Chapter 240: Battlefield 1

In the twelfth year of Hongwu, the sixth day of the sixth month.

In the Taozhou jurisdiction, outside the perimeter of Nalin Seventh Station.

The sky was just brightening, the morning mist had not yet cleared, and Zhu Shuang had already set out with three thousand troops.

They marched along the official road with great fanfare, War Flags fluttering, drums and gongs clamoring, fearing the rebels might not realize the Ming army had arrived.

"Prince Qin, aren't we being too ostentatious with all this drumming and gong‑clanging?" the Vice General leaned over to ask.

Zhu Shuang, astride his horse, said with excitement on his plump face, "That's the point, we must be ostentatious; Second Prince ordered us to make a frontal feint, to draw the rebels' attention."

"What if the rebels actually charge at us?"

"If they charge, we fight. What's there to fear... my Waist Knife isn't a harmless thing," Zhu Shuang patted the knife at his waist and said.

The Vice General opened his mouth but fell silent.

He knew that Prince Qin had trained troops in Xian for two years, but training and actual combat are two different matters.

After all, this was his first time on a battlefield.

But looking at Prince Qin's bearing, there was not a hint of fear.

"By the way, have the brothers shout; the louder the better," Zhu Shuang ordered.

The three thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the valleys.

……

At the same time, Zhu Gang led two thousand men and vanished into the mountain gorge on the left.

They did not take the official road, but felt their way west along a dried riverbed.

The route had been told to them by local herders, who said it could bypass to the side‑rear of Nalin Seventh Station.

The mountain path was rugged, littered everywhere with broken stones and thorns.

Zhu Gang walked in the middle of the column, holding a sketch in his hand, consulting it as he went.

"Prince, have we taken a wrong turn?" the Imperial Troops said, surveying the surroundings.

Zhu Gang shook his head and said, "Exactly, according to the map, if we cross that ridge ahead, we'll see the rebels' supply line."

He folded the map, looked at the terrain around him, and suddenly recalled something older brother Zhu Biao had said.

"Fourth brother, your mind is quick and adaptable, but overthinking can backfire; the battlefield is ever‑changing, and sometimes intuition outweighs calculation,"

Intuition…

Zhu Gang took a deep breath and suppressed those chaotic thoughts.

He looked up at the sun's position, then at the shadows on the ground, and said, "Increase the pace; we must cross that ridge before nightfall."

"Yes!"

The two thousand moved forward in silence.

……

Zhu Di led three thousand men along the toughest route.

The old path built by the Tubo people clung to the cliff, its narrowest section only two or three feet wide.

On one side lay a ten‑thousand‑foot abyss, on the other a sheer rock wall.

Zhu Di walked at the front of the column, placing each step firmly.

His Imperial Troops were sweating profusely with nerves, yet dared not speak, fearing they would startle the horses.

Zhu Di glanced back, lowered his voice and said, "Relay the order: men and horses must stay close to the rock wall, do not look down."

The orders were passed down one after another.

The three thousand edged forward along the wall, inch by inch.

Zhu Di's heart was also drumming.

He had studied military strategy under Xu Da and read many treatises, but no book taught how to handle a ten‑thousand‑foot cliff.

Yet he could not show any fear on his face.

He was the commanding general; if he panicked, the troops behind would panic even more.

"Second Prince once said, on the battlefield, a general's courage is the troops' courage," Zhu Di muttered to himself.

He gripped the reins tightly, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

After about an hour's march, a scout ahead turned back and whispered, "Prince, once we cross that mountain pass ahead, we'll see the fourth pass of Nalin Seventh Station."

Zhu Di's eyes lit up.

"All troops accelerate; rest after we clear this pass."

The three thousand were invigorated, their steps quickening noticeably.

……

At Chen Hour three quarters, the front battlefield.

Zhu Shuang's feint force had already reached five li outside the rebels' first pass.

The rebels had clearly spotted them; the pass was bustling with heads, Horn Sound rose and fell.

"Prince, the rebels seem to be gathering," the Vice General said.

Zhu Shuang squinted, grinned, and said, "Gathering is exactly what we want; Second Prince wants them to assemble."

He turned to glance at the three thousand soldiers behind him and shouted, "Brothers, our mission is a feint, but not a mock fight.

When we actually engage, I'll unleash my real skill, making the rebels think we are the main force!"

"Yes!"

The three thousand answered in unison.

Zhu Shuang drew his Waist Knife, pointed forward and said, "Advance!"

