Chapter 685: Direction

Cao Bianjiao scanned the horizon in every direction — a vast, unbroken plain, with few trees, only scattered sparse woods, and riverbeds now dry, now parched.

There were many villages, dotted with locust trees and other mixed species, but most had been destroyed; the few that had survived by luck, along with large fortified manors, seemed as if they might be swallowed at any moment by the raging tide of the roving bandits.

Though it was not yet late autumn, the scene before him already carried a heavy sense of desolation; a gust of wind swept through, rustling the grass and treetops, and yellow dust brushed against his face.

It seemed that from deep beyond every horizon, great columns of dust and smoke were rising, blotting out the sky and covering the earth...

Seeing everyone staring at him expectantly, Cao Bianjiao made a sudden decision: "We turn back first and link up with the infantry battalion."

With some unease, the five thousand-odd cavalry of the main army battalion wheeled their horses around and galloped back along the route they had come. The roving bandit cavalry units that had been scouting nearby immediately followed, but they only shadowed from a distance and did not attack.

All along the way back, on the road behind them, countless hoofprints marked the ground; many small bands of roving bandit cavalry were darting back and forth. They moved nimbly, spread across the zone between the cavalry and the infantry battalion. When they saw the large Ming cavalry force racing back, they scattered in a rush.

These roving bandit cavalrymen all possessed superb riding skills. Some carried bows and arrows or three-eyed guns, but most bore waist sabers, cavalry swords, and similar weapons; there were also men wielding long spears, great axes, and the like — those were elite troops.

Because of the cavalry's mobility, routing them was easy, but annihilating them — that was difficult!

In fact, after Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen entered Guide Prefecture, they had killed many roving bandit foot soldiers and starving troops, but had slain very few of their cavalry, precisely because of their mobility. Many of their riding skills were not inferior to those of the cavalry battalion's own soldiers.

The cavalry were about ten to twenty li from the infantry battalion to the rear. At cavalry speed, it did not take long to cover the distance, and since the roving bandit cavalry units did not intercept them, Cao Bianjiao and his men linked up with the infantry battalions of the two garrisons very smoothly.

Before arriving, Cao and Wang had still been worried that their own infantry battalion might have come under heavy attack from the roving bandits' main force; seeing that all was peaceful, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the two men saw that the infantry battalion had already formed up. The musketeers in their red cotton armor were on the outside, and the spearmen in their blue waist-length armor were on the inside, arrayed on all four sides in a square defensive formation. One or two li away, many roving bandit cavalry units were likewise encircling them on the outside, and their numbers were growing steadily.

So the officers of both battalions felt that the situation was ominous. Although the roving bandits had not attacked, like the silence before a storm, everyone had a premonition that a major event was about to occur. When Cao and Wang arrived, they were in the midst of heated debate over something; seeing the bulk of the cavalry return, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

There was no time to lose. After the main forces had linked up, Cao and Wang immediately summoned their subordinate officers for a council; everyone down to the rank of Company Commander was present.

Each of their two garrisons had one main army battalion, one new army battalion, two staff officers, two battalion commanders, and two or three Company Commanders per battalion. In addition, there were officers such as the provost marshal and morale officer, as well as some military advisors attached to the camps.

Emulating the Jingbian Army, Cao Bianjiao and the others, though not as meticulous as Wang Pu, could all deeply appreciate the benefits of having military advisors — as could Wang Tingchen, Yang Guozhu, and the rest.

One man's skill is short, but many men's skills are long. When out on campaign, there are too many things to consider in every aspect; sometimes, by making just a few fewer mistakes, one might unknowingly win a victory.

They could also frequently propose contingency plans, and the commanding general only had to make the final decision.

Not only did this spare them personal toil and mental strain, but because the plans came from the collective wisdom of many, there were fewer miscalculations. Thus, over time, Cao Bianjiao and the other Regional Commanders and senior generals who were close to Wang Dou increasingly valued the role of military advisors.

The group gathered by the riverbank, beneath a large locust tree, holding their council around a large camp stool on which was spread a crude map of Guide Prefecture.

When they learned from their commanders that they might have walked into an ambush, the officers erupted in clamor, but they were alarmed without panicking. After all, these men had faced life and death together — what desperate battle had they not seen? Even the soldiers of the two garrisons' new army battalions, having endured the bloody battles in Liaodong, had each been completely reborn.

Break out!

Race back to the prefectural seat of Guide — that was everyone's first reaction.

