Huangming

Chapter 256 The Tragedy of the White Rod, Returning to the City in Blood
As the Jurchens of the two Blue Banners retreated like the tide, the once noisy battlefield suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

The rain gradually subsided, but the lingering stench of blood mixed with the earthy smell of soil still filled the air.

On the muddy ground, broken weapons and tattered flags lay scattered, bearing witness to the fierce battle that had just taken place.

Liu Xingzuo had already ordered his men to change the flags to the red ones of the Ming army. At this moment, he spurred his horse forward, rainwater mixed with blood dripping from his iron armor.

When he saw the seven or eight arrows stuck in the body of General He Shixian of Shenyang, his pupils contracted slightly. This General He Shixian of the Ming Dynasty had really risked his life today.

Liu Xingzuo was filled with emotion: This is the Ming Dynasty I want to join!

This is how our Great Ming Dynasty should be!

"Generals."

Liu Xingzuo clasped his hands in a fist salute on horseback, his voice hoarse yet powerful.

"My name is Liu Xingzuo!"

He Shixian squinted his eyes, which were blurred by blood, and a look of surprise flashed across his face after he saw the person's face clearly.

Yu Shigong, standing beside him, exclaimed in disbelief, "It's General Liu?! We thought it was Commander Xiong leading a large army to reinforce us!"

The generals exchanged a knowing glance.

As Liu Xingzuo was an inside agent for the Jurchens, these border generals naturally knew about it.

No one expected that this general, who had recently defected, would lead his troops to turn against him at a critical moment and even kill an important figure like Degelai.

He Shixian suddenly burst into laughter, which aggravated his wound, causing him to cough up several mouthfuls of blood.

He casually pulled an arrow from his shoulder and threw it on the ground, saying with great pride, "Good! Well done, Liu Xingzuo! You deserve the greatest credit for today's battle!"

Liu Xingzu shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the Ming soldiers' corpses lying haphazardly on the battlefield: "If it weren't for the generals holding them back head-on, how could I have won so easily? This victory was won with the lives of all the soldiers."

"General Liu is too modest. If it weren't for your miraculous intervention, I, Qi, would be dead on the battlefield today! I will never forget your life-saving grace!"

Qi Jin dismounted immediately, ignoring the arrow wound in his leg, and bowed to Liu Xingzuo with clasped hands.

Rain streamed down his helmet, but it couldn't wash away the sincere gratitude on his face.

Liu Xingzuo quickly dismounted and returned the salute to Qi Jin: "General Qi, you flatter me! Your victory was due to your fighting against overwhelming odds and your relentless efforts. I merely happened to be there at the right time; how dare I claim credit?"

"General Liu, there's no need for such modesty. Your ability to set things right at this critical juncture is quite different from those traitors and lackeys who recognize the enemy as their father!"

Yu Shigong rode up to him, and the usually outspoken deputy commander's eyes were now full of admiration.

Liu Xingzuo suddenly felt his eyes burning.

Over the years, under the rule of the Jurchens, he had to learn to behave like those bondservants, bowing his back, smiling obsequiously, and even calling himself a slave.

Now I can finally stand tall and be a dignified general of the Ming Dynasty, a true and upright Han Chinese man!

"This rain came just in time."

He tilted his head back, letting the cold rain wash over his face.

No one saw that, mixed with the rain, were two streams of scalding tears.

He Shixian seemed to sense something and patted his shoulder armor heavily: "General Liu, from now on, you and I are brothers in life and death!"

This slap seemed to shatter the humiliation that had accumulated over the past decade.

Liu Xingzuo's tears flowed more and more.

In the distance, the surviving Ming soldiers had begun to assemble.

A tattered Ming Dynasty banner stubbornly fluttered in the wind and rain, the words "Great Ming" faintly visible through the curling corners.

Liu Xingzuo took a deep breath and gripped the sword at his waist.

woohoo~
This time, he was finally fighting for the Ming Dynasty.

However, now is not the time for sentimentality.

