Chapter 200: Section 17: Breaking the Formation

The enemy before them once again dissolved like smoke. Under the icy, sharp wave of the Firefighting Battalion soldiers' bayonets, the two niru behind the second defensive line also collapsed one after another. Their resistance was brushed aside as lightly as a spider's thread. Listening to the drumbeats, Song Army Supervisor leveled his spear and strode forward bravely.

Across from them was another row of cheval de frise. The Later Jin commander had truly spared no expense on the defenses along the official road. Song Army Supervisor watched helplessly as the enemy soldiers behind the barrier adjusted a double-man crossbow to aim straight at him. A heavy iron bolt lay flat on the cocked crossbow. From behind Song Army Supervisor came the urgent sound of waist drums urging him on. He stared fixedly at the iron bolt aimed directly at his heart — "I'm dead, I'm dead." The distance grew closer and closer. Song Army Supervisor seemed to see the bumps and dips on the enemy's crossbow bolt tip. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the Later Jin soldier was about to release that coldly gleaming weapon. He mechanically stepped forward — "I am surely dead." The instant he saw the Later Jin soldier pull the trigger, Song Army Supervisor closed his eyes in despair, but his legs still carried him forward to the drumbeats...

Shang Keyi had already been standing beside Huang Shi for a while. Zhang Pan had just arrived, panting heavily. Upon hearing that their rear had been cut off, the two of them had abandoned the civilians and run back. Shang Keyi's troops had now entered Huang Shi's circular formation, but Zhang Pan's troops had yet to arrive. Huang Shi no longer held any hope for the help these allied forces could provide. The Firefighting Battalion had rested for an hour after rushing back before launching their attack. Now, after fighting fiercely for so long, Zhang Pan's troops still had not run back, and Shang Keyi's troops, who had just returned, were all sitting on the ground gasping for breath and were temporarily unusable. As for the Vanguard Battalion... as long as Zhang Minghe did not drag Huang Shi down, he would be thanking heaven and earth.

Zhang Minghe and the Vanguard Battalion, who had participated in the Battle of Nanguan, were doing alright, but Shang Keyi and Zhang Pan were badly frightened by the battle scene before them. The officers under Shang Keyi and the soldiers watching the battle all had their mouths hanging wide open, so much so that they did not even notice drool running down from the corners of their lips. Wu Mu glanced at them contemptuously and said to Chen Ruike beside him, "A bunch of ignorant rubes."

"Exactly, exactly." Chen Ruike had completely forgotten his own disgraceful behavior during the Battle of Jinzhou and nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Look at the stupid expressions on those guys."

There had always been some minor friction between Zhang Pan and Huang Shi, but after watching the battle situation for only a short while, before his violently heaving chest had even settled down, Zhang Pan exclaimed, "I have long heard that Military Commander Huang deeply holds the hearts of his troops and enforces strict military discipline. I never imagined it would be to this extent. I, your subordinate, am truly a frog at the bottom of a well."

Huang Shi quickly said modestly, "General Zhang overpraises me. It was merely luck on my part."

Song Army Supervisor shut his eyes tightly and took two steps. Several heart-rending screams reached his ears. His pounding heart was beating so hard it nearly burst out of his throat, but the waist drums behind him continued to beat: thump, thump. Song Army Supervisor squinted through a crack in his eyelids. The Later Jin soldiers across from him had already fired their crossbow bolts. Their primary targets had been the soldiers wearing iron armor. The leather armor Song Army Supervisor wore had instead saved his life this time.

Saliva suddenly flooded into his parched, bitter mouth. Song Army Supervisor and the men beside him began their run-up simultaneously. Shouting battle cries, they charged a few steps and thrust their long spears through the gaps in the cheval de frise.

"Over!"

One of the men beside Song Army Supervisor shouted the command and was the first to vault over the barrier. Song Army Supervisor immediately recognized that familiar accent — it was the vice squad leader of Squad B. Without thinking, he pushed himself over with force. This row of cheval de frise no longer had thorns on it. Several soldiers next to Song Army Supervisor even directly pried open the barrier in front of them. The Later Jin army was using portable, rapidly deployable cheval de frise carried by infantry. The small number of barriers on this third defensive line had not yet been locked together with iron chains.

Behind the third row of cheval de frise, two niru had originally been deployed. One of them belonged to the Plain Blue Banner, and this niru had also participated in the Battle of Nanguan. Mang Gultai had deployed this niru on the third line precisely because he did not trust its fighting spirit. Moreover, Mang Gultai had thought that the six niru on the first and second lines could at least repulse the Ming army several times and engage in a prolonged seesaw battle. He had also hoped that this niru could recover some morale by standing in the rear and watching the battle.

