Chapter 005: Withdrawal of Troops

The army's provisions! Zhou Kaihuang turned back to glance at the camp, his heart burning with anxiety

Mr. Deng, follow me! Zhou Kaihuang dared not continue to contemplate the situation of the battle beneath Chongqing. He and Zhao Tianba, pulling Deng Ming on either side, rushed towards the banks of the Yangtze River. The soldiers they had just gathered also ran alongside the two officers. Yuan Zongdi's fleet was anchored on the Yangtze River, and a complete rout had become a foregone conclusion; these ships were their only hope of escaping the perilous situation.

The number of pursuing soldiers behind these routed troops is indeed not large—after Tan Yi's main force defeated Tan Wen's troops, they hurried to assist the Qing army in encircling Yuan Zongdi. However, these routed soldiers fled in disarray, most having lost their weapons, creating a chaotic scene that makes it hard to imagine they still have the capacity to resist the pursuers. Moreover, they are well aware that the defeat outside Chongqing is already determined; even if they manage to regroup and turn to face the pursuers, they will still find it difficult to escape death once Yuan Zongdi retreats.

After a signal and a shout, each ship began to take in the Ming troops. The Ming soldiers on the dock surged forward, and Deng Ming's ship quickly became filled with people

This person is probably a scholar; I have heard that some scholars speak quite strangely. Most likely, he is one of Yuan Zongdi's secretaries. The young officer thought to himself: "How could a decent scholar associate with these bandits? He is most likely a shameless person without any integrity."

The stragglers on the shore all boarded the ships, and thirty vessels were filled to capacity. The water camp commander once again ordered the ships to set sail

"The Dazis have broken out of the city." After hearing the commotion in the distance, Zhou Kaihuang said through clenched teeth with a serious expression. He guessed correctly; today, Wang Mingde had concentrated all his forces to deal with Yuan Zongdi. Upon seeing his main camp ablaze, he ordered the entire army to prepare, and at the very moment Yuan Zongdi moved his flag, they charged out of the city.

The Qing army's vessels bore no excess burdens, each ship fully unfurled its sails, taking advantage of the swift river currents to charge towards the heavily laden Ming ships filled with soldiers, which had a deep draft

When Deng Ming's boat set sail again, the young officer led his subordinates on the same boat to bow to him from a distance, simultaneously exclaiming: "Thank you, Mr. Deng, for saving our lives." They had firmly decided not to attribute this gratitude to Yuan Zongdi's subordinates.

"Return to Dachang," Zhou Kaihuang said bitterly. This expedition had clearly ended in failure, and the only thing left to do was to return to the base as quickly as possible, as the supplies along the way had not yet been secured

During the more than one hour that Yuan Zongdi cautiously retreated from the riverbank, Wang Mingde dispatched the elite sailors already mobilized from Chongqing to Tan Yi's camp. The latter not only had his own vessels but also those captured from Tan Wen. As anticipated by Tan Yi and Wang Mingde, Yuan Zongdi, in order to guard against the pursuit of the Qing army, utilized all available ships to cover the infantry's retreat. The Qing navy rested at the junction, conserving their strength, and when the Ming fleet and the books began their withdrawal, they surged forth to deliver a final strike. As anticipated by Tan Yi and Wang Mingde, Yuan Zongdi, in order to guard against the pursuit of the Qing army, utilized all available ships to cover the infantry's retreat. The Qing navy rested at the junction, conserving their strength, and when the Ming fleet and the books began their withdrawal, they surged forth to deliver a final strike

They quickly arrived at the gathering point of a large number of Ming military vessels, and it appeared that there was no fierce fighting along the shore. Zhou Kaihuang and several others analyzed the situation, and upon seeing the enemy forces flanking from both sides, Yuan Zongdi realized that the situation was dire and immediately organized the troops to retreat to the riverbank. Yuan Zongdi made great efforts to withdraw the main force to the riverbank and form a circular defense. However, unexpectedly, the Qing army's offensive gradually eased, refraining from attacking the Ming army's positions, instead maintaining a distance to observe from afar, seemingly not intending to interfere with the Ming army's boarding.

In the great camp and under the city of Chongqing, over a thousand soldiers were lost, while more than five thousand of the seven thousand Dachang soldiers brought by Yuan Zongdi boarded the ship safely

Deng Ming said, "My name is Deng Ming." Deng Ming replied politely, asking, "What is your name?"

Yuan Zongdi's fleet consisted of more than one hundred large and small riverboats, sufficient to carry thousands of soldiers. After the incident occurred, the commanding officer of the fleet ordered most of the boats to head towards Chongqing to rendezvous with Yuan Zongdi's main force, leaving thirty boats to accommodate soldiers retreating from the main camp. Upon hearing Zhou Kaikuang's words, the water camp's captain understood the heavy losses and his expression darkened. He immediately ordered preparations to set sail. If Yuan Zongdi had little hope of turning the tide at the foot of Chongqing, then the boats sent to assist would need to retreat immediately after loading soldiers, requiring them to quickly pursue and catch up with the main force.

