Chapter 280: Light Cavalry Skirmish

On the early morning of the twenty-fifth day of the second month, the Wendeng Battalion set out from Lüshun and began the operation to attack Jinzhou.

Zhong Lao Si was mixed into the ranks of the reserve battalion's Fourth Company, marching out of Renhe Gate with the unit. Ahead of them was the cavalry battalion; behind them were several hundred auxiliary soldiers in tattered clothes, some pushing a batch of wheelbarrows, others carrying back-baskets; further behind was the Second Combat Company bringing up the rear.

Before leaving the city, Zhong Lao Si strutted back to his company, drawing waves of cheers from the soldiers of the Third Company. But Nie Hong came over right after and announced that Zhong Lao Si's confinement was still not over, merely temporarily suspended due to the urgency of battle, to be continued after Jinzhou was taken. Though the soldiers were still somewhat dissatisfied, they were elated at Zhong Lao Si's return.

Zhong Lao Si also apologized face-to-face to the company's military judge and indoctrination officer. His attitude was not very sincere, but Nie Hong and Huang Side said nothing more, and the procedure was more or less completed.

Zheng Sanhu came over and gave Zhong Lao Si a briefing. "Jinzhou has about three to four hundred Jianzhou bandits, roughly two hundred fish-skin Tatars, four to five hundred Mongols, at most two hundred able-bodied men, and probably several hundred bondservants. If Fuzhou sends reinforcements, the real Jurchen could reach around seven hundred. We are deploying the Second and Fourth Companies, the cavalry battalion, the central army light cavalry, eight hundred auxiliaries to transport armor and provisions, plus a naval unit to ship a batch of provisions to the coast west of Jinzhou."

Zhong Lao Si asked, "What are we doing?"

"Today we march eighty li and set camp forty li from Jinzhou, trying to draw the Jianzhou bandits out of the city to attack. If we encounter them on the way, we form ranks and engage. For storming the city, we'll arrange that once we reach the walls."

After saying this, he hurried back. Zhong Lao Si swaggered over beside Guan Dadi and said loudly, "Guan the Fool, I got your battle merit for you. You're the first man to get the First-Class White Blade Assault Medal. When we're back in Wendeng, you're buying me a drink."

Guan Dadi grinned foolishly, not knowing what to say. At that moment, the company commander's flag behind them dipped toward Zhong Lao Si's position. Zhong Lao Si waved at the standard-bearer. After the standard-bearer acknowledged the signal with each platoon, the drummer beat a marching cadence, and the whole company stepped off to the drumbeat, the main road filled with the booming sound of synchronized footsteps.

Zhong Lao Si rode his mixed-breed horse, studying the issued map as he moved to the monotonous drumbeat. The map was extremely sketchy. Their line of march ran roughly along the western coast of the Jinzhou isthmus, where the terrain was relatively flat, formed by alluvial deposits from the Hengshan and Chengshan mountain systems. Beyond Hengshan, the route was all hilly terrain, and they would need to cross four rivers in total along the way.

Zhong Lao Si looked up at the ridge-covering cavalry on the surrounding mountain ridges. These were each company's own scout riders. The men of the central army scout cavalry had all been dispersed to the north. The Jianzhou bandits were few in number, so Zhong Lao Si was not too worried. This time the Wendeng Battalion had mobilized nearly over two thousand seven hundred men. The auxiliaries were all former Dongjiang soldiers organized temporarily at Lüshun; these men could be of some use.

The indoctrination officer shouted up ahead, "Yellow sands stretch boundless, no man in sight, yet the sound of battle is heard. Prepare to sing..."

The soldiers sang the Wendeng Battalion's enlistment song in unison. Zhong Lao Si curled his lip. "This damn song again."...

On the eastern side of Sipingshan on the Jinzhou isthmus, over ten riders wearing tattered Ming army uniforms halted on the southern slope of a hill. The leader jumped off his horse, kept a low profile as he reached the hilltop, and lay down in the knee-high wild grass.

