Sweep Yuan

Chapter 164 Battle of Hefei, Chongba Encounters Danger

About forty miles northeast of Hefei, the "field training" of the First Battalion of the Red Flag Battalion Fujun Guard has entered its fourth day.

Last month, the elite cavalry abducted nearly 10,000 Hefei residents right under the noses of the Hefei soldiers, severely impacting spring planting in the eastern part of the city. Those who narrowly escaped the abduction could only fortify their villages for self-defense, but these unfinished fortifications were essentially useless against the ferocious Red Flag Battalion soldiers.

Fortunately, the Fujun Guard's objective this time was not to abduct people. As long as the people of each village honestly provided grain to support the army and dismantled their own villages, all would be well. However, with hundreds of soldiers roaming the countryside every day, few villagers dared to risk leaving their villages to tend to their crops.

After this incident, the summer harvest of the fertile fields over a hundred miles east of Hefei is completely out of the question this year.

“Yu—!”

The scout reined in his horse in front of the First Battalion's lines, raising a cloud of dust, and rushed to report:
"Commander! The troops from Hefei have been mobilized. The vanguard consists of about five hundred cavalrymen and is about ten miles from here!"

Ten li is indeed a long distance for infantry, but for cavalry at full speed, it's just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. At this moment, the Red Flag soldiers are still more than six li away from their camp, and it is obviously unrealistic for them to run back to camp before the cavalry catches up with them.

Without much hesitation, Battalion Commander Cai Fu issued the order to engage the enemy.

"Put on your armor! Form ranks and meet the enemy!"

After giving his orders, Commander Cai shouted at the scouts:
"Return to camp immediately! Order Zhu Chongba to close the camp gates tightly and guard against any incursions by the Hefei troops!"

This was the first time since the formation of the First Battalion that they had faced an equal number of cavalrymen alone in the field. The soldiers were inevitably nervous and fearful. As soon as they took their armor, shields, caltrops, and spare arrows from the supply wagons, the sounds of clashing armor and shouts of alarm rose and fell.

But the training during this period was not in vain. Under the stern reprimands of officers at all levels, the team gradually regained its composure.

When they were still more than half a mile away from the Red Flag Battalion's formation, Zhang Huan, the cavalry general from Hefei, saw that the enemy was already fully armed and slowly retreating in formation. He cursed inwardly that it was a pity, as the two sides were evenly matched. If they were just unarmored and disorganized infantry retreating in a panic, a single charge by the cavalry would have been enough to rout them.

But any general with a sound mind would not lead light cavalry to charge into the enemy's fortified formation.

However, now that troops have been dispatched, if the Hefei army fails to teach this audacious Red Flag Battalion a lesson, it will truly be forced to cower in the city and wait for Shishan to tighten the noose around its neck.

Even if they are ultimately forced by circumstances to surrender to the Red Flag Battalion, they should still fight a few battles first.

In chaotic times, only the mighty can prevail. If you don't show your fist and truly hurt your opponent, don't expect to win their respect and the status you deserve.

"Come with me!"

On the plain, with a wide field of vision, Zhang Huan, riding on horseback, had already spotted the location of the Red Flag Battalion's camp. He quickly spurred his horse around Cai Fu's troops and headed straight for the camp behind them.

Within the ranks, the deputy commander discovered the Hefei cavalry's intentions and urgently inquired:

"Commander, what should we do?"

The Hefei army had been holed up in their positions for days, and Cai Fu, in a moment of carelessness, left only a squad of about fifty men in the camp today, leading the majority of his troops this far. Now, they have been outmaneuvered by the Hefei cavalry, leaving his own unit and the camp unable to support each other.

"Maintain formation! Listen to the drumbeats and keep going!"

Cai Fuxian gave a loud order to stabilize morale before whispering to his deputy:

"Don't worry, Chongba is a prudent man, and there are two hundred militiamen in the camp who can help with the defense. Nothing will go wrong."

