The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 391 Retreat

A huge meteor with a long tail flame disappeared below the horizon where the sea and the sky met. Jin Yuji stared at the rapidly falling meteor, her big red and swollen eyes filled with tears.

"Queen Jin, the bandits are catching up, get on board!"

Liu Yue'er was holding a swaddle in her arms and looking at Jin Yuji worriedly. In the swaddle, Liu Kan, who had just turned half a year old, was snoring softly.

Jin Yuji cried from the evening of Youshi last night until this morning. Liu Yueer and Fujiwara Chiyoko tried to persuade her for a long time, but the queen just stared blankly in the direction of the capital. The explosion had affected such a wide area that everyone knew that no one in the city could survive.

No matter what, the road must continue.

Since the explosion last night, soldiers have been fleeing from Tianjin and gathering at Zhangjiawan Port. By dawn this morning, 560 Kaiyuan soldiers had gathered around Pei Dahu, Lin Yu and others.

The soldiers who fled to Zhangjiagang brought bad news. Governor Yuan was supervising the battle in the west of the city last night. He was shocked to death when the explosion occurred. His body was taken away by the bandits and dismembered on the spot...
The 7th Imperial Guards Army, stationed in Tianjin, was nearly fully staffed, with a total of 5,000 soldiers. Only a little over 500 of them had escaped alive. Specifically, apart from the 6,000 troops stationed in Liaodong, the 8,000 stationed in Korea and Japan, and the over 10,000 trapped in Shaanxi, Shandong, and Henan, only these 600 or so remained of Liu Zhaosun's painstakingly assembled 120,000-man army. Of course, there was also Wu Ahheng's naval fleet, with over a hundred warships and tens of thousands of sailors. However, the Liaodong Navy had just cruised to the South Island (Australia) at the end of last year and was unlikely to return anytime soon.

The road ahead is very clear. There is no other way out except returning to Liaodong. However, no one knows what the current situation in Liaodong is.

Kang Yingqian watched Jin Yuji being supported by Chiyoko onto the deck, lowered his voice, and said to Pei Dahu standing beside him:

"Old Pei, I'm afraid Liaodong isn't peaceful either. I'm worried that if we go there, we'll be like sheep walking into a tiger's mouth."

Seeing that everyone was on board, the captain Han Chao blew the whistle, and the sailors hurriedly removed the sampans, climbed up the bare masts, and began to fan the sails of the Fu ship.

A few days before Yang Hao and Emperor Wuding died for their country in the capital, Han Chao, Wei Zhao and others escorted Qiao Yiqi and others to Tianjin Wei and took a ferry back to Liaodong. Three years later, the boat captain Han Chao returned to his old job.

Pei Dahu heard what Kang Yingqian said and asked in a low voice:
"Does Supervisor Kang mean that Burhanggu will rebel?"

Emperor Wuding died suddenly, killing over half of the Qi army and civil officials, and nearly wiping out the troops fighting inside the Great Wall. The few remaining troops were pinned down in Shaanxi and Henan, and the garrisons in Liaodong totaled no more than 5,000 to 6,000 men. Unless they were united, they were no match for the Jurchens.

Under such circumstances, the leaders of the Haixi and Jianzhou Jurchens, who hold heavy troops, will inevitably have other thoughts.

After all, it was Liu Zhaosun who drove them out of the heartland of Liaodong...

"Beile of Xicheng is okay, but that Dudu is very slippery and opportunistic. He has been claiming to be the guardian of the northern border for years, saying that he is the loyal guard of Emperor Wuding. This man's ability to endure is no worse than Huang Taiji's!"

"Old Pei, you must remember that those who are not of our race must have different hearts! The emperor spared them and did not kill them all. I opposed it back then! Now they are finally becoming a disaster!"

Pei Dahu suddenly recalled the Kaiyuan army's upgrades last autumn. To demonstrate equal treatment for all ethnic groups, Emperor Wuding had ordered the Haixi and Jianzhou Jurchens to be equipped with Type 25 flintlock rifles. He also reportedly gave Dudu over a hundred field artillery pieces, supposedly for future use against the Rakshasas. While the Jianzhou Jurchens were issued small cannons, there was no doubt that this equipment would greatly enhance their field combat capabilities.

Kang Yingqian sighed deeply and closed his eyes in pain:
"It's all because Emperor Wuding was too lenient with them, a woman's kindness! Besides these two, Korea is also a problem. Li Hui has always held a grudge against us and he will definitely not let it go this time! And then there's Japan. Liaodong hasn't sent any reinforcements of food and weapons to Handong in several months. I wonder how Governor Yuan and his men are doing now."

Yuan Chonghuan had already died together with the demon monk Huiran.

At this time, the Kyushu garrison was out of ammunition and food, and was constantly attacked by the Japanese. Zhao Lujiao tried hard to gather his troops and continuously shrink the defense line, retreating from the Izu Islands to the northern part of Kyushu. However, he was still in danger and faced the situation of destruction. Of course, because of the separation of mountains and seas, Kang Yingqian and others were unaware of these situations.

Pei Dahu felt a little uncomfortable when he saw Kang Yingqian blaming the emperor, and couldn't help complaining: "At that time, the policy of using Xia to transform the barbarians was implemented in Liaodong, and Supervisor Kang also supported it..."

Kang Yingqian waved his hand and shook his head:
"Oh, never mind. The emperor just passed away. Let's not talk about him anymore."

Pei Dahu gazes at Liaodong, where Zhangjiawan is shimmering:
"General Kang, what should we do? Why don't I go back to Liaodong before the news spreads outside the Great Wall and gather all the soldiers stationed in various places back to Kaiyuan, just in case."

Kang Yingqian was silent for a moment, then patted Pei Dahu on the shoulder:

"It's too late,"

"You should stay by my side and protect the Crown Prince and his men. When we return to Liaodong, we should defend Shenyang. If we are trapped in Kaiyuan again, we will be doomed."

Pei Dahu slapped his forehead and shouted:
"Oh, I forgot. General Qiao and the others went back a few days ago..."

As per convention, if nothing unexpected happens, General Qiao will tell every old friend in Liaodong about the things he experienced in the interior.

Kang Yingqian chuckled and consoled the head servant, saying, "It's a good thing he left early, isn't it, Old Pei?"

Pei Dahu was speechless.

The two were about to speak when Yang Tong hurriedly ran onto the deck. The iron hook on his left arm gleamed coldly as he pointed at the distant shore and said murderously:

"Brother Pei, Supervisor Kang, the bandits are chasing us.

(End of this chapter)