Chapter 244: The Battle of Dingzhou

Over ten thousand officers and soldiers of the Xuan-Da forces set out from Qingdu county town early in the morning and arrived at the banks of the Tang River that afternoon.

At the Dingzhou stone bridge, elite Qing soldiers stood guard. Lu Xiangsheng had long since ordered a halt to the march. He was quite surprised — he had not expected the Qing troops to also hold a position by relying on the terrain. He ordered the army to deploy in formation on a stretch of hard, open riverbank not far from the Tang River.

Then the assembled generals, following behind his horse, all raised their eyes and gazed toward Dingzhou on the opposite bank. In the distance, the imposing silhouette of Dingzhou city was faintly visible. Dingzhou, with its three sides walled and one side encircled by water, had always been known as a strategic stronghold of Hebei and a vital thoroughfare of the realm; its walls were built exceptionally solid. The local Guard Commander of the Tengxiang Guard, along with the defending Department Magistrate, jointly garrisoned the city.

Around the city walls, a vast expanse of camp tents bearing white-bordered red banners could be dimly seen. The Qing troops besieging Dingzhou over there were the army of the Qing's Bordered White Banner, led by the Bordered White Banner Master Dodo and the Beile of the Abundant Rank, Abatai.

The cold wind swept across the riverbank, whipping everyone's clothes, banners, and flags into a loud flapping sound, howling as it scraped across their faces with a pain like a knife cutting. Dingzhou lies in a semi-humid, semi-arid zone; its winters are always cold, dry, and with little snow. During the Great Ming's Little Ice Age, the weather was even colder.

In the cold wind, Lu Xiangsheng and the others stood motionless. After a long while, Lu Xiangsheng gave a cold laugh and said, "The slave-thieves rely on the terrain to defend. It seems wise, but in truth it is foolish. My Xuan-Da army has numerous cannons and firelocks. How can a mere stone bridge halt the advance of my great army?"

"Today we shall take the stone bridge, mass our forces beneath the walls of Dingzhou, and then fight the slave-thieves to the death!"

He ordered Wang Dou's unit to attack, and also commanded the cannons to provide covering bombardment.

……

Five heavy red-barbarian six-pounder cannons from the Viceroy's Personal Battalion were pushed to the riverbank, their dark, dense muzzles aimed at the enemy on the opposite bank. Zhao Xuan, the artillery company commander in Wang Dou's army, was not to be outdone, and also had several of his army's falconet cannons pushed forward. With a river channel a hundred paces wide, the range of the army's large falconets could cover and suppress the opposite bank with canister shot.

While the artillerymen busied themselves, Wang Dou's several thousand troops stood quietly in formation behind the densely packed cannons.

It could be seen very clearly that on the opposite side of the stone bridge, multiple layers of chevaux-de-frise had been set up, the bridge itself was strewn with iron caltrops, and it seemed that multiple trenches had been dug along the riverbank around the stone bridge. This Qing troop formation was very puzzling to behold.

No matter how they arranged their defenses, they would be overcome by force — opening the way with cannons and firelocks was the answer.

Compared to the breech-loading method of the falconet cannons in Wang Dou's army, the red-barbarian cannons of the Viceroy's Personal Battalion were slightly different: they were muzzle-loaded, using a wooden sabot and cluster shot — one large ball, wrapped in red wood-cloth and rammed into the bore. Then a packet of twelve smaller balls was loaded in after it. They also used cranks and screws to adjust the direction of the muzzle, unlike the falconet cannons which used wooden wedges.

The artillerymen in the Viceroy's Personal Battalion also seemed quite elite and well-trained, but Wang Dou observed that when they aimed their cannons, they still used a relatively primitive parallax method, estimating distance with their eyes and thumbs. The artillerymen in Wang Dou's army, by contrast, relied on experiential insights gained from extensive live-fire cannon practice.

For this kind of canister shot firing, however, there was no need to estimate the fall of shot; one simply leveled the cannon and fired.

Watching Zhao Xuan direct the artillerymen, occasionally glaring at the friendly troops of the Viceroy's Personal Battalion with the expression of a competitive rooster, Wang Dou could not help but smile. He saw that the artillerymen on both sides had already completed their deployment. The crews of the five red-barbarian cannons turned their cranks, lowering the muzzles, striving to aim at the mass of Qing troops and chevaux-de-frise on the opposite bank.

