Chapter 863: The Grand Flank Attack

His gaze turned toward the staff officer chief of the Pacification Army, Wen Fangliang, who had stepped forward from the ranks, and he thought to himself, what a handsome and elegant man.

Chen Yongfu’s heart tightened; this man’s reputation was one he knew all too well.

Wen Fangliang held a document in his hand, nodded slightly to everyone, and said calmly, “On the seventh day of the fourth month, our Pacification Army began mobilization. Aside from a portion left to garrison, the majority have been deployed for battle. We also mobilized one hundred fifty thousand garrison militia from various locations, bringing the total troop strength to roughly two hundred ten thousand…”

Every general from Shaanxi and Gansu present felt their hearts jolt violently; for the first time, they understood that the Pacification Army’s strength was so terrifying, so overwhelming.

They had also passed through various places in Xuanfu Garrison and seen the troops marching along the roads—those torrents of uniforms and armor on the official highway, those uniformly robust men, all wearing fine iron kettle helmets and fine iron armor, carrying firearms on their backs that they themselves could only yearn for but never reach.

If these men were only garrison militia, the various generals did not know what use the small numbers of elite household cavalry they had brought could possibly serve, or what meaning the soldiers in their own camps still held.

For the first time, a deep sense of powerlessness surged in each man’s heart, and on the face of Shaanxi Regional Commander Gao Jie, a look of utter bewilderment appeared. They could not understand how Wang Dou and his men had trained so many troops, and made them so formidable.

Wen Fangliang swept his gaze over the crowd, a barely perceptible smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and continued, “There are also three thousand five hundred New Army battle troops under the command of Grand Coordinator Ji’s headquarters of Xuan-Da, and three thousand five hundred New Army troops under Regional Commander Wang of Datong Garrison. From various places in Shaanxi and Gansu, roughly ten Battalion Commander cavalry have been assembled; from the various Mongol tribes beyond the border, roughly ten thousand cavalry; and from civilian security firms and militia corps, a combined total of thirty thousand men.”

He said, “Thus, including allied forces and our Pacification Army within, we have a total of two hundred forty thousand troops, with roughly ninety thousand mounted soldiers.”

He paused briefly, waiting until the shock in everyone’s hearts—especially that of the Shaanxi and Gansu generals—had subsided, then said, “Regarding the disposition of forces: first, General of the Tiger Guard Zhong Susu will lead two battalions of the White Tiger Army south, to intercept the roving bandits at Zhending according to plan. It is estimated that they have already reached Zhending Prefecture by now.”

He said, “Including the army headquarters, battalion headquarters, the Elite Cavalry, and the Hunter Cavalry, General of the Tiger Guard commands roughly ten thousand troops. In addition, at Zhending Prefecture, there are five thousand horse and foot under Zanhuang Assistant Regional Commander Xu Yue’e of the Zhenbao Garrison. There are also the main-battalion troops of Regional Commander Zhou Yuji, Vice Regional Commander Li Yunshu, and Wang Zheng of Datong Garrison, plus local government forces, totaling roughly thirty thousand men, including twenty thousand cavalry—more than enough to intercept the bandits retreating in defeat from the capital!”

Chen Yongfu and the others felt their hearts jolt again. Before the battle had even begun, the Pacification Army was already planning to intercept the bandits retreating in defeat from the capital. Such grand ambition—did they intend to wipe out the roving bandits in one fell swoop?

He had long fought the roving bandits in Henan and knew that what one feared most about the bandits was not their gathering but their scattering. Judging by the Pacification Army’s combat strength as he had seen it, and given that the bandits were busy in the capital extorting wealth and enjoying themselves so much they forgot home, perhaps this campaign truly could wipe them out in one stroke and thoroughly eliminate this great scourge.

You Shiwei sighed inwardly. Only today did he understand the Pacification Army’s grand ambition; it made his own past campaigns seem, by comparison, like mere skirmishes.

And after the full army reorganization in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Xu Yue’e had fifteen hundred cavalry and three thousand infantry—all uniformly New Army troops. By now, she had developed a force of five thousand horse and foot combined, and had also established a detailed staff advisor system, identical to that of the Pacification Army.

At that time, she had been appointed Zanhuang Assistant Regional Commander of the Zhenbao Garrison.

