Chapter 268 The mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole follows behind
Chapter 268 The mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole follows behind
After struggling for nearly an hour, Si Yuanheng finally had to accept this reality.
Sitting there silently, he became depressed and helpless, as if immersed in shadow.
This made the two guards at the door look at each other in bewilderment.
For a moment I couldn't believe it and didn't dare to speak.
The general who had always been vigorous and fearless had now become a...
The two of them lowered their heads tightly, with mixed feelings.
He couldn't help but curse General Hanba in his heart, asking why he sent them to the Dali Prefecture.
Just as they were thinking back and forth, faint footsteps were heard, and the dim yellow candlelight on the ground was shrouded in shadows.
Si Yuanheng stood there quietly, his face seemed to have returned to its usual calmness, and he spoke lightly:
"Gather the brothers, we can't stay in this Jade Village anymore.
We need to get out of here quickly.
Otherwise, when those Ming people come back, we will surely die without a burial place."
The guard raised his head suddenly and said quickly:
"General, the brothers just sent a message.
A caravan of about a thousand people appeared on the northern highway, with many carts, mules and horses.
Their horses are all war horses, and they have some guards.
Several brothers went to investigate but were discovered and killed. The background must be complicated. "
The guard hesitated:
"Those soldiers may not have the courage to fight."
The words are not finished yet,
But Si Yuanheng understood. He once thought that these soldiers could still be quite powerful when they got together.
But tonight this matter is over, and he no longer has any hope for the soldiers.
No longer think about fighting with the Ming army.
In that case, why not fight with the Ming army, but fight with those merchants and caravans!
No matter how bad a soldier is, he is still a soldier and he must have some fighting ability.
Si Yuanheng gritted his teeth, and the sound came out from between his teeth:
"What's the point of fighting for something?
It would be fine if the army couldn't win.
If they can't even defeat a caravan transporting goods, then they might as well find a piece of tofu and hit themselves to death!
Go tell them to leave Jade Village overnight.
I will take them to rob treasures, whether it is the property in the caravan or the property robbed after entering Yunlongzhou.
I will not take a penny, I will give it all to them!!”
Si Yuanheng's voice was urgent, and panic seemed to surge up again.
Seeing them standing there in a daze, I couldn't help but feel angry.
"What are you still standing there for? Go and tell them one by one! I will take them to rob, rob!!!"
"Oh, okay, yes!" The guard was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned around and ran away!
Half an hour later, the remaining one thousand soldiers were ready to go.
They left the Jade Village in a mighty procession and headed north.
"They're gone."
Lu Yunyi was standing on the outermost tree canopy at this moment, holding a telescope in his hand.
Watching those glittering torches moving away little by little,
A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
The shock of approaching silently is much more powerful than a normal one-on-one fight.
Through the telescope, he could see that the departing troops were in great disarray.
There wasn't even any formation, it was like they were fleeing!
Until the fire disappeared from sight,
Lu Yunyi jumped down from the tall tree and gave orders to the generals around him:
"Wang Xue, you take the logistics team and stay here to handle the aftermath and gather all the survivors of Yushi Village!"
"Yes!" Wang Xue's eyes focused and he answered loudly!
"Sun Sian, lead the exploration team to follow them and keep a close eye on their whereabouts!"
"Yes!" Sun Sian's eyes fixed and he answered loudly.
"The rest of you, follow me back to the supply station!"
"Yes!"
The southern assault team was divided into three and headed in different directions.
In the southwestern jungle, more than 200 corpses were piled up with crossbow arrows sticking out of them, with no one paying attention.
Perhaps these corpses will only be discovered when the Luchuan people enter the country next time.
Time passed, the sky was just getting light,
Lu Yunyi led a combat team of 300 people back to the supply station that served as the undercover team!
Because I already knew the plan for tonight,
Most of the soldiers who stopped on the official road were not asleep.
When they heard the rustling sound, they all raised their heads sharply.
Soon they discovered that it was their colleague who had returned after a few days' absence!
They still had camouflage on their faces and bodies.
The huge backpack on my back has become somewhat shriveled.
His face showed fatigue after relaxation, but he was full of energy!
Such battles proved that the scouts of the front army could achieve something even if they dismounted and fought on foot.
The seven-day-long battle was not only about the numerous small flags, the hundred households,
Even the soldiers gained some understanding of jungle warfare, which can be considered a fruitful experience.
