Chapter 260

"My lord, a force has arrived from the south, numbering roughly a thousand men, with several dozen mounted retainers. Their relay horse came over and identified themselves as the Standard Battalion and the Anqing Garrison Battalion dispatched by the Yingtian Grand Coordinator. They are about to attack the Roving Bandits' right wing from the south."

Northeast of Physics Bridge, beneath a sea of fluttering great banners, stood a mass of Iron-Armor Retainers from the Supervisor Battalion. Holding their own horses, they formed a dense protective ring around Lu Xiangsheng at the center.

Lu Xiangsheng frowned slightly after hearing the report. He had led nearly ten thousand government officers and soldiers to meet the Roving Bandits, and the battle had raged from early morning until it was now approaching noon. The Roving Thieves, relying on their numerical advantage, had been rotating their troops into the fight, but the two cavalry divisions of the Liao Army under Zu Kuan and Li Chongzhen were far superior, repeatedly driving back large formations of Bandit Horse Soldiers. The enemy's morale was gradually declining. (Note 1)

The Government Troops had now seized the initiative on the battlefield. Zu Kuan's cavalry was ranging back and forth in front of the Bandit lines, using arrows to shake their formations.

Yet the Roving Bandits' combat strength had improved greatly compared to a few years prior. Their Horse Soldiers now fought with a certain tenacity, no longer collapsing at the first contact as before. The Bandit Infantry of the larger bands could form battle arrays. In particular, the forces under Gao Yingxiang contained many routed government soldiers and possessed a degree of military discipline. Some of their infantry could even use bows and arrows, repelling multiple attacks by Zu Kuan's division and stabilizing the center of their battle line. This caused Lu Xiangsheng growing unease.

If the Roving Thieves were allowed to continue developing for another two or three years, the Government Troops might instead flee at the sight of the bandits. The current situation at Chuzhou was a prime opportunity to turn the tide. Lu Xiangsheng was waiting for the right moment to commit his infantry and shatter the great Roving Bandit army before him in a single blow.

This force that Gao Bazi had assembled was the largest in the Central Plains region, and also the strongest. As long as they were crushed, the situation in the heartland would be drastically transformed.

At such a critical moment, the appearance of a government army unit made Lu Xiangsheng's first reaction one of suspicion. The Roving Bandits were extremely cunning in battle and often disguised themselves as Constables with forged documents. He immediately dismissed the thought, however; the Scout Cavalry were all veterans from various divisions, and they could absolutely distinguish a large body of troops.

"This force sent by the Yingtian Grand Coordinator — could they have come from Liuhe?"

"They came from Wuyi Town."

Lu Xiangsheng turned his head. "The Official Road from Wuyi Town to here is on the opposite bank."

"They just crossed the Pure Stream River. Their array is strict and orderly. The retainers' identity badges, banners, and uniforms are all correct. Only their documents have not been verified."

Lu Xiangsheng's expression shifted slightly. Crossing a river in this weather — he doubted any Camp Head in his own infantry could accomplish that.

Yang Shien behind him said in a low voice, "I have never heard of any troops in Nanzhili that dare to fight. Knowing a battle is underway here and still crossing the river to join it — is there not something suspicious about this?"

Zhou Yuanru, standing nearby, said, "Should I go verify their documents?"

"No need." Lu Xiangsheng turned back to the Banner Officer. "Take the token and go. Order the Yingtian government troops on the south side to attack the Roving Bandits' right wing. Command Li Chongzhen to dispatch three hundred cavalry to stand by on the left wing and coordinate with that unit. If they throw the Bandit line into disorder, Li Chongzhen is to strike directly at the Eight Bandits Banner on the Bandits' right route. Warn him also to remain vigilant and pay close attention to their intentions."

The Banner Officer acknowledged loudly and distributed the tokens to the relay horses.

After the relay horses departed, Zhou Yuanru said quietly, "My lord's method is the more prudent one. If they charge straight into the Bandit formation, they are certainly genuine government troops."

