Chapter 597: The Great Battle

White smoke sprayed out in a chaotic mess in front of the stockade wall; two Squads of Firearm Soldiers fired wildly as they retreated all the way back from the fort wall.

Roving Bandits popped up on the wall to shoot arrows. One injured Firearm Soldier fell to the ground — he had been hit in the back of the thigh by an arrow and couldn't get up now, screaming loudly on the ground. The others only cared about fleeing for their lives, and no one went to help him.

The small platform wasn't far from the stockade wall. The retreating Firearm Soldiers fled back in a swarm. Only when they returned to the small platform did the covering Firearm Soldiers behind them gain a field of fire, blasting wildly toward the stockade wall. Stone chips flew everywhere on the wall, and the Roving Bandits on the wall all ducked back. Once the fire lances paused, they immediately popped out again to shoot at that wounded soldier.

The wounded soldier curled up into a ball on the ground, screaming in terror from his mouth, but for the moment no new arrows hit him.

The volley just now had blurred the line of sight on the small platform. The Firearm Soldiers who had retreated back were still in a state of panic, all crowded onto the small platform. The covering Firearms Soldiers were reloading, but being jostled by these men, they couldn't finish reloading. Some even ignored orders and fired as soon as they were loaded. Squad leaders and the soldiers nearby were shouting and cursing; the small platform was in chaos.

The Deputy Centurion and the Pacification Commissioner went over and gave those Firearm Soldiers a round of beatings and curses before order was restored.

The Banner Commander who had led the attack came back last. The Centurion went up, grabbed him, and started hitting him. The Banner Commander was beaten dizzy. The Centurion turned, dragged out a Team leader, shoved that Team leader down beside the Banner Commander, and then with a shing, drew his Waist Saber.

"Go back and save him!"

That Banner Commander had been promoted from the former Second Chiliarch Headquarters and had fought in the Battle of Chemah. He had just led the Firearm Soldiers to attack the stockade. The width from the platform to the stockade wall wasn't large; forces couldn't be deployed widely. At most two Teams could be committed at a time. The Firearm Soldiers had no protection, and after one round of arrows and stones from the Roving Bandits, the Firearm Soldiers collapsed in defeat. He couldn't stop them either.

Seeing the Centurion draw his saber, the Banner Commander and Team leader dared not say more and could only prepare to rescue the man. The Deputy Centurion arranged the men on the small platform into three ranks, and once reloading was complete, they began volley fire in rotation.

The Banner Commander and Team leader took advantage of the volley fire to run over and drag the wounded soldier back. During the intervening chaos, the wounded soldier was hit by another arrow and was still screaming nonstop after returning to the small platform.

The Squad leader took the remaining four men to carry that wounded soldier, but the mountain path was packed with people, making it impossible to carry a man through. The Firearm Soldiers blocking the way could only retreat downward. The mountain path was thrown into chaos by a single wounded soldier.

The will of the Roving Bandits inside the mountain stronghold was quite tenacious. The stockade gate had already been smashed apart by that Small Bronze Cannon, and the adjacent stockade wall had also been battered down in Two Places. The Firearm Soldiers had charged twice and still hadn't broken in. The Roving Bandits' morale had instead soared; even women and children came out to defend the wall.

But this group of Roving Bandits didn't have much experience in city defense. The stockade gate had been smashed for half the day, yet those women and children only knew to guard the stockade wall. No one was seen throwing debris to block the gate there.

The Centurion stared at that stronghold for a moment, then turned around and shouted, "Come over for a meeting!"

The Pacification Commissioner, Clerk Officer, Deputy Centurion, Artillery Chief, and three Banner Commanders all gathered around. By now the wounded soldier had been carried down, and more Firearm Soldiers had come up from behind. The platform and mountain path were both very narrow, so the Military Council had to be held in public.

Zhou Chen and Lu Xiaoma had been the first to come up; there was no path to go back down even if they wanted to, so they could only stand by and listen in on the Second Company's combat meeting.

The Centurion asked directly, "All of you, tell me how to attack."

"Give me shields, the Third Banner will attack."

"Where the hell am I supposed to find you shields?" The Centurion pointed around; there wasn't even a tree on the hillside.

