Chapter 558: Terrain Advantage

That afternoon the two armies encamped about ten li apart. During that time, cavalry from both sides fought small-scale skirmishes in the open wilderness, each preventing the other from approaching its camp to reconnoiter. The Dengzhou Dragoons, paired with regular cavalry, repulsed the large Later Jin cavalry force that had been providing support. Light cavalry then raced in all directions. The front, over ten li wide, made it difficult for either side to completely intercept the other.

Facing the Dengzhou Garrison's main army ten li away, Huang Taiji did not launch an attack immediately. After emerging from Gaizhou, he had already marched ten li. If he were to attack the Dengzhou Garrison that day, he would need to march another ten li. Should the attack succeed, he would then need to march another ten li back to his own camp before nightfall, and would have to bypass the heavily garrisoned Yulin Fort. This was not one of the forts on the Ning-Jin defense line that cowered inside and refused to come out. Huang Taiji dared not leave such a large thorn in his rear flank. Therefore, the Later Jin troops could only halt north of Yulin Fort. By stationing the Fourth Battalion at Yulin Fort, Chen Xin had seized the initiative in choosing the battlefield. Controlling Xu Shan gave the Dengzhou Garrison the advantage of terrain for the battle.

The hard ground made it difficult for both sides to dig trenches, so both encampments were rather rudimentary. The Dengzhou Garrison's camp centered on Zhanggezhuang and extended east to west. The Dengzhou Garrison had prepared amply for this battle. The camp of the nearby Seventh Battalion, which had been stationed there earlier, contained large quantities of timber and other supplies. The four-wheeled wagons accompanying the army unloaded the javelins and timber needed to set up camp. After the seven infantry battalions had set up their field camps, each began deploying its outer nighttime defenses.

The ambush troops from each unit, carrying their supplies, filed out of camp in turn. They dug pits and erected shelters on the northern side. The combat engineers directly under Chen Xin were distributed among the battalions to help lay landmine cannons. The ambush troops of each battalion were mostly combat squads organized in the Mandarin Duck Formation, half armed with cold weapons and half with firearms. This was the tactic upon which the Dengzhou Garrison had built its strength. Over the years, it had been practiced to perfection and had repeatedly demonstrated its power in various small-scale engagements.

The ambush troops set traps such as caltrops, ghost arrows, and landmine cannons at their sentry posts, then reported back to the patrol officer, who in turn reported to the central command to deliver the orders. After the camp defenses were secured, the sound of suona horns rose from each battalion in succession. The battalion commanders raised their identification banners and summoned their subordinate officers for a meeting, arranging the central command's night duty officer and patrol officers. Shortly after the army had settled into camp, Chen Xin's personal guard outriders arrived at each battalion. The battalion commanders handed command to their deputy battalion commanders and hurried to Chen Xin's central command for a council of war.

By the time the Dengzhou Garrison had finished setting up camp, the light cavalry of both armies were still chasing each other across the open wilderness. As dusk approached, the Later Jin light cavalry slowly pulled back. Over a hundred bodies from both sides already lay scattered across the field, the red and black corpses starkly conspicuous against the snow.

Two li north of Xu Shan, flanked by two thousand-strong cavalry units on the left and right, a mounted column of about two hundred men stood in the snow. At its head was a stout, heavyset man—a physique uncommon in Liaodong at that time. It was Huang Taiji, who never lacked for food and drink. Behind him were several Banner Lords of the Later Jin.

Though the agility of his youth was gone, his will remained resolute. Huang Taiji gazed at the distant terrain, his eyes flickering constantly. The movements of the Dengzhou Garrison opposite indicated that they intended to use Yulin Fort as the site of the decisive battle. Upon arriving, Huang Taiji had immediately brought men over to survey the area, paying no heed to the Dengzhou cavalry not far away.

Most of the Later Jin military nobles present had been to Gaizhou before and were fairly familiar with the terrain here. Among them, Dorgon had garrisoned Gaizhou the longest and knew the Gaizhou terrain best. His expression held a trace of gravity. Pointing with his horsewhip toward Xu Shan, he said, "Great Khan, this mountain is called Xu Shan. Behind it lies Yulin Fort."

