Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The city wall of Shenjing East.

At Shi Ding's command, the three thousand archers, who were ready to fire, launched their arrows toward the outer side of the Shijiatu Mountain.

Each time the bowstring vibrated in unison, three thousand arrows were shot out, covering the sky above the earthen hill with a dense rain of arrows.

These arrows were not intended to be accurate; their main purpose was to harass and hinder the enemy, disrupting the arrow attacks of the remnant Mongol cavalry and causing some casualties.

Under the cover of arrows raining down from the city walls, the sound of horses' hooves echoed along the mountain path behind the earthen hill as more than a thousand cavalrymen armed with firearms filed out and galloped northwards, close to the city walls.

The Mongol cavalry quickly noticed, and many of them shouted loudly. Man Hai discovered the earthen mound and his surprise attack, ordering his cavalry to give chase immediately.

The cavalry, which had just retreated and launched a counterattack, was in disarray due to the hasty adjustment of their tactics, making it difficult for them to pursue in time.

Shi Ding, who was on the city wall, was closely watching the battle. Seeing that the remnant Mongol cavalry was slowing down, more than a thousand musketeer cavalry seized the opportunity and rushed to join Jia Cong's vanguard.

Shi Ding shouted in a deep voice, "Archers, move forward and rain arrows to cover the outer flank of the Shenjing Camp cavalry, hindering the enemy's pursuit and allowing the firearms troops to escape quickly!"

At Shi Ding's command, the three thousand archers on the city wall marched forward in formation until they reached the northeast corner of the city, where they regrouped and began to fire arrows in unison.

The thousand or so cavalrymen armed with firearms below the city seemed to have received instructions in advance, advancing close to the city wall to keep their own cavalry within the protection range of the arrow rain from the city wall.

Looking down from the city wall, the route of the more than a thousand firearms-wielding cavalry, extending for more than ten zhang in all directions, was completely covered by a dense rain of arrows from the city wall.

Once the remnant Mongol cavalry got close enough to pursue, they would be met with a hail of arrows from the city walls.

After losing over a hundred cavalrymen, the remaining Mongol cavalry maintained their pursuit but dared not approach the firearms-wielding cavalry easily.

The battlefield is always ever-changing. If one side seizes the slightest advantage, it can effectively expand it into a superior position and even determine the final outcome of the battle.

Under Shi Ding's command, the three thousand archers on the city wall, together with the seventeen hundred lancers below, formed a tacit cooperation and hindered the Mongol cavalry's pursuit.

More than a thousand musketeer cavalrymen left the city wall area, but arrows from the city walls continued to follow and protect their flanks. The cavalrymen fled in an arc to the right, widening the distance between themselves and the pursuing cavalry.

……

Man Hai watched as Jia Cong led three hundred cavalrymen, still fleeing northwest, while another force of over a thousand musketeer cavalrymen seemed to be retreating in a different direction.

The adjutant beside him said, "Second Prince, they have now split into two groups to escape. Which group should we pursue, or should we split into two groups to pursue them?"

This humble general believes that Jia Cong's use of troops is too unpredictable and cunning. We have already launched a surprise attack, yet he has ambushed us at Tushan without warning.

Since he has set up an ambush in one place, why wouldn't he set up an ambush elsewhere? I believe it would be safer for us to cease hostilities here and return to our camp to await another opportunity.”

Man Hai frowned and said, "You make it sound so easy for you to stop and retreat. We've already lost two thousand-man squads in this battle. Are you going to let the blood of the Mongol warriors be shed in vain?"

Jia Cong was indeed cunning in his military tactics, but his tricks ended there. The area ahead was a plain stretching for more than ten miles, offering no view whatsoever, and there were no hills for him to set up an ambush.

Moreover, in the two battles just now, I discovered the drawback of the Great Zhou muskets: the reloading of bullets is extremely cumbersome, so they have to use three-row bursts to compensate for it.

