Chapter 79: Forming Ranks
November seventeenth, Liu Zibei.
The terrain here is open, with slight slopes and undulations, suitable for a large army to deploy, but the snow pits and snow-covered branches also make it easy to trip warhorses.
Before dawn, the vanguard army had arrived, familiarizing themselves with the terrain and setting up the battlefield. The Nian Battalion was among them, including the more than two hundred men brought by Chen Guang Sui.
Guo Chongwei’s “Vanguard Pacification Commissioner” large banner was erected on a small mound, while the command flags of Chen Guang Sui and Xiao Yi were both planted on the gentle slope west of the mound.
Xiao Yi stopped his horse and stood, urging the soldiers to use tamping tools to drive sharpened wooden stakes into the frozen ground, and to tie tripwires between the stakes.
“The ground is hard, everyone put in more effort!”
“Secure the tripwires properly, they must not fail. Bury two more on the west side…”
As the sun shone on the battlefield, the Southern Army’s scouts discovered them, whistling and attempting to harass them.
Xiao Yi led his cavalry to drive them away with archery.
The two sides exchanged several volleys of arrows from a great distance, shouting insults, and after a brief engagement, the sound of footsteps came from the north, and the earth trembled slightly. They each retreated.
Looking back, the eight hundred archers assigned to support the vanguard army had arrived and were arrayed in two tiers. Each tier had one hundred repeating crossbows, operated by three men: one holding the crossbow, one loading the bolts, and one aiming. When the front tier finished firing, they retreated to reload while the rear tier took their place. Additionally, two hundred men with long composite bows stood behind them for support.
The situation was tense.
In this way, the vanguard army had secured its position. If the Southern Army attacked, the cavalry and crossbowmen could support each other.
It was a bit passive, but their strategy was not to initiate the attack.
Guo Wei had issued an order: “This battle is only to remove corrupt officials and execute traitors. How dare they oppose the Son of Heaven? All armies must hold their positions firmly and not engage until ordered!”
This order strategically avoided the strong points and attacked the weak, and politically deflected the charge of provoking the Son of Heaven.
Xiao Yi knew there was another sentence to follow: “Wait until they attack dispersedly, then we can defeat them!”
Next, they waited.
He dismounted and led his horse, standing by it.
The soldiers behind him did the same. Ten cavalrymen formed a line, with five paces between each line. Forty-six cavalrymen formed a long square formation.
On the left flank were the abatis and the two tiers of archers. On the right flank, Chen Guang Sui’s more than two hundred cavalry were positioned more than ten paces away from them, leaning towards the outer edge of the battlefield.
“Commander Chen, you are a bit far away.”
Chen Guang Sui rested his hand on his saber and did not reply. Several arrogant soldiers under his command let out mocking laughter.
“A bunch of cowards from one county, don’t hinder our chance to earn merit.”
“Only half a battalion, and they’re hiding next to the archers, hilarious…”
The cold wind stung their faces like fine needles, and the warhorses snorted, their breath condensing into white mist.
As the ground vibrated, he looked back. His gaze passed over the dense spears and lances. Guo Wei’s large banner appeared on the highest mound north of Liu Zibei, about two or three li away.
The large banner pointed forward, signaling the entire army to advance; held straight up to the sky, it established the center of the formation; a slight wave to the left and right three times ordered the wings to adjust their spacing.
The Northern Army’s main formation was like a waking giant beast, slowly unfolding. The four directional flags of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise swayed, and units of troops moved accordingly.
Xiao Yi gazed intently, comparing it with the map he had seen in the great tent last night.
He could only see the nearby square formations. The shield bearers, clad in iron armor, held six-foot-high, three-foot-wide large shields to form a shield wall. Behind the shields were the crossbowmen; the spearmen’s blades were like snow; the assault infantry were clad in heavy armor, wielding sabers and large shields; the archers numbered in the thousands, their bow limbs pointing to the sky.
The right wing consisted of five thousand mixed cavalry and infantry, arranged in a wild goose formation, with sabers and shields in front and cavalry behind, ten cavalry per team with five paces between them, fanning out like goose wings. The left wing was too far away for him to see.
This was a “fixed center, mobile wings” layout.
It took more than an hour for the large formation of tens of thousands of men to stretch out, with no end in sight to the east and north.
His gaze returned. Hua Nong was warming his hands with a command flag, Old Pan was conserving energy wrapped in felt, Guo Xin looked around excitedly, Tang Jin stood nearby as if protecting Guo Xin, Zhang Mantun stood asleep, Lu You looked worriedly at the Southern Army, Fan Si was adjusting his bowstring, and Wei Liang secretly took a sip from his wine pouch…
Seeing the new recruit Jin Sanshui shivering with nervousness, Xiao Yi went over and patted him.
“Relax.”
“Commander, it’s the cold that’s making me shiver. If I can go back alive, I’ll drink three big bowls of hot mutton soup.”
“Alright, I’ll treat you to a drink.”
The breaths of tens of thousands of men converged, heavy and oppressive, leaving no desire to speak.
