Huangming

Chapter 257 The Hundred-Mile Marshland: Failure at the Last Moment (Bonus Chapter for 400 Monthly Tickets!)
the other side.

The reservoir at Eagle's Beak Bay was teetering on the brink of collapse amidst the torrential rains, its massive wooden supports creaking under the strain.

The dam that Huang Taiji meticulously constructed has now become a sword of Damocles hanging over the city of Shenyang.

Three days and three nights of continuous water storage have turned the upstream area into a vast expanse of water.

The Hun River's water level rose by more than three zhang (approximately 10 meters), submerging all the villages along its banks. Only the tops of a few old locust trees remained above the water, swirling in the water.

If the dam were breached now, a massive flood would pour down, not only would the Ming army's Hunhe camp be washed away, but Fengjibao, dozens of miles away, would also likely suffer.

Huang Taiji, clad in light silver armor, stood high above Eagle's Beak Bay.

The mountain wind howled, making the jade pendants at his waist jingle, but it couldn't dispel the gloom that had settled between his brows.

Suddenly, a series of muffled thunderous booms came from downstream, followed by a series of explosions.

Huang Taiji's pupils contracted sharply, and the telescope he was holding fell to the rock with a 'thud'.

"not good!"

He turned abruptly and shouted at his personal guards, "Send more scouts to investigate the situation downstream!"

Before the words were even finished, a fast horse broke through the morning mist and galloped towards Huang Taiji.

The scout nearly fell as he dismounted, but he didn't bother to straighten his clothes and immediately knelt down: "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! All seven downstream dams have been blown up, and two Blue Banner cavalrymen were ambushed by the Ming army. The Plain Blue Banner Gushan Ezhen Degelai Taiji has been killed in battle!"

"what?!"

Huang Taiji was struck dumb, his body swayed, and he staggered back two steps.

The exhaustion from the past few days made his vision blur, and if his bodyguard hadn't caught him in time, he would have fallen off the cliff.

He gripped his bodyguard's arm tightly, his knuckles turning white: "All seven diversion dams are gone? Degelai is dead?"

Huang Taiji's voice trembled uncontrollably.

The scout lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head: "Reporting to Your Highness, the Ming army launched a surprise attack under cover of night. The noise of the dam being blown up could be clearly heard even upstream on the Hun River. Although the two Blue Banners fought back with all their might, the Ming army had an ambush. Caught off guard, our army suffered a great defeat."

Under the fog of war, news of Liu Xingzuo's defection had not yet spread.

Huang Taiji shoved his guards aside and staggered to the edge of the cliff.

He gazed at the billowing smoke rising downstream and suddenly let out a low, beast-like roar: "Xiong Tingbi! What a savage bear!"

The meticulously planned water attack was thus thwarted at the last moment.

What's even more hateful is that they also lost a great general like Degelai.

That's his tenth brother!
Huang Taiji felt a surge of blood in his chest and a metallic taste in his throat. He then vomited a mouthful of blood!

He almost collapsed.

Abatai rushed forward and firmly supported the swaying Huang Taiji: "Fourth Prince! Are you alright?"

Huang Taiji waved his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his face was terribly gloomy.

"I am fine."

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the surging blood in his chest, and his gaze swept sharply toward the dam.

Seeing that he was unharmed, Abatai hurriedly asked, "Fourth Prince, what should we do now?"

How to proceed?

Huang Taiji frowned, his mind in turmoil.

If the dam is breached now to release the floodwaters, the water attack plan will be in vain; but if it is not breached, how long can this precarious reservoir hold up?
He turned sharply to the trembling hydraulic engineer beside him: "Can this dam hold up for another day or two?"

His voice held a last glimmer of hope.

If he had a day or two, he could still order people to repair the downstream diversion dam and redirect the floodwaters to attack the Ming army's defenses.

The craftsman knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the mud: "Master, please forgive me. The dam has already developed cracks; I'm afraid it won't hold until dawn."

He pointed tremblingly at the dam.

"Listen, the wood is already wailing."

Sure enough, a series of chilling creaking sounds came from the dam, like the groans of a dying beast.

Muddy floodwaters gushed out from the cracks, washing away large sections of rammed earth.

"hiss--"

Huang Taiji closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The cold air filled his lungs, but it couldn't suppress the surging anger in his chest.

He slowly opened his eyes, a cold glint in them: "Without a diversion dam to guide the flood, where will this flood go?"

"Could this affect our military camp?"

Upon hearing this, the craftsman's face turned deathly pale. He rubbed his rough hands together and stammered, "My lord, the camp outside Shenyang is on higher ground; there should be no danger. However…"

"Just what?"

Abate shouted sternly.

The craftsman fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed against the muddy ground.

