Chapter 266: Section 23: Scaling the City

Huang Shi, please rise.

Mao Wenlong jumped off his horse and helped Huang Shi up. He gripped Huang Shi's shoulders tightly with both hands, tilted his head and studied Huang Shi carefully for a moment, then suddenly clapped him on the shoulders several times with both hands at once: "Fine Huang Shi, worthy to be a true son and real man of our Liaodong."

"The Grand Commander overpraises me." Huang Shi had by now also carefully scrutinized Mao Wenlong. He had seen Mao Wenlong once before, when he went to Dongjiang Island to receive the silver arrow of command. Compared to a few years ago, Mao Wenlong looked much older. Now the corners of his eyes were densely covered with crow's feet, and his cheeks were lined with wrinkles deep and shallow. This made Huang Shi sigh softly despite himself: "The Grand Commander has toiled hard, you truly look aged."

These words provoked a burst of hearty laughter from Mao Wenlong. As he strode toward the camp gate, he asked loudly in return: "Huang Shi, do you think you are still young? When we first met on Dongjiang five years ago, you still looked like a rash, clueless youth. After a few years of scrambling and fighting in Liaodong, you now look a full ten years older."

"The Grand Commander speaks truly."

Mao Wenlong strode swiftly into Huang Shi's command tent and, without standing on ceremony with Huang Shi, sat down in the center seat. He sighed comfortably as he pounded his lower back with his fist. Even while pounding his back, he still put on a brave front for Huang Shi: "Huang Shi, don't you dare look down on your Grand Commander in your heart. Ha ha, nearing sixty, I can still ride fierce horses and lead armies across thousands of li. By the time you reach this age, I reckon you won't even have half my ability!"

As he spoke, Mao Wenlong removed his helmet and casually placed it on the table before him. The last time Huang Shi had seen Mao Wenlong, his temples were only lightly frosted, but now his head was full of silver threads. Hardly a few black hairs remained.

"Assistant Regional Commander Huang."

"Greetings, Assistant Regional Commander Huang."

A group of Dongjiang officers who had followed Mao Wenlong now also crowded into Huang Shi's central army tent, vying to salute and greet Huang Shi.

"General Mao."

"Assistant Regional Commander Huang."

Among them were Huang Shi's former sworn elder brother Kong Youde, and Geng Zhongming, who had been to Jinzhou before.

Kong Youde, now serving as a Mobile Corps Commander of a battalion, smiled slightly as he clasped fists with Right Chief Commissioner Huang Shi, then withdrew to the side and sat down. Geng Zhongming, on the other hand, chatted quite warmly with Huang Shi for several sentences before happily going to sit beside Kong Youde.

After resting a while, Mao Wenlong proceeded to inquire about the offensive and defensive situation at Haizhou. The defending troops inside Haizhou city were not very numerous; by Huang Shi's estimate, there were about four hundred armored soldiers, plus over a thousand Han troops and some civilians assisting in the defense. As for cannons, there were about forty, four of which looked like eighteen-pounders.

Hearing Huang Shi say it would take another seven days to complete siege preparations, Mao Wenlong's expression immediately turned grave. He raised his eyes to look at the ceiling of the main camp, muttering calculations under his breath, and finally shook his head: "Too dangerous. Our army has many old and young; we must start heading back within seven days, or it won't be safe. Prepare to assault the city — we must take Haizhou within three days!"

Huang Shi fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. The Dongjiang Left Brigade had few scouts, able to provide at most one day's warning, and from here to Joseon was a journey of a thousand li — there was absolutely no way to guarantee that over a hundred thousand refugees could escape pursuit by the Later Jin light cavalry. For safety's sake, it was of course prudent for Mao Wenlong to return early. But even though Mao Wenlong wanted to advance the attack, building siege equipment alone would take many days, not to mention the cannons on Haizhou's walls. Huang Shi pondered repeatedly but could not conceive a plan to take Haizhou within three days.

Strangely, the various commanders of the Dongjiang main force all seemed to already understand Mao Wenlong's plan thoroughly. They rose in unison and voiced: "Orders received."

Then everyone dispersed, apparently each going off to make pre-battle preparations. Huang Shi, puzzled at heart, did not leave. He waited until the crowd had all dispersed, then clasped his fist toward Mao Wenlong: "Grand Commander."