However, some officers and advisors argued that they could dig in and hold their ground, using the infantry formation's ferocious firepower to continuously strike the enemy while the cavalry waited for an opportunity to sally forth.

Originally, when the two garrisons marched south, they had a total force of over ten thousand infantry and cavalry. But after the long march south and various battles, with casualties and soldiers deserting, each battalion was now understrength, and the total infantry and cavalry numbered less than ten thousand.

Even so, nearly ten thousand troops from the two garrisons still represented an extremely formidable fighting force. No matter how many roving bandits there were, if they suffered grievous casualties during their siege, they might eventually withdraw. By using stillness to counter movement, perhaps during the course of battle they might even wait for reinforcements to arrive.

But this proposal was immediately met with a cacophony of opposition. The plan was far too conservative; no matter how you looked at it, it was simply waiting for death.

"We cannot dig in and hold our ground!"

Yang Shaofan, who was now the commander of the Yutian Garrison's new army battalion, also voiced his opposition: "Not to mention that this place is surrounded on all four sides by open plain, with even the woods being sparse, making it unfavorable for defense. Our army's provisions are also insufficient to hold out for long. If the bandits encircle us on all sides, our army can only sit and wait for death. This is the worst of all possible plans."

Yang Shaofan was already a Vice Regional Commander, yet still not yet thirty years old. He sat steadily on a small camp stool, forming a stark contrast with the others, who were either leaning askew or sitting on the ground with no regard for appearance.

Even with a great enemy about to descend, he still maintained a certain degree of decorum and bearing, and when he spoke, it was after careful deliberation.

In the end, Cao Bianjiao also rejected this proposal. Enough ants can bite an elephant to death; if they were completely surrounded by several hundred thousand roving bandits, the consequences would be too dreadful to contemplate.

The roving bandits were most adept at using refugee offensives, employing waves of starving troops to exhaust the defenders' strength and ammunition. Meng Ruhu, Sun Yingyuan, and others who had died for the nation had all been worn down to death by the bandits' human-wave tactics.

Moreover, when they had set out from Guide Prefecture, the two garrisons' main army had not brought much in the way of provisions. They only had enough to last a few days. They had stockpiled some grain and fodder in Xiayi County seat to the rear, guarded by a few hundred troops, with some civilian porters from the prefectural city transporting supplies.

Although if the bandits wanted to besiege the main army, the several hundred thousand troops they had would also require a massive amount of provisions, and it was possible that their own supplies might run out first during the siege — but that was only speculation, and Cao Bianjiao did not dare to pin his hopes on it.

What worried Cao Bianjiao was that the bandits might also use cannons. They had laid such an elaborate trap that they had even refrained from using cannons when attacking the prefectural seat of Guide, probably saving them specifically to use against him.

As far as Cao Bianjiao knew, the Chuang bandits, in their conquests, had captured no small number of large and small Frankish breech-loading cannons. Many Ming artillerymen who had surrendered were also well-fed and well-treated. If, on this open plain, the roving bandits subjected them to dense cannon bombardment, their own army's formations would likely meet a fate similar to that of the Qi family troops.

As for reinforcements, a feeling of desolation rose in Cao Bianjiao's heart. He knew there would be none.

Zuo Liangyu and the others in Runing Prefecture — whether they even had the intention was beside the point; they absolutely would not dare to come to the rescue.

Even if Hu Dawei and Chen Yongfu in Kaifeng City had the heart to rescue them, seeing the overwhelming might of the Chuang bandits, with several hundred thousand troops massed, they would still hesitate and weigh their options. In the end, even if their troops did arrive, there was no telling whether they themselves would still be alive.

"General Xiao Cao, we must leave immediately!"

Wang Tingchen, a veteran general of many years, also saw at a glance that digging in and waiting for reinforcements would surely end badly. The only option was to seek life in the midst of death and fight their way out through a bloody path.

Although the roving bandits were encircling them, they were not an elite army. The fighting strength of their units varied, some good, some poor, and their coordination was bound to be full of gaps.

Moreover, their encirclement was far too large. According to the intelligence they had so far, the bandits were closing in from three areas: Yongcheng, Dangshan, and Haozhou. Completing the encirclement would take time, and for now, there was still plenty of room to break through. Nearly ten thousand frontier troops, if they concentrated their assault on a single point, had a great chance of breaking out of the heavy encirclement.

Their infantry simply could not keep up, nor could they block them, and the cavalry in any one direction would not be too numerous.

