Chapter 481: The Gap

"The Lintao Main-Battalion has merged with the detached forces and come to reinforce; the total troop strength is over five thousand."

In the White Robe Nunnery by the great West Gate of Dezhou, Pang Yu rubbed his forehead. The senior officers of the Anqing Battalion were all in this side hall, and Tu Dianli was relaying the latest military intelligence.

"Lord Sun has again dispersed his troops to guard the nearby cities. He has no intention of engaging the Jurchen Slaves. If that column of Tartars from Jinan moves north to join forces, they'll be even harder to fight."

Pang Yu had attended the meeting that day and knew the situation at the time. Sun Chuanting probably had no way to weld these camp heads together.

After the military council that day, Sun Chuanting dispersed the Relief Troops to the various prefectures and counties around Dezhou. Sun Chuanting himself took the Shaanxi Provincial Commander's Standard Troops and Wang Pu's two divisions toward Jinan, halting near Pingyuan County.

Liu Yuliang and Yan Ancestral Sacrifice remained in Dezhou. Pang Yu was considered directly subordinate to Liu Yuliang, and so was able to stay in Dezhou to rest and reorganize.

"Based on the dispatch bulletins forwarded from Liu Zhongtang over these past two days, your subordinate has discovered an excellent opportunity for battle, but I fear it may be a false report."

Pang Yu smiled. "You are my advisor. There are things I, as your superior, may choose not to heed, but nothing you are forbidden to say."

Tu Dianli pointed at the map with his finger. "Your subordinate has observed that the Dezhou column continues to advance north, while Sun Doutang's side reports that the Tartars at Jinan still show no sign of marching. The distance between these two Tartar columns is growing greater and greater."

Pang Yu frowned and carefully studied the markings on the map. He also took out yesterday's collected dispatch bulletins to cross-check. Wu Dacai hurried over to help organize the bulletins, and even earnestly joined in the cross-checking, with the look of a man who recognized every single character.

Although the Relief Army dared not engage in battle, the total number of Household Retainers from the various garrisons was considerable. Once they were dispersed, the intelligence flowing back was more plentiful than before. In particular, the Qing army near Dezhou was continuously advancing north, and its suppression of scout cavalry was gradually diminishing. Messages transmitted from the various prefectures and counties also began to flow freely.

On the map, the arrow marking the Left Route Qing army was nearing Cangzhou, but the one at Jinan had not moved. This was beyond the expectations of Pang Yu and the others. Jinan had fallen on the fourth day of the first month. After breaching Jinan, this Qing force had halted for over ten days, and no one knew the exact reason. (Note 1)

"The Tartars at Jinan truly haven't moved?"

"Wang Pu's dispatch bulletin back to Liu Zhongtang states that as of the fifteenth day of the first month, that column of Jurchen Slaves shows signs of stirring northward, but only Bright Armor Tartar vanguard elements have been seen. The main bulk moving north has yet to be spotted." Tu Dianli's hand pointed toward the southeast of Dezhou. "This Jinan Tartar force has been plundering for so long; they must have a huge number of people, livestock, and carriages. They definitely won't use just a single road. They will split into several routes to go north. That means the Tartars will divide their forces again. If we can intercept and block one route in the area of Ningjin and Leling, this Jinan Tartar band will be caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat."

Chen Rulie stood on the opposite side of the table. A new arrow wound marked his face. After looking at the map, he said, "Our own cavalry scouts confirm that the Jurchen Slaves have indeed moved north. But everything about Jinan comes from the dispatch bulletins of friendly garrisons. Could this be another false report? If it's not intelligence our own men have scouted, it's best not to trust it lightly."

Pang Yu did not express an opinion. Wu Dacai turned his head toward Chen Rulie. "Our Skirmisher cavalry is currently insufficient. Ultimately, we must still rely on others, just as Lord Pang says: draw on others' strengths to make up for our own weaknesses."

Chen Rulie did not argue further. He had been lightly wounded in the raid on Boping. The entire Cavalry Chief-of-a-Thousand Department had been commended by Pang Yu, but during the night siege by the Tartars, Chen Rulie's route had broken out in scattered directions. Post-battle tallies showed losses were not small. Combined with the cavalry left to guard Tongcheng Post, they had only managed to scrape together three companies. He had thus been somewhat despondent lately and generally did not argue with others.

