Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Two hundred miles south of Tongzhou, at sunset, the setting sun shone like blood.

This place is far from any town or city, and few people are around. It is not yet the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and the cold winter is not yet over. The desolate wilderness is desolate and overgrown with withered grass.

The surrounding green mountains are faintly visible, and the afterglow of the setting sun casts large shadows, with occasional bird calls and animal roars.

A sizable army, clad in bright armor, with its carriages and horses rumbling along the official road.

A large number of cavalrymen marched ahead, followed by thousands of armored infantrymen, and then various vehicles.

The large army stood in orderly ranks, moving with discipline. The squad leaders and other junior officers rode their horses around the ranks, supervising the discipline of their troops.

Almost all the cavalry and infantry carried muskets, which were tied in special cloth bags, so that outsiders could not tell what was going on at first glance.

The muskets provided to the army this time included nearly 800 new breech-loading guns, but the rest were improved versions of the Rumi gun.

Although this improved Rumi gun was incredibly powerful when fired in volleys, its performance and manufacturing process were far inferior to that of newer breech-loading guns.

Because of its muzzle-loading method, the reloading speed is slow, and the barrel and loose gunpowder are very susceptible to moisture.

To ensure the effectiveness of the muskets in battle, they are always stored in cloth bags to prevent moisture. This is a usage experience that the Shenji Battalion has developed through long-term training.

However, the newly developed breech-loading musket was used very differently in combat and was far less limited than the improved musket.

Not only has the manufacturing process been greatly improved, but it also adopts a quick breech loading system and uses individually molded ammunition.

Nearly eight hundred breech-loading guns firing in unison would have a power exceeding that of the improved Rumi gun by two orders of magnitude.

This was also Jia Cong's most important trump card in terms of firepower for this expedition by the Shenjing Battalion.

……

Among the large number of vehicles accompanying the army, some were transporting grain and supplies.

The goods being transported by the other thirty-odd horse-drawn carriages were completely covered with waterproof cotton cloth, obscuring their true appearance.

However, these thirty vehicles were heavily guarded, with hundreds of soldiers standing guard around them, carrying swords and bows, looking vigilant, surrounding the vehicles completely.

These thirty carts were towing thirty cannons, including ten improved Red Coat Cannons and twenty improved Frankish Cannons.

These cannons represent the strongest fighting force of the 6,000-strong Shenjing Battalion. Each of the thirty cannons is equipped with 500 artillerymen responsible for transporting, positioning, and firing the cannons.

Among the 6,000 troops of the Shenjing Camp, artillery was the slowest towing vehicle, and each vehicle was equipped with two or three horses, so even when marching quickly, it was still slower than the infantry.

Therefore, the speed of the Shenji Battalion's advance ultimately depends on the speed of the artillery vehicles, while maintaining a fast-paced marching pace and keeping the intensity of the march moderate.

……

At the head and tail of the main force, two hundred fast scouts galloped back and forth, patrolling the surrounding area for five miles to strengthen vigilance and search for enemy traces.

Another hundred vanguard cavalrymen, ten miles ahead of the main force, marched covertly and swiftly in batches to scout the roads and find a place to camp.

The Shenji Battalion, numbering several thousand men, moved in a well-organized and efficient manner, like tightly meshed gears, heading towards Tongzhou.

Jia Cong and Ai Li rode side by side at the head of the procession, with five or six guards leading the way.

Since the expedition began, Ellie has been quiet, staying close to Jia Cong and appearing no different from his other personal guards.

Yu Xiuzhu was once transferred to the Liaodong Firearms Battalion and participated in the Jurchen War, but at that time he was just a lowly soldier.

Naturally, he didn't have close contact with Jia Cong, who was the main general, and wasn't as familiar with him as he was with Guo Zhigui, Jiang Xiaoliu, and others.

He only vaguely remembered that when Jia Cong went north to pursue and annihilate the Jurchen Three Guards, he was accompanied by a female bodyguard. He only vaguely remembered her appearance but did not know her identity.

