Chapter 388: Strong Assault, Stubborn Defense (Part 1)

Damn it all! Because of this:

The grain and fodder were left at

They actually made me drink tea first before posting — truly brainless beyond all limits.

Wang Dou's grand vision made Lu Weiqi, Wang Yinchang, and the others sigh in admiration, yet Liu Jianyi thought, below Mount Gantai,

that since the silver wasn't coming out of Wang Dou's own pocket, that was the only reason he could speak with such heroic generosity.

Wang Dou also proposed issuing an emergency order for the commoners in the four outlying areas to move all their families, livestock, and grain supplies into the

city, and ordering all trees in the near outskirts to be felled and every well completely filled in — to strengthen the defenses and clear the countryside, making it harder for the Chuang army

to assault the city.

Everyone in the hall agreed with Wang Dou's proposal to strengthen the defenses and clear the countryside. The Chuang army's assault was inevitable,

and if those livestock and grain supplies were left outside the city, they would only end up aiding the enemy.

However, regarding Wang Dou's proposal for heavy rewards, Kang Mengshuan, Prefect of Henan Prefecture, said the amount was too high and Luoyang's

finances could not support it. He suggested rewarding twenty taels of silver for every enemy head taken outside the city, five taels for every enemy shot dead,

and two taels for every enemy wounded by an arrow.

His suggestion won the approval of Vice Military Defense Commissioner Wang Yinchang, and the Prince of Fu also deemed it acceptable.

Wang Dou shook his head inwardly. The boldness of the Luoyang officials was simply no match for that of the Kaifeng officials and generals.

Starting from the twenty-first day of the twelfth month, Luoyang began strengthening its defenses and clearing the countryside, organizing community militia, with the government issuing

them weapons. Following Wang Dou's suggestion, these community militiamen were all provided by the wealthy households of each ward. Any commoner household with several hundred gold pieces

in assets provided one soldier, or two households provided one soldier; those with a thousand gold pieces in assets provided two soldiers, and the same applied to great merchants.

Each community militia unit had fifty men, led by the solid, upstanding Licentiates, local gentry, and imperial clansmen of each ward,

under the overall command of former Minister of War Lu Weiqi. The more than sixty wards within the city yielded over three thousand community militiamen, divided into five general

units, with over sixty banners made. Each man was issued a community militia ticket, and anyone wearing a worry-free sash at the waist was a member of the great community

militia.

These community militiamen required no rations or pay, and were all the sons of wealthy families within the city. Not only were they strong and robust, but they also harbored

a bone-deep hatred for the roving bandits outside the city, making it absolutely impossible for them to collaborate with the enemy from within. In peacetime they trained in martial skills,

and in times of trouble they mounted the walls to defend — becoming a vital auxiliary force in Luoyang's defense.

From that day on, the Luoyang authorities increased their efforts to set up shelters and provide relief, and word of the posted rewards

spread. Though the amounts were not as high as Wang Dou had suggested, the whole city was still roused. A great number of desperate

men, as well as common folk, brought their own bows, arrows, swords, and spears to mount the walls and stand guard. For a time, morale in Luoyang soared

high.

Amid this flurry of preparations, time quickly reached the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen reign. That Spring Festival, the people of Luoyang had

no heart to celebrate, and passed the new year in anxious unease.

On the sixth day of the first month, the day of the "small reopening" of the Benzi Trading Company after the new year, not a single shop on any of the main streets or

alleys in the city was seen opening for business. The atmosphere in the city was tense, for the vanguard of the Chuang army had already arrived — horse and foot

combined, feared to number over ten thousand.

Their cavalry roamed beyond the "horse-blocking wall," while their infantry raised dust by dragging branches outside the wall, creating the appearance of a diversionary

force, leaving the soldiers and civilians inside the city alarmed and uncertain, not knowing how many of them had come. The Chuang army's scout riders constantly

shifted position, even making as if to press the defending troops inside Luoyang's first line of defense, the "horse-blocking wall," provoking waves of

panic.

This vanguard encamped fifteen li west of the city. On the eighth day of the first month, Li Zicheng's main army finally

arrived, vast and mighty, its soldiers and horses stretching unbroken for nearly a hundred li. Seen from high above, along the two routes from Xin'an and

Yiyang, the roads were an ocean of red headscarves and long spears, surging like a prairie

fire.

