The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Chapter 911 A great victory
Seeing that their retreat was about to be blocked by the suddenly appearing Han cavalry, the entire formation of the attacking tribal warriors became chaotic, and Xin Muershan's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

At that moment, he truly understood what it meant to be attacked from both inside and outside, and what it meant to be besieged on all sides.

He quickly ordered his men to turn back and intercept the cavalry behind them.

However, no sooner had he given the order than the sound of artillery shells exploding suddenly became more frequent.

"Kill..."

A deafening shout suddenly came from the direction of Tamu Village.

Xin Muershan suddenly turned around and saw that the gate of Tamu Village suddenly opened, and a large number of Han soldiers poured out.

These Han soldiers no longer cowered in their camps, nor did they rely on the advantages of fortifications.

They rushed to the front, mopping up and shooting down their Jurchen warriors who were caught in the middle of the battle and in a dilemma.

Watching tribal warriors fall one by one under cannon fire, and amidst bullets and crossbow bolts.

Watching his painstakingly built, once proud, armored cavalrymen, now like headless flies, either retreating in panic, trying to break out of the range of Han army muskets and crossbows.

Or they might be overcome by passion and launch a counterattack without regard for anything else, but in the end they will all be mercilessly crushed.

The number of warriors under his command is rapidly decreasing.

New Moore's heart is ashen.

The enormous losses and the perilous situation forced him to set aside his hatred and truly become rational.

He knew he had lost.

If they don't find a way to fight their way out and escape this damned place, the entire Suk tribe will be destroyed by his hand.

He hurriedly gathered the few armored cavalrymen on his left and right as the vanguard, and led the tribal warriors who were able to escape the battle to attack the Han cavalry on his flanks and rear.

The reason he did not choose to retreat to the southwest, which seemed safe and free from the Han army's obstruction, was because he clearly knew...

If they cannot break through this suddenly appearing Han light cavalry and are pursued and annihilated by them in a well-organized and orderly manner, even if they manage to escape, I'm afraid there won't be many tribal warriors left.

His choice may be the only wise one he has made today.

The Han cavalry behind them did not charge at all. After getting close, they simply stayed at a distance and, taking advantage of the lightness of the lancers, kept firing at them in turns.

Upon seeing them charging, the lancers instinctively changed formation, spreading out to the sides to avoid close combat.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xin Muershan led a large number of Jurchen light and heavy cavalry straight into the Han army cavalry, and a melee ensued.

But he knew that now was not the time to kill the enemy, much less to engage in a bloody battle with the Han cavalry.

The thousands of Han soldiers emerging from Tamu Village will surely continue their attack after they have wiped out the tribal warriors who are unable to escape the battle.

No, the Han army has already charged forward.

There are still cavalrymen in Tamu Village!

Not only were there cavalry, but they were also armed with muskets.

Although these Han soldiers didn't seem to be very skilled in archery and horsemanship, they were still a significant threat by sniping from the rear.

Before Xin Muershan could fully grasp the situation, he shouted and charged ahead, recklessly leading the remaining tribal warriors in a charge and escape along the main road they had come from.

It was because of his loud shout that many Han soldiers on both sides realized that he seemed to be their leader.

So the Han soldiers turned their guns and crossbows and aimed at him to shoot.

Unfortunately, the battle was chaotic, and he lost his aim for a while. Even when bullets occasionally hit him, they did not cause him fatal damage because he was wearing full armor.

As for the other Han soldiers who wanted to charge forward and kill the general, they were blocked and parried by them from the left and right.

Thus, Feng Ziying, who controlled his warhorse with only his legs and kept firing his gun with both hands, could only watch helplessly as the bandit leaders, led by Xin Muershan, made their escape.

He originally wanted to lead his troops to catch up and expand the victory, but he saw that Liu Xianglian had already followed ahead.

After thinking for a moment, he ordered his men to continue pursuing the enemy, while he himself turned his horse around and headed towards Tamu Village.

Before reaching Tamu Village, Jia Lian also rode his horse out of the village gate.

At this moment, the seven or eight hundred cavalrymen he had reorganized from the warhorses he had seized from the Jurchens, including the Suk tribe, had all gone far away to cooperate with Feng Ziying's troops in killing the enemy.

