Huangming

Chapter 244 Sowing discord among the Jurchens, seeking glory in return to the Han.

The Red Flag Camp outside Fushun City.

Inside Li Yongfang's main tent.

The father and son continued their conversation.

Li Yongfang leaned against the tiger-skin rug, her shoulder wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, her gaze unfocused as she stared at the top of the tent.

After a long silence, his throat bobbed, and his hoarse voice seemed to be squeezed out from deep within his chest: "Is there really a way back?"

These words seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and the last syllable dissipated into the air.

He didn't care about historical infamy, nor did he care how future generations would judge him.

When he knelt on the city wall of Fushun to surrender to Nurhaci, he had already crushed the words "loyalty and righteousness" under Nurhaci's iron hooves.

Survival is the most fundamental principle in chaotic times; this is a lesson he learned at the cost of his colleagues' blood.

In a daze, the tragic scenes of the fall of Kaiyuan and Tieling reappeared before his eyes: the general who used to drink and laugh with him was beheaded and his mansion was reduced to ashes; the cries of the Eight Banner soldiers dragging away the women with their savage smiles still echoed in his dreams.

Those who refused to kneel had their ancestral graves dug up.

Li Yongfang, at least, saved the lives of his wife and children, even if it meant being branded a "traitor."

"Living is more important than anything else."

He stroked the jade thumb ring on his thumb.

This was a token personally bestowed by Nurhaci, which he was very proud of.

After all, very few surrendered generals could receive such an honor.

But at this moment, the cold jade stone felt like a red-hot iron, burning his fingertips until they trembled.

He originally thought that he was already heartless and would never waver again.

But now, after Emperor Tianqi ascended the throne, the Ming army seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.

Beneath the walls of Shenyang, the Ming army adopted a scorched-earth policy, making it impossible for the Jurchen warriors to advance an inch.

Although the Ming army still dared not engage in open battle, the city's formidable defenses had instilled fear in the elite Eight Banners troops.

What alarmed him even more was Dai Shan's relentless pressure.

During today's meeting, the Great Khan Nurhaci publicly whipped him. If it weren't for Huang Taiji's protection, he would probably have already lost his life at the hands of the Wise Khan.

These Jurchens ultimately didn't consider him one of their own.

Even though he surrendered the city, killed prisoners, and married Nurhaci's granddaughter, in the eyes of the Eight Banners nobles, he was still a dog that could be killed at will.

"Perhaps, opposing the Jin and returning to the Ming is the only way out?"

The thought had barely crossed Li Yongfang's mind when she shook her head self-deprecatingly.

His hands were stained with the blood of his colleagues.

The general of Kaiyuan and the garrison commander of Tieling were both killed because of his intelligence.

The Ming Dynasty's Imperial Guards had probably already compiled his crimes into a book, just waiting to cut him into a thousand pieces.

Even if Emperor Tianqi were willing to grant him amnesty, how could those former Ming soldiers who had been ruined by him let him go?

The sound of patrolling guards' footsteps came from outside the tent, and Li Yongfang suddenly gripped the jade thumb ring tightly.

The edge of the jade stone dug deep into his flesh, but the stinging pain felt like a relief compared to the torment in his heart.

Seeing his father's wavering expression, Li Yangeng's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had spotted a glimmer of hope in the darkness. He leaned forward abruptly, placing his hands on the table, his voice low but each word sharp as a knife:

"Father! It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost!"

The wind howled outside the tent, but his words were like sparks flying into dry grass.

"We have three thousand elite Han Banner troops, most of whom are men from Liaodong! As long as they turn against us at the crucial moment, we will be heroes of the Ming Dynasty! Our Li family will be able to wash away the shame of being traitors!"

Li Yongfang's eyes suddenly trembled. Could he get rid of the stigma of being a traitor?

He sometimes dreams about it.

but.
"No."

Li Yongfang slowly closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed, and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse, like rusty iron grinding against each other.

"Now, in any case, we are doomed to die."

Li Yangeng's pupils constricted sharply: "Why?! Father, do you really want to be a slave to the Jurchens for the rest of your life?!"

"Being a slave allows you to breathe! Being a loyal subject only makes you food for dogs!"

Li Yongfang shouted loudly, then suddenly lowered her voice.

"Look carefully! The Jin cavalry is sweeping across Liaodong, and the Ming army can only retreat to Shenyang! The bet should be placed on the winner!"

He grabbed his son's wrist, the veins twisting like earthworms beneath his aged skin: "Remember, in chaotic times, there is no loyalty or treachery, only life and death!"

