Chapter 91 Night Attack
Under the cover of the light infantry, the health team and militiamen cleaning the battlefield opened the gate of the village and came out. They first cleaned up their own dead in front of the embankment. [Full text reading] Many of the Fubo Army dead who fell from the embankment had their heads chopped off, and the identity tags hanging around their necks were also lost. They can only be identified from the cloth tickets sewn on their clothes. The names and troops were registered and installed one by one. Then the bodies of the fallen officers and soldiers began to be cleaned up, including those that had fallen in the trenches, and they were dragged out one by one with hooks and poles. The weather has become hot, and if so many corpses are thrown on the ground, they will soon cause a plague.
When the Ming army saw the Kun thieves opening the gate of the stronghold and marching out in large numbers, they thought they were going to launch a counterattack, so they climbed onto the stronghold wall to prepare for a fight. However, I saw Kun Thief's infantry advancing three hundred steps after leaving the stronghold, and then stopped to form an array. Many people in white robes came out from behind. Each of their heads and faces were surrounded by white cloth hoods, holding long poles in their hands. The corpses were hooked and pulled together, and then transported to a deep trench on a wheelbarrow for burial. The engineering team buried a column of gunpowder and soon blasted out a deep trench to bury the corpses.
From time to time, discarded wounded officers and soldiers could be found among the piles of corpses. As long as they were still able to move, they were loaded on trolleys one by one and transported back to the village for treatment.
What makes He Ming and the elders regretful is that the army did not leave behind the body of an officer above the rank of President Qian, let alone the wounded. Not even a few of their personal surname flags were picked up.
He Ming did not ask for recycling the swords, guns and weapons left behind by the Ming army scattered on the ground, but he collected all the military flags discarded on the ground without leaving any trace - this was a mark of military merit.
"The Kun thieves actually didn't downgrade their ranks." The officers and soldiers watched the enemy's actions curiously. Not only did they not downgrade their ranks, they also took back all the wounded. In the army at that time, once injured in combat, there was a risk of death, not to mention serious injuries that left one unable to walk. When a general army cleans up the battlefield after a victory, regardless of whether the enemy is friendly or not, as long as the seriously wounded are seriously injured, they usually hit them on the spot.
For safety reasons, the Fubo Army only advanced to a place more than 200 meters away from the earth embankment in collecting the corpses and cleaning the battlefield. This distance is also where the most bodies are left.
While the health team was busy cleaning up the battlefield, lightning flashed in the thick clouds, and waves of dull thunder came. A heavy rain is coming.
There are often heavy rains after the war, especially in the season of June and July when water vapor is abundant and clouds are dense. A large amount of dust and gunpowder smoke provide sufficient condensation nuclei.
"The corpse is going to be swollen now," Ren said with a frown, "When the sun comes out tomorrow, the smell of the battlefield will scare me just thinking about it."
"Let's make do with this for now, and we'll deal with it later." He Ming seemed to smell the stench of corpses along the road when he advanced to Lang Son. "Disinfectant water should also be spread in the camp."
Renn took off his robe, which smelled of disinfectant and blood, and threw the oilcloth boots into the burning boiler, which was burning water to supply the troops.
"The 6th Infantry Battalion is on guard. Pay attention to rain. Other troops will eat and rest immediately." He Ming ordered loudly, "Tell the logistics department to ensure that every tent and shack is dry."
"Understood." Xie Shu saluted, turned around and trotted off. There was a roll call in the square in the camp, and soon the third and fifth infantry battalions reported the vacancies of each battalion. The dead and injured officers and sergeants had to be replaced immediately, and the meritorious soldiers were upgraded. The vacancies of soldiers were filled by the militia. In this way, all the troops can go to the battlefield with full strength tomorrow.
With a burst of violent thunder, sparse heavy raindrops fell on the ground, raising the smell of earth and blood. A cold wind blew, and everyone shivered. A heavy rain poured down, accompanied by a roar. There was a thunderous sound, and golden snakes danced wildly between the sky and the earth. A white rain curtain enveloped the sky and the earth, and the sound of rain made it difficult to hear each other's voices.
He Ming's orderlies had already brought rain gear, and they put it on him as soon as the raindrops fell. He Ming did not rush back to the headquarters and asked, "Are the wounded covered?"
"Awnings and large tents have been set up for the wounded."