That's why I was so curious when I saw it at the East Gate of the mansion. But when Jiang Xiaoliu reminded me to stop, I wisely shut my mouth.

Ellie blended in with the royal guard cavalry, so the other soldiers naturally didn't notice her.

Seeing that Jia Cong was close to her, the other guards knew that Jia Cong came from a powerful military family and assumed that Ai Li was a trusted confidante of the Rongguo Mansion, so they dared not approach or offend her.

Therefore, the addition of delicate young women to this army of several thousand did not seem out of place at all, and the situation remained quite calm.

……

As the sun set and darkness fell, the vanguard cavalry discerned the path ahead and found a suitable campsite.

When the army arrived at the Linxi campsite, the deputy general Lin Zhen took care of the campsite affairs of each unit, so Jia Cong did not need to worry too much.

Jia Cong arranged the order of camping for each army based solely on the characteristics of the firearms-equipped troops, in order to facilitate emergency response during encampments.

The camp was surrounded by two thousand firearm soldiers, the second perimeter was occupied by two thousand cavalry, and the third perimeter consisted of over one thousand musketeers.

The inner circle of the camp was occupied by artillery carriages and 500 artillerymen, while the core of the camp housed 300 personal guards and 6,000 commanders of the Divine Machine Battalion.

……

Jia Cong's camp deployment strategy was exceptionally well-organized.

However, the army only rested for one night before setting off again at dawn. Setting up camp in this way would be too complicated, so Deputy General Lin Zhen inquired about the reason.

Jia Cong said, "General Lin is a guerrilla commander of the Shenji Battalion. He has been training with the entire army and should know that of the six thousand Shenji Battalion soldiers, only about a thousand are veterans rotated from Liaodong."

Of these thousand veterans, only three hundred had fought against the Jurchen Three Guards, and they were the only ones who had truly experienced actual firearm combat.

Therefore, when I first entered the camp to select soldiers, I promoted these people to corporal or platoon leader, or selected them for the personal guard cavalry, as reserve military officers.

The remaining five thousand or so men, though well-trained in firearms, have not experienced actual firearms combat. As military commanders, this is a matter of utmost concern to you and me.

Yesterday, military reports arrived from the front that the remnant Mongol army had occupied Hongshuji, and the garrison of the North Three Passes was engaged in a fierce battle with them at Yaoshanyi, which had probably been going on for several days.

After our troops arrive in Tongzhou, they will likely be immediately transferred to the front lines to engage in battle.

With the war so intense and insufficient time for troop training, this is a serious problem that we cannot afford to be complacent about.

Our journey to Tongzhou for garrison duty will take three days and four nights due to the slow movement of the artillery vehicles.

Setting up camp every night according to our strategy provides an excellent opportunity for training, allowing the various units in the army to become familiar with each other's deployment and work together in preparation for war.

This kind of camping strategy is not only a method of setting up camp, but also a formation for future battles against the enemy.

With such a secure encampment, if an enemy attack occurs at night, the outer musketeers can immediately form a counter-attack formation, while the inner musketeers can rotate in a timely manner.

As long as the musketeers slow down the enemy's charge, they buy time for the artillery to fire. Once the artillery fire covers the area even slightly, the enemy's formation will surely be thrown into chaos...

The purpose of this deployment is outwardly to establish camps and deploy troops, but inwardly it is to conduct drills and exercises. You can convey this intention to all the armies so that they are also aware of it.

……

Lin Zhen was also a veteran in the military, but since the Great Zhou had been at peace for a long time, he had no actual combat experience, but he knew military strategies.

After listening to Jia Cong's detailed plan for setting up camp and training troops, which was thoughtful, ingenious, and demonstrated a very experienced and skillful approach to dealing with firearms, I was greatly impressed.

He said, “This humble servant is dull and ignorant of your military strategy, sir. Your guidance has been very helpful to me. Your talent as a general is truly admirable.”

"This subordinate will now issue orders to all troops to set up camp according to the law, without any negligence..."

