gnovel Chapter 38 Surprise Attack
Chapter 38 Surprise Attack
The breech-loading cannon was introduced to the Ming Dynasty during the Jiajing era. Because it adopted a mother-and-child gun structure, its rate of fire was faster than other muzzle-loading cannons, which made it a favorite of Qi Jiguang, who was then leading troops in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to defend against Japanese pirates.
Qi Jiguang's troops were equipped with seven different models of breech-loading cannons, depending on their weight and caliber.
Cannons weighing over 1,000 jin were called "General Cannons" and were mostly used to defend fortified cities. Cannons weighing between 500 and 1,000 jin were called "Second General Cannons," and cannons weighing between 100 and 500 jin were called "Third General Cannons." Cannons weighing less than 100 jin were further divided into "Fourth General Cannons" and "Fifth General Cannons" based on their weight. Cannons from Second General to Fifth General were all field artillery.
The three cannons that Zhang Shixiong pulled out of the garrison's armory were all second-class cannons, each weighing 600 jin (approximately 300 kg) and equipped with nine bullets, each solid iron bullet weighing 3 jin and 2 liang (approximately 1.6 kg).
After the three cannon shots, two more rapid rounds of cannon fire followed, demonstrating the superior rate of fire of the breech-loading cannon!
Nine solid iron balls, each weighing three pounds and two ounces, whistled through the air and slammed into the dense crowd of Wang Er's team.
In an instant, the human body, armor, and weapons seemed to become fragile pieces of paper, all pierced and pulverized, with the iron bullets carving out a bloody path.
Screams and wails replaced the previous frenzied shouts. Many people were stunned by this unprecedented terrorist attack and stood frozen in place. But many more were terrified by the scene before them and instinctively scattered backward or to the sides. Wang Er's central army was in complete chaos.
"Hit! Commander, hit!" the gunner shouted excitedly, and the surrounding soldiers erupted in cheers as if they had survived a disaster, their morale boosted.
But Zhang Shixiong did not laugh.
His gaze pierced through the chaotic bandit army. As the dust settled, Wang Er's banner was still there!
Beneath the banner, a man was brandishing a long sword, roaring at the panicked crowd. He even personally cut down a minor leader who was trying to escape.
It's Wang Er.
"Fire again at the banner!"
Zhang Shixiong roared as he issued the order.
"Sir," the gunner said in a panic, "the other guns are loaded with shotgun shells, and the few iron bullets we have have all been fired."
At this moment, Zhang Shixiong wished he could devour the artillery commander, but he also knew it was pointless.
"Then fire scattershot!" Zhang Shixiong roared, giving the order to the artillery commander. He then turned to the flag bearer and said, "Signal Lu Bingzhong, cavalry attack! Now!"
"Yes, sir!"
The crimson attack flag was suddenly waved.
Lu Bingzhong, who had been anxiously waiting at the rear of the camp, saw the signal, his eyes flashing with ferocity. He mounted his horse, raised his sword high, and shouted, "Brothers, follow me to kill the bandits!"
Wang Er was still in shock. The closest shell from the government troops' artillery barrage was only two steps away from him, smashing one of his childhood friends into pieces.
After the shelling ended, he checked himself over and found he was unharmed.
As expected, God was on my side.
He composed himself, drew his sword, and killed an old corporal who was trying to escape. He roared at the spot where the government troops had just fired, "The government's shells only kill cowards! Those who charge forward won't die!"
The crowd around him was intimidated by his roar and, filled with hatred for the government troops, mustered their remaining courage and charged forward.
The government troops' cannons opened fire again, firing shrapnel. The men in front fell down like wheat being harvested, but those behind couldn't see and continued to push forward.
They quickly rushed to the front of the grain carts and began stabbing each other with the government troops armed with long spears. However, some people kept prying open the grain carts and engaging in close combat with the garrison troops inside the cart formation.
Wang Er felt that this battle was going to be in the bag. Although the exchange rate between his side and the government troops was touching, with basically three or four of his own men falling for every government soldier who died, Wang Er's side had more men.
There is no shortage of men in northern Shaanxi now; as long as a recruitment banner is raised, there will be plenty of people.
But at that moment, a scout of cavalry charged out from the north of the camp.
Lu Bingzhong took the lead, followed closely by more than fifty cavalrymen, who, like a sharp steel blade, suddenly slashed towards the left flank of the enemy army. The sound of galloping hooves was initially drowned out by the shouts of battle ahead, but by the time the enemy army realized what was happening, they had already pounced on the front lines.
"Government cavalry!"
