Chapter 4, Breakthrough from the Encirclement

Damn it

However, the savage charge of the elephant herd did not cease; after trampling the cavalry of the Da Shun army into disarray, they then violently charged into the formations of the three main camps from multiple directions

The elephant herd has been driven into the trap city

Li You and Zhou Fengwu could only instinctively dodge to the sides

The five thousand bandits were unable to withstand even half a moment before being overwhelmed and scattered by the endless tide of fleeing soldiers from the capital garrison, who then also turned into a rout, fleeing in disarray.

"No," Li You said, waving his hand. "The lord has issued a strict order that upon entering the city, we must show courtesy to the false Ming officials and gentry, and we must not harm the common people in the slightest. Those who violate this order shall be executed on the spot"

Immediately thereafter, the second group of elephants violently charged into the cavalry ranks

By the time the bandits in the rear realized the situation and sought to suppress it, tens of thousands of disbanded troops from the capital had already surged into their ranks

However, when over a hundred thousand unruly crowds start to run, it becomes an unstoppable torrent

Wherever the elephant passed, the troops of the capital were in disarray, tumultuous like waves breaking apart.

Zhou Feng realized: "This is the auspicious and extraordinary beast presented as tribute by the small nation of Nanyang"

The first two cavalry lieutenants have been knocked back and thrown out.

"Do not worry about those two thieves." Chongzhen ordered Gong Yonggu to stop, then pointed ahead and shouted, "Quickly follow the fleeing soldiers of the capital garrison to disperse the external bandits, and break out of the encirclement as soon as possible!"

Your Majesty?" Gong Yonggu turned to look at Chongzhen.

When I hurriedly turned my head to look back, I saw the royal carriage had already burst out from the city gate under the protection of Wang Cheng'en's guards

... ...

The thirteen groups of fire elements resemble thirteen iron plows, carving out thirteen deep furrows in the ranks of the three major camps; however, while the fields being plowed are of soil, here it is flesh and blood

It is not that the Da Shun army does not wish to deploy more columns

What kind of strategy is this? I have never seen it before

With a gentle flick of the torch, the fuses of the eight gunpowder barrels ignited with a hissing sound

Fifteen minutes later, the Jingying troops and the bandits were completely routed

In order to demonstrate, three hundred cavalrymen formed four columns.

General Li You of the Dazhun Army, clad in the insignia of the Right Martial General, stood proudly on a yellow steed outside the Chaoyang Gate, with the Ming defector General Zhou Fengwu by his side

At the edges of these more than a dozen blank areas, there are piles of severed limbs and broken bodies

However, just after chasing out for less than ten steps, a sudden sharp shout came from behind: "Come back quickly!"

Li You naturally assumed that this was a ceremonial welcome for the Da Shun army

This traitor! Gong Yonggu exclaimed in great anger, "Your Majesty, I shall go and capture him!"

Secondly, it is because the distance between both parties is too close

Your Majesty! Liu Wenbing rushed forward and reported, "The Duke of Chengguo has gone to deal with the bandits!"

As long as I am here, the sky of the Ming Dynasty will not fall!

"Let him go," Chongzhen said with a faint smile, "This is just right, for I also wish to use his words to warn the bandits, and at the same time, to proclaim to the subjects of the realm that although the capital has fallen, I am still alive.

After these thirteen groups of fire elements crashed into the depths of the three major camps' military formations, explosions occurred in succession

After breaking through the city gate, they charged towards the disordered troops of the capital without waiting to regroup

The warhorse suddenly neighed in distress and fell to the ground, and Li You also fell from its back

Looking at the chaotic cavalry formation, Li You was completely bewildered

Fortunately, escaping is a traditional skill of bandits, so it is not a significant problem

Outside Chaoyangmen, among the more than 100,000 troops of the Beijing garrison, at least three-quarters are temporary recruits, consisting of refugees and even beggars, while the remaining quarter is also made up of individuals who are merely filling the ranks without any real capability

More than one hundred barrels of well-sealed gunpowder exploded continuously, causing the elephant to be blown to bits while also clearing out several blank areas in the ranks of the three battalions.

Sigh. Chongzhen gently pulled the reins, slowing the horse's speed.

Following behind are Li You's three hundred elite cavalrymen

These demoralized soldiers, lamenting that their parents had not given them two more legs, could only think of escaping as quickly as possible

Because when the situation became chaotic at the front, those at the back had no idea what was happening. By the time the troops from Jingying also fell into disarray, the bandits leading the charge were already unable to suppress the chaos.

Fortunately, Zhou Fengwu rode over, grasped Li You's outstretched right hand, and with a strong upward motion, Li You was immediately lifted into the air. By the time he descended, he had already landed behind Zhou Fengwu's saddle

An adult Asian elephant can grow up to 4 meters tall and weigh 5 tons

At this moment, the cavalry formation of the Dashun Army had been trampled to an unbearable extent

Isn't this too brutal?

Soon, over 600 cavalry soldiers of the Ming army surged out from Chaoyang Gate like a tidal wave; in fact, there were more than 1,000 of them, as nearly half of the cavalry were riding double on a single horse

At that moment, two servants carrying torches walked to the rear of the first group of elephants

However, all of this happened too suddenly

The elephant, driven mad by the searing flames, continued to charge forward, while the warhorses that were thrown back also knocked over more cavalrymen, causing the formation of the cavalry of the Great Shun Army to fall into chaos in an instant

Being struck by more than a dozen groups of fire elements, followed by an explosion, directly blew up the camp

Wang Jiayan, Wu Linzheng, and other ministers were greatly astonished upon hearing this; how could a dignified duke actually side with the bandits

However, unfortunately, this is just the beginning

"Auspicious and extraordinary beasts?" Li You said with a smile, "It's quite grand."

