Huangming

Chapter 254 Fierce Battle in the Rainy Night, Desperate Situation in the Field!
The night was as dark as ink, and thick dark clouds obscured the stars and moon, plunging the world into gloom.

General He Shixian of Shenyang stood on his horse, rain dripping from his iron helmet and wetting his weathered face.

He glanced back towards the direction of Dongba, where he could still vaguely see rising smoke and dust.

Having completed the mission of destroying Dongba, he immediately waved his hand and ordered: "Withdraw! Retreat along the predetermined route!"

The sound of horses' hooves seemed particularly muffled in the rainy night. More than a thousand cavalrymen, like a long black dragon, wound their way forward on the muddy official road.

The rain pattered on the soldiers' armor, making a soft, rustling sound that mingled with the panting of their warhorses.

When they had traveled about ten miles north of Shenyang, they suddenly saw torches flickering ahead.

Shenyang Deputy Commander-in-Chief You Shigong and his troops had been waiting there for a long time. Behind him were cavalrymen in neat formation, who, despite being soaked by the rain, still maintained a dignified military appearance.

Before long, General Chen Ce and Deputy General Qi Jin also arrived with their troops, and the three forces successfully joined forces in the rainy night.

His gaze sharpened as he surveyed the arriving generals, and he asked in a deep voice, "Have you completed your mission?"

You Shigong immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice strong and clear: "Reporting to Commander He, Xiba has been destroyed!"

Chen Ce and Qi Jin also rode forward, their battle robes soaked by the rain, but their eyes were filled with determination: "We have also completed our mission, and the diversion dams have all been destroyed!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in He Shixian's eyes, and he said coldly, "Good! Let's not delay any longer, let's return to Shenyang tonight!"

Despite having drunk quite a bit earlier, he was unusually sober at this moment, the rain washing over his face and diluting the smell of alcohol.

Destroying the dikes and cutting off the enemy's water attack strategy was the key to their mission. Now that the mission was accomplished, the most urgent task was to preserve this elite cavalry and withdraw to Shenyang.

Five thousand cavalrymen had just set off when the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from ahead. A scout galloped out from the rain, his warhorse exhaling white steam and splashing mud and water.

The scout's face was deathly pale, and rain dripped down his iron helmet, but it couldn't hide the panic in his eyes.

"Reporting to Commander He! Something terrible has happened!"

The scout reined in his horse and stopped abruptly, his voice slightly hoarse from the rush.

"A large number of Jurchen cavalry have been spotted five miles ahead, and they are approaching our army!"

"Jiang Jurchen cavalry?"

He Shixian frowned as rainwater slid down his armor and dripped onto the muddy ground.

He quickly made a decision in his mind.

It took half an hour to destroy the diversion dam. During this time, the Jurchens outside Shenyang could mobilize their troops and cut off their return route.

However, He Shixian's face did not show the slightest panic.

He slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp and cold, like a blade being drawn from its sheath, his killing intent suddenly bursting forth.

"The brave shall prevail when paths cross! What's there to be afraid of!"

He suddenly drew his long sword from his waist, the blade flashing a cold light in the rainy night.

"Follow me and fight your way through! Let these Jurchens know the might of my Great Ming!"

Despite the crushing defeat at the Battle of Sarhu, He Shixian felt no fear.

On the contrary, the humiliation ignited a raging fire in his chest, and hatred surged like a tidal wave.

At that moment, only one thought occupied his mind:
This battle is a must to avenge our previous defeat!
He wanted to make the Jurchens understand that the Ming Dynasty's iron cavalry was in no way inferior to their Eight Banners elite troops!

Chen Ce frowned deeply as he listened to He Shixian's words.

He spurred his horse forward half a step, his voice steady and clear: "Commander He, our Ming cavalry is not afraid of the Jurchens, but if we can avoid their sharp edge and preserve our strength, that would be the best course of action."

He wiped the rain from his face and continued, "Since the Battle of Sarhu, the weakness of our army in field battles has been clearly demonstrated. It would be unwise to rashly engage in battle at this moment."

"Humph!"

He Shixian sneered, raindrops dripping down his thick beard.

"I've always heard that General Chen is brave and skilled in battle, so why is he so timid and hesitant today? Could it be that he's been scared out of his wits by the Jurchens?"

Chen Ce remained expressionless and slowly said:
"It is not out of fear of war. Before leaving, the General repeatedly instructed that the priority of this mission should be to preserve our strength. It is easy for the enemy to replenish their troops and horses, but our army has to move troops from thousands of miles away. With this disparity, the situation in Liaodong will inevitably deteriorate."

Amid the sound of rain, Shenyang Deputy Commander-in-Chief You Shigong also rode up on horseback.

