Chapter 437: A Solitary Shadow

On the early morning of the twelfth day of the twelfth month, the clouds of war gathered thick over Jiazhuang in Julu County.

The Xuan-Da army deployed around the camp, with Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei on the left and right wings respectively, and the Superintendent Battalion in the center. The Governor's Standard Right Battalion had been dispatched to provide relief and could not be recalled in time. Of the five camp heads of the Superintendent Battalion that had come for the rally to the king campaign, only the Central Battalion reached the battlefield at Jiazhuang, with a troop strength of just over two thousand men.

Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei had also each sent out troops to rescue prefectures and counties. Due to Lu Xiangsheng's hasty summons, none of these detached forces could return. In the end, the army that took part in the Battle of Jia Village numbered roughly nine thousand on paper.

Among these nine thousand paper troops, there were likewise empty slots. Since departing their garrison, there had also been attrition from wounds and illness. Especially after the grain shortage, deserters emerged one after another, and each battalion dared not even let its soldiers leave the camp. The Xuan-Da army that reached Jiazhuang numbered only about five thousand.

After the Qing army began closing in last night, the Xuan-Da troops were under immense mental pressure, and deserters began appearing in every battalion. The Point Scout Squad was composed entirely of Household Retainers. Centurion Xu led the squad on patrol around the camp perimeter, intimidating any soldiers with intentions to flee. Li Zhongzhen also publicly beheaded three deserters at daybreak, but even so, men kept trying.

On the southern horizon, a dark mass of figures was approaching. The Qing army's horns sounded without end, and banners of every color fluttered in the dawn light. Qin Jiuze could already distinguish the banner colors.

The Qing army's battle line stretched very long. On the easternmost side were yellow banners; the center was dominated by red banners; on the western side were banners. This was their main formation, composed almost entirely of infantry. The front ranks gleamed with bright armor. In the gaps between the smaller formations, a small number of cavalry in bright armor were deployed.

To the north of the Qing army, there were only a few scout riders. It was still the tactic of encircling on three sides and leaving one open. The battle line formed an arc, with the wings slightly protruding. Further out, dense masses of cavalry appeared, splitting and merging, moving near the camp to stretch the Xuan-Da army's flank lines, pin down Ming forces, and facilitate a frontal infantry assault.

Centurion Xu rode up beside Qin Jiuze. "True Yi from four banners. The cavalry on both wings are all Western Invaders."

Qin Jiuze nodded. The Western Invaders were the Mongol tribes that had attached themselves to the Tartars. Neither their level of organization nor their equipment could compare with the Qing army's. The Xuan-Da Border Army fought these people year-round. These Mongol herders had superb riding skills and were terrifying when massed together, but once actual battle was joined, they often fled in disarray.

So although the wings were bustling now, they could not intimidate the Household Retainers of the various garrisons. Qin Jiuze did not take them seriously, but that was not to say these Mongol herders were useless. The momentum created by their activity on the wings placed enormous mental pressure on the ordinary Battalion Commanders.

In the military system of the Nine Borders, combat effectiveness relied on Household Retainers. Their primary opponents were the Mongols. Since the opening of the borders, the two sides had engaged in trade, and most conflicts were small-scale border skirmishes. The Border Army had the support of fortified zones and cities, and relying on a small number of elite cavalry was sufficient to deal with raiding Mongols.

But now, the fight against the Tartars had departed from the old model. Formation battles required large numbers of infantry to hold the line, yet these ordinary soldiers had long been underpaid and lacked training; their willpower and combat skills were utterly unreliable. Once the formation collapsed, no matter how capable the Household Retainers were, they could only flee for their lives.

The overall momentum of the Qing main formation was astonishing. The Qing army's performance over the past two days had demonstrated combat capabilities far surpassing the Ming army's. The Qing held absolute superiority in reconnaissance, maneuver, command, and equipment. When suddenly attacked yesterday, they withstood the Xuan-Da army's assault with a single banner. Their scouts confirmed the Ming camp's location yesterday, and their commander rapidly assembled troops, with the main force completing its march before dawn. An army of over ten thousand men moved into their respective positions without major errors, trapping their opponent through nighttime maneuver — a feat very difficult to achieve in the cold-weapon era, requiring a high degree of organization. The Xuan-Da army had lost the opportunity to withdraw and could only be forced to accept a pitched battle, for retreating in the face of the enemy led only to collapse.

At the same time, the Xuan-Da army had not prepared strong fortifications. Qin Jiuze roughly estimated the Qing troop strength. Those appearing at dawn were likely War Soldiers, numbering around seven thousand. After daybreak, new Qing forces continued to arrive, bringing the total to at least fifteen thousand. The Xuan-Da army was at an extreme disadvantage in numbers alone, with almost no chance of victory.

