novelSusiti Chapter 25 Forest Guerrilla
Chapter 25 Forest Guerrilla
In June of the first year of the Shunzhi reign (1645), summer arrived fiercely in the Dabie Mountains.
The cicadas chirped incessantly, the dense forest was sweltering, and swarms of mosquitoes filled the air.
The group of more than 10,000 people trudged through the deep mountains and forests, supporting the elderly and carrying the young, their steps faltering.
Ma Changsheng walked at the back of the group, looking back from time to time.
In the distance, the direction of Tianzhu Valley could be vaguely seen, where wisps of black smoke were already rising—the Qing army was burning the houses they hadn't had time to take with them.
"Chief, take a rest." Tie Zhu handed over a water bag, his face bearing several bloody scratches from tree branches.
Ma Changsheng took the water pouch and took a small sip: "Have the vanguard find a safe place to camp. The elderly and children can't walk anymore."
The group stopped by a stream.
The stream water was clear, but we dared not drink it directly—the Qing army may have poisoned it upstream.
It must be boiled.
The women were busy starting fires and cooking, the children were exhausted and collapsed on the ground, and the elderly were sighing.
This was the third day since they left Tianzhu Valley. Their food supplies were running low, and morale was low.
"Chang Sheng, this can't go on." Huang Zongxi walked over, his brows furrowed. "More than 10,000 people crammed together are too conspicuous, and we don't have enough food."
Ma Changsheng certainly knew.
He spread out a simple map: "We need to divide our forces."
His plan was to divide the more than 10,000 people into five teams of about 2,000 each, led by local militia members familiar with the mountains and forests, and disperse them to five different areas. The teams would maintain contact with each other, but would operate independently in normal times to minimize their presence as targets.
"The Qing army's main target is me, the core of Majiazhai," Ma Changsheng said. "I will lead one team to draw the Qing army's attention. The other four teams should try to hide and preserve their strength."
"No!" Tie Zhu was the first to object. "It's too dangerous!"
"This is the most reasonable arrangement," Ma Changsheng said calmly. "The Qing army has guides and will soon discover our whereabouts. If we concentrate our forces, we will be easily defeated; if we disperse, they will be overwhelmed and unable to defend themselves effectively."
He paused, then added, "Moreover, by drawing the enemy out in the open, you have the opportunity to develop yourselves in the shadows."
Ultimately, the plan was approved. The more than ten thousand people were divided into five teams:
Ma Changsheng led the main force, a thousand strong local militia, on the mission of drawing the Qing army away while fighting and retreating.
Huang Zongxi led two thousand elderly, weak, women and children to move to the deep mountains of the northwest.
Xu Guangqi led a mixed engineering force of 2,000 men to the Northeast to establish a new stronghold;
Instructor Sun led two thousand local militiamen to conduct guerrilla warfare and harass the Qing army.
Tie Zhu led a reserve force of 3,000 men to provide support to the various teams at any time.
On the eve of the division of forces, Ma Changsheng summoned the leaders of each team for a final briefing:
"Remember three things: Survival is paramount, don't fight head-on; maintain contact and exchange intelligence at the designated location on the 15th of each month; if... if any team is surrounded, do not rescue them, preserve your strength."
This is a harsh statement, but it must be said: acting on emotions can ruin everyone.
"Chief, then you..." Tie Zhu's eyes reddened.
"I'm fine." Ma Changsheng patted his shoulder. "The Qing army wants to capture me? It won't be that easy."
The next morning, the five teams set off separately.
Ma Changsheng stood on the hilltop, watching them disappear into the dense forest, silently praying: May God bless us so that we may all survive.
On the third day after the division of forces, Ma Changsheng's troops encountered the Qing army.
It wasn't a large force, but a search team of a hundred men, led by a captain from the Han Army Banner, who were searching upstream along the stream.
Upon receiving a report from his scouts, Ma Changsheng decided to launch an ambush—not to annihilate them, but to intimidate them and let the Qing army know they were not to be trifled with.
He chose a narrow valley with steep slopes on both sides and a stream at the bottom.
Fifty archers and fifty musketeers were positioned on the tops of the slopes on both sides, along with a large number of rolling logs and stones.
At noon, the Qing army search party entered the valley.
The weather was hot, so the soldiers took off their armor and fetched water from the stream.
"Release them!" Ma Changsheng ordered.
Logs and boulders rolled down with a thunderous roar, while arrows and muskets fired in unison.
