MLMD -Chapter 246 Reconnaissance

Although Bai Kai was anxious inside, it wasn’t something he could share with the brothers under his command. He could only stare silently at the foot of the mountain, lost in thought.

After a while, Bai Kai put away his binoculars and carefully returned them to the leather case at his waist. When Yue Yang had procured large quantities of supplies from the modern era, he had also purchased a batch of binoculars and distributed them to officers of the rank of baizong and above. By rights, a squad leader like Bai Kai should not have been issued one. However, because of the special nature of the Night Scouts, Yue Yang had equipped each Night Scout team with a single pair. In everyday use, Bai Kai treasured it like a precious heirloom and rarely let it be seen.

Thinking for a moment, Bai Kai turned to one of the Night Scouts behind him and said, “Tie Niu, go call Elder Kui and Lengzi over. Let’s discuss things properly—see how we can take a few Tatar heads and capture a couple of tongues.”

“Yes!”

The man, slightly older than Bai Kai, nodded and turned to leave. Soon, he returned with two other men.

The group sat in a circle beneath a large tree. Bai Kai coughed lightly and said, “Brothers, we’ve been out here for five days already. Aside from picking up some trivial bits and pieces, we haven’t gained anything of real value. I heard yesterday that Captain Qiu from Team C ambushed a group of Tatar scouts the day before yesterday—wounded several of them and even took two heads. Seeing how smug Old Qiu looked in front of me really made my blood boil. If we slink back empty-handed this time, who knows how badly he’ll laugh at us.”

“Exactly,” chimed in Lengzi, the Night Scout who had just arrived. “That Old Qiu has always been the type who can boast three points of merit into ten. If everyone came back empty-handed, that’d be one thing. But this time he actually got several Tatar heads. If we go back with nothing, that bastard will never let us hear the end of it!”

Lengzi was a young man of about twenty-four or twenty-five, big and burly, with a temperament that matched his nickname—rash and impulsive. Normally, someone like him wouldn’t be accepted into the Night Scouts. The only reason he made it in was his terrifying prowess in close combat. Within the Night Scout battalion Bai Kai belonged to, Lengzi could easily rank among the top three in martial skill. That was why Bai Kai had brought him into his own squad.

After listening to Lengzi, Bai Kai turned his gaze to the Night Scout sitting beside him, a man who at first glance looked like an old farmer from the fields.

The middle-aged Night Scout sitting next to Lengzi was much older than the others. But despite his age, having come from a family of prison guards, he was well-versed in interrogation techniques. Anyone who fell into his hands—no matter how tough—would obediently confess everything from the age of three onward. Because of this, everyone respectfully addressed him as Elder Kui.

Meeting Bai Kai’s gaze, Elder Kui nodded slightly. “It’s right that you don’t want to return empty-handed, Bai. If we slink back like this, not only will our comrades look down on us, but we’ll also be letting the lord down.”

Though Elder Kui looked thin and frail, his prestige among the Night Scouts was considerable. Moreover, because he was known for his skill with torture, everyone harbored a certain awe of him. Once he spoke, his words naturally carried weight.

Finally, Bai Kai waved his hand. “Since Elder Kui agrees, then it’s settled. We’ll push forward another twenty li. If we still don’t find anything, we’ll return to camp. Let’s move!”

“Yes!” everyone responded in unison.

After all, this was the army. Before an officer made a decision, everyone could speak freely and voice their opinions. But once the highest commander issued an order, no matter how absurd it might be, everyone had to carry it out without hesitation.

The group descended the hillside and came to a small stream. Though the flow was pitifully weak, it was enough to supply water for Bai Kai’s men and horses.

Beside the stream stood more than twenty warhorses. These were tall, well-built mounts with neatly trimmed manes and tails. Two Night Scouts were tending to them, feeding and watering them. Both men were around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, broad-shouldered, with a hint of pride on their faces. Their appearances were strikingly similar—seven or eight parts alike. They were twin brothers.

The brothers’ surname was Su. The elder was called Su the First, the younger Su the Second. Both were hunters from Hunyuan Prefecture who had joined the army two years earlier and were recruited into the Night Scouts.

Like the others, the Su brothers wore long robes and felt hats, dressed like ordinary peasants, with heavy sabers hanging at their waists. What set them apart was that each of them carried a long Minié rifle strapped across his back.

Compared to ordinary troops, the Night Scouts under Yue Yang could be considered the best-equipped force. Through years of dealing with the Khorchin and Chahar tribes, Yue Yang had exchanged grain, cloth, salt, and tea bricks for large numbers of cattle, sheep, and warhorses. Now, his cavalry were all issued two horses per man, while the Night Scouts—serving as the army’s eyes and ears—were typically equipped with three horses per man whenever they went out on missions.

