Chapter 166: 164【Can Shift the Blame】(For Alliance Leader

The body of that Battalion Commander was soon carried back by the soldiers.

Zhao Han swept a glance at it and said to Zhang Tieniu, "When we return, merits will be assessed and rewards given — the iron armor on this man is awarded to you."

"That's great." Zhang Tieniu's eyes blazed as he stared, itching to strip the armor off right then and there.

Zhao Han was still too poor — from the start of his rebellion until now, he had not a single suit of iron armor, and the commanders under him could only wear leather armor.

In the Ming dynasty, weapons were not strictly controlled; as long as it was not a firearm, even strong bows and powerful crossbows were permitted for civilians to own. But anyone who dared privately make or store armor — that was tantamount to rebellion!

This dead man before them was probably of hereditary military officer stock, and the armor was likewise a family heirloom antique — it might well be one or two hundred years old.

Relying on the ironworks of Xinyu and Fenyi counties, the weapons bureau would soon be able to run at full capacity.

The first things to be forged were not firearms, but over a thousand waist sabers. At the very least, the daggers carried by the archers had to be completely replaced with war blades — those were not daggers at all, just spearheads fitted with short handles.

The soldiers were clearing the battlefield. Zhao Han strolled over to visit the wounded. Seeing Wu Yong binding a wound, he could not help smiling and asking, "You didn't catch any high officials this time?"

Wu Yong said dejectedly, "This time the real high officials were all on horseback — there was just no catching up. The government troops have so many horses, definitely... most likely twenty of them."

Wu Yong belonged to the Slave Army and had earlier charged alongside Zhang Tieniu, taking a large gash across the shoulder.

This kind of head-on assault battle was the most intense by far.

By contrast, the defensive battle Zhao Han personally commanded — though it looked like thousands upon thousands of men from both armies poking at each other — actually, after poking for half a day, the casualties would not be very great. Even if the opponent were not a rabble but real elite imperial troops, the fighting would unfold much the same way.

Two armies thrusting at each other until each suffered over half dead and wounded — that absolutely belongs to the realm of legend.

If you set Yue's army against the Sichuan White Rod troops in a death match, perhaps it could reach that intensity. As for other armies, collapsing at 5% casualties is perfectly normal; only those that collapse at 10% casualties can be called elite troops.

An army that could withstand 20% casualties — give Zhao Han just five thousand of them, and he could sweep across several provinces south of the Yangtze.

Even the Later Jin army at this moment, if it suffered 20% casualties, would certainly rout. The Tartars value their lives far more than you imagine.

The Later Jin's ability to grow steadily stronger did not rely on fierce courage and fearlessness of death, but on rapidly advancing strategy and tactics.

When Nurhaci first raised his troops, his way of fighting was utterly chaotic; it was only after establishing the Eight Banners system that they truly became an army.

Even by the time of the Battle of Sarhu, the Tartars' fighting strength was still inferior to the Great Ming frontier forces. Every time, they exploited the gaps where the Ming armies could not coordinate, suddenly raiding one isolated Ming force, winning with a two- or three-to-one advantage in numbers, and then causing the other Ming units to flee at the mere rumor.

What was truly terrifying was the speed of the Tartars' tactical improvement!

Having suffered a hidden loss at the Battle of Sarhu, Nurhaci promptly adopted shield carts. Heavy infantry pushed the shield carts forward; two shield carts closed together could cover the advance of twenty or thirty infantrymen, leaving the Great Ming frontier army's wagon-fort firearms completely useless.

On the other hand, the Ming army's tactics remained utterly unchanged, still using the wagon-fort firearm tactics designed to deal with Mongol cavalry.

And so this kind of battlefield scene emerged —

The Ming army would stack up their war wagons, soldiers sheltering behind them, archers shooting arrows and matchlock musketeers firing, close-combat infantry providing protection, cavalry concealed within the formation as a reserve, or cavalry roaming the flanks waiting for a chance to strike. This method of warfare had suppressed the Mongol cavalry for over a hundred years.

The Tartars, on the other hand, placed heavy infantry at the front, pushing shield carts to cover the main force's advance. The Ming army's arrows and bullets were mostly blocked by the shield carts. The Tartar archers sheltering behind the shield carts closed the distance and loosed volleys at the Ming troops. Once the infantry pushed aside the obstacles along the path, the Tartar cavalry suddenly charged out, firing from horseback on the move against the Ming army, and once they shot them into collapse, immediately gave chase and slaughtered.