As He Shixian's deputy, he actually agreed with Chen Ce.

"General Chen is absolutely right. There is no need to rush into a decisive battle with the Jurchens. The most urgent task is to safely bring these five thousand elite troops back to Shenyang."

Chen Ce looked at the faintly visible firelight in the distance and added, "Moreover, our army has completed the important task of blowing up the dam. At this moment, the priority should be to return with the whole army intact. It will not be too late to regroup and fight the Jurchens to the death another day."

"Hey~"

He Shixian looked up at the sky and sighed deeply.

"Do as you please. But if the Jurchens pursue us relentlessly, simply fleeing will only lead to our destruction. At that point, we must turn back and fight to the death!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ce immediately clasped his hands in agreement.

"Commander He, rest assured! If it really comes to a life-or-death situation, this humble general is willing to personally lead the elite troops to cover the rear! We will ensure the main force's safe retreat back to Shenyang!"

Upon hearing this, He Shixian remained silent for a long time.

He finally nodded heavily, and based on the intelligence gathered by his scouts, turned his horse around and pointed to the weak point of the Jurchen forces: "All troops, listen up! Break out to the west!"

Five thousand iron cavalry surged forward like a torrent, their hoofbeats causing the earth to tremble slightly.

Rain and mud splashed under the iron hooves, and the torchlight formed a winding fire dragon in the rain.

The soldiers' armor clanged as they ran, and the fuses of their three-barreled guns puffed smoke in the rain. The entire column, like a drawn sword, sped into the depths of the rainy night.

On the official road leading directly to Shenyang.

Degele reined in his horse and stood up.

Nurhaci's tenth son frowned, his hawk-like gaze piercing through the rain as he looked into the distance.

As the youngest son of Fucha Gundai, he was also known as 'Feiyanggu' in his clan.

The Manchu name means 'the smallest treasure,' yet it stands in stark contrast to his current fierce killing intent.

"Report~"

A scout galloped through the rain, his horse leaving deep hoofprints in the mud.

The scout dismounted and immediately reported the military situation: "Reporting to Taiji, the main force of the Ming army has not proceeded as expected! They are bypassing our defenses and are making a detour to the west, and it seems they are heading towards encountering Prince Jirhalang's Bordered Blue Banner!"

Upon hearing this, Degerai unconsciously tightened his grip on the dagger at his waist with his right hand.

As the Gushan Ejen of the Plain Red Banner, a powerful figure second only to the banner lord Mangultai, this change caused the veins on his forehead to throb slightly.

He looked up at the gloomy sky.

The clouds were as dark as ink, and the rain was as fine as silk threads. The gyrfalcons that used to soar through the sky were now folding their wings to avoid the rain.

If it were a clear day, those well-trained falcons would have locked onto the Ming army's movements long ago. Why did they let their prey slip through their fingers?
"Taiji, Ming Gou is trying to escape. Are we just going to watch him run away?" Leng Geli rode forward, raindrops dripping from the armor plates.

The eyes of this fierce general from the Kurka tribe gleamed with restless rage.

As the son of Langzhu and the younger brother of Yangguli, he followed Nurhaci in battle from a young age. From a junior officer to a first-class deputy general, every military achievement he made was built up with the heads of the enemy.

How could he bear to see the credit he was about to receive slip away?

Deger did not answer immediately.

He could feel the burning gaze of more than two thousand elite soldiers of the Plain Red Banner behind him. The armor of these soldiers gleamed in the rain, and their warhorses pawed the muddy ground restlessly.

His cavalrymen also wanted to go into battle.

"What to do? The answer is simple: chase after them!"

"Order! All troops, don your armor! Since the Ming dogs dare not engage in battle, then let's go hunting! Kill the Ming dogs until they are utterly defeated and stripped of their armor!"

As soon as the order was given, the entire cavalry instantly erupted in cheers.

The warriors took heavy armor from their rickety horses, and the bondservants helped them put it on.

After donning his armor, Degerai mounted his horse.

He gazed at the faint firelight in the west, his anxiety growing.

"set off!"

As he pointed his sword forward, the entire heavy cavalry unleashed their power like tigers released from their cages, their iron hooves shaking the earth and mud flying like arrows in the torrential rain.

He arrived at the battlefield very soon.

On the battlefield.

The main force of the Ming army led by He Shixian had long been embroiled in a chaotic battle with the Bordered Blue Banner. Smoke and arrows mingled on the battlefield, which stretched for miles, and shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth.

The Ming army is launching an offensive according to its usual tactics:

The cavalry with three-eyed muskets at the front line formed three ranks fifty paces away. As the command flag was waved, the muskets of the first rank spat out blinding flashes of fire, and lead bullets whistled through the rain.

