Chapter 39: The Great Battle 3

Zu Kuan and Li Chongjin were somewhat surprised—in truth, they had only meant to ask for a portion. After all, the Tianxiong Army was the main force, while the Liaodong troops were guest soldiers. Moreover, this was a force personally led by a court heavyweight like the Commander-General of Five Provinces; asking for too much would be unreasonable. They had to leave some face for the Governor-General.

The two men had not expected Lu Xiangsheng to be so generous, actually giving up the lion's share of the spoils.

Zu Kuan hastily declined: "We can't accept this! We can't! Let's make it seven for you, Commander, and three for us—anything more would be too much!"

Lu Xiangsheng laughed: "Enough, no more refusing. As long as we win battles, a little wealth means nothing. Besides, the military pay and provisions allocated by the court have already arrived at Ruzhou. Once we lift the siege of Ruyang and drive the bandits into the mountains, we'll go to Ruzhou to rest and recuperate. We'll distribute the pay and provisions then—our soldiers have braved life and death, so they should send some silver home to their families, and a letter to report that they're safe!"

Zu and Li went along with the flow and accepted. Beside them, Zu Qianjun hurried back to tell the Liaodong troops the good news. Before long, cheers rang out from the Liaodong ranks, while the Tianxiong Army still stood in neat formation, eyes fixed straight ahead. Zu Kuan and Li Chongjin looked upon the Tianxiong Army's strict military bearing with admiration, their earlier contempt vanishing without a trace.

Next, Lu Xiangsheng had the soldiers dig several large pits to bury all the bandit corpses. The bodies of the fallen government soldiers were cremated, their ashes gathered and placed into ceramic jars carried by the army. The army scribes wrote each fallen soldier's name and place of origin on white paper, then carefully stored the jars in carts lined with straw.

The captured wealth was divided into two large portions, to be distributed to the soldiers after camp was set.

In this battle, over ten thousand bandits were killed or wounded. The Tianxiong Army lost twenty-three dead and 125 wounded; the Liaodong cavalry lost fifty-one dead and 165 wounded. They captured over four hundred intact war horses, more than thirty thousand taels of gold and silver, and countless weapons and armor—it could be called a complete victory.

After everything was properly arranged, Lu Xiangsheng ordered a return to camp to rest and prepare for battle.

The outer bandits defeated by Lu Xiangsheng fled back to the main camp. Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong had already received word.

The two men led their subordinate commanders to the outskirts of the main camp. Routed soldiers kept streaming back, throwing themselves down haphazardly outside the camp palisade—some sat leaning against the wooden fence, gasping for breath, every one of them having long since discarded their weapons. Some, afraid they had run too slowly, had even stripped off their lamellar armor and helmets and thrown them away. Some crouched on the ground vomiting uncontrollably; others knelt weeping silently, for their family members or close friends had already fallen beneath the government cavalry's horses.

Gao Yingxiang watched the scene before him with a grim expression. He was a typical Northwestern man—tall and powerfully built, with a square face, thick brows, large eyes, a straight nose, and a wide mouth. He wore black lamellar armor and a white wide-brimmed felt hat adorned with a large red tassel.

From the time he had raised the banner of revolt in his hometown of Suide in the second year of Chongzhen, seven years had now passed. His forces had grown from fewer than a thousand men to his current strength of over ten thousand cavalry and tens of thousands of infantry. His power was the most formidable of all the rebels, and most rebel leaders secretly already regarded him as their chief.

Especially in recent years, he had led his subordinates to repeated victories over government forces, earning himself a considerable reputation. Numerous small bandit bands came flocking to join him, rapidly expanding his strength and boosting his prestige. Even Hong Chengchou, long renowned for his cunning and martial prowess, feared him like a snake or scorpion, not daring to face him head-on.

He had never expected to suffer such a heavy loss at little Ruyang. Rage burned in his heart, but because outsiders like Zhang Xianzhong were present, he forcibly suppressed his fury and did not give vent to it immediately.

Just then, his capable subordinate commander Huang Long—known as One Valley Grain—hurried up to him, gave a rough fist-and-palm salute, and reported loudly: "Dashing King, we've lost quite a few of our lads this time. That damned Dry Rooster heard the government troops were coming to suppress us and took his thousand-odd cavalry to grab the glory for himself. Didn't expect to run into a hard nut this time—he got himself killed, and of his thousand-odd riders, only a few dozen came back. We've taken a heavy loss this time!"