Li Yangeng, however, did not agree with his father's view.

"Maybe if we switch sides, the Ming Dynasty can win?"

Li Yongfang, his expression weathered, slowly said, "Let's not even talk about whether we can win or not. Even if we do win, will the credit fall into our hands? When I was still a military officer in the Ming army, I saw too many people's achievements stolen. Even if we make a great contribution, what use is it if someone else claims it?"

"With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, everything has changed."

Li Yangeng hurriedly explained.

"Is it really different? What can change in just a few months?"

"Father!"

Li Yangeng wanted to continue persuading her, but Li Yongfang had already lost patience.

He turned his head and glanced at his son, his voice low and hoarse:
"Apply the medicine... This matter ends here."

He paused, then added coldly:
"Also, don't be clever and try to contact the Ming army—they're even more ruthless than the Tartars when it comes to selling out their own people. Don't put your life in someone else's hands."

Li Yangeng remained silent, took out some wound medicine from his pocket, dipped his fingertips in the powder, but his movements were absent-minded.

His father was unwilling to change course; he should have expected it.

But should we give up just because it's difficult?

His gaze drifted into the distance, his thoughts already wandering to the Ming army flags that were still putting up resistance...

"hiss--!"

Li Yongfang shuddered violently, gasping in pain, her forehead veins bulging.

"Little bunny!"

He gritted his teeth and growled, "Do you have a grudge against your father or something? Go easy on him!"

Li Yangeng then came to his senses, but his strength was still too much, and the powder was scattered all over the place, causing Li Yongfang to gasp in pain.

"Raising children to provide for old age... I think you're trying to send me to the afterlife!"

Li Yongfang finally lost her temper and slapped her son's hand away.

"Get out! Call Goshha here! If I let you apply the medicine again, I'm afraid I'll be meeting the King of Hell sooner than expected!"

Li Yangeng staggered backward after being pushed, but he wasn't angry. He just tugged at the corner of his mouth and revealed a stubborn sneer.

He had wanted to leave for a while, but hearing those words felt like a pardon. He quickly scrambled to his feet, dusted off his robe, and grinned.
"Alright! Father, please take care of yourself. I'll take my leave now!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already darted out of the tent in a flash, moving as fast as a rabbit released from its cage, without even having time to completely close the tent flap.

Li Yongfang stared blankly in the direction her son had left, the anger on her face gradually fading, replaced by a deep worry.

His rough fingers unconsciously rubbed the scabbard beside the bed, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

If anyone else dared to say such treasonous things in front of him, he would have already filed a lawsuit against Huang Taiji and earned some credit in return.

but……

The veteran's gaze gradually softened.

This is his own son!
"Hey~"

He let out a long sigh, the weight of which perhaps only he himself could understand.

Stepping out of the tent, a humid, hot wind carrying the chirping of insects hit me.

Li Yangeng took a deep breath. The summer night air was filled with the sour smell of horse manure, the acrid smoke of campfires, and the fishy smell of the distant swamp, but it was much more bearable than the stuffy, bloody, and medicinal smell inside the tent.

It's finally out!
He shook his numb wrist and took a gauze lantern from his personal guard.

The flame inside the lampshade was wilted by the summer heat, casting a faint glow on the dewdrops among the grass blades at their feet.

Two bodyguards followed silently behind, their shirts under their leather armor already soaked with sweat and clinging to their backs.

"Let's go to Zhenghongqi."

This time, he wanted to meet someone, and that person was in the Zhenghongqi (正红旗).

The Zhenghongqi camp is not far from the Xianghongqi camp.

The reason is that the garrisoning of the Eight Banners camps has always followed the ancient principle of the five elements' mutual restraint:
The red flag was raised and the camp was set up in the southwest of Fushun; fire overcomes metal.

The red flag is positioned due west, its color being pure fire.

The two camps were right next to each other.

Just as Li Yangeng was pondering what to say to the person he met, a Goshha suddenly emerged from the shadows of the gate, his waist knife blocking the attack, the scabbard still stained with the blood from the sheep slaughtered earlier that day.

"Halt! The Great Khan has ordered that no one may leave the camp after midnight!"

Li Yangeng tilted the gauze lantern upwards, deliberately letting the light dazzle the other person's eyes:

"What are you doing?"

Speaking with a heavy Liaodong accent, he kicked away a toad hopping on the road.

"My father is in a hurry for the military report from the Plain Red Banner! If he delays his duties, you'll take the whipping for him!"

