Chapter 24

The rumbling thunder of artillery shook the entire earth. As early as half a month ago, not a single bird had been seen in the Dezhou region. With the large army moving in, infantry regiments, cavalry brigades, artillery battalions, local militias, and endless supply and grain trains clogged roads of all sizes. Boats crisscrossed the rivers in a ceaseless stream, crowds surged, and vessels lined up all the way to Tianjin. Boatmen and trackers shouted slogans at the top of their lungs, and torches blazed through the night like a gigantic dragon of fire, continuously transporting supplies and munitions day and night to Jingxian, where they were unloaded from the ships. Along the main highways, mules and horses neighed as they strained forward, their heavy axles cutting deep ruts once again into the desolate ancient road, which filled with sewage and churned into mud after heavy rains, staining every town and military camp along the route a muddy orange. Once war broke out, the various prefectures in southern Zhili were turned completely upside down.

The main force actually responsible for the offensive was the Great Han Empire's Imperial Guard 3rd Corps, along with the two heavy artillery brigades of the 5th Corps. Although the combat troops numbered little more than sixteen thousand, because this was an assault on a heavily fortified stronghold, the army was forced to deploy a large number of artillery pieces and infantry support weapons to provide cover and support. To sustain this terrifying yet unavoidable assault, the Lin Han court had to conscript over fifty thousand laborers for supply transport. They should probably thank the convenient river network of Zhili; otherwise, the number of troops required for this logistical support train would likely have doubled.

However, times had changed. The outskirts of Dezhou were now riddled with blockhouses and fortifications. Ever since he took command of the garrison, Shandong Regional Commander Wang Chengye had made Dezhou city his center and the Grand Canal his baseline, constructing beacon towers, bunkers, observation posts, artillery batteries, earthworks, and trenches of all sizes. Altogether, there were over a hundred bunkers capable of garrisoning a hundred men each, not to mention countless other fortifications, sentry posts, and traps. One could easily imagine that such a vast and intricate defensive system could never have been completed in just a day or two. Wang Chengye had planned far ahead, and the Shandong army had prepared for this long in advance.

This hedgehog-like defense caused Ma Jinliang endless vexation. Although he had been aware of Dezhou's defensive preparations before the war began—and indeed found them daunting—given his usual tactical style, he would never have wanted to touch this vexing, hard-shelled nut. Yet, for political reasons, the Han army had no choice but to crush this seemingly impregnable defense line.

Such combat had been deeply morale-boosting in the early days of the war. First came the deafening roar of artillery, followed by sharp, screaming shells tearing through the sky to blast enemy blockhouses into ruins. The infantry would cheer, their courage soaring, and press forward in a single charge to scale and capture the positions. Yet, after half a month, no matter how majestic the big guns appeared or how dense the artillery barrage, it no longer excited anyone. The bloody and brutal hand-to-hand combat filled men with dread. Wang Chengye's troops displayed extraordinary tenacity inside the blockhouses. Under the superior firepower of the Han army, they would often huddle inside the fortifications and endure the bombardment, only to leap up the moment the infantry charged in, rushing to close quarters and launching fierce counterattacks.

Han soldiers equipped with flintlock muskets could usually only fire a single shot before being forced into desperate hand-to-hand combat—a style of engagement that effectively neutralized the Han army's equipment advantage. Although the Han soldiers had also undergone rigorous bayonet training, they were not equipped with armor and gained no advantage whatsoever in these purely cold-weapon clashes.

The fighting was exceptionally bloody. For half a month, Ma Jinliang had yet to catch sight of the city walls of Dezhou. Small stockades blocked his path in every direction, sealing off his line of advance. These fortresses were generally not very tall, originally serving as mere villages outside Dezhou city. The Shandong army had repurposed them, utilizing civilian houses and earthen walls to remodel them into small, interconnected blockhouses. Though modest in area, they were fully equipped with artillery and heavy matchlocks, topped with observation towers and pierced with firing slits. Even if attackers managed to break inside a blockhouse, the buildings were isolated by blocked corridors, making street-to-street close combat inevitable.

To drive his subordinates to advance more rapidly, Ma Jinliang now maintained a permanent presence at the front lines to oversee the battle. On many occasions, he practically downgraded himself to a battalion commander, directly directing small-scale engagements. At the moment, he stood near a low earthen mound at the rear of the position, holding a monocular telescope steadily to his eyes as he watched the unfolding battle ahead.

