The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 2 Don't Let the Jiannu Escape
Liu Zhaosun took the hundred strongest servants with him and walked through the snow. The Ming army along the way saw that they looked ferocious and ferocious, so they quickly made way for them.

The fluttering snowflakes fell on the weapons and armor of the servants, emitting a chilling cold light.

"Don't let anyone go later!"

The servants responded with a roar, and there was a bloodthirsty look in their eyes.

General Liu had 1,500 elite servants under his command who had fought with him for many years, including the conquest of Korea and the conquest of Bozhou, all thanks to the contributions of these servants.

This time when he came to Liaodong to suppress the slave bandits, Liu Jing only brought 700 family servants.

It was not just Liu Jing, but also several generals who came with him.

The four generals all agreed that compared with the Mongolian tribes, the Jiannu were nothing more than a minor disease.

The army divided itself into two groups and attacked together. Within ten days, they could capture Hetuala, massacre a few villages, and solve the problem in a formality, just like they did with Wang Gao of Jianzhou decades ago.

As he got closer to Dusongtang Ma, Liu Zhaosun gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, glancing at the spot where the arrow was inserted.

He is skilled in archery and is also good at close combat.

The other servants also slowed down their horses and prepared for battle.

Liu Zhaosun gave a wink to his servants, and they took up advantageous positions, blocking the retreat route of the Ming army on the opposite side.

The dozen or so people opposite were wearing Ming army thick coats, covered with cotton armor, and wearing Ming helmets. Liu Zhaosun took a few glances but could not see clearly the style of their braids.

The leader stepped forward, holding the general's order, and said to Liu Zhaosun:

"Who is coming? We are here to speak to General Liu! Why hasn't General Liu arrived yet?"

Liu Zhaosun looked around and noticed that someone behind Natangma had already stretched his fingers towards the scabbard. Judging from the way he was holding the sword, it was obviously not a Ming army member.

"The general is busy with military affairs! I am Captain Liu under the general! Who are you? What crime should you be punished for blocking the army's march?"

That horse hurriedly shook his hand:
"We are General Du's personal followers. General Du defeated the Jiannu at Sarhu, annihilating over 5,000 men from the Bordered Yellow Banner and the Plain White Banner. He captured Daishan alive and killed Huang Taiji in battle. Nurhaci was defeated and fled, and General Du led his elite troops in pursuit towards Hetuala."

"General Du has ordered you to advance immediately and reach Hetuala before sunset tomorrow to join forces with the Jiannu. Don't let a single one of them escape!"

After saying this, Tang Ma stopped talking and looked around nervously, vaguely aware that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

The servants all had gloomy faces. They were all unruly and ferocious by nature.

These people in front of him dared to yell at General Liu with just a command. General Du and General Liu are both generals, so why should General Liu be inferior to others?
Liu Zhaosun signaled everyone to calm down, whipped his horse, and came to the horse in front of the pond:

"Well said, don't let a single Jiannu escape! I never thought the bandits would be so vulnerable. General Du is mighty! Our Ming army is mighty! But our Southern soldiers are no pushovers! I will report this to my adoptive father and have him march immediately to join forces with General Du to capture Hetuala and wipe out the entire territory! Kill Nurhaci!"

When Tang Ma heard this, a look of relief appeared on his face. He was just about to thank General Liu when he heard a voice:
"Brothers, you've come from the border region to report your military achievements to our Southern Army. It must be tiring to travel back and forth in this icy and snowy weather. Come back and rest. I'll have the servants entertain you! We captured a few wild boars yesterday, and I'll give them their skins to make leather boots for you. It's freezing cold, so hurry up and go have some barbecue! There's plenty of wine, too."

After hearing this, the horse's expression became a little strange, his lips twitched slightly, and he seemed very uneasy.

He was originally a bondservant under the Plain Yellow Banner, and his master was the famous Fushun prince consort Li Yongfang.

This time, he was sent to Kuandian by his master under the banner of Dusong in order to lure Liu Jing's army to advance rashly so that Amin, the master of the Bordered Blue Banner, could annihilate them in one fell swoop.

The journey was quite smooth. There were few Ming army scouts, and the few that did not come in at night were killed by them. Just when they thought they were about to succeed, this Captain Liu showed up halfway. He was so hateful.

"I appreciate Captain Liu's kindness, but the military situation is urgent. We must return to the frontier as soon as possible to report to General Du. If we are late and encounter the enemy scouts and miss the military situation, I can't afford the consequences!"

As he said this, he winked at the people around him, whipped his horse and was about to leave, but after taking a few steps he was stopped by Captain Liu.

"Wait! You've come all the way from Jiefan, a hundred miles round trip, fully armored. In this freezing weather, you might not need to eat, but the horses need fodder. You're all riding single horses, and we all know that General Du is careful about horsepower. Aren't you afraid of being beaten by the General when you return?!"

