Chapter 254: Encirclement

After Lu Xiangsheng's military order was issued, the entire army set to work together, digging trenches and building walls on the spot.

First, a trench was dug around the camp perimeter, about a hundred and several tens of paces out. The earth dug from the trench was piled on the spot to form an earthen wall. As Wang Dou had said, the main wall was about half a man's height, enough to shield arquebusiers and archers as they fired. Dense ranks of soldiers also carried water from the river and poured it over the earthen wall, turning it into an extremely hard wall of ice.

The cold wind bit to the bone. Many soldiers' hands were swollen and purple from the cold; their lips and cheeks were also badly swollen. A pickaxe swung with full force onto the frozen, rock-hard ground could only gouge out a shallow pit. Fortunately, the campsite was near the river, so such iron-hard ground was relatively scarce, and digging trenches and building walls proceeded fairly smoothly.

Though the weather was vile, the soldiers still worked with fiery enthusiasm — perhaps because a great enemy was about to arrive, or perhaps because Lu Xiangsheng and the other senior generals personally spurred them on. Ignoring the dissuasion of Yang Guozhu, Wang Dou, and the others, Lu Xiangsheng personally swung a pickaxe to break earth. Even when his hands cracked from the cold and turned purple-black, he still toiled without rest.

His mourning garments of hemp were extremely conspicuous, and the boost they gave to army morale was astonishingly great. Inspired by his example, Wang Dou, Yang Guozhu, Hu Dawei, Zhang Yan, and the others likewise found hoes and dug furiously beside Lu Xiangsheng. With the officers leading, the whole army's spirits soared. Through the efforts of over ten thousand soldiers, by afternoon the relevant trench and earthen wall fortifications were complete.

It was as if a giant fortress had risen from the flat ground. As the generals had originally planned, a half-man-high earthen wall, already frozen solid, now ringed three sides of the camp.

Many gaps were left between the earthen walls, either for placing cannons or for the troops inside the camp to sally forth. In front of the earthen walls, numerous discontinuous trenches were also dug. The excavated earth was likewise piled into small walls half a man's height or slightly less, then doused with water to make them incomparably hard.

The front earthen wall that Wang Dou defended was the longest. Considering that the battle might not last just a day or two and would require endurance and patience, he temporarily assigned only Han Zhong's one company to defend it, keeping the rest as a reserve force.

At present, in Wang Dou's army, a single company had a troop strength of 1,225 men. However, within that was a company artillery unit of 70 men and a company supply unit of 136 men. The unit also had 11 night scouts, plus several tens of men serving as unit officers and guards, standard-bearers, drummers, medics, and craftsmen.

The battalion headquarters also had two night-scout squads under its direct command, a battalion supply unit of 300 men, a battalion artillery unit of over 150 men, and nearly 200 men serving as battalion officers and guards. There was also a cavalry unit of 400 men, plus 200 associated cavalry auxiliaries. Now there were also over 300 men of the force Gao Xun had brought.

Whether under the company commanders or in the battalion supply unit, those supply soldiers were also equipped with arquebuses and could fight. Every cavalryman and his associated auxiliary were likewise equipped with arquebuses. There were also the remaining men in the camp. Although those men could fight, Wang Dou naturally would not commit them unless it came to the final moment.

Although the earthen wall Wang Dou defended was long, because the forward trenches contained many obstacles, there were few places the Qing troops could use to charge through. Wang Dou believed that Han Zhong's several hundred arquebusiers and several hundred pikemen were already sufficient to cope. Even if the Qing offensive intensified, he could simply feed in reinforcements gradually.

On Wang Dou's front, Zhao Xuan's battalion artillery unit was deployed: a total of 15 medium breech-loading swivel guns, 25 small breech-loading bronze swivel guns, and 30 crouching-tiger cannons — an unprecedented level of firepower. The remaining two company artillery units each had 5 medium breech-loading swivel guns, 10 small breech-loading bronze swivel guns, and 15 crouching-tiger cannons. All were sent to support the two wings of Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei. Their cavalry battalions had only brought 30 crouching-tiger cannons each; in terms of firepower, they were somewhat weaker.

