The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 216 The Yang Family's Daughter Grows Up (Part )

On February 28th of the second year of Taichang, the Kaiyuan army returned triumphantly from Hetuala.

Tens of thousands of Jianzhou captives struggled to march towards Kaiyuan in the ice and snow. Captives were constantly freezing to death or starving to death along the way. The Kaiyuan army had run out of food and fodder and was unable to take care of itself. Even if they had some, they would not give much to the captives. Whether the Tartars could reach Kaiyuan alive depended on their luck.

The team was huge. The ox-drawn carts carrying food and supplies stretched all the way north from Hetuala, extending for more than 30 miles. The front and rear of the team could not see each other, like a long black dragon, which was spectacular.

Each headquarters had 13,000 combat troops, but now there were less than 6,000 left, with more than half of the troops lost. If it were any other army, they would have collapsed completely long ago.

Despite heavy casualties and the commander's serious injury and damaged prestige, the Kaiyuan army finally captured Hetuala, annihilated the Eight Banners, and pulled out the sharp sword that was inserted into Kaiyuan's heart.

Liu Zhaosun rode on the horse woodenly, and remained silent on the way back to Kaiyuan from Hetuala.

The cavalry battalion rushed back to Fushun first, and Wang Zengbin quickly captured this almost undefended city and killed all the Wukong sect believers who participated in the rebellion.

The heads of the first and second cabinet members of the Wukong Sect were hung on the city wall for public display.

On March 5, Fushun was pacified.

On March 6, Ping Liaohou led his army through Kaiyuan. After leaving the captives behind, he did not have time to go home to visit Yang Qing'er, and hurried north to reinforce Qiao Yiqi who was attacking Yehe City.

Burhanggu, who was fighting fiercely with the Bordered Blue Banner, clasped his hands together and knelt devoutly after hearing about the bloody battle in Hetuala:

"I prayed day and night, and finally moved the Eternal Heaven, which blessed the Marquis of Ping Liao and destroyed the Later Jin."

Ping Liaohou smiled knowingly, bumped shoulders with Xicheng Beile, performed the Jurchen greeting, and said to this always loyal Haixi leader:
"After destroying the Bordered Blue Banner, I will allow you to stay in Yehe and continue to be your leader, just like Du Du. I will establish a new Liaodong."

In mid-March, troops from all over Kaiyuan gathered in northern Liaoning and launched a general attack on the remnants of the Bordered Blue Banner in Yehe City.

Yuan Chonghuan led a thousand soldiers from Kuandian. He originally planned to reinforce Ping Liaohou, but the decisive battle ended before his troops reached Hetuala.

So Yuan Chonghuan led his army northward and arrived at Yehe City.

The 3,000 soldiers led by Qiao Yiqi joined forces with the 5,000 soldiers who came from Hetuala, and together with Yuan Chonghuan, the three armies became one, with a powerful military force reaching 11,000.

Ping Liaohou had just recovered from a serious illness and was weak. Surrounded by guards, he struggled to come to the city of Yehe.

"General Qiao held back the Bordered Blue Banner in the north, preventing them from advancing southward, and made a great contribution to the destruction of the Later Jin!"

Liu Zhaosun felt particularly warm to Qiao Yiqi when he saw him. He wanted Qiao Dazui to replace Kang Yingqian and take charge of civil affairs. Unfortunately, Qiao Dazui was not interested in power. His personality was completely different from Kang Yingqian's.

This wealthy second-generation member of the Donglin Party had long regarded fame, wealth and power as passing clouds.

However, his bad habit of not controlling his words has not changed at all.

Everyone was resting in the big tent. Old Song happened to mention Ping Liaohou's injury, intending to remind Qiao Yiqi not to over-stimulate the patient.

After hearing this, Qiao Yiqi immediately shouted at Old Song in front of all the generals.

"What?! Ping Liaohou was almost dead? Why didn't you tell me earlier? Where was the injury? Is he still able to command the battle?"

Everyone was silent, and Liu Zhaosun smiled awkwardly:
"I am not dead yet."

Qiao Yiqi grabbed his cold and trembling hand and said with concern:

"You've come back from southern Liaoning, and you've been riding all the way. Why don't you take a good rest? The Bordered Blue Banner is at the end of its strength, with only a few thousand men. I'm here with you, and that's enough. General Liu, just go back to Kaiyuan and wait for the news of victory!"

Liu Zhaosun's fingers broke free from Qiao Dazui's hands.

"Military Supervisor Qiao, I've come to Yehe this time not only to reinforce the 3000th Headquarters, but also to make an announcement. From now on, you will be in charge of civil affairs and command the civil officials. Are you willing?"

Everyone looked up at Qiao Yiqi, jealousy in their eyes.

Qiao Yiqi heard this and shook his head like a rattle:

"No, no, I can't be a civil affairs official. I can't be busy. I just need to be as still as a mountain. Does Ping Liaohou know how many people there are in Kaiyuan now?"

The time traveler has not thought about this problem yet. The territory is constantly expanding, but he doesn't know how many people there are.

"A million people?"

"three million!"

Qiao Yiqi opened his mouth wide and held up three fingers.

"Three million is more than the population of an entire prefecture in the interior. How can I, an official, be qualified to govern such a prefecture? Sun Chuanting and Yuan Chonghuan are both better than me... This time, we defended Kaiyuan and attacked Yehe, and the soldiers risked their lives. If we talk about merit, Madam Gaoming has made the greatest contribution."

