Chapter 199: The Tiger Pouncing on the Sheep (Part 2)

Before launching the attack, Wang Debang first shouted at one of his messengers, “Hurry and ask Commander Ding for reinforcements! The Black Flag rebels are attacking us with tens of thousands of men and over a hundred large cannons. We are fighting in the minority; despite our fierce resistance, the enemy is far too numerous. Please ask Ding Xin to send full force to help!”
Only after he finished speaking did the officers and battalion commanders below take action. Under Wang Debang’s command, they gathered the troops using flags to form several battalion formations, ready to engage in battle.
Compared to the Jiawu era, a ten-year difference meant that the Xiang-Huai troops had not yet become utterly corrupt and weak. They still had some combat capability, and their formations were more or less orderly.
Yet within just over half an hour, the Black Flag army had attacked from the junction between Wang Debang’s forces and those of other units. The battle progressed smoothly—several fortifications were breached, and three to four hundred prisoners were captured. The Black Flag army was even struggling to manage such a large number of captives.
Upon seeing the situation, Wang Debang was both pleased and shocked. He was pleased because the Black Flag army had few troops—no more than seven or eight hundred, armed with just a few small cannons—far fewer than the initially claimed four or five thousand. This increased their chances of victory significantly.
Yet the fact that fewer than seven or eight hundred enemies had managed to break through several of his fortifications shocked him greatly. But then he encouraged his troops, saying, “The enemy attacked us with tens of thousands, but after our fierce fight, many of them were killed or wounded. Now, with only a little over a thousand left, this is the perfect time to achieve glory!”
These Qing generals were all seasoned veterans. Seeing that the Black Flag army numbered less than a thousand and was attacking several battalions, they were overjoyed, thinking it was an excellent opportunity to earn fame and fortune.
“Brothers, give it your all! I’ll recommend you and give you real silver…”
Several infantry battalions advanced under the command of large flags, following traditional training methods. Their command centers were officers on horseback, each holding a large flag.
They formed a square formation—not a Western hollow square nor a traditional Chinese formation, but rather a battle formation that combined elements of both, shaped by the evolution of times.
From time to time, they would shout strange noises as they slowly advanced. Their commanders yelled loudly, urging them onward, “Want women? Want silver? Fight like hell!”
But these veterans were quite cunning. They had no sense of military honor; the army was just part of their lives. Anyway, they accelerated their advance, hoping to claim some loot.
Meanwhile, under Jieken’s command, his troops had already penetrated Wang Debang’s camp. They moved as if unimpeded. Even when faced with the toughest resistance—just over a hundred Qing soldiers firing volleys before snipers precisely killed several officers—the Qing forces retreated completely.

But the further they advanced, the more difficult it became for the Black Flag Army. This was simply because their forces were too weak—just one infantry battalion had to attack seventy interconnected fortifications. Every time a soldier looked up or down, they saw heads everywhere.
“The enemy is in huge numbers! Request support!”
“Artillery, artillery! Fire now!”
Yet even under such circumstances, the Black Flag Army continued to push forward. They knew full well that attacking was their only option; once they switched to defense, they would surely be overwhelmed by the overwhelming numerical advantage of the enemy.
“Boom… boom…”
The Black Flag Army’s artillery hardly stopped firing. They used 60-mm mortars for suppression, along with captured 40-mm mountain guns for short bursts. This small artillery unit possessed astonishing tactical skills, and it was their bravery that allowed the Black Flag Army to fight on to this point.
Even busier than them were the snipers, who had previously been idle. These skilled marksmen, armed with rifles equipped with telescopic sights, carefully searched for worthy targets. In fact, their results were quite impressive—occasionally, prominent Qing officers were knocked down by bullets that seemed to appear out of nowhere, causing entire squads to collapse.
Jeken also picked up a Remington rifle and began firing at the Qing forces from afar. A messenger reported the latest situation: “The regiment’s main force has agreed to launch a full-scale attack. One additional infantry company, one 40-mm mountain gun, and two mortars are being sent to our battalion!”
“The regiment’s main force will launch a full offensive on my right flank!”
Jeken exclaimed excitedly, “Reinforcements are on their way! Brothers, push harder!”
At that moment, an elite platoon attacking from the west finally stopped in front of the lines. Although a mortar provided constant cover for them, the fortifications ahead were manned by an entire Qing infantry battalion. This unit was among Wang Debang’s finest troops, full of fighting spirit. Despite the Black Flag Army’s repeated gunfire, which killed or wounded thirty to forty men, the remaining defenders held their ground inside the fortifications, using bursts of gunfire to hold back the advancing Black Flag Army at a trench.
Both sides were forced into mutual firefights, with casualties mounting constantly. The Qing soldiers’ marksmanship wasn’t great, but they had the advantage of numbers. The infantry platoon suffered over a dozen casualties at once, and the number kept rising.
Mortar shells rained down, but the Qing soldiers inside the fortifications fought desperately, some even waving their battle flags. More reinforcements arrived from behind, along with several mountain guns that began blasting the Black Flag Army.
The Black Flag Army didn’t back down either. Over twenty soldiers arrived as reinforcements, and a barrage of gunfire knocked down many enemies, especially the Qing gunners, who suffered heavy losses and were reduced by half in an instant. Then the snipers started picking off targets one by one.
The battle intensified in this area, but it was precisely this localized change that halted the Black Flag Army’s overall progress. Jeken shouted loudly, “Order the reserve troops to come forward! Reserve troops!”

The battle seemed increasingly unfavorable for the Black Flag Army. All the infantry regiments involved in the assault suffered heavy casualties, and their numerical disadvantage became evident at this moment. Although some of the Qing troops were not skilled in field combat, forcing them to fight to the death inside their camps turned out to be effective against them. This outcome delighted Wang Debang, who waved his whip at his subordinates and asked, “Are the five battalions ready for a counterattack?” “Rest assured, General, they’re all ready!” Under the dragon flags, the five infantry battalions surged forward in dense formations like a tide.