Chapter 1373: Can't Help but Worry

The cannon fire was no simple intimidation. Several shells landed squarely within the cavalry formation, and they caused real, undeniable casualties.

Having experienced this, the Jianzhou Jurchen cavalry no longer dared to approach. Seeing this, the former Jinzhou garrison finally let their hearts settle back in their chests.

"So these two ships serve as gun platforms. These Xuzhou men's tactics are clumsy, but they carry no risk. At all times, they form their array into a fortress—the infantry locks into an iron formation, the cavalry provides support, and the firearms strike the enemy. It's just like a walled stronghold. The moment you crash against it, you are blocked by the garrison of the fortress and bloodily purged by the firepower from its walls," Chen Jisheng mused thoughtfully.

His mind was more meticulous than the others; he knew to observe and analyze. The others were watching too and could form vague impressions, but they might not have reached such a conclusion. Once Chen Jisheng laid it out, everything suddenly became clear to them.

"But fortresses elsewhere cannot move. This fortress of the Zhao Army has grown feet," Zhang Pan added a few words, and everyone nodded in deep agreement.

The ship they were on also drew close to the shore. With the experience of the last landing behind them, the soldiers climbing down the rope nets into the skiffs this time wore only breastplates, and the leather cord fastenings connecting the front and back sections were not tied tight, so they could quickly shed the armor if they fell into the water.

Chen Jisheng, Zhang Pan, and the officers and soldiers of Liaodong origin were also equipped with armor and boarded the boats to set out together. The landing zone was actually restricted to the area between the two large Fu ships. The men from Liaodong could see the scene at the prows of the Fu ships: on the broad bow of each vessel, six cannons of varying calibers were aimed forward.

These were practically two gun batteries. With the cover of these cannons, there was indeed no need to worry about raids from the caitiff cavalry charging out. The moment they saw these cannons, they felt victory was already assured.

In the distance, they could already see the main force of the Jianzhou Jurchen, but those battalions never approached. In the end, they pulled back into the city. Chen Jisheng could guess their dilemma. It was a true double bind. If they did not come out, they could only sit and watch as this great army landed and attacked their city. But if they did come out, they had already witnessed the power of these cannons—they simply could not withstand them. Coming out would only mean throwing their lives away.

Once the number of soldiers ashore exceeded two thousand, the area outside Fuzhou City grew quiet instead. The Jianzhou Jurchen troops who had sallied out had already withdrawn into the city, relying on the strong fortifications to resist. This was the safest, surest option, and at present, it was the only choice they could make.

With the enemy holed up and refusing to come out, the Zhao Army's movements became far more unhurried. They first set up a camp at the port, securing the link to the sea route. Then, cannon after cannon was unloaded from the ships, along with the oxen and horses to haul them. Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming had originally been itching for a fight, eager to display their martial valor in the fierce assault on the city. Your firearms are devastating, your formations are orderly, they thought, but when it comes to real blade-to-blade combat, we are no worse. Yet when they saw the twenty cannons being brought ashore, their desire for a pitched battle vanished.

"What need is there for us to take the field..." The men of Jinzhou, having already witnessed the Zhao Army's cannons, understood perfectly in their hearts.

There were not so many oxen and horses on the ships this time. The large draft animals they had brought were all used for the heavy cannons. The six-pounder guns and those of smaller caliber had to be dragged forward by men. They had assumed such backbreaking labor would fall entirely on their own shoulders, but the Zhao Army soldiers joined in the toil as well. Even company commanders were pushing and hauling, pitching in. Such conduct surprised the former Jinzhou garrison yet again.

"This Xuzhou Zhao Army doesn't fight crisply. Not much of that satisfying, straight-up blade-to-blade slaughter—just brute labor and hard work!"

"Quit your grumbling. Don't you see those Zhao Army officers are busy too? Even Chen Sheng has rolled up his sleeves and gotten to work. What do we have to complain about? Get moving!"

"Work is work, but what kind of warfare is this? It's clearly building a fort. They come to one place and build one up. How many days are we even staying? Why exhaust ourselves like this?"

By the time all the heavy equipment had been transported to the base of Fuzhou City, the sky was already growing dark. The city gates were tightly shut, and the defenses atop the walls were strict and imposing. It was clear the Jianzhou Jurchen had made preparations to hold fast. For both the Jianzhou Jurchen and the Zhao Army, the risks of a night battle were immense. By all appearances, they would have to wait out the night.

They had expected a temporary camp, but to their surprise, the Zhao Army set about constructing a fortified encampment without the slightest ambiguity. From digging trenches to erecting palisades, from deep pits for storing ammunition to even temporary roads for the army's advance—nothing was done half-heartedly. The area around Fuzhou and Jinzhou had been a constant tug-of-war battleground for years. The common people had either been taken to the heartland of the Liao garrison or had scattered and fled entirely. Conscripting civilian laborers was impossible. However, these former Jinzhou defenders did not know that even when civilian laborers and able-bodied men were available, the Zhao Army's soldiers still had to participate in the labor, often working far harder than the conscripted civilians themselves.

Even though they had not participated in many of the Zhao Army's battles, everyone had witnessed the might of the cannons. They thought to themselves: the great guns have already been dragged right up to the city walls. Just bombard them—who could possibly withstand that? This battle's outcome is already a foregone victory. Why toil so bitterly to build this fortified camp?

On the walls of Fuzhou City, there was constant, frantic activity. Scouts sent to monitor the other city gates kept reporting back that the Tartars had riders continuously heading north—clearly messengers rushing to plead for aid. But the main force of troops remained inside the city, making no move.

