Chapter 215: Capture

On the northern side of Shenmi Island, aboard a Fujian junk of the Dengzhou naval camp, Lu Zhi kept raising his spyglass to his eye, anxiously watching the island. At first they saw wave after wave of Later Jin soldiers hurrying westward; after forming ranks on a hilltop, they vanished beyond the ridge line. Then cannon fire rumbled without pause, and thin gunsmoke rose from the far side of the hill. After another stretch of time, the cannon fire ceased. He knew the artillery had to be from Wendeng Camp, but the silence of the guns told him nothing — whether they had won or lost, the firing would stop all the same.

Although Lu Zhi had read military treatises and once commanded the Nine Gates, this was his first real battle, and since his own military merit hung on it, he was naturally extremely tense. Zhang Dao beside him was little different, but his feelings were more complicated: he both feared the Later Jin troops would win and dreaded that Wendeng Camp would shine too brightly and steal his thunder.

"Closer! Have the boats move closer!" Lu Zhi turned his head and loudly urged the naval camp's Squad Commander. Zhang Dao opened his mouth to remonstrate: "My lord, your person is worth ten thousand in gold; you must not lightly venture into danger…"

Lu Zhi, who just moments ago had been lavishing praise on Zhang Dao, cut him off with an impatient wave of his hand. His eye stayed glued to the spyglass, watching intently. A buzzing murmur rose among the sailors around them as they pointed toward the south. Zhang Dao hastily turned to look ashore. On a distant ridge, a few tiny figures appeared, then more and more. They carried no banners, and even with his spyglass Lu Zhi could not make them out clearly for the moment. He simply kept urging the naval Squad Commander to close in on the shore.

"Ha ha ha!" Lu Zhi suddenly burst out laughing. In his spyglass a solid-red banner had appeared. The man holding it was fleeing together with those in front. A mass of red-clad figures emerged on the hilltop and fired a volley of musketry from the crest. "That flag is the Plain Red Banner's! The Jianzhou bandits are routed! Routed! Wendeng Camp lives up to its fame — truly the strongest army of our Great Ming!"

Lu Zhi waved his spyglass in excitement, pacing rapidly back and forth at the bow. Of course, he still did not dare go ashore just yet. Zhang Dao's eyes shifted. He bowed to Lu Zhi and said, "My lord Army Supervisor, your subordinate is willing to lead a picked force of Dongjiang's elite troops ashore and coordinate with Lord Chen to strike the Jianzhou bandits in a pincer. We shall make those Jianzhou bandits…"

"Mobile Corps Commander Zhang, you must not do that. Dongjiang is skilled in naval warfare; putting ashore now would be unwise. Should the Jianzhou bandits, like cornered rats biting the cat, inflict heavy casualties on our troops, it would be counterproductive. Better to wait until Assistant Regional Commander Chen has swept the field before going ashore." Lu Zhi's expression did not flicker. Zhang Dao was plainly Sun Yuanhua's man. Lu Zhi was well-informed and knew Sun Yuanhua's current predicament inside out. He had a few calculations of his own brewing and hoped to build his own influence in Deng-Lai and Dongjiang. Chen Xin was currently leaning toward him; Wendeng Camp's fighting strength was formidable, and its commander was sensible — naturally the best force to have.

If Zhang Dao went ashore now to collect heads and loot equipment, Chen Xin would certainly be displeased. Last year, when they attacked Luanzhou, Wendeng Camp had led the main assault. The fighting was fierce, and they had only had time to take heads; much of the armor and such was later snatched up by the relief troops entering the city behind them. Chen Xin had even gone to Liang Tingdong to lodge a complaint. In the end, Ma Shilong stepped in with kind words of persuasion, and only then did Chen Xin let the matter drop — declaring that he was doing so for Ma Shilong's sake and that Ma Shilong now owed him a favor.

Until Zhang Dao formally pledged allegiance, Lu Zhi was not about to casually hand him an opportunity to pick up cheap gains. Victory in this battle on Shenmi Island was now certain. Lu Zhi began to consider how to draft the victory report to the Emperor.