Lu Xiangsheng nodded. "If they truly are Roving Bandits in disguise, then it is a foolish ploy. The Roving Thieves are cunning, but they would not conceive of such an outlandish strategy. They are undoubtedly real government troops. That thousand-odd infantry likely has only a hundred or so soldiers capable of fighting, but if they break through the Bandits' right wing, it could still have a surprising effect. We must use them fully. Go to Zu Kuan. Wherever the Bandit line shows signs of wavering, he is to join forces with Li Chongzhen and strike the Bandits' right wing with full strength. Do not delay and miss the opportunity for battle."

……

The Anqing Garrison Battalion, totaling over a thousand infantry, appeared two li south of Physics Bridge, now only a single li from the Roving Bandits' battle line.

Ordinary soldiers could now clearly see the Bandits' great formation. The outer edge of the Bandits' right wing was one li from Physics Bridge. Scattered, small-scale infantry arrays extended outward from there — all small units used to maintain the battle line and prevent Government cavalry from penetrating deep behind the formation.

The Bandit Horse Soldiers nearby were thrown into panic. The Horse Soldiers of each division were all deployed on the front, tasked with dealing with the Liao Army cavalry. Their right-wing infantry arrays just happened to screen that dried-up section of the riverbed. Further south, the Pure Stream River had not run dry, so the Liao Army could not attack behind the lines. The Government Troops had therefore not committed much strength here. Combat on the outer right wing was not intense, with only skirmishing cavalry from both sides harassing each other.

But the appearance of this government unit made the situation on the right wing extremely critical.

From the main formation of the Bandits' right wing, the sound of conch horns rose and fell without end, though no one knew what orders they were conveying. Those scattered small infantry arrays were in chaos. Originally arrayed facing north, they now had absolutely no ability to adjust their formations. Facing the advancing Garrison Battalion, the outermost small array of a hundred-odd men had already collapsed, its infantry fleeing northward toward the main formation.

Chen Yuwang and Chen Rulie, leading the mere fifty-odd remaining cavalry, drove off the scattered Bandit Horse Soldiers that were rushing over. The Bandit Horse Soldiers had extremely high mobility and greater numbers, but they were spread across the entire battle line and simultaneously had to face the Liao Army's attacks. Mobilizing them now was not so easy.

But time remained extremely pressing for Pang Yu. He did not know how many Horse Soldiers the Roving Bandits could shift to the right wing. If they got entangled, the suddenness of the attack would be lost, and they would simply become part of the existing battlefield. The chance of routing the Roving Bandits would then diminish.

The chaos before him on the Bandits' right wing had opened a window of time. Pang Yu had to exploit it fully.

"Keep the step drums beating."

To the rhythmic beat of the step drums, the Garrison Battalion advanced through the rice paddies on the riverbank. As the ranks crossed the field ridges, the forest of long spears rose and fell like waves, then settled back into an even line.

Pang Yu squeezed his horse's flanks. An icy chill shot through his legs. Parts of his trouser legs had been soaked through with water, and the cold bit to the bone. Pang Yu had no time to change. He kept his horse at the front, surveying the terrain. The riverbank was dotted with fish fields and ponds. Once they skirted one more fish field, the ground ahead would be dry rice paddies, with no further obstacles in the terrain.

The Roving Bandits' camp was already in disarray. Most of those infantry were composed of servants. The Roving Bandits could only arrange them into formations before battle; they had absolutely no ability to maneuver on the battlefield. The Horse Soldiers of each division were already committed to fighting the Liao Army cavalry and were arrayed at the front of the battle line. Faced with the sudden appearance of government troops, the right wing was in complete panic. Some squad leaders and Post Commander rode over on horseback, lashing at the terrified infantry.

A force of several dozen Bandit Horse Soldiers hastily set out from the right wing, heading toward the Garrison Battalion's right flank. The government cavalry did not block them. Chen Yuwang led his troops to intercept, disrupting their formation so that the infantry could continue advancing.

Pang Yu raised his telescope again to observe. The Bandits' formation had Horse Soldiers in front and masses of infantry behind. The exposed riverbed of Physics Bridge formed the rear of the Bandits' great formation. There were vast numbers of infantry there, but they were not in battle array.

Lowering the telescope, he rode over to the two remaining Banner Teams of the Personal Guard Unit and found the Centurion leading them.