The thunder gradually became distant, but the rain became heavier and heavier, and people and objects could no longer be seen clearly from a distance of about ten steps. He Ming still inspected everywhere and saw that various places had been arranged before leaving. After returning to the headquarters, he asked for an officer to be escorted by a special reconnaissance team to visit the two lurking infantry battalions.
The 1st and 4th Battalions responsible for lurking were both in the wild. He Ming saw that the rain was so heavy that he was afraid that they would not be able to camp in the wild and might even be in danger of encountering a flash flood.
"Tell them not only to pay attention to safety but also to pay attention to concealment," He Ming told the envoy, "to prevent the enemy from sneak attacks at night."
However, both battalion commanders reported that the camp is currently safe and the soldiers have not encountered flooding and are resting.
There was a cloud of sadness in the Chengmai tower. The whole day's fighting today showed that the Kun Thieves were not only elite with firearms, but also extremely powerful. Although the exact number has not yet been released, it is certain that the total number of casualties exceeded 2,000. This is already very serious for an army of more than 20,000 people. Morale was low throughout the camp. Many people were afraid that they would be driven to fight with the Kun bandits tomorrow, and they already had the idea of escape. It was only the heavy rain and darkness outside that prevented large-scale exodus.
While He Rubin ordered the reliable troops to control the roads and key passes, he convened a meeting with the generals to comfort them, asking everyone not to be discouraged and wait for the decisive battle tomorrow. Zhao Ruyi also said something about asking the generals to serve the country with loyalty. A few more generals were temporarily promoted and asked to take charge of the troops who had lost their commanders. The troops with the most serious losses were also moved to garrison at the rear, and new troops were sent to the front line.
He then ordered people to kill more than a dozen deserters captured by the rangers who did not return to the camp and tried to escape to Qiongshan, and gave orders to the entire camp. Then this murderous power sent his trusted staff and generals to the most unreliable Cao Jun and Xiang Yong to express their condolences, using both soft and hard tactics to ask them to "work together for their lives." After taking care of all this, he returned to the big tent. Zhao Ruyi was sitting in the tent twirling his beard. He Rubin knew that he seemed calm, but in fact he was very scared.
"General Yinzhi, what are the chances of winning tomorrow's battle?" Zhao Ruyi asked.
"Only six or seven points," He Rubin said, "Our army suffered a setback today, and its morale is quite shaken. The morale of the thieves is strong..."
He did not say the rest of the words, and everyone present knew the subtext: I am afraid that tomorrow's battle will result in more defeats than victory.
Zhao Ruyi coughed and said: "The Kun thieves have sharp firearms and strong morale. Our army must not fight with them in the wild. In the opinion of the students, it is better to dig deep trenches and build high walls to drain the Kun thieves' spirit."
He Rubin remained silent. This strategy was useful against ordinary enemies, even against the imperial court's great enemy, the Donglu. The official army had many firearms and infantry. They dug trenches and built strongholds with firearms to defend them. As long as the officers and soldiers With one heart and one mind, the soldiers can always hold on with their lives. It's a good tactic.
But the Kun thief was different from any enemy the Ming army had ever fought. Even the red-haired man who is most similar to Kun Thief is different. The enemy has artillery that can shoot farther and more accurately than they do. If you dig a trench and stand firm, you will only be slowly bombarded by the enemy from a distance. Before the enemy attacks, the morale of the entire army will collapse.
"Master Zhao, the bandit's artillery is far above me. If you dig a trench and defend it, the enemy's artillery can reach me, but my artillery cannot reach the enemy. I am a swordsman for you and a fish for you."
Zhao Ruyi made sense when he heard it: "I'm just going to attack again tomorrow, I'm afraid..." He didn't finish his words and just sighed.
One of the staff said: "Sir, don't worry. No matter how far away his artillery is, he can still reach out to the stronghold and the artillery. The enemy has few soldiers, but with sharp firearms, he may not dare to use the stronghold and the artillery."
At this time, Chang Qingyun intervened and said: "Your Majesty, the bandit Kun has defeated our army today. It is inevitable that the soldiers will be lazy and arrogant, and they will neglect to take precautions. It is raining heavily tonight again, and the enemy's firearms will definitely not be used. Please send a brave general. Recruiting hundreds of dead soldiers with heavy sums of money, and following the example of the attack on Caizhou on a snowy night, we will be able to defeat the Kun thieves."
He said it categorically. He Rubin thought to himself: "A scholar's opinion." With such a heavy rain, it would be difficult to send hundreds of people out in the dark, and even the direction might not be accurate.
