The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 27 Soul Calling
Kang Yingqian watched the exploded Portuguese cannon being thrown to the side of the road by the soldiers.

"What's the point? You don't even want the artillery?"

Liu Zhaosun stood on a large bluestone on the river bank, with disheveled hair, looking as if he was about to jump into the river.

Kang Yingqian subconsciously took out a colorful medicine bottle:
"Boss Liu, don't commit suicide! You're still young and you haven't gotten married yet!"

As I got closer I heard:

Wielding Wu spears and donning rhinoceros armor, chariots jostled for position and short swords engaged. Banners obscured the sun, the enemy resembled clouds; arrows flew and fell, and the soldiers vied for the lead.

"Are you from Chu? And you know how to summon spirits?"

The sound of Qu Yuan's "Mourning for the Nation" is mournful and lamentable.

"Liu Zhaosun, if you want to summon souls, the 'National Mourning' is not as good as the Diamond Powder, no, it's the 'Diamond Sutra'."

Liu Zhaosun looked back at Kang Yingqian and said, "I have never believed in Buddhism, but I have always had a compassionate heart."

The surrounding soldiers looked over here in awe.

Liu Zhaosun lowered his head and said loudly to the endless sea of corpses:

"Go back, go back!"

Kang Yingqian smiled coldly. He was a Jinshi (Jinshi) and disdained these obscene rituals and evil arts. He grabbed Liu Zhaosun's shoulders and said angrily:

"It's a waste of your talent to make you a small captain. You should be Zhang Jue."

"How long will it take to get back to Shenyang if we take the dead with us? What if we're attacked by bandits along the way?"

More and more soldiers gathered by the river, and soon there were more than a thousand of them.

Juniper died and Marlin escaped.

The Ming troops in the west and north either served as bondservants for the Jiannu or were left dead in the wild and fed to stray dogs.

Only the Eastern Army survived.

Along the way, General Liu Qian distributed wages and food to everyone, defeated the Bordered Blue Banner, and drove them back to Hetuala to graze!

General Liu Qian said that he would bring everyone home, whether dead or alive.

With a general like this, how could the soldiers not support him? How could they not regard him as a god?
"I saw your brothers die in this barbaric land, turned into bones, mixed with the ghosts of the Tartars, neither human nor ghost!"

"Take the dead and return to Shenyang."

Kang Yingqian seemed to be lost in thought, with a barely perceptible smile on his lips.

A burly flag captain walked up to the crowd and said angrily:

"Captain Qian, the Tartars are catching up. The living can walk, and the dead can be buried. What's the point of taking them with you?"

Everyone looked at Liu Zhaosun. Liu Zhaosun stared at the flag captain and hit him on the leg with the scabbard of the Miao Dao. The man fell to the ground.

Liu Zhaosun leaned forward and said word by word:

"I don't want you to be thrown here after you die, becoming a lonely ghost, living with the Tartar ghosts."

"Take your dead brothers and return to Shenyang with me."

The flag captain was shocked and ashamed. Liu Zhaosun handed him a fine bow and said in a deep voice:
"During the night raid that day, I saw you shoot and kill more than a dozen Bayalas. This is General Deng's bow. I'll give it to you. Use it to kill more Tartars in the future."

The captain of the Zhejiang corps stayed on the spot.

"Take it."

He took the bow with both hands, bowed to Liu Zhaosun, turned around and went to move the body.

When the people around saw this, they stopped talking and immediately went over to help.

The soldiers dragged the heavy artillery off the ox cart.

Under the command of the captains of each flag, hundreds of people shouted slogans and pushed one cannon after another into the fast-flowing Hunjiang River.

The soldiers carefully carried the bodies of their fallen comrades onto the cart, arranged them neatly, covered them with white cloth, and placed stones around them to prevent the cloth from being blown away by the wind and snow.

More than 3,500 bodies filled ox carts.

Under the gaze of thousands of people.

Liu Zhaosun was half-kneeling shirtless by the river, cutting his palm with a dagger and letting the blood flow over his head.

He spread his hands above his head and looked up at the sky, which was covered in blood.

Suddenly, Liu Zhaosun raised the fish-scale armor that Deng Qilong was wearing when he died high up and swung it vigorously towards the north.

"Soldiers from Liaozhen, soldiers from Liaozhen, soldiers from Liaozhen, go back!
"Send out the troops, send out the troops, send out the troops, return home!
"Soldiers of Jizhen, soldiers of Jizhen, soldiers of Jizhen, return home!
"Qi's army, Qi's army, Qi's army, go back!
"30,000 Tiger Guards, why don't you return! Why don't you return!"

He shouted three times, and finally fell to his knees when he was hoarse. He kowtowed three times to the Hunjiang River and cried heart-wrenchingly.

The Hun River flowed away, and thousands of Ming soldiers cried loudly. The cold wind seemed as if ghosts were sobbing.

