Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 163 Northern Expedition against Shuntian, Capturing Kang Youwei Alive
Outside Kaifeng city.

The two armies are arrayed in battle formation.

Yang Xianzun is a very straightforward person.

This time, he actually issued a challenge to the Qing army, demanding a decisive battle outside the city. He also gave the Qing army enough time to prepare. The challenge was issued three days in advance, so the Qing army mobilized all available troops from around Kaifeng to participate in the battle.

By this point, the Qing army in formation numbered over 80,000.

Their formation was also very standard.

The Green Standard Army's cannon fodder formed the main body of the formation, while the Eight Banners' elite troops served as the supervisory force behind them, flanked by the Eight Banners' Mongol cavalry. However, the very front line was actually composed of artillerymen from the Eight Banners' Han army.

A whole array of Hongyi cannons.

And they are all heavy-duty.

Rows of two- to three-ton cannons were lined up at the forefront of the formation, with cannonballs weighing ten to twenty kilograms piled up beside them, and boxes of gunpowder behind them. However, to prevent Yang Feng from launching a sneak attack, the gunpowder boxes were placed in pre-dug pits, so that even if Yang Feng exploded them, it wouldn't cause a chain reaction of explosions. In addition, there were more than a dozen mortars, which were probably used for exploding shells. After all, unless they were used for exploding shells, there was really no point in displaying them against Yang Feng. In short, our Great Qing has deployed its top-tier equipment to exterminate this demon. There was even a group of masters performing rituals next to the cannons, each one spinning prayer wheels and chanting incantations.

There were also two missionaries standing next to the cannon, curiously watching the other side.

Across from them...

There were hardly any people on the other side.

All the heavenly soldiers were digging the earth with all their might, and then they dug a long trench. They then piled the excavated earth on the side facing the Qing army, so that the trench would be shallower.

However, it didn't need to be like a modern trench. In fact, Yang Feng's standard was simply enough to expose the head and shoulders, allowing them to mount their rifles. A dig of just over a meter would suffice. In reality, breastworks were sufficient for this type of combat; this was the primary method of infantry warfare before the First Sino-Japanese War. They would build a breastwork on the battlefield, or find an alternative, and then lie prone on it to exchange fire with the enemy. But since trenches were an option, they preferred the safety of digging. After all, the Heavenly Soldiers weren't exactly well-trained elites, and Yang Feng couldn't be entirely sure of their fighting spirit. The protection of the trenches would be enough to minimize their casualties. Moreover, in the soil of Kaifeng, this amount of digging work was a trivial matter for the Heavenly Soldiers, who came from peasant, laborer, and craftsman backgrounds.

Armed with their entrenching tools, they dug like groundhogs burrowing into holes, soil flying out from their heads and quickly piling up on one side.

So you really can't see anyone standing on the Qing army's side.

They saw things flying out of the ground.

Meanwhile, the artillerymen were also digging, but they dug larger gun emplacements. In order to block direct fire from Qing army shells, they placed a bunch of rattan cages in front of them and filled them with soil, which served as temporary fortresses. In fact, this was the standard practice in Europe at that time.

Cavalrymen, of course, don't need to dig.

They were on horseback, holding repeating muskets, watching the Qing army with wary eyes.

Especially the Mongolian horse teams.

The new Henan commander who succeeded Galbi was Marsai, who had previously served as the Mongol commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner. He brought the Mongol cavalry of the Bordered Yellow Banner directly with him, which was the main force of the Qing army this time. Ma Ge was a shrewd man and knew that before finding an effective way to deal with Yang Feng, any battle, win or lose, would likely result in heavy casualties, and the Manchu population of the Eight Banners was very precious.

It cannot be consumed.

However, the Green Standard Army, the Eight Banners Han Army, and the Eight Banners Mongol Army can all be consumed.

Therefore, the vast majority of the 10,000 Eight Banners troops who participated in the battle were Mongol and Han soldiers, while only 3,000 were actually Manchu Eight Banners troops. These were the supervisory troops, but in reality, the actual combat strength of the Manchu Eight Banners troops was not as good as these.

This makes it even more crucial to avoid battle. After all, not engaging in battle allows us to maintain some deterrence, while engaging in battle and revealing our true colors would be troublesome. The hundreds of Eight Banners soldiers who were forced into the Yellow River last time already had a serious impact, and the various Green Standard Army units are clearly not so obedient anymore...

Ultimately, Ma Ge was self-aware; he knew what kind of regime the Qing Dynasty was.

A golden light suddenly streaked down from the sky.

Immediately afterwards, Yang Xianzun appeared between the two armies, and the wings on his back disappeared instantly.

The heavenly soldiers cheered.

The Qing army was in complete chaos.

"I have descended to the mortal realm by the decree of the Jade Emperor to expel the Tartars and cleanse the land of filth, and to seize the Imperial Seal of the State to establish a new ruler. You are either henchmen of the Qing demons or their lackeys. Originally, you should have been summoned to be killed by heavenly lightning. However, given my status, I am too ashamed to defile my hands. Therefore, I have trained an army to kill the demons on behalf of Heaven."

