Chapter 32: Street Fighting
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Late in the Hour of the Goat, on the fourth day of the tenth month in the eleventh year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming.
Mafang was an utterly ordinary little village. Yet, because a Qing scouting party had temporarily stationed itself there, it had the good fortune to become Zhang Cheng’s new starting point after arriving in this world.
His life of steel, blood, and war began here in earnest. Where it would end, no one could say. He could measure the road only with his feet and his saber.
Wherever he went, he would kill. He would kill until sun and moon were dimmed, until peace was carved out beneath Heaven!
…
At the southern edge of Mafang Village, beside the road—
Three Manchu bondservants gripped their sabers and leaned against a section of earthen wall to shelter from the bitter wind. A thin layer of snow had already gathered on their worn padded jackets, and from time to time they peered toward the entrance of the village.
“Third Wang, tell me, what’s going on here? I’ve got a bad feeling about today,” said the middle bondservant, shaking the snow from his clothes as he spoke to the other two.
“Damn it. I thought I’d follow the master out and earn a little merit. We haven’t even gotten a sniff of profit, and now we’ve run into this bunch of Ming dogs who don’t care whether they live or die.” The bondservant on the left lounged lazily against the wall, cursing under his breath. He did not move an inch, allowing the snow to pile higher and higher upon him.
“Ah, something doesn’t feel right.”
The bondservant on the right jabbed the man in the middle with his elbow, his eyes fixed on the road beyond the village entrance.
The middle man straightened and stepped away from the wall, standing in the road as he peered outward. Snow drifted down, turning everything before him white.
The ground was white with snow. The dry branches were white with snow. Even the sky was a vast expanse of white.
He turned sideways and cursed. “Coward, something’s definitely wrong—”
Whistling arrows suddenly tore through the snowy road outside the village. Three shafts came flying in, their sound swallowed by the wind until they were almost upon their targets.
“Ah!”
The bondservant who had sensed danger was struck through the heart. He remained propped against the earthen wall, mouth hanging open, eyes bulging outward like those of a corpse risen from the grave.
The man standing in the road was pierced from behind through the neck. The arrowhead emerged from his throat. He raised both hands and clawed weakly at his neck, his movements growing slower and slower as the expression on his face gradually froze. Then his knees buckled, and he collapsed face-first into the snow.
Third Wang, however, though he had been slouching motionlessly against the wall, reacted with remarkable speed.
He caught a flash of cold light amid the wind and snow. Sliding down along the wall, he dropped onto his backside just as an arrow struck the wall a fist’s breadth above his head, quivering violently where it had lodged.
Third Wang flung his saber toward the snowy village entrance, scrambled to his feet, and ran for his life, shouting as he went, “Ming dogs! Master! Ming dogs are coming!”
Two more arrows split the wind and snow, one following the other.
“Ah—ah—!”
Third Wang cried out twice, managed three more steps, and then crashed to the ground. One arrow had struck his chest and another his lower abdomen. He was plainly near death, yet his hands continued groping blindly through the thick white snow, finding nothing.
The sound of hooves thundered through the storm.
A troop of horsemen emerged from the snow. They wore helmets and full armor, each cloaked in brilliant red. Four riders advanced abreast along the road into Mafang. Against the white storm, that streak of red was startlingly vivid.
…
“All units dismount! First Company, form a defensive line! Second and Third Companies, take the rooftops and fire at will with bows and hand cannons!”
Hu Dake’s command rang out.
The clatter of armor mingled with the neighing of warhorses as the riders behind him dismounted and moved into position.
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After dismounting, the soldiers of First Company swiftly ran forward and formed three ranks of infantry.
The ten soldiers of the first rank crouched behind their shields, forming a shield wall. The two ranks behind them remained standing, each man carrying a three-barreled hand cannon and a bow.
Company Commander Ma Sanzhuang, along with the two guards who also served as farrier and fire-hand, held the rear of the three infantry lines.
Behind them stood Hu Dake’s four guards in front, while Hu Dake himself, along with Second Company Commander Wang Tieren and two of Second Company’s guards, remained mounted behind them, watching the Qing cavalry opposite.
The soldiers of Second and Third Companies ran toward the houses on either side of the street. Helping one another, they quickly climbed onto the rooftops, which, though still intact, were already covered in a layer of white snow.
Hu Dake understood perfectly that cavalry was severely restricted in these narrow lanes, while infantry could maneuver far more freely. His strategy was therefore simple: one company would form a defensive line, while the other two would use the rooftops to harry the enemy.
“Kill the barbarians!”
He tightened his grip on his spiked mace. Seeing the front two ranks of the Qing cavalry turn around the corner, he issued the order in a sharp voice.
“Kill the barbarians! Kill the barbarians! Kill the barbarians!”
The riders had been holding back their fury for some time. At the command, they all roared in unison.
…
The Qing cavalry opposite consisted of Manchu troops who had been stationed at the southern entrance of the village. There were six armored infantrymen, five auxiliary troops and camp servants, and ten bondservants.
The commotion at the western entrance had alerted them. They left three bondservants to guard the northern entrance while the rest prepared to rush north and rejoin the main force before deciding what to do next. They had not expected to run straight into Hu Dake’s ambush in this empty street.