The Deputy Centurion followed up, "We need to attack early. If we can't take it before nightfall, we'll have to stay in that broken village ahead."

The Banner Commander of the Second Banner said, "We'll make our own shields. Send men to cut trees — nothing thick, just bind them with Leg Wraps and they'll be shields."

The Clerk Officer also said, "We've attacked twice without success and have five or six wounded. We probably need a proper Discussion."

The Centurion saw the Pacification Commissioner had no intention of speaking, and waved a hand. "Third Banner, send two Squads to tie wooden shields. Have the artillery keep hitting the wall. Kill a few more and they won't dare shoot arrows."

At that moment, someone on the mountain path below was shouting. Hearing it was for the Centurion, that Centurion walked to the edge and called down, "What!"

A loud voice below shouted, "The Centurion over at the Mountain Troops says if the Infantry Firearms Battalion can't take it, they're coming up. Tell them to clear the path."

……

One Squad of Mountain Troops assembled on the platform. The Mountain Troops' Centurion sent four Teams. It seemed like all the armor in the entire Company had been stripped off; the Mountain Troops coming up were all carrying extra Cotton Armor. The Mountain Centurion himself came up too.

The mountain path was noisy and chaotic. That Centurion came up and immediately shooed the Firearm Soldiers away, driving those on the mountain path downward as well, clearing the space for the Mountain Troops.

The Infantry Firearms Battalion Centurion stood in a corner with a dark face. Lu Xiaoma and Zhou Chen crouched beside him. A Mountain Troop soldier came over to pull them; Lu Xiaoma slapped his hand away. That Mountain Troop soldier didn't insist and turned to shoo away other Firearm Soldiers.

The Company Clerk Officer walked down on his own. The Deputy Centurion had also wanted to leave, but seeing the Centurion hadn't left, he hesitated and stopped. When the Mountain Troops saw the Firearm Centurion and Deputy Centurion, without looking closely, they assumed Lu Xiaoma and the other man were also officers, so they didn't come over to chase them away.

The four of them shrank into a corner of the platform, watching as team after team of Mountain Troops came up. Four Squads were assembled, two Squads abreast, with only four men in the front line.

The first two Squads of Mountain Troops were wrapped in at least two layers of Cotton Armor, with Chain Mail over the outside, making their whole bodies round and bulky.

The two men at the very front held Long Shields with both hands, protecting their entire bodies. The three ranks behind held Round Shields over their heads. The last rank of Mountain Troops used Trident Rakes and had no shields; the Team leader bringing up the rear also carried a shield.

That Mountain Centurion saw the Firearm Centurion and his three companions, curled his lip in disdain, and said, "Let me tell you, once we charge in and it comes to face-to-face hacking and slashing, it's extremely dangerous. You Firearm Soldiers better not come and make a mess. Only come in after the fighting's done. That's a Battle Command. Remember it."

The Firearm Centurion didn't answer. The Mountain Centurion, busy with the attack, said to the few of them, "Watch closely how to fight a battle."

He turned his head and gave an order. The first two Teams set out immediately, followed by the other two Teams of Mountain Troops. One of them was a Firearms Soldiers team, among whom several carried Lumi muskets. That Mountain Centurion personally commanded the rear, walking at the very back.

The Mountain Troops' formation was very tight, with proper front-to-rear spacing. Their advance looked very practiced. They moved forward. The Roving Bandits on the stockade wall shot a few arrows, which were completely useless against the shields. They switched to shooting at the rear, but it was also hard to inflict damage on those soldiers wearing two or three layers of Heavy Armor. The Mountain Troops' battle formation advanced steadily and soon approached the stockade gate.

Lu Xiaoma and Zhou Chen's mouths hung open. Earlier, when the Firearm Soldiers attacked, they had been routed by a few archers from over a dozen paces away. They watched that team of Mountain Troops walk to within five or six paces of the stockade wall. Stones thrown from the stockade wall couldn't budge the Long Shields either.

The battle formation reached the stockade gate. Cries of alarm rose from inside. Several Roving Bandits poked their heads out, raising stones to smash down. The Mountain Troops Centurion shouted, and the Firearms Soldiers behind fired a volley. Two Roving Bandits vanished from the wall with screams.

