Chapter 167: Section Twenty-Four: Nanguan

Li Yunrui had already sorted out the past intelligence, and his report was extremely fluent: "The main chieftain of the Jianzhou rebels' Plain White Banner is Hong Taiji, and the lesser chieftain is Wuheli. They have a total of eighteen niru. The banners of these two chieftains have both been sighted. Within two days they will reach Nanxinkou together with the Plain Blue Banner. Also, previous Dongjiang headquarters dispatches have noted that, not counting those under each niru, Hong Taiji directly commands two hundred to three hundred Heavy Armor Soldiers. At Nanxinkou, only the banner of the lesser chieftain Boorjin Hiya of the Jianzhou rebels' Plain Red Banner has been seen. I estimate he leads about ten niru."

"Twenty-one niru for the Plain Blue Banner, eighteen niru for the Plain White Banner — if they all come, that's thirty-nine niru. The Plain Red Banner has brought about ten niru; let's count it as eleven. That makes fifty niru, roughly five thousand battle troops, among them five to six hundred Heavy Armor Soldiers. Adding Hong Taiji's direct command, there will probably be eight hundred Heavy Armor Soldiers. As for the auxiliaries they bring along, they are certainly beyond counting." After Huang Shi finished calculating the numbers, he rubbed his hands somewhat neurotically, but this lapse in composure lasted only an instant. He immediately regained his normal demeanor and wrote down the calculated figures.

When Huang Shi looked up again, he was already calm and composed. He swept his gaze around the circle of his subordinates. Even the fiercest of them, He Dingyuan, was nervously biting his lip and unable to speak.

"This force estimate is not something my Changsheng Island can resist." Huang Shi began to bitterly regret why he had not started ice-breaking earlier. Moreover, most of the able-bodied men had already been transferred to Zhongdao, and it would be very troublesome to bring them back now. There probably was not enough time either: "After the Jianzhou rebels arrive in batches, they will need time to rest. They will also need time to build siege equipment, so we still have a few days..."

"Alright," Huang Shi stood up and laughed loudly. "It seems we will be spending this winter on Zhongdao. Gentlemen, go make preparations quickly. We will come back in the spring."

"The machine tools and farming implements can all be evacuated, but our waterwheels, reservoirs, mess halls, and so many civilian dwellings..." Yang Zhiyuan got halfway through before he was too agitated to continue. But everyone understood what he meant.

Thinking of the years of hard work, Huang Shi felt great pain in his heart too. But he still forced himself to say: "Houses can be rebuilt after being burned. Reservoirs and waterwheels can be repaired after being destroyed. But the dead cannot be brought back to life."

"Meet them head-on and strike hard! Our army has built shore walls, and now they are all solid ice walls. My Firefighting Battalion has sturdy armor and sharp weapons — the Jianzhou rebels simply cannot compare." He Dingyuan suddenly roared. After a long silence, he had finally erupted: "And we have cannons. Didn't Deng Ken build five cannons?"

"Six." Yang Zhiyuan corrected him. Deng Ken had just finished grinding the sixth cannon, all thanks to the copper bought back from Japan. Now Changsheng Island had four three-pounder cannons and two six-pounder cannons. For a long time, Changsheng Island had pursued a policy of cannons over butter. Now, although the Changsheng Island officers headed by Huang Shi were all penniless proletarians, their equipment was absolutely first-rate. Counting the iron armor worth over two hundred thousand silver taels that they had obtained for free, the Firefighting Battalion's armaments were nearly equal to those of the entire Dongjiang Army garrison.

"Yes, six." He Dingyuan's confidence grew even stronger. He shouted: "We'll use the cannons to bombard their towers, then mobilize all the able-bodied men on the island to join the battle. We can definitely hold."

Changsheng Island's shore walls were not designed to defend against an attack of this scale. The old camp at Nanxinkou could only protect four thousand people. Most of the military households and various properties had no protective walls. Deng Ken's original design for the "Great Liao Sea Iron Wall" was a complex bastion fortification, but later the manpower and resources were diverted by Huang Shi to build reservoirs and weapons, so this fortress had never been completed.

The chance to hold did indeed exist, but if the Later Jin army attacked with full force, the Ming army would have to fight the enemy outside the walls. Looking at the force ratio, the Firefighting Battalion was close to half the Later Jin army's numbers, and its equipment was superior to the enemy's. But ever since learning that Hong Taiji had come, Huang Shi's heart had been beating a nervous drum: "The freeze period will take over ten days to pass. Even if we can hold, we'll probably lose over a thousand men. More than half a year of training the troops will have been for nothing. Better to go to Zhongdao. Our army should ideally always engage Jianzhou rebels of equal numbers."

