Chapter 97: The Rout

The two thousand men led by Chen Renjie had marched three or four li when the ground suddenly shook. During the night, the Fubo Army’s engineering corps had laid a large number of Claymore mines, made of cast iron and triggered by tripwires, on both sides of the post road. As soon as Chen Renjie’s vanguard entered the minefield, their formations were shattered by the explosions. Before Chen Renjie could rally his troops, a rebel force, flying a red flag, advanced towards them like a wall, firing their guns and cannons. Most of his men were a motley crew. They might have been able to put up a fight if they had been able to calmly form up and attack a fortress, but in a sudden encounter battle, they could not hold their ground and immediately fled back towards Chengmai. Chen Renjie, with the few remaining men from Tang Yunwen’s unit, desperately tried to intercept them and reorganize his troops, but he was ultimately unable to stop them and was swept up in the rout.

The more than ten thousand men following behind were all from the units that had been defeated in the previous days’ battles. They were already like frightened birds. The sound of cannons and the collapse of the vanguard immediately threw them into confusion. At this moment, the 3rd, 5th, and 6th Battalions, which had been flanking them, simultaneously attacked the shaken main force of the government army from three directions, immediately routing most of them.

He Ming knew that his forces were limited and that he could not form a complete encirclement. Therefore, in the battle, he demanded that each battalion use fierce assaults and powerful firepower to quickly rout the government army, disrupting their organization and command, and forcing the defeated soldiers towards the sea.

He had committed all his troops from the beginning: all five battalions. To maximize firepower, he had even added two militia companies to each battalion as support personnel. They were responsible for pushing the three 12-pounder mountain howitzers and three “Typewriters” assigned to each battalion, creating an unprecedentedly powerful force. As for the main camp by the sea, the navy had sent marines and sailors from the ships to defend it. The night before, the navy had sent a large reinforcement force to the coast, bringing 1,200 Hale rockets, which was almost the entire stock from the warehouse.

In the days following the two defeats of the Ming army at Chengmai and Shishan, He Ming had been closely observing the enemy’s movements. The government army had not immediately retreated. Instead, they had reoccupied Xiaoyingchang on the one hand, and strengthened their camps on the other. This signal could be interpreted as their intention to engage in a long-term standoff with the Fubo Army at Chengmai. The occupation of Xiaoyingchang indicated that they were likely planning to transport grain by sea.

After a brief meeting, He Ming and his staff decided that time was not on their side. A continued stalemate with the Ming army would be disadvantageous to the Fubo Army. They had to seize the opportunity, while the Ming army’s supply line was cut and their morale was low after several defeats, to crush them at the foot of the city walls in one fell swoop.

To bring about the collapse of the Ming army, the Executive Committee had mobilized almost all available troops in Lin Gao and sent them to Chengmai. In addition to the garrison battalion, the last land combat units—the navy’s two marine companies—also rushed to Chengmai by ship overnight. In particular, based on the army’s reports from the previous battles, more 12-pounder mountain howitzers and “Typewriters” were sent. Some of the mountain howitzers were dismantled from the blockhouses, and the “Typewriters” were taken from the naval warships and hastily mounted on two-wheeled gun carriages.

After the reinforcements arrived, the army and navy held a brief discussion and decided that the navy would launch a bombardment, using the range and deterrent effect of the rockets to destroy the government army’s camps and morale.

Most of the ships sent by the navy were small, shallow-draft traditional Chinese sailing junks that had been modified to carry rocket launchers and mortars, turning them into dedicated fire support vessels. That night, the navy fired 400 Hale rockets at the Ming army camps, and the army fired 300 from their main camp. “Lin Shenhe’s fireworks,” everyone joked as they launched the rockets. They had fired these things during their first Spring Festival in this time-space. It was only recently, with the less tight supply of cast iron and the impending war, that they had begun mass production. This was the first time these rockets were used in full-scale combat.

He Ming was now standing on the watchtower of the main camp. All his forces, five infantry battalions, had been committed to the battle at once. From the current situation, the battle was developing ideally. The vanguard of the government army had been scattered by the minefield and a fierce infantry assault. Not only were they useless in combat, but they had also disrupted the main force of the government army in the center. The government army’s formations were in clear disarray, and they were basically being suppressed by the infantry battalions.