The danger has not been eliminated.

Liu Xingzuo composed himself, looked around, and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, this is not the time to speak. The Jurchens have only retreated temporarily. If they realize the true strength of our army, they will surely come back!"

Upon hearing this, He Shixian gritted his teeth and pulled out all seven or eight arrows stuck in the gaps of his armor.

Most of these arrows got stuck at the joints of the armor, failing to actually damage the flesh, leaving only mottled scratches on the armor.

He casually tossed the arrow into the mud and said, "General Liu is absolutely right, return to Shenyang immediately!"

"go!"

Qi Jin mounted his horse, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield, and said, "Take all the warhorses you can carry!"

The Ming soldiers quickly sprang into action.

Although the battle was won, the warhorses suffered heavy losses.

All of these warhorses must be taken away.

After all, what Liaodong lacks most right now is warhorses.

While new soldiers can be recruited after a man dies, a well-trained warhorse is one less available with each use.

The horse administration of the Ming Dynasty was utterly corrupt.

The ownerless warhorses left behind when the Jurchens retreated have now become the most precious spoils of war.

"Be careful, don't startle the horse!"

You Shigong gave a low command and personally led over a glossy black horse.

This horse was clearly the mount of a Jurchen general, with silver ornaments inlaid on its saddle, but now it had become the Ming army's possession.

He Shixian mounted his horse and took one last look at the battlefield.

In the mud, fallen flags and corpses silently testify to the cruelty of war.

He took a deep breath, turned his horse around, and shouted, "Withdraw! Back to Shenyang!"

The group led their troops to retreat towards Shenyang.

The moonlight was dim, and the outline of Shenyang was already faintly visible.

However, at that moment, the sounds of battle from the ferry crossing ahead gradually became clearer.

Only after getting closer did they see what the battlefield looked like.

"They're White-Spear Soldiers!"

Qi Jin, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot the tattered "Qin" character flag at the ferry crossing.

The Hunhe ferry crossing had become a sea of ​​blood, with Zhou Dunji and Qin Bangping leading the Sichuan soldiers in a desperate defense.

The white spears stood like a forest, stained crimson in the morning light, each long spear laden with the corpses of several Jurchen infantrymen.

Corpses littered the riverbank, and the river water had long been stained dark red. Clearly, this isolated army had been fighting for a long time.

"I see."

He Shixian suddenly realized what was happening, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"No wonder only Jurchen cavalry were blocking our way; their infantry were all intercepted here by the White-Spear Soldiers!"

Liu Xingzuo's eyes sharpened.

These Sichuan soldiers came from afar, but now they are using their own flesh and blood to win a chance for their allies to survive.

The white-pole formation at the ferry crossing had already shown signs of breaking, yet they continued to fight to the death, with warriors falling with every breath.

"Armor!"

He Shixian suddenly roared.

His personal guards hurriedly fetched spare heavy armor, and the general let the iron plates of armor rustle as they covered his entire body, not even bothering to bandage the arrow wound on his face.

"Mr. He hates owing favors more than anything in his life!"

He mounted his horse and pointed his long sword directly at the Jurchen army formation.

"My men, follow me and slaughter these Tartars!"

With their iron hooves pounding the ground, the cavalry, fresh from a bloody battle, charged once more.

Liu Xingzuo saw Qi Jin tear off his blood-stained bandage, and You Shigong even snatched a white wax spear.

This is to avenge the Sichuan soldiers in the same way they did!
In an instant, tens of thousands of warhorses neighed in unison, and the thunderous sound of their iron hooves pounding the ground shook the Hun River.

The charging Ming cavalry swept in like a raging tide, their swords and spears flashing in the moonlight, forming a dazzling silver wave.

"Come on!"

"Kill the prisoners!"

"Avenge our brothers in the White-Spear Army!"

The deafening shouts of battle startled Amin, the banner chief of the Bordered Blue Banner, so much that he nearly fell off his horse.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the Ming army cavalry that had suddenly appeared.

