The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 188: God of Land, God of Land, why don’t you defend Liaodong!
Fuleyuan of Jiaofangsi.

Shen Lian put on two layers of armor and climbed up to the second floor. He looked around and found no trace of the guards from the Pacification Office. He felt relieved and walked quickly through the dim corridor. The sound of stringed instruments came from the rooms on both sides, and the charming boys and girls were dancing gracefully.

The Imperial Music Bureau in Beijing was always so lively, but it’s a pity that we won’t see it anymore.

In the past, Captain Shen would have stepped forward to joke with the musicians, but today, he said nothing, went upstairs and went straight to the east wing.

The girl Cai Lian that he was thinking about was in the east wing. Shen Lian looked back and made sure that no one was following him. He quickly walked to the wing.

There was a lotus scented thread bag hanging on the door, emitting a faint fragrance. Every time he smelled this fragrance, the bloody smell would be washed away, and he would seem to be back to a long time ago, when he had not yet come to the capital and was just an ordinary teenager.

The sound of a mournful xiao came from inside the house.

"What a coincidence."

Shen Lian muttered to himself. He stood at the door and looked around. He looked up and saw the three words "Tongquetai" engraved on the plaque of the wing room.

Shen Lian was surprised. He had been to the Jiaofangsi at least dozens of times, but had never noticed this plaque there.

After waiting for a while, no one came out. He was anxious and didn't think much. He pushed the door open suddenly. With a creak, the door opened. He didn't go in immediately, but just stood at the door and looked around.

The room was empty. In front of the screen stood an eight-immortal table. Cai Lian sat alone in front of the mirror, dressing up. Shen Lian walked into the room, poked his head outside, looked around, and after confirming that no one was following him, he turned around and quickly closed the door, saying hurriedly:

"Pack up, hurry up and leave the city with me!"

"Come on!"

Shen Lian said as he strode forward, grabbed Cailian's hand, and dragged her towards the door without saying anything. Cailian raised her head, and a bright light flashed across her dull eyes. She was silent for a long while before she whispered:
"Has Mr. Shen obtained the redemption documents from the Ministry of Rites?"

Shen Lian shook his head.

Half a year ago, the factory owner promised to help Shen Lian resolve this matter, saying that with just one word, the Ministry of Rites would issue a document to release him. However, this "one word matter" has been delayed until now.

"Do you dare to leave without the paperwork?"

Cai Lian hugged Shen Lian, her eyes blurred as she cried, "I have been waiting for Shen Lang for more than a year, day and night, but the master is always busy, busy ransacking properties and killing people. I only wish to escape from this Tongque Tower as soon as possible and wander around the world with Shen Lang."

She was originally from Annan, and unlike the reserved and introverted Han women, she blurted out, "Shen Lang has so many beauties in the capital, why did he only take me with him?"

The Southern Pacification Office's soldiers will arrive soon, and Zeng Tianxing is searching the entire city for him.

He was terribly anxious, while Cailian's eyes, clear as autumn water, gazed at him quietly. Shen Lian's heart finally calmed down at this moment, just like the mournful and powerful sound of the xiao, everything about it made the East Factory killer feel at peace.

"Because I love you... I love listening to you play the xiao. I was hooked the moment I heard your xiao on the night of the Lantern Festival."

Shen Lian's thoughts drifted far away. On the night when Luo Sigong was beheaded, he watched the little girl from the Luo family commit suicide in front of him, and the blood splashed into the eyes of the Jinyiwei. He almost became a demon.

If it weren't for the mournful and mournful sound of the xiao, he would have been hanging out with the Five Tigers of the East Factory, killing people like crazy, living in a daze, and finally falling into the path of evil.

Cailian's eyes were filled with surprise: "I felt the same way. When I saw you wearing Feiyu's clothes and Xiuchundao that night, I felt a sense of intimacy..."

Cai Lian's eyes welled up with tears. She wiped away her tears and murmured, "It's a pity that I'm the only one left of my family. I can't even remember what my hometown looks like."