He Dingyuan repeatedly pleaded his case, but Huang Shi had made up his mind to retreat. Jin Qiude also agreed with Huang Shi's opinion. His view was the same as Huang Shi's: the essence of tactics was to always ensure that the strong overpower the weak and the many strike the few. The chief of staff's support made Huang Shi even more firm in his view. Although Yang Zhiyuan was unwilling, his position gave his words little weight.

"Mobile Corps Commander He, say no more. This general has decided. We will withdraw to Zhongdao and return when spring begins." Huang Shi had just used his authority to suppress He Dingyuan when he saw Wu Mu hurrying over. Huang Shi had already sent someone to notify him; such a military decision certainly required the Army Supervisor's approval.

"I hear the Jianzhou rebels are coming in force to attack. General Huang, quickly tell me about it..."

As soon as Wu Mu heard it was three banners of Jianzhou rebels, his face turned deathly pale. But he had, after all, served on Changsheng Island for two years. When he learned there were only fifty niru, he began to hesitate again. The Plain Blue and Plain White Banners were both small banners to begin with; the two combined could not match a single Plain Yellow Banner, let alone a large banner like the Bordered Blue Banner with its sixty-one niru. The Plain Red Banner had recently suffered considerable blows and also had to control territory, so it could only mobilize the niru from the Fuzhou area to come.

"General Huang, I feel it is not entirely impossible to defend. If this news somehow reaches the palace, Eunuch Wei will also find it hard to speak on General Huang's behalf." As soon as Wu Mu heard about retreating without a fight, he was somewhat dissatisfied. A defensive battle could surely yield some enemy heads. The Dongjiang Garrison had no civil official as Army Supervisor, so the credit for strategic planning was all his, Wu Mu's. He also hoped for one victory after another.

"Eunuch Wu, your insight is clear..." Huang Shi planned to once again bring up the question of "Who should be listened to on the bodyguard's road?" Wu Mu was still quite superstitious about Huang Shi's judgment, and Huang Shi felt that persuading him would not be a very difficult problem.

Zhao Manxiong again secretly threw him a meaningful glance. Huang Shi paused, then casually changed his words: "Eunuch Wu is right. I will consider it further." He said to his subordinates who were awaiting orders: "Gentlemen, go eat first. We will discuss again after the meal."

"The military situation is urgent. How can we go eat first?" He Dingyuan muttered in dissatisfaction.

Huang Shi's face hardened: "I need to deliberate deeply once more. Say no more."

Just now, Zhao Manxiong had seen that Huang Shi's momentum was like a rainbow and figured that offering advice might not yield good results. Undermining Huang Shi's dignity was not Zhao Manxiong's goal; he was worried that Huang Shi, to save face, might stubbornly hold his ground to the end. But speaking privately between the two of them was completely different. Huang Shi found an opportunity to secretly ask him what he wanted to say.

Zhao Manxiong stated his view directly: "This subordinate is worried that this will affect the morale and fighting spirit of the army."

"Hmm, is it wrong not to fight a battle without certainty? If we win a few more victories later, won't we recover?" Huang Shi also vaguely felt that fleeing without a fight was very bad, but the thought of facing off against Hong Taiji left him with little confidence.

"Our army now has the courage to attack, but still lacks the courage to defend." In the past, every time the Firefighting Battalion sent out troops, it was the strong overpowering the weak. Intelligence was collected, analyzed, and sorted out in advance, and everyone from top to bottom was full of confidence. But this time, facing an unexpected situation, not only Huang Shi but also the other officers were anxious and uneasy.

Seeing Huang Shi deep in thought and silent, Zhao Manxiong added: "From the very beginning, our Changsheng Island carried out ice-breaking, and for several years we have been as secure as Mount Tai. This time the Jianzhou rebels have come, we can indeed retreat. But this subordinate worries that this will encourage a mentality of 'contentment with partial security,' creating a mindset from top to bottom of 'If the Jianzhou rebels come, we leave; if we find an opening, we go steal a blow; if we find no opportunity, forget it.' This subordinate feels that is probably not good."

At this moment, Huang Shi suddenly recalled that back when they were distributing farmland, Zhao Manxiong had voluntarily gone to Zhongdao to demarcate land parcels. He stared at Zhao Manxiong and asked about this matter.

Without a trace of shame, Zhao Manxiong answered: "This subordinate thought exactly that way back then, which is why I have this concern now. I beg my lord for your clear insight." He paused briefly, then continued: "When my lord had this subordinate lead troops, this subordinate thought: if there's an advantage, go grab it; if there's no advantage, forget it. As a result, I watched helplessly as the Jianzhou rebels built their fortifications. This subordinate reflected painfully on that experience. This mentality of contentment with partial security must not be allowed. And being situated on a sea island makes it easiest to develop a mentality of contentment with partial security."

