Chapter 5

For those units daring enough to engage in battle, weapons are the foundation of their victory. For the fleeing soldiers, weapons are obstacles hindering their survival. On the official road leading to Yong'an City, the collapsing Qing army grain transport teams discarded their heavy muskets and cumbersome spears, turning their backs to the pursuing Taiping army, crying and screaming as they fled for their lives.

On the uneven official road, some Qing soldiers were lucky enough to run away by hopping and jumping, while others accidentally fell to the ground. The fallen soldiers tried to get up and run again, but were trampled by the fleeing Qing soldiers behind them. The fallen soldiers, injured and in pain, cried out but could not struggle to their feet.

Right behind these Qing soldiers were the relentless bayonets of the Taiping army. Wei Ze, without hesitation, could end a Qing soldier's life with a single shot. Wei Changrong, whose aim was not as precise, could now calmly stab the vital points of the Qing soldiers, significantly increasing his killing speed.

Some fled, some killed, and others rushed towards the bloody battlefield.

From the beginning of the battle, Zhang Yingchen fought with all his might. His excitement completely controlled him, and he searched for opportunities to attack like a madman. However, killing enemies is not just about passion. Due to his lack of combat experience, Zhang Yingchen had no achievements. When he regained some clarity and tried to catch up with Wei Ze, he saw Wei Ze bravely charging towards a row of black musket barrels.

Zhang Yingchen's heart leaped to his throat, and he couldn't even scream. He never imagined that anyone could be so brave. Though he admired Wei Ze, Zhang Yingchen thought Wei Ze was doomed. However, the situation took another unexpected turn as Wei Ze, unarmed, fought off the Qing soldiers with his bravery alone.

Zhang Yingchen had heard Wei Changrong boast about Wei Ze's bravery many times, but he was skeptical. Zhang Yingchen, a member of the Heaven and Earth Society, had traveled extensively and met many famous figures. It wasn't until he saw Wei Ze's combat prowess firsthand that he realized some people are better known in person than by reputation.

After Wei Ze scattered the enemy formation, the veteran Taiping soldiers mercilessly slaughtered the Qing soldiers. Zhang Yingchen, deeply moved by the battle, felt no fear. A surge of courage filled his chest. He raised his spear and rushed forward, eager to join the fight and kill the Qing soldiers alongside his superiors and comrades.

At the front of the battlefield, littered with corpses, a Qing soldier who had just fallen to the ground was struggling to get up and flee. Zhang Yingchen, already out of breath and with his heart pounding, still aimed his spear at the Qing soldier's back, which was already slashed and soaked in blood. The spear tip was blocked by something, but Zhang Yingchen, using all his strength, thrust the spear deeply into the Qing soldier's back.

The Qing soldier let out a scream and fell forward. Zhang Yingchen had killed his first enemy in his life. He pulled out his spear, gritted his teeth, raised it high, and stabbed another dying Qing soldier on the ground with all his might.

Kolondo, a palace guard, watched the battlefield solemnly. He had been with the imperial envoy, Se Shang'a, and had not seen the rebels in Guangxi personally. The Qing army sent to suppress the Taiping rebels in Guangxi numbered nearly 50,000, yet they suffered repeated defeats. Kolondo never understood why the Qing army lost so often. They had the same limbs and better equipment than the rebels, so why couldn't they win? Official documents often mentioned the rebels' combat prowess, but Kolondo was not entirely convinced.

Seeing the attack launched by these twenty rebels, Kolondo finally believed in their bravery. The Qing soldiers were not lacking in effort, but the rebels' bravery exceeded what was written in the documents. This still did not make Kolondo flee like the Qing soldiers in the grain transport team. Kolondo pulled the reins, and his warhorse circled on the spot. Just as he was about to lead the charge against the rebels, another palace guard, Wang Feixiong, grabbed his reins. Facing Kolondo's stern gaze, Wang Feixiong shouted, "Brother Kolondo, let me lead the vanguard with the personal guards."

Kolondo thought for a moment and replied, "Alright, Brother Wang, be careful." He then drew a single-edged saber from his waist and handed it to Wang Feixiong. This was a special saber awarded to palace guards, and Wang Feixiong initially wanted to refuse, but then understood Kolondo's good intentions. The rebels, though brave, had no firearms. Kolondo's saber was extremely sharp and could easily cut through the rebels' spears. If he could stop the rebels' momentum and buy some time, Kolondo could reorganize the remaining Qing soldiers and launch a counterattack.

Understanding this, Wang Feixiong took the saber, dismounted, and called the personal guards assigned by the imperial envoy, Se Shang'a, before marching towards Wei Ze and his men.

