Chapter 132: The Meat Grinder (Part II)

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After another volley of dense gunfire, dozens of Jiannu (Manchu) soldiers who had managed to scramble up the breach fell into a pool of blood. The few lucky ones who were not hit stood stunned for a moment before turning to flee, but before they could reach the bottom of the breach, a hail of arrows rained down from the ramparts, instantly turning them into hedgehogs.

By this point, after two hours of fierce fighting, the three thousand elite troops of the Bordered Yellow Banner led by Bai Yintu and Oboi had been completely wiped out.

"The Jiannu are all dead!"
"Datong is held!"
"We won, we won!"
"Hahaha, Datong is saved!"

The Datong frontier troops on the walls erupted into cheers. They danced, laughed, shouted, and cried, completely losing themselves in the moment. Behind the low walls, the musketeers joined in the cheering as well. The legendary, invincible Jiannu had finally been defeated by them; from this day on, they were truly the finest soldiers in the world!

Outside the city of Datong, on a distant hill:

Hearing the dense gunfire and the tidal waves of shouting from within the city suddenly cease, Dorgon asked in bewilderment, "What is happening? Why is it silent?"

Shoto, the banner lord of the Bordered Red Banner, also frowned and said, "Indeed. Even if Bai Yintu and Oboi had succeeded, there should still be a bitter struggle between them and the Ming army after entering the city. Why is there no sound?"

Because of the distance, Dorgon and his entourage watching from the hill were unaware of what had occurred at the breach. They had only seen the three thousand elite of the Bordered Yellow Banners swarm through the opening, only to vanish soon after. As for the massacre that followed, their view was blocked by the collapsed rubble of the city walls, and they saw nothing.

Because the Ming musketeers inside the city had held their fire until the Jiannu crossed the crest of the slope, the bodies of the Jiannu were almost entirely on the inner side of the wall. On the outer side, there were only a few corpses—those killed by the Datong garrison using logs, stones, and arrows.

While others were confused, Dorgon and Fan Wencheng sensed that something was wrong. Fan Wencheng said with a grave expression, "Master, the situation seems amiss. It is highly likely that Bai Yintu and Oboi did not succeed, and the three thousand elite of the Bordered Yellow Banner are likely doomed as well. I suggest postponing the advance of the Two White Banners."

Dorgon nodded and said to Ajige behind him, "Twelfth Brother, cancel the follow-up attack."

Originally, Dorgon intended for Ajige to lead the elite of the Two White Banners behind the Yellow Banners to reap the rewards, but the current situation was too bizarre. Dorgon dared not risk his elite forces.

As soon as Dorgon finished speaking, a thunderous roar of cheers erupted from the distant Datong walls. The Ming soldiers, who had been hiding behind the battlements, stood up one after another, waving their weapons frantically and shouting wildly. The violent sound wave reached the clouds and was clearly audible even to Dorgon, who was several miles away.

Soon, the figures of many Ming soldiers appeared at the blown-open breach. They also brandished their weapons, shouting and jeering at the enemy outside. Many were engaged in blatant provocation, screaming at the Jiannu: "Come over if you have the guts! I’ll wipe you all out!"

Now, even the dullest person knew that the three thousand elite of the Bordered Yellow Banner had been annihilated, and that Bai Yintu and Oboi were likely dead. Such a result was completely unexpected by any of the Jiannu nobles; they could never have imagined this outcome.

"Damn it! Those two pieces of trash, Bai Yintu and Oboi! So useless! 'First Warrior' my foot!" The hot-tempered Ajige was furious. He stepped forward to Dorgon and said, "Fourteenth Brother, give me five thousand men. I will slaughter every single one of these Southern Ming barbarians in the city!"

Dorgon ignored Ajige and asked Fan Wencheng, "Mr. Wencheng, why has it come to this?"

Fan Wencheng was also baffled. The Jiannu had dug the tunnel in secret at night; Wang Pu could not have known in advance. If he had no prior knowledge, he would not have ambushed the breach with heavy forces. Without heavy Ming resistance, it should have been easy for Bai Yintu and Oboi's three thousand elite to slaughter their way into the city.

