Huangming

Chapter 252 The water situation is cleared, the operation begins!
When Liu Xingzuo led his troops to Eagle's Beak Bay, the eastern sky was just beginning to lighten with a pale, fish-belly-like dawn.

The faint ray of dawn had not yet completely dispelled the darkness before it was brutally swallowed up by the rolling dark clouds.

In an instant, large raindrops poured down, creating countless muddy puddles on the muddy mountain road.

"Hold on your raincoat!"

Liu Xingzuo wiped the rain off his face and looked back at the team struggling through the mud.

The packhorses neighed as they slid down the steep slope, and the carts carrying gunpowder creaked and groaned.

His eyes sharpened, and he quickly stepped forward to press down on the oilcloth that was soaked by the rain.

Suspicious dark water stains were seeping out there.

"Add two more layers of tarpaulin!"

His voice was filled with suppressed anxiety.

"If this gunpowder gets damp, this whole thing will be a disaster!"

Upon hearing this, his soldiers immediately covered the area with tarpaulin.

The rain was still falling, pattering down.

Liu Xingzuo squinted and looked down the official road. He saw that the water level inside the Eagle's Beak Bay Dam was approaching the embankment, and the turbid waves were constantly gnawing at the thin wooden fence.

In the distance, the faint sound of bugles could be heard from the Plain White Banner camp, mingling with the thunder.

The soaring water level and the unusual troop movements suggest that a water attack is likely imminent.

Liu Xingzuo took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his chaotic thoughts.

Rain dripped down the edge of his helmet, tapping softly on his armor.

He gestured behind him, and four guards wearing straw raincoats immediately followed, their horses' hooves splashing muddy water as they trod across the dirt road.

In front of the main gate of the Plain White Banner camp, the iron-inlaid wooden fence gleamed coldly in the rain.

The guards, holding torches, cast a hazy, orange-red glow through the rain.

Liu Xingzuo reined in the reins and took out Dai Shan's warrant from his personal oilcloth bag.

Water stains had seeped into the edges of the parchment, but the vermilion seal was still clearly visible.

"go in."

The guard hastily checked the warrant and waved it away gruffly.

As soon as Liu Xingzuo stepped into the camp, his pupils suddenly contracted: the once neat tent area was now a mess, the bondservant aha were busy dismantling the tents, and the weapons and armor on the supply wagons were piled up like small mountains.

Further away, a troop of cavalry was gathering in the rain, the quivers beside their saddles creaking from the leather.

Liu Xingzu recalled that last night, soldiers from the Eight Banners camp in Fushun were constantly heading to the Shenyang front.

The great battle is about to begin.

Liu Xingzuo's sense of urgency unconsciously intensified.

He rode his horse through the muddy camp road and soon arrived at Abatai's camp.

At this moment, Abatai's camp was in complete disarray.

The felt tents of the main tent had been completely removed, leaving only a few bare wooden stakes; the supply wagons were neatly arranged, and the horses were all saddled; the guards were checking their weapons in the rain, the clanging of metal mingling with the sound of the rain.

"My lord, Liu Xingzuo requests an audience."

After his personal guards announced the news loudly, Liu Xingzuo straightened his armor and stepped into the makeshift military tent.

Inside the tent, Abatai, clad in light armor, was wiping his sword with his back to the door.

Hearing footsteps, he snorted coldly without turning his head: "That damn Liu Aita, he's finally here."

Just as Liu Xingzuo was about to bow, Abatai suddenly turned around, his eyes blazing with fury: "I thought your master had changed his ways and was even willing to give me craftsmen. Ha! Now it seems that you Han people are indeed all cunning swindlers! It must have been you who instigated that wild boar!"

It turns out that Abatai not only failed to gain any advantage by trying to seize three craftsmen from Daishan, but was also fined twenty craftsmen in the process.

His face was ashen, and the veins on the back of his hand gripping the hilt of the knife were bulging, clearly indicating that he was seething with anger.

Liu Xingzuo bowed respectfully, saying, "Beitaiji, please calm your anger. This is the Khan's decree, and I am merely following orders."

Upon hearing Nurhaci's name, Abatai's anger subsided considerably.

Seeing that Abatai was now able to communicate, Liu Xingzuo bowed slightly and asked in a calm and unhurried voice, "Abatai Taiji, where are those twenty craftsmen currently located?"

Upon hearing this, Abatai's facial muscles twitched violently.

He roughly flung aside the deerskin used to wipe his sword, his iron boots slamming heavily onto the damp ground, splashing up a few drops of mud.

"Humph!"

His face was grim, and his right thumb pointed sharply towards the west side of the tent.

"Go see for yourself! It's right behind the supply depot!"

Liu Xingzuo looked in the direction of the short, thick finger and, through the rain, could vaguely see more than thirty hunched figures huddled inside the open-air wooden fence.

The craftsmen's coarse cloth clothes were already tattered and they shivered in the cold wind.

Several bondservants were brandishing leather whips, the tips striking the muddy water with a piercing sound.

The oldest craftsman still had bloodstains on his face, clearly indicating that he had just been punched and kicked.

"Get out of here!"

Abatai roared, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Liu Xingzuo.

"Get out of here with these bastards! Stay a moment longer and I'll chop off one of their fingers!"

Abatai's greed was well-known; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed his subordinates to rob the craftsmen of the Plain Red Banner. To have twenty craftsmen taken away now was practically a death sentence for him.