“Su the First, Su the Second—are the horses all fed?” Bai Kai asked.

Although Bai Kai was the squad leader, the Su brothers were older than him, so he spoke politely.

“All fed. Just need to hang their heads up,” replied Su the First in a low voice. After that, he said nothing more, pulling out a pipe and quietly smoking.

Though not the oldest in the squad, the Su brothers possessed a unique skill thanks to their background as hunters: exceptional archery. After joining the Yingzhou Army, they had grown particularly fond of the Minié rifle. Now, with a Minié in hand, they could hit a target with unerring accuracy at a hundred paces.

Not only were they skilled marksmen, but they were also experts at caring for horses. Feeding horses was no simple task. Three meals a day could not be skipped. During field scouting missions, the horses had to be given top-quality bean feed—at least four jin of feed and eight jin of hay per horse per day. Sometimes, fried flour mixed with salt water had to be provided as well. Otherwise, the horses would lose condition, slow down, and struggle to recover from fatigue. After eating and drinking, the horses’ heads had to be hoisted high to aid digestion. The eight men had twenty-four horses in total, several of which were dedicated solely to carrying rations and fodder.

Working together, they hoisted the horses’ heads. Afterward, everyone filled their water skins. Once the logistics were taken care of, Bai Kai gathered the men again.

“Brothers, I’ve been observing for several days now. I’ve noticed that Tatar scouts have been moving more and more frequently between Changping and Liangxiang. I suspect the Tatar main force will continue south very soon. I should have sent this information back to camp immediately, but we haven’t managed to capture a single tongue. Without knowing the exact timing and scale of their southward advance, it’s hard to report properly. So I’ve decided to follow the traces they’ve left behind. If we can catch a few alive and interrogate them, we’ll have something solid to report to our lord.”

Su the First took out a long-stemmed pipe from his pocket, then produced a small packet. Opening it, he took out a thin wooden stick and struck it lightly. With a sharp chila sound, a flash of light appeared. Under the brief glow, the contents of the packet were revealed—it was a box of matches.

Traveling back and forth between the Ming dynasty and the modern era, Yue Yang constantly brought items into the Ming period. While he couldn’t obtain certain sensitive things, ordinary supplies were still within reach. Matches were one such item, and thanks to their convenience, they had quickly become popular along the northern Shanxi frontier.

After taking several puffs of tobacco and satisfying his craving, Su the First slowly said, “I have no objections. The Tatars have been throwing their weight around in the capital region long enough. It’s time to teach them a lesson.”

Elder Kui and Lengzi remained silent, sitting quietly on the ground. But a spark of excitement gleamed in both their eyes. For Night Scouts accustomed to living on the edge of a blade, combat had already become instinct.

Su the Second asked, “Bai, can we still catch up to the Tatars?”

Bai Kai sneered. “Those Tatar scouts are acting so brazenly. What’s there to worry about? As long as we pay a bit of attention, we’ll definitely find them.”

Tracking and reconnaissance were basic skills for the Night Scouts—almost all of them could do it. Bai Kai was among the best. One of his specialties was tracking, and chasing down a few Qing soldiers was no difficult task for him. He took out a finely made oilskin tube from his chest and pulled out a map. Spreading it open, seven or eight men gathered around, discussing in low voices.

None of them were novices at reading maps. For them, it was second nature. As Night Scouts, besides outstanding combat ability, they had to master various reconnaissance skills—weather, geography, banners, drums, and signals. Everyone also had to have a rough command of Manchu and Mongolian, as well as several regional dialects of the Ming realm.

After studying the map for a while, Bai Kai said, “Look here—from this point to Changping is over a hundred li. The Tatars will definitely have to stop and rest along the way. They’re not made of iron, after all. Midway resupply and rest are inevitable. Based on my analysis, if we follow this route, we’ll certainly find their traces.”

Lengzi rubbed his hands excitedly. “Great! With maps like these, things become so much easier. Our lord is truly amazing—he even issued such maps in advance, and they’re so accurate. I really can’t figure out where he got such precise maps, let alone how he managed to distribute them to us ahead of time.”

Bai Kai laughed. “You idiot. Lord Yue is divinely insightful—of course he understands these things. What, do you want to learn that skill too?”

Without hesitation, Lengzi replied, “Of course! Who wouldn’t want the ability to foresee the future?”

“Heh, kid—if you really had that ability, you wouldn’t still be just a lowly Night Scout soldier!”

Everyone burst into laughter, even Elder Kui showing a faint smile.

Soon, the men mounted their horses. Pointing ahead, Bai Kai shouted, “Brothers, move out—”