Chapter 112: Volume Three: Shunxiang Fort Garrison Commander, Chapter 112: Field Battle (Part 1)

Volume Three: Shunxiang Fort Garrison Commander, Chapter 112: Field Battle (Part 1)

The Qing infantry and cavalry advanced slowly in formation. From the distant dust and smoke, and the positions of the Qing banners, it was clear their attack would come from three directions. Two Niru Zhangjing would each lead a wave of infantry, and finally one Niru Zhangjing would lead elite cavalry in a decisive assault.

Their formation of men and horses was like a blade's tip, essentially still using the sharp formation of the early Southern Song Jurchen troops.

Under the sunlight, the slowly advancing Qing troops made the air feel suffocating and oppressive. The men beside Wang Dou involuntarily let out strange gasping sounds. Wang Dou looked to his left and right; the faces of the nearby guards and standard-bearers all showed grave expressions.

Though everyone was weary, their gazes were resolute and their eyes gleamed brightly. Not far from Wang Dou, the Provost Chi Dacheng stood with a stiff face, his expression as unchanging as ten thousand years. The medical officer Wang Tianxue, in his rumpled Confucian robe, watched the approaching enemy with a somewhat pale face. The medical assistants beside him looked no better.

Han Chao stared intently in that direction and said, "Surround on three sides, leave one open — it seems the slave-thieves are determined to take this first wave of attack."

Wang Dou sneered, "Today, we'll make them break off a few front teeth and let them know that I, Wang Dou, am not to be trifled with."

He shouted the order: "Form the circle formation."

Immediately, the command flag in the standard-bearer's hand beside him rose. The officers of each picket, watching his signals closely, called out one after another: "Change formation."

Following the central army's signal whistles, flags, and drums, the three small square formations on the field quickly converged, then slowly stretched outward on all sides, finally becoming a large formation that was hollow inside and circular outside. This great formation was one of ancient China's ten great formations — the circle formation — most advantageous for defense in open country.

Wang Dou's force was positioned outside Dongjiazhuang Fort, flat and open on all sides, with no place to anchor a defense. Wang Dou and his men had rushed over to help and had brought no chevaux-de-frise or such items. In this open field, with no distinction between front and rear, left and right, the highly mobile Qing elite cavalry could choose to attack from any direction at will.

As long as they wished, as long as they found an opening, the flanks, the rear — all would be their targets.

Wang Dou had no cavalry to protect his flanks and rear, and he was loath to throw his fewer than forty Night Scouts into a desperate fight against the Qing troops. Lacking sufficient cavalry, defending all sides in open country became a necessity. And deploying the circle formation was the most suitable choice.

In open country, the square formation is an offensive formation, while the circle formation conserves manpower and is more advantageous for defense. Moreover, if the battle situation turns favorable, the circle formation, with only a slight expansion, can transform back into an offensive square formation.

Wang Dou planned to first defend tenaciously, and after severely blunting the Qing troops' edge, switch from defense to offense and give those Qing soldiers a taste of their own medicine.

Thanks to the harsh training at Shunxiang Fort in peacetime, the Shunxiang army changed formation methodically, without the slightest clamor or disorder in the ranks.

Accompanied by banner and drum commands, while the Qing troops were still over two hundred paces away, Han Chao's right picket central army section completed its formation first. Most of them formed at the very front of the circle formation, each soldier deploying according to his picket and squad flags. By the time the point-beat drum sounded the third time, every man was already in his assigned position. Firelocks, blades and spears, firearms and shields — all assumed combat postures. Several hundred officers and soldiers suddenly roared in unison: "Guard! Guard! Guard!" The sound was deafening. They shouted three times, then stood silent and motionless.

Han Zhong's left picket section formed on the left side of the circle formation. The soldiers spaced themselves at intervals, each taking his position. Once they deployed, firelocks, firearms, and shields all assumed combat postures, and they shouted in unison "Charge! Charge! Charge!" three times, then likewise stood still and silent.

Very quickly, Sun Sanjie's section, arrayed on the right side, also completed its formation. They shouted in unison "Strike! Strike! Strike!"

After the entire circle formation finished assembling, all the soldiers roared in unison "Kill! Kill! Kill!" After three great shouts, a clash of cymbals sounded from the central army section, and instantly the entire circle formation fell utterly silent. Every soldier stood ready in strict formation, not making a single sound.

Wang Dou stood at the center of the formation. He looked around; by now, a great circle formation had been deployed around him.

To call it a circle formation is not quite accurate — it should be called a square-circle formation. At the front of the circle formation, directly facing the Qing main formation, Han Chao's section had deployed a straight main edge, composed of a small square formation. At the very front were the forty-five firelock soldiers of Han Chao's right picket, standing solemnly in three ranks with their firelocks, fifteen men per rank.

Every firelock soldier wore armor. Wang Dou had brought over six hundred fifty sets of armor; the three pickets numbered over six hundred sixty men, so nearly every man could be issued a set. Though the armor varied in quality, having armor was always better than having none.

