[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-154":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Stealing Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1220771,1614,"Chapter 154: Section Eleven: Dividing the Forces","stealing-ming-chapter-154",154,"\u003Cp>After arranging the night watch rotation, Huang Shi returned to camp to rest; the night passed peacefully without incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At daybreak the Ming army set out early and soon reached the Qinghe crossing to ford the river. The support naval camp quickly began ferrying the troops across. The first fifty cavalrymen to cross swiftly dispersed to reconnoiter, then an entire unit crossed, followed by the central army, and finally the whole army crossed the Qinghe safely. The naval camp officers and men also promptly departed, sailing toward Lianyun Island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the troops had reorganized, the drums beat again and they resumed the march. Near noon, wherever the Ming army's spearhead pointed, several post stations again sent up billowing black smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Mu noticed that Huang Shi's brow was furrowing tighter and tighter and asked curiously, \"General Huang, is something amiss?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does Eunuch Wu recall what happened yesterday afternoon?\" The day before, as the Ming army advanced, the surrounding Later Jin defending troops had all burned their supplies and retreated, but today, as long as the Ming army did not close in, the Later Jin troops would not withdraw. This also forced the Ming army to march many extra, pointless li without striking any prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In yesterday's first engagement, the Jianzhou slaves still clung to wishful thinking; by the afternoon they were panicked and flustered. Today they are far more steady.\" Huang Shi thought it over again and ordered the troops to slow their march to conserve strength, while also sending out more scouts in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a shichen later, Huang Shi's worry became reality. A scout came racing back to report: \"My lord, ten li out on our left flank, in the direction of Gaizhou, a Jianzhou slave cavalry force has appeared, roughly a thousand strong, and is closing in on our army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scout again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon the Later Jin cavalry force appeared within sight of the central army. Scouts streamed in with intelligence: the Later Jin troops were precisely the Gaizhou army flying the Bordered Red Banner. Among them were about five hundred armored combat soldiers, and there also appeared to be five or six hundred unarmored auxiliaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Later Jin force drew up about five li from the Ming army's left flank and came no closer. The two field armies maintained this distance, advancing in parallel. After a long while with still no sign that the Later Jin troops intended to attack, Huang Shi was the first to lose patience. He believed this threat on the left flank had to be eliminated; otherwise, safe and free strategic maneuver would be impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ming army's drumbeats and banner signals changed, and the troops shifted formation and direction, gradually slanting toward the left flank. But the Later Jin troops simultaneously veered left as well, maintaining a distance of about five li. When the Ming army turned back toward the west, the Later Jin force pressed close again, shadowing the Ming army's flank, neither drawing near nor pulling away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this enemy force that clung like a haunting ghost, Huang Shi swallowed and said to Wu Mu with a bitter smile, \"Our combat soldiers outnumber the Jianzhou slaves two to one, and our total strength is also roughly double theirs. That is why the Jianzhou slaves are unwilling to accept battle. And since we are infantry, we cannot force them to accept a pitched battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Huang is too modest. If you have any clever stratagem, by all means use it — I shall not object.\" Wu Mu clearly had enormous confidence in Huang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reporting to my lord,\" another scout raced back and reined in sharply before Huang Shi: \"My lord, the Jianzhou slaves at the grain depot ahead are holding fast and refusing to retreat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many defenders?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It looks to be over a hundred men, at least several dozen armored Jianzhou slaves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi gave a few cold, grim chuckles. The Later Jin army's calculation was now very clear: as long as the Ming main force launched a full assault on the grain depot, the Later Jin field army could move freely. Without routing the Later Jin field force, a full assault was impossible — and the Later Jin troops clearly had no intention of giving the Ming army a chance to rout them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By conventional logic, the Ming army could spend some time constructing a sturdy fortified camp and then use it as a base to attack the Later Jin strongpoint; that way the flanks, rear, and auxiliaries would be covered, freeing up the bulk of the combat troops. But the current situation was that the Ming army did not have ample time to build a camp. Huang Shi could well imagine that Later Jin reinforcements were racing toward them. Perhaps the reinforcements had not yet set out, but Huang Shi absolutely dared not take that risk — leaving an infantry-heavy army in this dangerous position for more than two days would be tantamount to suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ming army had already halted its advance. The Later Jin troops observed them from afar. He Baodao and the other officers also hurried to the central army, awaiting Huang Shi's final decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps we should simply withdraw the army?