Chapter 884: Shared Bed, Glorious Springlight

Two hundred li south of Tongzhou, at sunset, the setting sun glowed like blood.

This place lay far from towns, utterly deserted; winter had not yet ended, and the wasteland was strewn with withered grass, before the age of fifteen.

Green hills loomed on either side, their shadows stretched by the fading sunlight, with occasional bird calls and beast roars.

A sizable army, clad in bright armor, rolled forward on the official road, carts and horses rumbling.

Ahead of the formation marched a large contingent of cavalry, followed by several thousand armored infantry, and behind them came various vehicles.

The army marched in strict order, movements precise; platoon leaders and company commanders rode alongside the ranks, urging discipline among their troops.

Nearly every cavalryman and infantryman carried a firelock slung on their back, bound tightly in special cloth sacks, their true nature hidden from outsiders.

This expedition carried nearly eight hundred new breech-loading firearms; the rest were improved Lu-mi muskets.

Though these improved Lu-mi muskets delivered devastating volleys in formation, their craftsmanship and performance were far inferior to the new breech-loaders.

Because they used muzzle-loading, reloading was slow, and the barrel and loose powder were highly susceptible to dampness.

To ensure the firearms remained combat-ready, they were always stored in cloth sacks to guard against moisture—a practice long refined through the Shenji Camp’s rigorous training.

But the newly developed breech-loading firearms operated very differently in battle, free from the limitations of the improved muskets.

Their design and construction had been greatly improved, employing rapid breech-loading and self-contained cartridges.

A coordinated volley of nearly eight hundred breech-loaders would surpass the firepower of improved Lu-mi muskets by more than two orders of magnitude.

This made them Jia Cong’s most critical firepower asset in this campaign of the Shenjing Camp.

…

Among the many vehicles accompanying the army, some transported grain and supplies.

Another thirty-plus carts were tightly covered with waterproof cotton cloth, concealing their cargo.

Yet these thirty vehicles were heavily guarded, surrounded by hundreds of soldiers armed with swords and bows, their expressions alert, forming an impenetrable ring around them.

These thirty carts carried thirty cannons: ten improved Hongyi cannons and twenty improved Frangki cannons.

These cannons were the strongest combat power of the six-thousand-strong Shenjing Camp; five hundred gunners were assigned to transport, position, and fire them.

Among the six-thousand-strong Shenjing Camp, the cannon wagons moved slowest, each pulled by two or three horses, still lagging behind infantry even during forced marches.

Thus, the Shenji Camp’s advance speed ultimately depended on the cannon wagons, maintaining a steady marching pace to preserve troop endurance.

…

At the front and rear of the main column, two hundred fast cavalry scouts galloped back and forth, patrolling within a five-li radius to strengthen vigilance and scout for enemy movements.

Another hundred vanguard cavalry rode ten li ahead of the main force, moving in batches, concealed and swift, scouting the road and seeking suitable encampment sites.

The thousands of Shenji Camp troops moved like a tightly interlocked gear system, efficient and orderly, advancing steadily toward Tongzhou.

Jia Cong and Ai Li rode side by side at the front of the column, with five or six personal guards clearing the way ahead.

Since the campaign began, Ai Li spoke little, staying close beside Jia Cong, indistinguishable from his other personal guards.

Yu Xiuzhu had once been transferred to the Liaodong firearms camp and participated in campaigns against the Jurchens, but back then he was merely a lowly soldier.

He had never interacted closely with Jia Cong, the commanding general, and was not as familiar with him as Guo Zhi, Jiang Xiao, or others.

He only vaguely recalled that Jia Cong had once brought a female bodyguard northward while pursuing the Three Jurchen Garrisons, and he remembered her face vaguely, but knew nothing of her identity.

So when he saw her at the eastern mansion’s side gate, he was filled with curiosity—until Jiang Xiao warned him to be silent, and he wisely clamped his mouth shut.

Ai Li blended into the cavalry escort; other soldiers naturally paid her no attention.

Seeing Jia Cong’s closeness to her, the other guards assumed she was a trusted retainer from Rongguo Mansion, given Jia Cong’s martial aristocratic background, and dared not approach or offend her.

Thus, within this army of thousands, the presence of a delicate young lady seemed perfectly natural, utterly unremarkable.

…

When the sun set and darkness gradually fell, the vanguard cavalry confirmed the path ahead and found a suitable encampment site.

The army arrived at the Linxi encampment; the various units handled their camp duties under the supervision of Deputy Commander Lin Zhen, requiring no further attention from Jia Cong.

Jia Cong, following the special needs of firearms troops, arranged the camp layout to facilitate rapid response during emergencies.

The outer perimeter was ringed by two thousand firearms troops; the second layer housed two thousand cavalry; the third layer consisted of another thousand-plus musketeers.

