69novels Chapter 1201: The Overwhelming Power of Firearms!
Chapter 1201: The Overwhelming Power of Firearms!
Murong Jie led two thousand men in the central route to the outer perimeter of the Huaxia army camp. He saw that the camp was sparsely lit, and the sentries seemed to be dozing off. He was delighted and waved to signal them to advance.
Just as the assassins were scaling the fence, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, countless tripwires sprang up from the ground, and arrows rained down from the darkness. Then, torches blazed all around, illuminating the area as if it were daytime. The musketeers, who had been lying in ambush, appeared from three sides, their dark muzzles pointed at them.
"We've fallen into their trap! Retreat!" Murong Jie shouted hoarsely.
But it was too late.
"Free fire!" the commander ordered.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Lead bullets rained down like a storm. The assassins, clad in light armor, were like paper before the muskets. Murong Jie brandished his twin swords, deflecting several bullets, and roared, "Martial artists, follow me! Destroy those iron pipes!"
Twenty martial artists used their lightness skills to swoop down on the musketeer team's position like large birds. But as soon as they leaped up, they were spotted by a specialized sniper squad.
"Aim at those that jump!" Cao Can personally commanded this squad.
A volley of precise shots struck, and seven of the leaping warriors fell to the ground. The remaining warriors, their eyes bloodshot, continued their charge. Murong Jie led the charge, his twin blades flashing like silver light, managing to reach within thirty paces of the musket formation.
"Die!" he roared, throwing his twin swords, and two musketeers fell to the ground.
But this was his final moment of glory. The next instant, at least twenty muskets were pointed at him.
"put!"
Lead bullets rained down from all directions. Murong Jie managed to dodge a few, but many more struck his body. He looked down and saw seven or eight bloody holes exploded in his chest. Before losing consciousness, his last thought was: Uncle, nephew... I'm going first...
Half an hour later, the night raiding force was completely wiped out. Of the five thousand soldiers, fewer than fifty escaped back to their camp.
Murong Zheng waited all night in the central command tent, only to receive news of blood-soaked wrecked soldiers and the death of Murong Jie.
“Jay…” He choked with tears and slumped into a chair.
"General, please accept my condolences," the adjutant said in a low voice. "The most urgent matter now is how to proceed next."
Murong Zheng wiped away his tears, his eyes bloodshot: "What else can we do? Our supply lines are cut off, reinforcements haven't arrived, and morale is shattered..." He suddenly laughed bitterly, "I never thought that after thirty years of fighting, I, Murong Zheng, would be defeated here today."
"General," the lieutenant knelt and wept, "this humble general is willing to lead his elite troops to escort you out of the encirclement!"
"Break through?" Murong Zheng shook his head. "With 120,000 troops here, how can I, as the commander-in-chief, escape alone?" He stood up and looked around at the generals in the tent. "Order the entire army to fight to the death tomorrow."
At dawn on the fourth day, the Qinghe Plain was shrouded in a thin mist.
The gates of the state army camp swung open, and 120,000 troops poured out. Banners fluttered like a forest, swords and spears gleamed like snow, and the army's bearing remained imposing. But upon closer inspection, many soldiers' eyes held no will to fight, only despair.
Murong Zheng, clad in golden armor and a red robe, stood at the forefront of the battle, spear in hand. Gazing at the gradually clearing Chinese army formation in the distance, he took a deep breath and proclaimed in a loud voice: "Soldiers! Today's battle is a fight to the death! But for soldiers, dying on the battlefield is their duty! Follow me and kill the enemy!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" came the mixed responses.
Opposite them, Han Xin and Cao Can stood side by side at the front of the battle.
"Murong Zheng is going all out," Cao Can said.
"Even a cornered beast will fight." Han Xin said calmly, "Give the order to deploy according to the predetermined formation. Musketeers in front, black-armored cavalry on the flanks, and artillery in the rear."
