Late Ming Dynasty: Starting with the overthrow of the county magistrate, a rebellion was launched to

Dawn finally broke, though it was only a faint light. But the light shining on Shanmu'ao, after a night of fierce fighting, still gave people a glimmer of hope for survival.

Those who are still alive, especially, feel this deeply when they see the corpses lying haphazardly at the bottom of the valley, still in their dying, fighting postures; when they see the broken spears; when they see the chipped ring-pommel swords; and when they see the craters left by the red-clad cannons.

And what about Zhang Da?

Having survived the ordeal, he leaned against a waist-high bluestone. His arms, from shoulders to wrists, trembled uncontrollably. While this was indeed somewhat shameful for the highest-ranking commander of the Baoqing Prefecture army, it seemed quite reasonable given that his opponent was Li Dingguo.

The immense force of Li Dingguo's slash had nearly shattered the bones in both of his arms. It even reopened the wounds on his shoulders and back inflicted by Zhang Feng'e.

Therefore, Zhang Da's current state is clearly extremely abnormal.

"Big brother..."

Zhang Wen was in good spirits, but his face looked extremely strange. He scrambled to Zhang Da's side, "Li Dingguo... that bastard Li Dingguo led three or four hundred personal guards to break through and retreat into Huaqiao Pass! We... our group of eight hundred men, three hundred and forty-seven of them were lost. The detectives who went out to scout, less than thirty percent of them came back..."

Zhou Wenqu, however, was focused on Zhang Da's body. He squatted down, reached out and touched Zhang Da's arm to carefully check his injury.

"Brother, it seems your arms are fractured and you can't use them anymore, right? If you force yourself to continue commanding, it will probably worsen your injuries... And Brother, we absolutely cannot attack Huaqiao Pass from above—it's sandwiched between two mountains, and the widest part of the frontal passage is only three zhang (approximately 10 meters), while the narrowest part can only allow two people to walk side by side. There are also rolling logs, boulders, boiling oil, and spears pouring down from above. Sending any number of people there would be a pointless death sentence. This is a death trap!"

Zhou Wenqu spoke hesitantly, yet his words were very clear.

However, Zhang Da just gritted his teeth, seemingly lost in thought or enduring the pain.

After a while, Zhou Wenqu wanted to persuade Zhang Da again, but the latter waved his hand to stop him. Then Zhang Da looked up at Huaqiao Pass, whose outline was faintly visible through the mist.

Huaqiao Pass is a pleasant-sounding place name, but its appearance is hardly pleasing to the eye. Almost the entire pass is made of dark blue-green walls, stretching across the middle of the valley like a gate that locks the throat of the Xiangzhong Road.

It must be opened!

Li Dingguo is now defeated but not completely routed. Given time, he can still regroup his defeated troops, properly care for the wounded, and deploy lookouts, sentries, musketeers, and archers in layers.

By then, if we try to break through the barrier, the price we'll have to pay will be far more than just a couple of thousand men; the entire army might even collapse...

However, back in Hengzhou, Zhang Da guessed that Feng Shuangli's troops had already reached the Prince Gui's residence. If reinforcements didn't arrive soon, and those damned princes' stockpiled grain fell into the hands of bandits... Zhang Da's hard times were definitely coming.

"Little Zhuge, stop talking."

Zhang Da, leaning on the bluestone and using his sword as a crutch, began to struggle to his feet. "If I rest for one day, how many people in Hengzhou will die? If I rest for three days, how many more refugees will Zhang Xianzhong's murderous thief take in? If I rest for ten days, will the entire Baoqing Prefecture be his?"

Zhang Da was still determined to fight Li Dingguo to the death...

"I don't care about casualty figures, and I don't want to hear any nonsense about recuperation, the enemy being strong and we being weak, or Li Dingguo being cruel and ruthless. I am determined to take Huaqiao Pass! No matter the cost, I will break through it."