Caught off guard, the Qing army fell in droves in an instant.
"There's an ambush! Retreat!" the captain shouted.
However, the valley was narrow, making evacuation difficult.
To make matters worse, Ma Changsheng had planted landmines at the mouth of the valley, which, with a few loud "booms," blew up the escape route.
The battle lasted less than half an hour.
The search party of 100 suffered more than 60 casualties, the captain was captured, and the rest scattered.
Only three people were injured in Majiazhai.
While cleaning up the battlefield, Ma Changsheng interrogated the lieutenant.
"Where is Ye Chen? How many people are there?" he asked.
The captain, a man in his thirties, was captured but remained defiant: "Kill me if you want! The Eight Banners warriors are not afraid to die!"
Instead of being angry, Ma Changsheng laughed: "I won't kill you. Go back and tell Ye Chen: Dabie Mountain is not a place for him. If he goes into the mountains again, as many as come, they will all die."
He released the captain and even gave him a horse.
This was psychological warfare: to let the Qing army know that the "bandits" in the mountains were not only good at fighting, but also had a magnanimous spirit.
The captain rode away, and Ma Changsheng immediately led his men to retreat—the Qing army would soon retaliate.
Sure enough, the next day, Ye Chen personally led 500 elite troops into the mountains to pursue them.
But Ma Changsheng was prepared.
He led his troops in a cat-and-mouse game with the Qing army deep in the mountains.
When the Qing army advanced, they retreated; when the Qing army stopped, they harassed them; when the Qing army set up camp, they set fire to it at night; when the Qing army pursued them, they set traps.
The Dabie Mountains cover an area of hundreds of miles, with high mountains, dense forests, and crisscrossing ravines. Ma Changsheng and the local militia were familiar with the terrain and were like fish in water.
Although the Qing army was elite, it faced great difficulties in the mountains.
What troubled the Qing army even more was that Ma Changsheng adopted the "three no-fight" tactic: no fighting if the terrain was unfavorable, no fighting if the forces were not superior, and no fighting if there was no certainty of victory.
Fight only small battles where you have an absolute chance of winning, and accumulate small victories into a major victory.
After a month, Ye Chen's 500 men had been reduced by nearly 100, but he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Ma Changsheng.
Instead, they were dragged down and became exhausted, with supplies running low.
"General, this can't go on," Bayar advised. "The terrain in the mountains is complex, and the bandits are cunning. We can't afford to waste time like this."
Ye Chen's face was gloomy.
He knew he couldn't afford to waste time, but if he just retreated like this, where would he put his face?
"Search for another half month," he gritted his teeth. "Even if we can't catch Ma Changsheng, we must wipe out the other bandit strongholds!"
While Ma Changsheng was dealing with Ye Chen, the other four teams were also making progress in their respective areas.
Huang Zongxi led a team of elderly, weak, women and children to find a hidden valley in the deep mountains of Northwest China.
There were natural caves and water sources there, making it suitable for hiding. They built simple dwellings and cultivated small plots of land; although life was hard, at least it was safe.
Xu Guangqi's team established a new stronghold in the mountainous region of Northeast China.
They chose a hilltop that was easy to defend and difficult to attack, built fortifications, and also found a small iron mine where they could make simple tools.
Instructor Sun's guerrilla force was the most active.
They split into more than a dozen squads, harassing Qing army's grain requisition teams and messengers, destroying roads, and creating chaos, making life unbearable for the Qing army.
Tie Zhu's reserve team serves as a mobile force, going wherever support is needed.
At the same time, they are responsible for communication between the teams and for passing on intelligence.
On the fifteenth of each month, representatives from each team meet secretly at a pre-arranged location to exchange intelligence and coordinate operations.
"The pressure on the chieftain is the greatest," Tie Zhu said at the meeting on July 15th. "Ye Chen has been keeping a close eye on him for over a month."
"Should we go and provide support?" Coach Sun asked.
"No need," Huang Zongxi shook his head. "The chieftain said not to send reinforcements. We must trust him."
"But if this continues..."
"The chieftain has a way," Xu Guangqi said. "Doing our own work well is the greatest support we can give him."
The meeting decided that each team should continue to develop covertly, while increasing harassment of the Qing army to distract Ye Chen.
In August, Ye Chen's predicament became increasingly apparent.
The first issue is the supply of provisions.