The remaining infantry, seeing that they could not keep up with the cavalry, could only vent their dissatisfaction on the Jurchens who remained on the battlefield for various reasons.

However, the Jurchen troops on these positions were either dead or wounded, and their numbers were practically nonexistent.

Therefore, many soldiers who felt they could no longer find any merit in battle spontaneously began to clean up the battlefield.

Jia Lian looked at the corpses dragged out of the tunnels and from the barricades. Almost all of them looked like Jurchens, and Han army uniforms were rarely seen. Finally, he nodded with great satisfaction.

The losses in this battle seem to be smaller than he anticipated.

Perfect.

As for victory, Jia Lian had never worried about it from the beginning.

Several days earlier, when he made contact with Feng Ziying, he had already ordered Feng Ziying to lead his troops back to cooperate with him in annihilating any Jurchen pursuers that might come.

However, to prevent the large number of Feng Ziying's cavalry from being discovered by the Jurchen scouts near Tamuzhai, and thus to deter them from launching an attack on Tamuzhai.

Jia Lian did not allow Feng Ziying's troops to reach Tamuzhai directly.

They weren't even allowed to get close to Tamu Village, but instead had them hide about a hundred miles north of Tamu Village.

Because Jia Lian was confident that even if the Jurchen cavalry launched a massive attack, they would not be able to break through Tamu Village in a short time.

Of course, even if Feng Ziying's troops were unable to come to the rescue or the rescue was delayed due to reasons such as information transmission, Jia Lian was not afraid.

He was not afraid of at least the main force of the Suk tribe.

Just like before Feng Ziying's troops arrived, the Jurchens charged wildly and almost broke into Tamu Village.

But what the Jurchens didn't know was...

They thought that once they stormed into the camp, everything would be fine, and they could fight the Han army fairly.

That's impossible.

To be on the safe side, Jia Lian also dug many tunnels and set up many fortifications to restrict the movement of cavalry within the Tamu Village.

Therefore, even if the Jurchens stormed into Tamu Village, they could not run rampant and fight freely within it.

Their fate was still to be surrounded and killed by his Han soldiers.

Of course, if that were to happen, the casualties would certainly be much greater.

"Your humble servant has arrived late to provide assistance; I beg Your Excellency's forgiveness!"

"It doesn't matter."

Looking at Feng Ziying, whose face had become even more stern and even hinted at a murderous aura in less than half a month, Jia Lian smiled and nodded, then asked, "Where is Liu Xianglian?"

Feng Ziying stood up and replied solemnly, "Reporting to the General, Commander Liu is leading troops to pursue and kill the bandit leader. I am worried about the General's safety, so I have come to protect you."

Facing the young yet increasingly bureaucratic Feng Ziying, Jia Lian shook his head helplessly and asked, "What are your casualties?"

He had just watched from afar that the Jurchen cavalry had briefly clashed with Feng Ziying's troops.

"Reporting to the General, the battle losses have not yet been tallied."

However, our army arrived suddenly, and the Jurchens fled in panic, so their losses should not be too great.

Jia Lian nodded and said to Feng Ziying, "Have someone send word to Liu Xianglian and the others, telling them not to pursue them too far. Even if some Jurchens escape, it won't affect the overall situation."

Then come to my central tent and tell me about the situation on the Wanyan tribe's side.

"Yes……"

……

In fact, Jia Lian didn't even need to remind them; after chasing for dozens of miles, the pursuing Han cavalrymen all began to turn back one after another.

After all, with Huo Zhao serving as a stark example, no general would dare to risk going out alone without the orders of their commander.

When Liu Xianglian returned to the camp and met Jia Lian, he said with great regret in response to Jia Lian's question:
"This humble servant is incompetent; the bandit leader escaped."

"It doesn't matter."

The Jurchens were generally more skilled in archery and horsemanship than the Jurchens, and since they were on Jurchen territory, if they really tried to run for their lives, they probably wouldn't be caught unless they were extremely unlucky.

Jia Lian didn't have much hope to begin with.

