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

Chapter 126 The Old Traditions of the Guan Ning Army

boom!
With Cao Er's cannon strike achieving victory, the Guan Ning army began to flee in disarray.

These elite troops from Liaodong never expected that the bandits they regarded as mere chickens and dogs would be so troublesome.

They thought they could easily crush them into dust with a few rounds of attacks, but who would have thought that this band of bandits was completely different from those they had encountered before.

Each of them was fearless and incredibly resilient, no less so than the Tartars of Liaodong.

Seeing several generals fall one after another, and even the commander-in-chief was blown to pieces by a cannon, how could the remaining Guan Ning soldiers dare to fight again?
They threw down their weapons and ran frantically down the mountain.

The narrow mountain path suddenly turned into a living hell.

The fleeing soldiers shoved each other, and many slipped and fell in the mud, only to be trampled into a bloody pulp by the surging crowd behind them.

The piercing screams mingled with the sound of rain echoed through the valley, and broken weapons and discarded armor littered the entire mountain path.

"Hold on! Everyone hold on! No retreating!"

Guerrilla General Xiang Jun, along with his personal guards, blocked the bend in the mountain path, cracking their whips.

The guards nearby cut down several soldiers who were leading the escape, but it was all in vain.

The fleeing soldiers overwhelmed his defenses like a flood breaking through a dam, and some even charged at him with knives raised in their bloodshot eyes.

The tide has turned, and there's no way to turn things around.

Seeing that things were hopeless, Xiang Jun sighed helplessly and silently put the riding whip back at his waist.

The bandits who suddenly appeared from the Lüliang Mountains were far more powerful than Xiang Jun had imagined, especially their fearless spirit, which made him somewhat apprehensive.

It seems we've really bitten off more than we can chew this time.

When we get back, we need to investigate thoroughly to find out which band of bandits they are and who their leader is.

"Withdraw!"

He waved to his personal guards, stopped making futile resistance, and joined the fleeing soldiers as they retreated down the mountain.

Meanwhile, at the temporary camp at the foot of the mountain, Commander Wang Shih-hu was pacing back and forth anxiously.

The rain pattered against the cowhide tents with a dull thud, and the scouts he had sent out had yet to respond.

The sudden cannon blast just now made his heart pound. Why would someone fire a cannon in this weird weather?
Wang Shih-hu was filled with anxiety, unsure of the exact situation of the battle on the mountain.

Logically speaking, Cao Wenzhao should have easily defeated a band of rebels by personally leading 1,500 elite Guan Ning troops. Why has the battle dragged on for so long?
Just as he was wondering, he suddenly saw figures moving on the mountain path. Then, a large number of Guan Ning soldiers, who had lost their armor and weapons, rushed down the mountain in a panic.

"what happened?!"

Wang Shih-hu was taken aback and rushed forward to stop one of the fleeing soldiers.
What happened on the mountain?

The fleeing soldiers were pale, their lips were purple from the cold, and they just kept shouting incoherently:

"The artillery sergeant was bombarded by artillery fire."

"I don't know! They all ran away!"

After saying that, he shoved Wang Shih-hu aside and ran away into the distance without looking back.

They were defeated? The Guan Ning Army was actually defeated?!
How can this be? !
Wang Shih-hu's mind was in complete chaos; he could hardly believe his ears and eyes.

He was well aware of the fighting strength of the Guan Ning Army; they were the elite of the Ming Dynasty's border troops. How could they be defeated by an unknown band of bandits?
Before he could figure it out, Xiang Jun had already led a large group of defeated soldiers, carrying several makeshift stretchers, running down the mountain in a disheveled state.

Lying on the stretcher were the unconscious Cao Wenzhao and Cao Bianjiao.

Beside him was a pale-faced guerrilla general named Sun Shoufa, who was being supported by others and also appeared to be seriously injured!

Seeing this tragic scene, Wang Shih-hu's last shred of hope vanished.

The Guan Ning Army has truly been defeated.

Wang Shih-hu's face turned ashen as he looked at the routed Guan Ning soldiers who had stormed into his ranks and shattered his defensive lines.

He stopped Xiang Jun and asked sternly:

"Commander Xiang! What happened?! How could he have suffered such a crushing defeat?!"

Xiang Jun was in no better shape, covered in mud and with his helmet and armor askew.

He wiped the rain from his face and said urgently:
"Commander Wang, those bandit soldiers are fierce! General Cao has been hit by cannon fire and is now in imminent danger!"

