novelSusiti Chapter 17 First Guerrilla Battle
Chapter 17 First Guerrilla Battle
On the sixth day of the fifth month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen (1641), Ma Changsheng led two hundred elite soldiers out of the camp.
The configuration of one hundred cavalrymen and one hundred musketeers was the result of his careful consideration: the cavalry were mobile, and the muskets were lethal; if coordinated well, they could achieve victory with fewer troops.
Before leaving the stronghold, he gave a final pep talk at the drill ground: "Brothers, this battle will not be easy. Sun Kewang has five thousand men, Zhang Xianzhong's elite troops. But we don't want to annihilate them all; we want to make them feel the pain, to make them realize that fighting us is not worth the effort."
He raised his riding whip and pointed north: "Remember three things: survival is paramount, fight and run; target the logistics, burn the grain and kill the grooms; never allow the indiscriminate killing of prisoners or the plundering of civilians."
"Yes!" the two hundred people responded in unison.
The group set off, taking mountain paths to avoid the official roads.
Ma Changsheng ordered Tiezhu to lead thirty cavalrymen to scout ahead, while Instructor Sun led musketeers in the middle, and he himself brought up the rear.
This was Ma Changsheng's first time riding a horse for an extended period of time.
My body, not yet twelve years old, wasn't used to it. After a day of bumpy travel, the skin on my inner thighs was chafed and burning painfully.
But he gritted his teeth and persisted—he couldn't let anyone see the chieftain's vulnerability.
In the evening, the group set up camp in a valley thirty miles from the official road.
The terrain here is secluded, with a water source, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Ma Changsheng convened a meeting with several team leaders: "The scouts report that Sun Kewang's vanguard will pass through Black Wind Ridge, thirty li away, at noon tomorrow. The mountain road there is narrow, with forests on both sides, making it suitable for an ambush."
"Play as a striker?" Coach Sun asked. "Strikers are usually elite players, and they're not easy to play against."
"We won't fight any hard battles," Ma Changsheng said. "We'll use muskets to fire at long range, then run away. The goal is to create chaos and slow down their march."
He drew a diagram on the ground: "The musketeers are positioned in ambush on both sides of the hillside, in three rows, taking turns firing. The cavalry will provide support from the rear, and the musketeers will mount their horses and run away when they retreat."
"What if we get surrounded?"
"That's why we chose Black Wind Ridge—the forests on both sides are dense, so we can shoot and then disappear into the woods. Most of Sun Kewang's soldiers have never been into the mountains before, so they can't catch up with us."
The plan is simple, but practical.
The group accepted the order and left.
On the seventh day of the fifth lunar month, there was fog in the early morning.
Ma Changsheng led his troops to Black Wind Ridge ahead of time and ambushed them on both sides of the hillside.
The musketeers inspected their weapons and loaded ammunition; the cavalrymen hid in the woods behind them, their horses gagged to prevent them from neighing.
At 8:45 AM, a scout reported that Sun Kewang's vanguard had arrived, numbering about 800 men, including 300 cavalry and 500 infantry. The leader was a shopkeeper surnamed Liu.
"Eight hundred men..." Instructor Sun said in a low voice, "More than expected."
"Don't be afraid," Ma Changsheng said calmly. "We're launching a surprise attack, not a decisive battle. Remember, three rounds of firing, then retreat. No lingering."
He climbed to a high place and observed with a Western-made monocular telescope that he had bought at a high price from a merchant in Jiujiang.
As the fog gradually dissipated, a long procession appeared on the official road: cavalry in front, infantry behind, and a supply train in the middle.
The ranks were loose, the soldiers were chatting and laughing, completely unsuspecting—they had no idea they would be attacked in this "rear area".
Ma Changsheng calculated the distance: two hundred steps, one hundred and fifty steps, one hundred steps...
"Get ready!" he whispered.
The musketeers held their breath, their fingers gripping the triggers.
Eighty steps!
"put!"
