latelenovela Chapter 752 Let's see who takes the bait (new chapter)
Chapter 752 Let's see who takes the bait (new chapter)
The Qing army had extensive battlefield experience. While the battle was underway, they had dedicated scouts who could spot every move within their line of sight. They quickly discovered large groups of people approaching from afar.
The Bayala Banner Chieftain reported: "My lord, a large force is approaching, and it seems to be part of this small group of Ming soldiers."
Hauge had good eyesight. After surveying the area from horseback, he realized that these people were dressed the same as the small group of Ming soldiers who were surrounded, and guessed that they had come to rescue their comrades.
He smiled coldly: "Looks like they've come to rescue people. Send the order to Taktan to trap the remaining hundred or so men, surround them without attacking, spare their lives, and use them to lure their main force into a trap."
"Master, these Ming soldiers aren't fools. Do you think they'll take the bait so easily?"
“They only took the bait because they’re not fools.” Haug stared at the main Marine force opposite him with the eyes of someone eyeing prey. “If they hadn’t seen their comrades being surrounded, fine. But now that they have, if they leave them to die, it will severely damage morale. Whether it’s genuine or not, these people must be rescued. Otherwise, morale will collapse, and they won’t be able to fight the rest of the battle.”
The Ba Yala Banner Chieftain understood. "Your subordinate understands. The key lies in the life and death of this small group of Ming soldiers. If we kill them cleanly and decisively, then the main Ming army will have an excuse not to come to their aid. As long as we trap them and don't kill them for the time being, the main Ming army will have no choice but to come to their rescue. Otherwise, the blow to morale will be too great—who would be willing to risk their lives for their comrades if they watched them die right under their noses without offering any help?"
“Exactly, this is an open conspiracy.” Hauge’s face showed a hint of smugness. “Knowing it’s a trap, they still have to jump in blindly. Pass on my order: the troops spread out, pretend to surround this small group of Ming soldiers, slowly approach their main force, and then catch them off guard. Remember, don’t rush in too early, lest you alert them.”
At this point, the main Marine force was still quite a distance from the battlefield. If they started charging now, it would scare the enemy away. Although cavalry had a significant speed advantage in pursuing infantry, Haug did not want it to turn into a marathon chase. Instead, he wanted to lure the enemy in and finish them off in one fell swoop, maximizing the outcome. After all, the enemy was not small in number, estimated at around two thousand. If they were surrounded, it would be difficult for the several thousand Marines on their side to annihilate them during the pursuit.
"Either we don't fight at all, or we fight a great battle," Haug thought to himself.
Without comparison, there is no harm. If this Ming army had come from the same military town as the Ming army that defeated Ajige and Abatai, then as long as they could cleanly and decisively wipe out these two thousand men, they would have surpassed their two uncles who were known for their military achievements. Hauge's prestige would have reached a new height, and his hope of becoming the heir to the throne would have increased.
Despite being the eldest son of the emperor, Hauge felt uneasy. Huang Taiji had yet to express any intention of grooming Hauge as his heir, while Dorgon's rising reputation in recent years, supported by the two White Banners and holding the position of Minister of Personnel, made the proud and arrogant Hauge very uneasy. Proving his strength against a formidable opponent was a roundabout strategy, subtly conveying to his father and other powerful figures—look, the Ming army that utterly defeated Ajige and Abatai is now under my feet. The Qing Dynasty conquered the world through cavalry and archery; choosing me as his successor is the right choice.
As the Marines moved forward, they discovered subtle changes in the battlefield ahead.
Borchu observed through his binoculars and discovered that the pressure on the previously precarious squad had suddenly eased. The sound of conch shells rang out, and the two sides, locked in fierce combat, broke off contact. The Tartars retreated, mounted their horses, and then withdrew beyond the effective range of their rifles, forming a large circle at a distance, neither attacking nor retreating.
The soldiers, who were almost completely wiped out, breathed a sigh of relief. The Tartars were brutal in hand-to-hand combat and far outnumbered them. Regardless of the reason for their retreat, they were safe for the time being. However, they couldn't escape either. More and more Tartars surrounded them, and they were trapped on all sides. Breaking out was completely impossible; no matter how strong their legs were, they couldn't outrun a four-legged horse.
Borchu narrowed his eyes, staring at Hauge under the Zhenglan banner, and sneered, muttering to himself, "Trying to force me to save you, to make me take the bait? Let's see who takes the bait."
The Marines stopped about 500 paces from the battlefield, loaded their ammunition on the spot, and began the orderly firing procedure.
Hauge, like a hunter stalking his prey, had a greedy look in his eyes. He ordered his men, "Pass down the order: approach slowly, don't scare them. Once you're a few hundred paces away, charge. Make sure to strike once and wipe out this Ming army."
Thousands of armored soldiers controlled their warhorses, trotting leisurely as if they were completely oblivious to the Marines hundreds of paces away. Meanwhile, the Marines calmly loaded their ammunition, as composed as if it were routine shooting practice, showing no sign of panic. Both sides harbored their own thoughts, and an eerie atmosphere descended upon the battlefield.
The Qing army was the first to break the silence. Estimating that the enemy was unlikely to escape the range of their cavalry, the Qing army suddenly launched its attack. Thousands of armored soldiers charged with ferocious energy, kicking up clouds of dust as they rushed towards the marines.
The thunderous hoofbeats seemed to make the earth tremble. In the era of cold weapons, no matter the circumstances, the charge of cavalry was a force to be reckoned with. Ordinary infantry would be easily overwhelmed by a single round of attacks from an elite force.
But Bor remained calm and focused on the opposite side. He estimated that the vanguard had entered within three hundred paces before raising his command sword and shouting, "Fire!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" A dense barrage of gunfire rang out. A storm of metal collided with the charging cavalry. Flesh and blood were no match for the lead bullets carrying immense kinetic energy. Even those wearing two or three layers of armor were helpless; the lead bullets easily shattered chainmail, pierced through padded armor, and then exploded in their chests and abdomens, leaving gaping holes and claiming their lives.
The volley of nearly two thousand Patriot Type 9 rifled muskets was far more powerful than that of a hundred or so muskets; quantity equals combat effectiveness. This single volley sent hundreds of cavalrymen sprawling, some falling to the ground under lead bullets, others trampled by their comrades' horses. The fallen cavalrymen in front formed a natural obstacle, while those behind, unable to dodge, were tripped by the corpses of horses and men, crashing to the ground and creating new obstacles.
The charging cavalry could only slow down and carefully maneuver around the corpses on the ground. In that short time, the Qing army was shocked to discover that, under the cover of gunpowder smoke, the Ming army had taken advantage of the moment when the cavalry slowed down and actually turned around and fled!