Kang Yingqian pulled Qiao Yiqi forward and helped General Liu up.

The living and the dead set out on their journey home.

The ox-drawn carts loaded with the corpses of their comrades creaked forward on the rugged mountain road.

The remnants of the Eastern Army followed behind the carriage, their steps as fast as iron, leaving deep footprints in the snow.

Under the dim sky, the Liaodong plains were like the darkness of hell. The army marched silently towards the darkness, but everyone's steps were extremely firm.

This determined group of people was like a black river, flowing in the opposite direction of the Hunjiang River, rushing southward.

Every day, countless small streams flowed into this black river, and some defeated soldiers gradually returned to the main army.

Except for the Zhejiang soldiers who retreated due to exhaustion, the Korean soldiers and Huguang soldiers who fled first that day were all beheaded. Many of them robbed the people in the surrounding area of their food after fleeing, and several families were slaughtered by the fleeing soldiers.

The heads of the defeated soldiers who participated in the looting were hung high on spears and carried by the Pacification Office to various camps for public display.

Liu Zhaosun also reissued the soldiers in each camp's military pay for the past two days. The money was seized from the Jiannu, and some was loaned to him by Qiao Yiqi.

Witnessing the fate of the defeated soldiers, the surviving soldiers were shocked and frightened. It was only then that they understood what military discipline was.

The soldiers were thankful that they had held on to the end and not fled.

After receiving their salaries and encouragement from General Liu, these Han men gradually developed a sense of honor as soldiers.

Kang Yinggan was terrified when he saw Liu Zhaosun killing hundreds of defeated soldiers, with heads rolling everywhere.

He advised General Liu Qian not to argue with the soldiers. Those civilians died, so let them die. The defeated soldiers had fought in several major battles and would be elite troops in the future, so they should not be killed.

Liu Zhaosun believed that if the soldiers deserted once, they would do so again. Killing civilians for no reason was no different from being a bandit! If he let them go, he wouldn't have to lead the army!
"General Qi's military strategy states that if the army is defeated, all but the innocent who were taken hostage or those who were unable to fight should be beheaded! And they dared to massacre the civilians!"

"I may be merciful, but I will never let go of anyone who deserves death! Even if there are ten thousand people who violate military discipline, I will behead them all! I will show no mercy!"

"Looking at powerful armies throughout history, they are all known for their strict military discipline. Everyone wants to survive. If we open a loophole today, these thousands of people will encounter the Jiannu tomorrow and there will be a great defeat and massacre!"

Kang Yingqian nodded slightly. He knew that what Liu Zhaosun said made sense, and it was not good to put pressure on him by being a superior, so he didn't say anything more.

While killing the defeated soldiers, he also reissued their military pay, used both kindness and severity, and clearly distinguished between rewards and punishments. After that, Liu Zhaosun's prestige in the army further increased.

On the ninth day of March, the army continued its march southward.

They took the same route, after all, they had walked it once and it was familiar to them.

The weather in Liaodong in March was cold, and the bodies would not rot if transported back. The exploded cannon was sunk into the Hunjiang River.

Kang Yingqian was heartbroken.

If these copper and iron are transported to be melted down, they can be cast into hundreds of thousands of copper coins. If more lead and iron are added to them, even more can be cast.

However, if the artillery is transported back, the bodies of our comrades will have to be left in this barbaric place.

"I believe that compared to hundreds of thousands of copper coins, the morale of the people is more valuable. The reason why the chieftain was able to cause chaos in Liaodong is because he can deceive the people. The military supervisor must pay attention to this!"

Kang Yingqian nodded thoughtfully, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Liu Zhaosun began to change.

The reason why Liu Zhaosun abandoned the explosive cannons was because these things were more efficient in killing his own people than killing the enemy on the battlefield.

The Jiannu people didn't dare to use it.

The Hunjiang River was turbulent, and if the Later Jin Dynasty did not lose hundreds of baoyi, it would be impossible to salvage these cannons.

Liu Zhaosun led his troops slowly forward southward.

When they set up camp at night, the horses in each camp did not take off their saddles and the soldiers did not take off their armor.

Jin Yuji wore a mandarin duck battle jacket and a Ming helmet, and disguised herself as a servant following around.

After witnessing several bloody battles, the Korean beauty regarded General Liu as a young hero and thought he would be able to avenge her, so she gradually fell in love with him.

On the banks of the Hunjiang River, stars hang low over the fields, and the blood-red moon gazes quietly at the earth.

The cold wind in Liaodong in March is biting.

Jin Yuji's bright eyes flickered as she looked up at the night sky quietly. She snuggled up to Liu Zhaosun and sang a ballad from her hometown in a low voice.

Liu Zhaosun put the wolfskin cloak left by his adoptive father on the beauty, closed his eyes and listened quietly.

blue sky galaxy
There is a little white boat

There is an osmanthus tree on the boat

White rabbit playing

The oars are invisible

There's no sail on the boat.