"Bang bang bang—"
The first row of fifty muskets fired simultaneously, billowing white smoke.
On the official road, the cavalry in the front ranks were pushed over as if by an invisible hand, with men and horses falling to the ground.
"Enemy attack! Ambush!" the bandits cried out in alarm.
But before they could organize a counterattack, the second volley of muskets opened fire. Then the third volley.
In less than a minute after three rounds of firing, dozens of men fell on the official road, warhorses neighed in terror, and the ranks were thrown into chaos.
"Withdraw!" Ma Changsheng ordered.
The musketeers quickly retreated and ran into the woods behind them.
There were cavalrymen waiting there; two men on each horse mounted and rode away.
The whole process was clean and efficient, taking less than three minutes from firing to evacuation.
By the time Liu Zhangpan rallied the troops and organized a search party to go up the mountain, the ambushers had already vanished into the vast forest.
Losses tallied: 37 dead, over 50 wounded, and more than 20 warhorses lost. And the enemy… not a single one captured.
"Damn it! A bunch of cowards!" Manager Liu cursed angrily. "If you've got the guts, fight me head-on!"
Despite his complaints, he dared not divide his forces to venture deeper into the mountains—who knew if there were any ambushes inside? He could only speed up his journey through Black Wind Ridge.
This delay lasted for two hours.
The initial victory greatly boosted the morale of Majiazhai.
But Ma Changsheng knew that this was just the beginning.
That afternoon, he led his troops to another ambush point: Eagle Beak Cliff.
The terrain here is even more treacherous, with the official road halfway up the mountain, one side being a cliff and the other a steep slope.
"We won't fight this time," Ma Changsheng said. "Let's scare them."
He had his soldiers pile up stones on the hillside and tie them with vines.
When Sun Kewang's main force passed by, they cut the vines and rolled the stones down the mountain.
"We won't kill anyone, we'll just create chaos," Ma Changsheng explained. "The goal is to buy time and demoralize them."
As expected, Sun Kewang's main force arrived in the evening.
This force numbered over four thousand men and was more disciplined than the vanguard, but they were also showing signs of fatigue from the long march.
When the group reached the narrowest point of Eagle's Beak Cliff, Ma Changsheng ordered, "Release!"
Dozens of large rocks rolled down the hillside with a thunderous roar. Although they didn't hit many people, the sound was terrifying.
The bandit ranks were thrown into chaos. Some pushed forward, some ran backward, and they trampled each other.
"There's an ambush!"
"Run!"
Instructor Sun, watching from the hillside, couldn't help but laugh: "What a rabble!"
Ma Changsheng frowned: "Sun Kewang hasn't panicked. Look, the central army flag hasn't moved."
Sure enough, in the chaos, a troop of cavalry charged out, led by a young general, about twenty years old, with a stern face.
He brandished his long sword, cutting down several deserters in quick succession, and shouted sternly, "What's the panic! It's rolling stones, not an ambush! Line up! Forward!"
Is this Sun Kewang? Ma Changsheng observed him carefully through his binoculars.
This person is young, but he commands with composure and is indeed a talented general.
"Withdraw," Ma Changsheng ordered.
This time, they achieved their goal without even showing their faces.
Over the next three days, Ma Changsheng harassed Sun Kewang's troops using various methods:
At night, small groups of cavalry were sent to raid the camp, set fire to the tents, but did not penetrate deep into the enemy territory.
They dug pits, buried bamboo sticks, and set tripwires along the only route;
Throwing rotting animal carcasses upstream of water sources;
They even sent loud-voiced soldiers to shout from the hilltop: "Sun Kewang! Go home and farm! Zhang Xianzhong is doomed!"
These harassments, though not fatal, are annoying.
Sun Kewang's troops' marching speed was greatly reduced, and their morale was low.
More importantly, they could never catch the harassers—Ma Changsheng's team was familiar with the terrain, hit and run, and were as slippery as eels.
On the tenth day of the fifth month, Sun Kewang finally couldn't hold back any longer.
