Chapter 199: The Five Camps of Ge-Zuo

At Regional Commander Town at the foot of Mount Huo, banners fluttered in the wind, horsemen stretched endlessly, and the roving bandits—heads wrapped in turbans, weapons in hand—covered the mountains and fields, stretching a full dozen li and more.

Several large banners particularly conspicuous at the center of the army bore the characters "Ma," "Liu," "He," and "Lin." At the head rode several men atop tall horses, felt caps on their heads and red cloaks over their shoulders, chatting and laughing with ease.

A cavalryman in a short body armor came galloping swiftly, dismounted before the great banners, and reported: "Report to the Regional Commander, the two Masters He, Master Liu, and Master Lin—five chiefs—our righteous army of a hundred thousand has fully emerged from Mount Huo. Taking Fengyang Prefecture is within reach!"

The men at the head were none other than the five camp leaders of the Five Camps of Ge-Zuo: Old Huihui Ma Shouying, Geli Yan He Yilong, Zuo Jin Wang He Jin, Gai Shi Wang Liu Xiyao, and Zheng Shi Wang Lin Yangcheng.

Regional Commander Ma Huihui nodded and asked: "The court's several armies—what movements have they made now?"

"The various units of the government troops remain in place without moving. Closest to our righteous army is Huang Degong's division of the Tianwu Army, roughly five thousand men, stationed at Lu'an. Sun Yingyuan's division of five thousand has moved to Shouzhou, and I hear the Emperor's son has also arrived at Shouzhou."

Zheng Shi Wang Lin Yangcheng burst into laughter: "Hahaha, has the Emperor's son come to deliver silver? Master Ma, let me go to Shouzhou and tie him up to exchange with Shi Kefa for silver!"

At these words, everyone burst into laughter, quite bold and spirited.

Ma Shouying chuckled and said: "The Emperor's son is over a hundred li from us. Going specially to catch him isn't worth it. Better first take Lu'an, fifty li away, then drive straight into Fengyang Prefecture, gather up all the grain first, and then slowly go catch that crown prince!"

Geli Yan He Yilong shouted: "Master Ma speaks well! We rested deep in the mountains in high summer, and waited until autumn when the horses are fat to strike out—wasn't it all to grab people and grain? Let's handle the real business first!"

"Right! I hear this Huang Degong is also a Regional Commander. If we kill one of the court's Regional Commanders, it will greatly boost the prestige of our Five Camps of Ge-Zuo! And when we later butcher the Emperor's son, it will shake the whole realm!"

"I hear that little crown prince has been farming at Fengyang—half a year and a great harvest! I really want to thank him—he's grown the grain for our righteous army!"

"Hahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter again.

Ma Shouying suddenly asked Zuo Jin Wang He Jin: "Master He, how goes it with Huang Hu? Have the talks been settled?"

He Jin smiled: "Rest assured, Master Ma. Zhang Xianzhong said that as long as we strike first, he'll be steady on his end. Within a month, he'll surely shake the court!"

Ma Shouying snorted: "Let's hope so!" Then he cried out loudly: "The whole army moves out—time to grab grain!"

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" The vast horsemen of the Five Camps of Ge-Zuo's veteran camp soldiers surged like a flood, spreading from the Mount Huo area toward Lu'an Prefecture, shaking the earth without cease, dust and smoke billowing to the heavens.

"The bandit troops are coming—quick, send the signal to notify the army to prepare for battle!"

The Night Scouts of the Tianwu Army's Royal First Brigade spotted the roving bandits' great army thirty li from Lu'an Prefecture city, and reminded the Night Scout beside them.

Though the Night Scouts' telescopes were not as powerful as those of later ages, they could still clearly see five or six li away, and could even adjust the focus by hand—quite advanced, a rare treasure even in contemporary Europe.

Over a hundred Longxianging Night Scout operatives who had infiltrated Mount Huo had sent word half a month earlier that the roving bandits were about to launch a major attack on Fengyang Prefecture to seize the summer harvest grain.

Zhu Cilang had ordered Huang Degong's Royal First Brigade to set up defensive positions at Lu'an Prefecture to pin down the main force of the roving bandits, while he himself would lead troops from Shouzhou to strike from the flank.

Twenty li outside Lu'an Prefecture city lay a stretch of undulating hills—also the only road leading to Lu'an Prefecture from this direction.

The First Brigade's defensive line was built upon several small hills. The terrain here was quite steep—easy to defend, hard to assault.

Here, Huang Degong had men dig three trenches, one every thirty paces. Each trench was two meters deep and three meters wide. Along the last trench's edge were stacked sandbags over two chi high, and atop the sandbags lay a dense row of musketeers prone and ready.

This was something several regimental and battalion commanders had learned at the Imperial Ming Military Academy—said to be able to defend against enemy cavalry and cannon fire.

When war came, Zhu Cilang decreed that all cadets of the Imperial Ming Military Academy return to their original units to campaign with the army. Naturally, the cadets, back with their old units, wanted to show off their learning—and incidentally test its practical effect in battle.

Ten meters from the third trench, the Tianwu Army's Royal Heavy Artillery Regiment had fully taken position—over a hundred heavy red barbarian cannons and large breech-loading cannons lined up in a single row.

Huang Degong's command post was set on a small hill to the rear. Watching the signal flares the Night Scouts had launched in the distance, Huang Degong took a few drinks of wine and felt quite dissatisfied—his first major battle since coming south, and it had to be a defensive one!

After a few more drinks, Huang Degong finally saw in the distance the men of the Five Camps of Ge-Zuo gradually appearing in view—people covering the mountains and fields, a full hundred thousand.

"Bloody hell, now that's a big scene! First time I've ever seen this many bandit troops!" Even Huang Degong couldn't help being startled.

Since none among the Five Camps of Ge-Zuo had ever fought the Tianwu Army, they did not know how powerful the Tianwu Army's long-range artillery truly was. Thus the five camps' forces only halted three hundred paces from the Royal First Brigade's position.

Gazing at the several ditch-like things a hundred paces ahead, Ma Shouying felt curious. Experienced in battle as he was, and widely knowledgeable, he still couldn't figure out what the government troops meant by digging those things.

After thinking for a moment, Ma Shouying recalled a scene from *Water Margin* and finally understood: "Not good—those government troops are guarding against our righteous army's cavalry!"

Zuo Jin Wang He Jin said: "When have we ever sent cavalry in first? Just have the starving troops at the front fill them in—costs a bit more effort, that's all!"

The other camp leaders also nodded, not taking the three trenches seriously in the least.

Ma Shouying shook his head and said: "I hear the Tianwu Army fights fiercely—they've even fought the Tartars up north. Brothers, don't underestimate them!"

In the court army's many encirclement campaigns, Old Huihui Ma Shouying had often used cunning to lure the enemy and turn defeat into victory. He was extremely calm and resourceful, with a keen nose for traps. He felt something was off about the situation before him, yet couldn't tell exactly what.

Lin Yangcheng gave a scornful laugh: "Master Ma, what the hell are you afraid of? The government troops across from us number only five thousand. We have a hundred thousand—one piss each and we'd drown them! If you're scared, let me lead the vanguard and watch me deal with this pack of government bastards!"

The others chimed in: "Right! What's this Tianwu Army? Only their name sounds grand. Master Lin, go get them!"

Ma Shouying gave a light snort: "Then I'll offer my congratulations in advance on Master Lin's swift victory!"

In war, throwing your life away is fierce—but throwing your life away alone is useless. You still need to use your head!

Daring to risk your life, and knowing how to use your head—that's what makes you formidable in war. This was also where Ma Shouying felt he surpassed the other righteous army leaders.