Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 474 Disturbance (Part 4)

On the tenth day of the ninth month, the morning mist, carrying a hint of chill, pressed down on the city wall of Songshan like cotton wool soaked in ice.

Hong Chengchou stood on the arrow tower of the North Gate, his black cloak fluttering in the wind, the hem sweeping across the moss on the battlements, leaving behind fine damp marks.

Outside the building, on the drill ground, the Ming army was arrayed in formation. The spear formation of the White-Spear Soldiers resembled a forest of iron-blue spears, while the muzzles of the breech-loading cannons of the artillery battalion were covered with white frost, and the copper hoops on the cannons gleamed coldly in the mist.

"My lord, the Qing reinforcements have crossed the Liao River!" Zhou Shipu, the military advisor, trembled as he held the report, the edges of the letter wrinkled from the dew. "The scouts saw it with their own eyes: a yellow imperial canopy, the Manchu chieftain Huang Taiji... has come in person!"

Hong Chengchou's fingers paused on the cold arrow window, leaving five shallow fingerprints.

He turned around, the jade belt buckle at his waist clinking against the armor plates with a crisp, light sound: "How many men?"

“About four thousand, all armored bannermen, and... and the Bayara of the two Yellow Banners!” Zhou Shipu’s voice trembled. “The scouts said that the slave chieftain’s entourage was with the procession, and the huge red banner could be seen from two miles away.”

The tower fell silent instantly, with only the wind whistling through the windows as it swirled the fog.

Hong Chengchou picked up the teacup on the table. Steam rose from the cup, obscuring the white hair at his temples. As he sipped the tea, he noticed his hands trembling slightly.

It wasn't fear, but rather the news that suddenly jolted my nerves, which had been on edge for days.

"What about Dongjiang Town and Liaonan Town?" He put down his teacup, the tea foam swirling on the surface. "Weren't they making quite a fuss in the rear? A small victory every five days, a big victory every ten days, how come the slave chieftain still managed to spare reinforcements?"

Zhou Shipu quickly pulled out another stack of reports from his bosom. The top one was a report from Shen Shikui, the general of Dongjiang Town: "Sir, please see, Dongjiang Town reported that half a month ago they attacked and occupied Zhenjiang Fort, beheaded a Niru Ejen of the Bordered White Banner, and burned the Qing army's granary. Seven days ago, they sent two thousand troops to bypass the city and attack Phoenix City. It is said that they killed more than four hundred Tartars and burned the crops outside the city."

"What about Liaonan Town?" Hong Chengchou frowned, his gaze sweeping over the vermilion mark on the report.

This battle report probably contains a lot of fabricated figures!
“Ma Degong also has good news,” Zhou Shipu flipped to another page, “With the cooperation of a part of the Xinhua Army, Xiong Yue, Gaizhou, and Yaozhou have all been captured. They are now stationed in Yaozhou, and a few days ago they even tried to attack Haizhou, but…”

He paused, then lowered his voice, "The Tartar cavalry from Haizhou arrived quickly, broke through the vanguard, and had no choice but to retreat to Yaozhou to hold the position."

Hong Chengchou picked up the newspaper and traced the words "Tartar cavalry" with his fingertips.

He recalled the Eight Banners cavalry he had seen a few days ago; the sound of their hooves pounding the earth could make one's heart tremble. Those heavily armored Bayara could withstand a hail of arrows and break through infantry formations several times their size.

"In other words..." He slammed the report on the table, the paper making a dull thud, "...even though they were attacked from both sides, the chieftain still brought all his guards?"

Zhou Shipu nodded: "That should be the case! Perhaps, at this moment, only the elderly, women and children are left to guard Shenyang and Liaoyang."

Hong Chengchou walked to the arrow window, took out a monocular telescope, and carefully observed the Qing army camp that was blurred in the fog in the distance.

The smoke from the chimneys there was thicker than yesterday, and one could vaguely see newly erected flags of various colors, perhaps even Huang Taiji's banner.

He suddenly recalled the Battle of Sarhu during the Wanli era, where Yang Hao divided his troops into four routes, only to be defeated one by one by Nurhaci.