After saying all this in one breath, Zhang Da looked up again towards the direction of Huaqiao Pass.

Zhou Wenqu, who was beside him, remained silent for a moment, then sighed, took out a crumpled topographical map from his pocket, and laid it on a relatively clean stone slab.

"My lord, the brothers have brought this intelligence with all their might—the wall is 21 feet high and made of bluestone. Because it is made of mortar and cement, cannon fire can only break down the battlements, and it is difficult to penetrate the wall."

The front gate was made of hardwood covered with iron sheets; even if ten cannons fired at the same time, it would take more than half an hour to break it open.

The only weakness is the hundred-zhang cliff north of the pass—covered with ancient vines, and occasionally frequented by paths used by mountain dwellers gathering firewood. The garrison would certainly be on guard there, but it's unlikely to be as densely packed as the front line.

After listening, Zhang Da bent down and stared at the map. He understood the meaning behind Zhou Wenqu's words and was also considering whether the matter was feasible...

"Since a frontal assault means death, and a surprise climbing attack also means death, then let's die together!"

Zhang raised his hand and pointed heavily on the map. "Use a frontal assault to draw Li Dingguo's attention, archers, and musketeers to the front. Have the reconnaissance squad's daredevils climb the rocks, regardless of the cost, not to kill, but to set fires, shout, and create chaos. As for the artillery, don't waste it on blasting doors; specifically... bombard his command posts, communication points, and troop assembly points. Fire from three directions simultaneously, using casualties to create openings in his defenses..."

Zhang Da began to speak, sentence by sentence, as if the matter of troop deployment was entirely instinctive.

Clear, ruthless, precise...

"Zhang Wen, you will lead 800 infantrymen and 200 arquebusiers to launch a frontal assault. The arquebusiers will be divided into three ranks, taking turns firing volleys to suppress the city walls. They are not allowed to stop. When the arquebuses run out, use bows and arrows; when the bows and arrows break, use swords. In short, there must be no rest."

You have thirty infantrymen at the front carrying wooden shields, the middle carrying ladders, firewood, and sandbags, and the rear men each carrying a machete. Their mission is singular—charge to the pass, fill the trenches, erect the ladders, and draw all frontal fire. Never retreat, even to the death! One step back, and you're dead!

"Wang Tui, you take 120 men from the Detective Division and climb the cliff north of the pass. Once you're up there, don't engage in direct combat. Kill anyone you see, burn any tents you see, and cut down any flags you see. Make as much noise as possible. If this makes Li Dingguo think that his flank has completely collapsed, then you've succeeded. If ten men manage to climb up, you'll be considered to have done a great service."

"And the artillery, have them all move to the high ground on the left hillside and concentrate all ten red-coated cannons for use, they must not be scattered. The first round is to bombard the gate tower, the second round is to bombard the front battlements, and the third round is to bombard the garrison assembly point on the north cliff. After each round of bombardment, adjust the angle. I want the shells to land precisely in the crowd, without any waste."

"All medical personnel, stretcher bearers, and stretcher bearers shall line up at the valley entrance. Wounded soldiers shall be carried back immediately and shall not be allowed to block the attack route. Surrendered enemy soldiers shall have their hands tied behind their backs and be taken to the innermost part of the valley. Anyone who dares to move, make noise, or attempt to escape shall be executed on the spot."

"Furthermore, take out all the captured gongs and drums, and arrange for two hundred people to beat them and shout encouragement from behind the lines. The louder the better, so that Li Dingguo will think that our entire army is pressing forward and that our forces are boundless."

People often become more open-minded and indifferent after experiencing death. Zhang Da maintained this tone as he laid out these secrets.

So these thirteen thousand... no, these eleven thousand six hundred people from Baoqing Prefecture had no choice but to do as Zhang Da said.

Half an hour later, the sky brightened and the fog completely dissipated.

The Ming army's formation was completed below Huaqiao Pass.