"The dragon-transformed creature fell off a cliff and fell unconscious; Guerrilla Commander Sun was also seriously injured!"

"The enemy soldiers are about to catch up, let's retreat quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shih-hu's eyes widened even more:

"withdraw?!"

"Guerrilla Commander Xiang, it's pouring rain, and night is falling. Where should we retreat to?"

He pointed to the relatively intact camp and military formation behind him.

"In my opinion, you should first send your personal guards to escort those wounded generals and guerrillas back to Ningwu Pass."

"The two of us will gather the remaining troops and guard the mountain path."

"I still have 1,500 brothers here. Relying on the camp, we can build a second line of defense. We might be able to stop the enemy!"

Wang Shih-hu was still not giving up. He felt that with his 1,500 Qin soldiers, plus the Guan Ning deserters he had gathered, there was still hope of holding the camp.

He was really unwilling to abandon the newly built camp.

It was getting dark soon, and it was raining heavily.

If they flee now without a fight, not to mention whether they can escape the bandits' pursuit, the low temperature in the mountains at night alone could take half their lives.

Even if they were lucky enough to escape back to Ningwu Pass, they would definitely fall seriously ill.

However, Xiang Jun and his Guan Ning soldiers did not think so.

They had just suffered a crushing defeat and their morale was at rock bottom. They had no will to fight again.
Moreover, in their view, the fighting strength of this group of Qin soldiers was far inferior to that of their Guan Ning Army. Leaving them behind to cover the rear would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths.

"Stay if you want! We're not playing along!"

A Guan Ning army general roughly pushed aside the Qin soldiers who tried to stop him.

"Exactly! We just fought a bloody battle up there, why should we stay here!"

The Guan Ning soldiers completely ignored Wang Shih-hu's orders and even disregarded Xiang Jun's restraints; their only thought now was to escape this hellish place.

The Qin soldiers' defensive line blocking their way became an obstacle to their escape.

Fuck you!

The platoon leader of the Guan Ning Army suddenly sprang to his feet, wielding his sword and smashing down the Qin soldiers blocking his path.
"Brothers, run!"

This shout was like pouring water into a pot of boiling oil, instantly throwing the already terrified Guan Ning army into a frenzy, and they all began to charge into the enemy formation.

Wang Shih-hu was furious when he saw this; he wasn't made of clay!
"Are you rebelling?!"

"Anyone who dares to charge the battle lines will be killed without exception!"

He immediately ordered his personal guards to take action, and they mercilessly cut down several Guan Ning soldiers who were leading the charge into the enemy lines.

When Xiang Jun saw that Wang Shih-hu actually dared to make a move, he was both shocked and furious, and was about to step forward to argue with him.

But Wang Shih-hu spoke first, his tone forceful:
"Guerrilla Commander Xiang, calm down!"

"Look at this heavy rain. How far can you get if you run out like this now?"

"Besides, it's almost nightfall. Don't you know how cold it is in the mountains at night?"

"Our brothers have been soaked in the rain all day, and if they are left out in the cold all night, even if the bandits don't chase us, most of us will freeze to death!"

He softened his tone and continued.

"I advise you to do as I say: take rain gear and send your personal guards to escort the wounded officers back."

"Then you gather the remaining troops and join me in guarding the mountain path."

"Those bandits have been fighting fiercely in the heavy rain for a long time, and they may already be exhausted. Our troops are in a state of rest and waiting for them to tire themselves out. We may be able to fight them!"

"You only need to provide cover for me on the flanks; let my Qin soldiers fight the main force in this battle!"

Xiang Jun was still hesitant after hearing Wang Shih-hu's words:

"But."

Wang Shih-hu abruptly interrupted him, saying decisively:
"Stop dawdling!"

"The bandits on the mountain are about to come down. If you keep dawdling and miss the opportunity, I might report you to the authorities later!"

Helpless, Xiang Jun had no choice but to send men to gather the defeated soldiers and transfer his men to Wang Shih-hu's right wing.

At that moment, Jiang Han had already led his victorious army down the mountain with the fleeing government troops.

Jiang Han saw Wang Shih-hu's army formation and camp not far away and dared not let his guard down, fearing that the government troops might have other tricks up their sleeves.

He immediately ordered the messenger to sound the horn, so that the troops at the front would stop their pursuit and regroup at the foot of the mountain.

If we charge recklessly at this point, the government troops lined up on the other side will probably attack.

In the end, a great victory may turn into a great defeat.

As for Wang Shih-hu, he also dared not take the initiative to attack.

