Chapter 277: Strike Forth, Roving King

If Zhu Cilang had seen the bayonets drawn by the matchlock musketeers under Cao Mutan's command, he would have been stunned by the learning ability of this era's Eight Banners soldiers.

It had only been a little over five months since the Battle of Dagu, and the Tartars had already learned how to use bayonets!

However, they had not learned the socket bayonet, but instead used the plug bayonet — this was because the Battle of Dagu had been completely one-sided, and they had not been able to capture any bayonet samples. Moreover, socket bayonets were not as durable or easy to manufacture as plug bayonets, so the Qing army, with its limited number of craftsmen, chose the bayonet that plugged into the muzzle — a bayonet, not a gun-spike. This was another difference from the Hard-Working New Army, because up to now, the Qing army had rarely encountered enemies with good armor protection. Using a bayonet was clearly more practical than using a gun-spike that was essentially an armor-piercing spike.

In addition, the Tartar Han army's musketeers had not abandoned their sword-and-shield men, but instead adopted a combination of sword-and-shield men covering the musketeers — the reason they did this was, first, that muskets were in short supply. Although through harsh laws and severe punishments, the Qing dynasty could obtain muskets of decent quality, the number of craftsmen controlled by the Eight Banners system was limited, so mass production of muskets was impossible.

And secondly, it was related to the special organizational structure of the Eight Banners. The Eight Banners population was divided into three ranks: banner men, armored men, and booi aha. Banner men were usually Manchu masters, armored men were surrendered people, and booi aha were slaves.

However, this status was not permanently fixed, but could be raised. A booi aha who performed meritorious service could be promoted to armored man, or could hold office while retaining booi status. Fan Wencheng had become a Grand Secretary while holding booi aha status.

Because this channel of advancement existed, some booi who had been tamed by the Eight Banners lords were also willing to join the army and earn merit. Kong Youde's Plain Red Banner Han army also had booi serving in the ranks. Muskets could not be given to them, but they could serve as sword-and-shield men.

"Sword-and-shield men! Death soldiers! Charge the formation!"

"Musketeers! Sharp soldiers! Hold the line!"

"Heavy musketeers, load powder and ball."

Seeing the sword-and-shield men all rise to their feet and the musketeers finish fixing their bayonets, Cao Mutan issued one command after another, directing the sword-and-shield men and musketeers to launch their charge, while ordering the soldiers armed with heavy matchlock muskets to reload and wait for another opportunity to fire.

By the time Dodo arrived with the white-armored soldiers of the Bordered White Banner, the battle outside Pingxing Pass had already ended. Kong Youde's musketeers had set up their heavy matchlock muskets beneath the low walls of Pingxing Pass and were firing crackling volleys to suppress the Shun army on the pass.

"This slave Kong Youde pays respects to Prince Yu!"

Seeing Kong Youde come forward to pay his respects, Dodo waved his riding whip with a smile. "Dispense with ceremony, dispense with ceremony. Prince Gongshun, how goes the fighting here? Can we enter the pass tonight?"

"In reply to Your Highness," Kong Youde said with a smile, "the roving bandits on Pingxing Pass cannot withstand a single blow. Once this slave's men have the scaling ladders ready, one wave will take it."

"Good!" Dodo laughed. "Prince Gongshun, after taking Pingxing Pass, will your men still be able to march?"

"They can march!" Kong Youde patted his chest. "The lads are all bursting with energy, eager to conquer the realm for the Great Qing!"

"Good! That's the spirit I want!" Dodo laughed. "After breaking through Pingxing Pass, I will give you another three hundred Bayara soldiers. Take them and the Plain Red Banner Han army and strike toward Fanshi and Daizhou. Do not waste time plundering along the way. This time we have not come to seize goods, but to seize the realm!

Remember, drive the Nikan fleeing from Pingxing Pass before you. Do not kill them all — let them go everywhere and spread word of the valor of our Eight Banners heavenly soldiers, so that those Nikan roving bandits will not dare face our Great Banner heavenly soldiers in battle!"

"Zha!"

Looking down from the hilltop, one could see camp after camp, dark and spread out across the valley floor west of Jingxing County.

Night had long since fallen. In the night sky, stars glittered, and a bright moon hung high — a perfect time for a night raid.

Yet just as the roughly four thousand elite troops of Liu Fangliang's and Luo Hu's units, who were to take part in tonight's night raid, had moved into position, Li Zicheng found himself hesitating.

