Chapter 880 You Should All Come Up and See
Experimental Car No. 4 charged across the steppe, raging freely.
Invincible!
It was essentially a massive iron box.
Although its chassis wasn't particularly thick, designed for "lightness," it was more than enough to deflect arrows and saber strikes. While the Manchus, with their firearms, might have been able to penetrate this iron behemoth, the Mongols possessed no such weapons.
Relying solely on cold steel, they would never pose a threat to the iron box.
One defiant Mongol cavalryman, clutching a long spear, charged forward. He rode an excellent horse, incredibly swift, catching up from behind in moments until he was galloping neck and neck with Experimental Car No. 4.
He raised his spear and thrust it with all his might at the side window.
But the driver wasn't a fool. Spotting the horse alongside him, he instinctively yanked the steering wheel, making the car swerve sharply.
The cavalryman's spear missed the small window, instead striking the iron shell beside it.
With a sharp metallic sound, the cavalryman's thrust was immensely powerful, but the force of impact was reciprocal. The harder he jabbed, the stronger the rebound.
The cavalryman reeled backward, almost falling from his horse.
He was, however, a Mongol raised in the saddle. In such a precarious situation, he remarkably managed to stay on. After his dramatic lurch backward, he used his waist to spring back onto his horse, settling firmly once again.
The cavalryman himself felt quite pleased. "My horsemanship, haha, it's practically unrivaled..."
"Bang!"
Experimental Car No. 4 swerved towards him, sending both rider and horse flying.
"Stay away from that strange vehicle!"
"Dodge it!"
Bo'erzhijin Elinchen's cavalrymen shouted loudly.
The heavy cavalry scattered.
Their wedge formation had been completely disrupted by Experimental Car No. 4.
Meanwhile, Zao Ying's unit, which had momentarily withdrawn to reload their firearms, was now ready. The firearm cavalry surged forward once more. After a rhythmic volley of gunshots, another large swath of heavy cavalry crumpled.
The Wushen tribe leader, the Ordos tribal leader, and others, witnessing this spectacle, couldn't possibly let such an opportunity slip by.
Mongols, like wolves, were naturally adept at flanking and combined assault tactics, skilled at exploiting their prey's weaknesses.
"Charge!"
"Attack! The Han people have created an opening for us!"
"Assault!"
Large contingents of cavalry bore down on the disarrayed enemy.
Bo'erzhijin Elinchen gasped in alarm, letting out a surprised cry, momentarily unsure what to do.
As he hesitated, he saw the strange iron car had already sliced through his own cavalry formation and was now barreling towards his command flag.
It wasn't even coordinating with other cavalry; it simply drove straight through the ranks to eliminate the commanding general.
Bo'erzhijin Elinchen exclaimed, "This strange vehicle is so brazen, isn't it? Who attacks a commander by driving straight through the front lines? That's not a tactic!"
A subordinate beside him cried out in alarm, "My Lord, stop complaining, let's just run!"
Bo'erzhijin Elinchen muttered, "For the commander to flee at the start of battle... that hardly seems appropriate, does it?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the large iron car roared, actually picking up speed. Like a terrifying black monster, baring its fangs and claws, it charged straight at him. A firearm extended from the front of the monstrous vehicle, letting out a "bang" as it fired.
One of Bo'erzhijin Elinchen's subordinates shrieked and collapsed.
Bo'erzhijin Elinchen cast a sidelong glance at his fallen subordinate, then reined in his warhorse and fled.
A commanding general abandoning the field was hardly a morale booster.
Those smaller tribes allied with him had long since lost their will to fight. If not for the suppressive influence of Bo'erzhijin Elinchen's lineage of Genghis Khan, they would have scattered like birds and beasts long ago.
Now that they saw their leader running, why would they stay?
With a resounding "Hoo!" the entire group dispersed in panic.
The Wushen tribe leader quickly urged his subordinates to shout in unison, "Why are you running? Surrender to me! Join my Wushen tribe, and I guarantee you'll have food this winter!"
This shout actually had some effect. The smaller tribes who were fleeing halted at a slight distance, looking back and observing, waiting for the battle to conclude before pledging allegiance to the Wushen.
As they paused to watch, they saw the strange large vehicle was still pursuing Bo'erzhijin Elinchen.
However, formidable as it was, the vehicle wasn't exceptionally fast.
Bo'erzhijin Elinchen rode the finest horse in the Ordos, and the large iron car simply couldn't catch up. The distance between them grew steadily. After a while, Bo'erzhijin Elinchen and his retinue vanished into the northern steppes.
The large iron car had to return, somewhat disgruntled. It drove to the cannon positioned behind the lines, attached its tow hitch to the back, and once again became a tow vehicle.
Though it now appeared oddly endearing, its performance on the battlefield had already sent shivers down the spines of all the Mongols.
The Wushen tribe leader and others now looked at the large iron car with a hint of fear, a deep-seated reverence.
A voice screamed wildly in their hearts: *Aligning with the Han people was the right choice! If we had allied with the Later Jin and fought the Han, it would have been us being chased by this iron car just now.*
Too terrifying!
Zao Ying approached the Wushen tribe leader. "We've already helped you win the most critical battle. The various smaller tribes who were allied with your opponent have also come over to your side. The remaining fighting shouldn't require our intervention, should it?"
The Wushen tribe leader quickly replied, "If I still needed your help after this, I wouldn't be worthy to be the new leader of the Ordos. My dear Han friends, please rest. The rest is up to me."
—
By the end of the seventh year of Chongzhen's reign!
A giant hot air balloon drifted above Gao Family Village.
A large basket hung beneath it, and a young graduate student stood inside, ascending into the sky with the balloon.
The wind was rather strong, causing the hot air balloon to sway in the sky. A rope dangled down from the balloon, reaching the ground. Dozens of students on the ground gripped the rope tightly, terrified the balloon might be swept away by the wind.
A rather attractive young woman anxiously called out, "Hold on tight, everyone, don't let my husband float away!"
The students holding the rope burst into laughter. "You're only engaged, not officially married yet, and you're already calling him 'husband' so naturally?"
The woman blushed deeply, wishing she could hide. But looking up at the balloon, she was still terribly worried and couldn't bring herself to retreat. She bravely faced the students, repeating, "Hold on tight, please don't let go!"
Just then, the brave graduate student's laughter rang out from the balloon: "Classmates, you should all come up and see! The feeling of looking down on the earth is truly amazing!"
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