Chapter 393: Striving to Be First, Fearing to Be Last

The Oirat allied army colliding with Liu Chengzong's central force was an accident.

The State Preceptor Khan was merely being cautious. Caution and recklessness are both choices made based on one's assessment of the situation — sometimes caution averts risk, and sometimes recklessness can yield extraordinary success.

The moment he spotted Liu Chengzong's formation, the State Preceptor Khan did not think this was an army he had not anticipated; he assumed it was the Han troops who had been besieging Dalai Taiji now retreating.

Through his old wooden-cased telescope, the State Preceptor Khan saw pond-scouts circling the formation. The Khoshut lancers behind them then split into two groups — one pursued the pond-scouts, while the other charged straight at the Han army's battle formation.

But the wagon fort, piled high with sandbags, was as impregnable as metal and stone. A ring of trenches of varying depth surrounded its outer edge. The charging cavalry all reined in their horses as they drew near, and no matter how their hooves kicked up sky-choking dust before the trenches, they could not charge through.

Volleys of gunfire then rang out from behind the wagon fort. Over a dozen riders fell from their horses amid the smoke and dust, and the remaining cavalry all wheeled around and galloped back.

Even the lancers chasing the pond-scouts no longer dared circle the formation. They all trailed their lances, reined in their horses, and withdrew toward both flanks.

The tactic of using routed pond-scouts to crash into the enemy formation had failed. The State Preceptor Khan immediately ordered a retreat, commanding all cavalry units to pull back one bowshot's distance, gradually forming an encirclement of the Han wagon fort from the east, north, and south.

Seizing the moment while troops were maneuvering, the State Preceptor Khan moved with the cavalry behind the lines to observe the enemy.

Although the State Preceptor Khan had never fought a Ming army wagon camp, over his long military career he was no stranger to the wagon-fort formation.

Kazakhs, Cossacks, Khalkha, Oirats — all had used wagon camps.

A wagon camp's defensive capability is extremely tenacious, but its victory or defeat in battle often has little to do with the camp itself and everything to do with the larger battlefield situation.

The State Preceptor Khan looked toward the wagon camp.

The entire encampment was perfectly square. Over a thousand war wagons were linked end to end, with sandbags piled like mountains beside them. Behind them, Han troops stood ready with firelocks in strict formation, while countless long spears and military banners snapped and rustled in the wind. Only one gap, blocked by chevaux-de-frise, was left open — an exceptionally imposing sight.

The State Preceptor Khan inwardly sighed at the pity. If only they had been a little faster, they might have seized the chance to smash the enemy formation before it stabilized.

But the wagon fort was already deployed. Few armies with a fully deployed wagon fort have ever been smashed by an enemy charge — just as few famous cities have fallen because their walls were breached by assault.

The vast majority of sieges are blockades, and the vast majority of blockade battles end with the defenders' psychological defenses collapsing.

Once men's hearts collapse, even the strongest walls have no choice but to crumble.

The same principle applies to a wagon camp.

A wagon camp is not some brilliant tactic; it is simply a method to rapidly construct simple field fortifications on a battlefield. In truth, aside from changes in productive capacity, it is not fundamentally different in concept from the Han dynasty's Wugang wagon formation.

Charging a wagon fort head-on is like swarming the walls in a siege when the defenders are fully prepared — it is the act of a brainless fool.

After a brief observation, the State Preceptor Khan roughly estimated the enemy to be fewer than ten thousand. He immediately issued orders to his subordinate princes and jaisangs: divide the thirty-thousand-strong army, leaving twenty-four thousand to pin down and besiege this Han force.

The remaining six thousand troops would split into two groups — one racing west to reinforce, the other racing south to reinforce.

Westward, to reinforce the cavalry that had clashed with Wei Qian'er's unit; southward, to link up with the stranded Dalai Taiji on the high ground as quickly as possible and rescue him.

The twenty-four thousand troops left on the Gobi were likewise divided into four mixed infantry-cavalry units of six thousand each. Three groups besieged the north, east, and south directions, while one unit encamped to the south as a reserve force.

The State Preceptor Khan's orders were issued, and the entire army deployed and moved accordingly. But his mind was still racing, pondering the overall situation of friend and foe across the entire battlefield.

