Chapter 398: Reading the Enemy

"You may go! Udabu, the troops that lost today's battle are now under your command! Find a way to recover the bodies of our fallen clansmen, and their families and booi bondservants are also yours to distribute!"

After a Qing soldier who had entered the Ming army camp gate and narrowly escaped recounted what he had seen, Yoto immediately issued his orders.

Shang Kexi, who had been in charge of commanding the artillery batteries bombarding the Ming army's west gate, along with several janggin of the banners who had led the attack on the west gate, also came together into Yoto's tent.

Their offensive at the west gate had encountered a situation similar to the north gate, and in the end they were also repelled by the Ming army. Fortunately, their casualties were somewhat lighter than those at the north.

Udabu and that Qing soldier saluted and turned to leave the tent. Yoto watched Kong Youde and the others, then spoke: "Prince Gongshun, what are your views on today's battle? How should we counter the Ming's firearms?"

Kong Youde, who had been frowning in deep thought, started slightly, then stepped forward, saluted, and said with a bitter smile: "Reporting to Your Highness, this slave has been pondering this matter all along, but as yet I have not conceived a better method to deal with it!"

"That is to say, you already have a not-so-good method in mind? Whether good or bad, let's hear it!"

Yoto's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly urged him on.

If one were to ask who among those present was most anxious to break the enemy and win merit, it would be him.

It was only through the combined efforts of himself and Jirgalang that he had seized this opportunity to claim the foremost merit, yet in the very first battle he had been smashed bloody by the Ming army. If he could not swiftly defeat the Ming forces before him, once Dorgon and Ajige learned of this, he would surely be ridiculed for the rest of his life.

Last year's defeat could still be excused — he could blame it on the Ming army relying on their city-wall cannons to render him helpless. Though he had inflicted heavy casualties on the Ming, he simply lacked the troops to breach the city, and had no choice but to withdraw.

But this time he had come with a great army, and facing a mere few thousand Ming troops, he still could not easily break the enemy. Even if he ultimately won, his standing in Hong Taiji's eyes would plummet, which would bring tremendous harm to his family's interests.

"Reporting to Your Highness, this slave has an idea I'd like to offer for your consideration: First, we should tear down the Ming army's northern palisade camp wall, so as to have enough open ground for our great army to charge. Today's battle was a minor setback, but truly it was not because our army was incompetent — it was because we were too careless, failing to place the shield carts at the front. We only thought that a single charge through the camp gate would defeat the Ming army, but that passage wide enough for only a few dozen men could hardly allow us to deploy our forces, and that is why we suffered some casualties. As for the second point, this slave feels that Your Highness has been too lenient with those booi bondservants. This slave believes that tomorrow when we open battle, we should drive those Han booi bondservants forward as the vanguard to directly charge the Ming army's fortifications, with our elite troops following close behind. Even if the Ming army disregards the bonds of kinship and uses firearms to slaughter those Han bondservants, muskets are prone to bursting their barrels after too many discharges. Moreover, with ten thousand bondservants charging at once, how could they possibly kill them all? In this way, our army can seize the opportunity to close in and fight hand-to-hand — how could the Ming army possibly not be defeated?"

Kong Youde spoke out his plan while mulling it over. Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi, and the Qing meiren janggin and janggin of the banners in the tent all revealed expressions of approval.

In today's small-scale engagement, the Qing army from top to bottom had been careless.

"Good, good! Prince Gongshun's strategy is truly workable! After we break their formation tomorrow, I shall record you as having earned the foremost merit! This time I was indeed careless — I didn't even send out the shield carts! Previously, because I did not wish to cause too many casualties, I refrained from driving the bondservants to charge the formation, but given the current circumstances, we can no longer afford to worry about such things! Prince Gongshun, the task of destroying the Ming army's camp palisade is yours! After nightfall, send those aha slaves carrying blades, axes, and torches to destroy the northern palisade. Once the chen hour has passed tomorrow, we launch the attack and annihilate the Ming army before us in one stroke!"

Yoto's expression relaxed once more — he was very satisfied with Kong Youde's words, which gave him a way to save face.

There was never any such thing as being too kind to the bondservants — these nikan were like ants in his eyes.

