Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 875 Fire Attack
After nightfall, the Tatars began a large-scale mobilization.

Wang Shouren was so engrossed in his work that he neglected to eat and sleep, staying at a high vantage point and silently observing the enemy's situation on the other side.

For him, as long as he could participate in this war, even if he ultimately failed and died, it would be worthwhile.

He secretly rejoiced that his troops were in a high-altitude position, allowing him to see almost everything the Tatars were doing.

"Brother Wang, why aren't you resting yet?"

Zhu Hui appeared beside Wang Shouren.

Wang Shouren still held the binoculars in his hand. The binoculars were obviously not as good for observation at night as they were during the day, but this did not prevent him from observing the activities of the Tatars below the mountain, who were lit by campfires.

Seeing that Wang Shouren did not answer, Zhu Hui said sullenly, "After planning for so long, should we take the initiative to attack? Commander Qin has to obey Zhang Guojiu's orders, but we don't! We are on our own, why should we be controlled by them?"

Wang Shouren shook his head and said, "The Tatars have no less than seven or eight thousand troops guarding the valley ahead, and they have already formed a tight formation. Do you think we can get through with our small force?"

Zhu Hui said, "I'm afraid that if we turn around, they will also form an array behind us, creating earthen fortresses around us, and then we won't be able to escape."

Wang Shouren did not answer, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

It seemed as if his only responsibility was to bring his men to the battle zone, and the rest was up to fate. As for who would live or die, that was completely outside his consideration.

Zhu Hui found that he couldn't get a single response from the other party even after saying ten sentences. He was quite helpless, but he still shamelessly refused to leave this dangerous place.

He seemed to understand that, at the moment, only Wang Shouren could help him gain military merit and even bring this group of people back safely.

He doesn't have that ability just by relying on his own brain...

What are the Tatars doing?

Zhu Hui picked up the binoculars, observed carefully for a while, and then asked.

Wang Shouren then replied: "The Tatars are mobilizing their troops. After nightfall, they brought some large machinery over, and the camp was in chaos, as if they were transporting something."

"what?"

Zhu Hui suddenly realized that it wasn't that Wang Shouren didn't want to talk to him, but rather that his questions were off-topic. Given Wang Shouren's pragmatic nature, he simply had no interest in discussing trivial matters with him.

Wang Shouren said, "In my opinion, they want to attack our camp by destroying the city walls. What they are transporting should be burning oil or huge stones, which can be projected far away by machinery to cause casualties. As far as I know, this kind of weapon was used as early as the Yuan army's war to destroy the Song Dynasty. In the Song-Yuan Xiangfan War, Xiangyang and Fancheng fell because of its great power."

"Fuck."

Zhu Hui was utterly shocked and exclaimed, "Isn't this supposed to be Tartar territory? Is this really necessary? Besides, our Ming soldiers have only dug a few pits. Are we really forcing them to use such a ruthless method to attack? Have they no shame? And such clumsy things don't seem to be very useful..."

Wang Shouren spoke calmly, shrugging his shoulders, "Judging solely from the range, this kind of catapult can be fired from beyond the range of muskets, causing massive casualties to our army. How do we know if it will work if we don't try? To win, all means are justified... For the survival of the tribe, what do we care about saving face?"

Zhu Hui said, "Those large pieces of equipment must have been transported from afar, right?"

"Ah."

Wang Shouren said, "Their weapons should all be the same ones they used to destroy the passes of the Great Wall of our Ming Dynasty. Perhaps this is why they haven't launched an attack on us recently, because they are waiting."

Zhu Hui hurriedly asked, "What if they really use catapults to launch fireballs at us? Even if we hide in the pit, we can't defend against it, can we?"

Wang Shouren said, "I am also curious. Since I can guess the movements of the Tatars and even observe their behavior, then Zhang Guojiu should also be aware of it and should already have a countermeasure."

Zhu Hui said, "You can't say that. Although that young Imperial Uncle Zhang is capable, he's still a novice. How can he compare to us, who are seasoned veterans?"
"Take the time back in Yinshan North, for example. We've been through life and death many times. What kind of tactics haven't we seen from the Tartars? But him? Perhaps he's too young and has no idea how deep the water is."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouren was too lazy to pay any more attention to Zhu Hui.

What I'm saying is completely on a different wavelength from what you're saying, so why should I waste my breath talking to you?
……

……

The two then sat quietly on a high place and observed.

Just as Zhu Hui was about to get up and leave, Wang Shouren suddenly stood up.

"what happened?"

Zhu Hui quickly composed himself and looked into the distance again through the binoculars.

Wang Shouren said, "Someone set off firecrackers."

"Fire?"

