Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1185 Great Victory in Black Mountain Valley
Inside the western entrance of Heishan Valley
The two armies pursued and fled, and near the gentle slope at the mouth of the valley, a commander of the Han Eight Banners led his troops to block them from the flank, and a fierce battle ensued.

This scene caught Tong Jiaqing's eye. The more she thought about what she had just said, the more frightened she became. The commotion ahead had already spread over, and everywhere she looked, there were scattered soldiers and warhorses. Hauge was already somewhat at a loss. Looking at Tong Jiaqing, who had stopped speaking, he asked urgently.

"The front line should have been breached. Duomin and the others in the rear should have already escaped from the East Valley Pass. Otherwise, we should retreat as well."

“Lord Hauge, I’m afraid we can’t leave. There are still so many tribes behind us. It’s just a valley entrance. How many people can leave in such a short time? Besides, if I’m not mistaken, Fucha Zhen and Gualjia should have led the people of the two Blue Banners to surrender to Marquis Luoyun. Otherwise, how could they have collapsed so quickly?”

Even if it were tens of thousands of pigs, it would take a whole day to catch them, let alone soldiers with weapons.

"Then what can we do? The two of us and our two banners combined only have less than 20,000 men. How can we stop them?"

Seeing that Luo Yunhou's army was about to arrive, Hao Ge had a bad feeling, but at this moment, Tong Jiaqing suddenly spoke up.

"Lord Hauge, today our lives hang in the balance. This is my last call to you, Lord Hauge. Do you have any thoughts about the throne of the Great Khan?"

His gaze shifted, and he actually asked these questions. Hauge was at a loss for words. Even at this point, he was still asking these questions. If it weren't for Helian Chen's intimidation, he would have fought for the Khanate no matter what. But with Helian Chen standing next to Duomin, this was a dead end.

"It would be a lie to say we don't want to compete, but Helian Chen alone makes it difficult for us to move forward. So, this position seems so close, but in reality, it's out of reach."

“Good, Your Highness is right. If we return to Liaonan, Duomin will certainly not let us go. You should know that with the support of the two Blue Banners, Your Highness is quite influential among the Jurchen tribes. As the Han advisors said, ‘How can we tolerate others snoring beside our bed?’ Since Your Highness has put aside your obsession, I will do as Fucha Zhen and the others have said.”

At this point, the meaning is clear: the rapid collapse of the vanguard must have been due to the breach of the camp gate at the west valley entrance. The fact that Fucha Zhen, who held a large army, was so easily defeated can only mean one thing: Fucha Zhen had defected to the enemy. If the two of them could defect, why couldn't he? With the Khan dead, all his ambitions would come to naught.

Hauge's expression changed. He wanted to reprimand them, but seeing the soldiers pressing in, he knew the situation was hopeless. Remembering Tong Jiaqing's words, his heart sank. Just as he was struggling to make a decision...
Behind him, his personal guards rushed over, reporting with expressions of terror.

"Your Highness, Prince Duomin and his men have already made their move; they broke out from the East Valley Pass."

"what?"

Everyone present looked grim. What about the warriors from the various tribes in front of them?
Heishan West Valley entrance.

Zhang Jinyu had already led his army slowly inside. The Jurchen flags on the twin camel bell peaks on both sides had been taken down and replaced with large flags from outside the pass, fluttering in the wind.

Looking at the more than 20,000 Jurchen soldiers on both sides of the valley, all of whom had dropped their weapons and stood there dejectedly, I felt an indescribable sense of relief. Sometimes, a chaste and virtuous woman, once she surrenders, will do it again. If one Jurchen surrenders, there's no guarantee that others won't follow suit. Once there's one, there will be two.

Zhang Jinyu, holding the reins, asked a question.
"Where is that old fellow Fucha Zhen from Ningbian?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, Fucha Zhen led his men to the valley to guide the way, following Duan Hong's men. He said that Duomin's troops were all in the rear, and that Hauge and the others were in front."

Ningbian pointed to the valley, where the sounds of fighting were already deafening. Before he could say anything, the Jurchen commander Guarjia hurriedly arrived with his entourage. Upon seeing Marquis Luoyun, they all knelt and bowed.

"Guarjia, the criminal general of the Bordered Blue Banner, pays his respects to the Marquis."

Seeing a banner chief kneeling on the ground, Zhang Jinyu felt an inexplicable unease. Who said the Jurchens were invincible if they had fewer than ten thousand men? This dignified banner chief, kneeling before her, remained unmoved on his horse.
"You are indeed the commander of the Bordered Blue Banner, a truly remarkable hero. Since you surrendered voluntarily, I am not a petty person. You can choose your own Han official position: whether you continue to lead troops as a fifth-rank general or live a peaceful life as a fifth-rank civil official. But I only have one thing to offer."

