lcionline Chapter 703 Three-Party Game (Part 3)
Chapter 703 Three-Party Game (Part 3)
Upon hearing this, the officer's expression changed drastically. He pulled on the reins and took a few steps back, questioning Su Hongtu: "Is what the rebel said true?"
Su Hongtu wanted to curse inwardly. What kind of mess was this? Secretly taking in some refugees from the bandits, what had he done to deserve this? The timing of Chen Yongfu's troops from Kaifeng was really bad, and besides, this rebel leader was no good either, he betrayed him right from the start.
The situation suddenly became delicate. The officers and soldiers were worried that the Qionghai Army and the bandits were colluding against them, while the rebel army was also worried that the two groups of officers and soldiers were "in cahoots." Each of the three parties had their own thoughts, and the situation remained deadlocked, with no one daring to make a move.
Su Hongtu was a blacksmith by trade, a rough man who was not good at social maneuvering or being shrewd. For a moment, he didn't know how to handle the situation: after all, his boss was a marquis of the imperial court, and he couldn't openly admit to colluding with bandits; but being caught in the act, he didn't know how to deny it.
The officer in charge of the troops was a centurion surnamed Lu. He secretly groaned, thinking he shouldn't have come; he hadn't expected to encounter such a troublesome situation as soon as he stepped out the door. Guide was under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng and was also within the defense zone of the Kaifeng General. Chen Yongfu had discovered traces of bandit activity in the vicinity and sent him to investigate. Because it was a reconnaissance mission, he didn't bring many men, only five hundred light cavalry, and not many weapons. If a real fight broke out, there wouldn't be enough arrows. He looked around, already searching for a suitable route to retreat. A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; he needed to save his life first. Once he returned to Kaifeng, he would report the collusion between Qionghai Town and the bandits, making those guys suffer the consequences.
Meanwhile, the rebel army was keeping a close eye on the Independent Regiment, waiting for them to make a decision. The two sides had a verbal alliance, a cooperative relationship based on mutual benefit, but its reliability had not yet been verified. Now was the perfect opportunity to use Chen Yongfu's troops to test the strength of this cooperative relationship.
"If those damned government soldiers join forces, we'll run away," the rebel leader secretly decided.
Although Su Hongtu was not good with words, he was still clear-headed. After weighing the pros and cons, he made a decision: the general's plan to take in refugees and expand the population could not be disrupted. He had no choice but to deal with the government troops. As for whether this decision was right or wrong, he was not sure. He would do it first and see what happened later. It was better than offending both sides and being disliked by everyone.
It was a pity that the cavalry hadn't been brought this time, Su Hongtu thought with regret, otherwise two cavalry battalions would have easily taken down these officers and soldiers.
The Independent Regiment's cavalry has now expanded to two battalions. Ma Wei's men have recovered their strength, and the captured Mongol commander, Arsleng, with nowhere else to turn, is willing to surrender. The Later Jin army rarely surrenders when fighting within the Great Wall; these Eight Banners Mongol cavalry have chosen to surrender, and there's no going back. Even if they aren't beheaded for treason, they'll be scorned for the rest of their lives and might even implicate their families. Staying in Shandong at least guarantees their lives and a fixed salary, which is a decent option.
The two infantry battalions that Su Hongtu brought this time were all veterans with rich combat experience. They could easily handle not only a few hundred officers and soldiers, but also both officers and soldiers and rebel troops at the same time. However, both groups were cavalry, which were easy to defeat but difficult to capture.
Su Hongtu shouted to the leader of the rebel army: "Brothers, your men are blocking the way of the government troops. Let us deal with them."
The rebel leader was overjoyed upon hearing this. Joining forces with government troops to fight against them was quite a novel idea. He replied with great interest, "That's great! Watch us!" Turning around, he shouted, "Brothers, follow me! Stop these idiots!"
The rebel cavalry shouted in a sarcastic tone, brandishing their sabers and galloping north, circling around and blocking the government troops' only way through.
General Lu thought to himself, "This is bad. Qionghai Town is indeed determined to collude with the bandits." He led his men back hastily, trying to bypass the rebel army blocking their way, but when they went to the right, the enemy went to the right; when they went to the left, the enemy went to the left. Everyone had four legs, and no one was slower than the other, so they could not shake them off.
After some commotion, two infantry battalions of the Independent Regiment came up, their neat ranks forming a wall as they slowly approached. The forest of bayonets gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the soldiers' horses became uneasy at the sight of this jungle of bayonets, instinctively trying to avoid it.
Su Hongtu shouted from the back row: "Dismount and surrender, and I will spare your lives; otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless!"
Commander Lu glanced at the menacing rebel cavalry ahead, then at the expressionless Independent Regiment soldiers behind him. He thought to himself, "You have to pick on the weak. These rebels outnumber us, and most are veterans from the rebel camp; they'll be tough to deal with. These Qionghai soldiers, on the other hand, are infantry; they seem easier to bully. Besides, they're all officers and soldiers; unless they openly rebel, would they really dare to attack their own men?" So he brandished his sword and shouted, "Turn around and charge back! I don't believe they'd actually dare to attack us!"
The officers and soldiers, like headless flies, turned their horses around and rushed back upon hearing this. Su Hongtu warned again: "Lay down your weapons, dismount and surrender, or face the consequences!"
The officers and soldiers ignored them and continued charging forward. Seeing that persuasion was useless, Su Hongtu decisively ordered, "Fire!"
"Bah, bah, bah..."
Rows upon rows of rifles were held level, their muzzles spitting flames. The charging cavalrymen seemed to have encountered an invisible wall, and they all fell headlong from their horses, unable to move forward.
"My God, these bastards actually dared to make a move. Are they really going to rebel?" General Lu was dumbfounded.
The hearts of the rebel soldiers at the rear also trembled at the sound of gunfire. Seeing their officers and soldiers fall from their horses one after another, they felt a pang of sympathy for their fallen comrades—how could the cavalry, who had always been invincible against infantry, be so vulnerable in the face of muskets? If it were them, they would probably suffer the same fate, no better.
The soldiers' willpower was weak, especially when the enemy was a fellow soldier. After a round of firing, Commander Lu dismounted first, raised his hand from a distance, and shouted, "Brother, let's talk this out. Don't push things too far. Leave some room for maneuver; we can meet again in the future..."
"Enough talk! Dismount, all of you! Drop your weapons and squat down!" Su Hongtu replied, then waved for his men to come forward and tie up the men. Before receiving instructions from the highest authority in Lingao, he didn't intend to go all the way and kill all the soldiers; he wanted to leave himself a way out.
The surviving officers and soldiers obediently dropped their weapons and squatted down on the spot, weapons clattering all over the ground. The warhorses, now without their masters, scattered aimlessly.
The rebel leader saw an opportunity, and with a quick thought, he led his men forward, hoping to take advantage of the chaos, cut off the heads of these government soldiers, and return to Chuang Wang to claim credit.
The thunderous sound of hooves rang out, and the government soldiers who had already surrendered looked up to see the rebel cavalry charging forward with their sabers raised high. They were all terrified. Some stood up and tried to run, while others tried to pick up their weapons from the ground. The situation, which had been clear, became chaotic again.