socalfunplaces Chapter 28 Great Victory
Chapter 28 Great Victory
"Damn it! How do those swine have so many muskets?!"
The colonel watched helplessly as his men fell in a hail of bullets, his eyes wide with horror. He couldn't understand how the rebels could possess such concentrated firepower.
This is no ordinary rabble of rebels! It's clearly a well-equipped regular army!
The indigenous soldiers in the rear were also in chaos, with many turning to run out of the gorge. But the Ilock hunters, who had been lying in ambush closer to the front, jumped out, blew their blowpipes at the crowd, drew their bows and arrows, and shot down those who gave orders and the gunners who wanted to unload the cannons.
"Ugh!"
An artillery lieutenant clutched the blowgun in his neck, his eyes wide with disbelief, and fell straight down.
The flag bearer in the crowd also screamed as a bamboo arrow pierced his chest, and the flag, a symbol of glory, fell limply into the mud.
Colonel Lopez, on horseback, naturally became a target for the Ilock hunters. He shouted at the soldiers crowding the path and kept slapping his horse, trying to force a way through.
But just then, two arrows flew towards him and struck him squarely in the chest before he could react.
The colonel let out a painful scream, clutching the arrow in his chest as he tried to pull it out. He swayed, then fell straight off his horse and died instantly.
"The time has come!" On the high ground, seeing the Western Army completely thrown into chaos, Zhu Jiheng suddenly brandished his sword and roared, "Beat the drums! Charge!"
dong dong dong-
The powerful and stirring sound of war drums, like thunder, momentarily drowned out the chaotic sounds of the battlefield, echoing through the gorge.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
With a deafening roar, the Ilock warriors, who could no longer contain themselves, surged down from the mountains like a flood bursting its banks.
Their faces were painted with symbols of revenge and bravery, and they charged headlong into the chaotic ranks of the Western army, brandishing bamboo spears and machetes.
Some Western Army soldiers tried to resist, but were violently knocked to the ground and, before they could struggle to get up, were pierced through the chest by bamboo spears.
"Kill! The time for revenge has come!"
"Kill all these lackeys of the Spanish!"
The Iloc warriors roared and routed the Spanish colonial army, causing them to flee in disarray. Many of them, in their panic, even jumped into the nearby river, attempting to swim to the other side.
The soldiers in the rear guard were already demoralized and undisciplined. When they encountered the enemy's fierce charge, their fighting spirit collapsed instantly. Fear made them completely lose their minds. Many of them screamed, threw down their weapons, and turned to flee.
However, they had almost no way out.
Ahead lay the routed Spanish, behind them the narrow gorge path, now clogged with stone balls, supply wagons, and the dead and wounded, and to the east, the rushing river.
In despair, they dared not jump into the river to swim to the other side, and could only kneel down and cry out for mercy in Irok. But in the eyes of the Ming army's Irok warriors, who were bloodthirsty, they were not their own people, but accomplices of the invaders. The blades continued to fall mercilessly, cutting them down one by one.
"Make them stop! Take prisoners!"
Zhu Jiheng could see clearly from the high ground. He felt a pang of heartache as he watched the surrendered soldiers being cut down one by one. They were excellent cannon fodder and resources!
He immediately gave the order to the buglers beside him, and the urgent bugle calls sounded immediately, while the war drums fell silent.
Upon hearing the signal to cease the pursuit, the bloodthirsty Ilock warriors, though unwilling, gradually stopped their slaughter under the loud shouts of the chieftains and Ming soldiers. Many servants and soldiers were ashen-faced, kneeling on the ground trembling.
Zhu Jiheng, escorted by his personal guards, descended the high ground and arrived at the battlefield, where corpses lay strewn everywhere and smoke filled the air. The air was thick with the stench of blood, gunpowder, and mud.
The surviving Ming soldiers, under the command of their officers, were cleaning up the battlefield, treating their wounded, guarding prisoners, and taking stock of the spoils.
Before long, Lieutenant Chen strode forward, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement, and called out to Zhu Jiheng:
"Your Highness! A great victory! A great victory! The enemy commander has been shot dead by our troops. The Western barbarians have suffered heavy casualties, and over a hundred have been captured! Their servants and soldiers have either died or surrendered, with very few escaping. We have also captured two light cannons and a large quantity of ammunition and provisions!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jiheng did not show a clear smile on his face, but simply nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Western Army prisoners who were gathered together, kneeling on the ground, their faces ashen.
In this battle, he had achieved his goal: the invading Spanish army was almost completely wiped out. Even if a few escaped, they were not a threat. Zhu Jiheng even hoped that they could escape back to Manila and instill fear in the Spanish leadership, making them afraid to invade again and giving him more time to develop.
"What are our casualties?" he suddenly thought of and asked in a deep voice.
Lieutenant Chen's expression turned solemn as he said, "Your Highness, thanks to your strategic planning, our army suffered only minor casualties. The line infantry suffered almost no casualties, with only a few wounded by stray bullets. The Ilock Allied forces fought bravely, with about thirty killed and more wounded, numbering around fifty or sixty. The cavalry encountered slight resistance during the pursuit, sustaining minor injuries, but no fatalities. The artillery suffered no casualties."
Upon hearing this number, Zhu Jiheng felt relieved. His side had annihilated the invading Western Army at a very low cost, which was undoubtedly a glorious victory.
More importantly, after this battle, the Irok tribes that had already decided to ally with him would be more united, and those who were still observing would also choose to join the Ming army.
Thinking of this, Zhu Jiheng smiled and said, "Pass down the order: give a proper burial to the fallen soldiers, regardless of whether they are Chinese or foreign, and provide them with compensation according to our military regulations. The wounded must receive immediate and proper medical treatment. All prisoners of war must be kept under strict guard, especially the Spanish prisoners. They must be held separately and interrogated rigorously. We must get them to talk and find out the details of Manila's subsequent plans and the true situation!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Furthermore," Zhu Jiheng stopped his adjutant, who was about to finalize the details, and added, "Of the spoils of war, aside from weapons and gunpowder, the remaining wealth and provisions will be divided into three parts, which will be immediately distributed to the warriors of the various Ilock tribes who participated in the battle. The distribution will be based on merit, and we will not go back on our word. In addition, the compensation for the fallen Ilock warriors will be handed over to their tribal chiefs."
Lieutenant Chen instantly understood Zhu Jiheng's intention: to further win over the hearts of the people. He smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness is benevolent; this humble officer will take care of it immediately!"
Sure enough, when the orders for rewards and compensation reached the various tribes of Ilock who were clearing the battlefield, they were immediately met with cheers.
Many Iloc warriors were initially dissatisfied with the Ming army for preventing them from killing prisoners, but upon seeing the tangible rewards and the Ming army's respect for their fallen kin, their dissatisfaction was quickly replaced by gratitude.
"These Ming people are indeed different from the Spanish!"
"Alliance with the Ming people was truly the wisest decision our tribe ever made! If they can really drive out the Spanish, our situation will definitely be much better than before!"
Similar discussions were common among the Ilock people, and Makandon felt a mix of emotions upon hearing them.
He could see that the Ming army was trying to win people's hearts, but the tribes had indeed received tangible benefits. If the Ming people could really replace the Spanish in ruling this land, it wouldn't be unacceptable.