Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 265 Night Raid on the Plain Yellow Banner Camp 2.0
The Ming cavalry were actually very good at long-distance raids. There was the surprise attack by Lan Yu on Buyur Lake that destroyed the Northern Yuan, and the Battle of Hongyanchi in the ninth year of Chenghua. Wang Yue led 9,000 cavalrymen on a 800-mile raid in two days and nights to attack the old camp of the Tatars, which made the Mongol Khan heartbroken: "From then on, he no longer lived in the Hetao region, and the border troubles were lessened; he occasionally raided the border, but dared not invade in large numbers, and also sent envoys to pay tribute several times."

On the night of the 8th day of the 7th month of the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign, the intense heat of the day gradually dissipated, and the wind direction reversed from that of the daytime, turning into a northerly wind.

The horses advanced sideways to the wind, their tails always tilted to one side, and their two airplane-shaped ears became asymmetrical, twitching from time to time. Each Ming cavalryman was equipped with three horses: a pack horse mainly responsible for carrying armor, a riding horse mainly responsible for carrying the rider, and a warhorse, usually a male, well-fed and strong, which would be used for the charge.

The burden on the riding horse was too great. Every hour, the rider had to switch to another horse, allowing the riding horse to rest for a while and the horse to warm up and get used to the task.

The Ming cavalry advanced along the lower reaches of the Liaohe Plain, near the coast. Due to constant harassment by the Ming navy, Huang Taiji had abandoned hundreds of miles of coastal land. This area, once ideal for farming, was now overgrown with weeds and deserted. However, this also made it suitable for the Ming cavalry's stealthy advance.

Today is a good day. Although it is evening, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, the moon is big and round, and the morning star is faintly visible, illuminating the night as if it were daytime.

Three thousand cavalrymen marched across the vast plains, the road was smooth, and their pace was much faster than expected. Two and a half hours later, they had covered a distance of one hundred and twenty li, and their destination, Xiping Fort, was now within reach.

The advance scouts rejoined the main cavalry force and brought back exciting news: Huang Taiji had indeed camped overnight at Xiping Fort, and a reconnaissance of the area within a fifty-mile radius had yielded no ambushes. The Jurchens had camped in the open at Xiping Fort without constructing any fortifications! Therefore, the intelligence provided by Ajige was accurate and reliable; the Jurchen Khan had indeed rebelled against his own people!
Moreover, Huang Taiji truly had no idea he would be betrayed! Upon learning of this, the generals were all panting heavily, their faces flushed an unnatural red, and a hint of wariness even appeared between them.

Of course, this wasn't because everyone was about to start a fight; it was just that everyone was very eager to get Huang Taiji's head, which was a reward of being granted the title of Duke of the State—a glorious honor for one's ancestors and a chance to be a member of the nation's elite!
"The army will rest for an hour, and then don their armor and mount their horses within a quarter of an hour. Remember, do not feed the horses, and give them no more than a liter of water. Tonight, we will go into battle at the fourth watch, using a three-tiered formation, with six battalions in each tier, each with its own personal guard. Zu Kuan, Huang Degong, Zhou Yuji, Sun Yingyuan, and Zuo Liangyu will each lead one battalion in the vanguard. Man Gui, you will command the vanguard."

"Alright! You're the one who understands me best, Brother Zhao. If I don't die this time, I'll treat you to a drink when we get back!" Man Gui said excitedly, but everyone's mood suddenly sank.

"Cao Bianjiao, Wu Xiang, Wang Tingchen, He Renlong, and You Shiwei are positioned in the center, with Cao Wenzhao in command. When the battle begins, as long as the vanguard engages the enemy cavalry, regardless of whether they have broken apart or whether the enemy has reserves to support them, the second tier must press forward," Zhao Shuaijiao said in a deep voice.

“Yes!” Cao Wenzhao replied emphatically. He was the type of person who was ruthless but didn’t talk much. As the saying goes, “A gentleman is quick to act but slow to speak,” which describes him perfectly.

"What, does General Cao have a different opinion? Please speak freely. I don't look very fierce, do I? I'm not as fierce as your wife," Zhao Shuaijiao said, winking.

"Hahahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter, and the tense atmosphere before the battle was slightly dispelled.

Cao Bianjiao secretly picked at his toes inside his boots, but then he remembered the patchwork insoles on his feet. That princess was such a fool; she'd pricked her fingers countless times trying to sew these things, hiding in a corner to secretly wipe away tears! Sigh, he knew that Zhu Huiti wasn't crying from pain, but from his departure for war. But a man's ambition was to achieve great things; how could he indulge in sentimental love?!

"I will not die, no one on the battlefield can kill me!" Cao Bianjiao murmured to himself.

“This humble general has no objection to General Zhao’s tactics, but this humble general wishes to go to the front lines,” Cao Bianjiao said in a low voice. Zhao Shuaijiao frowned, shook his head firmly and said, “No, you’re too fierce. If we send you to the front, you might accidentally cut through the Jurchens, and the others won’t be able to keep up.”

Cao Bianjiao was unconvinced and wanted to say something more, but Cao Wenzhao pressed him down. Zhao Shuaijiao glanced at Cao Wenzhao, who nodded slightly.

Zhao Shuaijiao continued, "The rest of the generals will stay with me to cover the rear. I know you are all eager to make a name for yourselves, but we should give more opportunities to these younger men. Alright, that's all. Everyone, go your separate ways and take a good rest."

"Uncle?!" After they got separated, Cao Bianjiao called out to Cao Wenzhao with some confusion.

“The second formation is more likely to capture Huang Taiji than the vanguard,” Cao Wenzhao said. “General Zhao is looking out for you, so don’t let his good intentions go to waste. If we find any trace of Huang Taiji later, I will clear the way for you, and you can go and kill him.”

As he spoke, Cao Wenzhao, who usually had a stern face, suddenly revealed a rather shy smile: "I never thought that our Cao family would produce a Duke. Great, great!"

"It's not even close to being a done deal yet!" Cao Bianjiao said, somewhat speechless.

"I consulted a master before coming here, and he said it would definitely work out!" Cao Wenzhao said confidently.

Cao Bianjiao was even more speechless. He covered his face, his expression somewhat broken: "What's the big deal, Uncle? How could you believe in a charlatan like this?!"

"I felt sorry for that man, whose stomach was rumbling like thunder, so I spent a few coins to have his fortune told," Cao Wenzhao said casually.

Cao Wenzhao ended the conversation, and the surroundings gradually quieted down. Three thousand cavalry was no small number; being in the midst of the formation, one would feel as if there were people everywhere, densely packed together. Military orders could not be conveyed by shouting, nor could they be conveyed solely by command flags; messengers were needed to carry the command flags and shuttle back and forth between the gaps in the formation to deliver the orders.

Frontline command was primarily conducted orally, while cross-battalion command was conducted orally in conjunction with written communication. Complex strategic instructions and pre-battle deployments were typically communicated directly to the battalion commanders at the central command camp. This was also the case when axemen were at the rear and a signal was given by smashing a cup.

Three thousand elite Ming soldiers obeyed orders without a sound. Three thousand men and nine thousand warhorses remained silent in the overgrown wilderness, the atmosphere growing increasingly heavy. In truth, very few could sleep under such circumstances; such thick skin, even if not famous now, would certainly not be forgotten in the future.

(End of this chapter)