Chapter 788: The God of War and the Mighty Sovereign

Geng Zhongming and Kong Tingxun had blundered again!

In this Battle of Jieshi Mountain, they had made two major mistakes in succession!

The first mistake was dawdling too long and failing to reach the designated position in time, with the result that Fulehe's ten Bordered White Banner companies were left to fight a bitter struggle in Shihe Village.

The second mistake was that, with the gunfight and artillery duel clearly going against them, they did not dare to launch a decisive cold-steel assault.

In seventeenth-century "pike-and-shot" confrontations, the side weaker in firepower would often take the initiative in launching a cold-steel assault, seeking victory in close-quarters combat.

The two armies of Geng Zhongming and Kong Tingxun had no shortage of muskets, and in a musket duel at a few dozen paces they were not at a disadvantage. But once both sides' red-barbarian light cannon were moved into position, they immediately fell behind. This was because Dodo's force had more 3-pounder guns, and they were used in concentration. So when the thirty 3-pounders originally meant to bombard Shihe Village were redeployed, the two armies of Geng Zhongming and Kong Tingxun were quickly exposed to round after round of canister fire.

Faced with the fierce bombardment, Geng Zhongming and Kong Tingxun still did not dare to launch a cold-steel fight, and simply let the enemy use cannon to mow down their musketeers row after row. Before long, the corpses in front of the two Plain Green Banner princes had piled up into a mountain!

Wounded soldiers were constantly carried down and dumped in the open ground behind the two princes. There was no way to treat them at all; they could only be left to wail in waves of agony and then die in pain.

The sound of cannon, gunfire, and screams reached the ears of Geng Zhongming and Kong Tingxun. The two of them already feared Dodo, and now they dared even less to order their troops to attack.

In fact, the Plain Green Banner troops under their command were not few in number — over twenty thousand in total. Although the musketeers had suffered heavy losses, the other units were basically intact. If they had thrown them into an assault at once, victory was not necessarily out of reach.

But because of the cowardice of Geng Zhongming and Kong Tingxun, the chance to counterattack was quickly lost.

For the Plain Green Banner traitor-soldiers who had watched several firearms companies get smashed by the enemy had gone weak in the knees — the Valiant Prince was the best fighter in all Manchu! How could traitors like them possibly defeat the Valiant Prince? If they had that kind of ability, would they be traitors?

Hadn't their masters been afraid of going to the Daling River to fight the Later Jin army, which was why they had dawdled for over a month before reaching Wuqiao, and then stirred up the mutiny disaster?

And now, to top it off, they were fighting in the vanguard for Ajige against Dodo. There was no way in hell they could win!

Although they knew they could not win, they also did not dare retreat, because Ajige had already brought up the Bordered Yellow, Bordered Red, Plain Yellow, and Bordered White Banner troops to the front to supervise the battle!

Ajige might not necessarily kill Fulehe and the Bordered White Banner men if they broke and ran, but he would not be soft when it came to killing Plain Green Banner traitors!

So if everyone wanted to run, they had to wait until the Bordered White Banner troops in Shihe Village broke first and ran.

But when would the Bordered White Banner troops in Shihe Village run?

It was maddening!

Ajige was now also frantic with impatience! He was not anxious because his son had still not run, but because the three armies at Black Peak Mountain, Chengshan, and Jianling had still not moved.

Dodo, the Valiant Prince, truly lived up to his reputation — he came on with fierce, all-out attacks that left Ajige barely able to hold his ground. His son Fulehe had sent man after man with urgent appeals — the Bordered White Banner warriors had suffered terrible casualties, and Shihe Village was about to fall!

Ajige had no choice but to order signal guns fired, and at the same time sent men to Black Peak Mountain, Chengshan, and Jianling to deliver the order to march.

But there seemed to be not the slightest movement from the directions of Black Peak Mountain, Chengshan, and Jianling!

What were Jirgalang, Wakda, and Naodai thinking? Why had they not marched? Jirgalang especially — did he think that after Dodo won, Dodo would let him and his Bordered Blue Banner off?

Just as Ajige was at his wit's end with anxiety, several mounted armored soldiers of the Plain Yellow Banner came galloping up. The leading company commander made straight for Ajige's great standard, and was only stopped by Ajige's white-armored guards some ten paces in front of his horse. The man tumbled off his horse, then ran up to Ajige and performed a Manchu salute.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the banner commander Yierde sent this slave to report that the Yu Prince's army is weak on its left flank. He wishes to launch a cavalry charge, and requests that Your Highness send another one or two thousand cavalry as reinforcements!"

