The three small formations of the Ming army formed a triangular formation in the shape of a Chinese character "品" to resist the enemy. They were less than a hundred meters apart, which could form a pincer firepower and make the flanks and back of the main formation relatively safe.
The reason why they did not gather into a large formation was mainly because the Jiannu cavalry attacked very quickly, and the Ming army was worried that it would take too long to form a formation with so many people.
The Jiannu also tried to penetrate and divide the enemy at the beginning, but they suffered heavy losses under the fierce firepower from almost three sides and no longer dared to easily penetrate the gaps between the triangular formations.
Even so, the number of Ming troops was being depleted at a rapid rate. Of course, the Jiannu suffered greater casualties.
Since Feng Datie joined the army, this is the first time he has experienced such a long and continuous bloody battle, and the same is true for his comrades who fought alongside him.
The attacking Jiannu had never fought such a battle and had never seen the Ming army fight so tenaciously.
In previous sieges, the Ming army had strong fortifications to rely on, which gave them a psychological advantage.
But the Ming army was not large in number, and was occupying hastily found nearby mounds and small woods. But under the fierce attack, they still remained undefeated, which shocked and surprised the Jiannu.
"Kill, charge!" Niulu'e Zhenzhu Ketu roared loudly, urging his men to charge forward, but he looked a little exasperated.
On the outskirts of the Ming army's defensive position, hundreds of Jiannu soldiers were lying dead in a disorderly manner, with corpses, flags, swords, guns and arrows scattered all over the ground, which also caused some obstacles to the subsequent attack of the Jiannu soldiers.
The roar of musket fire erupted from the mound from time to time. At a distance of dozens of meters, it was no longer possible to rely on volleys to make up for the lack of accuracy.
The experienced Ming army musketeers could almost aim and shoot, specifically targeting the Jian slaves who shouted the loudest and jumped the most happily.
Zhuketu's roar stopped abruptly as a lead bullet hit his chin. He fell down with his body swaying amidst splattering blood and flesh.
The black iron mask revealed only two bloodshot eyes. Was it hatred, or the pleasure of having struck himself? This was the last scene Zhuketu saw, but his mind also stopped there.
Boom, boom, boom... Under the horrified gaze of the Jiannu, the Ming army on the mound once again threw out a group of smoking iron lumps.
Explosions rang out one after another, and shrapnel flew in the rising smoke, throwing the Jiannu soldiers who had rushed to the mound into chaos.
"Charge, kill the slaves." The smoke had not yet dissipated, and amid the shouts, a row of Ming soldiers rushed down with bayonets. Taking advantage of the Jiannu's confusion, the Ming army launched another fierce counterattack.
Puff, puff, puff... The sound of the bayonet entering the flesh was extremely creepy, but it was soon drowned out by the screams and wails.
The musket fire from the mound continued, and the firepower was slightly extended, which created an obstacle for the Jiannu, making the Jiannu who rushed forward lack the sustained momentum to follow up.
The three-edged bayonets were all made of crucible steel, which was not very good at cutting, but was extremely hard. Moreover, this type of bayonet was more durable than thin-bladed ones and had a very sharp armor-piercing effect.
Puff! The triangular bayonet pierced into the Jiannu's abdomen, and when it was pulled out, blood gushed out. The torn wound would be difficult to heal even in later generations.
The face behind the iron mask was ferocious. Although the Jiannu couldn't see it, the strange patterns on the mask, coupled with the blood splattered on it, made it even more intimidating.
The fierce counterattack of hundreds of bayonets once again left a field of corpses amidst the splattering of blood and flesh. Only about sixty men were able to return to the mound to rejoin their comrades.
They took turns launching counterattacks, pushing back the Jiannu slightly, keeping a distance so they could kill them with muskets, and avoiding getting involved in an overall melee. This tactic was not complicated, but it required a fearless fighting spirit.
The Dongjiang Army was composed entirely of escaped Liao people, many of whom had lost their families and had an irreconcilable hatred for the Jiannu.
However, during the middle and late Wanli period, and during the various stages of the Later Jin rebellion against the Ming, the Liao people's reactions were different. The Liao people's attitude towards the rise of the "Liao Incident" was also complicated by the mistakes of the previous court policies.
During the Ming Dynasty, although Liaodong was the leader of the nine frontiers and a military stronghold, it was also one of the most economically developed and dynamic regions in the Ming Empire.
During the heyday of Liaodong, "farmers were rich in grain, marshland people were rich in fresh food, mountain people were rich in materials, and sea people were rich in goods." "Every family had enough food, granaries in the city and the countryside were full, and goods and bribes were envied." It was a rich land that made the world envy it.
But by the middle of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, with the corruption of the government, the depravity and greed of the bureaucrats, the Liao people were exploited at will. In addition, the border was in turmoil, wars were frequent, and natural and man-made disasters made the people of Liaodong suffer terribly.
In those days, people used the phrase "officials' excessive taxation is like shaving a hair" to describe the court's exploitation of the people of Liaodong. Taxation in Liaodong was based on the number of people, which was much heavier than the standard of land.
It would have been bad enough that the people were suffering from heavy taxes, but Liaodong was located in the border area, and was first attacked by the Mongols and then by the Jurchens. The people of Liao narrowly escaped death in the looting and war.
For example, in the Battle of Tianshui City, 90% of the soldiers and civilians died. Hence, there is also the description of "the bandits are like combs."
In the War to Resist Japanese Invasion and Aid Korea during the Wanli period, although the final result enhanced the national prestige and military power of the Ming Dynasty, the cost of the war was also extremely huge.
In this war, Liaodong, as the rear area closest to the front line, the people of Liao made great sacrifices.
Because the imperial court conscripted a large number of able-bodied men from Liaodong to serve as laborers to transport supplies, the result of the able-bodied laborers leaving their homes was that the elderly, weak, sick and disabled were unable to farm, resulting in the abandonment of farmland.
Transporting the supplies was also extremely difficult for the civilians. Zhou Kongjiao, a minister in Liaodong at the time, wrote to Emperor Wanli, describing how "nine out of ten Liao civilians died while transporting the supplies."
To make matters worse for the Liao people, the Little Ice Age, which began in the late 16th century, was a period of rapid decline. Although its impact on the interior of China was not yet apparent, the constant natural disasters in Liaodong are well documented in historical records.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
