Chapter 51: Relocating the Camp Outside the Yongding Gate

In the eleventh year of the Chongzhen reign of the Great Ming, on the thirteenth day of the tenth month, at the very beginning of the Chen hour, the sky was dim and gloomy. A faint streak of pale white, like a fish's belly, had just risen, casting a feeble, shimmering light over the vast earth.

The watchtower was the highest point in Changping. Within it stood an ancient copper clepsydra used for keeping time, along with various time-monitoring stations scattered throughout the city. In peacetime, drums were beaten here at designated hours to announce the time to the townspeople; in times of war, it served as a vantage point to command and deploy military forces both inside and outside the city.

On the second floor of the Changping watchtower stood Lu Xiangsheng, the Minister of War and Viceroy of Xuanfu and Datong, who had been bestowed with the imperial sword and commanded all imperial reinforcement armies across the realm. He was gazing into the distance beyond the city walls. At this moment, the reinforcement troops from the three border towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi were systematically dismantling their encampments, preparing to relocate and garrison at the eastern suburbs outside the Yongding Gate of the capital.

Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng stood upon the watchtower, looking out over the reinforcement camps that densely blanketed the surrounding fields, and could not help but recall the time when he first arrived in Changping.

When he initially reached Changping, there had only been slightly more than ten thousand elite cavalrymen from the three towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi. As reinforcement troops gathered from all directions, this place had once held nearly seventy thousand elite infantry and cavalry of the Great Ming border garrisons, supplemented by tens of combat-ready soldiers from the Three Great Training Divisions of the capital.

At that time, how full of lofty ambitions he had been! He had imagined several times that if the imperial court were not stingy with rewards and heavily boosted the morale and spirit of the generals and soldiers, they could take advantage of the cover of night, divide their forces into several columns, and launch a surprise attack on the enemy encampment of the Jiannu. Perhaps they could rout the enemy cavalry in a single battle; and even if things did not go as wished, at least it would deter the enemy cavalry from running rampant at will through the vital areas surrounding the capital.

Yet, despite turning it over a thousand times in his mind, he had never expected that things would come to such a path of dividing forces to fight. Deep in his heart, a faint premonition lingered: not only would they fight with divided forces, but after the division, they would likely end up fighting entirely on their own.

With these thoughts stirring in his mind, Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng could not help but turn around, raising his eyes to look at the plaque hanging beneath the eaves bearing the inscription "The Majestic Pass of Hua and Yi," and he sighed inwardly in the depths of his heart.

……

On the thirteenth day of the tenth month, at the midpoint of the Chen hour, the sun was slowly ascending in the eastern sky.

Outside the walls of Changping, wave after wave of human shouts and horse neighing echoed through the air.

Amidst the shouts of the central army's banner officers from various towns galloping back and forth: "Strike the camps and raise the tents, relocate to the eastern suburbs of Yongding Gate... Strike the camps and raise the tents, relocate to the eastern suburbs of Yongding Gate..."

The reinforcement troops of the three towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi successively struck their camps and raised their tents. Although slightly noisy, there was no disorder; under the command of officers at all levels, everything appeared highly orderly.

Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng's Viceroy's Guard Camp was the first to break camp. Fully equipped and assembled, they gathered outside the West Gate of Changping.

Following them, the reinforcement generals of Xuanfu Town arrived with their troops, taking positions to the left of Viceroy Lu's guard camp.

Next, Hug Dawei, the Regional Commander of Shanxi Town, also arrived with his reinforcement troops, taking positions to the right of the guard camp.

Finally, Wang Pu, the Regional Commander of Datong Town, rushed over in a hurry, leading the reinforcement troops from his own town.

Together with Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng's guard camp, over thirty thousand soldiers of the reinforcement armies from the three towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi gathered outside the West Gate of Changping, resembling an ocean of armor and horses. A dense, dark mass stood between heaven and earth, seeming to carpet the entire landscape of late autumn.

The reinforcement armies from the three towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi were all elite troops carefully selected from the border garrisons.

Among them, Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng's guard camp and the main battle camps of the regional commanders of the three towns consisted mostly of cavalry. The assistant regional commanders, regional vice-commanders, and other officers who came to reinforce also commanded a portion of cavalry.

