Chapter 274: Breakout

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, in the eleventh year of the Chongzhen reign.

There was no sunlight that day. A fierce gale howled. Braving the bone-piercing wind, the soldiers of the Xuan-Da Army came out again early in the morning to clear the battlefield. Although the ground was littered with the corpses of Qing soldiers, no one felt the slightest joy. Not only had their brothers in arms suffered grievous casualties, but with Viceroy Lu fallen in battle, even the senior officers were lost and terrified about where the Xuan-Da Army should go from here, let alone the common soldiers.

Everyone merely went through the motions of collecting bodies and gathering up the weapons and banners scattered on the ground. The Qing camp in the distance remained still as well, and even the outlying sentry riders were very few.

Each battalion was responsible for tidying its own position. At the Shunxiang Army's position, Xu Yue'e's Slave-Slaying Army was also helping with the cleanup. These horse bandits were accustomed to raiding homes, killing, and setting fires. In recent days, they had fought several skirmishes with the Qing troops, but only after seeing the state of the Shunxiang Army's battlefield did they realize that the battles they had experienced before were truly insignificant by comparison.

The thick stench of blood had not yet dissipated. Looking at the hardened Qing corpses covering the ground, and the scattered, fragmented limbs everywhere, and the several earthen walls and trenches that seemed soaked through with fresh blood, they could not help exclaiming in wonder: "Real men..."

"These government soldiers are true warriors."

"Haven't you heard? The commanding officer of these soldiers is none other than Mobile Corps Commander Wang Dou, whom the Great Ming Emperor himself praised as the bravest of the three armies. When it comes to killing Tartars, his reputation is no empty boast."

"I, Wang Laowu, have always thought myself fierce and brave, but compared to these soldiers, I'm like a grandson."

"Before, I didn't understand why the chief wanted to come and aid these dog-official soldiers. Now I understand. This trip was worth making."

"Yeah, it was worth it..."

Amid the horse bandits' whispered murmurs and awed gazes, the Shunxiang troops continued their work in silence. They gathered the scattered weapons and banners, piled the Qing corpses into heaps, stripped off their armor, and then hacked off their heads.

Groups of men clustered around the corpse piles, chopping off heads. Long Er sat on a bare, headless Qing corpse, swinging his sharp axe to sever heads, when he suddenly sensed someone standing beside him. He turned to look and saw it was Yu Mao'er, a retainer from the Viceroy's Personal Battalion, standing with his hands clasped, staring blankly at Long Er's movements.

"It's Brother Yu."

Long Er was not usually talkative, but he was very warm toward acquaintances. Although the two were from different battalions and different native places — one from Shanxi, the other from Liaodong — after embracing Yu Mao'er the day before, Long Er now considered him one of his own.

"Brother, why just stand there? Sit."

Looking around and finding no stool, Long Er dragged over a headless Qing corpse: "Make do with this."

Yu Mao'er sat down. Long Er took out his treasured pipe, lit it, and offered: "Want a puff?"

"How could I impose on yours? I'll use my own."

Yu Mao'er pulled out his own long tobacco pipe. After a round of polite refusal, the two exchanged pipes, each sitting on a corpse, chopping heads while puffing on their pipes and chatting.

Long Er asked: "Brother Yu, the Viceroy, our old master, has passed. What are your plans?"

Yu Mao'er stopped. After a long, heavy silence, he said blankly: "That turtle-calf... I truly don't know. The brothers in the Viceroy's Personal Battalion each have their own plans now. Brother Chen is dead too, and I don't know who to follow..."

Long Er said warmly: "Come to the Shunxiang Army. With your skills, if I, Long Er, recommend you to Company Commander Wen, you'll surely be made a Night Scout."

Yu Mao'er replied: "...Very well. Once the Viceroy's funeral affairs are settled, I'll go to Bao'an Prefecture to find you."

"Then it's settled."

Wang Dou stood quietly in the cold wind, motionless. Behind him, the various officers also stood in solemn silence. Not far behind Wang Dou, Xu Yue'e stood equally silent, the cold wind lifting the strands of her hair and billowing her cloak and greatcoat with a rustling sound.

After an unknown length of time, the Provost Officer Chi Dacheng came over to report to Wang Dou: "General, the tally is complete: a total of three thousand one hundred and fifty-six Tartar slave heads, five thousand two hundred and seventy-two sets of captured armor, fifty-seven thousand five hundred and forty-two taels of captured silver, and in addition, captured Tartar slave blades, spears, and banners..."

