Chapter 568: In Time

Old Bai Niu: Votes roared in like grapeshot, over two hundred in a flash — very gratifying. Thank you all for your support. Tomorrow's update will be in the evening.

……

Without prior agreement, Zu Dashou and Wu Sangui both looked toward the Shanhai Army's side. The flood of routed troops and the terrified clamor over Ma Ke's death faintly reached their ears.

Zu Dashou's expression was grave. Having lived through countless battles great and small, he instantly understood the peril of the situation before him.

Originally, he and his nephew Wu Sangui had been attacking Daišan's Plain Red Banner from front and rear. Despite their superior numbers, they still found it unbearably grueling.

That Daišan was an old fox who had risen with Nurhaci, a man as battle-hardened as himself. His Plain Red Banner troops — one part holding the trenches north of the city, another deployed on the open ground northeast of the city — dealt with uncle and nephew simultaneously. He pulled every trick in the book; each time he seemed on the verge of collapse, he always stubbornly blocked their attacks.

And that Dudu — a Banner Lord of Manchuria, a famed Qing general, also a veteran of countless campaigns — how could he fail to seize the opportunity before him? He had already routed Ma Ke's Shanhai Army and would soon be free to turn on his nephew Wu Sangui. The situation was plummeting; his nephew would soon be trapped between two fronts in desperate peril.

As for that Tang Tong, a portion of the Bordered Red Banner's Manchu-Mongol cavalry was circling his wagon fort. He was defending so tightly not a draft could get through — no danger there, but he could not be counted on.

Zu Dashou gritted his teeth and made a swift decision: before Dudu could strike from behind, he must smash through the Plain Red Banner Qing troops holding the trenches ahead and link up with his nephew Wu Sangui.

He suddenly leveled his long spear and roared: "In this battle, advance and no retreat! Kill the slaves!"

"Kill the slaves!"

Zu Dabi beside him bellowed just as fiercely, brandishing his colossal wolf-tooth club.

"Kill the slaves!"

The officers of the Zu clan beside him roared too. The situation was critical; there was no more thought of conserving strength or fretting over casualties among their men.

"Kill!"

Though utterly exhausted, the several thousand Zu clan retainers still roared and surged forward behind Grand Commander Zu's great banner. They were the private armed force of the Zu clan, many of them men Zu Dashou had watched grow up. Every man was utterly loyal to the Zu family, and above all to Grand Commander Zu.

They charged with roars. Though the ground nearby was crisscrossed with trenches so dense that even cavalry could not advance — one of the difficulties of relieving a besieged city — they still bellowed with all their might and followed without hesitation. Like Zu Dashou, they had no other choice. Against the Tartar soldiers of the Plain Red Banner ahead, it was either your death or mine.

The rout of the Shanhai Army, in that instant, made Wu Sangui somewhat panicked and hesitant. But his expression quickly hardened. He said to Zu Dale beside him: "Elder Uncle, the rear and flank defense of my Ningyuan Army — I entrust it to you!"

Zu Dale looked at his nephew with satisfaction. Since the Jinzhou campaign began, his nephew had matured considerably. One could foresee that in the near future, his nephew would become one of the most brilliant rising stars of the Great Ming.

He nodded solemnly: "Guier, set your mind at ease. With your elder uncle here, the rear and flank of the Ningyuan Army will be absolutely secure!"

Wu Sangui nodded. He abruptly flung back the great cloak behind him, drew several tallies from his boot, and swept his eyes over them. A fierce killing aura rose on his fair, handsome face. He barked: "Wu Jinsi, Wu Jingsi, Wu Shensi, Wu Qinsi!"

Instantly, four fierce Wu clan retainer officers spurred their horses out of the ranks, cupped their fists, and roared: "Your generals are here!"

Wu Sangui said sternly: "Lead the elite cavalry of your units and follow me at once to break the enemy line. The rest will follow. In this battle, advance and no retreat. Any who flinch in fear — behead!"

He gathered the reins, brandished his horse lance, and roared: "Kill the slaves!"

"Kill the slaves!"

All of Wu Sangui's retainers roared, spurred their horses, and charged behind Wu Sangui.

"Kill the slaves!"

The Ningyuan Army infantry and cavalry officers following in battle roared just as loudly, charging behind Wu Sangui's command banner.