Seeing Lin Zhen hurrying about, managing the military affairs of setting up camp, Jia Cong simply smiled slightly.

Turning around, he saw his personal guards had set up their tents, and a carriage was waiting outside, carrying Jia Cong and Ai Li's luggage.

Inside, there were not only two people's belongings, but also five or six birdcages, containing two gyrfalcons and more than ten homing pigeons.

Ellie took the raw meat out of the ice pack, cut it into strips with a knife, and was feeding the gyrfalcon with a smile, muttering to herself as if she were talking to the eagle.

The remaining rays of the setting sun illuminated the campsite, casting a pink glow on her pretty face. Her captivating eyes reflected the evening light, appearing moist and shimmering, making her exceptionally charming.

……

During the daytime march, she didn't want to attract attention and rarely spoke to Jia Cong, simply following him in silence.

Now that they have set up camp, in the heart of the camp, apart from Jia Cong's personal guards surrounding the perimeter, there are no other idlers, so Ellie is naturally much more relaxed.

Although she was dressed in military uniform and wearing an iron helmet, it did not diminish her beauty in the slightest. She glanced at Lin Zhen, who was walking away into the distance.

He laughed and said, "Yu Zhang, have you become corrupted by being an official? You're too good at lecturing others. With just a few words, you've managed to convince that Lin fellow to submit."

Jia Cong laughed and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? I wasn't fooling him at all. I was just spouting serious military theories."

Ellie laughed and said, "The way you set up camp just now can prevent the enemy from launching a night attack. I will also send my eagle slaves to scout the area later so that we can sleep more soundly tonight."

But I need to feed them first, otherwise if I let them out, they'll just hunt for food and forget about our important business.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "These two eagles are very useful. You brought a lot of pigeons with you, why don't you release a few out?"

Ellie laughed and said, "These pigeons haven't been raised for long. Although I've trained them, they're not as intelligent as eagle slaves."

Moreover, the further north we go, the more eagles and falcons we will encounter in the Tianshan Mountains. Eagles hunt at sunrise and sunset, and it is just sunset now.

"Releasing pigeons into the sky now will only make them food for hawks."

Two days of casual conversation helped pass the time during the march. The fatigue and monotony of the daytime journey were quickly dispelled by the tacit laughter.

After Ellie had fed the birds, Jia Cong accompanied her to the stream to fetch water so he could change the water for the birds in their cages. Before leaving, he instructed Yu Xiuzhu to lead his personal guards to carry his and Ellie's cages into the camp.

……

Yu Xiuzhu called over a personal guard, who carried two boxes into the tent.

The guard glanced at Jia Cong and Ellie's retreating figures, his expression strange and ambiguous, and said, "Brother Yu, something seems off about Lord Jia's guard."

She has fair and delicate skin, and is quite pretty. Look at that slender waist and figure, she doesn't look like a soldier at all, she looks more like a woman.

Lord Jia even sleeps in the same camp as him. Does the lord perhaps enjoy this kind of arrangement?

The guard couldn't help but shudder as he spoke. This Lord Jia was a young hero, famous throughout the land, and all the soldiers admired him.

I never imagined such an outstanding person would have such a dirty habit. What can one say...

Yu Xiuzhu knew the details to some extent. Seeing the soldier's ambiguous expression, he scolded, "What kind of personal guard does the master use? Who are you to talk nonsense?"

The adults won't sleep with him, but they'll sleep with you, you smelly thing. I'm telling you, don't look around like that, or you'll get a sty!
You are not allowed to mention this matter again, nor are you allowed to look around carelessly. If you talk too much and cause others to gossip, you will be in trouble.

"I'll send you to be an artilleryman, following behind us and watching the horses' rear ends, humph!"

Seeing Yu Xiuzhu's unfriendly expression, the guard worried that he would really be forced to become an artilleryman, so he quickly shut his mouth and couldn't help but glance at Jia Cong and Aili a few more times.