A volley of cannon fire sounded from the Qing central army, and the entire line began signaling with banners. Horns blared continuously. Numerous skirmishers detached from the battle line and began advancing, preparing to enter engagement range.

Qin Jiuze looked toward his own central army. The figure of Lu Doutang, clad in hemp mourning clothes, stood out somewhat incongruously on the battlefield. He was not mounted, nor did he hold a weapon in his hands. He was deploying at the artillery position. The Central Battalion had brought four old-style General Cannons here.

These cannons had a small caliber-to-length ratio and short range, but were relatively simple to manufacture. They had dealt heavy blows to the Japanese army during the Wanli Korean Campaign and were still widely equipped in the Border Army. Although Xuan-Da also belonged to the Nine Borders, it was not prioritized like the Ji-Liao Garrison in the allocation of Red Barbarian cannons. At the same time, these old cannons were much lighter than Red Barbarian cannons, making them more suitable for mobile warfare.

Gu Xianyi followed behind Lu Xiangsheng, cradling a two-handed sword in his arms. Marketplace rumor had it that Lu Doutang used a great blade weighing one hundred and thirty jin, but such weights were actually only for strength training. Qin Jiuze had never seen anyone in the army use a weapon exceeding ten jin. He had once helped carry this very blade that Lu Doutang took into battle; it was roughly a little over five jin.

The common long weapons of the Border Army — line spears, long spears, hook scythes — also weighed only around three jin. The standard government-issued waist saber weighed just over a single jin. Some two-handed swords could reach over three jin. As a practical combat weapon, five jin already counted as a heavy arm. Lu Doutang's martial skill was genuine enough for the battlefield, which was why he commanded considerable respect among the troops in Xuan-Da. Under such grain supply conditions, had it been any other Supreme Commander, the Xuan-Da army would likely have mutinied and fled long ago.

As the Qing army closed in, Lu Doutang issued orders. The Banner Officers directed the flags. Because there was only the central army and two wings, only three of the Five-Direction Banners were used.

After advancing a stretch, the Qing army sounded the gong to halt. The battle line remained beyond bowshot range. Cannons appeared in the Qing central army. Qin Jiuze narrowed his eyes to look. They were not the mighty Red Barbarian cannons, but seemed to be ordinary General Cannons as well.

After a succession of horn signals, the skirmishers in the Qing battle line began to emerge from the formation. There were both infantry and cavalry. The infantry carried fire lances and bows, moving into the open ground between the two armies. Among them, the firearms were mostly three-eye guns.

With a thunderous boom, the General Cannons of the Xuan-Da central army fired first. Qin Jiuze could see the black iron shot leaving the barrels, but as usual, they hit nothing.

The Qing arquebusiers in the center fired continuously, while arrows were lobbed from afar. The Xuan-Da army erupted in ragged return fire, white smoke rising all along the line.

After several exchanges like this, the rate of firearm fire from the Xuan-Da position decreased. There were also occasional barrel bursts injuring their own men. Firepower had noticeably weakened from the start. The Qing cavalry began to close in, loosing arrows from a distance. If the Xuan-Da army did not sally out to meet them, these skirmishers would seize control of the middle ground, directly striking at the Xuan-Da formation and wearing down their willpower.

Central Battalion Vice General Li Zhongzhen issued an order. Centurion Xu waved his hand and, followed by several Point Scouts, spurred his horse out through the gaps in the formation to meet the approaching Qing skirmish cavalry.

Qin Jiuze led Man Da'er and a few others, waiting for the next rotation before sallying out. He had fought Tartar cavalry many times, but a formation battle like this was a first. Observing the Qing tactics, they somewhat resembled those of certain Mongol groups. This was currently the initial probing phase. The Qing commander was very patient, using these men to deplete the Xuan-Da army's weapons and energy, while the elite troops in the rear waited for an opportunity to strike. Today's battle might drag on for a very long time.

Qin Jiuze turned his head to look north. Scattered infantry and cavalry were breaking away from the formation, sprinting northward with all their might. Household Retainers rushed to intercept them, cutting them down with a single slash of the blade upon catching up. There were already a number of corpses lying on the ground, yet new deserters kept appearing without cease.

If the formation collapsed, with the Qing army's numerous cavalry, the infantry here would find it very difficult to escape. But the Household Retainers of Xuan-Da were all cavalry. If they broke out with full force, the Qing army's current strength could not encircle them. That is to say, if Lu Xiangsheng himself wished it, he could still save his life right now.

