Chapter 847: Fixed Plans Change Easily

When the discussion reached this point, no one raised any further objections. It had to be said that Baoding Regional Commander Lu Qin had indeed considered everything thoroughly.

"If the esteemed ministers at court weren't so preoccupied with the war in Liaodong and still harbored such compassion, how could these bandits have grown so rampant with the combined forces of Baoding, Shandong, and South Zhili striking together? They'd even dare to march out and meet us in battle, forming up their ranks for a fight — they'd have been reduced to ashes long ago." Lu Qin did not voice these words aloud; he merely recited them in his heart.

By this point, several matters were already clear. In just over one shichen, the two sides would make contact. At this distance, any talk of divided advances, converging strikes, or surprise maneuvers was meaningless. In Regional Commander Lu Qin's mind, the Xuzhou bandits had only a few options: first, retreat, in which case he could seize the moment to pursue and slaughter them; second, hold their ground and stalemate with the government troops, but they would surely collapse once their provisions ran out and the various government forces converged — chasing them down would be military merit; third, come forward and fight him in an open field battle, which against the fully advantaged government troops would also end in rout and defeat.

The earthen mound rose higher than the surrounding flat ground, and with the added height of his mount, Baoding Regional Commander Lu Qin could look down over his own army formation. He could see a gap in the crowd at the far left of the formation's south-facing side — that was where the cannons were positioned. The court had been pressing urgently, and the cannons were extremely inconvenient to transport, so Lu Qin had not brought them along. Of course, in his heart he also felt there was no need to use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken.

However, Shandong's Deng-Lai Regional Commander Yang Guodong had been far too eager to curry favor with Eunuch Wei Zhongxian. Not only had he given Lu Qin two thousand crack troops for easier command, he had also brought four cannons. Although these cannons could only fire two-and-a-half-jin shot and were useless for sieges, in field battles they were truly devastating for bombarding formations or blasting open mountain stronghold walls.

Seeing these four cannons, Baoding Regional Commander Lu Qin felt a surge of heroic confidence. If it truly came to a face-to-face clash, once those four cannons opened fire, the thunderous explosions and earth-shaking blasts would likely scatter those Xuzhou bandits in terror on the spot.

Just then, he suddenly heard cheers and clamor from the front of the formation. How could there be such a lack of discipline right before battle? Lu Qin frowned and looked over, only to discover that the bandits' light cavalry had drawn even closer, and several riders from his own side had ridden out to meet them.

How could they be so bold? Bandits with such courage and valor — if they could be recruited under his command, they would surely be a useful force. He watched as the government cavalry drew closer and closer, yet those bandit light cavalry did not flee. Instead, they boldly rode forward to meet them. At a distance of twenty-some paces, the government cavalryman had already drawn his bow and nocked an arrow. He loosed the shot, but the opponent actually performed a hide-behind-the-horse maneuver, shifting his body sideways on the mount to evade it. Even the government ranks let out a wave of cheers at this move. The next moment, the bandit light cavalryman was back in the saddle and swiftly returned a shot. This time, the government cavalryman failed to dodge and was shot straight off his horse.

Seeing this, Regional Commander Lu Qin's expression immediately darkened. He had certainly heard the cries of alarm erupt from his own ranks. Such a setback would not affect the overall situation, but it was a terrible blow to morale. What was even more infuriating was that after only one man had been shot dead, the others actually hesitated and failed to advance — utterly disgraceful.

That bandit light cavalryman then swaggered across the front of the formation, looking as if he were conducting an inspection — flaunting his prowess, of course. Lu Qin's expression grew even uglier. He turned his head toward several of his subordinates who were itching for action. This bandit's arrogance had to be cut down. But before he could speak, the bandit light cavalry let out a whistle and all spurred their horses away. Some rode over two hundred paces before stopping; others rode off and did not return.

Baoding Regional Commander Lu Qin took a deep breath. With the great battle imminent, he must not act rashly over such trivial details. He was just about to give an order when he heard Guerrilla Commander Wei beside him say, "Lord Lu, the bandits are on the march right now. Since rising this morning, they've eaten at most a breakfast — they're weary and worn. If I lead the cavalry in a swift raid, catching them off guard, I can certainly send those bandit rabble scattering like fallen blossoms swept away by flowing water."

Regional Commander Lu Qin's brow immediately furrowed. This Guerrilla Commander Wei Pingfang was far too eager for merit. Yet he had to admit that what Wei Pingfang said made sense, and for the moment he could find no words to refute it.

"My lord, the bandits' scouts and patrol riders have just returned. They must be informing their chieftains that the government troops have already set camp and formed battle lines. If we seize this moment to assemble the cavalry and advance at speed, we can surely catch them completely unprepared. Our government forces have nearly a thousand cavalry — what use are a few thousand bandits? Won't it just be herding sheep?" Guerrilla Commander Wei continued.

"After all, it is using the few to strike the many. There is still risk involved. If anything goes wrong, it would be a huge disaster. Better to wait here for the bandits to come to us, meet exhaustion with ease, and fight steadily and securely."

"Lord Lu, we all know how urgently the higher-ups are pressing for this rebellion to be suppressed. When those bandit light cavalry return with their report, they might very well withdraw. Who knows how many complications will arise then..."

Seeing that Lu Qin still remained silent and contemplative, Guerrilla Commander Wei Pingfang grew desperate and raised his voice: "If Regional Commander Lu is worried, how about I write a pledge? If we win, the credit goes to you, the Regional Commander, for your direction. If we lose, it's my reckless rashness. What do you say?"

