Chapter Thirty-Eight: If You Want to Live, Charge Forward

“It’s that kid!”
A soldier of the Wanquan Left Guard, eyes bloodshot with rage, spotted Lu Qing amid the crowd. He lunged forward, brandishing his blade and pressing it to Lu Qing’s throat, shouting furiously, “We all charged forward because of your words! Now the fortress is lost—what do you say we do now? If you don’t give us a way out, I’ll kill you myself before the Tartars do!”
“Yes, it’s him! Damn it, Qin Laosi, kill him first!”
More soldiers, feeling trapped and desperate, surged forward in anger, some among them members of the Night Patrol.
The rest of the Ming troops gathered around as well. Most bore no grudge against Lu Qing—just moments ago, had they not banded together and forced their way through, the Tartar soldiers would have cut them down long ago; it was a miracle any survived.
Yet lack of resentment didn’t mean these men would step in to help Lu Qing. They simply stood by, watching. Those considering a quick escape dared not move either, for hundreds of Tartar soldiers watched them with hungry eyes from behind. To escape alone through their blades would be harder than scaling the sky. If they hoped to survive, they’d need to flee as a group, so there’d be others to draw fire along the way.
A few Ming troops still held out hope for Lu Qing. Their eyes fixed on his face, longing for him to point out another path to life. Some even quietly raised their weapons, ready to protect him if he found a way to survive—though if he proved as lost as them, they might just as easily turn on him.
Even those auxiliary soldiers and camp followers who had rushed in with Shi Dayong, their blood hot and heads ablaze with courage, now felt much the same. The earlier passion had long since drained away; the biting wind had cleared their minds. Now, their foremost concern was not slaughtering the Tartars, but how to escape this Duoshi Fortress alive.
When they’d charged in with Shi Dayong, they had no idea Duoshi Fortress would fall; they thought only a handful of Tartars were rioting in the camp. As long as the fortress held, the Tartars could do nothing. Only then did they bite their tongues and follow their captain, Shi Dayong, into pitched battle. But now the fortress was lost, their pillar was gone, their captain was slain in the fighting, the Kaiping Guard commander had abandoned them. To say they weren’t afraid would be a lie.
When the Kaiping Guard soldiers who’d burst from the fortress saw another group of Ming troops gathered ahead, not fleeing, they were surprised. Curious about the commotion, some ran over. Those behind, seeing men running in that direction, thought there might be a way out and followed as well.
The crowd quickly swelled, numbering over a thousand, packed shoulder to shoulder. The Tartars who had been poised to attack were stunned, unable to understand why the Ming soldiers weren’t running.
The Tartar officer leading the pursuit also found it odd. The side gate had been secured—why hadn’t Lord Ala’s forces charged in, leaving the Ming to hold the ground outside the fortress?
Seeing the flames and thick smoke engulfing Duoshi Fortress, the Tartar officer began to grasp the situation. He quietly ordered his men to hold position, waiting for the main force outside the border to arrive before charging in to annihilate the Ming remnants.
The wind still howled, showing no sign of abating.
...
With a blade at his throat, Lu Qing’s heart pounded with dread. He glanced at the furious Qin Laosi and the soldiers around him, knowing these men teetered on the brink of collapse. Any misstep, and they’d lop off his head before scattering for their lives.
At such a moment, Lu Qing had no wish to die so pitifully. He forced himself to appear calm—perhaps even managed a bitter smile. Yet, with the blade pressed tight, terror stifled any attempt at bravado. All he could do was keep his fear from showing and shout to Qin Laosi and the others, “We’re not at the end yet. Even if we are, what good would killing me do? Do you think the Tartars will spare you for that?”
“Spare us your damned nonsense!”
Qin Laosi, blade still at Lu Qing’s neck, was incensed. “If we hadn’t followed you, would I have come this far? If you’d shown us a real escape, that’d be one thing—but you led us into a death trap! If this isn’t the end, what is? ... Killing you might not change things, but it’ll make my death less bitter!”
With that, he raised his sword to strike—but suddenly, a flash of steel intervened, knocking his blade aside.
Lu Qing started, seeing that his savior was a bearded Night Patrolman under Zhou Yunyi’s command.
“Who are you?”
Qin Laosi glared, recognizing the interloper as another Night Patrol.
“What’s your game—trying to save this kid?”
“The Tartars are right there—if you’re a man, go settle things with them! What’s the point of turning on your own?”
It was Jiang Tong who spoke. He and the bearded man now flanked Lu Qing protectively. Facing two Night Patrolmen, Qin Laosi knew he was outmatched and took a step back, but didn’t yield. Instead, he shouted to the assembled Ming soldiers, “These two are with him! Let’s take them out and scatter for our lives!”
“Enough! Is this really the time for infighting? If you try anything, I’ll kill you first!”
Zhou Yunyi stepped forward, crossbow loaded and pointed at Qin Laosi. His two men behind also leveled their blades.
