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Thirty miles east of Taiyuan City, there is a black pine forest.

The sky was just turning pale, and morning mist enveloped the dense forests on both sides of the official road. Dew condensed on the pine needles dripped silently. This forest got its name because of the ancient pines with dark branches. The official road meandered through it, gradually rising in altitude, forming a natural throat.

Jiang Ge half-crouched behind an ancient pine tree that was so big that three people could hug it. He held the hilt of the knife with his right hand, and his knuckles turned slightly white due to the force. He was wearing a light chain mail and a gray-brown coarse cloth cloak, almost blending in with the shadow of the tree.

"Sir, the spies reported that the prisoner carriage has passed the Shili Pavilion and will arrive in half an hour."

Deputy General Zhao Hu lowered his voice, with a hint of tension in his voice.

Jiang Ge didn't look back, his eyes still fixed on the bend of the official road: "Are the archers in place?"

"Twenty sharpshooters have been lying in ambush on the high slopes on both sides, and their arrows are all laced with snake venom that kills instantly."

Zhao Hu licked his cracked lips: "But... Sir, this is a heinous crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of your clan..."

Jiang Ge turned his head suddenly, his eyes flashing coldly: "If the Fan family falls, you and I will be next! Those silvers, those secret letters - do you think the court can't find them?"

Zhao Hu's face turned pale and he said no more.

Jiang Ge slowly drew out his long sword, and the sharp edge of the blade shone coldly in the morning mist:

"Order that everyone should cover their faces and leave no one alive."

Zhao Hu's Adam's apple rolled, and beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead, but he still nodded heavily: "Yes!"

He turned and disappeared into the forest, whispering orders. Soon, dark shadows flashed between the trees, bows and crossbows were strung, swords were unsheathed, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the prisoner car to enter the ambush range.

On the official road, the prison van team moved slowly forward.

Fan Yongdou was locked in the first prison van, with iron chains on his wrists, and the heavy shackles made his skin red. He was slightly hunched over, his face was gloomy, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle, staring at the black pine forest that was gradually approaching in front of him.

"Sir, there is a black pine forest ahead. Do you want to take a detour?"

A guard from the Eastern Depot asked for instructions in a low voice.

Chen Han, the captain of the Jinyiwei, rode on his horse, looking around with a cold gaze, his right hand always on the embroidered spring sword. Hearing the request, he sneered: "Take a detour? What are you afraid of? A few petty thieves dare to rob the imperial prison car?"

He raised his hand to signal the team to continue moving forward, and at the same time lowered his voice to his assistant beside him: "Everyone be on guard, if there is any unusual movement--"

He paused, a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Kill without mercy!"

The prison van team slowly drove into the black pine forest.

The fog in the forest became thicker, like a veil covering everyone's heads, and even breathing was damp and cold. The wheels rolled over the soft soil, making a dull sound, and occasionally breaking a dead branch with a crisp "crackling" sound.

Fan Yongdou's ears moved slightly, and he heard something - not the sound of the wind, nor the singing of birds, but the subtle sound of some metal friction. A sneer slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The terrain of the black pine forest gradually rose, and the official road wound through the pass between two low hills. The pine trees on both sides became denser and denser, with branches intertwined, almost blocking the sky. The ground was covered with thick pine needles, which were soft and silent when stepped on, but if you look closely, you can find traces of deliberate turning in some places - those were left by the ambushers when they hid.

Occasionally there are streams running through the forest, the gurgling sound of the water cannot cover up certain unnatural movements.

Chen Han's brows were furrowed tighter and tighter, his hand never left the hilt of the knife, his eyes swept across every suspicious shadow like a hawk, his heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

Fan Yongdou slowly closed his eyes, as if listening to something.

"Whoosh!"

The sound of wind? No, it was the whistling sound of arrows breaking through the air!
Chen Han's pupils shrank suddenly, and before he could warn, a three-edged arrow had already pierced the throat of the Dongchang guard in the front row. The guard covered the bleeding wound with both hands, making a "gurgling" sound in his throat, and fell straight off the horse's back.

"Enemy attack! Form your formation!"

