Huangming

Chapter 242 A Plan for Water Attack, Deeply Resembling the Emperor

Outside the main hall of Fushun, leaden-gray clouds hung low, and the long-awaited sky was finally torn open.

First, a few scattered raindrops tentatively tapped on the bluestone steps, making a soft "tap-tap" sound, and in the blink of an eye, they turned into thousands of silver threads cascading down.

Inside the hall, the flames of the tallow torches flickered violently in the draft, casting flickering light on the tense faces of the crowd.

Nurhaci, sitting upright on the tiger-skin chair, slowly raised his eyelids. His hawk-like gaze pierced through the rising tea steam and landed on the eternally calm face of his eighth son.

"You have a plan?"

Nurhaci's hoarse voice was like a dull knife scraping through his bones, carrying the oppressive feeling unique to the overlord of the grasslands.

His slightly forward-leaning body cast a huge shadow on the screen behind him, on which a gyrfalcon embroidered with its claws outstretched was just like his posture of being poised to strike.

Huang Taiji remained calm and composed, his gaze meeting Nurhaci's scrutinizing eyes with unwavering resolve. He bowed deeply, his voice low yet clear: "Your Majesty, I do indeed have a plan, but this plan concerns the success or failure of our army, and must be approached with utmost caution. To prevent leaks, I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to report this privately!"

Before he could finish speaking, Dai Shan couldn't contain himself any longer. He took a step forward and slammed his boots heavily on the blue bricks with a dull thud.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, and a chilling glint flashed in his eyes: "Ha! Eighth Brother, are you truly confident in your abilities, or are you trying to use this opportunity to exonerate Li Yongfang and his group of surrendered generals?"

He had originally planned to take the opportunity to annex the eight Niru under Li Yongfang's command, but now that Huang Taiji had interfered, he was furious and his tone became increasingly sharp: "Everyone here is one of our own. Would anyone tip off the Ming dogs?"

Mangultai also spoke in a sinister tone, his hawk-like gaze fixed on Huang Taiji, as if he were looking at a competitor who coveted the throne of the wolf king.

After Daishan was deposed from his position as crown prince, Huang Taiji became his biggest threat.

Seeing that Huang Taiji wanted to claim all the credit in front of his father, how could he sit idly by?

Mangultai immediately sneered, "Eighth Brother, are you just trying to make things difficult? If you really have a good plan, why not tell everyone so that we can all have a chance to discuss it!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji immediately knelt on one knee, placed his right hand on his chest, and gave a solemn military salute.

He raised his resolute face, his gaze piercing as he looked directly at Nurhaci: "Father Khan, you are wise! Your son is willing to stake his head on this. If this plan fails, I am willing to accept punishment under military law. However, this plan concerns the survival of our army; the slightest carelessness will lead to failure. I implore you, Father Khan."

Before he could finish speaking, the hall erupted in chaos.

"Father Khan!"

Daišan turned and knelt before Nurhaci, angrily rebuking him: "Eighth Brother, your words are clearly an excuse! Our army is united; how could there be any worry about leaks?"

The veins on his forehead bulged, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.

Mangultai asked in a sinister tone, "Eighth Brother, are you perhaps planning to emulate the Han people's ingenious schemes?"

He deliberately dragged out his words, which drew snickers from several princes.

"Or"

His hawk-like eyes swept over Li Yongfang and the others kneeling on the ground.

"Is someone feeling guilty?"

The room immediately erupted in discussion.

Amin toyed with the bone cup in her hand and sneered, "If you ask me, this is clearly the Fourth Prince showing pity for Li Yongfang and his Han Chinese bannermen."

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp "snap" was heard as Nurhaci slammed his whip heavily onto the table.

"enough!"

Nurhaci's bloodshot eyes swept over the crowd.

"Damn it! You all pretend to be deaf and dumb when I need your advice, but now that someone has come up with a plan, you're all pouring cold water on it. I'm not even dead yet! And you're already starting to fight amongst yourselves?"

