Chapter 492: Raid on the Camp

Across the vast southern bank of the Yongding River, horn calls rose and fell in waves. Clusters of cavalry swept over the open fields under the guidance of multicolored banners, while countless figures and livestock fled in a tangled, chaotic mass.

A small squad of cavalry in dark uniforms, carrying no banners, advanced in four columns toward the direct east of Wangzhuang. Yang Guangdi, a Lumi musket slung across his back, rode at the head of the third column.

"Don't go south — run west, run west!"

Yang Guangdi waved forcefully from horseback, signaling the people to head west. These commoners, their heads already shaven, would find no way to live whether they ran into Government Troops or Tartars. In this stretch of land, Qing troops and the King-Rallying Army lay to the north; to the south was the Qing army's tail, along with several Household Retainers who had raided the military towns; to the east were the Qing's other banners. Only the west was relatively safe, though Dong'an County over there also held Gao Qiqian's Liao Garrison forces. Still, the Liao Garrison was currently cowering around the county seat — fleeing west offered a greater chance.

Manda'er shouted from behind, "Don't run south — Li Chongzhen is to the south!"

The terrified, fleeing commoners had no idea who Li Chongzhen was. Spotting this small squad of cavalry, unable to tell if they were Tartars or Government Troops, they veered far away and simply bolted southward in a frenzy.

The entire southern bank of the Yongding River was one vast camp; every village was a small camp. Nearly thirty thousand Qing troops of the Right Wing who had entered the pass were scattered across dozens of small camps over a broad area. This region stretched east–west from Wangzhuang to Tianjin, and north–south from Yangcun more than thirty li southward. Scattered throughout were over two hundred thousand captured people, livestock, and carriages.

The Defense Battalion had only seized control of the two entrances to Wangzhuang; scattered fighting still continued inside the village. Pang Yu ordered the cavalry to keep up the harassment. With Li Chongzhen and Li Guozheng breaking away from the Right Wing, the Ming Army's harassment had grown somewhat chaotic. According to the original plan, Chen Rulie was supposed to cross the road and strike southeast to tie down the Bordered Red Banner Qing troops advancing along another route. Now they could only prioritize raiding the Qing camps along the road south of Wang Village.

The Ranger Cavalry had taken part in the assault on Wangzhuang. By the time they regrouped at the village entrance and mounted up, the Cavalry Chief-of-a-Thousand Department was nowhere to be seen. Because the Ranger Cavalry had a restriction to withdraw from battle by noon, Chen Bin did not go looking for Chen Rulie. Instead, he chose a position between the Lintao Camp and the Shaanxi Provincial Commander's Standard Troops.

On the right wing were the Shaanxi Provincial Commander's Standard Troops. Li Guozheng's two-hundred-plus cavalry galloped south — the direction originally assigned to the Anqing Cavalry. A few scattered Qing troops were tailing them.

On the Ranger Cavalry's left wing, one li ahead to the left front, was Cao Bianjiao's Lintao Camp. Several hundred Lintao Household Retainers had just reached a Qing camp. Over two hundred Qing troops who had rushed over from nearby were now locked in a running skirmish with them. Around the camp rose a din of shrieks and shouts; many captured commoners fled out, most with their heads shaven, their bare scalps gleaming.

The open fields were covered with fleeing commoners. Frightened livestock also bolted from the camp — chaos everywhere.

The Ranger Cavalry had only four squads. They moved quietly in four columns, drawing no attention amid the chaotic fields. Up ahead, Chen Bin raised a hand, signaling the Ranger Cavalry to stay alert.

Yang Guangdi saw that the Lintao Camp on the left wing had not charged into the camp. Instead, they split into two groups, each led by a Recognition Banner, skirting the camp to the northeast and southeast. The Lintao Household Retainers were clearly well-trained; even as a large formation of several hundred men, they divided and merged with disciplined precision.

The Qing troops behind them also split into two columns, both sides chasing each other as they gradually pulled away.

