Chapter 291: Defensive System

By late March, Liaodong was lush with grass and alive with orioles. The ice had already thawed around Pi Island at the northern end, and in Jinzhou, at the southernmost tip of Liaodong, the countryside teemed with vegetation, revealing a strong sense of spring.

Chen Xin led his guard unit back from Jinzhou. This trip was not as urgent as the last, so they moved slowly, giving him a chance to observe the scenery along the way. He saw many former Liao villages, all burned down by the Jianzhou bandits in past clashes and now swallowed by wild grass. Only by looking closely could one spot some charred, blackened ruins.

Passing through Nanguan Ridge, they found over a thousand auxiliary soldiers from Lüshun already repairing the old Nanguan fort. This place was thirty-five li from Jinzhou, about ninety li from Lüshun, and five li from the sea. With hilly terrain to both east and west, Nanguan sat right in the flat open ground between them, offering an extremely broad field of vision.

This location had been a strategic Liaodong site since the Song dynasty. The Khitans of the Liao state chose Dalian Bay as their seaport, and to screen and protect it, they built the first section of the Liao Great Wall here, then called the Hasihan Pass. By this late Ming period, the original wall had vanished without a trace, and the name had changed to Nanguan. Because it was about thirty li from Jinzhou, it was also called South Thirty-Li Post.

After the fall of Liaodong, the Dongjiang army once built a fort here, but before it was finished, Manggūltai captured Lüshun. Nanguan could not be held and was also torn down by the Later Jin troops.

Now that the Wendeng Battalion intended to operate in Liaonan, this was a place they had to secure. After consolidating Jinzhou, Chen Xin immediately dispatched auxiliary soldiers to restore it. It would mainly serve as a garrison for the second-echelon cavalry. The surrounding weed-choked wilderness would provide fodder for the horses, and adding three ge of beans daily would be enough for their nutrition.

However, Chen Xin did not plan to fortify it too heavily. It only needed to prevent surprise cavalry raids and, when necessary, serve as a point to cover the withdrawal of Jinzhou's troops. After completing the Nanguan fort, the auxiliary soldiers would also build some watchtowers in the vicinity and dig long trenches in areas passable by large cavalry forces.

Lüshun was where Chen Xin needed to focus his defenses. Before the army expansion was complete, the total troop strength in Liaonan would not exceed four thousand. The Wendeng Battalion currently had seven thousand troops in total, and they had to maintain a certain garrison in Dengzhou and Wendeng to overawe the local gentry and other Ming army units.

These three-thousand-plus garrison troops included the cavalry battalion, the Second Company Headquarters, the Fourth Company Headquarters, and a temporary auxiliary battalion. Among them, the Fourth Company Headquarters would be converted into a mounted infantry company headquarters and transferred from the reserve battalion to the cavalry battalion.

Chen Xin camped at Nanguan for a day. Liu Pojun, traveling with him, did the work of an ordinary staff officer, leading a few new staff officers from the literacy class to map the area around Nanguan. The tools they used were similar to the artillery's, capable of roughly measuring mountain heights and ridge lengths. They rendered these on the map with contour lines, then marked rivers and roads, achieving a precision far exceeding previous Ming army maps.

Chen Xin led Zhu Guobin to survey the area near the Nanguan River. This small stream did not have much flow, but supplying one company headquarters was no problem. Moreover, the river flowed east into the Liao Sea, creating a natural barrier on Nanguan's eastern side. Even if cavalry could cross smoothly, their logistics carts could not.

Chen Xin pointed to the open eastern side. "Build three watchtowers along the river here. If a small group of Jianzhou bandit cavalry tries to sneak across, the cavalry inside Nanguan will hit them in the flank."

Zhu Guobin agreed. "Nanguan is excellent. Any movement in all directions can be seen at a glance. I plan to build a simple dock on the eastern coast. Supplies can be shipped directly from Dengzhou to the dock, then loaded onto small boats and towed here, which is very convenient. South of this pass lies over ten li of fertile wilderness. Once our main army is trained, we can expand Jinzhou or Nanguan. We can also open military farms here and establish an invincible position."

Chen Xin nodded. Dalinghe had already surrendered. Huang Taiji, with unwavering resolve, had endured the winter. After destroying the Liaozhen main force, some Later Jin troops had already withdrawn to Liaodong. Zu Dashou, as in history, had killed He Kegang and, exploiting Huang Taiji's greed to take Jinzhou easily, offered him a plan to break into Jinzhou himself and act as an inside agent.

Zu Dashou was indeed very good at reading Huang Taiji's thoughts. This plan was one Huang Taiji could not refuse. Losing Zu Dashou meant only losing one general, but if he could take Jinzhou easily, the gains would be immense.

Huang Taiji quickly agreed, but detained Zu Dashou's eldest son, nephew, and a host of subordinate officers with kinship ties to use as hostages to coerce him. He had thought it was a sure thing, but as soon as Junior Guardian Zu reached Jinzhou, he surrendered and then rebelled again, abandoning his sons, nephews, and subordinate officers to return to the Great Ming.

