Chapter 199: Holding the Line

Amid the thunderous roar of dense hoofbeats, over a hundred cavalrymen came charging down the slope. The marching Garrison Battalion's formation instantly fell into chaos — some men kept advancing, some halted on the spot to defend, and even more were at a complete loss, including many squad leaders and Banner Captains. Zhuang Chaozheng was shouting curses from within the ranks, kicking and hitting the soldiers, but Pang Yu could not make out what he was yelling.

"Guo Fengyou, take the Personal Soldiers to oversee the line. Execute any who flee on the spot."

Guo Fengyou acknowledged and ran forward with the Guard Squad. Pang Yu's mind was also somewhat dazed. The cavalry charging down from the slope moved far faster than infantry, carrying a truly overwhelming momentum. Facing cavalry at this moment, anyone would be somewhat at a loss.

The cavalry had now reached flat ground, their formation charging straight at the Garrison Battalion, and panicked shouts erupted throughout the ranks.

The First Company had already formed its battle array. Yao Dongshan was bellowing curses, and the soldiers were raising their Long Spears at an angle. Many were howling senselessly, releasing the fear in their hearts, but the overall formation remained intact. The Third Company, caught mid-maneuver, was in disarray. The cavalry charged in from the left front, angling diagonally toward the Garrison Battalion's right flank.

"Are they charging the line?" Pang Yu watched the cavalry nervously. In the impression he'd gotten from films and TV dramas, the moment cavalry crashed in, infantry would collapse.

Under Pang Yu's terrified gaze, the surging cavalry charged to within twenty paces. The Third Company's ranks were packed tightly together, many Long Spears not even raised. Already two or three soldiers, unable to bear the fear, had just fled the ranks when the Garrison Inspector Dui cut them down to the ground.

Just as Pang Yu thought the cavalry was about to slam headlong into them, the Horse Soldiers' vanguard swerved in front of the formation. As their speed slowed, a wave of arrows rained down upon the Third Company's ranks. Then the following Horse Soldiers turned in succession, and a continuous stream of arrows came arcing through the air.

The unarmored soldiers in the front row toppled like mown grass. Shouts mingled together in chaos. The Fifth and Sixth Companies, still forming up at the rear, were both affected. The crowd pressed together, on the verge of collapse at any moment.

The cavalry had not charged the line. Pang Yu had no time to feel relief before he realized that a major defeat was still entirely possible. His mouth went dry. He had not expected cavalry to be so troublesome even in these low hills. If the front line collapsed, the new recruits at the rear would be even more useless. Everyone would just flee south in a mob — but they certainly could not outrun cavalry. He had hoped to gain a bit more advantage at Shucheng, but instead they had walked straight into a punishing cavalry assault. If handled badly, the entire army could be wiped out.

Beside him, Pang Ding stood below the horses, incessantly tugging at Pang Yu's trouser leg — though what he was trying to convey was unclear.

Amid the din, the tail end of that hundred-strong cavalry unit had already swept past the front of the formation. The river barrier on the right blocked their path, so the cavalry not only had to slow down but also had to loop northward before they could return.

The Roving Bandits, it seemed, were not well-organized either. The cavalry coming from the north had their path blocked by the turning Horse Soldiers. They too became tangled together fifty paces from the Official Road and were momentarily unable to turn around. Their archery assault on the Garrison Battalion ceased.

Pang Yu knew this was a rare opportunity. When he turned to look back, he found Yang Xueshi and the Arrow Squad still standing dazed at the rear.

He immediately yanked his horse's head around. "Yang Xueshi, what are you standing there for! Bring the Arrow Squad up to the first row."

Yang Xueshi finally snapped out of it and ran forward with the Arrow Squad, moving out past the ranks and forming up in front of the Third and Fourth Companies.

Pang Yu himself jumped down from his horse and ran to the Sixth Company in the back row. Drawing his Waist Saber, he barked orders at the disordered spearmen to get into position. Several Centurions were each shouting in front of their own formations. The Banner Captains of every Company had stepped out of the ranks and were hauling and shoving soldiers into place.