One of the red-barbarian cannons was positioned not far from the bridgehead, its dark, dense muzzle aimed at the chevaux-de-frise on the other end of the bridge. Faintly visible beyond the chevaux-de-frise were the gleaming silver mercury-washed armor of the Qing baiyala soldiers and the dancing pole-flags on their backs.

"Fire!"

Almost simultaneously, a deafening roar of cannon fire erupted. A vast cloud of smoke billowed up, and screaming cannonballs hurtled toward the opposite bank. Especially those few red-barbarian cannons — each fired over a dozen large and small projectiles, making the scene even more spectacular.

After the cannonballs were launched, Wang Dou and the others all focused intently, watching the results of the bombardment. Regrettably, although a commotion arose among the Qing troops opposite, they were largely unharmed. The riverbank ground on the other side was likely rather soft; the cannonballs did not ricochet much after landing. Unless they scored a direct hit, their lethality was somewhat lacking.

Clearly, it was still somewhat difficult for these cannonballs to accurately strike the small targets of the chevaux-de-frise. It also seemed that many Qing soldiers were hiding within the trenches, and the canister fire from the falconet cannons had little effect on them either.

Only the red-barbarian cannon near the bridgehead achieved results. Its six-pound heavy ball directly smashed a large section of the chevaux-de-frise into collapse. Not only did that cannonball send the chevaux-de-frise flying, but it also bounded directly into the chest of a baiyala soldier not far behind, tearing a massive bloody hole through his body. The remaining dozen or so smaller balls flew wildly in all directions, bouncing across the hard bridge surface, directly carving out a trail of blood.

"Pull the falconets onto the bridge!"

Zhao Xuan jumped with glee. Under his command, and under the watchful eyes of the friendly troops, several Shunxiang Army artillerymen pushed a heavy falconet cannon onto the bridgehead. Under the terrified gazes of the Bordered White Banner baiyala soldiers on the opposite side, they calmly loaded a canister shot breech-block.

"Fire!"

Amidst Zhao Xuan's earth-shaking shout, an artilleryman swiftly ignited the cannon.

With a thunderous "Boom!", a vast swath of lead balls and iron shot directly swept away several rows of chevaux-de-frise on the opposite side of the bridge, accompanied by a chorus of screams from the Qing baiyala soldiers over there, and the sight of them scrambling and fleeing back.

"Firelock soldiers, advance!"

At Wang Dou's command, Tian Qiming, the company commander of the Third Main Company under Han Zhong, brandished his long saber, and immediately a squad of firelock soldiers charged onto the bridgehead. Then squad after squad of firelock soldiers formed up behind them, quietly awaiting their turn to join the battle.

The bridge surface could only accommodate five firelock soldiers marching abreast. Once that squad of firelock soldiers reached the bridgehead, they immediately gripped their firelocks and advanced, file by file. Since the Qing soldiers ahead did not shoot arrows at them, they cleared the chevaux-de-frise and iron caltrops from the bridge. When Qing soldiers appeared a hundred paces, or several tens of paces ahead, they fired from the bridge, maintaining a continuous stream of fire, file by file.

The Qing bows posed little threat to them at a distance. But their firelocks could pierce the heavy armor of the Qing soldiers from several tens of paces away. Even with the ferocity of the baiyala soldiers, those Qing troops who charged at them in wave after wave were merely throwing their lives away. Very quickly, the firelock soldiers under Tian Qiming's company seized the Dingzhou Bridge.

Their view suddenly opened up. Ahead was an open plain, and a flat official road led straight from the Dingzhou Bridge directly to the walls of Dingzhou city. Spreading out from both sides of the stone bridge, several trenches had been dug a few dozen paces from the riverbank. It seemed the Qing soldiers from earlier had been sheltering in these trenches to evade the bombardment.

On the official road directly ahead, however, no trenches had been dug. After seizing the Dingzhou Bridge, Tian Qiming immediately established a defensive perimeter centered on the bridgehead area, using sword-and-shield soldiers with their shields for cover, while continuously firing at the Qing soldiers charging from both sides ahead.

Their firelocks effectively blocked the Qing charges. Then squad after squad of firelock soldiers followed up. After that, one war-wagon after another was pushed forward. This bridgehead position was now firmly held.

