Huangming

Chapter 282 A series of clever schemes to seize land and resources

That night.

The moon was bright and the stars were few. The cold moonlight shone on the rammed earth walls of Daban City, casting long shadows of the wooden fences, like hideous scars.

This city on the grasslands could never compare to the brick and stone fortresses of the Han lands.

The highest point of the city wall is no more than ten feet high. You can still see mixed grass stems in the rammed earth layer. The outermost wooden fence has rotted in many places after days of wind and rain, exposing the loose soil inside.

In the center of the city, a huge cluster of felt tents stood out prominently under the moonlight.

That was the location of Ligdan Khan's tent. More than thirty circular felt tents were arranged radially around the central golden-topped tent. The domes of the tents were embroidered with blue-green cloud patterns, and the copper bells hanging at the corners occasionally made a few soft sounds in the night wind, but they were quickly swallowed up by the silence of the grassland.

The most eye-catching thing is the large golden tent. The gilded tent roof gleams coldly in the moonlight. It is said that the tent is covered with whole tiger skins and has a sandalwood table that was traded from the Ming Dynasty. It is where Ligdan Khan handled government affairs and received tribal leaders.

Surrounding the Khan's tent are more than ten small Buddhist temples.

With its red walls and golden roof, though not as grand as the temples in the Central Plains, it exudes a solemn atmosphere.

Ligdan Khan was obsessed with the Gelug school of Buddhism. He not only kept Buddha statues in his tents, but also had lamas chanting sutras with his army. He would even consult living Buddhas for divination before conquering cities and territories. These Buddhist temples were his places of worship, and at night one could faintly hear the deep chanting of lamas.

However, beneath the seemingly calm night, undercurrents were already surging.

In an inconspicuous felt tent in the west of the city, a man dressed in Chahar tribe clothing was wiping his scimitar by the moonlight.

His movements were extremely light; the sound of the blade slicing through the leather was barely audible, yet the light in his eyes was sharper than the blade itself.

A few hoots came from outside the tent. The man suddenly looked up, lifted a corner of the tent flap, and made a concealed gesture towards the city wall.

At the foot of the city wall, several soldiers on guard duty were dozing off with their necks hunched over, their bows and arrows hanging askew in their arms.

No one noticed that behind the man, dozens of dark figures were crouching low, crouching close to the shadows of the felt tents as they made their way toward the west gate.

They were the private soldiers of a thousand-household commander under Ligdan Khan, who had long been bribed by the Later Jin's secret envoys. Tonight, their task was to open the city gates and lead the way for the approaching Eight Banners cavalry.

"Brothers, we've switched sides!"

A low shout came from below the city. A dozen men dressed in Chahar armor walked over carrying lanterns. The leader had a smile on his face and was carrying two jugs of mare's milk wine.

Zhawennoyan (the centurion) who was guarding the city rubbed his eyes, peered down, and immediately frowned: "Change of guard? I haven't received any orders."

He stood up, leaning on the battlements, and asked, "Which of Noyan's men are you under?"

“Akmaminhan Noyan (a thousand-household chief)’s man.”

The man at the head of the group raised a wooden plaque in his hand.

“Noyan said you kept watch all night and asked us to take your place. This is his order.”

The wooden sign swayed in the firelight, making the writing on it illegible.

Zavin Noyan shook his head, his tone becoming wary: "You know the rules. Without the Great Khan's golden decree, no one can relieve you. Didn't Akmamin Khan Noyan teach you that?"

He gave a wink to the soldiers behind him, and they immediately gripped their spears tightly, all sleepiness gone.

The smile on the man's face vanished instantly, replaced by a ruthless glint in his eyes.

He slowly raised his head, the lantern light reflecting on his face, revealing a hideous scar: "Since that's the case, then don't blame us for being impolite."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly threw the lantern to the ground, and flames shot up, illuminating the curved knives that the men behind him had drawn.

"Do it!"

With a low shout, the people below the city suddenly sprang up and pounced on the city gate like hungry wolves.

Meanwhile, the dozens of people lying in ambush in the darkness also acted simultaneously.

Just as the goalkeeper Zavinoyan was about to shout a warning, a short arrow whizzed by and struck him squarely in the throat!
His eyes widened, blood gushed from his mouth, and his body slumped onto the battlements, the scimitar in his hand clattering to the ground.

The soldiers guarding the city were caught off guard and were cut down as soon as they raised their spears.

Screams and the clash of weapons exploded in the night sky, but were quickly covered up.

The traitors acted swiftly and ruthlessly, targeting vital organs such as the throat and heart. In no time, the guards on the city wall were wiped out.

The scarred man at the head of the group was none other than Akma, the commander of the thousand households. He was the first to rush up the city wall, tear down the banner of the Chahar tribe, and wave it three times towards the outside of the city.

On the distant grassland, a string of faint lights immediately lit up, moving towards the city gate like will-o'-the-wisps.

"Open the city gates quickly!" Scarface shouted down to the city.

Several traitors frantically turned the winch, and the heavy wooden door creaked open slowly, revealing the dark grassland outside.

