Chapter 59: Pursuit 1

After receiving the order to prepare for the charge, Li Chongjin urged his mount forward and began trotting ahead, his more than 1,500 riders following suit, with Lu Xiangtong's two hundred cavalry at the rear of the formation; when the thunderous explosions of the heaven-shaking thunder rang out, the entire mounted force gradually accelerated, and as the bandits began to flee in large numbers, the horses had already worked up to full speed—Li Chongjin was the first to vault his horse over the government army's spear formation and charge into the midst of the tens of thousands of fleeing bandits.

Seeing this, Lu Xiangsheng knew another great victory was at hand. He ordered the Sichuan troops who had not yet joined the battle to pursue the enemy, while the Tianxiong Army and the heavy-armored infantry rested in place. The logistics camp arriving from behind was tasked with treating the wounded government soldiers, clearing the battlefield, and tallying the spoils of war.

What cavalry love most is chasing down fleeing infantry—foot soldiers with their backs completely exposed have no ability to resist. More than 1,500 riders at full gallop plunged into the enemy host like tigers among a flock of sheep, hacking with sabers, chopping with axes, trampling under hooves. The bandits, having lost all will to fight, could only curse themselves for not having been born with two extra legs. Some armored bandits stripped off their armor and flung it away even as they ran. The ground was littered with discarded weapons and armor. The Liaodong cavalry, caught up in the thrill of the slaughter, paid no heed to the slower runners and spurred their horses onward at a mad gallop, their warhorses rolling through the crowds like tanks, leaving a trail of dead and wounded in their wake.

The Sichuan troops had only made brief contact with the bandits' mounted force. Seeing the enemy collapse in rout and receiving the order to pursue, they charged forward with fierce howls—chasing down routed soldiers required no formation at all; it was merely a laborious task of collecting heads.

The government cavalry had already ridden out of sight. Bandits were scattering in every direction across the mountains and fields. The more than 6,000 Sichuan troops, working in small groups of several men, easily cut down the bandits who had turned their backs to them, leaving one man behind to search the corpses while the others continued the pursuit. These Sichuan soldiers were all fellow villagers, many of them related by blood or marriage, and they worked together with seamless coordination. Soon the stragglers at the rear had been slaughtered to the last man. Six thousand government troops was indeed no small number, and having been rested and refreshed for half a day, dealing with bandits who only wanted to flee was a trivial matter.

The two hundred heavy-armored infantry had suffered nearly fifty percent casualties. Even those whose bodies were unharmed had armor covered in the marks of blades and spears. The fierce battle just fought had consumed enormous amounts of energy, and many soldiers, upon receiving their orders, lay down right where they stood, heedless of the blood-soaked ground. The able-bodied men of the logistics camp and the physicians had not yet arrived, so some of the archers ran over and began searching for and treating the dead and wounded. Some pulled up the soldiers lying on the ground and helped them remove their heavy iron armor so they could rest more comfortably.

This time Lu Xiangsheng did not go chasing after the fleeing troops. He brought his personal guards, including Wu Dading, and joined in the process of treating the wounded soldiers.

Zhou Xiong was pulled out from beneath several corpses. The iron armor on his chest and abdomen had been split open in several places by blades and axes. The iron gauntlet on his right arm had also been cut through by a sharp weapon, revealing a long gash with the flesh rolled back. One calf had been pierced through by a spear. His most serious wound came from a bandit who had struck him in the chest with an iron hammer, breaking his sternum and damaging his internal organs before he collapsed. The soldiers around him had killed the bandit who gravely wounded him, and the corpse had fallen on top of him.

With the arrival of the logistics camp, the dozen or so physicians accompanying the force took over the task of treating the wounded. A physician of about middle age, after diagnosing Zhou Xiong's condition, reported to Lu Xiangsheng: "Commander-General, this general's external wounds are easy to treat, but his internal injuries are severe. He needs to recuperate in a quiet place nearby; only after half a year can he recover. If he is transported elsewhere, the jostling of the journey may worsen his condition. Please decide how to handle this, Commander-General."