Given the roving bandits' organizational ability, it would also take time and coordination for nearby troops to rush over and block or reinforce.

"Then we break out!"

The military situation was urgent and brooked no prolonged debate. Breaking out of the heavy encirclement quickly became the consensus of all the officers of the two garrisons.

But in which direction to break out — that sparked further debate among the military advisors and officers.

Judging from the current enemy situation, intelligence from the scouts and patrols indicated that the forces coming from Dangshan and Haozhou were largely bandit cavalry. They were moving extremely fast. If they made a decisive choice, Cao and Wang could abandon the infantry, and the cavalry could escape.

But that was impossible. The problem was that if they brought the infantry, their rear might be cut off by the enemy cavalry.

Even if it was not cut off, the cavalry might still be entangled by their cavalry.

Once the cavalry was entangled, it meant the infantry was entangled too. Therefore, some advisors proposed doing the opposite — breaking out toward the southwest of Yongcheng and heading straight into Fengyang Prefecture in Nanzhili. This would certainly catch the bandits off guard and take them by surprise.

This proposal stirred a moment of excitement among the generals, but then they all shook their heads.

After these days of campaigning, they were at least somewhat familiar with Guide Prefecture; they could make use of certain terrain features and knew the bandits' situation in these parts. But as for the areas east and south of Yongcheng, who knew what the situation was like over there?

With the enemy situation unclear and the terrain unknown, venturing in recklessly would make the road ahead unpredictable. If their provisions ran out during the breakout, it would be an even greater disaster.

Of two evils, choose the lesser. Quickly, Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen made their decision: they would break out toward Xiayi in the rear, and then from Xiayi race back to the prefectural seat of Guide.

"Good. Before the main force of the roving bandit cavalry arrives, Brother Wang, you will immediately lead the troops of your main army battalion and break through toward the Xiayi city walls. Secure the city, protect the provisions, and be ready to provide support at any time. I will lead the remaining cavalry and infantry main force and follow at once."

"Agreed."

Wang Tingchen knew this was no time for courtesy — seizing a strongpoint in the rear was critically important.

Though Xiayi city lay in ruins and was hardly a good defensive position, it was only a hundred li from Guide Prefecture (of course, with railways or highways the distance could be shortened to fifty or sixty li), making it easy for Guide Prefecture to send support that way.

If the worst happened and the main army was pinned down by the roving bandits, even the broken walls of Xiayi would be better to defend than flat open ground.

Not to mention that a portion of the army's grain and fodder was stored inside.

The plan decided, he led his own main-force battalion and moved out at once — over two thousand six hundred cavalry warriors, burning their bridges, carrying only a small amount of provisions and leaving behind all baggage and heavy supplies, determined to scatter the nearby roving bandit cavalry at top speed and reach Xiayi city.

Cao Bianjiao's two thousand eight hundred-odd main-force battalion cavalry protected the foot soldiers of both garrisons, along with the army's grain wagons, mules and horses, and the tents, chevaux-de-frise, iron caltrops and other baggage.

The main-force battalions were all elite warriors, and Wang Tingchen's troops were soon ready — warhorses drawn up in formation, Wang Tingchen himself positioned in the very first assault rank.

He strode forward, about to mount, then paused and turned back. He came over in great strides, threw his arms around Cao Bianjiao, pounded him hard on the back, and shouted, "Young General Cao, promise me — you must not come to harm."

Cao Bianjiao's heart surged with emotion, then he laughed loudly and reassured Wang Tingchen: "Rest easy. I will certainly be safe and sound, and the men of both garrisons will all be safe and sound too... Brother Wang, you take care yourself."

Wang Tingchen split his wide mouth in a great laugh: "Young General Cao can set his mind at ease."

The two Great Ming Regional Commanders and Counts, bound by deep comradeship in arms, embraced. The mounted riders laughed heartily as they bade farewell to the horse and foot army behind them, while the officers and men marching behind likewise raised their weapons and roared, blessing the warriors who rode ahead.

Amid the cheering, Wang Tingchen swung onto his horse, raised his weapon, and bellowed: "Move out!"

"Move out!"

The riders all brandished their weapons and roared as one.

Their spearpoints and blade-tips aimed forward, the rolling tide of cavalry charged straight ahead. The sunlight gleamed on the brass ornaments of their bridles, flashing bright, and on the forest of weapons glittering with a metallic sheen in the sun. (To be continued...)