Chapter 379: Friendly Forces

Bang! A firelock report rang out. The bandit cavalry outside shuddered, then fled northward shouting and yelling.

The combat soldiers on alert behind the earthen wall turned their heads in unison. They saw a woman soldier standing high on the wall, gun smoke drifting before her. She was straining to pull back the hammer, then seemed to have forgotten what to do next and was asking the team members behind her, who were urging her to get down from the wall.

The army provost officer of the Guard Battalion finally lost patience with this propaganda team. He ran over and gave their captain a furious scolding, ordering the group to leave the camp wall. He would rather have fewer men than let these people make a mess of things.

The propaganda team retreated in disorder, still bickering and blaming one another. Even the arts captain's repeated rebukes had no effect. Song Wenxian watched and shook his head — he still felt calling these people soldiers was far too frivolous.

Lü Zhi, Song Wenxian, and the others watched with bated breath as quite a few cavalrymen straggled past outside. At first they thought these were the bandits' forward scout riders, but after watching for a long while they did not seem so. The moment they spotted the army camp, without even scouting carefully, they bolted off in other directions — mostly south, a few toward Linxian.

Lü Zhi was utterly baffled. By all reason they should have circled the camp to gauge the ditch depth, wall height, and perimeter. After a while the squad commander who had stayed behind came over and said, "My lord, we should capture a few bandits and question them about the situation. It looks like they are fleeing. I suspect perhaps Lord Chen and the others have already routed the bandits."

"Ah, then go quickly," Lü Zhi said at once.

"My lord, all our battalion's cavalry have gone out. The only cavalry in camp are the retainers you have taken in."

Lü Zhi clapped his hands and summoned the retainer squad commander. Twenty-some retainers soon charged out the camp gate, chasing down the isolated bandit cavalrymen. The cavalrymen had ridden nearly a hundred li and could not outrun these men. At last one was caught. The retainers tied him onto a horse and hauled him back.

As soon as they entered the camp gate, Lü Zhi hurried over to the cavalryman and demanded of the bandit, "Which bandit band are you from, and why have you come here?"

The bandit wailed, "Spare me, officer! This lowly one was coerced by Gao Yingxiang. We were scattered last night, and I fled here in confusion…"

Song Wenxian quickly cut him off. "How were you scattered?"

"This lowly one does not know. Everything was chaos everywhere. I snatched a horse and fled, following a group of cavalry. As we ran we scattered. I heard some went to Linxian, so I came this way."

Song Wenxian pressed, "When did the chaos start?"

"Near daybreak. They said a government army had come. Every band was fleeing for their lives."

Lü Zhi suddenly burst out laughing. "A hundred-li raid, one battle to shatter a hundred thousand bandits. General Chen truly deserves his name as the Great Ming's foremost warrior."

The bandit said blankly, "Where would a hundred thousand come from…"

The retainer leader kicked him and cursed, "If Lord Lü says a hundred thousand, then it's a hundred thousand."

Lü Zhi had no mind to bother with the bandit. He said to Song Wenxian and the Guard Battalion squad commander, "We march out at once. We go to Xiuwu to support General Chen."

"Lord Lü, this humble one believes holding the camp firmly is better." Song Wenxian leaned close to Lü Zhi's ear. "The bandits have always been cunning. This may be a ruse — sending men to lure our main force out of camp, then surrounding and attacking us on the march."

Lü Zhi shuddered. "Right, right. Mr. Song speaks truly." He shouted at the retainer leader, "Drag this bandit inside and interrogate him thoroughly. Find out exactly how many ambush troops they have along the way. You must get it out of him."

"Ambush troops?" The bandit's eyes widened. "My lord, there are no ambush troops. This lowly one is just fleeing for his life…"

The retainer leader, without further ado, called over a few men. They grabbed the cavalryman and dragged him into a tent, from which agonized screams soon rang out.

Song Wenxian breathed a sigh of relief. In his heart he actually believed the cavalryman. Chen Xin must have already smashed the bandits. If nothing unexpected happened, he was now tallying the captured silver and supplies. If Lü Zhi went too early, it would be quite inconvenient. The Dengzhou garrison had taken such a great risk this time — they would not casually yield these benefits to others.

Having reached this conclusion, Song Wenxian set aside his worries and began to consider the maneuvering after the great victory…

All that day, the various Ming armies in Weihui were plagued by suspicion. Each unit's retainers sallied out to seize prisoners, but the reports they got were a jumbled mess — some said the bandits had internal strife, some said they were attacked, others said it was a camp panic. Every commander feared it was a bandit ruse, so each held their camp. Although Deng Qi had received Chen Xin's report, he too did not move, instead sending word to inform Xuan Mo while continuously scouting toward Xiuwu.