The 130,000 troops under his command may seem numerous, but in reality, only 40,000 to 50,000 are truly elite soldiers capable of fighting. Yet, they are facing a tightly knit force of the Eight Banners soldiers.

"Pass on my orders!" He turned abruptly, his cloak sweeping across the table and knocking over the wooden box containing arrows. "Send an order to Dongjiang Town and Liaonan Town respectively, instructing Shen Shikui to attack Phoenix City again and seize Hetu Ala when the opportunity arises; instruct Ma Degong (General of Liaonan Town) to take Haizhou at all costs and bring his troops to Liaoyang! Tell them that even if it costs them all their soldiers, they must lead the Tartars of Shengjing back!"

Zhou Shipu was about to leave after receiving the order when Hong Chengchou stopped him: "Wait, have them send out more night scouts to find out where the Qing army's grain reserves are located. If we can burn their grain reserves, it will be more effective than beheading a thousand people!"

At that moment, the sound of footsteps ascending the steps came from below the arrow tower.

Zhang Dou, the military supervisor of Datong, dressed in a civil official's robe but with a long sword at his waist, strode up the stairs.

His boots were covered in mud, and the hem of his robe was damp with dew, clearly indicating that he had just returned from a patrol outside the camp.

"Commander-in-Chief!" Zhang Dou bowed, his robe sleeve brushing against the icy shards on the arrow slit. "I have just returned from the Western Camp. It seems the Tartars with the Red Banner are being mobilized. The scouts say their cavalry are heading towards Changling Mountain."

Hong Chengchou frowned: "Changling Mountain?"

That place is east of Songshan, and it is the only way for the Ming army to reach Xingshan and Bijia Mountain. The mountain is not high, but it is a strategic choke point overlooking the important passage.

“Exactly!” Zhang Dou stepped closer, his voice low. “My lord, the chieftain’s personal arrival is not simply about adding four thousand soldiers. I fear he intends to…cut off our retreat!”

Zhou Shipu's face paled: "Bijia Mountain? Commander-in-Chief, there are still four months' worth of provisions piled up there. If it's attacked..."

"Silence!" Hong Chengchou shouted in a low voice, his gaze darkening.

The granary at Bijia Mountain was his source of confidence. 100,000 shi of unpolished rice, 30,000 bundles of fodder, and thousands of barrels of gunpowder were all transported from Shanhaiguan by land and water over a long distance.

If they run out of food, these 100,000 troops will collapse within a few days.

Zhang Dou didn't stop: "My lord, I request permission to lead 8,000 soldiers to defend Changling Mountain! We will also send troops to reinforce Tashan and protect the grain supply route to Bijia Mountain. We must not let the Tartars succeed!"

Hong Chengchou walked to the table and pointed to Changling Mountain on the map, which was only ten miles away from the Ming army camp. But then he remembered the lesson of Sarhu, where Du Song's main force was surrounded because he sent troops to attack Jilin Cliff.

Now that Huang Taiji is right across from us, if we divide our forces, wouldn't that play right into his hands?

“No.” He shook his head, his voice resolute. “Dividing our forces will weaken us, and that’s exactly what the Jurchen chieftain wants us to do. Back in Sarhu, the four armies were not looking out for each other, which allowed the Tartars to take advantage of the situation. Now, our 100,000 troops are gathered at Songshan, ready to fight them to the death. If we send out even one of our troops, we will lose strength on the front lines.”

“But what about our retreat…” Zhang Dou was sweating profusely. “What if the Qing army gathers a large force to cut off our retreat?”

"Ha, how many troops does the Qing have?" Hong Chengchou sneered. "With such a small force, how can they cut off our retreat? If they block Xingshan, then we will concentrate our efforts on heading west, breaking through the Qing's defenses, and reaching Jinzhou. In that case, how can the Qing possibly contain my 100,000 troops?"

"Commander-in-Chief, we must not underestimate the enemy!" Zhang Dou cried out urgently. "Although the Qing army is weaker than ours, their armored soldiers are fierce and capable of fighting. If they dig trenches and fortify their positions, our army will be unable to cope!"

