Chapter 52: The Jianzhou Slave Who Wanted to Be a Booi Bondservant

The fighting on the hillside was still going on, but it had become scattered and sporadic — mostly two or three Night Scouts viciously beating up a single Qing scout.

With the remaining numbers so lopsided, the Qing soldiers couldn't win even in single combat, and now they were being ganged up on. Several of them wisely knelt and begged for mercy, pleading to become booi bondservants.

This sudden display from the Qing scouts drew a roar of laughter from the Night Scouts of the First Post.

Yang Qili laughed heartily and said, "Tartar bondservants, now that's a goddamn novelty! Tell me where your main camp is, and maybe I'll take you in!"

The surrendered Qing soldiers hesitated, exchanging glances with one another, then nervously looked at the Night Scouts surrounding them, their hearts filled with fear and unease.

Yang Qili swept his eyes over them, casually unhooked the musket slung behind his back, unhurriedly loaded powder and shot, then aimed the weapon at the ugliest Qing soldier and pulled the trigger.

With a bang, that soldier's head burst apart in an instant — a truly gruesome sight.

Yang Qili suddenly said, "Damn it! I forgot a blown-apart head can't be taken in for the bounty. What a waste of fifty taels of silver!"

With that, he looked at the other Qing soldiers. The captives beside the one whose head had been blown off shuddered in fright and, kowtowing frantically while babbling incoherently, blurted out the location of the Qing army's nearby main camp.

Yang Qili nodded, indicating he was fairly satisfied. Then, without warning, he stepped forward and smashed the butt of his musket into the face of the kneeling Qing soldier in front of him, knocking him over, and said, "Forgot to tell you — I don't need any booi bondservants. I only like bounty silver. Dead or alive, put a bullet in every one of them, cut off their heads, and collect the reward!"

To ensure the secrecy of their operation, the Longxiang Night Scouts never operated while carrying prisoners — especially living prisoners who could talk. That was a cardinal taboo.

After a few gunshots, these captives had fulfilled their purpose and departed this world to meet their old Khan Nurhaci in the underworld.

Just after the prisoners had been dealt with, a white-armored soldier lying at the foot of the hillside suddenly leaped up and fled at full speed toward the Shijingshan area to the west.

It turned out this white-armored soldier was wearing a chainmail shirt underneath. The sword cut he'd taken hadn't been serious, but he'd deliberately fallen to the ground and played dead, waiting for a chance to escape.

Originally he'd planned to lie there playing dead until these Ming soldiers had looted the corpses and left, then slip away. But hearing that even the dead would have their heads cut off, he could no longer afford to wait — he scrambled up and ran.

"Damn it! That bastard was faking death!" Yang Qili cursed loudly. By the time they spotted him, the white-armored soldier had already reached the horse from the earlier breakout, swung himself into the saddle, and galloped off.

Yang Qili paid the white-armored soldier no mind. He had the men sweep the battlefield, erase all traces of their presence, and finally haul away all the Qing horses and the valuables loaded on them, returning to their earlier observation point.

Before long, a group of Night Scouts that had been lying in ambush on another route came up carrying the head of the fleeing white-armored soldier. Several of them said in displeasure, "I thought we'd get a real battle out of this, but all that came out was one coward."

Yang Qili said, "If your group hadn't bagged that little white-skin, you wouldn't have gotten a single copper!"

"Sir, how was the haul?" Looking at the bulging bags hanging from the horses, the Night Scouts who'd arrived late had eyes shining with greed.

Yang Qili laughed and said, "A bloody windfall! Don't act like a bunch of thieves — everyone gets a share!"

Hearing this, all the men were extremely excited. Without losing a single brother, they'd taken out thirty enemy scouts and gained this much loot besides.

Being a Night Scout was goddamn amazing! Recalling all the hardship they'd endured before, it had all been worth it! Thanks to the Crown Prince! Thanks to the Great Ming!

After everything was properly handled, Yang Qili led his men in a rapid withdrawal, then scouted toward the enemy's main camp according to the locations the prisoners had given.