The fifteenth day of the first month, fifth year of the Tianqi reign.

The women and most of the able-bodied men had been moved to Zhongdao, but the combat units of the Firefighting Battalion all remained in the old camp on Changsheng Island. In addition, two thousand auxiliaries were left behind. Huang Shi was determined to defend the old camp to the death. If the Later Jin army besieged it, then the island's facilities would just have to be torn down by them. In any case, Huang Shi did not intend to let large numbers of people die for replaceable structures.

The banners of the Later Jin army already blotted out the opposite shore of Nanxinkou, but the Later Jin scouts still had not crossed the ice to come ashore even once. Most of the time, the old camp on Changsheng Island kept its front gate tightly shut. All day long, the busy auxiliaries inside the camp were organizing the defenses. The pikemen were polishing their weapons, while the arquebusiers ceaselessly produced bullets. Each man already had a large sackful and was still making more.

After the military council decided to hold firm, on the first day the soldiers were filled with a tense pre-battle atmosphere. Ice-breaking was now out of the question — the enemy was right on the opposite shore, and wasting one's own physical strength at a time like this would be foolish. But as time passed little by little, the officers and soldiers gradually relaxed their mood. Scenes of play and laughter began to reappear in the old camp.

Even Huang Shi himself was not so tense anymore. Today he again gazed at the Later Jin positions for a long time. On the opposite shore of Nanxinkou, cooking smoke curled faintly; it seemed the enemy troops were about to eat.

"General, the Jianzhou rebels across from us are still over ten thousand, right?" Behind Huang Shi, Deng Ken suddenly spoke up like a ghost.

"Yes, that's right. It seems there are no reinforcements today." The layers upon layers of tents and the dense banners made it impossible to see the deployment on the opposite side clearly. Huang Shi murmured: "Twelve thousand to fifteen thousand, I'd say. The scouts can't get close, so we can't get an exact number."

"I am willing to lead two hundred elite troops to raid their camp tonight, so that my lord can observe the Jianzhou rebels' true strength." He Dingyuan, who was accompanying Huang Shi in observing the enemy, also spoke up. Ever since the Later Jin army had set up camp three days ago, He Dingyuan had been wanting to raid their camp. The best reconnaissance is an attack, and a sufficiently powerful attack allows the commander to fully understand the opponent's strength: "My lord, leave everything to me. Nothing will go wrong."

Huang Shi perfunctorily replied with an absent mind: "The art of war says: since ancient times, camp raids succeed nine times out of ten. Mobile Corps Commander He, your valor surpasses the entire army. Of course I would not be worried."

The so-called camp raid naturally did not refer to raiding a long-established camp like the old camp on Changsheng Island. A sturdy fortress is not worth raiding; a few hundred men coming at night would not be a camp raid but suicide. But the Later Jin army across from them were troops who had come from afar. Their field camp was very crude, and there were no continuous protective walls between the sections. Such a camp could not only be raided, but was also relatively easy to raid successfully.

Most of the Firefighting Battalion on Changsheng Island had lived here for several years and were very familiar with the surrounding geography. Moreover, with so many camps on the opposite side, two hundred elite troops always had a good chance of finding a weak point. Once they suddenly struck and raised havoc, in the pitch darkness the enemy would also be unable to figure out the Ming army's numbers and movements. The common reaction would be for each camp to hold its own ground to prevent the enemy from fishing in troubled waters. Thus the art of war says: since ancient times, camp raids succeed nine times out of ten.

When carrying out such a camp raid, the defending commander can observe the enemy's reaction speed, the soldiers' fighting spirit, and their quality. He can also seek opportunities to deliver an even heavier blow to the opponent.

But Huang Shi did not think he had any opportunity to deliver a heavy blow to Hong Taiji, nor did he think he did not understand the morale and quality of the opposing side. Changsheng Island's soldiers were very precious, and Huang Shi truly could not bear to conduct this kind of reconnaissance by fire. Now Huang Shi clung firmly to the notion that "no mistake is merit," sitting and waiting for the Later Jin army to attack the fortifications in order to pursue a better exchange ratio.

Therefore...

He Dingyuan's camp raid plan was rejected, just like the previous times. Huang Shi also strictly forbade the artillery from opening fire. The cannons were carefully hidden by him, saved for the critical moment to give the other side a nasty surprise.

The sit-and-wait battle continued for another three days. By the morning of the nineteenth day of the first month, the Later Jin army on the opposite shore of Nanxinkou still showed no unusual movements, only building more siege weapons. These past few days, Huang Shi could see large numbers of enemy troops brazenly felling trees every day. More and more scaling towers and observation platforms were being erected. This vast array of equipment was gathered at the shore, stretching beyond sight.