Huang Taiji asked, "Can troops march on the southern slope behind the mountain?"

Dorgon and Daišan, behind him, said together, "They can march."

Huang Taiji touched the small braid on the left side of his chest. Xu Shan stretched about two li from east to west. Many troops could be hidden there, especially with Yulin Fort behind it. This place was a stable anchor point for the Dengzhou Garrison.

"Great Khan…" Dorgon said in a low voice, "With Xu Shan in Dengzhou's hands, it is like West Guan Shan in the Battle of Lushun. At that time, West Guan Shan was tightly defended, and none of the Banners dared to assault it. All our army's movements were under the watch of West Guan Shan. Our right wing was pinned down by the Dengzhou army from beginning to end—truly the key to our Great Jin's defeat at Lushun. Now this Xu Shan is exactly the same as West Guan Shan. Chen Xin long ago prepared the Yulinpu layout here and sent infantry to seize Xu Shan first. This slave believes it is not advisable to fight a decisive battle with Chen Xin here."

Jirgalang said coldly, "The Fourteenth Beile is right, but Xu Shan is not the only feature in this vicinity. The west is all open plain, precisely where our Great Jin cavalry holds the advantage. Chen Xin's army numbers in the tens of thousands; he cannot simply stay on Xu Shan. Dengzhou is besieging central Liaodong from all sides, and his forces grow year by year. If not now, then when? This is a battle to seek life in death. If we insisted on having every advantage before fighting, then back in the day we need not have fought at Sarhū, Shenyang, Liaoyang, or Guangning."

Dorgon turned his face aside, not arguing with Jirgalang. Huang Taiji did not stop Jirgalang from speaking either, but turned to Yoto beside him. "Beile Yoto, you are the Minister of War. How should we array our forces for this battle?"

Yoto, whose face had grown somewhat gaunt, was covering his mouth and coughing lightly. After listening, he paused a moment to catch his breath, then said softly, "This place has mountains on both east and west. Xu Shan in the west is already in the hands of the Dengzhou Garrison, and they also occupy the official road convenient for travel. They already hold the terrain advantage on that wing. However, the center is flat. Our Great Jin should mass troops heavily in the center and on the eastern flank. This slave believes that when battle begins, defending in the west and attacking in the east will be most advantageous."

Huang Taiji immediately pressed further, "Our Great Jin cavalry excels at swift charges and is most practiced in assault. The eastern attack needs no elaboration, but how should the western defense be conducted?"

Yoto pointed to a spot not far to the east and said, "About half a li north of Xu Shan, there is an abandoned village…"

Dorgon added, "Ertaizi Village."

"Correct." Yoto nodded. "Today there were several dozen Dengzhou soldiers in Ertaizi Village. After this slave arrived here with the vanguard troops, I dispatched men to drive them out. There were a few landmine cannons in between…"

Before Yoto had finished speaking, a bang sounded from the deserted village. A plume of white smoke rose from Ertaizi Village. Everyone's mounts stirred slightly. Yoto tugged his horse's head to calm it, then continued, "What the Dengzhou soldiers excel at are firelocks and long spears. Many rammed-earth walls remain in this abandoned village. Armored soldiers can take cover from bullets within the village. The ruins in the village can also counter the Dengzhou long-spear formations. Once their troops enter the village, they cannot maintain formation. Our Jusen, however, gain the advantage in skirmishing. Then, deploy two units of light cavalry behind the village to provide mutual support, preventing the Dengzhou troops from surrounding and attacking from all sides. In this way, this village can pin down the Dengzhou right wing."

The youngest, Dodo, suddenly asked, "But the Dengzhou spear formations are terribly fierce. If they attack our center directly, how do we hold them off?"

Yoto replied politely to Dodo, "Wangjiatun Village in the center can similarly serve to pin down the center. As long as Wangjiatun Village does not fall, it will be difficult for the Dengzhou Garrison to break through the center."

Dodo pressed, "Wangjiatun is only so big. What about the rest of the center?"

Yoto said calmly, "Young Beile, in war, men die. If the center cannot retreat, then we must use human lives to trade with the Dengzhou troops, pouring them in until we break through some point in the Dengzhou line."

