Chapter Nineteen: Seizing the Gate (Continued)

The most fatal drawback of the matchlock musket was its rate of fire: loading powder, loading the bullet, tamping it down, aiming, firing, and then cleaning the barrel afterward—each shot took over a minute. Because of this, the three-rank volley fire tactic was born. Soldiers were divided into three ranks, firing and reloading in turn, ensuring a continuous rate of fire.

The Ming army was no stranger to this. As early as the beginning of the Ming dynasty, Mu Ying had employed the three-rank firing tactic in Yunnan to deal with the native elephant cavalry.

Xie Bin, coming from the imperial guards and well practiced in drills, immediately ordered his troops to prepare to fire as the wagons formed ranks. Thirty dark muskets aimed at the rebel army, and a volley sent a dozen men down.

Encouraged, Xie Bin shouted, "Brothers, aim and fire!"

The second volley followed immediately. The scorching lead balls rained down like hail on the rebel forces. Liu Zongmin, a seasoned commander, recognized the flashes of gunfire and knew muskets were being used.

But he paid it no mind; he had faced Ming firearms before. In truth, their effect was more psychological than practical, both to intimidate the enemy and sometimes even themselves. Musketeers often closed their eyes when firing, fearing their barrels might explode at any moment.

This time, however, Liu Zongmin miscalculated. The batch of muskets procured by Gu Zhenhua was top-notch—longer range, greater power, and far more reliable. At twenty or thirty paces, a single volley felled over ten men, some blown apart to bloody shreds.

A chill ran down Liu Zongmin’s spine as the dark muzzles pointed directly at him. Desperate, he kicked his horse to the side, using it as a shield.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The musket shots hit the horse five times, tearing the flesh and shattering its massive head. Liu Zongmin, though unharmed behind the horse, broke into cold sweat and fled without hesitation.

At that moment, the soldiers in the third rank crouched and took aim, preparing to fire. Liu Zongmin, a fierce general who had risen from the dead, reacted swiftly. As he fled, he grabbed a soldier and threw him over his shoulder as a human shield.

Two lead balls struck the human shield; Liu Zongmin staggered as if struck by a heavy hammer but was not seriously injured. Spotting a cavalryman nearby, he ruthlessly pulled him down, mounted the horse, and fled.

“Trying to run? Not so easy!”

Gu Zhenhua’s ribs still throbbed painfully from his earlier encounter with Liu Zongmin; he wasn’t about to let him escape. If Liu regrouped with more men, they’d never leave the city alive.

“Giddy up!”

Gu Zhenhua whipped his horse into a flash of lightning and gave chase, drawing his bow as he rode. To shoot arrows accurately from horseback took years of practice, but after transmigrating, Gu Zhenhua’s physical abilities had greatly improved, and his talent for archery and horsemanship was astonishing. With just a little guidance from Sun Cheng, he was already quite proficient.

Squinting, he estimated the distance between himself and Liu Zongmin, then released an arrow in a graceful arc toward the fleeing general a hundred paces away.

Battle-hardened, Liu Zongmin sensed the shot and instinctively turned his head. The feathered arrow whizzed past his left ear, slicing off half his ear with terrifying force. He screamed in pain, blood streaming down his face and neck, his bulky frame nearly toppled from the horse.

Gripping the reins tightly, Liu Zongmin stabbed his horse mercilessly with his dagger, the pain spurring the steed to greater speed. Gu Zhenhua fired two more arrows; one missed, but the other struck the horse’s leg.

Both man and mount were injured. Realizing the situation was dire, Liu glanced sideways and saw dozens of wagons parked along the roadside, all recently looted. In desperation, he shouted, “Block the road, now!”

The coachmen, though frightened, obeyed, whipping their animals to the road’s center, instantly sealing off the path.

Gu Zhenhua’s horse had just caught up. Watching Liu Zongmin flee farther, his anger boiled over. Taking it out on the coachmen, he swung his saber, decapitating one instantly; blood splattered the wagon curtains.

“Ah!”

A piercing scream erupted from inside a carriage. Furrowing his brow, Gu Zhenhua lifted the curtain with his blade. At that moment, a young girl raised her head and looked out.

Their eyes met, and Gu Zhenhua’s heart trembled violently. Her clear, bright eyes shone like stars, revealing the depths of her soul—fear, terror, hatred, sorrow—a flood of desolation that stirred his pity.

Once young and wealthy, many famous actresses had failed to touch his heart, but this single glance nearly overwhelmed him.

Of course, now was no time for sentiment. He quickly dismissed his thoughts and peered inside. Three girls huddled together, trembling. Two, dressed in red and green, were petite and identical—a pair of sisters.

The girl in the middle, owner of those eyes, crouched tightly in the corner. Though trying to stay calm, her trembling shoulders betrayed her deep fear. Her pale face and clenched teeth fought back tears, evoking a fragile helplessness.

Gu Zhenhua wanted to ask about their origins but hesitated. Just then, Xue Biao arrived with reinforcements and inspected the wagons, his eyes lighting up.

“Fourth brother, these wagons are full of gold and silver—definitely looted by Liu Zongmin. Should we take them?”

“Of course!” Gu Zhenhua snapped back, pointing to the wagons. “Third brother, protect these and let’s get out of the city.”

Xue Biao nodded eagerly. Over forty wagons joined Gu Zhenhua’s forces as they charged toward Chaoyang Gate.

“Guard Xie, your command of the three-rank volley was very skilled. Do you practice it often?”

Xie Bin hurriedly replied, “Yes, but mostly just for show to satisfy our superiors. I’ve read Grandfather Qi’s ‘New Book of Effective Techniques’ and picked up a bit of theory.”

Gu Zhenhua nodded, then said, “Guard Xie, have you noticed that in urban combat, where distances are close, the firepower of three-rank volleys is clearly insufficient? If Liu Zongmin had brought more men just now, we might have been scattered.”

Xie Bin, still elated from defeating a major general, now felt a twinge of fear at Gu Zhenhua’s words. Indeed, the three-rank volley had its flaws.

“Sir Gu, do you have any clever ideas?”

“Yes. We switch to five-rank volley fire. That will increase fire density.”

Xie Bin had expected some brilliant tactic but felt deflated hearing this. He smiled wryly. “Sir Gu, three-rank volley fire wasn’t decided casually. Three men alternating reloading and firing maintain the rate of fire and prevent confusion. Suddenly making it five men without training will cause chaos and reduce combat effectiveness. I think it’s impractical.”

Gu Zhenhua laughed heartily. “Guard Xie, the five-rank volley I’m talking about isn’t five shooters—it’s just one man!”

“One man?”

“Yes. In the three-rank volley, the shooter must reload himself. We can have him focus solely on firing while others handle the reloading.”

Xie Bin’s eyes lit up. “Sir Gu, that’s brilliant! Separating shooting and reloading will definitely save time. With our number of muskets, we can even do ten-rank volley fire and leave the bandits in tatters.”

Without delay, Xie Bin organized his soldiers into loading and shooting teams. The loaders sat on wagons, quickly preparing muskets, while each shooter carried two loaded muskets—fully armed and ready.

After charging through a city block, Chaoyang Gate appeared ahead. But chaos reigned; three to five hundred men fought in a mêlée. From his horse, Gu Zhenhua saw two bloodied men locked in fierce combat with a breakthrough general in the center.

Though drenched in blood, they fought on without retreat. A sudden sharp pain stabbed Gu Zhenhua’s heart, as if pricked by needles.

“Big Brother! Second Brother! Little Brother is here!”