Chapter 84: Battlefield Greenhorn

Several routed soldiers from the Left Battalion, fleeing in panic, spotted government troops on this side and ran desperately toward them — among them was the same burly man who had provoked Lu Chuanzong that day.

Chen Xin had just finished directing the combat troops into formation. Looking up, he saw those fleeing soldiers. After watching for a moment, he spotted the burly man and said coldly to Nie Hong, "Take his head."

Nie Hong had found that man extremely disagreeable that day. Hearing the order, he did not hesitate, drew his blade, and moved to intercept. The burly man skirted past the front rank of the killer squad, running for his life, shouting as he went, "Flee for your lives!" — unsettling Chen Xin's several squads of men enough to cause a slight waver.

He rounded the second squad of combat troops. Just as he got out the word "Flee—", a blade-glint slashed in from the side with lightning speed, leaving the rest of his words in his belly. His head flew high into the air; from the severed neck erupted a red fountain. The headless corpse, carried by momentum, stumbled and crashed down several meters away.

Although the combat troops drilled daily in killing men, complete with simulated pig and sheep entrails and blood, very few had ever actually killed anyone. Having just witnessed bloody slaughter, and now watching a beheading at close range, every face turned pale.

Nie Hong raised the severed head high. Chen Xin, behind him, declared loudly: "In my combat troop, any who shrink from battle or disobey orders may be summarily beheaded by the officers — and there will be no compensation silver. Those with families will be expelled from Weihaiwei to fend for themselves."

The blood-dripping head hung right there in Nie Hong's hand. Every combat soldier understood there was no retreat. For raw recruits on their first battlefield, threats were far more effective than exhortations. By using someone else's head as a warning, Chen Xin lost none of his own men, achieved the desired effect — and rid himself of an irritating person in the bargain.

"Firearms squad, form up in front!" Chen Xin shouted toward Zhu Guobin at the rear. He had not expected the guard-battalion troops to collapse so quickly, so he had to use firearms immediately to draw the bandits' attention and give the main force time to reorganize.

Zhu Guobin swiftly led the firearms squad into a single-rank line in front of the killer squad, each man three chi apart. He and Zhou Shifa themselves took up bows and loosed arrows at the nearest bandits to cover the firearms squad's deployment. Command authority now passed to the firearms squad leader.

"Check your matchcords!" The firearms squad leader's voice rang out, trembling slightly.

The ten arquebusiers nervously blew their matchcords bright and aligned the glowing tips with the priming-pan covers. One man whose match had gone out quickly raised his hand; the squad leader immediately took out a tinderbox and lit it for him. The activity here had already drawn the attention of some bandits on the right flank. A minor headman, in the heat of slaughter, saw this group of government troops still daring to provoke them and charged over with fifty-odd bandits.

Zhu Guobin and Zhou Shifa loosed arrow after arrow into the dense mass of bandits, dropping several at the front.

"O-open the priming pans."

The arquebusiers had all loaded their powder and shot before crossing the river. Opening the priming pans brought them to ready-to-fire status.

Chen Xin watched the bandits charging toward the firearms squad, his heart pounding. Land combat was still far more visceral and shocking than fighting at sea. He had no real confidence in the army he had trained either — how effective it would prove would be decided in the battle about to unfold. Nie Hong, his mouth twitching, moved with Hai Gouzi and the others to a position just ahead and to the side of Chen Xin, ready at any moment to protect him.

"Take aim!"

The fifty-odd bandits had broken away from the main body and charged to within twenty paces. Their features were clearly visible. The arquebusiers' hands all trembled slightly.

"Fire!" The firearms squad leader, who had armed himself with a banjiu foot gun, pulled the trigger hard. A chain of explosions burst from the firearms squad's line, spewing great clouds of white smoke forward and upward. The tremendous roar left the ears of soldiers on both sides ringing incessantly.