The Roving Bandits throwing stones ducked for cover one after another. The Mountain Troops Centurion let out a great shout. The first two Teams of Mountain Troops suddenly accelerated, charging swiftly toward the stockade gate. The Roving Bandits on the wall had just been suppressed and had no time to react before the Mountain Troops were already inside the gate. In the panic on the wall, only two or three men threw stones, which thudded loudly against the raised Round Shields below. The Roving Bandits inside scrambled to meet the attack.

Lu Xiaoma and Zhou Chen craned their necks. They saw the stockade gate completely packed with human figures. Weapons swung amid the booming sounds of impact. The two of them unconsciously rose onto their tiptoes. A bang sounded from the gate passage, a plume of white smoke sprayed out from inside the gate, and then it was scattered by the charging crowd.

Another bang followed. White smoke jetted again through the gaps in the crowd inside the gate. The Mountain Troops charged in with loud shouts. The two follow-up Teams of Mountain Troops entered the stockade gate after them. Soon the gate was empty, with only a few corpses left inside the passage. Screams shook the heavens within the mountain stronghold.

The two of them stared blankly at that empty gate. They had never imagined the Mountain Troops would breach the stockade gate in a single charge.

"All Firearm Soldiers, come up."

The Centurion's voice came to his ears. Lu Xiaoma turned his head and saw the Centurion run to the edge of the platform and shout. Lu Xiaoma jumped up and ran down the mountain. The Firearm Soldiers who had cleared the path earlier were all still waiting on the road.

There was a response from below. The Centurion, unbearably impatient, ran to the bend and urged them on nonstop. Before long, swarms of Firearm Soldiers appeared around the bend.

At that moment, the Mountain Troops' Clerk Officer was still on the small platform. Seeing this, he shouted, "The Centurion just gave orders — the Firearm Soldiers are only to enter the stronghold after the fighting is done…"

The Firearm Centurion shoved him aside with one hand and shouted at the Firearm Soldiers, "Follow me to attack the stronghold!"

The Firearm Soldiers roared in unison and swarmed toward the stockade gate. Lu Xiaoma, again carrying his Waist Saber, ran at the very front. Amid the dense, chaotic sound of footsteps, over a hundred Firearm Soldiers poured in through the stockade gate.

……

After nightfall, the mountains became deathly silent. There was no moon that evening; only the blurry shadows of the mountains could be seen.

Inside and outside the mountain stronghold, many torches and lanterns were lit, strikingly conspicuous in the pitch-black darkness, like a lone island suspended in a dark sea.

Fortunately, the mountain stronghold had been breached before nightfall. The two Companies didn't have to camp out in the river valley. This stronghold had been occupied by Roving Bandits and had all the necessary living facilities, plus a stockade wall for defense, ensuring safety. It was a great help for restoring morale and physical strength.

Zhou Chen and Lu Xiaoma were assigned the first watch shift, right there at the small platform. The mountain stronghold was relatively easy to defend. Only three Ambush Sentries were posted before the stockade gate: one on the main road across the river, one at the start of the mountain path, and one at the small platform.

The stockade gate itself was the Open Sentry, lit with the most torches and lanterns in the entire stronghold. In the Dabie Mountains in March, mosquitoes and insects weren't too numerous yet. The stockade gate was brightly lit, which happened to attract all the insects there, so the two of them were barely bitten.

They had still been fighting before nightfall. After breaching the stronghold, they still needed to mop up the Roving Bandits, followed by aftermath tasks like guarding Captives, tending to the wounded, and assigning sentry posts. The soldiers had only eaten Dry Rations.

The two were said to be on the first watch shift, but there were too many things to handle after a battle. If the officers couldn't assign tasks properly or forgot, the two of them might end up standing guard all evening.

The mountain region at night was especially quiet. The two stood at the edge of the platform, able to clearly hear the rushing sound of the river water flowing below the mountain.

Inside the stronghold, it was noisy and chaotic, audible even through the stockade wall — the howling of the wounded, the hoarse shouting of Captive interrogations, and the sound of the two Centurions arguing.

