Chapter 526: Regards

The signal guns of the Pointed Sentinel Battalion are all specially made. After firing a signal round, even from a great distance, one can see that distinctive smoke and hear the unique gunshot sound.

After several strange cracking gunshots rang out, Xie Yike ordered the formation of a circular defense, using the many horses to form a ring. All the remaining Night Scouts and the wounded hid inside the horse circle, dismounting and standing guard with their firearms.

According to Xie Yike's judgment, although the distance between the enemy and their own side was roughly the same, based on psychological habit, even if the Tatars noticed something unusual here, they would most likely send men over to investigate first, and only then would the main force come galloping over.

Moreover, the traces of battle along the road and the Tatar corpses would make them suspicious and hesitant, slowing down the time of their arrival.

Meanwhile, the brothers of the Pointed Sentinel Battalion, upon spotting the signal, would spur their horses and race over at full speed. With one side going first and the other later, even if the distance was the same, their own reinforcements would still arrive one step earlier.

Therefore, the best strategy at present was to hold firm and await relief, especially since the wounded brothers could not endure the jolting of horseback.

Sure enough, through Xie Yike's spyglass, the Tatar scout riders to the north detached a few riders to dash this way, while their main force actually halted. To the south, the Night Scout brothers raised an even greater cloud of dust, like a rolling torrent across the wilderness, clearly pushing their horses to maximum speed.

Seeing this situation, even those few Tatar scouts who had ridden out grew more hesitant and slowed their horses further.

Dust surged skyward, and hoofbeats thundered like drums. Finally, the rolling tide of riders racing from the south appeared before Xie Yike's eyes. They all wore bowl-shaped helmets and short, bright-red surcoats. Each man had several fast horses beside him, and in every gesture they exuded an indescribable fierce and valiant air.

Like a red tide, they surged forth — over a hundred riders with the momentum of a mighty army. At the very front rode a tall, powerfully built general with a full beard, none other than Wen Daxing, Assistant Regional Commander of the Pointed Sentinel Battalion.

From far off, Wen Daxing spotted the horse circle ahead, the many horses tightly formed into a circular defense. Such a large force from the Pointed Sentinel Battalion could only belong to Xie Yike, who had gone out scouting not long ago.

His face was full of anxiety, worried that something might have happened to Xie Yike. When he drew near and saw the gruesome traces of battle, his expression changed drastically.

The Night Scouts behind him were likewise filled with worry.

Just as they were fretting, Wen Daxing suddenly broke into wild joy. He saw several men dash out from the horse circle, waving their hands and shouting loudly at them, cheering and jumping about — who else could it be but Xie Yike and his men?

Wen Daxing was beside himself with delight and cried out, "It's Brother Xie, it's Brother Xie and the others."

The Night Scouts behind him were equally overjoyed: "It's Master Xie."

"Master Xie is safe, Master Ma and the others are safe too..."

Facing the onrushing Wen Daxing and his men, Xie Yike kept stamping his feet and waving: "Brother Wen, over here, over here!"

His heart relaxed. The Tatar scout riders to the north were now clearly visible through the spyglass. They all wore yellow armor with red trim — troops of the Tatar Bordered Yellow Banner, numbering over fifty men. To fight again, he had absolutely no confidence, unless he immediately abandoned the wounded brothers. But how could he possibly do that?

Fortunately, the reinforcements from the Pointed Sentinel Battalion had arrived one step ahead.

He saw that Ma Ziren beside him had likewise lost his composure, constantly shouting and waving toward the front. The uninjured brothers also came rushing out one by one, cheering and leaping for joy.

Xie Yike laughed heartily. As his heart relaxed, boundless exhaustion surged over him. Suddenly, everything went black before his eyes, and he knew nothing more, only dimly hearing the startled cries of Ma Ziren and the others beside him.

When Xie Yike awoke again, he found himself lying on a warm, comfortable bed. His upper body was bare, and someone was continuously working on his shoulders and back.

The smell of herbal medicine filled his nostrils. Xie Yike struggled to get up, but a gentle yet authoritative voice rang out: "Don't move recklessly."