He dispatched a thousand elite soldiers in three routes to search and suppress the enemy in the mountains.
This is what Ma Changsheng was waiting for.
"Sun Kewang has divided his forces." Ma Changsheng marked on the map, "Three hundred men on the left, going through Qinglonggou; four hundred men in the middle, going through Laohuling; three hundred men on the right, going through Heixiong Valley."
He analyzed, "The three routes are five to ten miles apart, and it will take time for them to support each other. Let's concentrate our forces and attack one route first."
"Which way?" Tie Zhu asked.
"The right flank," Ma Changsheng pointed to Black Bear Valley, "is the most complex terrain here, perfect for an ambush. Moreover, the leader of the right flank is a man surnamed Wang who is impatient and easily angered, making him easy to fool."
He devised a detailed plan: to ambush the enemy in Black Bear Valley, fire first with muskets, then follow up with archers, and finally have the cavalry charge. He demanded a swift victory, ending the battle within fifteen minutes, followed by a rapid retreat.
"What about the other two reinforcements?"
"So we set up a feint at Qinglonggou and Laohuling," Ma Changsheng said. "We planted many flags and lit many cigarettes to make it look like there were heavy troops guarding the area. They couldn't figure out the truth and dared not advance rashly."
The battle began on the afternoon of May 10th.
Manager Wang led three hundred men into Black Bear Valley.
The area is mountainous and densely forested with winding roads. Although he was vigilant, he did not expect the other party to dare to take the initiative.
Once the troops were fully within the ambush zone, Ma Changsheng gave the order: "Fire!"
Muskets fired in unison, and arrows rained down.
Caught off guard, the bandits fell in droves in an instant.
"There's an ambush! Retreat!" Wang Zhangpan shouted.
However, their retreat route was blocked by rolling logs and boulders.
Soldiers from Majiazhai charged down from the hillsides on both sides, their spears like a forest and their swords flashing.
Wang Zhangpan tried to resist, but was shot in the shoulder by Tie Zhu's arrow and fell from his horse. With their commander wounded, morale plummeted.
The battle ended in fifteen minutes.
Of the three hundred bandits, over a hundred were killed or wounded, fifty were captured, and the rest scattered. The Ma family stronghold suffered only a dozen or so casualties.
"Clear the battlefield, take the prisoners and weapons, and burn what you can't take," Ma Changsheng ordered. "Hurry! The other two groups are almost there!"
Sure enough, just as they withdrew from Black Bear Valley, scouts reported that the bandits on the left and central routes had heard the commotion and were on their way.
"As planned, retreat!" Ma Changsheng led his team to quickly move away and disappear into the deep mountains and forests.
When Sun Kewang's other two armies arrived at Black Bear Valley, they only saw corpses scattered all over the ground and burning supplies.
We didn't even see a shadow of the enemy.
"Chase!" The general in the middle lane was furious.
But where to chase them? The mountains and forests are vast, and chasing in any direction could lead to an ambush.
In the end, they could only carry the wounded and the bodies back home, feeling dejected.
That night, at Sun Kewang's camp.
Manager Wang was carried in, an arrow wound in his shoulder, his face deathly pale.
Sun Kewang looked at his old subordinate who had followed him for many years, and then at the other two dejected generals, and his anger flared up.
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" He smashed his wine glass. "A thousand men went out, and less than seven hundred came back! They didn't even know who the enemy was!"
An advisor cautiously said, "General, we learned from the prisoners that they are from Majia Village."
"Ma Family Village? That village of the eleven-year-old boy?" Sun Kewang sneered. "Didn't Mr. Wang say he had already persuaded them to surrender?"
"They did surrender, but... but it seems it was only in name."
Sun Kewang paced back and forth in front of the map: "Ma Family Village... I didn't want to fight them, I thought I'd just go around them. But now it seems I have no choice but to fight."