Behind the three ranks of firelock soldiers were two more ranks of long-spear soldiers. These were the long-spearmen of the right picket's First Company. Each man held a shield, making them spear-and-shield soldiers, protecting against the sharp arrows shot by the Qing troops ahead. Including the squad leaders of each small squad, there were actually thirty spear-and-shield soldiers here, exactly divided into two ranks.

Behind them, Squad Commander Lei Xianbin of the right picket's First Company commanded here with his two guards, one standard-bearer, and one drummer.

At the left and right corners of these two ranks of spear-and-shield soldiers were another thirty firelock soldiers, fifteen at each corner, also standing in three ranks.

In Wang Dou's plan, at the junction of each picket in the circle formation, a portion of each picket's firelock soldiers was left. This way, the firelock soldiers could receive protection from the long-spear soldiers. After firing their firelocks, they could withdraw into the formation, reload, and then rush back to the junctions to fire again.

These firelock soldiers, after finishing their shooting and entering the formation, could also discard their firelocks, draw their swords, and serve as a reserve force.

The same applied to the three ranks of firelock soldiers at the very front.

The firelock soldiers and long-spear soldiers in this sector all took orders from Squad Commander Lei Xianbin of the right picket's First Company. And Lei Xianbin, in turn, took orders from the central army's command signals.

Behind the spear-and-shield soldiers was a battle line formed by the long-spear soldiers of the right picket's Second and Third Companies. They formed two ranks per company, four ranks in total, none carrying shields. Including the company officers, guards, and standard-bearers of the two companies, there were seventy men. The long-spear soldiers of the right picket's Third Company were placed at the very rear; besides preparing to join the fight, they were also considered for use as a reserve force, depending on how the battle developed.

In ancient military formations, the distance between soldiers, and between rows and columns, could not be too dense. A certain interval and distance had to be left so that various weapons could be wielded and the formation could change. Each Shunxiang Fort soldier occupied about one pace of ground. Thus, the three infantry companies of Han Chao's right picket formed a small square formation over twenty meters long, with nine ranks of soldiers arrayed.

Looking at Han Zhong's section on the left of the circle formation and Sun Sanjie's section on the right, they were arranged similarly, except their lines were slightly curved, not as square and straight as Han Chao's section.

Han Chao's right picket had four companies: First, Second, Third, and Fourth. Besides the First, Second, and Third Companies deployed here, the Fourth Company was transferred to the very rear of the circle formation. Transferred along with it were the First Company of Han Zhong's left picket and the Second Company of Sun Sanjie's rear picket.

The Qing troops habitually used tactics of frontal assault combined with flank and rear attacks. Especially with cavalry in hand, no place was safe. Distributing forces evenly also helped counter their offensive.

One picket of Shunxiang Fort had two hundred forty-nine men. One company of each picket, including the company commander, squad leaders, and all guards, standard-bearers, and drummers, totaled sixty men. Among them were fifty combat soldiers, with firelock soldiers and long-spear soldiers each making up half.

After yesterday's battle, both Han Zhong's section and Sun Sanjie's section were understrength. Han Zhong's left picket had suffered forty-nine casualties, with the left picket's First Company hit especially hard; his picket now had only two hundred men left. Sun Sanjie's rear picket had suffered twenty-five casualties, with the rear picket's Second Company also hit quite severely; his picket now had only two hundred twenty-four men left.

To maintain the combat strength of the two wings, the left picket and rear picket could only withdraw their most heavily damaged infantry companies and deploy them to the rear of the circle formation. As a result, the three companies of soldiers, including officers, guards, and standard-bearers, amounted to fewer than one hundred sixty combat soldiers at the rear of the circle formation. Among them, the number of firelock soldiers was only fifty. At the outermost edge of this part of the circle formation, only twenty firelock soldiers were deployed; the remaining thirty were likewise distributed at the two corners.

However, inside the circle formation were Wang Dou's eight guards and nearly forty Night Scouts. Besides serving as the overall reserve, they could also be used as troops to reinforce any part of the circle formation. At the rear position of this circle formation, Provost Chi Dacheng commanded the fighting, with several discipline-enforcing soldiers guarding beside him.

Wang Dou looked around. The banners of every picket and company stood solemnly. The officers and men were all in position, each gripping his weapon tightly, awaiting the coming battle.

Forming the formation so quickly was all thanks to the rigorous formation drills at Shunxiang Fort in peacetime. That was why the Shunxiang army took little time to transform from three unconnected small square formations into one circle formation — just a few drumbeats. Before the Qing troops had even entered within two hundred paces, the Shunxiang army had already completed its formation change.

Inside each side of the circle formation, Picket Officers Han Chao, Han Zhong, and Sun Sanjie each commanded the battle with their several guards, standard-bearers, and drummers. Their faces now showed expressions of self-satisfaction, clearly pleased at how quickly their pickets had formed up. But Wang Dou still felt dissatisfied; actually, it should have been even faster.