Li Tao wiped his neck, caught a louse, and casually tossed it into his mouth. After a crisp pop, the louse's soul returned to paradise. He cursed inwardly. The central army staff required them to accompany the central army scouts on reconnaissance to the north and forbade them from wearing Wendeng Battalion uniforms. They had stripped old clothes off a few Dongjiang soldiers, and the clothes were swarming with lice.

He twisted his neck and raised his telescope to look north. The north was dense with hills; some hilltops looked desolate. Near the base of the hills, grass and trees grew thick, and the plains that had once been farmland were overgrown with wild grass, the official road nearly submerged.

Seven or eight crude Mongol tents were pitched in a valley several li away. A small river cut through the valley, and around a hundred head of cattle and sheep grazed nearby. On a few hilltops, there were mounted figures.

"Northern barbarians." Li Tao muttered dismissively to himself.

These Mongols mostly came from northern tribes like the Khalkha and Chahar. After the Chahar moved west, some minor tribes from Kharqin, Tumed, and other areas also submitted to the Later Jin. Their organization generally fell under the Manchu Eight Banners. After Huang Taiji took power, he separately organized the Mongol Left and Right Wings. In peacetime, they were under the jurisdiction of the Eight Banners; on campaign, they were commanded by two Mongol Gushan Ezhen. Under the Later Jin tribal system, each banner treated its population as its own capital, and the Eight Banner divisions still concealed some portion of their able-bodied men. These men here were probably Plain Blue Banner Mongols. Around the eighth year of Tiancong, they had been resettled near Fuzhou and Jinzhou. The Han people who originally lived here had either been slaughtered nearly to extinction by the old chieftain or relocated north of Haizhou.

Ming policy toward the Mongols was very pragmatic. The Mongols of this era had no real national consciousness or the like; they served whoever gave them benefits. Since the time of Emperor Chengzu, large numbers of Tatar officers had been recruited, with no real difference in promotion or treatment, and quite a few served in the Ming army.

Since the Later Jin occupied Liaodong, the Mongol tribes bordering them had many conflicts with them, some harboring deep enmity. The Guanning Army had no fewer than a thousand Mongols, including Regional Commanders like Man Gui. After the Jisi Incident, the Later Jin's prestige soared, and more Mongols came to join them. These men generally held higher status than Han bondservants and could be given priority for banner promotion when they had battle merit. Their fighting ability was not equal to real Jurchen, but their ferocity was no less. Every situation analysis meeting in the Wendeng Battalion emphasized treating all Jianzhou bandits the same regardless of origin — whether Jurchen, Mongol, Ujen Cooha, or bondservant — all were to be struck without distinction when encountered on the battlefield.

Li Tao saw that the Mongols were very careless and guessed they had not done any serious scouting at Jinzhou, merely going through the motions at Beishan.

He quietly withdrew from the hilltop, rode to the bottom of the slope, where over ten central army scouts were waiting. These men were mostly former Night Scouts, originally under the cavalry battalion's jurisdiction. After the Jisi Incident, the cavalry battalion's role was redefined as formation shock combat, and the scout riders were all reassigned to the central army scouts, currently numbering over ninety in total.

In addition, each company also had twenty cavalrymen, primarily to assist the infantry in combat, undertaking scouting, dispatch reporting, ridge-covering, and other tasks.

Li Tao called over several squad leaders and said in a low voice, "There are Mongols. Let's hit them once, let some escape, and draw the main Jianzhou force out of the city."

The several scout squad leaders nodded simultaneously. Li Tao used stones to lay out the shape of the northern hills. They discussed for a moment, each chose a route, and led their men, under the cover of the trees, to lead their horses and stealthily move north.

Half a quarter-hour later, a bugle sounded. The special duty company and the central army light cavalry burst over the ridge from three directions simultaneously. Over twenty cavalrymen fanned out and charged toward the Mongol tent area.

