Daming Yinghua

Chapter 464 Decisive Battle ()

Xia Wenming's expression of emotion dispelled the hesitation that lingered in Mu Zaohua's heart.

When she brought this person to Hetuala, she did have the idea of ​​developing him into a low-level detective, just like she did with Axue.

But Xia Wenming and Axue were so different that Mu Zaohua had to be extra careful.

The blood feud of the Tartars killing her relatives was enough to make an illiterate and simple-minded grassroots girl like Axue hate the Later Jin Dynasty to the core and be loyal to Mu Zaohua who avenged her.

And Xia Wenming, a scholar who hated the literati of his motherland on a higher spiritual level, a scholar who witnessed how cruel his fellow Ming countrymen were in brutal battles, could jump over the blood barrier against the alien regime of Hetuala, abandon his identity as a Ming person, and serve the Jin Kingdom.

Different people's hearts require different ways of reading.

This kind of knowledge was instilled in her by Madam Zheng when she was discussing with Mu Zaohua how to expand their team after investing money.

Mu Zaohua is not a modern woman like Zheng Haizhu who has accumulated knowledge of social sciences, so it is difficult for her to deeply understand the huge differences in class psychology. But she is smart enough. She observed it herself based on the thinking framework taught by her wife.

Observe the simplicity of Axue and the complexity of Xia civilization.

Xia Wenming accepted Yuetuo and several Bakshi very quickly because they showed their respect for Ming scholars directly to the Jurchen nobles, which satisfied Xia Wenming's sense of dignity of finally finding a confidant after he felt that his talent was not appreciated.

Unexpectedly, just when Mu Zaohua was about to give up instigating Xia Wenming, Xia Wenming revealed his true feelings.

He wanted to return to the Ming Kingdom with Mu Zaohua, not because he was humiliated by the vicious dog in the old Khan's mansion, not because he fell in love with his female boss who always treated him well, and not because he killed the Jurchen Beile's confidant.

He had just finished a fight with clumsy moves when he mentioned Nurhaci's domestic affairs and foreign conquests, and mentioned benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. He was truly disappointed and contemptuous of the upper echelons of the Jin Dynasty.

Mu Zaohua wiped the river water from her hair and said, "Mr. Xia, we don't need to run away. It's the Tartars who should leave."

……

On the night of the Huai month, after Xia Wenming learned of Mu Zaohua's true origins, he went from being shocked to being stunned, and then woke up from his stunned state to being surprised.

"Miss Zaohua, I have an idea," he thought and offered a suggestion. "After Erdeni watched his family's bondservants planting rice, he was going to build an academy in Emao City to teach the children of the rich Han families there to learn Manchu. I don't have any land to plant, and I am the helper that Erdeni wants to hire from the academy. Therefore, if I travel between Hetuala and Emao City in the next two months, the Jin people should not be suspicious."

Mu Zaohua calculated the time when the two yellow flags and other four flags would attack Kaiyuan Tieling, and said happily: "Okay, I will let you connect with Axue in the next few days. She works in Manggurtai's mansion and often runs errands to deliver things to Degelei's wife. She must be the first to know when Degelei is going to attack Aiyang. You go to Emao City in a few days. Our people have a secret sentry point between Emao City and Yizhou. You find our people and pass on the news that the Zhenglan Banner may not be willing to defend the city. Later, as long as Axue finds out the exact date, you can send another message."

After Xia Wenming concentrated and took note, he pointed at Zhang Da's body and asked, "Should I tie rocks to his legs and sink him into the Suzi River now?"

Mu Zaohua shook her head: "Since he is already Huang Taiji's man, and he left the city in the middle of the night without a trace, Huang Taiji would be more suspicious and investigate thoroughly. It is better to let the Tartars know that I killed him, because this guy and I have an old grudge. On the way, he met me drinking water by the river and tried to do something wrong, but I stabbed him to death. And you, on the way to visit Erdeni, heard me calling for help and witnessed this incident."

Xia Wenming thought about it and it was indeed the right thing to do. If Huang Taiji were to go to Nurhaci and refute Mu Zaohua's reason for murder, it would be tantamount to admitting that he had recruited people from the Third Prince's mansion as spies. No matter how much Nurhaci favored Huang Taiji, he could not tolerate the hostility between several banners within the Jurchens. Xia Wenming then said, "Let's go through with the show. Erdeni's house is two miles away. I'll take you there and ask his wife to take care of you for one night. I'll go to the crossbow field to call for people to transport Zhang Da's body back to the city, and I'll report to Prince Yuetuo."

More than half a month later, Liaoyang City.

Xu San rushed to Zheng Haizhu day and night and reported the news that Mu Zaohua had tricked the Tartars guarding the city into dividing their troops.

"Great."

Zheng Haizhu breathed a sigh of relief, not only because the only military force from Sarhu to Hetuala might be Amin from the Zhenghong Banner, but also because this showed that Mu Zaohua's working status was normal.

Before this, when Mu Zaohua went to Yizhou to contact Xu San under the pretext of receiving goods, she had honestly told him that she was helping Ah Xue to quit smoking. The three of them also agreed that if Mu Zaohua was exposed, she would immediately take out the poison from the silver hairpin and commit suicide, so as not to be tortured by the Tartars and reveal the secret sentries along the way. Ah Xue continued to work hard to pass on the Tartars' battle plan to the outside world.

"Xu San, have you and Xia Wenming met?"

Xu San nodded: "I met him on April 16th, and according to our rules, I deliberately told him about two secret sentries. Afterwards, those two places were fine. This Xia Wenming also made a request."

"What did he ask for?"

"When we capture Hetuala, if there are Bakshi among the captured Tartars, do not kill them."

Zheng Haizhu sighed softly: "I will tell Du Song that not only should we not kill Bakshi, but also, no matter how difficult the battle is, we should not massacre the whole city."

As the two were talking, a Fujian bodyguard came to report: "Madam, the commander and I are here, please hurry over."

Not long after, in the government office of Liaoyang Prefecture, before Xiong Tingbi could say anything, Yang Lian got straight to the point and said to Zheng Haizhu: "The chieftain has sent out his troops. As you expected, he spread the rumor that he was going to bypass Fushun and head west to seize Shenyang."

Just like when he heard about Mu Zaohua's recent situation just now, Zheng Haizhu breathed a sigh of relief again.

Sure enough, just like in real history, the Jurchens who didn't like to listen to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms were not good enough to be the leader of the pack, Nurhaci, and liked to play the tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west.

According to historical records, the old chieftain who sent troops to Kaiyuan also feinted an attack in the direction of Shenyang, but in fact, with the help of Jurchen spies who had been planted in Kaiyuan in advance, he attacked Kaiyuan directly and caught the defending general Ma Lin off guard.

In this time and space, Xiong Tingbi had already arranged the Kaiyuan defender Ma Lin and another major warlord in Liaodong, Ma Chengxun, according to the plan agreed upon with Yang and Zheng.

Xiong Tingbi said to Yang Lian: "We should also spread the word and ask Ma Lin to send troops to support Shenyang, and Ma Chengxun to bring 5,000 troops at the same time."

Yang Lian said: "Okay."

Zheng Haizhu quickly followed up with a sentence: "Inform Ma Lin and ask him to show that he is unwilling to accept the dispatch of the Ministry of War this time. If there are any disputes among his lieutenant generals and guerrillas who instigate him to go to Shenyang to earn military merits, he might as well stay in Kaiyuan City."