Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 656

'Plop~ Plop~'

The continuous, rapid sounds of dumplings being cooked echoed along the banks of the Grand Canal.

They withstood the intense bombardment from mortars, howitzers, and cannons, as well as the dense barrage from thousands of breech-loading rifles.

In this era, let alone the Tartars, even if it were lobster soldiers, they wouldn't be able to withstand it.

They are all living, breathing people, not AI from a game.

Do you really think everyone can disregard their own life?
Even the AI ​​in the game has a setting where morale collapses and they raise the white flag to run away.

To have survived such a fierce and overwhelming attack on the plains is already an extraordinary feat.

After the final collapse, even those who wanted to persist were swept up by the tide and had no choice but to flee.

Tens of thousands of Tartars fled, but they had no direction to escape to.

The front and flanks were either filled with Taiping troops firing in formation or deadly passages covered by artillery fire.

The cavalry on the flanks fared better; they could rely on their speed to charge outwards. As long as they could withstand the artillery fire, rifle volleys, and Maxim's overshooting shots, they could basically escape the battlefield.

Of course, escaping the battlefield doesn't mean you'll escape alive.

The Taiping army had few cavalry because the forest roads were more suited to off-road motorcycles and bicycles.

A large number of Taiping soldiers on motorcycles and bicycles, carrying guns, gave chase.

The infantry had no choice but to turn around and run into the Grand Canal.

Normally, the Grand Canal is not very wide, but because it is located at the confluence of two rivers in Linqing Prefecture, the Grand Canal is wide and deep, and the water flow is quite fast.

Groups of defeated soldiers jumped into the Grand Canal, trying every possible way to swim to the other side.

Before going into the water, the Tartars who were wearing armor hurriedly took it off.

Others rode horses, which meant they rode directly into the water.

Anyone who can swim should be able to reach the other side, unless they're extremely unlucky.

Those who are unlucky will be dragged along by people who can't swim, struggling all the way until they finally sink to the bottom.

Those who can't swim have no choice but to try to grab onto anything around them and hope for a miracle.

There were many boats on the Grand Canal, but in order to boost morale, the soldiers who were fighting with their backs to the river had moved all the boats to the other side.

Now that the situation was hopeless, the Tartars on the other side who were guarding the ships originally intended to bite the bullet and come over to pick up the people.

But when swarms of cannonballs landed on the river, these people scattered like monkeys, running faster than ducks.

Only a very small number of people, either out of courage or because their family and relatives were on the other side, risked being shelled to sail over and pick up people.

The intention was good; it was indeed a way to help people escape the river.

The problem is that the troops are now in disarray and the battlefield is on the verge of collapse.

In this desperate situation, the sudden appearance of hope for survival among the routed soldiers led to predictable consequences.

"Get out of my way! My sister is a concubine of Prince Rong! Let me get on the boat first!"

"Get out of my way! I'm a Yellow Belt!"

"Get out of here, all of you! I am from the Fuca clan!"

My cousin works in the palace!

"We men have influence with Prince Chun!"

"My great-aunt, she's...!"

"~~~"

Compared to the defeated soldiers Lin Dao had seen before, these defeated soldiers from the capital were initially somewhat under control, competing with each other in terms of connections and words to secure a spot on the ship.

But as more and more defeated soldiers crowded the riverbank, the gunfire of the pursuers grew closer, and the artillery shells falling on the river became increasingly dense.

With their lives hanging in the balance, the men of Beijing couldn't care less about anything else and began scrambling to get on the ship.

It's a matter of life and death. Getting on the ship at this time means you might survive, but not getting on means you'll die!
Nothing in this world is more important than one's own life.

In their struggle for survival, the Eight Banners in Beijing, who were always quick-witted and eloquent, finally turned hostile and resorted to violence.

"Hey, you little brat, you dare to try and cut me? You just wait!"

A frenzied battle erupted near all the boats that had risked their lives to cross the river, staining the river surface crimson with blood.

More defeated soldiers crowded on the shore, their eyes blazing with fury as they gazed at the numerous ships on the opposite bank.

"Where is that bastard Mianyu?!"

Someone was shouting and yelling, looking for the prince who was ordered to be the general.

In such a chaotic situation, why isn't the general in charge taking command? Does he really want everyone to die here?

If that's the case, then hundreds of thousands of Manchus living in and around the capital could kill him by pointing fingers down his back!

"Stop shouting!"

Someone chimed in, "That bastard prepared his boats long ago; he'd have already fled to the other side when things went wrong!"

Undoubtedly, these words greatly provoked the emotions of the fleeing soldiers, and all sorts of vulgar curses even drowned out the roar of the falling shells.

"It's not just that bastard Mianyu~"

Someone else went on to reveal, "Sheng Bao also ran away, even earlier than Mian Yu~"

"Enagu~Dotu~Sokta and the others have all run away~"

Imperial envoys, generals appointed by imperial decree, commanders and deputy commanders of various departments, and even wing commanders and so on.

Anyone with a bit of power secretly prepared ships to save their own lives.

When things became unbearable, these people started boarding ships and fleeing early on.

"Where is Senggelinqin?"

"He was on horseback, so he must have already fled. He might already be in Texas by now."

Poor Senggelinqin, in a desperate charge to salvage the battle, was ambushed from behind. "The bandits are coming!"