While Liu Zhaosun was speaking, the servants had already rode forward and blocked the retreat route.

The bondservant's face changed drastically. He looked up at Liu Zhaosun and felt that he was staring at him, as if he was looking at a corpse.

"You! What are you trying to do? You know that blocking the horse is a serious crime!"

Around the bondservants, everyone drew their swords and pointed them at the servants who had gathered around them, but no one spoke.

Liu Zhaosun waved his hand, and the servants drew their bows, pointing dozens of sharp and heavy arrows at Tangma. The latter's face was pale and he stood still, not daring to move.

"You fools, each one a horse, came from the border, galloped a hundred miles, the horse did not breathe, the armor was shining, and there was no wound at all. And you put on such a show! Is it your master who is the fool, or is it me, Liu Zhaosun, who is the fool?"

"Tell me! Which flag is it from?!"

A man on the opposite side suddenly drew out his heavy sword, turned his horse and rushed towards this side. After rushing a few steps, Liu Zhaosun shouted:
"die!"

The bowstring vibrated hummingly, and the heavy arrow shot out at a rapid speed. Before anyone could react, it had already hit the horse's chest. The arrowhead came out from the back, leaving only the arrow feather on the cotton armor.

The servants shot heavy arrows one after another, turning the man into a hedgehog. The rider's body tilted to the side and fell off his horse.

"Don't move! Anyone who moves will be killed!"

The servants gathered around with lances in hand, surrounding the remaining dozen or so people. Liu Zhaosun shouted:
"Surrender and avoid death!"

After saying that, he rushed forward and lifted up the helmet of a Tangma, revealing a bald head and a rat-tail braid on the back of his head.

“Tatar?!”

The servants cried out in surprise, but each of them had a grim smile on his face, thinking that they could make a fortune now.

Seeing that they could not escape, the Jiannu people surrounded in the middle simply raised their weapons and prepared for a final fight.

"Leave a few alive and kill the rest!" Several sharp arrows whizzed through the air, and the outer Jian slaves were shot dead on the spot. The bondservant in the middle knelt on the ground, raised his hands, and gave up resistance.

"Search them! I'll give you some silver, but take them away for questioning!"

After saying that, Liu Zhaosun ordered several servants around him:

"You guys, head northwest and spy carefully. If you find any traces of the Jiannu, report back immediately!"

Several servants drove the horses, trampling the snow, and disappeared on the mountain road ahead.

Half an hour later, Liu Zhaosun brought the five surviving bannermen and two Jiannu Zhenyi to his adoptive father and reported to him what had just happened.

"Foster father, I have interrogated them and found out that these slaves disguised themselves as Du Song's personal soldiers and came here to deliver false military orders. They wanted to lure us into advancing rashly and annihilate the Eastern Route Army!"

Liu Jing's eyes were as sharp as swords as he swept across the several Jiannu scouts kneeling on the ground. At this time, the Jiannu helmets had been taken off, revealing the slender rat-tail hair whips behind them.

Du Song's command arrow was placed aside, with bloodstains on it. I wonder if it was left by him.

Liu Jing's eyes moved between the Jiannu and the command arrow, and the scar between his eyebrows twitched from time to time.

Suddenly, he took off the iron sword, smashed it heavily on the ground, and sighed:

"Crazy Du is dead! Shot to death by an arrow?"

"Marin placed his muskets and cannons on the outside, how could he not be defeated?"

"How many soldiers do I have left? Where are they stationed? Where is General Du's body? Have you found out everything?"

After all, Liu Jing had lived through countless battles and had seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood. When he learned that Du Song and Ma Lin had been defeated, he was shocked at first, but after a moment, he regained his composure.

He knew exactly what the scoundrel Nurhaci was going to do next. With two of his four armies destroyed and Li Rubai unreliable, his next target would be his Eastern Army.

"Foster father, Du Song underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly. He left Gong Niansui on the other side of the Hun River while he crossed the river first. After crossing, he divided his forces again, with 10,000 troops attacking Jiefan and another marching towards Sarhu. Both were divided and surrounded by the Bordered Yellow Banner. They lasted less than a day before being completely destroyed. Ma Lin did put up a strong defense beforehand, but his firearms were no match for the Jiannu, and he was defeated even faster than Du Song! According to the confession of the bannerman we captured, after these two battles, the main force of the Jiannu still survived, with only 3,000 casualties..."

General Liu looked solemn and speechless for a long time. It's not that he had never seen defeat before, but it was really terrifying to see Du Song's army being killed by bandits with more than 20,000 men in just one day.

If this is true, he needs to reassess Nurhaci's strength.

If Liu Zhaosun had not been so perceptive today, the Eastern Army would have continued to advance, and these tens of thousands of soldiers would have died without a burial place like Du Song and Ma Lin.

At this time, five days had passed since we set out from Kuandian, and returning by the same route was impossible.

