Chapter Thirty-Three

Lin Feng looked at the bundle of hay in confusion, then glanced at the agitated Zhao Liangdong, and asked in a daze, "What do you mean..."

Wang Shirong, standing nearby, turned bright red. His fingers trembled slightly as he pointed at the fodder. Flushed and stuttering incoherently, he said, "...My Lord, they... General Zhao means... they are burning the fodder..."

Lin Feng immediately understood. He jumped to his feet, turned around, and shouted, "Someone!!—Someone come here!!!"

"Present!!—What are your orders, Your Highness?!" A staff officer immediately knelt on one knee and cupped his hands.

"Quick, hurry!!—Send an order to Zhao Guangyuan at once! Tell him to launch an immediate assault and strike with full force in the northwest direction!!!"

Before the officer could respond, Lin Feng turned his head again and yelled, "Zhao Yingkui!!—Zhao the Lame!!..."

An officer of the Imperial Guard stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Reporting to the Prince of Han, Commander Zhao is currently inspecting the barracks."

Tonight, the troops Lin Feng had brought out from the Boming camp were Zhao Yingkui’s 2nd Imperial Cavalry Division. Since the beginning of the war, this unit had been tasked with guarding the main base. At this moment, it served as both Lin Feng’s personal bodyguard and the only reserve force under his command. Due to the severe weather that night and the long-distance raid, the troops were exhausted. After arriving at the battlefield and finding nothing to do, Zhao Yingkui, fearing the soldiers might complain, had led a group of junior officers to patrol the camp and settle the troops for rest.

"Pass the order down! The 2nd Imperial Cavalry Division is to assemble and mount up for battle immediately!!" Lin Feng waved his hands excitedly and pointed at the officer. "Go and fetch Zhao Yingkui for me!!"

Moments later, Zhao Yingkui hurried over. "Zhao Yingkui of the 2nd Imperial Cavalry Division, reporting to..."

"Enough, enough! What time the hell do you think it is..." Lin Feng waved his hand impatiently and said urgently, "Yingkui, no need for pleasantries. Galdan is about to run. Take your entire army and attack at once," he gestured to the front, "Kick the Tartars' camp to pieces for me!!"

Zhao Yingkui was stunned. He stole a glance at Lin Feng, then looked at the two generals beside him, and asked incredulously, "Does my Lord mean... right now?!..."

"Nonsense!!" A flash of anger appeared on Lin Feng’s face as he waved his hand. "Why haven't you left yet?!!"

"Yes!!"

"Please, wait a moment!!" Rick suddenly interjected. He put on his military cap and bowed slightly to Lin Feng. "Your Majesty, our camp perimeter is currently littered with corpses and the ground is very muddy. Furthermore, the light is poor. I fear that a large cavalry force in this terrain..."

"Good!! Then light the torches!!" Lin Feng roared. "Light the torches and tell the laborers to clear a path immediately!!"

"Ahem... ahem... My Lord, please reconsider!!" Wang Shirong hesitated for a moment, then coughed and said, "It is less than half an hour until dawn. I believe it would be better to wait until..."

"No waiting! Attack immediately!" Lin Feng commanded sharply. He spun around, stared coldly at Zhao Yingkui, and said menacingly, "Colonel Zhao Yingkui, do you need me to lead the charge myself? Hmm?!!"

Zhao Yingkui was terrified. Trembling, he replied, "I... I dare not. Please rest assured, My Lord, I will attack at once!!" Without daring to delay, he ran toward the rear, shouting at the top of his lungs, "2nd Division!!!... Assemble!!—Assemble!!..."

Wang Shirong shrank back, wanting to offer more advice, but Lin Feng stopped him with a wave of his hand. "My mind is made up, Ji Yun, say no more." He looked at Rick and Zhao Liangdong. "If even you two think we shouldn't attack, then Galdan must certainly think so too. That is exactly why I must attack!!"

"But what if he is prepared?!" Wang Shirong said with deep concern. "My Lord, please consider: the enemy has just been defeated and intends to withdraw, so they will surely arrange their elite forces to wait in formation. After today’s bitter battle, our frontline troops have suffered heavy casualties and low morale, and our strength is insufficient. These eight thousand horsemen are our last fresh force!! If this battle fails and the enemy launches a counter-assault..."

"There will be no 'again.' In today’s battle, we move forward, never back!!" He cut him off coldly and turned to shout, "Rick, Zhao Liangdong!!"

"Present!"

"Have both generals reorganize the troops immediately. Take time to eat and drink, check the firearms and cannons, and form up to leave the camp as soon as dawn breaks," Lin Feng said with a sickly, flushed look, viciously, "I am going to fight him to the death!!"

The two generals looked at each other, sighing helplessly.

"Boom..." Before the musketeers could finish forming their lines, several red-barreled cannons mounted on mule carts fired violently. The powerful recoil immediately shattered the carts, and the cannons, having fired only once, collapsed, crushing several gunners beneath them.

Accompanied by the rumbling of artillery, the musketeers in the rear shouted at the top of their lungs. The morale of the Han cavalry soared. The outriders on the flanks drew their bows and fired a rain of arrows into the enemy forces fighting in the center. The Kheshig guard's ranks wavered; unable to withstand the fierce assault of the Han army, they retreated step by step toward their rear camp.