……

Several hundred paces from the Dingzhou Bridge, a large contingent of Qing troops was massed here — a vast sea of red and white banners. Amidst the banners, three enormous gold-threaded dragon standards stood tall. The masters of these dragon standards were: one, the Bordered White Banner Master Dodo; another, the Beile of the Abundant Rank, Abatai; and the third, the Bordered White Banner's baiyala commander.

Listening to and watching the gunpowder smoke, the shouts and sounds of slaughter over there, and the faintly audible deafening crack of firelocks, Dodo and Abatai remained impassive. The baiyala commander, however, could not stop the brutish flesh on his face from twitching. The valor of the Ming army had greatly exceeded his expectations. The commander roughly estimated that in this short battle, the baiyala warriors in his own camp had already suffered nearly a hundred casualties, yet the Ming army was still advancing step by step. His sons and lads were merely putting up a futile resistance.

After a long while, the Bordered White Banner Master said, "Seventh Brother was right. That Wang Dou is indeed a formidable foe. Toward this Ming army unit, we absolutely must not harbor any thought of underestimating them."

The Beile of the Abundant Rank said flatly, "This Ming army unit's fire weapons are sharp, but that is not truly what is fearsome. There are many Ming units with excellent firearms, like the troops of Prince Gongshun and the others. Did they not also surrender to our Great Qing? What is fearsome is this unit's boldness in battle, their strict discipline — from the highest general down to the lowliest soldier, all possess a resolve to fight to the death. That is what sets them apart from other Ming army units."

A look of defiance appeared on Dodo's young face. He said, "So, according to this, this Ming army unit is invincible? In the future, when the warriors of our Great Qing encounter Wang Dou's Ming troops, must we take a detour? Seventh Brother's words are too demoralizing to our own prestige, and boost the enemy's morale!"

Abatai said, "The Ming general Wang Dou was praised by the Ming Emperor as the bravest of the three armies. The Bordered Red Banner Master suffered a great loss precisely because he underestimated him. Indeed, when we encounter Wang Dou's unit, we must be careful and more careful, cautious and more cautious. We must absolutely not underestimate the enemy, lest we lose the warriors of our banner!"

The Bordered White Banner Master said, "Then according to Seventh Brother, how should we fight when we encounter Wang Dou's unit in the future?"

Abatai pondered for a long moment, then said, "When fighting Wang Dou's unit in the field, it is difficult to find a flaw in their formation. We can only leverage the strengths of our cavalry, avoid a direct frontal confrontation with them, and deal with them after they run out of ammunition and provisions."

Then a somber look appeared on his face: "Alas, now Wang Dou's unit is under the command of the Ming Minister Lu Xiangsheng. Lu Xiangsheng has many cavalry under his command, so Wang Dou now has someone to rely on... it will be difficult..."

Dodo remained silent. Young and full of vigor, he did not agree with Abatai's words. Another layer of worry appeared on his face: "The Ming Lu Xiangsheng's forces are now strong — over ten thousand troops. We, the Bordered White Banner, have only five thousand men under the walls of Dingzhou, with fewer than two thousand armored men. We asked Fourteenth Brother at Gaoyang for reinforcements, but I don't know if he will send any..."

In this Qing incursion, aside from the two Yellow Banners of Huang Taiji and his son Hooge, the troops of every other banner, including the Eight Banner Mongols, had been mobilized, along with tens of thousands of auxiliary soldiers and camp followers. However, after Baoding, the main Qing force had split into eight routes to attack and plunder cities. Now, the forces on every front and every route had been spread thin.

In the past, they had bullied the Ming army for not daring to fight in the field. But now, encountering an army that truly dared to fight and struggle, they found themselves helpless, suddenly aware that their own forces were too weak. Dodo could only hope that the reinforcements sent by Dorgon from beneath the walls of Gaoyang would arrive quickly.

Abatai suddenly said, "Fifteenth Brother, in my opinion, we should withdraw to Gaoyang and join forces with the General Commanding the Expedition. This Ming army unit is full of spirit; we have no need to engage them in a decisive battle."

Abatai's words instead provoked Dodo's pride. He had never held this elder brother in high regard, and now, hearing these disheartening words, he cried out even louder: "Withdraw? In the eyes of our Great Qing warriors, when has there ever been such a word as 'withdraw'? Though the Ming army has over ten thousand men, since the rise of our Great Qing troops, when have we not used the few to strike the many? My five thousand Bordered White Banner warriors can easily slaughter the Ming army on the opposite bank, leaving not a single piece of armor behind."