Float, float, float to the west
Cross the Milky Way

Towards the Cloud Country

"What's the name of this song? Why does it sound so familiar?"

"General, have you ever been to Korea?"

"No, my adoptive father went there during the Imjin War. I wasn't even born then."

"This is a Korean nursery rhyme, 'Little White Boat.' I used to sing it when I was little. Does it sound good?"

Liu Zhaosun nodded repeatedly.

"It sounds nice, but it's a little creepy."

~~~~
Two sharp arrows whizzed through the night sky, breaking the beautiful tranquility.

Jin Yu Ji turned over and stood up, picked up a broken shield, raised her sword and bent her body to protect Liu Zhaosun.

Liu Zhaosun looked at Meiji's pretty back, and an inexplicable warmth surged through his body.

He gently called Jin Yuji and said with infinite tenderness:

"They are some Jianzhou ghosts who are eager to reincarnate. Jin Yinghe and I will kill them! Don't move here. I will let Zhang Donglai guard..."

"Give me a bow."

Jin Yu Ji put on her armor, and the close-fitting fish-scale armor made her look heroic.

Liu Zhaosun looked at her and was amazed. In a daze, Jin Yu Ji had already walked out of the tent with a sword and armor.

Liu Zhaosun stood still, and suddenly remembered something, and said loudly:
"Hey, stop, that's my armor..."

That night, a small-scale fierce battle broke out between the servants and the Zhengbai Banner. It ended at dawn. The white-armored soldiers left behind more than 30 corpses and disappeared into the dark night.

Judging from the small flag behind the Jiannu corpse, it was Bayara from the Zhenglan Banner, just as Liu Zhaosun had expected.

It seems that Manggurtai still refuses to let go of the Eastern Army and keeps pursuing it.

Liu Zhaosun knew that this was just a probing attack by the Zhenglan Banner, and that the main Jiannu army was still behind. He did not dare to stop and accelerated his advance southward.

Liu Zhaosun personally led his retainers to guard the rear, while Jin Yinghe led elite archers to provide cover. In the following days, the Eastern Route Army engaged in several fierce battles with Bayala of the Zhenglan Banner. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, and nearly half of the retainers left behind by Liu Jing were lost...

At least they stopped the advance of the Zhenglan Banner troops.

March 23rd.

The scouts ahead reported that a Ming army was coming from the direction of Kuandian.

Liu Zhaosun's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

It's finally safe.

"They were wearing long white spears and vine helmets on their heads. I don't know how many people there were."

"White-pole soldiers?"

The Korean deputy general Jin Yinghe had never been to Shu and had never seen the White Spear Soldiers. The knowledgeable and talkative Qiao Yiqi hurried to explain to him.

"They are Tusi soldiers from the southwest. They are not only in Sichuan, but also in all parts of the southwest. However, these soldiers use white-rod spears."

The white pole spear is made of strong white wood (fraxinus chinensis) into a long pole, with a hook with a blade on the top and a hard iron ring at the bottom. During combat, the hook can be used for chopping and pulling, and the ring can be used as a hammer weapon.

The two sides' Yebushou met each other, and under the protection of their servants, Liu Zhaosun and the general of the White Spear Army met between the two armies.

A year later, in the Battle of Hunhe, the Zhejiang and Sichuan troops came to the aid of Liao with great momentum.

When they arrived at the Liaodong battlefield, Shenyang had already fallen to Liaozhen at the speed of light.

Both armies were full of confidence in themselves and wanted to show their strength on the banks of the Hunhe River and fight against the entire Later Jin army on their own.

Liaozhen's attitude towards foreign troops is still to watch the fire from the other side of the river and see others perish.

The two powerful Ming armies were eventually defeated by the Eight Banners Army, which was ten times larger than their own. This was the famous Hunhe Bloody Battle in history.

No matter what, the historical tragedy of the Hunhe Campaign must not be repeated.

Liu Zhaosun went to Sichuan with his adoptive father and met Qin Liangyu, but that was a long time ago.

"I am Liu Zhaosun, the adopted son of Liu Jing, and currently serve as a thousand-man commander of the Eastern Route Army. My adoptive father died for his country, and I was an old friend of the Ma family (1). I wonder who you are, General?"

The white-robed general listened, looked at Liu Zhaosun carefully, and bowed respectfully:

"I am Qin Jianxun, the commander of Shizhu. Upon hearing the emperor's summons, my aunt sent my nephew ahead. She will follow shortly with 5,000 white-pole soldiers."

Notes: (1) Ma Family: Ma Qiancheng (1570-1613), courtesy name Xiaorong, was the Shizhu County Xuanfu Envoy. He was a general of the Ming Dynasty and a descendant of Ma Yuan, the Eastern Han Dynasty General Fubo. He inherited the title of Tusi of Shizhu County due to his ancestors’ meritorious service and was the husband of the famous female general Qin Liangyu.

(End of this chapter)