Huangming

Chapter 253 Iron Cavalry Night Raid, Ming Army Breaks Through the Enemy's Formation

The first day of the fifth month of the first year of the Tianqi reign, at midnight.

Under the pitch-black night sky, torrential rain poured down as if the Milky Way were pouring down, shrouding the entire city of Shenyang in chaos.

Rainwater washed away the bloodstains on the city wall, mixing with mud and meandering down, forming dark red streams at the base of the wall.

Corpses littered the ground beneath the city walls. The Jurchens' night raid was abruptly halted by the sudden downpour, leaving only devastation behind.

Occasionally, a few faint groans could be heard from the pile of corpses; they were the wounded soldiers who had not yet died struggling in pain.

Their voices were drowned out by the rain, like the mournful chirping of autumn insects, fleeting and ephemeral.

The icy rain soaked through their armor, taking away their last bit of body heat; death was only a matter of time.

suddenly!

The East Gate of Shenyang was suddenly blown open amidst the torrential rain!

The heavy hinges of the city gate emitted a piercing metallic scraping sound, like the roar of a giant beast, which was particularly jarring in the rainy night.

As soon as the city gates opened, a torrent of armored cavalry surged out like a flood bursting its banks, their hooves pounding the mud and splashing up mud mixed with blood.

They were clad in iron armor, their swords and spears gleaming coldly in the lightning.

The leader was He Shixian, the General of Shenyang.

His armor was stained with blood, and the long sword at his waist gleamed coldly. As his warhorse neighed, he suddenly pulled on the reins and turned to look at the soldiers behind him.

Before going into battle, he drank three bowls of strong liquor. At this moment, his face was as red as blood, his beard and hair stood on end, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

The smell of alcohol dispelled the last trace of hesitation in my heart, replacing it with a resolute determination to burn my bridges.

He raised his long sword high, his voice booming like thunder: "Gentlemen! Follow me and break through Dongba! We'll meet again at the city walls in an hour!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already spurred his horse forward, his iron hooves shattering the rain, heading straight for the enemy lines.

Shenyang Deputy Commander-in-Chief You Shigong stood beneath the city gate. He turned to Chen Ce, the Commander-in-Chief who was aiding Liaoning, and Qi Jin, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting: "You two old generals, please be careful on your journey!"

Chen Ce and Qi Jin exchanged a glance, needing no further explanation.

A veteran of the battlefield, he has long since disregarded life and death.

"Take care of yourself!"

The two words landed with a resounding clang, and the three men simultaneously cracked their whips, leading their cavalry like arrows piercing into the rainy night.

The sound of horses' hooves was swallowed by the torrential rain, but it could not drown out the clanging of armor.

They tore through the gaps like sharp knives, breaking through the Jurchen's two blue banner defenses in an instant, and sped towards the watershed.

In the rain, the iron cavalry moved like dragons, their killing intent palpable.

The last to leave the city were Zhou Dunji and Qin Bangping.

They are not qualified to charge on horseback.

Because they were not cavalry, but infantry.

But anyone who underestimates them because of this will pay a bloody price.

They were the White-Spear Soldiers, the elite of Sichuan, fearless and valiant.

Spears stood like a forest, shields like a mountain, chariots arrayed in formation, and barricades stood in imposing array.

They stood silently in formation at the Hunhe ferry crossing, like an iron-cast dam blocking the Jurchen cavalry's path of charge.

Their mission was clear.

The cavalry would support He Shixian, drawing away the main force of the Jurchens and buying time for friendly forces to launch a surprise attack on the watershed.

But everyone knew that this was almost tantamount to suicide.

Although He Shixian and his men risked their lives to penetrate deep behind enemy lines, they were still cavalry and had a chance to break out.

Zhou Dunji and Qin Bangping, however, had to face the onslaught of the main Jurchen force head-on and refused to retreat an inch.

Chariots can stop cavalry charges, heavy shields can withstand arrow rain, and chevaux-de-frise can slow down attacks.

But what if the Jurchens brought cannons?
Flesh and blood can never withstand artillery fire.

But they had no choice.

"Array up!"

Zhou Dunji's voice was exceptionally clear in the cold wind after the rain.

The White-Spear Soldiers silently gripped their spears, their gazes resolute.

They knew that this battle was dangerous, with a slim chance of survival.

But they knew even more that if they lost this battle, Shenyang would fall.

So they stand here, with flesh and blood as a wall, and their lives as a shield.

Even if there were mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, they would never retreat a single step.

the other side.

Inside the Jurchen camp, the night was as dark as ink.