Upon receiving the order, the Huaxia army swiftly changed formation. Eight thousand musketeers were arranged in a three-line formation at the front, a tactic designed by Han Xin based on the characteristics of muskets: the first line would fire and then retreat to reload, while the second line would advance and fire, and so on, maintaining uninterrupted firepower.
The black-armored cavalry were positioned on both flanks, each flank consisting of five thousand men. They were fully armored, and even their warhorses were covered in iron armor; they were true heavy cavalry.
At the very back, fifty cannons were already loaded, their muzzles aimed at the densest area of the state army.
At the third quarter of the hour of Chen (7:45 AM), the war drums sounded.
Murong Zheng pointed his longsword forward: "All troops, charge!"
The 120,000-strong army surged forward like a tidal wave. Leading the charge were swordsmen and shieldmen, followed by spearmen, and finally archers and crossbowmen. This was a standard offensive formation, which, in the past, would have been enough to tear apart any defensive line.
But in the face of firearms, this is suicide.
"Cannons ready—" Han Xin's voice was relayed through the messengers.
"put!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Fifty cannons roared simultaneously. Solid shot pounded into the crowd, bouncing and tumbling upon impact, tearing flesh and blood apart in its wake. Explosive shells detonated in mid-air, shrapnel raining down, covering an area of several meters in radius.
In the first round of shelling, a large number of the state army's vanguard fell. But those behind continued to charge forward—military orders were absolute, and those who retreated would be executed.
"Musketeers, prepare—" Cao Can took over command.
When the state troops charged within two hundred paces, the order was given: "First line, fire!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Eight thousand muskets fired in three lines in rapid succession, the barrage almost without pause. A metallic storm of lead bullets swept across the battlefield, and the state troops fell in droves like wheat being harvested. The shields of the swordsmen and shield bearers were like paper before the lead bullets, and the pikemen were shot down before they could even get close.
Murong Zheng charged forward under the protection of his personal guards, witnessing firsthand how a lead bullet struck the helmet of the captain beside him. The helmet pierced, and his head exploded like a watermelon. Red and white splattered all over him.
"General! We can't get through!" the captain of the personal guards shouted.
Murong Zheng gritted his teeth: "Keep charging! Once we get close, those iron pipes are just scrap metal!"
But it was easier said than done. The musketeers' shooting was accurate and deadly. After three volleys, the state army had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties, yet they could not even break through a hundred paces.
Even more terrifying, the black-armored cavalry on both flanks began to move.
"Black-armored cavalry, charge!" Han Xin waved his command flag.
Ten thousand black-armored cavalrymen, like two iron torrents, cut into the state army's formation from both sides. Wielding three-meter-long spears, they formed a wedge formation, and none could stop them in their path. The state army's spears could only leave white dots on the black armor, while the black-armored cavalrymen's spears could easily pierce through several men.
The battlefield turned into a one-sided massacre. Musketeers provided ranged suppression, black-armored cavalry engaged in close combat, and artillery barrages disrupted the enemy's formation. Despite their numbers, the state army scattered like headless flies.
Despite being struck by three bullets, Murong Zheng fought on relentlessly. He felled several black-armored cavalrymen with his spear, but more enemies surrounded him. His personal guards fell one by one until he was the only one left.
"Han Xin!" he roared hoarsely, "Do you dare to fight me!"
Han Xin heard the roar from behind the lines. He remained silent for a moment, then spurred his horse forward and shouted, "Make way!"
The black-armored cavalry parted to make way. Han Xin rode alone to within thirty paces of Murong Zheng: "General Murong, having fought to this point, you have fulfilled your duty. Why not surrender?"
Murong Zheng looked at his young opponent and suddenly burst into laughter: "What a fine Han Xin, what a fine Huaxia army! Today's defeat is not due to a lack of skill, but rather because Heaven is not on our side." He paused, then said solemnly, "But a general should die rather than surrender."