Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 666 Under the Chengtian Gate

After a close-range volley wiped out nearly a thousand musketeers, Shi Ying promptly issued a second order: "First and Second Battalions, fix bayonets and launch a full-scale attack!"

After firing their first shots, the soldiers of the First Battalion didn't reload. They raised their bayonets and charged forward, rushing through the thick smoke towards the enemy. The Second Battalion followed closely behind. Shouts of battle replaced the sound of gunfire, echoing across the battlefield.

As the smoke gradually dissipated, the soldiers of the Shenji Battalion stared in disbelief at the gleaming bayonets on their opponents' gun barrels. How could the enemy's arquebusiers possibly have such a skill? How were they supposed to compete with them?

Thirty paces was just a charge away. The Shenji Battalion soldiers only realized when the bayonets pierced their flesh with a "thud" that the battle had switched to melee combat. The problem was that this was their absolute weakness!

The Shenji Battalion, regaining their senses, immediately turned and fled. They had previously mocked the enemy's weapons as mere firewood, but now, facing bayonets, their muskets truly became firewood. Did they stand still and wait to die if they didn't run?

In fact, after more than two hundred years of development since its establishment during the reign of Emperor Yongle, the Shenji Battalion had become a mixed combat force consisting of musketeers, artillerymen, wagon carriers, spearmen, and shield bearers. In addition to firearms, it also had cold weapon units for protection. However, the rout of the musketeers at the front triggered a chain reaction, and the spearmen and shield bearers at the rear also abandoned their weapons and turned to run, completely lacking the will to compete with the enemy. This was a common problem of the Ming army during the Chongzhen era; they could only fight when things were going well, and once they encountered setbacks, they were prone to a complete rout.

The once formidable Shenji Battalion was utterly routed. Musketeers, artillerymen, and wagon carriers were in complete disarray. No matter how Fu Ankang and the other generals tried to quell the chaos, they were powerless. The army of tens of thousands crumbled in an instant, muskets, wagons, cannons of all sizes, spears, and shields scattered everywhere. The Qionghai Army, having deployed only two battalions—one of which was a reserve force—had decisively defeated this elite force of the Beijing Garrison.

Liu Ye witnessed all of this, burst into laughter, and ordered: "All troops, advance!"

Nearly ten thousand troops were scattered by the Qionghai Navy like cattle and sheep. Fu Ankang, who was unable to escape, along with several trusted generals, were captured alive. Liu Ye stepped over the scattered muskets, cannons, three-barreled guns, large and small breech-loading cannons, and anti-enemy cannons, and came to Fu Ankang. He smiled and said, "What is your name, sir? We meet again. It would be impolite not to return the favor. Yesterday you bombarded me with cannons, today I will shoot you with a gun. We are even."

Fu Ankang forced a smile. "My surname is Fu. I am the deputy general of the Shenji Battalion. I have met the Earl of Pingnan."

"Wow, you've changed your tune pretty quickly. I don't think you called me that yesterday."

"Well... I was under orders yesterday and had no choice but to comply. Please forgive me, Lord Pingnan."

Liu Ye poked at a weapon on the ground that looked neither like a gun nor a cannon, and said, "Your Shenji Battalion has quite a variety of weapons. What's this called?"

"This is called a miniature breech-loading cannon. Two people can carry it and fire it, but it's not much bigger than a musket..."

"Heh, there are arquebuses, all sorts of breech-loading cannons, and heavy cannons. Oh, and over there they seem to be three-barreled guns... With such a diverse array of equipment, the logistical supply must be difficult to guarantee. It seems that the Shenji Battalion in the capital is not much stronger than that in Nanjing..." Liu Ye concluded about his opponents.

Fu Ankang was unwilling to be dismissed like that, and muttered softly, "If the Divine Machine Battalion had mastered the Triple Formation, they might not have lost..."

Although the voice was soft, Liu Ye heard it and asked curiously, "Triple Formation? What kind of sophisticated tactic is that?"

When the topic turned to professional matters, Fu Ankang perked up and explained, "It means that the arquebusiers are divided into three ranks. The first rank of arquebusiers fires and then retreats to the rear of the column to focus on reloading ammunition. If the enemy does not retreat, the second rank fires again. If they still do not retreat, the third rank follows up. This is repeated and rotated, which can ensure that they keep firing and no one can stop them! This was created by Mu Ying, the Marquis of Xiping in this dynasty, and it is called the Triple Formation."

Liang Xiaoming, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but interject: "Isn't this just the Japanese three-stage attack (Note 1)?"

Liu Ye asked, "What is the Three-Stage Strike? Is it very powerful? Why don't we use it?"

"It's pretty much what he said. But this is a tactic unique to matchlock guns, using this method to compensate for the lack of rate of fire. For us, it's useless. Even if they master the triple-strike formation, they still won't be a match for us."

"So that's how it is." Liu Ye turned to Fu Ankang and said, "Deputy General Fu, you offended me last night and almost took my life. Today you blocked my army's path. I should have killed you with one stroke, but considering that we each serve our own masters and you were just doing your duty, and that I have important matters to attend to now and do not want to start a bloodbath, I will spare you for the time being."

Fu Ankang was overjoyed and knelt on the ground, kowtowing: "Thank you, Marquis of Pingnan, for sparing my life."

"Men, tie up Fu Ankang and the other captured Shenji Battalion soldiers. Also, burn all these firearms on the ground. Smash any that can't be burned. Don't leave any for the Ming army!"

After defeating the Divine Machine Battalion, there were no further obstacles on his path. Liu Ye made his way through the Thousand-Step Corridor, where the Six Ministries and other government offices were located, and headed straight for Chengtian Gate.

Just as the Qionghai Army was about to reach the capital, the other two armies, the border army and the capital garrison, also decided their victories. Hu Dawei was the first to defeat the Fifth Army Camp and headed towards Dong'an Gate; Yang Guozhu was a little slower, but soon he also defeated the Shenshu Camp and headed straight for Xi'an Gate.

When Liu Ye arrived at Chengtian Gate first, the sun was already high in the sky. The commotion caused by the three armies entering the city had already alarmed the imperial court. By this time, Chengtian Gate was closed, and the city walls were heavily guarded with swords and spears, as if facing a formidable enemy. Entering the imperial city without bloodshed was no longer an option; a direct assault was the only way.

Liu Ye ignored the guards on the city wall, surveying his surroundings with smug satisfaction. He said to Liang Xiaoming, "This is Tiananmen Square now. It doesn't seem to have changed much, except that the portrait of the great man in the middle has been replaced by a plaque that reads 'Gate of Heaven'..."

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Note 1: Actually, Liang Xiaoming has confused the two tactics. Mu Ying's three-volley fire appeared earlier than the Japanese three-volley fire, one in the 14th century and the other in the 16th century. The Chinese version is actually called volley fire, where the guns are changed but the personnel are not. The Japanese version is where the guns are changed but the personnel are not. That is, the first rank in the three ranks is responsible for firing, the third rank is responsible for reloading, and the second rank in the middle is responsible for passing the empty guns to the third rank, and then passing the reloaded guns to the first rank, and so on. In addition, the legend that the Japanese version of the three-volley fire was invented by Oda Nobunaga is not recorded in historical records. Oda Nobunaga only set the precedent for the large-scale centralized use of firearms in Japanese history.