He pointed sharply at the palace gate and roared, "Except for Huang Taiji, He Heli, Anfeiyanggu, and Huerhan, all of you get out of here!"

Upon hearing this, the hall immediately fell silent.

Li Yongfang, kneeling on the ground, trembled all over, her forehead pressed tightly to the ground, not daring to lift it, the fabric of her clothes on her back already soaked with cold sweat.

Tong Yangxing and Tong Yangzhen were even more ashen-faced. The three of them kowtowed repeatedly as if they had been granted a pardon. They didn't care that their knees were aching from being rubbed against the rough floor tiles. They practically crawled out of the door on their hands and feet.

Just as Li Yongfang was about to step out of the door, she suddenly turned around and kowtowed three times in the direction of Huang Taiji.

Upon seeing this, the Tong brothers hurriedly followed suit and bowed as well.

Each kowtow struck the blue bricks solidly, producing a dull thud.

A complex emotion flashed beneath Li Yongfang's lowered eyelids.

If it weren't for the Fourth Prince's intervention today, these surrendered generals would probably have been devoured alive by Daishan.

On the other side, Dai Shan's face was ashen, his right hand gripping the hilt of his knife so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Amin cast a sinister glance at Huang Taiji, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.

Mangultai deliberately slowed his pace, and as he passed Huang Taiji, he squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Eighth Brother, what a skillful maneuver."

The three men, not daring to disobey the Khan, bowed respectfully with their hands on their chests, their boots clapping heavily before turning and leaving.

As the heavy doors slammed shut, the hall fell silent, with only the sound of torrential rain pounding against the roof tiles outside the eaves.

Nurhaci stroked the jade thumb ring on his thumb, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over Huang Taiji from head to toe.

The candlelight cast varying shadows on his angular face. After a long pause, he spoke in a deep voice: "Now, tell me your brilliant plan."

Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji immediately straightened his back, clasped his hands together, and said in a steady and powerful voice: "Father Khan, you are wise. I have pondered for many days and believe that the best way to defeat the enemy today is through a water attack!"

"Water attack?"

Nurhaci raised an eyebrow, his teacup hovering in mid-air.

Just then, a bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, illuminating the astonished faces of everyone in the hall.

After the thunder roared, the rain outside the eaves intensified, as if echoing this bold proposal.

The old Khan's gaze unconsciously drifted to the torrential rain outside the window, and a sharp glint suddenly flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"Brilliant! The torrential rain is the perfect time for a water attack. By flooding Shenyang, how many fewer soldiers will die?"

However, it only lasted a moment.

Suddenly, the battle-hardened commander remembered something, and the joy on his face gradually froze.

Nurhaci slowly rose and walked to the hanging map of Liaodong.

He turned to look at Huang Taiji, his eyes filled with scrutiny: "I remember the Hun River's water level is more than ten zhang lower than that of Shenyang. If Shenyang were to be flooded, the Milky Way would have to be reversed!"

Nurhaci's hawk-like gaze was fixed on his son: "Tell me, what exactly are your plans?"

Huang Taiji's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile.

"Father, you are wise. I never intended to flood Shenyang."

"Oh?"

Nurhaci frowned, and the jade thumb ring he was playing with suddenly stopped.

"Without flooding Shenyang, how can we even begin to discuss this water attack strategy?"

Huang Taiji calmly unfolded the Liaodong map, and drew a circle around Shenyang with his slender finger: "Father Khan, please look, the city walls of Shenyang are towering, and the terrain is more than ten zhang higher than the Hun River. With the current water control technology of our Great Jin, it would be nothing short of a fool's dream to try to flood the city."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, if we really flood the city, all the grain, fodder and weapons stored in the city will be destroyed. Even if our army captures the city, it will be nothing but a ruined city."

The rain outside the tent grew heavier, but Huang Taiji's voice became clearer: "But there is great potential in the outskirts of Shenyang."

