Chapter 91: The Night Raid

Under the cover of light infantry, the medical teams and militia tasked with clearing the battlefield emerged from the fortress gates. They first collected and prepared the bodies of their own fallen comrades in front of the earthen rampart. Many of the Fubo Army soldiers who had fallen from the rampart had been decapitated, their identification tags lost along with their heads. Their names and units could only be identified and recorded by the cloth tags sewn into their clothing. Next, they began to clear the bodies of the government soldiers, including those in the trenches, which were dragged out one by one with long hooks. The weather was getting warmer, and so many corpses left on the ground would quickly decompose and cause an epidemic.

Seeing the rebels emerge from the fortress in force, the Ming army thought they were launching a counterattack and rushed to the walls to prepare for battle. However, they saw that the rebel infantry advanced only three hundred paces before halting and forming up. Behind them came many people dressed in white robes, their heads and faces covered with white hoods, carrying long poles. They hooked the bodies, dragged them together, and then transported them by wheelbarrow to a deep trench for burial. The engineering corps had planted a line of explosives, quickly creating a deep trench to bury the dead.

Among the piles of bodies, they occasionally found abandoned wounded government soldiers. As long as they could still move, they were loaded onto wheelbarrows and taken back to the fortress for treatment.

To the disappointment of He Ming and the other veterans, the government army had not left behind the body of a single officer of qianzong rank or higher, let alone a wounded one. They didn’t even find many of their personal banners.

He Ming did not order the collection of the discarded swords and spears of the Ming army, but all the abandoned military banners were to be collected without exception—these were marks of military achievement.

“The rebels don’t even take heads!” the government soldiers watched the enemy’s actions with curiosity. Not only did they not take heads, but they also took back the wounded. In the armies of the time, being wounded in battle was often a death sentence, especially for the seriously wounded who could not walk. When clearing the battlefield after a victory, it was common practice for an army to finish off any seriously wounded, both friend and foe.

For safety, the Fubo Army’s body collection and battlefield cleanup only extended to about two hundred meters from the earthen rampart. This was also the area where the most bodies were found.

While the medical teams were busy clearing the battlefield, lightning flashed in the thick clouds, and a series of muffled thunderclaps rolled in. A storm was coming.

Heavy rain often followed a major battle, especially during the humid months of June and July, when the air was thick with moisture and clouds. The vast amount of dust and gunpowder smoke provided ample condensation nuclei.

“The bodies are going to be bloated now,” Ryan said with a frown as he returned with the hastily finished medical team. “When the sun comes out tomorrow, I’m afraid to even think about the smell on the battlefield.”

“We’ll make do for now and deal with it later,” He Ming said, seemingly smelling the stench of corpses from his march to Lang Son years ago. “The camp needs to be disinfected as well.”

Ryan took off his blood- and disinfectant-soaked robe and threw it, along with his oilcloth boots, into the roaring boiler that was supplying the troops with hot water.

“The 6th Infantry Battalion will be on guard. Watch out for the rain! The other units will eat immediately and then rest,” He Ming ordered loudly. “Tell the logistics department to ensure that every tent and shelter is dry.”

“Understood.” Xie Shu saluted and trotted off. The sound of roll call echoed in the camp square. Soon, the Third and Fifth Infantry Battalions reported their losses. The dead and wounded officers and NCOs were to be immediately replaced, and deserving soldiers promoted. The gaps in the ranks were filled by the militia. This way, all units would be at full strength for the next day’s battle.

With a loud clap of thunder, large raindrops began to fall, kicking up the smell of earth and blood. A cold wind blew, and everyone shivered. A downpour began, accompanied by roaring thunder. For a moment, the world was filled with flashing lightning and a curtain of white rain, the sound of which made it difficult to hear each other speak.

He Ming’s orderly had brought his rain gear, and he put it on as soon as the rain started. He Ming didn’t rush back to the headquarters. “Are the wounded covered?” he asked.

“We’ve set up rain shelters and large tents for the wounded.”