As one of the Oirats' few literate men, the State Preceptor Khan used his horsewhip to sketch on a sand dune, calculating the number of Han troops discovered so far.

At Guide, there were at least six thousand Han troops; here, seven or eight thousand; plus the three-thousand-odd cavalry encountered unexpectedly further west.

If this was the same force besieging Dalai Taiji, then the Han army had already mobilized sixteen thousand troops to march beyond the sea.

If there was another force at Dalai Taiji's position, then the Marshal's Manor had sent twenty thousand troops beyond the sea, leaving the sea region exceptionally empty.

This meant that by annihilating any single exposed Han unit, the Oirats could drive straight into the sea region; on the other hand, it also meant that in this battle, he could commit his full strength without worrying about enemy reinforcements.

These troops very likely had no reinforcements.

Still, for the sake of prudence, the State Preceptor Khan dispatched two thousand-man squads to sweep northward in a wide net, scouting for nearby enemy forces to guard against a sneak attack.

As for this wagon camp — once the outer battlefield was cleared, it was confirmed they had no reinforcements, their routes for seeking aid were sealed, and harassment was applied — there would be no need even to besiege them until their water and food ran out. The wagon camp would easily collapse on its own.

A wagon camp is itself a tool that sacrifices some mobility for passive defense. It cannot attack enemies beyond its firing range. Whether it wants to attack or retreat, it must always strike camp.

And striking camp to change formation — that would be the State Preceptor Khan's opportunity to attack.

At the same time.

Inside the main camp, Liu Chengzong was also calculating.

They had been suddenly attacked, but fortunately, the seven thousand soldiers of the two battalions at his side were not raw recruits. Facing the Oirat army's aggressive momentum, panicked as they were and disordered as things became, they knew that following orders and steadying the line was to their own benefit.

Liu Chengzong was calculating a very simple question: exactly how many Mongols were surrounding him.

He tried to ride to the front line, but standing behind the war wagons — even climbing onto a wagon and stepping on the sandbags — he could only see dust clouds churning one bowshot away. Beyond that, everything was a blur; neither the naked eye nor the telescope could make out the edges of the enemy formation.

On all sides, there was only the shouting of men, the neighing of horses, and rolling clouds of smoke and dust.

This made it impossible for Liu Chengzong to gauge the enemy's scale or discern their intent. He could not tell in advance whether the enemy planned to besiege or to attack — until Yang Qi, whom he had sent west, came galloping back and reported: "Commander, the enemy has set no encirclement in the west. They've also dispatched a mounted column of two or three thousand riders heading west."

No encirclement in the west?

Liu Chengzong narrowed his eyes. Whether this was true or false could be set aside for the moment, but sending cavalry west was unquestionably to reinforce the enemy troops that had clashed with Wei Qian'er.

"Who told them to go!" Liu Chengzong glared and demanded of Yang Qi: "General Yang, can we let them go west and surround my subordinates?"

Yang Qi froze for a moment, then shook his head: "No."

Liu Chengzong said approvingly, "Exactly. Think of a way to make them come back and surround me."

Relatively speaking, Liu Chengzong was not very familiar with wagon camps. He had only fought against wagon camps deployed by government troops a few times and had rarely used them himself. But in his view, a wagon camp was like formation warfare — it was the "regular" force in the principle of "matching regulars to engage, using irregulars to win."

The last thing the enemy wanted to do was charge a wagon camp head-on, so the wagon camp had to draw the enemy into besieging and attacking it.

Although his forces were fewer than the enemy's, Liu Chengzong was truly not afraid of being besieged. His wagon fort, prepared with sandbags, was as solid as a pre-built fortified encampment.

The enemy's firelocks could not break the formation, their bows lacked sufficient power, and their warhorses were blocked by the wagons. Their only chance to break through was in close-quarters combat.

And the true essence of close-quarters combat does not lie in whose martial skill is superior, but in who can make the enemy fall first on the path of attack — that side wins.

Liu the Lion trusted in the power of heavy muskets and cannons in close-quarters combat.

But the outcome of this battle did not rest on him — it rested on the irregular troops maneuvering on the outer lines. The more enemy troops he could tie down, the greater their chances of victory.

