Chapter 1201 There is a Loophole
The rebels were quite familiar with the tactics of Gao Family Village.
But Zuo Liangyu found them entirely novel.
Before his mind could even process it, two thunderous explosions erupted. His artillery positions instantly crumbled, all the artillerists thrown to the ground—no, some had instinctively ducked and sprawled themselves out.
Those who had dropped, though not killed, were utterly terrified.
Zuo Liangyu gasped, "What?"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The enemy's cannons continued to fire. The individual small mortars were easy to carry, and there weren't just two or three of them; even Shi Kefa, commanding the weakest flank, had brought over a dozen.
Shells rained down incessantly, each thunderous blast sending Zuo Liangyu's army into complete disarray.
Especially the outer rebel ranks, who already possessed poor discipline and little courage—had they not been cowards clinging to life, they wouldn't have abandoned the main rebel army so readily to join Zuo Liangyu.
Zuo Liangyu roared in fury, "Attack! Charge them and cut down their artillerymen!"
His three thousand regular soldiers began to form ranks and advance slowly...
But it was as he'd said before: he still didn't comprehend the true power of Gao Family Village.
Against Gao Family Village's Flintlock Riflemen, how could one advance in such formations? It was practically suicide.
The Flintlock Riflemen immediately opened fire...
This wasn't the main regiment, so not everyone was equipped with breech-loading rifles, but the Chassepot Rifles were still plentiful enough. These were the very weapons that had once fired four volleys in ten breaths, forcing the Wushen tribe into submission.
The Flintlock Riflemen created small notches in the half-human-height earthen wall, resting their barrels in these grooves, and aimed at Zuo Liangyu's army: "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
After a volley of gunfire, a large swathe of Zuo Liangyu's vanguard collapsed.
Ordinary shields offered no defense against the bullets from these breech-loading rifles. Many soldiers, still clutching their shields, felt a violent tremor in their wrists, saw a small hole pierce through the shield, and then a searing pain in their chest... before tumbling down with a scream.
Zuo Liangyu cursed, "Damn it!"
This sudden onslaught left Zuo Liangyu completely bewildered.
After all, this was his first encounter with the Gao Family Village Militia, and anyone would be stunned by such a debut.
For a brief moment, his mind went blank, and he even forgot to issue specific commands.
An army without orders—a formidable one might press on.
But a ragtag army would simply—collapse!
Zuo Liangyu's forces belonged to the latter category.
With a collective shout, Zuo Liangyu's men began to retreat, scrambling backward in a disorganized, fanning retreat.
Zuo Menggeng grabbed his father's reins, "Father, we must retreat quickly."
Zuo Liangyu exclaimed, "Damn it! What in the world just happened?"
Zuo Menggeng retorted, "They're too strong, impossibly strong! We need to run, now."
Zuo Liangyu spat, "Shi Kefa? That mere useless civil official, only fit for pontificating, a trash who knows nothing of warfare... How is this possible?"
Zuo Menggeng urged, "Father, stop talking nonsense, let's go!"
The father and son reined in their horses and galloped furiously westward...
Shi Kefa did not pursue. Prioritizing stability, he ordered, "Zuo Liangyu has been defeated. He can no longer advance eastward and can only continue westward. We will secure all eastbound paths and advance slowly, cornering him and Zhang Xianzhong in one place for a decisive annihilation."
Li Zicheng, observing this, decided not to watch any further. Spotting a column of rebels fleeing, he turned to Li Guo and said, "Look, that unit is heading into the Dabie Mountains..."
Li Guo nodded. "I recognize them. Those are Chuang Tatian's subordinates."
Li Zicheng mused, "Chuang Tatian and I are sworn brothers; he's a good friend. I don't know why his men were under Zuo Liangyu, but with Zuo Liangyu's forces scattered, this is a prime opportunity. Let's go talk to Chuang Tatian's people."
He took Li Guo and swiftly slid down the hillside.
At that moment, Chuang Tatian's subordinates were still running in panic. Not long after entering the Dabie Mountains, they saw a figure slide down the slope ahead and block their path. "Gentlemen," he called out, "look who it is."
Chuang Tatian's men were startled. "Brother Chuǎng Wang!"
Li Zicheng asked, "Where is Brother Chuang Tatian? Where is he now?"
The subordinates wept. "Brother Chuang Tatian was defeated by Zuo Liangyu and separated from us in the chaos. We couldn't find him, so we had no choice but to join Zuo Liangyu."
Li Zicheng said, "In that case, follow me for now. However, I must make one thing clear: once you're with me, there will be no more burning, killing, or looting. I have changed my strategy; we will rebel in a new way."
The subordinates replied, "We will all obey Brother Chuǎng Wang."
Li Zicheng nodded. "Follow me!"
He led the way, and Chuang Tatian's five thousand former followers all trailed after him, weaving through the Dabie Mountains until they vanished into the depths of the forest.
Meanwhile, from a reconnaissance hot air balloon high above Baima Township, a scout from Gao Family Village was meticulously charting the various directions of Zuo Liangyu's scattered forces, determined to corral all these fleeing rebels within their encirclement.
The scout immediately spotted a large army fleeing into the depths of the Dabie Mountains.
He hastily scribbled a note, placed it in a bamboo tube, and lowered it.
The note quickly reached Shi Kefa's hands...
Shi Kefa unfurled the map, his brows furrowing. "Our army currently blocks the southern side of the Dabie Mountains, and to the east of the Dabie Mountains lies Luzhou (Hefei). Before I left the Anqing and Luzhou command for this expedition, I had already put defensive measures in place in Luzhou. This routed rebel force cannot possibly take Luzhou. They can only continue north, and once they pass through the Dabie Mountains, they will enter the jurisdiction of the Northern Army... The Northern Army is formidable; they can deal with them."
Meanwhile...
As he walked, Li Zicheng spoke to his trusted confidantes. "In Shaanxi and Sichuan, these strange Flintlock Riflemen must have appeared as well, and in Shanxi and Henan, too... Now, with the Flintlock Riflemen led by the Anqing and Luzhou Governor Shi Kefa, it's clear that this peculiar firearm force has cast a wide net, intending to wipe out all the righteous armies of the Central Plains."
His words startled his confidantes. "Then are we not also trapped within this encirclement? What are we to do?"
Li Zicheng responded, "Though this encirclement is vast, it has one loophole: Fengyang. Fengyang is the ancestral burial ground of the Zhu family. After Zhang Xianzhong desecrated it once, the imperial court became extremely concerned about that location. Since even someone like Wang Er is part of this Flintlock Rifleman force, they definitely aren't aligned with the court. If they wish to avoid alarming the imperial court, they certainly won't make any major moves in Fengyang."
Everyone suddenly understood. "We can escape the encirclement by passing through Fengyang?"
Li Zicheng affirmed, "Precisely! But remember one crucial point: we must not harm the common people of Fengyang. Otherwise, this Flintlock Rifleman force will quickly catch up to us. Only by leaving the populace completely undisturbed will we avoid drawing the attention of these Flintlock Riflemen."
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