The thunder gradually faded, but the rain grew heavier. It was impossible to see people or objects more than ten paces away. He Ming still inspected each area, and only after seeing that everything was in order did he return to the headquarters. He ordered an officer, escorted by the special reconnaissance team, to check on the two infantry battalions in ambush positions.

The 1st and 4th Battalions, tasked with the ambush, were in the field. Seeing the heavy rain, He Ming was worried that they would not be able to camp in the open and might even be in danger of flash floods.

“Tell them to be careful and stay hidden!” He Ming instructed the messenger. “And watch out for enemy night raids.”

However, both battalion commanders reported that their campsites were safe, the soldiers were not flooded, and they were resting.

A gloomy atmosphere hung over the command post in Chengmai. The day’s battle had shown that the rebels were not only well-equipped with firearms but also extremely formidable in combat. Although the exact numbers were not yet in, it was certain that total casualties exceeded two thousand. For an army of over twenty thousand, this was a very serious loss. Morale throughout the camp was low. Many were afraid of being sent to fight the rebels the next day and were already thinking of deserting. Only the heavy rain and the pitch-black night prevented a mass desertion.

He Rubin ordered his reliable troops to control the roads and key passes, while also summoning his generals and officers to a meeting to console them. He urged them not to lose heart and to prepare for the decisive battle the next day. Zhao Ruyi also said a few words about serving the country with loyalty. He then promoted several officers on the spot, putting them in command of the units that had lost their leaders. The most heavily damaged units were moved to the rear, replaced by fresh troops on the front line.

He then had a dozen or so deserters, who had been caught by the cavalry patrols trying to flee to Qiongshan instead of returning to camp, beheaded. Their heads were displayed throughout the camp as a warning. Using this display of force, he sent his trusted aides and officers to the most unreliable conscript and militia units to “encourage” them, using a combination of threats and promises, to “work together with one heart.” After all this was done, he returned to his main tent. Zhao Ruyi was sitting in the tent, stroking his beard. He Rubin knew that although he appeared calm, he was actually very afraid.

“General Yin-zhi, what are our chances of victory tomorrow?” Zhao Ruyi asked.

“Only sixty or seventy percent at best!” He Rubin said. “Our army suffered a setback today, and morale is shaken. The rebels’ morale is high…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. Everyone present understood the subtext: tomorrow’s battle was more likely to be a defeat than a victory.

Zhao Ruyi coughed and said, “The rebels’ firearms are sharp, and their morale is high. We must not engage them in open battle. In my humble opinion, it would be better to dig deep trenches and build high walls to wear down the rebels’ spirit.”

He Rubin remained silent. This tactic was effective against ordinary enemies, even against the court’s great enemy, the Eastern Barbarians. The government army had more firearms and infantry. By digging trenches, building fortifications, and defending with firearms, they could usually hold their ground as long as the officers and soldiers were united and fought with determination. It was not a bad tactic.

But the rebels were unlike any enemy the Ming army had ever faced. They were even different from the red-haired barbarians, who were the most similar. The enemy had cannons that fired farther and more accurately than their own. If they dug in and defended, they would just be slowly shelled from a distance. Their morale would collapse before the enemy even attacked.

“Lord Zhao, the rebels’ cannons are far superior to ours. If we dig in and defend, their cannons can reach us, but ours cannot reach them. We would be like fish on a chopping block!”

Zhao Ruyi saw the logic in this. “But if we attack again tomorrow, I’m afraid…” He didn’t finish his sentence, just sighed.

One of the aides said, “Your Excellency, do not worry. No matter how far their cannons can shoot, they still have to come out of their fortress to set them up. The enemy has few soldiers. They rely on their superior firearms and may not dare to come out and deploy their cannons.”

At this point, Chang Qingyun interjected, “Your Excellency! The rebels have suffered a small setback today, so their soldiers will be arrogant and their generals complacent and off their guard. Tonight, it is pouring with rain, and the enemy’s firearms will be useless. I request that Your Excellency dispatch a brave general, offer a handsome reward to recruit several hundred death-defying soldiers, and emulate the story of the night raid on Caizhou. We will surely crush the rebels!”