When the roving bandits marched north, Xu Yue’e was ordered to reinforce Zhending. Then Prefect Qiu Maohua and Mobile Corps Commander Xie Jiafu attempted to surrender to the bandits, and Xu Yue’e decisively executed them. With the aid of Regional Commander Zhou Yuji, Vice Regional Commander Li Yunshu, and the main-battalion troops of Wang Zheng and others from Datong Garrison, they firmly held the city of Zhending.

The roving bandits initially attacked Zhending fiercely from all sides, but soon turned to extorting wealth, and the various bandit troops, busy torturing people for silver, grew slack in their assault. Thus a stalemate ensued.

Moreover, the bulk of the roving bandits had already gone north, and the bandit forces near Zhending Prefecture were not numerous.

Wen Fangliang said, “And in Baoding Prefecture, the bandits have set up defense commissioners, military governors, prefects, and other puppet posts, leaving behind a small number of troops—fewer than ten thousand. Looking across Hejian Prefecture, Shunde Prefecture, Guangping Prefecture, and all the way to Shandong and beyond, it is the same everywhere. Many of the garrison troops left behind are former Great Ming government troops who surrendered, and they are all still busy extorting wealth.”

When the roving bandits attacked Baoding Prefecture, Provincial Governor Xu Biao, Prefect He Fu, Vice Prefect Zong Yuan, the eunuch Wan Zhenghua, and others held firm. Not long after, Regional Commander Zhou Yanru arrived at the city and begged to be let in. Xu Biao and the others initially refused, but because Censor Jin Yudong recognized Zhou Yanru, they finally allowed Zhou Yanru and his party into the city.

After they entered the city, the bandits attacked even more fiercely. Zhou Yanru believed the situation was hopeless and advocated negotiating surrender, using the Central Army Vice General as an inside agent. With defending officers like Wang Dengzhou also surrendering, Baoding finally fell to the bandits. Xu Biao, He Fu, Zong Yuan, Wan Zhenghua, and others all died in battle, while Zhou Yanru led Xu Yueke, Zhu Yongkang, and others to surrender.

Then, not long after, the roving bandits began extorting wealth, and Zhou Yanru and his men were tortured to death.

A cold sneer flickered at the corner of Wen Fangliang’s mouth. The bandits’ arrangements in Baoding Prefecture and other places were absurd; they relied almost entirely on surrendered government troops as their main force, with very few troops even from their outer camps, let alone their veteran camps. It seemed they had no sense of political authority whatsoever—they simply swarmed wherever there was food and ate their fill.

Having finished introducing the bandit situation south of the capital, Wen Fangliang first pointed to the Changping area on the sand table and said, “After the roving bandits took the capital, they attempted to attack Juyong Pass. Our Pacification Army defended effectively, and the bandits could not advance an inch. Currently garrisoning Changping are the former Linqing Regional Commander Liu Zeqing and the former Shandong Regional Commander Qiu Lei, with roughly twenty thousand troops, including a combined three Battalion Commander cavalry. They volunteered to advance westward, clearly having heard that our Xuanfu Garrison is rich and wanting to break in and plunder a great haul. Unexpectedly, they dashed their heads bloody against the pass walls, and now they too are busy extorting wealth throughout the Changping area.”

Pointing to Huairou and Shunyi on the sand table, he said, “These two places are garrisoned by the former Xuzhou Regional Commander Liu Liangzuo and Vice General Jin Shenghuan, who surrendered to the roving bandits. They also have roughly twenty thousand troops, with about twenty-five Company Commander cavalry.”

He then pointed to Tongzhou, Liangxiang, Fangshan, and other places, explaining who the bandit commanders were and how many bandit troops were there, detailing each one. The depth of their understanding of the bandit situation and the fineness of their intelligence made You Shiwei, Gao Jie, Chen Yongfu, and the others increasingly alarmed the more they listened.

Was the Pacification Army’s reconnaissance and intelligence truly this sharp?

While You Shilu, Li Changling, Ma Kuang, and the others were filled with admiration, their eyes also stared hungrily at the sand table.

What a fine thing—with such a divine tool, they could have a complete grasp of the battlefield situation.