Zhu Hui was wondering what was going on when he heard a loud "boom," the ground trembled, and he sat down with a thud.

Then came a series of booming sounds.

The Tatars never imagined that their secret operation under the cover of night was no secret to the Ming Dynasty, and that the Ming army's long-range artillery could accurately hit their catapult positions without even getting close to their camp.

As the sounds of artillery fire and explosions rang out in succession, streaks of meteors streaked across the sky, and the area below the mountain was filled with a dark mass of Tatars running about. Then, the exploding shells ignited the oil barrels around the catapults, and a fire broke out in the Tatar camp, which quickly spread.

Zhu Hui asked in surprise, "What's going on? Our Ming Dynasty's cannons can not only blow people up, but also burn them?"

"No."

Wang Shouren kept a close eye on the enemy camp through his binoculars. "If I'm not mistaken, it must have been our artillery shells that ignited the oil that the Tatars had carefully prepared... Haha, the Tatars have dug their own grave!"

Zhu Hui asked curiously, "What kind of kerosene did the Tartars use? Tung oil?"

Wang Shouren shook his head and did not answer Zhu Hui's question.

Clearly, in this critical moment of tribal survival, it wouldn't have been difficult for the Tatars to find some fuel to fight against the Ming Dynasty. However, they didn't expect that... not only would their plan be completely discovered by the Ming army, but the Ming army would also be able to accurately hit their catapult positions from a distance, causing them to suffer the consequences of their own actions.

Zhu Hui grinned and said, "The Tartars are really stupid. Since they brought catapults, they should have set them up in a hidden place and spread them out... Even if they had a powerful weapon like oil, they shouldn't have revealed their intentions too early. Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Wang Shouren said, "Who said they only set up catapult positions in one direction? Look over there."

Zhu Hui then looked in the direction Wang Shouren pointed, and sure enough, there was a red light shining in the distance, reflecting on the horizon.

This indicates that not only were the Tatar camps near them on fire, but fires must have also broken out in the distance.

"Could that be Zhang Guojiu's central army camp?"

Zhu Hui said it as if he had a jinx.

Wang Shouren finally put down his binoculars, glanced back at Zhu Hui, as if to ask, "Is this your way of being cautious? Or are you just here to predict the worst?"
If it really was the fire at Zhang Guojiu's central army camp, then we will definitely never be able to return to the Ming Dynasty.

Their lives and deaths are now inextricably linked; can't we at least hope for the best for the other?

"Young Master, Military Advisor Wang, General Qin has come in person, saying he has important matters to discuss."

At this moment, a messenger came forward to report.

"understood."

Zhu Hui responded first, then turned to Wang Shouren and asked, "How about we go and meet them?"

"Go ahead!" Wang Shouren seemed unwilling to miss the dazzling fireworks display before him, and even lost interest in finding out more from Qin Yun.

Right now, he trusts his own eyes more than what others say.

Especially someone like Qin Yun... who harbored deep suspicion towards him from the very beginning.

……

"Commander Qin, what's going on? Why aren't you in your own camp directing operations? Why have you come here instead?" Zhu Hui was very excited when he saw Qin Yun.

I thought it would take several days, but to my surprise, the war started that very night.

Moreover, both sides launched a fire attack right from the start, and the scale of the attack was quite large.

Qin Yun said, "I just received news that the Tatars attempted to use 'Huihui cannons' to strike our army from a distance, but the Second Young Master discovered it in advance and sent people to destroy their equipment and prepared incendiary materials."

"I see it! The camps are ablaze down the mountain, it's a magnificent sight!"

Zhu Hui said with a smile, "Does this heavy blow to the Tartars mean... that the enemy and we will soon engage in a strategic decisive battle?"

Qin Yun pointed to the Tatar camp across the valley, now ablaze, and said loudly, "I am preparing to lead my troops to break through the valley and give the Tatars a good beating... I would like to ask for your support from behind..."

"Uh...what do you mean?"

Zhu Hui was somewhat bewildered.

When we asked you for new firearms before, you treated us like beggars, but now you want us to support you?
How can you be so shameless?

Qin Yun looked around and asked, "Is General Wang here?"

"No."

Zhu Hui said somewhat angrily, "He is still observing the enemy situation on the mountaintop. I don't know exactly where he is, but if Commander Qin leads his troops to charge, I'm afraid that even with our firearms, it will be useless. After all, the Tartars who are determined to defend their homeland are tough nuts to crack, and the number of enemies and us is too great. If we just charge headlong into them, how different would that be from a mantis trying to stop a chariot?"

Qin Yun immediately beckoned the people behind him to come up and said, "I will give you ten new firearms and send two people to teach your men how to use them."