Seeing them coming back, Li Jinglong immediately gave the order.
Let the guys get off the mule carts, and let the soldiers who have been fighting for many days get on and have a rest!
The soldiers in the battle team were not polite.
After changing your clothes and cleaning the stains on your body,
They lay down on the mule cart and fell asleep almost instantly.
If nothing unexpected happens, there may be another battle at dawn.
Take advantage of this time to rest as long as you can!
At the front of the caravan, Lu Yunyi had already put on a clean set of armor and his casual clothes.
The camouflage on the face has been completely washed off, and the whole person feels refreshed!
Li Jinglong was standing next to the mule cart, looking excited:
"Yun Yi, are those Luchuan soldiers coming?
We came here specially last night just to be discovered by those people."
Lu Yunyi was wiping his arms vigorously with a hot towel.
After leaving the jungle, he just felt itchy all over.
"They were sent to die by Hanba, the commander of the northern line of Luchuan.
They had no escape route, they dared not fight in the jungle,
They will certainly seek to enter Yunlong Province, so we just need to wait."
After hearing this, Li Jinglong became excited. He looked at Xu Zengshou and Guo Quan standing beside him, his face full of confidence.
Now the Musketeers are under the control of these three men,
If nothing unexpected happens, this battle will be the first time in their lives that they will command real weapons!
Although there were only two hundred people, they were still so excited that they could not control themselves.
Li Jinglong was a third-generation military officer, and the two of them were second-generation military officers.
I have been wanting to prove myself for nearly twenty years.
When the time really came, they felt inexplicably nervous and even a little afraid.
Xu Zengshou looked at Lu Yunyi anxiously, asking:
"Sir, are those Luchuan soldiers easy to fight?"
Guo Quan also looked over with eyes wide open.
Li Jinglong was delighted and asked the question he was embarrassed to ask.
Lu Yunyi looked at the three people with burning eyes and smiled:
"Don't worry, there are less than 200 elite soldiers among them, and the rest are a mob.
As soon as the gunshots were heard, they would turn around and flee.
What you are considering now is not how to face the enemy head-on, but how to pursue the enemy."
Zhang Yu, who was reading the military newspaper, also raised his head and smiled:
"That's right. Yesterday, you used stone mines and thunder bombs during the attack.
They will surely be extremely terrified, and it will be troublesome to chase them then."
Li Jinglong was stunned, and so were Xu Zengshou and Guo Quan.
These days they have been thinking about how to crush the enemy with frontal firepower,
I never thought that I would have to chase the enemy.
What should we do?
For a moment, the three of them were a little flustered.
My brain was in a mess and I couldn't find a feasible solution.
Seeing them like this, Lu Yunyi couldn't help but sigh:
"The grassland people are unrivaled in the world in horseback riding and archery, so why can't we Ming people do the same?
They shoot arrows, we shoot guns, isn't it the same principle? "
Swish swish!
The eyes of the three of them lit up, their gloomy mood suddenly brightened up, and they nodded repeatedly.
"Yun Yi, this is a good idea!!" Li Jinglong held on to the edge of the car tightly.
Xu Zengshou, on the other hand, showed some hesitation and said softly:
"Sir, our muskets are not that accurate. I'm afraid they can't hit the target like bows and arrows."
Lu Yunyi thought about it, and this question stumped him.
Nowadays, both the parts and the ratio of gunpowder are controlled by humans.
There must be some errors.
These errors are reflected in the accuracy, that is, a small difference leads to a big mistake.
Lu Yunyi thought for a moment and said in a deep voice:
"At present, the battlefield is still dominated by cavalry and infantry, supplemented by firearms.
Only after firearms had achieved great results in battles would the imperial court pay attention to the research and development of firearms.
When we start mass production, the accuracy will be much higher.”
As for the manufacture of weapons, the three of them were completely confused, and their eyes were filled with bewilderment.
"When you return to the capital, you can go to the workshop where firearms are forged and take a look, and you will know."
Lu Yunyi smiled and comforted them, then turned to look at Zhang Yu:
"How many war horses are there in the supply team now?"
Zhang Yu was also thinking about the issue of firearms. Hearing this, he quickly raised his head and replied:
"My lord, three hundred and fifty horses."
"so much?"
"Reporting to the Lord, I have seen that the horses of the caravans are about 30%
So they sent another 100 horses from the city." Zhang Yu replied.
