The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 125 Am I inferior to Guan Ning's soldiers?
The mountain rain was incessant, the cold rainwater mixed with mud, turning the narrow official road into a scene of carnage.

The two groups clashed and fought back and forth in the mud, their blood mingling with the rainwater and staining the muddy ground red.

People kept falling, crashing heavily into the muddy water, splashing up murky droplets, only to be trampled over by the people rushing in after them, and then falling silent.

Cao Er rested in the back, leaning on a long-handled mace he had picked up.

He was breathing heavily, and rainwater streamed down his blood-stained face, blurring his vision.

Cao Er had served in the army for six years, experiencing countless battles, big and small, and was already used to the life of licking blood from the blade.

But the bloody hand-to-hand combat before him, with almost no room for maneuver and a pure exchange of lives, made this veteran feel his scalp tingle.

Cao Er is a native of Yulin, and he is not old, just turned twenty-two.

His parents died early, and he had no siblings, so he lived alone.

At the age of sixteen, he was recruited into the army by Commander Wu without even realizing it, and from then on became a border soldier in Yansui Town.

To be honest, Cao Er was a little nervous when he heard that he would be facing the Guan Ning Army.

The Guan Ning Army was the elite force of the nine border regions of the Ming Dynasty. Every so often, the imperial court would draw elite troops from various border towns and incorporate them into the four towns of Liaodong.

Once upon a time, being selected to join the Guan Ning Army and fight for a better future in Liaodong was his greatest wish in life.

He certainly knew that the Liaodong battlefield was brutal.

Cao Er often heard his comrades in the army say that the Eastern Barbarians were different from the Mongols; they were well-trained and well-armored, and going there meant almost certain death.

The imperial court suffered several major defeats in Liaodong, losing countless soldiers and generals, which forced it to draw elite troops from various places to fill the gaps.

Furthermore, in order to motivate the soldiers to fight bravely, the Guan Ning Army's pay was set at one tael and four mace per month, and what's even more remarkable is that it was said that the pay was never delayed.

One tael and four mace, and still no unpaid wages.

These words lingered in Cao Er's mind day and night.

He's so greedy, he dreams about it all the time!

Every year when the imperial court sent officials to Yansui Town to select people, he would crane his neck and wait, hoping that he would be chosen.

The warnings from his comrades that "the Eastern barbarians are fierce, and you have a slim chance of survival" automatically turned into the temptation of "high pay in Liaodong, paid monthly."

Cao Ercai didn't care whether those damned Eastern barbarians really had three heads and six arms.

In his view, everyone is a soldier with two shoulders and one head, so who is tougher than whom?
If you swing that mace in your hand and smash it down, even if a god comes, his head will still be blown apart.

All he cared about was the full and timely payment of his military salary.

Life in Yansui Town can be summed up in one word: "bitter".

He was truly fed up with this life of hunger.

Countless nights, he was so hungry that his stomach churned with acid, and he could only curl up on the cold bed, clutching his cramping stomach, tossing and turning.

During the years under Commander Wu, it was common for the Yansui Garrison to be in arrears with pay.

Whenever it was time to pay wages, Commander Wu would always patiently and earnestly enlighten them.

The court is only facing temporary difficulties and has diverted some of your funds. It will definitely make up for it in the future. We must prioritize the overall situation.

The war in Liaodong was critical, and the soldiers of the Guan Ning Army were sacrificing their lives on the front lines.

Our brothers in the rear, it's only right that we tighten our belts, show some understanding, and provide some support!

What is the overall situation?

Upon hearing this, Cao Er felt only bitterness in his mouth.

For the sake of this damn "big picture," he and his comrades had no choice but to swallow their pride and go to the entrances of inns and taverns in Yulin City, squatting like beggars.

Just to smell the aroma of food and wine wafting out, hoping to be lucky enough to get some leftovers.