“In summary, the roving bandits’ veteran camps are mostly located in the capital, while their outer camps and the surrendered Ming troops are distributed around the periphery. However, they have not strayed too far, mostly within one or two days’ march. Though five hundred thousand roving bandits marched north, and though they have stationed men in various prefectures and counties, because of the large number of surrendered Ming troops, it is estimated that there are still five to six hundred thousand men arrayed around the capital area.”

As Wen Fangliang introduced the situation, he also planted small flags one after another to indicate the circumstances, giving everyone a more intuitive impression.

Having finished introducing the roving bandits, he then shifted his tone and said, “In addition, there are the Tatar caitiffs.”

The Shaanxi and Gansu generals all felt their hearts jolt. Why had the topic turned to the Tatars? Judging by the Pacification Army’s intent, did they mean to fight two enemies at once?

Wen Fangliang said, “According to intelligence from our Protectorate’s Intelligence Department, on the twentieth day of the second month, the slave caitiffs poured out in full force—Manchu, Mongol, Han, Korean, and Japanese troops of the Forty Banners, plus the various Tatar tribes of the Outer Domains, totaling roughly one hundred eighty thousand banner soldiers and warriors. There are also tens of thousands of bondservants, bringing the total number to around two hundred fifty thousand. They initially split into two routes: one led personally by the slave chieftain Dorgon, the other under the primary command of Abatai and Jirgalang, pressing directly toward Shanhai Pass and Ji Garrison.”

The Shaanxi and Gansu generals all felt as if they could scarcely breathe. Setting aside the bondservants for the moment, nearly two hundred thousand Tatar soldiers—what terrifying strength was this?

They were not Li Zicheng; they knew how formidable the Tatars were. You Shiwei’s brows furrowed tightly. He had campaigned under Grand Commandant Man Gui and clashed with the Tatars many times, and he knew how fierce and sharp those Tatar soldiers were. With a combined force of two hundred fifty thousand pressing in…

Wen Fangliang’s tone then turned cold, and he said flatly, “The latest intelligence from the Intelligence Department: Liaodong Regional Commander Wu Sangui has already surrendered to the slaves. On the afternoon of the eighth day of the fourth month, he opened Shanhai Pass and surrendered, and furthermore murdered Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Liu Zhaoji, the old general Liu. Those Liaodong warlords, the Wu and Zu families, have all shaved their heads and surrendered, and have even handpicked twenty thousand troops to follow them into battle. Also, the former Miyun Regional Commander Tang Tong has led his eight thousand men—first surrendering to the roving bandits, and now surrendering to the slave caitiffs.”

A wave of shock swept through the hall. The Shaanxi and Gansu generals all cursed with righteous indignation. Wang Pu shouted, “Back during the Jinzhou campaign, I could already tell that Wu Sangui was no good. Now not only has he surrendered to the Tatars, he has also murdered old General Liu—utterly devoid of conscience!”

He then cursed loudly, “And that Tang Tong is a traitorous wretch, a slave to three surnames, surrendering and defecting as easily as eating and drinking.”

Amid the chorus of curses in the hall, Wang Dou said coolly, “Wu Sangui is a dog that cannot change its habit of eating dung. He seeks his own death, and he will drag his entire clan to be buried with him. Let this be a warning to all of you!”

His words were calm, but the murderous intent within them sent a chill through everyone. Led by Wang Pu, each man beat his chest and swore that he was absolutely a loyal subject of the Great Ming.

Wang Dou gestured for Wen Fangliang to continue. Wen Fangliang said, “The slave caitiff army has entered the pass. Although they are being intercepted along the way by old General Yang Guozhu, the slave caitiffs are massive in strength. When our Pacification Army goes into battle, we must be mentally prepared for a two-front war and harbor no wishful thinking.”

He said, “From Shanhai Pass to the capital is six hundred li. Marching fifty li a day would take twelve days; marching one hundred li a day would take six days. Our Pacification Army has resolved to dispatch troops tomorrow. From the garrison city to Juyong Pass is two hundred li, but because there are one hundred li of difficult mountain roads, we estimate a three-day journey. That is, by the fifteenth day of the fourth month, the entire army will have reached Juyong Pass.”

He said, “At a normal marching pace, the slave caitiffs might reach the capital on the fifteenth. However, they must assemble to enter the pass, and they are being intercepted along the way by old General Yang and others. Therefore, I judge that they cannot reach the capital by the fifteenth of the fourth month—at most, some scout cavalry will be probing ahead.”

