Section 4, The Failed Surprise Attack (II)

Long Qian took the rifle with the loaded bullets from Jiang Yun once again, tossed the empty gun to Jiang Yun, and ran two steps forward, where he could already see the clear upper bodies of the guards. Long Qian threw a flying knife, which accurately pierced the throat of one of the guards. Then, with one hand gripping the wall, Long Qian flipped over and leaped into the stockade. Before him, at least five companions had already scaled the stockade, including the squad leader Feng Guozhu.

Due to the presence of the Mengshan bandits, Zhangjiazhuang has been plundered countless times over the past decade. Although the bandits have their own code, the vast majority of the outlaws come from impoverished backgrounds. The regulations established by Sun Dewang and refined by Liu Yucai include provisions against plundering the poor, yet they do not specify what constitutes a poor person. Troops heading west and herding horses must pass through Zhangjiazhuang, and those farmers with even a little surplus wealth are often disturbed and plundered by the bandits. Overall, Mengshan Zhai is a unique group that focuses solely on consumption rather than production, lacking almost everything from food to necessities. It is said to be a loan, but who would dare approach the bandits to demand the return of their property? As a result, the villagers of Zhangjiazhuang gradually fled their ancestral homes, seeking refuge in Maoyang Town and Pingyi Zhai. Those left in the village are the destitute who are unable to escape, and thus the village walls are even less likely to be repaired.

As the eight teams surged towards the stockade wall, the previously jarring gunfire seemed to cease abruptly. The air was filled with heavy breathing and shouts of anger. A fierce and brutal hand-to-hand combat unfolded on the stockade wall and within the village. Due to the courageous actions of their leader, two squads of sixty men from the eight teams broke through the defenders' fire blockade from two directions within a few minutes, charging into Zhangjia Village from the north

Sun Deming knew that the wall of the South Stockade was the easiest to breach, as a section of it had almost been leveled. In contrast, the wall of the East Stockade was the most difficult, due to the presence of a stockade gate and an old city tower. Therefore, he assigned the eastern front to the third team, which he believed had stronger combat capabilities, while his own first team would attack from the south. However, this arrangement was a mistake, and soon reality would deliver a bloody lesson to Sun Deming.

He then advised Lushan to pay attention to the essentials of the charge, emphasizing the need to be swift and fierce, and not to hesitate in open areas

These attack techniques have been repeatedly discussed during regular training, and both the squad leader and the squad members remember them very well

The root cause is still underestimating the situation

In a state of anxiety mixed with panic, Zhou Yi shouted, "Get down, get down." However, his voice was barely heard amidst the crackling gunfire, and the untrained bandits, suddenly under attack, were already in disarray. Some were struck down by the torrential bullets, while others turned to flee. Many more were shot down as they attempted to escape.

The first team attacking from the southern route also suffered defeat. The imperial troops took special care of the non-existent stockade, where they constructed temporary fortifications and erected breastworks. The assault of the first team crashed into the firepower net of the imperial troops, resulting in at least a dozen casualties in the first wave of the attack. The first team, taken by surprise, was repelled, although their casualties were significantly lower than those of the third team.

Long Qian felt a sense of relief as he observed that his team did not falter under the intense barrage of fire, indicating that his months of hard work had not been in vain. What pleased him further was that the northern stockade remained in its dilapidated state, making it not difficult to overcome such obstacles and barriers without the need for specialized engineering equipment, which Long Qian also did not possess.

The vigilance of the government troops was high. As soon as they approached Zhangjiazai, where the government forces were stationed, they were discovered by the sentinels. The response of the defending troops was swift; as soon as the gunfire erupted, the large contingent of government troops resting in the stockade quickly took to the hastily constructed positions. The meticulously planned surprise attack by Mengshan Stockade turned into a siege, with three battle teams launching assaults from the east, south, and north. The bandits, led by their captains and squad leaders, shouted as they rushed towards Zhangjiazai, but the first wave of the attack was soon ensnared in the fierce fire net woven by the defending troops. The meticulously planned surprise attack by Mengshan Stockade turned into a siege, with three battle teams launching assaults from the east, south, and north. The bandits, led by their captains and squad leaders, shouted as they rushed towards Zhangjiazai, but the first wave of the attack was soon ensnared in the fierce fire net woven by the defending troops.

