Chapter 16: Reinforcements Arrive

After rising in the morning, Zhao Shuijiao asked Yuan Chonghuan to conduct a pre-battle mobilization. Yuan Chonghuan shook his head with a pallid face, saying, "Forget it, I have no desire to do so. Defeat is inevitable; what would be the point?"

Zhao Shuijiao had no choice but to take the lead himself. He said to the soldiers, "Three days ago, I sent men to Shanhai Pass for reinforcements; they will arrive soon. As long as we repel the Jiannu's attack today, everyone will be able to return to Shanhai Pass." Li Chengxian, Lu Zhijia, and others also vowed that reinforcements were indeed coming, and that they only needed to hold off the first wave of the Jiannu's assault. Yang San and Liu Boze, leading the able-bodied men, required no such mobilization; having fought for so long at Thirteen Mountains, they had come to realize that the Jiannu were not so formidable after all.

After breakfast, the Later Jin army finally began their assault. Surrounded on both sides with no path of retreat, the Ming army resisted with great determination. Though men were constantly falling to arrows, they inflicted significant casualties on the Later Jin forces. When Yoto ordered his armored white-clad troops into the fray, the Ming army began to struggle. Had it not been for Zhao Shuijiao, Li Chengxian, and Yang San standing at the front and felling several of the white-clad soldiers, the line would have collapsed long ago.

The Later Jin attacked from both sides. Yuan Chonghuan had been nervously watching the movements of the enemy to the west, where he discovered the enemy forces were divided into two segments with a gap of over two hundred paces between them. Overjoyed, he mounted his horse and, taking a few personal guards, galloped toward the gap.

Zhao Shuijiao and the others tried to stop him, but it was too late. They watched helplessly as he charged forward. Seeing their commander fleeing first, the Ming soldiers lost heart, and the white-clad troops finally breached the walls, slaughtering the scattered Ming soldiers. Zhao Shuijiao sighed heavily, brandished his weapon, and charged into the fray once more.

Yuan had fled less than a mile when the sound of thunderous hoofbeats erupted ahead. Terrified, he spun his horse around and fled back toward the city. By then, the Later Jin had already sealed the gap and were engaged with his personal guards.

Yoto heard the hoofbeats as well. Sensing something was wrong—knowing these were not his own men—he immediately ordered his forces to sound the retreat. Zhao Shuijiao finally realized reinforcements had arrived and shouted joyfully, "Reinforcements are here! Kill the Jiannu!" He speared a soldier in front of him and led his retainers forward.

By now, the cavalry could be seen; the glittering armor beneath the great banner of the Imperial Guards was dazzling. The cavalry stopped three hundred paces from the Jiannu lines. At the commander's order, they dismounted, leveled their flintlock muskets, and formed ranks.

Yoto was shocked. Judging by their weapons and armor, they resembled the Beijing Garrison that Dudu had described, yet why did their banner read "Imperial Guards"? He hurriedly gathered his troops, holding his position rather than attacking. Dudu had warned that the Beijing Garrison's defensive strength was formidable, but their offensive capabilities were mediocre, and one should never attack them without absolute certainty.

Once the Ming commander had organized his ranks, he began to advance. They moved slowly, but no matter the pace, they would eventually reach the Later Jin. Yoto hesitated, then decided to test the waters, ordering his men to hold their ground and wait for the Ming to approach.

When the Ming were about a hundred paces away, Yoto ordered his archers to fire. The arrows struck the Ming soldiers, but aside from the clanging of metal, not a single man fell. Yoto looked closely and realized the Ming armor was entirely different from the iron scale armor of the past; the upper body was encased in a solid iron plate, and their helmets featured face masks which were now lowered, leaving only two small holes for the eyes. The arrows could not even leave a white mark on the steel.

Yoto was horrified. Against such armor, the heavy arrows the Great Jin prided themselves on were completely useless. If the Ming were all equipped this way, the war would be impossible to win. He ordered a cease-fire and drew his long weapon, waiting for the Ming to close in.

At fifty paces, the commander gave the order to halt. The first rank raised their muskets. A signalman beat a drum, a volley of musket fire rang out, and white smoke filled the front. Ten seconds later, the drum sounded again, followed by another volley, and then a third. A whole rank of Later Jin soldiers fell.

Yoto knew there would be no victory today. The Beijing Garrison was even stronger than when Dudu had encountered them; their equipment alone was vastly superior to the reports. Though the Ming reinforcements numbered only a thousand, there were still over seven thousand Ming soldiers nearby. Before, they were no threat, but with these reinforcements, they would be a difficult adversary.

He ordered his troops to withdraw slowly and break contact. The Han army retreated first, while the Later Jin cavalry mounted and followed slowly to cover their withdrawal. The Ming reinforcements did not pursue, opting to link up with their allies instead.

The reinforcement commander approached and cupped his hands, saying, "I am Lu Xiangsheng. May I ask if General Zhao is present?"

Before Zhao could answer, Yuan Chonghuan stepped forward. "I am Yuan Chonghuan, the Military Preparedness Commissioner of Ningqian. Did Commissioner Wang send you?"

Lu Xiangsheng, having a mild temper, replied calmly, "I am Lu Xiangsheng, Reader-in-Waiting of the Hanlin Academy, currently serving as the Supervisor for the Imperial Guards. Greetings, Commissioner Yuan."

A Military Preparedness Commissioner was only a sixth-rank official, while a Reader-in-Waiting was fifth-rank. Yuan quickly bowed. "My apologies, Scholar Lu. I was ordered to Thirteen Mountains to assist the refugees. We gathered over a hundred thousand, but after excluding the women and children on Juehua Island, we still had thirty thousand able-bodied men. The Jiannu pursued us and scattered them. It is fortunate you arrived to save us. I thank you for your great kindness."

Lu said, "We only learned of the situation after encountering General Zhao's retainers. I ask that you gather your men, search for the scattered ones, and head for Shanhai Pass. General Zhao can lead my Imperial Guards to pursue the Jiannu."

Zhao Shuijiao stepped forward to acknowledge the order. Lu Xiangsheng and the Imperial Guards mounted their horses and began to pursue the Later Jin. They soon caught up to Yoto's rearguard. As Yoto ordered his men to dismount for battle, Zhao Shuijiao roared and prepared to charge with his retainers, but Lu Xiangsheng stopped him. "General Zhao, please, there is no need for haste. Shall we discuss our tactics before we move?"

Seeing how polite and courteous he was, Zhao bowed from his saddle. "It was my rashness. Please, Scholar, give your orders."

Lu Xiangsheng smiled. "General, please do not stand on ceremony. My Imperial Guards carry muskets with long range. I suggest we do not charge, but rather fire our weapons and then withdraw, repeating the process as they move. This keeps the initiative in our hands, allowing us to erode their strength while minimizing our own losses. What do you think?"

Zhao bowed again. "Your strategy, Scholar, protects our men while harming the enemy. I have learned much. Please, give us your command."