Chapter 437: The Critical Moment

"Botebu! Take two thousand men north! I'll give you one hour—destroy the Ming troops to the north for me! This Beile will lead one thousand men to rout the Ming forces to the south! Huilibu, you take the remaining men and hold the center as support!"

Back at camp, Ajige immediately issued his orders, and the two jala janggin, Botebu and Huilibu, accepted their commands and departed.

Before long, horns sounded repeatedly from the Qing camp, and two thousand Qing soldiers followed Botebu's banner northward with menacing vigor.

Ajige donned his chainmail, leaped onto his warhorse, and galloped south with over a hundred guards, one thousand Qing soldiers following close behind.

The Ming forces coming from the north were the three thousand-odd Capital Camp troops stationed at Xingping Fort, led by Capital Camp Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Xi'an.

Xingping Fort was roughly the same distance from Ajige's force as Zhensan Fort—also around forty li—and the Qing army had pitched camp between the two forts precisely to monitor and guard against the Ming troops stationed within them.

After receiving Chen Qiyu's written orders, Zhang Xi'an immediately dispatched Night Scouts to slip north under cover of darkness and establish contact with Lei Sheng, the garrison commander of Desheng Fort some dozen li away.

After coordinating with Lei Sheng, Zhang Xi'an ordered the entire army to begin preparations for battle, and on the very day designated in Chen Qiyu's orders, he opened the city gates and led his troops southward.

Several Qing cavalry scouts were sitting on the ground resting and chatting two li from the city gates, their demeanor utterly relaxed, when they suddenly saw the Ming army pouring out in force. Startled, they scrambled to their feet and mounted their horses—one man galloped back to report, while the others kept their distance from the Ming vanguard and monitored them from nearby.

Once all three thousand-odd men had exited the city, Zhang Xi'an gave the order: two thousand spearmen spread to the left and right, forming two square formations of five hundred each to protect the flanks; eight hundred musketeers formed front and rear square formations; and the remaining archers, sword-and-shield men, tiger-crouch cannon crews, and grenadiers followed close behind.

After the formation was arranged, a dozen or so standard-bearers raised the five-colored banners and rode forward, leading the army into motion. The camp's few dozen Night Scouts spurred their horses toward the nearby Qing sentry cavalry.

As the commanding general, Zhang Xi'an was protected by a dozen or so personal guards, riding in the middle between the two musketeer formations, while a standard-bearer held high his black command banner and followed closely.

The distant Qing sentry cavalry saw the dozen-odd Ming riders charging toward them. Though unafraid, they had no wish to fight a losing battle—and having already discerned the Ming army's numbers and equipment, they simply spurred their horses southward.

The Ming Night Scouts chased them for four or five li before slowing their horses and giving up the pursuit.

Their duty was to scout ahead and track the movements of the main Qing force, not to display individual martial prowess.

The current distance was already sufficient to relay warnings in time, so there was no need to provoke a conflict with the Qing forces.

These Night Scouts all knew that, apart from the Mongol Eight Banners, the Qing army was not known for charging with iron cavalry but rather for assaulting with heavily armored infantry. As long as the main Qing force appeared, the Ming army would have ample time to respond.

After marching south for over twenty li, the Night Scouts ahead sent back a warning: Qing troops had been spotted less than ten li ahead, numbering around two thousand, with over twenty shield carts, no firearms throughout the force, and roughly two hundred cavalry.

Zhang Xi'an ordered the Night Scouts to withdraw back to the main formation to avoid being surrounded by Qing cavalry, then instructed the entire army to advance another three li and form up to meet the enemy.

A little over half an hour later, amid the fluttering of various banners, Botebu, having learned that the Ming army had formed its battle array, arrived with the main body of Qing troops.

"Hunlu, see that? The Ming have small cannons before their formation—a frontal attack won't work! Take five hundred men around the side, have the archers loose arrows first, then lead your men in from the right! Dajite! You take five hundred men and charge from the left the same way! Have the booi push the shield carts forward, send the remaining archers up, the armored infantry following—once the Ming musketeer formation breaks, charge immediately! The cavalry goes to both flanks to pursue and slaughter!"

After surveying the Ming formation, the jala janggin Botebu issued his orders, and the two niru janggin acknowledged and led their respective Qing troops off to both sides.

Though the Ming formation across the field looked quite orderly, to a battle-hardened veteran like Botebu it was nothing special.

War is a matter of courage, and the Eight Banners soldiers, relying on their fearless, death-defying spirit, had kept the Ming army firmly underfoot for over a decade.

As long as one of the three sides broke through the Ming formation, what remained would be rout and slaughter.

Seeing several dozen booi bondservants slowly pushing shield carts fitted with thick wooden screens toward them, Zhang Xi'an casually gave the order, and twenty grenadiers—each holding a lit fuse cord in one hand and a Thunderclap Bomb in the other—moved forward to meet them.

During their daily drills at the capital, the Capital Camps and the Yongwei Camp had specifically devised a counter to the Qing shield carts: when no cannons were available, the Thunderclap Bomb was the finest weapon for destroying them.

The several dozen booi bondservants, unaware that death was approaching, pushed their carts forward trembling under the shouts and curses of the Qing soldiers behind them.

