Chapter 5: Weize (Five)
Zhang Yingchen had heard many times about Wei Changrong boasting of Wei Ze's bravery, and he was somewhat skeptical about it. Zhang Yingchen came from the Tiandihui and had traveled extensively, having encountered many figures whose reputations were greater than their actual presence. It was not until he witnessed Wei Ze's gallant demeanor in battle that Zhang Yingchen realized that some people are indeed more impressive in person than in reputation.
The effectiveness of these offensives is not to be discussed; the fact that the Qing army can launch an attack indicates that its commander has discerned the weakness of Weize's insufficient forces. Weize and his men are now somewhat at the end of their tether; if the Qing army can launch one or two more attacks, Weize and his men may fear that they will not even have the strength left to escape
Just as Wei Ze was about to continue his charge, the few individuals following the man in the yellow coat stepped forward to protect him. Wei Ze did not dare to rush forward recklessly; if those attendants suddenly drew their double-barreled pistols, he was not an invulnerable being impervious to blades and bullets. However, the man in the yellow coat did not insist on staying, and after saying a few words to his personal guards, they escorted him away.
The skills of the man in the yellow coat are not to be underestimated; even when faced with this sudden attack, he remained calm. With a swift motion of his left hand, he sliced with his single saber, and the long spear thrown by Wei Changrong was unexpectedly cut into two pieces.
Having understood this point, Wang Feixiong took the single saber, dismounted, called upon the imperial envoy Saishang'a to summon the personal guards of the imperial bodyguards, and strode towards Wei Ze and the others
This opportunity cannot be deemed unfavorable; more importantly, Lin Asheng and his companions brought five matchlock guns. After shouting for a moment, they fired a round at the chaotic Qing troops on the official road from behind the grass and trees. Even though it did not inflict any significant damage on the Qing forces, it instilled greater fear in them. As a result, even the Qing troops, who had originally maintained a relatively disciplined formation, began to waver.
Wei Ze would not let this opportunity slip by; he exerted himself to throw his spear. Wei Ze was considerably stronger than Wei Changrong, and his spear was both swift and accurate. In an instant, it flew towards the chest of the man in the yellow coat. The man in the yellow coat had a very stable stance, and at this critical moment, he made an effort to turn his upper body, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike to his chest. However, Wei Ze's spear still struck the right arm of the man in the yellow coat. As a result, the man could no longer hold the double-barreled pistol in his right hand. Yet this fellow was truly ruthless; gritting his teeth, he swung his left hand with a single knife, slicing through the shaft of Wei Ze's spear along its tip.
Just when Wei Ze was in a difficult position, he heard the sound of the wind moving; it turned out that Wei Changrong had made his move. After scattering the Qing troops in front of him, Wei Changrong's attention was also drawn to the exceptionally eye-catching yellow coat on the battlefield. Even though he had never seen a double-barreled pistol, Wei Changrong knew it was a firearm. Because he was at a considerable distance from the wearer of the yellow coat, Wei Changrong threw the long spear in his hand like a javelin towards the yellow coat.
Weize could not afford to look for anything else; he shouted to his excited subordinates: "Take off all the shoes of the Qingyao. No straw sandals!"
Both bags contained black powder, and without needing to look closely, it was clear that it was gunpowder. Upon opening the other bag, it too contained gunpowder. Meanwhile, Wei Changrong, who was inspecting another pack animal, excitedly shouted, "This is salt." Everyone turned in surprise to look at Wei Changrong, who seemed almost unable to believe it. He pinched a small amount of the white substance and put it in his mouth, then his entire face scrunched up. "It really is salt!" Wei Changrong said, smacking his lips and laughing happily. Meanwhile, Wei Changrong, who was inspecting another pack animal, excitedly shouted, "This is salt." Everyone turned in surprise to look at Wei Changrong, who seemed almost unable to believe it. He pinched a small amount of the white substance and put it in his mouth, then his entire face scrunched up. "It really is salt!" Wei Changrong said, smacking his lips and laughing happily.
As soon as the distance between the two armies exceeded 1 li, Wei Ze immediately commanded, "Quickly retreat!" Wei Ze urged repeatedly. In the blink of an eye, the roles on the battlefield had reversed. The Qing army became the pursuers who had yet to begin their chase, while Wei Ze and his men became the fleeing ones.
"We will not kill you!" After catching up with the caravan, Wei Ze stood beside a pack horse, casually reassuring the frail horseman. In the midst of his words, he had already untied a small bag from the bamboo basket on the horse's back. It must have salt! It must have salt! Wei Ze prayed in his heart.
