"kill!"

With a loud roar from Tuerge, thousands of steppe bandit cavalrymen behind him accelerated once more, charging towards the Tiger Army's position.

It must be said that the grassland bandit cavalry were indeed very elite.

Even after leaving hundreds of corpses on the battlefield, the formation did not break apart; instead, they continued to charge forward.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Under the relentless bombardment, the grassland bandits and cavalry once again left behind a large number of corpses.

Meanwhile, the grassland bandit cavalry were getting closer and closer to the Tiger Army's position, now only two or three hundred meters away.

At that distance, the grassland bandits and cavalry could reach them in just a few breaths.

At the same time, Wang Qinggu, the commander of the Third Division, who witnessed this scene, immediately ordered his troops to return fire.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the trenches, Tiger Legion soldiers, holding their Dongning-made flintlock muskets, aimed at the grassland bandit cavalry in the open field and pulled the trigger.

The dense hail of bullets, like raindrops or an invisible scythe of death, slashed down towards the front.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

In an instant, countless grassland bandits and cavalrymen were hit by bullets, blood splattered, and they fell off their horses.

Meanwhile, the grassland bandit cavalry behind continued their charge, their horses' hooves trampling the bodies of the bandit cavalrymen into a bloody pulp in an instant.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After the first volley of bullets, another volley swept in.

Like autumn winds sweeping away fallen leaves, the dense formation of the grassland bandits' cavalry was instantly ravaged by heavy casualties.

Despite witnessing this scene, Deputy Commander Turg still gritted his teeth and charged forward.

The distance between the two sides is getting closer and closer.

The grassland bandits and cavalry also left behind thousands of corpses!

"Commander Wang, Commander Wang..."

A staff officer rushed over and said, "The Ninth Battalion is about to collapse! The steppe bandit cavalry are too fierce, they're practically reckless! Commander Wang, what should we do?"

Upon hearing this news, Wang Qinggu, the commander of the Third Division, also took out his binoculars and looked towards the Ninth Battalion.

They could see that the grassland bandit cavalry opposite the Ninth Battalion were less than a hundred meters away.

At that distance, it would probably only take a few breaths for the grassland bandits and cavalry to reach.

"call……"

Wang Qinggu took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave shall prevail!"

Tell the Ninth Battalion Commander to hold the line!

Even if the steppe bandits and cavalry charge in, then let's fight them in hand-to-hand!

"yes!"

The staff officer quickly responded.

After watching the staff officer leave, Wang Qinggu continued to keep his eyes on the Ninth Battalion.

Melee combat!

A hand-to-hand battle with the grassland bandits' cavalry!

This was the scene Wang Qinggu least wanted to see!

After all, it's clear that the advantage is not on their side when engaging in close combat with cavalry.

But there's nothing we can do about it!

Their Tiger Warriors were newcomers; if they were forced to retreat by the grassland bandits' cavalry at the very beginning, their morale would inevitably plummet.

How will we take Chengde then?

A single hair can affect the whole situation!

If things go wrong, the entire situation could collapse in an instant!

This is the situation that Wang Qinggu least wanted to see!

Therefore, no matter how many casualties we suffer, we must fight a good battle with these grassland bandit cavalry!

This battle must not only demonstrate the might of the Tiger Warriors!

We must further establish the formidable reputation of the Tiger Warriors!

Let the grassland bandits and cavalry across the way know that the Tiger Army has come to seize the city!

"kill!"

In the wilderness, the grassland bandits and cavalry roared.

The warhorse leaped high and charged into the Ninth Battalion's position, its curved sword slashing down straight down.

Upon seeing this, a Tiger Legion soldier immediately lay down on the ground, and thrust the Dongning-made flintlock musket with its bayonet fixed into the horse's belly.

He dodged the curved blade, his bayonet aimed straight at the horse's belly.

In an instant, the bayonet pierced the horse's belly, blood gushing out and intestines spilling out.

The warhorse, in pain, collapsed to the ground, throwing the grassland bandit cavalrymen on its back to the ground as well.

At the same time, other grassland bandit cavalrymen from the rear also rushed into the trenches.

Faced with the menacing cavalry of the grassland bandits, the soldiers of the Ninth Battalion of the Tiger Army showed no fear whatsoever.

Even the majority of the soldiers were new recruits.

However, they all carried an indomitable fighting spirit.

"kill!"

The Ninth Battalion Commander gripped his red-tasseled broadsword and roared.

His eyes were wide open, staring straight at a grassland bandit cavalryman in front of him.

As the grassland bandit cavalry arrived, he swung his red-tasseled broadsword directly at the horse's leg.

The sharp red-tasseled broadsword severed the horse's leg, and the enemy soldier on horseback fell directly to the ground. Immediately, a soldier from the Ninth Battalion next to him grabbed a rifle and stabbed him directly.

puff!

A single shot pierced the breastplate of a grassland bandit cavalryman, killing him instantly.

Meanwhile, the same carnage continued to occur on the battlefield.

far away.

Wang Qinggu, commander of the Third Division, looked at the situation through binoculars, his face showing a hint of solemnity.

"Send reinforcements to the Ninth Battalion! Hold them off!"

Wang Qinggu gave the order in a deep voice.

With reinforcements, the Ninth Battalion gradually halted the advance of the grassland bandit cavalry.

Even if the grassland bandit cavalry were elite, their numbers were still somewhat lacking.

The Tiger Army's Third and Fourth Divisions together numbered over 20,000 men!

They were three or four times more numerous than the cavalry and bandits of the grasslands!

There are also new weapons and equipment that far surpass those of the grassland bandits and cavalry.

With these advantages, the Tiger Army managed to hold off the grassland bandit cavalry.

The battle lasted for more than an hour. Seeing the bravery and fearlessness of the Tiger Army on the battlefield, Deputy Commander Turg had no choice but to order a retreat.

However, during the retreat, Turgh's steppe bandit cavalry was bombarded by artillery fire, leaving behind hundreds of corpses.

As evening approached, the first battle outside Chengde City came to an end.

The grassland bandits and cavalry on the battlefield left behind more than 1,300 corpses, suffering heavy losses.

The grassland bandits and cavalry stationed outside the city began to rest and recuperate in Chengde.

Meanwhile, the Tiger Legion was also in a difficult situation.

Upon their arrival, they were met with a fierce attack from the grassland bandits' cavalry. The Third and Fourth Divisions also suffered heavy casualties, especially in the hand-to-hand combat with the grassland bandits' cavalry, leaving behind seven or eight hundred corpses.

The casualty ratio was also quite high!

Such heavy casualties made Wang Qinggu and Li Lanhe realize that the grassland bandit cavalry opposite them were not the same grassland bandit cavalry they had encountered in Dongning.

These grassland bandit cavalrymen were the elite troops of the grasslands!

"Immediately construct defensive fortifications! Clean up the battlefield!"

Wang Qinggu took a deep breath and said, "Send out scouts to closely monitor the grassland bandit cavalry and prevent them from attacking again!"

"yes!"