Just then, an advisor at the door brought in a new dispatch bulletin. Tu Dianli glanced over it hurriedly and then said, "Daren, a dispatch bulletin from the Xuanfu Main Battalion has been forwarded from Liu Zhongtang's side. It confirms that this Eastern Invader force from Dezhou has gone straight north. Their scout cavalry followed them all the way to Cangzhou, matching the reports from our own Skirmisher cavalry scouts. We can confirm that this Tartar column has indeed passed Cangzhou and is continuing to advance north."

Pang Yu hastily took the dispatch bulletin, quickly marked it on the map, and stared at the enormous gap between the two Qing armies on the map. His heart suddenly stirred with excitement. According to the earlier estimates of Pang Yu and the Advisory Room, the assembly point for the two Qing columns was between Cangzhou and Tianjin. The Left Route Qing army now conformed to that, but the Right Route had not kept pace.

On the map, the Qing army's Left Wing had already passed Cangzhou, while the Right Wing was still at Jinan. It was nothing like their synchronized advance when they had come south from the Capital. If the intelligence was correct, it meant a major error had occurred between the two wings of the Qing army. The difficulty now was determining whether the Jinan Qing army truly had not moved, or whether it had long since gone north, only without the Ming Army detecting it.

Sun Chuanting's Relief Troops were at Dezhou, positioned precisely between the two Qing columns. The Left Wing Qing army had already passed Cangzhou, separated from Jinan by nearly four hundred li. Mutual support was impossible. Whether for attack or interception, the Dezhou Relief Army's position was supremely advantageous.

"If the Jinan column truly has not moved, that would be excellent, Daren." Tu Dianli's face was full of excitement. "This Cangzhou force should be the Jurchen Slaves' Left Wing. They show no sign of stopping to wait. Your subordinate believes the two Tartar columns have already lost contact with each other. The most urgent matter now is to deploy the Household Retainers of every garrison to intercept and kill Tartar messengers between Dezhou and Wuding. We must ensure they cannot communicate."

Pang Yu nodded slightly. Sun Chuanting's choice of Dezhou to concentrate forces, and his judgment of the Qing army's return route and timing, had been very accurate. He simply had not anticipated that Jinan would be taken. But now the Qing army had encountered an unexpected situation, and the Ming Army's position was very favorable. It all depended on whether they could seize the chance to severely damage the Qing army's Right Wing at Jinan.

Tu Dianli continued, "The second point is to request Liu Zhongtang to send orders to High-Governor Gao, strictly commanding the Liao Garrison's main force to advance north to Dezhou. The Supreme Commander and the Grand Supervisor should combine their forces in one place to intercept the Jinan Tartar column. The remaining troops from the Capital can pin down the Cangzhou Tartar column. Daren, as long as we block the path of this Jinan force and trap it in Shandong, there is a great chance to annihilate it. The Eastern Affairs will then have hope."

Pang Yu's heart pounded fiercely. Since rallying to the king, although he had taken quite a few heads, he had been completely suppressed by the Qing army in battle. He had originally been unwilling to coordinate with the other garrisons, but in the end had no choice but to assemble at Dezhou. Coming here was also for safety. Judging from the last meeting, no one intended to fight the Tartars to the death.

But he had never expected such a major opportunity to suddenly appear. The two Qing columns were four hundred li apart. With an army of this scale, and carrying so many supplies and people, the Left Wing Qing army would absolutely not turn back. At most, they would send a small detachment to provide support.

The Right Route Qing army was equally bloated and slow, and had fallen far behind. They were, after all, deep in the heart of enemy territory. The soldiers' psychology was different. As long as they could block the road and force them to halt, the morale of this force would quickly waver.

Tu Dianli concluded, "The third point is to recall as quickly as possible the troops dispersed to defend the various prefectures and counties, and concentrate them in one place to block the Jurchen Slaves' path."

Zhuang Chaozheng looked at Pang Yu. "Daren, your subordinate believes it is worth attempting. Today is already the seventeenth of the first month. People around here all say that at the latest, the rivers will thaw by the second month. The Tartar column is enormous; overcoming water obstacles will be a thousand times harder for them. As long as we trap them in Shandong, preventing them from leaving the border, this lone army won't last long."

Tu Dianli continued to Pang Yu, "There will certainly be new reinforcements arriving later. If the court's grand army encircles this Tartar column, the Left Route Tartars will not dare come to their aid, nor will they dare abandon them and withdraw. Perhaps we can annihilate both columns."

Pang Yu's fingers trembled. He paced back and forth twice within the side hall. In truth, he did not know how many more reinforcements there were. Previously, a division under Zuo Liangyu had been on its way to reinforce, but yesterday a dispatch from the Ministry of War stated that Zuo's division had already returned to Henan. The only forces nearby that could be mobilized were probably those from Denglai and Ni Chong.