Because what now lay spread before his eyes was a series of extremely orderly camps, extending all the way to the walls of Jingxing County at the edge of sight. A heavy, murderous air of war hung over the fields in every direction.

Wu Sangui's Guanning Army had long been a frontline force standing in confrontation with the powerful Qing army. This army might not be particularly good at attacking, but it was absolutely skilled at defense. Otherwise it would long ago have been driven from the Ningyuan garrison by the Eight Banners soldiers.

Now, although their enemy had changed to the somewhat weaker Shun army, their tradition of skilled defense still held. All of Wu Sangui's camps had earth dug into moats and trees set up as palisades, and every few dozen paces a tall watchtower had been built. Each camp could hold roughly fifteen hundred men, about the size of a single combat battalion.

Nearly thirty camps lay quietly hidden in the night. Each camp was less than one hundred fifty paces from the next, and the passages between them could be sealed off with strong bows and muskets. From time to time, small squads of soldiers carrying pine-torch torches patrolled between the camps, sounding their wooden clappers in rhythmic beats. Apart from these clapper sounds signaling all was well, the entire encampment was utterly still.

Judging from the orderliness and quiet of these camps, Li Zicheng knew that Wu Sangui's army might not have high morale, but it still maintained strict discipline and formidable fighting strength.

Just as Li Zicheng was sinking into hesitation, Luo Hu appeared before him at some point, saluted, and began his report: "Your Majesty, there is no long trench in front of Wu the traitor's main camp. That will make it easier for us to launch a surprise attack!

Also, Wu the traitor's patrols do not go far — they move only near the camps, and they carry torches, so they are easy to avoid."

"Your Majesty, let us strike!" Liu Fangliang said to Li Zicheng. "We're already here. To leave without even trying would be too shameful!"

Liu Zongmin also said, "In the dark of night, muskets are inconvenient to use. It will come down to close combat. The iron-armored soldiers cannot be pierced by blade or spear, so victory is certain!"

Li Zicheng drew a deep breath and nodded heavily. "Damn it, it's time to teach Wu Sangui a lesson. Fangliang, Luo Hu, be careful. We'll concentrate our strength and break through one or two of his camps, then withdraw once we've made our point!"

"This subject receives the decree!"

"This subject obeys the decree!"

Li Zicheng nodded, then said to Liu Zongmin, "Huanghu, have your men get ready too. Once Fangliang and Huanghu succeed, raise torches and beat drums — make as much noise as you can!"

"Right!" Liu Zongmin cupped his hands with a grin and went off with his orders.

The position where Li Zicheng and the others stood was already close to Wu Sangui's camp, no more than three to five li away. Beyond the ridge where they stood lay flat open ground. In the preceding days, the Shun army had sent out large numbers of night scouts to operate near Wu's main camp, engaging Wu's night patrol cavalry in fierce skirmishes and driving them back to the vicinity of the camp.

Thus Luo Hu's two thousand elite Child Battalion soldiers and Liu Fangliang's two thousand elite Iron Man Battalion troops were able, by moonlight, to quietly form up in square formation at the foot of the slope.

Because this was a night raid, the soldiers of Luo Hu's and Liu Fangliang's units had made no plans for fighting in formation. Nor had they brought ranged weapons such as bows or muskets. They had only brought along a few crouching-tiger cannons on flatbed carts, intending to set them up outside Wu Sangui's camp and fire inward.

In addition, they had not brought many long-handled weapons, though a number of the strongest soldiers carried axes, ready to chop down the wooden palisades of Wu's camp.

The targets of the attack had also been carefully selected: two camps located at the right front of Wu's main encampment. Liu Zongmin would personally lead five thousand men lying in ambush on the hillside at the left front of Wu's main camp, with many torches, war drums, and signal cannons prepared. Once Luo Hu and Liu Fangliang struck, they would raise torches, beat drums, and fire cannons, creating a huge commotion to confuse Wu Sangui.

At this moment, Luo Hu had already descended the slope where Li Zicheng stood by moonlight and rejoined his Child Battalion brothers. These "children" were all warriors personally selected by Luo Hu, the most loyal of all to the Shun. Even though Li Zicheng's rewards fell far short of their expectations, they were still willing to fight for the Shun dynasty!

Luo Hu looked at the dense mass of his young brothers and thought to himself: His Majesty will not let everyone down. Once this battle is over, there should be generous rewards coming.

With that thought, he drew a sharp breath, and killing intent filled his eyes. "Move out!"

(End of Chapter)