Upon hearing that Yuan Zongdi's trusted guard officer and the newly recruited clerk were both intent on rescuing the person, the water camp's captain had no choice but to reluctantly order the release of the individual to board the ship

May I ask how to address you, esteemed sir? Although it was but a few words, the officer immediately sensed that the person before him did not seem to be a soldier, as if he had heard someone refer to him as "mister"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Kaihuang interrupted, saying: "Alright, let it be as you say, let them board the ship. Once we reach the other side, we will immediately throw them all off and go to meet the Duke."

Before Zhou's expeditionary team could set off, the Tan Wen faction on the left flank of Yuan Zongdi suffered a devastating defeat. Deng Ming saw the scattered Ming soldiers on the left fleeing in droves towards the Yangtze River, closely pursued by the enemy. Behind the fleeing soldiers were the relentless pursuers, wreaking havoc.

Deng Ming gazed at the gradually receding skyline of Chongqing, his heart filled with inexpressible emotions: "In such a historical torrent, I truly feel powerless to do anything alone. I am well aware that this battle in Chongqing will have its ups and downs, yet I cannot remind them... Although I know that the Qing dynasty will inevitably sweep across the nation, I cannot even think of a single way to escape."

Deng Ming looked around, and more soldiers from the Tanwen Department jumped into the water recklessly, struggling in the icy river in December. Some of those who were struck did not return to the shore but desperately continued to swim forward, as if trying to reach the southern bank with their own strength, to escape the battlefield of Chongqing—this was indeed a glimmer of hope, but how many could actually cross the Yangtze River

Yuan Zongdi first tentatively withdrew a portion of his troops onto the ships, and then cautiously withdrew another part. Seeing that the Qing army still showed no significant movements, Yuan Zongdi ordered the transport of the wounded onto the ships. Among the vessels on the river, there were only a few large ships; most were small boats with limited capacity. When Yuan Zongdi's troops arrived in Chongqing, they advanced both by land and water, setting up camp along the shore. However, given the current situation, remaining on land was tantamount to waiting for death. Every effort was made to fill the ship that Deng Ming was on with soldiers. Each soldier on the ships was ready, bow drawn and arrows nocked, fully alert—should the Qing army launch a full-scale attack during the retreat of the Ming forces, they needed to hold their ground and cover their comrades as they boarded the ships.

Shui Yingqian was momentarily taken aback upon hearing Zhou Kaihuang's words. Deng Ming, having finally secured Zhou Kaihuang's assistance, immediately urged him, "Quickly transport the people; the Duke is still waiting for our ship."

There were still many soldiers engaged in construction work and the troops protecting them under the city walls. Although they had ceased their work, they could not quickly assemble and withdraw entirely. Yuan Zongdi originally intended to lead the central army, the only unit capable of rapid response, to immediately rush back to rescue the main camp. However, the Qing army from Chongqing suddenly launched an attack, forcing him to turn around and confront them to protect the remaining subordinates

There is no opportunity left. Zhao Tianba made a judgment and immediately shouted to Zhou Kaihuang: Retreat, protect Mr. Deng, we will go downstream to rendezvous with Duke Jingguo

... ...

Tan Yi's military strength was limited, and his most formidable enemy was Yuan Zongdi's combat troops, so he did not send many people to pursue the defeated soldiers. Seeing the Ming army on the water was on high alert, Tan Yi's subordinates did not dare to act rashly; they merely stood at a distance, shouting in a show of bravado for a while, watching the fleet leave the shore and gradually fade away.

After all, the other party is one's savior, and leaving the northern shore brought a glimmer of hope. Although they boarded Yuan Zongdi's ship, the Ming soldiers were reluctant to express gratitude and preferred not to acknowledge that they had been rescued by the remnants of the Chuang army, instead choosing to believe that they had been saved by the scholar Deng Ming.

Captain Shui Ying did not know the background of Deng Ming, but he had seen Deng Ming by Yuan Zongdi's side, where Yuan Zongdi treated him with great courtesy. In such a critical moment today, the captain of the personal guard was with him, which indicated Yuan Zongdi's high regard for this person; perhaps he was a trusted advisor of Yuan Zongdi. Captain Qian patiently explained: "Sir, please see, we do not have many boats. If we move forward, we may need to assist our own brothers. If we take on a useless officer or soldier, we will have one less boat for our own brothers. Moreover, the pursuing troops behind them are not many; if these useless men dare to turn back and fight, they will surely be defeated."