However, Liu Chengzong had truly stumped Yang Qi. How do you call the enemy back?

Yang Qi racked his brains, and finally thought: "Commander, we must use the cannons. I am willing to lead five hundred elite cavalry to muster at the southern formation. I ask the Commander to concentrate a dozen or so divine cannons and bombard the south in unison. I will then lead the charge against their formation."

After saying this, he thought for a moment and added, as if steeling his own resolve: "Best if we can borrow the advantage of the wind and dust to slay their commander and seize their banner."

"South?"

Liu Chengzong pondered briefly, then slowly nodded: "Charge south. If the enemy blocks your retreat, head straight for Green Mountain, find General Feng, and annihilate the pursuing enemy."

Yang Qi nodded his assent, swallowing slowly. That was indeed what he had been thinking, but the job was simple to say and quite different to carry out.

Setting other matters aside, they had no idea how many enemy troops were on just this one encircling side — he would believe it if someone said ten thousand.

At this moment, with the gale and dust clouds, charging through with five hundred cavalry, cutting across the formation and pressing forward unstoppably, was not entirely impossible.

But it was truly no easier than turning back into their own formation.

Liu Chengzong gave it brief consideration, wrote two letters, and ordered his left and right: "Summon Mobile Corps Vice Commander Huang Shengxiao, Brigade Commander Zuo Guangxian, and Company Commander Ma Ke."

Yang Qi's face went blank, but inwardly he was overjoyed — was the Grand Marshal planning to place all the old government army units under my command?

Before long, the three men arrived at the central command one after another. Huang Shengxiao came over clutching his helmet and said, "Grand Marshal, these Oirat Tatars mean to trap us. I see mounted troops massing to the south — my guess is they're going to attack General Feng."

"They're not going anywhere."

Liu Chengzong gave a snort. He first asked Ma Ke and Zuo Guangxian, "Generals Zuo and Ma, do you dare charge the enemy formation to relieve our comrades?"

Ma Ke had been doing this kind of death-defying work all along — he had even dared to assassinate Liu Chengzong. What was there left that he wouldn't dare? He clasped his fists at once: "What's there to fear!"

Zuo Guangxian hesitated slightly and asked, "Where does the Grand Marshal wish this humble officer to strike?"

Zuo Guangxian was very familiar with the Mongols. In his early years he had been at Xuanfu Garrison, the very front line against the Mongols. Back when Yue Hesheng transferred him from Xuanfu Garrison to Yulin Garrison, it was precisely as a Mobile Corps General to teach the army the use of firearms.

During those years when Liu the Lion campaigned east and west across the northwest and southwest, Zuo Guangxian was still teaching the army to use firelocks.

However, as large pieces like wall guns and heavy cannons became common throughout the Marshal's headquarters, his old firearms theories had grown somewhat outdated, and he himself was still learning.

Liu Chengzong first said to Huang Shengxiao, "Artillery, shift twelve heavy cannons south, supplement with fire arrows, and blast a road southward. Company Commander Ma, take six hundred cavalry and strike south."

"If you can withdraw back into the formation after the raid, that would be best — the firelocks will give you cover. If you cannot withdraw, then cut south through the enemy formation, head straight for Green Mountain to find General Feng, and deliver my orders to him."

As he spoke, Liu Chengzong handed one letter addressed to Feng Rang to Ma Ke, and gave the other to Zuo Guangxian, saying, "General Zuo, take one thousand two hundred troops. Ride horses and board carts from the west face. Each man brings two mules. Tail the enemy forces to find General Wei, and support him in smashing the enemy troops. This letter — have General Wei deliver it to Brigade Commander Yang."

Hearing this order, Zuo Guangxian was reassured. He clasped his fists and accepted the command.

Yang Qi, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. He looked at Liu Chengzong but dared not ask, wondering inwardly, I'm not needed?

Liu Chengzong naturally knew Yang Qi's misgivings. Smiling warmly, he said, "General Yang, no need to be impatient. Your day to lead troops will come sooner or later. It's just that for now, I still need you by my side to offer counsel and strategy."

Huang Shengxiao, Zuo Guangxian, and Ma Ke quickly withdrew to make preparations.