Zhao Yingkui raised his long saber and screamed, "...Don't let Galdan escape!!!"

Before the sound faded, several messengers rushed out from the musketeer formation, shouting hoarsely, "...The Prince of Han has ordered: whoever beheads Galdan will be promoted three ranks and rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!..."

Hearing this, the struggling Han cavalry immediately abandoned their opponents and charged desperately toward the Mongolian camp. "Boom..." With several loud explosions, the red-barreled cannons were finally positioned and began bombarding the enemy camp. Flames shot into the sky; the yurts were engulfed, turning into a sea of fire. Countless riderless horses panicked and charged blindly, trampling the prepared defensive troops into chaos.

Just then, distant thunder rumbled behind the battlefield. Countless birds that had been roosting for the night suddenly scattered, flying into the sky in terror. The soldiers of both armies looked up in astonishment as a war banner painted with a wolf's head suddenly appeared over the ridge, fluttering majestically in the wind.

"What is that?!!..." Lin Feng asked in horror, pointing at the ferocious wolf head.

Wang Shirong held up a monocular telescope and observed for a long time. He saw countless warriors on horseback cresting the hill, surging toward the battlefield like an endless, tidal wave. He shuddered, and with a "clatter," the telescope fell to the ground. He turned, looking at Lin Feng with a shattered expression. "My... My Lord, that... that is... the Western Route Army of the Dzungars..."

"Ah?!..." Suddenly, Lin Feng felt his legs go weak and he involuntarily knelt to the ground.

Zhao Liangdong strode up the hill. Seeing this, he was anxious. Ignoring etiquette, he rushed forward, pulled Lin Feng up, and said urgently, "My Lord!!... Please order the counter-attack!!..."

"Counter-attack?!..." Lin Feng looked blankly at the panicked Zhao Liangdong and muttered, "Right... yes, then... let us counter-attack!!..."

The drums in the rear began to beat in unison. The musketeers, though weary, marched toward the Mongolian Western Army on the side of the battlefield under the officers' commands. The artillery in the rear fired frantically. For a moment, the thundering cannons drowned out all other sounds, the rhythm of the firing chaotic and erratic. With a sharp "bang," one of the red-barreled cannons burst apart, blowing the soldiers within dozens of yards into a bloody mess.

The visitor had a strange hairstyle, as if he had just cut off his queue. His hat was in the style of a Qing official, but the top was bare, missing the finial. Seeing Lin Feng from a distance, he performed a salute and said, "Sun Liangying, Cavalry Guerrilla under the command of Commander Wang Jinbao of the Gansu-Shaanxi Green Standard Army, pays his respects to the Prince of Han!!!"

"General Sun, dispense with the formalities!" Lin Feng was stunned. He exchanged a look with Wang Shirong and asked in astonishment, "This... may I ask what brings the General here?!"

Sun Liangying kowtowed respectfully, pulled a box from his sleeve, and held it above his head. "I am acting under the orders of Shaanxi Governor Zhang Yong and Commander Wang to present our surrender! I hope the Prince of Han will not reject us!!"

The Imperial Guard hurriedly took the box and presented it to Lin Feng. Lin Feng opened it gently to find only two official seals inside. He looked up at Wang Shirong.

Wang Shirong glanced at them and whispered, "These are the official seals of the Shaanxi Governor and the Commander!!"

Lin Feng realized then and smiled at Sun Liangying. "General, please rise. Where is Commander Wang Jinbao?!"

"He is currently overseeing the battle nearby. When I departed, Commander Wang said that today he would take the head of Borjite Chino as a gift for our surrender to the Han army!" Sun Liangying stood up, carefully performed another salute, and smiled, "Without having made any contribution, how could I have the face to see the Prince?!"

Lin Feng laughed heartily and walked over. "Commander Wang is too polite. Rest assured, I will never treat the brothers of the Gansu-Shaanxi Green Standard Army unfairly!!"

As they were speaking, dust rose in the northwest, and another large army arrived. A rider galloped like the wind, dismounted, knelt on one knee, and shouted, "Reporting to the Prince of Han! General Zhao Guangyuan of the 1st Cavalry Division has arrived with his entire army to reinforce you—please give your orders!!"

Lin Feng was overjoyed and immediately issued the order, "Pass the order to the 1st Division: coordinate with the 2nd Imperial Cavalry Division at once and launch a fierce assault on the Mongolian camp!!"

With two successive waves of reinforcements arriving and attacking from both sides, the Dzungar army collapsed instantly. Lin Feng watched through his telescope from afar. Galdan’s command banner was hurriedly taken down. Before the camp even fell, thousands of cavalrymen fled in a desperate rush, pouring out of the rear gates and galloping away.

"I hadn't thought of that," Wang Jinbao said with a grin. "Your Highness, your reputation outside is impeccable. I heard that after you entered Beijing, apart from the Manchus, you didn't kill a single official or general, whether they surrendered or not. We never imagined you would do something like that!" He looked up, pointed at Zhao Liangdong, and said bluntly, "Look, old Zhao is from my hometown, and Sun Sike and Ma Jinliang are there too; aren't they all gaining titles and rising in rank under you?! I don't know how to do anything else, just fight. But if I have this sword and this horse, surely you can give me a bowl of rice to eat?!"