Take them to the south bank. Deng Ming held onto the arm of Captain Shui Ying and insisted, Just take them to the south bank of the library, drop them off, and let them find their own way to survive.

A young man, who appeared to be an officer, sat not far from the shore in front of Deng Ming's boat. He pointed at Zhou Kaihuang, who was watching coldly, and shouted, "You murderous bandit, I will not spare you even if I become a ghost!"

The young Ming army officer by the shore had just witnessed Deng Ming's actions and guessed his exchange with Zhou Kaihuang and the water camp's captain. He realized that it was thanks to this young man that he and his brothers and subordinates were saved. Therefore, after boarding the ship, he bowed deeply to Deng Ming. Zhou Kaihuang, seeing this, let out a cold laugh and turned to leave, as he had no desire to accept any gratitude from this fellow

Enemy attack

The guards on the ship immediately reversed the blades of their guns and swung the gun barrels forcefully towards these individuals. After driving away the closest ones, the sailors on the ship lined up on the side facing the shore, with the sharp points of their knives and guns directed outward, clearly indicating that they had no intention of allowing anyone to board the ship

I hope Fu Hou can defeat the traitor Tan Yi, at least hold on for a while longer," Zhao Tianba comforted Zhou Kaihuang. Yuan Zongdi's troops were originally dispersed and in a state of full-scale attack. If Tan Wen were to defect as well, it would be three against one, and Yuan Zongdi's complete defeat would come swiftly. Zhao Tianba was counting on Tan Wen still being one of their own, which would make it two against two, leaving some room for the situation to be salvaged.

Suddenly, a continuous sound of warnings and shouts erupted beside Deng Ming. He turned to look downstream at the bow of the ship and saw a large number of vessels rushing into the Yangtze River from the nearby Jialing River junction.

Deng Ming observed that numerous disbanded soldiers were crowding at the dock by the river, and the number was increasing. Many of them jumped into the river, swimming towards the Yuan troops' vessels that were not far from the shore. Those vessels, like Deng Ming's ship, showed no mercy, striking indiscriminately with clubs. Several soldiers from the Tan Wen faction of the Ming army in the water were beaten away from the side of the ship, and some were violently smashed down into the river, never to resurface.

Captain Shui Ying was becoming somewhat impatient: "Surely you know, it is easy to invite a deity but difficult to send them away..."

Hmph, they collapsed without even seeing the flag; they must have fled in the face of danger. Zhao Tianba felt a chill in his heart as he witnessed Tan Wen's troops crumble like a landslide. The cries of the retreating soldiers would undermine the morale of Yuan Zongdi's forces and disrupt their formation. At this moment, Yuan Zongdi's troops were struggling to regroup while fiercely resisting the enemy forces from Chongqing. The enemy behind these retreating soldiers would crash violently into the backs of Yuan Zongdi's troops

The water commander, Qian, complained: "Since you know that the Duke's side is in urgent need, why are you still sending these dog officials and soldiers who hate us?"

Deng Ming's manner of responding caused the young officer to pause slightly, feeling somewhat surprised

However, the commander of the water camp had no reservations like Zhou Kaihuang. He immediately pointed with his spear and replied: "Useless soldiers, even as ghosts you are still worthless! If you dare not fight the Tartars, you will resort to tricks against the common people. Do you even consider yourselves Han people? Bah!" The commander of the water camp then ordered the departure.

Alas, they are aware that they have burned the supplies in our camp, and we fear that we will be helpless against Chongqing for several months. Looking at the leisurely Qing army across from them, Zhao Tianba and Zhou Kaihuang sighed deeply, saying, "Fortunately, most of our brothers have been rescued"

"Half of the soldiers have defected, and the remaining half have collapsed, the grain has also been burned!" Zhou Kaihuang answered loudly, leaping onto the boat. The soldiers of Yuan's faction who had fled to the riverside had already boarded their boats one after another, and following Zhou Kaihuang was the last group. Zhou Kaihuang glanced back and saw a dense mass of the defeated soldiers from Tan Wen's faction behind him. He waved his hand and said to the young water camp captain in his twenties, "There are no more of our people left, loosen the ropes and set sail!"

However, the Qing army did not launch the anticipated fierce attack; instead, they bombarded the Ming army with firearms and artillery while simultaneously unleashing a heavy rain of arrows

As he drove towards the loudest sounds of cannon fire, Deng Ming noticed the worried expressions on the faces of the surrounding soldiers. Everyone understood that since Tan Yi's main force was not behind Yuan Zongdi's camp and the defeated troops of Tan Wen, they must be attacking Yuan Zongdi himself. Furthermore, with the Qing army in Chongqing launching a pincer attack, Yuan Zongdi's situation was perilous, leaving uncertainty about whether he could escape and successfully board the ship for retreat

"Guard the camp gate." After Zhou Kaihuang exited the camp, he immediately ordered a soldier to report the situation in the main camp to Yuan Zongdi

Zhou Kaihuang let out a cold laugh and was about to retort, but suddenly remembered that Deng Ming was right beside him. This was the third prince of Chongzhen, and Yuan Zongdi was counting on him to speak on his behalf in the future. Zhou Kaihuang quietly glanced at Deng Ming and pondered: "Although the third prince has a good temperament and gets along well with us, that guy across from us keeps shouting 'thief, thief,' which stirs up the enmity of his parents. This has created a knot in his heart, and it is likely detrimental to the Duke."

