xymnovel Chapter 24 Qing Army Marches South
Chapter 24 Qing Army Marches South
On the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month in the seventeenth year of Chongzhen (1644), Tianzhu Valley was filled with a rare festive atmosphere.
Although food was still scarce, Ma Changsheng still ordered that everyone be given half a jin of white flour so that they could make dumplings.
As evening fell, a bonfire was lit in an open space in the valley, and more than 3,000 people sat around it in a circle.
The water in the pot boiled, and the women put the wrapped dumplings into the pot, steaming hot.
The children stared longingly, swallowing hard.
Standing on the makeshift platform, Ma Changsheng watched this scene, a mix of emotions welling up inside him.
For four years, from Majia Village to Majiazhai, and then to the Dabie Mountains, he led these people in struggling to survive in the chaos of the world.
Now, the world outside has been turned upside down. The Ming Dynasty has fallen, Li Zicheng has been defeated, and the Qing army has marched south... But here, we still have dumplings to eat and fire to roast.
"Fellow villagers," he raised his voice, "today is Lunar New Year's Eve, a day for family reunion."
We are gathered here, not by blood, but as brothers and sisters who will share life and death.
The valley fell silent, broken only by the crackling of firewood.
"That year, we went into the mountains, endured hardship and exhaustion. Some died of illness, some collapsed from exhaustion, and some... were left forever on the plains." Ma Changsheng's voice was low. "But we survived. Not only did we survive, we also built homes: we had houses to live in, fields to cultivate, books to read, and medical care to receive."
"I know some people miss home, miss the plains, miss their ancestral graves. I miss them too. But in chaotic times, being able to survive and protect your family is the greatest blessing."
"Next year, the eighteenth year of Chongzhen—although the Ming Dynasty has fallen, we will still use this reign title—we will live a better life. We will cultivate more land, build more houses, ensure that every child can go to school, and ensure that every elderly person is cared for."
"I, Ma Changsheng, hereby swear: As long as I live, I will never abandon anyone. We will share joys and sorrows, and build our home together!"
"Sharing joys and sorrows! Building our home together!" The shouts from the audience were thunderous.
The dumplings were cooked, and the first bowl was served to Ma Changsheng.
He took it, but didn't eat it. Instead, he walked up to the group of orphans—twenty-three children of soldiers who had died in battle.
"Children, come, let your chieftain eat with you."
The children gathered around, timidly taking the dumplings and eating them in small bites.
A little girl, about five or six years old, looked up and asked in a childish voice, "Uncle Chief, when is my dad coming back?"
Ma Changsheng felt a pang of pain in his heart.
The girl's father died in the last battle against Bai Wenxuan.
He knelt down and patted the girl's head: "Your father has gone to a very far place. But he will always be watching over you and protecting you. From now on, your village chief will be your father, and everyone in the village will be your family."
The girl nodded as if she understood, and continued eating her dumplings.
That night, the valley was filled with the aroma of dumplings and the long-lost laughter.
Although tomorrow will still be difficult, at least tonight they can temporarily forget about the war outside.
The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first month of the eighteenth year of the Chongzhen reign (the first year of the Shunzhi reign, 1645).
The scouts brought back urgent intelligence: the vanguard of the Qing army under Dodo, numbering three thousand, had arrived in Huangzhou Prefecture and were collecting provisions in preparation for marching south to attack Nanjing.
"Three thousand men?" Instructor Sun analyzed in front of the map. "This is just the vanguard; the main force is still behind. Their target is Nanjing; they shouldn't go into the mountains."
"But they will requisition grain." Ma Changsheng pointed to several points on the map. "The area around Huangzhou Prefecture, including our original Ma Family Village, is within the requisition zone. If they discover people in the mountains..."
"That's troublesome," Tie Zhu said. "The Qing army is much more difficult to deal with than Bai Wenxuan. They have elite Eight Banner troops, plus the support of the Han Banner troops."
Ma Changsheng pondered for a moment: "Immediately notify all villages of the Dabie Mountain Guard: strengthen defenses, conceal your tracks, and avoid direct confrontation if the Qing army comes. At the same time, send someone to make contact with the Qing army."
"Contact? Chieftain, are we surrendering?"