What utter insolence. Baoding Regional Commander Lu Qin cursed inwardly, but his face showed no expression. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed that his own trusted officers all wore eager, itching expressions. He understood immediately. If the cavalry charged in and directly shattered the bandits' main formation, then pursued and cut them down, whether in military merit or plunder, his trusted men would certainly take the lion's share — and they wouldn't have to split it with the infantry battalions. If he refused, this Guerrilla Commander Wei could still muster four to six hundred mounted troops and charge anyway, and the Shandong troops might even follow suit. Then his own men would inevitably harbor resentment.

"Since you put it that way, I grant you permission to lead a force out. But on one condition: do not underestimate the enemy. If the bandits prove too strong, return to the main force immediately. Otherwise, you will face military law." Lu Qin agreed, his tone stern.

Guerrilla Commander Wei clasped his fists in salute from horseback and gave a loud acknowledgment, then shouted, "Brothers, each of you bring your squads to the front of the formation and assemble! We're going sheep-herding!"

Besides his own trusted men answering the call, even the officers and personal guards on Regional Commander Lu Qin's side shouted in excitement — only falling silent when Lu Qin swept them with a glance. They knew their commander's mind well. As the commanding general, he naturally disliked having others meddle in his deployments, but they couldn't help themselves. Guerrilla Commander Wei's plan was what benefited everyone. Those infantrymen were all worthless good-for-nothings. When it came to real battle, they still had to rely on us cavalry. Why should military merit be shared with them?

Though it was a clear day with the sun hanging high, the Mid-Autumn Festival had already passed, so the heat was nothing much. Marching in large formation could hardly be called a hardship. In this weather, even full armor barely drew a sweat.

The Zhao Character Battalion's main force advanced in good order. What differed from the government troops' marching column was that only a small number of scouts roamed the perimeter of the Zhao Character Battalion's main force. There were no cavalry squadrons guarding the flanks or serving as mobile reserves, because the massed mounted household troops were all at the very rear of the column, leading their horses on foot as they followed.

At this moment, the mounted household troops were all chewing their dry rations slowly and carefully, occasionally feeding a little to their mounts. The bits had already been removed from the horses' mouths, allowing them to eat the fodder in their chest bags.

"Master Jin, the government troops' cannons are here." The returning scout patrol rider had shown no regard for his mount's stamina. By now, the horse was drenched in sweat, foam flecking its breath — it was already on the verge of collapse.

Zhao Jin, Ji Xiang, and several cavalry squad leaders stood off to the side of the main force, watching as the scout patrol rider drew a line on the ground, then marked a circle at a certain point along that line. Everyone watched with rapt attention.

"The government troops' formation shouldn't change anymore. Every unit is already in position, their banners planted in the ground. I'll guide you from the front and lead everyone there."

Just as he was explaining, the urgent sound of hoofbeats rang out again. Several people turned to look and saw that not far from the main force, the galloping horse's knees had buckled and it had collapsed straight to the ground, throwing its rider off. The man scrambled up and still ran forward at full speed, utterly ignoring the blood on his face and hands.

He was quickly stopped. After a brief identity check, he was immediately let through. The household trooper, gasping for breath, said, "Master Jin, a large force of government cavalry is coming to attack!"

"How long until they arrive? How many?"

"At most the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense. Over a thousand riders — they've all come out!"

Zhao Jin pondered for a brief moment, then immediately shouted, "The entire army halts! Set up camp formation at once! Summon the company commanders of the firearms company and the archer company. Summon the leaders of the Personal Guard Regiment, the First Regiment, the Second Regiment, and the First Great Battalion."

"Big Brother, since the enemy cavalry is coming, let me lead the cavalry to meet them!" Ji Xiang immediately requested battle.

Zhao Jin shook his head and said, "Take the main unit that's going to fight and go rest in the rear. Use this chance to eat and drink, and feed the horses well. Let Cai Huajun lead the Xuzhou martial artists as the mobile reserve — there's no need for you right now!"

"... The Personal Guard Regiment takes the front. Behind them, the First Regiment on the right, the Second Regiment on the left — form a pin-shaped formation. The First Great Battalion and the cavalry stay together, measure each other's positions, and protect the rear of the main formation. All cavalrymen who can shoot a bow are to be reassigned to the archer company. The archer company and the firearms company will maneuver under my direct command. Now prepare..."

The leaders of each regiment and company rode forward, then rode back, swiftly relaying the orders. The sound of drums and suona horns, along with the shouts and calls of company commanders and squad leaders, all rose up as they began to reorganize and form the battle lines.

Bayin, the archer company commander, lay on the ground and listened for a moment, then rose and said, "No fewer than a thousand riders. They should be slowing their pace now — likely conserving strength, preparing to charge."

Zhao Jin nodded and said, "Since it's a large cavalry force coming, a rapid raid, the chance of them suddenly veering to attack the flanks is small. A direct frontal charge is more likely. Meng Zhiqi, your two companies will deploy in a horizontal firing line directly in front of the main formation and meet them with firelocks. Bayin, take the archer company to the main force's left flank. If the enemy chooses a flank, the right side has the river and lakes — if they come, it can only be from the left. Wait there on standby, ready to shift to the front at any moment. Move!"

Thanks to Qidian book friends "Wind's Dragon King" and "Words of Opposition" for their tips. Thank you to all friends on Chuangshi and Qidian for your subscriptions, monthly tickets, and tips. It's the end of the month — if you have monthly tickets, please cast them for Great Ming Wufu. Don't let them go to waste next month.