Huang Taiji waited at Dalinghe for a few days and realized Zu Dashou had most likely fled, and that he had been tricked again. However, just as with the Liu Xingzuo incident back then, he did not completely close off the retreat path, keeping Zu Dashou's group of relatives... wheat cultivation. But based on Chen Xin's own judgment, the Later Jin troops were exhausted and their horses weary. Once they demobilized, it would be very difficult for them to organize a large-scale offensive this year. As long as the Later Jin army did not come in full force, he could rely on strongpoints between Jinzhou and Lüshun for an active defense, and dealing with a few thousand Later Jin soldiers should be feasible.

"Guobin, you must train the new cavalry quickly. I will transfer half the men from the central army's scout cavalry to the cavalry battalion. With that mounted infantry unit, your cavalry battalion will have a complete establishment. Once training is done, you can swiftly raid Fuzhou, harass their military farms and supply lines, force the Jianzhou bandits to increase their investment, and drag down their mobilization capacity."

Zhu Guobin replied, "Understood. But the scout cavalry lost several dozen men this time, and they won't be easy to train quickly. There are still some among Kong Youde's captured troops in Dengzhou. I wonder if they could be transferred as replacements."

Chen Xin did not respond immediately. He slowly took the lead and walked ahead. Zhu Guobin, familiar with his habits, knew he was thinking and followed obediently behind. The two strolled up a hill. Chen Xin looked up and gazed south. The Hengshan mountain range stretched across, a swath of emerald green in the distance.

Only then did he say, "Those soldiers looted all the way and tasted plenty of spoils following Kong Youde. Now Kong Youde is in Gaizhou. If they escape and join him, they'll expose our deployments. These men have the skills to be outriders, but using them now brings no benefit. Keep them in Wendeng, organize them to clear wasteland, and grind down their violent temper first. As for the scout cavalry, once the trade route through the Nine Border Garrisons opens, we'll recruit some locally. For now, we still have to train our own."

Chen Xin finished and turned to look at Zhu Guobin. This old comrade he had known since the sea ship days had a composed expression, his ramrod-straight posture radiating the bearing of a professional soldier in every way.

"Guobin, do you remember in Tianjin, when you wanted to join the Guanning Army? I promised you then that I would take you to fight the Tatars, and you followed me to Weihai. Thinking back now, it feels like yesterday."

Zhu Guobin also smiled. "At that time, I just felt you, my lord, had ability. Maybe with more ships, we could sneak ashore and kill a few. I never imagined returning to Liaodong at the head of an army of thousands. If I had gone to the Guanning Army, who knows where I'd be buried by now."

Chen Xin smiled and shook his head. Without the flutter of his butterfly wings, Zhu Guobin might have been just a common soldier, dying in some battle, perhaps using his fine martial skills to kill a few Later Jin soldiers. But now, Zhu Guobin could command over a thousand cavalry, could read and understand maps, and could analyze the enemy's and his own situation, tactical strengths and weaknesses. Independently responsible for military command in the Liaonan region, under the Wendeng Battalion's advanced military system, his capabilities would only improve further.

"Jinzhou is not close to Dengzhou; travel takes considerable time. Guobin, in Jinzhou you are in sole command of a front. All infantry, cavalry, artillery, and special operations units are under your command. When a battle opportunity arises or an emergency occurs, you need not wait for my orders; you may make the decision. Report to me afterward. But also follow the new regulations: first discuss with the staff and the chief officers of each unit. In peacetime, conduct more simulations with the staff, think about how the Jianzhou bandits might attack. Prepare contingency plans for emergencies, so you won't be caught off guard when they happen."

Zhu Guobin was only escorting Chen Xin as far as Nanguan; early the next morning, he would return to Jinzhou. So Chen Xin felt rather fussy, like a superior assigning tasks, yet also like a friend giving parting advice. In truth, all these matters had already been discussed in detail at the last military conference in Jinzhou.

Zhu Guobin, somewhat moved, said, "Understood."

"And the special operations unit. I plan to expand them to three hundred men. Liaonan is the best training ground for them. In this area of Liaonan, our weakest point is intelligence. The Intelligence Bureau is good at operating in cities, but the Southern Four Garrisons are a desolate wasteland, perfect for the special operations unit. The land between Fuzhou and Jinzhou is all mountains. Kill those Jianzhou bandits who dare come to scout, and let the Jianzhou Chieftain also taste the feeling of groping blindly in the dark."

"That is also what I think," Zhu Guobin replied. "Once we establish a foothold in Jinzhou, the Jianzhou bandits will certainly open military farms between Fuzhou and Gaizhou to strengthen the defense of the Southern Four Garrisons. After I finish training the troops, my first step will be to push back the Jianzhou reconnaissance line, making the area east of Fuzhou a zone where our forces can move freely. Then, I will use small groups to constantly raid and harass the farms and supply lines at Fuzhou, keeping the enemy constantly on the run and forcing them to disperse their forces to maintain communications. Then I will mass the cavalry to suddenly strike one of their units. If the Jianzhou Chieftain cannot bear it and sends a large army to attack, I will lead the troops to quickly withdraw to Lüshun, lengthening their grain transport distance. Huang Taiji cannot take Lüshun by storm, nor can he besiege it to death. The longer the Jianzhou bandits besiege, the more Later Jin supplies are consumed. With Dengzhou and Laizhou as our rear, sea transport as our route, we can still ship the special operations unit by sea to the area between Jinzhou and Fuzhou to raid their baggage and provisions. And with over a thousand cavalry in hand, when he wants to withdraw again, it won't be so easy."

