Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 198: Battle of Dengwang Mountain (End)

The Qing army's 500 guards and 1,800 bannermen, led by the guard commander Asiha, were like warriors swimming upstream. On both sides were retreating soldiers. However, Asiha was not afraid at all. All the Green Camp soldiers who dared to block the advance of the Eight Banners along the way were beheaded.

Asaha was tall. Under his leadership, 500 guards and 1,800 flag soldiers formed a sharp arrow, and drove forward like a bow breaking through the waves.

However, although the long-term extravagant life had corroded the fighting spirit of the Jiangning garrison soldiers who followed the guards to charge, this prosperous life lasted only a few years, and they had not forgotten their skills on the battlefield.

These eight banners, led by the guards, broke through the defense line of Changlin Town with an overwhelming force. Their charge was as unstoppable as a raging storm! Although Changlin Town was suddenly attacked, it still fought to the death, but the front line was scattered and faced with the sudden attack, it was ultimately powerless.

While pursuing the retreating Green Camp soldiers, Changlin Town's originally neat line had become chaotic. The soldiers fought on their own and it was difficult to form an effective defense system. Under such circumstances, it was inevitable that Changlin Town's line would be broken.

Led by Asiha, the Eight Banners Guards broke through the Changlin formation without stopping, as if no one could stop them. Then, Asiha unexpectedly met Wu'an Town who was waiting in the back.

"Commander-in-chief, the hundreds of Tartars in the front row must be elite troops," Wu Zhifan said to Zhao Yongping with a trembling voice.

"Pass the order, form a tight formation in the front row," Zhao Yongping ordered nervously.

Faced with the fierce attack and fierce power of the Eight Banners Guards, the Wu'an Army did not retreat. They held their weapons tightly, and the soldiers huddled together tightly, with their spears resting on the ground, looking nervously at the Eight Banners cavalry charging forward.

The Eight Banners cavalrymen came galloping like a hurricane, their hooves resounding through the sky and raising rolling dust. The cavalrymen, wearing heavy armor and holding sharp spears, rushed towards the infantry formation of Wu'an Town at an astonishing speed.

The infantrymen's hearts beat faster as they prepared for the impact. However, the impact of the cavalry was so great that they crashed into the infantry's line like an unstoppable torrent.

In an instant, people and horses fell to the ground, and blood filled the air. The cavalry's spears pierced the infantry's shields, and the horses' collision knocked the infantry to the ground. The infantry were hit so hard that they vomited blood, broke bones and tendons, and struggled in the chaos.

The battlefield was filled with screams and the sound of weapons colliding, and the land was dyed red with blood. The charge of the Eight Banners cavalry tore holes in the infantry formation, and countless horses and corpses fell on the road. This tragic battle continued, and both sides paid a huge price. The battlefield was in ruins, with countless casualties.

However, the Wu'an Army was a young army after all. They lacked sufficient practical experience. Although they were strong, their defenses began to gradually loosen in the face of the powerful attack power of the Eight Banners Guards.

At this critical moment, Zhao Yongping was extremely anxious. He would never allow the enemy cavalry to break into the king's flag, so Zhao Yongping led his personal guards and personally went into battle to try to stop Asaha.

When Qian Biao and Lin Shiqi saw that the Eight Banners cavalry had charged into two towns and were approaching the central army, they hurriedly stopped their pursuit and used their two wings like a pair of pincers to attack the Green Camp soldiers in the central army. Except for the Eight Banners cavalry who had already charged forward, the Green Camp soldiers stopped their advance under the attack from both sides and engaged in a melee with the two armies.

When Meng Jun saw that Lekedehun had dispatched his main force and destroyed Changlin Town in one blow, and Wu'an Town was in danger under the assault of the Eight Banners, he urgently dispatched the retreating Fire Gun Battalion and the Heavy Armored Army to advance to meet the attack.

The Eight Banners cavalry tried their best to break through Wu'an Town. Although Wu'an Town was broken through, the infantry on both sides were still strangling the Eight Banners soldiers. Although Asiha was brave and diligent, he was still out of breath. After breaking through Wu'an Town, he saw another group of people wearing iron armor appearing on the opposite side. They were obviously the elite troops of Meng thieves. Asiha was a little desperate. He turned around and saw that the remaining Eight Banners were all covered in blood and looked exhausted. Asiha gritted his teeth and shouted: "The Eight Banners warriors are rampant in the world. Why fear the strong enemy? Follow me to defeat the thieves!"

After saying this, he led the way, held up his spear, gathered his horse's strength again, and rushed towards the heavily armored army, just like Don Quixote. That figure was so lonely in the setting sun.

Gao Yi looked very confident. If he couldn't even stop the remnant army, he would find a piece of tofu to kill himself. Asaha's Eight Banners Cavalry charged, but their horses were exhausted. As the saying goes, a spent crossbow cannot penetrate a river, and a weak wind cannot raise feathers. Asaha's charge was easily stopped by the heavy armored army.

However, Asiha did not give up. They kept charging forward, but they could not break through the defense line of the heavy armored army. At the same time, the fire gun battalion began to exert their power. The fire gunners stood on the flanks, and the fire guns in their hands kept spewing flames and smoke. The dense bullets poured down on the Eight Banners Cavalry like raindrops.

Under the joint attack of the Heavy Armored Army and the Fire Gun Battalion, the Eight Banners soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Although Asha fought bravely, he was ultimately outnumbered and was hit by several bullets and fell in the battle formation. Except for more than a hundred people from the Eight Banners who survived, the rest were wiped out. The battlefield was filled with thick smoke and blood. What surprised Gao Yi and others was that this time some of the Eight Banners actually surrendered. Gao Yi did not dare to act on his own, and confiscated the weapons of these surrendered soldiers of the Eight Banners and put them under strict guard, waiting for the king to deal with them.

After the destruction of the Eight Banners led by Asiha, the morale of the Qing army, which was already on the verge of collapse, plummeted! Countless Green Camp soldiers fled aimlessly like dogs that had lost their homes. They threw away their armor and looked panicked, as if the end of the world had come! Thousands of people ran all over the mountains and plains.

The phrase "a crushing defeat" is the most appropriate to describe the Qing army at this moment. After such a tragic defeat, they have lost their fighting spirit. The only thing they want to do now is to survive.

Meng Jun stood on a high place overlooking the entire battlefield. He saw that his army had gained an absolute advantage and the Qing army had collapsed across the board. A feeling of ecstasy surged in his heart. After this battle, Jiangnan would be settled.

On the other side, the young Lekedehun's hands and feet were already cold. Although the Green Camp in the rear had not yet joined the battle, the front had already been completely defeated. Even the elite guards were dispatched, but they were unable to rush to the thief Meng. He could only watch these Eight Banners men fall in the formation one by one, but he was powerless to do anything.

Gu Yanwu was so excited that tears and snot flowed out, and he shouted loudly to Meng Jun: "Jiangnan is settled, the king is truly the pillar of the sky"

Meng Jun, who was standing on the high platform, was also very excited. Looking at the Qing army that was scattered in panic, Meng Jun took a deep breath of the smoke-filled air and said in a deep voice: "Pursue on all fronts!"

As soon as the military order was given, the sound of war drums became more rapid. Although the Zhou army was tired, everyone was in high spirits and began to pursue the defeated Qing army on all fronts!