But after seeing the Ming army crush the three Plain Yellow Banner and one Bordered Red Banner niru in the front row like dry weeds and rotten wood, the morale of this Plain Blue Banner niru instantly plummeted further. By the time Song Army Supervisor and the others had routed the resistance on the second line and began leaping over the third line of obstacles to attack them, the rear-rank soldiers of this Plain Blue Banner had started involuntarily retreating. The Later Jin soldiers on the edges also began shoving their comrades positioned off the official road.

Many of the soldiers in this niru were unarmored auxiliaries who had scattered during the last Battle of Nanguan. More than half of this niru's Heavy Armor Soldiers had also died last time. The few remaining and the newly replenished ones were all survivors who had fled the battlefield last time. When they saw the iron masks of the Ming army before them, that familiar scent of death immediately surged into their hearts...

"Defeated."

"Defeated."

After the Ming army charged past the cheval de frise of the third defensive line, this Plain Blue Banner niru put up a chaotic resistance for a moment before beginning to rout. As they fled, they let out earth-shattering shouts, as if afraid their own voices were not loud enough. The Plain White Banner niru on their flank was forced to resist these nearly two hundred Ming soldiers alone. The crossbowmen of this niru also abandoned their weapons and retreated hastily alongside the routing Plain Blue Banner soldiers.

The Later Jin army had deployed quite a few niru in the forests on both flanks. To defend against a possible Ming attack, many of these Later Jin soldiers had climbed into the trees with their bows. Furthermore, the Later Jin army had set up barricades and crossbows in every gap between the woods. Huang Taiji had originally worried that Huang Shi would launch probing attacks on these areas. Now, none of these troops could be withdrawn from the defensive line quickly, and even if they were withdrawn, they could not rapidly maneuver to the designated point and form a defensive formation. This time, the Later Jin side had a total of seventy niru. The decoy force consisted of sixteen niru. The screening force stretched a thousand meters across both flanks with twenty-eight niru. On the outermost flanks were fourteen niru of cavalry. The Later Jin deployed eight niru on the narrow frontage of the official road. All that remained were the tactical reserves held in the hands of the three Banner Lords.

On the official road, the Later Jin army had set up three defensive lines in total. Behind the first defensive line were a full fifty crossbows. The deployed troops also consisted of four full-strength niru. Besides the four hundred armored soldiers of these four niru, there were also fifty unarmored soldiers helping to cock the crossbows. Behind the second and third lines, there were only twenty crossbows each, and the niru deployed behind these two rows of cheval de frise were only two each. Squad D, which had followed Squad B in breaking into the official road, had already rapidly deployed. The soldiers of Squad D formed defensive postures facing east and west respectively. Even before their arquebusiers had set up their firearms, the Later Jin soldiers routing from the official road had already thrown their flanking comrades into chaos.

Now, the enemy troops facing Firefighting Battalion Squad D had already instinctively withdrawn nearly a hundred meters. Those who had retreated quickly had already bolted into the woods off the official road. Meanwhile, the soldiers of Firefighting Battalion Squad E were still waiting in front of the first row of cheval de frise. Some of the auxiliaries were desperately carrying away the wounded, while others were swinging axes with all their might to cut the iron chains on the barriers.

Dugu Qiu was among these auxiliaries. All these days, he had been wanting to do something to prove his loyalty and wash away the label of former Han soldier on him. He remembered his elder brother often saying when he was alive — killing a man as a pledge of allegiance was the best way, and you could earn some reward money. Besides, any army liked soldiers who dared to kill.

During this period, seeing that he had no chance to kill anyone, Dugu Qiu had put extra effort into hauling goods, hoping to leave a good impression on his superiors. After struggling with his comrades to push aside the first row of cheval de frise, Dugu Qiu dashed forward in a single bound. By now, both sides of the official road were lined with soldiers of Firefighting Battalion Squad D. Without a second thought, he threw himself at a wounded soldier on the front row of barriers who still seemed to be breathing.