"From now on, I will be your family."

Shen Lian said he would help her pack her clothes.

Cai Lian asked hesitantly, "Shen Lang, how many women are with you when you leave the capital this time?
Shen Lian laughed loudly: "The east wind is not favorable to Zhou Lang, and the two Qiao sisters are locked up in Tongque Spring. Including you, there are only two. Da Qiao has gone mad, scared to death by the Jinyiwei. And there is also my mother. Don't worry!"

Cai Lian laughed.

Without time to explain, Shen Lian looked at the Annan woman in the horse-faced skirt and said anxiously, "Take off your clothes, quickly!"

Cai Lian's pretty face flushed red. Although she had been in the Music Bureau for a long time, she usually played the bamboo flute and had never let a man touch her.

Every five or six days, sometimes half a month, Captain Shen would come to the Jiaofangsi, sit alone by the window, listen to Cailian play the ancient earthen flute, and occasionally chat with her about interesting things in the past when he was in the army. But he never touched himself.

Cai Lian shyly took off her outer skirt and jacket. Shen Lian took off his chain mail, untied his cloak, and took off the fish scale armor he was wearing next to his body and put it on the woman.

He looked her up and down, nodded and smiled. "Fortunately, you're tall, so it's a little big, but it can block light arrows."

"You go from the back. If I die, go to Dingzi Street next to Dongzhimen and find the house with a big peach tree in front of the door. There is silver hidden under the bed in the main room. Take the silver and wait at Yongdingmen at midnight. Someone will take you out of the city!"

"If you die, I won't live either."

"I know how to shoot arrows, and I won't let you cause any trouble!"

Shen Lian chuckled. "I've offended an enemy in the capital, and this enemy wants me dead!"

"With Nine Thousand Years Old here, who dares to touch you?"

Shen Lian took a sip of the tea and said calmly, "It was Wei Zhongxian who wanted to kill me."

Cai Lian said "oh" and her eyes became unfocused.

"Didn't Wei Zhongxian become your sworn brother? You also swore in front of Yue Fei that you would die on the same day of the same month of the same year."

Shen Lian helped her put on the armor.

"The factory owner thinks everyone has betrayed him: the Donglin Party, the Chu Party, the Zhejiang Party, even the Marquis of Ping Liao. Well, I don't know what has provoked him, just like Cao Cao on the stage, he would rather betray the whole world than let others betray him! He even wants to kill the Marquis of Ping Liao, let alone me. I don't want to kill people anymore, because of this, the East Factory wants to kill me."

"From now on, I don't want to be his knife anymore."

Shen Lian nodded to himself as he spoke, as if he had reached some kind of reconciliation with his past self.

"From now on, I will go my own way."

Their gazes converged on the scene in front of them: "No more talking, the people from the East Factory, the Pacification Division, and the Five Cities Military Division are here, let's go!"

He put on his bag, took the Annan woman's hand, and walked out of the room together.

Zhao Fengluan and Si Le blocked the corridor. "Captain Shen, where are you going?"

Shen Lian smiled and said, "Take Miss Cai Lian out for some fun. The moon is beautiful tonight. Let's go to the East Gate to admire it together."

Zhao Fengluan glanced out the window. It was just after noon, and the winter sun was warm.

A Si Le nearby whispered, "Sir, if Shen Lian leaves like this, the Ministry of Rites will not forgive us!"

"I have my own plans, so don't say anything more!"

Si Le was about to step forward to stop him, but Zhao Fengluan stopped him, "Captain Shen is on official business, you are not allowed to stop him!"

After saying that, Old Zhao stepped forward, grabbed Shen Lian's sleeve, stuffed something into his hand, and whispered.

"Captain Shen, you helped me kill my enemy last time and avenge the Zhao family. I can never repay you! Go enjoy the moon. Go early and come back early. The soldiers from the Military Affairs Department are on martial law at the Nine Gates. There are fewer soldiers at the Water Gate..."