Up ahead, Chen Bin swung his Waist Saber in a circle above his head, then pointed to the left front. The Ranger Cavalry formation immediately adjusted direction, heading for the camp where the fighting had just occurred. Amid the chaos ahead, a handful of Qing troops who had stayed behind were chasing and cutting down fleeing commoners.

Most of the Ranger Cavalry's missions required stealth. Unlike regular cavalry and Household Retainers who wore red, they wore dark military uniforms and never carried banners. In the chaotic scene, they drew no attention whatsoever. Only at two hundred paces did the Qing troops on the perimeter spot them.

Those Qing troops shouted loudly to nearby comrades, rallying seven or eight men before charging straight at the Ranger Cavalry. The surrounding commoners seized the chance to scatter and flee in all directions.

Chen Bin's Waist Saber chopped forward and downward from above his head. Yang Guangdi and the three other Team Leaders shouted orders in unison. The four columns of Ranger Cavalry spread their spacing, each squad shifting from a column into a two-rank horizontal line.

Yang Guangdi rode on the left side of the formation. The first rank consisted of three men from Xuan-Da and two veterans. They controlled their horses with practiced ease, keeping the line roughly straight. The second rank was somewhat disordered — two men had fallen behind, turning it into three ranks. Yang Guangdi shouted a warning to the Squad-of-Five leader in the second rank, telling them to adjust their position.

By now the distance had shrunk to a hundred paces. Chen Bin's Waist Saber chopped downward three times in quick succession above his head. The Ranger Cavalry spurred their horses, accelerating into a charge against the oncoming Qing troops. Yang Guangdi had no time to worry about the second rank's formation. He drew his own Waist Saber and sped up with them. The Qing troops were already rushing straight at them. Among them, he spotted only one suit of Chain Mail; the rest wore what looked like Cotton Armor, or possibly just padded cotton coats.

The distance continued to close. At seventy paces, the Ranger Cavalry let out a unified battle cry, their horses picking up more and more speed. On the opposite side, one Qing soldier on the right wing suddenly yanked his horse's head around and fled north. Then the other Qing soldiers scattered in a rush, bolting to both sides.

Chen Bin's Waist Saber pointed high ahead. The Ranger Cavalry formation did not pause for an instant, cutting straight through the scattering Qing troops and charging into the camp zone at full speed.

Chen Bin's hand and blade waved to both sides. The four Team Leaders split off with their squads. Yang Guangdi led the Third Team, pulling away to the right.

Makeshift shacks and earthen stoves flew past on both sides of his vision. Just like Wangzhuang, all manner of household goods lay strewn across the ground. The camp was filled with earth-shattering wails and cries; people and livestock bolted wildly in every direction. Several fires blazed in different spots.

Up ahead, the road cutting through the village came into view. The road surface was packed with carriages, most already hitched to donkeys. It seemed this camp had been preparing to move out when they discovered Wangzhuang was under attack; going to Wangzhuang's rescue had delayed their departure.

Qin Jiuze's voice shouted from behind, "Go set fires!"

Yang Guangdi spurred his horse to a fire, grabbed a burning piece of wood, and rode along setting everything alight. Many of the shacks here were built with reeds — likely cut by the commoners when they passed through Sanjiaodian. The Ranger Cavalry in the squad scattered to set their own fires. Soon numerous blazes were roaring, belching thick smoke into the sky. The hitched donkeys nearby panicked, dragging their carriages as they bolted wildly. Some got their carts stuck below the road edge and screamed frantically.

Wailing cries surrounded him on all sides. Everyone running past had a shaven head. He had to look closely to see whether they carried weapons; otherwise there was no way to tell if they were Qing soldiers. Yang Guangdi's nerves were taut. While setting fires, he also had to keep track of the two Squad-of-Five leaders' positions, making sure they didn't stray too far and lose contact. At the same time, he had to watch whether anyone passing nearby was a Tartar. He had no attention to spare for those crying voices.