Seven or eight bandits at the front of the charge collapsed simultaneously. The roughly ten-millimeter lead balls (Note 1) tore easily through their bodies. The soft lead, meeting resistance, tumbled and deformed inside muscle and viscera, creating wounds small on entry and massive within. They lay on the ground, not yet dead, emitting horrifying shrieks of agony. At twenty paces, no armor could stop a properly made arquebus shot — let alone these bandits who did not even have intact clothing.

After firing, the firearms squad immediately withdrew to the rear rank to reload. When the smoke cleared, the killer squad, braced for battle, saw bandits still writhing on the ground — and a scattering of fleeing backs.

The fiercest bandits at the front had suffered heavy casualties, and the roar and flash of a volley of gunfire dealt a massive psychological shock. The coerced followers behind them, struck by this blow, swiftly lost their morale, reverted to timid peasants, and turned to flee back toward their main body.

Chen Xin let out a breath of relief. Bandits were bandits after all — always bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Even well-trained troops could scarcely withstand a close-range volley of gunfire, let alone these brigands. The combat soldiers in the front killer squad seemed to relax a little too; gaining a psychological edge through long-range strikes was remarkably effective.

No one had expected that a single volley would send the seemingly ferocious bandits fleeing. Zhu Guobin, who had some experience, ran back to Chen Xin's side and said in a low voice, "My lord, let us roll them up in pursuit. If we can break their center, this battle is won."

Chen Xin, after all, was on a battlefield for the first time and failed to seize the opportunity to pursue. After the volley, the terrified bandits on the right flank had all fled back to the center, throwing the center into temporary chaos. Tongtian Liang reacted quickly, bellowing at the bandits nearby. The bandits around him all halted their pursuit, and the bandit banner was already shifting toward the right flank. Chen Xin's inexperience had cost him an excellent chance to roll up the enemy. He silently cursed himself a couple of times, then drew two deep breaths to calm himself somewhat.

The remaining bandits were still chasing the guard-battalion troops. Chen Xin saw that Yang Yun's large banner had already been pushed to the riverbank. Great numbers of guard-battalion soldiers were screaming and leaping into the river, fleeing to the opposite bank. The military households who had not yet crossed were wavering in formation, on the verge of collapse at any moment — but the formations of the garrison troops and retainers were still partially intact. At this point, his only option was to strike directly at the center. If he could halt the bandits' attack, there was still a chance to turn the tide. After all, these officers all had retainers, and the bandits who could truly fight numbered no more than a hundred and fifty.

"Killer squad, advance at route step. Archers, follow and cover. Logistics squad, protect the firearms squad. Firearms squad, catch up with the main force once reloading is complete."

"One-two, one-two." The two front-rank killer squad leaders chanted the cadence, advancing at route step toward the bandit main body. The two rear killer squads also advanced in step with the chant.

Their pace was not fast, but the threat from the flank still forced the bandits to respond in earnest. Tongtian Liang's banner had long since moved to meet the right flank. The bandits had little in the way of command and control; the left flank had no idea what was happening on the right and was still chasing and striking the government troops.

Yang Yun was finally driven across the river, but the departure of Tongtian Liang's elite fighters relieved the pressure on his front. Seizing the moment, he organized his retainers at the riverbank for a counter-charge. Some bandits who had crossed the river were beaten back. Garrison soldiers on the bank picked up stones and hurled them in a wild barrage, while some retainers began shooting arrows again. The bandits left several bodies behind and withdrew in disorder several dozen paces from the riverbank, equally bereft of command. The chaotic bandits saw Tongtian Liang's banner shift to the right but had no idea what was happening. Most of the guard-battalion military households were still fleeing in panic, but the other guard-battalion officers had all sent their retainers to the front rank. These retainers were far better treated than ordinary military households and shared a common fate with their officers; their will to fight and their capability far exceeded those of ordinary soldiers. The retainers, together with the garrison troops who had not broken, stabilized the situation. The two sides returned to a standoff.