"Once the cannons fire, you will lead all the Personal Soldiers and advance toward the riverbed on the left wing. Pay no heed to formation — just charge forward. Do not stop until you reach Physics Bridge. Then attack the Bandit infantry on the east bank from behind. Bring the Personal Guard Unit's banner and this officer's signal drum. Make as much noise and show of force as possible."

The Centurion acknowledged loudly, then turned back to give instructions to his subordinate Banner Commanders and Team leaders.

The entire battalion was still in motion, now only a little over two hundred paces from the Roving Bandits. Pang Yu immediately spurred his horse and galloped to the riverbank, where the Marine Corps had just unloaded the cannon barrels. The rafts could no longer be dragged.

Pang Yu swept his gaze across. On the opposite riverbank were dense clusters of figures — the Roving Bandits' family dependents and the like, numbering in the thousands upon thousands. The great formation ahead was even more densely packed. Pang Yu felt as if he were leading the Garrison Battalion to charge into a sea of people.

"Set up the cannons immediately! Fire as soon as they're ready!"

The Artillery Centurion hurriedly asked, "My lord, where should we aim?"

"Where the crowd is thickest to the north. Keep the trajectory low."

Pang Yu finished shouting and immediately spurred his horse back to the Recognition Banner on the front line.

Tang Ershuan, along with the other Marine Corps soldiers, strained to lift a cannon barrel and set it onto the gun carriage. The Artillery Chief shouted directions; the trunnions had to be aligned precisely with the notches on the carriage.

"Forward a bit… a bit more… too far! Back, back…"

Tang Ershuan's arms trembled. Eight Marine Corps soldiers exerted nearly all their strength before finally seating the barrel into the groove.

The Artillery Chief pulled over a short iron chain and secured the trunnions in the groove.

Tang Ershuan collapsed directly onto the ground. They had dragged the barrel of this bronze cannon for several li. The Pure Stream River's current was gentle; if this had been back when he was towing boats at the Wharf docks, Tang Ershuan would never have found it hard. But this time it left him utterly exhausted, and he desperately wanted to lie down and sleep for a while.

But the clamor from the opposite side banished all drowsiness. He propped himself up and looked north. Two hundred paces away, the Roving Bandits' great formation stretched endlessly northward, almost without limit. Weapons of every description swayed above the mass of people.

Tang Ershuan panted heavily, dazed. He did not know how the Garrison Battalion could possibly defeat so many people. Even if these two cannons fired, they could at most kill a few dozen.

"Artillery Chief, one of the wheels is missing."

"How do you lose a wheel that big and not notice!" The Artillery Chief flew into a rage. The group looked all around but still couldn't find it. Tang Ershuan dared not speak and simply lay still, feigning exhaustion.

"Forget the other wheel too! Set the carriage on the ground!" the Artillery Chief shouted. "Propellant, iron shot, priming powder — prepare them! Ready the torches!"

"Banner Commander, the cannon sight is also missing…"

"With a horde of bandits that huge, who needs a cannon sight! Take off your clothes and stuff them under the carriage. Raise the front higher. When the cannon fires, all of you stay the hell away!"

Seeing that the topic of the wheel had passed, Tang Ershuan felt a twinge of shame and hurriedly scrambled up to help carry the cannonballs. The Marine Corps and Artillery had brought thirty cannonballs and forty packs of propellant. Many had been lost in the chaos of crossing the river. What they had managed to carry here amounted to only sixteen cannonballs and seventeen packs of propellant, and quite a few of those had been soaked with water.

But there was no time to sort them out. Anything that felt mostly dry to the touch was rushed over to the cannons.

By now, the infantry had advanced to within a hundred paces of the enemy. Nearly a thousand infantry from the eight Companies pushed forward at a rapid pace. The Rattan Shield Soldiers walked at the very front, behind them a forest of long spears. Brutal close combat was about to unfold.

The Artillery Chief himself loaded with lightning speed. When loading the cannon that was placed on the ground, the Artillery Chief was on his knees.

Loading was quick. Two Cannoneers used an awl to pierce the powder bag through the fire gate, then filled the fire gate with priming powder. One hand covered the fire gate while the other was raised high.

"First cannon ready!"

The Artillery Chief took the torch, walked to the side of the wheeled cannon, let out a thunderous roar, and thrust the torch toward the Fire Gate. "First cannon, fire!"