Hearing this, Gao Yingxiang's fury burned even hotter. A thousand-odd cavalry—that was the apple of his eye, the very capital that allowed him to look down upon all other heroes.

He had over ten thousand cavalry in total, and nearly a tenth had been lost this time. He wished he could resurrect that damned Dry Rooster just to cut him into a thousand pieces all over again.

As for those infantry, they were nothing but refugees anyway. As long as he had grain, he could have as many as he wanted—however many died, he wouldn't feel a pang.

In order to appear composed and magnanimous before Zhang Xianzhong, who had come to join forces, he could only suppress his urge to grab a blade and start hacking. Taking a deep breath, he asked in as calm a tone as he could manage: "Do you know where these government troops came from? Who's leading them? How many men do they have?"

Huang Long replied: "I asked the lads who escaped. The government troops have a large cavalry force, a full ten thousand riders or more. When those damned government troops were chasing us, they were shouting—their accents were very strange. Some of the lads said they might have come from beyond the pass. Before the fighting started, the lads saw the banner the government infantry was carrying. One former government deserter said he'd seen that banner before—it seemed to be the great banner of Lu the King of Hell!"

Gao Yingxiang's expression changed at these words, and Zhang Xianzhong, who had been watching the commotion, also grew solemn.

Gao Yingxiang knew well that this time they faced a formidable enemy. As far as he knew, government forces in the interior rarely fielded cavalry in groups of ten thousand. Though deserters tended to exaggerate, the government cavalry opposite them should number at least several thousand at minimum. So where had these government cavalry come from?

There was only one place—the Liaodong cavalry stationed beyond Shanhai Pass to guard against the Jurchen. That was a fierce force raised on vast amounts of silver and grain invested by the court. It was precisely because of this army's existence that those Jurchen barbarians had never managed to break through the pass in all these years.

He had never expected the court to go to such lengths this time, dispatching the Guan-Ning cavalry across thousands of li into the interior. Were they not afraid the Jurchen would seize the opportunity to breach the pass?

As for Lu Xiangsheng, he too was a man Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong greatly dreaded. Among the many bandits who had joined the fold, quite a few had crossed swords with Lu Xiangsheng. At the mere mention of his name, these bandits feared him like a tiger, all saying he could not be overcome by force. "Lu the King of Hell" was precisely the nickname given to him by the many bandits who had suffered heavy losses at his hands.

Gao Yingxiang's blazing fury had already turned to nothing. He turned to Zhang Xianzhong beside him and said: "Brother Zhang, these government troops mean trouble this time. You and I need to figure out a way to drive them off first. Come on, let's go to my tent and talk it over!"

Zhang Xianzhong nodded gravely in agreement. Gao Yingxiang ordered Huang Long to send out more men to scout the government troops' movements, and to pull back the forces preparing to attack Ruyang county town for rest. Then he strode toward his own tent, with his key subordinates and Zhang Xianzhong's party following behind.

Once inside the main tent, Gao Yingxiang seated himself in the central great chair. Zhang Xianzhong naturally took a seat with his subordinates in the row of chairs on the left, while Gao Yingxiang's commanders sat in the row on the right.

After everyone was seated, Gao Yingxiang announced in a loud voice: "Brother Zhang, when you came to join me this time, I'd planned to take Ruyang city and split the gold, silver, and women inside with you half and half. Never expected the government troops to arrive so fast! I don't think it was someone in the city tipping them off—this bunch of government troops must have been nearby and just happened to come upon us. Damn it all! This has ruined my plans! Brother, tell me—what should we do next?"

Zhang Xianzhong had brought over twenty thousand men to join forces this time. His force had more infantry than cavalry. Though he had taken a few county towns, Cao Bianjiao had raided him several times with several hundred cavalry. Though his main strength was intact, he had been badly harassed. Lacking cavalry to counter Cao Bianjiao's charges, if that young Cao struck him a few more times, then aside from his few thousand trusted followers, the rest would likely scatter and desert. Moreover, his grain supplies were running low. In desperation, he had thought of seeking refuge with Gao Yingxiang, hoping to catch his breath and recuperate under his protection. Once he followed Gao Yingxiang in taking a few cities and seized enough silver and grain, he could secretly build up his own strength, and once he had enough power, part ways with Gao Yingxiang.

After all, Zhang Xianzhong was a proud man. Though he himself was a former government deserter, he despised Gao Yingxiang and his bunch of mud-footed peasants from the bottom of his heart. He was only bending his pride now because circumstances forced him to.