"These bandit troops are far too many..."

Through the telescope, the densely packed Chuang soldiers were like locusts. They first spread in dark, oppressive masses across the flatlands

west of Luoyang, and then this tide spread to the south of the city, the north, and the east.

Counting one banner per unit of the Chuang army, a casual count yielded tens of thousands of banners. So many

had come — if you counted the starving civilians, women, and children, the total was likely close to two hundred thousand. This was the peasant army's

strength right there: at a casual gathering, they could muster hundreds of thousands, even a million.

Holding the telescope, Chen Yongfu's expression was somewhat grim. Many ants can bite an elephant to death. Although Luoyang's main city and its four

passes, together with the community militia, had nearly twenty thousand men, the enemy simply had far too many. Outnumbered as they were, even

with the elite Shunxiang Army present, Chen Yongfu had no certainty of holding the city.

Feeling the pressure bearing down on them, the soldiers of Chen Yongfu's vanguard battalion on the North Pass were all pale-

faced. Standing behind his father, Chen De also pressed his lips tight, fists clenched, teeth gritted

hard.

Still, Chen Yongfu's men were, after all, among the few elite troops in Henan. They had fought shoulder to shoulder with the Shunxiang Army at Ruzhou

and routed the enemy, giving them a clear psychological advantage — alarmed but not panicked. Yet on Luoyang's main city

and the other three passes, the officers, soldiers, and commoners, seeing the terrifying might of the arriving bandits, were all trembling with

fear.

"They've finally come. I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Wang Dou lowered his telescope and drew a deep breath, sneering inwardly. The Chuang army looked...

The incoming army was vast in momentum, but mostly a motley crowd. Wang Dou believed they could hold the city and crush the enemy.

Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu were inspecting the North Gate fortifications. The city had long been prepared for battle. On the walls,

soldiers stood scattered in groups of twos and threes — troops from the Shunxiang Army and soldiers from the Vanguard Battalion alike.

Only Chen Yongfu's retainers each had a double-breasted cotton brigandine and a surcoat; the rest of the soldiers merely wore red felt

military caps, with a mandarin jacket thrown over their blue-green battle skirts. Their clothing and armor were all rather tattered.

However, after the Battle of Ruzhou, they had captured a great deal of spoils. Wang Dou looked down on those Chuang army uniforms and armor, so most

were given to Chen Yongfu's troops. As a result, more and more of the ordinary Vanguard Battalion soldiers now wore surcoats.

Come.

At this moment, these Vanguard Battalion soldiers were both nervous and excited. They pointed at the Chuang army outside the city,

making a great fuss and clamor. But look at the Shunxiang Army warriors patrolling beside them — they remained utterly silent. Though their eyes

revealed excitement, they still stood erect and rigid in the freezing wind.

Chen Yongfu sighed in admiration at the Shunxiang Army's military bearing and discipline. At the same time, seeing the fine

armor and equipment those Shunxiang troops wore, and the Lumi muskets they used, Chen Yongfu was exceedingly envious.

In truth, he intended to purchase some iron armor and cotton brigandines from Wang Dou, along with some fine muskets. However,

for now, Wang Dou needed to keep all surplus firearms in the army for his own reserve. Chen Yongfu's wish to buy

firearms and helmets from him would have to wait until he returned to the Eastern Route.

Luoyang in the first month was still bitterly cold, piercing to the bone. Bonfires were lit atop the city walls, and around the fires, soldiers

gathered in groups of three or five, crowding to warm themselves. But seeing the Chuang army arrive, those Vanguard Battalion soldiers all surged to the

parapets, peering out nervously. Only the Shunxiang Army soldiers, aside from those assigned to patrol duty, continued unhurriedly

warming themselves by the fire and chatting.

As they made their rounds, seeing Wang Dou, Chen Yongfu, and the other officers approach, the soldiers on the wall all

saluted them.

Except for being strict with his son, Chen Yongfu's command style was to share the soldiers' hardships and comforts day to day.

He was not harsh in his demands, so after saluting, quite a few soldiers joked and bantered with him. Chen Yongfu would laugh,

curse them a couple of times, and let it go.

"…Hey, lad, the Chuang bandits are here. Are you afraid?"

Chen Yongfu asked a soldier.

