Chapter 389: Defense in Depth

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In the seventh month of the sixth year of the Chongzhen reign, the winds and clouds over Liaodong shifted hue. The Later Jin army poured forth with the entire nation's strength, an unending stream of troops setting out from central Liao to attack the Dengzhou garrison entrenched in southern Liao. The Manchu Eight Banners mobilized nearly thirty thousand men in total, among them sixteen thousand armored men and thirteen thousand auxiliaries. Besides the Manchu Eight Banners, there were also the Mongol Left and Right Wings, which had recovered their vitality, the Ujen Cooha, and the Tianyou Army; the number of combat soldiers approached thirty-five thousand.

The Kalaqin, Khorchin, Khalkha, Tumote, and other tribes also dispatched men and horses. The various Outer Mongol tribes were extremely reluctant to fight in southern Liao, but Huang Taiji had crushed the Chahar over the past two years and repeatedly used his suzerain authority to punish tribes that were half-hearted in sending troops, so the various tribes still scraped together over eleven thousand men and horses.

Apart from these combatants, the number of bondservants led by each tribe also exceeded thirty thousand, and roughly tens of thousands more were responsible for transporting the follow-up military grain and supplies, bringing the total number to over one hundred thousand. At this time, the Manchu niru numbered about two hundred and forty, and the Mongol and bondservant niru about fifty, for a total of two hundred and ninety niru. A normal niru had roughly three hundred able-bodied men, and this conscription exceeded one in three. For the Later Jin's national strength at this time, it was practically emptying the entire country to go forth. One can also see Huang Taiji's determination to burn his boats.

To intimidate the Guanning Army in Liaoxi, Huang Taiji dispatched Sahaliyan and Šoto with five hundred soldiers to rendezvous with the Mongol tribes at Guangning, after which they plundered outside the city of Jinzhou. The Liaodong garrison shut its gates tightly and did not sally forth to counterattack. After the Battle of Dalinghe, Zu Dashou and the Later Jin maintained some private channels of communication. His repeated refusals to answer the Emperor's summons were known to all his relatives in Shenyang (Note 1).

The Later Jin troops merely came to intimidate and pressure, to dampen the morale in Liaoxi so they would not dare take this opportunity to cause trouble. Sahaliyan captured several hundred able-bodied people along the route from Xingshan to Songshan and withdrew, swaggering with arrogance, back east of the Sancha River. After Sahaliyan's visit, Zu Dashou sent repeated alarms to Jingshi, declaring that fifty thousand Later Jin iron cavalry were invading Liaoxi in force, demanding the imperial court send reinforcements, let alone coordinate with southern Liao.

Everything went smoothly in Liaoxi. The Later Jin vanguard also successfully captured Jinzhou. Huang Taiji's main force advanced south along the Southern Four Garrisons, where banners and flags were within sight of each other. The ox-carts and horse-carts traveling on the roads each day formed an endless stream. The Bordered Blue Banner and Plain White Banner marched from the Xiuyan direction, recovering Hongzuibao and Guifubao, which had been abandoned the previous year, and left men and horses to defend them. They patrolled the coast daily to prevent Mao Chenglu and Shang Kexi from coming up to launch Mobile Corps Commander attacks.

After Huang Taiji's main force passed Fuzhou, the Dengzhou garrison's raiding units were absent. Huang Taiji's resolve was firm; he dispatched large numbers of bayara to hunt down and kill the Dengzhou garrison's scattered soldiers. These hunters of mountain stock possessed considerable skill. The special operations company, having lost support from the Jinzhou direction, was forced to abandon forward camps at places like Dajianshan and move into the mountainous areas far from the official road. The Later Jin's massive military pressure temporarily maintained the safety of the supply route, and the main force began to stream continuously into Jinzhou.

The vanguard at Jinzhou, however, was in a terrible fix. They had been bombed the whole way and had still not passed Nanguan. The position Chen Xuan had chosen was no longer the original Hasihan Pass, but a place that now controlled the official road. Near Nanguan, mountains and rivers interconnected, making it terrain extremely favorable for defense. The mountainous area to the west had also been dug with numerous trenches, blocking those mountain paths. Dengzhou cavalry patrolled nearby, and without undertaking earthworks, the Later Jin cavalry fundamentally could not cross.

To the east was a river. Along its course were several beacon towers, also garrisoned with cavalry, which could receive reinforcements from Nanguan at any time. It was difficult for Later Jin scout cavalry to pass through. A small number of Later Jin soldiers did infiltrate on foot under cover of night. Yoto hoped to send them to Lüshun for advance reconnaissance, but only after they crossed Nanguan did they discover that there were two more scout lines behind it, at Jingzhenpu and Muchangyi. If they wanted to go to Lüshun, they could only climb over the layered peaks of the Hengshan mountain range, then climb back after completing their reconnaissance. In terms of time, it probably could not be done.