"Boom boom boom——"

The rapid sound of war drums suddenly tore through the silence of the rainy night, echoing like muffled thunder between the two blue flag camps.

Mangultai, the banner chief of the Plain Blue Banner, was startled awake from his sleep. He threw off his sable cloak, and a fierce glint flashed in his tiger-like eyes.

The guards outside the tent were already kneeling on the ground: "Master, the Ming army has launched a night attack!"

Meanwhile, inside the main tent of the Bordered Blue Banner, Amin was rising, fully armored.

The banner chief, known for his bravery, sneered: "So, the barbarian bears finally dare to leave the city?"

He grabbed his sword, and with the help of his guards, donned his armor and quickly headed towards the central command tent.

After a while.

Inside the central command tent, torches illuminated the interior as brightly as day.

Mangultai sat high on a tiger-skin chair, with Amin standing to his right with his hand on a knife.

Footsteps approached from outside the tent, and the generals of the two Blue Banners, including Gushan Ejen and Meile Ejen, filed in one after another.

These battle-hardened generals, though awakened in the dead of night, were all fully armored, their eyes showing no sign of sleepiness.

Here we need to explain the organization of the Eight Banners.

Each of the Eight Banners (Gushan) was divided into five Jiala, and each Jiala led five Niru.

Each Niru (unit of military unit) consists of two hundred armored soldiers. These two hundred soldiers are elite warriors, including cavalry, infantry, and archers, and they must provide their own weapons and armor.

There were 100 remaining men, consisting of auxiliary soldiers (those under 16 or over 60 years old), craftsmen, laborers, and those responsible for logistics and transportation during wartime.

As for bondservants, slaves, etc., they are not counted as regular soldiers.

The most elite generals of the two Blue Banners were gathered in the tent at this moment.

Gushan Ezhen commanded the entire banner's troops, Meile Ezhen assisted in military affairs, Jiala Ezhen was in charge of marching and deploying troops, and Jiala Zhangjing was responsible for specific combat operations.

The core members of this formidable army held their breath, awaiting orders from their commander.

Second-class light cavalry captain Ashan rushed over and knelt on one knee.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

His voice was slightly hoarse from the rush.

"The gates of Shenyang were flung open, and the Ming army poured out in full force! Before the vanguard battalion could even react, the first line of defense had been breached!"

Mangultai's pupils suddenly contracted, and his rough fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the sword at his waist. He immediately asked:

"How many men did Ming Gou send?"

"It was too dark for the scouts to see the exact number."

Ah Shan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and continued:
"But another Ming infantry force is encamped at the Hunhe ferry crossing, and it seems they are going to cut off our retreat!"

"The Ming army actually dared to go out of the city to fight in the open?"

Mangultai's voice was filled with disbelief.

These days, he sent his elite Bayara troops to the city walls every day to hurl insults and curse Xiong Tingbi's ancestors for eighteen generations, but the barbarian Xiong remained holed up and refused to come out.

Now they dare to launch a surprise attack in the dead of night?
"Third Prince".

Amin, the banner chief of the Bordered Blue Banner, frowned and said, "There must be something fishy about this. The Ming army's choice to attack tonight is probably..."

Before he could finish speaking, a deafening roar suddenly came from afar, shaking the very ground.

"That's the sound of gunpowder exploding!"

Amin's expression changed drastically.

"The diversion dam! They're trying to destroy it to stop our water attack!"

Mangultai suddenly looked up at the dark night sky; tonight was the perfect time to flood the city.

That old fox Xiong Tingbi is actually planning to strike first!
"I see!"

A glint flashed in Mangultai's eyes, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

There was no panic on his face, but rather a relaxed expression, his voice filled with a confident assurance: "Although Huang Taiji is used to showing off his cunning, this time he was prepared. He anticipated that the Ming dogs would come to sabotage the diversion dam, and has already amassed troops on the dam for defense!"

"If the soldiers on the dam can hold them off for even half an hour, these reckless Ming soldiers will be like wild boars caught in a trap, with no chance of escape!"

Upon hearing this, the generals in the tent all revealed a bloodthirsty glint in their eyes.

"Good! I've wanted to kill these traitors for a long time!"

"Your Highness, I am willing to lead the troops into battle!"

"I'm going, I'm going!"

The generals in the tent all volunteered to fight. Seeing this...

Mangultai abruptly stood up, his armor clanging, and commanded in a booming voice: "Dergelai! Jirhalang! Turge! Gusantai! Lenggeri!"

For every name he called out, a fierce general would step forward.

"The general is here!"