That soldier was one of the human ladders of Squad B. Besides the soldiers of Squad B, many iron-armored soldiers of Squad D had also stepped on his shoulders to jump over. Both his palms had been cut to bloody shreds by the thorns. The left leg of his trousers, pressed against the barrier, had also been pierced with rows of bloody holes. Yet he still stubbornly braced his body, avoiding being impaled by the iron spikes on the barrier. Dugu Qiu grabbed him and yanked hard. The soldier let out a loud cry as he was pulled up. His palms and trouser leg, torn from the thorns, were still full of barbs. As he cried out, he spat a chunk of flesh onto the ground. It turned out that to endure the pain, he had bitten his lower lip so hard that he had literally bitten off a piece of flesh.

With a loud shout, Dugu Qiu hoisted the wounded soldier onto his back, then bent over and trotted toward the rear, all while making way for Squad E, which was advancing. The wounded soldier panted heavily in Dugu Qiu's ear, spraying blood and saliva onto his clothes. "Thanks, brother."

Startled, Dugu Qiu quickly replied, "I don't dare accept that. I truly don't dare."

The agonized wounded soldier actually chuckled softly on his shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of teasing. "That's a beating with the military rod for you, brother."

"Mm. Mm." Dugu Qiu grunted a few times and finally remembered the battlefield language regulations long taught on Changsheng Island. "Serving the brothers."

"That's right." The wounded soldier let out another soft chuckle, which then turned into faint groans of pain.

The "Thanks" and "Serving the brothers" they had just exchanged were both part of the military language of Changsheng Island. In the military regulations invented by Huang Shi, it was stipulated that a soldier receiving help must say "Thank you" or "Thanks," while a soldier helping another, if it was a personal matter, had to answer "You're welcome," and if it was an official matter, had to answer "Serving the brothers." Although this was pure formalism through and through, Huang Shi believed that even formal polite language would help strengthen the internal cohesion of Changsheng Island and simultaneously form Changsheng Island's own unique culture — Huang Shi did not know if this was the so-called "corporate culture."

Of course, failing to use this polite language would not actually result in a beating with the military rod. The wounded soldier's words were a joke at the expense of Dugu Qiu, the new recruit. But under Huang Shi's supervision, the officers and soldiers of Changsheng Island had to practice this polite language extensively every day. Huang Shi had always had an obsession, bordering on paranoia, with this kind of "spiritual civilization" construction work.

After carrying the wounded soldier to safety, Dugu Qiu was already dog-tired. When he let go and placed the wounded soldier on the ground, the wounded soldier accidentally let his palm touch the ground and immediately howled in pain again.

Looking at the wounded soldier holding up both hands and grimacing with his mouth wide open, Dugu Qiu could not help but ask, "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Damn it, it hurts like hell, but it's way better than a military rod beating, and better than being dead." The wounded soldier sat on the ground with his good leg crossed, sucking in cold air. As Dugu Qiu ran back toward the battlefield, the soldier shouted another line after him: "Thanks, brother."

Upon hearing this thanks, Dugu Qiu felt an inexplicable stirring in his heart. Without turning his head, he yelled back, "Serving the brothers."

At this moment, Huang Shi was still watching the progress of Firefighting Battalion Squad B. In his view, this squad was fighting extremely well. The banners of the three Later Jin Banner Lords were already in sight. Now, Squad B only needed to rout the enemy before them and hold the position. Once the auxiliaries cleared away the obstacles, Huang Shi would have opened the road home, and the cavalry unit in his hands could be rapidly committed to battle.

Huang Shi mentally calculated the casualties on both sides — Huang Taiji, are you willing to trade lives with me or not? The three allied forces on my side, including the Vanguard Battalion, are exhausted and have no armor. Right now, they are a complete burden. I must also divide my forces to protect them. But if you fight me to the point of mutual destruction, the swords and spears in their hands are not just for show either. At least the wounded from my two battalions will have someone to help carry them home, but your subordinates will all become severed heads.

"Wild boars, truly wild boars." Mang Gultai had stopped biting his nails. Seeing the Ming army surge past the third row of cheval de frise, he had already resolved to give up. "Next time, we must bring more crossbows. Yes, and we must find a way to get cannons."

Daišan stared at the seven niru in front, who had thrown away their helmets and armor, speechless. The last Plain White Banner niru was also being beaten back step by step, and its collapse seemed only a matter of time. Four hundred Ming soldiers, in a single bayonet charge, had taken a prepared position stubbornly defended by twice their number of Later Jin troops. Among these worthless wretches, the ones retreating the fastest were the Plain Blue Banner fellows, and their chief had already put on an expression admitting defeat.