Seeing that the bandits had halted their pursuit, Chen Xin knew he had achieved his objective. As long as Yang Yun could organize his retainers and garrison troops, the government forces would still have fighting strength. After the volley had driven off the enemy, his confidence had doubled — but the bandits' momentum was still present, and he did not quite dare to charge them head-on. Seeing Tongtian Liang's banner appear directly to his front at about eighty paces' distance, he immediately gave the order: "Halt the advance! Arquebuses, engage at long range."

The two front-rank squad leaders shouted: "Halt!"

All four killer squads stopped simultaneously. The two front squads, ten paces apart, remained in two ranks facing the enemy. At the front were two round shields; the four soldiers behind each angled their weapons outward to the sides. The squad leaders stood beside the two saber-and-shield men. The arquebusiers, having finished reloading, were hurrying to catch up.

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

Beneath the bandit banner opposite, Tongtian Liang's eyes blazed with fury as he stared at the government troops across the way. He had long since learned that Weihaiwei was coming to suppress him and had prepared for a long time, drilling his men quite thoroughly. He had been full of confidence about defeating the guard-battalion military households. He had grown impatient waiting and had finally received definite word, sending men all along the way to track the government troops. Today he had dismantled the bridge, preparing to strike them mid-crossing — and had indeed nearly succeeded. He had originally kept a relatively low profile, but last year, through good fortune, he had absorbed several bands of bandits and now wanted to stir up some noise, aiming for amnesty and a taste of official life. Having served as a combat soldier before, he knew the caliber of guard-battalion troops. His plan was to give Yang Yun a severe beating, so that when it came time to negotiate amnesty, he would have a stronger hand.

Everything had gone smoothly at first. As long as he kept up the pursuit, the government troops would have suffered a total rout. If he could have captured Yang Yun alive, the negotiations would have been even better. But this small detachment had thrown his plans into chaos, and he naturally hated them to the bone. The troops opposite carried no banners, not even back-banners. Only the flag-lances of a few squad officers bore small red triangular pennants. Facing his side were just four round shields and two officers holding flag-lances. The men behind all hid behind the round shields, their long blades extended outward like a hedgehog. A few archers could be glimpsed moving at the rear, and behind them, a squad of arquebusiers was hurrying forward.

Having been a combat soldier, he could tell at a glance that this force was well-trained. If they charged in from the flank, his only path would be death. On the front, only a handful of retainers and garrison troops remained, facing off across the river; they could not attack for the moment. He would deal with this small unit on the flank first. The bandits were in chaotic disarray after pulling back, and his command was ineffective — but the guard-battalion troops opposite were the same, so he was not too worried about the front. He gathered the hundred or so bandits within earshot and prepared to personally lead the attack on the right flank.

"Yingmen Liang!"

The bandit chief who had earlier killed the mounted retainer rode over on his horse. "Big Boss, let me take some men and break that formation up front."

Tongtian Liang turned, glanced at him, and cursed, "You still riding that broken-down nag, looking to get killed? Think they can't shoot straight or what? Get the hell down."

Yingmen Liang gave a goofy grin. "Just to see a bit farther, that's all. I'll get down when we're close."

Yingmen Liang was the bandits' number-three man — essentially their vanguard commander, responsible for the bloody work. Ming-era bandits were generally organized into Four Beams and Eight Pillars; the boss was called the Big Boss. Tongtian Liang's title was the one he used publicly.

"I'm giving you a hundred Little Brothers and thirty Old Brothers. Break that formation for me."

"Got it!" Yingmen Liang understood that the Little Brothers were cannon fodder. These "Little Brothers" were not young in age, but newly attached refugees and destitute households — all used as expendable meat shields. Tongtian Liang planned to follow up with his dozen or so elite fighters after they set out, ready to strike a single point just as they had earlier. These men were his longtime subordinates, ferociously brave in battle — the equivalent of his own retainers.