In the first wave of the attack, the elite third squad suffered approximately fifty casualties, of which at least twenty were killed in action

First, let us speak of the east. Zhou Yi quickly discovered that there were at least one hundred rifles firing from the eastern stockade, and their accuracy was astonishing. Amidst the concentrated gunfire from the government troops, his team members fell like crooked stacks of autumn crops.

The successful assault on the stronghold was carried out by the Eighth Team, which Sun Deming looked down upon. Long Qian's attack was slightly later than that of Zhou Yi's Third Team. As soon as the gunfire erupted, Long Qian halted the troops that had just launched their charge.

"Damn it, get down!" As Zhou Yi shouted, a bullet struck his left shoulder, and he fell to the ground with a cry of agony. One of his two bodyguards was shot in the head and died instantly, collapsing beside Zhou Yi, with red blood mingling with white brain matter splattered all over him. The other bodyguard, terrified, crouched beside Zhou Yi, trembling and forgetting even his basic duties.

The appearance of Long Qian boosted morale, and the shouts around him erupted. In less than a minute, they had rushed to the edge of the stockade wall, and now the figures swaying on the wall were clearly visible. The gunfire from the government troops increased, and comrades fell around him, struck by bullets, letting out cries of agony. This was the most critical moment; Long Qian could not afford to think about his fallen comrades. Crouching down, he quickly fired his weapon in a squatting position, expending all the remaining bullets from his second rifle, taking down at least two more enemies. The team members at the forefront had already crossed the dry trench and lunged onto the half-height stockade wall. This was the most critical moment; Long Qian could not afford to think about his fallen comrades. Crouching down, he quickly fired his weapon in a squatting position, expending all the remaining bullets from his second rifle, taking down at least two more enemies. The team members at the forefront had already crossed the dry trench and lunged onto the half-height stockade wall

After the troops set off, Sun Dewang and several other leaders stayed awake, guarding Guangming Temple while waiting for news. It was not until the early hours of the morning that the news finally came back, and the leaders learned that the surprise attack the previous night had failed, and it had been a disastrous defeat. From the despondent words of Sun Deming, the remaining leaders of the stronghold roughly understood the process of the surprise attack, and the twists and turns of the battle situation left Sun Dewang and the others astonished

As soon as the gunfire from the east and south of the stockade erupted, the guns on the north wall also responded. The government troops reacted swiftly, with indistinct figures swaying on the uneven stockade walls, and a barrage of bullets rained down on the eight squads of soldiers charging towards the stockade in the open field. The attacking soldiers instinctively dropped to the ground. Long Qian crouched beneath a jujube tree about twenty zhang from the stockade wall, using the flames from the enemy's gun muzzles to aim at the position of the shooters, firing continuously to suppress the opponent. The captain of the third squad, Feng Guozhu, shouted loudly, leading his team members to leap up and charge towards the stockade wall a hundred meters away. The attacking soldiers instinctively dropped to the ground. Long Qian crouched beneath a jujube tree about twenty zhang from the stockade wall, using the flames from the enemy's gun muzzles to aim at the position of the shooters, firing continuously to suppress the opponent. The captain of the third squad, Feng Guozhu, shouted loudly, leading his team members to leap up and charge towards the stockade wall a hundred meters away.

Sun Deming led the first team to launch an attack from the south. His arrangement reflected a personal bias; any general who views the army as personal property tends to unconsciously make such errors in command during battle. Zhang and the Zhushujia Village are essential strongholds for the Mengshan bandits advancing westward, and the terrain is very familiar to them. The village has two gates located in the east and west directions, with the west gate serving as the main entrance. Inside the village, there is only one main street running east to west, while the rest are irregular small alleys running north to south. Viewed from above, Zhangjia Village resembles a small centipede facing west.