Zhang Xianzhong pondered for a moment, then said: "Dashing King, if Old Zhang isn't mistaken, these government cavalry should have come from Liaodong. That's not something we can withstand. Those Liaodong barbarians fight with a savage ferocity, and then there's that Lu the King of Hell—he's no easy mark either. I've heard that though Lu the King of Hell is a scholar, he's skilled with a great saber and leads the charge himself in battle, fighting to the death. Those Hebei fellows under him are all desperate fighters too. Dashing King, we took up arms to eat well and drink well, not to throw our lives away for nothing. I think we shouldn't meet them head-on. Better we avoid them for now. Those Liaodong barbarians won't stay inside the pass for long. Once the Jurchen barbarians see the outside of the pass is undefended, they'll surely launch an attack, and then the Emperor will have to recall these Liaodong barbarians back beyond the pass. Without those Liaodong cavalry, even if Lu the King of Hell is formidable, I wouldn't fear him. Dashing King, what do you think?"

After Zhang Xianzhong finished speaking, Gao Yingxiang fell into deep thought. Though he too was unwilling to fight a pitched battle against the powerful Liaodong cavalry and Lu Xiangsheng's troops, and feared his own cavalry would suffer too many losses, leaving his strength greatly diminished—at which point the bandits who now relied on him would no longer show him the same respect—still...

But retreating without a fight, he was somewhat unwilling to accept. Several hundred thousand roving bandits had gathered near Ruyang this time. His own tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry were the largest and most powerful force among them. Zhang Xianzhong's several tens of thousands came second only to his. Then there were dozens of other bandit bands of various sizes, each bringing several thousand to ten thousand men. Though most were a motley rabble, picking one in ten, one could still find several tens of thousands of capable fighters among these hundreds of thousands. But those were the core assets of the various bandit leaders—if he truly asked them all to commit those to a desperate fight against the government troops, the vast majority would surely refuse.

Though everyone vaguely regarded him as their leader, it was in truth a very loose alliance. He did not possess the authority to rally hundreds with a single call.

Moreover, if this time they truly avoided this government force as Zhang Xianzhong suggested, failing to take Ruyang city would be no great matter. But if word spread that he, Gao Yingxiang, sat atop several hundred thousand men yet feared a mere ten thousand government troops, his prestige among the roving bandits would suffer a severe blow.

In recent years, watching his strength gradually grow and his battles against government forces end in victory after victory, Gao Yingxiang had shed his early mentality of being content with small gains. The ambitions in his mind had gradually swelled beyond control. He now harbored greater ambitions and pursuits—and these pursuits were not mere fantasies but things that could actually be achieved.

At this thought, Gao Yingxiang made up his mind.

Straightening himself in his seat, he slowly began: "Brother Zhang, I know your nickname is Yellow Tiger. Among all these rebel armies, you're a man who counts for something. Why are you shrinking your balls today? A paltry bunch of Liaodong barbarians, plus one Lu the King of Hell, has you pissing your pants? We have several hundred thousand men—are we going to be scared off by ten thousand government troops? If word of this gets out, I, Gao Yingxiang, can't afford the shame! Even if we withdraw, we can't do it without fighting at least one battle. We have to test the mettle of those government troops! Here's what we'll do—this time I'm putting up three thousand of my old camp cavalry and five thousand infantry to fight the government troops! Among my three thousand cavalry are many barbarian veterans from the frontier garrisons—they fight with real grit! That old bastard Hong Chengchou took a heavy loss at my hands too—now when he hears my name, he steers well clear! This time we'll fight the government troops head-on. Don't be afraid, brothers. Even if we lose by some chance, it's no matter—I still have over ten thousand elite cavalry in reserve. If we can't win in a straight fight, the government troops will have taken heavy losses too, and I doubt they'll dare pursue us. Once the government troops' edge is blunted, we can go wherever we please—what can they do about it? I'm putting my blood and treasure on the line this time. You all do as you see fit!"

When Gao Yingxiang's subordinates heard their Dashing King speak with such boldness, and given that they had suffered almost no defeats against government forces in recent years—though this government force was indeed powerful, their own side had overwhelming numbers, and if it truly came to a desperate fight, the outcome was still anyone's guess.

Han Liang of the Passing Heavenly Star stood up and shouted: "Damn it all! They're just a bunch of bear government troops! My blade has lopped off more government heads than I can count! Our Dashing King has spoken—anyone who doesn't obey orders, Old Han will run them through with my knife!" The rest of Gao Yingxiang's commanders also rose to their feet, shouting and clamoring, and the scene grew lively at once.