He asked, “Have He Rubin’s troops been committed?”

“No, his main banner is still in the main camp and hasn’t moved.”

He Ming was nervous. He did not have enough reserves to deal with any unexpected situations. The only forces he could use now were the marine companies and sailors who had landed from the naval ships. They were currently guarding his main camp. Chen Haiyang had assured him that he had formed five companies from most of the sailors on the ships, ready to land and join the battle at any time. But He Ming lacked confidence in the sailors’ land combat abilities. The sailors also underwent drill, formation, bayonet, and shooting training, but their training hours were far less than those of the regular infantry.

The field army’s staff officers continuously observed the battlefield with telescopes, marking the latest situation on the map and using walkie-talkies to contact the battalion commanders of each unit to adjust the direction of their attack, preventing the government army from finding any gaps to break through.

The first encirclement formed by the five battalions was sparse. Therefore, a mobile force composed of armed agricultural vehicles and five mixed marine-sailor companies was deployed behind them, equipped with “Typewriters” and mountain howitzers, ready to intercept any government soldiers attempting to break out, based on the instructions of the observation posts.

The ten thousand men of the government army’s main body were mostly from the units that had been defeated in the previous days’ battles, and they had no will to fight. They quickly collapsed under the fierce attack of the army. The roar of the 12-pounder mountain howitzers and the volleys of rifle fire shattered the soldiers’ formations. Disregarding their generals’ attempts to stop them, some retreated towards the main camp and the county town, but most fled towards the sea, where there were no enemies.

He Rubin rushed out of the camp. The outside was a scene of chaos. Amidst the thick smoke and flames, the government soldiers, having lost their formations and command, were fleeing in disarray.

He ordered the drums to be beaten and the horns to be blown, ordering all units to retreat back to the main camp and regroup. But the battlefield was in chaos, with the sounds of guns, cannons, and shouting everywhere. No one paid any attention to his orders. He sent out messengers to find the generals, but the messengers never returned.

Is this how we are defeated?! He Rubin’s hands and feet turned cold, and for a moment, he was stunned. His personal generals and guards were very anxious but did not dare to remind him.

At this moment, Sun Changzuo ran over with a dozen personal guards. He dismounted and reported, “Your Excellency, mount your horse quickly! I will lead the standard battalion to escort the old camp and break out!”

He Rubin suppressed his panic. “Which of the generals are still in the central army?”

“Only Adjutant Ye is left,” Sun Changzuo said loudly. “All the other units have been scattered, and the generals have already led their men to break out! Your Excellency, you should mount your horse and leave quickly!”

“Where is Lord Zhao?”

“Lord Zhao and Lord Lu are waiting for you at the camp gate,” Sun Changzuo said urgently. “If we don’t leave now, the rebels will encircle us!”

With that, several of his personal generals, without waiting for his consent, pushed him onto his horse and charged out. His two thousand men of the central army had already assembled. Zhao Ruyi, Lu Yizhong, and the aides were all on horseback, mixed in with the troops. They immediately surrounded him and charged out of the central army camp towards Qiongshan.

Li Modao and his firearms battalion were forgotten. He and his men were still guarding the central army camp, but no rebel forces were attacking them. The dozens of large and small breech-loading cannons and “tiger-crouching cannons” in his hands were useless. He just watched as large groups of routed government soldiers were chased by the rebels’ gray-clad columns towards the sea, as if it had nothing to do with him.

“Are they running to the sea to die?” Li Modao roared, but no one heard him. At this time, his own men also began to panic. The commander-in-chief had already fled, and they were surrounded by rebel troops. It was impossible to tell how many there were, only that the sounds of fighting and gunfire were everywhere. A captain ran over and asked him if they should abandon the camp and flee.

“We can’t run now!” Li Modao shook his head. “It’s chaos outside. If we go out, we’ll be swept up by the routed soldiers and run towards the sea. Once we’re at the sea, we’ll be at the rebels’ mercy! We’ll hold our ground for now. If the rebels don’t attack us, we won’t fire. Furl the banners! When the main body of troops has passed, we’ll break out!”