He said, “From Juyong Pass to the capital is one hundred li, mostly flat open country. By normal pace, one could reach the outskirts of the capital in a single day. However, this campaign is to annihilate the roving bandits, and with the slave caitiffs lurking nearby, hoping to play the fisherman while the snipe and clam fight, the Staff Department’s strategy is to set the battlefield in advance and annihilate both the roving bandits and the slave caitiffs in the field!”

He spoke as if this were only natural, and the Pacification Army generals in the hall all wore expressions suggesting nothing was out of the ordinary. But in the hearts of Chen Yongfu and the Shaanxi and Gansu generals, towering waves surged! So the Pacification Army truly intended to fight two enemies at once, and to annihilate them all?

They admitted the Pacification Army was very strong, but to fight two at once—was that not somewhat overreaching?

Five to six hundred thousand roving bandits, plus one hundred eighty thousand Tatar battle troops, and now add Wu Sangui’s and Tang Tong’s thirty thousand men.

You Shiwei opened his mouth, but seeing the calm expressions on Wang Dou and the others, he ultimately swallowed the words he was about to speak.

Wen Fangliang said, “The Staff Department has devised multiple pre-planned scenarios, with different strategies for different locations. Based on our assessment of the enemy and our own situation, and our estimate of the slave caitiffs’ marching pace, the final designated location is here.”

Staff Department advisors pushed away the current sand table and wheeled in an even more detailed terrain sand table of the capital region, where nearly every hillock, every river, every bridge, and every village was vividly clear. You Shiwei and the others stared in astonishment.

Wen Fangliang said, “Our army’s first step is to attack and seize Changping, then advance past Gonghua City, the Sha River, the Chaozong Bridge, and other points, halting at Dang’er Ridge. About ten li west of Dang’er Ridge are Wang’er Hill, Xiangshan, and a chain of rolling ridges. Then, several dozen li to the east lies the Sha River.”

He said, “Between Wang’er Hill and the Sha River is roughly forty li, mostly flat plain, dotted with some villages. Dang’er Ridge is about thirty li from the capital. After our grand army seizes Changping, the roving bandits will surely learn of it. Given their arrogance and ignorance, and seeing our large numbers, they will certainly muster their entire army to come and meet us in battle! Which is exactly what we want.”

His hand stabbed fiercely at this area: “Our army will deploy along a horizontal line at Wang’er Hill, Dang’er Ridge, Huilong Temple, and other points, with the battle line stretching roughly twenty li. Constrained by the terrain, the roving bandits’ troop distribution will likely be limited to deploying around the Qing River, Dongsheng Ridge, Fuhai, Weng Hill, and other points about ten li away.”

His hand then stabbed fiercely toward another location—Shunyi. He said, “The slave chieftain Dorgon is by nature cunning and deceitful, most fond of underhanded schemes. If our grand army is about to meet the roving bandits in battle, how could he not rush to the vicinity to spy? He will simultaneously probe both our flank and the bandits’ flank. And the best place for his grand army to encamp is Shunyi. This place is not only positioned on our flank, but is also only sixty li from our battle line.”

Wen Fangliang said confidently, “Based on our understanding of intelligence, the slave chieftain is clearly superior to the bandit Chuang. If our armies meet in battle, he will not fail to know of it. As both sides deploy their formations, he will certainly bring out all his elite troops, cross the Sha River, and observe both sides—especially probing our army’s right flank—from either ten li or twenty li away!”

Wen Fangliang said, “The bulk of our army’s supplies will be located at Changping and Gonghua City, and the slave chieftain will deduce this as well. Dorgon will certainly mass heavy troops on the right bank of the Sha River, intending to strike from the flank at our rear, cut our supply lines—especially when our battle with the roving bandits is at its fiercest.”

Wen Fangliang said, “Therefore, in response to the various situations involving the roving bandits and the slave caitiffs, our grand army will operate in two divisions, engaging the roving bandits and the slave caitiffs separately. We will strike simultaneously, specifically to deny the slave caitiffs the chance to rest and conserve their strength, and to prevent them from harboring the idea of playing the fisherman while the snipe and clam fight.”