Zhang Yingchen's heart rose to his throat, unable to even let out a scream. He could never have imagined that there were people in this world who could be so brave. While he admired this courage, Zhang Yingchen believed that Wei Ze was doomed this time. The development of the situation once again surprised Zhang Yingchen; Wei Ze, with empty hands, blocked the musket and single-handedly repelled the Qing army with sheer bravery
At this moment, Wei Ze had already sensed that this group of Qing troops was not right. The defeat of the rear troops of the Qing army and the engagement with the central troops were both normal processes in battle, as the green battalions of the Qing army fully demonstrated the combat capabilities they were supposed to possess. What was abnormal was that these central troops of the Qing army maintained a strict formation and continued to launch attacks even in the face of repeated defeats.
As soon as Wei Ze saw the small unit of the Qing army launching a counterattack, he realized that the Qing army was also going to fight desperately. When he noticed that the leader was wearing a striking yellow coat, Wei Ze was even more astonished. The person in the yellow coat should have come from the capital; in Wei Ze's imagination, a yellow coat from the capital was synonymous with incompetence and cowardice. Could there really be someone in the capital who could persist in battle amidst chaos? Wei Ze truly could not believe it. Could there really be someone in the capital who could persist in battle amidst chaos? Wei Ze truly could not believe it.
At that moment, someone suddenly shouted in a Cantonese accent from the woods by the official road: "Kill! Kill the Qing demons!" It was not merely a shout; someone was striking the trees and bushes with a wooden stick, creating a great commotion. According to the original plan, Wei Ze's subordinates were divided into two groups. Squad leader Lin Asheng led eight brothers, armed with five muskets, lying in ambush in the woods. When it was time to charge, they would suddenly shout and create a ruckus to exert greater psychological pressure on the Qing army. They had only just made this noise now, likely because the battlefield had shifted too quickly. The official road, though uneven and bumpy, required even more time to navigate through the woods.
Such a fellow cannot be let go. At this moment, Wei Ze was without a spear, as the Qing soldiers had scattered, leaving behind many of their long spears. Wei Ze casually picked up a spear from the ground and prepared to confront that valiant figure in the yellow coat.
Before the yellow-clad figure could charge forward, Wei Ze took large strides to meet him, and with a shake of his arm, he performed a flourish with his spear. The body he inhabited previously belonged to another Wei Ze, who, despite being only 19 years old, had been trained in both literature and martial arts since childhood. His level of education was not particularly extraordinary, but his martial skills were genuinely formidable. The spear flourish was one of the decorative techniques in martial arts, which had very limited utility in large-scale battles. However, in one-on-one duels, the effectiveness of this flourish became apparent. If the yellow-clad figure's attention was drawn to the spear flourish, in that brief moment of distraction, Wei Ze could thrust his spear and kill the yellow-clad figure.
Following closely behind the Qing army were the merciless blades of the Taiping army. There was no need to mention Wei Ze, as a single shot could take the life of a Qing soldier. Even Wei Changrong, whose marksmanship was not as precise, was now able to calmly thrust at the vital points of the Qing soldiers, significantly increasing the speed of killing the enemy
Witnessing the attack launched by the twenty rebels before him, Kolondo finally believed in the true bravery of the insurgents. The imperial troops could not be said to have not made an effort, but the ferocity of this group of rebels exceeded what was described in the official documents. Yet, this was not enough to make Kolondo flee like those Qing soldiers escorting grain. Kolondo pulled the reins, and his warhorse turned in place. Just as Kolondo was preparing to personally lead the charge against the rebels, another imperial guard, Wang Feixiong, stepped forward and seized Kolondo's reins. Facing Kolondo's stern gaze, Wang Feixiong said loudly: "Brother Kolondo, let me lead the vanguard with my troops."
Whether one believes it or not is not important; what matters is that as long as Wei Ze is not experiencing auditory or visual hallucinations, the commander in the yellow coat is already charging over with a knife, having crossed over the defeated soldiers. Through the gaps of the defeated troops, Wei Ze surprisingly sees figures in yellow coats even among the significantly reduced ranks of the Qing army.
From the very beginning of the battle, Zhang Yingchen cannot be said to have not put in effort. The intense emotions of combat completely consumed Zhang Yingchen, and he seemed to be frantically searching for opportunities to attack. However, killing the enemy cannot be accomplished merely through fervor; due to a lack of combat experience, Zhang Yingchen was unable to achieve any results. When Zhang Yingchen regained some clarity and attempted to catch up with Wei Ze and the others, he saw Wei Ze bravely charging forward against a row of dark gun muzzles.
