Chapter 513: A Narrow Encounter

A short red column set out from Tongyuanbao, following behind the Dongjiang army as it advanced north. Besides their weapons, each man also carried a shovel on his back.

By the time they departed it was already afternoon, and they reached Caohekou before dark. The Dongjiang army had already left this place and gone north toward Fenshuiling, leaving Caohekou in a mess, with excrement everywhere.

That night Zhu Feng chose a piece of high ground to spend the night. Zhu Feng was on high alert; he personally assigned positions for all the early-warning sentries and ambush pickets, and during the night he arranged a mobile squad to patrol every sentry post. But that night no Jianzhou Bandits came to harass them. Early the next morning they continued east, preparing to carry out a forceful reconnaissance toward Caohebao.

North of Caohebao at this time, half of Huang Taiji's main army had already quietly arrived here. Relying on the most elite Gebuxi Xianhan warriors to intercept at full strength, the Later Jin troops blocked Dengzhou's line of scouts, preserving the secrecy of the main army's movements.

Huang Taiji's original intention was to wait until the Pidao troops reached Lianshanguan. The Ming army was walking step by step into the trap. After Shen Zhixiang reached Shangzhuangzi, the Jianzhou Bandits' scouts probed Tongyuanbao once more. Huang Taiji originally still did not know that the Dengzhou Second Guard Battalion was on its way.

But yesterday a scout galloped in with a report, saying that a force of Dengzhou troops had arrived at Caohekou — several hundred men this time, completely different from the earlier groups of ten or twenty scouts coming out of Tongyuanbao. Huang Taiji had to handle this carefully. Because the entire official road was occupied by Dongjiangzhen, it was difficult for the Later Jin troops to scout toward Xiuyan. Huang Taiji also could not figure out exactly how many men Dengzhouzhen had sent. Of course he very much hoped that Dengzhouzhen would also walk into the trap, but not too many — if there were too many, he would not be able to swallow them.

His plan was to use the ambush force at Caohebao to cut off the Ming army's retreat route north of Lianshanguan, then use Yue Tuo's force at Lianshanguan as the hammer, striking the Ming army from both sides. Even if they could not break through directly, they could cut off their supply route. Fighting in such a narrow place, as long as he had sufficient fortifications, he could hold off those Dengzhou troops who lacked siege equipment, and simply besiege them to death. In this way he could annihilate the main force of the eastern-route Ming army in one stroke — that was his most important objective.

After Shen Zhixiang went north, another column of Pidao troops also advanced along the Caohe River. This column dragged its feet the whole way, searching everywhere in the river valley for eastern pearls and hunting for ginseng in the mountains, failing to complete its mission of advancing on Samajibao, which kept the Later Jin army from being exposed all along.

For Huang Taiji, he could strike south directly along the Caohe river valley, crush that Pidao force, cross Fenghuangcheng, and then go to Huanggudaobao to cut off the Xiuyan Ming army's retreat route. But this encirclement was simply too large, and the distance from Yue Tuo's force was too great — there would be no way to coordinate at all. The current Dengzhouzhen was not the old Dongjiang; it could not be defeated by just any small force. Moreover, reinforcements kept coming, and intelligence about Huanggudaobao was unclear. Rushing over there to encircle them would more likely result in being defeated piecemeal by the Ming army.

Under the communication conditions of the time, even though Caohebao and Lianshanguan were so close, coordinating the two Later Jin columns was no easy matter. So he could only choose to carry out the pincer attack at Caohekou. After crushing the main force of the eastern-route Ming army, he would then split into two columns to attack Xiuyan and Huanggudaobao. In this way, the entire flank of the Ming army in Liaonan would be completely destabilized, and the offensive against Gaizhou would naturally dissolve like ice.

In the short term, it would be quite difficult for Dengzhouzhen to organize another offensive like this. At the very least, Dengzhou troops would not be able to come in large numbers before autumn, which would give Later Jin a precious half-year respite to recover.

Huang Taiji looked up at the sky. There were clouds, but it did not look like rain. It seemed this year would be another year of great drought. This Old Heaven was a more fearsome opponent than Dengzhouzhen, because Huang Taiji had absolutely no way to deal with or bribe him.

Jirgalang beside him said in a low voice, "Great Khan, yesterday the Pidao troops stayed at Fenshuiling. By today's marching pace, they should reach Liujialing, at most five li from Lianshanguan. May this slave begin?"

Huang Taiji offered a prayer in his heart, then calmly said to Jirgalang, "Wait for Yue Tuo's signal to arrive, then begin."