That was exactly how the Battle of Dalinghe went — the Tartar cavalry fired two volleys, combined with the archers' massed volley, and the Ming army simply collapsed. (The Ming troops' morale was actually not bad; they withstood the Tartar cavalry's first volley, but at the second they simply could not hold and routed.)

In that period, the Tartars' main-force troop composition was: 20% shield-cart heavy-armored infantry, 30% mail-armored archers, 40% light-armored cavalry, and 10% iron-armored cavalry.

And now, the Tartars have further equipped themselves with firearm units — even harder to deal with than at the time of the Battle of Dalinghe!

It was purely tactical domination — the Tartars kept improving their tactics, while the Ming army never changed. How could the Great Ming frontier forces possibly win?

By the way, heavy cannons can break the Tartars' shield-cart formation, but ordinary Frankish cannons and crouching-tiger cannons cannot.

With Zhao Han's current ragtag army, even if the soldiers could endure 50% casualties and more than half fought to the death without retreating, they would still be badly defeated if they met the Tartar main force.

The same goes for the White Rod troops, because the Tartars of today are no longer the Tartars of those years.

These fellows learn so fast — they've put every point of their tech tree into military affairs!

Zhao Han waited on the battlefield for quite a long while before Gu Jianshan finally returned leading the naval force.

The sailors' casualties were actually higher than the army's, and over thirty men were missing besides. Because after the rain swelled the river, the current was far too swift — sailors who fell into the river were quickly swept away by the waters, and no one knew how many would make it safely ashore.

But the warships had grown in number!

Gu Jianshan came over beaming to render a military salute and reported: "Regional Commander, our forces won a great victory at White Egret Shoal. We burned six large enemy vessels, captured two large enemy vessels and seven small ones, and another two large enemy vessels and one small one surrendered. There are also three large enemy vessels run aground — we need to organize men to clear the silt and drag them out."

"Well done," Zhao Han said, delighted. "Did the enemy's flagship get away?"

Gu Jianshan answered, "Wang Siren's boat escaped — we pursued but could not catch it. I request the Regional Commander's punishment."

Zhao Han burst out laughing. "You've won a battle — why would I punish you?"

Over a hundred surrendered government naval troops were brought over by Gu Jianshan to pay their respects — all of them were formerly Lake Poyang water bandits.

Gu Jianshan introduced: "This is Fan Chao, bandit name Fan the Second, a good brother of mine from the old days on Lake Poyang."

"I pay my respects to the Grand Commander!" Fan Chao hastily kowtowed.

"Quickly, rise," Zhao Han said, helping the man up. He studied him for a moment and said, "Indeed a stout fellow. Stay and serve as an officer in my navy."

A low-ranking officer, of course — the propaganda officers would do ideological work, and if it could not be done, then he would simply be dismissed. Coming in and immediately rising high was impossible.

Fei Yinggong, on the other hand, had performed exceptionally well this time and could be put in command of five hundred men.

The next day, Zhao Han led his troops across the river and laid siege to the prefectural seat of Linjiang.

This was the most defensively formidable city Zhao Han had encountered so far — there was simply no way to assault it by force.

Yet the city gates stood wide open.

The Prefect of Linjiang, leading a host of officials, came out of the city, knelt, and greeted him: "This sinner, He Tianqu, pays homage to the Heavenly King Zhao!"

Zhao Han swept a glance over them. "Just these few officials?"

He Tianqu replied, "The Vice Prefect, the Prefectural Judge, the County Magistrate, and the other officials fled yesterday afternoon."

"Why didn't you run?" Zhao Han asked.

He Tianqu steeled himself and said, "I have long admired the Heavenly King Zhao's mighty name and am willing to offer up the city to atone for my crimes."

This was, of course, nonsense. The reason He Tianqu surrendered was that he was the chief official of this city. Even if he fled, what then? When the court came to hold him accountable, if he did not die, he would at least be stripped of his skin.

Moreover, with Zhang Xianzhong running rampant through Luzhou Prefecture, most of He Tianqu's clansmen were likely gone — this fellow had no fear of implicating his family.