Amid the shouting and cursing, a two-line formation of six hundred men finally took rough shape. The Garrison Inspector Dui returned to their battle-supervision posts. Over on the Roving Bandits' side, their disorder was also coming to an end. The Horse Soldiers had adjusted their direction and were preparing to launch a second attack.

Pang Yu strode to the front row. The archers had only just gotten into position. The Arrow Squad was still affected by the chaos — their formation was ragged, the archers panicked. They only responded after Yang Xueshi repeated his orders over and over.

Pang Yu walked a few paces ahead of the formation, then turned to face the ranks, making sure everyone could see him. At his back was the cavalry unit, about to charge.

Pang Yu himself, standing before the cavalry unit, actually served no real function. But when the soldiers saw their commander, their minds inexplicably settled. The ranks quickly stabilized.

Behind the Arrow Squad, Pang Ding looked around in panic. After hesitating a moment, he snatched a Rattan Shield from a nearby Sword-and-Shield soldier and came to Pang Yu's side, raising it.

Pang Yu waved his hand. "Get to the rear."

"But young master…"

"I have armor. The archers don't even have that." Pang Yu said evenly. "If you come to hold a shield, other officers will want to come too. I need every man at his own post."

Pang Ding gritted his teeth and withdrew, leaving Pang Yu standing alone before the formation.

Pang Yu turned to face the cavalry. He needed to steady the army. If the cavalry unit truly charged over, he would certainly be the first to die. But if he hid at the rear and the army collapsed, he might not escape in the end either. Better to gamble on this.

The cavalry on the opposite side had not noticed Pang Yu. A horn sounded from over there, and the Horse Soldiers came charging from due north with wild yells. The dense hoofbeats thundered. Pang Yu's heart pounded violently — he did not even hear Yang Xueshi beside him issuing orders. The massed figures of the cavalry grew steadily larger. The Roving Bandits on horseback were drawing their bows and nocking arrows, preparing to repeat their earlier tactic.

Behind him came a string of snapping twangs. Light Arrows flew past Pang Yu's sides like strung beads. Many archers, in their nervousness, fumbled the release, and arrows skewed off to plunge into the ground not far in front of Pang Yu.

Of the nearly fifty archers, over thirty arrows still flew toward the cavalry mass. Most struck the horses. Some lacked force or came in at too steep an angle and failed to inflict wounds. In the end, over ten arrows embedded themselves in the horses' bodies. Several horses in the front row screamed in pain, their front knees buckling as they crashed to the ground, hurling their riders over their heads.

The ferociously charging cavalry mass faltered. Those behind decelerated and swerved to avoid the fallen. Some hastily fired back with their cavalry bows. Light Arrows flew toward the Garrison Battalion, soft and feeble, most falling short of the Arrow Squad.

Yang Xueshi bellowed orders. The Arrow Squad fired in volleys. Arrows flew in an unbroken stream toward the huge target of the Roving Bandits' Horse Soldiers. Bandits kept tumbling from their horses. Downed horses thrashed on the ground. The other Horse Soldiers spurred their mounts apart one after another, and the assault disintegrated in an instant.

As the scattered Horse Soldiers began maneuvering, the Arrow Squad archers' accuracy dropped immediately. The Garrison Battalion's ranks were a larger target, but the Horse Soldiers' distance was now greater than at the start, so their power and accuracy also fell sharply.

Pang Yu stood motionless before the Arrow Squad. Arrows kept swooping down from midair, plunging into the dirt in front of him with soft thuds. Some spent arrows lost their direction and simply fell limply.

Clang! A Light Arrow struck his shoulder. Pang Yu's left shoulder jerked, and a stab of pain shot through him. The arrow had failed to penetrate the Lock Ring and fell to the ground. Though somewhat tense, Pang Yu felt more confident now.

Then another arrow struck his helmet, likewise failing to penetrate the smooth, rounded surface. Pang Yu merely lowered his head slightly. The Roving Bandits' arrows were all lobbed shots. His helmet had a short brim; lowering his head could block part of the trajectory, as long as it did not hit him in the face.