Long Qian walked at the front of the line, guiding the Black General's Eighth Team into a trench that had long been washed out by rain. He convened a pre-battle meeting with the three squad leaders under his command, reiterating his planned tactical arrangements. Long Qian's strategy was to split his forces into two routes for the attack, avoiding a direct assault on the stockade walls, and instead attacking from two endpoints, specifically the northeastern and northwestern sections of the stockade. He decided to assign the First Squad as the left flank, commanded by Squad Leader Lu Shan, while he himself would lead the Third Squad, under Feng Guozhu, as the right flank. After establishing the communication passwords and the rendezvous point after entering the stockade, Long Qian left Wang Mingyuan's Second Squad as a reserve force, positioning them at a graveyard in the northern part of the stockade. This graveyard, with its dozen or so large willow trees, was the only advantageous terrain for defense in the northern area. Long Qian told the steady and reliable Wang Mingyuan that if he saw anyone sent by him to relay orders, he should lead his squad into the stockade. If the attack failed, he was to remain there to support them.

Long Qian's Eighth Team breached the stockade, yet they were unaware that the imperial troops had already repelled the attacks from the east and south, particularly the Third Team led by Zhou Yi, which had disbanded under the precise and concentrated fire of the imperial forces. Zhou Yi was shot in the left shoulder and was rescued from the battlefield by his subordinates. The First Team, personally led by Sun Deming, was also driven back. At this moment, the Third Leader was berating his soldiers, preparing to organize a second assault. However, his Eighth Team was the first to charge, seizing the stockade wall and advancing into the village. The First Team, personally led by Sun Deming, was also driven back. At this moment, the Third Leader was berating his soldiers, preparing to organize a second assault. However, his Eighth Team was the first to charge, seizing the stockade wall and advancing into the village

Long Qian crouched low and quickly ran a few steps forward, with his guard Jiang Yun closely following behind, carrying a spare rifle for him. Long Qian crouched down again, continuing to search for his shooting target. The magazine of the first French-made Lebel rifle was empty, and Jiang Yun swiftly handed over the prepared rifle. Long Qian took it and shot down an enemy whose upper body was exposed over the stockade wall. At that moment, another figure occupied the position of the previous one, and Long Qian took only two seconds to bring it down again. Then he jumped up and rapidly caught up with the third squad members who were charging forward. From behind, Long Qian could clearly see that it was a squad leader named Sheng Guang from Feng Guozhu's team. This squad leader seemed to be filled with fear at the sight of his comrades continuously falling, and his pace noticeably slowed down. Long Qian shouted, "Do not stop! Charge forward, staying here is just waiting to die! They are not many; if we rush in, we will win."

Sun Deming firmly believed that as long as they charged into the village and engaged in close combat, relying on the fierce bravery of his old team, the government troops would undoubtedly be defeated

Sun Deming's deployment appears conventional to outsiders, but insiders recognize significant issues: the offensive was launched without thorough reconnaissance, leaving them completely unaware of the strength, equipment, and defensive priorities of the government troops stationed at Zhangjiazhuang. Even more regrettable is the lack of focus in troop allocation; three battle teams were arranged, one each in the east, south, and west, with no consideration for a reserve force. Furthermore, he disregarded the opinions of the leaders of the third and eighth teams, Zhou Yi and Long Qian, respectively, merely stipulating the route and timing of the attack, declaring, "Whoever enters the village first is the hero; we will see in our stronghold." This reflects a foolish and autocratic decision-making style. Even more regrettable is the lack of focus in troop allocation; three battle teams were arranged, one each in the east, south, and west, with no consideration for a reserve force. Furthermore, he disregarded the opinions of the leaders of the third and eighth teams, Zhou Yi and Long Qian, respectively, merely stipulating the route and timing of the attack, declaring, "Whoever enters the village first is the hero; we will see in our stronghold." This reflects a foolish and autocratic decision-making style