Chapter 466: Fierce Wagon-Fort Battle (Part Two)

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, the great relief army set out from Ningyuan in a mighty, boundless column.

From Ningyuan to Songshanbao was over a hundred li; the army advanced with extreme caution. The vanguard under Liaodong Regional Commander Liu Zhaoji kept a distance of less than forty li from the support troops of Regional Commander Yang Guozhu. Yang Guozhu’s forces, in turn, were less than thirty li from the main central army. The army moved slowly, all within a single day’s march; if the cavalry moved fast, it was a matter of a single shichen, or even half a shichen.

They maintained contact with one another through cavalry relays, so that if they encountered the enemy, they could converge within one or two days. If they met a strong foe, the vanguard and the support troops could also buy the main force a day’s time.

Vast columns of soldiers with every manner of accent marched across the land west of the Liao. Each army’s accompanying carts carried considerable baggage, and behind the main central army stretched an endless, winding mass of civilian laborers transporting grain, fodder, and supplies — donkey carts, horse carts, mule carts, handcarts, even camels, densely packed and snaking away beyond sight.

Reports on the enemy situation ahead arrived every shichen. Along the roads, scout cavalrymen were a constant sight, as were banner-officers in blue cotton waist-length armor, bright helmets, with command tokens hanging at their waists and command flags in hand, galloping back and forth.

Intelligence from the front came in steadily. On the second day, the vanguard troops had already passed Gaoqiaobao, and the support troops had passed Tashanbao. There, the vanguard encountered some blocking and harassing attacks from Eastern Slave scout riders, all of which were routed one by one by the forward army, who took eleven heads.

Liaodong Regional Commander Liu Zhaoji sent back a field report: over ten thousand horse and foot Tartar bandits of the Bordered Red Banner and Bordered White Banner, with several thousand armored slaves, equipped with shield-carts and long ladders, were fiercely assaulting the fortress of Xingshan. The defending commander of Xingshan had urgently begged the vanguard for aid; the situation was extremely critical. He asked the central army whether he should go to their relief. The field report stated that no Red Barbarian cannon carts had been seen with the attacking Tartar army.

The central army replied: if the Tartar bandits’ armored slaves indeed numbered only a few thousand, he could advance to relieve them, but must widely deploy scout cavalry to guard against slave bandits laying ambushes anywhere around Xingshan.

Liu Zhaoji’s vanguard numbered about ten thousand men, including 3,500 cavalry of the main-line battalions. Their equipment relied heavily on cold weapons such as horse lances, tang-pa forks, cavalry spears, and blade-staffs. Even the firearms used by the cavalry were mostly three-eyed guns.

These three-eyed guns all had iron nails and sharp spikes fixed to the outside of the barrel, making them resemble three-eyed wolf-tooth clubs; against heavily armored enemy troops, they were sometimes more effective than blade-staffs.

He also had two wagon-forts, each numbering between two and three thousand men, with a total of two hundred war-carts. Each cart was crewed by twenty men, divided into shock and regular squads. They were all of the two-wheeled light cart design, with a protective shield in front, and beneath the shield at the front of the cart were several long spears that could repel warhorses. The carts were heavily laden with rockets, Frankish swivel guns, and similar devices.

The Liaodong army was fond of using the hundred-ball gun, akin to a large-caliber Crouching Tiger cannon or Nine-Headed Bird, loaded with several hundred lead balls and capable of firing a hundred and fifty paces; neither thick, solid wooden planks nor armor could withstand it. Thus, Liu Zhaoji’s wagon-forts also contained a great many hundred-ball guns.

Apart from the gunners, the arquebusiers accompanying the carts had previously used mostly rockets and three-eyed guns; matchlocks were rarely employed. However, after Liu Zhaoji received the one thousand fine Eastern Route matchlocks allocated to him, along with a large quantity of powerful cartridges, the number of matchlock men in his wagon-forts greatly increased.

Liu Zhaoji himself was highly skilled in martial arts, formidable both mounted and on foot. He could shoot a bow ambidextrously and loose multiple arrows in a single breath, a man of considerable ferocity and valor. Moreover, as Liaodong Regional Commander, he had long been stationed at the twin forts of Songshan and Xingshan; in his heart, he wished to relieve Xingshanbao.

Furthermore, Liu Zhaoji was eager to win merit. Although he was Liaodong Regional Commander, his own force was barely ten thousand, while Ningyuan Regional Commander Wu Sangui had under his command a full twenty thousand combat-ready Liao troops, including two thousand fierce retainers — more than his own retainers — and was deeply favored by Ji-Liao Viceroy Hong Chengchou. If he did not distinguish himself soon, his position as Liaodong Regional Commander would be in jeopardy.

