Xie Ming

The army was defeated like a landslide, its rout like a surging tide, a chaotic and devastating massacre, with no chance of recovery.
This time, the Qing army in the north launched a powerful southward attack, and the speed at which Shandong and Huaibei fell completely exceeded the Southern Court's expectations.

After Yangzhou fell and Shi Kefa died, the Qing army stationed itself on the north bank of the Yangtze River, and the Southern Ming Dynasty finally panicked.

Therefore, Qiu Weizhen, the leader of the Southern Party, spearheaded two policies that came into being.

First, they tried their best to promote peace and surrender, but it was wishful thinking. They were full of hope that by relying on the annual tribute system, they could exchange it for the Northern Army to stop fighting and cease hostilities.

However, the outcome is well-known.

The reason for this misjudgment was actually related to the fact that the civil officials were ignorant of military affairs.

As the saying goes, one knows what happens but not why it happens.

Logically, if the main force of the northern enemy could sweep southwards so swiftly and sweep across more than a thousand miles, it would be difficult to transport supplies and provisions, which is a major taboo in military strategy.

In this regard, the ministers' predictions were not entirely wrong.

However, after the fall of Huaibei, Yangzhou, Fengyang and other places, especially after the Yangzhou Massacre, which ravaged the land, the large number of troops that had marched into the north actually had to fight to sustain themselves, and their food and silver supplies were replenished.

Consequently, the Qing army's short-term logistical problems were relieved.

Furthermore, riding a horse along the Yangtze River, one can gaze across the river at Nanjing, which seems so close yet so far.

If this battle had been successfully fought and the enemy had entered Nanjing, the Southern Ming dynasty would likely have been finished. It would have been an unparalleled achievement to end their campaign in a single battle.

With such temptations right in front of him, how could Dodo possibly be willing to withdraw his troops and cease hostilities simply because of some offer of surrender and tribute?

Therefore, it was inevitable that the Qing army would launch a large-scale crossing of the river to carry out the massacre.

Second, given that the collapse of the heavens was imminent, and due to their own interests, the Southern Party would rather gamble on the Northern enemy delaying their advance than return to welcome Xiao's army back to the capital in advance to defend against the enemy's advance.

This is a clear case of being driven by selfish motives and disregarding public interests.

After all, in their greedy minds, even if the Qing army marched south and breached the river defenses, in the short term, the disaster would not affect their own wealth that had been moved from the south to the rear.

If they surrender well, they might be able to be recruited and reinstated to maintain the overall situation and stabilize the Southern Court. Considering the previous situation in the northern capital where officials and gentry of the previous dynasty were recruited and reinstated, they are confident and fearless, and have long had two backup options in mind.

However, if an urgent edict is issued ordering Xiao Jingchuan to lead a large army back east, what if this man, relying on the power of his army, tries to scheme and become the second Dong Zhuo or Cao Cao?

If we then engage the Qing army in a battle where both sides suffer heavy losses, that would be fine.

Danzhen was fortunate enough to withstand the Qing army from the north, and the Southern Party and the imperial court were bound to fall into his hands.

Such an outcome would severely harm their own interests. Not only would their high position in the court be in jeopardy, but they might also face serious consequences, as the criticisms they had received in front of the emperor might reach the ears of the Duke of Jingguo. Their lives and property would be in grave danger.

Therefore, even if Emperor Hongguang was determined to resist the enemy by relying on the Yangtze River.

The Southern Party will inevitably obstruct and hinder them, and their attitude will be ambiguous.

Later, in the Wuying Hall, Nan Kui Qiu Weizhen tried his best to mediate, and it seemed that there was a compromise. He reluctantly agreed to the imperial edict that Xiao's army should come east.

In reality, the manipulation of these edicts to disband the troops was merely an attempt to use them as a check and balance to appease Xiao's military headquarters and to push things further in the favor of making peace.

Unfortunately, Heaven and Earth are unkind, and things never went as planned.

No matter how cunning and scheming you are, in the end, it will all be in vain.

All delusions and desires will eventually flow away like water, never to return.

