Chapter 20: When Narrow Roads Meet, the Brave Prevail

Zhang Cheng took down his Kaiyuan bow and gripped it in his left hand, while his right hand drew a heavy arrow from the quiver. His face was solemn as he fixed his gaze on the middle rider among the approaching Manchu cavalry.

He sat firmly in the saddle, eyes locked on the charging enemy, his peripheral vision sweeping across his guards. They clamped their legs tightly around their horses to keep them steady, holding their matchlock muskets with resolute eyes fixed on the Qing horsemen opposite them.

Even if there was still some fear within their hearts, they did not show the slightest sign of panic.

Zhang Cheng was quite satisfied with his men's performance. Regardless of the battle's outcome, at least his soldiers were not, as the legends claimed, the type to turn and flee the moment they encountered Manchu cavalry.

Zhang Cheng was different from the others around him; he was a soul reborn. According to the established history, he would likely die in the Battle of Julu.

But he did not want that ending, so he had to defy fate. He knew the difficulties involved, but if he didn't fight, he would only face death.

"I want to live!" This was the most genuine desire in Zhang Cheng's heart.

To live, one must fight; one cannot fear death. Only by seeking life within the jaws of death could one truly survive!

That was why Zhang Cheng had brought everyone out to ambush these Manchu scouts. His goal was to use such small-scale skirmishes to familiarize them with the enemy's tactics, eliminate their internal fear, and perhaps allow more men to survive in the future.

***

The Qing commander, the Zhuangda, was the leader of a ten-man unit of armored cavalry dispatched by the Qing detachment temporarily stationed at Mafang Village to patrol the vicinity.

At this moment, he was charging at the forefront, with his men spread out to his left and right, each a horse-length behind him, forming a "V" shape similar to migrating geese as they galloped toward Zhang Cheng and his men.

"There are only twenty Ming dogs! Kill them, seize their horses and armor, and we'll have rewards to claim upon returning. Charge!" the Qing leader shouted loudly. The other Qing cavalry echoed his roars, spurring their horses to increase speed.

The ten riders were not widely dispersed; they all held their bows, arrows already nocked.

These Qing armored cavalry were indeed formidable at mounted archery. They hardly needed to aim deliberately, a skill honed through over a decade of brutal combat, combined with the Qing military’s rigorous selection process.

Every male aged twelve or thirteen was trained in infantry and cavalry combat. The best were selected as auxiliary or frontline soldiers. Those who performed well were promoted to foot armored soldiers, and only those among them who distinguished themselves or earned military merit could be chosen for the cavalry. Thus, these armored horsemen were the elite of the Qing army.

***

"Two hundred paces!" Chen Zhong, not far away, shouted out the distance to the Qing cavalry to remind everyone.

***

At this moment, the Qing force had begun to accelerate, driving their steeds into a thunderous charge.

"In a narrow encounter, the brave shall prevail!" Zhang Cheng suddenly roared.

"Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!" the twenty guards echoed in unison.

"One hundred paces! Everyone raise your muskets, and remember to aim for the horses!" Chen Zhong continued to report the distance to the enemy, issuing orders decisively.

His palms were sweating. Though he wouldn't call himself terrified, facing these legendary demons of war made him extremely nervous, even if there were only ten of them. Despite ordering others to aim for the horses, he quietly took aim at the Qing leader himself.

He tried his best to keep his hands from shaking, saying in a low voice, "Brothers, aim for the horses, keep your cool, and wait for the signal to fire together. No one is allowed to fire early, damn it!"

***

The Qing leader felt a slight sense of surprise.

In his experience, this group of Ming soldiers should have panicked by now or scattered to meet the charge. Yet, they remained in formation right where they were, waiting for him to strike.

"This isn't normal!" he muttered to himself, though he didn't think much of it. Having served as an auxiliary soldier since following the "Old Slave," he had seen countless major battles and every type of Ming soldier. Even if these looked a bit strange, what did it matter?

He couldn't help but curse loudly: "The Ming dogs are arrogant! Kill them all!"

"Rumble... Rumble..."

About two hundred paces to the south and north of Zhang Cheng's position, thick clouds of dust rose, rolling from west to east. The heavy sound of hooves striking the earth echoed, and within the dust, one could vaguely see over a hundred cavalrymen galloping. Their red cloaks billowed in the wind like a cloud of fire; clearly, their target was the Manchu cavalry ahead.

The Qing leader, who was driving his horse toward Zhang Cheng, suddenly saw the billowing dust rising to the north and south. As a seasoned bandit who had raided the Ming Dynasty many times, he could tell at a glance that these were cavalry units, numbering well over a hundred each.

Furthermore, only a rapid charge could kick up such dust. Judging by the direction, they were heading for his rear. With large Ming cavalry units on both flanks, they were clearly attempting to surround and annihilate him.

"Wait, something's wrong?" He suddenly realized that there were only ten of them; it wasn't worth deploying hundreds of elite Ming cavalry to wipe them out. And while he was facing these twenty Ming riders, the two flanks each had over a hundred elites. A thought occurred to him, and he suddenly understood.

"No, there must be an ambush behind these Ming soldiers!" He was shocked. Using four or five hundred elite Ming cavalry to surround his mere ten men? They must have another objective!

"They... they are heading for Mafang..." It dawned on him. This large force of elite Ming cavalry was headed for Mafang, and he just happened to be blocking their path, getting caught in the net as a side objective.

***

The Qing leader cursed under his breath: "Damn it, I was careless."

He now regretted his recklessness.

However, his warhorse was already at full gallop. Even if he wanted to rein it in now, there was no way to turn around and accelerate; he would only become a rabbit chased by the Ming cavalry.

His only hope now was to charge forward, break through the Ming soldiers in front, kill their officer, and perhaps save the situation.

"Kill! Kill!" The Qing leader steeled himself, spurred his horse, and roared as he charged toward Zhang Cheng.

***

Meanwhile.

"Eighty paces! Get your muskets ready. No one is allowed to fire early!" Chen Zhong continued to call out the distance while reminding the others.

As the gap closed, he grew even more nervous, feeling as if the blood in his entire body was boiling. He breathed heavily, and though his palms were slick with sweat, his heart was slightly calmer than before. Now, he only wished for the Qing soldiers to reach them quickly.

He gripped his matchlock tighter, aiming more steadily. Beside him, the guards leveled their muskets at the charging Qing armored cavalry.

"Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh..."

The Qing cavalry were indeed masters of mounted archery. As they entered the eighty-pace range, they began to draw their bows and loose arrows. These armored horsemen used stiff bows capable of killing enemies from over a hundred meters away. The fact that they waited until eighty paces to fire showed that they intended to land a killing blow with the first volley.

"Ah!"

The first guard to Zhang Cheng's left was struck by a heavy arrow shot by the enemy; it entered through his right eye and pierced through the back of his head. The guard only managed a half-cry before his breath ceased. The force of the arrow knocked him off his horse, and he collapsed onto the ground, motionless.

"Ah... Ah..." The first guard to Chen Zhong's right, as well as the fourth guard, also cried out as they were struck.

"Thump... Thump," the two men fell from their horses and collapsed to the ground.