Lu Yunyi nodded:
"Give the Musketeers a hundred horses and have them try to pursue the enemy on horseback."
"Yes!"
Li Jinglong showed a look of joy and patted Lu Yunyi's shoulder vigorously:
"terrific!"
"Where is Black Hawk now?" Lu Yunyi remembered something and his face looked a little strange.
Li Jinglong's expression also turned strange, and he murmured:
"Black Hawk worked for days but got nothing.
Now he is hiding beside the official road in front of Yushan Village, and he is even saying that he wants to attack the enemy and beat them till they are pissed and shitty."
Lu Yunyi couldn't help but smile.
This is how the battlefield works. Not only does it require strength, but it also requires some luck.
"Then let's arrange it this way. Keep a good guard on the perimeter and strike back as soon as the enemy appears. Remember, leave them alive and let them escape."
A gloomy atmosphere began to spread, and Zhang Yu and the other three stood up:
"Yes!"
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, the sky was already bright, with a faint blue-purple hue appearing on the horizon.
The winter chill condensed into a thin white mist in the air, gently lingering on the official road.
The warhorse felt the water droplets on his nose and snorted impatiently.
At the beginning of the Chen hour, the mountains and forests seemed particularly quiet and solemn.
In the woods, the winding paths were covered with withered yellow fallen leaves, making crisp sounds when stepped on.
The sunlight shines through the sparse branches, casting a mottled shadow on the open space in the woods.
Si Yuanheng was wearing armor, looking tired and absent-minded.
He was leading the Luchuan troops to hide behind this dense forest.
They were not as well prepared as the scouts in the front line.
The only way they concealed their figures was by wearing dark cloaks and hiding their dark faces.
They try to blend in with the environment.
Revealing a pair of vigilant and greedy eyes,
Staring intently at the winding official road not far ahead.
Women! Silver! Treasure!
It has filled their minds at this moment.
Slowly, their breathing became heavier, as if something was coming.
On the official road, you can occasionally hear the sound of horse hooves and the low echo of wheels rolling over stones in the distance.
It seems that the caravan of thousands of people is coming.
There was a sense of tension and anticipation in the air.
Every Luchuan soldier pursed his lips and swallowed his saliva.
He held the weapon tightly in his hands, with an expectant look on his face.
Si Yuanheng stood at the front of the team, trying to concentrate his mind and look into the distance.
But for some reason, he no longer had the lofty ambition he had before.
I just want to end this ridiculous harassment as soon as possible.
As time passed, the sound of horse hooves in the distance became clearer.
A caravan consisting of hundreds of carriages slowly came into their sight.
In front of the caravan, dozens of guards were riding tall horses, holding spears and swords, looking around vigilantly.
But obviously, in the eyes of the Luchuan soldiers, they did not realize the threats hidden in the mountains and forests.
"Sir, do it!"
Looking at the hundreds of carriages in front of him,
The guards and elite soldiers beside him all had a hint of greed in their eyes.
The objects from the Ming Dynasty are rare and precious in Luchuan.
These hundreds of carriages carried wealth that they would never be able to obtain in their entire lives.
"Wait a little longer, get closer!" Si Yuanheng spoke in a low voice.
The sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer, and in the blink of an eye it was less than ten feet away from their ambush place!
At this moment, a look of determination flashed in Si Yuanheng's eyes.
He waved his hand suddenly, and the low and powerful command spread throughout the team in an instant.
In an instant, countless ghosts seemed to awaken in the forest.
The Luchuan soldiers could no longer suppress their greed and jumped out from their hiding places like cheetahs.
"kill!!"
"Grab it!!!"
"Rush!!!"
A noisy sound came from the side of the official road, and the originally quiet atmosphere was instantly destroyed.
Si Yuanheng forced a smile on his face and stared at
But soon, the smile on his face disappeared in an instant, and his heart skipped a beat.
Are the Ming Dynasty’s caravans so powerful?
As the Luchuan soldiers rushed out from the mountains and forests like ghosts, attempting to launch a surprise attack,
The "guards" in the caravan showed no fear on their faces.
Instead, he showed an indescribable excitement, like a jackal or tiger that had finally captured its prey.
They quickly drew the long swords at their waists, threw the reins in their hands, and the horses galloped towards them.
The guys who were staying near the convoy were not afraid at all.
They quickly drew out the sharp weapons hidden under the carriage,
With uniform movements, they rushed towards the Luchuan soldiers!