Ahead, the Horse Soldiers galloped back and forth, loosing arrows diagonally into the air. Arrows from both sides crisscrossed in the sky. Yang Xueshi was still roaring. Behind him, men in the Arrow Squad were hit from time to time, but Pang Yu could feel that the formation had now stabilized. If these Horse Soldiers kept fighting this way, they would not be able to break his army.

His mind somewhat settled, Pang Yu began to carefully observe those Horse Soldiers. Most wore red coats, but because of the sweltering heat, many had their coats hanging open. They looked more like Horse Bandits.

Over ten horses had fallen in front of the formation. A horse running broadside was a huge target. Although the Arrow Squad's aim was poor, hits were bound to happen eventually. Some horses thrashed on the ground; others had already struggled back to their feet and were moving with difficulty between the two armies, arrows still embedded in them.

Several arrow-struck Horse Soldiers had tumbled to the ground and were crawling, trying to get back to their own lines. The Horse Soldiers were increasingly getting the worst of the exchange. As casualties mounted, those Horse Soldiers gradually pulled farther back from the battle line.

A horn sounded from their side. The Horse Soldiers broke off one after another, moving beyond bowshot range. Led by two Headmen, they split into two groups. One group withdrew westward; the other kept its distance from the Garrison Battalion and halted to the north.

Pang Yu let out a long breath and looked back at his own ranks. The Arrow Squad had also ceased fire. The archers were all panting where they stood. Quite a few had arrows sticking out of them without even realizing it yet.

"Hold the formation steady! No retreat!"

Pang Yu walked back from the front of the formation, issuing orders all along the battle line. Although the orders were directed at the Centurions, everyone heard them.

The panic on the soldiers' faces receded. As Pang Yu walked past the front of the formation and saw those rows of Long Spears, he felt even more at ease. If the First Company had not completed its formation just now, the Roving Bandits might have charged the line from the flank.

Pang Ding, carrying that Rattan Shield, was once again following at Pang Yu's side.

Pang Yu said to him, "Go notify the Fifth and Sixth Companies — Sword-and-Shield troops assemble at the front. Assign two squad leaders to take command."

After Pang Ding left, Pang Yu remained at the front. The Roving Bandit Horse Soldiers on the opposite side had gathered up a few wounded companions and were also lingering near the Official Road, neither leaving nor approaching. To the west, the line of sight was blocked by that small hill, and the whereabouts of that other cavalry unit were unknown. But Pang Yu had a feeling they were waiting on the reverse slope. He dared not be careless now — cavalry needed only a moment to come charging down from the hilltop.

The Sword-and-Shield troops from the two rear Companies filed out through the gaps in the ranks. Pang Yu had the two squad leaders in command spread them out along the battle line. Forty Sword-and-Shield Soldiers were distributed to the First and Third Companies, basically covering the front.

Guo Fengyou also arrived at the front row at this time. Earlier, all the Personal Soldiers had been dispatched to oversee the line, leaving Pang Yu without even a messenger. Now at last he had men again.

"Have the signal drummer and Flag Bearer come to the front."

Pang Yu then said to Guo Fengyou, "Notify all Centurions: this officer will advance the line. All Companies are to act on flag signals. Have Bao Yu load the cannon. You go tell him personally."

After Guo Fengyou left, Pang Ding sidled over and said, "Young master, let's pull back. Why push forward?"

Pang Yu wiped the sweat from his face — whether from heat or fright, he could not tell. He pointed ahead at the Horse Soldiers and said quietly, "They're just waiting for us to retreat. The moment this formation pulls back, it'll fall apart."

"Then let's just hold our ground. There's only one road anyway; they can't get around us. After a while they'll withdraw on their own."

Pang Yu shook his head and glanced back at his own ranks. "These soldiers are all terrified. If we just pull back like this, they'll fear Roving Bandit cavalry every time they see them from now on. If we push forward and force those Roving Bandits to fall back — even if it's only a short distance, it makes a difference."

By now the signal drummer and Flag Bearer had both come to the front. Afraid of any mishap, Pang Yu personally went to each Company and gave detailed instructions to every Centurion one by one, then waited while the Centurions relayed instructions to each Banner Commander. Once everything was in order, the Central Army fired a Signal Cannon.