Wang Dou listened quietly to Chi Dacheng's report. Combined with the previous day's results and those of the days before, the number of Qing heads taken at Julu was as stated above, more than half of them Qing armored soldiers. The armor on their bodies became Wang Dou's spoils of war. Calculated thus, from the time Wang Dou set out from the capital through Dingzhou to Julu, he had already seized over seven thousand sets of armor from the Qing army, and the number of heads taken exceeded five thousand.

Qing soldiers generally had the habit of privately hoarding silver. After plundering across the Great Ming, each man carried at least a dozen or twenty taels of silver on his person. When their bodies were searched, this silver all became the property of the Shunxiang Army.

Wang Dou nodded and said: "Lady Xu, you led your troops to our rescue. I, your general, am deeply grateful. I give you five hundred sets of armor, five thousand taels of silver, and one thousand bows, arrows, blades, and spears."

Xu Yue'e bowed deeply to Wang Dou: "Yue'e thanks the General."

That day, the entire Xuan-Da Army rested and reorganized. After reorganization, Wang Dou's two Company Commanders each had only one fully manned Squad Commander; the remaining Squad Commanders were reorganized into either one or two squads. The battalion's logistics troops, artillerymen, cavalry, and Night Scouts were likewise severely understrength and were reorganized in the same manner.

The Logistics Battalion Squad Commander Zhong Diaoyang was severely wounded. Wang Dou ordered Provost Officer Chi Dacheng to take temporary charge of the logistics unit and, together with Medical Officer Wang Tianxue, care for the wounded. The Central Army Personal General Xie Yike was severely wounded. Wang Dou ordered Wen Daxing to lead the remaining Night Scouts and temporarily serve as the Central Army guard. Gao Xun and Li Guangheng, after their troops were reorganized, likewise remained attached to the Central Army headquarters.

The troops under Xuanfu Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Yan all joined Yang Guozhu's Main Army Battalion that day. Throughout the day, the Qing camp in the distance remained completely still. It seemed, as Wang Dou had said, that their casualties were so severe they no longer had the strength to attack, making this the perfect moment to break out.

"My two commanders, from Julu to Longping is eighty li. Once we cross the Luhuo River, aside from the official road, the area is crisscrossed with rivers and field canals, making it difficult for the slave bandits to pursue and encircle us. Our army will then be safe. From Longping west to Tangshan, then following the Dishui upstream to Lincheng, and then heading north, we will enter the mountainous region of Zanhuang County. Amid the vast, rugged mountains, our army can rest and reorganize at leisure."

"The greatest concern is these sixty li from Julu west to the Luhuo River. Our army must strictly maintain discipline, must not panic, and above all must not scatter, or the consequences will be unthinkable."

Inside Yang Guozhu's Central Army command tent, while discussing the breakout, Wang Dou made this suggestion.

Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei were both veteran generals and naturally understood this principle. After detailed discussion, they finally decided that Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army and Xu Yue'e's Slave-Slaying Army would form the rearguard. Hu Dawei would lead the vanguard, and Yang Guozhu the main body. Several hundred war chariots would accompany the main body, along with numerous carts and horses, likewise carrying provisions and the wounded. Each force would coordinate front and rear. If they encountered the enemy in the field, the entire army would immediately converge and form a wagon fort. Even if they marched slower, every step must be taken with solid certainty.

Finally, Yang Guozhu said: "Tonight, prepare the meal at the third watch. Tomorrow at first light, we set out."

Several thousand men of the Xuan-Da Army had died in battle. Except for some important officers, the remains of these thousands could not be transported back to their hometowns, nor could enough firewood be found to cremate them. They had no choice but to collect their clothing and personal effects to send home for a cenotaph burial. Several enormous pits were dug inside the second earthen wall, and the thousands of fallen Xuan-Da soldiers were all laid to rest within these great pits.

The weather was overcast and cold. Before the high-mounded grave, the entire army stood in solemn silence. The Shunxiang Army's arquebusiers fired their arquebuses.

Amid the crack of arquebus fire, a low, somber war song rose, echoing over the river waters.

"We grasp the Wu dagger-axes, we don the rhinoceros hide armor. Chariot hubs clash, blades meet at close quarters..."