The most important factor was still the Liao Garrison at Linqing. Pang Yu studied the map repeatedly, cross-checked the dispatch bulletins again, and tapped his finger repeatedly on the three locations of Ningjin, Leling, and Cangzhou. Finally, he folded up the map in one motion. "This matter requires Liu Zhongtang to orchestrate from the center. I will go first to present it to him."

Pang Yu strode out the door. Earlier, Sun Chuanting had gone to Pingyuan County, taking the Provincial Commander's Standard Troops and Wang Pu with him. Liu Yuliang was thus in charge of the overall situation at Dezhou, his temporary headquarters still at the Military-Defense-Circuit Office, not far inside the great West Gate. Seeking out this Chief Grand Secretary was very convenient.

Arriving at the Military-Defense-Circuit Office, as soon as Pang Yu reached the Second Hall, he saw Sun Chuanting and Liu Yuliang in conversation. Liu Yuliang nodded as he listened. The moment he spotted Pang Yu, he beckoned him over.

Pang Yu now had a rough sense of it. Liu Yuliang fancied himself knowledgeable in military affairs, but in reality knew very little about army life. Whenever others discussed marching and fighting with him, he would try his best to call Pang Yu over, so that afterward Pang Yu could help him make decisions. He was essentially using Pang Yu as a military secretary. Pang Yu was happy to play this role, because it gave him access to more information.

Sun Chuanting probably understood this as well. He showed no airs at all when meeting Pang Yu. Pang Yu, of course, knew this was mainly to show respect to Liu Yuliang. But the two senior officials were in the middle of a discussion, and it was not convenient for Pang Yu to interrupt. He could only clutch that map in his hand.

Liu Yuliang spoke gently to Pang Yu. "Sun Doutang has just hurried back from Pingyuan County. The Jinan Eastern Invaders show signs of stirring north. Sun Doutang intends to reassemble the troops to engage the Jurchen Slaves."

Pang Yu was overjoyed. One of the requests he had come to make was precisely for Sun Chuanting to concentrate forces and intercept the divided Qing columns. Now Sun Chuanting had done so first.

After exchanging polite salutes with Pang Yu, Sun Chuanting turned back to Liu Yuliang and continued, "Among the various units coming to reinforce from Lintao, one battalion of Skirmishers mutinied en route. The commanding General Officer, He Renlong, and those thousand-odd men have fled back to Shaanxi."

Pang Yu stole a glance at Sun Chuanting. This Regional Commander of Relief, unseen for only a few days, had already become much more haggard. He imagined Lu Xiangsheng must have been the same back then.

"The remaining three thousand or so men are all from the Lintao Main-Battalion. Because they came in haste, and the Ministry of War urged them relentlessly, they all traveled light. Fewer than twenty percent are armored, and most of that is padded armor. In addition, last year's pay is still five months in arrears..." Sun Chuanting, having reached this point, involuntarily let out a deep breath. "To suddenly dispatch this unit to fight the Eastern Invaders, I fear they are not up to the task. Elder Sir, your word carries weight at court. Every ministry and office listens to you. This unit's rations, pay, armor, and weapons absolutely cannot be lacking. I must ask Elder Sir to manage this with extra care."

Liu Yuliang nodded slightly. "I understand this matter. Boya, do not be anxious. The priority remains suppressing the bandits and recovering territory. If the troops are truly insufficient, you may discuss it further with the Grand Supervisor."

Sun Chuanting drew an envelope from his sleeve. "This is a letter from Supervisor-in-Chief Gao."

Liu Yuliang took the letter and quickly scanned it. He deliberately tilted the page so that Pang Yu could also see, but Pang Yu was facing Sun Chuanting directly and felt too embarrassed to sneak a look.

Sun Chuanting explained in a low voice, "The Grand Supervisor believes the Eastern Invaders are making a feint, pretending to return north but actually advancing west. Once the Liao Garrison leaves, they will attack Linqing again. The various Liao Garrison units that had already marched as far as Gaotang Prefecture have all returned to Linqing Prefecture to set up defenses."

Pang Yu stared at Sun Chuanting in astonishment. He truly could not understand how, with the situation so clear, Gao Qiqian could still believe the Qing army would attack Linqing again.