"Company Commander, there's a column of black smoke!"

On the mountain road from Caohekou to Caohebao, a staff officer of the company commander's headquarters pointed toward the northern hills and said.

Zhu Feng immediately halted, jumped onto a large rock beside the road, and looked north. On the horizon there was indeed a dense column of black smoke, dissipating very slowly. This kind of black smoke did not look like a mountain wildfire; it was more like the wolf-smoke sent up from beacon towers, usually mixed with things like cattle and sheep dung to make the smoke column dense and black. In the earliest times it was mixed with wolf dung, which gave the best effect, hence it was customarily called wolf-smoke.

A moment later, another column of wolf-smoke rose from a mountaintop. That mountain was also far from the road, in a place the Dongjiang army could not have reached.

Some soldiers around them, following Zhu Feng's gaze, spotted the wolf-smoke. The column rippled slightly with unease. The staff officer below was also somewhat nervous — after all, there were only a little over four hundred Dengzhou combat troops here, fighting in completely unfamiliar territory. He called out loudly to Zhu Feng, "Company Commander? Withdraw or hold?"

Zhu Feng looked down at the staff officer and said in a calm tone, "Dispatch a relay rider immediately to report back to Lord Zhong. Say that wolf-smoke signals have been spotted between Caohebao and Lianshanguan, suspected to be prearranged signals of the Jianzhou Bandits. At the time of this report, the Jianzhou Bandits have not yet appeared. Once they do appear, report again immediately."

The relay rider repeated the message without error and galloped off swiftly. He believed the situation was already extremely critical. Judging by the positions of the beacon signals, they were meant to coordinate between the Lianshanguan and Caohebao directions. If the report was delayed, their retreat route might be cut off. So he would rather expend a relay rider and get the message to his superior first.

Zhu Feng then pointed ahead and said to the staff officer, "The main force will seize that narrowest point up ahead. Immediately begin constructing a trench and breastwork facing east. Also, have Training Officer Zhao come here."

The order was transmitted swiftly, and the entire unit broke into a run. The iron armor carried on the backs of over a hundred mandarin-duck formation musketeers clattered loudly. Without auxiliary troops, they had to help the close-combat soldiers carry their armor on the march, to conserve the close-combat soldiers' stamina.

The main force soon reached the place Zhu Feng had designated. It was a raised section of the mountain road, higher than both ends of the road. The hillsides on either side were thickly forested, unsuitable for large-scale troop movements — an excellent defensive position.

The Guard Company had more men than the mandarin-duck formation battalion. Zhu Feng assigned them the front. The two mandarin-duck formation battalions were positioned on the rear flanks. The entire formation was a half-moon shape. Once the soldiers were in position, they immediately swung their iron shovels and began digging a breastwork and trench. Their digging method was to pile the earth behind the trench, so that when the enemy crossed the trench, it would increase the trench's depth and make it more difficult.

The still-moist soil was easier to dig than usual. The soldiers worked with astonishing speed. The one four-pounder cannon brought along with the army was also quickly moved into position at the center of the front. A few artillerymen skillfully took two shield plates from the ammunition cart and fitted them onto both sides of the gun barrel, then began loading the first solid shot. The close-combat soldiers rested in squads outside the perimeter of the position. Those carrying bows took out their arrows and stood guard over the position. One soldier from each squad gathered everyone's coconut canteens and went to look for a water source nearby, to fill them with water for all his comrades before the battle.

While dirt was flying everywhere, Zhao Xuan found Zhu Feng at the center of the position. Zhu Feng was busily assigning tasks to the three company commanders.

"... First Battalion is responsible for the left rear flank, Second Battalion for the right rear flank. Your musket flag squads must preserve their volleys. Do not use volleys against single targets — let your archers engage them in a shooting duel. Always keep at least two squads ready to fire. When there is a gap in the front's firepower, you will fill in."

"Understood." The two company commanders were very crisp. Both were veterans who had fought in the Battle of Gu'an, long accustomed to warfare, though they were still somewhat unaccustomed to having such a young company commander.

Zhu Feng did not dare put on official airs before them either. These two mandarin-duck formation battalions had been temporarily reassigned. Although there was a difference in rank, they were not his direct subordinates after all, and they were senior officers.

Zhu Feng saluted them both and said, "I'll trouble you two."

"Everything for Dengzhouzhen." The two company commanders hurriedly returned the salute, patted each other on the shoulder, and each returned to his unit to summon the flag squad leaders and squad leaders to arrange the battle line.