Shen Lian clasped his hands together and said, "I have countless drinking buddies around me, and if I count you, Old Zhao, as a true friend, I'm sorry for bothering you in the past. Now, let's say goodbye and see you later!"

"Captain Shen, take care!"

Si Le turned his head away and pretended not to see anything.

Shen Lian pulled Cai Lian and walked quickly downstairs.

Zhao Fengluan stood behind them, looking at their backs, waved to Si Le to come forward, whispered a few words to him, and Si Le hurried down through the back door.

~~~~~
As the two walked down the stairs, the door was thrown open from the outside. "Which officer is so angry? If you break something, you have to pay for it!"

A group of Nansi soldiers, each holding a small shield and an iron hammer.

Zhao Fengluan lifted his official robe and went to greet them, shouting, "Following the orders of the Emperor and His Majesty, the traitor Shen Lian is to be apprehended. All outsiders, please get out of the way! Otherwise, I will kill you without mercy!"

The dignitaries who were feasting and having fun fled in all directions. The guards blocked the door and checked them one by one before letting them in.

Only Shen Lian and Cai Lian were left upstairs.

"Whoever captures and kills Shen Lian will be promoted to a hundred households and rewarded with a thousand taels of silver!"

The first few unarmored soldiers quickly climbed the stairs, swords in hand, striving to be the first. Shen Lian grabbed a bench and smashed it against the stairs, sending the soldiers screaming and tumbling downstairs.

"Shoot them!"

The Jinyiwei behind immediately followed up and shot at Shen Lian with their bows.

Shen Lian flew over and knocked Cai Lian down, hiding behind the railings. Heavy arrows whizzed past his head, and one of them hit the "Tongquetai" plaque, making a buzzing sound.

"Bronze Sparrow Tower?"

"What a perfect name! You and I are both sparrows, unable to escape this trap! Let us die on this Bronze Sparrow Tower today!"

Shen Lian knew he was going to die, so he held Cai Lian's hand and kept joking. The Jinyiwei swarmed forward downstairs, and Cai Lian murmured:
"It's worth it to die with Shen Lang today. I wish I could see the Ming Dynasty destroyed!"

Shen Lian remained silent. A few days ago, he was the sworn brother of Jiuqian Sui and had great power in the capital. One day, he was caught in a trap and was killed just like that by Jiuqian Sui.

He stared at the plaque on the Bronze Sparrow Tower and suddenly realized that he was just a swallow in a net and a sparrow in a cage.

A familiar voice rang out from downstairs: "Shen Lian, I knew you would come to the Jiaofangsi, and sure enough you did! I've killed your accomplices in the Beisi, come out and die!"

Shen Lian took out a short crossbow from his bosom, handed it to Cai Lian, and shouted to the people downstairs:

"General Zeng, what good has Wei Zhongxian done to you? You fought so hard, and I crippled your left hand, yet you still refuse to repent. I'll chop off your right paw too!"

Zeng Tianxing's voice could be heard from downstairs. "Death is imminent, yet you're still stubborn! The factory owner is dead, and now my uncle rules the world. He's already called in Commander Han from the Military Affairs Department to seal off the nine gates. None of you can escape!"

"You dare to hurt me in Luanzhou, you dare to betray the East Factory! Shen Lian, you will die today, your brothers will die, and your woman will die too! Shen Lian, you..."

Zeng Tianxing hadn't finished speaking when a dark shadow descended from the upper floors at high speed. The scabbard vibrated, a cold light flashed, and before anyone could see the movement, the archer in front was split in half.

A drop of blood splattered onto Zeng Tianxing's face.

"Stop him! Stop him!"

~~~~~~~~
Liaodong, Hetuala, Khan's Palace Title Platform.

The imperial desk from Nurhaci's era had been removed and replaced with an ordinary pear wood desk, placed in the middle of the yamen lobby.

The number of seats placed under the imperial desk increased from five to six, and the owners of the seats also changed.