Lu Xiangsheng pondered briefly, then spoke: "The siege of Chuzhou has been lifted and the bandits have scattered. I will send someone to the city walls to report this matter. The Chuzhou authorities should soon come out. When they do, we can place Zhou Xiong and the other seriously wounded in Chuzhou to recuperate. Thank you for your trouble, sir!"

The physician hurriedly bowed, murmuring words of deference, yet felt a warmth in his heart. For someone of such high rank as Commander-General of Five Provinces to treat a lowly physician like himself with such courtesy—how could that not move a person?

Under Lu Xiangsheng's direction, the logistics camp quickly set up several large tents, with openings at both front and back for ventilation. Straw mats were spread on the ground, and the wounded soldiers were carried inside. Then stoves were built outside the tents, several large cauldrons were set to boiling water, and wide strips of white cloth were steamed and sterilized in the pots for bandaging the wounded. All drinking water for the soldiers had to be boiled, along with various other measures—all of which were based on what Chongzhen had known in his previous life, roughly organized and issued by the Ministry of War to the entire army for implementation.

Under the supervision of the Tianxiong Army soldiers, the logistics camp selected several hundred men willing to join the army, who, holding sharp blades, went through the wounded but still-living bandits one by one, delivering the killing stroke. Many bandits whose wounds were not severe, seeing the blades about to descend upon them, were seized with terror, weeping and wailing, their pleas for mercy rising one after another. Some of the logistics camp laborers showed looks of reluctance, but the Tianxiong Army soldiers were utterly unmoved. Having fought the bandits for years, they knew their nature well—the very people begging for mercy now might have been raping and looting in Hezhou city just moments ago.

Under the loud shouts of the Tianxiong Army soldiers, the laborers began hacking at the wounded bandits. Some, born bold, severed a bandit's head with a single stroke. Others, timid, struck several times without killing their target, and screams rang out across the fields. Some, after killing a bandit, turned and ran aside to vomit uncontrollably. After all, they were common folk by origin—how could they have ever witnessed such a bloody scene?

Several hundred laborers, divided into groups, were digging pits. It was already late April, and the weather was gradually turning hot. If the corpses were not buried promptly, epidemic disease would break out. After the laborers finished searching the bodies, they dragged them over to throw into the pits for burial. Although the Tianxiong Army had sent soldiers to supervise, they turned a blind eye to the few laborers who secretly pocketed valuables from the bandits. Everyone was of common origin, and no one had it easy. Only a very small number with quick minds dared to hide things; the vast majority honestly handed over all valuables to the soldiers.

Because the court's military pay was frequently in arrears, the Ming army had an unwritten rule: whatever valuables one found on a bandit's body belonged to the finder. The court tacitly approved of this practice.

The Tianxiong Army's rule was that bandit spoils were divided thirty-seventy—thirty percent went to the commander and officers, while seventy percent was distributed equally among the soldiers. Although Chongzhen, after crossing over, had paid out much of the back pay owed, he also understood the soldiers' hardships—risking life and limb to fight for the nation, each battle could cost them their lives. So he did not demand that all spoils be turned over to the public coffers. After all, wanting the horse to run while refusing to feed it went against human nature.

The tens of thousands of bandits had suffered catastrophic losses this time. Corpses lay scattered across the ground, most having died in the pursuit by government cavalry. The Chu River beneath Sanli Bridge, though still flowing due to the drought, had diminished to a shallow stream that only reached a person's calf. Under the cavalry's pursuit, the bandits' corpses had dammed up the Chu River, forming several pools of varying sizes.

