothly and the enemy is rendered powerless? Attacking a stronghold is like attacking a city, using lives to fill out victories is also a very normal thing. Moreover, the fake imperial flag left behind by the king's guard above has formed an extremely great temptation for Wang Jinbao.

  The Qing army suddenly rose in a commotion, with some gritting their teeth, others shouting curses, some wailing in grief, and others beating their chests in anguish. It turned out that after the Ming army had finished collecting and counting the severed heads, they had placed each head on top of the palisade, as if to show off their victory, but also to mock them.

  "Immediately cut down the wooden stakes, launch a fierce attack on the enemy's stronghold, kill all the enemies, capture the fake imperial relatives who are left to guard, and avenge the death of my sworn brother." Wang Jinbao's eyes turned red as he shouted to urge the officers beside him.

  Beheaded three hundred and six levels, this is a victory that is not big or small. If the defending army has almost no casualties, the value of the victory can be greatly increased. Zhu Yongxing received the report from the first line of defense, and a faint smile appeared on his face, but soon he frowned again, seemingly dissatisfied with Zhang Guangcai's handling of the first level.

  But in the end, Zhu Yongxing still didn't say anything. The battlefield of an era has its own characteristics, and this bloody and cruel way of dealing with things made him feel uncomfortable, but it was a move that both sides had used before, and did not think it was particularly excessive. Since it had the effect of boosting morale, Zhu Yongxing also didn't want to lose his temper at this time, dampening the Ming army's fighting spirit.

  "Your Highness, the Qing army is nailing wooden stakes on the mountain road, preparing to advance steadily." Xiang Datou Si Dao Bailong, who was shocked by the power of firearms just now, came back to his senses and asked in a half-reminding, half-inquiring tone.

  Zhu Yongxing brought Baidi Long along, intending to let him witness the strength of the Ming army and use a few victories to firm up Baidi Long's determination to support the Southern Ming forces. A strong dragon cannot suppress the local snake, especially when the dragon is not yet powerful, so the attitude of the local Tusi is crucial. Even if they do not send troops to assist in the war, the supply of grain and materials will be an important factor in whether the defeated Ming army can persist for a long time in remote areas.

  From the expression on Bao Long's face just now, Zhu Yongxing felt that the effect was still good. The muzzle flash and sound of the fire gun, as well as the smoke, were indeed very shocking. As for the Qing army's wooden stakes, he wasn't afraid at all. In history, at this extremely steep angle, expeditionary forces had also adopted methods such as piling people on top of each other or tying themselves to trees in order to shoot.

  Now, for the questions of Baidulong, he is still very willing to answer them in order to dispel his doubts.