He ordered the soldiers of the firearms battalion to leave only a few observation posts and for everyone else to come down from the camp walls. He had all the camp gates opened.

“If we come down from the walls and open the gates, how will we defend ourselves?” someone asked anxiously.

“Defend my ass!” Li Modao cursed under his breath. “If we leave them open like this, the rebels will think it’s an empty camp and won’t charge in immediately. We’ll buy as much time as we can here.”

He Rubin’s two thousand men, led by Ye Zhengfang with two hundred cavalry at the head, charged out of the central army camp like tigers released from their cages, with great momentum. But their movements were immediately spotted by the observation posts. He Ming knew that this was the main force of the central army breaking out. He immediately ordered Zhu Mingxia’s battalion, which was nearby intercepting the fleeing enemy, to rush over and intercept them. Immediately, four infantry companies attacked from the left flank, and four from the right, simultaneously striking this force. One infantry company, with a “Typewriter,” quickly occupied a small hill on the side of the post road. Dozens of bullets sent the vanguard tumbling. Ye Zhengfang was the first to fall from his horse under the machine gun fire, and the breakout immediately lost its momentum. Since the central army was mostly infantry and moved slowly, they were quickly caught by the Fubo Army’s infantry. Rifles, “Typewriters,” and mountain howitzers poured hundreds of thousands of projectiles into the breaking-out central army from both flanks. Bullets flew in from both flanks and the front, cutting down the soldiers in the ranks row by row. In less than ten minutes, the entire column began to waver. Despite this, the central army was, after all, the core of He Rubin’s own forces, and their will to fight was very strong. Although men were constantly falling under the rain of bullets, the soldiers still formed a tight formation with their bodies to protect the generals and aides in the middle, and step by step, they charged towards the east.

Sun Changzuo quickly had He Rubin and Zhao Ruyi, along with the aides, escape under the cover of the cavalry. He led the infantry to resist on the spot, holding back the rebels’ attack.

“Your Excellency! If you don’t leave now, when will you?!” Sun Changzuo roared. More than half of his personal guards were dead, and he had been hit by several shrapnel fragments, blood streaming down his body. “I will hold off the enemy here!” With that, he personally led He Rubin’s household retainers and charged at a company’s formation. Although they were immediately suppressed by the “Typewriter’s” fire, they successfully drew the enemy’s fire. The hundred-odd cavalry and three hundred-odd foot retainers, led by Song Ming and He Zhanran, took this opportunity to swarm around He Rubin and the others and charge through. Another company on the flank quickly gave chase. Some of the retainers immediately turned to fight, arrows raining down, catching many of the infantry by surprise and killing them. The company commander had to order his troops to temporarily retreat and open fire, using their rifles to eliminate them all. This rear-guard action allowed the cavalry to escape a considerable distance.

“A group of cavalry is heading towards Qiongshan at high speed. The infantry is afraid they can’t catch them.”

“It’s probably He Rubin himself,” He Ming said lightly. He ordered, “Send an agricultural vehicle to pursue! Special reconnaissance team, be on the lookout to intercept! Tell Zhu Mingxia to finish the battle quickly. There are still large groups of prisoners to be captured here!”

The agricultural vehicle, armed with an M240 machine gun, might not be as fast as a horse in a short sprint, but in a long-distance pursuit, it was definitely superior to any horse.

Sun Changzuo and his standard battalion fought desperately but could not withstand the Fubo Army’s superior firepower. He led several charges but was repulsed each time by the intense fire. A few times, his soldiers broke into the rebel lines, but they were quickly killed by the enemy’s bayonets. One of his arms had been shot through, and he was covered in blood. He was secretly amazed. Weren’t the rebels supposed to be reliant on their firearms and unskilled in land combat, most afraid of close-quarters fighting? But at this moment, he found that the rebels were by no means inferior in melee combat. Not only were they “skilled in fighting techniques,” but their will to fight was also far stronger than that of the government army.

To end the battle as quickly as possible, He Ming sent more “Typewriters” and several 12-pounder mountain howitzers to support the 4th Battalion. Under the powerful firepower, the 4th Infantry Battalion finally crushed the last main force of the government army, the central army’s standard battalion. The routed soldiers were forced to retreat towards the sea under pressure.