Chongzhen slightly nodded, and Gong Yonggu immediately shouted: "Light the fire!"

... ...

"Yes!" Gong Yonggu replied, then reined in his horse and turned back.

Only a loud bang was heard by the ear

The first group of elephants has already been driven into the outer corridor

Zhou Fengwu was also taken aback, is this an elephant cavalry? It doesn't look like it.

The three hundred elite cavalry behind him are all seasoned veterans who have fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Just selecting a few of them would be enough to instill fear and trepidation in the officials and nobles of the false Ming dynasty

At the moment when Li You's gaze met, the cavalry commander ignited the three-barreled gun with a torch held in his left hand, and then immediately positioned the lit three-barreled gun on his left forearm, aiming it at Li You

This is not over yet; a series of continuous explosions followed immediately after.

Just as Li You and Zhou Fengwu were at a loss, a sudden wave of battle sounds surged from within Chaoyangmen

Li You instinctively bent down

These Beijing militia are indeed a rabble

However, Zhu Chuncheng, who was cut off along with Liu Wenbing, was nowhere to be found

Two servants then continued to lift the cotton cloth, which was wrapped around the tails and backs of the two elephants and had already been soaked in kerosene, causing it to ignite suddenly

Be careful, disperse quickly..." Before Li You could finish his sentence, the first group of elephants had already charged violently into the cavalry ranks of the Dashun army

Because this time there is no need for a fierce battle, it is only necessary to display military might

Gong Yonggu led another group of people to drive the second set of elephants into the city gate passage and raised a fire

Zhou Fengwu felt somewhat awkward and patted the horse's leg

but the archway of Chaoyangmen can only accommodate four riders side by side

As the first group of elephants charged out of the city gate, rushing across the suspension bridge and straight towards the formation of the Da Shun army, Li You and Zhou Fengwu had already sensed that something was amiss

As I turned back in haste, I saw four cavalrymen of the false Ming dynasty charging out from the city gate. The foremost rider was clad in mountain-patterned armor, wearing a helmet on his head, holding a torch in his left hand, and wielding a three-barreled gun in his right hand

However, Li You believes that three hundred elite cavalry are already sufficient

The two elephants immediately quickened their pace and charged out along the outer corridor.

"Elephant?" Li You looked bewildered, "What is an elephant?"

Then came the third group, the fourth group, and so on. In total, there were fourteen groups of elephants. Except for one group that veered off the suspension bridge and fell into the moat, the remaining thirteen groups of elephants charged into the cavalry formation of the Da Shun army

What combat capability does such an army possess

Li You originally had 5,000 cavalry troops outside Chaoyangmen, but in order to leave a sufficient number of forces to deter the more than 100,000 defected soldiers of the three major camps of the Ming army, he could only bring 300 elite cavalry into the city

The three hundred cavalrymen in formation, with only a few quick-reacting individuals managing to escape by chance, found the vast majority knocked to the ground, and many cavalrymen met a tragic end beneath the massive hooves of the elephants

In the midst of excruciating pain, the two elephants instinctively ran forward. Initially, their direction was somewhat skewed, but the narrow passage of the city gate, just wide enough for the two elephants to walk side by side, quickly corrected their forward trajectory

At this moment, a faint sound of whinnying could be heard from within the city walls.

Then came the third group, the fourth group, the fifth group... All fourteen groups of elephants quickly entered the passageway

Now, the five thousand bandits left behind by Li You to intimidate the three major camps have also suffered the misfortune of being caught in the crossfire

The flames scorched the skin, and both elephants immediately felt the pain

Zhou Fengwu Dao: "General, I have heard that the commander at Chaoyang Gate is Zhu Chuncheng. This person is a top-ranking noble of the false Ming dynasty. When he leads the officials of the false Ming out of the city to surrender, the General should humiliate him thoroughly."

... ...

Outside Chaoyangmen

If you don't run, you will be trampled to death

"What is that sound?" Li You asked, "I haven't heard it before."

Thus, Chongzhen led over 600 cavalrymen charging outward, encountering little resistance along the way; however, many unfortunate souls still fell from their horses, becoming separated amidst the chaos of battle

Bang! Accompanied by two loud noises

Gong Yonggu held the three-barreled gun in his hand, and as he pulled on the reins, he turned his head to give chase.

Watching this brutal, bloody, and chaotic scene, Li You and Zhou Fengwu were completely stunned.

Firstly, the number of rout troops is indeed too large

Zhou Fengwu frowned and said, "It sounds like the trumpeting of an elephant."

The cavalry behind also began to slow down their horses, as the stamina of the steeds has its limits. After a period of high-speed galloping, they must either stop to rest or transition to a slow jog

A warhorse weighs at most two to three hundred kilograms, and even with the weight of the cavalry, it would not exceed half a ton, thus it is not in the same weight class as an elephant

"Ah." Gong Yonggu, Wang Jiayan, and other noble officials also gradually slowed down.

After a short while, Liu Wenbing, who was lagging behind, also caught up.

As the last group of elephants entered the passage, Chongzhen raised the three-eyed gun in his hand and shouted: "Warriors, break through with me, kill!"