Xie Yike turned his head to look. It was his brother-in-law, Wang Dou, sitting on a chair and quietly watching him, his eyes full of concern.

Beside him were Wen Daxing, Han Chao, Zhong Xiancai, Zhong Diaoyang, and many other officers. Chief Medical Officer Wang Tianxue was busy working on him, with several medical assistants nearby lending a hand.

Xie Yike grinned cheekily and said, "Why such a big formation? Brother-in-law, don't worry, I'm fine."

Wang Dou glared at him: "In the army, there is no brother-in-law."

Xie Yike immediately turned dead serious and said, "Yes, Grand General."

Seeing his expression, Zhong Xiancai and the others all laughed. A smile also appeared on Wang Dou's face: "You little rascal, you deserve this suffering."

He turned to Wang Tianxue beside him and asked, "Mr. Wang, how is Yike's injury? Is it serious?"

Wang Tianxue shook his head and said, "Grand General need not worry. Although Company Commander Xie was unconscious, it was merely due to exhaustion and anxiety. His main injury is to the back of his shoulder, struck by a slave's blunt weapon, resulting in several bone fractures. Fortunately, the fractures are neither deep nor large. After bandaging the wound and applying medicine, a month or so of rest will suffice."

Xie Yike cried out, "What? A month or so of rest?"

Wang Tianxue stroked his beard and said, "It would be best to transfer to Songshanbao for quiet recuperation."

Xie Yike wailed, "For this little injury, I have to go to Songshanbao to recuperate?"

Wang Dou rebuked him: "Shut your mouth. The treatment and recuperation of injuries in the army are entirely handled by Chief Medical Officer Wang. What are you howling about?"

Xie Yike was rather afraid of his brother-in-law and dared not say anything more upon hearing this. But being active by nature, being wrapped in thick bandages and forced to rest like this was truly worse than killing him. He muttered under his breath, complaining endlessly.

Wang Tianxue stroked his beard and smiled. The Grand General did not suspect those he employed and trusted those he used without doubt — this attitude of trust made him very comfortable. Back then, a destitute little physician had been coaxed and pressured into being recruited by Wang Dou. Now, with his current status and position, Wang Tianxue often marveled at the wondrous turns of fortune, truly mysterious beyond mystery.

Wen Daxing then laughed and said, "Brother Xie, you have rendered meritorious service on this scouting mission. The intelligence you brought back even moved the Grand General."

Wang Dou praised him warmly: "Indeed, very well done."

Xie Yike immediately grew excited again, but then his eyes reddened: "It's a pity — many brothers died in battle, and many more were wounded."

As he spoke, he broke into loud wails: "So many brothers died in battle!"

While crying, he pounded the bed planks beneath him with force, producing loud banging sounds.

Everyone in the room was somber. Since the Battle of Jinzhou began, the Pointed Sentinel Battalion had suffered heavy casualties. Wen Daxing bit his lower lip tightly, a look of pain in his eyes.

Wang Dou shouted, "A fine man — what are you crying for?"

Then he sighed and said, "The brothers who fell or were wounded — we of the Jingbian Army, from top to bottom, will never forget them."

He stood up, looked at Xie Yike, and said, "Rest well and recover."

Turning back, he added, "Oh, and in a few days, when your injuries are better, write a combat report. Personnel from the Pacification Commission will also verify and investigate your scouting and combat actions."

Xie Yike, still sniffling, replied, "Mm."

On this scouting mission, it was certain that Xie Yike and his men had rendered great merit. However, after every battle, officers of each unit were required to write combat reports, which the Pacification Commission would verify. Over the years, this practice had become a set of military regulations, and the entire army, from top to bottom, had grown accustomed to it.

As they were leaving, Han Chao and the others all offered Xie Yike gentle words of comfort. Wen Daxing even grasped Xie Yike's hand and said warmly, "Brother Xie, you just focus on recovering now. You need not worry about the affairs of the Pointed Sentinel Battalion."

Soon, everyone had left, and the medical assistants also withdrew.