Yet the result was the opposite. Where had it gone wrong?

Dorgon and Fan Wencheng could not have guessed that Wang Pu had already detected the Jiannu's intentions, roughly pinpointed the location of their tunnel, and made corresponding arrangements. The three thousand elite troops of Bai Yintu and Oboi, who had intended to catch the Ming army off guard, had ended up like moths flying into a flame.

Dorgon frowned and asked, "Could the feint outside the West Gate have aroused Wang Pu's suspicion?"

Before blowing up the wall, according to Fan Wencheng's strategy, Dorgon had mobilized over ten thousand Eight Banner troops from the Plain Blue and Bordered Red Banners, along with over fifty thousand Mongol cavalry and twenty thousand Han-Eight Banner troops to the West Gate, staging a show of force for a frontal assault. But now it seemed Wang Pu had not been fooled at all.

"Heh, it seems that must be it." Fan Wencheng sighed with frustration and shook his head. "I intended to draw the Ming army away, but it backfired."

Unable to think of another possibility, Fan Wencheng had to take the blame himself.

"But I do not understand," Dorgon frowned. "What kind of trick did Wang Pu use to wipe out the three thousand elite of the Bordered Yellow Banner in less than two hours? And a total annihilation! Not a single one escaped. When has our Great Qing ever suffered such a defeat?"

Fan Wencheng thought for a moment and said, "It must be the Ming army's firearms battalion."

"Firearms battalion?" Dorgon scoffed. "Since when has the Ming firearms battalion become so powerful?"

Fan Wencheng replied, "Master, you forget the battle last August when Wang Pu raided Liaodong. He defeated Prince Darhan Baturu’s three thousand iron guards and the late Emperor’s two hundred imperial guards. According to the surviving warriors, Wang Pu’s firearms battalion is different from others—completely different."

Dorgon frowned: "How could it be different?"

"Prince Regent, it is completely different!" Tazhan, who had participated in the Liaodong battle, stepped forward, knelt, and shouted, "Wang Pu's firearms battalion is unlike any other. Other Ming firearms units fire in chaos, but Wang Pu’s fire in volleys—row after row, continuously."

"Oh?" Dorgon asked in a low voice, "Tell me more."

Tazhan's eyes reflected the memory of that fierce battle in Liaodong as he spoke in a low voice: "During that battle, I and Ebilun had hidden two thousand Mongol cavalry on the Ming army's only path. We were about to enter the ambush, but for some reason, they stopped moving."

Ajige asked anxiously, "And then?"

Tazhan said, "Later, as dawn approached, Ebilun and I decided to attack. Ebilun led a thousand cavalry in a frontal assault, while I and Tulun led five hundred cavalry each to flank them. We intended to wipe out Wang Pu's Ming army in one stroke, but we ended up in total defeat."

Yoto asked, "How were you defeated?"

Tazhan said, "Ebilun led the thousand cavalry in a charge, but before they even reached the Ming formation, they had suffered over four hundred casualties. Ebilun was killed, and the remaining five hundred scattered. Tulun and I didn't know how Ebilun was defeated until we reached the Ming lines."

Dorgon asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

Tazhan said, "Wang Pu's firearms battalion was divided into five or six rows. They took turns stepping forward to fire. Each row had over a hundred men. When a hundred muskets fired at once, the firepower was too dense. My five hundred cavalry lost more than half before even reaching them. The remaining Mongol cavalry refused to listen to my orders and turned to flee."

Ajige gasped, "Two thousand cavalry were finished just like that?"

Tazhan said, "Not many actually died; Wang Pu's firearms battalion suddenly withdrew, and I was able to rescue the injured. But their battalion is truly different. Any other Ming firearms unit would have been wiped out by us."

Dorgon turned his gaze to Ajige and asked, "Twelfth Brother, you also suffered a heavy loss at the hands of Wang Pu's firearms battalion half a month ago. Didn't Duoming'a's three niru, along with the five niru left behind to cover the retreat, all perish there? Was it the same then?"