The Mongols on the hilltops spotted them first. They shouted loudly and leaped onto their horses, intending to ride south and meet the attack. Some got halfway and realized there were many enemies, hastily turning to flee for their lives. In the tent area, there were also Mongol children and women. Alarmed, they shouted and screamed, still wanting to gather the cattle and sheep, but the Wendeng scouts came on extremely fast. These people finally gave up, jumped onto their horses, and fled. Their riding skill was superb; some horses did not even have saddles on, yet they still galloped as if flying.

Li Tao charged down from the eastern slope, secretly admiring them. These men were truly born cavalrymen; even the Later Jin soldiers' riding skill could not compare. Ahead were seven or eight Mongols. They wore leather caps, had not even cotton armor on their bodies, and carried riding bows. Controlling their horses with their legs alone, they spurred toward Li Tao's group.

The ten special duty troopers held the reins with one hand and drew their short guns with the other, preparing to attack once they closed in. Just as they were still several dozen paces away, the Mongols opposite suddenly swerved sideways. Their riding bows twanged repeatedly, and light arrows came head-on, borrowing the horses' speed. One special duty trooper's horse was hit by two arrows, its front hoof buckled, and it tumbled to the ground, throwing the rider several paces away.

Those several Mongols passed by from the front flank, their riding bows firing in rapid succession. Li Tao cursed inwardly. At this distance, short guns had no accuracy to speak of. He could only spur his horse in close pursuit. The Mongols' riding skill was superb; after slanting past, they turned back toward their original path. They even stood on their stirrups, turning their backs to shoot at Li Tao and the others behind them.

The warhorses of Li Tao's group were also fine mounts captured during the Jisi Incident, but their load was heavier than the Mongols opposite, and their riding skill far inferior. For a moment, they simply could not catch up. Li Tao had to put away his short gun, draw his riding bow from the bow case on the horse's side, and return fire. His accuracy on horseback was no match for the Mongols; he shot three arrows and hit nothing, while yet another trooper was shot down.

"Stop chasing!" Li Tao shouted. The special duty company's training focus was sabotage and behind-enemy-lines reconnaissance; they were not highly proficient riders. He could not tolerate his carefully trained special duty company suffering such attrition. These Mongols were excellent at both riding and shooting; in skirmishing, he was no match for them.

The several Mongols, seeing the pursuers stop, also slowed down. If these men left, they intended to turn and pursue, continuing to attack with their bows.

"Second Squad, dismount, use foot bows." Li Tao pointed at the cattle and sheep near the tents. "We're going there."

Several special duty soldiers dismounted and took out their foot bows, each donning their own antler thumb rings. The Mongol riding bows had mediocre draw strength, with an effective range of barely twenty paces, and armor penetration was out of the question — far inferior to the fifty-pace effective range of foot bows.

But they had come with such aggressive momentum, only to be reduced to the defensive in the blink of an eye, and against men who looked like mere herders at that. It was impossible for these elite soldiers not to feel furious inside.

Li Tao waited for the two troopers who had been thrown from their horses to catch up. Seeing the two men covered in dust and dirt made him even angrier. He turned to look the other way. The central army light cavalry was nowhere to be seen; they seemed to have already gone off chasing those who fled. He cursed that group of light cavalry inwardly and led his men straight to the tent area. Five dismounted troopers provided cover from the rear with their bows. The several Mongols behind seemed unwilling to give up and followed at a distance; they also knew they could not outfight foot bows.

Li Tao looked at the cattle and sheep, his eyes shifting. He was from Liaodong and had some understanding of Mongols. These cattle and sheep that had survived the winter were their hope for the year. Moreover, the Later Jin's taxes were extremely heavy; without the cattle and sheep, they would have no means of survival.

"Hold here. Don't let them sneak off with the sheep."