\" Wu Mu cautiously offered an opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We could go attack other Jianzhou slave grain depots — they can't possibly have tight defenses at every one.\" He Baodao also put forward his own view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi shook his head, first rejecting He Baodao's suggestion: \"That won't work. This is Jianzhou slave territory. No matter which fort we advance on, the Jianzhou slaves can detach a force to get there ahead of us and join the defense. Then they link up with the garrison from this grain depot and continue shadowing our rear. Wherever we go to attack, it will be a wasted trip.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the army deployed forward into battle formation and exposed its rear, no matter how careful the Ming army was, gaps would inevitably appear. Several hundred Later Jin combat soldiers could launch a fierce sudden strike, inflict heavy losses on the Ming army, and then swiftly withdraw. The predominantly infantry Ming army would be unable to catch the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Withdrawing the army is absolutely out of the question. On this campaign our forces are double the enemy's. Our purpose is to ravage the Jianzhou slaves' territory and humiliate their army. To retreat now would be to boost the enemy's morale and deflate our own prestige.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Huang Shi clenched his teeth in a grim, savage grin and gazed out at the Later Jin troops, who were likewise resting five li away. \"We must rout them first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The problem is that the Jianzhou slaves absolutely refuse to engage our army in battle.\" He Baodao was extremely agitated. He offered a suggestion, though the expression on his face showed little confidence: \"I could lead the cavalry force to tie down the Jianzhou slaves, and then you, my lord, could command the entire army to attack.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, Huang Shi shook his head: \"How long can two hundred cavalry tie them down? And the Jianzhou slaves' rear is wide open — what threat can an infantry force pose when pursuing from only one direction? That is the advantage of being mounted. What can we do, with so few cavalry of our own?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, during military discussions, Wu Mu had grown accustomed to staying silent. He listened with his head down to one side, not saying a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unless,\" Huang Shi used his saber to gesture over the rough diagram drawn on the ground, \"unless we divide our forces.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the officers taking part in the discussion immediately exploded: \"Dividing forces is a cardinal taboo of warfare!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No choice — we are all infantry, after all.\" Huang Shi explained his concept. If one infantry unit were left three li to the rear, it would be difficult for the Later Jin troops to harass the forward unit. He Baodao's cavalry force could always manage to delay them for a short while. The Ming army would then close in from two sides and could certainly trap a portion of the enemy force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The cavalry, artillery, one infantry unit, and the auxiliaries will all go attack the grain depot. The remaining four hundred combat soldiers will guard the rear. I estimate the Jianzhou slaves will see striking the rear unit as a foolproof strategy. The Jianzhou slaves are unwilling to engage our entire army, but that does not mean they are unwilling to engage a portion of our army. I believe the rear unit can hold them up for a while. Once the forward unit turns back, unless the Jianzhou slaves abandon their wounded, they will have no choice but to engage our entire army.\" Huang Shi fell silent again after speaking. If the Later Jin troops, even under the temptation of swallowing four hundred Ming combat soldiers in one stroke, still refused to relinquish their cavalry's mobility advantage, then the variables on the battlefield would remain numerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leave behind three hundred twenty pikemen and eighty arquebusiers. I will personally lead this infantry unit, and have my Assistant Regional Commander's banner raised high. Also, take my horse away.\" — If the cavalry refused to voluntarily surrender the initiative that their mobility conferred, then the infantry could do nothing at all. But the Later Jin would surely be eager to capture me, Huang Shi, above all else — and at this moment, I have only four hundred men at my side.\u003C\u002Fp>",1587,"2026-06-04T07:54:30.907Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","aaeb66b03a743ec136e400f37baa89a21b955a16c8ee4ef7408852a7c5442206","stealing-ming-chapter-155","stealing-ming-chapter-153",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]