Inside the innermost ring, cannon wagons were parked, guarded by five hundred gunners; at the very core stood the three hundred personal guards and the commander of the six-thousand-strong Shenjing Camp.

…

Jia Cong’s camp layout was exceptionally orderly.

But the army would rest only one night and depart at dawn; such a complex setup seemed unnecessarily elaborate, prompting Deputy Commander Lin Zhen to ask the reason.

Jia Cong said: “Commander Lin, as a mobile corps commander of the Shenji Camp who has undergone full training with this army, you should know that among these six thousand troops, only about a thousand are veteran soldiers rotated from Liaodong.”

Of those thousand veterans, only three hundred have actually fought against the Three Jurchen Garrisons—they alone have experienced real firearms combat.

That’s why, when I first selected troops for this camp, I promoted them all to platoon leaders, company commanders, or assigned them to the personal cavalry guard as reserve officers.”

The remaining five thousand, though well-trained in firearms drills, have never faced real combat. As officers, this is our foremost concern.

Yesterday, intelligence arrived that the remnants of the Mongol forces have seized Hongshu Settlement, and the defending troops at Beisan Pass are locked in fierce battle at Yaoshan Relay Station—likely already in stalemate for several days.

After we reach Tongzhou, we will likely be immediately deployed to the front lines without pause.

With the battle so urgent, we have no time for additional training; this lack of combat readiness is a grave danger we cannot afford to ignore.

Our journey to Tongzhou for garrison duty, due to the slow movement of cannon wagons, will take three days and four nights.

Each night, following my layout, is an excellent opportunity for training—allowing each unit to become familiar with coordination and mutual adaptation before battle.

This camp formation is not merely a method of setting up camp—it is the very battle formation we will use against the enemy.

If we establish this camp securely, and the enemy attacks at night, the outer firearms units can immediately form ranks to counterattack, while the inner firearms troops can rotate in promptly.

As long as the musketeers slow the enemy’s charge, they buy time for the cannons to fire; even a slight artillery barrage will throw the enemy ranks into chaos…

The camp layout is the surface; the drills and responses are the substance. Understand this intent, and convey it to all units so they know the purpose.”

…

Lin Zhen was a seasoned soldier, but since the Great Zhou had enjoyed prolonged peace, he lacked real combat experience—though he understood military strategy.

Hearing Jia Cong’s reasoning on camp training, he found it deeply thoughtful, original, and expertly grounded in firearms tactics; he was greatly impressed.

He said: “Your humble servant is dull-witted and unaware of your generalship. Your guidance has greatly benefited me. You possess the makings of a great general—truly admirable.”

“I shall immediately issue orders to all units to set up camp according to your plan, without slackness…”

Jia Cong watched Lin Zhen hurry off to manage camp duties, and merely smiled faintly.

Turning back, he saw his personal guards had erected his tent; a carriage stood outside, loaded with Jia Cong’s and Ai Li’s luggage.

Inside were not only their travel gear but also five or six birdcages, housing two Eastern Sea Hawks and over a dozen homing pigeons.

Ai Li took raw meat from an ice pack, sliced it into strips with a small knife, and smiled as she fed the hawks, murmuring softly as if speaking to them.

The last rays of sunset illuminated the camp, casting a pink glow on her lovely face; her luminous eyes reflected the fading light, shimmering with dewy brilliance, exquisitely captivating.

…

During the day’s march, she avoided drawing attention and rarely spoke to Jia Cong, simply following him in silence.

Now that camp was set, and the core area was surrounded only by Jia Cong’s personal guards—with no other civilians present—Ai Li naturally relaxed.

Though clad in military attire and wearing an iron helmet, her beauty remained undiminished; she glanced at Lin Zhen, now far away.

She laughed: “Yuzhang, have you become corrupt from office? You’re too good at scolding others—just a few words, and you’ve won that Lin fellow over completely.”

Jia Cong chuckled and scolded: “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m not tricking him—I’m giving serious military advice.”

Ai Li smiled: “Your camp layout defends against night attacks. I’ll send the hawks up to scout tonight—you can sleep soundly.”

“But first I must feed them well, or if I send them out hungry, they’ll just hunt for food and forget their duty.”

Jia Cong laughed: “These two hawks are invaluable. You brought plenty of pigeons—why not release a few?”

Ai Li smiled: “These pigeons haven’t been raised long. Though I’ve trained them, they’re not as attuned to human intent as the hawks.”

Besides, the farther north we go, the more eagles and falcons we’ll encounter; birds of prey hunt at dawn and dusk, and dusk has just arrived.”

If we release pigeons now, they’ll become dinner for the raptors.”

Their casual chatter and idle talk during the march dispelled much of the fatigue and monotony of daytime travel, dissolving in their quiet, unspoken laughter.

After Ai Li finished feeding the birds, Jia Cong accompanied her to the stream to fetch water to refresh the birds’ cages.