Chapter 67

"Master, we have arrived."

Yang Qiu and the others finally caught up. Because they had been running, the formation was quite mixed up.

At this moment, Zhang Han did not wait for Wang Changfu and directly ordered, "Yang Qiu, you don't need to fight on foot. There are quite a few bandits who have fled. Go after them on horseback, and don't be merciful when you can kill them."

"Yes, Master!"

Although he had to run back to get his horse, Yang Qiu's face was full of excitement. He was surprised that they had won this battle so unexpectedly. Just a moment ago, he had been very worried, not out of fear of losing, but out of concern for Zhang Han's safety. And Yusheng was not an official army; being defeated by bandits was not a big deal. In the short term, it might affect their reputation, but many people understood that an ambush by over a hundred bandits was not something that could happen every day. The escort business of the account office and the mule and horse trade would not be greatly affected, although it would be difficult to expand in the short term.

Winning this battle, with the master unharmed and so many bandits killed, Yusheng could not only take over the business in Yanghe, Xinping Road, and Datong East Road but also expand to the West Road and Shanxi Town, and even gain more territory in Xuangfu East Road, extending their reach further.

Thinking of this, Yang Qiu felt a surge of enthusiasm. Many others understood this as well, and their morale was high. They listened to the order and went to get their horses.

Fighting on horseback was actually much more difficult than on foot. Elite cavalry could stay on horseback for days and nights, shoot arrows with both hands while riding, judge distances and strike with remaining strength to prevent weapon recoil. These escort guards definitely could not do that. However, killing people on the ground who were fleeing was one of the simplest tasks in cavalry combat. Zhang Han also wanted to train his subordinates' cavalry skills, and this was a rare opportunity that should not be wasted.

Zhang Han looked at the people around him and ordered, "Changfu, Liang Xing, you both go as well."

"Yes, Master."

Liang Xing and Wang Changfu both showed signs of excitement. They had been on horseback all along, and after waiting for a while, they joined the main group, brandished their weapons, and began to gallop forward.

Watching the people ride away, Zhang Han let out a long sigh, feeling a wave of fatigue.

The benefits of today's event were truly enormous.

Not only had they gained a reputation and eliminated the bandit threat, but Zhang Han had also personally experienced the warfare of the cold weapon era.

Today's battle was crude in many aspects. On one side were the escort guards, and on the other were the bandits. Both were the least tactically skilled groups, and even the border troops that Zhang Han usually looked down upon were far more skilled in warfare, from marching to forming up, to arraying, engaging, and pursuing.

This was the inadequacy that Zhang Han saw. His escort guards could sweep away local ruffians, but they were in great danger when facing bandits. If future bandits included border troops, they would be even more formidable. Moreover, when smuggling in the future, they would have to go beyond the border, where there were many Han and Mongol horse bandits, who were far more ferocious than the bandits of Daliang Mountain.

Zhang Han pondered, realizing that strengthening his own military force was now an inevitable necessity.

Half an hour later, the battle between Yusheng's escort guards and the bandits of Daliang Mountain finally ended.

Zhang Han dismounted and walked around the gruesome battlefield.

People who had been hiding nearby slowly gathered around, and many of them pointed and whispered, looking at Zhang Han.

This battle with the bandits would quickly spread throughout Datong and Xuangfu, becoming a legendary story among merchants.

The further he walked, the more bodies Zhang Han saw. Most of the bandits had been impaled or cut down, and some were severely wounded, lying on the ground moaning.

The ground was littered with discarded weapons, lost shoes, and pools of blood.

Zhang Han saw Zhou Wu, who had been impaled by a spear, his intestines spilling out. Flies were already buzzing around his body.

He also saw the body of Lai Shiyi, lying on a slope near the road. He had been lying face down and then turned over, his face covered in yellow dirt, his stomach torn open, and his intestines spilling out, a terrible sight.

Zhang Han felt a mix of emotions. This was his first time killing someone. In his two lives, he had been in many fights, but this was his first time killing. He did not vomit or feel too afraid, but he felt a strange sense of numbness, as if his emotions were frozen, and he did not know what he was thinking.

At this moment, Wang Changfu brought a few people to Zhang Han and said excitedly, "Master, Li Laibin and Wang Yikui have done the most. They stabilized the formation and counterattacked, breaking the bandits' front line. Li Laibin killed the bandit leader Zhou Wu, making the greatest contribution in this battle."

