Chapter 2: Survival in Desperation

Rising between the white mountains and black waters, the once invincible Manchu cavalry finally encountered an opponent even more formidable than themselves. The second charge of the Sikh cavalry completely shattered Su Cheng'e's cavalry, leaving over two hundred corpses behind as they fled in disarray towards their own lines. However, the Sikh cavalry did not pursue relentlessly; they paused momentarily in the center of the battlefield before returning to their formation.

"I did not expect you to possess such insight," Sheng Bao said thoughtfully. "However, military orders are as unyielding as a mountain. Since I have spared the lives of the seven of you, you must lead the charge as you have stated. Although you are my kin, you cannot be an exception. If you survive this battle, I will promote you to a substantive position as a seventh-rank Lingzhang."

As soon as the formation of the Qing army shifted, changes also occurred in the positions of the foreign troops. Once the intentions of this cavalry unit were discerned, the dense mass of the "Proby" Sikh cavalry regiment immediately began to stir, swiftly arranging themselves into formation. Hundreds of gleaming long spears pointed diagonally upward as they gradually advanced from their ranks, and then, transitioning from slow to fast, they launched their charge.

The one thousand men on the right side were the standard cavalry unit of Su Cheng'e. He raised his sword high for a moment, then waved it forward, leading this thousand men to break through the formation and charge swiftly towards the junction of the British and French allied forces

I am your kin? Guan Zhuofan was momentarily taken aback, but now was not the time to ponder this matter. Charging into battle requires no words, yet there is much to consider regarding the manner of the charge. It is unclear where Sheng Bao intends to charge now.

In his entire life, he had never ridden a horse, let alone played with a knife. Stealing another glance at the long knife in his hand, he indeed saw the four characters "Guan San Zhuo Fan" engraved on it, and he sighed deeply: this damned knife has brought me so much trouble

Their combat method involves advancing in a dense and orderly linear formation and charging with fixed bayonets, where each line strikes the enemy without descending into the chaotic individual combat typical of ancient cavalry. Instead, they forcefully withstand enemy fire or attacks, quickly retreat, regroup, and repeatedly charge in an orderly formation. This reliance on uniform strength and closely coordinated collective assaults can easily overwhelm all traditional cavalry formations.

I... the meaning of Guan Zhuofan is, of course, that it is best to avoid death. Therefore, this question left him momentarily speechless. Suddenly, he saw the French army in deep blue uniforms in the distance, gritted his teeth, and said: "Give me a knife and a horse. If I die at the hands of the French devils, I will accept it!"

"Commander Ke, I am willing to lead our thousand-strong cavalry to charge at Leijiawa first!" Without waiting for General Shengbao to respond, the valiant cavalry leader pointed to the right front with his hand and loudly commanded, "Once I disrupt their formation, Commander Ke will then lead the main force to charge at the enemy's phalanx."

Upon his remark, the person behind him seemed quite taken aback and momentarily did not respond. At that moment, a materials officer rushed over, knelt on one knee beside him, and offered a deep bow to the person behind him

The person behind was called "Keshua", and Guan Zhuofan was nervously pondering... Keshua... Keshua...! This is Shengkezhai, Shengbao!

Two opposing cavalry units rapidly approached each other in the center of the battlefield. The Qing army had a larger number of troops, but their formation was disorganized. The Sikh cavalry, although only numbering in the hundreds, maintained a tight formation without any sign of disorder—this was not easily achieved and required a considerable amount of difficult coordinated training. There were strict and clear regulations regarding when to jog, when to accelerate, when to take long strides, and when to gallop during a charge. The Arabian steeds beneath them, bred under the principles of bloodline theory, were some extreme species that nature would not typically produce, being exceptionally tall and robust, with remarkable sprinting power. There were strict and clear regulations regarding when to jog, when to accelerate, when to take long strides, and when to gallop during a charge. The Arabian steeds beneath them, bred under the principles of bloodline theory, were some extreme species that nature would not typically produce, being exceptionally tall and robust, with remarkable sprinting power.