"Banners blot out the sun, the foe like clouds. Arrows fall in crisscross, soldiers vie to be first."

"Heaven's season turns wrathful, the mighty spirits rage. Slaughtered to the last, abandoned on the wild plain..."

Armies across the Great Ming commonly used Qu Yuan's "For the Fallen" as their war song, and in the Shunxiang Army, everyone could sing it too. Amid the singing, all were choked with sobs. Zhong Xiancai wailed aloud. Li Guangheng, thinking of Han Zhong fallen in battle, also shed tears like rain.

Watching thousands weep in unison, Xu Yue'e's Slave-Slaying Army were all visibly moved, sighing deeply at the side. Xu Yue'e herself remained silent and wordless.

Wang Dou could no longer shed tears. In his heart, he said silently: "Brothers, go well!"

The fourteenth day.

At first light, all tents had already been struck and loaded onto carts and mules. All wounded who could not walk were likewise placed inside the vehicles. The remains of Lu Xiangsheng, Han Zhong, Yang Tong, and others were also carried in specially designated carts. Around Lu Xiangsheng's cart, the remaining soldiers of the Viceroy's Personal Battalion stood guard.

The entire army, several thousand strong, every man helmed and armored, fully equipped, awaited only the order to break out and march.

Before the entire army, Yang Guozhu, Hu Dawei, and Wang Dou stood at the front. Yang Guozhu rallied the troops. The old general spoke with stern ferocity: "The Viceroy is dead, and we have no reason to remain here. Beside us lies the slave bandits' great army of tens of thousands. If we wish to return to our homes alive, we must maintain strict order on the march and must not panic. Once we cross the Lu River, we can save our lives. During the march, no one shall make noise, and no one shall break ranks without authorization. Any who disobey will be beheaded on the spot!"

The men roared like thunder: "We respectfully obey the commanders' orders."

"Break out, break out, break out!"

"Return home, return home, return home..."

Thousands raised their weapons and roared in unison.

Gazing at the shouting thousands, Wang Dou, Yang Guozhu, and Hu Dawei exchanged satisfied glances. The army's morale could be put to use.

"Viceroy, we are leaving."

Wang Dou arrived before Lu Xiangsheng’s carriage and horse, gazed deeply at Lu Xiangsheng’s corpse, then looked toward Yang Guozhu. The two men nodded to each other.

Yang Guozhu shouted: “Move out.”

Hu Dawei’s vanguard force set off first, crossing the Haoshui Bridge and heading for the opposite bank. Next came the central army led by Yang Guozhu — dense rows of carts and cannons, likewise crossing the Haoshui Bridge. Last was Wang Dou’s Shunxiang Army bringing up the rear. Vanguard, central army, rear army — all advanced in good order. Before long, the entire camp on the right bank of the Haoshui Bridge was emptied, as if the fierce fighting of these past days had been nothing but a deep, lingering dream.

On the left bank of the Haoshui Bridge, along the river upstream and downstream, a few Qing army tents were pitched. It seemed that, out of the principle of surrounding on three sides and leaving one open, the encampment here was sparse, and directly across from the bridge’s midpoint a gap two li wide had been left. The entire army passed through the gap in utter silence.

It appeared the Qing had not expected the Ming army to break out, nor to set off just as the sky was barely brightening. Only after Hu Dawei’s vanguard had passed did the Qing camps on either side stir awake. At once their horns sounded, and some scout riders pressed out from the camps.

A wave of commotion swept through the Xuan–Da army. Yang Guozhu immediately issued an order: “Anyone who panics, flees, or scatters — behead!”

He also ordered his own central-army personal general, Guo Yingxian, to lead a portion of his retainers forward to meet them, and Hu Dawei did the same. The Qing scout riders were few and only dared to circle at a distance far outside. Meanwhile, more and more Qing soldiers in the camps on both flanks were roused and came pouring out of camp.

By this time Wang Dou’s rear army had also crossed the bridge. Seeing that the Qing troops on the left bank were not numerous, he set his mind at ease. For cavalry to form a charging formation, they needed to dress ranks, which would take at least half a shichen. And without sufficient numbers, they were nothing but fodder before well-ordered infantry.

As long as the main Qing force on the right bank did not catch up, escaping this area was only a matter of time.

The Qing soldiers on the left bank realized this as well and sent fast riders galloping toward the camps of Dorgon, Yoto, and the others.