A cold sneer appeared on his face: "Bravest of the three armies? Cannot be confronted head-on? Tomorrow, this Prince will engage Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou in a direct frontal battle, and ruthlessly hurl their title of 'bravest of the three armies' from their horses. I will also let them witness the might of our Great Qing's Bordered White Banner, strike terror and despair into their hearts, so that henceforth they will never again dare to entertain the thought of fighting us head-on."

Looking at Dodo's young, arrogant face, Abatai sneered inwardly: "Idiot!"

……

The sound of gongs and drums arose. The Bordered White Banner baiyala soldiers defending the bridge withdrew like the receding tide, then assembled under Dodo's great banner. In a strict and orderly military formation, they slowly retreated back into their main camp at Dingzhou. Wang Dou led the Shunxiang Army and smoothly seized the Dingzhou Bridge. At the bridgehead, he welcomed Lu Xiangsheng and the others, whose faces were full of smiles.

That afternoon, Lu Xiangsheng led over thirteen thousand Xuan-Da troops in a grand, sweeping procession across the Dingzhou Bridge, and set up camp several li from the Qing army's main camp, on the upper reaches of the Tang River. The local Dingzhou Department Magistrate and the officers and soldiers of the Tengxiang Guard were overjoyed upon hearing of the reinforcements' arrival, and for days sent provisions and fodder to support the troops.

That evening, Lu Xiangsheng summoned the generals of the various garrisons to discuss military affairs through the night. Meanwhile, inside the Qing army's main camp, Dodo did not receive the reinforcements he had hoped for that night. Instead, he received a handwritten order from Dorgon, instructing Dodo to pull out all his troops and head for Gaoyang, to swiftly withdraw from beneath the walls of Dingzhou. Dodo was so enraged that he tore the order to shreds.

He had already made up his mind: early the next morning, he would march out of camp and fight a decisive battle with the Ming army on the opposite side.

……

The tenth day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of the Chongzhen reign.

The weather was still cold. Gust after gust of strong wind swept past, piercingly, bitingly cold.

From early morning, the main bodies of the Ming army and the Qing troops had already left their camps and assembled in formation in front of their encampments. Looking across at each other, the fields were filled with the banners and warriors of the opposing side.

Wang Dou turned his head to glance at his left and right flanks. On both sides of his own formation, densely packed warhorses and allied formations of vermilion-lacquered armor stretched out, a vast sea of fiery red banners seeming to stretch beyond sight. In Lu Xiangsheng's battle array, he, Datong Regional Commander Wang Pu, and Xuanfu Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Yan formed the center army; Xuanfu Regional Commander Yang Guozhu formed the left wing; Shanxi Regional Commander Hu Dawei formed the right wing. Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army served as the vanguard.

The opposing Bordered White Banner Qing troops seemed intent on a direct confrontation. With Wang Dou's unit—renowned for valor surpassing the three armies and having achieved two great victories with nearly a thousand heads taken—as the vanguard's main strength, no one raised objections, and Wang Dou was indifferent to the arrangement. With this deployment, the wings and center army had abundant cavalry, so both his flanks and rear were quite secure. Positioned at the front of the battle array, he could also fight with peace of mind.

Gazing at the surging main body of Qing troops opposite, a sea of white banners bordered in red that seemed to stretch beyond sight, three towering, gigantic woven-gold dragon banners were faintly visible. Wang Dou, mounted on his chestnut-red steed, exhaled deeply.

This was the first major pitched battle he had fought in coordination with allied forces since taking the field this year. Opposite him was the main strength of the Bordered White Banner Qing troops. Who would prevail was impossible to know. But Wang Dou knew that in today's battle, he would certainly teach the opposing Qing troops an unforgettable lesson. He had that confidence!

Wang Dou's command wagon had already become Lu Xiangsheng's command chariot. His observation pole wagon was likewise erected not far from Lu Xiangsheng's center army standard-bearer. The Shunxiang Army signalman atop it could relay the movements of the Qing battle array at any time. Lu Xiangsheng naturally could not refuse Wang Dou's kind gesture.