Upon receiving the central army’s reply, Liu Zhaoji immediately decided to go to the rescue. To his satisfaction, his subordinates’ opinions likewise inclined toward relieving Xingshan.

In Liu Zhaoji’s army, many of their families were in Songshan and Xingshan; moreover, their advance had already forced back quite a few slave bandit scout riders, and the main central army was not far away — all of which bolstered their courage.

Even more heartening was the fact that the Tartar bandits besieging Xingshan numbered no more than ten thousand, with only a few thousand armored slaves. Their own relief army, together with the garrison of Xingshan, totaled well over ten thousand men. Even if they could not annihilate the enemy, they could at least hold their own in a relief standoff.

Thus, everyone wished to win merit. At a single order from Liu Zhaoji, the great army rolled forward, rushing toward Xingshanbao.

From Gaoqiao to Xingshan was just over twenty li. Once out of Gaoqiao, the countryside was mostly flat plains and rivers. It was already afternoon, and waves of heat assailed the men. Vast stretches of abandoned farmland lay everywhere, utterly bare; whether on the hills or in the valleys, almost no green could be seen.

After years of drought, what had once been a great rolling river was now not even a decent ditch. The earth was baked dry and hard, which actually made it easier for the army to march.

With a powerful enemy before him, Liu Zhaoji dared not be negligent. He deployed his wagon-forts in battle formation, protected his flanks with cavalry, and sent fast riders to Yang Guozhu’s support column, ordering them to be ready to reinforce at any moment.

Liu Zhaoji spread his troops out in an offensive battle line. Under the blazing sun, the soldiers were drenched in sweat, their clothing and armor soaked through, yet none dared show the slightest slackness; they maintained their strict and orderly battle formation as they pressed toward Xingshan.

As they advanced, the forward scout cavalry engaged in constant skirmishes with Qing riders. Liu Zhaoji repeatedly dispatched his elite retainer cavalry, forcing the slave bandits’ reconnaissance screen to shrink steadily backward. After the army crossed the Qili River, Liu Zhaoji received word that, because the relief army was so disciplined and formidable, offering no opening, the Tartar bandits besieging Xingshanbao had already withdrawn and assembled several li north of Xingshan.

With the siege of Xingshanbao lifted, a great success had been achieved. Cheers rang out through the Liaodong army. Liu Zhaoji immediately sent a victory report to Ji-Liao Viceroy Hong Chengchou. Yet he also felt a sense of unfinished business: he had arrayed his troops in strict readiness, but without firing a single arrow or cannon, the siege of Xingshan had been lifted — a far cry from the great merit he had hoped for.

Looking around at his subordinates, they all wore the same expression; even the common soldiers had looks of regret on their faces. Several vice regional commanders, assistant regional commanders, and mobile corps commanders in the army repeatedly exclaimed that it had not been satisfying. Everyone believed they should take advantage of the army’s keen fighting spirit to launch a fierce battle against the slave troops north of Xingshan and take some heads.

Liu Zhaoji hesitated for a long time, but, goaded by the exhortations of his officers, he decided to give battle.

When they were two li from Xingshanbao, Vice Regional Commander Zheng Yilin, who garrisoned Xingshan, seeing the slave troops retreat, also drew out three thousand men to join the main army, including one thousand cavalry. This further emboldened and united everyone’s resolve. Thus the army massed and advanced on the Qing troops, still with the wagon-fort infantry in the center and cavalry guarding both flanks, pressing toward the Qing forces north of Xingshan.

When they were less than three li from the Qing camp, the sound of horns rose from all sides: seeing the Ming army bearing down on them, the Qing also deployed into a battle line to meet them.

As the two sides steadily closed, Liu Zhaoji spotted a stretch of low, rocky hillside not far to the right. He shouted orders to seize that ground, deploying cavalry on the hill and massing the wagon-fort infantry on the open field at the hill’s foot. In this way, offense and defense were combined, and they fully occupied the advantageous terrain.

……

Under the blazing sun, beside his command banner, Liu Zhaoji rode to the hilltop and gazed toward the Qing army’s position. He saw a sea of banners. In front of their army were densely packed shield-carts, and behind them followed knights all wearing armor of white with red trim, or red with white trim.