That same day Lü Zhi received Chen Xin's victory dispatch. The main camp erupted in cheers. In this battle over fifteen thousand bandit heads had been taken. The Purple-Gold Beam, Wang Ziyong, and Mountain-Shattering Tiger, Yan Regular Tax, had been captured alive. Thirteen key chieftains under the Purple-Gold Beam had been slain. Among the Thirty-Six Bands, Ying Shanhong had also been beheaded. The remaining bandit bands at Xiuwu had likewise suffered devastating losses and were all fleeing toward the other departments and counties of Huaiqing Prefecture.

The staff officers remaining in camp verified the secret marks and seals on the victory dispatch. The great victory was beyond doubt. Chen Xin had attached a letter after the dispatch, saying that scattered and routed bandits around Xiuwu were still numerous and the situation remained complex. He requested Lü Zhi to hold the main camp firmly, lest the bandits exploit the chaos to raid the camp and cause unnecessary losses.

Lü Zhi was so delighted he could not close his mouth. He sent out several successive waves of scout riders to Xiuwu to verify, while he himself held the main camp as Chen Xin had instructed. Nor did he go report to Xuan Mo. He returned to his own tent to draft the victory memorial for the Emperor and the Directorate of Ceremonial, leaving the other Ming armies still utterly in the dark. Such tremendous good news, if the Directorate of Ceremonial reported it to the Emperor first — the effect would be entirely different. So he had already decided to send out the victory dispatch before Xuan Mo learned the news.

Only Ma Xianglin's Sichuan troops decisively marched out of camp. Ma Xianglin's decision was based entirely on his trust in Chen Xin. They headed all the way toward the north of Xiuwu, preparing to support the Dengzhou garrison. Along the road they encountered more and more scattered bandits, but those bandits all fled at the mere sight of them — none even dared approach. It was completely different from the fierce provocations of the preceding period.

At first Ma Xianglin also worried it was the bandits luring the enemy deep. But the more he thought about it, the less it fit. If they meant to lure the enemy deep, they would at least have to come up and fight a round, then feign defeat to draw the Sichuan troops into the trap. How could they flee on sight of the enemy like this? So the thousand-odd White Rod soldiers quickened their march. They carried quite a lot of baggage and did not move fast. By nightfall they had covered only sixty li, but at last they made contact with Dengzhou's scout riders and found their bearings.

When Ma Xianglin heard that over ten thousand bandits had been slain, he was so astonished his jaw dropped. This had been accomplished in a single day, and Chen Xin's men were all infantry — not like Cao Wenzhao, who could sustain pursuit and rack up far more heads in the chase than on the battlefield. The mounted scouts from both sides went back and forth. The news that came in shocked Ma Xianglin even more: even the Purple-Gold Beam had been captured alive. This battle could be said to have dealt the bandits a devastating blow.

The Sichuan troops camped on the march that night and resumed their advance early the next morning. They reached that day's battlefield only in the afternoon. These tough soldiers from the southwest were struck dumb. For several li around, the battlefield was a scene of utter devastation, strewn with thousands upon thousands of corpses. Some local Henan peasants were scavenging household goods at the battlefield's edge — men and women, young and old. When they spotted good clothing they rushed to snatch it. Iron pots and water jars were also targets of their scramble. The moment they saw government troops approaching, these people instantly scattered in a hubbub.

Further in there were some Dengzhou soldiers. Their uniforms were very easy to recognize. The Dengzhou scout riders guiding the Sichuan troops led them forward. Along the way there were still many refugee prisoners clearing things away.

The Dengzhou soldiers on guard were somewhat dusty and grimy, with streaks of mud across their faces, their uniforms filthy. But their spirits were still high. They studied this Ming army unit with curiosity, very interested in their hooked spears and heavy swords.

The further in they went, the more corpses there were. Ma Xianglin's Sichuan unit had seen large-scale action before. But Ma Xianglin himself knew: Chen Xin had at most three or four thousand men, yet had killed so many in a single night. Truly formidable.

When they reached the old main camp of the Purple-Gold Beam, Chen Xin was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Ma Xianglin, he clasped his hands and smiled. "General Ma, undaunted by the bandits' overwhelming numbers, led his troops alone to assist my Dengzhou garrison. This courage and goodwill I take to heart, and I will surely repay it in the future."

Ma Xianglin saluted with the ceremony due a subordinate officer, his single eye full of admiration. He said to Chen Xin, "Lord Chen's Dengzhou garrison is indeed extraordinary. I hear you force-marched a hundred li in one night, took only a brief rest before dawn, then in one surge captured the Purple-Gold Beam alive and slew over ten thousand bandits. Even Lord Qi's Qi Family Army back in the day was no more than this." As Ma Xianglin spoke, he recalled that Zhejiang army that had fought shoulder to shoulder with them by the Hun River, and a trace of desolation crossed his face.