"Mm, Huang Shi, you have always handled matters on your own, so you probably don't yet know this commander's method of warfare." Mao Wenlong extended his right hand and pressed it downward, signaling that he understood the confusion in Huang Shi's heart. Mao Wenlong's eyes narrowed slightly, as if with a touch of sorrow, and his voice also became low and deep: "Tomorrow we will storm Haizhou. Tomorrow, many fine sons of Liaodong will stain the battlefield with their blood."

Huang Shi's tone rose slightly: "Grand Commander!"

"I know what you want to say." Mao Wenlong waved his hand, cutting off Huang Shi's statement, and his tone returned to calm: "So many sons of Liaodong come to rally to me not merely to save their lives, but also to exact their blood debt from the Jian slaves. This commander is determined to take Haizhou — not only for the supplies in the city, but also to seal the mouths of the petty men in the imperial court, lest they again say our Dongjiang Army wastes military funds and withhold the grain that keeps us alive."

A brief silence fell between the two Chief Commissioners, and in the end it was again Mao Wenlong who broke it: "The general is the army's courage. Huang Shi, since you have doubts about storming Haizhou, you will be responsible tomorrow for blocking the four gates, to prevent the Tartars from coming out to cause trouble."

"As ordered, Grand Commander."

Early the next morning, Huang Shi, Jin Qiude, and the others saw the men of the Dongjiang main force erect a row of tall platforms. These platforms looked just like the stages for grand operas. Not only did they look the part, but chairs were also placed opposite these opera-stage-like structures. Most exaggeratedly, there really were quite a few people dressed in gaudy, colorful costumes, looking just like performers, putting makeup and powder on each other.

This sight made the commanders of the Dongjiang Left Brigade look at each other in bewilderment, none knowing what trick Mao Wenlong had up his sleeve. The previous night,

Mao Wenlong had again questioned Huang Shi about the details of Haizhou's defenses, and finally settled on an assault point based on the structural map of Haizhou's walls. This assault point also somewhat puzzled Huang Shi, for it was at the corner between the east and south gates. Although this spot was less likely to be hit by cannon fire, the breach point was too narrow, unfavorable for the Dongjiang Army to exploit its superior numbers.

In Huang Shi's view, when attacking a city it was best to choose a gate to breach. That way, once successful, the main army could file in through the gate, and after nightfall the gate tower would also serve as a secure strongpoint. The corner of the wall that Mao Wenlong chose avoided most of the firepower, but could easily be blocked by enemy troops. If they could not promptly outflank to one of the city gates and capture its tower, then one careless moment after dark would undo all their previous efforts.

Although Changsheng Island had never before experienced a siege battle, Jin Qiude also disagreed with Mao Wenlong's plan: "Since we must break open a city gate anyway, why take this big detour? If we get blocked on the wall, won't we just waste time and lose men for nothing?"

"This battle is commanded by Grand Commander Mao himself. We just watch." Huang Shi gazed at the Dongjiang main force army forming up for battle. Over forty thousand Dongjiang officers and soldiers stood in a dense, dark mass covering a vast area. Their clothes were tattered, one by one, and the weapons in their hands were a mix of good and bad. Huang Shi could hardly distinguish the battle soldiers from the auxiliaries among them.

The troops of the Dongjiang Left Brigade were dispersed outside Haizhou's several city gates, preparing to stop the Later Jin soldiers inside from charging out to harm anyone, and also guarding against the enemy breaking out and fleeing. The Left Brigade's Dongjiang troops were arrayed in neat formations. Several thousand battle soldiers in gleaming armor stood in the front ranks, while large numbers of Left Brigade auxiliaries bustled behind them.

"Take Haizhou, and feast on meat to your hearts' content."

Facing the rising morning sun, fervent shouts rose from the Dongjiang main force's position. With the boom of a cannon, countless men hoisted earth sacks onto their backs and charged vyingly toward Haizhou's moat. The Later Jin defenders inside the city had long been watching them, but seeing the Dongjiang Army sweeping toward them like a tidal wave, they were momentarily overawed. It was not until the Ming troops reached the edge of the moat that the sound of gongs and drums finally rose from Haizhou's walls.

On this counterattack into Liaodong, of the Bai family's grandfather and grandson, only the younger one had come. The old man had been too exhausted by the last long march and still had not fully recovered. Listening to the earth-shaking war drums of the Dongjiang Army behind him, Bai Youcai grabbed an earth sack, swung it fiercely onto his back, and ran head-down toward the front. He ran, and ran. The city wall ahead grew ever taller and more towering, and the sound of cannon fire from the opposite side grew ever clearer, but none of this could make Bai Youcai stop his steps.

