Huangming

Chapter 224 Troops in Liaoshen, Turbulent Times in the Capital Region

Banners fluttered in the wind atop Shenyang city walls.

Sun Chengzong, dressed in official robes, stood beneath the city gate, with General He Shixian, the commander of Shenyang, and Vice General You Shigong, among other generals, behind him.

The summer wind howled, causing everyone's robes to flutter, yet no one moved an inch.

They are waiting for someone.

Waiting for the true leader of the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong.

A troop of cavalry galloped along the official road in the distance.

The leader was a robust man, as upright as a pine tree, and was none other than Xiong Tingbi, the Liaodong Military Commissioner.

"coming!"

A glint flashed in Sun Chengzong's eyes. He straightened his clothes and strode forward to meet him.

Xiong Tingbi reined in his horse and dismounted with clean and swift movements.

He dusted himself off, his gaze sharp as he swept over everyone present.

"The Grand Marshal".

Sun Chengzong bowed with his hands clasped in greeting, his voice steady and calm.

Xiong Tingbi nodded slightly and bowed to Sun Chengzong.

"Minister Sun".

Their eyes met, and both understood each other without saying a word:
The Jurchen army is pressing in, and Shenyang is in imminent danger!
This is why he rushed to Shenyang overnight.

Xiong Tingbi said in a deep voice, "All matters in Liaoyang have been settled. I have come here specifically to discuss the major strategy for defending the city with the Minister."

Sun Chengzong nodded slightly and solemnly bowed.
"My lord, it is not convenient to discuss this in detail here. Please come into the city for a talk!"

Xiong Tingbi's eyes sharpened, and without saying a word, he immediately mounted his horse.

"drive!"

The group sped through the gates of Shenyang, their horses' hooves thundering and kicking up a trail of dust.

Soon, the group entered the governor's mansion.

At this moment, in the White Tiger Hall of the Liaodong Military Governor's Office.

The flickering candlelight cast the inscription "Loyal and Courageous Defender of the Country" on the plaque above the hall on and off.

Xiong Tingbi sat upright in the main seat, his official robes as blood-red as firelight.

Sun Chengzong was seated in the guest seat of honor, while generals such as He Shixian, the commander-in-chief of Shenyang, You Shigong, the assistant commander, Qi Jin, the commander-in-chief, and Tong Zhongkui, the commander-in-chief, stood on either side like javelins.

In this heavily guarded military area, they weren't even allowed to sit down!

Sun Chengzong took out a sealed letter with sealing wax from his sleeve and said in a deep voice:
"Urgent report from Fengjibao!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it made the temperature in the hall drop sharply:

"Although Li Bingcheng's troops repelled the Jurchens' probing attacks, the Jurchens are making large-scale mobilizations from Kaiyuan to Tieling, and then to the new city of Sarhu!"

"Grain carts lined up for thirty li, and more than two hundred shield carts have been built!"

Sun Chengzong tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his voice deep and resolute:
"The bandit chief Nurhaci is about to launch a full-scale attack."

He glanced at the generals in the hall and, seeing that no one showed any surprise, felt a little relieved.

This decisive battle was entirely expected!
Since the beginning of spring this year, the Jurchens have been constantly harassing the border forts with small groups of cavalry to test the Ming army's defenses.

Sun Chengzong originally thought that Nurhaci would launch a major attack three months after annexing the Yehe tribe.

However.
"The execution of the eight major Shanxi merchants cut off the Jurchens' secret channels for purchasing military equipment and provisions."

"The bandit leader had no choice but to postpone his offensive and scavenge for supplies everywhere."

"This delay has dragged on until our Shenyang defense line is as solid as a rock!"

"boom!"

Xiong Tingbi suddenly slammed his hand on the table, causing the candlelight to flicker violently.

His eyes flashed with a cold light, and his voice rang out like the clang of metal.
"Gentlemen, the Battle of Sarhu was a disgrace to our Great Ming Dynasty, resulting in the loss of troops and territory! We must now wash away the shame of Sarhu with our blood!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals below straightened their backs, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

After the Battle of Sarshu, the civil officials looked down on them, the military generals, even more.

A tree lives by its bark, and a person lives by their breath.

Why should they be looked down upon?

Xiong Tingbi looked around at everyone and continued to motivate them:
"His Majesty is living frugally, even allocating the money meant for palace repairs to military pay!"

"The officials in the court impeach him every day, but His Majesty has overruled all objections and devoted the entire nation's resources to supporting Liaodong!"

He suddenly drew his Shangfang sword, its blade pointing precisely at the location of Shenyang City on the sand table:
"This battle!"

"For fame and fortune!"

"For promotion and higher rank!"