Only then did Zhu Feng turn his head to look at Zhao Xuan. He hesitated a moment before saying, "Training Officer, sir, your subordinate intends to hold this position. Because the Dongjiangzhen forces have already gone north, if we withdraw, the Dongjiangzhen Pidao troops will be encircled and very possibly wiped out in one stroke. If they are trapped in the middle, it will be even harder to handle. Lord Zhong will find it a hundred times more difficult to rescue them, yet not rescuing them is also out of the question — otherwise who will come help us in the future..."

Zhao Xuan smiled and waved his hand, cutting him off. "You command your battle. I am only the training officer; I have no authority over how to fight."

Zhu Feng said in a low voice, "Then please, sir, withdraw first. You are the battalion training officer; there are many urgent matters in the battalion that require your attention."

Zhao Xuan shook his head, drew the short gun from his waist, and patted the Qi-family saber at his hip with a smile. "We're all soldiers. What urgent matter is more urgent than battle? Don't worry about me. I'm a veteran since the second year of Chongzhen — there's no reason to retreat in the face of battle."

Zhu Feng said anxiously, "Sir, what your subordinate meant was to ask you to go seek reinforcements from Lord Zhong."

"Say no more. For reinforcements, you should send a relay rider. I should go do my own job." Zhao Xuan, carrying his short gun, turned and walked toward the front. The breastwork was taking shape. Zhao Xuan shouted loudly, "Brothers, work harder! Let the Tatars see the might of us Dengzhou youths."

A chorus of answering shouts rose from below: "The Young Guard Battalion — ten thousand victories!"

Zhao Xuan loudly called out work chants. The position bustled with fervent activity, and the breastwork soon reached half a man's height. Zhu Feng hurried about the front line, summoning all the squad leaders of the First Company, assigning each of them fields of fire, setting range markers and field-of-fire markers, and personally leading the close-combat soldiers in laying out one-pace-long iron caltrops.

The scouting riders who had been probing ahead appeared swiftly up ahead. Of the original five, only three remained. The three men lashed their horses into a frantic gallop. Behind them, seven or eight Later Jin cavalrymen emerged in pursuit. These Later Jin soldiers, wearing silver-white armor, quickly spotted the Dengzhou troops constructing fortifications. Not only did they not stop, they spurred their horses closer. At about a hundred paces they dismounted, drew their long foot-bows, and loosed light arrows in a high arc, trying to disrupt the Dengzhou troops' construction work. Soon several men were wounded by the light arrows.

Two covering mandarin-duck formation squads immediately sortied, one on the left and one on the right, each advancing in a two-file column. The front rank, with round shields and square shields, covered the rear rank. This was a tactic Dengzhouzhen had learned from the Qi family army at its founding, and every application of it was now more than thoroughly practiced.

After closing to thirty or forty paces, the archer-equipped soldiers in the rear rank began returning fire. Dengzhou likewise had many mountain folk; many had hunted since childhood. After enlisting, with adequate nutrition and rigorous training, their marksmanship was superb. Those seven or eight Later Jin soldiers fought individually, and were shooting upward besides, so although their individual archery was superior, they could not match the mutually supporting Dengzhou archers. Seeing a squad of Dengzhou musketeers coming to reinforce, they quickly mounted their horses and fled back.

The three scout riders who had escaped came before Zhu Feng and said, with a trace of panic, "Company Commander, sir, the Jianzhou Bandits are in the thousands and tens of thousands — at least over three thousand."

Zhu Feng nodded slightly and said gently, "Steady your minds. You are scout riders, not storytellers. From now on, don't use phrases like 'thousands and tens of thousands.' If you see several thousand, say several thousand."

The three men calmed down a little. Only then did Zhu Feng say to them, "Go to the battle line and prepare to take part in the defensive battle."

In the brief time they were speaking, before the Dengzhou breastwork was even finished, a muffled thunderous roar drew near from afar. On the distant mountain road, an endless stream of cavalry surged forth, pouring into the shallow valley before the Dengzhou position. Through Zhu Feng's spyglass, banners of every color flew above the black tide of heads. Small squads continually split off from it, extending toward both flanks. The front grew wider and wider. Surging heads densely packed the valley road ahead, which was slightly lower than the Dengzhouzhen defense line. Looking out from the defense line, the tide of people stretched beyond sight.