That said, He Tianqu was being rather naive, thinking that offering up the city would earn him an important post. But during this period, the government troops had been looting and requisitioning grain everywhere. The other high officials had all fled, so He Tianqu was just the man to put before a public tribunal, letting the common folk who had suffered vent their fury.

"Seize him!" Zhao Han gave a cold laugh.

He Tianqu was a bit dumbfounded — this wasn't how the script was supposed to go. He cried out in alarm, "Heavenly King Zhao, I rendered the service of delivering the city. Why treat a surrendering official like this?"

"The government troops collapsed in total rout — did I need you to deliver the city? Lock him up. Public trial on a chosen day!" Zhao Han finished speaking and led his troops into the city.

The prefectural seat of Linjiang could not be abandoned. This place was far too important.

Although Zhangshu Town lay right next to the Linjiang prefectural seat, Zhangshu Town had no walls to defend with. Only by occupying this city could one lock down the Gan River waterway.

Ah, still expanding too fast. Zhao Han's current territory was as follows:

Ji'an Prefecture: Luling County, Jishui County, Anfu County. (This prefecture temporarily lacked: Taihe County (bandits), Yongfeng County, Longquan County (bandits), Wan'an County, Yongxin County (Sweeping King), Yongning County (bandits).)

Linjiang Prefecture: Qingjiang County, Xingan County, Xiajiang County, Xinyu County.

Additionally, Fenyi County, under the jurisdiction of Yuanzhou Prefecture. (Apart from Fenyi County, the rest of Yuanzhou Prefecture's territory was all occupied by the Sweeping King.)

That is to say, Zhao Han had expanded from a territory of three counties to eight counties in one stroke.

The propaganda corps and the grassroots officials were going to have their hands full!

Xiao Huan was certainly going to be busy too — with the territory suddenly doubling, the anti-corruption work was probably going to be overwhelming.

However, the finances had suddenly become ample. All that money and grain Li Maofang had extorted now served as Zhao Han's wedding dowry, and along with it they had also captured several cannons.

Meanwhile, over in Nanchang Prefecture, panic had already set in.

Even the officials of Jiangxi's Three Provincial Offices had all mobilized, scattering silver to recruit soldiers anew to defend the city.

Because Nanchang, the provincial capital of Jiangxi, was less than two hundred li in a straight line from Zhao Han's Linjiang prefectural seat, with only a single Fengcheng County lying in between.

Don't hit me, don't hit me, don't hit me... That was the thought running through the minds of the Jiangxi Three Provincial Offices officials, terrified that Zhao Han would press his great victory and strike out, encircling Nanchang Prefecture entirely.

Zhao Han could not be bothered to go over. Even eight counties were giving him indigestion.

Even Fengcheng County, which Huang Yao had seized, Zhao Han voluntarily gave up, making it a buffer zone between him and the government forces.

Li Maofang, Li Ruolian, and Wang Siren — the three men stared at one another in Nanchang.

"What do we do?" Li Ruolian asked.

Wang Siren sighed and said, "I still have half my naval force left. Within a year, I can surely rally and restore it."

Li Maofang, however, could not speak. This battle had been lost far too thoroughly.

Perhaps Wang Siren still had a chance to redeem himself through service, because he was only the Jiangzhou Military Defense Assistant Commissioner.

Perhaps Li Ruolian could be demoted and sent back to the capital, because he was a military officer from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

But for Li Maofang, as Governor of Jiangxi, being stripped of office and dismissed would be the lightest outcome — he was very likely to be imprisoned and investigated!

Civil officials indeed held exalted status, but once cities were lost and territory abandoned, the primary responsibility would still fall on the civil official's head. The Chongzhen reign had already brought down several supreme commanders and governors.

Over the next two months, Li Ruolian and Wang Siren actively recruited troops to defend Nanchang city.

Li Maofang, however, had no interest whatsoever in military affairs. He had silver stockpiled in Nanchang too. He dispatched trusted aides to sail straight for the capital, scattering silver to bribe key court officials — he had to at least preserve his wretched life.

Right, he could shift the blame onto Wang Siren.

At the decisive moment, Wang Siren's naval force suffered a great defeat, and that was what triggered the collapse of the main government army!

Yes, yes, yes — this blame had to be shouldered by Wang Siren.

(Thanks to the alliance leader tips from v尼玛``比 and 上仙齐天. A map will be attached at the end of this chapter; if it doesn't show, try refreshing.)

(End of chapter)