Zhang Han came back to his senses and looked at the excited Li Laibin.

"Good, very good." Zhang Han extended his hands, placed them on Li Laibin's shoulders, and said firmly, "This great victory was due to everyone's efforts, but you, Li Laibin, contributed the most. I have seen it with my own eyes and will remember it in my heart."

A look of gratitude flashed across Li Laibin's face, and he stammered, "Master, I eat your food and take your silver. It is only right that I serve you."

Li Laibin was not yet thirty, but his eldest son was already eleven years old. His wife and son helped at the mule and horse trade, and the entire family relied on Zhang Han and Yusheng. Li Laibin had thought of retreating, but Wang Changfu reminded him that even if he escaped, he might still be killed, and if Yusheng failed, his family would return to a life of uncertainty, a life he did not want to live again.

It was this sentiment that made him stand firm and thrust his spear at the enemy with all his might!

Zhang Han nodded slightly and said to Wang Changfu in a low voice, "In the future, when selecting people, those with families are the best."

Wang Changfu nodded in agreement and said softly, "Master, Lahu can no longer be used."

"Lahu has his uses. They should still be trained, but they should not be used to escort goods or go to battle." Zhang Han then praised Wang Yikui and the others who had made contributions, and ordered everyone to cut off the bandits' heads, gather them in one place, and leave the intact bodies of Zhou Wu and Zhou Bin on the horses to be taken back to the fort.

After these tasks were completed, Zhang Han continued, "Lahu is too slippery. They can bully the weak, and even in a group fight, they can hold their own, but in a life-and-death battle, they cannot be relied upon. In the future, Lahu will guard the warehouse, watch the house, and lead the way when opening new routes... Some tasks are not suitable for those of good character, and Lahu is the best for such tasks."

Wang Changfu nodded frequently, clearly agreeing with Zhang Han.

"Changfu, I have two insights from this battle." Zhang Han stood on the hilltop, watching the people cut off the heads. Many were vomiting on the ground, whether they were Lahu or porters. Using knives and spears to stab and cut in battle was one thing, but now cutting off heads, with blood splattering and heads being chopped off, was a different matter. Many Lahu, who usually boasted, now had pale faces, while the porters, who had better discipline, began to act after the order was given, showing more determination than Lahu.

This further strengthened Zhang Han's resolve to reduce the use of Lahu, though not completely, but to transfer and use them in other areas.

He saw Liang Xing scolding the Lahu who had fled, and Zhang Han shook his head slightly. He then turned to Wang Changfu and said softly, "First, the firelock is a powerful weapon, but it is too cumbersome to use. If the loading and firing process could be simplified and made faster, the firelock's power would be greatly increased, and it would become a powerful weapon for us to defeat our enemies."

In the recent battle, the firelock was indeed the first weapon to turn the tide.

If Zhang Han and his men had not used their firelocks to suppress the bandits' archers at the beginning, the outcome of the battle today would have been uncertain.

Even if Li Laibin and the others had performed exceptionally well and held off the bandits, the five archers in the back would have continued to shoot, one arrow at a time, and without armor, how could they defend themselves? After a few rounds of arrows, the formation would have collapsed, and they would have been chased and killed.

Moreover, Zhang Han and his men were using the Lu Mi firelock, which had a longer range and higher accuracy than the bird gun. Liang Xing was using a bird gun, which hit only one out of three shots within sixty steps. If the bandits' archers were prepared and shot from a distance of about a hundred steps, the Lu Mi firelock could still be used to counter, but the bird gun would not have the range to match the arrows.

"The second insight is that forming up before battle is much more effective than fighting randomly."

Wang Changfu understood this as well and said with some embarrassment, "Master, I trained them according to what I knew, but I was not sure if it was effective or how to make it effective. If I had known, I would not have pulled you away just now."

Zhang Han smiled, knowing Wang Changfu's limitations.

He was an experienced veteran, but he still had a long way to go to become an officer.

"In the future, we need to strengthen our formation training. For close combat, we need to select the bravest for the knife and shield positions. Additionally, we should set up ranks according to the Ming border army's system. We can use these titles internally to clarify the hierarchy. It would be best to distinguish the ranks by different colors of clothing. Changfu, go back and do this immediately, without delay."

----------------

I'm sorry, everyone. I was delayed by some matters, and the update is a bit late. I apologize.

Previous page AD starts

Previous page AD ends