"Huh? Ten muskets? That's a bit too few, isn't it?" Zhu Hui's attitude was initially unfriendly, but upon hearing that the other side was going to give him new firearms, he instantly became more enthusiastic.

Qin Yun glanced at the hillside to his left and said, "So I would like to ask General Wang to come down and discuss this properly."

Zhu Hui laughed and said, "No need. As long as you have the courage to charge, we will support you from behind and do our best to create a huge momentum to make the Tartars tremble with fear... I have often done this kind of thing before when I was traversing the north and south of Yinshan, and I have reaped great rewards... I won't trouble Mr. Wang with this small matter."

Qin Yun clearly felt that Zhu Hui was unreliable.

Such a small matter?
I led my mere three hundred-odd men forward, asking you to provide support from behind, and you tell me it's a trivial matter?

This is no longer just one against ten, but one against a hundred, or even a thousand. Do you know how dangerous that is?

However, Qin Yun did not force the issue. After all, Zhu Hui and Wang Shouren's group were not part of the original plan. Now that they were about to launch an attack, it would be good to have their assistance. If not, it would be as if they had never met in the first place.

……

……

When Zhu Hui arrived at the high ground with ten new firearms, he met Wang Shouren, who was still there observing the enemy camp.

He excitedly recounted the previous visit by Qin Yun.

Wang Shouren took the new firearm, held it in his hand, examined it repeatedly, and seemed quite fond of it, with a hint of excitement on his face.

"Brother Wang?"

Zhu Hui clearly didn't quite understand Wang Shouren's behavior.

Wang Shouren said, "This is the thing. In the next few years or even decades, it will be enough to change the course of the Ming Dynasty's foreign wars and allow the Ming Dynasty to dominate the world."

"what!?"

Zhu Hui never expected that Wang Shouren would have the mind to express his feelings at this time.

Wang Shouren raised his head and asked, "Since they are about to launch a full-scale attack, why don't you quickly mobilize your troops to cooperate?"

"We haven't notified you yet, have we?"

Zhu Hui said awkwardly, "I have to hear your opinion as the commander-in-chief."

"Since we've agreed, we have to keep our word."

Wang Shouren then took one last look at the burning Tatar camp opposite him and sighed, "This battle is more intense than I imagined. If I cannot do something in this battle, I will truly be ashamed of myself."

……

……

About half an hour later, Qin Yun reorganized his troops and charged towards the Tatar camp at the foot of the mountain.

An incredibly shocking scene has unfolded!

The Tatars had no desire to continue fighting, seemingly because the previous fire had dampened their newly raised morale.

The Tatars then suffered a complete rout.

When Wang Shouren climbed the hillside again at dawn, he could only see scattered traces of Tatar activity from a great distance using his binoculars.

"Damn it, over three hundred people chasing down tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people, is unheard of!" Zhu Hui said, cursing as he carried up a new type of firearm.

Since acquiring the new firearms, he has kept one of them as a personal treasure, carrying it with him wherever he goes.

It was truly a feeling of... having found a talisman that would never leave you.

Wang Shouren asked, "How did the cover operation go last night?"

"Hahaha!"

Zhu Hui laughed heartily: "Although the Tartars can be said to have collapsed at the first touch, their resistance was extremely limited. After a volley of bullets, their forward positions were quickly lost."

"The Tatars abandoned that stretch of camp in the valley without any hesitation. They retreated in a great hurry, leaving behind a lot of things in the camp. The brothers spent half the night looting... no, I mean, they spent half the night taking things. It seems that for the next few days, we will have enough food and daily necessities."

Zhu Hui seemed very excited when he said this.

Their own side didn't have much food and supplies to begin with, so they couldn't afford a long war of attrition.

But before they had even begun, a fire broke out inexplicably at the opposite camp. Then the Ming army charged, scaring the enemy away and leaving them with a large amount of combat supplies.

In Zhu Hui's words, such a good thing is simply unheard of.

Wang Shouren said, "Although the Tatars have retreated, their manpower has not been greatly depleted; only their morale has been damaged. As long as they win one or two small victories, they can regroup, and then perhaps..."

"Brother Wang, you don't need to worry too much."

Zhu Hui casually sat down to the side and said, "I heard from the people sent back by Commander Qin that we have finally established contact with Zhang Guojiu's central army. Perhaps we will be able to meet Zhang Guojiu himself today."

Wang Shouren shook his head and said, "Whether we see them or not, what difference will it make to our next military campaign?"

Zhu Hui shrugged and said, "No matter what, that imperial brother-in-law is still a member of the imperial family, and he still knows what's important..."

(End of this chapter)