By the time the fortified camp was fully constructed, the sky had gone completely dark. Lights flickered to life both among the defending troops on the walls and in the encampment below. No matter what, the bloody slaughter would begin the next morning. Tonight, everyone could get a good night's sleep.

From the landing to the building of the camp, the entire Zhao Army was utterly exhausted. After arranging the night watch, every battalion began to rest. But men like Chen Jisheng and Zhang Pan dared not sleep.

Having fought the Jianzhou Jurchen for so many years, the Ming officers of Liaodong origin dared not show the slightest carelessness. Inside a city, with walls and deep moats for protection, they could be somewhat at ease. But when encamped in the field, the variables were far too many. The number of Jianzhou Jurchen capable of night fighting far exceeded that of the Ming army, and they were death-defying and battle-hardened. They would often cause Ming encampments to collapse at night, leading to utter routs without any proper field battle ever taking place.

Chen Jisheng and Zhang Pan had thought of going to warn Chen Sheng, but after hesitating repeatedly, they did not go. As men who had surrendered, they had to be measured in their words and actions. As defeated generals, and from a weak force far inferior to the Zhao Army at that, if they were always offering advice and suggestions, they would inevitably invite suspicion and displeasure from the other side.

Moreover, the camp was constructed fairly thoroughly, and the Zhao Army as a whole was disciplined and well-ordered. Even if the caitiffs launched a night raid, as long as they could react in time, the situation could still be controlled, and no catastrophic outcome would occur. The reason Chen Jisheng and the others did not sleep was precisely to add more strength when that moment of reaction came.

In his heart of hearts, Chen Jisheng rather hoped the Zhao Army would suffer a minor setback. It was not that he harbored any dissatisfaction with the Zhao Army itself. He had always felt that this young army had things go too smoothly. The battlefield was cruel, and the bloody war against the caitiffs in Liaodong was crueler still. If the beginning was too smooth, and they were to ever suffer a serious setback, they might easily collapse and never recover. Better to suffer a small loss at the start; then they would treat things with greater caution later on. In the long run, that would be better.

After making camp, Chen Jisheng and his companions had already marveled at the abundance of supplies here. There wasn't a single patch to be seen on the tents. Just how much silver did this Zhao Army have? Could it be that all the equipment, weapons, and armor of such a powerful force were brand new? Had they just materialized out of thin air?

Chen Jisheng did not remove his armor, and his weapons were placed within arm's reach. Even the flap of his tent was left tied open, for he did not want to miss the slightest stir or rustle outside.

The Zhao Army's military camp was not so quiet at night. There were patrolling soldiers, the regular sounding of drums and horns, and even shouted orders and commands. This greatly puzzled Chen Jisheng and the others. Ming army camps were deathly silent at night, even in times of peace. This was because the risk of a night panic or camp riot was far too great. A single man's clamor could throw the entire army into chaos. Not only would they turn on each other, but the whole camp could collapse in a very short time. Thus, absolute silence was required; anyone making noise was guilty of a capital offense.

As the night deepened, the Zhao Army's camp gradually quieted down. Stepping out of his tent and looking toward the opposite side, Chen Jisheng saw that the figures moving atop Fuzhou City's walls seemed to have thinned out as well.

In this atmosphere, Chen Jisheng slowly began to relax. Exhaustion surged up, and his eyelids grew too heavy to keep open. Just as he was gritting his teeth to stay awake, he heard a clamor and commotion outside. The Tartars had indeed not given up the chance for a night raid. Chen Jisheng jolted awake instinctively, his armor clanking loudly. This, in turn, startled the others in the tent awake. Everyone had long been prepared and immediately grabbed their weapons, ready to rush out.

"Hold it right there! Moving without orders is a grave taboo!" Chen Jisheng called out in time to stop them.

Almost at the same moment as those words, the dense, explosive crackle of firelocks erupted. Mingled with these bursts were deep, muffled booms. And answering them were screams of agony and cries of alarm.

Judging by the general direction and distance, the screams and cries were coming from the outermost perimeter. It must be the night-raiding troops being discovered and struck down hard. But in the dead of night, and with everything happening so suddenly, no one dared to be certain. They could only listen, their hearts pounding with anxiety.

"Old Chen, the main camp is surprisingly quiet. The fighting outside is fierce, but there's hardly a stir in here," Zhang Pan said in a low voice.

The Jianzhou Jurchen had prepared this night raid very thoroughly. They did not attack from the front, where defenses were habitually tightest. Instead, they made a wide circle and began their operation from the rear. They never expected to be discovered and struck down hard all the same.

Chen Jisheng nodded, and with his saber in hand, stepped out of the tent. After taking a single step, however, he retreated back inside. He set his saber down and shot Zhang Pan a meaningful glance. Zhang Pan still looked somewhat puzzled.

A while later, the explosive roar of the firearms ceased, and silence returned once more. Zhang Pan let out a sigh of relief to himself and muttered, "This Zhao Army looks young, but they handle things with real seasoned expertise. In their marching and formations, I can't spot a single oversight."

Chen Jisheng hesitated for a moment, then said in a hushed voice, "It was us who were rash. When I went out just now, I saw that there were squads of soldiers monitoring the surroundings. If we had moved recklessly, I fear our good intentions would have brought great calamity upon us."

These words made Zhang Pan freeze. It took him a moment to react, and then he gave a bitter smile and said, "After being bullied by the Tartars for so many years, watching Liaodong slip beyond recovery, the moment we see a force like theirs, we just can't help but worry too much."