My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 378 A crushing defeat

"The enemy's position is on high ground and can clearly see our actions. Qian Benyi, you must repel the enemy and then cooperate with the main force to launch a general attack!"

After receiving the order, Qian Benyi shouted loudly: "Everyone from the Third Battalion, follow me!"

Soon, the Ming army soldiers from the third battalion followed Qian Benyi and ran to the other end of the beach.

At the same time, under Chen Zuyi's order, artillery also opened fire.

With the continuous loud "boom" sounds, the Ming army officers and soldiers were a little surprised at first. Could it be that the Dingyuan ship opened fire on the beach regardless of their lives?

Without time to think, the Ming army quickly looked for cover to hide. When they saw several iron balls the size of heads hitting the ground, they realized that the pirates were firing at them!
Many Ming army soldiers were frightened and broke out in cold sweats. Fortunately, this kind of antique cannon used solid projectiles and would not explode at all. If it was a cannonball fired from the Dingyuan ship, their lives would be in real danger.

Old-style artillery like this relies entirely on gunpowder to launch the projectile, and then relies on the huge speed to smash the projectile into the enemy. In fact, like bows and arrows and muskets, it can only be most effective against the enemy's dense formations.

It is completely different from the Ming army's artillery shells that can produce fragments through explosion. Unless you are extremely unlucky, you will only be hit on the head by a projectile from that old-fashioned artillery.

Chen Zuyi frantically ordered archers, musketeers and artillery to launch a long-range attack, and for a moment, he actually suppressed the Ming army on the beach!

"Damn it! We've never fought such a pathetic battle since we were equipped with needle-fired guns!"

The captain in charge of the landing command cursed loudly. From the desert to Annan, when had they ever been suppressed by the enemy?

If the coach knew about this, wouldn't he scold me for my incompetent command?

Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered that the head coach once said that the greatest function of the three-three system they had been training was actually to be able to launch an attack under enemy fire!

It was all because the Annan army was too weak and was suppressed by the semi-automatic rifles to the point that they couldn't even raise their heads, so the Ming army didn't get to play the maximum effect of the three-three system!

"Second Battalion, Sixth Battalion, follow me to launch the attack. Everyone, form a three-by-three formation and take turns to cover the attack!"

The captain shouted, "Listen to my orders. Follow my instructions. Everyone, disperse! Wait until the enemy reloads their ammunition before you attack!"

As orders were conveyed, the Ming army soldiers began to act quickly, but Chen Zuyi looked at the Ming army's actions in confusion, really unable to understand what they were doing.

Why did they disperse so widely? Did they want to escape? Was the morale of the Ming army beginning to weaken?

This is a great opportunity!

"Hurry up, keep hitting me!"

Under Chen Zuyi's command, archers and musketeers opened fire, while the Ming army soldiers hid and looked for opportunities to move forward.

While moving forward, they did not forget to provide alternating cover fire, and the pirates in charge of the general attack on the beach were forced to retreat step by step.

"No, the Ming army is launching an attack!" Chen Zuyi also realized that something was wrong and shouted loudly, "Quick, stop them!"

However, at this moment, they suddenly heard another burst of violent gunfire, which seemed to be coming not far away!
Before the pirates could react, they saw bright red holes on many of their bodies, blood mist spurting out, and they fell to the ground one after another. What was going on?

Chen Zuyi was suddenly shocked, then looked left and right, only to see a team of Ming troops moving quickly towards him in the mountains and forests not far to the left!

"Left, there are enemies coming from the left! You bastards, did you let the enemies sneak up here?"

Chen Zuyi immediately started cursing, his throat almost smoking, "Quick, archers, shoot, musketeers, shoot them down!"

"Archers and musketeers are the priority targets. Shoot them!"

Under Qian Benyi's command, the semi-automatic rifles in the hands of the Ming army soldiers fired one after another at a rate of fire like a chain of beads, shooting hundreds of bullets at the enemy in an instant. Before the archers and musketeers could even take aim, they were beaten and fled in panic.

Qian Benyi led the Second Musket Battalion to encircle Chen Zuyi, catching him off guard. It also relieved the pressure on the two main Ming army battalions on the beach. Without the interference of bows and muskets, the Ming army launched a rapid attack facing enemies that outnumbered them by many times their number.

On the beach, there was constant gunfire and the battle had become one-sided. The pirates had been completely defeated. Facing the almost invincible Ming army, they had no power to resist. They could neither defeat them nor escape. There was only deep despair in their hearts. The momentum they had just had to exchange the heads of the Ming army for silver had long since disappeared!
Looking at the retreating pirate army, the Ming army soldiers didn't even use tactical formations, and just chased forward with guns in hand, fearing that the pirates would escape.

However, Chen Zuyi, the pirate on the beach, could no longer be taken care of at this time, because Qian Benyi and several hundred people from the second battalion had already rushed to the high ground, and the steel guns in the hands of the soldiers continued to fire deadly bullets.

"Hold on, hold on!"

Looking at the Ming army so close, Chen Zuyi almost went crazy. At this moment, he could already foresee his tragic end!

However, to make matters worse, the pirates who were defeated on the beach ran back to the high ground one after another, which increased everyone's fear. For a moment, the pirates had no intention of fighting anymore!
The pirates were beaten one by one and they abandoned their weapons and armor. Many of them started to flee for their lives.

We all come here to make money, why throw our lives away here in vain?

"Marshal, the Ming army is too strong. We, we simply cannot resist!"

"Marshal, let's retreat!"

"Marshal, we can't hold on any longer. If we stay any longer, we will all die here!"

The pirate leaders were shouting heart-wrenchingly at Chen Zuyi one by one. Chen Zuyi's head was buzzing and his heart was bleeding. Could it be that the empire he had worked hard to build for more than ten years would be destroyed today?
How on earth did all this happen? You bastard, damn it, the damn Ming Emperor, I just stopped your ship and asked you to pay some toll, and you really traveled thousands of miles to attack me!

At this time, except for Chen Zuyi's direct subordinates, the rest of the pirates were either dead, injured, or those who could escape had already escaped. Although many pirate leaders were still trying desperately to maintain order, they could not stop the people's desire to survive!
Chen Zuyi was trembling all over as he watched the Ming army getting closer and closer and heard the gunshots getting louder and louder. The fear and anger in his heart intertwined together, making it impossible for him to remain calm.

The crisp gunshots, the pirates' terrified shouts, and the miserable cries of the injured pirates all blended together, as if forming a death song from hell, and the ones playing this song were none other than the advancing Ming army soldiers!
Chen Zuyi finally despaired. He seemed to have made up his mind and shouted with all his strength:

"Retreat, retreat!"

(End of this chapter)