Upon encountering such a ruthless individual, Wei Ze felt a sense of admiration. Such events have appeared in films, yet witnessing them in person is still profoundly shocking. The response of the man in the yellow coat was entirely correct; had he drawn the long gun at that moment, it would have immediately resulted in a violent spray of blood. If he disregarded the long gun, its heavy barrel would weigh him down, rendering him completely immobile. Even if he attempted to move forcefully, he would risk being pierced by the long gun, making it even more likely for him to lose his life. Severing the heavy barrel and leaving only the lightest part of the gun on him was already the best course of action.
The imperial guard Kolongdu solemnly gazed at the battlefield ahead. He had been following the envoy Minister Saishang'a and had never witnessed the rebels in Guangxi with his own eyes. The total number of troops sent by the Qing dynasty to encircle the Taiping army in Guangxi approached 50,000, yet they suffered continuous defeats. Kolongdu could not understand why the imperial army repeatedly failed in battle. Everyone had two arms and two legs, and the imperial army's equipment was far superior to that of the rebels; why, then, could they never achieve victory against the rebels? Various official documents stated that the rebels were quite capable in battle, but Kolongdu was not entirely convinced of this.
For those troops who dare to fight, weapons are the foundation of their pursuit of victory. For the fleeing defeated soldiers, weapons are the obstacles that hinder their survival. On the official road leading to Yong'an City, the collapsing Qing army's supply convoy threw down their heavy muskets, discarded their cumbersome long spears, and, with their backs to the pursuing Taiping army, fled for their lives while crying out for their parents.
The Qing army began to retreat, but Wei Ze could not lead his troops to retreat as well. After much effort in overcoming the Qing forces with a weaker military strength, what was needed at this moment was to maintain this psychological advantage. If Wei Ze were to withdraw his men, the Qing army, which was barely retreating, would likely regroup and start pursuing them, rendering the previous valiant efforts futile. He stepped forward to pick up the double-barreled pistol and saber that the yellow-coated officer had dropped, and with his brothers, Wei Ze stood on the official road, shouting insults at the retreating Qing army. Due to his youthful nature, upon seeing the yellow-coated officer among the enemy ranks, Wei Ze first cursed in Hakka, then switched to a sharp Beijing accent, shouting, "You bunch of bastards! Your grandmother! I curse your grandfather!" After cursing, Wei Ze laughed heartily at the Qing army.
At this stage of the battle, Wei Ze and his comrades had no other choice. If they were to retreat now, they would not be able to seize much in terms of spoils. Given that the Qing army remained orderly, if they launched a pursuit, the Taiping army, burdened with a heap of loot, would certainly be unable to withstand it. The only path forward was to completely defeat the Qing forces and drive them off the battlefield. Moreover, Wei Ze firmly believed that based on the current performance of the Qing army, if they could not reveal their trump card, he could lead his brothers to persist. Even if these Qing soldiers fought to the last man with their current combat strength, Wei Ze and his men still had at least a 50% chance of victory.
The battle was going poorly, and they encountered suspicious troops. The Qing army, which had always been quite capable in battle, finally abandoned the plan to continue fighting against Weize and his men. The main force of the Qing army had already gathered the routed soldiers on the official road and began to withdraw in an orderly manner before the morale of the entire army completely wavered. What impressed Weize was that the commander of the Qing army's main force was able to arrange the Qing soldiers with firearms into formation during the retreat, using their muskets to hold their ground.
A bag weighs approximately 10 pounds, and Wei Ze instructed each brother to carry four bags. He himself carried six. Wei Changrong was at the back; he was seen shouldering four cloth bags. After walking a few steps, he turned back to throw away two bags, then picked up several large pieces of cured meat that a pack horse was carrying and hoisted them onto his shoulder before quickly rushing into the forest. Upon seeing Wei Changrong with the cured meat, a cheer erupted from the ranks of the Taiping army.
The Qing soldier let out a mournful cry and collapsed forward, his body going limp. Zhang Yingchen had killed his first enemy in his life. Straining to pull out the long spear, Zhang Yingchen gritted his teeth and raised the spear high, thrusting it down with all his might at another Qing soldier on the ground who was struggling in his last moments.
Kelongduo thought for a moment and replied, "Alright, Brother Wang, you must be careful." After saying this, Kelongduo drew the single-edged sword from his waist and handed it to Wang Feixiong. This was a fine sword specifically awarded to the imperial guards. Wang Feixiong initially intended to decline, but upon reflection, he understood Kelongduo's good intentions. Although the group of rebels before them was fierce, they were unarmed with firearms. Kelongduo's sword was extremely sharp, easily severing the rebels' long spears. At this moment, as long as they could suppress the rebels' momentum and gain a little time, Kelongduo would be able to reorganize the remaining Qing troops in the front line and launch an attack against the rebels.