Chen Xin could not guess his thoughts at that moment. But the fact that this authentic White Rod force had come to the battlefield when the situation was still unclear made them a trustworthy ally. Having such a force connected in the southwest region could certainly do the Dengzhou garrison no harm.

Ma Xianglin's men went to Zhang Xianzhong's former camp to set up. Chen Xin led Ma Xianglin into his own main camp. A heavy stench of blood still lingered, but the ground had been cleared and the corpses carried out. The camp was full of Dengzhou soldiers. Most were not on alert at the moment; they sat resting on the ground in their respective squads. The tents they had pitched were of every imaginable variety and did not look very orderly.

Ma Xianglin recalled they had made a long-distance raid — the tents must have been captured, so no wonder. Then he noticed a pile of fleshy things on the eastern side, with some soldiers gathered around watching. He looked more closely: it was a pile of ears.

These were all human ears. The Dengzhou soldiers were certainly not taking ears to eat. Bandit heads were not worth much. According to the Great Ming Collected Statutes, one northern barbarian head earned a one-rank promotion in battle. If one did not want promotion, it was worth thirty taels of silver. For taking a Tatar head beyond the frontier, one could get both — it had always been the most generous military reward. After the Jianzhou bandits rose, the reward silver rose to fifty taels per head. For bandits, only the head of a named major chieftain slain in battle earned a one-rank promotion; those not wanting promotion got thirty taels. A secondary chieftain was worth only ten taels. For other ordinary bandits, there were two methods of reckoning: one still counted heads; the other counted pairs of ears, since ears were easier to preserve and transport.

Chen Xin had the Purple-Gold Beam in hand. He did not want to count too many heads, lest he be forced to promote a slew of court military ranks, which would only increase the court's influence in the Dengzhou garrison. The other ears he would let those allied armies divide up — first come, first served. Ma Xianglin's side had shown such loyalty; he could hardly be stingy.

"Brother Ma has only just arrived today. By rights I should invite General Ma to drink until drunk, but my Dengzhou garrison forbids alcohol during campaigns. It will have to wait until we return to Huixian."

Ma Xianglin said in surprise, "Lord Chen means to return to Huixian, and not pursue the bandits to exploit the victory?"

Chen Xin nodded. "Though this battle was a great victory, the Purple-Gold Beam fought like a cornered dog, and my Dengzhou garrison also suffered shocking losses — nearly a thousand dead and wounded combined. One could say our vitality is severely sapped; we have no strength to pursue and exterminate the bandits further. Though the bandits suffered a major defeat, most of those refugees escaped. In a few days they will gather again. General Ma should also not advance rashly. It is better to return to Huixian with me first."

Ma Xianglin had not expected the Dengzhou garrison to have lost nearly a thousand men. If Chen Xin did not pursue, then his own thousand-odd Sichuan infantry would be useless in pursuit. He had no choice but to agree to return to Huixian with Chen Xin.

Chen Xin smiled. "I will not let Brother Ma make this trip for nothing. Had General Ma's troops not come, those bandits might well have rallied and returned. I understand the full implications of this."

The two talked as they walked. Chen Xin treated people with courtesy, and Ma Xianglin felt as if bathed in a spring breeze. Chen Xin led him to the north wall, pointing out the mountainous terrain to the north and describing the route of that night's surprise attack. Ma Xianglin listened with rising excitement.

Ma Xianglin's regard for the Dengzhou garrison's combat strength rose even higher. The two ate a meal in camp, and then Ma Xianglin returned to his own encampment. As soon as he reached the main tent, his subordinate officer came over. This officer's skin was so dark it gleamed, and two knife scars crossed his face. He said to Ma Xianglin, "Master Ma, those turtle-spawn Dengzhou soldiers sent something over."

Ma Xianglin glared at him and asked, "What sort of things?"

"A carrying-pole load of ears, a pouch of jewels and treasures, plus over three thousand taels of ready silver — said to be two taels for each brother. And five fine horses." The officer licked his lips.

"Let me see those jewels." The officer quickly handed them over. Ma Xianglin casually pulled out one piece — a white jade lion. He could tell at a glance it was worth no small sum. He pulled out a few more pieces, all gold and silver inlaid with gems, the craftsmanship very fine. At last he also felt a two-thousand-tael silver note from something called the Four Seas Bank, redeemable in cash at Eastern Depot Prefecture.

Ma Xianglin put the pouch away properly. He was silent for a moment, then said to the officer, "From now on, don't go calling other people turtle-spawn. These soldiers are no worse than us. This General Chen is even more worth befriending." (To be continued…)