With a thunderous crash, an artillery piece on the rampart violently recoiled, spewing a vast cloud of white smoke. A shell shrieked through the air, instantly blasting a massive breach in the opposing blockhouse. Immediately, shrill trumpets sounded, and officers shouted to rally the soldiers, who formed ranks and surged forward. Wearing expressions of helpless resignation, the soldiers held their muskets at a slant, bent low at the waist, and ran desperately ahead. Just as they broke into the breach, a clamor of gongs suddenly erupted from the blockhouse. The previously silent walls were instantly manned by enemy troops, and barrels of boiling water were poured down, scalding the skin off the scaling Han soldiers. Then came the roar of heavy matchlocks, their bullets mixed with sharp arrows pouring down like rain upon the Han formations. Under the officers' orders, the musketeers ignored their wailing and groaning comrades on the ground, leisurely forming ranks and raising their weapons, advancing step by step into the interior of the blockhouse while firing alternately. Amidst the tight, orderly ranks, men continually fell, only to be kicked aside by the comrades behind them to fill the gaps and press the advance.

"Excellency... Sir... I..."

Seeing his personal guard step forward once more to use rough methods, Ma Jinliang waved his hand, told him to step back, and asked in a mild tone, "What is your name?"

"This humble... this humble one is called Mao Sihai..." The young soldier trembled all over, kneeling on the ground without daring to raise his head, looking like a frightened fledgling bird.

"Oh, Mao Sihai, where are you from?"

"This humble one is from Yangping County!"

"Oh, is that Yangping County in Dongchang Prefecture?"

Mao Sihai cast a surprised look at Ma Jinliang, then lowered his head and replied, "Yes, Yangping County in Dongchang Prefecture..."

"Hmm," Ma Jinliang nodded. "How many years have you been eating military rations?"

"Five years!" Seeing Ma Jinliang pause, Mao Sihai repeatedly knocked his head against the ground and added, "This humble one was originally a beggar outside. Later, a lieutenant wanted someone to wait on him, so he had people drag me into the camp to be his personal guard. A few days ago, he was killed by you people at the Liuzhimiao encampment. With no one left to rely on, I was sent up here to fight!"

Ma Jinliang burst out with a dry laugh, shook his head, and said, "I never would have guessed—you're actually a veteran!" He reined in his smile and said sternly, "Tell me the truth, what did Wang Chengye say to you all? Did he forbid surrender? Did he threaten to kill your entire family if you did?"

Mao Sihai shivered with fright, frantically shaking his head. "No, no... General... oh, no, no, it was Wang Chengye, he, he never said anything like that!"

"Oh? Then what did he say to you?"

"This humble one doesn't know either. Being a private in the camp, the officers and veterans paid me no mind. Nobody really talked to me..." Mao Sihai peeked upward, and seeing the look of disappointment on Ma Jinliang's face, hurriedly added, "However, back when the lieutenant was still alive, while I was pouring wine for him, I vaguely heard them talking about whether to surrender or not..."

"Surrender or not?" Ma Jinliang asked in bewilderment. "Explain yourself clearly."

"Yes, yes!..." The young soldier kowtowed repeatedly. "This humble one doesn't really know the details either. I just heard them say that the higher-ups gave instructions that we aren't allowed to surrender this time, that we have to hold our ground and fight. The harder we fight, the greater the prestige for us Shandong folk; the fiercer we fight, the higher the price for whatever 'negotiated settlement'..." He stole a glance at Ma Jinliang and whispered, "Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?! Speak!" Ma Jinliang could not help raising his voice, barking a harsh command.

"Yes, yes! The officers said that otherwise, we'll just be finished off blindly. Even if we aren't tried and exiled, we'll surely be disbanded and discharged, and when that time comes, we won't even be able to beg for food..."

Ma Jinliang stood up, paid the young soldier no further heed, and turned to his chief of staff. "Write this down, and send it... send it back to the capital..." A flush rose to his face as he turned away and whispered, "Remember to state clearly at the end: The Imperial Guard 3rd Corps is of one mind and cuts through the enemy like a hot knife through butter, and Dezhou can be taken at any moment. However, as the art of war dictates, those who excel in warfare achieve no renowned reputation; therefore, I ask our supreme commander to decide!"