"The formation is complete today, let's begin!"

Yang Feng said proudly.

"You fiend! Now that the Holy Emperor has ascended the throne and all under Heaven are singing praises of this prosperous age, you, fiend, presumptuously claim to be the Mandate of Heaven to deceive the masses and attempt to plunge the world back into chaos. Your crimes are utterly heinous! Today, the royal army has gathered; let's see where you can escape to now!"

He shouted angrily at a civil official opposite him.

Judging from his rank, this should be Zhao Hongxie.

"Fire! His Majesty has decreed that whoever kills this monster shall be promoted to the Plain Yellow Banner and granted a hereditary Zuo Ling (military officer) title."

A military officer wearing a plain yellow banner armor standing next to Zhao Hongxie shouted.

This should be Marseille.

Historically, he was a Grand Councilor of the Fourth Prince, but when he was appointed as the General Who Pacifies the Northwest, he was afraid of the enemy and refused to fight, so he was beheaded by the Fourth Prince.

At his command, the cannons in front, actually only a few dozen meters away from Yang Feng, instantly spewed flames one after another. Among them were even six heavy cannons of the Chengwu Yonggu Grand General level. These newly arrived heavy cannons fired twenty-pound shells, and because of the close distance, almost in the instant of the flash, the shells had already hit Yang Feng. But at the same time, a golden light appeared on Yang Feng's body, and golden ripples appeared on the impact of the shells. At the same time, the shells were deflected, and some even bounced back into the Qing army's artillery, causing blood and flesh to fly everywhere.

"Ignorant mortals."

Yang Feng said disdainfully.

Panic had already gripped the area opposite him.

The two missionaries stared at the scene with expressions that made their eyes practically pop out of their sockets.

Meanwhile, some of the Eight Banners Han artillerymen and Green Standard Army soldiers were so frightened that they tried to turn around.

Yang Feng calmly walked towards the cannons. A brave artilleryman screamed like a madman and fired at him again. The shell, less than ten meters away, hit Yang Feng's protective golden light. He raised his hand, and the shell bounced back at the same time. The artilleryman's upper body instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist and disappeared.

The other artillerymen screamed in terror and fled without hesitation.

Yang Feng walked right up to the two missionaries, who were terrified and stood there trembling.

An energy blade appeared in Yang Feng's hand.

The next moment, the energy blade slashed across their bodies.

They were cut in half at the waist and fell to the ground in four pieces, screaming in agony.

As for the masters... the masters don't play when they're behind.

They had already squeezed into the soldiers and hidden themselves.

Yang Feng instantly took to the air.

"Fire!"

He shouted in the direction of the heavenly soldiers.

The next moment, flames shot out from the cannons at each gun position.

Although the distance was half a mile, for this rudimentary 14.7mm machine gun, this was arguably the perfect distance. The gunners, hidden behind cover, steadily turned the handle, while bullets continuously fell from the magazines above, then fired from the chambers. Bullets, at a rate of up to two hundred rounds per minute, swept across the half-mile with a terrifying whistle, crashing into the chaotic Qing troops. The kinetic energy of the 14.7mm bullets allowed them to easily pierce multiple bodies, and the Qing troops' dense formation was effectively mowed down like grass. Amidst the splattering blood and flesh, Qing soldiers fell in droves.

But this isn't harsh.

The most ruthless were the infantry snipers lying prone in the trenches.

Using standard volley tactics, accompanied by the shouts of their captains, they shot Qing soldiers from half a mile away, like target practice, reaping enemy lives in the mechanical process of pulling the trigger, pulling the bolt to load bullets, pushing back, and pulling the trigger again.

Their enemy's best weapon was a matchlock musket!

It was still a low-end matchlock gun.

There are at least six generations to go before Mauser is around!
The perfect form of matchlock gun: the Sull, flintlock gun, percussion cap gun, Minié rifle, breech-loading rifle with paper cartridges, and breech-loading rifle with metal cartridges.

A span of more than two hundred years.

This is crushing.

Three thousand muskets, with a firing rate of up to ten per minute, fired tens of thousands of bullets per minute at the densely arrayed Qing army in volleys. At a distance of two to three hundred meters, the power and accuracy were sufficient. Accompanied by the gunfire that echoed across the plains, the Qing army fell like grass being cut down.

The Qing army had no ability to retaliate, since their artillerymen were the first to flee.

Faced with a hail of bullets, the Qing soldiers armed with muskets, bows and arrows, and even broadswords and spears were completely stunned. They stood there helplessly watching the smoke billowing across the battlefield, bullets whizzing past them, and their comrades falling one after another amidst the flying blood and flesh.

The corpses piled up quickly.

Even Governor Zhao couldn't dodge it; a large-caliber bullet fired from a cannon pierced right through his stomach, carrying his shattered internal organs with it.