That soldier let out a strange yelp: "Afraid my ass! At worst, my head falls off and leaves a bowl-sized scar. The Chuang bandits coming

is perfect — go out of the city, kill one bandit, and there's twenty taels of reward silver. Big gulps of wine, big chunks of meat — enough for me

to enjoy for several months."

Laughter erupted all around. Wang Dou smiled slightly and said, "The soldiers' hearts can be put to use."

Chen Yongfu felt somewhat pleased inwardly. At least in terms of morale and fighting spirit, his own troops would not fall short of Wang Dou's

Shunxiang men.

Returning to the Squad Commander headquarters inside the pass, the heated walls were burning, so although outside it was freezing and the ground was frozen solid, inside it remained

as warm as spring.

Looking at the sand table on the desk, both Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu sank into deep thought. Chen Yongfu said, "Judging by the situation,

the bandits' siege tactic is to surround three sides and leave one open, with the main assault on Luoyang's west, south, and north faces. If the defending troops

are effective, even though the bandits number two hundred thousand, given the strategic strength of Luoyang's main city and its four passes, it would be

impossible for the Chuang bandits to break through Luoyang."

Looking down from the sky, on the north bank of the Luo River, at the foot of Mount Deng, there towered the enormous city of Luoyang.

The main city sat in the center, with the East, West, South, and North Passes distributed on all four sides, forming a mutual horn-like defense — easy to defend

and hard to attack.

The so-called four passes were actually fortified gate-towns, generally in an elongated rectangular shape, either half the size

of the main city or a quarter of its size, each facing the direction of one of the four city gates. After the population of a large city

multiplied, small towns were generally built outside the main city, connected to the main city by the gate roads, at a distance

generally within two li, sometimes only a hundred paces.

For example, the ancient city of Fenzhou in Shanxi had four gate-towns, each only a hundred

or so paces from the main city. Moreover, the four gate-towns were very large, especially the East Gate-town, which was basically the same size as the main city. The walls of the two cities

were separated by no more than a hundred-odd paces, leaving a narrow strip of land in between. To attack the east gate of the main Fenzhou city,

not only could one's forces not be deployed, but they would also risk being caught in a crossfire from the walls on both sides, suffering heavy casualties

in a perilous situation.

The gate-towns of Luoyang were the same. The East Gate-town, West Gate-town, South Gate-town, and North Gate-town guarded the great city. Each

gate-town likewise had its own barbican, moat, and trenches. In addition, the outer perimeter of the East Gate-town had "horse-blocking walls," one zhang

high, also equipped with parapets and trenches. It could be said that encircling Luoyang were layer upon layer of solid defensive lines, and mutual

support between them was also very convenient.

If the defending troops were effective, given the strength of Luoyang's main city and its four gate-towns, it would actually be

extremely difficult for Li Zicheng to break through Luoyang.

Hearing that Chen Yongfu still harbored wishful thinking, Wang Dou shook his head and said, "Except for our North Gate-town, for the other

three gate-towns' battle situations, we must all prepare for the worst."

Chen Yongfu also knew that Wang Dou's words made sense, and he let out a long sigh.

Wang Dou mused, "Aside from these four pass areas, the Luoyang city walls — east, south, and west — are all

difficult to assault. I estimate that the northern pass we defend, along with the northern city wall, will see a bitter

battle in the coming days. We must prepare for rain before it falls and make plans early."

Chen Yongfu said, "We still cannot afford a prolonged war of attrition with the bandits. We must locate the bandits' grain and fodder stronghold as soon as possible, cut

off their provisions, and force them to collapse."

Wang Dou said, "My mounted scouts have already probed and found that the bandits are continuously transporting grain and fodder to Mount Wulong,

a dozen or so li west of the Jian River."

Chen Yongfu's eyes lit up, and he fixed his gaze intently on that area of the sand table.

That day, Li Zicheng's army encamped outside Luoyang. They had camps in all four directions — east, west, south, and north —

especially along the banks of the Jian River twenty li west of the city, where tents and stockades were stacked layer upon layer, stretching

perhaps a dozen li in length and breadth.

The Chuang army surrounded the city but did not attack. At nightfall, they lit bonfire after bonfire, the dense lights turning the darkness into

a city that never slept.

That day, Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu were again summoned by Army Supervisor Wang Yinchang to the branch administrative office for discussions. One could

see that Luoyang was filled with tension. The streets and alleys were packed with able-bodied men and community soldiers transporting rolling logs and stone missiles.