But Chang Qingyun's words "It's raining heavily, and firearms are useless" moved him. In his opinion, he was still defeated by the powerful firearms of Kun Thief today.
It would be best if it rains tomorrow. He Rubin thought to himself.
However, Zhao Ruyi became very interested in this proposal, and the surrounding staff and generals also thought there was a chance - they felt that as long as the Kun thieves could not use firearms, they were nothing special. Even if the thief cannot be defeated and the enemy suffers a big loss, it is still possible to move back to the next round.
"How's the rain outside?"
"The primary school has been changed slightly." The primary school student who went out to visit reported back.
He Rubin stood up and stood on the balcony of the city tower to look around. The lanterns on the embankment of the Kun bandits camp a few miles away were brightly lit. It was obviously heavily guarded and it was impossible to steal the camp and rob the stronghold. However, the enemy's firearms cannot be used, and our own troops fighting with white soldiers may not have a chance of winning a small victory.
The rain has lightened up now. He Rubin thought that if he immediately sent people to rob the stronghold, if he could succeed, he would take the opportunity to defeat the whole army of the Kun thieves and completely turn the tide of the war. If the stronghold could not be broken, a small victory would also boost morale.
So he immediately sent people to find other generals to discuss the matter of robbing the camp. Everyone thinks: After today's failure in attacking the stronghold, the Kun thieves never expected that the Ming army would rob the camp, not to mention that it was raining heavily. Although movement was inconvenient on a rainy night, this was a joint risk between the enemy and ourselves. The Kun thieves could not use firearms, so they had to In a chaotic battle, the skill of the officers and soldiers' white-blade thrusts will be shown, and it is possible to defeat the Kun thieves.
At that time, it was decided that 500 soldiers from He Rubin's town would be the vanguard to climb aboard in the rain, while Huizhou General Yan Zungao led 1,000 people to respond. If the attack on the stronghold goes smoothly, Qihua will be used as a signal, and He Rubin will lead the main force to attack fiercely.
Yan Zungao let everyone have a good meal, then he calmed down and quietly moved to the front village. In order to make it easier to move in the rainy and muddy ground, the five hundred people who boarded took off their armor and did not carry long spears, only carrying simple knives and small shields. Also prepare many lightweight ladders. All soldiers' shoes were wrapped with straw ropes in several places to prevent them from being slippery and unable to exert force when climbing. After all the ministries were assembled, they immediately went out in the rain to guard the Chinese army in the town. The guerrilla Ye Zhengfang led the elite troops in the front, and Yan Zungao led a few guerrillas and led a thousand people to prepare for the response. He ordered everyone not to raise fire or make any noise, and quickly and quietly ran towards the enemy camp in the rainy night.
He Rubin quietly prepared another 2,000 men, preparing to lead the main force to attack immediately and break the stronghold in one fell swoop once the night attack was successful.
Ye Zhengfang led his men and horses to walk quietly for several miles, only the sound of rain could be heard in his ears. Although there were lights on the embankment, everything was pitch black. He secretly rejoiced that the enemy's lights were bright, which meant that the enemy knew that our army was in the dark, and also pointed out the direction for the attacking team. Otherwise, it would be almost impossible to find the right direction in the dark and rainy field.
Seeing that the whole army had quietly touched down the earth embankment, and the following troops also touched up, Ye Zhengfang couldn't help but be overjoyed. During the day, thousands of men and horses tried to break through this distance, leaving countless corpses behind. Now, they managed to reach the bottom of the earth embankment without losing any troops. Seeing that the thief was slacking off, he listened for a moment. There was still no movement on the earth embankment. The hiss of a torch burning in the rain.
"Put up the ladder," he ordered quietly. More than a dozen ladders were slowly raised and moved up the earth embankment.
The surroundings suddenly became bright. For a moment, the officers and soldiers thought it was dawn. At that moment of astonishment, a loud voice reached their ears:
"put"
The volley of guns instantly swept through the officers and soldiers who were preparing to rob the stronghold between the horn forts. The strong beams of light made the officers and soldiers under the embankment dizzy. The strong stage used the searchlight light to sweep through the dense rain, making everything around them white. of. The officers and soldiers were so blinded that they could not even identify the direction of their escape for a while, and then they were killed one after another under the volley of gunshots.