Every single one of these ten-odd thousand cavalrymen possessed a horse and wore armor—either iron plate armor or thick padded cloth armor—and each was equipped with an iron helmet. At this time, the Ming army favored the color red, so each cavalry formation had their armor painted with red lacquer. Looking across the field, it was a blazing sea of red, with the plumes on the cavalrymen's helmets fluttering in the cold wind.

Moreover, these horse-mounted reinforcement units deployed a very high proportion of firearms. The guard camp and the main battle camps were each equipped with hundreds of common firearms such as bird-guns, three-eyed guns, and fast-firing muskets, alongside dozens of easily transportable crouching-tiger cannons and over ten thousand Ming-style earthen rockets.

Behind the cavalry formations lay dense arrays of mule-drawn baggage trains, laden with vast quantities of firearms, ammunition, caltrops, and other military supplies. When forming battle arrays or defending against enemies in the open field, hundreds of chevaux-de-frise, paired with iron caltrops, could tightly encircle and protect them.

Zhang Cheng even noticed that behind the baggage train of Lu Xiangsheng's guard camp, a large number of artillery pieces were positioned. Aside from a portion of breech-loading fojilang cannons, there were also several heavy red-barbarian cannons.

Zhang Cheng made a mental estimation; these should be six-pounder or three-pounder cannons, and each of these cannons required multiple mules to drag them.

He let out a silent sigh in his heart.

At this time, all the combat camps of the Great Ming were composed of professional soldiers, and their training was certainly not inferior. Moreover, in terms of weapons and equipment, they were even somewhat superior to the Qing army. Why, then, did they suffer repeated defeats in battles against the Qing army?

……

Zhang Cheng sat astride his warhorse, casting his gaze all around to take in the boundless expanse of military horses and the fluttering banners of various colors snapping in the wind.

To his right was the banner camp of Yang Guozhu, the Regional Commander of Xuanfu Town.

Regional Commander Yang Guozhu was clad in iron armor, draped in a scarlet cloak, and mounted on a robust warhorse.

Beside him, a tall regional commander's banner stood erect, towering a zhang and a half high, featuring a yellow center with a red border, adorned with pheasant-tail tassels and an eight-foot-five-inch streamer. The six-foot-long trapezoidal flag fluttered in the wind, faintly revealing the large character "Yang."

Behind Yang Guozhu's warhorse was his trusted subordinate, the guerrilla officer Guo Yingxian, along with various chiliarchs under his command. Each of them bore their own distinguishing flags—some with a red center and blue border, some with a black center and white border, or a blue center and black border—making the banners clear at a glance.

Each chiliarch sat on horseback, fully armored and helmeted, with a robust and fierce physique, giving off an aura of valor and battle-readiness.

Zhang Cheng could see that Regional Commander Yang Guozhu was well-versed in military affairs. Among the officers under his command, aside from the central army guerrilla officer Guo Yingxian and the various chiliarchs, the subordinate centurions also had their own distinguishing flags. Even further down, the squad leaders and file leaders each carried their own back-flags and helmet-flags. No doubt, commanding them would be as effortless and precise as moving the fingers of one's own hand.

He cast his gaze further to the right. On the right side of Yang Guozhu's Xuanfu military formation, Chen An, the trusted guerrilla officer of Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng, sat on horseback beneath the grand command standard of the viceroy. He was similarly clad in full iron armor and fully equipped. Behind Chen An lay the guard camp, which was likewise arrayed in strict military order, and in terms of ruggedness and uniformity, it even surpassed Yang Guozhu's forces.

Zhang Cheng had originally considered himself a traveler from a later age, possessing several centuries more insight than the people of this era. However, this campaign of imperial reinforcement had made him soberly realize that such knowledge was of little genuine use.

Just like now, with crowds of armies gathered and stellar generals assembled, Zhang Cheng finally understood that there were people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens, and there remained vast amounts for him to learn.

At the same time, he secretly resolved to strive with all his might and forge a force of his own.

One day, he would attain immense power and a lofty position, so that all factions, whether friend or foe, would not dare to look down upon his existence.

First and foremost, he must fight bravely and fiercely in this year's reinforcement campaign, making a resounding name for himself, accumulating military achievements and networks, and laying a solid foundation for his future development.

……

On the thirteenth day of the tenth month, at the very end of the Chen hour, the sun hung obliquely in the east. Its rays shone upon the body, making one feel warm and comfortable, yet carrying a slight glare.

