Huangming

Chapter 214 Rushing to the Rescue Under the cover of night, General Tingbi

Outside Liaoyang City, a thousand miles away from the capital.

On the vast plains, a mighty army is marching forward, their iron armor gleaming coldly, their horses' hooves kicking up clouds of dust.

From afar, two six-character banners fluttered in the wind, with the black banner bearing the character "戚" (Qi) in gold and the red banner with the character "童" (Tong) in silver standing out, proclaiming the prestige of the commander of this elite force.

As the army drew nearer, their formations became increasingly clear.

On the infantry formation, the square red flags with the character "攻" (attack) fluttered like flames.

In the cavalry formation, the swallowtail-tailed horses and the blue banners resembled the tail of a blue dragon.

Among the firearms battalion holding muskets, the triangular black flags bearing the character "雷" (thunder) loomed like dark clouds.

The three-colored battle flags complement each other, creating an imposing sight.

The soldiers, clad in fine iron armor, marched in unison, each with broad shoulders and thick waists, and piercing eyes, clearly seasoned veterans of many battles.

"We've finally arrived..."

On his brown warhorse, Qi Jin slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his solemn gaze sweeping across the vast Liaodong land before him.

A gentle summer breeze ruffled his graying hair, making soft, rustling sounds as it scraped against his armor.

The veteran, who is over sixty years old, straightened his back, but could not hide the fatigue between his brows.

Since receiving the imperial edict to rush to their aid overnight, this iron army has been marching continuously for more than half a month. Even the seasoned Qi Family Army has inevitably had its sharpness worn down by the wind and frost.

Half a month ago, Xiong Tingbi's urgent battle report still echoed in my mind: the Jianzhou cavalry had broken through three forts outside Shenyang in succession, and the Liaodong defense line was already as fragile as a pile of eggs.

The emperor did not hesitate to draw upon the elite troops of Qi Jiguang's army, which guarded the capital region, and even included newly recruited soldiers who had not been trained for three months in the relief effort, which shows how critical the situation was.

The sound of orderly hooves came from behind, and the personal guards and flag bearers approached, carrying the large black banner with the gold character "戚" on it.

Beneath the fluttering banners, more than ten thousand soldiers remained silent as iron.

Although the Jurchens were skilled in battle, the dark, heavy breech-loading cannons, the iron-forged chariots, and the burning fighting spirit in the soldiers' eyes gave Qi Jinsheng hope of defeating them.

Your Majesty has been very kind to me, and I will repay you with a victory!

Tong Zhongkui spurred his horse forward and pointed to the city wall of Liaoyang, saying, "The red flag has been raised on the city wall. The military commissioner wants to see us. Let's go and pay our respects to the military commissioner first, and then go to Shenyang."

Liaoyang was not their final destination; Shenyang was. However, Xiong Tingbi was the commander-in-chief in charge of Liaodong affairs, so naturally, they had to pay their respects to the commander-in-chief before going to Shenyang.

"Soldiers, let's rest for now!"

Upon receiving the military order, Qin Bangping, Qin Minping, and others settled their large army on the west bank of the Taizi River.

Qi Jin and Tong Zhongkui exchanged a glance, then simultaneously spurred their horses and led their personal guards at breakneck speed toward the gates of Liaoyang.

Figures thronged among the crenellations on the city wall, and the red "Welcome" flag fluttered violently in the north wind, like a leaping fire.

After the garrison outside the city and Qi Jin verified the Ministry of War's seal and confirmed their identities, they turned around and waved their command flags at the top of the city wall.

squeak~
With the heavy creak of the winch turning, the iron gate slowly rose, revealing a deep, dark doorway.

The two men rode their horses in.

On the walls of the two barbicans, the soldiers stood at attention with bows in hand, their eyes, like those of hawks, sweeping over the weary reinforcements from their journey.

The Liaodong army felt no gratitude towards these visiting troops who came to their aid; instead, they were wary.

Qi Jin and Tong Zhongkui were well aware of the look and attitude these people had in their eyes.

But they had no interest in arguing about it.

I have come here to rectify my name and to repay the emperor's kindness, not to fuss over these sordid matters.

The two passed through a doorway that was over three zhang long, and suddenly the view opened up before them.

The streets had been cleared of people, and armed constables kept the people outside the walls. Only a few withered leaves swirled on the bluestone pavement.

In the distance, in front of the governor's mansion, eight tiger-head plaques with red backgrounds and gold patterns clanged in the wind as soldiers dressed in the personal uniforms of the Liaodong governor jogged down the steps to greet him.

"The Grand Marshal has prepared a banquet at the White Tiger Hall. Please, Generals, remove your armor and take your seats!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Jin and Tong Zhongkui dismounted and entered the governor's mansion side by side. The courtyard inside was shady, with dappled shadows cast by locust trees, which slightly dispelled the heat.

Inside the guest room, servants had already prepared clean water.

The two removed their heavy armor; the undergarments beneath their chainmail were already soaked with sweat and clung tightly to their backs.