He analyzed, "Majiazhai is strategically located, controlling the passage from Jiangbei to Jiujiang. If we don't remove this thorn in our side, our rear will be unstable. Moreover, if word gets out that I, Sun Kewang, was completely outmaneuvered by a child, where will I put my face?"
"The general means..."
"All troops, turn around and attack Majiazhai first!" Sun Kewang made the decision. "Five thousand against one thousand, I refuse to believe we can't take it!"
The strategist hesitated: "But His Majesty's order is to take Jiujiang as soon as possible..."
"Jiujiang isn't going anywhere, a few days later won't matter," Sun Kewang said. "But I can't swallow this insult!"
He immediately ordered the entire army to turn around and head straight for Majiazhai.
At the same time, someone was sent to Zhang Xianzhong to explain the situation.
The news quickly reached Ma Changsheng's ears.
"Sun Kewang is coming." Ma Changsheng convened a meeting at the temporary camp. "Five thousand men, launch a full-scale attack."
"Then let's hurry back to the village to defend it!" Tie Zhu said.
"No." Ma Changsheng shook his head. "If we go back now, we'll be surrounded in the village. Five thousand men are surrounding the village; we can't hold out for more than a few days."
"What should we do then?"
"Keep harassing them and hold them back," Ma Changsheng said. "If they take the main road, we'll attack the main road; if they go into the mountains, we'll use the terrain to maneuver around them. In short, we won't let them march comfortably."
He paused, then continued, "At the same time, send someone back to the village to report the news and have the village prepare for defense. Also... report to Zhang Xianzhong."
"To tattle?" The crowd was puzzled.
"Yes, accuse Sun Kewang." Ma Changsheng sneered, "Just say that Sun Kewang changed the plan without authorization, disregarded the overall situation, and attacked the Ma Family Village, which had already submitted, for personal revenge. Request King Zhang to stop him."
This is a tactic to sow discord.
Zhang Xianzhong was suspicious and distrustful of his adopted sons.
If they knew that Sun Kewang was disobeying orders, they would definitely be dissatisfied.
Would Zhang Xianzhong believe it?
"Whether we believe it or not doesn't matter, as long as he orders Sun Kewang to withdraw his troops, that's enough," Ma Changsheng said. "Even if it's just a few days' delay, it will be beneficial to us."
With the plan set, they split up and took action.
Ma Changsheng led the main force to continue harassing Sun Kewang; Tiezhu led ten men back to the village to report the news; Chen Jiru drafted a letter of complaint and sent it to Zhang Xianzhong through secret sentry channels.
On May 12, Sun Kewang's troops turned towards Majiazhai.
But their marching speed slowed down even more—Ma Changsheng's harassment intensified.
This was not just a small-scale attack, but an organized counterattack.
On the bridge that was a necessary passage on the official road, Ma Changsheng had the bridge planks removed, leaving only two single logs.
If the bandits wanted to cross the river, they had to build a bridge slowly or take a long detour.
At the water source, they not only threw rotting corpses, but also laid an ambush downstream—to launch a surprise attack when the bandits sent men to clear the water source.
At night, they not only raided the camp, but also made a show of drumming and gonging outside the camp, feigning an attack. When the bandits regrouped to meet the enemy, they disappeared without a trace.
The most ruthless tactic was that Ma Changsheng sent men disguised as bandit messengers to infiltrate Sun Kewang's logistics team, mixing sand into the grain and croton seeds into the horse feed.
These methods are insidious but effective.
Sun Kewang's troops could only advance twenty or thirty li each day, and the soldiers were exhausted and full of complaints.
On May 15th, Sun Kewang finally snapped.
He personally led a thousand cavalrymen, breaking away from the main force, to search and annihilate the enemy in the mountains.
"Ma Changsheng! Come out! Fight me head-on!" he shouted at the foot of the mountain.
Ma Changsheng, watching through binoculars from the mountaintop, said to Instructor Sun, "He's getting impatient. This is our chance."
"What opportunity?"