He slammed his finger heavily on the south bank of the Hun River and said loudly, "The Ming army has elite troops from Sichuan and Zhejiang stationed here, and the outpost of Baitabao is even more formidable with wolf soldiers and iron cavalry. The war chariots of the Shaling camp are also a major threat to our army."

"If we can use the flood to breach these three camps, the Shenyang defenders will be like generals with missing arms, and their morale will surely be severely damaged. At that time, our army can then persuade them to surrender and launch a strong attack, which will surely be twice as effective!"

Nurhaci's eyes flashed with a sharp light, but his brows remained furrowed, as if he were deep in thought.

Seeing this, Huang Taiji added, "Father Khan, you are wise. The key to this plan is to feign an attack in the east while striking in the west. Our army can pretend to attack Shenyang, while secretly building a dam on the upper reaches of the Hun River to store water. When the time is right, we will break the dam and release the water, which will surely catch the Ming army off guard!" Seeing that Nurhaci could not make up his mind, after the deaths of Eidu and Fei Yingdong, Dong E Heheli, the most senior among the five ministers, suddenly stepped forward, his iron armor clanging.

The veteran general, who had fought countless battles, clasped his hands in a fist salute and said in a booming voice, "Your Majesty is wise! The Eighth Prince's plan is brilliant!"

"Our army has been launching a fierce attack on Shenyang for days, but we have had to divide our forces to contain these three Ming army camps. If we can break through them with water, Shenyang will be like a general with a severed arm, and we will surely be able to take it in one battle!"

"Shuoweng Korobaturu? What do you think?"

Nurhaci's hawk-like gaze slowly shifted to the left, landing on Anfeyanggu, whose brows were furrowed.

The call sent a jolt through Jueercha Anfeiyanggu.

The Baturu, known for his caution, bowed with his hand on his chest, his white beard trembling slightly: "Great Khan."

He glanced at Huang Taiji, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "While the Fourth Prince's plan to attack with water is ingenious, in this old minister's opinion, there are three difficulties."

Anfeiyanggu stretched out his scarred right hand and curled his fingers one by one: "First, how can we hide the mobilization of more than 10,000 troops to build a dam from the Ming scouts? Second, the rainy season is approaching, and if the water is not properly controlled, our camps may be flooded first."

Finally, he stared at Huang Taiji, his third finger remaining bent for a long time: "Does my master goldsmith have any confidence in this water attack technique?"

Water attack tactics may seem simple, but they are actually quite complex and far more sophisticated than ordinary combat methods.

First, one needs the right timing and location.

Water attacks must first rely on natural waterways or artificially dug ditches.

The upstream water level must be several meters higher than the target area in order to use the water flow to create an overwhelming force.

If the river channel is winding and meandering, it is necessary to accurately survey the terrain slope to ensure that the flood can directly hit the enemy camp, rather than spreading out in all directions.

Secondly, building dams to store water is of utmost importance.

A dike needs to be built quickly upstream of the river—either by piling up earth and stones or by blocking it with wooden fences.

This project must be sturdy enough to hold a sufficient amount of water, and it must also be concealed to prevent enemy scouts from detecting it.

We must act quickly; if we delay, the enemy will surely be prepared.

Thirdly, the water diversion method is particularly ingenious.

If the natural river does not lead directly to the enemy camp, then artificial irrigation canals must be dug.

There are many intricacies involved: how wide should the canal be? What is the slope? All of these require careful calculation.

If the water flow is too slow, it will lack the power to make an impact; if the water flow is too fast, it may get out of control and turn against one's own troops.

Fourth, the timing of breaching the dike is crucial to success or failure.

Whether using medicine, striking with giant logs, or sending assassins to breach the dike—all require precise control.

If the breach is too large, the flood will be difficult to control; if the breach is too small, it will not have a significant impact.

It is even more important to ensure that the floodwaters go straight to the enemy, rather than back into our own camps.

Fifth, the true skill lies in breaking through the enemy's defenses.

If the enemy has built waterproof fortifications, it may be necessary to send elite troops to destroy their drainage channels or to accumulate a higher water level to force the water in.

