GBP Chapter 49 The Death of the Prefect
Chapter 49 The Death of the Prefect
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At this point, the prefect had no choice but to order the entire army to attack, with the musketeers following up.
Soon, the main force of the government troops was only about eighty paces away from the escort, with some of the faster runners already less than fifty paces away. Shi Ying ignored the few stragglers getting closer and closer, focusing instead on the main force and estimating the distance.
When they were sixty paces away, Quartz gave the order: "Fire!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Gunfire erupted as three hundred rifles simultaneously spewed flames. The dense barrage of lead bullets caused the running crowd to crash into a wall, momentarily halting their advance. The musketeers, in their panic, fired only one shot, and those hit fell to the ground as if pushed by an invisible hand.
The crowd behind them descended into uncontrollable panic: to charge or to retreat? That was the question.
Taking advantage of this lull, the guards hurriedly reloaded and, upon the order to fire, unleashed another salvo. Hundreds more soldiers fell in their confusion, and the ranks became even more disorganized. The supervising officers desperately tried to urge the crowd forward, and the throng slowly advanced amidst the chaos.
After two volleys, Shi Ying ordered: "Fix bayonets and advance!"
The guards took out their bayonets and inserted them into their bayonets, then held their rifles level and marched forward in orderly steps.
The conflicted officers and soldiers finally managed to mingle with the enemy, but soon discovered that hand-to-hand combat was not a better option than getting shot.
After the two sides made contact, the guards shouted "Kill!" in unison, which resounded through the sky and made the officers and soldiers pause.
The guards' resolute and powerful thrusts made the government troops, accustomed to sword fights, very uncomfortable. You'd parry with a slash, they'd parry and then thrust; you'd move to their sides, trying to find an opening, they'd thrust without hesitation; you'd twirl your sword, feinting and deceiving, trying to create an opening, they seemed single-minded, closing in and thrusting...
Regardless of the soldiers' skill level or how they used their moves, the enemy only ever used one thrusting attack. One trick was all it took; after a few rounds, the soldiers were lying on the ground, while the guards suffered few casualties.
The new recruits in the guard could only watch when shooting, but they could not stand idly by when it came to close combat. The veterans and soldiers took the lead, and the new recruits followed behind to pick off any stragglers.
The prefect stared at the battlefield, speechless with disbelief.
If they stay too far away, they'll be hit by artillery fire; if they get too close, they can't win. These so-called rioters are probably even stronger than the troops that were brought in from Guangdong. Their own makeshift force is no match for them. If this continues, there probably won't be many left.
The government troops, emboldened only by a false sense of courage, began to retreat when they realized they couldn't gain an advantage in hand-to-hand combat, no longer daring to continue fighting. The guards at the front were the first to suffer; they were already dissatisfied with being used as cannon fodder, and now, with many dead and wounded, they hadn't even managed to cut off a few enemy heads. They had no merit, no reward from the government, and had lost their lives—it wasn't worth it.
Someone shouted, "Brothers, we're not soldiers who are paid to join the army. Survival is the priority. We have wives and children at home!"
One person spoke up, and the others echoed, "That's right, they're still putting us at the forefront, we're not doing this anymore!"
As the shouts continued, some people scattered and ran back from both sides, avoiding the supervising team. The remaining government troops did not follow suit for the time being, but they did not stop them either—they were only restrained by their military household status, fearing that they would be beheaded if they ran back; otherwise, they would have run away with the local militia.
The guards didn't care about any of that. They followed the government troops to fight because they were greedy for the reward money. Even if the personal guards of the supervisory team wanted to stop them, they were short-handed and couldn't stop them. Before long, most of the local militia ran away.
Seeing that the officers and soldiers were hesitant to advance and many had even fled, Shi Ying turned to look at Liu Ye, wanting to see his orders and what to do next.
Liu Ye was too far away to shout, so he made a gesture, waving his hand forward and slashing, signaling him to continue the attack and defeat the government troops.
Shi Ying understood his order and led his troops forward. The government troops engaged in scattered hand-to-hand combat with the guards, but did not swarm them. Without organized resistance, the advance proceeded even more smoothly, practically unstoppable, and soon they broke through to the center of the government troops' position. Even the prefect could see the gleaming bayonets of the enemy's spears, reflecting a dazzling light in the sunlight.
Seeing that the prefect seemed at a loss, his subordinate quickly said, "Prefect, this battle cannot be fought. Order a retreat!"
"Sir, the guards have all run away. Now we're even less likely to win. If we wait any longer, we won't be able to escape!"
The prefect looked around in bewilderment. Had they already lost? Three thousand men against one thousand, and they were utterly defeated. The enemy suffered very few casualties, while he himself had barely a few heads left to cover his shame.
Shi Ying spotted the prefect in his official robes. Seeing his imposing presence, he knew he must be a high-ranking official. He immediately took out his bow and arrow, ready to shoot him—shooting a single target with a Patriot rifle at a distance of 100 paces was purely a matter of luck, while a bow and arrow were much more reliable.
The prefect, unaware that he was being watched, was torn between two conflicting thoughts: should he hold out or retreat decisively? His subordinates were still urging him, "The situation is hopeless, sir! Order a retreat!"
Shi Ying nocked an arrow, drew his bow, and aimed at the high-ranking official. The surroundings were now clear, allowing him an unobstructed view.
Shi Ying forcefully pushed it aside with a whoosh. The prefect turned his head, only to see the arrow getting closer and closer...
Returning victorious, Liu Family Village.
"The prefect is dead?" Liu Ye stood up in shock, not wanting the prefect to die at his hands.
Liu Ye sat back down, weighing the pros and cons, the potential impact of the matter, and how he should respond. Unsure of what to do, he asked Sima De, "Mr. Yan, what do you think?"
"My lord, killing the prefect is tantamount to rebellion. You can now train your troops and prepare for battle. It's only a matter of time before the government forces launch a second encirclement and suppression campaign," Yan Guang replied succinctly.
Liu Ye frowned; this was not what he had intended. He preferred a compromise between rebellion and government rule. Completely breaking with the government now, starting with a few hundred soldiers, and fighting the government army to the death was not the path he wanted to take; it was too exhausting and arduous. Given the court's character, once they discovered a highly effective firearms-equipped force in Qiongzhou, it would undoubtedly become one of the two major threats alongside the refugee army. He was unwilling to fight to the death here only to have Huang Taiji reap the benefits.
He organized his thoughts and said to Yan Guang, "Mr. Yan, I am not afraid of the government, but my business has just begun, and we are currently engaged in a major battle. We cannot afford to waste our energy on fighting the government troops. Do you understand what I mean?"