When their gazes turned towards him, the kneeling crowd became even more respectful.
"Please enlighten me, Your Excellency, I will remember this crime forever."

"Haha, you're too kind, Lord Guarjia. I hate betrayal the most. If you want to live peacefully, remember your place. Get up."

"Thank you, Lord Marquis."

Guarjia kowtowed again, sweat beading on his forehead. As expected, Marquis Luoyun's thoughts were unfathomable, just as Fucha Zhen had thought. Now that they had surrendered, Marquis Luoyun would surely treat them well. If they wanted a peaceful life, they could choose to become officials in the border trade. If they wanted to advance further, they could stay and lead troops. However, leading troops required military merit. Now, sending them back to Liaonan to lead troops seemed somewhat disloyal. But remembering Fucha Zhen's words, "Even when joining the outlaws, one must have a pledge of loyalty," he gritted his teeth and said.

"My lord, I wish to continue leading troops. The two tribes are still in Liaonan. If Duomin returns, he will surely purge our families. I humbly request Your lord's permission to lead troops forward and capture Jinzhou City."

Upon hearing the words "Jinzhou City," Zhang Jinyu's eyes immediately turned towards it. This Jinzhou City was not the same as the Jinzhou of her previous life. It was located in the heart of southern Liaoning, with abundant water and lush vegetation. It was built by order of Huang Jitai, and the city was staffed entirely by Han Chinese bondservants. Because of its picturesque scenery and its location in a valley, which protected it from most of the harsh winter, it was called "Little Jiangnan" and was named "Jinzhou City."

It was also a settlement of various Jurchen tribes. If they took this place, the Jurchens wouldn't have many days left to breathe.

"Oh, so you mean, if I gave you the chance, you could take Jinzhou City? But as far as I know, the soldiers guarding this city are all elite troops of the Khan's army. Even if you go back, without Huang Jitai's order, the city gates won't open for you."

Zhang Jinyu stroked his chin, his eyes fixed on Guarjia. Whether this man intended to never return or was truly eager to make a name for himself remained to be seen.

"My lord, since the battle in the northern desert, the Khan's elite troops have suffered heavy casualties, especially during the final breakout, when they even managed to launch a surprise attack on the Yuezhi. Although they were defeated, they were still honorable. After retreating to southern Liaoning, we transferred men from various tribes to replenish our ranks. Jinzhou City was garrisoned by our two Blue Banners and two White Banners, while the Khan's elite troops were assigned to defend Danzhou City alone. The other four banners were tasked with holding Yinzhou City. This way, we could recuperate and rebuild. Who knew that in the end..."

After a few murmured words, who knew that in the end, the Great Khan would listen to Huyan Han's slander and lead his army westward?

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Jinyu looked thoughtful and gestured to Ning Bian with her eyes as if she had a question.

Ningbian understood, leaned closer, and reported in a low voice;

"My lord, there isn't much intelligence in Liaonan. Yinzhou and other places were previously blocked by the Jurchen cavalry, making it difficult to receive news. But what this man says doesn't seem to be lying. If Military Advisor Xiao can take Yinzhou, we can verify the truth."

If it can be proven that the garrison in Yinzhou City is from the Upper Four Banners, then it's true. The key, however, lies in the timing.

“That’s right, but if it’s true, by the time we verify it, it will be too late. At Donggukou, Duomin will definitely lead his troops there. If he doesn’t return to Yinzhou and heads straight for Jinzhou and Danzhou, he will take over the remaining Jurchen troops. That will definitely be a major threat.”

In this way, let alone conquering southern Liaoning next year, even if we wait another year or two, we may not be able to pacify it. After all, nomadic peoples are like this; if they can't win, they'll run away. When will we be able to wipe them out?

"So, what does the Marquis mean? That he intends to take a gamble?"

Ningbian hesitated for a moment; it seemed the Marquis was planning to gamble.

"Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Taking a gamble won't hurt. However, we don't know the situation of the Jurchens in the heart of Liaonan. If we send troops to follow them, and they have ulterior motives, sending too few troops might lead to their annihilation. Sending too many troops would mean we wouldn't have enough strength to advance eastward. So, this time, I'm taking the gamble."