The three thousand formed a line and moved forward, the Flintlock Gunmen at the front, the knife‑and‑shield troops behind, slowly pressing toward the pass.

When they were three li from the pass, the rebels could no longer hold back.

The pass gate opened, and over two thousand rebel cavalry charged out, shouting wildly as they attacked the imperial troops.

"Form the formation!" Zhu Shuang shouted.

The Flintlock Gunmen quickly formed three rows: the front row crouched, the middle row bent over, and the rear row stood upright.

This is the Longxiang Army's standard formation; Zhu Shuang had trained in Xi'an for two years and had long mastered it.

The rebel cavalry drew ever nearer.

Five hundred steps, three hundred steps, two hundred steps…

"Fire!" Zhu Shuang ordered.

"Bang bang bang…"

The first row of Flintlock Guns fired in unison, and smoke filled the air.

The rebel cavalry at the front fell from their horses, and wailing cries rang out.

Before the rebels could react, the second row fired again.

Immediately followed by the third row.

The three rows fired in rotation, continuous and unending.

This is the Longxiang Army's supreme technique; Zhu Yong had been training this unit since Hongwu 6th year, and now his skill is consummate.

Over two thousand rebel cavalry charged a hundred steps, and half of them fell.

The remaining ones finally grew frightened, turned their horses around, and fled.

"Pursue!" Zhu Shuang shouted.

Three thousand imperial troops seized the momentum and pursued, chasing all the way to the foot of the pass before being forced to retreat by the rebels' arrows.

Zhu Shuang halted his horse, stared at the pass, and grinned broadly.

"Exhilarating! Truly exhilarating!"

He turned his head toward the Vice General and said, "Send word to Second Prince immediately, tell him that fighting has broken out here and the rebels have already mobilized."

"Yes!"

…

At Shi Jing, Zhu Yong led the main force to the front battlefield.

He spurred his horse and stood on a high ridge, gazing far at the rebels' pass and then surveying the mountains on both sides.

"That Qin Prince youngster really has a hint of command talent," Lan Yu rode over, laughing.

Zhu Yong nodded and said earnestly, "Lao San has been bold since childhood, daring to charge, but sometimes too reckless; he needs more training."

"What about the Jin Prince and the Yan Prince?" Lan Yu asked.

Zhu Yong looked toward the left mountains and said, "The fourth should be about to act; he is in charge of harassing the supply line and won't engage in a head‑on fight."

"The Yan Prince's side is the most dangerous; that narrow path is too treacherous," Lan Yu frowned.

Zhu Yong paused briefly and said, "Fifth Prince is steady and strategic; he can manage it."

He said it confidently, yet in his heart he was still worried.

It was a sheer cliff thousands of meters high; a slight slip would shatter one to pieces.

But that could not be spoken aloud.

He was the commander; if he panicked, those below would panic even more.

"Send the order down: the army should set camp, build fires and cook," Zhu Yong said.

"Huh? Set camp, stop fighting?" Lan Yu was startled.

"Wait… wait until the fourth and Fifth are in position before we fight," Zhu Yong said, looking at the distant pass.

…

At noon, Zhu Gang's side finally located the rebels' supply line.

It was a mountain trail, with rebel outposts spaced at intervals.

Behind each outpost was a continuous stream of supply convoys.

"Prince, attack or not?" the Imperial Troops asked.

Zhu Gang lay on the hillside and carefully counted the number of people at each outpost.

The first outpost had over twenty men.

The second outpost had over thirty men.

The third outpost had over forty men.

One outpost every three to five li, a total of seven or eight.

"We won't attack; we only have two thousand men, a head‑on clash isn't worthwhile," Zhu Gang shook his head.

"Then what shall we do?"

Zhu Gang thought for a moment and said, "Divide the troops, three hundred per unit, along this line, harass them in rotation: strike by day then retreat, sneak in at night to set fires, so they cannot find peace."

"Yes!"

Two thousand men quickly split into seven squads and vanished into the forest.

In less than half an hour, the first outpost sent out an explosion sound.

It was a small powder charge that Zhu Gang had people carry; although it wouldn't kill many, its noise was great and could frighten.

The second outpost exploded shortly after.

The third, the fourth…

The rebels' supply line became a tangled mess, and the convoy dared not advance further.

Zhu Gang lay on the hillside, watching the panicked silhouettes, and grinned.

"Big brother is right; war doesn't have to be a straight‑up brawl— even a little tickling can kill people."