GBP Chapter 610 A Blaze of Fire: How Brilliant!
Chapter 610 A Blaze of Fire: How Brilliant!
As Qin Tian led his men through the granary gate, Panda said leisurely from behind, "Qionghai Town is quite imposing! Rules are just a piece of paper in front of you. Whatever trouble you cause later, you'll have to take the blame. Anyway, you're fearless..."
Hearing Panda's sarcastic words, Qin Tian hesitated for a moment.
Today's events are somewhat unusual. Panda had been hiding for several days, clearly unwilling to allocate provisions to the Qionghai Army, yet afraid to confront them directly. But today he suddenly appeared, knowing full well that he couldn't stop the tide, just to spout some empty words? With such low intelligence, how could he hold such a lowly but powerful position as the Military Commissioner? The appearance of the two Imperial Guards is also strange. The Imperial Guards and civil officials have always been at odds, so why would the Imperial Guards support Panda?
Qin Tian shook his head, trying to banish these thoughts from his mind. The general and the garrison commander of Baoding were pursuing the Tartars; provisions were the most important thing. Whatever schemes Panda and the Imperial Guards might have, they would be futile against the soldiers' bayonets. He quickened his pace and soon reached the nearest granary. Once he opened the granary doors and moved the provisions, all their schemes and tricks would be nothing but dust.
Clearly, Qin Tian underestimated the despicable nature of some people. Just as he was about to order the granary to be smashed open, a thick plume of smoke billowed from the warehouse in front of him, and soon flames shot into the sky—the granary was on fire!
All the soldiers, including Qin Tian, were stunned. They never imagined that the grain they had so easily obtained would be burned right before their eyes!
After a moment of stunned silence, Qin Tian quickly ordered, "Quickly fetch water to put out the fire! Two hundred men come with me to guard the remaining granaries to prevent further fires!"
But the enemy's plan was clearly ahead of his own. Just as the soldiers were frantically trying to put out the fire and Qin Tian was leading his men to the remaining warehouses, flames shot out one after another from the warehouses, and none of the dozen or so granaries were spared!
Qin Tian was enraged. He drew his sword, turned around, and shouted, "You are on duty to guard the granary. If it is burned to the ground, do you think you can escape?"
But to his surprise, Panda, the Imperial Guards, and the soldiers guarding the granary, who were just there a moment ago, had all disappeared!
Qin Tian was completely stunned. It turned out this was all premeditated, a trap set for the Qionghai Army to fall into. He now understood what Panda meant: whatever trouble arose, Qionghai Town would bear the blame, and the military administration would have nothing to do with it—who told the Qionghai Town soldiers to forcibly enter the granary? Panda could have easily claimed that he tried to stop them, fulfilling his duty, but he couldn't!
The soldiers scrambled to find buckets and basins to fetch water to put out the fire, but the fire was too intense, and the grain was highly flammable, seemingly doused with vegetable oil as well, making it impossible to extinguish. The granary was in complete chaos, thick smoke billowing into the air, visible throughout Tianjin. Nearby merchants and laborers fled in terror, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire, leaving the docks deserted.
Qin Tian felt a chill run through him. He stood there, gripping his knife, unsure of what to do. He wasn't afraid of being implicated in burning down the granary and facing consequences from the court, but rather worried that this would prevent him from obtaining the grain and jeopardize the general's overall plan.
A soldier nearby shouted, "Boss, we've been tricked! Let's just find that bastard Panda and chop him up!"
Qin Tian sighed and shook his head. Since Panda dared to be so ruthless, he must have considered the Qionghai Army's retaliation; he's probably already vanished without a trace, and there's no way to find him now. Besides, the grain supplies are all burned; what's the use of chopping Panda up?
He stood there for a moment, then sheathed his sword and ordered, "No need to put out the fire, let's go!"
After the guards and special forces soldiers left the granary in formation, Panda and two Imperial Guards emerged from a small alley. Watching the soldiers' departing figures, Panda sneered, "Thinking brute force can solve everything? What a bunch of brainless brutes!"
The two Imperial Guards laughed, "Lord Pan, what a brilliant plan! And such a grand scheme! The people of Qionghai Town would never have imagined this, would they?"
Panda smiled smugly: "To deal with this kind of person, there's no need for a direct confrontation; a gentle approach will suffice. Now we've finally accomplished what Minister Yang entrusted to us. However, all the grain supplies in Tianjin have been burned. I hope the Minister won't hold me responsible?"
"Haha, Lord Pan is joking. Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles, and Minister Yang certainly won't care about such things."
The three of them burst into laughter, the sound echoing over the dock with an evil undertone.
Jinghai.
General Liu Guozhu of Baoding led 5,000 cavalrymen in a fierce battle with 2,000 Tatar soldiers and Han troops, giving the Qionghai Army an opportunity. Wei Lianheng led the Second Regiment to arrive first, joining the battle with bayonets, instantly breaking the balance of power. The Tatar and Han troops, who had been evenly matched with Liu Guozhu, were immediately suppressed.
Xu Yifan quickly assessed the situation and said loudly to Liu Guozhu, "General Liu, leave this place to me. You continue to pursue the main force of the Tartars ahead. As long as we hold them back, our troops will arrive soon."
Liu Guozhu wiped the blood splattered on his face and replied, "No problem, just watch how I keep the Tartars in check."
He raised his saber high and shouted, "Men, follow me! Let the Tartars see the skills of the Baoding soldiers!" With that, he charged forward, his standard-bearer close behind. As soon as the commander's flag moved, the remaining cavalry saw their leader's action, broke away from the battle, and continued the pursuit.
At this time, many of the two thousand Tartars had been killed or wounded and were engaged in a fierce battle. Xu Yifan saw that there were few armored soldiers among these people and that the main force of the battle consisted of the remaining soldiers wearing only cotton armor. He made a decisive decision and ordered: "Leave the third and fourth battalions of infantry behind, and the rest of you follow me to continue the pursuit."
The First and Second Battalions left the battlefield and followed Liu Guozhu's men.
Xu Yifan's judgment was accurate. Even with only two battalions, the battle was still one-sided. Without armored soldiers leading the charge, Yu Ding, who usually played the role of "reserve militia," was clearly unable to shoulder the responsibility. The Han soldiers, who were merely "playing a minor role," were even less able to turn the tide. The cavalry, stationary in place, had no advantage against the Qionghai soldiers who were skilled in bayonet charges. One after another, they were stabbed off their horses, and their screams carried far and wide.
The battle took place not far from Jinghai County, and the defenders on the city walls had a clear view of it. They stared in disbelief as the usually invincible Tartars became utterly helpless against the bayonets of the Qionghai Army. These were a thousand or two Tartars, not a hundred or two! Dozens of Tartars could chase after hundreds or even thousands of Ming soldiers; they had never experienced such a humiliating defeat. If the Tartars weren't so formidable, they wouldn't have remained inside the city, afraid to step outside the gates.