The battle beneath Jinzhou's walls instantly turned ferocious and brutal. As Wu Sangui personally led his elite cavalry to break the enemy line, the tide-like Zu clan army, spurred by Zu Dashou's personal charge, swept forward irresistibly, quickly breaking through several trench lines. As they advanced, they slaughtered the Plain Red Banner Tartars ahead, sending men and horses tumbling.

Daišan, reacting swiftly, rapidly redeployed his troops, even pressing many laborers and bondservants into the line, desperately trying to block Zu Dashou and his men from breaking through. Ming and Qing soldiers engaged in bloody hand-to-hand combat before and behind every trench line.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

"Haha, glorious!"

Zu Dabi was like a mad tiger, swinging his colossal wolf-tooth club — sweeping, smashing. Amid his roars, one Plain Red Banner Tartar after another was pounded into bloody pulp.

Zu Dashou's long spear had skewered or stabbed to death who knew how many Tartars before him. Behind them surged a tide-like stream of shouting men.

They had only one thought: "Kill! Kill our way out and link up with the Ningyuan Army!"

They had gone mad. Even as men beside them kept falling, they paid no heed. Only Zu Dashou kept his clarity, constantly directing the advance of the command banner.

Under the roaring charge of the Zu clan army, the Qing troops along the way were beaten back step by step. They had not imagined that Zu Dashou and his men, besieged for years, still possessed such bloody valor and will to fight. They could not hold. More and more men fled screaming in terror. No matter how desperately Daišan redeployed his troops, it was useless.

At last, their vision opened, the ground leveled beneath their feet. Zu Dashou and his men had charged through multiple trench lines, trampled through the layers of siege camps surrounding the city, and reached the open plain beyond the walls.

Before them, scattered Plain Red Banner Manchu soldiers and laborers still fought in tangled knots with bands of Zu clan retainers. A few arrows still drifted near Zu Dashou. Looking northeast, not far off, where dust rose to the sky, masses of Qing cavalry were retreating in defeat. Wu Sangui's command banner was already faintly in sight.

"We've broken out! Hahahahaha..."

Zu Dabi roared with wild laughter. His body swayed, on the verge of collapse. His helmet was gone, who knew where. His armor was covered in shredded flesh and blood — whether his own or others', no one could tell.

A smile appeared on Zu Dashou's face. He looked at the soldiers around him — every man utterly spent — but in all their eyes shone joy. They had finally broken out.

Just then, the fierce thunder of hooves suddenly sounded. Not far to the left flank, dust billowed. Large waves of Plain Red Banner Tartars and laborers fled aside. Amid the muffled-thunder hoofbeats, a great mass of Plain Red Banner Bayara and elite armored cavalry — clad in mercury-colored iron armor or layered heavy armor — came charging with murderous intent.

They carried tiger-spears and hooked blades. Many had already bent bows and nocked arrows, or held javelins, throwing axes, and other keen weapons. They stared this way with savage expressions.

Zu Dabi's laughter stopped. Alarm showed in his eyes. Having just fought their way out of the encirclement, his men were utterly exhausted, without horses. Many soldiers were still locked in combat with Plain Red Banner Tartars, with no formation whatsoever. Daišan, that old fox — at the final moment, he had committed every last Bayara and elite armored soldier of the Plain Red Banner.

He bellowed: "Protect the Grand Commander!"

The personal officers and retainers around him also roared: "Damn! It's the Tartars' Bayara!"

"Stand and fight! Protect the Grand Commander..."

"Archers forward! Form ranks!"

Wu Sangui led his elite cavalry in a desperate charge. Under his furious assault and roars, his Wu clan retainers swept all before them. The Plain Red Banner infantry and cavalry arrayed on this side retreated in defeat one after another. In the distance, he seemed to see Zu Dashou's command banner, and the tide-like Zu clan warriors and retainers.

His heart soared to the heavens: "Uncle and the others have fought their way out."

But then his heart jolted. On that side, dust was billowing. That command banner seemed to have fallen!

He strained his eyes wide. His heart eased only slightly when he saw Zu Dashou's command banner raised high once more. Yet Wu Sangui's heart remained uneasy. The closer he drew, the more his heart felt like fifteen buckets — seven up, eight down — so tight in his chest he could barely breathe.

At last, Wu Sangui led his cavalry racing near. Just moments before, a wave of Plain Red Banner Bayara had fled in disarray.

But seeing the corpses lying every which way on that side, and...