"Those two useless bastards, Degelai and Jirhalang! How come there are still Ming cavalry returning?!"

"Master! Quickly move the cannons!"

The bondservant cried out in panic.

Several gunners frantically tried to turn the cannons around, but the heavy Hongyi cannons didn't have time to change direction.

They had barely moved half a foot when the Ming army's vanguard was already upon them!
"Pfft-"

The sharp sabers slashed, and one by one, the heads of the Jurchens flew high into the air.

Without barricades or spear formations, the Jurchen infantry were like lambs to the slaughter in front of the charging cavalry.

Wherever their iron hooves passed, blood and flesh flew everywhere.

Amin's face turned deathly pale. He had witnessed a Niru Ejen raise his sword, only to be pierced by three spears simultaneously.

The usually arrogant banner lord finally panicked and grabbed the command flag: "Sound the retreat! All troops retreat!"

Having said that, he disregarded his men and fled on horseback with his personal guards.

With their commander-in-chief fleeing, the morale of the Jurchen army collapsed immediately.

The infantrymen, who had been so fierce just moments before, abandoned their armor and fled towards the Jurchen camp, crying and shouting.

Some people were pushed into the water, and the heavy cotton armor immediately dragged them to the bottom of the river.

Amidst the ranks of the white-spear soldiers, Qin Bangping, covered in blood, leaned on his spear and laughed loudly: "That's exhilarating! These are the true men of the Ming Dynasty!"

The surviving Sichuan soldiers on the riverbank raised their blood-stained white spears and responded to the cavalry's charge with hoarse voices.

As dawn broke, He Shixian reined in his horse, and it reared up, foaming at the mouth.

He raised his hand to stop the pursuing cavalry: "Withdraw!"

The soldiers behind him all stopped.

These elite cavalrymen, each equipped with three or even four horses, now had their mounts foaming at the mouth and their bodies soaked in sweat.

You Shigong's warhorse collapsed to its knees and could not stand up again.

After a night of continuous running and fighting, even the finest Ferghana horses had reached their limits.

"Don't chase poor bandits."

Liu Xingzuo wiped the blood from his face and looked warily at the smoke and dust in the distance.

“The Jurchen cavalry could regroup at any time.”

Zhou Dunji's remaining White Spear soldiers walked over, supporting each other. Of the original four thousand Sichuan soldiers, less than a thousand remained.

Despite having three broken arrows stuck in his armor, Qin Bangping stood tall and said, "General He, I have not failed in my mission."

He Shixian nodded emphatically and personally dismounted to help the wounded Sichuan general: "General Qin's righteousness will be forever remembered by Shenyang!"

Looking back at the battlefield, the Hunhe River ferry crossing was littered with corpses under the rising sun.

He Shixian felt heavy-hearted.

Although this battle was won, it was a Pyrrhic victory bought with the lives of countless loyal souls.

The Ming army suffered losses that were likely twice as many as those of the Jurchens.

But the soldiers' tired faces still showed relief: the destroyed water diversion dams and the dam-building tools that sank to the bottom of the river all proved that the Jurchens' water attack strategy had completely failed!
"Back to the city!"

He Shixian mounted his horse and said somewhat heavily, "Let the brothers go home."

The remnants of the army slowly advanced towards Shenyang.

On the city wall, the soldiers left behind were already eagerly waiting.

When the defenders saw the tattered Ming Dynasty banner, they erupted in thunderous cheers.

The city gates slowly opened, welcoming these heroes who had returned victorious from their bloody battles.

The Hun River still flows, but it will no longer be a scourge that floods Shenyang.

After this battle, the sky over Liaodong finally began to brighten a little.
Note ①: Standard configuration for elite household cavalry: 3-4 horses per person

Includes: 1 warhorse (a superior breed from the Hetao or Western Regions), 1-2 packhorses (transportation equipment), and 1 replacement horse (to maintain mobility).

Also, there will be another chapter later, a bonus chapter for monthly pass votes.

(End of this chapter)