Chen Xin clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Exactly. Apart from the western coast, Liaonan is all mountains. Besides the special operations unit, I will establish a mountain infantry battalion in Dengzhou. This expansion of our Wendeng Battalion is a major reorganization, not limited to the original company headquarters. We will reassign them based on their characteristics. But for now, recruiting refugees still takes time, and expanding to twenty thousand cannot be done overnight. However, after each unit finishes its training, I will rotate them to Liaonan for combat. Liaonan will be our training ground. The one at Fuzhou is the Plain White Banner. I've heard people praise that Mergen Daiqing to the skies. You must beat him back to his true form."...

Chen Xin rested and reorganized at Nanguan for the night. The next day, he inspected the Nanguan fort construction site, warmly met with the auxiliary soldiers fighting on the front line of construction, personally inquired about their work and living conditions, and urged them to work hard while also paying attention to protecting their health and arranging work and rest reasonably.

The auxiliary soldier comrades expressed one after another that life was better now, without the oppression of the former officers, with food and clothing every day. They asked the leaders and people of the Wendeng Battalion to rest assured; they had the confidence, under the leadership of Lord Chen and Lord Zhu, to create a construction miracle.

Chen Xin concluded his inspection amid the enthusiastic cheers of the auxiliary soldiers. He reckoned that all the auxiliary soldiers had seen him and that the sense of authority had been established. He then bid farewell to Zhu Guobin and led his guard unit on to Lüshun.

He had confidence in Zhu Guobin's ability, and he never believed those Later Jin chieftains were so-called peerless talents. As long as an army fought every year, countless experienced officers would always emerge, provided that most people survived.

But the Ming army was annihilated every time, so Later Jin grew stronger with each battle. In the later period, the Ming army would collapse at the first encounter, and the Later Jin soldiers could defeat them on reputation alone. Any random Gushan Ejen who appeared was touted as world-renowned, but in reality, that was all there was to it. Since so many "world-renowned" "famous generals" could emerge from among tens of thousands of barbarians, Chen Xin believed the Wendeng Battalion's system could certainly produce more and stronger famous generals.

They did not reach Lüshun until nearly dark. This place had also become a large construction site, with thousands of civilian laborers working feverishly. The construction included the expansion of the southern city, the fort at the Tiger Tail sea entrance, and the dock fort.

The stone from the demolished northern city was still on site and was all being used for these new fortifications. Dong Yu, who had remained in Lüshun, led Chen Xin on an inspection of the positions, which were basically consistent with Chen Xin's plan.

A new outer wall had been built south of the southern city, extending to near the dock. The original wall had a new bastion added every thirty paces to reduce dead zones below the wall and increase firepower density on the ramparts.

An outer wall was also built at the dock, separated from the southern city wall by only fifty paces, much like the water city at Dengzhou. These fifty paces were completely within the attack range of both sides. The defending side could assemble troops there for sorties and also cover their withdrawal. Earth was being excavated inside the outer wall to build an inner harbor as well.

The Tiger Tail sea entrance fort was a large watchtower built at the point where the channel entered the sea. Controlling this point made the entire western side of the Tiger Tail channel safe.

Chen Xin's next step was to build defensive positions on Mount Huangjin and Mount Xiguan, combining watchtowers and earthen walls with trenches, setting up defenses step by step along the mountain slopes to create layered depth. When the time came, they would temporarily deploy caltrops, spikes, and thunderclap bombs. Lüshun's defensive system would then be very complete. As long as they learned in advance that the Jianzhou bandits were launching a major offensive, he could urgently ship troops from Dengzhou directly into these defensive positions. The Jianzhou bandits could not fill them even with ten thousand lives, and Huang Taiji would absolutely not be willing to pay that price.

The immediate priority was expanding the southern city, so for now, only a small watchtower had been built atop Mount Huangjin to serve as a beacon tower. This warning system was copied entirely from the Ming army and was also the most effective rapid communication method of this era.

After the inspection, Chen Xin returned to the Vice Regional Commander's residence in Lüshun's southern city. Wang Tingshi and Lü Zhi had both already returned to Dengzhou. Although each had gathered some trusted followers, almost all their able-bodied men had been recruited away by Chen Xin, leaving only a small number of retainers. These men knew Chen Xin was not to be trifled with and did not compete with him, focusing solely on smuggling.

Chen Xin had just returned to the residence when Song Wenxian came looking for him. As soon as he saw Chen Xin, he said, "My lord, your foresight is divine. Mao Chenglu indeed could not hold his nerve and sent someone to Lüshun, saying he wishes to pledge allegiance to you." (To be continued.)

PS: Seeking monthly tickets, seeking recommendations.