Bai Youcai followed dumbly in the footsteps of the brother ahead. Mm, they dropped their loads and dodged aside. Bai Youcai's vision suddenly opened wide — the broad moat abruptly appeared before his eyes. Without hesitation, Bai Youcai bent and swung; the earth sack on his back flew into the moat. With a great booming splash, the earth sack sent up a spray of water that splashed all over Bai Youcai.

Bai Youcai turned and glanced at the moat. His earth sack had vanished beneath the ripples the moment it was thrown. As he turned to run back, he saw a stray arrow flash past before his eyes. Bai Youcai had witnessed such scenes many times before: "The Jian slaves on the wall have only this much skill. They will keep shooting arrows, but this cannot stop us. We will surely make them pay blood for blood."

Scattered cries of pain reached his ears. Bai Youcai jogged all the way back to the starting point, where a large group of bare-chested Dongjiang soldiers were swiftly shoveling earth and filling sacks.

A row of Dongjiang officers holding large numbers of white tally sticks stood right before them. One of them thrust a white tally stick into Bai Youcai's hand with a chopping motion: "Hold it well, brother."

Then he clapped him on the shoulder: "Well done, brother."

Bai Youcai said nothing more. He ran all the way to the small mountain of piled earth sacks before stopping his steps. Like the others, he spread his legs, bent his waist, and then a shout came to his ears: "Catch it well, brother."

Another heavy cloth sack landed on Bai Youcai's back. He grunted, lifted his feet, and ran again toward Haizhou. He ran, and ran. In a blink, the towering high wall appeared before his eyes again. Arrows kept shooting down from the wall. A chilling arrow shot swiftly and lodged in the earth in front of Bai Youcai's feet, but he paid it no heed whatsoever. With a great shout, he hurled the earth sack toward the moat.

This time what splashed out was muddy water. Bai Youcai's earth sack again stirred up wave after wave, and the sack he threw appeared and disappeared amid these rippling waves. Bai Youcai coughed forcefully, then turned and ran back again. Just like the previous time, he received a white tally stick, then hoisted a third sack of earth onto his back and once more set out on the journey.

This time when he ran over, the Later Jin troops had already dragged a crouching-tiger cannon to the corner of the wall. As a puff of white smoke rose from the walltop, two or three brothers to Bai Youcai's left screamed simultaneously. They dropped their earth sacks and rolled on the ground, their bodies bathed in blood.

"That was close." The thought had just flashed through Bai Youcai's mind when he found that he had already stepped onto the wet pile of earth sacks and charged straight to the foot of Haizhou's wall. Right before his eyes, a brother was smashed into the earth by a large log thrown down from above. Bai Youcai hurled his earth sack toward the wall corner and ran back on the return path, his heart full of joy.

Halfway back, Bai Youcai pulled his two white tally sticks from his trouser pocket. By the time he returned to the Dongjiang Army's position, he was already gasping for breath, utterly exhausted. Panting heavily, he vigorously waved the two white tally sticks in his hand.

"Well done, brother." The Dongjiang officer greeting Bai Youcai forcefully

stuffed the third white tally stick into his hand, then gave him a hard push on the back: "Go rest a while, brother."

Bai Youcai staggered toward the rear, his whole body so exhausted he had no strength left. He slapped all three white tally sticks onto a table, then lowered his head and panted heavily.

"Well done, brother." The person behind the table shouted in just this manner, then pushed over a bowl of fragrant, steaming meat broth, with a large chunk of meat on the bone in it. Then two large flatbreads were placed into Bai Youcai's hands.

Bai Youcai carried his portion of food and headed straight for the erected opera stages, where a grand opera was being performed to the clamor of gongs and drums. He found a spot, sat down comfortably, and together with the Dongjiang Army brothers around him, happily listened to the opera while tearing his flatbread into shreds and eating it deliciously with the meat broth.