After calling out to Manda'er to mind the distance, Yang Guangdi spotted a carriage up ahead piled entirely with dry hay. He spurred his horse over, intending to set it ablaze.

As he rode past a shack in front of him, a person clutching a sack was rolling on the ground, letting out hoarse, desperate howls. Yang Guangdi pulled his horse around them. When he reached the carriage, he discovered two more people beside it. The two were grappling. A man with a visible queue had the upper hand, already pinning the other person down, and was tearing at their clothes.

The person underneath had a face smeared black with grime and wore a tattered monk's robe. Their hair had been hacked into uneven short tufts. In one hand they clutched a filthy Steamed Cake; their bare feet kicked wildly without pause. Their face was fierce, still struggling with everything they had. The person on top pressed a hand against their face — and they bit down hard.

The person on top roared in fury, hitting and cursing at the one below. The one underneath cried out in pain — it was a woman's voice.

Blood streamed from the woman's mouth and nose. Her head was knocked to the side, then pinned down hard again by the other's palm. She happened to see Yang Guangdi. She simply stared straight at him, but made no sound to plead for help.

The person on top was fully absorbed in the beating, completely unaware that someone else was nearby. Yang Guangdi first set the dry hay alight. He spotted a cloth sack on top, reached out and felt beans inside, and casually hung it behind his saddle. Then he spurred his horse and continued forward.

He had ridden only a few steps when he reined in his horse and turned back. Dismounting beside the now-burning carriage, he pulled out the small knife Qin Jiuze had given him and drove it fiercely into the throat of the person on top.

The man's strength instantly drained away. Both hands clutched his neck as he froze in place. Blood gushed from between his fingers. His terrified eyes turned to look at Yang Guangdi.

Yang Guangdi leaned in a little closer, carefully examining the color of the man's scalp. He also reached out and felt the fabric of his clothes — definitely Jiangnan Cloth. The padded coat was fine, dense, and thick. The man wore cloth shoes on his feet, and even had socks. Yang Guangdi had spent time in the Roving Bandits' camp and had seen captured commoners in Dong'e. Such valuable clothing never appeared on captured commoners.

Without another word, Yang Guangdi stabbed him again in the chest. The man's mouth gaped wide; his upper body fell straight backward.

The woman underneath scrambled up at once. She stuffed the Steamed Cake into her mouth and reached out to strip the man's clothes. Yang Guangdi turned and left. As he mounted his horse, he glanced back — the woman happened to look up at the same moment.

Yang Guangdi pointed west. "Run to that village to the west. It's full of Government Troops who don't kill commoners. You can save your life there."

The dry hay was already blazing fiercely, flames rolling over the adjacent carriage. The woman still said nothing, just stared at him steadily.

Just then, the sharp sound of a brass whistle rang out ahead — the Ranger Cavalry's assembly signal. Yang Guangdi had no time to say more. He immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, calling his squad members together.

As he gathered his squad, a great commotion erupted to the left front. A company of cavalry burst into the camp, led by a Recognition Banner bearing the character He. It looked like a Ming Army unit — possibly from the Lintao Camp. Cao Bianjiao had drawn away the main Qing force, and this detachment had now broken through into the camp.

The brass whistle sounded again, urgent and insistent, and it was moving south. Centurion Chen was probably worried that, being unfamiliar with each other, they might accidentally clash with the Lintao Camp. Yang Guangdi rallied his men and immediately followed the whistle, pulling out of the camp.

……

On the southern bank at Yangcun, a conch horn sounded with mounting urgency.

Unit after unit of Plain Red Banner troops were hurrying over from the North Bank, crossing the ice to assemble under the Banner Commander's standard. An endless stream of Mounted Armor came galloping from different directions on both banks, delivering messages beneath the Banner Commander's standard.

"Beizi Fiyanggū has sent a man to ask how many Ming State troops have come."