Moreover, Kong Youde's strategy struck directly at the Ming army's vital point. As long as they followed the prescription, breaking the enemy tomorrow was beyond all doubt.

This time he had indeed been somewhat overconfident.

Though he had been defeated by the Ming army last year, his subconscious contempt for them had made him taste bitterness once again.

In the Qin army's camp, Zhang Yuan on the artillery platform observed for a long while. Seeing no large-scale troop movements in the Qing camp, he instructed the sentries to remain vigilant, then descended from the platform with several personal guards.

After making a circuit of the camp, he returned to his own tent, removed his helmet, sat on a chair, and pondered for a while. He then instructed his personal guard to go to the rear camp and summon the military discipline officer Qian Jie, who was in charge of distributing provisions and supplies, along with several Battalion Commanders such as Li Sanwa, to discuss how to deal with the coming battle.

Mobile Corps Commander Chen Yong was in another camp, so he could not extricate himself for the moment. After the discussion concluded, Zhang Yuan would send someone to inform him.

After the messenger guard had left, Zhang Yuan's stomach suddenly emitted a thunderous rumbling sound.

Though it was only just past the wei hour, having been up since early morning and focusing intently on every change on the battlefield was a tremendous drain on both his energy and stamina.

Zhang Yuan's squad leader Wu Banli hurriedly took out several pieces of air-dried beef from a corner of the tent and handed them to him, then found the three-in-one military ration and took it aside. He picked up Zhang Yuan's helmet, poured the ration into it, then unhooked his water skin from his waist, poured water in, and stirred it up.

"I say, Banli, can't you go find a proper big bowl, damn it? If the Jianzhou barbarians suddenly attack, I'd be going into battle with this sticky mess on my head — what the hell kind of business is that!"

Zhang Yuan sat on the chair chewing the dried beef, watching the burly Wu Banli clumsily fumble about, while lecturing him with irritation.

"Heh heh! General, we're all rough men — in wartime you just make do! If the Jianzhou barbarians really do attack, as long as I keep my head on my shoulders that's good enough — who cares whether it's sticky or not! Don't you think so, General!"

Wu Banli continued his work without a care, bantering with his commander as he did.

He had been with Zhang Yuan for nearly three years now — the two shared a bond of life and death, and joking and shooting the breeze was a common occurrence.

"Get lost! Bullshit! Once the fighting's done and we're back inside the passes, I swear I'm going to buy myself a few pretty, fine-featured maidservants to attend to me! Spending every day carousing with a bunch of rough brutes like you — it's a waste of a cultured general like me, a veritable Zhuge Liang!"

Ever since Zhu Youjian had issued the decree forcing all Ming officers above the rank of Company Commander to learn to read, Zhang Yuan, who could barely recognize a few hundred characters, had begun to style himself a cultured general, occasionally spouting all sorts of incongruous phrases to show off his erudition.

"General, that's not right, is it? I've heard that those literary stars never curse at people! Heh heh heh heh! But you, General — you can't speak at all without cursing a hundred times a day! Hahahaha!"

Hearing his commander boast again about being a cultured general, Wu Banli first couldn't help but snort with laughter, then finally burst into loud guffaws.

"I say, Banli, this is where you don't understand. A cultured general is one who can divine and calculate, cut off enemy heads on the battlefield, and compose poetry and verse off the field. Cursing a bit is just a minor matter. Though your general here isn't quite up to snuff at composing poetry, I've certainly cut off no small number of enemy heads. As for divining and calculating — I reckon the Jianzhou barbarians won't come attack us again today!"

Zhang Yuan chewed the dried meat with difficulty, showing not the slightest shame at Wu Banli's mockery — instead, he puffed up with pride and boasted once more.

"Vice Regional Commander, have you calculated it right? The Jianzhou barbarians suffered a great loss today — I reckon they'll send more men to take revenge shortly. How could they just let it go like that?"

As a gust of cold wind blew in, Li Sanwa, who was nearest, lifted the door curtain and stepped into the tent. Seeing Wu Banli stirring the dough, he hurried over a few steps, pinched off a piece, and popped it into his mouth, then spoke with a muffled voice.