Colonial Era: From Remnants to European Dominator

Indifference is the greatest reward of war, and also the only possibility of survival in war.

For Kazakh mercenaries, their ranks are sufficiently dispersed, yet they have the shortest possible time to quickly reinforce their comrades.

Their steel swords were already drawn, and each armored Kazakh mercenary with a sword was protected by a shield on his side. Behind the attacking force was a core force composed of four rows of musketeers.

The dazzling sunlight shone on the surface of the steel knife, and the reflected light shone on the faces of the Kazakh soldiers. Their indifference was so strong that even the surrounding flowers and plants would feel afraid.

The group slowly made their way up the hillside. Because it was an uphill path, they walked with extra caution. At the slightest disturbance, the shields on either side would surround them, and the musketeers would also crouch on the ground.

Andrei, who had been observing from the rear with binoculars, gradually grew irritated with his rough, bull-like face. He knew all too well why they were being so cautious. These damned Kazakh buffalo were always trying to gain more victory with less loss, but he wouldn't allow that to happen.

"Tell Barth that the artillery will open fire in seven minutes. He has to get up there within that time, or I can't guarantee those shells won't land on his head—"

When the order for artillery fire arrived, Barthes's troops had already traversed a third of the slope. Just as he was continuing his tentative adventures, the order struck him like a punch to the gut, his face turning as red as a hot iron, heat radiating from his nostrils.

"How dare these lowly serfs, as lowly as field mice, order around the great Kazakhs like this?!"

He cursed under his breath, but quickened his pace and issued the order. After all, these mercenaries were ultimately living under someone else's roof. If they didn't even comply with this basic request, they would have virtually no place to stay in Barnaul when they returned, not to mention the possibility of internal strife.

The clattering of riding boots, accompanied by the sound of the wind and the fragrance of earth, scatters across the hillside, creating a classic ancient oil painting of attacking from below and defending from above.

"BOOM!!"

The slightly inaccurate shell landed on the left side of the hillside, killing an unfortunate Kazakh shield soldier and turning what should have been a perfectly still oil painting into a real war movie.

"Organize brave warriors, charge forward, and they will reap the greatest honor and riches!!"

Bart brandished his Kazakh scimitar in his left hand, his eyes filled with the ferocity of a jackal.

The so-called pioneering feat in ancient Central Plains armies was actually of similar importance in other regions. After all, being the first to charge forward, holding the line, opening up opportunities for comrades behind, and ultimately surviving—what else could this be but the mark of a warrior?

The Kazakh troops may be slightly less savage than the Cossacks who merely lookouts, but in their talent for killing, they are just like their so-called "free men," a bloodline inherited from their ancestors who served the Golden Horde.

Below the hillside, charges and chaotic artillery fire mingled, while above, the oppressive atmosphere continued, so intense that one could grip the sweat without even noticing.

"The training period was too short, but more importantly, we lack a systematic artillery doctrine. Relying solely on studying outdated tactics left by the Ming Dynasty's border troops is no longer sufficient for today's world. We must make changes!!"

Li Yuanheng was both calm and agitated. The scattered smoke from the cannons in his binoculars constantly reminded him how backward Jinshan Prefecture was in this era. The last bit of pride he had felt for defeating the Qing army vanished instantly, replaced by a pressure as heavy as a mountain.

The pressure weighed on his shoulders, compounded by the surrounding environment. Li Yuanheng's grip on the hilt of his sword tightened gradually. Only when the spring breeze brushed against his handsome face a few seconds later did he calm down, almost subconsciously:

"Cannons forward, swordsmen and shieldmen back, switch to bows and arrows!!"

With his extreme sensitivity to war since childhood, Li Yuanheng chose the bloodiest but also most morale-boosting fighting style.

The creaking wheels of the artillery carriages accompanied the retreat of the fourth squad of infantry. Six cannons were pushed to the front, and shells were quickly loaded into the muzzles by the gunners. As the sounds of battle below grew closer, the fuses were lit.

"I've made it to the top! Tengri, thank goodness, I've made it to the top!!"

The first Kazakh mercenary to charge forward was excited as if he were insane, and behind him, six or seven more rushed up together. But before they could even celebrate, several ear-shattering sounds rang out, and then their bodies were blown apart by exploding shells. One of the shells hit the Kazakh soldier directly, and the soldier's body was first dented, and then torn to pieces.

The blood and flesh from the explosion were thrown from above onto the attacking troops below.

"ah!!"

Wiping the blood and flesh from his face, a Kazakh soldier let out a near-mad roar, then, driven by the instincts of a wild beast and the battle cries of his comrades, he charged to the front, only to be pierced in the throat by an arrow.