"It's not surrender, it's a test," Ma Changsheng said. "To see the Qing army's attitude. If they're just passing through, we'll remain at peace; if they want to go into the mountains to suppress the bandits..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood: a fight was about to break out.
On the 20th day of the first month, Ma Changsheng sent Wang Pu to Huangzhou Prefecture.
Wang Puyuan was originally a merchant, skilled in social interaction, and had a northern accent, making him suitable for dealing with the Qing army.
Before departing, Ma Changsheng instructed: "Remember three things: do not reveal our true strength; probe the Qing army's attitude towards the mountainous area; and if possible, buy some grain."
Wang Pu accepted the order and left.
He returned ten days later, bringing back news that was not optimistic.
"Chief, the situation is dire." Wang Pu, travel-worn and with a grave expression, said, "The Qing vanguard is led by Ye Chen, the Gushan Ejen of the Plain White Banner. He is a veteran Manchu general in his fifties, cautious in his actions but ruthless."
The Qing army knew that there were "bandit strongholds" in the Dabie Mountains, and Ye Chen had already ordered that they would enter the mountains to wipe them out after the Nanjing war ended.
"He also specifically mentioned our Majiazhai," Wang Pu said. "He said that we resisted Bai Wenxuan before, and now we've hidden in the mountains. We must be remnants of the rebels, and we must wipe them out."
The Hall of Gathering Righteousness was deathly silent.
Everyone realized that the Qing army was not Bai Wenxuan, nor Zhang Xianzhong; they were the true conquerors, and what they wanted was not tribute, but complete conquest.
"Have you bought the grain?" Ma Changsheng asked.
"I managed to buy it, but the price was ten times the usual price," Wang Pu said. "Moreover, the Qing army set up checkpoints and conducted strict inspections, making it very difficult to transport it back. I only brought back fifty shi (a unit of dry measure), and that was done in three batches, smuggled through back roads."
Fifty shi (a unit of dry measure) was a drop in the ocean for the Dabie Mountain base area with 8,000 people.
After a long silence, Ma Changsheng slowly said, "It seems that this battle is unavoidable."
In early February, Ma Changsheng convened an emergency meeting of the Dabie Mountain Guard.
Representatives from all twelve mountain strongholds were present to discuss countermeasures.
"Everyone knows the situation," Ma Changsheng said bluntly. "The Qing army's 3,000 vanguard is in Huangzhou Prefecture and could enter the mountains at any time."
"Then what do we do?" a village chief asked. "Fight?"
"We must fight, but with strategy," Ma Changsheng said. "The main force of the Qing army is going to attack Nanjing and won't stay in the mountains for long. Our mission is to hold them back, wear them down, and make them realize that going into the mountains is not worth the effort."
He proposed a "three-tiered defense" plan:
The first layer involves peripheral harassment. Small detachments are dispatched to ambush Qing army's grain requisition teams and messengers on key mountain passes, striking and then retreating.
The second layer involved ambush in the mountains. Traps, logs, and rocks were set up along the main mountain roads to slow down the Qing army's advance.
The third layer is the core defense. In the core areas of each village, relying on the strategic terrain, they hold their ground and refuse to venture out.
"Remember, our goal is attrition, not a decisive battle," Ma Changsheng emphasized. "If the Qing army comes, we will make them pay the price for every step they take; if they don't come, we will not provoke them."
"What if the Qing army sends a large force to besiege the mountain?"
"Then let's break it up into smaller groups," Ma Changsheng said. "Each village has secret passages, allowing us to disperse and move around. No matter how strong the Qing army is, they can't possibly search every mountain in the Dabie Mountains."
The plan has been approved.
Each village immediately took action: reinforcing fortifications, stockpiling supplies, and training local militia.
Ma Changsheng also did one other thing: he instructed Xu Guangqi and Fang Yizhi to accelerate gunpowder production.
Sulfur and saltpeter in the mountains are limited and must be used sparingly, with the main focus on making landmines and explosive charges.
"The Qing army excels at mounted archery but is not good at mountain warfare," Instructor Sun analyzed. "We should take advantage of our strengths and use more firearms and traps."
On February 15th, the Qing army finally entered the mountains.
It wasn't the main force, but a grain requisition team of 500 men, led by a captain of the Han army, heading along the official road towards a village on the edge of the Dabie Mountains.