The five European-style cannons of Lu Xiangsheng's personal battalion were also temporarily deployed on Wang Dou's front. In truth, all these cannons could be moved quickly; whichever side needed fire support could have them rapidly pushed over. Now the various camps of the Xuan-Da army were united in purpose, and no one drew distinctions.

……

Besides the line a hundred and several tens of paces outside the camp, another frozen half-man-high earthen wall was built twenty paces outside the tents that ringed the army. Gaps were likewise left in this earthen wall for placing cannons and such, but no further trenches were dug. This served as the Xuan-Da army's second, inner defensive line.

Around Lu Xiangsheng's central command tent, the 380 war wagons Wang Dou had brought were placed at critical points. On the right shaft of each war wagon, protective mantlets were also fixed. This was the final defensive line. Inside the tents within this area, many stove fires were lit, and large quantities of hot water and the like were prepared, making it a place for treating the wounded. Many important supplies were also stored here.

This arrangement, one could say, was in perfect order, with the defensive lines arrayed in depth. It all stemmed from Wang Dou's conception, and left Lu Xiangsheng and the others marveling. Moreover, Wang Dou's army had the most medics accompanying it. Under the leadership of Wang Tianxue, every one of them was in high spirits and threw themselves with the greatest zeal into preparations for casualty care.

Through the entire army's efforts, the defensive system by the Haoshui Bridge was declared complete. After Lu Xiangsheng, Wang Dou, and the others inspected it, they were all extremely satisfied.

Wang Dou was even more confident. If, as in the historical record, thirty thousand Qing troops came and launched a direct assault, the Xuan-Da army's provisions and gunpowder would be enough to hold out for a month. If they attacked fiercely for a month, the blood of tens of thousands of Qing soldiers would drain away by the Haoshui River.

In that case, even without Gao Qiqian's thunderbolt strike, the elite Qing troops who had entered the pass would be utterly lost, the Eight Banners would be ruined, and future history would be changed.

Wang Dou also carefully inspected the defenses of Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei. In their cavalry battalions, aside from a thousand auxiliaries who mostly carried cold weapons, the remaining cavalry were split evenly between firearms squads and assault squads. The firearms squads mostly used three-barreled hand cannons; he did not know what the quality of their arquebuses was like. Judging by the look of full confidence on their soldiers' faces, and with the support of his own company artillery units and the large reserve force at the central command, they should be able to hold the two wings.

Even if their firepower proved insufficient, Wang Dou could consider transferring some of his own arquebusiers over to support them.

On the front of the second, inner defensive line, that tall observation wagon had already been raised. A standard-bearer stood in the crow's nest, keeping watch; enemy movements within a radius of over ten li could all be seen. Not far from the observation wagon, Wang Dou's original command war wagon, the Yuánróng chariot, also stood nearby. With its platform several meters high and protective rails and mantlets all around the wagon, it was perfect for directing battle.

This wagon was temporarily assigned for Lu Xiangsheng's use. It was over a hundred and several tens of paces from the forward earthen wall, a distance no powerful Qing arrow could possibly reach. Not to mention that the actual fighting would take place several tens of paces further out, making it even farther. Unless, of course, they had cannons. But for cannons firing from several hundred paces away, the chance of hitting a single war wagon at such a distance was exceedingly slim.

Since the Yuánróng chariot was for Lu Xiangsheng's use, Wang Dou had no choice but to roughly pile up an earthen mound several meters high behind his own defensive line to serve as a platform for directing the front-line battle.

All preparations were complete; they only awaited the arrival of the Qing troops.

However, neither the standard-bearer on the observation wagon nor the night scouts scattered in all directions had yet received any word of a large Qing force approaching.

After a tiring afternoon, everyone was weary. Lu Xiangsheng ordered the whole army to light fires and cook. Soon, cooking smoke curled up everywhere among the defensive lines and tents, and the sound of laughter and cheerful talk rose continuously. The army had ample provisions, including large quantities of horse meat and dried meat. On the eve of battle, naturally everyone was allowed to eat their fill.

In the bitter cold, and after such exertion, eating steaming hot rice, chunks of meat, and meat broth revived everyone's spirits, and waves of clamorous noise rose one after another.

Inside Wang Dou's central command tent, he likewise gathered the officers for a communal meal. Several low tables were pushed together to form one large table. On the table, in a stove, several pots of boiling horse meat bubbled. The horse meat was sliced very thin; with a bit of old ginger and a pinch of salt, eaten piping hot so it scalded the mouth, it was utterly delicious.