Because the bandit corpses were too numerous and too scattered, the logistics camp laborers had to dig pits, tend to the wounded, and search out and drag back corpses all at once—their efficiency was quite low. Lu Xiangsheng was about to send someone to Chuzhou to hurry them along when the personal guard who had previously gone to Chuzhou came riding back. Dismounting and bowing, he reported in a loud voice: "Reporting to the Commander-General, I have informed the Chuzhou Prefect and others at the city gate. The city gates have now been opened, and the Chuzhou Prefect is on his way to pay his respects to the Commander-General!"

Sanli Bridge, as its name suggests, was very close to Chuzhou. About a quarter of an hour later, Xu Zhiyuan, Wang Renyuan, and Zhao Yuzhi all arrived by sedan chair, while Dong Qigao followed on horseback.

Xu Zhiyuan and the others clasped their hands in salute to Lu Xiangsheng and announced their official titles and names. Dong Qigao knelt on one knee in a military salute. Lu Xiangsheng returned a half-bow with a smile, then bade Dong Qigao rise.

Xu Zhiyuan clasped his hands again and said: "The tens of thousands of gentry and common folk throughout Chuzhou deeply feel Your Excellency's great kindness this time. Had you not led the army to our rescue, Chuzhou would already have fallen, and the entire city's populace would have been slaughtered by the roving bandits! Once matters have settled, I will certainly consult with the gentry of Chuzhou to erect a living shrine for Your Excellency, to express our gratitude!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiangsheng said firmly: "Prefect, such words must not be spoken! I am a court-appointed official. His Majesty, in his grace, did not abandon me and elevated me to this high position—it is precisely fitting that I occupy this post and attend to its duties! If you and your city insist on building a living shrine, then it should be built for His Majesty. What virtue or ability do I, Lu, possess? Where would you have me stand?"

Xu Zhiyuan and the others were all deeply embarrassed. Wang Renyuan quickly clasped his hands and said: "Commander-General, please do not be angered. Prefect Xu meant well—the people of Chuzhou are all grateful that you led the army to our rescue; there is no flattery intended. What you say is also reasonable—if a living shrine is to be built, it should be for His Majesty. When we return, we will naturally handle it accordingly. Commander-General, please do not take offense."

Lu Xiangsheng broke into a smile: "Let it be as Master Wang has said! The urgent task now is handling the aftermath of battle. The number of bandits killed or wounded this time is enormous, as you gentlemen have seen. The bandit corpses must be buried as quickly as possible to prevent epidemic disease. Our army is short-handed, so I hope your prefecture will organize laborers to come assist, and dig pits and bury the corpses with all speed!"

Having saved Chuzhou and thereby saved their own families' lives, Xu Zhiyuan and the others were in the lightest of spirits and readily agreed to Lu Xiangsheng's request. After Xu Zhiyuan gave a few instructions to Dong Qigao, Dong Qigao saluted Lu Xiangsheng, mounted his horse, and galloped back the way he had come.

Xu Zhiyuan earnestly invited Lu Xiangsheng to enter the city to rest. Since the troops pursuing the bandits had not yet returned, Lu Xiangsheng decided to enter the city to rest and wait. He declined Xu Zhiyuan's offer of a sedan chair and, accompanied by Wu Dading and Hu Chun, who had already become his personal guard, rode into Chuzhou on horseback.

Arriving at the city gate, a group of laborers was clearing away the bandits' corpses beneath the city walls. The great stains of blood on the walls and below had already turned black, attracting countless flies. Lu Xiangsheng could tell at a glance that the bandits' assault had been ferocious indeed—for Chuzhou to have held the city with only its meager guard station troops was quite an accomplishment.

The news that the court's army had annihilated the roving bandits was known to all. Some shops in the city had resumed normal business, and the crowds on the streets seemed even larger than usual. The people all knew the horrors that followed when bandits breached a city. Had Lu Xiangsheng not led the army to their rescue, Chuzhou would have been lost. As if they had escaped death by a hair, joy radiated from every face. Seeing the official sedan chairs of the Prefect and his party, and Lu Xiangsheng in full armor, the people in the streets voluntarily made way, then stood on both sides, watching them pass with respect.