MLMD -Chapter 326 Digging Trenches

As usual, the sun rose punctually over the horizon, and a hazy white glow began to spread across the land. After being thoroughly exhausted by Yue Yang throughout the night, Namu Zhong lay bonelessly on the bed, utterly unwilling to get up. Seeing her stubborn, half-dead refusal to move, Yue Yang did not force her. He got up on his own, dressed, washed up, and then left the tent—after all, there were still many matters waiting for him.

“Fence off this entire area. Enclose everything with wooden railings and thick cloth—no light must leak out. Make sure to set up three layers of fencing!”

Yue Yang rode his horse to a secluded corner of the valley, where he saw Wu Qing directing the soldiers of the logistics battalion to begin constructing the supply depots. In any era, the place where an army stored its supplies was always a top priority for commanders. Once the supplies were lost, even the most combat-capable army would collapse. Naturally, a supply depot was not something that could simply be tossed onto the ground and covered with a few tarps. Fire prevention, moisture protection, rainproofing, and defense against enemy raids all had to be considered. Thus, the construction of supply depots and guard posts was indispensable.

The current site for the Yingzhou Army’s supply depot had been chosen in a secluded corner of the valley, backed by mountains on three sides. Outside, three tall layers of fencing had been erected, and more than a thousand soldiers were assigned to guard it. In the central area, over two hundred large tents were set up, each covering no less than a hundred square meters. In truth, many logistics soldiers were puzzled as to why so many tents were needed. After all, the supplies they carried were limited, and it was impossible to fill so many tents. However, in the army, orders were absolute—no matter how unreasonable they seemed, they had to be carried out.

“All tents must be completed before dusk. And the supply area must be completely sealed off. Without my explicit order, no one is allowed to enter. Anyone who disobeys—behead them!” This was Yue Yang’s command to Wu Qing.

“Yes, sir! This subordinate obeys!”

Seeing Yue Yang’s stern, expressionless face, Wu Qing—dressed in full armor—saluted solemnly. Having followed Yue Yang for several years, he knew very well that whenever Yue Yang wore such an expression, it meant he was at his most serious. When he said he would kill, he absolutely would. Anyone who dared test his resolve had already died.

After checking on the progress of the logistics camp, Yue Yang was just about to return to his small tent to check on Namu Zhong when Hu Lao San, who was responsible for forward defense, came running over to report urgently, “Marquis, the night scouts have discovered that the Jianzhou people are sending men to dig deep trenches five li away!”

“Digging trenches?” Yue Yang’s eyes instantly narrowed. He then sneered. “Huang Taiji finally can’t hold back anymore. Looks like he plans to starve us to death.”

“Marquis, what should we do?” Hu Lao San’s eyes showed a hint of anxiety. Although the valley was safe, everyone knew that their provisions were limited—they could not afford a prolonged war of attrition.

Yue Yang stroked his chin and said calmly, “When soldiers come, we block them; when water comes, we dam it. It’s nothing serious. Convene a meeting immediately—call in the nobles of the Chahar tribe as well.”

“Dong, dong, dong, dong…”

The deep sound of the assembly drums echoed throughout the valley. Upon hearing it, all officers of defensive rank and above immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed toward the large tent in the center of the valley, where the banner bearing the character Yue was flying.

Before the first round of drums ended, all the Yingzhou Army commanders had already arrived in the main tent. The nobles of the Chahar tribe, however, arrived leisurely before the third round of drums finished. Even Namu Zhong, who had been lying in bed moments earlier, hurried over.

Seeing the Chahar nobles arriving so slowly and the apologetic look in Namu Zhong’s eyes, Yue Yang neither lost his temper nor reproached them. He simply said flatly, “Alright. Since everyone is here, let’s begin the meeting.”

“Brothers and sisters of the Chahar tribe, it has been two years since we last met. I remember that when I bade you farewell last time, I promised your lives would become better. I believe no one doubts the truth of that statement anymore, right?”

Yue Yang’s opening remarks were straightforward, yet they were met with agreement from nearly all the Chahar nobles. The changes in the Chahar tribe over the past two years were obvious to everyone. In the past, many people would freeze or starve to death every winter. But after Yue Yang opened regular trade routes with them, large quantities of tea bricks, grain, salt, clothing, and fabric flowed into the tribe every month. In return, the Chahar traded cattle, sheep, horses, and furs.

The abundance of supplies greatly enriched life in the Chahar tribe. This was evident from the noticeable increase in population over the past two years—so much so that even Yue Yang’s second consort, the usually critical Consort Siqin Tufu, could not find anything to object to.

As the representative of the Chahar military, Bater spoke up, “General Yue, all the changes our tribe has experienced over the past two years were bestowed by you. But now our tribe’s safety is being threatened by those Qing dogs, and we stand on the brink of disaster. Wise as you are, can you tell us how we should deal with this calamity?”