Liu Xingzuo raised the corners of his mouth slightly, bowed respectfully to Abatai, and said, "Replying to Abatai Taiji, my master's actions this time were indeed inappropriate. Of these thirty-three craftsmen, my master rewarded me with three, but after much thought, I dare not keep them without permission. It would be better to give them to Taiji as an apology."

Upon hearing this, Abatai's anger froze, and a hint of wariness flashed in his eyes: "What do you mean by this? Do you want to harm me again?"

As the saying goes, "Once bitten by a snake, twice shy," he would never dare to covet such petty gains again.

Upon seeing this, Liu Xingzuo quickly waved his hand, his face full of a fawning smile: "Your Excellency is wise, how could this servant dare to harbor such thoughts? This servant is leading troops on this expedition, and we must achieve some results."

"What if a flood comes and washes away all my men? Who can I complain to then?"

Abatai then realized that the cunning Han Chinese was using the three craftsmen as bait to extract the specific plans for the water attack from him.

He narrowed his eyes, sizing up Liu Xingzuo, who was all smiles but harbored ulterior motives, and secretly weighed the pros and cons of this deal.

After a moment, he chuckled and said, "Don't worry, we've built diversion dams along the way. You won't be flooded if you follow the marching route given by the Great Khan."

Liu Xingzuo's face showed a troubled expression again, and he said, "This servant is worried that if the march is too slow, the dam will be destroyed, which would be bad. I wonder when the water attack will begin?"

Abatai snorted and said, "Insolence! The timing of the water attack is a top secret of the army; how can it be revealed so easily?"

He said this, but his eyes kept glancing at the craftsmen outside the tent.

Liu Xingzuo knew exactly what he looked like.

This isn't a matter of confidentiality; it's a matter of paying more.

Liu Xingzuo immediately put on a pained expression and gritted his teeth, saying, "Your Excellency is right. Among my servants are five skilled craftsmen. If Your Excellency doesn't mind, I am willing to offer them up to serve you."

Abatai's eyes lit up immediately. He pretended to stroke his beard with a troubled expression, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and then leaned close to Liu Xingzuo's ear and whispered:
"I really can't say the exact time, that's a matter of life and death. But at the latest, it won't be later than tomorrow morning."

Abatai stroked his chin with satisfaction, thinking that this deal was worthwhile.

One sentence can buy eight craftsmen, which is worth several thousand taels of silver!

Liu Xingzuo frowned slightly, a hint of doubt still lingering in his eyes. He lowered his voice and tentatively asked, "Taiji, is what you said... true?"

Seeing that he was still not at ease, Abatai twitched his lips, revealing a hint of impatience, but thinking of the five craftsmen he had just acquired, he finally relented.

"To tell you the truth, the water attack is tonight!"

He paused, a hint of anxiety flashing in his eyes.

"This awful weather! The water level is rising too fast. If we don't release water soon, the dam might collapse by tomorrow morning!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xingzuo's eyes flashed with a sharp light, but a look of sudden realization appeared on his face. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "So that's how it is! Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency!"

His tone was sincere, even tinged with gratitude.

"These eight craftsmen are given to Taiji as a token of my gratitude."

Abatai snorted coldly, waved his hand, and signaled him to get lost.

Liu Xingzuo said nothing more, bowed respectfully, turned around, lifted the tent flap, and strode away with his confidants.

The rain continued to fall heavily, and the cold rainwater slid down his straw hat, wetting his shoulder armor.

A barely perceptible sneer appeared on Liu Xingzuo's lips.

"Tonight..."

He had already made his plans, and now he finally received definite news that everything was proceeding according to plan.

"go!"

He gave a low command, mounted his horse, and led the remaining troops away from the Plain White Banner camp.

The timing was perfect.

He gave the Ming army the time tonight.

Now you can rest assured.

Liu Xingzuo rode back to the camp. The rain had eased slightly, but the sky was getting increasingly gloomy, with dark clouds hanging very low as if they might collapse at any moment.

He dismounted, his iron boots plunging into the muddy ground, splashing up murky water.

The soldiers in the camp were taking the time to rest. Some were wiping their weapons, while others were repairing their raincoats. The air was filled with the damp smell of earth and a faint smell of gunpowder.

He strode quickly toward his military tent.

The flickering candlelight inside the tent illuminated his cold and stern face.

He removed his soaking wet cloak and tossed it aside, then said in a deep voice, "Guards!"

Four trusted men entered upon hearing the commotion, kneeling on one knee. Rain dripped from their armor, forming small puddles on the ground.

Liu Xingzuo's sharp eyes swept over the four men. After confirming that no one was eavesdropping, he lowered his voice and said, "It's night. After I lead my troops out, each of you four will take fifty men and bring gunpowder. You must blow up the water diversion dam at midnight tonight."

He paused, took out a sheepskin map from his pocket, unfolded it on the table, and pointed heavily at a mark with his fingertip: "Remember, after blowing up the dam, do not linger in battle. Withdraw immediately and head straight to the Shenyang camp to rendezvous."

The four men looked grave. One of them looked up and asked, "Sir, what should we do if we encounter a Jurchen patrol?"

Liu Xingzuo sneered, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "If you encounter any obstacles, kill them without mercy! But remember, act quickly and do not reveal your whereabouts."

The four men responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Liu Xingzuo nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the four of them again, his tone low and firm: "This matter is of great importance; success is the only option, failure is not an option."

The four men clasped their hands in greeting and accepted the order, their eyes filled with determination.

After the four men left, Liu Xingzuo stood alone in the tent, listening to the pattering rain outside, silently planning his next move.

Success or failure hinges on tonight.

(End of this chapter)