The results of this battle were already quite remarkable.

Preliminary statistics show that more than 1,500 Jurchen corpses have been dragged out from the battlefield before Tamuzhai.

Adding to the Jurchens who were hunted down and killed, Jia Lian roughly estimated that the Suk tribe's losses this time had probably reached two thousand.

These are not the Jurchens killed in the Suk tribe's stronghold that day. Every single one of them here is a real Jurchen young man, the source of their confidence to invade Liaodong.

It can be said that after this battle, this second largest Jurchen tribe was no longer a threat.

Compared to the casualties of the Jurchens, the casualties of Jia Lian's soldiers were almost negligible!

Excluding Feng Ziying's troops, the total number of seriously wounded and killed in the entire army was just over one hundred.

And almost all of these hundred were generated during the Jurchens' final, frenzied charge.

This battle can be described as a great victory.

Such a victory made even Jia Lian overjoyed, not to mention the generals under his command.

At this moment, everyone looked at Jia Lian as if he were a god.

Even though they were involved throughout the entire process, they didn't find Jia Lian's military tactics and strategies particularly brilliant.

However, under Jia Lian's command, they were able to achieve such an unprecedented and unparalleled great victory!
Are they facing the Jurchens, who are known for their brutality and fighting prowess?

Many people who had previously thought about Jia Lian now feel genuine admiration for him.

So this is how defensive battles can be fought.

They felt their eyes were opened, as if their understanding was being refreshed.

Some astute individuals have even come to truly understand the advantages of firearms on the battlefield from this battle.

No wonder the general, whose reputation had just begun to rise, advocated the development of firearms and personally established a firearms battalion.

I fear that on future battlefields, swords, spears, and even bows and crossbows will truly be replaced by firearms…

After the impromptu post-battle debriefing meeting concluded, Jia Lian ordered his generals to go and organize the cleanup work, awaiting the victory celebration banquet after the night watch.

The generals left Jia Lian's camp with great joy and pride.

However, just as Jia Lian was preparing a celebratory feast and pondering the next steps of the march, Feng Ziying, who had not been gone for long, found him again.

At this moment, Feng Ziying was no longer the cold and aloof person he usually was; in fact, he seemed somewhat guilty.

He quietly approached Jia Lian and whispered, "Grateful for the General's kindness in nurturing me, I have prepared two gifts for you..."

As Feng Ziying spoke, he gestured behind him, and immediately two soldiers came in carrying two sacks.

As the sack was opened, two girls in their teens, with exceptionally slender and beautiful features, were revealed.

Jia Lian, who already had some idea, immediately looked at Feng Ziying with a half-smile and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

Feng Ziying smiled and said, "Reporting to the General, these two women are the granddaughters of the Wanyan tribe's bandit leader."

"I saw that they were beautiful, so I specially captured them to present to the Great General..."

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Well done, Feng Ziying! I thought you were from a military family and would know military rules and discipline, but I didn't expect you to dare to lead the way in disobeying my orders!"

Although Jia Lian spoke with a smile, his tone was already cold.

Feng Ziying felt a chill run down his spine and immediately knelt down, saying, "I hope the General will understand that it is not that I disobeyed military orders, but that I deeply hate the Wanyan tribe leader for plotting to organize troops to invade Liaodong and kill my people."

Thanks to the general's wisdom and strategy, I was fortunate enough to capture the stronghold of the Wanyan tribe leader.

Although the remaining Wanyan tribesmen have been almost completely wiped out to appease the people of Liaodong, I still adhere to the General's plan and have not slaughtered those young Jurchen women.

Previously, he had received a summons from the general and learned that the leader of the Wanyan tribe was leading his main force back at breakneck speed.

I originally intended to break camp and head south, but I was really unwilling to return the Jurchen women in the city intact.

I remember the General once said that those Jurchen women were also the spoils of war for the soldiers, and should not be killed unless absolutely necessary.

Just after I captured the stronghold of the Wanyan tribe leader, I replenished my forces with more than a thousand warhorses.

So, this humble servant and Commander Liu discussed it and decided to tie some of the Jurchen women to idle warhorses and send them to the General as spoils of war.