Chen Han shouted, and his embroidered spring sword was unsheathed in an instant. The Dongchang guards formed a well-trained formation and surrounded the prisoner car in the center. The crossbowmen quickly drew the strings and aimed at the direction where the arrows were coming from.

There was a chaotic sound of horse hooves in the dense forest, and hundreds of black-clad knights rushed out of the woods. The leader was wearing mountain-patterned armor and a phoenix-wing helmet. It was Jiang Ge. He swung his long sword forward, and the cavalry behind him immediately split into two groups, forming a pincer shape to encircle the prisoner car team.

"Fire arrows!"

At Chen Han's command, the crossbowmen of the East Factory pulled the trigger. The crossbow arrows whizzed out, and the five enemy cavalrymen in the front fell off their horses. However, the following cavalrymen did not slow down, and in a blink of an eye they had rushed within twenty steps.

Jiang Ge's horse was the first to crash into the Dongchang formation. He held the knife with both hands and swept it across the chests of the two guards. Blood splattered on Jiang Ge's armor and dripped along the gaps between the armor leaves. He didn't even look at the fallen enemy, his eyes were fixed on Fan Yongdou in the prisoner car.

Fan Yongdou grabbed the wooden railing of the prison van with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force. He opened his mouth, but could only make vague whimpers because of the hemp seed stuffed in his mouth.

Chen Han rode his horse towards Jiang Ge, aiming for his throat with his embroidered spring sword. Jiang Ge dodged and slashed at Chen Han's horse with his backhanded sword. The warhorse wailed and knelt on the ground. Chen Han rolled down and stood up again.

"General Jiang is so brave!"

Chen Han wiped the blood off his face and said coldly: "Prisoner robbery is a serious crime punishable by the death of nine generations of the clan!"

Jiang Ge sneered and pointed the knife at Chen Han: "After today, who will know that it was I who kidnapped the prisoner?"

After saying this, he kicked the horse's belly hard and rushed towards the prison van again.

"Bang bang bang!"

Just as Jiang Ge was about to approach the prisoner car, the sound of muskets suddenly rang out from behind the earthen slopes on both sides of the official road. White smoke rose up and lead bullets whizzed out.

Jiang Ge's horse was the first to be hit, its head was smashed to pieces, and its huge body fell to the ground with a thud. Jiang Ge reacted very quickly and jumped off the saddle before the horse fell.

"Circle formation!!"

Jiang Ge reacted and yelled immediately. His soldiers quickly retreated and formed a defensive formation with their backs to each other. But the second round of volleys followed, and more than a dozen soldiers fell.

At the end of the official road, a large army of new soldiers advanced slowly. In the front row were musketeers holding muskets, followed by spearmen, and on both wings were cavalry.

Qiu Chengyun rode a white horse in front of the formation, with flags held by the Eastern Depot guards fluttering above his head.

"Ginger!"

Qiu Chengyun's voice pierced the battlefield: "Put down your weapons and you can avoid death!"

"Hahahaha~~"

Jiang Ge, knowing that he had fallen into a trap, spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and said with a sinister smile: "A castrated dog is worthy of asking me to surrender?"

He suddenly pulled off his damaged breastplate, revealing his strong chest: "My men, fight!"

"Dong dong dong dong——"

The new army's formation was filled with rapid drumbeats. The musketeers retreated to reload their weapons, while the spearmen advanced in neat steps. The three-meter-long forest of spears shone with cold light, like a moving iron wall.

Jiang Ge's personal soldiers wielded their swords to try to break through the spear array, but were soon stabbed into pieces. One personal soldier desperately broke through, and the blade of his sword cut through the throats of two spearmen, but was immediately pierced through the abdomen by a third spear. He grabbed the spear shaft and tried to pull it out, but was stabbed in the chest by a fourth spear.

The cavalry attacked from both wings.

Commander Deng Daji held an iron spear in his hand, and the tip of the spear accurately pierced the enemy's throat. Deputy Commander Deng Shizhong led the light cavalry to bypass the enemy's rear and cut off their retreat.

Zhao Hu was shot in the left arm, but he still fought to the death with his sword. After he chopped down two new army soldiers, he was pierced through the thigh by a spear. The moment he knelt on the ground, three swords were placed on his neck at the same time.

