Chapter 255: Before the Battle

In late June of the tenth year of Chongzhen, after more than half a month of long-distance marching, Vice Regional Commander Mao Yuanyi of the Yongwei Camp led an army of twenty thousand to arrive at Songshan. After brief pleasantries with Shen Shiyu and Zhang Dou, who had come to greet him, the army entered the simple military camp that the logistics battalion had built outside Songshan city walls ahead of time, while Mao Yuanyi, accompanied by Shen Shiyu and Zhang Dou, entered the city to pay respects to Hong Chengchou.

"I have long heard of the great reputation of Zhisheng being accomplished in both letters and arms, and today I finally meet you in person! The *Wubei Zhi* that Zhisheng compiled is vast and complex, all-encompassing and profound—truly a magnificent work! In my spare time I especially enjoy reading it by lamplight, and every time I close the book I cannot help but sigh in admiration. When I gain insights from it, I put them into practice on the battlefield, and the results are excellent! Zhisheng's talent is something I cannot match!"

In the study at the rear courtyard of the Songshan city Garrison Commander's office, Hong Chengchou held Mao Yuanyi's hands, making no effort to hide his appreciation for this great talent.

Mao Yuanyi's *Wubei Zhi* was completed during the Tianqi era, comprising two hundred and forty volumes in total, composed of five parts: Military Formulas Commentary, Strategic Examinations, Formation Training System, Military Supplies Compendium, and Divination and Survey Records. It could be called the culmination of military treatises of all dynasties, and also a historical masterpiece of inestimable value. But at the time it was not valued by the court, high or low, so the number of copies printed was not many. Hong Chengchou was fortunate enough to own a complete set and carried it with him wherever he went. Whenever he had spare time from suppressing bandits, he would flip through it, holding Mao Yuanyi's talent in the highest esteem, but he had never had the opportunity to meet the man himself.

"Lord Hong flatters me! This humble official is merely good at armchair strategy! When it comes to suppressing bandits and pacifying the people, Lord Hong's decade of achievement has drawn the world's attention—that is what truly makes a pillar of the state. I fear I could never in my lifetime hope to match Lord Hong! How can you speak of not being able to match me? I am deeply unworthy of such praise!"

Although Mao Yuanyi held the post of Vice Regional Commander of the Yongwei Camp, Hong Chengchou treated him as a civil official, and their conversation used the tone and forms of address between literati. And although Mao Yuanyi had never passed the imperial examinations, he had always considered himself a man of letters. Moreover, coming from an official family background, he maintained a demeanor of neither humility nor arrogance when facing a senior minister like Hong Chengchou.

After the formal greetings, the four took their seats as host and guests. Liaodong Governor Fang Yizao had sent word that he was ill and did not attend, and Hong Chengchou had not summoned a single one of the Liaoxi generals.

After the personal guards served tea and withdrew, at Hong Chengchou's signal, Shen Shiyu rose from his seat and stood to the side, giving a brief briefing on the enemy situation at Yizhou while pointing at the map hanging on the wall. The pre-battle council formally began.

"Lord Hong, may I ask how many enemies are at Guangning? It is only a few dozen li from Yizhou. If their defenses are weak, why not take it as well? That would add another layer of protection to the northeast of Jinzhou. Afterward, we could send conscripted laborers to repair the abandoned Dalinghe Fort. In this way, Liaoxi would be as secure as an iron bucket!"

After looking at the map and understanding the general situation, Mao Yuanyi clasped his hands and posed the question.

In his view, Yizhou, defended by fewer than two thousand Jianzhou barbarians, was ripe for the taking. Why not seize the opportunity to expand the gains and extend the battle line toward the northeast?

"What Zhisheng speaks of, I have also considered, but the time is not yet ripe. Although Guangning is held by the enemy, the Jianzhou barbarians defending the city number only a few hundred, and taking it would not be difficult—but it would be tasteless to eat! This is because the area around Guangning is vast flatland, most suited for large bodies of cavalry to gallop freely. That is the enemy's strength and our predicament. Yizhou stands with its back to a river and has terrain to defend; Guangning is not the same, so taking Guangning would bring little benefit. His Majesty intends to gather heavy forces to attack Liaodong next spring—I believe Zhisheng has already heard something of this. But after I came here and surveyed the terrain, I feel that although an attack is feasible, the strategy must change. I intend to make Yizhou and Jinzhou our strongholds of defense, lure the main force of the Jianzhou barbarians to concentrate here, and use the narrow and elongated terrain of Ning-Jin to force a decisive battle, striving to cripple their main force in a single engagement. After that, we turn north and strike straight at their lair!"