"All-out counterattack! Drive the Ming army back!" Huang Taiji, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly let out a furious roar. He waved his right arm repeatedly. The hundred-plus personal Heavy Armor Soldiers and two Plain White Banner niru behind him bypassed his command banner and pressed toward the battlefield with swords and blades drawn.

Mang Gultai's eyes widened like ox bells. "What are you doing?"

"Oboi, have the heavy cavalry get ready." The furious look on Huang Taiji's face flashed and disappeared. Now his tone had returned to calm.

"Ja."

After giving the order, Huang Taiji first glanced at the sun sinking in the west, then said coldly, "My Plain White Banner will fight to the death to hold back the Changsheng Army. When the armored soldiers are spent, I will fill in with unarmored bannermen."

"What exactly are you trying to do?" This time, it was not only Mang Gultai asking; even Daišan shouted, "The defensive line has already been broken through. Even if we hold until nightfall, it will just be a chaotic melee." If the defensive line had not been broken, the Later Jin army could have relied on the fortifications to resist. Climbing thorn-covered cheval de frise in the dark was far too difficult.

"I want exactly a night battle." Huang Taiji's tone was exceptionally resolute. He pointed at Huang Shi's great banner across the way. "Tonight, issue blades to all unarmored soldiers and fight Huang Shi to the death!"

Daišan and Mang Gultai shouted together, "Are you mad? In a night battle, we dare not raise torches. We won't be able to see the banners at all, nor command the troops. Victory or defeat will be unpredictable."

Without a second thought, Huang Taiji countered them both, "Unpredictable victory or defeat means victory is possible, correct?"

"No." Daišan immediately retorted. He pointed at the surrounding terrain and yelled, "Even though it's no longer cold enough to freeze a man to death, the most likely outcome is that both sides will just hack at each other wildly in the dark forest all night. Half of us and half of the Ming army will die. Then at dawn, both sides will gather their troops and go home."

Mang Gultai also interjected, "Even if we win, a single night battle will cost at least several thousand dead." The troops Huang Taiji and the others had brought today were all bannermen. For the sake of secrecy, their army contained not a single Han or Han soldier. "Behind Huang Shi is the Ming state with sixty million adult males. Excluding the Han, we have fewer than seventy thousand adult males. Including the Han, it's only four hundred thousand. We cannot trade lives with them." Mang Gultai emphasized his tone. "A single battle like Nanguan cost nearly two thousand dead. We can no longer afford battles like that. We—can—not—afford—to—lose—several—thousand—men!"

Huang Taiji slowly shook his head, his eyes full of sorrow and regret. "Today is entirely my fault. If I had not wanted to minimize deaths, if I had ordered the entire army to assault the Ming army from the very start, if I had been willing to sacrifice several thousand men in front of the defensive line... we would certainly have been able to hold this line. Then tomorrow, we could have annihilated the hunger- and thirst-stricken Ming army completely."

The deep pain and sorrow in these words silenced Mang Gultai and Daišan for a moment. They heard Huang Taiji's tone instantly become impassioned again. "But we cannot compound one mistake with another!"

Huang Taiji turned his head to look at Mang Gultai, his tone shifting once more to severity. "If we do not destroy the Changsheng Army here today, then in a year or two, it will no longer be a matter of 'losing—several—thousand—men'!"

"Let us leave our fate to Heaven," Huang Taiji raised his head to gaze at the firmament, his voice filled with confidence. "The Mandate of Heaven is with me. Tonight, we will surely annihilate the Changsheng Army completely and slay Huang Shi in formation!"

"The heavy cavalry is ready." Oboi ran back.

"Good." Huang Taiji waved his arm again. "Follow me. We are going to drive the Ming army back."

"Why won't you go? Do you not know that Military Commander Huang needs reinforcements?" Shang Kexi grabbed Deng Ken by the collar and let out a hoarse, exhausted roar.

"The General ordered me to lead the artillery unit and hold Fuzhou firmly." Deng Ken stared unflinchingly into the pair of ox-like eyes before him and replied icily, "As a unit officer, abandoning my post without authorization means, according to regulations, my head will be displayed as a warning."

"It's clearly because Military Commander Huang's orders can no longer get through." Shang Kexi was so anxious that he shook Deng Ken back and forth, making his head bob like a rattle-drum. "You can exercise discretion."

"On our Changsheng Island, there is no such thing as expediency," Li Yunrui, standing nearby, explained on Deng Ken's behalf in an identically icy tone. "The military orders of our Changsheng Island cannot be moved by heaven or shifted by earth."