This statement was more like self-consolation, but at this point, it was the only option. The immediate priority was to protect their own troops and wait for Commander Shao Rong to arrive with the majority of his forces before figuring out how to teach the Hefei army a lesson and get revenge.

As for whether Zhu Chongba can defend the camp, that depends on his fate.

In the camp.

Upon learning that the Hefei cavalry were advancing, Zhu Chongba quickly assembled all the local militia.

"We've caused trouble in Hefei time and time again, and the soldiers there are already seething with anger! If they break through our camp today, none of us will survive!"

Since Peng Yingyu, Li Pusheng and others started their uprising last year, for more than half a year, the "Peng Zu family" and the Yuan army have been locked in a tug-of-war near Hefei. The people of Luzhou Road have not had a few days of peace and have long witnessed the horrors of war. Zhu Chongba's words stirred up their bloody memories.

"We only have about fifty soldiers left in the camp, and with our defenses scattered, we can't hold out no matter what! I need your help, brothers, to defend the camp. If we can repel the Hefei troops, we can all live. If anyone's going to die, it'll be us soldiers who die first!"
"Are you going to cower and wait to die, or fight me and fight back to save your life, even if it means driving these Hefei bastards away?!"

"Survive!" The cry for survival erupted amidst the fear.

With time running out, Zhu Chongba gave a brief mobilization speech and immediately distributed weapons and deployed defenses.

The camp, which only needed to accommodate 800 people, was not very large. Outside the camp were moats, antler fortifications, and chevaux-de-frise, which prevented cavalry from directly attacking the camp walls. At the four corners of the camp walls, plus on both sides of the east and west gates, there was an arrow tower, for a total of eight. These eight arrow towers were the key to the defense.

The problem was that while the camp had no shortage of bows and arrows, it lacked qualified archers.

Even with a geographical advantage, one might not necessarily gain the upper hand in a firefight with the enemy—it would require sacrificing lives.

But as long as we are willing to risk our lives to hold out until the Hefei cavalry give up or until Cai Fu returns with his men, then we can consider this battle won.

Therefore, Zhu Chongba did not send his better-trained soldiers to defend the arrow towers, but instead put the militia on the front line.

To alleviate the pressure on defense, he also ordered the militia to use some supplies to block the inside of the East Camp Gate, leaving only forty militia and five soldiers to feign an attack on the East Camp Wall to distract the enemy forces, while concentrating the main force on the West Camp Gate for defense.

Zhang Huan was a veteran general from Hefei. In the past six months, he had fought many battles with the "Peng Zu family". He was experienced and led his troops to the outside of the camp. He could tell at a glance that the trembling figures on the arrow tower were militiamen, not elite soldiers.

For the Hefei army, the key to this battle was to seize the Red Flag Battalion's camp, destroy its fortifications, and burn its supplies before the Red Flag Battalion's infantry could return to reinforce it, thus demoralizing the Red Flag Battalion and denying them any means to return and defend their camp.

Only in this way can we continue to entangle their infantry, and then find their weaknesses in the subsequent pursuit to annihilate them.

Zhang Huan acted with extreme decisiveness. Upon discovering that the camp's defenses were weak, he immediately divided his forces: two hundred cavalrymen attacked the east gate to contain the defending troops, while he personally led three hundred elite cavalrymen straight to the west gate.

The Hefei soldiers on the east and west sides quickly dismounted. One group stepped forward with small round shields, vigorously clearing away the barricades and deer antlers; the other group drew their horse bows and exchanged fire with the militia on the arrow tower.

At this point, the difference in training becomes apparent.

The Hefei cavalry were all elite soldiers, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and had the advantage of numbers, which masked the disadvantage of insufficient range of their archers. A dozen or so bows fired at the arrow tower were enough to suppress the militia on the tower.

Despite the shields protecting the arrow towers and their height advantage, the militia could only achieve an exaggerated exchange ratio of two to one, or even three to one, in this brutal exchange of fire.

The Hefei military obstacle-clearing team faced no substantial threats and made steady progress.

