Chapter 303: Collapse in a Single Battle, the Shunxiang Army's Fearsome Might

The twenty-ninth day of the first month, in the twelfth year of the Chongzhen reign.

Early in the morning, at the very start of the mao hour, Shaanxi Regional Commander He Renlong struck camp and departed. He led over three thousand men from his main army camp, with Mobile Corps Commander Gao Jie and his two thousand men serving as the vanguard. At the start of the si hour, Shaanxi Vice Regional Commander Li Guoqi led three thousand men out of camp, followed by the supporting force of over ten thousand troops under Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Ma Ke and others.

The distance between them was less than half a day's march, so if any battle occurred, mutual reinforcement would be very easy and convenient. The remaining Shaanxi and Guanning commanders would also strike camp in the afternoon and follow, under the personal command of Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting.

Hong Chengchou, Chen Xinjia, and the others were extremely resolute, intending to eliminate all Qing enemies in Pinggu within three days. When He Renlong, Ma Ke, and the others set out, several high-ranking civil officials poured wine for them outside the command tent gate to fortify their spirits. Wang Dou likewise followed behind Yang Guozhu to pour wine, wishing the departing officers and soldiers victory at the first battle.

He Renlong and the others were brimming with overbearing confidence, full of certainty in victory for this battle. They departed with their respective grand armies in a tremendous display of momentum. Most of their troops were cavalry. The distance from Tongzhou to Pinggu was only a little over a hundred li, and the terrain was completely flat. Under normal circumstances, they could arrive in a single day; even exercising caution, two days of marching was more than ample.

The enemy forces in Pinggu consisted only of the one thousand armored combat soldiers of the Plain Red Banner originally left to guard Tongzhou, plus one thousand unarmored banner men. Even if they had gathered some remnants of the Plain Red Banner from Zhuozhou, their total banner men should be less than three thousand, and most were like birds startled by the mere twang of a bow, utterly devoid of fighting spirit.

Those five thousand laborers could be ignored. The only combat-effective force seemed to be the several thousand reinforcements brought by Abatai. Even so, the Qing army in Pinggu numbered less than ten thousand. With tens of thousands of Qin and Guanning troops pressing forward, there was no reason they could not win.

After He Renlong and Gao Jie's vanguard set out, battle reports streamed in continuously. Their main army passed straight through places like Gaolou Fort, encountering constant harassment from enemy cavalry along the way, but none could withstand a single clash with them. He Renlong even personally reported that at Gaolou Fort, they had slain one harassing enemy slave army company commander in formation, killing and wounding several dozen slave soldiers—a great victory for the Qin army.

When the news came back, the Tongzhou Ming army camp boiled with excitement. At this first victory, Chen Xinjia and Hong Chengchou exchanged smiles. By this time, Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Ma Ke had already been on the march for several hours. Seeing that it was approaching noon, Hong Chengchou and Chen Xinjia assembled the commanders, preparing to strike camp and set out themselves, when shocking news arrived—

He Renlong, Gao Jie, and the other vanguard troops had been ambushed in the area of Sungezhuang Fort, and the entire army had collapsed in rout! Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Ma Ke did not go to their aid and likewise fled back in defeat. Like a bolt from the blue, every official and commander present was stunned.

Wang Dou stood with the Xuan-Da commanders on a watchtower, looking out. On the plain east of the camp, a large mass of Ming troops was galloping back in flight. Fortunately, although their expressions were panicked, their armor, weapons, and banners were intact. These were the troops of the supporting force under Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Ma Ke.

Including his main army camp, the cavalry in his garrison numbered nearly ten thousand, divided into several groups. Everyone was fleeing at full speed, not a single person looking back.

Without pausing to question them, Chen Xinjia immediately ordered the camp gates opened to allow Ma Ke's troops to enter.

Not long after the terrified Ma Ke and his men entered the main camp, countless clouds of dust rose from the plain. Wave after wave of Ming troops came fleeing back. At the very front was He Renlong's vanguard force; they had discarded their armor and helmets and were utterly beyond any semblance of a military unit.

Behind these routed Ming troops, countless banners of the Qing army loomed in and out of view. They pursued relentlessly, causing those Qin army vanguard soldiers to flee even more desperately, caring only about escaping faster themselves.