“Of course. That is precisely the purpose of my coming here.” Yue Yang nodded. “To defeat the Manchu troops outside the valley, the first thing we must do is unify command. This time, I brought many elite troops, and together with the five thousand cavalry already stationed here, we have over thirty thousand men. Meanwhile, the Qing army outside numbers over a hundred thousand. Therefore, I require that before we defeat the Qing army, all warriors of the Chahar tribe must obey my orders. Do you have any objections?”

“This…”

Faced with Yue Yang’s immediate demand to take over command of all Chahar forces, the nobles hesitated. Bater smacked his lips, about to say something, but Yue Yang interrupted him.

“We Han have a saying: a snake cannot move without a head. A country can have only one emperor, and an army can have only one commander. Now that our two sides have become one, our fates are bound together. I do not want to see anyone disobey my command in future battles. Can you understand what I mean?”

Bater’s lips twitched as if he wanted to speak, but after some thought, he remained silent. Seeing that Bater—the most respected general in the tribe—raised no objection, the other nobles also shut their mouths. Finally, Namu Zhong made the decision. “In that case, I agree. During this period, all warriors of our tribe will obey your command—including myself.”

“Good!” Having secured command authority, Yue Yang nodded and continued, “Since everyone agrees, I’ll get to the main point. The night scouts just reported that this morning the Qing army began digging trenches four li from here. What does that mean? I think I don’t need to explain.”

“What?”

“They’re doing that?”

“We absolutely cannot let them dig trenches out there!”

The moment they heard this news, the Chahar nobles and generals exploded in agitation. Even those who knew little about warfare understood that Huang Taiji was clearly trying to trap them to death. If the deep trenches were completed, the hundred thousand-plus soldiers and civilians in the valley would become true fish in a barrel. At that point, Huang Taiji could torment them however he wished—no matter how brave they were, they would only be able to wait for death in the valley.

Observing everyone’s reaction, Yue Yang nodded inwardly. As long as they were anxious, that was good.

“Alright, everyone, calm down!” Yue Yang knocked on the table. “Quiet!”

When the room gradually settled, Yue Yang said, “Since everyone understands the urgency, I won’t waste words. Huang Taiji wants to rely on these trenches to besiege and starve us without losing a single soldier—that’s nothing but a dream. But don’t worry. Digging deep trenches can’t be finished in a day or two. Let me see just what Huang Taiji is capable of. Now, all commanders, heed my orders!”

“Clatter!”

At Yue Yang’s command, all Yingzhou Army officers snapped to attention, arms straight at their sides, eyes fixed on their commander. The Chahar generals also straightened their chests, awaiting his instructions.

A cold smile appeared at the corner of Yue Yang’s mouth. “Assemble all troops and follow me out of the valley to fight! Today, I will personally meet Huang Taiji and see what other tricks he has!”

“Yes!”

“Wuuuu—”

“Di-di da-da, di-di da-da—”

The shrill bugle calls and deep horn blasts echoed through the valley. As the urgent, stirring melodies rang out, the six great gates of the valley swung open. Unit after unit of neatly formed troops marched out.

Such a massive mobilization of tens of thousands of troops could not possibly escape the Qing scouts spread all around. Soon, news of the Ming army’s movement reached Huang Taiji.

“Hmph. I knew this thief wouldn’t surrender so obediently. Ministers—now follow me out to battle. Today, I will let Yue Yang know that he is not the only one with firearms. Prince Zhishun, are your cannons ready?”

As Huang Taiji finished speaking, Shang Kexi stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and performed a salute. “Reporting to the Great Khan, everything is ready. The firearms battalion can go into action at any time.”

“Good!” Huang Taiji nodded and said earnestly, “You Han have a saying: ten years to forge a sword. I did not give you ten years, but your Han Banner firearms battalion has trained for four years. The time has come. Go—use your cannons to flatten Yue Yang’s army!”

“Zha! This servant obeys!”

Shang Kexi rose and strode out of the main tent with great vigor.

After he left, Huang Taiji also stood up and said coldly to the others, “Ministers, now follow me out of camp. The destruction of Yue Yang will happen today!”

“The destruction of Yue Yang will happen today!”

The crowd roared in unison and dispersed. Soon, waves of horn calls echoed through the Qing camp as countless troops assembled. In no time, surging streams of soldiers converged into a great army and advanced toward the Chifeng Valley.

While the Qing army marched toward the valley, Yue Yang led his forces to a point three li outside it. There, he saw dense ranks of auxiliary laborers—over ten thousand of them—digging trenches under military supervision. When they saw the army approaching, these laborers tried to flee, but were blocked by Qing troops behind them. Those Qing soldiers drew bows and weapons, assuming defensive positions.