Seeing that Nagoshha was still hesitating, he suddenly moved closer, and the smell of sweat hit him:

"Hey buddy, can you do me a favor?"

As they spoke, half a piece of silver shard had already slipped into the other person's sleeve.

"They're all from the Li family of the Bordered Red Banner! I'll treat you to plum juice from Jingshui Town tomorrow!"

Goshha licked his chapped lips and examined the waist tag under the light.

The gilded characters of the Third Niru of the Han Army, bearing the red flag, on the elm wood plaque were blackened by sweat stains. A glance confirmed it; this was the right person.

Goshha muttered, "Hurry up! We must be back before the fourth watch!"

"Wait a moment."

Just then, the banner commander stepped forward and snatched the silver coins and waist token from the patrolling Goshha.

"You have absolutely no sense of propriety! This is the eldest son of the imperial son-in-law! How dare you accept money?"

The officer held the waist token with both hands and respectfully handed it to Li Yangeng.

"We're all family, there's no need to spend money to get rid of him. This guy is new and doesn't know any better, so I hope you won't take offense, brother."

Li Yangeng silently put the loose silver into the officer's pocket and only retrieved his waist token.

"Don't be shy about giving us the money to buy the wine."

Upon hearing this, the commander's smile widened, and he even greeted him.

"Is the prince consort's injury serious?"

"It's nothing serious!"

Li Yangeng deliberately spoke loudly, and casually pulled out an oil paper package from his pocket.

"Thank you for thinking of me, Brother Li. Here's some candy for my nephew to sweeten his mouth. Once we're done with this busy period, let's have a good drink together!"

"That's a good feeling!"

He carefully tucked the oil paper package into his pocket and patted Li Yangeng on the shoulder affectionately.

"I am waiting for you!"

As he turned around, Li Yangeng noticed that the tips of the captain's boots were worn through.

It seems that this Brother Li is not living a very comfortable life.

After leaving the Bordered Red Banner camp, Li Yangeng traveled swiftly under the moonlight and soon arrived at the gate of the Plain Red Banner camp.

The defenses of the Plain Red Banner were even more stringent than those of the Bordered Red Banner.

The sentry at the gate, Goshha, held a torch and shone it on him from head to toe, checking his waist tag three times over and even scratching at the wax seal on the official documents.

The tent of the duty officer was as stuffy as a steamer. The old officer squinted his dim old eyes and carefully recorded his tasks, dipping his brush in ink after writing just a few words, a process that was so slow it was agonizing.

The search of the guard camp was particularly ruthless.

Two Manchu soldiers pinned him to a wooden stake, their rough hands groping from his braid to his boots, even prying open his teeth to check for any hidden messages.

By the time everything was over, Li Yangeng's back was already soaked with sweat.

He quietly fastened his coat and strode quickly toward the northwest corner of the camp.

That was the garrison of the Han army's captains. Their tents were half a head shorter than those of the Manchu soldiers, and even the flagpoles were crooked.

At the very edge, a faded blue tent stood forlornly in the corner, its curtain hastily tied with straw rope.

Li Yangeng glanced around, then darted inside.

"Who?!"

A soft shout came from inside the tent, followed by a flash of cold light!

A waist knife was already three inches away from Li Yangeng's throat. The knife was held by a burly man with a thick beard. His eyes were wide open and his seven-foot-tall body was strong. He was obviously a skilled warrior.

On the table lay a copy of "Jixiao Xinshu" (New Book of Effective Tactics), with half a piece of gnawed dry rations tucked between the pages.

"Brother Liu, it's me!"

Li Yangeng quickly raised his hands, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly in front of the blade.

"Li Yangeng?"

Liu Xingzuo's pupils contracted, and he sheathed the knife.

"What are you doing barging into my tent so late at night? If you're discovered, I, as the guard, won't be able to protect you."

"Beiyu" is the name of an official position.

In the fifth year of the Tianming era of the Later Jin Dynasty (1620), Nurhaci ranked the generals and officers according to their merits, establishing the titles of General, Deputy General, Assistant General, Lieutenant General, and Envoy (each of which was divided into three ranks), and the Imperial Guard, all of which were hereditary titles.

"Brother Aita, I have something to discuss with you."

Li Yangeng moved closer, but Liu Aita's expression suddenly turned ugly, as if her sore spot had been touched.

"Don't call me Aita, call me Liu Xingzuo!"

The name Aita was a Jurchen name bestowed upon him by Nurhaci.