Sure enough, those cowardly Tartars had been scared out of their wits by death and hadn't made anything up.

Yang Qili and his men discovered the Qing main camp in the Shijingshan area, over a dozen li away. After carefully reconnoitering it and drawing up a terrain map, Yang Qili ordered a man to ride back at full speed and report to the Yongwei Camp.

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The Qing army advancing south on the western route was divided into three sections. Duoluo Prince Wu Yingjun, Ajige, led the main force in the vanguard, attacking wealthy cities along the way.

Yangguli led twelve thousand men, escorting the plundered grain and supplies, as the central column. At the same time, Yangguli ordered his younger brother, Jalani Janggin Tandai, to lead three thousand men in covering the rear.

The three sections were spaced twenty li apart, with riders shuttling back and forth to relay messages.

Yangguli was of the Plain Yellow Banner, the son-in-law of Nurhaci. He had been successively ennobled as First-Class Regional Commander and Duke of the Highest Rank — a hereditary title. He was the third most important figure in this campaign against Ming, ranking only below Ajige and Abatai.

Yangguli worried that the tens of thousands of Capital Camps troops in Beijing might sally out to attack them, so he arranged for his own younger brother Tandai to cover the rear. He had complete confidence in his brother.

At the Shijingshan area, thirty li outside the Xizhi Gate, more than two thousand Qing soldiers under Tandai were encamped.

At this moment, Tandai was lounging in his camp, legs crossed, thoroughly enjoying himself. In the Yanqing campaign after entering the pass, he had taken several cities in succession with outstanding performance — once he returned to Shengjing, he was certain to be promoted again.

Tandai calculated in his mind that once the several niru that had gone out raiding returned and regrouped, he would continue south, rendezvous with his elder brother Yangguli, and once again take cities and seize territory to accumulate military merit.

Although two niru of cavalry had not yet returned, Tandai was not worried in the slightest. Each niru had three hundred elite Qing cavalry — even if they encountered ten thousand Ming troops, they could withdraw intact. Besides, what Ming troops could possibly be anywhere near here?

Suddenly, a message arrived from his scouts: a force of Ming soldiers had been spotted advancing on them. Tandai was somewhat startled — he hadn't expected any Ming troops to dare take the initiative and come at them.

He was a veteran of many battles. Despite his surprise, he immediately ordered the Qing troops to form ranks and prepare to meet the Ming attack.

Zhu Cilang led the Yongwei Camp forward with light equipment, carrying no heavy artillery such as red barbarian cannons — only some easily transportable tiger-crouch cannons. Thus, in less than two shichen, they had advanced thirty li and arrived at Shijingshan.

The terrain around Shijingshan was relatively narrow — hillsides on both sides, with only a mountain pass six to seven hundred meters wide. It was impossible to use flanking or encirclement tactics, which was precisely why Tandai had pitched his camp here.

Tandai placed his main force of heavily armored infantry and cavalry in the center, with Mongol troops on both flanks, preparing to deliver a crushing head-on blow to the Ming army.

Soon, the Yongwei Camp's forces caught up. Seeing the Qing army arrayed in strict formation, they did not dare approach too closely — they halted at a distance and began forming their own ranks.

Looking from afar, Tandai estimated the Ming force at around five thousand men, a mix of infantry and cavalry. But in his eyes, the formation they deployed was a complete mess.

The Ming force was divided into front and rear sections. At the very front of the forward formation was a row of small cannons, followed by three ranks of musketeers arranged in a horizontal line, nearly filling the entire mountain pass.

The rear formation was divided into left, center, and right blocks. Spear phalanxes and shield troops were in the middle — shields in front, spears behind — with cavalry arrayed on both flanks.

This formation put Tandai's mind at ease. He knew well that this kind of infantry formation on the opposing side had abandoned all depth. As long as the Great Qing troops broke through the musketeers at the very front, the entire Ming battle line would collapse.

Although the Ming army also had spearmen and cavalry in the rear, deployed as they were they were essentially useless. Once the front formation was breached, the Great Qing's warriors would ride the momentum and smash through the rear formation in one surge, seizing victory.