As the piercing screams rang out, the routed soldiers on the shore could no longer bear it, and those near the boats frantically pushed their way onto the boats.

If there's no other way, they simply jump into the water, grab onto whatever they can, and swim desperately to the other side.

The Taiping army's artillery fire began to extend, bombarding the opposite bank.

The infantrymen, armed with guns, finally rushed ashore, and what they saw was extremely shocking.

The river was covered with people, so densely packed that it almost completely covered the surface.

The shore was also full of people, a dark mass of people who had surrendered.

The Taiping soldiers who rushed to the riverbank ignored those who had surrendered and began firing their guns into the river.

Under the intense gunfire, a large number of swimmers gradually sank into the water, staining the nearby river surface red.

It wasn't just the defeated soldiers crossing the river; the Taiping army was also crossing it.

Lin Dao personally came to the riverbank and brought over the steel structural components for crossing the river, which were quickly assembled into a pontoon bridge by the engineers.

A large number of trained Taiping soldiers crossed the canal to the other side, and Lin Dao, who followed them, transported a large number of off-road motorcycles and off-road bicycles from another time and space.

The soldiers rushed forward to drive the vehicles and pursue the fleeing routs.

Lin Dao also personally climbed onto a modified sidecar motorcycle and called out to Zuo Zongtang, "Get on!"

As Zuo Zongtang sat in the sidecar, Lin Dao gave instructions to Yang Xiuqing and the others, and then personally drove the motorcycle across the open field to chase after the fleeing Tartar soldiers.

As for how to capture those fleeing soldiers, Lin Dao himself would definitely use high-tech drones.

The Taiping soldiers, on the other hand, looked at the hoofprints and footprints on the ground.

A small number of people who learn quickly can use easy-to-operate drones for reconnaissance, just like Lin Dao.

Instead of developing cavalry, Lindao replaced them with bicycles and motorcycles.

After all, compared to livestock like mules and horses that require more care, these industrial products are much more convenient and less troublesome for him.

This is the difference brought about by the times and the channels.

For Lin Dao, who possesses a time portal, industrial goods are not difficult to obtain. In fact, many people are eager for him to buy more and more industrial goods to reduce inventory levels.

For people of this era, these advanced industrial products were not only unattainable, but very few could even imagine them.

In contrast, mules and horses naturally lost their appeal for forest trails.

Having the advantage of being the first to cross the river, the Tatars ran very fast and left the Taiping army's pursuers far behind.

After a race, horses need time to rest and recover their strength. They need to eat bean cakes with salt and eggs and drink plenty of water.

On the contrary, the pursuing Taiping army didn't have these problems; their cart bells rang incessantly, yet they kept moving forward.

Just like a sidecar motorcycle driving on a forest road, it has thick and wide off-road tires and an advanced shock absorption and suspension system, making it easy to travel even in fields.

That is to say, the Taiping Army soldiers who rode bicycles faced some difficulties.

You have to cross a ridge or something.

Fortunately, bicycles don't need water or food, nor do they need fuel like motorcycles.

Even if the chain falls off, they will repair it themselves.

In this way, the distance between them was quickly narrowed.

As for why the defeated Tartar soldiers crossing the river didn't enter the villages, towns, and counties along the way, it was because they were fleeing for their lives.

The Taiping army would inevitably pursue them, so they hid in villages, towns, and county seats, seemingly gaining temporary peace. However, once surrounded by pursuers, they would have no chance to escape.

"The Taiping army is catching up!"

A scream startled Mianyu, who was resting and drinking water by the roadside.

He staggered to his feet and, with Goshha's help, struggled to climb onto the horse's back.

Without looking back, he spurred his horse and rode away.

This was not the first time the Taiping army had caught up with him.

Previously, they relied on having more people around them and even considered launching a counterattack.

But the Taiping army wasn't stupid; they simply kept their distance, waiting until they had gathered enough men before charging in together.

Later, having no other choice, they had to leave men behind to cover the retreat. As a result, no matter how many men were left behind, no one could catch up.

Now, even the most loyal palace guards and Goshha (a type of guard) are no longer willing to stay behind to cover the retreat.

Everyone was desperately fleeing on horseback; if anyone's horse gave out and they fell behind, they only had themselves to blame.

This time, it was Mianyu's horse that couldn't hold on any longer.

The magnificent BMW, foaming at the mouth, suddenly gave way and collapsed to the ground.

Unsurprisingly, Mianyu, who was on horseback, also collapsed along with the horse.

He was pinned down by a horse weighing hundreds of pounds, and when he reached out to push the struggling horse that couldn't get up, his hands were covered in sweat.

The horse was already sweating profusely; it couldn't even stand up, let alone continue running.

The terrifying roar of a motorcycle engine echoed from the official road behind us.

The last few guards and the Goshha men struggled to help Mianyu onto another horse.

But the next moment, a dense hail of bullets swept in from behind.

Sitting in the sidecar, Zuo Zongtang operated the light machine gun mounted in front of the sidecar and fired half a belt of ammunition at the group of people on the roadside.

Lin Dao didn't stop and charged straight past the corpses of men and horses.

After changing into a belt-fed ammunition, Zuo Zongtang asked, "Chief, where are we going?"

Lin Dao, wearing goggles, simply responded.

"Go to the capital!"

(End of this chapter)