Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 534 Clash (Part Six)

After regrouping, the Spanish cavalry continued to spur their horses and chase after the Xinhua convoy, which was gradually disappearing into the distance.

With just this short delay, the other side had already run several miles away, and all that could be seen was the rising dust in front of them.

The cavalrymen urged their horses onward, their hooves thundering and shaking the earth once more.

The gleaming silver coins on the carriage they had just seen had ignited their greed, and now everyone was scrambling to catch up with the caravan and plunder even more treasure.

The spur pierced the horse's belly deeply, causing the warhorse to neigh in pain and increase its speed by three points.

About half an hour later, the distance between them and Xinhua's convoy gradually closed, but the terrain also began to narrow.

Gentle hills rise on both sides, stretching into the distance, and amidst shrubs and wild grass, a narrow valley—Valley of San Martín—appears before the Spanish.

At the entrance to the valley, the new Chinese resorted to their old tricks again, placing more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages across the middle of the road, completely blocking the already narrow entrance.

About thirty Xinhua soldiers used the wagon formation to build their second line of defense, with muskets mounted on the wagon side panels, their muzzles menacing, pointing towards the direction from which the Spanish cavalry were pursuing them.

"Hmph, the same trick again!" Lieutenant Colonel Alvarez reined in his horse, raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, and carefully surveyed the terrain of the valley.

The hillsides on both sides are gently undulating, with shrubs and tall grass providing ample cover. While cavalry would find it difficult to charge straight ahead, infantry could easily maneuver around them.

The dozen or so carriages blocking the valley entrance, while obstructing the central passage, could not completely block the undulating slopes on both sides.

“Lieutenant Colonel, the terrain is unfavorable to us. Our cavalry cannot deploy,” Major Diora reminded him from the side.

"Then push them out again!" Lieutenant Colonel Alvarez ordered. "Have more cavalry dismount and go around them from both sides of the hillside! Their forces are too small to cover all directions!"

Upon receiving the order, the Spanish cavalry dismounted and split into several small groups, quickly dispersing into the bushes on both sides like streams seeping into the mudflats.

Gunfire erupted at the valley entrance.

This time, the Xinhua soldiers' firepower was noticeably more accurate and concentrated than before. Bullets whistled through the air, and Spanish soldiers were constantly hit and fell to the ground, letting out painful cries.

Lieutenant Colonel Alvarez stood on a slightly higher mound, observing the battle situation with his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

These Xinhua soldiers not only had longer firing ranges for their muskets, but also reloaded them at an astonishing speed.

What alarmed him even more was that as several Spanish soldiers stealthily approached the vehicle formation under the cover of bushes, he clearly saw the enemy soldiers smoothly attach gleaming bayonets to the muzzles of their rifles—a device he had never seen before, instantly transforming muskets into spears that easily pierced the chests of the Spanish soldiers who were trying to get close.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, gripping the hilt of his knife tighter.

Despite the fierce resistance of the Xinhua soldiers, the disparity in troop strength was too great. When nearly a hundred Spanish soldiers finally managed to surround the wagon formation from the flank and rear, the surviving Xinhua soldiers erupted in a desperate cry.

With bayonets fixed, they charged suddenly, breaking through the Spanish encirclement that was not yet fully closed, leaving behind the bodies of seven or eight of their comrades and more than a dozen carts, before fleeing in panic into the depths of the valley.

Alvarez watched the retreating figures of the Xinhua soldiers, but did not immediately order a pursuit. Instead, he went to the valley entrance to check on the casualties.

More than thirty Spanish soldiers lay dead on the ground, and more than ten others were groaning in pain, their blood staining the yellow earth a dark red.

"Lieutenant Colonel, our losses... are a bit too high!" A captain said bitterly, clutching his arm. "I have to admit, these Xinhua soldiers are quite formidable in combat, and they don't lack the courage and determination to fight..."

"Alright, now is not the time to flatter our enemy!" Lieutenant Colonel Alvarez rudely interrupted him. "Captain, immediately take your men and clear the wagons at the valley entrance as quickly as possible to open a clear path for the troops to advance!"