Cao Er couldn't understand why his salary should be diverted to the Guan Ning Army, since he was also a soldier guarding the frontier and had to risk his life to fight the Tartars.
Are the soldiers in Yansui Town just destined to go hungry?

Later, Commander Wu was replaced by Commander Jiang.

With hope on, Cao Er was finally able to eat his fill and no longer had to go to bed hungry.

When Commander Jiang smiled and slapped twenty taels of silver into his palm, Cao Er trembled with excitement.

That gleaming silver was even whiter than the women in Yulin City.

Not to mention the monthly stipend of one tael and five mace.

Thinking of this, Cao Er's tension in the face of the Guan Ning Army dissipated by most, replaced by an inexplicable sense of confidence.

He subconsciously straightened his back. Damn it, I'm getting a monthly stipend of one tael and five mace, while the Guan Ning Army only gets one tael and four mace.

So if I calculate it this way, wouldn't I be 100% more powerful than the Guan Ning Army?

Thinking of this, Cao Er felt a surge of courage, and his body gained a bit more strength.

A surge of adrenaline rushed to Cao Er's head. He raised the mace in his hand, let out a roar, and plunged back into the battlefield.

He spotted a Guan Ning soldier in front of him, and using the momentum of his charge, he lowered his waist and exerted force, smashing the mace in his hand hard into the soldier's chest with a whooshing sound.

A dull cracking sound rang out, and the Guan Ning soldier didn't even utter a sound before his chest visibly collapsed, blood gushing from his mouth, before finally collapsing headfirst into the muddy water.

Before Cao Er could even feel happy, a gust of wind swept in from his left, and a gleaming steel knife, wet with rain, slashed straight at his face!

His pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively wanted to back away.

But the battlefield was narrow, and people were packed together. His comrades behind him were pushing and shoving him, leaving him no room to retreat. Instead, they pushed him forward a few steps.

With his head in imminent danger, Cao Er also unleashed his ferocity at the critical moment.

In a moment of quick thinking, instead of retreating, he lunged forward and crashed hard into the arms of the Guan Ning soldier wielding the knife!
The two immediately rolled around in a ball, tumbling and wrestling in the mud.

With their weapons falling from their hands, they could only rely on their most primal instincts, fighting each other with their fists, knees, and teeth.

The Guan Ning soldier was strong and powerful, pressing down on Cao Er with his elbows, which pressed hard against Cao Er's throat. The immense pressure almost suffocated Cao Er, and his vision went black.

Just as he was on the verge of death, Cao Er struggled with his hands and unexpectedly found a short knife in the muddy water.

He gripped the knife handle tightly, and with all his might, stabbed the enemy on his body. With a muffled thud, he felt as if he had pierced through several layers of cotton cloth.

Warm blood splattered all over his face, and the pressure on his neck instantly disappeared.

The soldier from Guan Ning froze, clutching his throat and struggling, before collapsing to the ground, completely still.

Cao Er himself was also seriously injured. He felt as if his ribs were broken and he couldn't muster any strength.

He struggled to get up and continue fighting, but his comrades who arrived from behind dragged him back down.

Cao Er wanted to fight again, but several comrades carried him back to the rear of the main camp so that he could rest properly.

He lay panting in the mud, rain pounding on his face, the feeling of escaping death filling him with immense happiness.

Just then, he heard hurried footsteps beside him.

Cao Er propped himself up and saw that it was the artillery battalion that had arrived late.

Several brothers from the artillery battalion, carrying and shouldering, finally brought a few small cannons weighing forty or fifty pounds each.

What's going on up ahead?

"Anyone who retreated from the front?!"

Dong Erzhu shouted at the top of his lungs. He had just arrived and didn't know what was going on. He needed someone to explain.

Cao Er recognized Dong Erzhu, the battalion commander of the artillery battalion, and he quickly got up and went over to him:
"Boss Dong, the fighting has broken out up ahead, it's so crowded, your cannon probably won't be of any use!"