Their plan settled, they wasted no more words. Tongtian Liang immediately sent a trusted follower to lead the hundred-odd Little Brothers. After a round of threats and exhortations, they prepared to move out. Yingmen Liang, with his thirty Old Brothers, mingled among the Little Brothers. He remained on horseback to see more clearly. Just as he was about to give the order to attack, a squad of arquebusiers shifted from the rear to the front again, an officer issuing faint commands all the while. They were still seventy or eighty paces apart. He had seen government firearms before and was not the least bit worried.

The veteran bandits barked orders at the Little Brothers. They too had seen the arquebusier squad eighty paces away, but like Yingmen Liang, they were not particularly concerned. Government arquebuses could not possibly reach this far. Just as they finished arranging their ranks, a sudden volley of explosions erupted from the opposite side.

"Ah!" Two bandits screamed and fell. The ranks immediately fell into chaos. Those at the rear, not knowing what had happened, tried to shove forward to see. Yingmen Liang, however, saw clearly: it was the government arquebuses firing. The bastards could actually shoot this far. He shuddered and hastily dismounted, cursing and shouting at his men to advance — but the surrounding din, mixed with agonized screams, was so loud that no one could hear him.

He fought his way through, beating men with the scabbard of his blade, and with great difficulty got them to quiet down somewhat — when another volley thundered from the opposite side. Three more bandits fell, and the screaming grew louder. One of them had been hit in the abdomen. The bullet was large, tearing open a huge bloody hole in his belly, from which spilled mangled, multicolored intestines. That bandit's shrieks were especially harrowing. The Little Brothers around him recoiled. Spurred by the sight before them, what little reckless courage they had possessed vanished without a trace.

"Fuck your mother, that fast." Tongtian Liang heard it from the rear as well. The interval between the two volleys was very short — far shorter than he thought possible. He had clearly seen only one squad of arquebusiers. How could they be so fast? Watching the bandit mob grow increasingly chaotic up front, he knew he could not wait.

"Yingmen Liang, you waiting for me to carry you, you motherfucker? What are you forming ranks for? Just charge the hell over there!"

Yingmen Liang broke out in a cold sweat and bellowed, "If you want meat and women, kill the government troops!"

The bandits roared in unison at this, but their momentum was already much diminished compared to before. They surged together toward the government troops opposite. Afraid of the arquebuses, their charge was somewhat hesitant, their speed much slower. They had barely advanced thirty paces when another volley of gunfire erupted from the other side. Several more bandits fell. The courage they had just mustered instantly dissipated again. All of them slowed their steps; many Little Brothers, as they charged, veered off to the sides or fell to the rear.

Once they came within fifty paces, the arquebusier squad on the opposite side split into two sections, each withdrawing behind the rear rank on either flank to continue reloading. But now archers began loosing arrows, dropping several men in succession. Two or three archers among the bandits began to return fire, but all they could see opposite were four round shields; everyone else was concealed behind the rear rank. The arrows they shot were all blocked by the round shields, not so much as a hair touched.

Yingmen Liang, while driving his men forward, studied the enemy formation and calculated silently. They had only placed two saber-and-shield men at the front. Once he charged up and pinned those two from the front, the long weapons behind them would be useless.

The bandits had already lost over a dozen men and were on the verge of collapse. The Little Brothers at the front, staring at the hedgehog-like enemy formation, charged slower and slower, all falling to the rear. The middle was now mostly Old Brothers, but Yingmen Liang did not mind. They were now at thirty paces; close combat was imminent. He believed that once it came to hand-to-hand fighting, these government troops would still quickly collapse. The few bandit archers put away their bows and drew their waist sabers.

A shouted command came from the opposite side. From behind the four round shields, many figures simultaneously flashed out to both flanks, forming a dense horizontal line. Yingmen Liang's face immediately darkened. His plan to break the formation through the round shields had come to nothing.

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

Note 1: The caliber of arquebuses was 9–13 millimeters, equivalent to 3–4 cun in the Ming system.