"Let's go" Ye Zhengfang was still in shock. She knew that the bandits had already taken precautions and did not dare to stay any longer. As soon as the gong sounded, the officers and soldiers fled. The white beams of light on the embankment followed the defeated soldiers closely. For a time, the officers and soldiers were in chaos. They trampled on each other in front of the trench, causing many casualties. Fortunately, Yan Zungao's troops behind them had not yet passed the trench. When they saw the beams of light shining all over the place, they thought they were used by the Kun thieves. What magic spell was used, and then the roar of muskets, Yan Zungao knew that the saying "firearms are useless in rainy days" was not a truth to the Kun thief.
The thief's blunderbuss roared in the heavy rain, but the bows and arrows of the officers and soldiers were difficult to use on rainy days. The thousand men and horses who were strictly following the imperial command could neither attack nor cover. They saw white beams of light swinging wildly across the trenches and toward his men and horses. He took the shot, but before he could give the order, a row of random shots fired, and a group of officers and soldiers who were waiting to cross the trench fell immediately. The others immediately dispersed, and Yan Zungao himself fled surrounded by his own soldiers.
In the chaos, Ye Zhengfang fled, protected by his own soldiers and generals. After finally escaping the ditch, the guns on the embankment stopped, and a voice like a roar was heard shouting:
"Listen, the people below put down their swords and guns, take off their clothes and squat down with their hands on their heads, otherwise no one will be left behind."
The officers and soldiers who were in a mess had long been dizzy by the searchlights and beaten by volleys of guns. They quickly dropped their weapons one by one, squatted under the earth embankment with their hands raised, and did not dare to look up.
When an officer saw that he was at the edge of the light beam, he quietly moved a few steps in an attempt to disappear into the darkness. A gunshot rang out immediately on the embankment, and he was immediately shot to death in the open space. Everyone dared to move even a little bit when they saw it, and none of them dared to move again.
Three ladders were lowered on the earth embankment.
"Teams of ten people climb up one by one. If there are any injured, bring them all up."
The naked officers and soldiers were shivering from the heavy rain, and a young officer shouted: "It's convenient for us to go up, put some more ladders down, brothers have no cover, and the rain is cold..."
"Send troops and horses, serve the court, and pay attention to loyalty and loyalty to the country. You are not afraid of death, but you are still afraid of catching cold?" Someone on the embankment answered with a smile.
"I have to serve the country with all my heart, just to eat food and get paid." When the young officer saw someone above him answering, his true colors of a soldier ruffian showed up again, "Although everyone has their own swords and guns but no eyesight, it seems that they are all wearing uniforms and eating food. For the sake of others, be accommodating.”
"How dare you say that my brother is very brave? I don't know his surname?"
"I don't dare. I have a petty nature and a low reputation for meritorious deeds."
"Okay, let's put two more ladders down."
So the surrender soldiers climbed up the five ladders in groups of ten shaking their heads. The infantrymen above were watching with live ammunition. The militiamen prepared bundles of ropes, and the prisoners were tied up with their right hands when they came up. Arms, ten people were tied into a bunch and then pushed down. The soldiers and militiamen couldn't help but laugh when they saw the officers and soldiers naked, with their buttocks exposed and their buttocks exposed, and in a state of embarrassment from the heavy rain. The laughter grew louder and louder, penetrating the rain curtain and reaching the officers and soldiers camp. coming. The officers and soldiers who had suffered a setback during the day heard the gunshots, but they didn't know why the thief was smiling like this, and they didn't dare to ask, so they just talked quietly in the dark. Many middle and lower-level generals and soldiers realized that this expedition was a complete failure, at least there was no chance of winning.
Teams of ten people were escorted by bayonets and placed in a prisoner-of-war camp in a corner of the camp. Many fires were lit in each bamboo shed, but no clothes were provided, and the prisoners were only allowed to rely on the fires to keep warm. The wounded were given simple diagnosis and treatment and those who were serious were taken away for treatment.
Jiang Yougong shivered while lighting the fire. He saw that the place where they were detained was very crude. It was a corner of the camp, with earth embankments on two sides and trenches dug on the other two sides. The trenches were filled with sharp bamboo sticks. There were bright lights on all sides, and the soldiers on the watch tower were holding The bayonet on the musket was shining brightly, and it looked murderous.
A dozen black iron buckets were brought over, steaming inside, and stacks of wooden bowls were also brought.
"Here, everyone get a bowl and get ready to drink soup." The cook banged the iron bucket and shouted loudly. a! ~!