Huang Taiji nodded repeatedly, then picked up where Yoto left off. "The so-called eastern attack means using cavalry to assault fiercely in the open ground to the west. Once we break through at a single point and penetrate behind their formation, we can shake the entire Dengzhou line. If the western defense holds, it will neutralize the terrain advantage of Xu Shan. Then, by holding Ertaizi Village firmly, we can lure the Dengzhou troops from Xu Shan to attack. Once their formation is disrupted by Ertaizi Village, I can shift cavalry from that wing to strike their flank and seize Xu Shan in one stroke."

Yoto coughed violently twice, his face flushing somewhat. The goshiha beside him handed over a sheepskin water flask. Yoto gulped down two mouthfuls and felt his throat ease a little. Huang Taiji asked with concern, "Beile Yoto, you must look after your own health. You are the Minister of War of our Great Jin, my right-hand man. You must not fall ill at such a critical time."

"This slave is fine." Yoto wiped his mouth and said, "The Great Khan's use of troops is naturally superior to this slave's. However, if you intend to shift troops from that wing to attack Xu Shan again, you must pay attention to the rear of the mountain and Yulin Fort. You must ascertain whether there are ambush troops there. Otherwise, attacking Xu Shan will not be enough to shake the Dengzhou right wing. This slave still believes we should concentrate the main army on the eastern flank, extending the battle line to Zhuanzi Shan. This will facilitate the movement of our cavalry. The Dengzhou army is primarily infantry. Though their formations are strong, they are cumbersome to maneuver. This benefits our cavalry in seeking out their weak points, concentrating force to break through them. One breach leads to a breach along the entire line. Furthermore, by massing troops in the open field, even if we do not win, we can still rely on our cavalry's strength to preserve our forces and prepare for another battle."

Huang Taiji murmured in a low voice, "Not winning is losing."

Yoto did not hear clearly and quickly leaned forward. "Great Khan?"

Huang Taiji hastily said, "Beile Yoto's words accord well with my intentions. Ertaizi Village, Wangjiatun Village, and that Zhuanzishan Village below Zhuanzi Shan—these three abandoned villages are the critical points we must contest to counter the Dengzhou military formations. They must be held in our grasp. Beile Yoto, Beile Hooge, Mergen Daiqing—the moment the snow stops, immediately dispatch five hundred of your respective Bayara and armored soldiers to seize these three locations. Yoto's Bordered Red Banner will take Wangjiatun Village. Hooge's Plain Blue Banner will take Ertaizi Village in front of Xu Shan. Mergen Daiqing's Bordered White Banner will take Zhuanzishan Village. Once occupied, I will subsequently dispatch Ujen Cooha to assist in garrisoning them. Any who cause delay will be severely punished without mercy."

Yoto and Hooge immediately accepted the order. Dorgon had no choice but to accept as well. As he looked up, he glanced at Ajige. Ajige looked back at Dorgon with a relaxed expression, seeming rather pleased at his misfortune. Dorgon sighed inwardly. This elder brother still had that same bull-headed temper. Back then, Huang Taiji's arrangement for Dorgon to replace Ajige as Banner Lord had been a deliberate stratagem to sow discord. Ajige had swallowed it whole and had been at odds with Dorgon ever since. Dorgon had faced nothing but setbacks since the Battle of Fuzhou. Not only had his strength been severely damaged, but his prestige was also far less than before. This time, Ajige had defeated the Liaozhen forces under Zu Dale at Xiping Fort. It probably would not be long before Ajige replaced Dorgon once more as the Banner Lord of the Bordered White Banner. But at this moment, what worried Dorgon was not the position of Banner Lord, but how to survive this perilous great battle.

Huang Taiji paid no heed to Dorgon's state of mind. He spurred his horse and rode southward first. Hooge shouted, "Further south are the Dengzhou cavalry units! Why does Khan Ama still go forward?"

Without turning his head, Huang Taiji bellowed, "I want to see the situation at Yulin Fort."

The men behind him hastily whipped their horses to follow. Several goshiha galloped swiftly to the flanks to relay orders to the two cavalry units providing cover. Dorgon shook his head and followed in pursuit as well.