132.They're coming!
A few days later, another commander arrived.
He formed his ranks, layered himself in overlapping iron armor, and concealed his body at the center of the formation as he set the troops in motion.
Having heard of the previous failures, he appeared to have prepared accordingly.
Even arrows would not easily reach him.
The column passed through the city gate and made it across the bridge.
If they were allowed to press on, far greater bloodshed would follow.
Knowing this, Sowoon frowned.
He raised a signal fire-arrow high into the sky.
The whistling arrow, the hyosi (嚆矢), sliced through the wind with a sharp swaeek as it soared upward.
On the hill, Gagyeongpil waited until roughly half the enemy had crossed the bridge.
Over a hundred riders of the Baekryongdae stood in two thin horizontal lines along the ridge behind the field.
Hyosi: a whistling arrow used on the battlefield to signal the start of battle.
It had to end at the beginning.
There was no reason a hundred riders of the Baekryongdae could not defeat five hundred poorly armored troops.
But a battle won by slaughtering them all would cost too much.
They were not barbarians.
The burden of killing would be unavoidable, and that burden would weaken their fighting strength.
Sowoon, clad in armor and mounted on horseback, drew his halberd.
"General!"
"Speak."
"If we break the vanguard that has crossed the bridge with arrows, I will charge in. Support us from behind."
"You mean to split them lengthwise and break through? I will widen the gap from the center."
"That is my intent."
"You will take the lead?"
Gagyeongpil knew Sowoon.
He had some measure of the boy's martial ability.
If a single commander could smash forward and break the enemy center, the battle would end quickly.
But the vanguard was not a place for just anyone.
It required the eye to read the entire field at a glance, and the strength to pull the formation forward at full charge.
"You would stand at the front? Are you certain, Scholar Yu?"
"Am I not Scholar Yu?"
"What nonsense is that, at a time like this?"
"I once heard what you said, from behind."
"And what did I say?"
"You said there was nothing I could not do."
"That did not mean you were fit to lead the vanguard."
"Entrust it to me."
Sowoon lowered his voice as he asked again.
He was requesting the lead in a decisive battle.
With Lee Hui absent, there was no better alternative.
After a moment's silence, Gagyeongpil nodded.
"Very well. Do it. Show no mercy. Even if they look weak, they are many. When facing superior numbers, you must strike without hesitation. Only then will fear drive them to flee. That is also the way to reduce killing."
He called the two unit leaders behind him.
"We strike with arrows and then charge. Scholar Yu takes the vanguard. You two hold the wings. I will command the center and widen the interval. Understood?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Do well. Fail, and it's back to training. Now tell me—do you prefer labor duty, or training?"
The two men hesitated.
If they said they disliked both, they would be beaten.
If they chose one, that would be assigned to them.
After exchanging a glance, they shouted in unison:
"We will win!"
Gagyeongpil gave a short nod.
"Drive them completely out of this town. From this town—understood?"
"Yes!"
As the enemy vanguard hesitated, the line crossing the bridge stretched long and thin.
The narrow span split their formation into a fragile thread.
Shields and spears tangled, slowing their advance.
Now was the moment.
Arrows would suffice.
Or a charge cutting down only those blocking the path.
Gagyeongpil raised a red banner.
Though hastily made, the silk caught the sunlight and burned bright.
"Advance!"
Though the signal had already been given, he shouted to project force.
He spurred his horse first.
Racing down the slope, the Baekryongdae formed into two thin ranks just within bow range.
They were few—but they felt no fear.
The Baekryongdae had never fought with numbers on their side.
The enemy vanguard saw them descending and began to murmur.
The column on the bridge wavered.
"They're coming!"
"The enemy!"
"All cavalry!"
"Cross faster!"
Disordered cries broke out among the ill-trained soldiers.
The Baekryongdae swept down like a storm, charging to strike the enemy as they struggled across the bridge.