Chapter 965: Calm and Composed

The entire Zhao Camp was in turmoil. This sudden shock and upheaval caught them all off guard. They had been full of confidence, but after being shaken, watching that rolling tide of people charging forward with earth-shattering momentum, they didn't know how to react for a moment, and their hearts grew more and more panicked. The horses of the cavalry were all restless, neighing and stamping; the mounted retainers fought desperately to control them. The spear retainers exchanged terrified glances. If even the retainers were like this, the Xuzhou volunteers were already tugging at their reins, ready to flee. How could they possibly defeat bandit soldiers with such momentum? As for the conscripted laborers, if not for the many militia regulars among them, some would have already bolted...

"What the hell are you all standing there dumbstruck for? Take your positions, take your positions!" Zhao Jin roared from horseback.

As soon as his words fell, the shouts of squad leaders rang out in succession within the ranks of the First Regiment, Second Regiment, Guard Unit, Fourth Battalion, and First Battalion. The drums and suona horns used to form ranks and deploy also sounded.

With Zhao Jin's roar, Liu Yong and the others beside him also bellowed. Everyone reacted at roughly the same moment, and their minds settled in that instant. The things they had drilled in peacetime were carved into their bones. Driven by commands and drumbeats, the retainers once again straightened and reorganized their ranks.

Although the crowd surging out from the city gate was ferocious in momentum and terrifying to behold, the distance was several li after all, and they couldn't cover it that quickly.

"First Regiment, Guard Unit, Second Regiment, spread out in a single line and meet the enemy before the formation. First Battalion and Fourth Battalion in the rear. All other units move with me. Form a defensive perimeter with the carts and baggage." Zhao Jin issued his orders.

Though the command was brief, it contained a great deal of information. Those receiving orders naturally understood how to execute them. Starting from Zhao Jin's position, extending to the right were the First Regiment, the Guard Unit, and the Second Regiment. Behind them, the First Battalion and Fourth Battalion were arrayed in the same order. The cavalry and firearms company were gathered behind Zhao Jin.

"Firearms company, prepare! Archers, prepare! Prepare to engage!" Zhao Jin commanded sternly. The firearms company began their preparations, and the archers among the cavalry dismounted one after another; they had already been positioned in the rear ranks beforehand.

The monotonous cadence drums, the shouts and calls of the regiment commanders, company commanders, and squad leaders—all were drowned out by the chants and battle cries constantly coming from the opposite side. Even the footsteps of that human tide were soul-shaking. Yet throughout this process, the ranks of Zhao Camp grew more and more orderly. The initial panic was gone; they simply stood there in solemn silence, awaiting battle.

The surging tide of people rushing out of the city seemed endless, but in reality, it had a limit. A distance of four li was not short. Charging forward was fast at the start, but after running one or two li, their stamina would naturally wane, and their speed would slow.

When the distance between the two sides was a few hundred paces, that human tide was no longer sprinting but jogging forward...

The firearms company had already formed a loose skirmish line in front of Zhao Camp's infantry formation and was nervously loading ammunition. The company commander and deputies of the firearms company ran between the ranks, checking whether the retainers had made any omissions or mistakes in loading their matchlocks. The archers were more relaxed, hooking their bowstrings a few times with their fingers, then looking ahead.

Sharp whistles sounded from within the refugee ranks. At the sound of these whistles, the surging human tide slowed its pace and came to a halt at a distance of just over three hundred paces.

On horseback, Zhao Jin smiled. No matter how astonishing the momentum, it could not defy common sense. No matter how terrifying the display, human stamina was limited. Although Ji'ning City had a population of over two hundred thousand and housed many refugees, the number of people who could charge out was only so many...

It wasn't just Zhao Jin who smiled. In every regiment and unit of Zhao Camp, from the regiment commanders down to the squad leaders, smiles appeared on everyone's faces. The initial sight had been so shocking and terrifying, but at the final moment, they still had to slow down and fight. Looking at the scattered and chaotic formation across from them, Zhao Camp was not afraid.

Just as the atmosphere relaxed slightly, drumbeats sounded. But these drumbeats did not come from Zhao Camp's side; they came from within the refugee ranks.

Sharp whistles rang out over there, and the roaring gongs, drums, and clamor fell silent. Although it couldn't achieve complete silence, for the usual disorder of refugees, it was already quite impressive.

So many people surged out from the city. Looking from horseback, it was a dark, boundless mass—impossible to count how many there were—and it looked utterly chaotic.

Once the drumbeats sounded within the refugee ranks, the originally scattered and disorderly mass began to gather and form up. At a distance of a few hundred paces, one could clearly see the details on the other side. Some were shouting and urging, others were punching and kicking, even beating with sticks and lashing with whips, gradually forcing the refugees into formation.

As the drumbeats from the refugee side rang out, everyone in Zhao Camp, from top to bottom, put away their smiles. Because the rhythm of those drums was very familiar to them. The rhythm was also monotonous, extremely similar to Zhao Camp's own cadence drums. Moreover, as the drumbeats sounded, the utterly chaotic refugees began to form into square formations. These formations were also very similar to their own battle arrays. Even the weapons the refugees used were long arms, though the ones at the very front appeared to be sharpened bamboo spears and wooden spikes.