Although he was well-rested and had a complete force, the Guan Ning soldiers on the right flank, who were terrified, were the biggest threat.

He could even sense that the Guan Ning soldiers were restless and might collapse and flee again at any moment.

Therefore, he dared not rashly order an offensive, fearing that if he made a move, the Guan Ning troops on the right flank would flee first, and that would be the end of it.

Hold on, just hold on!
Neither side dared to make any rash moves.

And so, the two sides faced off in the rain, separated by less than four or five miles.

However, while everyone's attention was focused on the main battlefield, a small squad of a hundred men had already crossed the mountain ridge via a side path and quietly circled around to Wang Shih-hu's right flank. This was the force led by Hei Zi.

According to the original plan, Hei Zi intended to take advantage of the stalemate in the battle at the front to bypass Cao Wenzhao's army and go to the mountain ridge behind the main force via a side path.

They then used their superior terrain to harass and kill Cao Wenzhao's men with arrows, in order to coordinate with the general offensive on the main battlefield.

However, the mountain roads were rugged, muddy, and slippery, making it difficult to even walk on the official roads, let alone the mountain trails they were traveling on.

The group of people fell countless times and shoved themselves into the mud before finally tumbling and crawling over the mountain ridge.

But when they arrived at their designated location, they were shocked to find that the battle was already over!

The main force of the Guan Ning Army has been routed and is fleeing downwards!

Left with no other choice, Hei Zi prepared to lead his men down the mountain to join Jiang Han's main force.

But before he had gone far, he spotted two groups of people facing off in the rain.

And right below them were the defeated soldiers of Guan Ning.

"Damn it, looks like this trip through the mud wasn't for nothing!"

Kuroko's eyes lit up, and he quickly summoned his squad leader:

"Feng Lao Er! Do you see that group of Guan Ning soldiers down there?"

"Go and tell the brothers to aim at the Guan Ning soldiers below and fire a few rounds of bullets at them."

Upon hearing this, Feng Lao Er hesitated somewhat:

"Sir, with this heavy rain, the arrows might not hit their mark!"

"Even though our quiver is wrapped in oilcloth, won't it get wet as soon as we take it out?"

Upon hearing this, Hei Zi slapped Feng Lao Er on the forehead:
"You're really not smart!"

"Can't you find something to shelter yourself from the rain?"

Feng Lao Er was taken aback by the scolding and scratched his head:

"To shield from the rain?"

"Boss, where can we find shelter from the rain in this desolate wilderness?"

Hei Zi looked at him with a face full of disappointment:
"How stupid!"

"Why don't you have your brothers take off some of their armor and use them as rain shelters?"

"If all else fails, just wrap it in a layer of oilcloth; that should definitely help!"

Kuroko emphasized that,
"Also, tell them not to aim anymore. With this much rain, no one can aim accurately!"

"Let them do intensive projectile shooting, shoot into the crowd, understand?"

After being enlightened by Hei Zi, Feng Lao Er suddenly realized:
"understand!"

Soon, more than a dozen armors were raised high above the archers' heads, forming a makeshift rainproof fortification.

Under this temporary "roof," the archers carefully unwrapped the oilcloth from their quivers and drew their bows.

"put!"

With Feng Lao Er's command, dozens of arrows, mixed in with the torrential rain, silently fell towards the heads of the Guan Ning defeated soldiers below!

Meanwhile, the Guan Ning soldiers, unaware of the impending doom, were cursing incessantly:
"Damn it, after all this dragging on, are we going to fight or run? Just give us a straight answer!"

"If this rain keeps pouring down, I'll freeze to death even if I'm not hacked to death by the bandits!"

As he spoke, one of the soldiers looked up at the gloomy sky and cursed loudly:
"Damn it, heavens! This rain is pouring down! Are you fucking crazy?"

The scolding stopped abruptly.

A cold, rain-soaked arrow fell from the sky, piercing his eye socket with perfect accuracy, the arrowhead protruding from the back of his head.

"what--!"

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the rain.

The soldier covered his eyes and fell straight into the muddy water.

Before their comrades could react, a barrage of arrows rained down on them like hail!

In an instant, the Guan Ning soldiers were shot down and their horses fell to the ground.

In their previous escape, they most likely threw away their helmets in order to run faster.

At this moment, facing the rain of arrows coming from above, there was nowhere to hide.

"There's an ambush! The enemy soldiers have an ambush!"

"Run! The enemy soldiers have circled around to our backs!"