A series of explosions rang out from the opposite side. Several cannonballs landed in front of the formation. The Qing cannons had also been pushed into engagement range. Hits were only a matter of time. The Xuan-Da infantry ranks grew even more agitated.

Qin Jiuze looked toward Lu Xiangsheng's position. He was directing the Central Battalion's cannons to fire one by one. This Supreme Commander of the Relief Troops remembered the shot weight and range of every cannon, remembered the name of every Cannoneer in the Superintendent Battalion, remembered the name of every officer above Banner Commander in the Central Battalion, and remembered the name of every Point Scout and Night-Not-Returning. But even so, giving his all, he was merely fighting a battle without hope.

The gunpowder smoke from the cannon fire spread, and Qin Jiuze's vision gradually blurred.

At the beginning of the Wei hour, the sun was slanting west. The battle at Jiazhuang still raged on. The Xuan-Da army's formation was filled with the miserable shrieks and wails of the dead and wounded.

Qin Jiuze stood beside his horse, carefully observing the front. From early morning until past noon, the Qing army had fought with great patience. They sent out small groups of infantry and cavalry. Possessing numerical and qualitative superiority, the Qing gradually seized control of the middle ground, using bows and arquebuses to attack the Ming main formation from a distance, continuously whittling down the Xuan-Da army's combat strength. Meanwhile, the Qing could rotate their men and horses, keeping their main formation in a state of safety at all times.

The Qing arquebus and bow attacks were not ferocious, but they ceaselessly inflicted losses on the Xuan-Da army. As time wore on, casualties gradually mounted. In particular, the screams of the wounded within the formation dealt a massive psychological blow to the soldiers. Being in a state of encirclement as well, the infantry's minds remained under extreme tension, and both their physical strength and spirit had reached their limits.

The only ones who still retained combat effectiveness were the Household Retainers of the various General Officers. The Point Scout Squad was the elite among the Household Retainers, the only ones who did not lose ground in the exchanges. Man Da'er was even rather excited. Just now, he had followed Centurion Xu on an extra sally and had hacked off another head. He came galloping back into the formation waving it, and the moment he jumped off his horse, he pulled out a small knife and began cutting off ears.

A volley of cannon fire sounded from the front, and the Qing formations signaled with banners in response. Qin Jiuze narrowed his eyes, watched for a moment, then shouted, "The Tartar main formation is about to advance! All Point Scouts, mount up! Man Da'er, stop cutting those ears — that thing doesn't exchange for silver!"

"I know," Man Da'er answered, but his hands did not stop. He sped up, cut a few more times, and tucked the two bloodstained ears into his bosom.

By the time he mounted his horse, the Qing drums opposite were sounding continuously.

The Qing banners waved, and the main formation of over ten thousand men began advancing. The Xuan-Da army's cannonballs were already exhausted; they could no longer use ranged attacks to weaken the Qing.

The Xuan-Da infantry ranks were in chaos, all kinds of noise mingling together. Even the Household Retainers could not suppress them.

The front ranks of the Qing army were all Heavy Armor Infantry. They showed no fear of the scattered arrows flying toward them and advanced steadily, soon entering seventy paces. The Qing ranks gradually halted.

Centurion Xu yanked on Wharf and roared, "Fall back!"

The Point Scout Squad wheeled their horses around one after another and withdrew behind the infantry line. The other mounted Household Retainers all moved rearward.

Infantry was the most crucial force in defense; a large number of infantry was needed to maintain the integrity of the formation. But in the Ming army's Border Army system, infantry had never had any standing. They were even often filled out with beggars. They had the worst equipment and treatment in the Ming army, and suffered the most from unpaid wages and grain rations. Possessing neither combat skills nor dignity, they had absolutely no will to fight. As the Household Retainers moved rearward, the infantry automatically shrank back, and the ranks began to deform.

A horn signal sounded from the front. Amid the thrumming of bowstrings, countless arrows soared into the sky, then slanted down into the Xuan-Da formation. Dense clusters of figures toppled to the ground.

Skyward screams erupted everywhere. The unarmored infantry lay strewn across the ground, surrounded by arrows stuck in the earth, dense as wild grass. Those infantrymen who had not been struck turned and fled on foot.

The Qing army's second volley of arrows came swiftly. The Xuan-Da battle line teetered on the brink of collapse. The central army sounded the drums, and flags waved to issue orders, but they could not halt the spread of chaos at all.

Qin Jiuze pulled his horse aside, dodging several fleeing deserters. His mount sensed the surrounding chaos and kept tossing its head restlessly.