"Well said!!" Lin Feng laughed. "Don't worry, brother, I will definitely give you a golden rice bowl!"

Wang Jinbao hurriedly thanked him, then laughed, "Our arrival was indeed coincidental, but nothing special. You don't know, but before you entered Shanxi, Galdan’s Western Route Army invaded from Yulin, killing and looting in Shaanxi. There was no hesitation; we fought them. Just as the fighting was intense, he dragged his troops toward Shanxi. I couldn't just let him go, so we fought and pursued him all the way here!" Having said this, he turned and pointed toward the south with a grin. "When we reached Taiyuan, Governor Yu Chenglong sent someone to tell me that you, the Prince of Han, are a 'benevolent and righteous gentleman.' He had already surrendered to the Han army and urged me to come and help quickly, so we rode hard, and here we are, catching up just in time to cut off Borjite Chino's head!"

Lin Feng suddenly understood and nodded with a smile, "That’s good. From now on, we are one family. I won't stand on ceremony—how many battle-ready soldiers do you still have in the Gansu-Shaanxi Green Standard Army?!"

"There are many soldiers, but few who can really fight," Wang Jinbao pointed below the hill. "Excluding the filler troops, my men are all cavalry. Counting those here and those back home, there are 11,600. Brother Zhang Yong has many infantrymen, totaling 28,000. The total strength of our Gansu-Shaanxi Green Standard is forty thousand!"

Lin Feng nodded with a smile and beckoned, "Secretary, record this: Decree that the former Qing Gansu-Shaanxi Green Standard Governor Zhang Yong and Commander Wang Jinbao... although they were in the enemy camp, they are known for their loyalty and righteousness, being generous and peerless in bravery, and capable of great tasks. Now that they have admired righteousness and surrendered, I am greatly comforted. Zhang Yong is granted the rank of Army Lieutenant General with the title 'General of Pacifying the West,' and his troops are to be organized as the '7th Han Infantry Division.' Wang Jinbao is granted the rank of Army Major General with the title 'General of the Tiger Guards,' and his troops are to be organized as the '8th Han Cavalry Division.' Aside from these two, other civil and military officers shall be appointed according to their talents and trained at the Ma Village Military Academy starting today. Soldiers are to be provided with supplies and military pay! This is the decree!"

"I thank my Lord for his great grace!! My life is yours to command!!"

Lin Feng pulled him up. "No need for that. Later, I will send word to the rear to have uniforms and supplies delivered to you. Your troops will temporarily garrison Taiyuan to mop up the remaining Tartars. We will decide on further plans after Governor Yu Chenglong stabilizes the livelihood of the people. How about that?"

Wang Jinbao hesitated, "And what of Shaanxi?!..."

"I will immediately send envoys to tell Ma Yaozi and Wang Pingfan. If they truly have the guts, I certainly won't stand on ceremony with them either!!" Lin Feng patted his shoulder and pointed at the group of prisoners below the hill. "Go and reorganize your troops. We’ve captured many Tartars today; they are excellent cavalrymen, and there are horses and such. Keep what you need to replenish your forces, and don't let those bastards like Zhao Yingkui take them all!!"

Wang Jinbao looked at Lin Feng with gratitude, his previous doubts vanishing instantly. He hurried down the hill to scavenge for spoils of war.

"Reporting to my Lord!" Wang Shirong walked up and pointed at the dejected prisoners. "After the count, today’s battle has seen the destruction of Galdan’s army. We have captured over 19,000 enemies and 46,200 horses..."

"Very good!"

"Ahem... ahem..." Wang Shirong coughed, frowning, "Reporting to my Lord, judging by your earlier words, you intend to incorporate these enemy captives into our ranks?!..." Seeing Lin Feng raise his eyebrows, he hurried on, "My point is that these people hold deep enmity toward us, I fear..."

"Fear what?!" Lin Feng said dismissively, pointing at the groups of prisoners. "Pass the order: identify all enemy officers above the rank of centurion and behead them on the spot—furthermore, all of Galdan’s Kheshig guards are to be buried alive!!"

"..." Wang Shirong could not help but shudder.

"Don't be surprised, I am merely following the rules of the grasslands," Lin Feng turned to Wang Shirong. "For thousands of years, this has been the rule of the vast desert. I am simply acting according to their customs!!!"

Wang Shirong shook his head, wanting to speak but stopping. He hesitated for a long time, but finally remained silent. He narrowed his eyes and looked forward. A breeze blew, carrying a foul, bloody stench. The earth was vast, and corpses littered the entire wilderness. Dying soldiers moaned in low voices, and stray horses kept a lonely vigil by their masters' cold bodies, occasionally letting out mournful cries to the sky.

Looking back to the east, a red sun was about to burst forth, rising slowly. The brilliant glow of dawn shone upon the land, making the whole world look as if it were soaked in blood, a glaring, vivid red.