Seeing his comrades fall one after another, Xiang Jun could no longer care about covering the flanks and immediately displayed the fine tradition of "betraying teammates" of the Guan Ning Army.

He turned and ran with his personal guards, completely disregarding Wang Shih-hu's troops who were still confronting Jiang Han.

Seeing their commander Xiang Jun lead the retreat, the Guan Ning soldiers, who were already unwilling to fight, scattered and fled in all directions.

In this way, Wang Shih-hu's flanks were completely exposed, with no protection whatsoever.

Seeing this, the black cat on the mountain ridge was overjoyed:
"The Guan Ning Army has fled! Charge!"

He drew his sword and, like a tiger descending a mountain, led his hundred or so men down the slippery slope towards the government troops below.

Seeing the Guan Ning soldiers on the flanks flee, the Qin soldiers in the formation, though unsure of the situation, instinctively sensed something was wrong.

Panic is contagious, and many Qin soldiers began to waver, with some even turning and running away with the Guan Ning soldiers.

They didn't need to run faster than the enemy soldiers; they just needed to run faster than their own men.

At this moment, Jiang Han keenly noticed the commotion among the government troops opposite him. He looked at the small team rushing down the mountain ridge and suddenly realized what was going on.

He made a decisive decision and issued the order for a general offensive:
"Brothers, follow me!"

Having said that, he picked up the mace in his hand and charged towards the government troops in front.

The two groups clashed violently and began to fight each other.

Wang Shih-hu was still directing his men to resist the enemy's attacks.

Suddenly, a messenger came stumbling and crawling up to him, urgently reporting:

"General! Something's wrong! A group of enemy soldiers have suddenly attacked from the flank!"

"Those damned Guan Ning soldiers betrayed us! They all ran away!"

"Many of my brothers ran away with me!"

Upon hearing the messenger's report, Wang Shih-hu trembled with rage.

"Xiang Jun! I'll fuck your grandma!"

"A bunch of idiots! They're all experts at burning, killing, and looting all the time! But when it really comes down to it, they're all unreliable!"

However, cursing solves nothing.

The Black Pawn unit, like a sharp dagger, pierced his flank and instantly shattered the battle.

Seeing that his flanks were being constantly attacked by enemy soldiers, Wang Shih-hu had no choice but to detach some of his troops to try to plug the gaps on the flanks.

But his splitting of troops gave Jiang Han an opportunity to break through!

Jiang Han keenly sensed the chaos in the enemy formation and immediately led his personal guards in an attack on the government army's command center.

Not far away, Shao Yong also understood the situation and led his elite troops to charge towards Wang Shih-hu's central position from another direction, in coordination with Jiang Han!
Under attack from both sides, the government troops could no longer hold out and were slaughtered in a series of defeats.

Jiang Han, wielding two maces, hacked and slashed with both hands, carving a bloody path through the enemy ranks and heading straight for Wang Shih-hu.

Although Wang Shih-hu was also a fierce warrior, he fought back with all his might, but he was clearly outmatched by Jiang Han and Shao Yong.

His bodyguards kept falling down, and gradually only Wang Shih-hu was left struggling to hold on.

With a loud clang, Jiang Han slammed his hammer down hard on the back of Wang Shih-hu's knife.

The immense force caused Wang Shih-hu's hand to split open, his long sword to slip from his grasp, and he was thrown backward, landing hard on his backside in the mud!

Before Wang Shih-hu could struggle to his feet, Jiang Han's personal guards swarmed forward and hacked him to death.

Seeing the enemy general fall, Jiang Han immediately ordered his personal guards to shout repeatedly at the top of their lungs:

"The commander is dead!"

"Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Upon hearing this, the Qin soldiers, who were still resisting, instinctively searched the battlefield for their general.

But all they could see were more and more bandits around them.

Seeing that their commander was dead and that their "friendly" Guan Ning soldiers had long since vanished, they ceased their desperate struggle.

The remaining Qin soldiers dropped their weapons, knelt on the ground dejectedly, and surrendered.

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng!!"

Seeing that the government troops had completely given up resistance, a deafening cheer erupted on the battlefield, a cheer belonging to the victors.

Countless soldiers raised their weapons high, shouting excitedly and expressing their joy of victory!
Thus, this ambush battle that took place in the Lüliang Mountains came to a complete end with a total victory for Jiang Han's troops.

　Is it the end of the month?
　　Please give me some monthly votes, everyone! I've already canceled all outdoor activities for the May Day holiday, so I'll definitely focus on updating!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)