Li Tao also took out his foot bow. Time was on his side now. As soon as the central army light cavalry returned, these Mongols would have no choice but to flee.

The several Mongols hesitated, then began talking loudly, as if arguing. Li Tao watched the excitement with calm composure. After waiting half a quarter-hour, the Mongols still had not made a decision, but the sound of hoofbeats came from the north.

Several gleaming helmets appeared over the slope top. Li Tao swung onto his horse and shouted, "The light cavalry is back! Surround these Mongols!"

The other troopers mounted up one after another. The Mongols also spotted the Ming troops turning back and, without a moment's hesitation, scattered in a rout — some east, some west — intending to split the Ming pursuers.

Li Tao spurred his horse in close pursuit, locking firmly onto the one who had shot the most gleefully earlier. Two light cavalrymen from the north closed in to encircle; they also raised their riding bows, ready to attack. The Mongol swerved left and right, constantly changing direction. Li Tao controlled his horse's speed with full concentration, determined to reclaim his honor.

The two scouts from the north were both former Night Scouts from the Shanxi Garrison, very experienced. They knew the Mongol would inevitably try to flee north and firmly held the route north. Pressured by them, the Mongol kept adjusting his course, unable to build up speed. Seeing he could not escape that way, he actually wheeled his horse around and came straight south toward Li Tao, casually shooting an arrow at him.

This man was like a slippery loach that could not be held. Li Tao's anger flared. Seeing the Mongol raise his bow, he shielded his face with his left iron armguard and drew his short gun with his right hand. The incoming light arrow clanged against his breastplate. Li Tao's upper body swayed slightly, then steadied. The Mongol was taking the chance to slip past a few paces away, intending to flee southeast toward Chengshan. Though returning to Jinzhou would be difficult, it was better than having his head cut off.

The Mongol saw that Li Tao was not holding a bow and was inwardly rejoicing at his temporary escape when he heard a thunderous "Bang!" A puff of white smoke erupted from the Ming soldier's right hand. The mount beneath him collapsed and crashed to the ground with a boom, throwing him head over heels and leaving him dizzy.

Li Tao spurred his horse in a small circle and roared at the two central army scouts, "Do me a favor — leave this one for me."

The two scouts reined in slightly and dispersed to either side. Li Tao completed his circle, turning his direction south. The Mongol was staggering unsteadily to his feet. Li Tao clamped his legs hard against his horse's belly; the mount immediately accelerated and charged straight at the Mongol.

Li Tao drew his thick-backed saber and slapped the horse's rump again with the flat of the blade. The mount surged forward on all four hooves at a gallop. The Mongol had just turned around; when he looked up and saw Li Tao, his expression changed drastically.

Before he could draw his curved blade, the horse swept past him with a whoosh. Li Tao leaned down, gripping the saber hilt tightly, and flicked his right hand lightly. The thick-backed saber, borrowing the horse's speed, instantly severed the Mongol's neck. The head and leather cap were carried high into the air together; the remaining corpse sprayed red blood as it crashed to the ground.

A thrill of slaughter surged through Li Tao's heart. He rode slowly for a stretch before stopping and examined the saber blade. A small notch had chipped open on it. This kind of saber made from Fujian iron cost over eight taels, far more expensive than an ordinary arquebus. But in a proper battle, it would be about due for replacement after a single engagement.

"Your mother, still barely usable." Li Tao cursed, sheathed the blade, and looked up at the other areas. He saw the other Mongols fleeing northeast. Remembering his mission, he quickly drew his bugle and blew it. The light cavalry and special duty company withdrew one after another.

Li Tao watched the backs of the several fleeing Mongols, a trace of worry rising in his heart. He had one trooper wounded and lost two warhorses, and just a few Jianzhou cavalry had been this much trouble. This time it was an offensive operation, with no city walls to rely on. If large numbers of cavalry from Jinzhou and Fuzhou came here, it would be a large-scale field battle. He wondered whether the cavalry battalion could handle it.