There were only eighteen riders among them. Only the armored troops and auxiliaries in the first two or three ranks wore armor; the two rear ranks of bondservants had nothing but padded jackets for protection. Of the seven bondservants, only one wore a cloth cuirass.
As the first two ranks turned the corner, they spotted the Ming cavalry and immediately began shouting in alarm as they slowly charged forward.
…
The distance between the two sides continued to close. The Qing cavalry had now completely cleared the corner, and their pace was steadily quickening.
Hu Dake raised his eyes toward the soldiers stationed on the rooftops on either side of the street and shouted, “All units, take heed! Those who kill barbarians today will be rewarded for their merit. Those who fear the enemy and shrink from battle will face the full severity of military law!”
“Kill the barbarians! Kill the barbarians!”
Every soldier shouted the response.
When the distance had narrowed to roughly fifty paces, the Qing cavalry began to accelerate. Their speed climbed rapidly, and the gaps between the ranks widened. Like wild horses freed from their reins, they charged toward Hu Dake.
“Those barbarians are looking for death.”
Hu Dake laughed as he cursed them. He had already exchanged his weapon for a bow and now drew a heavy arrow. Suddenly, another troop of horsemen appeared around the far corner. They swept around it at speed and charged toward them.
It was another streak of red.
“Kill the barbarians! Kill—”
The soul-shaking cry came from behind the Qing cavalry.
The armored Qing troops who had already begun their charge were horrified. There was no longer any way to retreat. Veterans who had fought for years knew one truth: only by embracing death could one find life.
But today, they were wrong.
“Fire!”
Hu Dake’s command cracked through the air. With a sharp hiss, the heavy arrow left his bow.
The next instant, musket balls and arrows filled the air.
The two ranks of infantry alone wielded eight three-barreled hand cannons and twelve bows. Including the soldiers on the rooftops along both sides of the street, more than forty projectiles hurtled toward the oncoming enemy.
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The four Qing armored troops in the leading rank came to a permanent halt ten paces before the shield wall. Men and horses collapsed together in a mangled heap. Blood poured from both beast and rider, staining the pristine snow a vivid red.
The second rank of Qing cavalry was still fifty paces away. Stunned by the carnage before them, they momentarily forgot to charge, standing frozen in place like statues.
Behind them, the bondservants were being cut down without mercy by Wu Zhizhong’s right platoon, which had arrived in time. They fell like sheep before a tiger.
Wu Zhizhong rode at the very front. His long saber flashed left and right, chopping through three bondservants in an instant as though he were slicing melons and vegetables. Riding through the gap he had opened, he charged headlong into the Qing formation.
He swung at an auxiliary soldier wearing light armor. The man was ferocious, seemingly aware that he would not survive, and summoned all his strength to bring his spiked mace against Wu Zhizhong’s saber.
With a ringing clash, Wu Zhizhong’s blade was knocked aside.
A bondservant beside them seized the opportunity and slashed at Wu Zhizhong with his saber. The blade struck his ribs but failed to penetrate the iron armor covering his body.
A guard raised his three-barreled hand cannon.
With a thunderous boom, white smoke billowed forth at a distance of five paces. The shot struck the bondservant in the head, spraying blood and brains as half his skull was blown away.
Suddenly, a black muzzle was aimed directly at Wu Zhizhong.
The first Qing rank had consisted of four armored infantrymen, all shattered by musket balls and arrows. The second rank comprised two armored infantrymen and two auxiliaries, who had already advanced to within twenty paces of Hu Dake.
The third rank consisted of three auxiliaries and one bondservant wearing a cloth cuirass. One of the auxiliaries was armed with a three-barreled hand cannon.
At that moment, the weapon was aimed at Wu Zhizhong from close range.
Boom!
The explosion came with a surge of white smoke. A musket ball shot from the muzzle at lightning speed.
“Ah!”
A scream rang out.
Boom!
Before the Qing auxiliary could fire again, a musket ball from another of Wu Zhizhong’s guards struck the horse beneath him. The warhorse reared violently and toppled to the ground.
As the animal rose and fell, the auxiliary’s hand cannon discharged with a splendid blast. Unfortunately, his arm had been thrown off target. The scorching projectile skimmed past Wu Zhizhong’s left cheek, leaving behind a charred mark.
Wu Zhizhong swept his saber in a broad arc from left to right. The blade slashed diagonally across the neck of the bondservant in the cloth armor, severing half of it. The man did not even have time to cry out. His head hung at an angle as a fountain of blood sprayed into the air.
The auxiliary wielding the spiked mace, having knocked aside Wu Zhizhong’s saber, swung again at one of the guards. The guard twisted aside, and the mace passed harmlessly by him before smashing into the horse’s head.
The animal shrieked and collapsed. At the instant it fell, the guard was thrown toward the edge of the street.
“Kill!”
Wu Zhizhong roared and swept his saber toward the auxiliary’s waist. In the space of a heartbeat, the man raised his spiked mace and managed to catch the blade.
A heavy arrow came tearing through the snow and flew straight into the auxiliary’s open mouth. The arrowhead burst through the back of his skull. He did not even have time to cry out before tumbling from his horse.
The entire empty street had become a battlefield. The stench of blood hung thick in the air, sickening enough to turn the stomach. Musket balls and arrows flew chaotically, and at any moment another man or horse collapsed into the snow.
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