"Moreover, to repay His Majesty's kindness in recognizing and appreciating my talents!"

"Defend Shenyang to the death, wait for the enemy to be exhausted, and make the Jurchens pay for their blood debt!"

Xiong Tingbi stared intently at the crowd and said, "I, Xiong Tingbi, am a man of my word. If any of you can achieve merit on the battlefield, I will not hesitate to submit a memorial requesting commendation. If my actions cause any problems on the battlefield, I will be the first to submit a memorial to apologize and will never implicate any of you brothers!"

"but"

"Let me make this clear from the start: if any of you lag behind or dare to disobey orders on the battlefield, this imperial sword of mine will be used to behead you."

Xiong Tingbi had a bad temper, but his words did not disgust the generals; instead, they ignited their passion.

Those who lead troops into battle are not afraid of strict military discipline.

On the contrary, what they fear is that even if they achieve merit, they will not be rewarded, and if something goes wrong, they will be the first to be pushed out to take the blame.

Xiong Tingbi has already resolved all their concerns.

In this way, how could they not devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving the country?
General He Shixian, Commander-in-Chief of Shenyang, Lieutenant General You Shigong, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Qi Jin, and Commander-in-Chief Tong Zhongkui, among other generals, immediately knelt on one knee and roared, "Your humble servants swear to serve you to the death!!"

The generals responded with a thunderous roar, their voices shaking the rooftops.

Sun Chengzong and Xiong Tingbi exchanged a glance, and smiles gradually appeared on their faces.

Ah!
Nurhaci, come and attack!
We are ready.

Here, you will surely never return!

It is thousands of miles away from Liaodong.

Summer is just beginning to arrive in Beijing.

The streets outside the Forbidden City were bustling with carriages and horses, and teeming with pedestrians.

In a teahouse with its fluttering wine flags, a storyteller is vividly recounting the grand spectacle of the newly appointed scholars parading through the streets on horseback.

Outside the examination hall, the failed candidates were still debating how to answer the questions in the policy essay.

Meanwhile, under the eaves of the Six Ministries, officials held teacups and whispered their opinions about the lineage of the three top scholars...

Of course, what everyone talked about the most was that during the grand ceremony of announcing the results of the imperial examinations, Lu Xiang-sheng, the second-ranked scholar, led the other scholars who had passed the imperial examinations in the Gengshen year to submit a memorial to the emperor in the palace, stating that officials should not form factions!
"Have you heard? The newly appointed second-place scholar, Lu Xiang-sheng, led the other scholars from the Gengshen examination to kowtow and submit a petition in front of the Fengtian Hall, vowing in front of all the civil and military officials that they would not form cliques or engage in favoritism as officials!"

In the teahouse, a storyteller dressed in a silk robe slapped the table in admiration, oblivious to the spittle that flew onto the tea and snacks on the next table. "His Majesty was greatly pleased and immediately bestowed upon him the four characters 'Upright and Honest' in his own handwriting. I heard that he also intends to have Lu Bangyan's memorial printed throughout the land so that all officials can follow suit!"

Inside the tavern, several tipsy scholars clapped and exclaimed in praise. One of them raised his wine cup high and said loudly:
"Lu Jiandou is truly a role model for us all! This 'Swearing Not to Form Factions' is even more indomitable than the 'Party Prohibition Stele' from the Eastern Han Dynasty!"

The scene in Beijing seemed as if the flames of war in Liaodong, thousands of miles away, had nothing to do with this magnificent imperial capital.

of course.

Peace and tranquility are not something that can be fabricated.

The reason why the people of Beijing can live in peace and tranquility is because someone is bearing the burden for them.

now.

In the imperial city.

The sun blazed down over the Xiyuan training ground.

Banners fluttered, drums thundered, and the training ground was already surrounded by soldiers from the Beijing garrison watching the battle.

Dust billowed in the air, and the sounds of horses' hooves, bowstrings, and the clash of metal mingled together, making one's eardrums vibrate.

This is no ordinary drill!
On one side were noble sons of high status, each with a precious sword at their waist and riding fine horses from the Western Regions, horses that were priceless.

On the other side were the fierce border generals dressed in plain clothes and rough armor. Although they were not dressed in fine clothes, each of them had a fierce look in their eyes and exuded a fierce aura forged in the battlefield.

"Zhang Zhiji, Commander of the Noble Camp, faces off against Zhao Shuaijiao, the Guerrilla General—in a contest of archery and horsemanship!"

As the command flag fell, the two riders charged out like arrows released from a bow.

Zhang Zhiji, dressed in brocade robes and riding a white horse, drew his bow like a full moon, and fired three arrows in quick succession, all hitting the bullseye, drawing cheers from the noble camp.