Even when he died, his face still retained that chilling, bestial look.

The other Cossack mercenaries initially fled in panic, but then charged forward again, their hesitation lasting very short, a stark contrast to many armies around the world today.

Many people's views on the military have been misled by later films and television shows. In reality, most armies in the world, especially those that use a mix of cold and hot weapons, have a very high rate of defeat. Most soldiers, especially those who have just arrived on the battlefield, will run away as soon as the guns start firing. Those who can keep from immediately fleeing are considered good soldiers.

The army that charges ahead without fear is probably considered a strong and elite force even in the Kazakh Khanate.

All of this stemmed from their collaborating with the Cossacks. When humanity is distorted and bestiality takes precedence, the contempt for the lives of others, and even the numbness towards one's own life, can turn timid people into brave, cruel, and bloodthirsty individuals.

Arrows pierced the bodies of many Kazakh mercenaries, bringing blood and death, which calmed the frenzied group down somewhat.

"Stronger than the Qing army's border troops!!"

"And even more ruthless----"

Hook gripped the knife, eager to use it; for him, this was an opportunity to demonstrate his significance.

Li Yuanheng stroked his pistol, watching the gray beasts rushing forward one after another across from him. His throat moved slowly, and he stuffed a piece of candy into his mouth to calm himself down.

"Brother, are you sending three teams? The bandits below with their muskets are coming up too."

Hook's warning echoed in his ears, and Li Yuanheng finally made up his mind to confront him head-on:

"Pass on my order: four squads retreat, three squads engage the enemy—"

"The first and second squadrons of cavalry, according to the plan we just discussed, will engage the enemy cavalry."

"yes!!"

Hu Wu clasped his hands in a fist salute and turned to leave, accompanied by several flag bearers. This was a state-of-the-art communication method that allowed flag bearers on their side to wave various colored flags and direct distant troops to execute orders from a high vantage point.

This tactic is a well-established tradition, even in naval warfare, and modern European navies still largely use this communication method in wars.

After all, in the era before radio, flag communication was already a very advanced technology. Only a well-organized territory could develop flag signals.

As the command flags changed, the more than three hundred iron cavalrymen who had been hiding in the rear came directly into the Cossacks' sight.

Each unit consists of 150 cavalrymen, including buglers, and 200 infantrymen. Musketeers, limited by the number of muskets, currently number only 80; the remaining few dozen use lances.

When will the armies of the nearby tribes arrive?

Don't be fooled by the fact that Li Yuanheng's Qing army only brought the Jinshan garrison when they attacked Kordo last time, without conscripting the Turkic tribes belonging to Jinshan Prefecture. In reality, it was simply for the sake of convenience and to avoid sharing the spoils of war.

But this time it was different. These Rakshasa demons had come from afar, and they made their living by plundering. What profit could they possibly have to share? In addition, they had killed many tribes near Jinshan Prefecture along the way, so it was reasonable to conscript them. Moreover, since ancient times, there has never been a case where the master sheds blood while the servants wait for peace. Therefore, at the beginning of the war, several surrounding tribes were mobilized.

"Based on the timing and the command flag that just arrived from afar, they should arrive in no more than fifteen minutes."

Hu Wu's report emboldened Li Yuanheng, but out of caution towards the surrendered tribes, he did not continue the offensive. Instead, he ordered:

"After engaging the enemy, cavalry may retreat and engage in flanking maneuvers, but must not enter within 120 paces of firearms. Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed!!"

The order was given quickly, accompanied by a command flag, so that the first and second cavalry units learned of it very soon. Then, under the strict defense of the Cossacks, they launched a semi-circular mounted archery attack.

"A bunch of idiots!!"

Andrei, who had previously thought these natives with cannons were quite formidable, instantly lost his unease upon seeing the mounted archers' formation, which was similar to that of the tribal natives. He then ordered his musketeers to aim at the native cavalry who had not yet entered firing range.

"Whoosh!!"

The arrows landed right in front of the Cossack musketeers, but they just couldn't hit them, eliciting bursts of laughter from them. Even Hook, standing next to Andrei, remarked:

"Let's just shut down the Swedes' artillery. Indigenous people of this caliber are not worth wasting precious shells on."

Seven minutes had passed when, accompanied by a not-too-loud roar, a cloud of dust exploded from the hillside.

The layer of dust wasn't large and disappeared quickly, but it greatly boosted the morale of the Kazakh mercenaries fighting above, directly launching a new wave of attacks.

"withstand!!"

"Aim straight ahead----"

Li Yuanheng took direct command of the muskets. Although he liked the young man named Su Yan, at this moment, he chose himself.