Chapter 566: Possibly the Divine Machine Camp
Chapter 560 of "The Great Ming in the Box" kicks off revealing: Xing Honglangâs forces and Ma Xianglinâs forces continued to advance westward.Ahead lay Daining City.Ma Xianglin... Find out whatâs next!
Xing Honglangâs forces and Ma Xianglinâs forces continued to advance westward.Ahead lay Daining City.
Ma Xianglin looked at the county town ahead with one eye and sighed deeply: âDaining City was also a pitiful place. Back in the Third Year of Chongzhen, when the bandit groups from Shaanxi crossed the Yellow River into Shanxi, they had already ravaged Daining City once. Half the townâs residents were conscripted, and the city walls were toppled. I wanted to come to the rescue, but we didnât have enough troops and could barely defend Puxian. Unexpectedly, Zijin Liang sent three hundred fierce bandits to launch a night attack on Daining and easily captured it.â
Xing Honglang said: âThen the commoners inside the city, I fearâŚâ
Ma Xianglin nodded gravely.
The dilapidated county town was being baptized in the heavy rain. The town had no city walls, so the bandit army guarding it had no barriers to hold. Just like when Ma Xianglin defended Puxian, they had moved all sorts of chaotic equipmentârocks, wood, or broken cartsâto encircle the outer town, serving as simple fortifications.
Many bandit troops sat or crouched beneath these chaotic equipment fortifications, sheltering from the rain. Atop the highest roof in the town, several large flags were planted. Despite the rain, the winter wind lifted a corner of them, making them flutter slightly.
Ma Xianglin said: âThe rebel flags were so many. It seemed not just one bandit chief was inside.â
He strained to see with his one eye, but even with his 2.0 vision, from such a distance, he couldnât identify the characters on the flags clearly.
Xing Honglang beside him reached into his chest, pulled out a long tube, and handed it to Ma Xianglin: âGeneral Ma, use this to look.â
Ma Xianglin said: âEh? What was this? It resembled something Western.â
Xing Honglang laughed: âIt wasnât Western. It was made by our own glassmaker, and its name was telescope.â
The name was easy to grasp. Ma Xianglin felt quite curious. He took the telescope and needed no instruction to understand how to use it instantly. Hey, this device was really handy for someone with one eye; he didnât have to squeeze shut the other eye.
He peered through it with his one eye: âWhoa, those flags moved farther away?â
Xing Honglang said: âUpside down, upside down!â
Ma Xianglin quickly flipped the telescope around and looked again: âEh? Now they were close! Amazing! I could see clearly. I spotted one flag marked âWangâ, that was Zijin Liang Wang Ziyongâs flag, and another marked âKing of Disruptionâ, plus one beside it for âFan Mountain Hawkâ, âXi Ying Eighth Great Kingâ, âNan Ying Eighth Great KingââŚâ
After scanning around, Ma Xianglin couldnât put it down: âThis item was truly a treasure.â
It was still raining; the rain fell on the telescope, soaking the tube. Ma Xianglin hadnât minded at first, but now realizing it was a treasure, he couldnât bear to see it wet. He hastily wiped it on his clothes and passed it back to Xing Honglang with both hands: âGeneral Xing, donât let this fine treasure get ruined by the rain; put it away promptly.â
Just as Xing Honglang was about to take it back, her husband Gao Chuwu grinned and said: âThis, weâll gift to General Ma.â
âAh!â Ma Xianglin was startled: âSuch a marvel, given to me? I dared not accept.â
Gao Chuwu said: âGeneral Ma was a pillar of the state. You might well fight the Jurchens in Liaodong later. With this, dealing with the Jurchens would be more convenient. Please take it.â
He was usually simple-minded and poor-spoken, but now became unexpectedly eloquent. Xing Honglang and the others understood immediately: it was the Deity coaching him. The puppet deity had been sitting on Gao Chuwuâs shoulder, handy for whispering words one after another into his ear.
If it were ordinary wealth, Ma Xianglin would never accept it. But this telescope wasnât ordinary; it genuinely aided greatly in warfare. Ma Xianglin couldnât resist the temptation and had to accept it. He cautiously tucked it away, then cupped his fists: âToday I received this grand gift. I, One-Eyed Ma, cannot repay it. I will remember this debt.â
âSmall matter, small matter,â Gao Chuwu grinned: âNext, we must retake Daining City.â
Ma Xianglin frowned and asked seriously: âGeneral Xing, attacking a city wasnât the same as defending oneâit was significantly harder. Plus, the defending forces were over a hundred thousand strong. How do you plan to fight? What tactics were appropriate?â
Xing Honglang said: âTactics? No need for any tactics! Charge straight head-on.â
Ma Xianglin: ââŚâ
Fine, head-on it was. His nicknames were âZhao Zilongâ, âLittle Ma Chaoâ, and âOne-Eyed Maââwhen had he ever feared a frontal assault?
He tightened his grip on the white pole gun and shouted: âWhite pole troops from the river, weâre ready to go hard. We charge up front!â
The white pole troops responded in unison: âAlright!â
He had just finished the rally when Old Nan Feng popped up beside them: âGeneral Ma, donât charge ahead alone again. If you rush out, our firearms have to cease fire to avoid hitting you, so you just aid the enemy.â
Ma Xianglin: ââŚâ
His wife Zhang Fengyi laughed heartily.
Old Nan Feng continued: âDonât let the white pole troops charge ahead either. Just shield our firearm soldiers and defend against enemy charges.â
Hearing this, Ma Xianglin felt slightly displeased.
The white pole troops were famously brave across the land, fighting fearlessly, sacrificing for the state, never shrinking back. When was there ever talk of âdonât charge aheadâ or âshield the firearm soldiersâ?
He genuinely felt like arguing.
But having just accepted a gift, it didnât seem right to snap instantly.
Never mind, never mind. For the telescopeâs sake, heâd follow their plan in this battle.
Ma Xianglin said: âGood! Iâll first see how General Xing intends to wage this fight.â
Xing Honglang waved: the Gaojia Village Militia started preparingâŚ
Meanwhile, in Daining City.
Zijin Liang Wang Ziyong stood on a high rooftop; he was now using his real name Wang Ziyong again, no longer just his nickname. This naturally followed after he assumed Wang Jiayinâs troops, becoming the worldâs top bandit leader, and suddenly got a bit cocky.
With over two hundred thousand troops, why use an alias?
As for the nine familial exterminations? Hah, what were they good for? If the court killed them, so be it. Heâd remarry and father a new nine clans.
Wang Ziyong wasnât in a good mood now. Watching the approaching Gaojia Village Militia outside the city, he felt pressure.
âThat army outside was strangely strong,â Wang Ziyong told the bandit chiefs nearby. âAll armed with firearms, and the firearms fired far and fiercely, even on a rainy day. What was this freakish force?â
King of Disruption (Gao Yingxiang) poked out behind him, whispering: âIt might be the Divine Machine Camp from the capital.â
Nan Ying Eighth Great King popped his head out: âI heard the Divine Machine Camp had long since lost its edge. How could it still be so formidable?â