"Yes, Lord Marquis." After the two had reached an agreement, Zhang Jinyu did not delay and looked at the anxious Guarjia in front of him, giving his instructions.
"Since you have this intention, I cannot refuse you. However, I am also somewhat worried about letting you leave. As the ancients said, 'Use people without suspicion, and do not use those you suspect.' I just asked you whether you wanted to continue commanding troops or take a sinecure. You chose to continue commanding troops. In that case, lead your 10,000 troops of the Bordered Blue Banner, with plenty of dry rations and water, straight to Jinzhou, and occupy this place for me. Then, wait for my news. How about that?"

Guarjia was stunned. He hadn't expected the Marquis to agree to his spur-of-the-moment idea. His eyes instantly reddened, and he immediately apologized and accepted the order.
"My lord, although I am a surrendered general, I know the meaning of loyalty and righteousness. I will never forget your kindness. I will wait for your good news on my way."

"Alright, go and prepare quickly. I imagine that Duomin has already made a move."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Black Valley

Duomin's elite Plain Yellow Banner troops and Huyan Han's suicide squad had already quietly assembled and were about to turn towards the east entrance of the valley when the earth-shattering battle cries from the west entrance and the bloody shockwaves that seemed to tangibly impact them made Duomin almost unable to believe it. Even if Luo Yunhou's troops were heavenly soldiers, they couldn't have arrived so quickly in such a short time. That meant that Fucha had truly surrendered.

"Huyan Han!!"

Domin's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared like a wild beast.

"Half of the elite suicide squad will hold the rear. We absolutely cannot let Marquis Luo Yun's troops break through! The rest of you! Quickly! Quickly! Turn towards the east entrance of the valley immediately! Break through with all your might! If we delay any longer, we'll all die in this valley and be fed to the maggots!!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Huyan Han's eyes were also bloodshot. The swift defeat at Xikou shocked him greatly. Fortunately, the army had turned back and left a large number of troops to set up camp in Black Wind Valley. Even if Marquis Luoyun's army arrived, it wouldn't be able to get there in a short time.
Seeing that half of his elite troops had already been dispatched to intercept them, his heart bled, and he roared...
"Death squad! Follow me! Sons of the Bordered Yellow Banner, charge out with me!"

Roaring, Huyan Han personally led five thousand of his most daring heavily armored warriors, along with tens of thousands of newly assembled elite cavalry from the Plain Yellow Banner and Bordered Red Banner, charging wildly out of the east valley entrance and along both sides of the camp towards the grassland.
Outside Donggukou,
Zhang Chuanying was already standing on the arrow tower of the camp, shouting "Fire arrows!" A large rain of arrows covered the area at the entrance of the East Valley. If one was not wearing armor, one would be hit by arrows and die instantly. The rest rushed through the rain of arrows and fled.

They thought the Jurchens would flee far away immediately after they escaped, but to their surprise, after most of the troops rushed out, Huyan Han gathered his troops, carrying torches and tung oil, and rushed to the two flanks of the camp. He smashed the tung oil onto the camp and then threw the torches over, instantly setting it ablaze with thick smoke.

Even at the weakest points of the camp's chevaux-de-frise, guided by Huyan Han's elite suicide squad, disregarding casualties, they charged directly at the chevaux-de-frise walls with their own flesh and blood, like battering rams. At the same time, more suicide soldiers abandoned their horses, using their warhorses as the vanguard, and smashed through the burning, fragile walls, rushing in. The breach grew wider and wider, and the suicide soldiers, wielding heavy armor-piercing weapons such as long-handled axes, spiked clubs, and iron maces, roared like mad tigers as they squeezed and pounced through the gaps between the infantry!
This plunged the camp into chaos, and by the time Zhang Chuanying received the news, a fierce battle had already broken out within the stronghold.
"Men! Assemble shield bearers and surround them!"

As more and more Tatar cavalry poured out of the valley, even though Zhang Chuanying was reluctant, he had no choice but to turn his arrows around and fire at the gap in the camp. As a result, the Jurchen offensive was immediately reduced, and the troops of Marquis Luoyun were able to stabilize their position.

*Thud!* *Bang!* Ah!

Inside the camp, the heavily armored soldiers, despite their formidable defenses, were caught off guard by the cavalry charge. Their formation faltered slightly, and then the reckless suicide soldiers swarmed in. Heavy armor-piercing weapons slammed into the shields and armor of the heavily armored infantry, the force of which numbed the soldiers' arms and caused the shield formation to weaken slightly. Some of the more valiant Jurchen soldiers even grabbed the legs of the heavily armored soldiers, biting their throats, or simply lit their bodies on fire and pounced on them!
"Steady! Steady!"