Transporting grain from mountainous areas was difficult, and the grain requisitioned from the plains was intercepted several times by Instructor Sun's guerrillas on the way.
Food shortages began to occur in the army, and soldiers complained bitterly.
Secondly, there is disease.
The mountainous area is teeming with mosquitoes and plagued by miasma, leading to numerous soldiers contracting malaria and dysentery, resulting in severe non-combat casualties.
Next is morale.
For a month, they wandered aimlessly through the mountains like headless flies, encountering nothing but occasional traps and stray arrows, without ever seeing the enemy's main force.
The soldiers were exhausted, and the officers were dissatisfied.
To make matters worse, orders came from Nanjing: Dodo's main force had captured most of Jiangnan, and Ye Chen's troops were ordered to end the mountain battle as soon as possible and move south to join forces.
"General, we can't afford to waste any more time," Bayar advised again. "The situation in Nanjing is more important than the situation in the mountains. How about... we offer them amnesty?"
Ye Chen stared at the map for a long time, then sighed, "Never mind. Issue the order: withdraw the troops."
But he was unwilling to leave like that.
Before withdrawing his troops, he ordered: Burn the mountain!
In mid-August, the Qing army began setting fire to the mountains.
This is the most vicious move.
It was late summer, the air was dry, and the forest was easily ignited.
The fire started at the foot of the mountain and spread rapidly, with thick smoke billowing and flames shooting into the sky.
When Ma Changsheng saw the distant firelight in the mountains, he was greatly alarmed.
A fire not only destroys forests, but also burns to death the people hiding in the mountains, destroying the homes they have worked so hard to build.
"Quickly! Notify all teams to move to higher ground!" he ordered. "Away from the line of fire!"
But the fire spread too quickly.
When the northwest wind blows, a fire dragon sweeps through the mountains and forests, leaving scorched earth in its wake.
Huang Zongxi's team was in the northwestern mountainous area, right downwind.
They were in the valley when the fire struck.
The elderly and children couldn't run and were about to be engulfed by the fire.
"Hide in the cave!" Huang Zongxi thought quickly.
The group took refuge in a huge cave.
The opening was blocked with a damp cloth to prevent thick smoke from entering.
The cave is damp, but it's safe for now.
But after the fire, when they came out of the cave, they found that the valley had been reduced to ashes, and all their stored grain and houses had been burned down.
"It's over..." An old man collapsed to the ground. "Everything's gone..."
Looking at the devastation, Huang Zongxi was filled with grief and indignation, but he forced himself to stay strong: "As long as people are alive, there is still hope. If we run out of food, we'll find more; if we lose our houses, we'll rebuild them."
The other teams also suffered heavy losses.
Xu Guangqi's new stronghold was half burned down, Sun Jiaotou's guerrillas lost several hiding places, and Tiezhu's reserve team also lost some supplies during the transfer.
Only Ma Changsheng's team, because they had been operating deep in the mountains and avoided the main fire areas, suffered relatively less damage.
But the entire Dabie Mountains have been completely transformed.
The once lush and green mountains are now scorched black.
The once clear stream is now filled with ashes.
After the fire, the Qing army withdrew.
Ye Chen left behind the words: "There is no way to survive in the mountains. The bandits will either surrender or die."
But he was wrong.
Although the fire caused enormous losses, it also created a path to survival—at the edge of the fire zone, in some places the fire was not burning, but instead burned away the dense bushes, revealing caves and valleys that were originally covered.
More importantly, the fire killed a large number of animals.
Although disgusting, these charred animal carcasses became life-saving food for the survivors.
In late August, the representatives from each team met again.
This time it wasn't in a secluded valley, but on the edge of a charred fire.
Five teams, more than 10,000 people, now only more than 7,000 remain - more than 3,000 died from fire, hunger and disease.
The survivors were all emaciated and dressed in rags.
"Chief, can we...can we hold on?" an old clan leader asked, trembling.
Everyone was looking at Ma Changsheng.
This sixteen-year-old boy is now their only hope.
Ma Changsheng looked around at everyone, and seeing those desperate faces, a surge of strength welled up in his heart.
"Yes." His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. "As long as one person is alive, we can hold on."
He proposed a new plan:
Merge the teams. Now that there are fewer people, we can't afford to disperse. More than 7,000 people will be merged into one team to concentrate our efforts.
Find a new home. The areas ravaged by the fire are no longer safe; people must move to deeper, higher mountains.