From west to east, they were Daishan, leader of the Plain Red Banner, Jirgalang, leader of the Bordered Blue Banner, Abatai, leader of the Bordered Red Banner, Degelei, leader of the Plain Blue Banner, and Ajige, leader of the Bordered White Banner. The two Yellow Banners and the Plain White Banner were led by Huang Taiji himself.

Manggurtai, Dudu and others either died or surrendered in the bloody battle of Hunhe River, and they should have been kicked out of the highest power center of the Later Jin Dynasty.

Amin, who had died countless times, was finally exiled to Yehe City, the isolated city closest to Kaiyuan, where he held his ground.

The Eight Banners system established by Lao Nu had become quite mature after development by two generations of Khans. The banners checked and balanced each other and were independent of each other, thus maintaining the stability of the power center of the Later Jin Dynasty.

Of course, it needs to be added that Huang Taiji is not yet the Khan of the Later Jin Dynasty.

It’s not that Huang Taiji is not strong enough to bear the crown, but because he has always insisted that seeking false fame and bringing disaster upon oneself is not what a wise man should do.

Unlike Liu Zhaosun who was making a big fuss in Liaodong and Shandong, Huang Taiji has been very low-key in the past two years. Not only low-key, but also humble. There are even rumors in Kaiyuan that Huang Taiji has recognized Ping Liaohou as his adoptive father. Although this is just a rumor, it also reflects the contempt of Kaiyuan people for Jianzhou.