From the moment he saw the Oirat army surging forward with such ferocious momentum, Liu Chengzong had been mentally preparing to counterattack.

Call it orthodox engagement and unorthodox victory, or hooked cavalry, anvil-and-hammer tactics, or dividing the army into five outposts — it didn't matter. In the end, this was the only tactic Liu Chengzong knew.

For a wagon fort to win a battle, it must hold two advantages: first, it must possess the strength to counterattack; second, it must have relief troops on the outside to coordinate.

Now, Liu Chengzong did possess a certain counterattack strength, so the key to winning the battle lay with the relief troops.

That was why he wrote those two letters, to be delivered separately to Feng Rang and Yang Yao, who were commanding troops out in the field — to use the wagon fort to pin down the enemy's main force, and have the relief troops launch a sudden strike from the enemy's outer perimeter.

The two mounted assault units quickly completed their preparations within the camp. In moments, mules kicked up dust clouds that filled the sky. Even the State Preceptor Khan, encamped east of the wagon fort, sensed something unusual within the Han army's formation.

Yet the dust clouds were the Oirat main force's very own magic weapon for concealing troop movements, and they could be exploited just as well by Huang Shengxiao's artillery. Six Hundred-Tiger Volley Carts, twelve thousand-catty heavy cannons, and twenty-four Lion Cannons were concentrated on the southern face of the wagon fort, arrayed in neat ranks before the formation.

The Oirat lancers prowling just beyond bowshot south of the wagon formation quickly spotted the Han army's unusual movement. Watching one enormous, ponderous cannon after another being pushed out from the wagon formation, they urgently shouted warnings to alert the army formation behind them.

The commander of the Oirat southern camp reacted swiftly, immediately ordering two columns of cavalry to swing into their saddles and charge the artillery position, which had advanced some ten paces beyond the wagon formation.

But before the central command tent, Liu Chengzong already stood with hands clasped behind his back beneath the great banner, nodding slowly to his side.

The high, piercing wail of suona horns blew a stirring melody through the formation. Stout drummers brought their mallets crashing down upon the war drums. Signal flag after signal flag swung rapidly within the formation, and banner-spear after banner-spear was raised high by the soldiers.

Khoshut riders galloped on horseback. Lance after lance slowly lowered. Cavalrymen clad in mail armor and red-tasseled helmets pressed their bodies low against their mounts, left hands gripping reins and holding shields, revealing only a pair of eyes between shield rim and helmet brim, sweeping up dust dragons as they charged the position.

Fully armored and helmeted, Huang Shengxiao carried a furled battle flag across his shoulder. He strode forward, hand on saber, straight through the center of the artillery position, advancing a dozen paces before stopping, making certain every artilleryman behind him could see him.

Watching the galloping horse column not far away, he pulled a handful of roasted flour from his waist pouch and poured it into his mouth. With a shrug of his shoulders, he gripped the banner-spear horizontally in his palm. As the banner-spear shook, the furled red banner bearing the character Liu unfurled downward.

Then he suddenly lunged forward into a bow stance, the great banner slashing out with him, snapping and fluttering in the wind.

Almost simultaneously, behind him, from right to left, cannon after cannon great and small and rocket carts were ignited. Solid iron cannonballs plowed furrow after furrow of bloody bramble-paths. Warhorses collapsed with pitiful shrieks; cavalrymen tumbled in terror.

What terrified people even more was looking up: six hundred smoke-belching Liu Guonengs scrambled over one another through the air, trailing wild, piercing shrieks as they sprayed toward them.

Amid the thunderous roar of iron-shod hooves pounding the earth, a passage flashed open at the southwest corner of the wagon formation. Zuo Guangxian led cavalrymen riding horses and leading mules as they burst from the flank. Amid the creaking of wheels, over a hundred war carts mounted with wall guns swung out in a wide arc, presenting their rears to the enemy as they spat out massive lead balls, racing westward without a backward glance.

And behind the artillery, the sandbag-piled war carts were withdrawn by the men. Ma Ke led his elite cavalry pacing out on horseback, the Chuang King glaive in his hand angled forward. Taking the lead, he charged straight toward the Oirat cavalry, who had been checked by cannon fire and rockets.

－－－－－－Off-topic－－－－－－

Good evening!