"Why is this happening?"

Chen Xinjia murmured to himself. Beside him, both Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting had ashen faces.

"Who will go out to receive General He's troops and bring them into camp?"

Sun Chuanting shouted.

Very quickly, the routed soldiers of He Renlong and the others spread out all around the outside of the camp. Both men and horses were utterly exhausted. They circled the camp, cursing and pleading, hoping the Ming army would open the camp and let them in. He Renlong's voice was the loudest of all.

But the Qing army pursued relentlessly, group after group hanging right behind them. At this moment, naturally, no camp gate could be opened, for fear that those Qing troops would seize the chance to charge into the camp.

After suffering this great defeat, the soaring morale of the Tongzhou Ming army instantly evaporated. If Qing cavalry charged into the camp, the Tongzhou Ming army risked immediate collapse. The only option was to send troops out of camp to meet them, defeat the Qing cavalry, and stabilize the routed troops.

Outside the camp, the wailing of the Qin army vanguard continued unceasingly. With the main camp gates shut, they had nowhere to flee. One by one, they were overtaken by Qing cavalry and cut down. Seeing that no one in the main camp dared to come out and rescue them, the pursuing riders sent up increasingly brazen laughter.

Through the dust clouds outside the camp, those on the watchtower could also see, behind the chaotic troops, a large mass of Qing banners arrayed in strict formation, seemingly with a giant woven-gold dragon banner, red with a white border, among them. It was actually the Qing Prince of the Blood, Rao Yu Beile Abatai, personally leading the pursuit. Judging by their banners, most of the Qing cavalry from Pinggu was here.

Beside him, the Shaanxi and Guanning commanders all consciously or unconsciously avoided Sun Chuanting's gaze. The most ferocious He Renlong unit of the Qin army and the most numerous Ma Ke unit of the Guanning army had collapsed in a single battle. If their remaining forces went out to fight, the outcome would likely be disastrous.

Even Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei remained silent. Yutian Regional Commander Cao Bianjiao opened his mouth as if to speak, but the Central Army Assistant Regional Commander behind him quietly tugged at his armor. Cao Bianjiao sighed and said no more.

Seeing that none of the commanders beside him uttered a word, Sun Chuanting's expression grew even grimmer.

Wang Dou sighed inwardly: "He Renlong may be brave and capable against peasant armies, but their combat strength still cannot compare to the Qing soldiers. As for Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Ma Ke, his garrison has nearly ten thousand troops, and while their combat strength is not to be underestimated, he is a famously flight-prone general. He must have seen the situation turning sour and abandoned He Renlong to flee, turning a proper campaign into a farce."

Sun Chuanting asked a few more times. The commanders behind him, consciously or not, all looked toward Wang Dou, even Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei did the same.

Although many of them were intensely envious and jealous of Wang Dou, after this great defeat, they all thought of Wang Dou's unit, whose valor surpassed the entire army, as if, in their subconscious, Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army had become the backbone of this entire force.

Wang Dou shook his head secretly: "After suffering this great defeat, the Tongzhou Ming army has lost all will to fight. If I do not take the field, this army should never speak of any future campaigns."

Just then, Chen Xinjia, Hong Chengchou, and Sun Chuanting all turned their gazes toward Wang Dou. Wang Dou said calmly, "This humble general is willing to go and receive General He back to camp!"

Yang Guozhu immediately said, "Your Excellencies, Viceroy and Grand Coordinator, and Provincial Governor Sun, this humble general is also willing to leave camp and serve as General Wang's flank guard!"

Hu Dawei said, "This humble general is also willing to go out and fight, to receive General He back to camp!"

Cao Bianjiao hurriedly said, "This humble general is willing to go out and fight..."

"Haha, the Ming army is so utterly fragile. It seems Pinggu is secure!"

At this moment, those pursuing and slaughtering He Renlong's troops were precisely Manchu Plain Red Banner Jalangga Commander Heshuote, Manchu Plain Red Banner Bayara Jalangga Commander Buyantu, and others. They led two thousand armored combat soldiers and unarmored banner men of the Plain Red Banner, combined with four thousand armored combat soldiers from Abatai's reinforcements. Using harassment tactics along the way, they had launched a full-force attack in the Sungezhuang Fort area.