"Kill!" With a thunderous shout,
The guards and the men were not at all flustered.
Instead, he met Luchuan's surprise attack like a tiger descending from the mountain.
Their counterattack was swift and fierce, with spears like a forest and swords unsheathed.
Si Yuanheng even saw more than 20 people rushing to one side.
They lined up neatly, took out bows and crossbows, and started firing at once!
Seeing this scene, his pupils suddenly dilated and his breathing suddenly became rapid.
It’s not a caravan, it’s an ambush, there is an ambush!!!
Then, orderly footsteps sounded, like a giant stepping on the ground.
More than a hundred soldiers marched in unison and quickly rushed to the front of the battle formation.
They held something strange and dark in their hands.
Many Luchuan soldiers didn’t know him, but some did.
The fear of firearms made them pause.
They began to retreat helplessly, but more Luchuan soldiers rushed forward!
By this time, greed had overwhelmed them.
As long as they kill these Ming people in front of them, everything in the car will be theirs!!!
Xu Zengshou stood in front of the battle formation, his eyes sharp.
Staring at the many Luchuan soldiers rushing over, he waved the command flag in his hand and shouted:
"Six-stage attack, volley!!"
In an instant, the entire position seemed to be activated by an invisible force, and the soldiers moved quickly and orderly.
I saw rows of musketeers squatting down quickly.
He aimed his musket crosshairs at the densely packed enemies ahead.
Their eyes were full of excitement and they pulled the trigger without hesitation!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
With a burst of dense explosions, the first row of muskets fired at once.
Iron bullets poured out like dense raindrops,
In an instant, a splash of blood arose among the Luchuan soldiers.
The Luchuan soldiers who were at the forefront were instantly engulfed by the powerful firepower.
He fell in a pool of blood, his body was beaten like a sieve, blood gushed out from the holes.
There was still shock on their faces, not understanding what was happening.
However, this is just the beginning.
While the first row of musketeers finished shooting and quickly retreated to reload,
The second row of musketeers had taken their places and continued to pour ammunition at the enemy.
Then came the third row, the fourth row...
The smoke and fire intertwined together, and the scene was shocking.
By the time the six rows of musketry had finished firing, the wide official road ahead was littered with corpses.
The Luchuan soldiers were caught off guard by this sudden change.
The raid that they had originally thought they would win turned into a one-sided massacre in an instant.
The air was filled with the strong smell of blood and gunpowder.
The metallic clash of swords and the roars and wails of the warriors intertwined together.
It brought back the fear they felt last night.
"Up, up, up! They stopped!!"
Si Yuanheng yelled from behind, a hint of fear appeared in his eyes, and his hands involuntarily covered his crotch.
But these soldiers stopped in their tracks, stood still, and even slowly retreated.
I don't know who yelled 'Run!'
The dense swarm of Luchuan soldiers in front of them turned around and ran away like locusts.
Seeing this scene, Li Jinglong laughed heartily and immediately ordered:
"Guo Quan, take the brothers and chase them, let them die without a burial place!!"
"Yes!"
Guo Quan tightened the reins and galloped out.
The long swords in their hands had turned into dark fire guns, and more than a hundred war horses were running with amazing momentum.
Not to mention there were two hundred cavalrymen following behind! !
The smell of blood filled the air. As the muskets exploded, the Luchuan soldiers gradually began to howl like ghosts.
They were not stupid either. They did not run on the official road, but ran to the jungles on both sides.
However, they soon discovered that the official road was not the only danger.
When some Luchuan soldiers desperately ran to the jungles on both sides, trying to find a ray of hope,
What greeted them was a burst of dense crossbow arrows!
The crossbow arrow cut through the air at an astonishing speed.
With a shrill whistle, it shot accurately at the panicked Luchuan soldiers.
Many of them haven't even reacted yet.
He was pierced through the body by a crossbow arrow and fell in a pool of blood.
Suddenly, a more tragic sound of wailing and struggling was heard in the jungle.
Liu Heiying, with camouflage painted on his face, suddenly stood up from the haystack.
His eyes flashed with murderous intent and hostility like a hungry wolf.
He looked around at the Luchuanping who were knocked down by the crossbow arrows, spat, and cursed:
"Finally, I caught you guys."
Then, he raised the long sword in his hand and shouted loudly:
"Brothers! Follow me and kill!!!"
(End of this chapter)