Chapter 1198: The Thieves Are Advancing

"Rest assured, Grand Commander, we will fight with courage and press forward relentlessly, and we will not cease until every last bandit soldier is slain!" Mobile Corps Commander Tong Qingshan shouted with particular fervor. He was already congratulating himself on securing the vanguard role. If he earned merit this time and gained the recognition of Eunuch Wei, his chances of re-establishing a Liaodong garrison command here in Shandong would grow substantially—perhaps even leading to further advancement.

After he finished speaking, the various officers mounted their horses and returned to their respective encampments. Once the crowd had dispersed, Brigade General Yang Guodong and his personal guards and staff officers also mounted up and moved forward. The staff officer who had explained the battle situation lowered his voice and said, "My lord, are we truly that confident this time?"

Brigade General Yang Guodong remained silent for a moment, then spoke: "This time, we must win. If we do not win, then I will simply have to stake my life on it."

The staff officer's face turned extremely grim upon hearing this. He muttered, "What on earth is Eunuch Wei thinking? The more one does, the more one can err. Wouldn't muddling through leave everyone satisfied..."

At this, Brigade General Yang Guodong turned his head and shot him a glare. The staff officer begged pardon and dared not speak further. Yang Guodong, however, raised his head and let out a long sigh, then said in a deeply somber tone, "Eunuch Wei is working for His Majesty, working for the Great Ming. I know this is wrong, but my wealth and rank depend entirely on Eunuch Wei's patronage. This time, I shall repay that kindness and obligation!"

Advancing three li was merely a distance of a thousand and several hundred paces, and one also had to account for the forward movement of the Xuzhou troops on the opposite side. By now, the various government divisions had begun to deploy. Men shouted, horses neighed, and dust rose to the sky. Everyone caught within it felt a mounting agitation, yet at the same time, they also felt confident. Before such a host, what could possibly stand in their way—especially when the enemy was nothing more than a rabble of rebels and bandits?

Dust rose to the sky on this side, and dust could also be seen rising from the direction the Zhao camp was coming. Yet many seasoned government officers found it puzzling.

"... That shouldn't be seven thousand..."

"... The dust is so low, the display of force looks modest. Could the troop numbers have been falsely reported..."

"... Even night scouts misjudge things from time to time..."

If a formation is orderly, it will not raise such a great cloud of dust. By the time the government scouts discovered the Zhao camp's First Brigade, the Zhao camp's light cavalry had likewise already spotted the main government force.

After roughly estimating the distance between them, Chen Sheng ordered the entire army to halt, eat some dry rations, drink water, and make brief preparations before continuing the advance. At the same time, he summoned the regiment commanders of each regiment, along with the deputy regiment commanders assigned to lead the militia battalions, to gather for a council.

Chen Sheng did not launch into a lengthy discourse. He spoke concisely: "If the government troops intend to engage our army in a frontal battle, then the four regiments will form a horizontal line as the first rank. The militia battalions and companies will form the second rank, advancing to attack. If the government troops have other plans, our army will first form square formations and await orders, then respond accordingly. Order each regiment to ready their firelocks and bows. The firearms company is to begin preparations. The mounted household retainers company will serve as the reserve force, awaiting orders to act."

After he finished this brief address, the men dispersed to return to their posts and make arrangements. The commander of the Second Regiment, Zhuang Liu, walked a few steps slower and remained behind. He spoke up: "Brigade Commander, should we dispatch a regiment to flank and strike the government troops' wing? That way we could catch them off guard."

"That won't be necessary. The First Brigade must maintain sufficient strength on the front in order to inflict sufficient damage. Zhuang Liu, you must make things clear to your subordinates. On this battlefield, loyalty and fervor do not mean throwing your lives away in a reckless charge. It means strictly adhering to the drill manual, remaining in formation, and awaiting orders. That is true loyalty in action. If the battle formation falls into disorder, I won't care about anything else—I will only recognize your status as household retainers. No one will be able to stop me from enforcing military law. Do you understand?" Chen Sheng said sternly.

The implication of these words was naturally directed at Zhuang Liu's identity as a member of the Prosperity Society, though it was not stated outright. Zhuang Liu showed no embarrassment or awkwardness, however. He simply answered with the utmost gravity: "Please rest assured, Brigade Commander. In this battle, we will certainly deliver the finest performance!"

"Do well, and Master Jin will not treat you poorly," Chen Sheng replied with a nod.

Having said this, Chen Sheng dismounted. From a leather pouch on his saddle, he took out a sorghum cake, crumbled it, and fed it to his mount. Although his horse was a robust specimen specially selected, it still strained under the weight of the tall, broad, and powerfully built Chen Sheng, requiring constant replenishment. Seeing Chen Sheng's actions, the personal guards beside him moved to do the same, but Chen Sheng rebuked them and waved them off: "Stay on your horses and keep watch! Report any news the moment it comes. This is not the time to be sparing the horses!"

After hurriedly replenishing food and water in that short span, the armored household retainers began helping one another don their armor. The firelock retainers checked their barrels and triggers. The company commanders and squad commanders of each company meticulously inspected whether every man's armor clasps and buckles were securely fastened, checked each man's powder and shot equipment, and also examined other essential gear, not daring to show the slightest laxity.

While the company and squad commanders busied themselves, the deputy regiment commanders and standard-bearers of each regiment kept their eyes fixed on them. Should anyone display a hint of negligence, the military law retainers stationed beside Chen Sheng were not to be trifled with.

The artillery company was advancing with its six cannons—two six-pounders and four three-pounders. Ever since the Zhao camp's firearms workshop had achieved stable cannon-casting output, they had begun adding and replacing cannons for each brigade. The cannons now appeared no different from the earlier ones, but in truth, their quality was superior and their range had improved.