Wei Ze had already sensed that this Qing army unit was different. After defeating the rear and middle units of the Qing army, the battles proceeded normally, with the Qing soldiers displaying the combat ability they should have. What was abnormal was that the Qing middle unit maintained a strict formation and continued to launch attacks even after repeated defeats.

Regardless of the effectiveness of these attacks, the fact that they could launch attacks indicated that the Qing commander had identified Wei Ze's weakness in numbers. Wei Ze and his men were already showing signs of exhaustion. If the Qing army launched a few more attacks, Wei Ze and his men might not even have the strength to flee.

At this point, Wei Ze had no other choice. If they retreated now, they would not gain much loot. Since the Qing middle unit was still orderly, if they pursued, the Taiping soldiers, burdened with loot, would not be able to resist. The only option was to completely defeat the Qing army and drive them off the battlefield. Wei Ze was confident that, given the Qing army's current performance, if they did not reveal their trump card, he could lead his men to victory. Even if the Qing army fought to the last man with their current combat ability, Wei Ze and his men had at least a fifty percent chance of winning.

When Wei Ze saw the Qing army send out a small unit to counterattack, he knew they were also desperate. Seeing the leader in a conspicuous yellow jacket, Wei Ze was even more surprised. The yellow jacket indicated someone from the capital, and in Wei Ze's mind, such people were often incompetent and cowardly. Could there really be a yellow-jacketed person from the capital who could fight in the chaos? Wei Ze found it hard to believe.

Whether he believed it or not, it didn't matter. The yellow-jacketed leader was already charging over with a saber, having crossed the gaps between the fleeing Qing soldiers. Through the gaps, Wei Ze saw that even in the greatly reduced Qing middle unit, there were other yellow-jacketed figures.

Wei Ze's left hand had already recovered. Since the Qing army persisted in launching attacks, Wei Ze had to stick to his close-combat tactics to defeat the enemy. Due to the small number of his men, the Qing army's strategy of attacking in batches was not entirely inefficient.

Without waiting for the yellow-jacketed leader to get close, Wei Ze stepped forward, his arm shaking as he created a spear flower. The previous owner of the body he possessed, also named Wei Ze, was 19 years old and had practiced both literature and martial arts since childhood. His literary skills were not extraordinary, but his martial arts were genuinely formidable. Creating a spear flower was a decorative move with limited use in large-scale battles, but it was effective in single combat. If the yellow-jacketed leader's attention was drawn to the spear flower, Wei Ze could take advantage of the momentary distraction to stab him.

However, things did not go as Wei Ze expected. The yellow-jacketed leader was also a skilled martial artist. Seeing Wei Ze's move, he retreated a few steps, switched his saber to his left hand, and pulled out a double-barreled pistol from his waist.

"Damn it!" Wei Ze couldn't help but curse. The double-barreled pistol was clearly imported from abroad. At a distance of three to four meters, being hit by the pistol would mean certain death or injury. Rushing forward would only increase the chance of being hit.

As Wei Ze hesitated, he heard a rustling sound. It was Wei Changrong, who, after dispersing the Qing soldiers in front of him, had also noticed the conspicuous yellow-jacketed leader. Even though he had never seen a double-barreled pistol, Wei Changrong knew it was a firearm. Because he was farther away, he threw his spear at the yellow-jacketed leader.

The yellow-jacketed leader, despite the sudden attack, did not panic. He deflected Wei Changrong's spear with his left hand, cutting it in half.

Wei Ze seized the opportunity and threw his own spear. Wei Ze was much stronger than Wei Changrong, and the spear was both fast and accurate. It flew to the yellow-jacketed leader's chest, and the leader, with a steady stance, managed to turn his upper body to avoid the vital point. However, Wei Ze's spear still pierced his right arm. The yellow-jacketed leader could no longer hold the double-barreled pistol in his right hand. But he was ruthless, biting his teeth and cutting off the spear shaft with his left hand.

Seeing such ruthlessness, Wei Ze was almost impressed. Such scenes had appeared in movies, but witnessing it in person was still shocking. The yellow-jacketed leader's response was correct. Pulling out the spear would result in a gush of blood, and leaving the spear in place would make it difficult to move. Cutting off the heavy spear shaft and leaving only the light spear tip was the best response.

Such a person could not be let go. Wei Ze, now without a spear, picked up one from the ground, where the Qing soldiers had discarded many during their retreat. He prepared to finish off the brave yellow-jacketed leader.

At this moment, someone in the forest beside the official road shouted in a Cantonese accent, "Kill! Kill the Qing devils!" Not only shouting, they also used sticks to rustle the trees and grass, creating a lot of noise. According to the plan, Wei Ze's men were divided into two groups. Wu Changlin and eight others, carrying five muskets, were hiding in the forest. When the time came, they would shout and create a commotion to put more psychological pressure on the Qing soldiers. They had only just started because the battlefield had moved too quickly. The official road was uneven, and moving through the forest took even more time.