After the bloody battle of Hunhe, Liu Zhaosun made an assessment and determined that the Jiannu army was severely damaged and would not be able to recover within three to five years. In addition, the Jiannu army continued to show weakness, so he temporarily put the blind Huang Taiji aside and focused on dealing with the Wenxiang Sect in Shandong, and used his energy on farming, mining and developing people's livelihood.

~~~
In Hetuala, the Khan's Palace, the one-eyed Huang Taiji sat alone on a pear wood table, reading an expedited newspaper that had just been delivered from Yehe.

He spread out the newspaper, read it carefully twice, and an incredible expression appeared on his face.

Daishan, who was sitting below, finally couldn't help asking, "Great Khan, what did Amin say?"

Although Huang Taiji had stopped being called Khan, within the Eight Banners, people still used to call him the Khan of the Great Jin.

The Khan looked at Daishan and put down the newspaper. He knew that Daishan was illiterate.

"Liu Zhaosun is coming to attack Hetuala, saying he wants to sweep through the country and completely annihilate our Eight Banners."

Daishan was full of confusion. Although he was illiterate and didn't know what "sweeping the holes and plowing the courtyard" meant, when he heard that Liu Zhaosun wanted to destroy the Eight Banners, he immediately slammed the table and stood up.

"This bastard is going too far!"

Among the several banner leaders, only Jirgalang could read and write. As the leader of the Bordered Blue Banner, Jirgalang studied Chinese studies diligently and thus became Huang Taiji's confidant.

"Jirgalang, the leader of the Bordered Blue Banner, read this to the various Beiles."

Jirha hurriedly and carefully took the newspaper and read it aloud.

"Liu's troops are divided into three groups. One group is heading towards Liaoxi; the other group is heading north to attack Yehe. Yehe City is short of soldiers, there are only a few baoyi, and there is also a shortage of horses and gunpowder. I beg the Khan to send troops to rescue them."

Jirgalang's throat moved, he had no time to care about Amin who was far away in Yehe.

What exactly did Liu Zhaosun want to do by dividing his troops to fight? We must know that dividing troops is a taboo in military strategy at any time.

"The last journey..."

Huang Taiji interrupted Jirgalang with his hand and turned to look at the Blue Banner Bayala who was waiting for a reply:
"Go back and tell your master that the troops attacking Yehe City are from the Kaiyuan Army. Don't be afraid. Liu Zhaosun is dividing his forces, but the Eight Banners will not. We just need to defend Yehe City! If we delay the Kaiyuan Army, Liu Zhaosun will die without a burial place!"

Bayala looked embarrassed.

Huang Taiji paused for a moment and added, "Have the two yellow flags dispatch some Wuzhen Chaoha to reinforce Yehe."

After hearing this, Bayala immediately knelt on the ground and said loudly: "Thank you, Great Khan, for your help. With Wuzhen Chaoha here, Yehe can be defended!"

Huang Taiji looked up at the surrounding Beile:
"Liu Zhaosun is young and frivolous. I ordered the Bordered Blue Banner to pretend to be weak and lure the Kaiyuan army all the way to Hetuala. He wanted to wipe out our territory and destroy us."

There was a burst of laughter all around.

The real hunter often appears as the prey.

Jirgalang pondered for a moment and said, "Great Khan, let the traitor Liu fight wherever he wants. Since we can't defeat him in a field battle, we should defend the city. Send someone to Ningyuan to give Zu Dashou more money. When the fighting starts here, let Liaoxi also intervene. Isn't Liu Zhaosun always concerned about Liaoxi? He and Zu Dashou are in a life-and-death struggle. Zu Dashou has no choice but to help us."

Huang Taiji nodded approvingly.

"Well said. We can also try to deal with Shandong. If the Ming army can't contain Liu Zhaosun, we can look for the remnants of the White Lotus Sect. They have a deep blood feud!"

Daishan laughed and said, "Great Khan, a few days ago in Kuandian, our people encountered some Christians who had fled across the sea from Shandong. When they heard about Liu Zhaosun, they wanted to eat his flesh and skin him alive!"

Huang Taiji clapped his hands and laughed, "You're indeed Yang Hao's good son-in-law. In just two years, he's already earned so many enemies. With less than 30,000 troops, he dares to divide them everywhere! With such arrogance, how can he not be defeated?"

"No matter how many ways they come, I will only go one way and kill them all!"

Everyone was talking to each other, chatting animatedly. At this time, a low conch shell sounded outside the Khan's palace.

A Bayala, carrying a yellow flag on his back, rushed to the gate of the yamen and said, "Great Khan, the Kaiyuan army has set out! They just left Kaiyuan the day before yesterday and will reach Fushun in three days."

"Come on! First, cut off the scouts from Fushun to Hetuala. Liu Zhao is a servant of the Sun family and is an expert at espionage. This time, we're going to make him blind!"

The scar on Huang Taiji's right eye pulled at his pain, and the Khan recalled the surprise Liu Zhaosun gave him under the city of Kaiyuan.

"Let Wu Zhenhachao prepare well. As for those White Lotus sect members that the Great Prince mentioned, I want to give Liu Zhaosun a surprise."

Fan Wencheng spent 150,000 taels of silver from the Jin Dynasty to train the Wuzhenhachao flintlock soldiers.

Relying on the technology provided by the surrendered Kaiyuan officials, the Later Jin flintlock rifles were also manufactured on a large scale and equipped to the Wuzhen Chaoha (Han army), although this plan was strongly opposed by Daishan and others.

However, under Huang Taiji's strong promotion, the production training of flintlock soldiers was finally carried out.

In addition to improving weapons, the Later Jin also tried its best to supply troops and materials.

When living becomes a luxury, people will do their best.

Over the past year, the warriors of the Eight Banners have crossed mountains and rivers to the bitter cold land further north, where they have captured tens of thousands of raw Jurchens to supplement the population of each banner for the future real decisive battle with the Kaiyuan army.

Daishan and several bannermen, heavily guarded, made several trips to the Khorchin Doyan and other Mongol tribes, asking for food and people from these poor relatives through friendly negotiations. Besides Mongolia, they also engaged in smuggling trade with Korea.

Huang Taiji endured hardship and abolished the title of Khan of the Later Jin Dynasty, increased the power of the Han people, and physically eliminated more than a dozen disobedient Niulu Ezhen and Jiala Ezhen. In order to consolidate his power, he even spared no effort for his own wives and personally killed several disobedient women.

All this was paid for the Jianzhou Jurchens to continue to survive.

Because if you just wait silently, your opponent will make mistakes.

Now, the opponent finally made a mistake.