Upon hearing this, Dong Erzhu frowned.

In the battlefield ahead, enemy and friendly forces clashed, swords flashed and shadows danced, and he dared not fire the cannons indiscriminately.

They were afraid of hurting their own people, especially since head coach Jiang Han was still fighting a bloody battle at the front.

Cao Wenzhao's Guan Ning troops lived up to their reputation as a powerful army, launching wave after wave of attacks that Jiang Han found difficult to withstand. Seeing the unfavorable situation, Dong Erzhu grabbed his sword and prepared to go and help.

But Cao Er stopped him:

"Boss Dong, you won't be of any help even if you go!"

"Give me the cannon! I'll be the gun mount; I know where to fire!"

He volunteered to personally carry the cannon to the front line.

Without saying a word, Cao Er picked out a 40-pound repeating cannon, held it in his arms, and gestured to the gunner behind him to load the ammunition.

The gunner carefully tore open the tarpaulin and filled it with a lead bullet weighing four ounces and eight mace and a handful of loose bullets.

Having done all this, Cao Er, along with his gunners, one in front and one behind, carrying the rapid-fire cannons, staggered and rushed to the front of the battle line.

Cao Er hid behind the swordsmen and shieldmen, squinting as he carefully observed the chaotic battlefield through the rain.

Soon, his gaze settled on an enemy general opposite him, who was wearing silver mountain-patterned armor and shouting orders.

This person was none other than Cao Wenzhao.

"That son of a bitch, he's obviously no good, we'll definitely blast him!"

Cao Er spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
"Watch me give you a good blast!"

After saying that, he winked at the gunner behind him, signaling him to light the fuse.

The gunner understood, took out a tinderbox from the oilcloth, and lit the fuse.

The fuse hissed and emitted white smoke. Seeing this, Cao Er took a deep breath, grabbed the cannon, and charged forward.

"General, move aside!"

Cao Er shoved Jiang Han, who was blocking his way, straightened his back, and steadily aimed the dark muzzle of the cannon at Cao Wenzhao in front of him.

The cold muzzle of a cannon suddenly appeared in front of them, startling Cao Wenzhao and his personal guards who were fighting, causing them to instinctively take a few steps back.

At such close range, if someone were hit by a shell, they would definitely be either killed or maimed!

Thinking of this, Cao Wenzhao hurriedly led his men in a frantic retreat, fearing that they would be hit in the face by a cannonball.

Seeing this, Cao Er became even bolder and took a few more steps forward while holding the cannon barrel.

That posture looked like someone urinating in the wind.

Or to put it bluntly, Cao Er was like shoving his penis into the face of the Guan Ning army, a blatant provocation and insult.

Cao Wenzhao was both shocked and furious, his face turning pale and then red. He had spent half his life on the battlefield, and he had never suffered such humiliation.

Although he was furious, he dared not risk his life. He could only glare at Cao Er while leading his personal guards in a frantic retreat.

Not to be outdone, Cao Er carried the cannon and followed closely behind.

But as he retreated, Cao Wenzhao suddenly realized something was wrong!
It's been quite a while, why hasn't the enemy's cannon fired yet?
Logically speaking, with such a short fuse, it should have been ignited and launched long ago. Could it be that the fuse was extinguished by the rain?

"Damn it! I got swindled by this kid!"

Cao Wenzhao suddenly realized what was happening, and a surge of anger rose to the top of his head.

He flew into a rage and shouted angrily:

"With this heavy rain, even my gun won't fire, how could you possibly use a cannon?"

Having said that, he stopped retreating and instead raised the mace in his hand, ready to rush forward and smash the traitor who had humiliated him into a pulp!

Seeing that things were not going well, Jiang Han pushed Cao Er aside, stepped forward, blocked Cao Wenzhao, and started fighting with him.

Cao Er was suddenly pushed by Jiang Han, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.

