010 Vanguard General

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As for the Southern Expeditionary Army of the Great Shun, led by Yuan Zongdi’s division, they had marched southward from the north, encountering hardly any resistance. In just over twenty days, they had already advanced to the Jianghuai region. The vanguard general, Li Laixiang, was a fierce and skilled warrior. As the nephew of Li Zicheng’s lieutenant Li Guo, he personally led six thousand cavalry to seize Anqing Prefecture, the gateway to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

The main objective of the Southern Expeditionary Army was the Ming southern capital, Nanjing. They chose not to attack directly through Jianghuai but instead made a detour to capture Anqing. This was because the Ming navy, undefeated since the dynasty’s founding, maintained a firm presence along the river near Nanjing. The Great Shun forces, wary of this, opted for a longer route to cross the river via Anqing and then advance overland to Nanjing.

It is often said that when victory comes too easily, arrogance and underestimation spread quickly. Li Zicheng was proclaimed King of Great Shun in Xi’an and took less than three months to march nearly four thousand miles to capture the capital. This was not war so much as a sprint across China’s map. To them, the Ming dynasty seemed utterly fragile. Once the army arrived outside a city, surrender flags would immediately rise. Winning without battle, the Great Shun army had perfected the art of warfare.

Yet, as the I Ching says, extremes will reverse; when the moon is full, it begins to wane. When anything reaches its peak, its downfall is near.

With victories coming faster and faster, discipline within the Great Shun army deteriorated rapidly. The first to be corrupted by wealth and luxury were Li Zicheng’s forces that had taken Beijing. A band of rebels from the mountains, they had never known such decadence before. Thousands of palace maids in the Forbidden City were emptied overnight. Li Zicheng himself crowned one as the official empress of the Great Shun dynasty; Chen Yuanyuan, the beloved concubine of the Ming general Wu Sangui and famed beauty of the realm, was reduced to a mere plaything for Li’s favored generals. Yet even this was not enough. All the unmarried women in Beijing were quickly distributed among the army, and soldiers awoke to find themselves newlywed overnight, resulting in countless tragic deaths among the civilian women.

With women came silver, but Li Zicheng had promised that as long as they welcomed the King of Great Shun, no taxes would be levied. So where did the army’s supplies come from? The wealthy nobility and officials of Beijing became the primary targets for the army’s enrichment.

It was a case of robbing the rich to share the wealth, but when the lower-ranking soldiers did not get a taste of the plunder, they turned to robbing ordinary civilians. Everyone was busy lining their pockets, and military discipline crumbled completely. This corruption and lawlessness spread throughout the Southern Expeditionary Army. Wherever Yuan Zongdi’s hundred-thousand-strong force passed, the people were left in misery. The slogan “Welcome the King of Great Shun, no taxes” became hollow rhetoric.

Though Yuan Zongdi was aware of the lax discipline, he only gave token criticisms. First, he was incapable of changing the hearts of these proud and fierce warriors who had overturned the Ming dynasty. Second, he had no regard for the current Ming forces. The Great Shun army had swept through the northwest and trampled the Yellow River basin; who could dare to challenge them?

With such an undisciplined army, the Southern Expeditionary forces crushed the Ming general Zuo Liangyu’s troops in Hubei. The vanguard cavalry under Li Laixiang charged fiercely but halted about fifty li from Huaining City.

Li Laixiang was a seasoned commander who had fought across half the Ming empire. Huaining was a critical gateway to Anqing and surely heavily defended. His cavalry had left the siege weapons far behind. To be cautious, he stopped his advance and sent scouts to probe the city.

In the western Jianghuai mountains, under an unnamed hill, six thousand Great Shun cavalry were spread like ants across the fields—some lying down and dozing in the warm March sun, others chatting and laughing in small groups. It seemed less like a war campaign and more like a grand armed parade. Not a trace of tension or fear marred their faces.

Thin trails of smoke rose from the temporary campfires as the army began cooking.

Li Laixiang did not strictly enforce discipline on the march but led several mid-ranking officers up the winding mountain path to the highest point.

He shaded his eyes, gazing toward Huaining, but all he could see were dense trees; the city’s outline was invisible.

One officer pointed ahead disdainfully. “General, Huaining is within arm’s reach. Why not press the advantage and crush the city now? Delaying here risks losing the initiative.”

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Li Laixiang was tall and imposing, his bravery palpable. A two-inch scar ran from the corner of his mouth to beneath his ear, adding a fearsome edge to his demeanor. He glanced around at the officers, who nodded in agreement.

He replied, “A commander ignorant of terrain and waterways cannot lead troops effectively. Ahead lie many mountains and winding paths, which are terrible for cavalry. If Ming troops lie in ambush, we’d suffer heavy losses.”

One officer thumped his chest and waved dismissively. “We’ve taken Beijing already. Why fear a minor city like Huaining? I say it’s an empty city. General, give me two thousand men and I’ll take it swiftly—no need to dawdle here.”