Ma Changsheng received intelligence and decided to wage a "show battle"—to inflict heavy damage on the Qing army without revealing his full strength.
He personally led a team of two hundred mountain soldiers to ambush the enemy at "Yixiantian," a crucial point on the official road.
The "One Line Sky" is a narrow passage between two mountains, about a hundred paces long and only wide enough for two horses to walk side by side. Steep cliffs line both sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Ma Changsheng positioned fifty archers, one hundred musketeers, and fifty men on the cliff top to push rolling logs and boulders.
More than twenty landmines were buried along the road below the cliff.
At noon, the Qing army's grain requisition team entered Yixiantian.
The ranks were loose, and the soldiers chatted and laughed, clearly not taking the "bandits" in the mountains seriously.
Once the team was fully within the ambush zone, Ma Changsheng ordered, "Release!"
Logs and boulders crashed down with a deafening roar, crashing into the crowd.
At the same time, arrows and muskets were fired simultaneously.
Caught off guard, the Qing army fell in droves in an instant.
"There's an ambush! Retreat!" the captain shouted.
But their escape route was blocked by rolling stones.
To make matters worse, in the chaos, they stepped on a landmine, which exploded several times, knocking down another group of people.
The battle lasted less than fifteen minutes.
The Qing army suffered over a hundred casualties and fled in panic.
Ma Changsheng ordered a halt to the pursuit, a swift cleanup of the battlefield, and a withdrawal.
In this battle, more than 120 enemy soldiers were killed, and more than 30 horses, as well as a number of weapons and armor, were captured.
Only seven people were injured in Majiazhai; no one was killed.
But Ma Changsheng knew that this was just the beginning.
When the news reached Huangzhou Prefecture, Ye Chen was furious.
He never expected that the "bandits" in the mountains would be so rampant, daring to attack the Eight Banners soldiers.
"Order: Deploy 1,000 troops to the mountains to wipe them out!" he commanded. "Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"
On February 20th, a thousand Qing soldiers entered the mountains.
This was not a grain requisition team, but a regular combat force: eight hundred infantrymen and two hundred cavalrymen, led by Ye Chen's deputy general, Bayar.
Bayar was a Mongolian, in his forties, and a veteran of many battles.
He learned from his experience and did not rush into the mountains. Instead, he first set up camp on the edge of the mountain area and sent out scouts to investigate.
Ma Changsheng received intelligence and knew that this time it would be difficult to deal with.
He adjusted his tactics: instead of setting up ambushes in one place, he launched dispersed harassment attacks.
The eight hundred mountain soldiers were divided into twenty squads, each with forty men, and dispersed throughout the mountainous region.
The mission was to remain hidden during the day and harass Qing army camps at night; to destroy roads and cut off water sources; and to target sentries, horses, and provisions.
"Remember, each person only needs three days' worth of dry rations. Fight and leave immediately, no lingering in battle," Ma Changsheng instructed. "If the Qing army pursues, lure them into the deep mountains. They are unfamiliar with the terrain and cannot catch up."
This tactic is very effective.
The Qing army camped on the mountainside for three days and was harassed seven times: their supplies were burned twice, their sentries were killed three times, and they lost more than twenty horses.
Bayar was furious, but he couldn't catch the attacker—the attacker was like a ghost, appearing and disappearing without a trace.
Worse still, mountain roads were damaged and water sources were polluted, making it difficult for the Qing army to march and lowering their morale.
Bayar realized that this couldn't go on.
He decided to divide his forces to search and eliminate the enemy.
On February 25, Bayar divided his 1,000 men into five teams of 200 each, and sent them into the mountains from five directions to search for and suppress the enemy.
This is exactly what Ma Changsheng hoped for.
With the Qing army divided and weakened, it was the perfect opportunity to defeat them one by one.
He gathered three hundred elite troops and chose one of them—two hundred men led by a commander surnamed Zhao from the Han Army Banner—as his target.
This group of people took the "Ghost's Bane" route leading to Tianzhu Valley.
The terrain here is complex, with numerous caves, making it easy for even locals to get lost.
Ma Changsheng personally led the team to set up an inescapable trap in Guijianchou.
The battle began at noon.
When the Qing army had fully entered the cave area, shouts of battle rang out from all directions.