Guangning jutted out to the northeast of Jinzhou. Unlike a city like Yizhou built against a river, it had no advantage of terrain. Its walls were not large, capable of holding only a few thousand soldiers. If it were taken and troops stationed to defend it, then once the Jianzhou barbarians gathered a great army to attack, Jinzhou and Yizhou would have to send troops to relieve it—which would mean fighting the Jianzhou barbarians in open field. Outside Guangning lay the vast, flat Liaozhong Plain, the best possible battlefield for cavalry to display their power. As for fighting the Jianzhou barbarians in the open field, Hong Chengchou had not the slightest confidence.

"Lord Hong's foresight is far greater than mine—this humble official spoke rashly! In that case, let us take Yizhou first and speak of other matters later!"

Hong Chengchou's explanation filled Mao Yuanyi with admiration. Though he had written a great military treatise and ordinarily considered himself knowledgeable about warfare, compared to Hong Chengchou, who had weathered countless brutal battles over ten years, his own vision was still not far-reaching enough. He had not thought to view the present battle in connection with next year's great campaign.

"Zhisheng's talent far surpasses that of many court officials—you simply lack experience in actual combat! I have long heard that the Yongwei Camp is the finest elite force of our Great Ming, skilled in the use of all kinds of firearms, very similar to the Divine Engine Camp founded by Emperor Taizu in his day. May I ask what unique methods Zhisheng has brought this time for siege warfare?"

Hong Chengchou said with a smile to reassure him. Though he had heard of the Yongwei Camp's reputation and knew it was the elite force the Emperor relied upon most heavily, he did not truly understand its actual combat power.

"This humble official has served in the Yongwei Camp for nearly two years. Though I have not had contact with the rest of the Great Ming's regular armies, I am quite confident in the Yongwei Camp's combat power! The Yongwei Camp has now been expanded to over forty thousand men. Thanks to His Majesty's generous treatment, the entire army has ample military pay and provisions, and there is absolutely no mistreatment of soldiers! Daily drills and exercises never cease, and the morale of the entire force is high. All possess fearless hearts and have sworn to repay His Majesty's grace with their deaths! Of the more than twenty thousand men I have brought this time, six thousand are from the Tianxiong Army formerly under Grand Secretary Lu—they have long experienced battle and their loyalty can be relied upon! The army carries one hundred medium Folangji cannons, each weighing about five hundred jin. Because they use removable chambers for loading, they can fire extremely rapidly, and thus inflict great casualties on dense enemy formations! Additionally, there are ten heavy red barbarian cannons, each weighing about fifteen hundred jin, pulled by ox-carts. Though cumbersome, they deal heavy damage to enemies several li away, and are also excellent for siege warfare! Once Yizhou is taken and they are placed atop the walls, they will truly be superb weapons for defense! To take Yizhou, firearms alone will suffice! At that time, Lord Hong need only watch from the sidelines!"

The moment the Yongwei Camp was mentioned, Mao Yuanyi's tone was filled with pride.

As far as he knew, among the several hundred thousand regular troops of the entire Great Ming, only the Yongwei Camp and the Capital Camps were primarily firearm-based. In his daily drills with his troops, the improved firearms and gunpowder produced astonishing power, which further raised the morale and confidence of the entire army.

Although Hong Chengchou had led troops for ten years, the border troops under his command were still primarily equipped with spears, sabers, and bows and crossbows, with very few soldiers using muskets. Because operations had long been mobile, and cannons were heavy and inconvenient to transport, the army possessed only a small number of tiger-crouch cannons. Larger guns like the Folangji had never even been equipped. He did have some understanding of the power of cannons, but he had never witnessed the fighting methods of a regular army equipped with large numbers of firearms. So when he heard that an army of twenty thousand actually carried one hundred Folangji cannons and ten red barbarian cannons, and heard Mao Yuanyi's utterly confident words, aside from astonishment, he was also skeptical at heart.