"Eliminate his thousand men." A cold glint flashed in Ma Changsheng's eyes. "He underestimated us and acted rashly. We can use the terrain to divide and encircle him."
The battlefield he chose was "Ghost's Bane"—a complex limestone landscape filled with caves, stone forests, and underground rivers. Even locals easily get lost there, let alone outsiders.
Ma Changsheng had local militiamen familiar with the terrain lead the way, dividing the team into more than a dozen groups, each with several dozen people, scattered throughout Guijianchou.
"Remember, don't fight head-on, just harass them," he instructed. "Lure them into the maze, then take them down one by one."
The battle began on the morning of May 16.
Sun Kewang's thousand cavalrymen entered Guijianchou and soon realized something was wrong: the roads were intricate and there were many forks in the road, and they scattered as they walked.
"General, this place is eerie!" the lieutenant said. "Our men have gotten separated!"
"What are you afraid of! Ma Changsheng's small group can't possibly devour us!" Sun Kewang said defiantly, but he was also worried inside.
At that moment, shouts of battle erupted from all around.
However, it wasn't a large-scale attack; rather, small groups of enemies appeared from all directions, fired a few arrows and a few shots, and then disappeared.
"Over there! Chase them!" Sun Kewang led his men in pursuit.
They chased the enemy to the entrance of a cave, but the enemy had vanished.
Just as they were about to enter the cave to search, shouts of killing rang out from the other side.
Exhausted from running around.
To make matters worse, Ma Changsheng has adopted a new weapon: a gunpowder pack thrower.
This is a simple catapult built by Song Dynasty craftsmen based on Ma Changsheng's design. It can throw a five-pound gunpowder bag more than a hundred steps.
The gunpowder pack exploded upon landing. The explosion wasn't very powerful, but it was extremely loud, sending flames soaring into the sky, which greatly frightened the warhorses.
"Boom! Boom!"
Several explosions startled Sun Kewang's warhorse, throwing him off.
If it weren't for the personal guards risking their lives to protect him, he would have been trampled to death by the horse.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Sun Kewang finally realized that he had fallen into a trap.
But retreating wasn't easy either. The road they came from was blocked by rolling stones, and they didn't know where the other roads led.
The melee continued until evening.
Sun Kewang finally managed to gather the remaining troops and counted their numbers: there were a thousand men when they came, but now only a little over six hundred remained, and they had also lost more than two hundred horses.
And the other side... didn't even manage to catch a few shadows.
What a shame!
On May 18th, Zhang Xianzhong's envoy arrived.
He wasn't Wang's strategist, but a confidant of Zhang Xianzhong, surnamed Xu, dressed as an old scholar.
He brought with him Zhang Xianzhong's order:
"Sun Kewang, immediately cease your attack on Majiazhai and lead your troops to Jiujiang without delay. Since Majiazhai has already surrendered, treat them as friendly forces. Both sides should back down, and past transgressions will be forgiven."
Sun Kewang looked at the warrant, his face turning ashen.
He wanted to disobey orders, but dared not—he knew Zhang Xianzhong's temperament; those who disobeyed orders would die.
"Mr. Xu, this Ma Changsheng is extremely cunning. If he is not eliminated, he will become a future threat!" he tried to persuade.
Mr. Xu said slowly and deliberately: "General Sun, His Majesty's meaning is very clear: Jiujiang is of utmost importance. The trouble at Majiazhai is a minor one, but the trouble at Jiujiang is a major one. You should know which is more important."
He paused, then lowered his voice: "Moreover, His Majesty is very unhappy to hear that the general has suffered heavy losses. Even if we win the battle, it won't do His Majesty any good.
These words struck a nerve with Sun Kewang.
He had indeed suffered heavy losses, and if he disobeyed orders again, Zhang Xianzhong might really turn against him.
"So... we're just going to let Ma Changsheng's attack on our unit go like this?"
"The king said that the monthly tribute from Ma Family Village will be doubled as compensation," Mr. Xu said. "Chief Ma has already agreed."