Wang Er's left flank consisted mostly of starving civilians who had been coerced into joining the army, along with a few weak underlings. When they suddenly saw the elite cavalry charging towards them, they were thrown into chaos.
Lu Bingzhong completely ignored the scattered and defeated soldiers, and with his servants, stared intently at the large "King" banner in front of him.
He crouched low, held his long sword horizontally, and spurred his horse to its maximum speed, crashing fiercely into the enemy ranks!
Where the blade flashed, waves of blood surged, and not a single general could withstand the attack.
The cavalry's impact was on full display at this moment, easily tearing open gaps in the hastily formed enemy infantry ranks. Wherever the government cavalry passed, men and horses fell, and screams echoed everywhere.
Although Lu Bingzhong was arrogant in his dealings with others and was criticized by his colleagues and superiors, he had the right to be arrogant.
A cavalry vanguard charged forward, cutting through the enemy's left flank and advancing directly towards Wang Er's central army.
Although Wang Er had calmed down, the others around him had not yet fully recovered from the roar of the breech-loading cannons. At this time, the central army had not yet returned to normal, and then there was a cavalry attack, making things even more chaotic.
Several veteran camp leaders who had followed Wang Er since Chengcheng hurriedly organized their men to try to intercept them, but they were powerless against the high-speed attacking cavalry.
It was clear that if Lu Bingzhong advanced another twenty steps, he would reach Wang Er's banner. Even if he couldn't kill Wang Er, as long as he cut down Wang Er's central banner, the enemy army would surely collapse.
Just then, a series of rapid clapper sounds came from the side, followed by a dense series of bowstring vibrations.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"
A hail of arrows rained down from the flank and rear of Wang Er's army. Though not perfectly accurate, the arrows were dense enough to instantly cover the advancing government cavalry. The mounted cavalrymen, clad in armor, were not many who felled in the first volley, but their horses were all wounded.
In particular, the warhorses of several servants who were charging ahead of Lu Bingzhong all fell to the ground, and these fallen warhorses blocked the cavalry that were trying to continue their charge.
Lu Bingzhong was left with only two or three people. In front of him, under Wang Erda's banner, a team of gunmen had already formed a line, their spears pointed directly at him.
Lu Bingzhong could only grit his teeth, turn around, pull one of his servants off the ground onto his horse, and join the cavalry behind him, preparing to launch another attack.
Just as he was about to act, a band of about two hundred enemy infantrymen suddenly appeared from the spot where the arrows had just struck, blocking his path of attack.
Although this group of people was dressed in a messy manner like other bandits, they moved with a certain order. Most of the soldiers carried long spears and broadswords, and some simple shields and oars were erected at the front. The person in the lead was wearing a purple cloth armor that only border troops of the rank of captain or above could wear. It was Luo Dai and his men!
"Luo Dai is here! Those corrupt officials, cease your arrogance!"
As Luo Dai roared, his men thrust their spears through the gaps in the shield wall, forming a wall of spikes.
Lu Bingzhong looked at the shield wall, then at his men. There were more than fifty riders when they set out, but now only thirty or so remained, all wounded. Many of them, like himself, had almost been riddled with thorns, and many of their warhorses were foaming at the mouth.
Looking around, the remaining soldiers of the bandit army had begun to slowly surround them, and the situation was not optimistic.
"Turn around! Get out of here!"
Lu Bingzhong roared as he gave the order.
Realizing that he could no longer defeat the enemy and that continuing the fight would only lead to his demise at the hands of the enemy, Lu Bingzhong finally decided to retreat.
He turned his horse around, his long sword flashing in an arc as he cut down two approaching bandits. He then led the remaining troops away like a whirlwind, killing many stragglers along the way who were unable to dodge in time.
Luo Dai did not pursue, knowing that his infantry could not catch up with the cavalry, and that maintaining the line was the most important thing at present.
Wang Er recovered from the shock of almost being beheaded by a cavalry raid. He stood under the banner, his face contorted with anger and lingering fear.
The government troops' artillery and cavalry were aimed directly at his head, which was infuriating. But now all that was in the past; the cavalry raid was probably the government troops' last resort.
Now that this trump card has become ineffective, what is there to fear?
He roared, brandishing his sword at the crumbling walls of the government army camp: "Brothers! The government cannons are silent! Our cavalry has been driven back! They're out of tricks! Charge with me and crush them! Break down the camp, and all the grain and goods inside will be ours!"
"Kill them!"
This time, Wang Er held nothing back. He threw all the remaining veteran soldiers into the attack, along with starving civilians whose eyes were bloodshot from the lure of the bounty. They formed a massive black wave that crashed heavily onto the government army's camp!