Although He Renlong fought a bloody, bitter battle, and Shaanxi Vice Regional Commander Li Guoqi immediately came to his aid, their combat strength was far inferior to the Qing soldiers. After a brief, fierce clash, they were immediately overwhelmed. In particular, after they requested reinforcements from Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Ma Ke, Ma Ke's response was not to rescue them, but to flee immediately.

Upon receiving this news, the troops under He Renlong, Gao Jie, and Li Guoqi instantly collapsed across the entire line.

The Qing army pursued relentlessly, chasing and killing for several dozen li, all the way to the very gates of the Tongzhou Ming army's main camp. Seeing that the main Ming force in the camp dared not come to the rescue but only kept the camp gates tightly shut and watched, Buyantu and the others grew even more elated, recovering much of the morale they had lost after the great defeat at Zhuozhou.

"Do not underestimate the enemy. The Tongzhou main camp has troops from the Xuan-Da army, especially the unit of the Ming general Wang Dou."

Beneath several large banners, Luoluohuan, the son of Yoto who had escaped with his life from Zhuozhou, spoke up. After the battle of Zhuozhou, his bearing had become more steady and composed. Seeing the jubilant Buyantu and others beside him, he opened his mouth to speak.

Hearing Wang Dou's name, the Plain Red Banner officers and soldiers around him all involuntarily shivered. At this moment, Wang Dou was undoubtedly a demonic presence in their hearts. They all glanced back in unison. Fortunately, a li away behind their battle formation, Rao Yu Beile Abatai's several thousand troops were arrayed in silent formation, which gave them some inner reassurance.

Suddenly, the sound of horns and war drums rose from the Ming army camp. The routed Ming soldiers then parted like the tide to both sides, and the pursuing Plain Red Banner Qing cavalry came fleeing back in terror. Their expressions were filled with extreme fear, as if they had encountered something utterly horrifying ahead.

A great banner bearing the character "Wang" appeared before the eyes of Luoluohuan and the others. Several hundred Ming cavalry were charging in pursuit of those Qing riders.

All the Plain Red Banner Qing soldiers were screaming: "Shunxiang Army, Shunxiang Army, it's Wang Dou's army..."

Luoluohuan looked over in shock and terror. Those Ming cavalry came rolling forward, all wearing uniform eight-petaled iron-tipped helmets, their red cotton wool-lined cloaks billowing in the wind. That great "Wang" banner, in particular, was the very symbol of Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army.

Looking again at the Plain Red Banner officers and soldiers beside him, every face was ashen. Although the Shunxiang Army cavalry numbered only a few hundred, not one of the two thousand Plain Red Banner Qing cavalry had any thought of turning back to fight. Many of the returning Qing riders simply abandoned Luoluohuan and the others, wailing as they spurred their horses toward Abatai's main formation.

Heshuote and Buyantu also anxiously said to Luoluohuan, "My lord Beizi, leave quickly!"

Luoluohuan let out a long sigh. Seeing that the army had no will to fight, he had no choice but to lead those Plain Red Banner pursuers in a panicked, chaotic rout toward Abatai's main formation.

On the camp watchtower, Chen Xinjia, Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting, and the others watched in stunned disbelief as several hundred Shunxiang Army cavalry chased after those Qing riders, slashing and killing with abandon. Those Qing riders fled in utter panic, not a single one daring to turn back and fight.

The battlefield situation before their eyes was the exact mirror image of what had just happened to He Renlong and his men.

"I never imagined General Wang... possessed such awe-inspiring might!"

Sun Chuanting sighed deeply. Hong Chengchou also shook his head repeatedly. Only Chen Xinjia looked smug—to fight the slave soldiers, one still had to rely on the troops under his own command! Behind them, the faces of the Guanning and Qin army commanders were exceedingly grim.

Beneath the giant woven-gold dragon banner of the Bordered White Banner, Abatai stood motionless. The banners of the commanders around him were a complex mix. To reinforce Tongzhou, Dorgon had drawn several hundred armored combat soldiers from each of the Manchu and Mongol banners, forming a combined force of five thousand reinforcements, all under the unified command of Rao Yu Beile Abatai. Among them, the Bordered White Banner contributed the most armored soldiers, reaching seven hundred men.