Wu Sangui tumbled from his horse. He scrambled up and ran a few steps forward. His legs grew weaker and weaker, until finally he could not even stand. He used both hands and feet, crawling desperately across the ground. The personal officers beside him had hot tears in their eyes, only watching Wu Sangui crawl forward.

At last, Wu Sangui saw his uncle Zu Dashou. There he was, leaning against Zu Dabi. A javelin had pierced through his chest.

Around the two men, Zu clan personal officers were gathered, beating their chests and stamping their feet, wailing in grief. Every one of them was covered in wounds and blood. Even Zu Dabi's body bore wound upon wound — numerous arrows and several throwing knives still hanging from him.

Zu Dabi, usually so heroic and unrestrained, now held his elder brother and wept like a child.

Wu Sangui's scalp went numb. He saw his uncle Zu Dashou turn laboriously toward this side. He saw him, and on his face, with all his strength, appeared a kind and loving smile.

"No!"

Wu Sangui suddenly let out a howl, its sound piercing and mournful, carrying far into the distance.

……

"Hold fast, do not retreat a single step!"

More and more Divine Machine Battalion cannon carts were overturned. Tide-like waves of Plain Blue Banner Manchu and Mongol soldiers surged in through every breach. The surging human tide pressed all the way to the front of Hong Chengchou's Viceroy grand banner. Howling arrows, javelins, throwing axes, and other sharp weapons enveloped this area.

The Ming army in the rear formation fought desperately. The fate of the soldiers in the front and center formations told them that fleeing in rout meant death; holding firm, there was still a sliver of survival. Everyone also held a thought in their hearts: reinforcements led by the Loyal and Brave Count would arrive soon, and when that moment came, all the soldiers could live.

In particular, Wang Pu's new army camp, though suffering heavy casualties, had not lost its cohesion and still fought in formation.

When fear reached its extreme, courage instead surged forth. Zhang Ruoqi and Wang Dehua knew they could not escape. Zhang Ruoqi loudly exhorted the soldiers to fight. Wang Dehua twisted his fat, round body and desperately beat the central army war drum. The several young eunuchs beside him, each clutching a weapon, nervously guarded his side.

"Kill the slaves!"

Hong Chengchou bellowed furiously, but the sound that came out startled even himself. It was hoarse, and with his shout, a sharp pain wracked his chest, making him unable to suppress a violent coughing fit.

He touched his chest and faintly felt bloodstains on his hand. Not long ago, a Qing army arrow had struck him there. Although he wore inner armor, the arrowhead had likely pierced through and injured his lung lobe.

Seeing Hong Chengchou coughing incessantly, sometimes even coughing up blood-tinged fluid, his trusted aide Xie Sixin was deeply worried and said, "Lord Hong, you cannot force yourself to hold on any longer. You must receive medical treatment immediately, lest the injury be delayed and worsen!"

Hong Chengchou waved his hand. "The military situation is urgent. Deal with it after the battle."

Yet watching wave after wave of fierce Qing assaults, with his own side at the final moment of collapse, he secretly grew anxious. "Can it be that we truly cannot hold, and I, Hong Hengjiu, am to die in battle here? No, this Viceroy still has many ambitions unfulfilled. I cannot die!"

Li Fuming and Zuo Guangxian's main cavalry camp had arrived not long before, giving the rear formation's defense line a brief respite. But the Qing soldiers were simply too many, their offensive too fierce. They seemed to have gone mad, throwing in troops regardless of cost. Just as the rear formation's Ming army suffered devastating casualties, everyone panicked, and the line was on the very verge of collapse—

The roar of cannon fire seemed deafening, silencing the entire battlefield for an instant. Very soon, from the Ming army's rear formation, a heaven-covering, tide-like cheer surged up: "The Loyal and Brave Count's reinforcements have arrived!"

"The Loyal and Brave Count's reinforcements have arrived!"

"Reinforcements have arrived…"

Hong Chengchou shivered alertly and abruptly looked toward the left flank. There he saw thick smoke rolling and the continuous shriek of cannon fire. Sure enough, Wang Dou's reinforcements had arrived.

He let out a breath. "Good. The Loyal and Brave Count arrived just in time. Had he been one step later, the consequences would be unthinkable."

Fu Yingchong's face was streaked with hot tears as he cried out, "Saved, we are saved."

Wang Dehua threw down his great club with a single motion. Only now did he feel the lingering fear. Clutching his chest, he trembled and said, "The reinforcements have finally come. Our lives are preserved at last!"