"What?"

Liu Zhaosun was surprised. Qiao Yiqi always spoke in a logical and touching way, and he would inexplicably talk about other things.

What contribution can Yang Qing'er make?
"Your contribution is enormous. Madam Gaoming single-handedly managed the deployment of food and fodder for the army, as well as the supply of gunpowder, in Kaiyuan. There were no mistakes, and you're better than several civil officials!"

Ping Liaohou was secretly surprised. His father-in-law was originally a military quartermaster. When Yang Hao was the coastal defense governor in Dengzhou, he was appreciated by the emperor for his effective supply of the army. Later, he was in charge of military supply in the Korean battlefield, responsible for the dispatch of food, fodder and weapons for tens of thousands of Ming troops.

Although he performed poorly at Sarhu later, it cannot erase the ability of this outstanding quartermaster.

"Like father, like daughter! Great! The Yang family's daughter has grown up, and the lady can actually help me guard the rear. Great! Great!"

Liu Zhaosun praised repeatedly, and suddenly felt a little ashamed when he remembered that he hadn't seen Yang Qing'er for a long time.

Am I being too cold to my wife?

Seeing Ping Liaohou like this, Qiao Yiqi advised:

"I think it would be better to let Madam Gaoming be the Chief of Civil Affairs. She is the most suitable person!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Liu Zhaosun coughed twice and looked up at Qiao Yiqi.

"General Qiao, you're joking. If you don't want to be promoted, that's fine. Don't joke around like that."

"I'm not joking. What's wrong with that? Madam Jin was able to follow you on your campaigns and was granted the title of General Anyuan. Why can't Madam Yang be an official? In my opinion, if she can't be an official at the imperial court, she can be an official in Kaiyuan. If she is, she will surely be a prime minister in the future."

Liu Zhaosun was speechless.

~~~~
Sen Ti brought Bayanzhan to the moat of Yehe City. Holding up loud speakers, they shouted to the Blue Banner garrison on the city wall:

"Listen up! Hetuala has been conquered. Your Great Khan, Huang Taiji, has abandoned Jianzhou and hanged himself. His head has been sent to the capital by Ping Liaohou! The military is verifying the results! All your men are dead! The two yellow flags, the two red flags, the pure blue flag, and the pure white flag have been completely destroyed. Ajige, the leader of the bordered white flag, surrendered to the Kaiyuan army and has been properly accommodated. Now that the Later Jin has been destroyed, only your isolated army remains. You have half an hour to surrender, otherwise, the army will break through the city and destroy us all!"

Ajige brought the captured Later Jin generals to the front of the battle and looked at the city wall from afar, causing a commotion among the Later Jin soldiers on the city wall.

Senti patted Bayan on the shoulder and encouraged him:

"The translation is very good and powerful. I believe Jirgalang will make the right choice."

The Jianzhou people were uneasy and said in stiff Chinese:
"What if the leader of the Bordered Blue Banner didn't make the right choice?"

Sen Ti smiled and pointed at the artillery array in the distance, saying in a friendly manner:
"The Kaiyuan Army has always won people over with virtue. If Jirgalang doesn't understand, those artillery pieces will help him understand."

Ping Liaohou immediately launched a fierce bombardment on the Yehe city walls with the thirty field cannons he brought back from Hetuala.

The strategy of winning people over with virtue had a good effect. Half an hour later, the Bordered Blue Banner announced its surrender.

On that day, Ping Liaohou held a surrender ceremony outside Yehe City and accepted the surrender of the Bordered Blue Banner.

From then on, the Eight Banners either surrendered or were destroyed, and the Later Jin regime was completely destroyed.

Burhanggu and a dozen civil officials stayed in Yehe City, along with more than 500 Kaiyuan soldiers.

Liu Zhaosun granted Xicheng Beile certain powers, allowing him to recruit the Haixi Jurchen tribe and restore the new order in Yehe. Of course, he could not exclude the Han, Mongolian and Korean people from settling there.

Burhanggu was extremely excited. He knelt in front of Liu Zhaosun and swore in the name of Changshengtian that he would be loyal to Ping Liaohou until death and help him guard the northern gate.

"I hope you can stay true to your heart and work with me to create a new Liaodong."

Liu Zhaosun reached out and helped Xicheng Beile up, and said to him meaningfully.

~~~~~~
Ping Liaohou dragged his tired and weak body back to Kaiyuan.

Deng Changxiong and Wang Erhu were arranged to camp outside the city.

I screened and collected the prisoners, and went to the wounded camp to inspect the wounded. By the time I finished all this, it was already dark.

Lady Gaoming, Bumbutai and the fat maid stood in front of the stone lions in the general's mansion, anxiously waiting for her husband to return.

Liu Zhaosun, supported by the guards, slowly walked to Yang Qing'er.

"Madam, I'm back."

After saying these last words, his spirit was finally exhausted, his body softened, and he fell into his wife's arms.

Yang Qing'er had grown into a graceful young lady, her temperament more calm and composed. The unruly and headstrong daughter of the Shenyang Governor's Mansion was gone.

Yang Qing'er's eyes were filled with tears. She hugged her husband in her arms and sobbed:

"Husband, go home. Stop fighting. Go home."

Liu Zhaosun felt his wife's body temperature, imagined the scene of himself dying on the battlefield, and murmured to himself.

"Okay, no more fighting, let's go home."

(End of this chapter)