At this moment, Abatai had brought four thousand men to the field, with another thousand left to guard the city of Pinggu, along with one thousand unarmored Plain Red Banner men and five thousand laborers, who were guarding the captured population and valuables over there.

Their four thousand men were arrayed in a battle formation. Upon hearing the news that the Shunxiang Army had mobilized, a wave of unrest rippled through their formation as well. Fortunately, those Shunxiang Army cavalry did not press their attack, which allowed their emotions to settle slightly. However, seeing his own troops' fear of Wang Dou's army, Abatai could not help but frown deeply.

Very quickly, Luoluohuan and the other Plain Red Banner troops, who had fled back in utter disarray, ran behind their army’s formation; from the look of them, they were still badly shaken.

As the routed soldiers of the Ming army and the Qing army scattered, the field of vision ahead opened wide. A seemingly heaven-covering cry of “Ten thousand victories!” rang out, and on the wilderness ahead, a neat square formation, carrying an irresistible momentum, slowly pressed forward like a fortress. Seeing that familiar battle formation and bearing, a stir ran through the ranks beside Abatai: “Wang Dou, it’s Wang Dou…”

Every jala ejen beside Abatai said, “Rao Yu Beile, the Ming army is prepared and has formed ranks without engaging. We should leave!”

“Yes, the brave warriors of our Great Qing must not be wasted in vain any longer.”

Listening to their clamor, utterly devoid of fighting spirit, Abatai’s brow furrowed even deeper.

He raised his eyes and looked out. Wang Dou’s army formation pressed forward in perfect order. On both flanks of their formation, dense cavalry escorts were deployed; judging by their banners, they should be the cavalry under his old partners Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei. Beyond these cavalrymen, several hundred Ming cavalry were ceaselessly whooping and racing about — seemingly the cavalry and night scouts under Wang Dou’s command.

And behind their great formation, rolling columns of Ming cavalry were emerging from the camp. It seemed that after Wang Dou’s troops had taken the field, the Ming army intended to use their superior strength in front of the main camp to force a decisive battle with the several thousand pursuing Qing cavalry.

“Advance!”

To the beat of the marching drums, the several thousand troops of Wang Dou’s Shunxiang Army advanced like a moving wall. Their arquebusiers were in front, their pikemen behind. Amid the orderly tramp of footsteps, their formation remained strictly disciplined from start to finish. Every one of their soldiers wore a proud expression on his face. Among the hundred thousand Ming troops at Tongzhou, it still fell to them to fight the battle, steady the army’s morale, and blunt the enemy’s edge.

They strode forward in great strides, their pikes and arquebuses like a forest, their keen spirit intimidating and their momentum unstoppable.

Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei each led their subordinate cavalry to guard the two flanks, while Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen likewise brought their subordinate cavalry following behind.

Seeing an advantage to be gained, the various generals of the Qin Army and the Guanning Army one after another led their troops out of the camp. Even He Renlong shouted, “You donkey-balls, that was truly disheartening just now. Get your men in order and follow this old He to counterattack and charge — slaughter those Tartars until not a scrap of armor remains!”

Driven by Wang Dou’s army, the morale of the Tongzhou Ming troops, which had been lost earlier because of He Renlong and others, had already recovered considerably. Every one of them was rubbing their fists and wiping their palms, all eager to win merit.

Seeing more and more Ming troops emerging from the camp, the various generals beside Abatai grew even more flustered.

At last, they heard Abatai give a cold snort: “We will not confront Wang Dou head-on. We retreat!”

The Qing generals all let out a breath of relief and continuously passed down orders. At once, the sound of gongs and drums, along with shouted commands rising one after another, rang out from the Qing formation: “Retreat, retreat!”

The several thousand Qing cavalry wheeled about in unison. Their rear guard became the vanguard, and they withdrew in a composed manner with strict military bearing.

Seeing the Qing soldiers flee in defeat, burst after burst of cheering erupted from the Ming army’s main camp.