The warhorses pawed the ground restlessly, their exhalations forming a continuous white mist. The clinking of armor plates was incessant.
The wind blowing from the north carried the scent of leather, rust, body odor, and the dried blood on the weapons.
The wind direction suddenly changed.
The snowflakes finally stopped blowing in their faces.
Turning his gaze forward, he looked towards the Qili Shop camp, where the drums had been sounding for some time.
Murong Yanchao’s large banner slanted forward, and his troops advanced like a flowing river, pressing all the way down to the foot of the mounds, arrayed in a wedge formation with the large banner planted at the tip.
Xiao Yi counted ten command flags, each corresponding to five hundred men, all cavalry. Among them, the most elite were the Shatuo light cavalry, wearing dark leather armor. Even from a distance, their arrogance could be felt.
To their southeast, at Chigang, a few black dots first appeared, quickly coalescing into a large area.
The Southern Army’s large square formation slowly advanced.
As they drew closer, they could be seen divided into many large formations, each with twelve command flags and six thousand men, arranged in three sections: spearmen, saber and shield bearers, and crossbowmen. Passageways were left between the formations for a messenger to ride through.
Murong Yanchao had adopted a very sharp offensive formation, like an arrow about to be shot, a falcon; while Hou Yi and the other generals had adopted a general formation of “heavy defense, light maneuverability.”
Even Xiao Yi could see a clear sense of disconnect.
He had personally scouted the enemy camp and knew the Imperial Guard were arrogant and the local garrison troops lacked fighting spirit.
Therefore, after careful observation, he noticed that although the Southern Army’s formation was vast and their armor gleaming, their banners were numerous and their commands inconsistent. Signal transmission between different armies and wings was slow. Especially when compared to the Northern Army, forged through long-term campaigns against the Khitan, they were clearly disorganized.
Thus, the key to this battle was to break the already fragile coordination of the Southern Army.
That is, to lure Murong Yanchao into battle, separate him from the rear army, and defeat them one by one.
After the lengthy deployment, both sides finally drew near.
They were separated by a distance, in a standoff.
A long period of standoff.
The sun slowly moved westward, but there was no warmth at all.
Xiao Yi could see the crossbowmen in the adjacent formation removing the stringing tabs from their crossbows and warming their hands by breathing on them.
He also checked his own equipment. The bowstring was wrapped in oilcloth, the saddle was as stiff as a plank from the cold, the red tassel on his spear was brittle, and when struck, ice chips fell off.
At a quarter past noon, the cooks’ team arrived with hot soup and Hu Bing.
Xiao Yi and his comrades ate casually, always feeling that their mouths lacked flavor. It would be more satisfying to finish the battle and have a good meal afterward.
But he couldn’t help but worry that this bowl of hot soup was the last for his soldiers.
“Jin Sanshui, do you want to drink more?”
“Commander, don’t let him drink any more. If he has to pee during the fight…”
Suddenly, a cheer erupted from the Southern Army in the distance.
“Long live! Long live!”
Xiao Yi looked up. His gaze passed over the vast formations of the Southern Army. The Grand Master of Ceremonies flag pierced the gray mist. On the flag, gilded sun, moon, and stars seemed to reflect the faint sunlight.
It was the Son of Heaven’s imperial entourage, Liu Chengyou had come to boost morale.
The Southern Army’s morale surged, and Murong Yanchao’s vanguard army became noticeably restless.
Thousands of voices erupted in a thunderous roar of curses.
“Rebels of the Northern Army! Once the rebellion is suppressed, your heads will be hung on the walls of Kaifeng City!”
“…”
On the Northern Army’s side, the atmosphere was noticeably more subdued.
At this moment, Xi Hou suddenly remembered and exclaimed, “Huh, we’re rebels?”
“Haha, you just realized.”
“It doesn’t matter, as long as the pay is real.”
“Look at those dogs celebrating, they’re probably coming to kill us.”
“Come on quickly, dying in battle is better than freezing to death.”
Xiao Yi stuffed the last piece of Hu Bing into his mouth, gulped down the hot soup, and prepared for battle.
Unfortunately, the space between heaven and earth remained oppressive. He did not hear the Southern Army’s horns or war drums. The Son of Heaven’s visit to boost morale had not given Hou Yi and the other generals the courage to charge.
Xiao Yi thought to himself, the scales of victory were beginning to tip towards the North.
They continued to face off.
Time seemed to have frozen.
Only the sun was slowly setting in the west.
The reflection from the snow cover interfered with visibility. Both sides slightly adjusted their formations to avoid blind spots, but they did not engage in battle.
“Let’s sing,” Hua Nong suggested.
“Let’s sing.”
“Armor cold as frost-covered sky and moon, beacon fires sweep across the homeland’s snow…”
The forty-odd men of the Nian Battalion gradually began to sing. Their voices were initially low, but gradually grew louder.
Scoffs came from the side, but everyone’s spirits were lifted.
Xiao Yi suddenly heard the sound of horses’ hooves behind him. He turned to see a messenger galloping towards him, holding a command flag from the central army.