~~~~
Outside the Guangji Gate of Shenyang, Yuan Chonghuan hurried back from Kuandian. Regardless of the fatigue from the journey, he stopped Ping Liaohou who was about to enter the city outside the military camp:

"I heard that the army is going to attack Hetuala?"

"Exactly."

"The troops suffered heavy casualties in Shandong, and they haven't rested yet?"

"Exactly."

"I heard that the imperial court just withheld Liao's salary and gave most of it to Zu Dashou?"

"Exactly."

Liu Zhaosun looked up at the dark-faced Yuandudu and said impatiently, "Yuan Ducha rushed back at night to persuade us to stop fighting?"

Yuan Chonghuan nodded, then shook his head vigorously, his neck flushed red, and argued anxiously:

"Huang Taiji is no match for me. This thief is cunning and treacherous. When I was in Kuandian, I heard that he was buying Korean iron at high prices and colluding with Liaoxi. I think that for now, we should mainly siege them and blockade them from all sides. If we can contain them for a few years, the Jiannu will collapse without a fight. Why should we send out the entire army? If we are defeated, Liaoxi and the imperial court will not let Kaiyuan go, and the Liaodong we have finally occupied will be..."

Liu Zhaosun said impatiently:
"What's the point of a blockade for several years? How can we seal off a city so riddled with holes? North Korea is pretending to obey, while Liaoxi is secretly colluding with the Jiannu. Every day, people are selling gunpowder, ironware, and grain to the Jiannu! The remnants of the White Lotus have even colluded with Huang Taiji! Zhang Dong and his men have confiscated dozens of Maitreya Buddha scrolls in Kaiyuan City... What am I waiting for? For Huang Taiji to become increasingly powerful? For another bloody battle at Hunhe?"

Yuan Chonghuan argued loudly: "Why so urgent! Military and national affairs are not to be taken lightly!"

A group of clerks were walking down the corridor of the city gate. When they heard Yuan Chonghuan shouting, they looked over here curiously.

Yuan Chonghuan ignored him and continued, "Marquis Ping Liao, you shouldn't have gone to suppress the White Lotus Sect in the first place. You should have concentrated your forces to wipe out the Jiannu first. Alas, you nurtured the enemy for your own benefit, and you didn't expect that it would harm you in the end..."

Liu Zhaosun was furious and said, "If you are afraid, then stay in Kaiyuan!"

Yuan Chonghuan vaguely remembered that when he was a child, he was in private school. He heard about the war in Liaodong and the devastation it caused. He was filled with anger. On his way home, he passed by the Earth God Temple. He picked up a roadside tile and wrote on the wall: "Earth God, Earth God, why don't you defend Liaodong!"

Yuan Chonghuan shook his head and sighed, "Since the 47th year of the Wanli reign, I have followed the Marquis of Ping Liao and traveled all the way to Liaodong, overcoming all obstacles and fighting bloody battles to get to where I am today. I never thought that the Marquis of Ping Liao would treat me like this. How sad and lamentable!"

Liu Zhaosun knew that he only had ten years left to live, and he was only twenty years old. Seeing the chaos in the world, he was as anxious as Emperor Huaizong Zhu Youjian, so he would never listen to Yuan Chonghuan's advice.

"The army has been preparing for an expedition for months, with food and supplies. How can we stop it just like that? I have fought over ten battles, big and small, since Sarhu, and have never been defeated! If you can kill this old slave, you can also destroy Huang Taiji!"

Watching Yuan Chonghuan walk away, Liu Zhaosun's eyes were filled with tears, and he said to himself silently:
I've made a great vow to the True Martial God, giving up fifty years of my life. Taoist Zhang said my life is coming to an end, and time is running out! Mr. Yuan, if you were me, how could I not rush?
(End of this chapter)