Seeing this, Yue Yang couldn’t help but laugh in irritation. He turned to Bater beside him and said, “Bater, you are the bravest general of the Chahar tribe. I now order you to drive off those audacious fellows!”

Bater glanced at the auxiliaries ahead and nodded. “No problem. Leave it to me!”

With that, Bater let out a sharp whistle, spurred his warhorse, and charged out of the formation. After shouting a few commands, several thousand Mongol cavalry galloped forward.

With thunderous hoofbeats, thousands of Mongol riders surged ahead, the ground shaking as if trembling beneath them.

The Qing troops, already prepared, were unwilling to back down. They loosed arrows at the charging cavalry. However, those assigned to dig trenches were naturally not elite soldiers. Although they picked up weapons, not all of them carried bows. For cannon-fodder units, their mission was labor and attrition, not decisive combat. The arrows they shot were sparse and posed little threat to Bater and his men.

“Kill!”

Riding a black warhorse, Bater swung his sharp saber and pulled on the reins, leaping over the narrow trench. His horse’s hooves smashed into the chest of an auxiliary who tried to block him. With a dull thud, the man’s chest caved in, blood gushing from his mouth as he collapsed. Without stopping, Bater leveled his saber and used the horse’s momentum to slice across another man’s neck. A spray of blood erupted as the man clutched his throat and fell. Bater pressed on, driving his horse deeper into the enemy.

Bater’s performance that day could be described as godlike. Leading five thousand cavalry, he rampaged through more than ten thousand auxiliaries and a small number of Qing infantry, scattering them in all directions. However, just as the saying goes—excessive joy leads to sorrow. At the height of his killing spree, Bater suddenly caught sight of a dark shadow flying toward him at lightning speed. With no time to dodge, he could only watch as it struck his chest.

Clang!

A crisp sound rang out. He felt a jolt in his chest, followed by a numbing sensation spreading through his body.

“I’ve been hit by an arrow!”

That was his first thought. He quickly looked down, then let out a breath of relief. The arrow had struck his chest mirror and bounced off, though its force was immense—the thick metal plate bore a deep dent.

“Damn!” Cold sweat beaded on Bater’s forehead. Without that chest mirror, he would have been pierced clean through.

“Watch out for the Qing archers!”

After taking that hit, Bater no longer dared fight as recklessly as before. Amid the chaos, unable to tell where the arrows came from, he crouched low over his horse, constantly changing direction and focusing on cutting down those shooting from afar. After a fierce bout, the auxiliaries assigned to dig trenches finally collapsed in retreat. Many fought while fleeing backward.

Just as Bater was about to pursue, another thunderous wave of hoofbeats sounded ahead. Pillars of dust shot into the sky—the main Qing force had arrived.

Watching coldly, Yue Yang issued an order. “Sound the horn. Order Bater and his men to withdraw immediately.”

“Wuuuu—wuu—”

The deep horn call sounded again. Hearing it, Bater—already anxious at the approaching Qing army—felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He quickly led his cavalry in retreat.

When Bater returned, Yue Yang praised him a few times, making the forty-something-year-old veteran flush with pride. Finally, Yue Yang said, “Alright, Bater. Take your men to the rear and rest. Next, it’s our turn. Signal officer—order the infantry to form square formations and advance in an assault formation!”

“Infantry squares—advance!”

“Advance!”

In the age of cold weapons, when two armies of similar size clashed, victory depended mainly on three factors: formation, morale, and equipment.

In today’s battle, the Qing army numbered a hundred thousand, while the Yingzhou Army and the Chahar forces together totaled around fifty thousand—a 2:1 disadvantage. However, backed by modern industry, the Yingzhou Army completely outclassed the Qing in equipment. Morale was roughly equal, but in terms of formations, the Yingzhou Army—equipped with wireless radios—was leagues ahead.

For this decisive battle, Yue Yang had issued radios down to the hundred-man level. Such widespread deployment was utterly insane for this era. But the devices weren’t that expensive—if you had money, you could buy them in bulk.

Under Yue Yang’s command, the foremost ten infantry squares marched forward in perfect order, stopping only when they reached the trenches dug by the Qing army. They stood there silently, waiting for the enemy. In the front rank, musketeers raised their already loaded Minié rifles, calmly awaiting the order to fire.

However, the Qing army’s reaction surprised everyone. Instead of charging head-on, the leading Qing troops circled around and moved toward both flanks of the Yingzhou formation.

Seeing this, Yue Yang frowned and ordered, “Command the artillery battalion—launch the hot-air balloon!”

“Yes!”

Soon, a massive hot-air balloon slowly rose into the sky. About the size of a small house, with a large basket beneath it, the balloon ascended under the watchful eyes of both armies. It climbed higher and higher, finally stabilizing at an altitude of about a thousand meters above the ground.