…………

Once the campfire was lit in the camp, Ellie quietly entered the carriage and released two gyrfalcons.

The eagle's feathers fluttered, the wind roared, and it quickly rose into the sky, hidden by the pitch-black night, unnoticed by the surrounding guards.

Jia Cong wanted to look after Ellie, so he went on a private inspection of the camp before returning to the main tent in the central camp, where he saw Ellie lighting a campfire by herself.

Whether they had received orders or had some strange tacit understanding, the guards kept their distance from Ellie, making the place quite peaceful and quiet.

Jia Cong sat down next to Ellie, and she gently placed the warmed dry food into his hand.

Taking advantage of the cold night wind and the bright red firelight, the two ate dry rations and drank spring water to fill their stomachs. Seeing that it was getting late, they went into the general's tent together.

Just as the tent flap was lowered, the guards who had been sitting around the fire seemed completely unconcerned.

They all turned to look at the commander's tent in an instant, their eyes filled with surprise and inquiry. Someone snorted angrily, it was unclear whether it was Jiang Xiaoliu or Yu Xiuzhu.

Those extremely curious guards immediately turned their heads away and returned to their original positions.

……

Inside the general's tent, candles were lit on a simple table. Jia Cong took out a map and examined it carefully, holding up the candlestick.

Ellie removed her helmet, letting her beautiful hair fall loose. Since she was going out in military attire, she naturally couldn't tie her hair up in a traditional Chinese hairstyle.

Seeing that Jia Cong was fiddling with a map, she didn't try to hide anything from him. She removed her protective soft armor, leaving only the soft robe underneath, which made her feel much more relaxed.

They opened their own trunks and took out two thick hemp rugs, selecting a flat spot in the tent.

After laying down two carpets, then a mattress, and finally a thick fur robe, a simple bed is complete.

Although it appears somewhat rudimentary, it is far more elaborate than that of ordinary soldiers, after all, Jia Cong is the commander-in-chief of an army.

Ellie looked at the two makeshift beds on the floor and at Jia Cong, who was holding a lamp and looking at the picture. Her pretty face flushed slightly. Suddenly, she felt that the two makeshift beds were too close together.

She stepped forward and pushed a rug further away, but then felt it was too far away, so she pulled it closer. She went back and forth like this several times, looking somewhat conflicted.

She suddenly sensed something, looked up and met Jia Cong's gaze. Seeing him smiling at her, her pretty face flushed.

Somewhat guiltily, he said, "What are you looking at? What's so interesting?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Why are you making such a fuss? When we went on expeditions in Liaodong before, we slept in the same tent, and I never saw you like this."

Is things different now than before? Are you a little afraid of me?

Ellie's heart skipped a beat, and she said defiantly, "What do you have to be afraid of? Even if I fight you, I can last for a hundred moves. You can't eat me."

As she was talking, she suddenly saw Jia Cong walk over, get close to her, and say with a smile, "If you're not afraid of me, why are you fiddling with the carpet?"

Seeing Jia Cong getting closer and closer, seemingly breathing, Ellie's pretty face flushed red. She frowned and said, "Move away a bit, don't get so close. My mother said..."

She only said half of it before realizing it was inappropriate and immediately stopped talking.

Jia Cong's eyes lit up with interest, and he asked, "What did your mother say to you? Tell me about it."

Ellie felt weak all over and somewhat flustered. She lay down on the floor, wrapped herself in a fur robe, and covered her head with it.

He said in a muffled voice, "I didn't say anything. I'm tired after riding horses all day and need to rest."

After a while, hearing no movement, he poked his head out of his fur robe, his bright eyes sparkling. He saw that Jia Cong had returned to his desk and was working on his map again.

I couldn't help but ask, "You've been bouncing around in the saddle all day, aren't you tired yet? You're even burning the midnight oil. Be careful you won't have the energy for tomorrow's march..."

…………

Jia Cong said, "Seventy percent of our six thousand Divine Machine Battalion members have never experienced actual combat. This time, the Mongol army is powerful and should not be underestimated."