The men laughed heartily, but Li Laixiang waved them off solemnly. “No, no. To reach the Yangtze from here, we must take Anqing. Huaining is the northern gate to Anqing Prefecture. We must not underestimate it.”

Someone still scoffed, “Chongzhen is dead and gone, and these lingering Ming officials are just making a fuss. Let them surrender quickly to our Great Shun dynasty. My wives are waiting at home for me to live well again, ha!”

Li Laixiang nodded, “You’re right. Once the whole realm belongs to the Great Shun, we’ll put down our horses and swords, live freely and richly.”

They all laughed together as Li Laixiang and the others slowly descended the hill to join the army waiting below for news from the scouts.

At nightfall, a scout sent by Wang Lanping returned from Huaining.

Now, Wang Lanping had only one advisor he could rely on—County Magistrate Kong Zhixian—but Kong was a civil official with little knowledge of military affairs. All decisions rested with Wang.

The scout reported the Great Shun army had halted about fifty li outside the city, their discipline lax, with no immediate attack planned. They seemed to be waiting for something.

Wang understood they might be probing Huaining’s defenses, seeking the best time and place to strike, or waiting for siege weapons to arrive. At least tonight, an assault was unlikely; darkness was unfavorable to cavalry warfare. This Li Laixiang was no fool.

It was very likely the enemy’s spies had already slipped into the city. To prevent the defenders’ families from being used as leverage, Wang had arranged for his own mother and the family of his childhood sweetheart, Yun Niang, to be sheltered in the back residence of the county office. Only then could he fight without worry.

When Yun Niang arrived at the county office, her eyes were swollen and red, her face full of sorrow. Yet she was still strikingly beautiful. The family of three was timid and cautious, having never lived in such a grand house before. In the room Wang arranged, they dared not move carelessly, afraid of dirtying the magistrate’s quarters.

Wang’s mother had heard rumors about her son’s unauthorized marriage proposal to Miss Du. Yet amid such grave matters, she did not rebuke him. He must have his reasons. Her most important task now was to protect Yun Niang, whom she accepted as her future daughter-in-law. That morning, when the Du family sent for her to attend a banquet, Yun Niang was helping with laundry at Wang’s house. Hearing the news, she dashed home in tears. To comfort her, the old lady did not go to the banquet. Only when Wang sent for them did they come to the county office.

Time was pressing. The city’s fate rested on Wang alone. After settling his mother, he returned to the flower hall of the county office to discuss military matters with Kong Zhixian.

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In the flower hall, only Wang Lanping and Kong Zhixian were present. Flickering candlelight illuminated the room as Wang asked, “Kong, have all the fleeing soldiers from the south been settled?”

This was an unavoidable measure. Wang did not want to rely on terrified deserters, but his sole fighting force was the low-quality Feng Regiment. He feared that without more men, even the city walls of Huaining could not be held, let alone the defense of the city. So he instructed Kong to select some of the fleeing soldiers—even if only to shout encouragement atop the walls.

Kong had been busy since dawn, barely managing to eat. His high cheekbones appeared even paler. “As you ordered, General, they have all been housed north of the city—two hundred and eighteen men. I have sent food to them.”

That number was certainly inaccurate. After the Hubei battle, General Zuo Liangyu’s five hundred thousand troops collapsed instantly. Zuo himself retreated with a hundred and fifty thousand shattered soldiers to Nanchang’s Jiujiang city, while the rest scattered. Since Anqing had not yet seen battle, thousands of Ming soldiers must have fled there, though most blended with civilians.

Wang nodded, not entirely satisfied. “Well, better than nothing.”

Despite Wang’s confidence, Kong Rusong could not understand how such a young scholar-official could be so certain of victory in his first real war. He hoped it was not reckless bravado.

Kong said, “General, the safety of fifty thousand civilians depends solely on you. I, as magistrate, have no strategy. The enemy outnumbers us tenfold. May I ask what is your foolproof plan to repel them?”

Wang saw Kong’s worry. Their forces were vastly unequal, and this was Wang’s first time commanding a city defense. He himself had no guarantee of victory, only the resolve to fight.

Wang smiled. “Since ancient times, there has never been a city that could not be taken, nor a general who won every battle. No one dares claim their defense is perfect. Success lies in heaven, effort in man. Kong, do not worry excessively. Even the emperor is willing to die for the country—why should we fear? As the military texts say, only by embracing the resolve to die can one hope to win.”

Kong nodded admiringly, respectfully clasping his hands. “General, your loyalty and courage inspire us all. On behalf of the entire city, I thank you.” Then, sincerely, he knelt.

Wang hastened to help him up. “No need for that. Please rise. There is much to do. I have ordered the Feng Regiment to guard the walls overnight. The enemy may attack tomorrow. I inspected the defenses today; Huaining’s walls are old and damaged, no higher than two zhang, with many collapsed sections. Though civilians are repairing them through the night, I fear it may not suffice.”

Kong asked, “What then shall we do?”