After three volleys of fire, before the smoke had even cleared, the heavy cavalry, clad in mountain-patterned armor, raised their spears and began their charge.

"It's that same old trick again."

Jirhalang was not surprised by the tactics of the Ming cavalry.

He had already ordered his light cavalry to scatter like startled sparrows, drawing their bows and hurling arrows as they galloped.

Arrows flew over the heads of the Ming heavy cavalry like locusts, landing precisely in the Ming army formation where soldiers were loading their three-barreled muskets.

The firearms soldiers were thrown into disarray. The heavy three-barreled guns were even more difficult to load in the rain, and curses could be heard from time to time as the gunpowder got wet.

Even more deadly was that the heavy cavalry of the Bordered Blue Banner had already flanked them from both sides, gradually closing in like iron pincers.

Jirhalang personally led his most elite Bayara soldiers to form a wedge formation, taking advantage of the gaps in the Ming army's formation caused by the rain of arrows, and thrust straight into the center of the army like a sharp knife.

These Jin warriors, clad in three layers of heavy armor and wielding tiger-spears and broadswords, instantly divided the Ming army into several pieces.

Deger narrowed his eyes.

The Ming army's usual fixed tactics appeared particularly clumsy in the face of the mobile and flexible Eight Banners troops. The Ming cavalry, divided and surrounded, were like moths caught in a spider web, the more they struggled, the deeper they sank.

The rain poured down harder and harder, mixing with blood to form dark red streams on the battlefield.

Deger slowly drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the rain.

It's time to let the iron cavalry of the Plain Red Banner join this hunt.

now.

In the center of the battlefield.

He Shixian's battle robe was already soaked in blood, his armor was covered with knife marks and arrow wounds, and bits of flesh were still hanging from the chipped edge of his long sword.

He was breathing heavily, and rain mixed with blood was dripping from the edge of his helmet.

The seven Jurchen cavalrymen who perished became victims of his blade, yet this victory only weighed heavier on his heart.

Every enemy cavalryman who fell meant that many more Ming soldiers would perish forever on this muddy battlefield.

Looking around, the once orderly military formation had been torn to pieces.

The cavalry of the Bordered Blue Banner moved like a pack of wolves, cutting through enemy lines, while the iron cavalry of the Plain Red Banner flanked from the flanks.

The Ming army's usual three-tiered formation appeared extremely clumsy in the face of the mobile and agile Eight Banners troops. Those well-trained Jurchen cavalrymen could always seize the gaps in their firearms reloading to break into the formation.

He Shixian witnessed firsthand how his elite guards, having just set up their barricades, were broken up by Jirhalang's personal guards using lassos.

"Regroup! Move closer to me!"

He Shixian's roar sounded hoarse in the rain.

He wiped the blood from his face and suddenly realized Xiong Tingbi's deep foresight.

It turns out that the commander-in-chief had already seen through it all: in open field battles, the Ming army's fixed tactics were no match for the Jurchens' honed horse archery skills.

These Jurchen warriors, who grew up on horseback, were all born warriors. Their warhorses were as agile as their own legs, and their bows and arrows were incredibly accurate.

The Ming army at that time was no match for the Jurchens in open field battles.

In the distance came the sound of horses' hooves, like muffled thunder.

The main force of the Plain Red Banner of Degelai is completing the final encirclement. The remnants of the Ming army are like trapped beasts caught in a snare, with their space for maneuver constantly being compressed.

He Shixian's deputy general, Zhang Xian, had already been hit by several arrows, but he still desperately protected the military flag; the bravest centurion, Wang Jie, led thirty riders in a desperate charge, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the Jurchens' swords and spears.

The rain poured down harder and harder, but it couldn't wash away the heavy stench of blood from the battlefield.

He Shixian's hand holding the knife trembled slightly, not from fear, but from exhaustion.

"General! There's still a gap in the southeast corner!"

Covered in blood, Qi Jin suddenly burst out from the melee. His armor was tattered, but he still clung tightly to half of a broken spear.

He Shixian looked in that direction and indeed saw Chen Ce leading his remaining troops to tear open the rift.

This is the last chance, but if we want to break through...
He glanced back at You Shigong's troops, who were still fighting hard; those soldiers were waiting for their commander's decision.

The rain hit my face, icy cold, just like the despair and resentment surging in my heart at that moment.

Is it possible that Sarshu's disastrous defeat will be repeated against the Ming army?
Do not!
He, He Shixian, would never allow it!

but.
How can one turn the tide in this situation?

ps:
My beloved subjects, please cast your monthly votes if you have any!
There are too few updates, and the plot is developing too slowly.

I won't say it's my fault, I can only say you didn't give me enough monthly votes~
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(End of this chapter)