“Deliver order—”
“Order the second tenth command of the cavalry left wing to immediately move the entire army to Qingling Ridge on the west side and occupy Longtou.”
“Received!” Chen Guang Sui immediately shouted, “Brothers, mount up, follow me!”
“Yes!”
The soldiers responded with a resounding affirmation.
Guo Xin was overjoyed and shouted, “We’ve waited all day, it’s finally time to fight!”
Xiao Yi mounted his horse and looked back, only to find that the vanguard army’s flags had not moved.
According to custom, troop movements should be transmitted from the central army to the vanguard commander Guo Chongwei, and then passed down layer by layer to the commanders. Flag signals should be displayed first, followed by the messenger’s oral transmission, and this situation should not have occurred.
He then asked the messenger, “Who issued the order?”
“The Deputy Commander of the Central Army.”
“Commander.” Hua Nong suddenly raised his hand and pointed, saying, “There’s a flag signal.”
Xiao Yi looked back and saw Guo Chongwei signaling with a yellow command flag and a black directional flag, held horizontally and moved sideways, indicating the second tenth command to hold its position.
The ranks immediately became agitated, wondering why there were two completely different orders.
Xiao Yi had thought the Southern Army’s command was chaotic, but unexpectedly, this situation occurred first in the Northern Army.
“What’s going on?”
The messenger then cupped his fist and said, “This is a secret order from the central army. The Vanguard Pacification Commissioner is not aware of it. A small enemy force has bypassed the west side of Qingling Ridge and is attempting to sneak attack our rear. You cavalry must immediately go and intercept them.”
Xiao Yi felt something was wrong. To deploy cavalry to defend Qingling Ridge, troops could have been dispatched from the central army or the right wing. Why would Wang Jun conceal this from Guo Chongwei and draw troops?
He then asked, “We are under General Guo’s orders to provide support and protection for the archers. How can we leave without authorization? We are at the front line, wouldn’t the enemy discover us?”
The messenger rode his horse forward and whispered, “I have a military order for both commanders, please see.”
Xiao Yi and Chen Guang Sui leaned closer and saw that the military order only had four characters: “Protect San Lang.” The two exchanged glances and understood.
Xiao Yi understood Wang Jun’s desire to protect Guo Xin, but believed it was inappropriate to issue orders directly bypassing the vanguard army, as it would cause trouble. He looked back towards the direction of the vanguard army’s large banner.
He was vaguely worried about Guo Chongwei and thus unwilling to leave with Chen Guang Sui.
Guo Chongwei was a man of few words, but he commanded his troops strictly and fought tough battles, deserving of respect. Xiao Yi remembered his encouragement.
Chen Guang Sui understood his intention and said, “I cannot disobey the Deputy Commander’s order, so we will split into two groups.”
“Good.”
“Brothers who wish to earn merit with me, follow me!”
Naturally, the Nian Battalion split again.
“San Lang, it’s boring to just stand here in a standoff. How about we go fight some enemies with this subordinate officer?”
“I don’t want to listen to Wang Jun’s orders either, he’s so annoying.”
Xiao Yi understood Guo Xin too well and deliberately said, “You can stay, it’s safer here.”
Chen Guang Sui said, “I think you’re afraid I’ll get close to San Lang.”
Saying this, he gestured to two of his subordinates. Those two cavalrymen directly took Guo Xin’s reins, grabbed him, and led him away.
Guo Xin shouted, “Stop trying to flatter your grandpa! Fight with me, I don’t care about you either.”
Tang Jin followed on his horse.
The soldiers all shouted, “Let’s go earn merit!”
The more than two hundred cavalry quickly galloped westward.
Xiao Yi immediately ordered, “Hua Nong, signal and report to General Guo.”
At this moment, Liu Tingrang galloped over on his horse, asking, “What is it?! Why has the Nian Battalion left the formation without authorization?!”
“They are under orders from the central army to go to Qingling Ridge to intercept the enemy.”
“Wang Chenghui’s unit is at Qingling Ridge, why would they need reinforcements?”
“The order was issued by Wang Jun, bypassing General Guo. Please inform General Guo of this matter quickly…”
Suddenly.
“Woo—”
The sound of the horn tore through the oppressive atmosphere of the battlefield standoff.
The rapid war drums made the earth tremble.
Xiao Yi looked back and saw Murong Yanchao’s large banner move, tilting northward.
He suddenly understood. Wang Jun not only wanted to protect Guo Xin but also deliberately create a weakness to lure Murong Yanchao into attacking.
And this weakness was Guo Chongwei, who had clashed with him in opinion yesterday, the vanguard army.
What was Guo Wei’s intention? He had pacified the three garrisons without any violation. From the time the formation was set up last night until now, why had he allowed Wang Jun to arrange everything?
Regardless, the eight hundred crossbowmen beside him had become bait; he and the remaining forty-three men were pawns that could be sacrificed at any moment.
The anger burned hot, making the blowing wind and snow feel even colder.
Xiao Yi fiercely gripped the spear in his hand.
At this moment, only through battle and a great victory could they be qualified to talk about anything else.
The anger in his heart turned into killing intent.