Sun Chuanting was clearly also dissatisfied with this. He paused for a moment and then said, "The Jinan Eastern Invaders show signs of coming north. This is beyond doubt. But since the Grand Supervisor has such concerns, I, your subordinate, have nothing to say. Only, if the Liao Garrison does not respond, the Relief Troops will become a lone army facing battle, detrimental to the grand strategy of pacifying the Slaves."

Liu Yuliang frowned as he finished reading and handed the letter back to Sun Chuanting. He did not offer an opinion, because Linqing was a key focus of the Ministry of War. The task given to Gao Qiqian was to preserve Dezhou and Linqing at all costs. At the slightest hint of trouble, those two places would be prioritized.

Even if Liu Yuliang believed the Qing army could not possibly go to Linqing again, he would not say so aloud, because nothing was guaranteed in war. Just like Jinan — no one had anticipated its fall before it happened. If Linqing also fell, the blame would then fall entirely on his shoulders.

Sun Chuanting had the same consideration. As Supreme Commander, he could do nothing about the Grand Supervisor, so he hoped the Chief Grand Secretary would step in to coordinate. But Liu Yuliang was unwilling.

Pang Yu gritted his teeth, looked up, and said to Liu Yuliang, "I report for Elder Sir's information: the Tartars have divided into two columns. The forward column has already reached Cangzhou. The Jinan column is stranded alone several hundred li behind. After their plundering, their procession must be immensely large. Guarding it with their troops, front and rear, is already extremely taxing. Your subordinate believes they must be coming north."

Pang Yu steeled himself and finished speaking, taking on no small measure of personal risk. This was inconsistent with his plan to coast along, but after all, this was an excellent opportunity. The Liao Garrison now had an additional five thousand men under Wu Xiang compared to when they first rallied to the king. Inside Linqing City were also Tongzhou Regional Commander Liu Zeqing and Tianjin Regional Commander Liu Furong. The total troop strength exceeded thirty thousand. If they could come to Dezhou to join the interception, there would be hope of success.

But in the end, Liu Yuliang still had to be the one to speak. In the command structure, the Liao Garrison acted on its own. They could even forcibly snatch entire military units from Sun Chuanting, completely disregarding the Ministry of War's assignments. Sun Chuanting truly could do nothing about the Liao Garrison. Only Liu Yuliang, as Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, held the most transcendent status and had some hope of persuading Gao Qiqian.

Sun Chuanting clearly had not expected Pang Yu to speak up in support. The look he directed at Pang Yu became much warmer.

Liu Yuliang considered for a moment with a blank expression, then said, "As the saying goes, a general in the field may refuse his sovereign's orders. I imagine Supervisor-in-Chief Gao is well-versed in military affairs. For him to suddenly turn around and return to Linqing like this, he must have received intelligence and judged the signs point west. Now Sun Doutang says the signs point north. Hahaha..."

Liu Yuliang gave a few dry laughs and then added, "After all, I am merely the Imperial Inspector. Matters of war must still rely on the Supreme Commander and the Grand Supervisor to make decisions. If the signs are not yet determined, then clarify them as quickly as possible. The Supreme Commander and the Grand Supervisor are not far apart. Send more Relay Horses, exchange more information, so that a course of action can be decided sooner, lest the Tartars get away."

Having said this, he left the two stunned men behind and went straight to the rear quarters. Pang Yu stole a glance at Sun Chuanting's darkening face, and silently tucked the map, now crumpled from his grip, into his bosom.

……

Note 1: The marching progress of the Qing army's Left and Right Wings during their northward return became disjointed because of the Right Wing's halt at Jinan. According to the agreement made when they split routes at Wei County, the two wings were to rendezvous at the Yunliang River in Jinghai County on the twentieth day of the first month. Dorgon's Left Wing marched basically on this schedule, but the Right Wing stalled after taking Jinan. The likelihood that this was merely for plunder is small; it was probably because Yoto contracted smallpox during this period and was unable to continue marching, forcing them to remain in Jinan and wait.

At the time, Yoto was not the only one infected with smallpox; recorded generals alone numbered three. Thus, the Right Wing did not set out from Jinan until as late as the fifteenth day of the first month. By this time, the Left Wing had already passed Cangzhou, and its vanguard should have been nearing Jinghai County. This created a gap of up to four hundred li between the two wings. Sun Chuanting was at Dezhou, and Gao Qiqian was at Linqing. The combined strength of the two routes exceeded fifty thousand men. Facing the disjointed Qing Right Wing, the Ming Army's situation was advantageous. However, every battalion was utterly devoid of morale and missed the opportunity. The Qing army dragged on until the sixth day of the second month before the Left and Right Wings finally joined forces.