Wen Fangliang said fiercely, “The core of everything, the absolute core, is to annihilate the roving bandits’ sixty thousand veteran camp troops and the slave caitiffs’ sixty thousand Manchu soldiers. We will concentrate rocket and artillery fire to strike their core, strike their cavalry formations, strike their cavalry, strike their artillery, and strike their musketeers.”

He said viciously, "Before my grand formation closes in, I must first eliminate every force that threatens me! Once my grand formation closes in, that will be the moment they are destroyed and scattered!"

Inside the hall, every general from Shaanxi and Gansu felt breathless. This strategic plan was too grand. If it succeeded, then just thirty li outside the capital, the Great Ming's two greatest enemies would be wiped out at the same time.

Of course, to achieve this result, the Border Pacification Army would have to defeat the enemy head-on in battle.

At the same time, they were curious. What were the rockets Wen Fangliang spoke of? They seemed not to be the rockets they usually used. From what he said, they sounded even more lethal than the red-barbarian cannons.

You Shiwei guessed they might be something like the Divine Fire Flying Crow, but he had used the Divine Fire Flying Crow before and thought little of its power. Its drawbacks were too great, especially its extreme sensitivity to wind direction. One careless moment and the Divine Fire Flying Crow would fly back and explode over one's own men.

From what Wen Fangliang said, their Border Pacification Army's rockets should not have the various drawbacks of the Divine Fire Flying Crow.

"Therefore, the point of this battle is not routing the enemy, but preventing as many fish from slipping through the net as possible!"

Wen Fangliang said, "Against the bandit rabble, besides a frontal decisive battle, our army must also execute a flanking encirclement. Dispatch a heavy force, all mounted, carrying light cannons and rockets, to bypass Xiangshan, Xishan, and Shijingshan through the Dajue Temple valley, then move along the Lugou River to appear on the southern side of the capital, striking the bandits from both north and south."

Wen Fangliang took out some wooden arrow markers and placed them on the sand table route. Everyone watched the area where he moved, especially the Shaanxi and Gansu generals, who all exclaimed in admiration as they looked at the sand table. What a grand flanking maneuver! A conservative estimate put the distance of this raid at about fifty to sixty li. To appear behind the bandit rabble's grand formation, it would be nearly a hundred li.

You Shiwei calculated that if they could rout the bandit rabble from the front, and then strike them from behind, not many bandits would be left around the capital.

Even if some fish slipped through the net, an army of thirty thousand was waiting for them in Zhending Prefecture.

The Chuang bandits were truly finished this time.

Wen Fangliang said, "Against the slave brigands, besides a frontal decisive battle, our army, judging that the slave chief may mass heavy troops on the right bank of the Shahe River, intending to cut our supply line, will set up a heavy force of infantry and cavalry at Mianshan in Changping's Yingchi, along with cannons and rockets. If the brigands come raiding, we will certainly make them run headfirst into a bloody wall."

He glanced at his uncle Wen Shiyan and said, "Our army will also counter-envelop them. We will set up a heavy force at Mount Jundou in Changping. When the moment arrives, we will launch another grand flanking maneuver. Every man will have a horse, carrying light cannons and rockets. They will cross the Huai River at Niulanshan, twenty li upstream from Shunyi, circle around to Shunyi's rear, and cut off the slave brigands' retreat!"

He again took out some wooden arrow markers and placed them on the sand table route. The Shaanxi and Gansu generals watched with even greater admiration. Another grand flanking maneuver! This raid distance was also very long, reaching seventy to eighty li, which would severely test the commanding general's ability.

And both of these grand flanking maneuvers had been proposed by Wen Fangliang's uncle, the senior strategic advisor Wen Shiyan. During the Jinzhou campaign, he had proposed a flanking maneuver from beyond the frontier to cut off the Jinzhou Tartars' retreat. Now, against both the Tartars and the bandit rabble, he had devised a major outer flanking maneuver for each. Clearly, he had become addicted to flanking.

……

After Wen Fangliang finished presenting his strategic plan, the Shaanxi and Gansu generals remained in shock. Their eyes had been opened, truly opened wide.

So war could be fought this way, and strategy could be arranged like this. Especially with divine tools like the sand table, no wonder the Border Pacification Army was ever-victorious.

