Chapter 474: The Battle of Huangtuling (Part Two)

Wang Dou said, “The slave-foe’s defenses are tight — does that mean we must attack them where the mountains are steep and let them lead us by the nose?”

“Besides, once we seize Huangtuling, our army can threaten Shishanmen and Rufengshan from the flank. And with the main army stationed at Huangtuling, it will be far easier to draw water from the Xiaoling River later. We have over a hundred thousand troops; relying on a few wells alone will not solve the drinking-water problem over the long haul.”

Wang Pu chimed in repeatedly, “Right, right, we can’t let the Tartars lead us by the nose. The Tartars have massed their heavy troops at Rufengshan — that’s a plan to use the terrain to block us. We mustn’t fall into their trap.”

Everyone paused. Was there such a plan? But Wang Pu went on excitedly, “And this water problem, like fodder and provisions, is critical. Around Songshanbao there are few rivers. With over a hundred thousand troops camped here, there are only a handful of wells. The men can use only a tiny bit of water each day — washing is out of the question, and even drinking water is just a tiny bit.”

He held up his little finger to show just how tiny: “Under this blazing sun, we must beware of epidemics.”

Many in the hall echoed him, feeling the same. The main army’s camp indeed lacked water, and many among the troops were grumbling. Fu Yingchong, Vice Regional Commander of the Shenji Battalion’s forward camp, also chimed in, “Aye, the Loyal and Brave Count and Regional Commander Wang are both right. Water is indeed vital, so taking Huangtuling first is a certainty.” Wang Pu nodded to Fu Yingchong and continued excitedly, “There’s another saying: how can one allow another to snore beside one’s own bed? That was said by Emperor Gaozu of Song, and it’s certainly correct. Not far southeast of our Songshanbao lies Songshanling, where the Tartar troops are now stationed. Can we, the officers and soldiers of the Great Ming, permit them to swagger right under our noses? We must destroy them first, then talk.”

The crowd erupted in discussion. Several hundred officers and commanders gathered together, each speaking his piece, until the hall seemed to boil into a bubbling porridge. Faced with this scene, Hong Chengchou’s expression remained genial, while Army Supervisor Zhang Ruoqi furrowed his brow slightly but said nothing.

Then Wu Sangui, ignoring Wang Pu, smiled at Wang Dou and said, “Sangui has a question to ask the Loyal and Brave Count, if I may be so bold?”

Wang Dou smiled. “Please speak, Brother Changbo. Dou is all ears.”

Seeing Wu Sangui brush him aside, Wang Pu’s face darkened. He gave a cold snort, picked up his teacup, and slowly drank his tea.

Wu Sangui said, “Just now the Loyal and Brave Count said that after taking Huangtuling, we could threaten Shishanmen and Rufengshan from the flank. According to the intelligence this humble general has gathered, the slave-foe also has heavy troops stationed at West Shimen. And now Naizicheng is also occupied by the slave chieftain. Breaking into the mountains will not be so easy.”

Wang Dou said, “Brother Changbo is right. However, relatively speaking, the main strength of the bandit-foe’s mountain defenses is concentrated on the key route from the west side of Rufengshan into Jinzhou. The forces at West Shimen are fewer, and the slopes there are gentler, which favors a large-scale assault. If we break through West Shimen, we can follow the ridges and hills straight to the Nüer River and threaten the great bandit-foe army besieging the south side of Jinzhou.”

“Of two harms, choose the lesser! Strategically, once we take Huangtuling, our army will have far more room to maneuver. East, we can cross the Xiaoling River; west, we can attack Mount Shimen — free and at ease, not led by the nose by the Tartars.”

Wu Sangui was left speechless. Hong Chengchou’s eyes flickered, and he nodded approvingly. For the present, the strategy Wang Dou laid out was the most practical. Army Supervisor Zhang Ruoqi was even more laudatory, and Liaodong Provincial Governor Qiu Minyang also nodded repeatedly.

Xuanfu Regional Commander Yang Guozhu said steadily, “This general seconds General Wang’s view.”

Shanxi Regional Commander Li Fuming also seconded it, as did Reinforcement Regional Commander Zuo Guangxian, who likewise thought Wang Dou had spoken well. Wang Pu and Fu Yingchong went without saying.

Even Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Ma Ke and Miyun Regional Commander Tang Tong began to waver somewhat. Only Ji Garrison Regional Commander Bai Guangen said carelessly, “Attacking Rufengshan is fighting, attacking Huangtuling is also fighting — it’s all the same fighting anyway.”