Zhu Guobin, on the contrary, had clearly scouted the strength of the Later Jin vanguard. He led the cavalry battalion and the dragoons in a steady defense of Nanguan, with scout cavalry constantly probing Jinzhou thirty-five li away. The Wendeng naval force had already rushed ahead to Qingniwa and Jinzhou Bay, cruising near the coast to create the illusion of dispatching troops at any moment to counterattack Jinzhou. Some fast bird-boats were active off the coast of Fuzhou, constantly sending out scattered soldiers to land and scout the movements of the Later Jin main force.

Yoto had force-marched to Jinzhou, carrying only ten days' worth of rations. Moreover, the area around Jinzhou had been burned to the ground. He hesitated somewhat about whether to continue the forceful assault on Nanguan. Clearly, the defenders at Nanguan were well-prepared. By holding Nanguan firmly, they screened the Later Jin troops' reconnaissance, leaving the situation south of Nanguan still shrouded in the fog of war. But the order Huang Taiji had given him was to besiege Jinzhou or push straight to the walls of Lüshun, opening a path for the main army.

After a thousand men from the eastern route vanguard arrived, Yoto led five thousand men and horses to attack Nanguan. Zhu Guobin set fires on the west side of Nanguan, using a mountain fire to block the small paths to the west. He then exploited the narrow terrain of Nanguan to launch a proactive strike. The two sides clashed twice beneath the walls of Nanguan. In such terrain, Yoto did not dare to collide head-on with the dense cavalry formations of Dengzhou. After a brief attack, he withdrew five li to set up camp.

The two sides remained deadlocked for two days, with scout cavalry constantly skirmishing. By the evening of the second day, word came from the naval force that the Later Jin main army from the Southern Four Garrisons was on its way. Zhu Guobin abandoned Nanguan that very night. The Ming army also laid landmines on the official road at Nanguan. Before dawn, they set fires within Nanguan city and then voluntarily retreated. They did not even defend Jingzhenpu, falling back to Muchangyi, the final checkpoint before Lüshun.

Muchangyi was fifty li from Lüshun, situated on a flat area on the western shore of the Jinzhou Isthmus (present-day Muchangyi, formed by silt deposits from the Hengshan mountain range). To its north was the coast. To the northeast, facing the direction of Jinzhou, was a stretch of rolling hills, with the highest point reaching three hundred meters. The hills were crisscrossed with grass and trees, the terrain undulating, making it difficult for cavalry to pass. To the south was the undulating Hengshan mountain range. The official road from Jinzhou came from the due east, passing between these two stretches of high ground. The area suitable for cavalry movement was less than one li wide, leaving no room for cavalry maneuver whatsoever, making it most suitable for the dense formations of the Dengzhou cavalry to exert their power.

This was an area more suitable for short-term blocking actions than Nanguan. Zhu Guobin had long since established two defensive lines here. The first was right at that narrow passage to the east, where he had dug a defensive line consisting of a breastwork and a trench. Zhu Guobin deployed the dragoon company commander's headquarters behind the breastwork, with over twelve hundred regular cavalry maneuvering behind the defensive line.

The second defensive line was one li south of Muchangyi, where a river flowed out from the Hengshan range. There were two fording points and one wooden bridge. Fortifications had also been built there, and it was currently garrisoned by a detachment.

Yoto arrived east of Muchangyi that same day. He climbed a hill on the northeast side. After observing the terrain, he was speechless for a long while. The Dengzhou troops always managed to choose the most advantageous battlefield. That defensive line was roughly the same as the one Yoto had seen at Niangnianggong in Fuzhou. In front of the trench were also numerous pits and holes of various sizes. Behind it were over a thousand Dengzhou infantry, their long pikes standing like a forest, their formation strict and orderly.

Yoto said to the bayara banner commander beside him, "Summon Bakšan of the Bordered White Banner."

The banner commander immediately dispatched a man to the Bordered White Banner bayara. Bakšan was quickly summoned. Bakšan had originally been the bayara banner commander of the Bordered White Banner. At the Battle of Fuzhou, he had lost troops and officers. Although he ultimately managed to regain control of the Bordered White Banner bayara, his overall performance was poor. After the battle, Huang Taiji punished him by confiscating one manor and ten horses. His banner position was demoted to ordinary niru ejen, and his military rank was reduced to beiyu.

After he came to Yoto's side, he looked in the direction Yoto indicated. That familiar feeling made his heart palpitate. During the Battle of Fuzhou, the two wings had been cut off by mountains and rivers, making it impossible for cavalry to pass. Here, the terrain was similar, except the mountains were replaced by the towering Hengshan range, and the Fuzhou River had become the sea.

Yoto, his face grim, asked him, "Bakšan, what you encountered at Fuzhou—was it men and horses like these?"