"I don't know," Ajige scratched his head. "It was chaotic; who could pay attention to that?"

Dorgon asked Fan Wencheng, "What does Mr. Wencheng think?"

Fan Wencheng said, "I believe that since Wang Pu's firearms battalion could defeat two thousand Mongol cavalry with only seven or eight hundred men, it is no surprise they could annihilate the three thousand elite of the Bordered Yellow Banner."

Dorgon frowned: "It seems that even if we blow up the wall, if we cannot eliminate Wang Pu's firearms battalion first, Datong cannot be taken."

Ajige suddenly said, "Wang Pu's firearms battalion is powerful, but our Great Qing's firearms are not bad either. Didn't Tong Yangxing say that the Hongyi cannons he built are even better than the Ming's? Why not use them? Is Wang Pu's firearms battalion immune to explosive shells?"

"Hiss..." Fan Wencheng's expression changed. He said to Dorgon, "The Prince of Wuying is not without reason. The Hongyi cannons are indeed the sharp weapon to counter Wang Pu's firearms battalion."

Dorgon turned to ask Tong Yangxing, "Tong Yangxing, can the Hongyi cannons reach the Ming firearms battalion behind the breach?"

"No," Tong Yangxing shook his head. "Unless we clear the rubble at the breach first, the Hongyi cannons cannot hit the Ming soldiers hidden behind it."

Fan Wencheng said, "Then clear the rubble at the breach first."

Dorgon turned abruptly and shouted, "Shi Tingzhu, Li Yongfang!"

Shi Tingzhu and Li Yongfang stepped forward, knelt, and replied, "This servant is here."

Dorgon ordered, "Each of you lead two thousand Han troops to cover the approach with shields and clear away that rubble."

"Yes!"

Shi Tingzhu and Li Yongfang acknowledged the order and left.

Datong, at the breach:

"The Jiannu are coming!"
"The Jiannu are attacking again!"

The sentries in the watchtower were the first to spot the enemy and sounded the alarm. The frontier troops on the walls also shouted. Under the scolding of their officers, they began to move logs and stones to clear the arrows. The top of the wall soon became chaotic, but unlike the first assault, there was no despair.

The dozen or so musketeers who had been cheering on the rubble retreated and reformed their firing lines behind the low wall, waiting silently for the Jiannu to deliver themselves to their deaths.

However, this time, the figures of the Jiannu were slow to appear on the rubble of the breach. Only the sounds of killing could be heard from the city walls and outside, but no Jiannu appeared.

In the arrow tower to the left of the breach, Wang Pu and Zhen Youcai were observing the battlefield situation from behind the arrow slits.

Because the arrow tower protruded from the city wall, they had a clear view of every move the Jiannu made.

Seeing a large group of Jiannu moving forward under the cover of shields, Zhen Youcai shook his head: "The Jiannu are using shields to open the way? This stuff can stop musket fire, but it can't stop the Dragon King Cannon. General, should we signal the monks to prepare the Dragon King Cannons?"

Wang Pu nodded and turned to Lu Liu: "Lu Liu, immediately signal the monks to prepare to throw the Dragon King Cannons."

"Yes."

Lu Liu went off to signal.

However, soon, Wang Pu and Zhen Youcai realized things were not that simple. The group of Jiannu did not continue to advance after reaching the rubble outside the breach. Instead, they split into three groups: one group carried shields to block the Ming army's logs, stones, and arrows; one group provided cover fire with bows; and the third group in the middle began working feverishly to clear the rubble at the breach.

Zhen Youcai exclaimed, "General, this group of Jiannu doesn't seem to be attacking."

"Hmm."

Wang Pu nodded. He had also noticed the suspicious activity.

Zhen Youcai added, "They seem to be moving the rubble. What are they trying to do?"

Wang Pu thought for a moment and said, "Whatever they are planning, we cannot let them succeed. Lu Liu!"