He always felt that in battle, splitting and using the firelock soldiers and long-spear soldiers within each company separately was very inconvenient. Later, after the Qing troops withdrew, he would establish pure firelock companies and pure long-spear companies — two of each per picket. That would make combat use much more convenient and handy.

Wang Dou narrowed his eyes and looked at the sun in the sky. The sunlight was still fierce, and the sun beating down on his thick iron plates gave his whole body an indescribable feeling of heat and irritation. He estimated it was around three in the afternoon, the beginning of the Shen hour in Great Ming timekeeping.

He reckoned this afternoon would see a bloody and brutal battle. Wang Dou steadied his mind, ordered the great banner waved, and immediately the surrounding pickets waved their banners in response. A sea of fluttering banners filled the army. Surging pride rose in Wang Dou's heart. Both sides had finished their deployments; now they would see who would prevail.

Seeing the Qing troops were still far off, he shouted: "Sit in formation."

Instantly, with a clatter, the sound of armor plates colliding rang out. Inside the circle formation, except for Wang Dou and the officers and standard-bearers of each picket who remained standing, everyone else sat down on the ground. This elevated the officers' field of vision. Moreover, with the heavy armor draped on the soldiers, it also allowed them to conserve some strength, building up energy for the coming battle.

The sun beat down on the dry earth. Time passed minute by minute, second by second. Slowly, those Qing troops in the dust drew closer, and finally they entered within a hundred-some paces of the circle formation.

Wang Dou could see very clearly: the first wave of approaching Qing troops numbered about two hundred men. At the blade-tip position were the several dozen armored death-dealers leading the way, every one of them clad in double-layered heavy armor and carrying heavy shields, led by several Fende Boshoku and Juanda.

Behind them or to their flanks, keeping a loose distance, followed several dozen skilled archers in light armor, led by some infantry Boshoku. Further back was a dark mass of soldiers wielding blades and weapons, some armored, some not. Amidst the crowd, figures with tall red tassels on their helmets and flame-pole banners on their backs, who appeared to be Bai Ba Ya La warriors, were especially eye-catching. Wang Dou also saw a Niru Zhangjing's official command banner appear among this wave of Qing troops.

Wang Dou could already judge that the main target of this wave of Qing troops was the front position of his circle formation. Besides this, two more clouds of dust were also rolling in — one wave of infantry, one wave of cavalry — but he did not yet know which parts of the circle formation they would attack.

Wang Dou's gaze was fixed on the Qing troops opposite. He estimated the distance. When the Qing troops entered within a hundred paces, he ordered the firelock soldiers at the front of the circle formation to stand.

The command flag in his standard-bearer's hand rose. Squad Commander Lei Xianbin of the right picket's First Company, watching his signals closely, immediately shouted: "Firelock soldiers, stand."

With a clatter, the three ranks of forty-five firelock soldiers at the very front of the circle formation, along with the thirty firelock soldiers at the two corners, all stood up. No one brushed the dust from his backside; each simply held his firelock in hand.

"Firelocks, prepare."

The sounds of lighting match-cords and adjusting firelocks rang out. The fixed paper cartridge ammunition in each man's firelock had long been loaded. They originally stood in three ranks. After each man lit his match-cord, the front rank of firelock soldiers immediately crouched down, while the rear two ranks remained standing, each still gripping his firelock tightly.

Seeing that the Qing troops ahead had already quickened their pace, their voices growing clearer and clearer, Lei Xianbin estimated the distance and shouted: "Prepare to fire."

Instantly, the clatter of firelocks shifting rang out. The firelock soldiers in both the front and rear ranks raised their firelocks and aimed at the charging Qing troops ahead. Using the sights on their firelocks, each found his own target. The sun blazed down, and every firelock soldier's face was flushed red, but they all kept their lips tightly pressed together, concentrating solely on aiming.

The Qing soldiers quickly advanced to within eighty paces. With a battle cry, they began to accelerate, charging forward with wild shouts.

Watching them surge forward in a dark mass, Lei Xianbin's palms were drenched in sweat. His right hand pressed downward repeatedly as he said in a steady voice, "Hold steady, hold steady!"

Apart from the shouts of the Qing soldiers and Lei Xianbin's voice, the Shunxiang Army on this side of the circular formation remained utterly silent. Aside from the standing arquebusiers, the rest of the soldiers still sat quietly in the sunlight. Yet many of their heads turned involuntarily to look toward the direction from which the Qing soldiers were charging.

From the Qing soldiers' perspective, the Ming army had formed a circular formation, with some arquebusiers in front. But their side remained eerily quiet. When they reached seventy paces, their arquebuses did not fire. At sixty paces, they still did not fire.

Staring at the dark mass of arquebus muzzles on the other side, many of the charging Qing soldiers grew alarmed and uncertain.