Casualties rose rapidly, and the militiamen who were preparing to climb the tower began to hesitate. But at this moment, they had no time to hesitate. The Red Flag Battalion soldiers who were supervising the battle had sharp eyes. Those who hesitated were executed on the spot without hesitation, and their morale collapsed rapidly amidst screams.

Zhu Chongba pressed himself against the camp gate, peering through the gaps in the wooden gate as the enemy destroyed one barricade after another, suppressing his anxiety and fear until the enemy gradually closed in to a dangerous distance.

"Throw spears!"

Through the low stockade wall, dozens of short spears were hurled in parabolic arcs, finally inflicting the heaviest casualties on the advancing enemy forces since the start of the battle. Zhu Chongba had no time to examine the enemy's losses closely and immediately gave the order:
"Raise your shields! Come closer!" Just as the spear-throwing soldiers and militiamen raised their shields, a volley of arrows rained down from the Hefei army outside the wall. The arrows struck the iron shields with a clanging sound, sparks flying everywhere, and several unlucky ones who were a little slow to react fell to the ground with screams.

However, the screams did not last long. The Hefei soldiers continued to hurl arrows into the wall, quickly ending their suffering.

The casualty ratio in the exchange of fire was too disparate. Seeing the heavy casualties among the militia and their morale collapsing, Zhu Chongba dared not force them to go up to the arrow tower for defense.

Everyone was crammed into the blind spot inside the camp gate, listening to the heartbeats of their comrades around them like drums. The shouts and commands of the Hefei soldiers outside the camp could be heard clearly. Through the crack in the gate, they could even see them deftly dragging the barricades.

With such a disparity in strength, the outcome of this battle seemed predetermined. Zhu Chongba was also afraid, yet unwilling to accept defeat, and continued to rack his brains for a solution.

Suddenly, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes, and he roared:
"Hold the camp gate! I'll be right back!"

Having said that, he braced himself with his shield, endured the sparse but deadly rain of arrows, and crouched low as he charged into the camp.

A moment later, Zhu Chongba rushed back, dragging a heavy wooden box.

"The Dongying Gate is short-handed, relying only on inanimate objects; it won't hold out for long. Once the enemy starts breaching the gate, you will all listen to my command, open the gate together, rush out, and fight them to the death!"

The crowd was still in shock, staring blankly at Zhu Chongba, unsure whether they had heard him or not.

"Once the camp falls, we're all going to die! If you don't want to die, fight me!" Zhu Chongba roared. "Let's fight them to the death!"

This roar finally ignited the fighting spirit of the soldiers in their unit:
"Fight them!"

Then some of the militia were infected:
"Let's fight!"

The shouts from inside the camp alerted the Hefei soldiers outside, and another volley of arrows rained down—still missing their target.

Outside the camp, all obstacles were finally cleared, and some of the Hefei soldiers stepped forward and used knives, spears, and even heavy battle axes to smash the camp gate.

The other group retreated, remounted their horses, and waited for the camp gates to open before charging in to slaughter everyone. However, the wooden gaps in the camp gates were not small, and it was extremely easy for the enemy soldiers to stab them if they stood at the gates at this time, so the group had no choice but to retreat.

"open!"

Zhu Chongba shouted loudly. Several militiamen struggled to lift the heavy bolts, and the heavy camp gate swung open inwards with a thud.

"Kill!"

The Hefei soldiers outside grinned maliciously, brandishing their weapons as they charged in. Some of the hot-blooded militiamen raised their simple spears and rushed forward, while the majority, driven by instinctive fear, turned and fled.

Zhu Chongba had already ordered his men to form a gun and shield formation, and they charged forward alongside the hot-blooded militia.

The two sides engaged in a bloody close-quarters battle at the narrow camp gate. The hot-blooded militiamen quickly fell, but at this moment, the length advantage of the rifles finally became apparent. The remaining forty-six Red Flag Battalion soldiers managed to hold their ground with their long rifles and sturdy shields.

