The Ming Navy and the Eight Banners stood in opposing battle formations along the lower reaches of the Ningyuan River. Across a battlefield stretching several miles, the Ming forces were organized into three sections: left, center, and right. Infantry held the front, while cavalry remained behind. The Jiannu had also divided their grand army into three, with Hooge personally commanding the center, flanked by his left and right wings. Although the sun was warm, a desolate chill clung to the air. Banners snapped and crackled in the wind, while soldiers beneath them glared toward the front, awaiting orders. Given the critical importance of this engagement, Governor-General Wang Yongji had come to the front lines to command the battle in person.
"Right wing, infantry, advance!" Wang Yongji commanded.
As the signal flags waved, the Ming right wing moved out first. Liu Titun, Li Guo, and Li Laiheng led fifty-five hundred infantrymen forward. The cavalry remained still, staying behind to observe the battlefield. The Jiannu were the exact opposite; they did not deploy their infantry, choosing instead to send out two thousand cavalrymen. Clad in dark armor, this cavalry first circled around the eastern side, attempting to distract the Ming forces. Seeing that this was ineffective, they rearranged their formation rapidly, eventually lining up in two columns to launch a charge against the Ming line.
Chapter 794