The posture was already very clear. The Later Jin army had been gathering strength all along, not dividing their forces at all to wreak havoc in the interior of Changsheng Island. Obviously, they were not planning to just set a fire and leave. That said, having mobilized such a large-scale force, just doing some damage and leaving would be rather hard to justify. Moreover, dividing forces to wreak havoc would also make it easy for the Ming army to seize openings.

But having gathered strength for so long, the attack would, as one could imagine, be a thunderous blow. During the military council with the officers, Huang Shi felt waves of irritation.

"There aren't many days left. The freeze period will pass very soon. The Jianzhou rebels cannot possibly be unaware of this."

"My lord need not worry. Our army has five hundred arquebuses and six cannons. Can we not hold for a few days?" Jin Qiude's words were full of confidence. This mood infected Huang Shi. He guessed that Hong Taiji might not know he had cannons and thought there was every chance to overrun the Changsheng Island old camp in one swift assault.

Heidao Yifu's ocean-going fleet also remained near Changsheng Island. Without trade with Japan, there would be no new copper bars, and thus no more cannons. All fishing boats and grain ships had also ceased work and been incorporated into the Changsheng Island naval camp. This general mobilization had truly dealt no small blow to Changsheng Island.

"Commissioner Li, are you certain the Jianzhou rebels haven't built boats?" Huang Shi once again sternly questioned Li Yunrui.

Li Yunrui felt his professional competence was being insulted. These days, Huang Shi had been asking him this every few days: "My lord, rest assured. I have kept strict surveillance. No signs of boat-building have been discovered on the nearby coasts. There are over ten thousand Jianzhou rebels on the opposite shore of Nanxinkou. Even if they rushed the work, they couldn't rush out that many boats."

Another uneventful morning passed. Just after lunch in the afternoon, Huang Shi and the roomful of officers were startled by an urgent report. Hong Antong hurriedly led in a soldier from Jinzhou. This soldier had just been spotted by the island's sentries and brought to the old camp.

The Jinzhou fast boat that had rushed to Changsheng Island to deliver the message had come in great haste. Jinzhou also had no guide who had been to Changsheng Island. As a result, they could not find the stone dock in the icy sea and simply found a random spot on the southern shore of Changsheng Island to land. Because Changsheng Island was now under full martial law and most of the population had been transported to Zhongdao, these few soldiers could not find anyone after coming ashore. After discussing it, they scattered in all directions to search.

The soldier whom Hong Antong had now brought in, the messenger who had rushed from Jinzhou, had disembarked on the southern shore of Changsheng Island and sprinted all the way. The hardship of crossing the sea seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever. Although the patrol soldiers deployed by the Firefighting Battalion in the island's interior were very few, he finally managed to run into one.

These three patrol soldiers were all auxiliaries left on the island to perform simple tasks. Because they were patrolling the island's interior, they also had no horses. When they encountered him, this Jinzhou soldier was already nearly collapsing from exhaustion. But the moment he saw someone from Changsheng Island, he immediately forgot the hardships of the sea and the landing.

The messenger immediately seized the lead Changsheng Island soldier, so agitated that he nearly strangled the man on the spot. Then he followed them in another desperate sprint. As soon as Hong Antong led him into Huang Shi's tent, this already utterly exhausted soldier let out a great cry, lunged straight toward Huang Shi's feet, and while knocking his head on the ground, screamed hoarsely: "Lord Huang, save Nanguan!"

The officers in the tent rose one after another, each showing expressions of shock. Huang Shi, disregarding his status, rushed forward to help up the messenger. The man's face was covered in sweat and grime, and his body had already gone completely limp. When Huang Shi pulled his arm, the soldier suddenly came alive again, hugged Huang Shi's right leg, and cried out once more: "Lord Huang, quickly go save Nanguan, save Nanguan."

"What happened at Nanguan?"

"Nanguan is surrounded. There are eight thousand soldiers there." Clinging to Huang Shi's thigh, the messenger broke into loud wails: "Lord Huang, save Nanguan!"

"Speak slowly. What exactly happened?" Huang Shi shook the messenger a few times, but his tone was both urgent and chaotic, and he repeated a few words over and over. It was impossible to understand what he was saying.

At that moment, Hong Antong led in another messenger. He had also come by boat, but slightly later than the first man, he had encountered several auxiliary soldiers who were chopping wood. After bursting through the door, this man likewise threw himself forward, rushing straight to Huang Shi's feet: "My lord Huang, save Nanguan, save our Lüshun army…"