The officers and soldiers roared, wielding their long swords and hacking down several assassins who charged at them. Seeing this, Zhang Chuanying arrived with his personal guards.

"Prepare your javelins! Shoot down those charging cavalry! Rear guard, become front guard, surround them! Don't let a single one escape!"

Immediately, the heavily armored army flexibly changed its formation, with the outer shield wall contracting and the inner spearmen rapidly advancing, their sharp spear tips forming a steel thorn, while the soldiers in the rear ranks vigorously hurled a dense barrage of javelins.

It was almost horrific!
Huyan Han's elite troops fell one after another before the shields, like moths drawn to a flame. But as time passed, the Jurchen tribes at Donggukou had already fled in a panic.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom."

As the drums thundered, the camp inside the valley was engulfed in a brutal massacre. Hauge and his men had already led their troops to retreat to the eastern entrance of the valley. The only escape route to the valley entrance was littered with trampled corpses, a scene of hell on earth. Panic spread like a plague at an alarming rate.

“Your Highness, if we want to escape, we have to be ruthless. If we don’t escape, then we will surrender like Fucha Zhen. I am now disheartened and cannot make a decision.”

Tong Jiaqing's last bit of spirit was completely exhausted by the tragic scene before her. Before Luo Yunhou's troops even arrived, this place had become a living hell. In order to gain a chance to escape, they even drew their swords and killed their own people. Have the Jurchen tribes really come to this?

"Quick! Run!"

"Forget about it! Charge out!"

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

Many fleeing cavalrymen galloped wildly, trampling on wounded soldiers and tribal women and children who had no time to dodge. Foot soldiers abandoned their helmets and armor, just to run faster. At the mouth of the valley ahead, many people jostled and bumped into each other. Curses, cries, the sound of horses' hooves, and the sound of bones being crushed mingled together, creating a chilling scene.

In the direction of Donggukou, the 40,000 elite cavalrymen of the Wuya tribe had already received the signal. When they saw smoke rising in the valley, shouts of battle deafening, and the fleeing soldiers surging eastward like a tide, the horn sound changed again!

"Lord Marquis's order! The Jurchens have collapsed! But the cave entrance is narrow, do not block it. Use crossbows to drive them away and cause them to panic! Cavalry will flank and annihilate the fleeing soldiers! Infantry will then encircle them! Target—the enemy covering the rear!"

A messenger shouted out military orders.

The cavalry charged forward like two black streams of water, flanking the chaotic tide of fleeing soldiers pouring out of the valley. Dense arrows, like a deathly rain, rained down on the most densely packed parts of the crowd and those banners that were trying to organize a breakout formation. They did not aim to kill with every arrow, but only to create greater chaos and panic. The sabers, propelled by the horse's momentum, slashed fiercely on both sides of the fleeing soldiers, completely scattering the defeated troops. The entire Black Mountain Valley was turned into a boiling pot of blood porridge!
Hauge then closed his eyes, sheathed his sword, and gave a bitter laugh.
"Tong Jiaqing, we surrender. This defeat is not due to our own faults. There are those who are disloyal in front of us and those who are scheming behind us. Whether we move forward or retreat, it is a risky move. Since Marquis Luoyun is determined to advance eastward, the only ones who can stop him are those bondservants in Yinzhou. That is just wishful thinking. So be it."

“What you say is very true, Your Highness. At this point, even if we surrender, I think Marquis Luoyun will only be putting on a show and won’t make things difficult for us. Being a leisurely and wealthy old man is not so bad.”

Tong Jiaqing smiled, then waved her hand and called out;
"Dismount and stop those in front. Anyone who panics again will be killed without mercy."

"Yes, Commander."

The soldiers of the Bordered White Banner immediately dismounted, grabbed their swords, and charged forward. Anyone who resisted was killed on the spot. As a result, the people of various ethnic groups who had fled in panic immediately fell silent and were at a loss.

Only Hauge was puzzled and asked;
"Tong Jiaqing, why is this?"

“Your Highness, these people have little chance of survival once they leave. It would be better for them to stay here as a sign of our sincerity. I believe Marquis Luoyun will treat us well.”

Before she could finish speaking, Duan Hong led his vanguard troops to arrive from behind. Fearing that Luo Yunhou's soldiers might misunderstand, Tong Jiaqing immediately shouted...
"General Duan, report to Marquis Luoyun, we have surrendered."

He shouted three times, his voice echoing through the valley. Duan Hong wiped the blood from his face, looked at the large, dark mass of cavalry not far ahead, and his face was full of disbelief. They surrendered just like that?

(End of this chapter)