Just then, the soldier in the lookout crow's nest loudly reported that several boats from Wendeng Camp were approaching. Lu Zhi walked to the ship's rail and saw Chen Xin standing at the bow of the boat opposite. He promptly ordered his men to bring Chen Xin aboard.

Under Zhang Dao's gaze, filled with both envy and jealousy, Chen Xin came aboard and dropped to his knees with a thud. He loudly addressed Lu Zhi: "Reporting to the Army Supervisor: thanks to His Majesty's vast good fortune and protection, and to your lordship's masterful strategy, Wendeng Camp has routed the Jianzhou bandits on the island in a single battle, taking several hundred heads. Pursuit is now underway. Once the troops have cleared the northern shore, your subordinate humbly requests that your lordship come ashore to direct the pursuit and annihilation of the remaining enemy."

"Good! Good!" Lu Zhi smiled so broadly his eyes narrowed. He took Chen Xin's arms with both hands and raised him to his feet, looking him up and down. He noticed that Chen Xin's body was covered in bloodstains and his mail armor was torn in two places. Worried, he asked, "Is Assistant Regional Commander Chen wounded again?"

Chen Xin's face darkened. He replied in a low voice, "My lord, the Jianzhou bandits fought like cornered rats biting the cat. Our main formation was broken through at one point. Your subordinate had to personally enter the fray and repulse the White Armor Soldiers led by the Plain White Banner's Gushan Ejen himself. I was cut in several places, but fortunately none struck a vital spot. That is why your subordinate said this victory was entirely thanks to His Majesty's and the Army Supervisor's vast good fortune and protection."

Lu Zhi accepted the flattery wholesale. He exhaled and sighed, "To charge against the enemy at their sharpest — that reveals a hero's true colors. But Assistant Regional Commander Chen is a pillar of our Emperor's realm. When you take the field in the future, you must give greater thought to your own safety. Even a Jianzhou Gushan Ejen is not worth as much as Assistant Regional Commander Chen's well-being."

"Your lordship's regard is something your humble officer will never forget. That Jianzhou Gushan Ejen escaped the battlefield; our combat troops are now in pursuit."

In truth, what Lu Zhi cared about most was that Gushan Ejen — after all, the Ming army had never before captured or killed a Later Jin general of such high rank. Hearing this, he did not press further but instead turned to ask after Wendeng Camp's condition. Chen Xin's voice was low. "The troops your humble officer led have suffered grievous losses. Casualties already number in the hundreds. The battlefield is strewn with corpses; we have not yet had time to tally them. Most of them were Wendeng military households and refugees, with elderly and children at home. Now they have died for the country on the battlefield, yet your subordinate lacks the means to ensure their families have food and clothing. In my heart… I am ashamed."

As Chen Xin spoke, his voice grew choked. He had seen so much suffering by now that forcing out tears was still not easy; with his acting skills, this was the best he could manage. With great merit in his grasp, Lu Zhi took Chen Xin's hand and declared with righteous fervor, "General Chen, set your mind at ease. Wendeng Camp is a mighty army of our Great Ming, and every man in it is a loyal and brave soldier who serves the nation with all his heart. I shall certainly report this clearly to His Majesty and will never let their families suffer want."

"On behalf of those military households, your subordinate thanks your lordship first." Chen Xin suppressed his disgust at having his hand held by a eunuch and put on an expression of profound gratitude.

"If General Chen has any other difficulties, tell me all of them at once."

"My lord, your subordinate brought limited provisions, and this battle has inflicted heavy casualties. We will need to rest and regroup on this island for some time. I must ask Dongjiang to supply some grain and fodder — or your humble officer can pay silver to purchase it. Furthermore, the troops your subordinate brought this time were the elite, handpicked from the entire camp. After this battle, their vitality is severely sapped; within this year, I fear they will be unfit for further deployment. This is not cowardice or evasion on your humble officer's part — it is truly that Qi Shaobao's troop-training method requires a long time."

Lu Zhi listened and replied dismissively, "General Chen need not worry about grain and fodder. As for deployment, I shall explain this matter to His Majesty in the victory dispatch. The Jianzhou bandits have just suffered this heavy blow; I doubt they will have the nerve to invade our Great Ming again this year."