"You shall each lead your elite troops and annihilate all those Ming dogs who dare to sabotage the water diversion dam! Remember, leave a few alive; I, the Prince, will personally rip out their hearts and livers to enjoy with my wine!"

The five generals who were named knelt on one knee, the sound of their armor plates clashing like the clang of metal.

"Whoo!"

The response seemed to burst forth from the chest, echoing throughout the military tent.

Degerai's eyes burned with fighting spirit, and Lenggeli unconsciously licked the blade; Jirhalang silently tightened his arm armor, and Turgh and Gu Santai exchanged a smile.

These fierce generals, who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, had long regarded slaughter as a feast.

Everything lost in the siege these past few days must be made up for in this battle!

The Ming troops on the diversion dam were in position, but the Ming troops at the Hunhe ferry crossing could not be let go either.

Mangultai turned to look at Amin beside him, the firelight casting a ferocious shadow on his angular face: "Second Prince, those reckless infantrymen at the Hunhe ferry are yours to deal with."

He paused meaningfully, and then used a provocation tactic.

"I heard they're some kind of White-Clad Soldiers? I'd like to see if their bones are tougher, or if your blade is sharper."

Upon hearing this, Amin bowed with his hand on his chest and said loudly, "Please wait for good news, Third Prince."

His cold gaze swept across the dark night outside the tent.

"Before the sun rises, I, Aisin-Gioro Amin, will surely pile the heads of those Sichuan barbarians into a mound of skulls!"

Mangultai's eyes gleamed as he addressed the crowd, "Gentlemen, I await your good news!"

Once the military order was given, the entire camp erupted in excitement.

The sound of bugles shattered the silence of the rainy night, and torches moved like dragons among the tents.

The elite cavalry of the two blue banners surged out of the camp gate like a tide, their heavy hooves kicking up mud.

In the darkness, the crisp sound of quiver and scabbard clashing, the clear clatter of warhorses' hooves, and the suppressed panting of soldiers all foreshadowed what was to come.

This bloody massacre is about to begin.

the other side.

In the dense forest on the east side of the water diversion dam.

He Shixian shook his wet beard and hair, the smell of alcohol mixed with the stench of blood churning in his chest.

He removed his heavy iron armor, wearing only light leather armor, and the long sword at his waist kept slapping his thigh as his warhorse bounced.

The tracks left by the march through the mud resembled a winding scar, pointing straight to the dark East Dam.

Although the rain had stopped, the forest was still filled with the damp, earthy smell, mixed with the rusty smell of the soldiers' armor.

"Commander He, the scouts at the front have reported back!"

The guard lowered his voice.

A scout emerged from the bushes and knelt on one knee: "Reporting to the commander, there is a full-strength Jurchen garrison at Dongba, consisting of about three hundred elite troops. The dam is covered with watchtowers, and the outer perimeter is riddled with horse traps and caltrops. If we launch a direct attack, we will likely suffer heavy casualties."

Upon hearing this, He Shixian's drunken eyes snapped open, and he slammed the wine bag in his hand onto the ground.

The remaining liquor seeped into the soil, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

"Huge casualties?"

He grabbed the scout by the collar, his strong smell of alcohol hitting the man's face.

"Even if I lose all my brothers here within half an hour, I'll blow up Dongba!"

Despite having drunk three bowls of strong liquor, He Shixian's bloodshot eyes became even sharper.

He raised his hand to wipe away the raindrops that had condensed on his beard, the muscles beneath his armor rising and falling with his rapid breathing.

This battle-hardened general of Shenyang, at this moment, was like a taut bowstring, transforming his drunkenness and bloodlust into a fierce fighting spirit.

"Scout, heed my command!"

Before the scout could get up, He Shixian pressed his shoulder armor down with his iron gauntlet.

"I'm giving you a task: within half an hour, find out the location of the horse traps and barbed wire defenses in Dongba, how many watchtowers are there, and whether the artillery positions have been set up. The details don't need to be precise, but if you miss even one key point, you'll be court-martialed!"

Upon hearing this, the scout gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Your subordinate obeys!"

The intelligence gathering work has been arranged.

He Shixian turned around and looked at the elite cavalry behind him.

More than a thousand cavalrymen were already lined up in the rain.

The Shenyang garrison commander immediately issued orders:

"Pass on my orders!"

"The cavalry will be divided into three groups of fifty riders each! First group! Take my banner with the character 'He' on it and beat the drums along the eastern ridge! Second and third groups, carrying double torches, will circle the pine forests to the west and north as a feint! Remember! Shout louder than the Jurchens' death knell, forcing them to split their forces into three groups!"