Rebuild our homes. Starting from scratch, but with experience this time, it will be faster.
"I know everyone is tired and suffering," Ma Changsheng said. "But think about it, why did we come into the mountains? It's not to enjoy a life of luxury, it's to survive, it's to prevent our descendants from becoming slaves!"
"The Qing army may burn the mountains, but they cannot burn away our spirit; they may kill people, but they cannot kill the hearts of the people. As long as we do not give up, there is hope!"
His words, like a spark, ignited hope in everyone's hearts.
"The chieftain is right! We won't give up!"
"Yes! Let's start over!"
"Let's fight the Qing army to the death!"
Morale has been revitalized.
In September, Ma Changsheng led a team of more than 7,000 people to move deep into the Dabie Mountains.
They walked for seven days and seven nights, crossing three mountains, and finally found a suitable place to settle down: Yundingping.
This is a high mountain plateau, thousands of feet above sea level, surrounded by cliffs, accessible only by a treacherous path.
The plateau is flat, covering an area of about 500 acres, and has springs and soil.
More importantly, this place is too high, making it difficult for the Qing army to climb up, and the fire cannot reach it.
"This is it." Ma Changsheng stood on the edge of the plateau, looking down at the sea of clouds. "This will be our new home."
Reconstruction has begun.
Despite the harsh conditions, progress was rapid thanks to previous experience.
By October, more than 300 wooden houses had been built on Yundingping, and 200 acres of terraced fields had been cultivated (although only some cold-resistant crops could be grown). Simple schools, clinics, and workshops had also been built.
More importantly, Ma Changsheng established a more complete organizational system here, clarifying the functional allocation of the government affairs hall, military affairs hall, public works hall, education hall, and medical affairs hall.
Each hall has a clear division of labor, and each performs its own duties.
Although Yundingping is simple, it is well-ordered.
In November, when the first snow fell, Yundingping had already taken shape.
More than 7,000 people have settled here.
Although food is still scarce and life is still difficult, at least they survived.
Moreover, they have new hope.
In the twelfth lunar month, Ma Changsheng climbed alone to the highest point of Yundingping, where a simple observatory had been built.
The night sky was clear, and the stars were like a sea.
Looking up, Ma Changsheng seemed to see the starry sky of the 25th century, the ice layers of Jupiter's moons, and the flashes of the black hole network.
Deep within consciousness, data is flowing:
Age: 16 years old
Physical development: Approaching adulthood, in good health
Academic level: Integrating Chinese and Western knowledge, proficient in practical matters
Military capabilities: Master of mountain guerrilla warfare
Organizational ability: Establishing a solid base
Consciousness Awareness Level: 68%
The critical point is approaching; estimated time to full awakening: 3-6 months
almost.
He could sense that the consciousness from the future was about to completely merge with Ma Changsheng of this era.
What will happen after the fusion? Will he remember everything? Will he lose his current feelings? Will he become a different person?
he does not know.
But he knew that no matter what, he had to protect these people, the home he had built over five years.
"Chang Sheng, why aren't you asleep so late?" Tie Zhu came up and handed him a cotton robe.
Ma Changsheng took it and draped it over his shoulders: "Brother Tiezhu, tell me... if one day I change, and become someone I'm not like anymore, will you still follow me?"
Tie Zhu paused for a moment, then laughed: "Chang Sheng, what nonsense are you talking about? You are you, and you'll always be my brother. No matter what you become, you'll always be my brother."
Simple words, yet they warmed Ma Changsheng's heart.
Yes, in the past five years, he has not only established a base of operations, but also gained kinship, friendship, and trust.
These are more precious than anything else.
"Brother Tiezhu, thank you," he said softly.
"No need to thank me," Tie Zhu chuckled. "If anyone should be thanking someone, it's you. Without you, I would have died long ago, and our village would be gone too."
The two stood on the stargazing platform, gazing at the night sky.
In the distance, the lights of Yundingping shone faintly, but stubbornly.
In this chaotic world, on this high mountain, they built a small utopia.
Ma Changsheng, a sixteen-year-old boy, is about to experience a major turning point in his life.
But he was already prepared.
A night breeze blew by, bringing a chill to the mountains.
Ma Changsheng tightened his cotton robe, turned around, and stepped off the stage.
There is still much to be done: spring planting needs to be planned, defenses need to be strengthened, and education needs to be promoted...
The moment of awakening is quietly approaching.