In the chaos, many troops retreated towards Chengmai County, but the deputy commander of the militia in the city, Song Zonghui, with the tacit approval of the county magistrate, had already bribed the captain guarding the city gate to agree not to open the gates to let in the routed soldiers. Thus, all the city gates of Chengmai were closed, and the routed soldiers were not allowed to enter. The routed soldiers cursed at the city walls, and some shot arrows at the city, but the Fubo Army was closing in from behind, and they could only continue to flee towards the sea.

More than one group of soldiers saw through the Fubo Army’s sinister plan to drive them towards the sea. Under the command of their generals, they suddenly turned and looked for gaps between the various battalions to break out. But except for a few small groups, most of the breakouts were intercepted by the mobile forces and quickly crushed and eliminated under a hail of fierce fire.

Li Modao saw that the routed soldiers had passed, and most of the rebel infantry had also charged past. He immediately ordered his entire battalion to abandon all their baggage, each man taking only his personal weapon and a small amount of firearms, ready to break out at any time. He had been observing the battlefield and knew that the rebels moved their troops quickly. A large-scale breakout would surely be intercepted. It would be better to break out in small groups. He immediately divided his men into seven or eight groups of one or two hundred men each. They all surged out of the camp at once, scattering to break out in the east and south directions.

A khaki-colored agricultural vehicle, honking its horn, suddenly burst out of the woods. Li Modao and the others watched in panic as an iron box, panting and emitting a sharp roar, blocked their path. On its back, several men were quickly turning a small, cannon-like iron tube towards them.

Li Modao knew something was wrong. He immediately rolled to the side, into a ditch by the road. Then he heard a fierce roar like the tearing of cloth. A scorching blast of fire swept over them. His men fell backward one by one, as if they had been hit by a heavy blow. Then, many blue-clad rebels charged out of the woods, their bayoneted muskets glinting, and charged forward, scattering the remaining men. Some surrendered, others tried to flee and were bayoneted by the small woods. The entire unit was wiped out in an instant.

Li Modao hid most of his body in the ditch, under a corpse. The sound of the iron horse gradually faded, but he lay motionless for a long time. It was only when the sounds of gunfire and people in the surrounding area had subsided that he quietly crawled out and fled towards Qiongshan.

Despite the constant interception, many small groups of soldiers managed to escape and flee towards Qiongshan. Most of them were eliminated or captured by the pursuing mobile forces. Only a few units managed to escape to Qiongshan. Some, after fleeing for a distance, found fishing boats on the coast and, through coercion or bribery, had the fishermen ferry them across the strait to escape.

By 9 a.m., the situation on the Chengmai battlefield was completely clear: the government army was in a full-scale rout. There were no longer any organized government units on the battlefield. The Fubo Army had deliberately driven the routed government soldiers towards the sea. He Ming ordered the propaganda teams to use loudspeakers to continuously broadcast the order “surrender and you will not be killed.” Many surrendered on the spot. Others, unable to run any further, simply threw down their weapons and lay on the ground, waiting to die.

The troops who fled to the sea were attacked by the Fubo Army and retreated towards the coast. Many fled to Xiaoyingchang. Many others, in their panic, retreated all the way to the beach, stepping back into the water step by step. But the deeper they retreated, the deeper the water and the softer the sand, making it more and more difficult to move. They were either killed or captured by the pursuing Fubo Army soldiers.

Several thousand defeated soldiers had gathered on the ruins of the camp at Xiaoyingchang and the nearby coast. They had not only abandoned all their armor but also most of their weapons. They had completely lost their will to fight. At first, some used the burnt-out ruins to shoot arrows to block the Fubo Army’s advance. The Fubo Army did not advance but simply fired at them from a distance with their rifles. But they were not concerned with killing many enemies, only with picking off those who still intended to resist, immobilizing them. At this time, Wei Aiwen sent many of the government soldiers who had been captured and had surrendered at Shishan a few days earlier to the scene to shout, urging them to surrender immediately.

“Brothers, surrender quickly! Come over, and you won’t be beaten or killed. If you’re sick or injured, you’ll be treated!” The sound of the surrender appeal carried on the wind.