Lu Liu, having just finished signaling, rushed to Wang Pu and shouted, "Here!"

Wang Pu said, "Signal them immediately. Have the monks take five hundred men to the walls, each carrying extra Dragon King Cannons. Use them to blow those Jiannu to pieces."

"Yes."

Lu Liu left to relay the order.

Flag signaling was an ancient method of communication. The commander's flag would lead the army, and they would follow without question. Wang Pu's flag signaling drew more from modern methods and was much more detailed than traditional commands.

Moments after the signal was given, Zhang Heshang led five hundred musketeers to the walls on either side of the breach. Each musketeer carried ten Dragon King Cannons. At Zhang Heshang's command, they lit the fuses and threw them with all their might toward the outside of the city.

The breach in the wall was about ten zhang wide, and the rubble was spread in a fan shape. The furthest point was ten paces from the wall, well within the throwing range of the Dragon King Cannons. Taking advantage of the height, the strong musketeers could even throw them forty or fifty paces away!

*Sssss...*

Iron objects emitting black smoke rained down from the wall like hail, rolling onto the ground. The Jiannu, busy carrying shields, clearing rubble, or suppressing the defenders, paid no heed to these iron lumps falling from the sky.

Although many Jiannu were hit by the lumps, it only caused minor injuries and was not fatal.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A terrible disaster suddenly descended upon the unprepared Jiannu. The iron lumps emitting black smoke exploded simultaneously. Five hundred Dragon King Cannons detonated at once; the massive sound wave nearly caused another section of the wall to collapse. Two unlucky frontier soldiers lost their footing in the shock and fell from the wall.

But the unluckiest were the Jiannu crowded at the breach. Five hundred Dragon King Cannons exploding at once was no joke.

The five hundred shield-bearers closest to the breach bore the brunt of it. The massive shockwave sent them and their shields flying into the air, where they were torn into pieces. Countless limbs and torsos danced in the sky. One Jiannu head was even blown onto the city wall.

A timid laborer who had just carried a log onto the wall saw the head land right in front of him. It bounced twice, rolled over, and its open mouth clamped onto his toe. The laborer screamed, went black, and fainted. The log on his shoulder fell, crushing the foot of an unfortunate officer, who then began to howl like a slaughtered pig...

Outside Datong city, on the hill:

Dorgon and the others were startled by the massive explosion. Looking closely, they saw the Han-Eight Banner troops outside the breach being shredded. Several shields were blown into the air and tumbled for a long distance before crashing down. Everyone could imagine the sheer power of the explosion!

To blow a heavy shield into the air was no easy feat.

"What is happening?" Ajige shouted, "It sounds like explosive shells from Hongyi cannons!"

The scene outside the breach looked like the aftermath of explosive shells, but did Datong have Hongyi cannons? Even if they did, how could they fire over the wall? Could they tilt the cannons to fire downwards? And if they were placed inside the breach, the rubble would block their line of sight.

"Tong Yangxing," Dorgon turned and glared at him, "Could this be your artillery battalion?"

"Impossible," Tong Yangxing quickly shook his head, "My Hongyi cannons are powerful, but five cannons together don't have this kind of force. This is definitely not a Hongyi cannon."

Dorgon frowned and whispered, "Then what could it be?"

"Prince Regent, I know." As Dorgon spoke, Banketu, who had inherited the title of Prince of Khoshut, stepped forward. "This is the Dragon King Cannon from Wang Pu's firearms battalion. A single one cannot compare to a Hongyi shell, but five hundred or a thousand at once is a different story. I suffered a huge loss from this at the Sanbula River sweat court!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

As Banketu finished speaking, more smoke and dust rose from outside the breach. Through the rolling dust, one could vaguely see the Han-Eight Banner troops being torn apart, crying for their parents. Before Dorgon could issue an order, Shi Tingzhu and Li Yongfang had already led the remnants of the Han-Eight Banners back a hundred paces. Of the four thousand men, fewer than three thousand remained, and many were severely wounded.