Chapter 85

The rising white smoke under the midday sun had a hazy, dreamlike quality. The Jurchens, who had fought many battles with the Ming army, knew this was the scene that appeared when the Ming army's firearms were fired.

The Ming army's firearms had a long history, having been popularized since the Hongwu period. The most famous of these was the Divine Arsenal Camp established during the Yongle period, known for its three-stage firing technique, which was renowned for its power. The Ming army relied on its powerful firearms to rout the once invincible Mongol cavalry.

However, by the late Ming period, with the collapse of the treasury and the corruption of officials, the Ming army's firearms gradually declined. The supervisors were only interested in embezzlement, and the craftsmen, who could barely feed themselves, produced firearms that often exploded upon firing, with about 60% of them failing. As a result, the Jurchens began to view the Ming army's firing of firearms as a free fireworks show.

But the Jurchens forgot that sometimes, even when enjoying something for free, one must pay a price.

As the white smoke dissipated, a scene that left Dorgon speechless unfolded before him. The dozen or so cavalrymen at the forefront were hit as if by an invisible force, falling off their horses. One of them, who was at the very front, was thrown off his horse as if kicked with full force, and was subsequently trampled by the horses that followed.

"This is impossible..."

Dorgon's voice rose to a shrill pitch, like that of a castrated rooster.

"How can the Ming dogs' firearms have such a range?"

At that moment, Dorgon felt his worldview shaken. From his vantage point, he could see clearly that when the Ming army fired, they were over three hundred paces away from the Jurchen cavalry. How could the firearms have such a range?

"Order those slaves to continue the charge. I will tear out the intestines of those Han dogs piece by piece and hang them all!" Dorgon's face turned black. In the brief moment just now, over a dozen Jurchen warriors had been knocked off their horses. It was clear that they would be trampled to death by the oncoming horses.

Actually, without Dorgon's orders, Gulu Tu, the leader of the charge, not only did not slow down the cavalry but also ordered those behind to speed up to close the distance with the Ming army.

"Men, speed up! Charge to the front of those Ming dogs and kill them all!" Gulu Tu, as the leader of the Plain White Banner, was no fool. He was a seasoned officer. Although he was surprised by the range of the Ming army's firearms, he knew that reloading was difficult. After one shot, it would take a long time to fire again, giving them enough time to charge to within fifty paces of the Ming army, where they could use their powerful bows and arrows to suppress and slaughter the Ming army.

Da Niu, panting heavily, crouched behind the cart. The shot he had just fired seemed to have drained all his strength. To be honest, he had no idea where his shot had gone. He felt all his blood rush to his head, and after the centurion and decurion shouted "fire," he pulled the trigger in a daze, and then... he knew nothing.

"Smack..." Something kicked Da Niu's thigh, and a voice rang in his ear.

"You fool, get up and go to the back to reload the musket. Hurry... If you can't reload the powder and lead in thirty breaths, I'll stuff the musket into your 'pian'!"

Including Da Niu, nearly a hundred musketeers were kicked and beaten by the officers to the back, and soon another group of musketeers took their place.

"Ready... Aim... Fire!"

"Bang bang bang..."

As another group of musketeers advanced, accompanied by white smoke, another round of gunfire rang out, and another dozen or so Jurchen cavalrymen were knocked off their horses.

"Third group, advance... Prepare... Fire..."

"Bang bang bang..."

Three rounds of gunfire not only left over forty bodies on the battlefield but also sobered up the previously frenzied Gulu Tu.

"Quickly... Dismount now, everyone spread out! Use the shields to cover and charge forward!" Gulu Tu, a seasoned officer, shouted at the top of his lungs. He immediately realized that although they were only two hundred paces away from the Ming army, if they charged recklessly on horseback, they would be lucky to have a hundred men left by the time they reached the Ming army's front.

The Jurchen cavalry, one of the most elite and fierce armies of the time, did not break ranks despite the sudden attack. Upon receiving the order, the remaining two hundred cavalrymen quickly dismounted, took their shields from their horses to protect their fronts, and spread out to advance toward the Ming army's circular formation.

"Master, the Tartars are not retreating? They are charging!" Inside the circular formation, Shun Bao pointed to the Jurchen Tartars advancing slowly toward them.

"Yes, the Jurchen Tartars are indeed fierce!" Yueyang nodded slowly. The three hundred Jurchen cavalrymen who had attacked did not break ranks after losing over fifty men. Instead, they immediately dismounted and used their shields to continue the charge. Their battlefield awareness and response were far superior to his own troops. Yueyang estimated