"I'll spell it out for you — you attacked the mountain, but First to Ascend means first into the stockade, so of course it should count for my side."

"Well you didn't ascend the stockade either, you went in through the gate — what exactly did you ascend? What gives you the right to claim First to Ascend? The stockade is on the mountain. If I hadn't attacked the mountain first, you wouldn't have had a damn stockade to attack. If you've got the skill, why didn't you dare attack the mountain yourself? When it's attacking the mountain you send my Infantry Firearms Battalion, but when it's attacking the stockade you show up, and then First to Ascend still goes to you — you've got some fine schemes. You've got over a hundred soldiers at least, and you're this shameless..."

After two muffled thuds, the Unsteady Centurion's voice cursed, "Who are you calling shameless? I've been fighting since Puzikou, wounded in seven or eight places, fought my way through all of it, and when I'm wounded I let others get treated first — with conduct like that, what right do you have to call me shameless? You explain yourself to me!"

"So what about Puzikou? I even went to the Pure Stream River. I'm the one who wounds others — what kind of skill is getting wounded? You've got the nerve to bring up getting wounded. Shameless is shameless, afraid of people saying it or what!"

"Let go! I want to see who's shameless today. You say..."

Then a group of people were trying to break up the fight. The two Centurions were quartered right at the stockade gate, and the sound of the quarrel carried far in the night, faintly seeming to echo through the valley.

The content of the dispute was not complicated. Today's stockade assault had a First to Ascend merit, which by Military Law was awarded to only one person. The Centurion believed it should go to Lu Xiaoma; the Unsteady Centurion believed attacking the mountain didn't count and it should go to the first Mountain Trooper who took the stockade gate.

In the military units, everyone came from the lowest rungs of peddlers and laborers. In the marketplace, to survive you had to fight for everything — they were long used to brawling. The officers came from these same people too, so there was no dignity or decorum in their quarrels. It all happened right in front of the soldiers, spittle flying everywhere, tables thudding.

The conflict between the two Companies went far beyond this one issue. When the Mountain Troops broke the stockade, the Infantry Firearms Battalion charged in right after. Because the Mountain Troops still had two Banner Teams down the mountain, the Firearm Soldiers had the numbers and grabbed quite a lot of the spoils, also taking over most of the good buildings.

By Anqing Battalion's Military Law, all seizures were to be pooled for unified distribution. But the two Companies belonged to different battalions — whatever the Infantry Firearms Battalion grabbed would only be distributed to their side. The Mountain Troops' side was naturally unwilling.

The Firearm Centurion's cursing was more cutting in its angle; the Unsteady Centurion's voice was louder, still full of vigor after cursing for ages. The two had just gotten to the matter of First to Ascend and were already cursing each other's parents, about to start on the grandparents. If they were going to settle every issue, cursing back eighteen generations was the bare minimum.

"Zhou Chen, so this is battle." Lu Xiaoma tilted his head, looking at the blurry mountain shadows beyond the platform. "It's more interesting than brawling."

"Talking is forbidden on sentry duty..."

"The officers are all quarreling! Sentry silence is to keep bandit spawn from discovering a night raid, but those two are making enough noise for the whole mountain to hear. If we talk quietly, who'll know."

"This kind of fighting isn't interesting." Zhou Chen didn't insist further. He frowned for a long moment, then said, "At Wangzhuang I saw them fight the Tartars. Those White Armors were magnificent in battle — not like this."

"Those Mountain Troops have White Armor too."

"At Wangzhuang there were cannons and cavalry. You've never seen cavalry — when they charge, the ground itself shakes. And White Armor against White Armor, the killing at the village entrance was really something."

Lu Xiaoma raised his fire lance before his eyes with both hands. "Wu Dacai says even White Armor can't withstand one shot from this thing of ours."

"The Mountain Troops only have three-tenths fire lances, we're all fire lances. Going by what Wu Dacai says, could we beat the Mountain Troops or not?"

Lu Xiaoma hesitated a moment, thought back to the sight of the Mountain Troops breaking the stockade gate just now, and finally shook his head. "Probably not."