Ni Yuanlu couldn't understand or guess why the Jurchens, disregarding the vulnerability of their rear, insisted on ordering their vanguard to cross the Yangtze River ahead of schedule and head south to seize Nanjing.

The officials in the capital were terrified and at a loss for what to do, so they gathered together to abandon the city and flee for their lives.

Of course, in this hurried journey, most of the wealth and possessions of important officials, their families, and relatives inside and outside the capital were also lost.

Protected by the Imperial Guard, including all the elderly and children in the Duke of Jingguo's mansion, they were all abducted and fled for their lives.

Chaos was indeed in full swing. But regardless, in that split second, not throwing Yu'e and the others from the Duke's mansion into Bao Jiannu's hands was still a decent thing to do.

Whether it was out of fear of the Duke of Jingguo, who might act rashly like Wu Sangui, or whether it was a hasty and arbitrary assignment made in a moment of confusion, it all makes no sense now.

Such a failure is truly unbearable to recall and difficult to continue.

Soon after, on the fifteenth day of the intercalary fifth month, Nanjing, Taiping, Lishui, and Wuhu fell one after another.

Heading east, the enemy's left flank vanguard has already recaptured Zhenjiang, Jiangyin, Wuxi, and other places.

Five days later, Ningguo, Suzhou, and Songjiang also reported back.

Huzhou and Jiaxing were massacred.

The heartland of Southern Zhili became a hunting ground for the Jurchen barbarian army.

Their iron hooves swept deep into the land, and the beautiful Jiangnan region was no longer at peace.

Smoke and fire were everywhere, and people fled in all directions.

The enemy is bloodthirsty and rampant with cholera. Wherever they go, they plunder, kill, and rape. Scenes of hell are everywhere, and the situation is completely out of control.

The Southern Ming court, with the Hongguang Emperor taken away, along with other key figures of the Southern Party, fled to Hangzhou Prefecture on the night of the 15th.

As Zhu Cilang's condition worsened, he could no longer endure the hardships of the escape.

Left with no other choice, Qiu, Ma, and their group had to temporarily settle in Hangzhou for rest and reorganization.

Along the way, besides Liu Wenbing and Gong Yonggu leading three thousand guards, they also gathered garrison troops from various prefectures and counties. Although the manpower was limited and the fighting strength of the local troops was questionable, they still managed to create a force of seven or eight thousand men.

Logically speaking, if these seven or eight thousand men were to hold the city and defend it, they could hold out for a while.

But the Ming court's Southern faction of civil officials was already terrified.

After a hasty discussion, the most advocated plan was to take the emperor southwest to Guangzhou in Lingnan once the enemy troops arrived and Hangzhou fell, to plan for the future, wait out the enemy's advance, and then make a long-term decision.

Fortunately, after the meeting at the Wuying Hall in Nanjing on the night of the 12th, a troop withdrawal order was sent to Jiujiang without delay.

This imperial edict was secretly delivered by Qiu Zhizhong's agents in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Qiu ordered his trusted confidant Yue Xiu to hurry and handle the matter urgently.

Yue Xiu, knowing the gravity of the situation, dared not delay and traveled day and night, rushing all the way to the southwest.

They arrived in Jiujiang City a day and a half later, before noon on the 14th.

Before he could catch his breath, he eagerly informed Xiao Jingchuan of the current situation in the Southern Court.

Qiu and Yao seized the opportunity in the crisis and secretly told Xiao Lang that they must not follow the imperial edict and launch a three-pronged attack.

Nanjing is in grave danger and will fall soon.

This battle will determine whether we achieve great things.

After Yue Xiu finished recounting the original story of Qiu and Yao Xinmi, and then recounted the actions of the Ming emperor and the Southern Party officials, Xiao Jingchuan dismissed his attendants, closed the door, and pondered and calculated for a long time.

It wasn't until evening, when the door reopened, that Xiao Lang, his eyes gleaming, stepped out again.

Immediately, with a firm resolve, he issued military orders.

Time waits for no one; success or failure hinges on this moment!

Youth never returns, and a day never dawns twice.

We should strive diligently while we can, for time waits for no one.
(End of this chapter)