Qin Laosi saw Zhou Yunyi’s murderous intent and realized this was no bluff. There was no way he could dodge a crossbow bolt at such close range. He snorted but dared not move.
Having cowed Qin Laosi, Zhou Yunyi frowned deeply, for he too was at a loss for what to do next.
Some of the desperate soldiers, seeing both sides at a standoff and the crowd growing ever larger, grew frantic that the Tartars would soon break through the side gate and slaughter them all. One shouted, “Don’t just stand there! While the Tartar army hasn’t charged, let’s run!”
“Run where?” someone in the crowd asked.
“That way—to Ma Camp!” the soldier blurted.
“Ma Camp?”
At the name, the crowd buzzed in confusion. Amid the chaos, someone called out, “There’s a thousand-man garrison at Ma Camp, and it’s close to Longmen! Commander Zhao and the others must be heading there—we should too!”
But another immediately objected, “It’s seventy or eighty li from here to Ma Camp. Can you outrun the Tartars’ horses on foot?”
“If we can’t, we still have to try! Or should we just wait here to die?”
“When the wind dies down, the Tartars will storm in! If we don’t run now, none of us will make it!”
More and more voices favored fleeing to Ma Camp. Someone shouted, “If there’s no better option, just run for Ma Camp—whoever makes it, lives!”
Zhou Yunyi and the others had no better plan. Though Ma Camp was far and few would likely survive the journey, it still offered a slim chance at life, so they too were tempted.
At that moment, Lu Qing suddenly waved his hand and shouted, “No! We must not head for Ma Camp! It’s too far—no one will make it. The Tartars will catch us before daylight, and not a soul will survive!”
“Who are you to say we can’t go! Don’t listen to this kid—if you want to live, head for Ma Camp!”
Failing to kill Lu Qing, Qin Laosi was desperate to flee before the Tartar army broke in. He called for men to follow him.
Yet a few seasoned soldiers realized the risks of heading for Ma Camp, and seeing Lu Qing might have a better idea, asked, “If not Ma Camp, then where?”
Lu Qing pointed northwest. “To Junzi Fortress!”
Junzi Fortress?
The Ming soldiers paused, weighing the place in their minds.
Afraid they’d refuse, Lu Qing hurriedly added, “Junzi Fortress is only thirty li from here. We can reach it before dawn. Even if the Tartars give chase, it’s still better than running eighty li to Ma Camp!”
In a flight for survival, distance meant everything. With this logic, many quickly saw that heading for Junzi Fortress gave them a better chance.
“How is going to Junzi Fortress any different from suicide?” Qin Laosi protested. “That place only has a hundred men—a Tartar charge would crush it. Isn’t that just asking to die?”
He added, “At least Ma Camp is held by a thousand men, and the commanders are surely retreating there. If we run fast enough and make it in, we’ll be safe!”
Lu Qing, seeing Qin Laosi trying to turn the crowd toward Ma Camp again, retorted, “Once the Tartars break through, they’ll head south. Ma Camp will be the first to fall. Can you guarantee it’ll hold? That the officers won’t abandon us again?”
“Junzi Fortress lies to the northwest. The Tartars have come for plunder—there are no villages for miles around Junzi Fortress. Only a fool would attack it. If you want to live, head for Junzi Fortress. Ma Camp is a death trap! And between thirty li and eighty li, which gives us a better chance? I don’t need to say more—you all know it in your hearts!”
The crowd fell silent for a dozen seconds. Someone asked, “What if the Tartars don’t go south but attack Junzi Fortress?”
“Right—if they chase us all the way, aren’t we doomed at Junzi Fortress too?”
“Then we gamble! Whoever wants Junzi Fortress, follow me. Whoever wants Ma Camp, do as you please!”
Lu Qing had neither the patience nor the time to argue further. The fire in the fortress had weakened, the smoke was thinning—if they waited any longer, even escape would be impossible.
“We’ll follow Brother Lu to Junzi Fortress!”
Zhou Yunyi gritted his teeth and led Jiang Tong and the others after Lu Qing.
“Damn it! I can’t make it to Ma Camp, but I can reach Junzi Fortress. Let’s gamble!”
Seeing Lu Qing and his group move out, many Ming soldiers clenched their teeth and followed, including some officers of the Kaiping Guard.
With most of the crowd gone, the remainder hesitated, unsure whether to aim for Ma Camp or Junzi Fortress. All eyes turned to Qin Laosi.
Qin Laosi’s heart pounded. After a moment’s thought, he stamped his foot and shouted, “Damn it! Brothers, let’s bet our lives too—Junzi Fortress it is!”
With that, the rest of the Ming soldiers set out, chasing after the others.
Ahead, the road was already blocked by Tartars, bows drawn, ready to cut down any who tried to break through.
Zhou Yunyi glanced at Lu Qing, who led the way. “What do we do?”
“If you want to live—charge forward!”