"Keep alive!"

Qiu Chengyun gave a loud order, and several soldiers immediately stepped forward and tied Zhao Hu tightly with ropes.

"laugh--"

The sound of the burning fuse was drowned out by the shouts of killing. Three black iron thunder bombs drew an arc and fell into the enemy group.

"boom!"

The blast knocked over three guards, and shrapnel embedded in the pine tree trunk, making a dull "tick-tick" sound. A wounded man covered his ear, which was cut off by a piece of iron, and screamed. Jiang Ge's horse was shot in the front knee and fell to his knees with a neigh. He rolled behind the prisoner car and touched the blood on his cheek - it was a wound cut by the flying gravel.

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Ge rushed to the prison van, slashed the chain with a knife, and pulled the hemp core out of Fan Yongdou's mouth.

"Master Fan, get on the horse!"

Jiang Ge pushed Fan Yongdou towards an ownerless warhorse.

Fan Yongdou staggered and grabbed the saddle, and was about to climb onto the horse when he suddenly heard a mechanism click. He turned around and saw that Qiu Chengyun had aimed the crossbow arrow at Jiang Ge's back.

"General Jiang, be careful!" Fan Yongdou exclaimed.

Jiang Ge turned around upon hearing the sound, and the crossbow arrow had already left the string. The steel arrowhead pierced through his leather armor and protruded three inches from his chest. Jiang Ge looked down at the arrow shaft in front of his chest, with an expression of disbelief on his face. He opened his mouth, and blood gushed out from the corner of his mouth.

"You... you..."

Jiang Ge staggered forward two steps and finally fell to the ground with a thud. His eyes were still open, staring at the direction of the capital.

Qiu Chengyun put away his crossbow and said coldly, "You are collaborating with the enemy and plotting treason. You deserve to be put to death."

"Those who surrender will not be killed!"

The new army roared in unison, and the remaining black cavalrymen threw down their weapons one after another, and the sounds of metal clashing rang out one after another.

Fan Yongdou sat slumped beside the prisoner's car, watching Jiang Ge being pinned to the ground by four spears and twitching. He trembled as he reached for the dagger in his sleeve, but was kicked in the wrist by the Jinyiwei who rushed over. The sound of the bone breaking was clearly audible.

Qiu Chengyun walked over in a pool of blood, lifted Fan Yongdou's chin with his golden sword, and raised the corner of his mouth: "Master Fan, the emperor wants to see you."

"Don't...don't kill me!"

Fan Yongdou's face was ashen, his legs went limp and he knelt on the ground. Two Dongchang guards immediately stepped forward and tied him up again.

The battle gradually subsided. Nearly a hundred bodies were lying on the official road, and the blood dyed the yellow earth dark red. The new army soldiers were cleaning the battlefield, collecting weapons, and treating the wounded.

Chen Han limped to Qiu Chengyun, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, Governor, for your timely assistance."

Qiu Chengyun nodded slightly: "Captain Chen, you have worked hard. The emperor has ordered that Fan Yongdou and the captives be escorted back to the capital immediately."

He glanced at Jiang Ge's body and said calmly, "Cut off Jiang Ge's head, pickle it with lime, and take it back with him."

"As ordered!"

Chen Han turned around to make arrangements.

Qiu Chengyun looked towards the capital and narrowed his eyes.

...............

The morning mist in the Hunhe River Valley had not yet dissipated. Nurhaci reined in his warhorse and raised his hand to signal. Dozens of elite cavalrymen behind him stopped in unison, leaving only the heavy breathing of the warhorses echoing in the valley.

"Master, did you find anything unusual?"

Eyidu rode his horse forward, his right hand already on the hilt of the knife.

Nurhaci pulled out a wax-covered secret letter from his pocket. The parchment glowed a faint yellow in the morning light. He narrowed his hawk-like eyes and whispered, "The messenger from the Fan family just arrived last night."

Upon hearing this, Eyidu immediately looked around and lowered his voice: "Master, this is not a good place to discuss."

Nurhaci nodded slightly, turned around and ordered his soldiers: "Rest on the spot, send out scouts to guard."

After saying this, he and the five ministers rode their horses to a protruding rock by the river.