Could Dodo's flank really be weak? Ajige found it somewhat hard to believe, but the current battle situation left him no choice but to gamble. His front was already barely holding; if he could not launch a counterattack from the flank, then once his front was broken by Dodo, it was hard to say what Jirgalang, Wakda, and Naodai might be thinking.

However, he did not dare fully trust Yierde either, so he had no choice but to send his own banner-guard commander Suohun with three thousand cavalry drawn from the Bordered Yellow, Bordered Red, Plain Yellow, and Bordered White Banner troops under Ajige's personal command to reinforce Yierde at Xiaojiazhuang.

"Your Highness, a large body of cavalry has appeared in the direction of Xiaojiazhuang. It seems the Twelfth Prince is going to attack our flank!" Nikan stood on the back of an Ili horse, holding a telescope and looking toward the southwest.

By now the morning mist on the battlefield had completely dispersed, but the area around Shihe Village in the center was thick with gunpowder smoke and hard to see. The left and right wings, however, were quite "clean," with high visibility.

"Your Highness, this slave Oboi begs to fight!" Oboi was now also at Dodo's side, and looked to be putting in real effort!

Dodo smiled and said to Oboi, "Oboi, today's battle concerns the rise or fall of our Great Qing. You have seen Ajige's ability. If Great Qing truly fell into his hands, then everything would be finished!"

Oboi said, "Your Highness, this slave understands!"

Dodo nodded. "Go. Take your Solon cavalry and attack! Remember, you must charge through to the end — do not get drawn into close combat!"

"Yes, sir!" Oboi answered.

Dodo then said, "Korqun!"

"This slave is here!" A man wearing Plain Blue Banner cotton armor answered loudly from horseback.

This man had started out as a guard of Abatai, and was now the banner-guard commander of the Plain Blue Banner.

"Take two thousand mounted armored troops and follow Oboi's Solon cavalry. Your job is to fight and take prisoners," Dodo said. "The Solon cavalry will serve as the death troops; your men will serve as the shock troops."

"Yes, sir!" Korqun answered.

Dodo watched Oboi and Korqun depart with four thousand cavalry, and only then turned his gaze to his own front. "Pass the order: the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Battalions are to attack!"

Drums rolled in waves. Under the guidance of the blue Plain Blue Banner standards, five infantry battalions positioned in the second line of the "Eastern Army" formation advanced in grand array toward the forward edge of Shihe Village.

Dodo's general assault was about to begin!

He had held back until now precisely because he worried about the troops at Xiaojiazhuang, Black Peak Mountain, and Chengshan sortieing — he had of course made the necessary overtures, writing many letters offering offices and promises, but he did not expect them to have much effect.

This battle was, in truth, him and Ajige contending for the realm of Great Qing!

Jirgalang, Wakda, Naodai, and the others were just standing at Ajige's side watching the show — standing at Ajige's side!

Because these banner lords and princes of the Eight Privileges of Great Qing all wanted a weak master.

Shunzhi was the most ideal, and Ajige was second. But Dodo, who controlled one prefecture, four amban jurisdictions, and nine banners outside the Pass, possessed a standing army of nine thousand, and could mobilize an army of over sixty thousand at any time, was not at all the master they wanted.

If Dodo won, then Great Qing would be welcoming a true mighty sovereign!

One must know that Dodo still had thirty companies inside the Pass (left to him by Nurhaci), and his own son Dorbo was the heir of the Plain White Banner. If he could also swallow Ajige's Bordered White Banner, then Dodo's strength alone would equal that of all the other old Manchu banner lords and princes of the Eight Privileges combined — even Dorgon at his height had not been that powerful!

What would happen then — even a fool could figure that out!

And now Dodo saw the Plain Yellow Banner troops at Xiaojiazhuang and part of the various banner troops coming from Caojiazhuang forming up and preparing to charge, while the troops on Black Peak Mountain and Chengshan still did not move. Only then did he feel somewhat reassured and prepare to launch the general assault.

Although the old Manchu princes and ministers all disliked a mighty sovereign, if a mighty sovereign truly fought his way to the top, they could only accept it. What else could they do?

(End of Chapter)