"Hehehe! Since Zhisheng is so confident of taking Yizhou, that puts my mind considerably at ease! This battle is of great importance and cannot afford the slightest error! Though the enemy at Yizhou are few in number, their fighting power is not ordinary. The Yongwei Camp is entirely infantry this time. To prevent the Jianzhou barbarians from charging with cavalry, Ning-Jin must dispatch cavalry to screen the infantry's flanks. Once everything is properly arranged, the army can march!"

For the sake of safety, Hong Chengchou decided he would still have to draw cavalry from the military families of Liaoxi, to prevent the Yongwei Camp from collapsing wholesale under a charge by Jianzhou barbarian cavalry.

No sooner had the Yongwei Camp arrived at Songshan than Zu Dashou of Jinzhou received the news. For this reason, he specially gathered together his two younger cousins Zu Dabi and Zu Dale, as well as the outstanding members of the younger generation such as Zu Zerun, Zu Kuan, and Wu Sangui, to discuss the matter of the capital suddenly dispatching troops beyond the pass.

"First Hong Hengjiu comes as Supreme Commander of Ji-Liao with the title of Grand Secretary, and before that Hong fellow has made any move, suddenly two thousand elite troops are sent to Ning-Jin. Could the court be planning to come down hard on us? We have guarded Liaoxi for many years—how many of our kin and sons have died here? Can the court truly not remember any of our old service? We've spent so much silver, and when it comes down to the critical moment, why haven't those senior ministers leaked even a hint?"

Zu Dashou, seated in the position of honor, furrowed his brow slightly, his tone carrying a trace of irritation.

Zu Dale and Zu Dabi exchanged a glance, then Zu Dale spoke up to console him: "Elder Brother, don't go making wild guesses. If the court wanted to deal with us, would they bother dispatching a great army? If a bunch of eunuchs and depot guards came with an imperial edict to call us to account, would we dare rebel? I've spent nearly two years inside the pass suppressing bandits, and I've heard that the Emperor's temperament is quite lenient. I haven't heard of the Emperor seizing this one and arresting that one like in the old days. We here in Liaoxi can still be put to use—the Emperor is a man who understands reason, so he shouldn't turn against us! Changbo, don't you think so?"

Zu Dale and Wu Sangui had once both served under Hong Chengchou. He knew that Wu Sangui had wide connections and knew more court secrets than he did, and his information was especially well-informed. Though his instinct told him the arrival of the court's army was not to deal with the Zu family, uncertain at heart, he still turned to Wu Sangui with the question.

Seeing that everyone in the study was looking at him, Wu Sangui—who understood that the arrival of this army might be related to next spring's campaign—clasped his fists and spoke: "What Third Uncle says is quite reasonable. I also feel that the court dispatching troops this time is not about our Liaoxi affairs. Perhaps it is to campaign against the Jianzhou barbarians, and incidentally to establish authority and warn us in Liaoxi? I am on good terms with Mr. Shen, a staff officer in Governor Hong's tent. How about I go and sound things out?"

Zu Kuan said carelessly: "Uncle, don't worry overmuch. Our Zu family isn't a band of rebels—would the court bother mobilizing a great army for us? Besides, in recent years we've obeyed the court's orders, sending troops inside the pass to suppress bandits and earning merit. The Emperor and the Grand Secretaries all remember our good service! If by some chance the court should lay blame, I'll go ask Supreme Commander Lu for a favor—I guarantee nothing will happen! But since Changbo knows people, he should hurry up and go find out, so Uncle doesn't lose sleep at night! Hahahaha!"

Zu Dale barked in rebuke: "Dakuan, have you got no filter on your mouth? Keep being so disrespectful and I'll hang you from a tree and whip you to death!"

Zu Kuan chuckled and turned his head away. Zu Dashou had no time to bother with this rascal of a nephew, and instead gave rapid instructions: "Changbo, take heavy gifts and hurry to Songshan to find Mr. Shen and sound things out. If anything comes up, come back and report immediately!"