He looked down at the breechblock and, sure enough, a small section of the fuse was completely soaked. Sparks flickered there in vain for a few moments before going out.

Cao Er was extremely anxious. He hurriedly drew his wrist-cutting knife from his waist and, with trembling hands, tried to cut off the small section of the fuse to relight it.

However, it is unclear whether it was due to exhaustion, weakness, tension, or cold.

His hands were trembling so badly that he couldn't cut the wet, tough piece of fire rope for a moment.

As the rain continued to pour down, the fuse became completely soaked and could no longer be lit.

Seeing that Cao Wenzhao had already clashed with his own commander, and that more Guan Ning soldiers were also eager to surround them.

Cao Er was sweating profusely with anxiety. In desperation, he gritted his teeth and made an extremely reckless decision:

He wanted to use a tinderbox to poke the fire door and forcefully ignite the gunpowder inside!

"Brother, give me the tinder! And help me hold the cannon!"

He roared and summoned two artillerymen behind him, asking them to help hold the cannon in place.

Cao Er took the tinderbox and then carefully lifted the flap on the fire door.

"Hold on tight! Hold on tight, you bastard!"

He gave the two artillerymen some instructions, then shoved Jiang Han, who was blocking his way, and without hesitation, aimed the tinderbox at the fire door and shoved it in!
It's sizzling!

With a soft click, the tinderbox touched the ignition powder inside the firebox and ignited instantly.

Cao Er felt a searing pain coming from his hand; the blast wave from the exploding gunpowder even scorched his wrist.

But Cao Er couldn't care less about the pain at this moment. He clung tightly to the cannon and rushed forward a few steps with all his might, pointing the cannon at Cao Wenzhao in front of him again.

boom! ! !
A deafening roar drowned out all the shouts and rain sounds on the battlefield.

This rapid-fire weapon, which Cao Er had placed high hopes on but which had almost failed to fire, finally roared out at the last moment.

Solid cannonballs, carrying loose pellets, roared out, tearing through the rain curtain and slamming into the Guan Ning Army's ranks!

Caught off guard, the Guan Ning army on the other side was hit squarely by this close-range cannon shot!
The Guan Ning soldiers at the forefront were instantly smashed to pieces, their flesh flying backwards with screams.

Many more people were hit in the face by flying projectiles, letting out shrill screams, rolling on the ground, and some even tumbling down the hillside.

Cao Wenzhao, who was directly in front of the cannon, had no way to avoid it.

If it weren't for the quick reaction of his personal guards, who instinctively raised their long shields and stood in front of Cao Wenzhao the instant the cannon fired.

I'm afraid that if this shot were fired, Cao Wenzhao would be sent straight to heaven.

Even with his personal guards risking their lives to defend him, Cao Wenzhao fared no better.

This shot shattered the guard's shield to pieces, and he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.

Along with Cao Wenzhao behind him, he was also violently thrown to the ground, rolled a long distance away, and fell heavily into the mud, motionless, his life hanging in the balance.

Seeing their commander fall to the ground after being hit by cannon fire, the Guan Ning soldiers around them were stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

After a brief silence, a chorus of terrified screams erupted from the Guan Ning army's ranks:

"Protect the General!"

Cao Wenzhao's personal guards were the first to react. They disregarded the need to continue fighting and rushed over to check on his injuries.

Seeing that Cao Wenzhao's chest was rising and falling and that he still had a breath left, the guards lifted him up without saying a word and retreated to the rear without regard for anything else.

"withdraw!"

Seeing that several of the generals in the army had been seriously wounded, the morale of the Guan Ning army was completely shattered, and they dared not fight any longer.

Like stray dogs, they abandoned their armor and fled down the mountain in a sorry state.

Cao Er, the instigator of all this, finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Guan Ning Army flee in disarray.

He could no longer hold on, and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His vision went black, and he slowly collapsed into the muddy water, unconscious.

(End of this chapter)