Such an operation, if not handled carefully, will result in failure.

This is why Amfiyangu said that although the plan was ingenious, he did not quite agree with it.

Using water as a weapon, one wrong step can lead to total defeat.

"Laoba."

Nurhaci's voice was hoarse like a whetstone. He stared intently at his son and asked, "Since you proposed a water attack, have you considered how to make the Hun River obey?"

Huang Taiji knelt on one knee.

“Father Khan, you are wise. Since the conquest of Kaiyuan and Tieling, I have secretly recruited a group of Han Chinese craftsmen who are skilled in water conservancy.”

As he spoke, he took out a roll of sheepskin drawings from his bosom.

"This is their design for a dam. If a dam is built at Yingzui Bay, thirty li upstream on the Hun River, enough water for a water attack can be accumulated within ten days."

Nurhaci suddenly raised his hand to interrupt.

"If the Ming army finds out about your water attack plan, wouldn't this plan be a complete failure?"

You have to understand that if you block the upstream, the downstream will definitely dry up. The Ming army camp was right on the Hun River, how could they not see that?

"Father, rest assured!"

Huang Taiji said confidently:

"The craftsmen will disguise themselves as laborers transporting grain and fodder. The construction of the dam at Eagle's Beak Bay is said to take ten days, but this actually includes the time to build a temporary earthen dam, dig a water diversion canal, and store water to the critical level. In reality, the dry season will only last three days, and with the heavy rains now, the water level will not drop too low."

To draw the Ming army's attention, I request that Father Khan lead the troops in a feigned attack on the east gate of Shenyang, beating drums and gesturing for battle daily without actually sending troops. Only when the water is being collected should the attack be launched. The Ming army will then be on high alert, and will have no time to inspect the river thirty li away.”

Upon hearing this, even Anfiyangu was speechless.

"Fourth Prince's plan is feasible!"

"Hahaha~"

Nurhaci suddenly burst into laughter.

"Excellent! What a brilliant water attack plan!"

After praising him, Nurhaci was filled with emotion.

"Some people have brute force but no foresight, and all they know is how to shout for war! If everyone used their brains like Huang Taiji, how could our Great Jin not conquer the Ming Dynasty?"

"Though the tiger's claws are fierce, in the end, it is the wolf king's wisdom that leads the beasts! Daišan is foolish, and Mangultai is reckless. In this respect, among my sons, Huang Taiji is the most like me!"

Wolf King?

The one who most resembles me?

A sharp glint flashed in Huang Taiji's eyes, like a blade being drawn from its sheath.

Even someone as composed as him felt his heart churning like a stormy sea at that moment.

Is Father Khan planning to make me the crown prince?

Just as Huang Taiji was lost in thought, Nurhaci's words interrupted his reverie.

"Tell me, how many men do you need? And how can I help you?"

Huang Taiji felt slightly disappointed, but he quickly composed himself and slowly said:
"Father Khan, I only need five thousand elite soldiers and fifty artisans, with a ten-day limit. In the last three days, each banner should feign an attack on Shenyang and block all communication between the forts and cities."

"Then the torrential rains will amplify the flood, inundating the entire army! Your son will personally capture Xiong Manzi and Sun Chengzong on behalf of your father!"

"Very well, so be it. I will await that day!"

After speaking, Nurhaci unfastened the gilded tiger-patterned sword that had accompanied him through half his life of battles.

The scabbard drew a sharp arc in the air and landed with a 'clang' in front of Huang Taiji's feet, scattering tiny sparks.

"If you succeed in this mission, you will be the one who makes the greatest contribution when Shenyang falls!"

Although Huang Taiji was pleased, he remained calm.

He immediately knelt on one knee, holding his sword with both hands as if it were a sacred object: "Your subject dares not claim credit, but only wishes to share the burdens of Father Khan!"

Before becoming a true Khan of Jianzhou, one must lie low and accumulate energy!
Gaining the trust of his father, the Khan, was merely the first step towards imperial power.

(End of this chapter)