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel!" The captain saluted, then reluctantly ordered the soldiers to move the wagon blocking the valley entrance and collect the bodies of his fallen comrades nearby.

Lieutenant Colonel Alvarez looked up and surveyed both sides of the valley. Apart from the bushes and weeds covering the ground, as well as the jagged cliffs and rocks, everything was quiet, and he did not find anything unusual.

Deep in the valley, the disheveled figures of Xinhua soldiers could still be seen, along with the dust kicked up at the rear of the convoy.

Victory seemed within reach! "The Xinhua people shouldn't have had time to set a trap," he thought to himself. "If they had an ambush, they would have come out long ago."

Therefore, Alvarez decisively ordered: "The entire army enters the valley and accelerates the pursuit!"

The soldiers quickly cleared the carts blocking the valley entrance, and the cavalry set off again, heading deeper into the valley.

The road in the valley was so narrow that it could only accommodate two horses side by side, so the cavalrymen had to slow down and meander along the road like a long snake.

After the troops had traveled for about a mile, vehicles abandoned by the new Chinese began to appear one after another on the narrow valley road, lying haphazardly, seemingly deliberately creating obstacles for them and slowing down their pursuit.

Just then, a Spanish cavalryman cleaning up an abandoned wagon curiously used his spear to lift the dirty canvas covering the wagon.

"Lieutenant Colonel!" the cavalryman suddenly exclaimed, "There's no treasure in this wagon! No other important supplies either! ...It's all stones and hay!"

Lieutenant Colonel Alvarez felt a pang of anxiety. He spurred his horse over to another carriage and personally lifted the tarpaulin covering it.

Sure enough, it didn't contain gold or silver, nor cloth or grain, but a pile of stones covered with dry grass and some tattered clothes.

hiss!
He gasped, his heart pounding. Reluctantly, he walked to the next vehicle and lifted the canvas again.

It's still just rocks and hay!
A chilling sensation instantly shot up his spine.

"Oh no!" He looked up abruptly, glancing around at the seemingly peaceful valley.

The area was overgrown with shrubs and jagged rocks; it was so quiet that, apart from the sound of the wind and the noise of the troops, you could hardly hear any birdsong or insect chirps.

"Get out of the valley!...Quickly!" he shouted hoarsely, his voice slightly distorted with fear.

However, it was too late.
He had barely finished speaking...

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

Suddenly, a dense burst of gunfire, like popping beans, erupted from the front of the valley, in the direction from which the new Chinese were fleeing!
That wasn't sporadic resistance, but a salvo of fire that required at least a hundred muskets to form!
The Spanish cavalry at the forefront were instantly thrown to the ground, their cries and screams echoing through the valley.

Almost simultaneously, from behind them, at the entrance to the valley, came the same dense gunfire and high-pitched shouts of battle!
Thick smoke rose from the hillsides on both sides of the entrance, clearly indicating that the enemy had already set up an ambush.

With obstacles in front and encirclement behind, the entire Spanish cavalry was completely trapped in this narrow valley!

Lieutenant Colonel Alvarez's face turned deathly pale instantly, devoid of any color.

He sat stiffly on the horse, his hand holding the reins trembling slightly.

The sun was still blazing, but he felt only ice-cold all over, as if he had fallen into a cave.

Before his eyes, the vanguard cavalrymen fell from their horses one after another in the hail of bullets, their formation was thrown into chaos, and men and horses trampled each other, bumping around like headless flies.

Meanwhile, the soldiers in the central and rear ranks panicked and tried to turn back, but due to the narrow roads and collisions, they were unable to retreat quickly.

At this moment, the entire valley became a perfect death trap.

Previously, the scattered silver coins, the panicked escape, and the seemingly stubborn but actually precise ambushes were all carefully designed bait, leading them step by step into this death trap.

“We… have fallen into their trap…” he murmured, his voice drowned out by the gunshots, screams, and screams.

The yellow and red Burgundy cross flag, abandoned on the ground by someone, was trampled underfoot by the chaotic hooves and military boots, crushing it into the dust.

Sunlight pierced through the thick smoke of battle, casting blood-red shadows across the valley.
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(End of this chapter)