Every time we turn back to counterattack, these musketeers immediately retreat, not daring to confront the Mongol cavalry head-on. Do you know why?
Because Jia Cong himself knew very well that although muskets were incredibly powerful, their firing speed was far slower than that of the Mongol cavalry's bows and arrows.

Therefore, his musketeers only knew how to launch strong attacks and sneak raids. As soon as our army launched a counterattack, they would immediately flee. They were quite shameless and treacherous.

Furthermore, I discovered another fatal weakness of theirs: once the musketeers mounted their horses, they could no longer fire, rendering even the most powerful muskets useless.

Now they are fleeing in two groups of cavalry, but this is just a ruse to confuse our eyes and ears and take the opportunity to escape our pursuit.

The muskets have already lost all their power, and this is when they are at their weakest. We must not give up halfway and miss this golden opportunity to annihilate them.

Moreover, our army's attack has already exposed the whereabouts of our main force. The Great Zhou will surely mobilize troops to attack from all sides and pursue and intercept us, making it increasingly difficult for us to establish a foothold.

If we miss this golden opportunity, and this expedition yields nothing, resulting in the loss of nearly three thousand men, how can we face our soldiers and explain ourselves to my father, the Khan?

Ignore that thousand-man cavalry; it's just Jia Cong creating a diversion. We should only pursue his three hundred cavalry and those five large carts.

Our army suffered such heavy losses after being attacked by muskets twice. The firearms of the Great Zhou Dynasty are indeed renowned. We must capture Jia Cong and those five carts of firearms.

If Jia Cong were to escape back to the Northern Three Passes and use these firearms against my father Khan's army, it would surely cause endless trouble for my Mongol southward expansion.

Now, with only three hundred cavalrymen, they have lost the advantage of firearms, which is when Jia Cong is at his weakest. No matter how cunning he is, he cannot turn the tide!
Their warhorses have galloped for several miles, and their speed will surely wane. As long as we can capture Jia Cong alive, any price we pay will be worthwhile.”

The deputy general listened to Man Hai's words and also felt that they made a lot of sense. Sixteen thousand cavalrymen chasing a mere three hundred cavalrymen, how could anything happen?

Moreover, the second prince is right. Firearms-wielding cavalrymen, once mounted, lose the advantage of firearms and are merely wolves with their fangs pulled out, making them utterly vulnerable.

The slight doubt that had arisen in his heart vanished immediately upon hearing Man Hai's words. He then issued a military order to the entire team to pursue the direction in which Jia Cong had fled...

……

On the city wall of Shenjing East, Shi Ding held up his telescope and looked out. His deputy, Wang Lin, said, "General, the Mongol contingent has abandoned its pursuit of more than a thousand firearms-wielding cavalry."

All the troops were pursuing the Earl of Weiyuan, who only had three hundred cavalry guards with him. Firearms would lose their effectiveness once mounted on horseback, and it would be dangerous if he fell into enemy lines.

"General Weiyuanbo is a fine general, one of the best in the Great Zhou army. It would be a great pity if he were to be lost because of this. Should we send reinforcements?"

Shi Ding said, "The warhorses allocated by the Ministry of War to the Earl of Weiyuan are the finest selected from the capital and the surrounding areas. They are all top-class warhorses with extremely strong horses."

You all witnessed firsthand how decisive and resourceful the Marquis of Weiyuan's cavalry was. I believe he will not fall into enemy lines within these twenty miles.

In the past few days, he has repeatedly sent arrows into the city to discuss with me how to deal with the enemy. So far, all the developments in the war have been in line with his plans.

I believe he will go all the way to the end. If he can achieve complete victory in this battle, he will gain a decisive advantage in the campaign against the Mongols, and perhaps even secure the final victory!

Upon hearing this, Wang Lin and the other generals were all surprised. No wonder the commander-in-chief had always remained calm in dealing with the battle outside the city and had never acted rashly.

It turned out that Wang Lin had already planned with the Earl of Weiyuan. He remembered that a few days ago Shi Ding had ordered him to select 5,000 cavalrymen from the Five Armies Camp, and all of them had to be skilled archers.