"Shut up!" The valiant cavalry commander, who was overseeing the execution, came to his senses and was filled with rage. "You, a mere foreign envoy with a blue feather, a ninth-rank official, think you have the right to speak here?!"

It is good to be reasonable! Guan Zhuofan estimated his own status and thought he was not yet worthy of being called "Master Ke." Kneeling on the ground, he cautiously said: "Lord Sheng, with the retreat of the monk king, we must guard against the French devils splitting their forces to launch a surprise attack on the monk king's flank and cut off his escape route."

! ''

Sheng Baomo remained silent. Guan Zhuofan felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation in his heart, but he noticed that on the left flank of the French army across from him, there were indeed signs of gathering and movement. The British dragoons in red uniforms were also heading north.

There were still six officers waiting with Guan Zhuofan for execution. Initially, when they saw Guan Zhuofan and Sheng Bao speaking, they all placed their hopes of survival on him. However, when the colonel shouted, these six were so frightened that they all instinctively shrank their heads.

The first banner is raised! The second banner is raised! The third banner is raised! Upon seeing Su Cheng'e receive the military order, one of Sheng Bao's deputy generals began shouting commands.

"Release!" Suddenly, Sheng Bao behind him commanded, "Return the knives to them, and bring them horses!"

Guan Zhuofan let out a quiet sigh, knowing that his words not only struck a chord but also touched upon Sheng Bao's sensitive spot. As the ropes binding his body and hands loosened, he felt a mix of pain and numbness throughout his body. Turning around, he stole a glance at the renowned military leader, noting that Sheng Bao had a ruddy complexion, a robust build, and two shiny, prominent mustaches that added a touch of authority to his appearance. Atop his head, a large hat was adorned with a single-eyed feather.

Hearing that the person behind him was Sheng Bao, Guan Zhuofan felt an additional sense of hope. Sheng Bao was the Vice Governor of Rehe, with the courtesy name Kezhai. Although he was somewhat obstinate, he was quite skilled in warfare and had a reasonable approach to commanding troops, making him a rare talent among the Manchus, unlike the confused governor Ruilin.

The people around were in complete silence. A person kneeling on the ground, waiting for death, actually began to instruct the renowned second-rank official on battle strategies. Isn't this absurd?

Once the fear of execution was lifted, his mind gradually became more agile. The strategies for dealing with adversaries that he had repeatedly pondered during his idle hours in the museum began to resurface one by one in his thoughts

You have some nerve, go ahead and charge. Guan Zhuofan did not dare to take him seriously, lowering his head and secretly curling his lip, thinking: What a joke, you must still be dreaming, thinking that your 'Eight Banner Elite Troops' can be invincible in the world

"Master Sheng," Guan Zhuofan said in a low voice upon seeing his gritted teeth, "the formation of the foreign soldiers cannot be breached."

The "home" he had traversed into was unexpectedly pitiful, and Guan Zhuofan could only silently lament in his heart. However, as long as he could say one more word, he would have a greater chance of survival, so what was there to be polite about? Without even bothering to discern the meaning behind the words of the person behind him, he knelt on the ground, craned his neck, and shouted: "I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this! I cannot die like this!"

Contrary to what many people imagine, in this campaign, the Anglo-French allied forces did not merely surpass the Qing army in terms of firearms. In fact, alongside advancements in infantry and artillery, the modern European regular cavalry also developed a tactical system that was far ahead of the world, becoming a decisive force on the battlefield

Kusai exclaimed in exasperation, "The Mongolian cavalry of the monk king can no longer hold out!"

Guan Zhuofan glanced at him, thinking to himself that this officer was not lacking in knowledge, as he was aware that Leijiawa was the junction of the French and British forces. ... From a theoretical standpoint, attacking the junction of the two armies made sense, but ...