He gave a cold snort. The slave bandits’ tactics were the same old routine: using shield-carts in front, with archers and gunners behind, then “death squads” and “shock squads.” He was all too familiar with these tricks. He surveyed his own army’s position, and his heart grew steady.

His battle array was arranged with abatis placed before the front line, followed by the war-carts. The carts were equipped with large numbers of Frankish swivel guns, rockets, hundred-ball guns, and other firearms, as well as the sharp Eastern Route matchlocks with their powerful cartridges. Behind them were supporting infantry, layer upon layer of long spears, greatswords, and shields. They were close to the hillside, so their rear was secure, and they had cavalry protecting them.

More importantly, many of the soldiers under his command were veterans who had fought old campaigns against the slave bandits and knew their methods like the back of their hands. As long as the troops were bold and united in purpose, this battle might well end in a great victory and earn them substantial military merit. For a moment, Liu Zhaoji’s heart swelled with keen anticipation.

Amid the sound of horns, the Qing shield-carts pushed closer and closer. He could see that their shield-carts had wheels beneath and thick wooden planks in front, all covered with layers of leather and cotton quilts to ward off bullets. But Liu Zhaoji inwardly scoffed: the Frankish swivel guns and hundred-ball guns of his own wagon-forts could all punch straight through these shield-carts.

The Qing soldiers pressed closer and closer. The Ming army’s position stood ready in strict array. The personal guards and retainers of each officer, under orders to patrol the lines, were forbidden to open fire with guns or cannon without a direct order from the central army; violators would be beheaded on the spot. Anyone showing cowardice or disobeying military orders would be immediately and severely punished.

Even without the officers shouting orders, many of the soldiers under Liu Zhaoji had years of combat experience and had fought old campaigns against the Qing. Though a great host of slaves bore down on them, they were not thrown into confusion; for the most part, their expressions remained calm.

When the enemy closed to three hundred paces, suddenly a cannon shot sounded from the central army. For troops serving under a regional commander, reading the banners and listening for orders was no difficult task for the officers and standard-bearers. Countless standard-bearers and officers instantly turned their heads to look toward the hilltop, awaiting the commanding general’s next decision.

At that moment, fierce war drums rose from the Qing lines, and countless barbarian war cries rang out. The densely packed shield-carts, along with the innumerable banners behind them, came charging furiously toward the Ming position.

Liu Zhaoji’s tall, powerful figure sat astride his horse. Clad in thick iron armor, his face grim, he merely stared fixedly at the slave bandits’ formation, delaying the order. Countless Ming officers and soldiers watched the central army’s position, waiting in anxious suspense for their own fate and the fate of the army.

When the dense mass of shield-carts surged past the two-hundred-pace mark, the central army’s banner signals suddenly dipped sharply, and a shrill swan-call horn rang out, echoing across the entire Ming battle line.

The guns and cannon of the Ming wagon-forts roared in unison. The dense white smoke produced by the burning black powder, illuminated by the blazing sun, instantly blanketed the entire front of the wagon-forts.

A great crashing and cracking sound of shield-carts being smashed erupted, and amid it, mists of blood spurted up, mingled with the howls of the wounded. The oncoming Qing shield-carts were struck by Frankish swivel gun rounds that sent splinters and wood flying; many shield-carts were instantly punched through.

With a thunderous crash, the shield-board of one cart suddenly burst apart. An iron ball tore straight through the heads of two Qing soldiers; its force not yet spent, it lodged in the chest of another Qing soldier, carrying him tumbling backward.

Shredded flesh and a mist of blood sprayed out. The high-velocity iron ball, along with the mass of sharp splinters produced when it blasted through the shield-board, scythed through the Qing soldiers behind and around the cart.

These Qing soldiers were either lightly armored archers, unarmored bannermen, or bondservants and the like, with low defensive capability. The razor-sharp splinters, shooting out like powerful arrows, covered their faces and bodies with sharp fragments, and blood immediately streamed from the wounds. Many clutched their heads and faces, howling in disbelief, or knelt on the ground, convulsing and trembling in unbearable agony.

The first volley from the wagon-forts came from the medium Frankish swivel guns, firing balls of one or two jin. These Frankish guns were almost all aimed at the shield-carts and fired on a flat trajectory.

Whenever they struck a shield-cart, no matter how thick the shielding planks or how many layers of leather and cotton quilts covered them, they punched a great hole straight through. Many shield-boards were blasted into broken, incomplete fragments, splinters flying everywhere. The Qing soldiers behind the carts were either killed or wounded, strewn in a wretched mess. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to come to (.) and cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)