It turns out that all of this was intended for today's battle. However, the Mongol army launched a surprise attack just now, and the Earl of Weiyuan seemed to be hastily responding. Could it all have been planned in advance?

Wang Lin shared the same idea; all the generals present had the same thought. Planning the war to this extent could not be explained by mere military knowledge.

This young head of the Rongguo Jia family is probably close to being a genius, which is truly astonishing and terrifying.

Shi Ding said, "Wait another quarter of an hour, and I will personally lead the selected five thousand elite cavalry out of the city to reinforce the city. The defense of the nine gates will be overseen by Wang Lin, the Central Army's adjutant."

While I was out of the city to reinforce, I kept a close eye on the movements in the direction of Wawu Town. There were 20,000 elite cavalrymen stationed there by the remnants of the Mongols. They must have left some men to guard the grain and supplies..."

……

Northwest of the capital city, on a vast and boundless wasteland, ten thousand horses galloped, their hooves thundering, creating a terrifying spectacle.

Two groups of people galloped wildly, chasing each other, the rapid, muffled sound of hooves seemingly capable of shaking heaven and earth.

However, the disparity in numbers between the two forces was simply too great; Jia Cong led three hundred cavalrymen, while the pursuing cavalrymen numbered over ten thousand.

But this chase, with its vastly unequal numbers, seemed evenly matched, and there was something eerie about it, like a lure followed by a frenzied school of fish.

When Jia Cong discovered enemy activity during his march, he led the entire army back through these areas. He paid close attention to the details of the terrain and landforms along the way.

Although the route is mostly flat, there are also various terrains such as highlands, lowlands, grasslands, rocky beaches, and swamps.

In some places, a few hundred riders can gallop through easily, but if thousands or tens of thousands of riders want to rush through, it will inevitably become a great obstacle.

Jia Cong deliberately chose terrain that favored small groups of cavalry while being unfavorable to large cavalry units, thus maintaining a consistent pursuit distance between the two armies.

This kind of close pursuit is not only a test of one's own strength, but also a test of wisdom and patience.

If Jia Cong's calculations were even slightly off, his three hundred cavalrymen would be trapped in enemy lines, leading to the annihilation of the entire army.

When he led his team across a narrow, rocky highland and finally saw the gentle hillside in the distance, a smile appeared on his face.

……

Jia Cong shouted, "Jiang Xiaoliu, immediately abandon those five carts and speed up to the back of the hill!" The five carts had been following behind the three hundred cavalrymen, and were covered with tarpaulins, seemingly full of goods.

These large carts had reinforced wheels to withstand long, bumpy rides, yet their speed was comparable to that of a single horse galloping at full speed, which seemed rather strange.

Jiang Xiaoliu led his soldiers to quickly abandon the carriage, spurred his horse and caught up with the three hundred cavalry, asking, "Lord, there are no powerful features on the carriage, and carrying them is quite cumbersome."

Jia Cong had already spurred his horse to full speed, but he said, "If we don't use enough bait, we won't be able to attract such a large cavalry force to make a long-distance raid and keep up with us."

The Mongols launched a surprise attack on the firearms workshop because they coveted the superior firearms inside. The carts rushed out of the workshop, and we were so desperate that we didn't want to abandon them.

They must have assumed the wagons were full of firearms, and given their heavy losses from the musket formation, their desire to acquire the superior firearms of the Great Zhou would only grow stronger.

These five large carts are the best bait; otherwise, they would have to go to great lengths, suffer heavy losses, and end up with nothing. We need to give them a good reason…”

……

Jiang Xiaoliu said, "Lord, if we abandon the carriage now, what if they discover the bait is fake? Wouldn't the big fish that was about to take the bait get away?"

As Jia Cong drew ever closer to the hillside, with the thunderous roar of hooves behind him, he laughed loudly, “They didn’t come away empty-handed; they also received humiliation and ridicule.”

If the enemy general knew he was a fool, his 20,000 elite cavalry would have made a huge fuss and ended up being a joke. Do you think they would let us go so easily?
They will definitely pursue us to the end, tearing us to pieces to vent their hatred. Don't worry about them easily escaping.