……

A Wendeng Camp banner unit appeared on the northern shore. The Dengzhou naval force sent a few fishing boats over. Upon learning that the bulk of the routed Jianzhou bandits had been annihilated, Lu Zhi finally boarded a sampan and went ashore with Chen Xin, accompanied by several Dongjiang officers.

The moment they landed, Chen Xin summoned two nearby killer squads to guard Lu Zhi on both flanks. The party crossed the rocky shore and reached a hilltop on the northern coast.

Not far away lay a fairly large stretch of flat open ground, with the dark-green mountain range to the south. At the foot of the hills were many nearly finished boats. The open ground was scattered with Jianzhou corpses. To the northeast crouched a dense mass of captives, surrounded by Wendeng Camp soldiers in red uniforms. From a few more distant hillocks, sporadic gunshots still rang out.

Lu Zhi hurried over eagerly to inspect the captives. They had been divided into three groups. One group was Koreans — over five hundred of them had been on the island. When the Dengzhou fleet bombarded, most had scattered; now nearly three hundred had been herded here by Wendeng Camp combat troops, with more still being escorted in. The second group consisted of Later Jin bondservants; there had been fewer than a hundred of them on the island, and about thirty-odd had been captured and brought here.

The last group was the Later Jin auxiliaries and armored soldiers, guarded by several combat squads. The surviving Later Jin troops had already been utterly exhausted when they fled the battlefield. After the first stretch of desperate flight, most could not keep up the pace. The Ming musketeers in light armor had killed or wounded the greater part of them during the pursuit. Those who surrendered were all held here, roughly a hundred or so.

The Jianzhou bandits, who habitually strutted arrogantly before the Han people, now hung their heads dejectedly under the guard of the surrounding combat troops. Their gazes dull, they sat on the ground with heads bowed. Their helmets and armor had all been stripped off; the armor was piled in another spot, while their clothes had been used to bind their hands and feet, leaving their shaven pates exposed. Lu Zhi walked up, lifted one queue, and gave it a couple of shakes in his hand, finding it rather amusing. That auxiliary showed a terrified expression and did not dare move at all.

The group of Dongjiang officers who had come ashore eyed the Jianzhou heads littering the ground with great greed, but Wendeng Camp was right beside them. The combat troops, fresh from the battlefield, had not yet shed their killing aura and still bore a fierce ferocity that kept the Dongjiang men from entertaining any ideas.

Wendeng Camp's main army banner had now reached the flat ground. Liu Pojun came forward to meet them. He first handed a flag to Chen Xin, then knelt before Lu Zhi and Chen Xin and loudly declared, "Greetings to the Army Supervisor."

The moment Lu Zhi saw that flag, he shook it open in excitement. It was precisely the Gushan Ejen banner of the Plain White Banner. Lu Zhi burst into hearty laughter. The surrounding Dongjiang officers — Shang Keyi and the others — stared dumbfounded. They had never imagined Wendeng Camp could seize such a banner, something unheard of since the Jianzhou bandits first rose to power. The way they looked at Chen Xin had changed dramatically.

When his laughter subsided, Lu Zhi told Liu Pojun to rise, then asked, "Has that Gushan Ejen been captured?"

Liu Pojun replied cautiously, "Not yet. We do not know whether he has fled south. The mountains here are high and the forests dense, and it will soon be dark. For the moment, I fear he will not be easy to find…"

Hearing Liu Pojun speak only of the difficulties, Lu Zhi's face showed displeasure. Had it not been for Chen Xin's sake, he would have rebuked this junior officer. Chen Xin hastily cut Liu Pojun off and instructed him in an amiable tone, "No matter how hard, we must catch him. Tell Lu Chuanzong to continue the search. The Jianzhou bandits have lost all their baggage and provisions. We are weary, but the Jianzhou bandits are even wearier. He must be caught."

