The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 070 Great Victory

"What a fine hero!"

Not far away, Zhou Lun also witnessed this scene. His eyes lit up and he stared intently at the burly figure waving the flag.

This man was incredibly brave, moving through the chaotic army as if it were empty; he was truly a rare and exceptional warrior.

Zhou Lun was equally anxious when he learned that Huang Long was in a bad situation. Although he wanted to help Huang Long, he was powerless to do anything about it.

Although Zhou Lun's main camp was strong and well-equipped, the key to its ability to exert such combat power lay not in individual martial prowess, but in the coordination of battle formations and the application of tactics. This was the true result of Zhou Lun's training over the past few days.

Warfare is never about individual bravery. No matter how skilled a person is, can they be stronger than Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu? Even a hero like Xiang Yu lost to Han Xin, who was only mediocre in martial arts.

Fighting a war relies on the whole team, coordination, battle formations, and the skillful application of tactics, as well as the combination of various factors such as discipline and training.

Individual bravery is actually not very effective on a real battlefield, but the power of a group is entirely different. Right now, the reason why his veteran troops are able to hold off the frenzied garrison army and firmly block them from advancing any further is precisely because of this.

The problem is that Zhou Lun has too few men. With only five hundred, they can only be responsible for one side, and it's impossible for them to take care of more.

Moreover, diverting manpower to help Huanglong would not only be ineffective but could also create gaps in our own formation. If the garrison troops were to seize the opportunity to break through our lines, it would be a net loss.

Just as Zhou Lun was getting anxious, the situation on Huang Long's side suddenly changed. The man and his men actually managed to hold off the fierce attack of Lu Jinchun's elite guards and pushed the battle line back.

As the saying goes: "One should strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third."

Although Lu Jinchun's elite guards were brave and skilled in battle, their numbers were ultimately small. The previous fierce attack had already exhausted them considerably. If they could directly break through Huanglong's lines, that would be ideal. Once the lines were breached, the other garrison units could follow, creating a gap in the defenses.

But to everyone's surprise, at this critical juncture, they were forcefully pushed back. Their initial momentum vanished instantly. Furthermore, after fighting for quite some time, even elite guards are only made of flesh and blood; they too get tired and exhausted. Thus, with the tide turning against each other, Lu Jinchun's attempt to break through the encirclement completely failed.

This scene thrilled Zhou Lun. Even though he always advocated teamwork, he was extremely envious of such brave warriors who could turn the tide of battle.

If his team had such a formidable individual, and he used that person as a spearhead to build a small, highly effective fighting force, a sudden charge or engagement during a stalemate on the battlefield would have a completely different effect, potentially even altering the final course of the entire battle.

Unfortunately, such a hero was Huang Long's subordinate.

Zhou Lun couldn't help but sigh inwardly. But the battle situation left him no time to think. As the Huanglong troops regained their footing and launched a counterattack against the garrison army, Zhou Lun seized the opportunity. He swung his sword forward, leading his men like a sharp dagger, directly counterattacking the garrison army.

Lu Jinchun himself never expected that he, as a commander and a third-rank military officer of the imperial court, would die in this place.

He originally thought that he could break through the encirclement by relying on the elite guards he had trained over the years to create an opening. But unexpectedly, he failed at the last minute and was instead pushed back by the enemy army.

This sudden change left Lu Jinchun utterly astonished. Before he could even process what was happening, a deafening battle cry erupted from his left as the rebel army, whose fighting prowess was in no way inferior to the government troops and was even stronger than his own garrison, charged straight towards him.

In an instant, the garrison troops were thrown into chaos.

Even though the actual casualties of the garrison troops weren't high at this point—consider that they left 300 men to garrison Fugu when they left, leaving the remaining 3,700 here—it had only been less than an hour since the ambush began. Although the fighting was fierce, the garrison troops had only suffered a few hundred casualties. Compared to the size of the entire force, these casualties were far from a sign of defeat.

The problem was that the garrison troops' mentality was compromised from the moment they were ambushed. Especially after Lu Jinchun was wounded and gave the order to break out, the garrison troops were preoccupied with the thought of escaping and had no intention of fighting the rebels to the death.

In addition, several attempts to break out failed, especially Lu Jinchun's elite guards who all returned empty-handed and were blocked. One can imagine the anxiety in the hearts of the various units of the garrison army after that.

Under these circumstances, Zhou Lun's troops took the initiative to attack, dealing a heavy blow to the garrison army.

Although Zhou Lun's troops were few in number, once formed into battle formation, they displayed an unstoppable force. The entire army was like a red-hot knife, cutting directly into butter, tearing apart the garrison army's already chaotic formation. Coupled with the counterattack from Huanglong and the arrival of Li Wanqing's troops from the south, the garrison army collapsed instantly.