The timing was not bad, and more importantly, Wu Changlin and his men had five muskets. After shouting for a moment, they fired a round at the chaotic Qing soldiers on the official road. Even if it didn't cause much damage, it made the Qing soldiers even more frightened. The Qing middle unit, which had been relatively orderly, began to waver.

Just as Wei Ze was about to charge again, the few men behind the yellow-jacketed leader stepped forward to protect him. Wei Ze did not dare to rush forward recklessly, as the followers might also have double-barreled pistols. The yellow-jacketed leader did not insist, gave some instructions to his personal guards, and was escorted away.

With the battle turning against them and the appearance of the Taiping reinforcements, the Qing army, which had been quite capable, finally gave up the idea of continuing the fight. The Qing middle unit had gathered the fleeing soldiers on the official road and began to retreat in an orderly manner before the entire army's morale completely collapsed. What impressed Wei Ze was that the Qing commander managed to have the musket soldiers form a line to hold the position with their muskets during the retreat.

As the Qing army began to retreat, Wei Ze could not retreat with his men. Having barely overcome the Qing army with inferior numbers, it was crucial to maintain the psychological advantage. If Wei Ze retreated, the Qing army might reorganize and start pursuing, rendering their previous efforts futile. He picked up the double-barreled pistol and saber dropped by the yellow-jacketed leader and, with his men, stood on the official road, shouting insults at the retreating Qing army. Because of his youthful nature and seeing the yellow-jacketed leader, Wei Ze first cursed in Hakka, then switched to a sharp Beijing accent, "You bastards! Your grandmothers! I'll f*** your grandfathers!" After cursing, Wei Ze laughed at the Qing army.

In 1852, such authentic Beijing slang was rarely heard in Guangxi. Wei Ze's sharp voice was clearly heard by the retreating Qing army. After hearing it, there was a slight stir in the Qing ranks, but they maintained their order and continued to retreat along the official road, protecting the front part of the grain convoy.

When the distance between the two sides exceeded 200 meters, Wei Ze immediately led his men towards the Qing army's rear, where the mule teams were trying to flee. The rear Qing soldiers had already run away, and the mule drivers, concerned for their animals, were trying to control the mules. If not for the dense forest and grass on both sides of the road, the mule teams would have fled with their animals long ago.

"We won't kill you!" After catching up with the mule teams, Wei Ze stood next to a mule and reassured the trembling mule drivers. As he spoke, he opened a small bag in a bamboo basket on the mule's back. Please, let there be salt! Please, let there be salt! Wei Ze prayed.

The two bags contained black powder, which was clearly gunpowder. Opening another bag, he found more gunpowder. Meanwhile, Wei Changrong, checking another mule, excitedly shouted, "Here's the salt." Everyone looked at Wei Changrong in surprise as he pinched a small amount of the white substance and put it in his mouth. His face wrinkled. "It's really salt!" Wei Changrong said happily.

Everyone was overjoyed. Regardless of how exhausted they were, Wei Ze ordered them to take as much as possible. The men responsible for the rear guard had brought ropes, and everyone knew they had to act quickly. They tied the bags with ropes and slung them over their shoulders.

Wei Ze, not wanting to search further, shouted to his excited men, "Take off the Qing soldiers' shoes. Not the straw shoes!"

This reminder was timely. The Qing soldiers wore military boots, which were much better than the straw shoes the Taiping soldiers wore. The men quickly pulled off the boots, and each got a pair. Wei Changrong, whose straw shoe had broken, sat down, took off his straw shoe, and put on a Qing soldier's boot. Standing up and walking a few steps, he smiled. "These are really good."

Wei Ze, however, did not want his men to get too excited. He shouted, "Retreat!"

Each bag weighed about ten pounds, and Wei Ze ordered each man to carry four. He himself carried six. Wei Changrong, walking last, had four bags on his shoulder. After a few steps, he returned to drop two bags and picked up a large piece of cured meat from a mule, then quickly ran into the forest. Seeing Wei Changrong with the meat, the Taiping soldiers burst into cheers.

When the distance between the two sides exceeded a mile, Wei Ze immediately ordered, "Quickly retreat!" Wei Ze urged them repeatedly. In a moment, the roles on the battlefield had switched. The Qing army, not yet pursuing, became the pursuers, while Wei Ze and his men became the fleeing ones.

The retreat route was already prepared, and regardless of how the Qing army responded, Wei Ze led his men back to Yong'an City.