Wang Dou invited everyone in the hall to speak freely, to identify omissions and fill gaps. Regardless of who they were in the hall, anyone could put forward their own views and opinions.

Immediately, the Border Pacification Army generals came forward one by one, repeatedly questioning Chief of Staff Wen Fangliang and incessantly offering their own insights and views. Only the Shaanxi and Gansu generals still stood there stiffly.

For one, they were still in shock, their minds not yet recovered. For another, in the past they mostly fought and killed under the shouted orders of civil officials. When did such grand military matters ever give them a chance to interject? None dared to speak much and make fools of themselves.

Wang Dou listened to the generals speak. He pondered, then took out an exquisite box of Yun cigarettes from his pocket, drew one for You Shiwei, and drew another for Wang Pu.

You Shiwei hurriedly said, "Thank you, Marshal."

Wang Pu even more swiftly found a lighter, lit Wang Dou's cigarette, and then lit You Shiwei's.

Seeing this, everyone in the hall also took out cigarettes, picked up lighters to light them, and offered one to the Shaanxi and Gansu generals beside them. Everyone began puffing out clouds of smoke. That gossip Zhong Susu was not around, so everyone felt much more relaxed.

Wang Dou said, "General You, would you say a few words?"

You Shiwei took a deep breath and said, "This lowly general will then boldly offer his presumptuous words."

He said, "Key point one: will the slave brigands gather at Shunyi? Key point two: the two routes of the grand flanking maneuver, to race against time, require strong mobility. To block the routed, desperate enemy on both routes, the forces must be heavy. Key point three: what are the road conditions along the way?"

He said, "For example, on the route flanking the slave brigands, as this lowly general knows, not far upstream from Niulanshan, the Huai River merges with the Baihe River, and the river is quite wide and deep. That area only has a ferry crossing, no bridge. A large army, accompanied by heavy equipment like cannons, might face great difficulty crossing the river at that time, delaying the battle opportunity."

Wang Dou nodded and looked at Wen Fangliang.

Wen Fangliang smiled and said, "Regarding the first point General You raised, this is a joint judgment made by the Intelligence Department and the Staff Department, with a probability as high as eighty percent. If the slave brigands do not come, the two routes of the grand flanking maneuver will simultaneously envelop the bandit rabble! However, during the battle, nearly half the forces will still remain stationary as a reserve garrison to guard against the possible appearance of the slave brigands."

Wen Fangliang said, "Second, in the Staff Department's arrangement, the forces on both routes of the grand flanking maneuver are heavy, and all are equipped with horses. The artillery and rocket troops are the same. Mobility and combat power are not an issue."

He said, "Third, the Intelligence Department and the Night Scouts already scouted the road conditions of these two locations in advance. Reports came back as early as three days ago. The places along the way requiring road repair and bridge building have long been prepared. Even if a bridge deck is accidentally destroyed, several sets of spare materials are ready."

You Shiwei had nothing more to say. He sighed, "No wonder the Border Pacification Army is ever-victorious. The various pre-battle preparations are actually so meticulous."

The Shaanxi and Gansu generals also had nothing to say, left only with a feeling of amazement beyond words.

However, the key points You Shiwei raised did make Wang Dou see him in a new light. These were indeed the critical points of the battle situation. Negligence on any single point could lead to failure just short of completion.

Wang Dou also asked Chen Yongfu, Li Changling, Wang Pu, and others. They all said, "We lowly generals all share General You's view."

Seeing that everyone felt the strategic plan had no problems, Wang Dou said, "Very well, if there are no objections, the strategic plan is hereby confirmed. We march out after the parade tomorrow!"

He looked at You Shiwei and smiled, "The Staff Department truly needs a great talent like General You to join. Would you be interested? Whether the Staff Department or the Military Academy, take your pick. If you wish to lead troops, a corps command position is guaranteed."

Seeing the Marshal value him so highly, You Shiwei felt excited and warmed in his heart. Seeing the very hopeful gazes of You Shilu, You Zhaiwen, and others beside him, he solemnly cupped his fists and said, "Everything is at the Marshal's disposal."

Wang Dou smiled, "Good."

The remaining Shaanxi and Gansu men, seeing the Marshal did not mention them, felt somewhat disappointed in their hearts. It seemed they were not conspicuous enough and still had to perform well to show themselves. (~^~)