Once the army collapsed, the situation was hopeless.

Even with dozens of people protecting him as he charged forward, Lu Jinchun was powerless to change the situation.

Lu Jinchun was a tough guy. Although his right arm was injured by an arrow and he couldn't use it, he still led his men in a fierce battle with his left hand holding a sword. While fighting, he shouted for his men to come closer to him and make a last stand.

Unfortunately, no matter how skilled Lu Jinchun was, he ultimately couldn't reverse the defeat.

In the end, he fell on the battlefield. He had been stabbed several times and riddled with holes by spears. As he died on the battlefield, his eyes wide open, devoid of life, staring blankly at the sky, as if telling of the resentment in his heart.

With Lu Jinchun's death, the remaining garrison troops completely lost the will to fight.

As shouts of "Your commander is dead! Those who kneel and lay down their weapons will be spared!" echoed across the battlefield, the various units of the garrison gradually gave up resistance. One by one, they dropped their weapons, covered their heads, squatted on the ground, and obediently surrendered.

After eliminating a few stubborn die-hards, nearly four thousand garrison troops were wiped out. Commander Lu Jinchun fought valiantly to the death, and the rebel army achieved a great victory.

Although Lu Jinchun's troops have been defeated, the battle is not over yet.

Compared to the garrison troops, the Mai Danian troops to the south were a tough nut to crack.

Unfortunately, even the toughest bone can eventually be gnawed down.

With the annihilation of Lu Jinchun's garrison troops, the rebel army not only completed its strategic plan to completely encircle Mai Danian, but also, due to the destruction of the garrison troops, Mai Danian's border troops became isolated and trapped.

Despite their fierce fighting, Mai Danian and his troops were outnumbered and outmaneuvered. Coupled with the ambush and unfavorable terrain, the border troops were unable to deploy their forces effectively. Even after repeatedly repelling the combined attacks of Wang Er and Zhao Sheng, they were unable to break through the enemy lines.

As time went by, and after the garrison troops were defeated by the rebel army, Gao Yingxiang led his troops to press in from the north, and Mai Danian was in utter despair.

The enemy was everywhere, and their numbers were increasing. Although he didn't know the specifics of Lu Jinchun's forces, judging from Mai Danian's combat experience, the garrison troops were likely in dire straits. He was now completely surrounded, with no way forward and no way back. Unless he grew wings, he had no chance of escaping.

Moreover, at this point, the rebels didn't need to attack at all. As long as they surrounded his troops, within two days, Mai Danian's forces, without water, would collapse on their own, and defeat would be imminent.

Unwilling to give up, Mai Danian gritted his teeth and personally led his elite troops in several breakout attempts, but no matter which direction they went, they could not break through.

As the sun began to set, he glanced at his exhausted men, their wounds and arrow wounds, and felt a mixture of grief and indignation, yet utterly powerless to do anything about it.

"Sir! Let's charge one more time!" The captain who had previously advised Mai Danian was covered in blood, his sword chipped and nicked. The long battle had taken its toll, but his expression remained as resolute as iron. "Charge from the south! I'll lead men to cover you, sir!"

Mai Danian slowly shook his head, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

He never imagined that he would be defeated by this group of rebels whom he had completely despised.

Breakout? He had tried. He'd tried several times, but each attempt was more difficult than the last. His troops had already suffered more than a third of their men as casualties, and after fighting all day, they were at their limit. Some were so exhausted they couldn't even lift their swords. How could they possibly break out in this situation?

He looked around, then looked up at the gray sky, and remained silent for a long time.

"Surrender," Mai Danian finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "I, Mai Danian, pride myself on being a hero, and have fought for the court for many years. I never imagined I would end up like this. I have failed the court, failed His Majesty, and failed all my brothers. If surrendering will allow the rebel army to spare our lives... then surrender."

"Sir!" The captain was so anxious that his voice changed.

Mai Danian waved his hand, interrupting him. He stood up, his tone eerily calm: "This defeat is entirely my fault; I have no one else to blame. If you want to save your brothers' lives, do as I say."

Before the captain could react, Mai Danian swung his sword horizontally and slashed it across his own neck.

It happened so fast that no one had time to react.

As the cries of alarm rang out, Mai Danian's body slumped to the ground. Blood streamed down his neck, his eyes were wide open, and he was lifeless.

"My lord..."

Instantly, cries erupted.

The men knelt down before Mai Danian's corpse and kowtowed three times. After rising, the captain wiped away a tear, threw away his already dulled sword, and, in a hoarse voice, gave the order to surrender.