Chapter 1 The Beginning
The first round of five volleys was fired, with a hit rate of about fifty percent. Half of the enemy's front and second ranks had already been eliminated.
At this moment, the enemy cavalry leader suddenly shouted, "They're out of ammunition, charge!"
What was he thinking?
Changing a magazine would only take three to five seconds, even if the spearmen were not proficient.
As the second volley concluded, only half of the two-thousand-strong cavalry remained. Many of them were wounded but had not fallen, rendering them combat-ineffective. However, the enemy was already close to their destination, only a hundred meters away, and it was difficult to stop. Moreover, turning back now would be even more disastrous. The enemy understood this and could only grit their teeth and continue the charge.
By the time they reached the defensive line, fewer than five hundred enemy cavalrymen remained. They drew their sabers, preparing to flank and sweep through the spearmen.
Unexpectedly, the spearmen collectively became cowards. Their sabers were useless against the ground, slicing only air. The five hundred enemy cavalrymen surged past the spearmen's formation and headed towards the hilltop.
"On them!" I ordered. Si Yue immediately led eight hundred cavalrymen down.
With advantages in troop numbers, troop quality, terrain, and morale, coupled with some brave spearmen providing covering fire from behind, the enemy had no chance. In just one engagement, less than two hundred enemies remained. Si Yue, fearing they might escape, immediately moved to encircle them.
After exchanging insults, and seeing the spearmen emerging from trenches with their new firearms to aim at them, the enemy faltered and chose to surrender.
The two-thousand-strong cavalry unit was annihilated. I immediately ordered Si Yue's cavalry to don the enemy's armor, disguise themselves as enemy cavalry, and prepare to raid their base.
At this moment, the cavalry scouts on the hilltop reported that the enemy's main infantry force had begun their assault.
This was not a significant threat. These infantrymen inherently lacked combat effectiveness, and many among them were from the imperial army. A single volley would likely resolve the battle.
I climbed to the hilltop and, when the infantry was still a kilometer away, I ordered Si Yue to attack.
The eight hundred cavalrymen divided into two groups, flanking from both sides. Instead of circling behind the infantry, they acted as returning enemy cavalry, heading back towards the city gates. Dressed in the bloody uniforms of the enemy, the city guards did not suspect anything. Thus, the eight hundred cavalrymen charged into the city.
There weren't many enemies left inside. Within five minutes, Si Yue and her troops had reached the city walls, cut down the enemy's main flag, and raised the yellow royal banner bearing the character "Qin" of Little Yama.
Seeing the rear in chaos, the enemy's main infantry force halted, standing in place, unsure of what to do. I immediately ordered the spearmen to emerge from the trenches. Four hundred spearmen formed a line on the hillside. I raised my hand high, and a volley was fired. Although the distance was considerable, we were on higher ground, and the enemy formation was dense, so a large number, perhaps dozens, fell.
Some within the enemy ranks began to advocate for surrender, and subsequently, they turned on each other. After a period of commotion, the enemy split into two factions: the surrender faction, comprising the former imperial troops, stood with us; the rebels, who refused to yield, stood with them. The two sides faced each other with drawn weapons, but no direct engagement occurred, perhaps due to mutual apprehension of each other's strength, preventing rash actions.
I did not wish to leave any potential trouble behind. I ordered the spearmen to advance rapidly. Once they reached the rear of the surrendering troops, I directly commanded them: "Everyone down!"
The surrendering troops obeyed and lay on the ground, instantly exposing the rebels to the muzzles of the arquebusiers. The distance between the two sides was only a hundred meters.
As the volleys of gunfire commenced, I handed over command to Ru Hua.
"Hey, hey, my lord, where are you going?" Ru Hua asked loudly, "What will I tell His Highness Little Yama if you leave?"
"I have other matters to attend to. This assistance was incidental. I hope that upon your return, you can thoroughly study this battle with His Highness and develop combat strategies suitable for spearmen. Do not, like Harry before, misuse spearmen, understand?" I said earnestly.
Ru Hua covered her ears and nodded. "Understood. Then... Lord Wu, take care!"
"Will I see you sisters again?" I also shouted, the sound of gunfire deafening and the scene chaotic.
"Definitely!" Ru Hua affirmed.
"That's good," I smiled. The two sisters, while not as beautiful as Qin Shuyao, were not as cold or aloof. They were very enthusiastic, obedient, sensible, and capable fighters. They would likely make good friends to share a boat with.