"Rest assured, General, our troops have absolutely not delayed the march because of these women!"

After hearing Feng Ziying's explanation, Jia Lian understood.

Indeed, after going through countless hardships and risking their lives, they finally managed to take down the lair of the first bandit leader.

However, due to strategic needs, they had to vacate their lair before the main force of the Jurchens returned, and even the Jurchens' wives and daughters had to be returned intact.
Putting yourself in his shoes, if he were Feng Ziying, you'd probably feel the same way.

Perhaps if he were present, he would take away even more valuable spoils if given the opportunity.

Although I understand the actions of Feng Ziying and others, while it is possible to feign an attack on one side while secretly advancing another in another, it is absolutely not possible to govern an army in the same way.

Jia Lian then sneered, "Has the march not been delayed? You think I'm a three-year-old child?"

"You bunch of grown men, accompanying the army with such a group of Jurchen women, how could you resist the temptation?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Ziying, as if insulted, replied loudly, "This humble servant dares to swear on his life to the General that this humble servant and Commander Liu have kept their men in check from beginning to end, and have absolutely not committed any adulterous acts."

If the General does not believe me, I humbly request that the General order a thorough investigation.

If the General finds out that I have lied, or that any of my soldiers or officers have disobeyed the General's orders during the march, I will be held accountable.

"This humble servant and all the soldiers who accompanied the army this time are willing to be executed to uphold the dignity of the General's army."

The two confidants who had followed Feng Ziying in to present the treasure immediately knelt down and swore an oath.

But at the same time, they were all relieved that General Feng was wise; otherwise, they would not only have been rewarded for their merits, but they might have even lost their lives.

It turns out Jia Lian's guess was correct.

The saying goes, "After three years of marching, even a sow can rival Diao Chan (a legendary beauty)."

On the way back from the march, many generals naturally coveted the Jurchen women who were tied to their horses.

Some generals even suggested several times that after such a great victory, the brothers should indeed be allowed to enjoy themselves.

Fortunately, Feng Ziying and Liu Xianglian stopped them.

Feng Ziying and his companion repeatedly restrained them, saying that military law is merciless. If they knowingly broke the law and disobeyed the general's orders, then when the general came to punish them, I'm afraid no one could save their lives.

Moreover, each of them was meritorious for their long-distance raid on the lair of the Wanyan tribe's leader.

Never ruin your life and fortune because of a moment of impulsiveness.

This was the only way to keep his subordinates in check.

As for Feng Ziying, he was no saint either.

On the contrary, among the many women captured from the bandit leader's house, he was genuinely envious of two of the so-called "princess wives" who were quite alluring.

However, he came from a military family and deeply understood the importance of military leadership.

Secondly, he had higher aspirations for his career and did not want to ruin his life on a momentary impulse.

Therefore, he initially only intended to take some gold and silver jewelry, regardless of the women who might cause unrest among the troops.

But I'll say it again.

It would be a pity to kill these women, but if we don't kill them, we can only watch them return to the hands of the Jurchen rebels.

After much deliberation, he went to find Liu Xianglian.

Unexpectedly, Liu Xianglian was much more decisive than him, and immediately suggested taking the best batch with them.

Such a small number of troops ensures that the marching speed is not delayed.

As for the soldiers daring to disobey military orders, Liu Xianglian said that if he couldn't bring himself to do it, he could make an example of them.

It was precisely because of this that Feng Ziying began to look at Liu Xianglian with new respect.

Because he could tell that this guy, despite being young and beautiful, and supposedly a regular at brothels, didn't seem to have any romantic feelings whatsoever.

Even he, the commander-in-chief of the army, felt inferior to him.

Little did Feng Ziying know that Liu Xianglian was a germaphobe and had extremely high standards.

He had absolutely no interest in these Jurchen women with their mixed bloodlines.

As for the women who were abducted to Jianzhou, they were his compatriots, and he had no intention of humiliating them.

In the wealthy and prosperous Central Plains, he was a romantic and dissolute man.

Once he joined the army, he became a ruthless collector of merits.

Women are the most troublesome thing; they only affect his speed of promotion.

(End of this chapter)