He spoke with great conviction. “A scholar’s opinion!” He Rubin thought to himself. In such heavy rain, sending out a few hundred men in the dark would be difficult, and they might not even be able to find their way.

But Chang Qingyun’s words, “pouring with rain, and the enemy’s firearms will be useless,” struck a chord with him. In his view, today’s defeat was due to the rebels’ powerful firearms.

It would be best if it rained tomorrow as well, He Rubin thought.

Zhao Ruyi, however, was very interested in this proposal. The surrounding aides and officers also thought it was a good opportunity. They believed that if the rebels couldn’t use their firearms, they were nothing to be afraid of. Even if they couldn’t break the enemy, it was possible to inflict a heavy blow and even the score.

“How is the rain outside?”

“It has lightened a little,” a junior officer who had gone to check reported.

He Rubin stood up and went to the city wall, leaning on the railing. The rebel camp, a few li away, was brightly lit with lanterns, clearly on high alert. A surprise attack was impossible. But if the enemy’s firearms were useless, they might have a chance to win a small victory in a melee.

The rain had lessened now. If he sent men to raid the camp immediately, and they succeeded, he could follow up with the main force and crush the rebels, completely turning the tide of the battle. If they couldn’t break the camp, a small victory would still boost morale.

So he immediately summoned the other generals to discuss the raid. They all agreed: after the failed attack today, the rebels would never expect the Ming army to launch a night raid, especially in the pouring rain. Although the rain would make movement difficult, it was a risk for both sides. If the rebels couldn’t use their firearms, it would be a chaotic melee, and the government soldiers’ skill in close combat would shine. It was even possible that they could crush the rebels this way.

It was decided that five hundred of He Rubin’s own garrison troops would lead the charge, with Adjutant Yan Zungao of Huizhou providing support with a thousand men. If the attack was successful, they would signal with fireworks, and He Rubin would lead the main force in a full-scale assault.

Yan Zungao had his men eat a full meal, then furl their banners and silence their drums, and quietly moved to the front lines. To make it easier to move in the rain and mud, the five hundred men in the vanguard removed their armor and carried only sabers and small shields instead of long spears. They also prepared many light ladders. All the soldiers wrapped their shoes with straw ropes to prevent slipping on the wet ground. After the units had assembled, they immediately set out in the rain. The garrison’s adjutant, Ye Zhengfang, led the elite troops at the front, while Yan Zungao and several other adjutants led a thousand men in support. He ordered everyone not to carry torches and not to make any noise, and they moved swiftly and silently towards the enemy camp in the rainy night.

He Rubin had secretly prepared another two thousand men, ready to lead the main force in a fierce attack to break the camp as soon as the night raid succeeded.

Ye Zhengfang led his men quietly for several li, the only sound being the patter of the rain. Although there were lights on the earthen rampart, it was pitch black all around. He was secretly pleased that the enemy’s lights were so bright. It meant the enemy was in the open while his army was in the dark, and it also showed his attacking force the way. Otherwise, it would have been almost impossible to find the right direction in the dark, rainy night.

Seeing that his entire force had quietly reached the foot of the rampart, and the follow-up troops had also arrived, Ye Zhengfang was overjoyed. During the day, it had cost thousands of lives to cross this distance, and now they had reached the foot of the rampart without a single casualty. It seemed the rebels had indeed become complacent! He listened for a moment. The rampart was still silent, except for the hissing of the torches in the rain.

“Ladders up!” he ordered in a low voice. A dozen ladders were slowly raised and leaned against the rampart.

Suddenly, the area was brightly lit. For a moment, the government soldiers thought it was dawn. In their moment of confusion, a loud voice reached their ears:

“Fire!”

A volley of rifle fire instantly swept through the government soldiers who were preparing to raid the camp between the bastions. The intense beams of light blinded the soldiers at the foot of the rampart. The powerful stage spotlights shone through the dense rain, turning everything around them a brilliant white. The stunned government soldiers couldn’t even tell which way to run and were cut down by the rifle fire.