Zhou Chen suddenly covered his face. "We can't even beat the Roving Bandits, the Roving Bandits can't beat the Mountain Troops, and the way those Mountain Troops are, I think they definitely can't beat the Personal Soldier Battalion. The Personal Soldiers are about the same as the Tartar White Armor, and the Tartars have more cavalry than you can count. Heavens, there's no way we can beat the Tartars!"

Lu Xiaoma turned his head blankly to look at Zhou Chen, then suddenly slapped him on his bowed head. "The hell are you afraid of? If we have to fight, we fight. I don't care if it's White Armor or cavalry — which of them can take one shot from this thing of mine!"

Zhou Chen's head was tilted to one side, lost in some unknown thought. The two sat at the edge of the small platform, surrounded by the chirping of insects mingling with the sound of water flowing below the mountain. The two Centurions' clamor echoed through the hills.

After a long while, Zhou Chen in the darkness finally said, "I'll use this fire lance to kill Tartars. Just wait till they come."

……

Ningyuan City in Liaodong. Within the pitch-black city walls, all was silence, broken only by the occasional sound of the night watchman's clapper on patrol.

From the quiet rear courtyard of the Grand Coordinator's yamen came a burst of noise. Then the noise steadily grew, and one by one, lamps lit up in the rooms of the rear courtyard.

The window of the right-side wing room immediately brightened as well. A moment later the door opened, and the maid appeared in the doorway. She found a household servant in the courtyard, asked a few questions, then hurried back.

The maid reached the wing room and said toward the interior, "Young Master, they say the Old Master suddenly went to the Main Hall and is making a scene, demanding to hold court!" (Note 1)

A reply came from within. The maid carried the oil lamp inside. The two people inside rose and dressed by the lamp's faint light.

Fang Guangchen sat down on the edge of the bed first. Normally he waited for the maid to put on his shoes, but now he set his own feet on the floor, felt around with his feet for a moment, found the shoes, and stepped directly into them. By now the maid had fetched his clothes. Fang Guangchen raised his arms to let the maid fasten the buttons, while hurriedly asking, "When did Father go to the Main Hall? How come we heard nothing?"

"No one knows when he went. Perhaps the attendants in the wing room slept too soundly. It was the night watchman who heard the commotion and discovered it."

Fang Guangchen said angrily, "Knowing full well that Father has been unwell lately, I told everyone to sleep lightly and stay alert, and instead you slept so soundly you let Father run off alone. What if something had happened? Who was on duty tonight?"

The maid dared not speak. At that moment, a figure came down from the bed. She stepped down directly and approached, and in the glow of the oil lamp, Jiang Shou's features were illuminated. Her belly was already protruding; she was nearly due.

Jiang Shou said softly, "Husband, calm your anger. Let us go see Father first."

Fang Guangchen composed himself for a moment, then turned to Jiang Shou and said, "It's dark outside, and you're with child — don't go. Rest well at home."

"Father is my husband's father, and my father as well. He is unwell now. If I stay behind in the room, my heart will only worry more, which would likely harm the pregnancy more. Xiaolan will support me in a moment; I will simply be more careful. I walk slowly — Husband, go ahead, it's fine."

Fang Guangchen did not insist further. In the lamplight, the maid could not see clearly and had fastened a button wrong. She hurriedly tried to undo and refasten it, but the more she rushed, the more flustered she became. Fang Guangchen's face showed displeasure, and just as he was about to scold her, Jiang Shou came over and personally helped fasten it. Fang Guangchen's expression softened again.

As Jiang Shou fastened the buttons, she said in a low voice, "Father has been frequently anxious these past days, reading a single dispatch bulletin over and over, always saying the Tartars are coming, the Tartars are coming. The Old Master has defended Liaodong all these years; the Tartars have not been able to seize any more land. He has done right by the court. It is likely just that these years of toiling over military affairs, worn down in spirit by the Tartars' rampancy, have injured his mind. If he could rest at ease, perhaps he would recover on his own."

Fang Guangchen sighed. "I fear he must rest. The day before yesterday, he was at the City God Temple wanting to cane the wooden posts — the whole city knows about it. If tonight is like this again, the Regional Inspector and the Army Supervisor will surely report it. Hong Doutang will also memorialize the Emperor. A rest would be for the best."