The guards immediately presented the command flag, which He Shixian grabbed. The scarlet flag fluttered in the wind: "Equip each team with double the number of torches and display the flags prominently! Let the Jurchens think that the main force of our Great Ming has been deployed, and lure out all their archers!"

A sudden gust of night wind caused the torches to flicker unpredictably.

He Shixian took a deep breath.

"Select another fifty suicide soldiers! You will carry wooden planks and sandbags to clear a path for the army! When you see deer forts or barricades, burn them! Burn a bloody trail through them!"

Upon hearing this, fifty people stepped forward.

Being a suicide squad member is the most dangerous thing, but it is also the most rewarding.

"it is good!"

Seeing the fifty men step forward, He Shixian was filled with emotion and said, "Don't worry, living is a great achievement, and if you die, I, He Shixian, will take good care of your families!"

Finally, his gaze fell upon the hundred towering bodyguards.

These men were clad in three layers of heavy armor, and the giant axes in their hands gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"The remaining hundred elite soldiers, follow me and take the dam top! The rest of you, follow the army and engage in a rearguard action! One quarter of an hour! If we can control the dam top for just one quarter of an hour, we'll give the demolition team time to fight to the death!"

"Follow me and break through the formation!"

At He Shixian's command, the three feint attack teams sped off like arrows through the muddy post-rain terrain.

The cavalrymen on the east side raised their torches high, their iron hooves shattering the silence of the forest, their drumming startling birds into flight.

The western contingent waved their flags and spread out in skirmish lines under the moonlight, the sound of arrows piercing the air igniting alarm bells on the guard towers.

To the north, they used spears to carry oil-soaked cloth strips, which, once lit, moved through the forest like fire dragons, completely distracting the Jurchens.

"That damned Ming dog has launched a sneak attack!"

"Fire arrows!"

The Jiannu Niulu Ezhen, who was stationed at Dongba, roared angrily on the top of the dam.

Arrows rained down from the watchtower, but most of them embedded themselves in the empty shields deliberately raised by the feinting team.

Using the firelight, the scouts quickly carved out a defensive map on the tree bark.

The group of horse traps in the southeast corner, the hidden barbed wire on the northwest side, and the location of the three tiger-squatting cannons under the central watchtower are all clearly outlined in charcoal.

After learning the general layout, the Ming army adjusted its attack direction accordingly.

"It's now!"

He Shixian roared, his breath rippling with the smell of alcohol, and the veins on his forehead bulged like coiled dragons.

Fifty assassins suddenly rushed out, carrying cotton quilts soaked in cold water and heavy door panels on their shoulders. The burly men in the front row even turned an entire elm table upside down in front of their chests and pushed forward with all their might.

"laugh--"

The barbed wire scraped against the wooden planks with a piercing, sharp sound, while the thuds of sandbags filling the horse traps continued incessantly.

As the oil was poured, the barricades instantly burst into flames. In the firelight, the backs of the suicide soldiers were already soaked with sweat and blood.

Five men had already been shot through the thigh by stray arrows, yet they still bit the back of their knives and crawled forward, dragging their injured legs.

"boom!"

The Tiger Crouching Cannon suddenly opened fire, and the shrapnel swept across, instantly severing two suicide soldiers in half, their flesh and blood flying everywhere.

However, the demolition team took advantage of the smoke to hurl the oil canisters at the artillery position.

Thick, black oil was poured onto the cannon, and flames shot up, instantly engulfing the loader, whose screams ripped through the night sky.

He Shixian personally led a hundred heavily armored soldiers to charge forward along the bloody path. The three layers of iron armor were riddled with dents from the arrows. With a flash of cold light from the axe blade, the throat of the Jurchen garrison was severed. Blood splattered on He Shixian, making him look like a demon from hell.

After a fierce battle, with no regard for the cost, a Niru (a unit of the Jurchen people) was basically annihilated.

Time waits for no one; almost half an hour has passed since Dongba was captured.

Dongba must be blown up as soon as possible!
"Control the gate! Everyone else, evacuate immediately according to the pre-arranged route!"

With a flick of his blade, He Shixian severed the last noose.

The floodgates, brimming with water, groaned and creaked, like the dying gasps of a giant beast.

The demolition team raced against time, stuffing hundreds of kilograms of gunpowder into the cracks in the dam, lighting the fuses, and then quickly evacuating.

The fuse hissed and burned, the sparks particularly glaring in the darkness.

"boom--!!!"

A deafening roar shook the earth, and the diversion dam snapped like the spine of a giant beast.

A towering wall of water, carrying debris of wood and stone, roared down as the East Dam was successfully breached!
(End of this chapter)