Outside the West Gate of Changping City, the reinforcement troops from the three towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi had completed their assembly.

A rapid sound of hooves striking the ground echoed from within the West Gate of Changping.

Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng and his entourage galloped out through the West Gate of Changping. He was still dressed in coarse mourning garb, mounted upon an exceptionally magnificent white warhorse—his most cherished steed, the Five-Bright Steed.

His loyal servant Guishan, the pasture-master Yang Lukai, and a large retinue of military staff officers and advisors all galloped closely behind him.

Zhang Cheng saw that Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng was wielding a heavy iron saber in his hand, which, viewed from afar, must have weighed several dozen catties.

He could not help murmuring inwardly: "People say that Lu Xiangsheng is exceptionally brave and strong, always leading his men personally into every battle with fierce valor. It is truly well-deserved."

Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng galloped past the front of the military formations at a furious pace. Tens of thousands of officers and soldiers remained utterly silent, their eyes fixed firmly on his retreating figure.

Looking at the reinforcement soldiers of the three towns arrayed in quiet anticipation, Lu Xiangsheng's eyes revealed a look of deep emotion. He spurred his horse to the front of the guard camp's formation, then suddenly reined in the mount's reins. A sharp neigh pierced the air as the Five-Bright Steed reared its front hooves high into the air before coming to a steady halt before the grand command standard of the central army.

Lu Xiangsheng sat tall in the saddle, slowly raising his head to look back at Changping City behind the military formations. Turning his gaze toward the city, all the events of the past few days flashed vividly through his mind like a streak of flowing light. He stood there as if entranced, gazing fixedly...

After a long while, he finally turned back around, swung the heavy iron saber in his hand with force, and shouted, "Set out!"

……

Lu Xiangsheng's guard camp was the first to break camp and set out. They consisted almost entirely of cavalry, with only the baggage train in the rear moving at a slightly slower pace. Following the post road, they headed straight for the capital.

The reinforcement armies from the three towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi marched toward the Yongding Gate in the south of Beijing in accordance with the pre-arranged order and routes of march.

On the side of Xuanfu Town, Regional Commander Yang Guozhu's main battle camp closely followed Viceroy Lu Xiangsheng's guard camp onto the post road.

Guerrilla officers Li Jianming and Wen Hui each led their respective troops to march on Yang Guozhu's left and right flanks, guarding his central army. The baggage trains of the various Xuanfu units were arranged behind Yang Guozhu's military formation, moving in an orderly fashion.

Zhang Yan, the Assistant Regional Commander of Xuanfu Town, led his own troops to serve as the rearguard of the entire army, protecting the rear of the various baggage trains. He personally led the central army's scouting cavalry and infantry chiliarchate at the front, while Zhang Cheng led the cavalry chiliarchate at the very rear.

Datong Town and Shanxi Town, also led by their respective regional commanders, marched in an orderly fashion along the established routes on the left and right flanks of Lu Xiangsheng's guard camp.

They would reconvene at Yongding Gate in the south of Beijing, where they would report their forces and receive orders before departing to their newly designated garrison zones to pitch camp.

Zhang Cheng's unit similarly deployed its left and right outposts to protect the flanks, with the front and rear outposts forming the central army. Arrayed in a fan shape, they followed closely behind the infantry chiliarchate of the regional commander's right-wing camp, marching orderly toward Yongding Gate.

Chen Zhong rode close beside Zhang Cheng, surrounded by a group of bodyguards. Zhang Cheng gazed longingly toward the direction of Juyong Pass, unwilling to tear his eyes away for a long time.

"General, it's time to set out," Chen Zhong reminded him softly.

Zhang Cheng still stared fixedly in the direction of Juyong Pass and asked Chen Zhong, "Chen Zhong, where do you suppose He Shihui and the others have reached by now?"

Chen Zhong replied, "By now, they've likely passed Huailai Garrison. If they traveled a bit faster, they should have already passed Bao'an Garrison."

"Mm, may their journey be free of trouble and bring them safely to Xuanfu Town."

With that, Zhang Cheng raised his horsewhip. With a crisp "crack," his warhorse bolted forward fiercely, its four hooves kicking up dust as it sped away along the post road into the distance...