A flash of light suddenly passed through Jiang Shou's eyes, but it vanished quickly. Looking at Fang Guangchen with concern, she said, "The Old Master is a southerner. Staying so long in this northern land of Liaodong — for one, his body cannot take it, and more importantly, it is the Eastern Invaders running rampant. The Old Master has exhausted his heart and mind over many years; perhaps that is another cause. If he returned to the south, saw his old friends and kin in the south, he would surely improve."

"I came to Liaodong in the fourth year of Chongzhen; in the blink of an eye it has been ten years. Even here in Liaodong, I have come to know many close friends. This place is half a homeland now too. To truly speak of leaving, I would feel some reluctance." As Fang Guangchen spoke, he was momentarily lost in thought.

Jiang Shou said gently, "When Liaodong is at peace in the future, we can come back to visit these old friends. We could take Father back to Nanjing to live, or back to Huizhou as well. I have not yet seen my husband's old home; I always wish to see where my husband grew up, what kind of place nurtured such a refined and brilliant person as my husband."

Fang Guangchen reached out and wrapped his arm around Jiang Shou's shoulder, then patted it gently twice. After giving the maid a few words of advice, he hurried out.

Jiang Shou, supported by the maid, slowly made her way out. The Grand Coordinator Yamen was much the same as any other yamen. The Grand Coordinator was also a Circulating Official. To solve the housing problem for officials, the rear courtyard of the yamen served as the residence of the presiding official, with the Assistant Officials generally housed on the two sides.

The people in the second courtyard had all woken up as well. Lanterns were lit everywhere. The Steward ordered anyone not involved to stay inside.

When they reached the outside of the Main Hall, they heard Fang Yizao shouting and yelling in a shrill voice. Jiang Shou still wanted to go over, but the maid pulled her back, saying, "The Old Master is confused right now; sometimes he runs into people. Madam, it is best to stay here."

Jiang Shou touched her belly, hesitated a moment, then nodded. Outside, the torches and lanterns of the Main Hall blazed brightly. After a long commotion, a group of people finally supported Fang Yizao back toward the Second Hall. The two of them quickly stepped aside.

As they passed by, Jiang Shou studied him carefully. Fang Yizao's eyes were vacant, and his mouth was still muttering words.

Fang Guangchen walked at the very rear, his expression not very good. Just as they were about to return to the Rear Office, a clerk came over from the Main Hall. He drew close to Fang Guangchen and said, "Young Master, a dispatch bulletin from Jinzhou. The relay horse traveled through the night to deliver it. I fear it must be sent at once to the Regional Inspector, the Army Supervisor, and Hong Doutang."

Fang Guangchen's expression changed slightly. If it were not exceptionally urgent, the relay horse would not have been sent through the night. It had to be that the Tartars had made another major move.

Jiang Shou saw Fang Guangchen's expression, came over to support him, and said worriedly, "Husband, what has happened in Jinzhou?"

"Three thousand Mounted Armor have reached Yi County."

Jiang Shou had been at the Grand Coordinator Yamen long enough to become familiar with the military situation in Liaodong. Everyone in the yamen, high and low, actually knew that this year the Eastern Invaders would certainly come to attack once more.

"Last time they came to Ningyuan, it was more than three thousand. What is different this time?"

"When the Tartars came to Ningyuan, they had no supply route to use, so they only had the ability to raid and harass, no staying power. This time is different. They have brought Bondservants to build houses and farm military land — they mean to stockpile grain and stay for the long term, preparing to besiege Jinzhou." Fang Guangchen looked down at the dispatch bulletin, his expression grave. "This year, I fear it will be another great battle. The Tartars are coming."

……

Note 1: According to records, Fang Yizao exhibited abnormal mental states around the time of his dismissal, including holding court sessions in the middle of the night, kneeling and bowing to trees, shouting and yelling, and striking people at random. The court urgently dispatched Qiu Minyang to replace him. Fang Yizao passed away in the eleventh month of that year. Judging from this, the likelihood of feigned madness is small; it was perhaps indeed caused by prolonged stress.