"Lord Ye Chen says the Bordered Red Banner is also under attack. He wants the Plain Red Banner to combine forces and surround those Ming soldiers."

"Gun Chusi of the captured Chahar Banner reports that his banner has been attacked by Ming State troops. A captured Ming soldier has confessed it is the camp of Li Vice General from Xuan-Da."

"Buyan has sent a report: five thousand Ming soldiers came from the North Bank and seized the village he was garrisoning. Men, livestock, and supplies are all lost. Only thirty Armored Soldiers escaped from his company company."

"The Aohan Tribe reports that Ming soldiers have broken through two of their camps. Men and livestock have all scattered. They killed twenty-three of the enemy."

"Kebutu reports: a thousand cavalry of the Ming Capital Battalion came to attack. He repelled them, pursued and killed thirty-one Ming soldiers, and captured twenty horses."

Standing beneath the great banner was none other than Du Lei, Banner Commander of the Plain Red Banner. Since entering the pass, the Plain Red Banner had achieved illustrious military merits, but its losses far exceeded those of the other banners — especially in the series of battles around Tongcheng Post. First, they lost a large number of True Yi Armored Soldiers at Thirty-Li Post. Then Dong'e was raided, and Badar, the imperial son-in-law of the Naiman Tribe, and Guxi of the Chahar were killed. Huang Taiji placed great importance on the Mongol tribes that had submitted to him. He had brought these men into the pass to follow along and enrich themselves on the plunder. Now they had lost their lives instead — and Du Lei would have to bear the responsibility.

At Jinan, the Right Wing Army had also lost its commander. Every banner was somewhat worried, unsure how Huang Taiji would deal with the General Officers of each banner once they returned. Fortunately, the Plain Red Banner's plunder was exceedingly rich. In population alone they had seized seventy thousand — no other banner could compare. The return journey had also gone very smoothly. They were on the verge of linking up with the Left Wing and safely exiting the pass, when suddenly here at the Yongding River they were ambushed by Ming troops.

The Right Wing had four banners, yet every time it was the Plain Red Banner that was singled out. And this time the scale of the attack was not small — both the South Bank and North Bank were under assault. Many camps were calling for help. The losses could be expected to be considerable.

Just then, another force arrived from the north. The man at the front flew across the river surface at top speed. He hurried beneath the standard and announced, "The Southern Barbarians on the North Bank are Regional Commander Wang of Datong Garrison. They've already been driven back."

Du Lei's heart instantly eased. The newcomer was Holben, the elite guard Standard-Bearer Commander of the Plain Red Banner, and he brought genuinely good news. If the Ming troops on the North Bank kept up their harassment, the Qing army would not be able to spare many men to rescue the South Bank.

The Qing army had a very clear picture of the Ming forces. The largest contingent on the North Bank was the Datong Garrison — over a Battalion Commander Retainers. If they fought with full effort, dealing with them would be somewhat taxing. Now that the Datong Garrison had pulled back, they could free up a fair number of mobile troops.

Holben asked in a low voice, "Lord Du Lei, just how many Ming State troops are on the south side?"

Du Lei said in a grave tone, "The reports we've received so far say there are over a dozen Ming battalion camp heads, several Battalion Commander retainers, and one group seized Buyan's village and is bringing cannons."

Both were battle-hardened veterans and knew that the enemy troop counts reported from below were mostly inaccurate. First, because the chaos of being under attack leads to mistaken memory; second, to avoid punishment, they lie in their reports.

So if the current report says several thousand, the actual number is probably around a thousand. They also knew these old foes of the Ming Army very well — deploying a Battalion Commander retainers was already very difficult for them, and that number of Border Army household retainers was not easy to deal with.

Holben thought for a moment and said, "Those Ming troops came to seize back people and livestock. Once they've taken them, they've likely already left."

Du Lei's face was grim. "There are six hundred mounted armor here. You lead them forward to reinforce Enggetu. Before nightfall, you must wipe out the Ming State troops on the south side."