Not to mention that he was alone in deep, morale was the most important thing, and if he was not careful, the whole army would be defeated. Even if he returned safely, the thief Yang Hao would not let him go.

If they continued to march towards Hetuala, they would not be a match for Nurhaci with their limited troops.

"Du Song was defeated, Marin fled, and our Eastern Army is the weakest of the four armies. We are now in a dilemma. What do you think, Little Thirteen?"

Before Liu Jing could finish, Liu Zhaosun told him his plan:

"Foster father, the art of war says, 'Put yourself in a desperate situation and then you can survive!' Our army should halt its march, boost morale, choose a dangerous spot to set up camp, build fortifications, dig trenches, set up chevaux de frise, and form a large army formation. The Zhejiang soldiers will be in the front, the musketeers in the rear, using heavy arrows. Send out scouts with mounted cavalry to cut off the enemy's reconnaissance! Those enemy troops have defeated two armies in three days and traveled hundreds of miles, so even if they are truly strong, they must be exhausted. We should wait for them to tire themselves out and strike with all our might. As long as morale remains high, they don't have to be doomed! Immediately send someone to ask Li Rubai for help, and have the Liao soldiers flank the Jiannu from the west. If we hold on for a few days, the enemy troops will naturally be defeated!"

Liu Jing looked at Liu Zhaosun carefully. This adopted son had just killed someone and there was blood on his body. He was full of murderous intent. Listening to him talk about countermeasures, he couldn't help but nod frequently, feeling quite relieved. This boy still knew how to use troops, thanks to his daily cultivation of him.

“How do you boost morale?”

Liu Zhaosun pondered for a moment and said firmly:
"The Eastern Army is seriously short of money. The only solution now is to first provide the soldiers with sufficient food and wages, and then educate them on the great principles of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism..."

Hearing this, Liu Jing showed an embarrassment on his face. Loyalty to the emperor and patriotism are fine, but as for the military pay, that is...

The imperial court has been in arrears for a long time. It's not just the southern soldiers, but almost all the important cities in the nine border areas of the Ming Dynasty are in arrears.

However, in the current situation, if I cannot boost morale and fight to the death, I will end up like Juniper.

Liu Jing was silent for a long time, and finally spoke:

"Du Song and Ma Lin were defeated. Not only did they advance too recklessly and get attacked, but their firearms deployment was also flawed. Although Ma Lin was a skilled commander, he stationed his artillery and muskets outside the main camp without any guards. He thought he could defeat the bandits with firearms alone. How could he not be defeated?"

Liu Jing cast his gaze towards the distant hills and said thoughtfully:

"Xiao Shisan, what you just said is quite logical, and it's worth following me for so many years. But you probably don't know who Li Rubai is! I'll explain the ins and outs of Liaozhen to you later. Anyway, we can't ask Li Rubai for help. Find two reliable servants and return to Shenyang immediately to ask Yang Jinglue for help. Shenyang still has 3,000 cavalry. Du Song is dead, Ma Lin has escaped, and it's time for Yang Jinglue to take out his best weapon!"

He paused for a moment, gritted his teeth, and finally made up his mind:
"If the imperial court doesn't pay us, we'll pay it ourselves. We can't bring this money with us when we're born, and we can't take it with us when we die. So, let's pay it!"

Liu Zhaosun was overjoyed when he heard this. He didn't expect that his adoptive father was willing to give up his money. This made him respect the military men of the late Ming Dynasty even more.

As a time traveler, he was not very clear about the relationship between Liaozhen and Jiannu. From the tone of his adoptive father, it was obvious that he was quite dissatisfied with Li Rubai, but now was not the time to discuss this.

"Foster father, I think those Korean soldiers are not easy to deal with. If we don't deal with them soon, when the Jiannu attack, chaos will surely break out!"

Liu Jing nodded slightly, his eyes changing constantly. As an important general who aided Korea during Emperor Wanli's reign, he knew very well what kind of people the Korean soldiers were.

These Korean soldiers were mediocre at fighting, but they were very good at dragging their feet on the battlefield. The reason why they advanced so slowly from Kuandian this time was not only because the road was dangerous, but also because they kept delaying on the road, sometimes using the excuse of lack of food and grass, and sometimes complaining about the cold weather.

"Then what do you think should be done? Should we put them..."

A hint of coldness flashed in Liu Jing's eyes, and he gestured at his neck with his palm.

Liu Zhaosun quickly shook his head. There were more than 10,000 Korean soldiers, and it was certainly unrealistic to kill them all.

"Foster father, the Korean army commander Jiang Hongli is afraid of the Jiannu like a tiger! He dared to secretly negotiate peace with Daishan. This man is greedy for money and lustful. He sucks the blood of soldiers and withholds food and wages. He is even more evil than the soldiers in Liaozhen. Aren't these Korean soldiers clamoring for pay? How about this..."

(End of this chapter)