Zhang Xianzhong was furious inwardly, his expression turning extremely ugly. What he hated most was being threatened and coerced. He suddenly stood up, about to explode, when his adopted son Sun Kewang of the Wall-Plugging tugged at his elbow. Zhang Xianzhong came to his senses at once.

His eyes darted around, then he burst into loud laughter: "Brother Han speaks sense! Who would dare disobey the Dashing King's orders! Old Zhang will contribute two thousand infantry—all veterans who've followed me through over a hundred battles great and small. I'm putting up my capital this time too. Old Zhang obeys the Dashing King!"

Seeing the situation, the other bandit leaders, whatever their true feelings, also voiced their commitments one after another. This one offered eight hundred, that one a thousand. In the end, they assembled fifty thousand men, all elite troops from their personal forces.

Of these fifty thousand, only Gao Yingxiang's three thousand were cavalry. All the other bandit leaders, great and small, sent infantry. Gao Yingxiang knew that most bandit leaders had few cavalry to begin with—even if they had a few hundred or a few dozen riders, those were kept as their lifeline. Naturally, he could hardly force them to bring those out.

Even as he secretly scorned them, he also felt deep pride that his own forces were so formidable.

He rose to his feet, hands on his hips, and swept his gaze about with the bearing of one who looks down upon all heroes. Raising one hand, he gave the order in a loud voice: "Now this is how men who accomplish great things behave! Old Han, send someone to tell Huang Long to muster three thousand cavalry and five thousand infantry! Also, go prepare rice and white flour, slaughter fifty sheep and boil them up. Once everyone's troops are assembled, we'll eat together—eat till we're full! Don't let the lads go into battle on empty stomachs. Go now, go!" Han Liang of the Passing Heavenly Star acknowledged the order and left. Zhang Xianzhong and the other outside leaders also rose and took their leave, returning to their own camps to muster their men and prepare for battle.

Zhang Xianzhong led his adopted sons Sun Kewang, Liu Wenxiu, Li Dingguo, and others back to his own camp.

Entering the main tent, Zhang Xianzhong sat down in the great chair with a dark expression.

Sun Kewang stepped forward, saluted, and asked: "Godfather, are we truly going to send our veterans out to die? We may have tens of thousands of men, but our old camp elite troops number only a little over five thousand. If we commit two thousand at once and the government troops prove tough, and we suffer heavy losses, we'll be ruined. Our great enterprise will be hard to accomplish afterward!"

Zhang Xianzhong slammed the table and burst into curses: "To hell with it! Damn Dashing King! I came here to share in the spoils, not to die for him! For the sake of his own reputation, he insists on butting heads with the government troops—and drags our men into it too! Are those Liaodong barbarians easy to deal with? And that Lu the King of Hell—we already took losses at the hands of Young General Cao's few hundred cavalry. Against several thousand Liaodong cavalry, would we have any chance of survival? And that damn Passing Heavenly Star! A snot-nosed nobody dares threaten me! Sooner or later I'll skin him alive! You lot rest easy—Old Zhang will never send his veterans to die for that surnamed Gao!"

Sun Kewang said worriedly: "Godfather, Gao the Dashing King is battle-hardened. If we don't send our veterans, he'll see through it at a glance. If he calls us out before everyone then, what do we do? We still have to rely on him for now."

Zhang Xianzhong sneered: "Right now, dozens of rebel bands are gathered together. Each family sends a different number of troops, and there's no unified command. Fifty thousand men is no small number—once they're all gathered together, who knows what chaos will ensue. Gao Yingxiang still has to feed everyone to win hearts—it'll take at least two hours to assemble. We'll keep our composure and bring our troops over when they're just about ready. Kewang and I will lead the troops to face the government forces. Wenxiu, Dingguo, you few stay behind and watch the camp. Don't worry—once the fighting starts, we absolutely won't go forward. We'll hang back on the sidelines, and if things look bad, we pull out. That's settled! Kewang, go muster the troops—pick a thousand veterans, and for the rest, anyone will do. Those veterans are to protect our lives in case our side collapses. Dingguo, go to Gao Yingxiang's camp and ask for grain—say the Dashing King can't manage to feed fifty thousand men all at once, so give us our grain and we'll cook for ourselves!" Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo saluted and departed to carry out their orders.