It wasn't a large-scale charge, but rather small-scale harassment: firing a few arrows here, a few shots there, and then disappearing.
Commander Zhao attempted to organize a counterattack, but the enemy was in the shadows while they were in the open. To make matters worse, the cave's terrain was complex, and the formation gradually broke apart as they moved forward.
Ma Changsheng seized the opportunity, concentrated his forces, and divided and encircled the enemy.
They used muskets to fire at long range, used bows and arrows to block the retreat, and used rolling stones to block the passage.
After an hour of fierce fighting, more than half of the two hundred Qing soldiers were killed or wounded, Zhao, the military commander, was captured, and the rest scattered.
This was the most devastating loss the Qing army had suffered since they entered the mountains.
When the news reached the other four routes, the Qing army was terrified.
Bayar was forced to order all units to withdraw and regroup.
The first attempt to clear out the area ended in failure.
In Huangzhou Prefecture, Ye Chen listened to Bayar's report with a gloomy expression.
"General, the bandits in the mountains are no small matter," Bayar said. "They know the terrain well, are tactically flexible, and appear and disappear unpredictably. If we go in with a thousand men, it's like punching cotton; we can't get anywhere."
"Then send two thousand! Three thousand!" Ye Chen roared. "I refuse to believe we can't wipe out a few bandits!"
"General, please calm down," an aide advised. "The army is heading south to attack Nanjing, and it's not wise to linger in the mountains. As long as these bandits don't cause trouble, perhaps... we should let them go for now."
"Let them go?" Ye Chen sneered. "They killed over a hundred of our brothers, and you're just going to let it go like that?"
"It's not about giving up, it's about taking a more gradual approach," the aide said. "After the battle of Nanjing is over, we can send a large army into the mountains to wipe them out in one fell swoop. For now, it's better to send someone to pacify them, offer them official positions, and get them to submit."
Ye Chen pondered.
He did indeed have a more important task: to march south and attack Nanjing.
Spending time in the mountains will delay important matters.
"Then... appease them." He ordered, "Send men into the mountains to tell those bandits: if they surrender and hand over the ringleaders, the rest will be spared. If they resist, after the Nanjing affair is over, the army will enter the mountains and leave no one alive!"
In March, Qing envoys arrived in the Dabie Mountains.
The man who arrived was a Han Chinese scholar who claimed to be surnamed Chen and was an advisor to Ye Chen.
Ma Changsheng received them at the Juyi Hall.
Chen's advisor spoke arrogantly: "Chief Ma, General Ye has ordered that if you surrender and hand over the ringleader who resisted the government troops, the rest of you will be spared. General Ye can also recommend you for an official position."
Ma Changsheng calmly asked, "What if we don't comply?"
"Refuse to comply?" Chen's advisor sneered. "Once the battle of Nanjing is over, the army will march into the mountains and leave no survivors. At that time, not only your small village, but the entire Dabie Mountains will be awash in blood!"
"Then please convey to General Ye, Mr. Chen." Ma Changsheng stood up and said, word by word, "We are not bandits, but civilians fleeing from chaos. We are afraid we cannot comply."
"You...you're asking for it!"
"Whether it's courting death or not, we'll only know after we try," Ma Changsheng said. "Mr. Chen, please go back. Tell General Ye: the Dabie Mountains are not so easy to enter."
Chen's advisors left dejectedly.
As soon as the man left, Tiezhu said anxiously, "Changsheng, if we refuse like this, the Qing army will definitely retaliate."
"I know," Ma Changsheng said, "but some things cannot be compromised."
"Prepare for an even fiercer attack," he told the crowd. "The main Qing army is going to attack Nanjing, so they won't be focusing their full force on us for now. But after the Nanjing affair is over..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood: that would be the real test.
In March, spring plowing begins.
Although the Qing army was pressing in, the land could not be left uncultivated.
Ma Changsheng organized "armed spring plowing": the village militia went to the fields with weapons on their backs, and set up lookout posts along the fields so that they could immediately evacuate if there was any enemy activity.
The Qing army did indeed harass them several times, but they were repelled each time.
After several engagements, the Qing army realized they could not gain any advantage and gradually reduced their harassment.
Spring plowing proceeded smoothly.