This is a deal: Sun Kewang withdraws his troops, and Majiazhai pays more money and grain.
Sun Kewang gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.
Finally, he ordered the entire army to turn around and head towards Jiujiang.
Before leaving, he pointed towards Majiazhai and said fiercely, "Ma Changsheng, we'll settle our score sooner or later!"
On May 20, Sun Kewang's troops completely withdrew from Qishui County.
Ma Changsheng led the team back to the village.
The people along the way lined the road to welcome him—they had heard of Majiazhai's victory against overwhelming odds and regarded the twelve-year-old village chief as their guardian deity.
At the village gate, Ma Sanbao and Li Shi led the entire village in welcoming them.
Li hugged her son, crying and laughing at the same time: "Changsheng, you're finally back! Your mother was so worried!"
Ma Changsheng comforted his mother, "Mom, I'm alright. We won."
They definitely won.
In this battle, Majiazhai, with two hundred men, fought against Sun Kewang's five thousand men, killing and wounding approximately eight hundred enemy soldiers, capturing over one hundred, and seizing countless horses and weapons. Their own casualties were: eleven dead and thirty-seven wounded.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
That evening, a victory celebration banquet was held in the Hall of Righteousness.
Although the food was simple, the atmosphere was lively.
Ma Changsheng raised his bowl: "This battle has shown the might of our Ma Family Village! From now on, anyone who wants to mess with us will have to think twice!"
The crowd cheered.
But after the celebration banquet, Ma Changsheng convened a meeting with key personnel, his expression serious:
"We won this battle, but it also exposed some problems."
He listed several points:
We lack sufficient troops. Two hundred men are enough for harassment, but not enough for a real battle.
Equipment disparity. There were still too few muskets, and not enough shells and gunpowder.
Intelligence was delayed. Information regarding Sun Kewang's specific plans was not obtained in a timely manner.
Logistics were weak. After seven days of guerrilla warfare, they almost ran out of food.
"Therefore, the next key issues to address are: expanding the army to 1,500 men; increasing the number of muskets to 300; establishing a more efficient intelligence network; and building secret granaries for decentralized storage." Ma Changsheng said, "We will expand the army to 1,500 men; increase the number of muskets to 300; establish a more efficient intelligence network; and build secret granaries for decentralized storage."
He paused, then added, "And most importantly: we've offended Sun Kewang this time, and he'll retaliate sooner or later. As for Zhang Xianzhong, things are only temporarily stable. We need to prepare for the worst."
"What are your plans?" Ma Sanbao asked.
"If Zhang Xianzhong really wants to destroy us, or the imperial court wants to suppress us, or Sun Kewang comes to take revenge on his own... we need a way out." Ma Changsheng pointed to the map of the back mountain. "I plan to build a 'second stronghold,' deeper and more secluded, capable of accommodating everyone. If we can't hold this place, we'll retreat inside."
This is taking precautions. Everyone agrees.
It was late at night, and the meeting ended.
When Ma Changsheng returned to his residence, Li had already prepared hot water for him to soak his feet and relax.
Soaking his feet, Ma Changsheng opened the battle reports and carefully reviewed each battle.
In the consciousness database, the military theory module is automatically analyzing:
Tactical application: The combined use of guerrilla warfare, ambush warfare, and psychological warfare has yielded remarkable results.
Command ability: calm and decisive, good at utilizing terrain, and knows how to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses.
Areas for improvement: Logistics support, intelligence timeliness, and troop deployment can be optimized.
Overall assessment: A qualified local armed forces commander.
Ma Changsheng smiled.
Qualified? In this era, being able to lead two hundred people against five thousand without defeat is already beyond "qualified".
But he knew that wasn't enough.
The chaos has only just begun; even more brutal tests lie ahead.
He must become stronger.
Majiazhai must also become stronger.
Outside the window, the moon is bright and the stars are few.
This twelve-year-old boy has grown into a true leader in this small mountain village amidst the chaos of war.
But his journey is still long.