"Answering my master, it was exactly so. The Dengzhou soldiers are not afraid to die in battle. Their firelocks and small cannons are also formidable. If this long pike formation is arrayed like this, it certainly cannot be broken, unless bombarded by red-barbarian cannons or surrounded and attacked by several times the number of men. The terrain here is narrow, and we have no shield-carts. If we charge head-on, I fear the casualties will be heavy."

After Bakšan finished speaking, he stole a glance at Yoto's expression. In truth, he believed that no matter how many men died, they could not charge through. He had witnessed the power of the Dengzhou long pike formation. At Fuzhou, it had basically been trading life for life, and in the end, it proved the opponent's will was tenacious—and that was on flat ground. Now there was also a trench. In the current terrain, unless they had shield-carts, it would only be throwing away lives for nothing. But this time they were the vanguard and had not brought enough bondservants. Doing it themselves would waste the soldiers' energy and severely impact combat effectiveness.

Yoto understood his meaning. The vanguard he led was already battered and exhausted. The landmines and cannons did not have high lethality, but their effect on morale was excellent. The Later Jin troops' morale was extremely low. This time, there had been no plunder along the way to stimulate their will to fight. The various banner lords could only tell their soldiers that there was much gold and silver in Lüshun city, and plenty of grain, but for now, that was merely quenching thirst by thinking of plums.

Yoto looked at the mountain range to the west and asked Bakšan, "Could we have two thousand men dismount, pass through the mountains on both sides, and attack them from the flanks? Do you think it is feasible?"

"Master, it must not be done." Bakšan pointed at several small formations behind the defensive line. "The small formations behind the long pikemen are those firelock soldiers with bayonets. When they mix with cavalry, after firing their firelocks, a cavalry charge follows. If we only have infantry, we absolutely cannot defeat them. This slave saw it at Fuzhou."

Yoto stared intently at the Dengzhou defensive line for a long while, his eyes constantly shifting. Bakšan knew Yoto was considering whether to attack. Bakšan could not help but feel nervous; he was unwilling to attack Dengzhou troops deployed in this manner.

Finally, Yoto opened his mouth. "Bakšan, would you like to be restored to your original rank?"

Bakšan's face turned ashen, but he could only say, "This slave is willing."

"Take the bayara from your niru, cross this great mountain to the south, and go to Lüshun. You must clearly see how the defenses of Lüshun city are laid out. You must return and report within two days."

Bakšan let out a long sigh of relief. He had thought Yoto wanted him to attack the defensive line before his eyes. Climbing mountains, though arduous, would not cost him his life. However, making the round trip in two days was also an extremely difficult matter. There were no roads in this mountainous area, and he was not confident he could return in time.

He raised his head, wanting to plead his case, but met Yoto's cold gaze. Bakšan quickly lowered his head. "Ja! This slave obeys the order."

Opposite Yoto, Zhu Guobin was using a telescope to observe the distant hill. The large red banner atop it was very conspicuous, and there seemed to be a white border on its edge. It was probably the Manchu Bordered Red Banner. The other three bordered banners all had red borders; only this Bordered Red Banner had a white border.

Zhu Guobin had already learned from recent scout cavalry engagements that the one leading the vanguard was the Jianzhou bandits' Minister of War, Yoto. This man was steady in battle, yet not lacking in valor. Zhu Guobin did not dare to underestimate him, which was why he had not even defended Jingzhenpu.

Tan Shen was beside him, also holding a telescope, which bore the mark of the Dengzhou garrison workshop. He was using one from the first batch produced by the Dengzhou garrison. During the Wanli reign, Jiangnan could already manufacture glass, though the craftsmanship was rather crude (Note: see "The Journals of Matteo Ricci"). Liu Minyou had the trading company hire two craftsmen at a high price, had them demonstrate the production process, and then the Wendeng Academy and the Industrial Research Department separately delved into research. After extensive experimentation, they were able to produce small batches of high-quality glass. The principle of the telescope was very simple. With the academy's research, the workshop quickly produced a copycat version, no longer needing to purchase them from Fujian and Macau.

Tan Shen said to Zhu Guobin, "It should be Yoto who has come."

"Even if he's come, he can only watch, unless he is willing to lose one or two thousand men. If the vanguard is beaten to this state, Yoto's future prospects are finished."

Tan Shen laughed heartily. "My lord, how long shall we hold here then?"

Zhu Guobin looked with keen interest at that large banner. "We are merely a blocking line to prevent the Later Jin vanguard from scouting the defenses of Lüshun. We will hold until Huang Taiji's main army arrives, then leave. Once Huang Taiji passes Jinzhou, he will have no more steps to descend. The Jianzhou bandits will have no choice but to come to Lüshun. When they finally see Lüshun, I very much want to see the expression on Huang Taiji's face."

(Novel Network)