Thereafter, opinion in the hall leaned toward attacking Huangtuling and Songshanling first. But as to how to attack, everyone voiced his own opinion, and the hall again boiled into a bubbling porridge…

The subtle thing was that although some in the hall were eager to fight and others harbored reservations and for the moment did not want to fight, no one, it seemed, proposed sending the Jingbian Army into battle.

Their psychology was this: they felt uneasy without Wang Dou, but with Wang Dou anchoring the army, everyone’s heart was at ease. Yet they also did not want Wang Dou to go into battle and steal their glory. The effect of Wang Dou and the Jingbian Army was somewhat akin to a later age’s nuclear deterrent — kept in reserve for ordinary times, and when used, a thunderbolt strike.

Hong Chengchou regarded Wang Dou with extreme importance, viewing him as the army’s heart and nerve, and naturally did not want Wang Dou to enter the fray right at the start.

He sighed. “According to the scouts’ reports, the area of Songshanling is mainly garrisoned by a part of the Eastern Slaves’ Bordered Blue Banner, a part of the Plain Blue Banner, and some Mongol cavalry, numbering over ten thousand — the exact figure is hard to ascertain.”

“The area of Huangtuling is occupied by a large number of Eight Banner Han troops, possessing numerous red-barbarian cannons, arquebuses, and other firearms, as well as some Tartars of the Plain White Banner and Bordered White Banner. The Han troops fight relying on the mountain defenses, while the Tartar cavalry charges down from the heights to strike from the flank. If our great army attacks Huangtuling, the slave cavalry on the front ridges of Rufengshan and at Songshanling will coordinate and attack from both sides, and there will also be support from the slave-foe at Mount Shimen and elsewhere — it will be quite troublesome.” Everyone furrowed their brows in deep thought. Army Provisions Circuit Intendant Cai Maode, having spent considerable time at Songshan and knowing the local terrain well, offered a plan: “Your Excellency Hong, we could dig trenches on the flat ground between Huangtuling and Songshanling to sever the link between the two areas. That way the two areas cannot link up, and each will be fighting in isolation.”

Army Provisions Officer Zhang Dou disagreed. “Even if the slave cavalry at Songshanling cannot support Huangtuling, there is still the slave cavalry at Rufengshan and Mount Shimen — those we cannot sever.”

Cai Maode said, “True, but severing one is better than none. It is still better than letting three or four of their positions link up into one.”

Everyone nodded. That was the only way.

After quarreling deep into the night, Hong Chengchou finally settled on the commanders for attacking Huangtuling and the other positions.

Xuanfu Regional Commander Yang Guozhu and Shanxi Regional Commander Li Fuming would make the frontal assault on Huangtuling. Ji Garrison Regional Commander Bai Guangen and Ningyuan Regional Commander Wu Sangui would deal with the Qing cavalry attacks from Songshanling. Datong Regional Commander Wang Pu would deploy northeast of Songshan to prevent the slave cavalry from Rufengshan from striking the flank of Yang Guozhu’s and Li Fuming’s assault troops from the north.

Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Ma Ke and Miyun Regional Commander Tang Tong would deploy west of Songshanbao to prevent slave cavalry from raiding from the open country to the west.

As for Reinforcement Regional Commander Zuo Guangxian and the Loyal and Brave Count Wang Dou, they would serve as reserve forces, ready to fight wherever the situation demanded.

The Tartar foe had deployed large numbers of cannons and arquebuses at Huangtuling. Attacking Huangtuling would require massive artillery cover, which meant the Shenji Battalion would have to move. Fu Yingchong thumped his chest and guaranteed that he would certainly provide the assaulting friendly troops with the greatest artillery support.

But his guarantee naturally could not set Yang Guozhu and the others at ease, nor did it reassure Hong Chengchou. When it came to gunnery, Wang Dou naturally had the greatest authority in the Great Ming, so everyone urgently needed Wang Dou to speak up.

Wang Dou, however, was pondering a problem. At present all projectiles were solid shot that did not explode. Firing red-barbarian cannons downhill at dense formations was naturally devastating.

But firing uphill, without being able to produce effective ricochet, could it deliver killing power? The Qing troops would be sheltering behind stockade walls; leaving aside the extremely low hit rate, the killing effect would be poor, and the cannons would become useless. There was also the elevation problem: if the slope was slightly too high, the cannon’s angle simply could not be raised enough to bombard the ridge.

