MLMD -Chapter 227 We Cannot Let Them All Die

Siqintu turned her head toward the direction of the gunfire and saw a large number of Mongol cavalry collapsing in front of the Ming army’s formation. These were the fleeing Mongol soldiers, panicked and running headlong toward the Ming lines, and with the sound of gunfire, the fastest of them fell dead before the Ming ranks.

“Ah…”

Seeing this, a sharp scream escaped Siqintu’s mouth.

She could never have imagined that the Ming army opposite them would open fire. Watching the Mongol cavalry fall one after another, her heart seemed about to leap out of her chest.

Indeed, a brutal slaughter was unfolding in front of the Ming army. Hundreds of Mongol riders who had charged ahead were being cut down like wheat before the guns. Shunbao had always executed General Yue Yang’s orders without hesitation. Seeing the Mongol cavalry recklessly pushing forward despite warnings, he didn’t hesitate to give the order to fire.

The tragic deaths of their comrades and the deafening gunfire finally snapped the fleeing Mongol cavalry awake. Seeing the thick white smoke and the acrid smell of gunpowder carried by the wind right in front of them, those who were smart quickly rode around the side, while the few who hadn’t cleared their heads started cursing loudly.

At that moment, the pursuing forces led by Haoge arrived. He calmly directed his cavalry, driving the Mongol troops back toward the front of the Ming formation, which had descended into chaos.

“This move by the Tatars is ruthless. They’re driving the Mongols here to die!” One commander of a thousand men observed the Mongol soldiers who tried to break toward the flanks but were repeatedly driven back to their deaths, feeling a chill of horror.

“Hmph!”

Shunbao snorted coldly. “This tactic by the Tatars isn’t new—they’ve been doing it for years. Every time they invade the south, they use this method. When they attack a city, they drive our people to dig moats or set up ladders. To the Tatars, no life matters except their own; everyone else’s can be discarded like pigs or dogs.”

Haoge watched the Mongol cavalry being relentlessly driven into the Ming ranks and shot down by volley after volley of musket fire. A savage, satisfying smile spread across his face.

“Ha ha ha… this is the fate of those who dare resist us!”

Seeing the Mongol riders fall one after another, Haoge felt a bitter pleasure. He had suffered losses before, and now he was finally taking some revenge. Although it wouldn’t severely damage the Ming forces, watching their own people kill their own was satisfying enough.

At this moment, Namu Zhong and the others, under Bater’s escort, reached the Ming army’s flank. Several of the consorts and generals were even brought to the center of the formation. Ignoring Bater’s attempts to stop her, Namu Zhong spurred her horse forward, dismounted hastily, and, nearly crying, ran to Yue Yang’s side. Her voice trembling with emotion, she begged, “General Yue, please… have mercy. Let our Mongol warriors live—please let them through!”

Yue Yang shifted his gaze from the front to Namu Zhong. By now, she had lost the heroic aura she had yesterday. Her flower-like face was streaked with tears and dirt, patches of white and gray making her look like a painted mask.

Seeing Namu Zhong crying like pear blossoms in the rain, Yue Yang suppressed his irritation and coldly said, “Great Consort Duoluo, do you know what you’re saying? Do you understand the consequences if I let your people through our lines? If you don’t, I’ll tell you: the result would be the collapse of our entire front. We would all die here!”

His words, cold and cutting, hung in the air, piercing everyone’s hearts. Namu Zhong understood this perfectly well, but as the head of the Chahar tribe, she couldn’t bear to see her warriors slaughtered. Her plea was born of desperation and a faint hope of saving the few fighters her tribe had left.

Seeing Yue Yang’s icy expression, she stopped begging and turned to Bater. But Bater could only shake his head with a wry smile. As a general, he understood the brutal realities of the battlefield better than she did. He said softly, “Great Consort, if it were me, I wouldn’t risk the collapse of the entire army by letting a fleeing force in. General Yue is doing the right thing.”

Perhaps hearing Bater’s words, Yue Yang looked away and said calmly, “I used to think the descendants of Genghis Khan would have some courage. But now… six thousand cavalry, and they are being routed by the Jurchens, who have only half their numbers. They’d rather die under our guns than turn around and fight the Tatars behind them. Why is that? Can anyone tell me? Has the once-mighty Mongol cavalry fallen to such a pitiful state?”

Though his voice was not loud, it brought shame to nearly every Mongol present.

He sighed lightly. He had seen everything unfold. These Mongol cavalrymen should not have been so inept. Had they not been caught off guard, they wouldn’t have been in such disarray. Their subsequent behavior disappointed him—compared to his father-in-law’s Korqin tribe, the Chahar tribe fell far short. No wonder, in history, when the Later Jin army arrived, Namu Zhong and her people quickly surrendered.

But Yue Yang did not wish for all the Chahar soldiers to die. He whispered instructions to a messenger, who immediately carried them out. Soon, a sharp trumpet blast rang out behind them.

With the signal, the two square formations at the rear of the Ming army began to advance slowly, at a normal walking pace, toward the direction of the fleeing Mongols. As they moved, they ordered the retreating Mongols to pass by their sides. The Mongols, not fools, had learned their lesson from the previous volley; obediently, they bypassed the Ming soldiers and rejoined their comrades.

Haoge immediately noticed this movement.

“What are the Ming doing?” He paused, then realized: “They want to save the Mongols!”

“Hmph… nothing is ever that easy. Do they think our Jurchen warriors are mere pushovers?” Haoge quickly divided his cavalry into two units, flanking the advancing Ming formations. He clearly intended to strike while the Ming columns had moved forward.

The actions of the Later Jin army were also seen by Shunbao, who accompanied the Ming formation. He loudly ordered the fleeing Mongols to pass by, while stopping the squares in place. Rows of musketeers leveled their guns at the approaching Jin cavalry from the flanks.

“Woo… waahhh…”

The Jin cavalry, following their ancient customs, charged while shouting incomprehensible war cries. They were confident—they believed they could crush the two Ming formations that dared leave their lines.

A Niu Lu raised a huge saber and shouted, “Jurchen warriors, charge! Kill those lowly Nikan!”

“Kill them!”

“Slay them!”

Countless Jurchen cavalry roared and charged at the Ming formations.

Seeing their ferocious advance, Shunbao sneered and shouted, “First row, aim! Fire!”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Deafening gunfire erupted. Many Jin cavalry, still over two hundred steps away, were struck by the heavy lead balls and thrown from their horses. The foremost Niu Lu was hit directly in the neck. The bullet tore through his thick neck with a whistling sound, and the kinetic force shredded it completely. The once-strong Niu Lu fell silently from his horse.