All officers were shouting orders for the soldiers to stop construction and first check their powder, firearms, and flints. Four mandarin-duck formation squads were deployed forward to prevent a sudden cavalry charge. After the soldiers finished checking their powder, they resumed digging the breastwork.

At this moment, Zhao Xuan found himself idle. He bit his lip tightly; his hands trembled involuntarily and would not stop. The Later Jin army before him grew larger and larger. From what he could see, it already exceeded a thousand. Adding those behind, it would certainly surpass several thousand. He did not know whether he would return alive.

Zhao Xuan looked around. Everyone was busy. The quartermaster was distributing reserve powder. The soldiers who had fetched water were handing out coconut canteens. The artillerymen were adjusting the cannon. No one noticed Zhao Xuan's abnormal state.

In the distance, hoofbeats rumbled. Zhao Xuan's hands shook more and more violently, and his face began to flush. He had always been timid. Although he had been in the army for years, he had in fact never directly participated in combat, nor had he ever killed anyone. Even after seeing so many corpses, he still felt somewhat faint at the sight of blood. In the past it had always been under relatively favorable circumstances. This time the disparity in forces was stark, and the position was extremely unstable.

Zhao Xuan could no longer control his hands. He pretended to look down at the ground and thrust his hands into the waist pockets of his uniform, clenching them tightly into fists. His right hand brushed against a letter in his waist pouch — a letter from home. At the end of last year, a concubine had come to visit him at the Pingdu military camp, and now she was with child. He would soon have a fourth child.

The tension in Zhao Xuan's heart suddenly eased a little. He gripped the fabric inside his pocket tightly, and his hands finally steadied. Only then did his personal guard return from the battle line. The guard had also gone to help build the breastwork earlier. Now, dripping with sweat, he ran back and asked Zhao Xuan, "Sir, is your short gun loaded?"

"Ah?" Only then did Zhao Xuan remember. He said hurriedly, "Erzi, help me load it. I'm not very skilled at loading this thing."

Erzi quickly stepped forward and drew the short gun from Zhao Xuan's belt. First he selected a good flint for Zhao Xuan and clamped it in place, then took a pre-measured short-gun cartridge from Zhao Xuan's powder pouch and began loading it with practiced ease.

Watching him load so quickly, Zhao Xuan could not help praising him. "Erzi, you usually train so well — you can still load this fast even now."

Erzi looked up with a simple, honest smile and handed over the gun. "Isn't this exactly what I'm supposed to do?"

Zhao Xuan listened, took the gun in a daze, and after a moment shook his head, murmuring, "And I call myself a training officer. Such a simple truth, and Erzi has to teach it to me. This is what I'm supposed to do — what use is fear?"

The sound of horns in the distance pulled Zhao Xuan back to reality. The Later Jin troops in the valley were dismounting one after another. The Dengzhou troops had actually constructed a defense line so quickly — their surprise attack had turned into an assault on a fortified position.

The Later Jin soldiers needed to switch from a pursuit formation to an assault formation. The terrain in the valley was uneven and not wide, so they still needed a little time, and they began regrouping in the valley. The breastwork of the Dengzhou garrison had been completed under the soldiers' frantic construction, leaving a pile of broken shovel heads on the ground.

The covering Mandarin Duck squads began to withdraw, and the Dengzhou formation took shape. Over four hundred and sixty Dengzhou soldiers formed a small circular defensive line. Zhu Feng quickly estimated the number of Later Jin troops that had appeared and dictated the military situation to the mounted messengers. Two mounted messengers, carrying the intelligence and the hopes of this tiny army, galloped off toward Tongyuan Fort.

The Later Jin war drums sounded, and the dense mass of Later Jin soldiers advanced, their armor glinting. Their ranks were silent and orderly, still displaying the bearing of a powerful army. Some White Armor Soldiers entered the forests on both flanks, seemingly intending to circle around and attack the Dengzhou position from the rear.

The Dengzhou line had just finished deploying. The soldiers paused to catch their breath, and for a moment their morale seemed slightly inferior. Zhao Xuan suddenly drew his blade and roared, "The Tatars have come to die! Brothers of the Young Guard Camp, brothers of Jimo, heroes of Dengzhou, kill the Jianzhou bandits!"

"Kill the Jianzhou bandits!" Hundreds of weapons waved together. Hundreds of young, sweat-drenched faces were filled with fervent passion, echoing the cry wildly.

A thunderous roar echoed through the valley. The four-pounder cannon recoiled backward, and an iron ball traced a low, flat arc, hurtling toward the distant tide of Later Jin soldiers. (To be continued.

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