"it is good!"

"Commander, you are mighty!"

"Let these people know the might of our Noble Camp!"

The noble sons in the audience cheered for Zhang Zhiji's outstanding performance.

"You have some skills, but that's all you've got. You won't beat me so easily!"

Zhao Shuaijiao sneered, then suddenly turned sideways to hide his stirrup while galloping, and shot an arrow with a backhand.

With a whoosh, the arrow pierced through the bullseye stake and, with its momentum undiminished, embedded itself more than three inches into the willow tree behind it!
"it is good!"

The crowd erupted in uproar, and even the imperial guards on the high platform couldn't help but cheer.

On the other hand, the sons of noble families fell silent; one could even hear the other's breathing.

These soldiers are truly skilled.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhiji was not angry. He cupped his hands and said, "General Zhao's archery skills are unparalleled. I admire you! I concede defeat!"

Zhao Shuaijiao saw that Zhang Zhiji had admitted defeat and was also very shrewd in dealing with people.

"Your Highness's archery skills are not bad, and your future bravery will not be inferior to mine."

When Zhao Shuaijiao and Zhang Zhiji were extremely adept at interpersonal relationships.

The next match has begun.

"Next match, a boxing match!"

Xue Zhao, the nephew of Marquis Yangwu Xue Lian, strode forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and then assumed a fighting stance.

He practiced Taizu Changquan, a style characterized by its fierce and powerful moves, with the wind howling around his fists. His set of punches was so impressive that it drew cheers from the onlookers.

"Xue Zhao's boxing skills are the best in the Noble Camp. I don't believe anyone can beat him."

"We'll fight for honor, not steamed buns! Xue Zhao, show the spirit of our Noble Battalion!"

The once quiet noblemen's sons started making noise again.

However.
The situation is less optimistic for Xue Zhao.

He had just gotten into a fighting stance when Zu Dashou darted in, grabbed his wrist, and threw him over his shoulder, leaving him dazed and confused.

Then he placed his fist on Xue Zhao's temple and made a two-hit motion.

If this were on the battlefield, Xue Zhao would already be dead.

The noblemen's sons were dumbfounded when they saw this.

Xue Zhao couldn't even withstand a single move from Zu Dashou?
Wouldn't it be even more humiliating for them to go up there?

"Concession."

Zu Dashou clasped his hands in a salute, but there was no trace of smugness on his face.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to go easy on his opponent; it was because the fighting style he learned was for battlefield combat, which didn't require flashy moves but rather the ability to kill with a single blow.

Xue Zhao's face was grim, but with the emperor watching from the platform, he had no choice but to bow and return to the noble camp with his head down.

the other side.

The marksmanship competition was even more brutal.

Huang Degong wielded his spear with great skill and force, and within three moves he forced Zhu Guodong, the younger brother of Marquis Zhu Guobi of Funing, to abandon his sword and admit defeat.

Man Gui, wielding two swords, swept across the training ground like a whirlwind, leaving the weapons of the nobles clattering to the ground wherever he went.

The brothers Cao Wenzhao and Cao Wenyao worked together seamlessly, wielding both long spears and short swords, defeating the five nobles who joined forces but could not withstand their attacks.

"boom!"

In the final battle, Ma Shilong, bare-handed, took a full-force strike from the Marquis of Dingyuan's son and actually shattered the opponent's fine steel sword with his arm armor!

"This……"

The nobles watching the battle turned ashen-faced; they finally understood:
These fierce warriors who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood were from a completely different world than them!
soon.

After the martial arts demonstration, the dust settled.

Those once proud and arrogant sons of noble families are now like wilted eggplants, dejected and unable to even stand up straight.

The gold thread on their brocade robes still shone brightly, but their arrogance had long been crushed by the iron fists of the fierce border generals.

They originally thought that with their superior martial arts skills, they could fight the Jurchens.

But looking at it now, it's all just empty talk.

If I were to go to Liaodong to fight on the battlefield, I wouldn't even know how I died.

Zhu Youxiao watched from the side with a smile on his face.

Just over ten days ago, these nobles were still gloating over their victory over the new battalion in a military drill.

After this battle, these little brats should finally learn their lesson.

of course
Curbing the arrogance of the nobles was merely a convenient measure.

His true intentions lay hidden in those border generals who exuded a menacing aura.

Zhao Shuaijiao, Zu Dashou, Huang Degong, He Gang, Ma Shilong, Man Gui, Cao Wenzhao, Cao Wenyao
These are all the knives he wants to hold in his hands!

Now that the war has broken out in Liaodong, these people should be put to good use!

(End of this chapter)