The riverboat, laden with soldiers, gradually departed from Chongqing. After more than an hour of sustained tension, the soldiers finally relaxed a bit, placing their bows and arrows at their feet and allowing their taut arms to ease slightly

The ship was heavily guarded not only to fend off the pursuit of the Qing army but also out of fear that Tan Wen's subordinates might hijack the vessel. However, most of these defeated soldiers were unarmed, and after desperately running and swimming, they were all exhausted and had no such thoughts. The ship quickly traversed the river and, upon reaching the southern bank, the Ming soldiers from Wancheng disembarked obediently.

Brother Zhou! Deng Ming heard the mournful cries of those Ming soldiers and, disregarding the blood covering his body, grabbed the captain of the water camp, pleading with Zhou Kaihuang, "Why don't you save them? There is still space on the ship; we can still take people on board!"

Deng Ming hurriedly helped the young officer with the year and the picture book to his feet, exchanging a few polite words with him

The other three camp gates are still uncertain about the current situation, but Zhou Kaihuang intends to hold this camp gate. If Yuan Zongdi's army can return quickly, it might still be possible to salvage some supplies. The main camp is not very far from the front line, and Zhou Kaihuang believes that holding out for a while is still feasible

Enemy attack

The stragglers running at the forefront have already reached the vicinity of the main camp, separating the camp from Yuan Zongdi's battle flag, and the dust they raised obscured the view ahead

"If one were to report their own name, in the future, the thieves would have something to say, and one would owe them a favor." The officer, upon thinking of this, cupped his hands and bowed to Deng Ming, saying: "I dare not express my gratitude for such great kindness; my humble name is not worthy of mention."

"Useless soldiers, unable to withstand even a moment!" Zhou Kaihuang shouted angrily at the scattered soldiers of the Tanwen faction. With the loss of lateral support, the situation of Yuan Zongdi's defeat had become irretrievable, and it was estimated that they would soon attempt to break out individually. Zhou Kaihuang immediately recalled Yuan Zongdi's instructions that in case of an emergency, they must ensure Deng Ming's safety at all costs

While in a state of melancholy, suddenly several clouds of white mist rose from the city of Chongqing, followed by the thunderous sound of cannon fire reaching his ears. Deng Ming stared blankly at the smoke gradually ascending into the sky, questioning himself in confusion: "Is this a demonstration by the Qing soldiers?"

The flag of Yuan Zongdi was not far away, beginning to move towards the main camp, but soon it came to a halt and no longer moved. A thunderous roar of battle suddenly erupted from the direction of Chongqing, and the previously weak cannon fire from the city of Chongqing suddenly became a cacophony.

Upon reaching the riverbank, Deng Ming felt a sense of relief as he saw the fleet arranged in perfect order, safe and sound. Earlier, the soldiers of Yuan Zongdi's fleet had discovered the sudden outbreak of fire in the main camp and witnessed the chaos on the shore. The water camp's captain immediately ordered full alert, with soldiers drawing their swords and stringing their crossbows. As soon as the captain spotted Zhou Kaihuang, he called out from a distance: "Captain Zhou, what is the situation in the main camp?"

Zhou Kaihuang did not concern himself with the fate of Tan Wenbu's Ming army soldiers; however, since Deng Ming was present, he still needed to give Deng Ming some face. He estimated that in Deng Ming's heart, there was still a certain sense of closeness to these direct-line Ming soldiers.

The enemy troops that came to set fire are clearly a small contingent and cannot be the main force of Tan Yi. Currently, a major battle is taking place on Yuan Zongdi's side, which is a decisive engagement for victory or defeat. Zhou Kaihuang is preparing to abandon this place and rush to protect the commander

Deng Ming was unaware of how many people each boat could accommodate, and the words of the water camp captain immediately silenced him.

Before the eyes of the people, hundreds and thousands of the defeated soldiers under Tan Wen rushed towards the boats by the river. Most of these soldiers were unarmed, and when they saw the ship that Deng Ming had boarded starting to loosen its moorings in preparation for departure, some of the soldiers who were running ahead leaped onto the dock, waving their hands and rushing towards the ship, desperately shouting: "Save me, save me"