lcionline Chapter 633 One Arrow Decides the Fate
Chapter 633 One Arrow Decides the Fate
The tenacity of the Qionghai Army exceeded Ajige's expectations. The combination of muskets and bayonets resembled that of spearmen; their tight formation and orderly bayonet thrusts reminded him, for a moment, of the White-Spear Soldiers in the Battle of Hunhe. These Cantonese barbarians before him seemed to possess even greater hand-to-hand combat skills and organizational discipline than the White-Spear Soldiers.
Ajige realized: this unassuming firearms-equipped army was superior to the Zhejiang arquebusiers in long-range combat and even more so to the Sichuan White-Spear Soldiers in close combat. It was a combination of the Zhejiang soldiers and the White-Spear Soldiers, and even stronger than the combination of the two.
Abatai's warning seemed to echo in my ears: Qionghai Town is far stronger than other Ming armies. Be careful when you encounter them on the battlefield!
"No!" Ajige roared in frustration, committing all his main forces. Was this going to be a stalemate and a war of attrition? He seemed to see Abatai behind him silently mocking him: What's wrong, Prince Ying? You've kicked a hornet's nest, haven't you? You still dare to laugh at me? Aren't you the same?
The Bordered White Banner, to which Ajige belonged, was formerly the Bordered Yellow Banner, one of the three upper banners during Nurhaci's reign, and was among the most powerful. Even though Huang Taiji made a major reshuffle, exchanging his two White Banners with the original two Yellow Banners, it was only a nominal change; the individual banners and vassal states remained unchanged. The two White Banners of Ajige, Dorgon, and Dodo were still one of the strongest forces in the Later Jin. With such elite troops at his disposal, Ajige would never accept defeat.
He raised his saber and roared, "All the Bayaras, follow me! I'm going to fight myself!"
The Gushan Ejen of the Bordered White Banner was greatly alarmed and advised, "My lord, you must not! If anything happens to you, who will lead the army?"
"No need to try to persuade me. If anything happens to me, the army will be under the command of Duke Yangguli." Ajige spurred his horse, which neighed and charged forward. The Bayaras behind him also spurred their horses to follow, their silver armor gleaming in the sunlight.
Although a force of several hundred men was but a drop in the ocean amidst a melee of tens of thousands, their momentum was no less than that of a charge of several thousand. Ajige and the Bayaras arrived at the center of the fiercest battle, dismounted, raised their most handy weapons, and strode across the corpses on the ground, charging towards the other side.
The strong Bayara men, surrounding Ajige, jogged forward like a group of high-speed tanks, crashing into the crowd and shoving aside the armored soldiers and Qionghai naval troops blocking their way. As they ran, they hurled short axes, javelins, and other projectiles, catching the Qionghai naval soldiers who were forming a defensive formation off guard. They were hit one after another, falling down with screams, tearing a gap in the tight bayonet formation.
The Bayara soldiers possessed combat skills far superior to ordinary armored soldiers, and their armor was thicker, giving them a significant advantage in both attack and defense. Their spiked clubs and long-handled swords flew through the crowd, creating sprays of blood. The previously composed soldiers were thrown into disarray, struggling to defend themselves.
Liu Ye noticed the localized battle and spotted Ajige in his bright armor. Although he didn't recognize him, seeing a group of white-armored soldiers surrounding him, he knew this man was an important figure in the Later Jin. He pointed at him and asked Qin Tian, "See those white-armored soldiers? Can you hit the one in the middle?"
Qin Tian glanced at it and calmly replied, "Yes!"
"Very well, it's up to you. Whether you can kill this man may be the key to this battle. How many arrows do you need?"
Qin Tian closed his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, "One arrow. However, the battlefield is too chaotic and there are too many obstacles. To ensure that I get within a hundred paces, I need to get close enough to be absolutely certain of success."
Liu Ye nodded: "Go ahead. If you can turn the tide with one arrow, you will be credited with the greatest merit in this battle."
Qin Tian, accompanied by several trusted subordinates, made his way through the crowd to the location of the battle between the two armies. Near the fierce fighting, several men surrounded Qin Tian, shielding him from the onlookers, while Qin Tian stood atop a mountain gun mount, overlooking the battlefield from his elevated position.
San Shi's powerful bow was drawn to its fullest extent. With the bow and arrow in hand, Qin Tian immediately entered a state of ethereal tranquility. The sounds of fighting and clashing swords around him faded away like the receding tide, and it seemed as if only he and Ajige remained in the world.
A hundred paces away, Ajige's face was contorted with rage as he swung his knife, slashing and killing, blood splattering everywhere. All his movements seemed to slow down to half speed in Qin Tian's eyes. Occasionally, someone would block Ajige's way, but Qin Tian could no longer see anyone else; his eyes were only on Ajige.
After taking a deep breath, Qin Tian closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he suddenly opened his eyes and simultaneously released the bowstring with his right hand.
The arrow whistled through the air, flying towards Ajige like a meteor. Ajige, caught in the midst of battle, instinctively sensed the danger and looked in that direction. Unfortunately, even if he saw it, it was too late to dodge.
Whether by accident or design, a Bayara darted forward and blocked Ajige's path.
With a "thud," the arrow pierced the neck of the Bayara man, and streaked with blood, struck Ajige squarely in the chest. The immense impact sent the strong Ajige flying through the air like a tattered sack, a meter away, before crashing heavily to the ground.
The sudden turn of events startled both sides in the battle. After they came to their senses, the Bayaras shouted at the top of their lungs, "Our master has been shot by an arrow!"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Countless retaliatory heavy arrows flew towards Qin Tian. Qin Tian executed a backflip maneuver, narrowly avoiding the volley of arrows. As his body became parallel to the ground, he somersaulted in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground.
With their commander wounded by an arrow and his fate unknown, the Later Jin army's previously high morale plummeted. Under the desperate protection of Bayara, they carried the unconscious Ajige, fighting their way back from the battlefield. The remaining soldiers, filled with panic, also retreated.
Xu Yifan saw an opportunity and, without even consulting Liu Ye, issued the order: "The Tartar commander is dead and has no will to fight. Sound the charge! All troops, charge with bayonets!"
"Beep beep beep—", the urgent bugle call echoed through the crowd, and the soldiers of the Second Regiment launched the first counter-charge, roaring as they charged towards the retreating armored soldiers. The Qionghai Army, which had been on the defensive, suddenly took the initiative, and the tide of battle turned.
Shi Ying glanced at Liu Ye from afar, and after receiving a reassuring look, he also ordered the bugle to sound the charge. On the other side, Su Hongtu was not to be outdone, and the soldiers of the Independent Regiment took off running after them.
At Liu Ye's instruction, the officers of each battalion led their soldiers in a charge, shouting in unison, "Ajige is dead!"