The Great Ming in the Box

Chapter 428: Opening Fire

Old Zhang Fei’s rebellion over the years had not been in vain. Back in Chongzhen Year One, he rebelled with Bu Zhan Ni, and by now, he had over three years of military life. Through battles against officials and local militia troops, he had accumulated rich combat experience.

He was now well aware of the power of weapons like the Three-Eyed Divine Firearm and Firearms.

The hit rate of these firearms was extremely low, and their power was weak. At a distance of thirty zhang, they basically couldn’t penetrate a one-inch thick wooden board.

Of course, the closer the distance, the stronger the lead bullets’ penetration became.

At about ten zhang away, a one-inch thick wooden board was at risk of being penetrated.

Therefore, he made the fierce bandits create these one-and-a-half-inch thick wooden boards.

Their thickness equaled a thick, large cutting board, very heavy and impossible to carry with one hand. They had to be propped with both hands, the lower edge pushed against the ground, then slowly advanced. Even at ten zhang away, the Three-Eyed Divine Firearm and Firearms failed to penetrate such a thick board.

The fierce bandits could use these boards to get close enough to the enemy.

Once they covered four or five zhang, the bandit troops could discard the boards and dash to the wooden stockade wall.

This stockade wall was thin and single-layered, unable to support standing on top, so it had no defenders stationed there. The bandit troops could easily climb it; breaching this wall meant certain victory with their numerical superiority.“Don’t waste words on those in the stockade—attack directly,” Old Zhang Fei waved his hand. “We’re in a rush, to raze this stockade to the ground before Xing Honglang returns.”

The bandit army only slightly adjusted its formation at two arrow-shots’ distance away before beginning to press toward the stockade. The lead rebels lifted the thick boards and strained to push them slowly forward.

As they pressed ahead, the civilians in the stockade grew terrified.

Many refugees from Pujiao Temple wept, while the elderly and weak, women and children huddled together, shaking. The able-bodied men sweated heavily, tightening their grips on farming tools.

But they heard Old Nan Feng laugh loudly from the high watchtower. “Cowards, don’t peer over the wall—just stay huddled in the cabins. If you don’t look, you won’t be scared.”

“If I don’t look, I’ll be more afraid.”

There were only three watchtowers, now packed with archers. With limited space, about twenty archers stood atop. They took out Kaiyuan Bows, judged the distance sufficient, and whooshed arrows down at the bandit army below.

The arrows shot down from on high easily soared over the boards held by the front ranks and fell on the rear bandit troops.

But those bandit troops were prepared. Without thick boards, they had leather shields, wooden shields, pot lids, and similar objects. They raised these, blocking the scattered arrows from the watchtowers with ease.

A few impatient bandit troops drew bows to retaliate at the watchtowers. Shooting from low to high reduced their range. Their bows were inferior to the Kaiyuan Bows of the Gaojia Village Militia, so the arrows weakened halfway and thudded harmlessly against the stockade wall.

Behind the stockade wall, the firearm soldiers gauged the distance and grew restless to act. Many lifted the flaps over firing ports, peering out frequently.

But Old Nan Feng shouted, “Firearm soldiers, hold steady! At this range, you can’t pierce their thick shields. Don’t waste bullets rashly.”

The firearm soldiers had to grit their teeth and stay put.

The bandit troops pushed ahead smoothly. Quickly, they closed in to twenty zhang away…

At this distance, only a trickle of arrows flew from across, making them feel “cola.” Old Zhang Fei burst out laughing. “Hahaha, Xing Honglang is gone! The remaining soldiers here are all trash, clueless about fighting. We’ve come this close, and they haven’t fired a single shot. Boys, snap to—the food in the stockade is nearly ours!”

Just then, Old Nan Feng addressed the archers on the watchtowers. “Get down—time to rotate.”

The archers nodded, swiftly retreating. Then Gao Chuwu climbed up with twenty grenadiers.

Gao Chuwu declared, “This distance is about right! We’re in grenadier range.”

Old Nan Feng chuckled. “Yes! Beacon tower, light the fire.”

At the center of the stockade, a pre-prepared bonfire ignited, sending a dark plume of smoke skyward…

On the river north, the warship captain, long waiting, rejoiced. “Set sail, head back to ancient ferry dock.”

Old Nan Feng chuckled again. “General Gao, I led cavalry camp out to charge—I leave this to you.”

Gao Chuwu grinned. “I’ll handle what follows.”

“Good!”

Old Nan Feng scrambled down the watchtower, mounted a warhorse, and galloped to the stockade’s side gate. There, over two hundred cavalry waited. He rode ahead, spear ready, and laughed. “Steady, let General Gao fight first.”

The first to act was, naturally, Gao Chuwu.

He was the man in Gaojia Village’s Grenade Troops who could hurl grenades farthest. Under brute force, he could toss nearly eighty meters.

But ordinary grenadiers paled in comparison; most only reached about twenty zhang.

That’s why Old Nan Feng waited till the bandit army reached twenty zhang before swapping watchtower archers for grenadiers.

As Gao Chuwu threw…

The twenty grenadiers already atop ignites the fuses.

“Wow, this watchtower’s cramped—no space for a run-up. Can’t throw far!”

“At least chuck it seventeen or eighteen zhang?”

“Dammit, fuse is lit—gotta pitch it.”

“Throw now, or it’ll blow us to bits!”

Raucous shouts filled the small watchtower as twenty Fuse Hand Grenades, tailing Gao Chuwu’s, flew out together.

At that moment, the bandit troops advanced confidently…

The carefully guarded firearms remained silent; the salt smugglers inside shuddered, certain they had won.

Then, tiny black spheres plummeted from above, landing behind the wooden barrier wall.

The not-so-bright fierce bandits glanced at the ground balls, thoughts stuck on “What’s this?” when the fuses burned out. With a blast, the spheres shattered.

Invisible shrapnel instantly mowed down surrounding fierce bandits.

Some died without a sound.

The board-carriers staggered and fell, instantly scrambling the wall.

Seeing this, the firearm soldiers didn’t wait for orders. They flung open the flaps, thrust their Firearms through the portals, trained them on the bandit army, and discharged!