Hearing Jia Cong's laughter, Jiang Xiaoliu couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. The Earl was a first-rate scholar and a great talent in the world, but his mind was really too sinister.

These Mongol Tartars came with great force, but he toyed with them like monkeys. In the end, even if they weren't all wiped out, there probably wouldn't be many left...

…………

Jiang Xiaoliu had just abandoned the carriage when Man Hai arrived with his army. The vanguard cavalry spotted the carriage and immediately sent a message to Man Hai.

When Man Hai heard that the five carriages had been intercepted, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy despite his frustration and humiliation. The great effort had not been in vain.

Having acquired these five cartloads of excellent firearms from the Great Zhou Dynasty, his military expedition had finally yielded some results. He was immediately in high spirits and led his personal guards to see them.

Just as the group approached the carriage, a guard suddenly said, "Why is there a strange noise coming from the carriage? It sounds like it's hissing..."

He stepped forward, lifted the carriage curtain, and said with a very strange expression, "Second Prince, there are no firearms in the carriage, only a smoking object."

The adjutant beside him immediately changed his expression and said, "Could it be that Jia Cong has set up firearms traps on the carriage? Quickly get out of the way and protect the Second Prince!"

Man Hai was also terrified, his face turning pale. If a fireball were fired from that vehicle, he would have no chance of survival in such a short distance.

He hurriedly turned his horse around and fled, but before he had gone a few steps, he heard several muffled explosions behind him, though the noise wasn't too loud.

He quickly turned around and saw that the five large carts were intact, but the curtains on the carts had been blown open, and a lot of light red smoke was coming out.

The guard who lifted the carriage curtain fell off his horse, screaming in agony as he rolled on the ground, his face a bloody mess, studded with strange, broken porcelain shards.

The red smoke was extremely pungent and acrid, causing the large group of cavalrymen surrounding the vehicle to cough loudly, their eyes and noses running, looking utterly disheveled.

After being shrouded in smoke, the warhorses neighed and leaped wildly, causing many cavalrymen to fall from their horses and be trampled to death in the chaos.

As the spring breeze blew, the smoke spread rapidly, causing chaos at the front of the riding team, with coughs rising and falling, creating a rather comical scene.

……

Man Hai's eyes watered from the fumes, he coughed violently, and he became furious.

The adjutant beside him said, "Second Prince, this smoke isn't deadly, but it's extremely pungent and acrid. Jia Cong is just trying to disrupt our army; he can take advantage of the situation to escape."

Man Hai coughed as he angrily cursed, "Jia Cong is also a general, yet he is so despicable and shameless, engaging in petty and despicable acts. He has no shame!"
He thinks he can escape through these despicable tricks? He's delusional! The entire army, mount your horses immediately and capture him alive! I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget!

……

Upon hearing the explosion, Jia Cong frowned and asked, "Jiang Xiaoliu, did you follow my instructions when you set up the smoke bomb in the car? You absolutely mustn't make it too powerful."

If they accidentally kill the enemy commander, leaving them leaderless and unable to lure him into the artillery zone, all their planning and scheming will be for naught!

Jiang Xiaoliu laughed and said, "Don't worry, Lord. I will only put one smoke bomb in each car, and the cars will be surrounded by curtains, so the destructive power of the explosion will be very limited."

Unless the commander-in-chief is incredibly weak and doesn't personally lift the carriage curtain, the explosion will at least suffocate him. There's no way he can escape it.

Jia Cong said, "It's best if you don't kill him. If you do, you'll get twenty lashes when you get back."

When the sound of hooves behind him became rapid and frequent again, Jia Cong breathed a sigh of relief, pushed his horse to its maximum speed, and sprinted towards the hillside not far away.

……

In front of the hillside was a large open area with a very simple and flat terrain, an endless expanse of wasteland. Amidst the desolation and tranquility, there seemed to be an unusual atmosphere.