"However, all the official roads leading to Shenyang will likely be submerged. Your Majesty, you should be aware that Liaodong was known as Liaoze a thousand years ago. Once these floods inundate the low-lying areas..."

With trembling hands, he pointed into the distance and said, "I'm afraid the scene of the 'Hundred-Mile Swamp Kingdom' will reappear!" Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji swayed slightly.

He gripped the sword at his waist tightly, his eyes bloodshot: "You mean that once this water is released, our army will find it difficult to advance on Shenyang in the short term?"

The craftsman's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.

Under Huang Taiji's piercing gaze, he finally nodded with difficulty: "Your Majesty is wise. If this flood doesn't recede within a month or so, I'm afraid it will be difficult to completely subside."

"boom!"

Huang Taiji slammed his fist into the pine tree beside him. He stared at the dam in the distance, which was beginning to seep water, his eyes filled with a sinister look.

But he quickly forced himself to calm down.

I must stay calm and not get angry!

"call--"

Huang Taiji let out a long breath.

The cold mountain wind brushed against his face, but it couldn't dispel the gloom between his brows.

The water attack strategy was originally a brilliant plan, but now it has become a hindrance. How could he be willing to accept this?
Suddenly, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he turned around abruptly, shouting, "Man can conquer nature! Since the dam is cracked, then reinforce it! Mobilize all the craftsmen and laborers and start repairs immediately! Send the elite troops downstream to rebuild the diversion dam; it will only take one day. Just one more day!"

Upon hearing this, the old craftsman knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness is wise! Once the dam cracks, it's like a flaw in porcelain—it's impossible to repair! Forcing a repair would be futile."

"Shut up!"

Huang Taiji roared, his face contorted like a demon, even startling Abatai, who was standing nearby, into taking a half-step back.

The usually composed Fourth Prince now had bloodshot eyes and bulging veins on his forehead: "If I say it can be repaired, then it must be repaired!"

Abatai had never seen Huang Taiji so frenzied before, and quickly advised, "Fourth Prince, why don't we go first?"

"Go quickly!"

Huang Taiji ignored all advice and grabbed the old craftsman by the collar.

"If you dare to slack off, I, the Prince, will exterminate your entire clan!"

Under the threat of swords and spears from the Plain White Banner soldiers, hundreds of craftsmen and laborers walked tremblingly toward the crumbling embankment.

They dragged heavy timber and carried bamboo baskets filled with rammed earth, crawling all over the dam like ants.

"Click - click -"

The groans of the dam grew more urgent, like the final gasps of a dying beast.

At the cracks that were forcibly filled, murky water was seeping out at a visible speed, turning the rammed earth into mud.

"Quick! Add more wooden stakes!"

The craftsmen shouted at the top of their lungs, but before they could finish speaking—

"Boom!!"

With a deafening roar, the ten-zhang-high water wall collapsed.

The raging floodwaters surged down like a giant dragon emerging from the abyss, carrying with them broken logs and rubble.

Several craftsmen who were rushing to repair the damage didn't even have time to scream before they were torn to pieces by the flood.

The warhorses on the shore neighed in terror and scattered, dragging their reins.

Huang Taiji stood on the high ground, watching helplessly as the flood swept through, uprooting pine trees as thick as a man's embrace, and throwing supply vehicles that couldn't be evacuated in time into the air like toys.

Those elite troops, known as the Iron Cavalry, were no different from ants before the mighty power of heaven and earth.

"As expected, is it still not possible?"

Huang Taiji's expression was somewhat blank.

Abatai approached cautiously: "Fourth Prince, what should we do now?"

The water attack ultimately failed, but Huang Taiji's expression returned to its usual composure.

However, the cold glint in his eagle eyes betrayed his inner scheme.

They didn't get any credit for the water attack.

He had to shift the blame for the failed water attack.

"Pass the order."

His voice was eerily calm.

"Immediately send a messenger to report to Father Khan: Amin of the Bordered Blue Banner delayed military operations, resulting in the complete destruction of the diversion dam; Degelai of the Plain Blue Banner underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, damaging the morale of our army. The failure of the water attack is all due to the dereliction of duty by these two."

Abate gasped.

Dege's body was barely cold, and Amin was a close confidant of Daishan.
The Fourth Prince is trying to shift the blame!
Seemingly sensing his concerns, Huang Taiji gently touched the jade pendant at his waist and said calmly, "The dead cannot explain themselves, and the living will be taken care of by the Great Prince."

In the distance, the floodwaters had already destroyed the abandoned Ming army camps and were rushing towards the Liaoze Lake further away.

Huang Taiji squinted, as if he could see another war without gunpowder brewing on the walls of Fushun.
PS:

Bonus chapter completed with 400 monthly votes!
Vote for me with your monthly tickets and let me quickly add 600 chapters!
(End of this chapter)