Standing on the war chariot, he gazed with immense gratification at the vanguard, Wang Dou's troops. Since forming ranks, they had stood rigidly disciplined in the freezing wind, not a single man stirring in the slightest, from Company Commanders down to the common soldiers, every one of them the same. Even without seeing their expressions, one could imagine the composure on their faces.

In contrast, the soldiers of the Viceroy's Personal Battalion and the Datong garrison beside him all wore tense expressions. After all, the Qing troops' fearsome reputation had long endured, especially their invincibility in field battles. Although the Qing had only five thousand men while they had thirteen thousand, and had even won a victory days earlier, still—facing the Qing troops directly without forming a wagon fortress or relying on barriers—many of the Xuan-Da officers and soldiers could not suppress the fear and unease in their hearts.

The reputation of Wang Dou's unit—valor surpassing the three armies—was truly well-deserved! With Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army present, it was a blessing for the Great Ming! Lu Xiangsheng sighed with emotion, then ordered the standard-bearer beside him to wave the signal flags. Immediately, the vanguard, the center army, and the left and right wings all responded with a wave of command banners, and a forest of spears and halberds rose.

Heroic passion surged in Lu Xiangsheng's heart. In today's battle, he would deal the slave rebels a heavy blow, so that henceforth they would never dare look down on his Great Ming imperial troops again. His spirit flew toward Gaoyang. After the battle of Dingzhou, he could muster his remaining valor and lift the siege of Gaoyang.

The low sound of horns rang out. The great Qing formation opposite was already slowly advancing, their dense forest of spears and sea of red-and-white banners gradually growing larger. The white armor with red trim of their mounted riders was now visible, along with the red tassels fluttering atop their helmets.

They advanced without a word, only the heavy thud of countless hooves striking the earth resounding. Though their momentum was oppressive, it carried an air of irresistible force. Lu Xiangsheng heard the heavy, ragged breathing of the officers and men beside him. He gave a cold snort and said, "Pass on my order: advance to meet them!"

The center army's great banner waved again. Following the signal, the great formation of the Xuan-Da troops paused, then the combined formation of four battle arrays slowly began to move as well. Countless warriors of the three garrisons urged their horses forward, gripping their weapons and banners as they controlled their mounts and advanced. The shouts of officers rang out from time to time, ordering their subordinates to maintain the strict order of the marching columns.

In the direction of the vanguard, over three thousand soldiers of the Shunxiang Army likewise advanced in formation. Whether musketeers or pikemen, they all carried their weapons propped against their shoulders, advancing like a wall. Unlike the allied formations, which had to pause briefly to reorganize after advancing a few paces or a dozen paces, the Shunxiang Army maintained strict military bearing and formation throughout their advance. As thousands of them marched, only the sound of uniform footsteps could be heard. Wang Dou's unit was well-trained, their formation discipline severe—this was clearly evident.

Wang Dou rode his horse along his own battle formation. For this engagement, all cavalry in Wang Dou's army had been converted to infantry. All mounted troops, along with the logistics soldiers of each unit, had all been turned into musketeers. Altogether, the army had roughly fifteen hundred musketeers, divided into three ranks of five hundred each, deployed across an extremely broad front.

Behind the three ranks of musketeers were three more ranks of pikemen or sword-and-shield soldiers. The remaining Night Scouts, along with the standard-bearers and drummers, formed Wang Dou's center army. Lu Xiangsheng, Yang Guozhu, and the others were quite worried about Wang Dou's battle array arrangement, believing his formation was too thin—a mere six ranks of soldiers risked being broken through by the Qing army. Moreover, the cannons and other artillery pieces in Wang Dou's army had already been assigned to the wings, further dispersing the Shunxiang Army's firepower.

Wang Dou insisted on his battle array arrangement, believing it would maximize the power of his muskets. He estimated that the Qing troops would be unable to withstand the volleys of his three ranks of musketeers and might well collapse. Even if they did not collapse, he still had three ranks of pikemen, which could hold the line. This battle array arrangement was the most suitable.

Under Wang Dou's insistence, Lu Xiangsheng also approved of Wang Dou's formation arrangement. In any case, the center army had ample troops; if Wang Dou's unit faltered, there would still be time to dispatch reinforcements.

……

Looking down from the sky, the two dark, massed seas of banners slowly drew closer. Finally, both sides halted at a distance of one li from each other.