“Go!” Ye Zhengfang, still shaken, knew that the rebels had been prepared. He didn’t dare to linger. At the sound of a gong, the government soldiers scrambled to retreat. But the white beams of light from the rampart followed the fleeing soldiers closely. The government soldiers were thrown into chaos, trampling each other in front of the trench, and many were killed or wounded. Fortunately, Yan Zungao’s troops had not yet crossed the trench. Seeing the beams of light shooting out, he thought the rebels were using some kind of sorcery. Then came the roar of muskets, and Yan Zungao knew that the saying “firearms are useless in the rain” was not true for the rebels.

The rebels’ muskets thundered in the heavy rain, while the government soldiers’ bows were difficult to use in the wet weather. Yan Zungao’s thousand men could neither attack nor provide covering fire. He watched as the white beams of light swung around, crossing the trench and shining on his men. Before he could give an order, a volley of shots rang out, and a number of the government soldiers waiting to cross the trench fell. The rest scattered in a panic, and Yan Zungao himself was escorted away by his personal guards.

In the chaos, Ye Zhengfang, protected by his personal guards, fought his way out. He had just managed to escape across the trench when the rifle fire from the rampart ceased. A voice like a roar shouted:

“Listen up, you down there! Throw down your weapons, take off your clothes! Put your hands on your heads and squat! Otherwise, no one will be spared!”

The chaotic government soldiers, already dizzy from the searchlights and terrified by the rifle fire, quickly threw down their weapons, raised their hands, and squatted at the foot of the rampart, not daring to look up.

An officer, seeing that he was at the edge of the light beam, quietly tried to slip away into the darkness. A single shot immediately rang out from the rampart, and he was killed on the spot. Seeing this, no one dared to move an inch.

Three ladders were lowered from the rampart.

“Come up in groups of ten. Bring any wounded with you!”

The naked government soldiers shivered in the rain. A junior officer shouted, “Be so kind as to lower a few more ladders. We brothers have no cover, and this rain is cold…”

“You serve the court, you talk about loyalty and patriotism. You’re not afraid of death, but you’re afraid of a little cold?” someone on the rampart answered with a laugh.

“Loyalty and patriotism, my ass! I’m here for the food and pay,” the junior officer, seeing that someone had answered, reverted to his soldierly ways. “Although we serve different masters and weapons have no eyes, for the sake of us all being soldiers who wear the uniform and eat the grain, be accommodating!”

“Well said! You’ve got guts, brother. May I ask your name?”

“I dare not. My humble surname is Jiang, and my given name is Yougong.”

“Alright, we’ll lower two more ladders for you.”

So the surrendered soldiers climbed up the five ladders in groups of ten, shivering. The infantry on top watched them with loaded rifles, while the militia prepared bundles of rope. As soon as the prisoners came up, their right arms were tied, and they were roped together in groups of ten before being led away. The soldiers and militia couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the naked government soldiers, their private parts exposed, looking miserable in the rain. The laughter grew louder and louder, carrying through the rain to the government camp. The government soldiers, who had suffered a defeat during the day, heard the gunshots but didn’t know why the rebels were laughing so hard. They didn’t dare to ask and just whispered among themselves in the darkness. Many of the junior officers and soldiers realized that this expedition against the rebels was a complete failure. At the very least, they saw no chance of winning.

The groups of ten prisoners were led at bayonet point to a prisoner-of-war camp in a corner of the fortress. Fires were lit in the bamboo shelters, but no clothes were given out. The prisoners were only allowed to warm themselves by the fire. The wounded received basic treatment—the seriously injured were carried away for further medical care.

Jiang Yougong shivered as he warmed himself by the fire. He saw that their prison was a simple one, in a corner of the main camp. Two sides were the earthen rampart, and the other two were trenches filled with sharp bamboo stakes. The area was brightly lit, and on the watchtowers, the rebel soldiers’ bayonets on their muskets glinted, looking menacing.

A dozen black iron buckets were brought over, steaming. Stacks of wooden bowls were also brought.

“Come on, everyone grab a bowl and get some soup!” a cook shouted, banging on the iron buckets.