In this battle between the Great Zhou and the Mongol Empire, His Majesty relies heavily on firearms. I hold the lives of these six thousand people in my hands, as well as my own life and future.

I dared not relax for even a moment, carefully studying the map and terrain, considering how to deploy my troops, which gave me a greater sense of confidence.

Upon hearing Jia Cong's words, Ellie lifted her fur robe, sat up again, and said, "You didn't have any real combat experience a few years ago, yet you still managed to pacify the Three Jurchen Guards in one fell swoop."

"As long as we handle everything carefully, we'll definitely succeed this time too."

As he spoke, he got up, opened the trunk, took out a tea set and tea leaves, and used the charcoal fire in the tent to heat water, brewing a cup of light tea for Jia Cong.

He said, "Have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up, and you can stop thinking about things. But once the tea gets cold, you should go to sleep right away. Don't stay up too late and ruin your health."

Jia Cong reached out and took the teacup, touching Ellie's smooth and slender palm, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He got up, pressed Ellie down on the couch, covered her with a fur robe, and said, "I'll listen to you. You rest first, I'll sit for a while and then go to sleep."

Ellie smiled slightly, turned to her side and closed her eyes. The panic and shyness in her heart gradually faded away, and she soon fell asleep peacefully.

……

Twenty li south of the eastern outskirts of Shenjing lies Wawu Town.

This is a small town located near the capital, with only four or five hundred households and a population of less than two thousand.

It's only a half-day drive from here to the capital, Shenjing, though it's not close to the official road leading to the capital.

However, many merchants traveling north, as well as scholars going to take the imperial examinations, would stay here for the night so they could hire carriages and horses to go to the capital the next day.

Therefore, many inns, restaurants, and eateries in the town are doing quite well on a daily basis.

More than half of the town's original inhabitants make a living by farming. The town is surrounded by large tracts of fertile land where rice, grains, fruits, and vegetables are grown.

The town's residents also relied on carts and horses to transport agricultural products to the capital for sale and trade, which was their main means of making a living.

Because of the excellent soil and water quality of the farmland near Wawu Town, the rice, grains, fruits and vegetables grown there are famous.

Many rice and grain shops in the capital city have long purchased agricultural products from farmers in the town because of its reputation.

Therefore, although Wawu Town is only 20 miles away from the capital, it is quite prosperous due to its close ties with the capital, and the town is peaceful and content with its modest wealth.

……

As night fell, the town streets were less bustling than during the day, but the inns and restaurants were still brightly lit, noisy, and filled with the aroma of food and drink.

Everywhere you look, the streets and alleys are filled with the sounds of dogs barking, roosters crowing, wisps of smoke rising from chimneys, and laughter from young and old, all exuding the unique tranquility and leisure of the small town.

This pleasant tranquility, which was intoxicating just a moment ago, was quickly shattered by a tremendous roar.

Many people looked on in confusion and fear, heading north of the town, where the strange noises were coming from.

The sound was like the rumbling thunder before a storm, deafening, like an angry, rolling earth dragon, chilling to the bone.

Travelers and diners in inns and restaurants came out to see what was going on, and pedestrians on the street were also in disarray, with unease spreading rapidly.

Suddenly, a large number of civilians came running from the north of the town, shouting in terror, "Something terrible has happened! A lot of soldiers have come out from the north of the town and are rushing this way!"

Before the terrified shouts had even subsided and before anyone could react, shouts of killing and screams of agony rang out from the north of the town.

Countless cavalrymen surged into the town like a tide, then split up and spread out at every street corner, filling every street and alley in the town.

Many townspeople and merchants fled in all directions, but the sudden misfortune caught everyone off guard. The cavalry charging from all sides made it impossible for anyone to escape.

Someone cried out in terror, "They're not government soldiers, they're Mongol Tartars..."

The words were quickly drowned out by the sound of hooves. Countless knights swung their scimitars indiscriminately, and the town was instantly engulfed in blood, regardless of age or gender… (End of Chapter)