Wang Dou conferred briefly with Zhao Xuan behind him, then, under everyone’s expectant gaze, slowly laid out this problem. For a moment, Hong Chengchou, Yang Guozhu, Fu Yingchong, and the others were stunned.

Would their own artillery become scrap metal?

Wang Dou said, “Not necessarily. The Shenji Battalion has large numbers of rocket carts, as well as many large rockets such as Divine-Fire Flying Crows, Sky-Flying Bandit-Striking Thunder-Shaking Bombs, and so on. It also has large batches of Mountain-Piercing Fort-Breaking Fire-Thunder Cannons that can fire poison shells, lime shells, and the like. When they accompany the army into battle, they can certainly kill and wound the bandit-foe in great numbers and cover the assault of the Royal Division attacking the mountain.”

Of course, Fu Yingchong’s battalion would still have to haul out its Divine Might Grand General Cannons. As for the effect, they would see once the fighting started.

In truth, when attacking forts and stockades, large numbers of light red-barbarian cannons and small cannons, along with breech-loading Folangji cannons firing canister shot, were best. At close range, they were the coming of the god of death. Back when Wang Dou attacked Yoto’s stockade, under the bombardment of his own cannons, Yoto’s fort had fallen quickly.

Of course, back then Yoto’s stockade had stood on open flatland and was of wooden construction, and at the time they had neither cannons nor arquebuses. This time’s experience would clearly be different from past years and far more difficult.

Would he have to deploy his own Jingbian Army artillery battalion when the time came? Wang Dou wondered.

Reminded by Wang Dou, Fu Yingchong slapped his thigh. “Aiyo, I nearly forgot the Divine-Fire Flying Crows and other such sharp weapons in my army.”

He laughed heartily. “Yes! When the time comes, we’ll fire volleys of poison arrows, and with sharp weapons like the Divine-Fire Flying Crows, Sky-Flying Bandit-Striking Thunder-Shaking Bombs, and Mountain-Piercing Fort-Breaking Fire-Thunder Cannons loaded with poisons, lime shells, and the like, shooting and flying into the bandit camps, we’ll certainly give them more than they can handle.”

No wonder Fu Yingchong was in such high spirits. His Shenji Battalion was uniformly equipped with self-spun Lumi arquebuses, large nine-headed-bird guns, three hundred rocket carts, and nearly a thousand large rockets such as the Divine-Fire Flying Crows. He also had twenty-five Divine Might Grand General Cannons — originally thirty, but after sending five heavy red-barbarian cannons (two bronze and three iron) to support Wang Dou’s Changlingshan defense line, only twenty-five remained.

At the same time, Fu Yingchong had also sent Wang Dou five large-caliber mortars firing fifteen-jin shells and twenty small-caliber mortars firing five- and ten-jin shells, all left on the Changlingshan defense line. Together with the fifty hundred-shot arquebuses that Hong Chengchou had sent to support Wang Dou, the Changlingshan defense line was indeed as secure as a metal barrier.

Even so, Fu Yingchong still had fifty large-caliber mortars and nearly a hundred small-caliber mortars in his army — truly substantial assets.

Seeing him express such commitment, Yang Guozhu and Li Fuming were considerably reassured.

Hong Chengchou also decided to collect the large numbers of rockets stockpiled in the army for the mountain assault. Wang Dou likewise decided to support Yang Guozhu with large quantities of poison shells and lime shells for attacking the stockade walls.

After Wang Dou further spoke of the advantages of various small cannons, Hong Chengchou decided to assemble war wagons and collect hundreds or even a thousand Folangji cannons, hundred-shot arquebuses, and other artillery pieces for coordinated operations. With the force of a fierce tiger pouncing on a rabbit and wave after wave of relentless assault, they were determined to seize Huangtuling.

Wang Dou said, “Gentlemen, you need not overly fear the slave-foe’s red-barbarian cannons. As long as you endure their range, firing downhill from the mountain will actually be of little use to them.”

He briefly explained the problem of dead zones. Although firing from a height gave greater range, because of the line of sight, once you charged past their range, their cannons could no longer hit the target.

As soon as Wang Dou said it, everyone understood. Wasn’t it the same when cannons were mounted on city walls? Only the dead zone was not quite so large. (To be continued. ‘This text provided by @XiaoAi332335.’ If you enjoy this work, welcome to come to the original posting site to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)