Beside him, Man Da'er shouted, "Let's fight the Tartars to the death!"

Yang Shisan wheeled his horse in a circle, turned his head back, and cursed, "That's not fighting to the death, that's throwing your life away! They're all Tartar White Armor Soldiers — anyone who goes dies."

Another Point Scout, standing in his stirrups, roared, "Then let's run first! Plenty of Household Retainers from Xuanfu have already fled."

Qin Jiuze stared ahead. Under the barrage of Qing arrows, the Xuan-Da infantry line was collapsing across the entire front. Swathes of Qing soldiers in full bright armor were closing in. The surrounding Ming infantry were all falling back.

Only the Governor's Recognition Banner in the central army did not move. Lu Xiangsheng's hemp robe was also conspicuous in the chaotic battlefield. His position grew more and more exposed. Some of the Flag Bearers and Drummers had fled, and the banners were gradually toppling.

The Qing attack continued unabated. Swarms of arrows fell like locusts, screams rising all around. Dead ahead, the infantry in bright armor advanced head-on. The Ming army had lost all will to resist. Even the Household Retainers were fleeing the battle line.

His mount sensed the extreme danger and twisted uneasily. Qin Jiuze reined in the horse's head. When he turned back, the Governor's banner position had been struck by a wave of arrows, and the banner had fallen.

Lu Xiangsheng had an arrow shaft protruding from his shoulder, but he did not retreat. Instead, he moved forward to meet the Qing battle line. Gu Xianyi followed at his side, already struck by several arrows, his movements extremely labored. With great difficulty, he turned his head and saw the battle line on the verge of collapse. His face contorted, he let out a roar, but the words he shouted could not be heard clearly.

Qin Jiuze's hands trembled as he gasped for breath, his breathing ragged and heavy.

Man Da'er ran up beside Qin Jiuze and roared, "Old Qin, I'm listening to you — do we go fight or not?"

Before he could answer, another wave of arrows rained down. This time they landed only a dozen paces from the Point Scout Squad's position. The Qing army was already very close.

Xu Centurion suddenly shouted toward him, "Old Qin, take the Point Scout Squad and go!"

Qin Jiuze froze for a moment. He reached out, trying to grab hold, but Xu Centurion had already let out a great shout, spurred his horse, and charged forward. He galloped to a stop behind Gu Xianyi, dismounted, and fell in behind Lu Xiangsheng. Then several more figures appeared at his side. Qin Jiuze recognized one of them — it was Lu Doutang's Stable Master.

Before them stood countless Tartars clad in bright armor, bearing heavy weapons like long spears and great blades, their faces even covered with iron face armor.

Lu Xiangsheng faced that vast expanse of white-clad figures. Dragging his arrow-struck left leg, he advanced toward them step by step.

The Qing battle line was also advancing slowly. Another wave of light arrows rose from behind the line. The Xuan-Da army's formation completely collapsed. Lu Xiangsheng was already cut off beyond the battle line.

The Bright Armor Tartars in the front rank began firing armor-piercing heavy arrows. Several heavy arrows struck Xu Centurion in succession. His body shuddered a few times and stiffened in place. The men around him also fell one by one.

Gu Xianyi, who was supporting Lu Xiangsheng, was struck by several arrows. He turned his head once more and saw Qin Jiuze mounted on his horse. In Gu Xianyi's eyes there was only utter despair.

He did not signal to Qin Jiuze. He only bared his teeth in a weeping grimace, exhaled a few puffs of white breath, and slowly turned his head back. Supporting Lu Xiangsheng, he advanced step by step toward the glittering Qing battle line.

Qin Jiuze watched numbly. At that moment another wave of light arrows rose and landed just a few paces away. Ahead, Xu Centurion's figure finally collapsed. Man Da'er let out a heart-rending howl and was about to spur his horse forward when Qin Jiuze seized his reins with one hand, wrenched the horse's head around, and galloped north, merging into the fleeing crowd.

Tartar cavalry all around were hunting down the routed troops, but these were all Mongols. They drove the infantry before them with great clamor, but Qin Jiuze did not fear them.

After passing the scattered infantry, Qin Jiuze looked back one last time. Gu Xianyi had also pitched forward onto the ground. Ahead of him, the glittering battle line was bearing down. A group of Bright Armor Tartars had already encircled the area. Lu Xiangsheng's solitary figure, clad in hempen robes, still stood erect.

Qin Jiuze dragged Man Da'er along as he spurred his horse into a gallop, never looking back again.

Around him, thousands of Xuan-Da cavalry and infantry were collapsing in total rout.