The Hefei officer who led the breach quickly realized something was wrong and ordered a retreat, intending to create distance between the two sides and then completely annihilate the enemy with a barrage of arrows or a cavalry charge.

"Stay close to them! Don't let them get away!"

How could Zhu Chongba let the enemy get away with it? He quickly led his men into a desperate fight.

This expanded the gains, but before long, the group chased the enemy to the gates of the camp.

Not far away, Zhang Huan had already led his cavalry to move toward his right flank, clearly intending to accelerate first and then launch a surprise attack on the left flank of the Red Flag Battalion soldiers who had completely broken out of the camp.

The enemy has a numerical advantage and has left a group of archers in place. If they retreat now, Zhu Chongba and his men will be met with a merciless rain of arrows, and then the cavalry will charge directly into the wide-open camp gates—and they will still die!

"Keep following closely."

Warm-up, acceleration, and further acceleration—the high-speed charging warhorses charged forward with unparalleled momentum. The Red Flag soldiers finally abandoned their pursuit of the retreating Hefei soldiers and turned to confront the Hefei cavalry. As their formation shifted, a volley of arrows fired from the side felled several more men.

The thunderous hooves of horses, as large as bowls, trampled the earth.

With the two sides less than twenty paces apart, Zhu Chongba suddenly threw out seven or eight dark iron lumps from his formation.

Zhang Huan's pupils contracted, and before he could react, a series of deafening explosions suddenly erupted in front of the charging cavalry.

“Boom! Boom! Boom—!”

Flames and black smoke shot into the sky, and scorching air currents, carrying rubble, iron filings, and deadly fragments, swept out like a storm.

“Yu Yu Yu——”

The warhorses, never having experienced such a terrifying sight, reared up in fright, neighing shrilly. Some spun around in place, while others went completely out of control, bucking and crashing wildly. The rear guard couldn't catch up in time and collided violently with the frightened horses in front, causing men and horses to fall to the ground.

In the chaos, two cavalrymen, propelled by their momentum, crashed into Zhu Chongba's ranks, causing five or six Red Banner soldiers to spit blood, fly backward, and die on the spot.

These two cavalrymen were not spared either, and were instantly killed by Zhu Chongba and his men with a hail of spears.

"Quickly! Retreat! Close the door!"

Zhu Chongba was both shocked and exhausted, his heart almost leaping out of his throat. Taking advantage of the moment when the Hefei soldiers' offensive faltered and they fell into chaos, he roared and ordered a retreat. During the retreat, he was shot down by a group of Hefei soldiers who had regained their composure.

"Close the door quickly!"

The heavy camp gate slammed shut, the bolts fell, and fewer than ten soldiers staggered back into the camp!

Outside the camp.

Zhang Huan struggled to pull his lower leg out from under the warhorse's carcass, and a piercing pain shot through him—his lower leg was probably broken!

What hurt him more than his broken leg was his heart. He was willing to pay another price in casualties and launch a strong attack to break through the stronghold, but it was already pointless.

They lost thirty or forty elite cavalrymen, yet they couldn't even wipe out this mere squad of Red Banner soldiers; their plan to demoralize them had failed.

Zhang Huan, being knowledgeable and experienced, quickly concluded from the smell of gunpowder in the air that the Red Flag soldiers had used a new type of gunpowder weapon and had even found a dud grenade at the scene.

He had actually discovered that the grenades were not very powerful, but their loud noise was overwhelming. His soldiers, seeing such a thing for the first time, were inevitably afraid, and the warhorses were even more afraid. His morale had already been dampened, making it inconvenient to continue fighting.

More importantly, Zhang Huan wasn't sure how many of these weapons the Red Flag soldiers actually had. What if they had a lot and buried them in the camp to take him down with them? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

Gazing at the approaching banner of Cai Fu's camp on the western horizon, Zhang Huan climbed onto a stray warhorse, gritted his teeth, and forced out the order:
"Take the bodies of our fallen comrades... and retreat!"

(End of this chapter)