Some flee, while others kill. There are also those who strive to rush towards the bloody battlefield
At this time, Wei Ze's left hand had already returned to normal. Since the Qing army insisted on continuously engaging in combat, Wei Ze could only adhere to the established tactic of close-quarters combat to defeat the enemy. Due to the limited number of troops under Wei Ze's command, the Qing army's method of attacking in batches could hardly be described as an inefficient tactic of adding fuel to the fire.
The development of events did not unfold as Wei Ze had imagined. The man in the yellow coat was also a discerning practitioner; upon seeing Wei Ze's stance, he actually took several steps back, transferring the knife to his left hand, while his free right hand drew a double-barreled pistol from his waist.
On the uneven official road, some Qing soldiers were fortunate enough to escape by jumping and running, while others accidentally fell to the ground. The fallen Qing soldiers tried hard to get up and run again, but were trampled by the fleeing soldiers behind them. The ones on the ground let out painful cries when they were stepped on, yet could not struggle to rise.
As soon as the distance between the two parties exceeded 200 meters, Wei Ze immediately led his brothers towards the Qing army's rear guard, which was attempting to flee. The rear guard of the Qing army had long since vanished without a trace; however, the muleteers transporting military provisions were concerned for their horses. One by one, they worked hard to gather their horses, and had it not been for the dense forest and thick grass on both sides of the path, the mule train would likely have already fled far with their horses.
Damn it! At this moment, Wei Ze couldn't help but curse again, genuinely shocked. This double-barreled pistol was clearly imported from abroad. The distance between both parties was only about 3 to 4 meters; at this range, being hit by the pistol would surely result in either death or serious injury. However, rushing forward would mean charging into the muzzle, significantly increasing the opponent's shooting accuracy.
The road for retreat had long been prepared, regardless of how the Qing army responded, Wei Ze led his brothers on the path back to Yong'an City
Upon reaching the battlefield strewn with corpses, Zhang Yingchen saw a Qing soldier who had just fallen, staggering to his feet, preparing to flee for his life. Zhang Yingchen was already out of breath, his heart pounding violently as if it were about to leap out of his throat. He still held his gun, thrusting it towards the back of the Qing soldier, who had a large gash on his back, the military uniform soaked with blood. The tip of the gun pierced into the enemy's body but was blocked by something. Zhang Yingchen did not care what had obstructed the gun's tip; he exerted all his strength to drive the long gun deep into the Qing soldier's back.
In 1852, it was almost impossible to hear such authentic Beijing dialect in Guangxi. Wei Ze shouted angrily, his voice piercing, and even the retreating Qing army could hear him clearly. After his shout, there was a slight stir among the ranks of the Qing army. However, the Qing troops managed to maintain their order, continuing to escort the front half of the grain convoy in an orderly manner along the official road, moving away from Wei Ze and the others.
At this moment, everyone was overjoyed, regardless of how the brothers were panting and catching their breath. Wei Ze ordered everyone to do their best to take more. The brothers responsible for the reception had already brought over the hemp ropes, and everyone knew that they had to act quickly. By tying the two cloth bags with the hemp rope, they could easily carry both on their shoulders.
After Wei Ze shattered the enemy's formation, the soldiers of the Taiping Army, following closely behind him, unleashed a relentless slaughter upon the Qing troops. Zhang Yingchen, deeply shaken by the battle, felt no trace of fear in his heart; instead, a surge of uplifting courage filled his chest. He grasped his long spear and pursued fervently, his mind solely focused on joining the fray as soon as possible, intent on fighting alongside his superiors and comrades to vanquish the Qing demons.
Weize, however, did not want to let his brothers show off at this moment, so he shouted: "Retreat!"
This reminder is indeed timely, after all, they are the Qing army, and these individuals are all wearing military boots. Even if these boots are made of cloth, they are still far superior to the straw sandals worn by Wei Ze and his companions. The soldiers immediately began to grab them frantically, and each person was able to secure a pair. Wei Changrong had one of the straps of his straw sandals break, so he simply sat down, took off his straw sandals, and directly changed into the Qing army's boots. After standing up and taking a couple of steps, Wei Changrong smiled and said, "This is really quite good." Wei Changrong had one of the straps of his straw sandals break, so he simply sat down, took off his straw sandals, and directly changed into the Qing army's boots. After standing up and taking a couple of steps, Wei Changrong smiled and said, "This is really quite good."