The guards handed them a light, lake-blue robe, tied around their waists with a plain silver belt, and then they put on black gauze turbans. The two men immediately felt a sense of lightness.

Once everything was in order, Qi Jin and Tong Zhongkui exchanged a glance and tacitly left the armored guards outside the ceremonial gate.

Although those towering men had removed their armor, they still stood with their hands on their swords, their eyes fixed intently on the guards of the governor's mansion, as if invisible blades were clashing in the air.

The two walked through the corridor and stood before the White Tiger Hall, where eight guards dressed in light leather armor stood with their swords drawn, the scabbards gleaming coldly in the blazing sun.

As the two approached, the leading captain narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the red paper manuscripts in their hands and their plain official robes. He then stepped aside to make way, pointing the tip of his knife diagonally to the ground, and gestured for them to proceed.

Qi Jin and Tong Zhongkui took a deep breath and stepped across the vermilion threshold with their left feet at the same time.

The air was filled with the fragrance of incense, but it couldn't mask the oppressive heat of summer.

The two men, their wide sleeves cascading down, performed a standard bow towards the hall, their voices deep and steady like bells:
"General Qi Jin (Tong Zhongkui) requests an audience with the Military Commissioner."

Inside the White Tiger Hall, amidst the fragrant sandalwood incense, sat Xiong Tingbi, the Liaodong Military Commissioner.

Although the commander, who is nearly fifty years old, has graying temples, he is still as upright as a pine tree.

He wore a robe of a second-rank military commissioner, made of black satin with cloud patterns. The bear pattern on the rank badge on his chest was faintly visible in the candlelight. At his waist, a jade belt fastened a gilded and silver-inlaid short sword—the Shangfang sword bestowed by the Wanli Emperor.

Xiong Tingbi raised his calloused right hand.

"No need to be polite."

His voice was steady yet cold and hard.

"Thank you, Military Commissioner!"

After exchanging greetings with Tong Zhongkui, Qi Jin found a seat for the guests and sat down.

Before they could even settle into their seats, the officers in the hall suddenly clapped their hands three times.

"Serve the tea!"

The beaded curtain of the tea room was lifted slightly, and a servant in blue robes, with lowered eyes and a silver-plated bronze kettle in his hand, stepped inside.

The waiter walked slowly to Xiong Tingbi's table, bowed and tilted the spout of the teapot slightly.

The amber-colored tea soup poured from the spout of the teapot into the imperial blue-and-white covered bowl with a lotus scroll design, the sound of the water gurgling like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

Once the envoy's teacup was seven-tenths full, the waiter turned to the two generals, took the teapot with her delicate hand, and poured water into the white porcelain teacups in front of them.

After the tea was poured, Qi Jin and Tong Zhongkui immediately stood up and bowed, their left hands supporting the teacup and their right hands lightly holding the rim of the cup. Though their armor had been removed, their military salute remained.

The two men spoke in voices like the clash of metal, solemnly replying, "We respectfully accept Your Majesty's gift."

After the ceremony, the two raised their cups and took a sip.

The tea soup is slightly bitter with a sweet aftertaste, and the lingering flavor in the throat is just like this journey to Liaodong—the initial hardships and dust, but ultimately for the sake of serving the country.

After drinking, the two gently placed their teacups on the table.

Xiong Tingbi slowly raised his gaze from behind the tea smoke, the candlelight making his eyes appear as deep and dark as ink.

He tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, his voice seemingly coming from distant mountains: "How many soldiers do the two generals command?"

Qi Jin stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said loudly, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the three thousand Zhejiang soldiers under my command are all elite warriors who have fought a hundred battles; there are also two thousand newly recruited soldiers, who, although not yet fully trained, are willing to fight to the death!"

Tong Zhongkui replied in a deep voice, "I have two thousand White-Spear Soldiers under my command, skilled in mountain raids; one thousand Tusi soldiers from Youyang, brave and skilled in archery; and two thousand newly recruited soldiers, willing to serve as the vanguard!"

Upon hearing this, Xiong Tingbi frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice, "Did you bring warhorses and gunpowder with you on this mission to aid Liaodong?"

Qi Jin looked troubled and said, "Reporting to the Commander, we have prepared 30,000 catties of gunpowder, 40 breech-loading cannons, and lead gunpowder. However, we don't have many warhorses. The horse administration of the Beijing garrison is in disarray, and we have only managed to gather 800 geldings this time, mostly Yunnan dwarf horses, which are no match for the Jurchen cavalry."

Xiong Tingbi looked disappointed and said, "The Jurchen cavalry are as swift as the wind. Without enough cavalry to restrain them, even if we can hold Shenyang, it will be difficult to turn the tide. Only by recovering Kaiyuan and Tieling can we defend Liaodong. Otherwise, the Jurchens will go down the Hun River and plunder along the way, making it difficult for our army to cultivate land and produce crops. This battle will be hard to win!"

(End of this chapter)