nucmednet Chapter 309 Descend
Chapter 309 Descend
"The Chinese army..." Lerji was filled with shock and anger. Five thousand cavalrymen! He hadn't expected them to be wiped out so quickly!
"Withdraw, withdraw..." Lerji uttered two words before fainting.
The Eight Banners army in the north fared even worse! After dealing with the enemy's artillery, the artillery regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division turned its cannons towards the front line.
Waves of artillery shells rained down, blasting the Eight Banners soldiers' shields into a hail of bullets. Combined with mortar fire, the Eight Banners soldiers' fortifications were quickly cleared out.
Without the cover of the shield carts, the dozen or so general-purpose machine guns unleashed their devastating power. The Eight Banner soldiers cried out in agony, their bodies strewn across the battlefield. Many couldn't take it anymore and threw down their rifles to flee.
If one person runs away, many more will follow.
"Halt! No retreat! Anyone who tries to escape will be killed!" a mounted officer shouted.
Before he could make a further move, a volley of machine gun fire swept in, knocking the officer and his horse to the ground.
"Ah!" The soldiers next to him shouted, throwing down their guns and running backward.
Unfortunately, no one can outrun a bullet. More than a dozen machine guns relentlessly mowed down the fleeing soldiers. Many more Manchu soldiers were killed on the spot.
"We're not fighting anymore! We surrender!" They couldn't win a fight, and they couldn't escape either. Many Manchu soldiers simply threw down their guns, knelt on the ground, and raised their hands.
"Charge!" Shen Weiguo led his soldiers to charge onto the position and took control of the surrendered Eight Banners soldiers.
The battlefield finally quieted down! Half a day of fighting was over. The First Division did not launch a counterattack, but instead sent men to keep watch and then had the militia clean up the battlefield.
The battlefield was barely cleaned up by nightfall. This battle resulted in the elimination of over 13,600 Manchu and Mongol troops, the capture of over 1,200, and 134 casualties on their own.
Another resounding victory!
His battle achievements were reported and he received praise from the military headquarters!
"Hey! Damn it! Jiangshan has won this battle!" Upon receiving the report, Shen Zimeng shook his head.
His journey here wasn't to fight a war; it was more like a disaster relief mission!
"Commander, the Manchu and Mongol armies have suffered heavy losses today! Do you think they will continue their attack tomorrow?" Zhu Zhishan offered Jiang Shan a cigarette.
"I reckon they're out of options! They must have been scared out of their wits today! Hehe! Time for the soldiers to prepare for the pursuit!" Jiang Shan shook his head.
A fierce argument broke out in the Manchu-Mongol army camp, and Lerji stared at Yigu with a cold face;
"Lord Yi, if you want to fight, then fight yourselves! We won't be playing along!"
Now the Eight Banners army has suffered heavy casualties, with only less than 5,000 remnants remaining. Lerji is no longer as polite as before.
The lamas on the side simply watched all this quietly without making a sound.
"Your Highness, I..." Yi Gu wanted to persuade him further, but Lerji had already lost patience. He turned and led the Mongol generals away.
"General!" Several Manchu generals were indignant. When had the Mongols ever dared to be so arrogant in front of them?
"Alright! Go down, all of you! Calm the warriors down!" Yi Gu waved his hand helplessly. He couldn't fight anymore; he had only been putting on a show.
"General, General! The Mongols have escaped!" Just as dawn broke, Yi Gu was suddenly awakened by his personal guard.
"Those lamas ran off too!" Before Yigu could react, the reporting officer continued.
"General, what do we do? The soldiers in the camp have heard that the Mongols have fled, and now morale is in chaos; some are even starting to desert!"
"Sigh! Pass down the order, let's retreat too!" Yi Gu said helplessly. He had originally planned to discuss the withdrawal with Lerji today, but he didn't expect those Mongols to run away first.
The military order was given, and the Eight Banners army camp was thrown into chaos as everyone began to seize horses and carts. No one noticed that the Chinese army had already surrounded their camp.
Jiang Shan immediately dispatched two regiments to pursue the Manchu and Mongol army, but the Mongols ran away so fast that they withdrew overnight.
They were all cavalry, so naturally they couldn't catch up. The Eight Banners army reacted slowly and were completely surrounded.
"General!" The Eight Banners officers panicked as they watched the Chinese army slowly approach, all staring anxiously at Yigu.
"You should surrender!" The army had no will to fight, and Yi Gu was unwilling but powerless to do anything about it.
"General, what about you?" The officers looked at each other in bewilderment.
Yi Gu shook his head, turned around, and walked back to his tent. A moment later, a gunshot rang out.
"Don't shoot! We surrender!" A commander of the Eight Banners army came out waving a white flag.
"Let your soldiers come out empty-handed, and we'll guarantee their safety!" Song Jinlong roared.
It would be best if things could be resolved peacefully! Before we came, the Emperor said that the grasslands are vast and sparsely populated, and every single person is important. It would be ideal if we could win them over!
Soon, the Eight Banner soldiers in the camp walked out dejectedly, and Song Jinlong sent soldiers to rush in and take control of the camp. He then immediately reported to the division headquarters.
Fifty miles from Tuklik, a large troop of cavalry was slowly advancing on the grassland. These were the Mongol cavalry who had fled Tuklik in the middle of the night.
"Your Highness need not be discouraged. As the saying goes, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Without those Manchus, we can be more flexible in our battles."
"For thousands of years, this grassland has belonged to us Mongols. Although those Han people are coming with great force, as long as we avoid their sharp edge, they will retreat sooner or later, and the grassland will still be ours," a yellow-robed lama said to Lerji with a smile.
“Yes! Your Highness, our Russian Empire will continue to support you! The steppe is so vast, we can deal with them slowly!” A Russian officer nearby chimed in.
Lerji's mood improved somewhat; with the support of these lamas and Tsarist Russia, there was still hope!
The grasslands are boundless; if they are truly outmatched, they can lead their people to migrate elsewhere. These Han Chinese cannot stay on the grasslands.
If all else fails, I can simply submit. That's always been the case; as long as I show submission, the Chinese emperor might even reward me with a large amount of gold, silver, and grain!
"Your Highness, there are Chinese cavalry ahead!" a scout suddenly ran back to report.
"Stop!" Upon hearing that there were enemy cavalry ahead, Lerji quickly ordered the troops to halt.
The ground trembled, and a troop of cavalry slowly appeared in the distance, surrounding this area.
Seeing that the enemy only had four or five thousand men, yet they were attempting to surround him from three sides, Lerji let out a cold snort. This was blatant underestimation of him. Although he had been defeated, he still possessed nearly ten thousand troops.
"Seleng, I'm giving you three thousand elite soldiers! Break through this cavalry!"
“As you wish, Your Highness!” A towering Mongol general stepped forward. He was a commander of ten thousand under Lerji, known as the greatest warrior of the Tushetu tribe.
"Hah! Kill!" Sereng led three thousand cavalrymen out.
Even if they couldn't win the siege, the Mongols were never afraid of anyone when it came to cavalry. The Mongol cavalry, brandishing their swords, decided to teach those ignorant Han Chinese a lesson.