"The government troops are already up ahead!"

Hearing this shout from the forward scouts, Chen Sheng rode ahead. Upon reaching the front of the formation, he dismounted. His personal guards had already stacked several thick wooden tables for him. Chen Sheng nimbly climbed up and stood there, gazing into the distance at the enemy army. His frame was tall, stout, and heavy, making it extremely inconvenient to stand on horseback to observe. Thus, to gain a vantage point, he directly used sturdy, stable wooden tables.

The Zhao camp possessed nine telescopes, gifts sent by the Li family gang and the Yu family fleet. People of the time regarded telescopes merely as precious curios, but Zhao Jin immediately distributed them down to the brigade commander, regiment commander, and firearms battalion levels precisely to apply them to military use as quickly as possible. Chen Sheng observed through the telescope for a moment, then turned his head and bellowed: "Form ranks five hundred paces before the enemy! Engage at four hundred paces! Act according to the established plan!"

The order was given, and the messenger retainers immediately sprinted out. The First Brigade and its attached units all began to stir. Chen Sheng climbed down from the wooden tables, and his retainers hurried forward to clear them away. As he mounted his horse, Chen Sheng muttered to himself, "The government troops are still moving. They probably won't have time to set up cannons in front of their formation!"

The four regiments of the Zhao camp's First Brigade deployed in a horizontal line from right to left according to their numerical order. The militia units behind them also began to steady and compose themselves. The mounted household retainers company and the Xuzhou Volunteers also began assembling, taking up position on the right side in the gap between the two large horizontal lines. Meanwhile, the artillery company shouted as they moved forward, and men began fastening thick ropes and leather cords to the gun carriages. Around each cannon, a set number of household retainers and militia began forming ranks.

By the time they reached roughly five hundred paces, the First Brigade of the Zhao camp had completed its formation. This completion, however, did not mean coming to a halt; rather, they began pressing forward in an orderly advance. When the formation was completed, the artillery company had already stopped. The oxen and horses used for towing were unhitched, and loading proceeded methodically. Once the ammunition was loaded, the muzzles were raised slightly and fixed at an elevation angle. Then, some of the household retainers and militia hoisted long ropes onto their backs and pulled forward, while others pushed from behind. The cannons kept pace with the main body's advance.

After Mobile Corps Commander Tong Qingshan returned to his own unit, his mind was filled entirely with fantasies of being appointed a general and enfeoffed as a marquis, his blood boiling with irrepressible excitement. Only before these newly assembled subordinates did Tong Qingshan forcibly suppress his fervor. In a muffled voice, he said, "The future wealth and glory for us seeds of Liaodong Commandery will be staked entirely on these bandit soldiers before us today. If we achieve merit today, rebuilding a garrison command here in the prosperous lands of Shandong will not be difficult."

Once the previously vague promises turned into concrete words, the several battalion commanders all grew animated. Only then did Tong Qingshan strike while the iron was hot: "Brothers, in a pitched, upright battle, victory depends on dauntless valor. Bandit troops are just bandit troops. No matter how mysteriously fearsome the tales about them are, can they possibly be more vicious than the Jianzhou Jurchens? We brothers have weathered great storms and towering waves—are we supposed to fear a minor scene like this? My plan is simple: the cavalry will charge ahead and, in one vigorous surge, smash through the bandit army. Then each battalion will press forward in full force and utterly crush them. When that happens, not only will the first merit belong to us brothers, but all the merit will be ours. If you brothers want to live the good life, want it even more carefree than back in Liaodong Commandery, then it all depends on today. If we win a great victory today, do you think these Shandong cowards would dare steal our credit? Would there even be any role left for us Liaodong soldiers?"

Stirred by these words, the Liaodong Commandery officers who had come to receive orders were all fired up, each thumping his chest and pledging obedience. The battalion commanders leading the cavalry also shouted as they moved forward. Through the dust, they could see the Xuzhou troops forming up and making preparations, while their own main government force was also beginning to deploy its battle array. At this moment, the cavalry had to form ranks at the front and prepare to charge forward.

The elite cavalry of the government army possessed quality far surpassing that of ordinary foot soldiers. Not only were they proficient in mounted combat skills, they also knew exactly how to charge and strike to achieve results. On the battlefield, one could not simply gallop wildly at random and inflict casualties. One had to maneuver in coordinated groups; only then would there be power, only then would there be sufficient lethality.

Drums beat out a rapid cadence. Someone raised a battalion commander's identification banner. The cavalrymen from Liaodong Commandery shouted as they converged, swiftly forming an orderly array. This drew unceasing praise from the Shandong officers observing the formation up front—as expected of troops from the empire's premier frontier garrison, such efficiency was truly extraordinary.

Just as the cavalry squadrons were about to finish assembling, several low, muffled booms were heard, like the rumble of distant thunder. This sound was not unfamiliar to the government troops, high and low, and they reacted instantly: "Cannons! Cannons! The bandits are firing!"

Everyone was tense, yet at the same time, no one was particularly tense. With so many firearms in the government army, everyone was naturally familiar with this. Getting a cannon to fire was one thing; hitting the target was another matter entirely. There was no rush to panic—better to judge where the shot would land first...

The first cannonball landed a dozen or so paces in front of the cavalry formation. Before the cavalryman at the front could even sneer, he saw the cannonball ricochet off the winter-hardened ground and come howling toward them. It struck a horse squarely in the chest, sending both horse and rider crashing to the ground from the impact. There was no chance they survived.

It's not yet time for the big push, and the end of the month is in sight. Brothers and sisters, you all have tickets in hand by now—how about casting one for Great Ming Wufu?

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