Jia Cong led his cavalry into the area, and the horses accelerated further. The horses beneath him were breathing heavily, galloping non-stop for thirty li, their speed already at its limit.

He was riding a Ferghana horse, and its horsepower had been exhausted to this extent. The ordinary warhorses of the other cavalrymen must have also reached their limit. Fortunately, they were about to reach their destination.

Although he had sent out scouts before the battle, he failed to detect the surprise attack by the Mongols in time. He was almost instantly deployed to fight back. Although he had made plans in advance, it was still a bit rushed.

There were many oversights in the details. For example, the overall calculation of horsepower was too tight, barely managing to reach the finish line; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

When the cavalry had sprinted to within two arrows' length of the hillside, they could clearly see the situation at the top of the hill, where figures seemed to be hiding and moving among the many bushes and grasses.

Jia Cong shouted, "Change formation! Ride alone in a straight line, follow the lead group, and proceed according to the road signs. Do not make any mistakes. The ten men in the rear will destroy the road signs!"

As soon as Jia Cong finished speaking, the three hundred riders quickly changed formation, becoming single riders moving forward in a straight line. Although their horsepower was close to its limit, the formation remained orderly.

During the few days Jia Cong returned to the workshop, he trained the cavalry in front of the workshop every day. He was secretly ridiculed by the imperial guards guarding the workshop. Now it is evident how important proper training is.

As the cavalry approached the hillside, reaching a distance of about half a mile, they saw many stones placed along the road, painted with white tree lacquer, making them very conspicuous.

These strange stones formed a passage, just large enough for a single rider to pass through. When Jia Cong led his cavalry through, the rear cavalrymen swung their swords and slashed left and right along the roadside.

The stones that marked the path were very light in weight. When the cavalrymen chopped them down with their steel swords, they scattered and flew everywhere, and the markings disappeared instantly.

……

At this moment, Man Hai led his army closely behind and discovered a low slope ahead. Jia Cong seemed to be leading his troops to climb over it. He suddenly seemed to realize something.

He shouted, "Full speed charge! We can't let Jia Cong get to the top of the hill, or he'll try the same trick again, occupy the rightful position, and fire his muskets in formation!"

His personal guards responded with a roar, whipping their horses and charging up the hillside, followed closely by a vast, dark mass of over ten thousand elite cavalry.

The gentle slope stretched for nearly two miles, like a naturally formed short dam. Sparse trees and weeds grew on the slope, and even warhorses could easily cross it from a distance.

The weather was clear and sunny, the warm sunshine felt wonderful and comfortable. The visibility was excellent, and even the smallest details could be seen from above.

When Jia Cong led his cavalry to the bottom of the slope, the entire team stopped and did not continue to charge up the slope. An unusual murderous aura arose spontaneously and swirled in the wind.

Man Hai led his elite cavalry to the scene and clearly saw that Jia Cong had stopped fleeing and was now arrayed in front of the breach, seemingly having given up his attempt to escape.

Man Hai laughed arrogantly, "That damned Jia Cong, he knows he has no way out. Does he really want to charge a ten-thousand-strong cavalry with three hundred riders? He's simply out of his mind!"

As the cavalry charged up the low slope, Man Hai could clearly see Jia Cong's face and the dazzling armor he wore. Suddenly, a sense of unease arose in his heart...

The adjutant beside him said, "Second Prince, Jia Cong has already fled for dozens of miles. Why did he suddenly stop? Does he want to die? This humble general feels something is amiss..."

But it was all too late. The cavalry of tens of thousands was simply too large. When charging at full speed on the plains, orders needed to be given two miles in advance to stop the cavalry.

Even though Man Hai was the commander-in-chief, it was too late for him to give the order. He could only be carried along by the rear cavalry and had no choice but to rush towards the hillside.

Just when things were at their most critical, he inadvertently looked up at the top of the slope and discovered that the miscellaneous trees and weeds that had been there had been quickly cleared away.

Countless Zhou soldiers in gleaming armor emerged from the hilltop, along with rows of massive, dark, and indifferent cannon barrels… (End of Chapter)