The Rui capital cannot be stopped! His green camp soldiers, after just half a moment of engagement, are likely to collapse. It is well known that Sheng Bao and Rui Lin have never gotten along. Guan Zhuofan simply offered another flattering remark, "To hold off the French devils, we still need to rely on Lord Sheng's Jing troops."

"Lord Sheng, behind the foreign troops in Leijiawa, there is the Sikh cavalry regiment. It is not advisable... it is not wise to engage in a hard fight," Guan Zhuofan said, bracing himself.

However, remaining inactive is not a solution. Sheng Bao gritted his teeth and contemplated issuing a harsh order to charge directly at the military formation, betting everything on the outcome.

The front line suddenly collapsed, and naturally, the main force could not advance. Sheng Bao looked at Su Cheng'e, who was kneeling before his horse, in a state of utter disarray, and his face turned pale—he never expected that this battle would be lost so quickly and so tragically. He cast a sidelong glance at Guan Zhuofan beside him, thinking to himself that this kid had indeed hit the nail on the head.

In the Battle of Baliqiao, the commander was the Mongolian prince Senggelinqin. The left wing was led by Shengbao, commanding 5,000 troops from the Jingying, while the right wing was led by Ruilin, commanding 4,000 troops from the Lvying. Senggelinqin's main force consisted of his Mongolian cavalry. Guan Zhuofan understood that the inability of the Mongolian cavalry to hold their ground signified the beginning of the battle's failure. At this moment, the French forces would soon join with the British Life Guards to split their troops and cut off Senggelinqin's rear, striving to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Qing army.

All the cavalrymen mounted their horses in order at the command, drawing their long swords. Guan Zhuofan and the other seven also nimbly mounted their warhorses, swords in hand, awaiting the order to charge. Once on the saddle, Guan Zhuofan felt a slight shock in his heart: how could my actions of mounting and drawing the sword be so proficient?

What Guan Zhuofan can ascertain is that since the emergence of modern Western regular cavalry, there has been no traditional cavalry in the world that can defeat regular cavalry in a frontal charge

In fact, he is merely a scholar, and on ordinary days, he possesses no such courage to charge into battle. It is simply a matter of weighing two evils; kneeling on the ground would undoubtedly lead to execution, whereas charging towards the enemy lines offers a slim chance of survival. Although his mind was nearly paralyzed with fear, he had explained the battle at the Eight Li Bridge almost daily, making him thoroughly familiar with it. The Qing army had twenty-five thousand troops, with over eight thousand killed in action, indicating that there is still hope for survival.

"The flank of the monk king is protected by the commander of Rui. " Shengbao's voice was unexpectedly calm, yet within that calmness lay a daunting pressure, "Why must I be the one to guard against it?"

At this point, Sheng Bao was unaware. He did not take Guan Zhuofan's words seriously and praised the officer by saying, "Su Cheng'e, you have done well. I will let you take credit for this achievement! As soon as you succeed, my battalion will launch an immediate attack!"

New—fresh! Good, how must you die for you to submit?

You are talking nonsense! The colonel, seeing this Blue Feather general who had just moments ago been sentenced to death, actually dared to retort, became furious again and shouted: "What Sikhs, what Tigris? The foreigners rely entirely on their guns and cannons. If they dare to engage cavalry against cavalry, just watch me smash them to pieces!"

Such a confrontation had an outcome that was already predetermined. In the first round of the clash, the formation of the Qing cavalry was completely shattered. The Sikh cavalry regiment resembled several moving walls, trampling over the Qing cavalry without pausing, then swiftly veering to the left, making a small arc to face the remaining Qing forces once more. They raised their bloodied long spears and immediately launched another charge.

Hmm? Are you unconvinced? A cold laugh came from behind, "You cowardly, soft-hearted wretch! You rushed out for just ten zhang before you were scared into retreating, and you fainted before the execution even began. You have brought shame to the Guoerjia clan! With just you—how dare you be unconvinced?"