His corpse had barely fallen when it was trampled underfoot by fleeing soldiers.

The Qing army collapsed instantly.

The Manchu Eight Banners troops acting as the supervisors immediately stepped forward to try to stop them.

But it didn't work.

After all, they are no longer their ancestors.

Those Green Standard Army soldiers who were in a hurry to escape did not care about their identities and attacked without any politeness. Under the barrage of spears, swords, and arrows, the Manchu Eight Banners soldiers who tried to stop them fell off their horses one after another and were trampled by the Green Standard Army.

At the same time, the heavenly army's cavalry also launched an attack, although they wouldn't immediately engage in combat...

That's definitely not the case.

These people only know how to ride horses.

But they didn't need to fight. When they were still a hundred meters away from the Eight Banners Mongol cavalry, all the Heavenly Soldiers stopped, raised their repeating muskets from their horses, and opened fire on the Eight Banners Mongols who were still blowing on their fire ropes. Then they kept firing. These rifles with magazines contained sixteen bullets, and the lever mechanism allowed them to unleash a torrent of bullets at the enemy at an extremely high rate of fire. Moreover, a distance of one hundred meters was also their accurate firing range. Those Eight Banners Mongols who were still blowing on their fire ropes didn't even have time to react before they fell to the impact of the bullets, and it was a continuous series of impacts. They stared blankly at their opponents, these opponents who didn't even have armor, who were holding up their small muskets and firing deadly bullets at them without stopping.

Then the Eight Banners of Mongolia also collapsed.

But the heavenly soldiers did not let them go. They immediately pursued them, and after closing the distance, they stopped again and unleashed a hail of bullets.

These cavalrymen are even faster!
The Eight Banners Mongols, clad in armor, spears, bows and muskets, and burdened with heavy loads, could hardly outrun these unarmored cavalrymen, who were merely wearing military uniforms and carrying a hundred or so bullets.

Even the cavalrymen who had emptied their magazines could stop, reload, and then catch up with the Eight Banner Mongols to continue firing. When the Mongols tried to retaliate, the Qing army simply turned and fled, knowing the heavily armed Mongols couldn't outrun them. In this way, the entire Qing army collapsed. The Green Standard Army was fleeing. In reality, these bastards weren't entirely defeated; they might have been planning to run even before the fighting began, as evidenced by their swift and decisive clashes with the supervising officers. Ultimately, they preferred this outcome. The Manchu Eight Banners, after briefly resisting the Green Standard Army and realizing they were no match for them, also fled without hesitation. The Mongol Eight Banners were pursued and killed by the cavalry, while the Han Eight Banners…

The Eight Banners Han Army had long since disappeared.

The heavenly soldiers behind them had even stepped out of the trenches, since the enemy hadn't caused them any harm at all.

Not a single person was injured.

They stood outside the trenches, watching in shock as tens of thousands of Qing troops fled in disarray.

Then they picked up their rifles and happily practiced their marksmanship there. The heavenly soldiers, stretching out in a thin line across the plain, strolled forward leisurely amidst the billowing smoke, loading bullets and firing as they went, watching the Qing army on the other side fall in droves.

The artillerymen even brought out their cannons, advancing a short distance before stopping to empty a magazine at the Qing army, then continuing forward, stopping again to empty another magazine, maintaining their firepower in this stop-and-go manner. Their pursuit only made the Qing army run even faster, essentially letting them run free. In the places the Qing army ran through, besides corpses and wounded soldiers, there were countless weapons and even armor. After all, the first thing to do when fleeing is to remove armor, and you can't get very far while wearing it.

So later in Kaifeng, the soldiers and civilians who were supposed to stay behind poured out and happily carried things into the city, especially the cannons.

Yang Feng simply watched from the sky.

This result...

He was actually somewhat surprised by the result.

The Qing army at that time was theoretically not that incompetent, so the most reasonable explanation should be that the Green Standard Army was harboring resentment. Although they were not about to surrender, they wanted the Qing Dynasty to suffer a crushing defeat.

Ultimately, the Eight Banners have rapidly decayed in recent years and have long since lost their ability to deter the Green Standard Army.

Otherwise, why would Brother Ma even forbid them from building a mother-and-child cannon?

Ma Ge knew that the Eight Banners' deterrent power was no longer sufficient.

"Order all troops to withdraw to Liuyuankou, prepare to cross the river, launch a northern expedition against Shuntian, and capture Kang Mazi alive."

Yang Feng said.

His waiting messengers immediately dispersed to relay the orders to their respective units.

The Yellow River was completely frozen over at this time of year, and it was wide enough for them to pass through, including heavy weapons. As for chasing the Qing army, it was not important. As long as they crossed the Yellow River and headed north, the Qing army would not be able to care about Kaifeng at all. After all, with the strength of the Heavenly Army, it was really possible for them to reach the capital.

(End of this chapter)