By the end of April, Tianzhu Valley had reclaimed another 500 mu of terraced fields and planted corn and sweet potatoes.
The other two outposts also each cultivated 300 mu.
The food problem has eased slightly.
Meanwhile, construction continues in the mountains.
The academy expanded its enrollment by fifty students; the medical clinic trained twenty apprentices; and the workshop improved agricultural tools, increasing efficiency.
What pleased Ma Changsheng even more was that the population in the mountains was increasing—people from the plains were constantly fleeing into the mountains to join the base.
By May, the total population of the Dabie Mountain base area had exceeded 10,000.
"Having more people is a good thing, but it's also a pressure," Xu Guangqi said. "Food, housing, and management are all problems."
"Problems are being solved one by one," Ma Changsheng said. "As long as people are alive, there is hope."
He formulated a more detailed development plan: in the next three years, 10,000 mu of terraced fields will be reclaimed to achieve food self-sufficiency; a more complete administrative system will be established; more technical talents will be trained; and even... a simple industrial system will be established.
"The chaos will not last forever," he said at the council of elders. "When peace returns, we will take what we have accumulated and come out of the mountains to build a better home."
These words gave everyone hope.
Yes, it's good to suffer a little now and work hard now, so that we can have peace and tranquility in the future.
In May, Huang Zongxi sent a secret letter from Wuchang: Nanjing has fallen!
The Hongguang Emperor was captured, and the Southern Ming Dynasty was destroyed.
When the Qing army occupied Jiangnan, there was fierce resistance in various parts of Jiangnan, but it was all suppressed.
"The Qing army's next move might be to attack Zuo Menggeng in the west, or they might move south to sweep through various regions," Huang Zongxi wrote in his letter. "Brother Changsheng, you must be careful. If the Qing army has the time, they will definitely enter the mountains to wipe them out."
Sure enough, in June, scouts reported that the main Qing army was resting, but had dispatched several small units to sweep away resistance forces in various parts of Jiangbei. One of these units, about two thousand men, led by Ye Chen himself, was moving towards the Dabie Mountains.
The real test has begun.
Ma Changsheng immediately convened a pre-battle meeting.
"Ye Chen has come in person, with two thousand men," he said in front of the map. "This time it's not a harassment; he's determined to annihilate us."
"Can we stop them?" someone asked.
"We can't stop them." Ma Changsheng said frankly, "Two thousand regular troops, well-equipped and experienced in combat. Although we have a population of ten thousand, less than two thousand are capable of fighting, and their equipment is inferior."
"Then... what should we do?"
"A strategic shift," Ma Changsheng said. "It's not about running away, it's about preserving our strength. When the Qing army comes, we retreat into the mountains; when they leave, we come out again. We'll wage guerrilla warfare against them and wear them down."
He devised a detailed relocation plan: the elderly, women, and children would go first to deeper into the mountains; the able-bodied local militia would stay behind to hold off the enemy while retreating; and the supplies that could be taken from each village would be taken away, while the supplies that could not be taken away would be hidden or destroyed.
"Remember, our goal is not to defeat the Qing army, but to survive," Ma Changsheng said. "As long as we live, the stronghold can be rebuilt; if we die, everything is gone."
Once the plan is set, it will be implemented immediately.
A large-scale relocation began throughout the Dabie Mountains base area.
More than 10,000 people, supporting the elderly and carrying children, set off into the deep mountains with their simple belongings.
The scene was tragic, but there was no panic.
The training and systems established over the past four years came into play at this time: some led the team, some covered the rear, and some took care of the elderly and the weak, maintaining order.
Ma Changsheng walked at the back, watching the long line disappear into the deep mountains and forests, a mix of emotions welling up inside him.
Four years ago, he led the people of Majia Village into the mountains in order to survive.
Four years later, he led 10,000 people to relocate again, still in an effort to survive.
In chaotic times, survival is the greatest victory.
He turned around and glanced in the direction of Tianzhu Valley.
There are houses they built with their own hands, fields they cultivated, and... the graves of those who died in battle.
"Brothers, I'm sorry, I can't be with you for now," he said softly. "But we'll be back. We definitely will."
Deep in the mountains and dense forests, the road ahead is uncertain.
But Ma Changsheng knew that as long as people were alive, there was hope.