Exhausted Dongjiang soldiers kept withdrawing from the ranks, but others kept joining them, carrying earth sacks in an endless stream toward Haizhou. Although Huang Shi stood very far away, the boiling shouts still reached his ears from afar. Huang Shi estimated that over a hundred men had already fallen in the fighting, but a great stretch of the moat had been filled in, and the earth mountain at the corner of Haizhou's wall was growing taller at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In the rear of this fierce battlefield, the opera troupe set up by the Dongjiang main force performed with fiery enthusiasm. Two to three thousand soldiers had already gathered in front of those stages, and the number was still growing. Facing the dense, dark mass of spectators, the performers in the opera stages redoubled their vigor and brought out every skill they possessed.

Huang Shi, Hong Antong behind him, and the Changsheng Island Inner Guard all gazed intently at the distant siege battle.

"Very..." Huang Shi's hand waved in the air, as if he were searching his mind for the right word. After a moment, Huang Shi shook his head and softly uttered two words, his face still carrying a trace of dissatisfaction: "Magnificent."

Hong Antong and the Inner Guards remained motionless as before. By now, their breathing had become very rapid. Hearing Huang Shi's assessment, Hong Antong and the others all nodded heavily. At that moment, the banner signals from Mao Wenlong's position changed again, and the Dongjiang Army's drumming changed accordingly.

When Mao Wenlong's banner signals changed, Sun Ergou and several of his brothers were standing to one side. An hour had passed, yet they still had not gotten their turn to go up. This truly made them frantic with impatience.

"Look!" The eldest Sun brother forcefully pointed toward the flank. His urgent cry drew the attention of everyone around, and they followed the eldest Sun brother's gaze. The sword-and-shield square formation that had been quietly waiting in the rear was now advancing. Those Dongjiang officers and soldiers had all drawn their blades and were rhythmically slapping them against the shields held in their other hands, while chanting in unison in low voices:

"Kill."

"Kill."

"Kill."

……

Geng Zhongming led his saber-and-shield soldiers toward Haizhou. More and more Later Jin soldiers gathered at the corner of the wall to resist, and they already posed a massive threat and obstruction to the unprotected sandbag-carrying teams.

"Kill."

"Kill."

Geng Zhongming, marching in the ranks, brandished his sword fiercely in the air, leading his men forward in great strides. The saber-and-shield soldiers were undoubtedly a larger and more conspicuous target. From the moment Geng Zhongming's brightly armored unit entered the Later Jin army's firing range, the enemy had not ceased shooting at them for a moment.

Thanks to the enemy artillery's repeated misfires, thanks to Mao Wenlong's highly advantageous choice of attack point, and thanks to the other friendly forces drawing away considerable attention, Geng Zhongming's three hundred saber-and-shield soldiers, by the time they reached the foot of Haizhou's wall, had been hit by only one cannon shot, losing two men. The enemy archers atop the wall already seemed very tired, but Geng Zhongming dared not be careless. At his command, the Dongjiang officers and soldiers bent their waists, held their shields before them, and pressed toward the earthen mound.

The Ming soldiers advanced all the way to the highest point of the earthen mound. Spears began stabbing down from above. The Ming saber-and-shield men clustered tightly together, straining to resist the enemy assault. From the moment they surged up, the pressure on the sandbag-carrying Ming soldiers behind them immediately lessened greatly. Those soldiers ran forward in an unbroken stream, continuously hurling sack after sack of earth at the feet of the saber-and-shield men.

The earthen mound was still steadily widening and rising. Rolling logs and boulders began to be hurled down from above onto the Ming shield formation. The Dongjiang soldiers dropped to one knee one after another, pressing their shields tightly together, jointly resisting the heavy objects thrown down by the Later Jin army, and turning them into stepping stones for climbing further upward.

The Ming archers also surged to the base of the wall. They formed a line and, in unison, drew their bows and nocked their arrows...

"Ready — loose!"

Wave after wave of arrows shot up onto the parapet. More sandbags were thrown onto the earthen mound. Geng Zhongming continuously calculated the distance to the parapet, his right arm already raised: "Javelins — ready."

The saber-and-shield soldiers in the rear ranks each carried three javelins on their backs. At the command, they unfastened their javelins one after another and held them ready in their hands.

"Throw!"

"Throw!"

"Throw!"

Three successive volleys of covering throws completed, Geng Zhongming let out a great roar and was the first to leap onto the battlements. His retainers and personal guard squad followed close behind. The other saber-and-shield men also shouted their war cries in unison, closely following those ahead as they charged up the peak of the earthen mound and hurled themselves onto the parapet of Haizhou...