met free Chapter 541 Cavalrymen's Line-Up Execution
Chapter 541 Cavalrymen's Line-Up Execution
The screams of the bandits reached the ears of the cavalry soldiers. They turned around and saw more than a hundred Tartars slaughtering the bandits as if they were in an empty field. Their faces paled.
While the Mongols' mounted archery was also formidable, its visual impact paled in comparison to the close-quarters combat of these armored soldiers. Whether wielding a dagger, a mace, or an axe, every strike drew blood. The mace, in particular, was incredibly heavy and barbed; a single blow could flatten a head, or tear pieces of flesh from a limb, creating a gruesome spectacle.
Ma Wei sighed. The fighting power of the real Tartars was still terrifying. How could the bandits, who were at their last gasp, be a match for them? However, despite his sympathy, the two sides were locked in a melee, unable to distinguish friend from foe. He couldn't rashly intervene, so he could only order: "Check if the short guns are loaded with ammunition, maintain combat readiness, and continue advancing."
One of his men couldn't help but ask, "Boss, those bandits are covering our retreat; they're all tough guys. Should we go help them?"
Ma Wei shook his head: "These hundred or so Tartars are just the vanguard. Didn't you see the tens of thousands of troops behind them? If we turn back to help, it's tantamount to suicide. Although we are not afraid of death, there is no need to deliver ourselves into the Tartars' mouths for them to devour. Although we can't defeat these bandits, they outnumber us. Whether they can escape depends on their fate."
As they spoke, more than a hundred armored soldiers had already turned the bandit group upside down. The bandits, who outnumbered them tenfold, were routed and had no chance to fight back.
The bandits suffered repeated setbacks, lost their last shred of courage, and gave up resistance. Completely disregarding the fact that their backs were exposed to enemy fire, they fled for their lives. Kong Lianshun was unable to stop his men's rout and could only flee with the tide of people. Their defeat came sooner than Ma Wei had anticipated; by this time, the cavalry battalion had not yet escaped beyond a safe zone.
The soldiers were excited, chasing and beheading their opponents from behind with ease and pleasure. Earning merit so easily was their favorite thing to do. Since their opponents were so cooperative, they naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity, spurring their horses after them and brandishing their weapons. The battle entered their familiar pattern: herding an enemy several times their size like cattle and sheep, harvesting enemy heads like mowing grass.
While running, Ma Wei kept an eye on the movements behind him. Seeing that the bandits who were supposed to be covering his retreat were collapsing so quickly and were moving so fast that they might break through his ranks, he immediately became alert and shouted, "Everyone, halt! Prepare to fire!"
The cavalry battalion immediately halted their advance, turned their horses around to face the rear, formed a horizontal line, and raised their short muskets.
Ma Wei silently apologized to his soldiers, saying, "Brother Kong, I'm sorry." Then he told them, "As soon as the enemy enters our firing range, whether they are bandits or Tartars, open fire! We must not let them disrupt our formation and give the Tartars an opportunity!" His cavalry battalion's greatest strength was its firearms. In terms of horsemanship and hand-to-hand combat, they might not even be as good as the bandits, let alone the Tartar soldiers. Therefore, maintaining their formation and using firearms to repel the pursuers was the only option.
The fleeing bandits were startled when they saw the dark muzzle of a gun ahead. They knew all too well how powerful those pistols were; judging from the enemy's posture, they knew they would definitely open fire if they charged.
With muskets in front and Tartars behind, the desperate bandits scattered to both sides, trying to avoid the volley of musket fire. They were not Mongols, after all; during the maneuver, many fell due to the momentum of their horses and were trampled into a bloody pulp by their pursuing comrades and soldiers.
After the bandits scattered to both sides, the Later Jin soldiers, being outnumbered, couldn't split their forces to pursue them. Just as they hesitated, a well-prepared cavalry unit appeared ahead. They were dressed in typical Ming army attire and carried firearms resembling muskets. The battlefield instincts honed by countless battles made the soldiers sense the danger; clearly, this cavalry with firearms posed a greater threat than the ragtag group from before.
The leader, Jiala Zhangjing, made a quick decision: abandon the bandits and attack the force. He reined in his horse, dismounted, and shouted, "These Nikans have firearms. We are outnumbered and cannot charge head-on. Dismount and shoot arrows!"
The armored soldiers dismounted, took down their bows, and drew light arrows from their quivers. The armored men of the Later Jin were actually heavy infantrymen on horseback, unlike the Mongols who wore only leather armor and used light horse bows. Their bows had to be taken off their horses to maintain sufficient power and lethality, as the jolting of the horse would negate most of the arrow's power.
Ma Wei cursed under his breath. These Tartars were truly cunning. If they had charged straight at him like the bandits, a volley of a thousand short guns would have rendered them incapable of fighting. Now, the enemy was exchanging arrows with him from a distance, and the short guns' range was somewhat limited. He wondered how effective they would be.
He also gave the order, "Everyone dismount and fire a volley." Cavalrymen are better at shooting arrows when they are off horseback, and musketeers have a similar effect when they are off horseback, at least their accuracy is higher than when they are on horseback.
The battle between the two cavalry units has now turned into a confrontation between infantry.
Jiala Ezhen gave the order: "Shoot!"
More than a hundred bows creaked and groaned as they were drawn to their full length, pointing diagonally towards the sky. Then, almost simultaneously, the soldiers released their bowstrings, and a rain of arrows flew in a parabola towards the opposite side with a whooshing sound.
At the same time, Mawei gave the order: "Fire!"
"Bang bang bang," a thousand short guns fired in unison, and lead bullets rained down on the target.
Both sides were outside the optimal range of their short guns and bows, so this round of fire was not very effective. However, the Tartars were outnumbered and were clearly at a greater disadvantage.
Few cavalrymen were hit by arrows, and most of the arrows fired caused minor injuries. Although only a dozen or so armored soldiers were hit due to their sparse formation and the cover of their horses, the lead bullets could penetrate thick cotton armor and chainmail, creating a bloody hole with their immense stopping force. Even if the hit soldiers did not die, they were rendered unable to fight.
Seeing that things were going badly, the Jiala Zhangjing ordered, "Take ten steps forward and switch to heavy arrows!"
Seeing that the enemy, numbering only a hundred or so, dared to advance a distance on foot and continue shooting arrows against their own thousand men, Ma Wei was enraged. He shouted, "We cannot let the Tartars be so arrogant! Everyone, advance ten paces and fire two volleys!"
After closing the distance, both sides raised their bows and arrows (short guns) again and aimed at each other.
Both sides were very confident in their ability to shoot at this distance. The Later Jin army defeated the Mongol light cavalry, who were skilled in mounted archery, and the Ming army, which used matchlock muskets, precisely because of their heavy armor and close-range heavy arrows. Although the cavalry battalion consisted of new recruits and were cavalrymen, their shooting training was conducted according to the infantry manual. The Qionghai Army's firing squads had never encountered a worthy opponent.