Over a dozen company commanders, squad commanders, and also Company Commander Wen Daxing and Wang Dou's personal general Xie Yike and the others sat in a circle. All the officers ate with great clamor, grabbing and snatching from each other. Everyone had removed their helmets. In the depths of winter, many were actually eating until their heads and faces were covered in sweat.

Bursts of raucous laughter constantly rang out from within the tent. At this moment, it was Han Zhong and Yang Tong trading barbs. Han Zhong laughed heartily and said, "Old Yang here, he had eyes but couldn't see Mount Tai. Back at Huoludun, Old Zhong wanted to send the General to plow the fields. What kind of man is the General? Of course he refused! Old Yang, tactless as ever, had to chime in from the side. And what happened? The General knocked his front teeth out, plain and simple. If not for Sister-in-Law Yang pleading and begging, I'm afraid Old Yang wouldn't be sitting here today."

He said smugly, "Not like me, Old Han. I was sharp that very day, saw right away that the General was no ordinary man, and instantly resolved to devote myself to him. That's why I'm a company commander now. Old Yang, in the art of reading expressions and sensing the mood, you should learn a thing or two from me, Old Han."

At Wang Dou's banquets, there was never any distinction of rank or status. Yang Tong and Han Zhong had also been brothers from the same Huoludun back then.

Hearing Han Zhong say this, Yang Tong refused to be outdone and laughed smugly, "That punch the General gave me was one of affection. I felt the pain in my mouth, but warmth in my heart... This is what they call 'no discord, no acquaintance,' a hero cherishing a hero. Not everyone sitting here can claim to have had their front teeth knocked out by the General, eh?"

Yang Tong parted his lips in a grin, and sure enough, his two front teeth were missing, yet he still looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

Seeing his expression, the crowd burst into another round of wild laughter.

This kind of banter between Yang Tong and Han Zhong was common. The two also delighted in revealing to everyone the stories of their days with Wang Dou at Huoludun, showing off their special status. To be honest, the relationship that Han Chao, Han Zhong, Yang Tong, Qi Tianliang, Gao Shiyin, and the others had with Wang Dou from their Huoludun days often made the other officers in the army envious.

Because of that relationship, as long as they committed no major errors, their positions beside Wang Dou were as steady as Mount Tai — an advantage none of the others possessed.

Watching these two, Wang Dou smiled and shook his head. What a pair of clowns. But honestly, Wang Dou also treasured his old ties with Han Zhong and the others from back then. Those memories of shared hardship were truly precious.

Among the group, Gao Xun sat at the very last seat on the right side of the table. He laughed heartily along with everyone from time to time. The past relationship that Han Zhong and Yang Tong had with Wang Dou also made him intensely envious. This was the Mobile Corps Commander's innermost circle. Perhaps he would have to strive with the utmost effort before he could blend into this circle.

……

Just as the men in the tent were laughing and shouting joyfully, suddenly the warning crack of a hand cannon sounded from outside. Instantly, everyone fell silent. In each other's eyes, they all read the same signal: "The Tartar troops have come."

Wang Dou and the others left the main tent and came to the open ground by the outer defensive line. As the warning shots of the hand cannons continued to ring out, the entire Xuan-Da army was roused. Officers and soldiers emerged from their tents one after another. Lu Xiangsheng, Yang Guozhu, and the others were also alerted and came out of their tents.

Groups of Ming night scouts came galloping back frantically. Then the standard-bearer in the observation wagon's crow's nest also signaled with flags: in every direction around the camp, large forces of Qing cavalry had been spotted.

Next, the earth faintly trembled, and finally it shook violently. It seemed that at the same instant, from the far edges of the sky on all sides, a sea of banners emerged. Countless Qing riders came charging wildly, a dense black mass stretching boundlessly without end. They spurred their horses in a mad gallop, and the sound of their iron hooves made every man's heart faintly quiver.

Looking at that waving ocean of banners, those warhorses stretching to the horizon, Wang Dou drew a deep breath. Judging by this formation, the Qing troops arriving at Julu were far more numerous than in the historical record, not fewer. How many had come? Could all the Qing troops that had entered the pass have gathered here?