Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 578 The Brutal Bayara

Although the seemingly weak arquebusiers suddenly became very difficult to deal with, the strict military discipline left the armored soldiers with no way to retreat. Moreover, the overwhelming advantage they had faced in field battles against the Ming army for more than a decade made it impossible for them to accept the reality that their opponents did not need to send out their personal guards. They could fight against them simply by equipping the arquebusiers with short blades. This greatly hurt the pride of the armored soldiers who were used to victory and slaughter.

With nowhere to retreat, the Later Jin soldiers roared and charged straight at the hedgehog-like bayonet formation.

"Kill!" The soldiers shouted in unison amidst the orderly bayonet formation, their nearly two-meter-long rifles thrusting out in dense rows, the thud of blades piercing flesh filling the air.

Men fell on both sides, mostly Later Jin armored soldiers. Their weapons were either short-handled axes, spiked clubs, or simply straight blades, half the length of their opponents'. The armored soldiers roared in anger, but could only parry. The opposing "spears" were twice as long, giving them a clear advantage. After one round of fighting, the first rank of armored soldiers was almost wiped out, and the ground was littered with corpses.

Seeing that they were not only gaining no advantage in hand-to-hand combat but were also at a disadvantage, the armored soldiers were somewhat at a loss. The more astute ones took a few steps back to avoid the dense barrage of bayonets in front of them, and the Later Jin's offensive gradually came to a halt. At this moment, heavy footsteps sounded behind them, and someone shouted angrily: "Those who are cowardly in front of the enemy shall die!" Immediately afterwards, the sounds of weapons piercing flesh and screams rang out one after another. Several armored soldiers who had retreated a little were decapitated, and a group of people wearing dazzling silver armor rushed forward.

The soldiers shuddered, remembering the harsh military discipline of the Later Jin. Their deep fear of the Bayara and the military rules prevailed, and they mustered their courage once again to charge into the dense forest of bayonets ahead.

The Bayara behind them accelerated, cutting down those who lagged behind. These Bayara, as ruthless as they were to their own people and enemies, drove the armored soldiers in front into a corner. The brutal discipline of the Later Jin army and the Bayara's accumulated power left them with no courage to disobey orders, and they could only charge forward recklessly.

But the gleaming bayonets made even the armored soldiers' legs go weak—these steel hedgehogs were no less deadly than muskets when they killed—and the soldiers at the front were on the verge of a mental breakdown. Ahead lay a dense barrage of bayonets, behind them, deadly bayonets; these men caught between life and death screamed desperately, trying to alleviate their despair and fear, like moths drawn to a flame, crashing into the dense array of sharp weapons opposite them.

The screams of agony were deafening. Every single soldier was stabbed, many with several gaping wounds. Those soldiers who hadn't yet been stabbed charged forward with their weapons in hand, eyes closed, awaiting their fate.

The Bayara, wielding long shields, charged forward, blocking the armored soldiers in front and crashing into the soldiers of the First Regiment. These strong and ferocious Bayara used the cannon fodder to obscure the soldiers' vision, smashing a gap in the front line like tanks. Most of the soldiers in both ranks were knocked to the ground, and dozens of shield-bearers rushed into the ranks, engaging the soldiers in a melee. At this point, bayonets became useless. These dozens of Bayara then wielded their short-handled axes and one-handed broadswords, skillfully hacking at the surrounding Ming soldiers. The well-made weapons created sprays of blood. The armored soldiers behind them followed, using axes, maces, and other heavy weapons to assist the Bayara in their attack, throwing this section of the formation into chaos.

At this moment, reinforcements from the Second and Third Battalions arrived in time, and hundreds of soldiers joined the battle with bayonets in hand. The arrival of fresh troops immediately relieved the pressure on the First Battalion, which was gradually losing ground under the attack of Bayara. Groups of soldiers, organized by platoon and squad, gathered in lines or combat teams to resist the fierce Bayara.

Most of the First Regiment's forces were concentrated in the original positions of the First Battalion. The ranged firefights completely turned into close-quarters combat, the hollow square formations disappeared, and it devolved into a chaotic free-for-all, with the battle once again reaching a stalemate. Unbeknownst to those engaged in the fierce fighting, large groups of people were gradually closing in from both flanks, seemingly attempting to encircle the entire First Regiment—these were the flank troops dispatched by Abatai. He had mobilized all available personnel, not only reserve soldiers but also relatively weak bondservants.

Those watching the battle unfold from afar saw everything. Xu Yifan asked Liu Ye for permission to go: "General, let the Second Regiment go? Shi Ying has completely abandoned the square formation, and the flanks are unprotected. The Tartars seem to want to break through from the middle and flank from both sides. If that happens, the First Regiment is in great danger."

Liu Ye nodded seriously: "It's up to you. You can command the battle as it unfolds, no need to ask for instructions."

"Please rest assured, General!"

The second regiment also moved, its square formation transforming into columns organized by battalion, jogging towards the first regiment's position.

Shi Ying found himself amidst the clamor of battle, his view obstructed. He couldn't see the approaching enemies on both flanks, nor did he know that the Second Regiment had arrived as reinforcements. His mind was now consumed with how to repel the Tartars. Just as he was considering whether to send the Fourth Battalion up as well, the Later Jin sent up the remaining Bayara troops.

Nearly a hundred Bayara soldiers threw their weapons as they ran, and heavy throwing axes, javelins, and maces whistled through the air, causing a row of Ming soldiers from the second and third battalions who had come to reinforce to fall to the ground simultaneously. Then, the Bayara soldiers fired arrows at the bayonet formation from six or seven paces away, one after another. The heavy arrows at such close range caught the soldiers waiting to engage in bayonet combat off guard, and entire rows of them fell.

The fallen soldiers in the front row formed an obstacle on the ground. Before the soldiers in the back row could move forward, another wave of flying axes came crashing down. In a short time, dozens of Ming soldiers were either killed or wounded. The soldiers of the second and third battalions, who had not yet fully entered the battle state, were momentarily stunned. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Bayara and the armored soldiers following behind roared and rushed forward, rushing into the crowd through the gap.

The soldiers on both sides of the gap were thrown into disarray. Their bayonets were suitable for mid-range thrusts, but close combat was a disadvantage for them. Meanwhile, the short-handled axes and maces of the barbarians and armored soldiers were like fish in water. The heavy weapons flew up and down, creating sprays of blood, and the soldiers fell one after another.

Abatai, in the rear command, finally regained some confidence. In the most critical moments of the battle, using Bayara as the spearhead to lead the armored soldiers in attacks had always been a tried-and-true tactic. Now it seemed that as long as they broke through the center of the enemy's formation and drew reinforcements from the flanks, the originally tight infantry formation would fall into chaos, and the bayonet formation would cease to exist, which would be very advantageous to the Later Jin army, whose individual martial prowess was absolutely superior.