"With the overwhelming force of my 100,000-strong army, how could the Qing barbarians possibly have the strength to dig trenches and build fortifications right in front of us?" Hong Chengchou sneered. "If that were the case, wouldn't it be perfect for my army to take advantage of the situation and launch a fierce attack against them?"

"Commander..."

"No further words, I know what I'm doing!" Hong Chengchou flicked his sleeves and ignored him.

Such scholarly talk is so similar to that of Ma Shaoyu and Zhang Ruolin!
Aside from being tiresome and full of empty talk, they are of no benefit to military affairs.

This hasty advance into Jinzhou was all due to the clamor and urging of these pedantic scholars, which has ruined our long-term strategy and forced us to engage in a decisive battle with the slave chieftain.

Zhang Dou wanted to persuade him further, but seeing Hong Chengchou's firm gaze, he knew that further words would be useless, so he could only bow and accept the order.

As he went downstairs, he looked at Changling Mountain in the mist and felt that there was an inexplicable danger hidden in the blurry mountain shadows.

"Commander, the grain and fodder depot at Bijia Mountain..." Zhou Shipu said cautiously as Zhang Dou left.

"Yes, you should arrange for someone to go to Bijia Mountain and inform Tong Hanbang to be extremely careful and not to let the Qing invaders take advantage of the situation."

Hong Chengchou pondered for a moment, then gave the order: "He brought three thousand soldiers to guard the grain supply, as well as a firearms battalion. Moreover, the terrain is treacherous, which is enough to hold out. As long as we stay on the top of Songshan Mountain, the Tartars will not dare to send their main force to attack the grain supply route."

The fog gradually dissipated that afternoon.

Hong Chengchou stood on the watchtower at the camp gate and saw the Qing army moving towards Changling Mountain.

Cavalrymen with yellow, white, and red flags surged up the hillside like a tide, and soon, Huang Taiji's banner was raised on the mountaintop.

The wind made the flag flutter like an eye watching its prey.

"My lord, the Tartars have occupied Changling Mountain!" General Cao Bianjiao of Yutian rushed over.

Hong Chengchou didn't speak, but simply gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.

The hilt of the sword was made of ivory, and it was warm and moistened by the sweat of his hands.

He had a vague feeling that his 100,000-strong army was being put into a slowly tightening sack.

In front of them were Dorgon's tens of thousands of bannermen, and behind them was Huang Taiji, who was eyeing them menacingly from Changling Mountain. The grain route leading to Bijia Mountain was like the drawstring of a bag, which could be snapped at any moment.

As evening fell, the setting sun dyed Changling Mountain blood red.

Hong Chengchou received a report from Bijia Mountain that Tong Hanbang had strengthened the defenses of the sand embankment and set up the firearms battalion on the shore, with no unusual activity for the time being.

Upon hearing the news, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

As long as the army has sufficient food and supplies, how can the Qing invaders possibly trap me?
At this moment, Huang Taiji was standing on a makeshift watchtower on Changling Mountain.

He was wrapped in a thick mink coat, his face pale from days of travel, and the white silk stuffed in his nostrils was stained red with blood.

Jirhalang stood behind him, holding the newly delivered Ming army deployment map in his hands.

“Hong Chengchou is quite composed.” Huang Taiji’s voice was breathless but contained a hint of a smile. “I occupied Changling Mountain, and he didn’t even send troops to fight for it.”

“He’s afraid that if we divide our forces, they’ll be wiped out.” Jirhalang pointed to Songshan on the map. “100,000 troops are crammed into that tiny place, and their food supplies depend entirely on Bijia Mountain. As long as we cut off the sand dike, the Ming army will collapse in less than five days.”

Huang Taiji nodded, coughed a few times, and blood beads seeped from the edge of the white silk: "Send down the order to have Ajige lead a select group of elite armored cavalry to prepare for an opportunity to attack Bijia Mountain."

He gazed at the lights of the Ming army camp below the mountain, a cold smile playing on his lips. "I want to see if Hong Chengchou can remain so calm after we've seized their supplies."
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(End of this chapter)