The Central Army flag first signaled the three front-row Companies and the Arrow Squad. After each Company acknowledged with its flag, the drums rolled, and the entire formation advanced. The rows of Long Spears moved forward like a wall. The Horse Soldiers directly ahead immediately began to fall back.

Then came the clang of a gong. All three Companies halted in unison. The Central Army flag signaled the Fifth Company. The Fifth Company, which had already adjusted its formation in advance behind the line, immediately shifted to the Left Wing, filling the gap left by the First Company's advance. The formation's facing angled, now oriented toward that small slope.

The formation had advanced only a short distance, widening the front slightly. Yet for this one small change in formation, Pang Yu had spent a full quarter-hour arranging it. Throughout the process, the formation did not fall into disorder, nor did it give the enemy any opening.

With the second sounding of the gong, the array halted once more. The entire formation was now orderly and precise, and Pang Yu finally felt that what he was leading was an army — this was how an army ought to look.

The Mounted Bandits across from them hesitated, seeming to feel some fear toward these Government Troops. Pang Yu, in truth, was also somewhat afraid. What he wanted most was to push his flank up onto that small hilltop, so he could observe that vanished cavalry unit. What he feared most was that cavalry unit charging out from the slope's crest. But if he continued advancing, his battle line would have to stretch even further — five Companies spread in a single line — and that felt too unstable to him.

A clatter of wheels sounded from behind. Bao Yu had finished assembling his cannon, and five or six men were pushing it up behind the ranks, at the seam between the Third Company and the Fourth Company. In front of this gap stood a row of Arrow Squads, densely packed, blocking the Roving Bandits' line of sight.

Pang Yu dismounted, walked to the cannon cart, and said to Bao Yu, "Mr. Bao, aim more carefully this time. First observe the Bandits' position. Fire as soon as the Arrow Squad clears the way."

Trembling with fear, Bao Yu came to the front row. Seeing the red-clad Roving Bandits a hundred paces away, he couldn't help swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

This was his first time in battle. Though he had been terrified enough even in the rear, as a scholar who lived in Suzhou, these Roving Bandits had only ever existed in hearsay. Building cannons to help the Government Troops fight was one thing — he had never imagined he would face them directly himself.

Bao Yu raised his Degree Board and cannon gauge to measure, muttering under his breath the whole time. Pang Yu had no idea how he was calculating it, but the man seemed far too nervous. It wouldn't do to put too much pressure on a scholar like this. Smiling, he encouraged him: "Sir, here within the formation, your life is not in danger. If this shot hits, when you return to Suzhou you can boast about it to your neighbors."

Bao Yu forced out an ugly smile. After waiting a moment, he licked his lips and said, "I shall aim low. If I aim low, even if the shot bounces, it can still strike."

Pang Yu nodded and returned to his Central Army banner. Over there, Bao Yu had a few men adjust the direction. The muzzle was nearly level — the Mounted Bandits were only a hundred paces away; there was really no need to measure range to determine the angle.

Once he had finished fussing, he lit another torch and placed it near the cannon's touchhole, then glanced at Yang Xueshi beside him.

At Yang Xueshi's shouted command, the row of archers in front parted to both sides, revealing the dark, gaping muzzle of the bronze cannon.

Bao Yu pressed the torch to the touchhole. The priming powder ignited in an instant, the flame racing through the vent into the cannon's bore. The propellant charge inside reacted violently, filling the bore with searing flame. The rapidly expanding gas hurled the five-catty iron shot fiercely out of the barrel.

Boom—a thunderous roar. Accompanied by flame and white smoke, the iron shot flew out, tracing a low, flat, black trajectory through the air as it hurtled toward the Mounted Bandits massed on the Official Road.

A mounted bandit there was turned sideways on his horse. He had just spotted the cannon, and before he could even cry out, the shot was already upon him.

The five-catty iron shot came flying in almost level. It struck the horse's midsection. Thud—a muffled impact. At the point of impact, rib bones shattered into fragments. The horse's body was instantly torn into two halves. The two sections spun, each trailing lengths of entrails that writhed in the air. Viscera from the horse's belly burst outward in all directions. The Roving Bandit rider, along with his saddle, was hurled into the sky.