Patrols of men and horses moved ceaselessly; soldiers and civilians alike were in a state of high alert.

Wang Yinchang had no good solutions to offer. He merely urged every commander to hold the city firmly, and he placed particularly

high hopes on Wang Dou's troops.

Early on the ninth day, the Prince of Fu also emerged from his palace. Supporting his massive frame and bringing his heir Zhu You

song, he inspected the defenses everywhere and rallied the soldiers and civilians to defend the city to the death. He also held another banquet for the officers stationed in Luoyang,

promising that as long as Luoyang was held, they would be richly rewarded.

That day, the Chuang army did not attack the city either. However, their forces spread out in all directions, vigorously clearing and burning the houses

in the surrounding suburbs.

Luoyang was a prosperous place in the Central Region. Not only outside the main city, but even beyond the four passes, there were

large numbers of houses and shops, spreading out in stretches along every post road and official highway.

These suburban shops and buildings clearly obstructed the siege layout the Chuang army was about to deploy, so they

demolished and burned them in advance, casually checking inside for any leftover valuables, grain, or rice.

Watching the flames light up the sky in the four suburbs, the soldiers and civilians inside the city were both furious and heartbroken. Their family homes,

the houses and residences of their ancestors, were all reduced to ashes in that single blaze.

The tenth day of the first month, fourteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, the hour of the Dragon.

The weather remained bitterly cold. A light snow had fallen the night before, followed by a night of north wind that froze the remaining snow

into solid ice. Even the city walls were somewhat slippery. Though the sun slowly emerged, it brought no

warmth whatsoever.

Wang Dou raised his telescope and gazed across the Jinshui River. Beside him, the officers of the Shunxiang Army, each

draped in red cotton cloaks lined with sheep's wool, also raised their telescopes one by one to peer outside the city.

What met their eyes was a scene of desolation. After a day of sweeping by the Chuang army yesterday, the houses outside the "horse-blocking

wall" at the northern pass had been completely cleared away, leaving only broken walls and ruined foundations. The finest

areas of Luoyang's near suburbs were utterly destroyed in a single day. Even the trees along the banks of the Jinshui River had all been felled. As far as the eye could see, it was empty

and bare, a thousand li of reddish hue, with only yellow earth remaining.

The fields everywhere were also a mess. Wheat seedlings had been planted in the fields, but judging by the way they had been trampled,

and with the Chuang army's impending siege, there was no hope of any harvest this year.

Locusts — these peasant armies produce nothing, yet they prevent others from producing. Wherever they pass,

only death and ruin remain.

"Roving bandits!"

Qin Yi stood behind Wang Dou, his voice filled with deep loathing: "We must never let these

roving bandits enter the Eastern Route. Otherwise, our flourishing haven would be left with nothing but broken wells and crumbling walls."

The officers of the Shunxiang Army all nodded. The Eastern Route was increasingly prosperous, dotted with villages, towns, and garrison settlements, none of which

had city walls. If any roving bandits or marauding raiders entered the Eastern Route, given how those people would even steal

an iron pot, they would leave nothing but destruction in their wake.

Wang Dou extended his telescope into the distance, past one ruined village after another, past one trampled field after

another. He could see that from the foot of the suburban hills twenty li away, all the way to the upper reaches of the Jinshui River and the headwaters of the Yan River,

it seemed covered with an unbroken line of army banners. Those camps and shacks stretched continuously from the north to the distant

east, and then on to the west. Though the south was not clearly visible, the banks of the Luo River were surely

also dense with encampments.

"Li Zicheng's camp is on the west bank of the Jian River."

Wang Dou thought to himself. The night scouts had already probed and found that Li Zicheng's veteran troops were encamped in the area of Fujiatun,

west of the Jian River. Li Zicheng was a seasoned campaigner, and his encampment was very carefully arranged — his veteran camp was

in the center, with the other camps ringing the outside. A night raid on his camp would not be an easy matter.

The sound of horns rang out, and a dark line spread across the horizon, from east to north, boundless

and endless.

The crack of hand cannons sounding the alarm, and the Shunxiang Army night scouts racing back.

Wang Dou drew a deep breath: "The Chuang army has come, and their direction is still toward our Beiguan position."

(To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to

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