Xie Yike inquired and learned that the brothers wounded on the scouting mission were all being treated in the adjacent barracks. With so many medical assistants now in the Jingbian Army, the medical treatment conditions for wounded soldiers were the best among all the Ming forces on the Jinzhou front line.

"A whole month of rest."

Xie Yike wailed inwardly. Just as he was feeling utterly bored, he suddenly saw countless heads poking in through the doorway — it was the brothers of the Pointed Sentinel Battalion, coming in droves to visit him.

For a moment, the room was bustling with excitement. Everyone chattered at once: "Seeing that Master Xie is all right, we can set our minds at ease."

"Welcome back in victory, Master Xie."

Among the crowd were also Ma Ziren and Bandeng. Both of them, like Xie Yike, were wrapped up like zongzi from head to toe.

After having their wounds bandaged, they found sitting still boring, so they followed the flow of people and came to sit in Xie Yike's room.

Looking at the concerned eyes and warm greetings from his brothers, Xie Yike felt a warmth in his heart. He laughed and said, "I told you it's nothing. Who am I, Old Xie? When I was eight, a fortune-teller already read my fate and said I have nine lives — tough as nails."

Amid the crowd's laughter, someone suddenly walked in through the doorway. Xie Yike brightened at the sight — it was a Company Commander from the Picket Battalion whom he usually got along with very well.

That man said, "Ah, Brother Yike."

Xie Yike called out, "Brother Aotian."

That man sighed, "I just returned from scouting and heard about Brother Yike's ordeal. Truly soul-stirring."

He sat down by Xie Yike's bed board and sighed, "This is what they call: survive a great calamity, and blessings are sure to follow."

Xie Yike said, "Thanks to fortune, thanks to fortune. Brother Aotian, being able to see you — I, your brother, count myself lucky too."

That man said, "Brother Yike, this scouting mission must have been quite eventful. Tell the brothers about it."

Watching the crowd gather around, all looking eager and intrigued, Xie Yike sighed, "That's a long story. This scouting trip of mine was a matter of braving death, shaking heaven and moving the spirits to tears."

That man said, "I'd like to hear the full details."

Xie Yike's cadenced voice carried out from within the room: "...To tell this story, we have to start from when I led the brothers out of Daxing Fort..."

After visiting the wounded Night Scout soldiers, Wang Dou went to another place in the military camp, where cool breezes blew gently and the trees cast deep shade.

In front of a large erected awning lay a row of corpses. These bodies were all Night Scout soldiers who had died in battle while scouting with Xie Yike, along with some who had succumbed to severe wounds.

Here, several medical officers were collecting their waist tags, registering each man's military records, and sorting their personal effects. In such sweltering heat, the bodies could be laid out for one or two days at most before they had to be cremated. The ashes and belongings would then be brought back and delivered to their families.

In the Jingbian Army, before the remains of fallen soldiers were cremated, a body farewell ceremony was held.

Wang Dou passed by each of these bodies one by one. The officers followed behind him, all silent and wordless.

Wang Dou looked at the expressions on these corpses. Some were serene, some were contorted in fury, some were in agony. Some of the fallen were nearing middle age, while others were very young. All of them were the army's elite — and now all had died in battle.

Wang Dou gazed quietly. Ever since the Jingbian Fort days, the bodies of his subordinates had been carried before him time and again. He had seen so many that his heart had hardened.

Yet every time he saw his brave subordinates fallen in battle, his heart still ached deeply, and he would have to continue enduring this pain in the future.

Every time he saw the remains of these fallen soldiers, Wang Dou always wondered: what had he come to this world for?

He reflected.

When he first came to the Great Ming, it was only to survive, just to stay alive, so that he and his family could live better. As his power grew and his vision broadened, the things he could do also increased.

But what was the ultimate purpose?

He recalled how, in later ages, whenever he read history, he would always close the book with a sigh, unwilling to accept the many regrets of the past.

Perhaps Heaven had sent him here precisely to change those regrets.

Wang Dou gave these bodies a slight nod of respect and left the place.