As for why Liu Xingzuo was able to receive a name from Nurhaci, we need to go back in time.

In the thirty-third year of the Wanli reign, Liu Xingzuo, still a young man, was stranded in Jianzhou.

That winter, Nurhaci's wife suddenly fell seriously ill, and the Jurchen shaman performed rituals for three days and three nights, but her condition did not improve.

By sheer coincidence, Liu Xingzuo presented his ancestral prescription, which miraculously saved the princess's life.

Nurhaci was overjoyed and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "From now on, your name will be Aita (meaning gold in Manchu)!"

This is an immense favor.

But now, that name has become a thorn in my heart.

The reason for this is precisely because of the Zhenghong Banner he was in.

During the Tianming era, when Nurhaci distributed bondservant positions among his sons and nephews, Liu Xingzuo was assigned to his second son, Daishan.

In order to gain a foothold in this den of wolves, he had no choice but to marry the daughter of Sahalian's wet nurse.

A rough-handed, big-footed woman from Jianzhou with a mouth full of cigarette smoke.

In name, he was half one of Daishan's own people.

But actually?
They are worse than slaves.

Last autumn during the hunt, Daishan took a fancy to his newly acquired fine horse from Liaodong. Without saying a word, he had it taken away, leaving behind only the words: "Does a bondservant like me deserve to ride such a fine horse?"

Last month, the five hundred taels of silver he had painstakingly saved were all taken away by Daishan's entourage under the pretext of 'filial piety towards their master'.

The group weighed the money bag in his hand right in front of him, laughing and saying, "Lord Aita is such a good dog!"

What chilled him most was the recent war.

His 300 elite Han soldiers were forced by Dai Shan to serve as the vanguard.

Those brothers who had followed him through thick and thin for many years were used as bait by the Manchu cavalry, and their bodies were never found.

Meanwhile, Dai Shan's loyal followers hid behind the scenes and reaped the rewards of the war!

Seeing Liu Xingzuo get angry over the words "Aita", Li Yangeng spoke up in time.

"Yes, Brother Xingzuo."

Once Liu Xingzuo's anger subsided, he slowly explained the reason for his visit that day:
Today, I urge my father to oppose the Jin and return to the Ming.

"Wow--"

Liu Xingzuo suddenly stood up, overturning all the military books and teacups on the table.

He grabbed Li Yangeng by the collar, his eyes wide with rage:

"Are you crazy?!"

His thick beard almost poked the other person's face.

"How dare you leak such a major event?!"

Li Yangeng neither dodged nor flinched, meeting those fiery eyes head-on:
"Brother Liu, rest assured, I was only testing my father's intentions and did not mention the plan to launch an uprising at all."

He pried open his iron-like fingers and continued, "He neither agreed nor stopped me."

Liu Xingzuo was taken aback upon hearing this, and slowly released his grip.

Even that old dog Li Yongfang has wavered?

He recalled the commotion in Fushun during the day.

It is said that Nurhaci publicly whipped Li Yongfang, a 60-year-old general whose back was left bloodied and mangled, yet he still had to kneel and express his gratitude.
"Ah"

Liu Xingzuo suddenly sneered.

"The lash from the wise Khan today has indeed awakened a wise man."

Seeing that Liu Xingzuo did not blame him, Li Yangeng continued:

"Brother Liu, the Later Jin is now beset by internal and external troubles, and Hetu Ala is running out of supplies; the battle of Shenyang is at a stalemate, and the Eight Banners are suffering increasing casualties. If we can defect at this critical moment, we will be remembered for all time!"

Liu Xingzuo slowly shook his head.

"Taking action now would only be icing on the cake, with little effect."

"We must wait until our blades can pierce the hearts of the Jurchens!"

Li Yangeng's face flushed with anxiety: "When will we be able to wait?!"

Liu Xingzuo remained very calm.

"In today's meeting, the Fourth Prince spoke privately for nearly an hour. Huang Taiji is known for his cunning—what exactly is he plotting? I'm afraid it will be the key to the Battle of Shenyang."

Li Yangeng's pupils contracted, and a moment later his brows furrowed.

"Such core military secrets are not something we Han officials can access."

"hehe."

Liu Xingzuo sneered.

“We can’t reach it, but the ‘skinner’ can!”

Li Yangeng was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized: "Brother Liu, you mean... to sow discord between Daishan and Huang Taiji?"

"Not bad!"

A cold light flashed in his eyes.

"The Jurchens are masters of sowing discord; now it's time for them to taste that bitter fruit!"

(End of this chapter)