After speaking to Liu Pojun, Chen Xin turned back to Lu Zhi with an apologetic smile. "My lord Army Supervisor, those Jianzhou bandits all come from the mountain forests; they have a brute stubbornness. But without boats or food, they certainly cannot hold out. Even if capturing him quickly proves somewhat difficult, your humble officer will find every possible way. At most, in a day or two, we should be able to catch him."

Lu Zhi's expression eased somewhat. What Chen Xin said he could accept. They proceeded toward the main battlefield. Chen Xin said to Liu Pojun in a low voice, "It will be dark soon. Set up camp on this flat ground tonight. Prioritize settling the wounded, then the heads and armor. Once that's done, deploy defenses as quickly as possible." After giving these instructions, he caught up to Lu Zhi and solicitously supported Lu Zhi's arm.

Along the way, Later Jin corpses lay in an unbroken trail. Sailors were busy harvesting heads. When they climbed to the top of the gentle slope where the fierce fighting had just taken place, they could not help but stare, stunned. The long, gentle slope was covered with dense rows of headless corpses, shattered blades, and severed limbs. Many Wendeng Camp sailors moved across the battlefield, transporting batch after batch of heads and armor to the sampans at the shore. Others were carrying the wounded on stretchers.

The farther down the slope they walked, the denser the corpses became. Finally, they reached the spot where the fighting had been fiercest at the start. Bodies, weapons, and banners lay piled in layers. Arrows were planted thickly all around. The ground, having absorbed a vast quantity of blood, had turned a deep black tinged with red. The air was thick with the heavy stench of blood.

A dozen or so paces away lay row upon row of neatly arranged Ming army corpses. Behind them were over a hundred wounded of every kind. Medical corpsmen in white were bustling about. Some of the severely wounded let out agonized screams from time to time.

Lu Zhi stared at the scene before him, speechless for a long while. The Dongjiang officers sighed and exclaimed without pause. They had long fought the Jianzhou bandits, and the Dongjiang army did not lack men who dared to die, but they had never seen a battlefield so intense. By now they knew that Wendeng Camp had brought only a little over a thousand men. They simply could not imagine how both sides could have inflicted and suffered so many casualties in the melee.

After a long moment, Lu Zhi finally sighed, "The Wendeng Camp that General Chen has trained is truly the finest army under heaven."

At this moment, Chen Xin did feel a touch of genuine sorrow. Among the Ming corpses before him, he spotted one of the trackers who had been among the first to follow him — a company commander of the farmer-soldiers, a strong and honest man. When he had married at the end of last year, Chen Xin had personally gone to offer congratulations. That company commander's neck had been nearly severed by a large blade; only a small strip of skin and flesh still connected it. A pale-faced sailor was trying to straighten his head but could no longer hold back his nausea and ran off to the side to vomit.

In the distance, the sun was slowly setting. The sunlight was no longer harsh but had turned a warm, dusky yellow, gently spilling over that row of bodies. Chen Xin, somewhat distracted, replied, "It was still your lordship's masterful command. Had your lordship not devised the strategy of letting them go the better to catch them, how could we have won such a great victory?"

Lu Zhi nodded and was about to speak when a burst of cheering suddenly erupted from beyond the hill, growing louder and louder. Everyone looked at one another. A moment later, a personal guard appeared at the top of the slope. He came tumbling and scrambling down, not even bothering to salute. From far off he shouted, "Caught him! We've caught that Gushan Ejen!"

Lu Zhi could not wait. "Where? Quickly, take me to see." He strode forward to meet the man, disregarding his own status and grabbing the personal guard, practically dragging the soldier back the way he had come.

Chen Xin followed a few steps, then suddenly stopped and looked back at that row of bodies. He strode quickly to the side of that farmer-soldier company commander's corpse, crouched down, and looked at the familiar face. The expression was somewhat contorted; the skin of the face had gone slack, the eyelids half-open, revealing some of the whites of the eyes. Chen Xin gently closed the eyelids, then carefully used his hands to straighten the head. He tore off a strip from the hem of his clothing and laid it over the neck wound.

Having done this, Chen Xin stood at attention and saluted that row of bodies, then turned and strode off in large steps to catch up with Lu Zhi.