When scattered, they were a sheet of loose sand; when ordered, they had the momentum of a mountain. With tens of thousands, even over a hundred thousand refugees, coalescing into square formations one after another, a dense and terrifying aura surged toward them.

From top to bottom in Zhao Camp, everyone's expression turned grave and solemn. They had originally thought their long-spear square formation was a unique method, one that could sweep across the land with no equal. Who could have imagined they would see the same thing among refugees? And the refugees had far greater numbers—several times, even dozens of times their own.

Faced with such a comparison, everyone's confidence couldn't help but waver. Could they still win on a battlefield like this?

The drumbeats within the refugee ranks changed again. Zhao Camp, from top to bottom, immediately tensed up. The matchlock retainers began vigorously blowing on the match cords of their firearms, preparing to open fire.

But to this drumbeat, the refugee ranks did not advance. The front section facing Zhao Camp slowly spread open to both sides, revealing the center that had been enveloped by the front and rear battalions.

Upon seeing this, everyone in Zhao Camp, especially the retainers in the front ranks, changed color. They saw several square formations within the enveloping battalions. They wore identical uniforms, carried standard-issue long spears, and were arrayed in formations much like Zhao Camp's long-spear squares. They didn't seem much inferior—just as orderly, just as imposing.

They actually have ones like ours? The retainers of Zhao Camp were deeply shaken. When they had first seen the refugees, they had thought the other side was far inferior to them. Even if trained with the same methods, their own would still be better. But to suddenly discover that the other side also had troops comparable to theirs—that sense of superiority was now almost entirely gone.

Compared to the retainers, Zhao Jin's companions were even more shaken. Their prior assessment had been that all the main forces of the Incense-Smelling Sect's rebel army had been dispatched to Ziyang City, leaving Ji'ning City in a very vulnerable state. Once their own main force arrived, the enemy would be forced to turn back, at which point their own side, having rested while the enemy exhausted themselves marching, could calmly crush them.

What they hadn't expected was that the main force of the Incense-Smelling Sect's rebel army had remained motionless in Ji'ning City all along, waiting for Zhao Camp's arrival. It was not they who rested while the enemy exhausted themselves, but the enemy. And the enemy had successfully intimidated their entire force, causing Zhao Camp's own morale to plummet—not to mention that the enemy had amassed sufficient strength.

Zhao Jin's companions all felt a sense of defeat to varying degrees. That feeling of holding the entire situation in their hands, only to be outmaneuvered by the opponent—and the current situation was extremely unfavorable for Zhao Camp.

But this sense of defeat flickered away in an instant. Chen Sheng, Shi Manqiang, and Ji Xiang all quickly adjusted their emotions. In such circumstances, since battle was inevitable anyway, what use was there in overthinking?

"Big Brother, the Incense-Smelling Sect must have sealed off the city these past days. Those so-called Divine Protectorate troops were probably sent out during the day and returned at night. The ones at the walls of Ziyang City are from other units," Liu Yong said through gritted teeth.

Because of the Incense-Smelling Sect rebel army's movements and blockades, Zhao Camp's intelligence was extremely poor. They could see the large-scale troop movements on the surface, but it was very difficult to discern the true situation and details. Moreover, news from within Ji'ning City was completely blocked to Zhao Camp. If those Divine Protectorate troops were hidden inside the city, there was simply no way to know.

There was another reason: Zhao Camp had prioritized speed this time. If they had stopped for a few more days at the encampment in Xuzhou or Yutai in Shandong, sending scouts and informants to continuously gather news, the trap set by the Incense-Smelling Sect could not have been maintained so meticulously—cracks would have appeared. But Zhao Camp's military expedition into Shandong demanded speed above all. The Shandong authorities were moving, the local gentry of Shandong were moving, the imperial court was moving, the border troops and various government forces were moving, and all parties in South Zhili were also moving. A single day's delay meant a day of chaos. Because of this need for speed, their understanding of military intelligence inevitably remained superficial.

Liu Yong's expression was extremely grim. This intelligence had all been gathered by the internal security retainers and informants. Seeing the situation before his eyes, Liu Yong felt it was his responsibility that had led to this, and he was filled with guilt and shame.

Compared to the others, Zhao Jin's expression remained very calm. Watching the enemy's formation shift and their ranks spread open, a hint of a cold smile even appeared on his face. He did not answer Liu Yong's words but instead began to comment: "Xiaoyong, logically, such veteran core troops should be used at an unexpected moment. So why did they reveal them to us at the very start? It's not that they're foolish, but that they want to completely shatter our morale—to make us feel that all our calculations have failed and that there is no path to victory. Moreover, they are utterly confident. Having piled up tens of thousands of men here, and likely tens of thousands more inside the city, outnumbering us several times or even ten times over—with such overwhelming advantage and momentum, they surely see us as fish meat on the chopping block."

South of Ji'ning City was open, flat terrain that could serve as a battlefield. Even such expansive terrain couldn't hold a hundred thousand men. What looked vast and endless was merely tens of thousands. Once they formed up and coalesced into square formations, it became even easier to judge.

"Big Brother..." Liu Yong began.

Zhao Jin smiled and cut Liu Yong off: "Xiaoyong, do you know what a generational gap is?"

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