When they were a hundred-odd paces from the Ming musketeers, the booi let out a shout and sprinted forward with all their strength, planning to abandon the shield carts and run back after another few dozen paces.

By this time the Ming grenadiers had already slipped past the musketeers and tiger-crouch cannons at the front. Seeing the shield carts suddenly accelerate, the squad leader in charge gave the order, and the grenadiers formed a single line and strode forward, estimating the distance before hurling their Thunderclap Bombs one after another.

A series of explosions thundered forth, kicking up clouds of dust and smoke around the shield carts. Each grenadier quickly hurled three Thunderclap Bombs forward before turning and withdrawing.

All of this happened within a few dozen breaths. The Qing archers following behind the shield carts had no time to react before their view was completely obscured by dust and black smoke.

When the smoke cleared, what lay before both armies was a hellish scene.

Several dozen Thunderclap Bombs had blown most of the shield carts to pieces. The booi pushing them were all blasted to the ground—aside from a few gravely wounded who still let out piercing screams, the rest had died on the spot.

At that very moment, over a thousand Qing soldiers had already circled around to both flanks of Zhang Xi'an's force and, amid the explosions, launched their attack on the Ming army.

Because firearms had greater killing power, many archers in the Capital Camps and the Yongwei Camp had been converted to musketeers. Zhang Xi'an's force retained only a hundred-odd archers, who had been assigned to the two flanks this time.

The Qing archers charging in from both sides each numbered over a hundred. After a few brief exchanges of arrows, the Ming archers, having suffered over half their number as casualties, withdrew in defeat. The Qing archers then turned their fire on the Ming spear square formations.

Though shield-bearers raised their shields for protection, the Qing's heavy arrows still slipped through the gaps in the shields and fell among the Ming ranks. In the blink of an eye, several hundred spearmen on both sides were wounded or killed, and the first square formations on each flank had begun to waver, with many soldiers showing signs of panic.

Though the Capital Camp soldiers drilled diligently in their daily exercises, in the end they had too little real combat experience.

Watching their comrades fall one by one with arrows in them, the screams of agony terrified some of the untested soldiers. Had it not been for the iron discipline seared into their minds over the years, some would have already thrown down their spears and fled.

Fortunately, the Qing archers exhausted their strength after eight volleys and withdrew. The spearmen, who had gritted their teeth and held on, finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the sword-and-shield men quickly pulled back as well, giving the spearmen room and distance for thrusting.

The gaps left by the fallen were quickly filled by soldiers from the rear ranks, but the Qing infantry had already charged forward.

The right-flank niru janggin Hunlu, clad in heavy armor, charged at the very front.

Seeing the terror on the faces of the Ming soldiers before him, contempt filled Hunlu's eyes.

These damned Nikan didn't deserve to wear such gleaming armor. Once their heads were all chopped off, this armor would all belong to the Eight Banners.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Hunlu had already charged into the killing range of the spears, and several spears over a zhang long thrust at him simultaneously.

Hunlu swept his left-hand shield horizontally, knocking several spears askew. Seizing the moment, he drove forward with the strength of his waist and legs, and swinging his seven-jin iron club with one hand, he smashed down—crack! —a spearman who couldn't dodge in time had his skull crushed to pulp by the iron club, his body hitting the ground like a log.

Immediately after, Hunlu swept his iron club in an arc, catching two spearmen on the arm. With cries of pain, their spears clattered to the ground. Before the two could make their next move, the Qing soldiers at Hunlu's side struck out with blade and spear together, and both men collapsed with screams.

Hunlu raised his shield to protect his upper body and continued charging forward, trying to open a breach so the Qing troops behind could follow through and completely shatter the Ming formation.

Suddenly, two spears thrust in from an angle one after another. Hunlu was struck in the left ribs and right thigh—the sharp spearheads pierced through the three layers of heavy armor he wore. Blood gushed from his thigh, and blood from his ribs sprayed out as the spearhead was withdrawn, streaming down his body.

Hunlu staggered, then hurled his shield with all his might. Afterward, gripping his iron club with both hands, he smashed down and killed the spearman before him. Before he could recover his club, a spear thrust straight into his right eye. Hunlu let out a great roar, then his body slowly went limp and he fell dead.

By this time, the Qing forces on the left had also broken through the Ming spear formation and were cutting into the ranks. Men kept falling wounded throughout the field, and both sides quickly descended into chaotic melee.

Zhang Xi'an hadn't expected the Qing soldiers to be so ferocious, breaking into the spear square formations so quickly.

The situation was now extremely unfavorable for the Ming army. If this continued, the spear formations would be broken, the musketeers would face the danger of flank attacks, and once the Qing troops in the center charged in as well, a great defeat would be unavoidable.

Zhang Xi'an first ordered the grenadiers split into two teams to join the fighting, then dispatched his dozen or so personal guards to both flanks, and committed all the sword-and-shield men to battle as well.

Boom—boom—explosions rang out in succession, and the ferocious momentum of the Qing attacks on both flanks was somewhat checked under the blows of the Thunderclap Bombs, but the situation remained extremely unfavorable for the Ming army.

Just then, from the wooded hills east of the battlefield, about two li away, a patch of brilliant red suddenly emerged. Amid the fluttering of various banners, a large body of Ming troops burst out of the forest, swiftly formed their ranks, and advanced at a rapid pace toward the two sides locked in battle.