nucmednet Chapter 552 Melee
Chapter 552 Melee
As they approached within a hundred paces of the enemy's arrows, the civilians continued to advance under the Tartars' coercion, showing no intention of fleeing. The soldiers on the city wall grew tense, unsure whether they should fire on the civilians—perhaps their relatives were among them.
The officers in charge of command on each section of the city wall raised their swords, ready to give the order to fire.
Just then, a soldier poked his head out from between the battlements and shouted incredulously, "Uncle, how did you get arrested too?"
The old man he called his maternal uncle was also one of the people who stopped the young men from plotting a rebellion. He squinted and recognized his nephew. He was both surprised and delighted. He waved his hand and said, "Erbao, is that you? Our whole village has been arrested. Your aunt and your second uncle are here. Please don't shoot!"
The officer came over to stop them when he heard the noise, and the soldier dared not shout anymore. He shrank back, but was torn between whether or not he should fire.
The old man said smugly to those around him, "See? I told you there were our own people among the soldiers."
Someone nearby asked, "That's no use. It's all the officials who have the final say. The soldiers' words don't carry any weight."
The old man snorted: "I've been a village head for so long, and I still don't know what officials are thinking. Most of them are just seeking fame and reputation, and they won't easily bear the infamy of killing the people. Besides, they will be impeached by the censors afterward. Don't be afraid, everyone. Once the Tartars break through the city, we'll have a way to survive."
The soldier on the city wall had no idea that his uncle, in order to save his own life, had never considered the life or death of his nephew.
These soldiers were all locals and had many connections with the captured civilians. Soon, many soldiers recognized their relatives and friends, and shouts rose and fell from the walls and below, which the officers could not stop.
Su Hongtu realized this was bad; it would shake the morale of the troops. He shouted, "Anyone entering firing range is an enemy. Kill them without mercy! Open fire!"
The order to fire was passed down from company commanders, platoon leaders and other officers, and each section of the city wall opened fire in turn. However, compared to the previous attack, the firepower was much sparser—many soldiers were unwilling to shoot their own relatives.
Gartu saw the flaw and was overjoyed. This was a great opportunity to avenge his previous defeat. He ordered everyone to speed up and charge forward despite the hail of bullets.
The civilians were blocked in front, and the lead bullets hit them first, many falling into pools of blood. Several old men were so anxious that they jumped up and down, pointing at the wall and cursing loudly. Although the gunfire masked their voices, their lip movements and expressions made it clear that they were saying something unpleasant.
The sparse firepower could not stop the Later Jin army's charge. They dragged civilians along, using them as human shields, and fearlessly rushed directly to the city walls. Ladders were put back on the walls, and the attacking troops scrambled to climb up—Gartu was going all out this time. From the very first wave of attack, he deployed armored soldiers directly, abandoning the usual tactic of using cannon fodder as the vanguard. It was all or nothing.
Su Hongtu grew anxious and went to the section of the city wall with the least firepower. He kicked the soldier who was clutching his rifle and agonizing over the situation: "Why aren't you firing?"
One soldier answered timidly, "My uncle is down there, I can't bring myself to do it..."
"If you can't bring yourself to do it, you'll be the one who dies, along with your comrades!" Su Hongtu said with exasperation. "Do you think your uncle will survive if you don't fire? Do you think the Tartars will let us go after they've killed us all?"
The soldier lowered his head and remained silent, but he was clearly not convinced.
"Take all the soldiers who are unwilling to fire away and let the cavalry brothers take their place!" Su Hongtu ordered. "We'll settle accounts after the battle; let's drive the Tartars back first."
With Su Hongtu personally overseeing the battle, the soldiers' fighting spirit was greatly strengthened, and the sparse firepower became dense again. However, during the brief lull in the firepower, many armored soldiers had taken the opportunity to break through the fire blockade and climb onto the top of the wall, leading to hand-to-hand combat on several sections of the city wall.
The panicked soldiers, under the command of their company and platoon leaders, fixed their bayonets and engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Being mostly new recruits, they hadn't formed ranks in time, resulting in chaotic formations and individual fighting, putting them at a disadvantage from the outset. The Later Jin soldiers, on the other hand, were all seasoned veterans, and hand-to-hand combat was their specialty. Against the disorganized and disorganized independent regiment, their individual bravery overwhelmed the enemy. Against the relatively flimsy bayonets, the heavy maces or short axes also provided a significant advantage in weight; many soldiers, despite landing few blows, suffered broken skulls and ribs from being smashed.
Ma Wei received orders to lead the cavalry battalion to provide support. Although he was wounded and exhausted, he did not back down. He picked up his saber, ready to fight the Tartars to the death. Before leaving, he said to Liang Xiaoming, "Sir, it's very chaotic on the wall. You should go down first to avoid getting hurt."
Liang Xiaoming was actually terrified, especially when he saw those barbaric Later Jin soldiers with their queues smashing their opponents' heads like watermelons, splattering white brain matter everywhere. He felt nauseous and didn't want to get close to these brutish guys. But he was, after all, the nominal leader of this army, and he simply couldn't bring himself to abandon them and run for his life.
He composed himself, raised the pistol issued only to high-ranking officers, and tried his best to keep his voice from trembling: "I cannot desert my post. If we die, we die together."
Ma Wei was surprised that his pale-faced, scholarly superior had such courage, and he admired him greatly: "In that case, you can stay here and oversee things. As long as you are here, everyone will have a pillar of support, and there is no need to go forward and fight the Tartars to the death." After saying that, he pushed away the soldier who was helping him, and limped towards the city wall where the fighting was most intense, carrying his saber.
Su Hongtu took a rifle with its bayonet fixed from a wounded soldier and muttered to himself, "It's been a while since I've fought with bayonets. I never thought I'd be back to my old ways today." Since joining the Qionghai Navy, he had been known for his hard work and skillful bayonet techniques. Even though he had been promoted, he hadn't neglected his basic skills.
He joined the battle and shouted, "Form ranks! You can't beat the Tartars one-on-one!"
Under his leadership, the soldiers gathered around him, forming a dense horizontal line shoulder to shoulder.
"On my command, prepare to use your gun—stabbing!"
With Su Hongtu's powerful commands, the soldiers seemed to find their morale boost and regain their confidence in battle. As in their usual training, they drew their rifles and thrust, their synchronized thrusts throwing the armored soldiers into disarray.
The armored soldiers, who had previously held an absolute advantage in the chaotic battle where they fought individually, suddenly had to face thrusts from several times their number of enemies. They could block the left but not the right, and were immediately stabbed. Even their chainmail could not withstand the destructive power of the triangular spears concentrated on a single point. As huge penetrating wounds were pierced in their chests and abdomens, blood gushed out, and the armored soldiers collapsed to the ground one after another.