"Fan Yongdou, this old fox, has finally reached his wits' end."

Nurhaci unfolded the secret letter and sneered. There were only a few words on the letter, but they were full of desperation: "The imperial court wants to destroy the Shanxi merchants. I hope the general will lend a hand. After the success, I am willing to offer all the trade routes outside the Great Wall."

Fei Yingdong took a closer look, his thick eyebrows furrowed, "Master, could this be a trap set by the Ming people?"

"will not."

Nurhaci crumpled up the letter and threw it into the turbulent Hunhe River. "Three days ago, our spies sent back news that the imperial court did send troops to surround the Fan family's house in Taiyuan."

He Heli, the oldest of the five ministers, stroked his gray beard and said, "Master, this matter has great potential. If we can take advantage of this opportunity to control the trade routes of Shanxi merchants outside the Great Wall..."

"More than just a trade route."

Nurhaci's eyes sparkled: "The secret letters between the Fan family and the border army generals are the real treasures."

Everyone returned to the makeshift cowhide tent.

The guard Anfeyanggu set up a guard ten steps outside the tent to ensure that no one could eavesdrop.

Nurhaci took out a sheepskin map and spread it on the low table, pointing his finger at several key locations: "The Fan family is in the horse market in Fushun, Wang Dengku's warehouse in Kaiyuan, Jin Liangyu's granary in Guangning..."

E Yidu took a deep breath: "Master wants to..."

"good."

Nurhaci took out the ruby ​​scimitar from his waist and inserted it heavily into the location of Shenyang on the map: "While the imperial court is dealing with the eight major Shanxi merchants, we will take down these strongholds in one fell swoop."

Fei Yingdong frowned and said, "But we still have a tributary relationship with the Ming court. If we act rashly..."

"That's why I want to take this opportunity."

Nurhaci sneered: "The imperial court is busy raiding the homes of Shanxi merchants, how can it have the energy to care about things outside the Great Wall? By the time they react, these strongholds have already changed hands."

He Heli pondered for a moment, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "Master, you are smart! We can pretend to be horse thieves and attack, and then blame it on the Mongols."

"That's what it means."

Nurhaci nodded with satisfaction: "The Fan family also said in the letter that they have bribed Datong General Jiang Ge. If things don't go well, Jiang Ge will send troops to 'escort' them out of the border."

Eyidu slammed the table and said, "What a great internal and external cooperation! Master, I am willing to lead 500 elite cavalry to take over Fushun Horse Market!"

Nurhaci shook his head:
"No rush. First send someone to contact the remaining forces of the Fan family and get the secret correspondence between them and the border army generals. With these handles, there is no need to worry about those generals not surrendering."

He turned to the youngest Huerhan and said, "You go to Taiyuan in person and find the secret account book of the Fan family. Remember, you must use the unique secret code of the Jianzhou Jurchens to communicate..."

The meeting continued until dusk.

The guards came in and lit tallow candles, and the flickering flames cast changing shadows on everyone's faces.

Nurhaci concluded: "This plan is related to my great cause of building a state. All departments must keep it strictly confidential and act as fast as lightning."

The five ministers agreed in unison. When they walked out of the big tent, Eyi couldn't help but whispered, "Master, if this is accomplished, should we..."

Nurhaci looked up at the starry sky of Liaodong, his voice so soft that it was almost inaudible:
"It's time for someone else to take advantage of the great tree of the Ming Dynasty."

At dawn the next day, the 3,000 cavalry were divided into three groups. The main force, led by Nurhaci himself, continued to patrol the border southward; Eyidu led 500 elite cavalry and quietly moved eastward, heading straight for Fushun; Huerhan led more than a dozen elite guards, changed into Han Chinese clothes, and headed for Taiyuan.

Before leaving, Nurhaci handed a bronze tiger talisman to Huerhan and said: "This is a token that Li Chengliang gave me. It may save my life at a critical moment."

As the sound of horse hooves faded away, Nurhaci stood on the hill and looked at the southern skyline. There was the outline of the vast territory of the Ming Dynasty, but in his eyes, it seemed to be filled with the flags of Jianzhou.

(End of this chapter)