In the shadows outside the city, Gunchuk, the leader of the Naiman tribe, had already been waiting for half the night.

He sat astride a magnificent yellow horse, his gaze fixed on the dark figure behind the closed gate of Daban City.

Behind them, the five hundred elite soldiers of the Naiman tribe were like a pack of lurking wolves, their horses' hooves wrapped in cotton cloth, their breathing extremely low, just waiting for a command to pounce on their prey.

Who could have imagined that the Naiman tribe, which once bowed down to the Chahar tribe, would now become the first to stab Ligdan Khan in the back?

A cold smile curled at the corner of Gunchuk's lips, but his eyes were filled with resentment that had been building up for years.

Back then, although the Naiman tribe was an appendage of Chahar, it had its own pastures and people, and his words carried weight.

But everything changed after Lin Danhan came to power.

In order to strengthen his power, that guy treated the subordinate tribes as a cash cow and a source of soldiers. Every year, he forcibly conscripted more warhorses than the adult men of the Naiman tribe. Of the able-bodied men who were sent to fight, not one in ten returned.

What infuriated him even more was that Ligdan Khan did not even spare the weakened remnants of the Inner Khalkha tribe, annexing them without hesitation. This made Gunchuk live in constant fear, lest the Naiman tribe be next.

Last winter, in order to fight against Jianzhou, Ligdan Khan imposed a huge tribute, with cattle and sheep accounting for 30% of the total. The people had to eat tree bark to survive the winter, and many froze or starved to death.

On the other hand, the letter sent by Huang Taiji to Jianzhou clearly stated that as long as they helped to defeat Ligdan Khan, the Naiman tribe would not only be exempted from all tributes, but would also retain their pastures and autonomy, and might even be allocated a portion of Chahar's territory.

Both involve dependence, but one side is exploitative and ruthless, while the other offers generous benefits. Even a fool would know which path to choose.

"Squeak-"

The ear-piercing sound of the winch cut through the night sky as the west gate of Osaka Castle slowly opened.

"Do it!"

Gunchuk suddenly drew his scimitar, the blade flashing a cold light in the moonlight.

He reined in his horse and roared at his men behind him, “Warriors of Naiman! The time for revenge has come! Kill Ligdan Khan and reward him with Tumen Nuoyan (chieftain)! Pastures, women, you name it! Charge with me!”

Before he finished speaking, he had already spurred his horse out of the shadows.

Three hundred elite Naiman soldiers, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly breached the city gate's defenses. The sounds of hooves, roars, and clashing armor exploded in the silent night.

They knew the streets and alleys of Osaka like the back of their hand, but at this moment they were like a pack of wild beasts, with only killing and plunder in their eyes.

The resentment pent up by Lin Danhan over the years will be unleashed on this city tonight.

With flashing blades and thunderous hooves, the soldiers of the Naiman tribe roared as they charged into the city, quickly engaging in fierce battles with the scattered resistance fighters at the city gate.

Gunchuk took the lead, slashing down two panicked Chahar soldiers with his scimitar, his eyes fixed on the direction of the golden-roofed felt tents in the center of the city.

The chaos in Osaka Castle was like a spark thrown into a frying pan, instantly igniting the murderous intent outside the castle.

Upon hearing the shouts of battle coming from within the city, Huang Taiji's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he suddenly pointed his riding whip forward: "Kill!"

Daishan could no longer contain himself and took the lead in charging out on his horse. Behind him, the Plain Red Banner cavalry surged like a flood bursting its banks. The red armor and white-edged banners fluttered in the night, and the sound of hooves shook the earth.

Huang Taiji's Plain White Banner followed closely behind, its white armor and red borders forming a white lightning bolt, merging with the Plain Red Banner to create two iron torrents that surged toward the city gate.

Meanwhile, the Chahar sub-tribes stationed outside Daban City were still fast asleep in their camps.

Most of them were small tribes forcibly conscripted by Ligdan Khan, and they harbored resentment. They were too lazy to even set up sentry posts in their camps.

It wasn't until deafening battle cries crashed into the tent that someone rubbed their sleepy eyes and crawled out. They saw flames shooting into the sky beneath the city gate in the distance, and countless cavalrymen were surging into the city like a tide.

"It's the Jianzhou Jurchens! The Great Jin have invaded!"

Someone shouted, and the entire camp instantly erupted in chaos.

These tribal soldiers had never seen such a scene before. The thought of saving their lives overwhelmed everything, and some of them rushed out of their tents shirtless.

Some people even put their boots on backwards. After finally finding their way to the stables, they untied the reins, mounted their horses, and didn't care about their companions at all. They just kept galloping wildly, not even bothering to dismantle their tents. They fled all the way to the depths of the grassland, leaving behind only a mess of camps, which were soon trampled into flat ground by the Eight Banners cavalry.

Inside the city, however, the scene in Wang Han's tent was quite different.

The ghee in the gilded lamp burned brightly, illuminating the two people sleeping in each other's arms on the carpet.

Lin Dan, a burly man with dark, muscular arms, was snoring loudly, one of his thick arms tightly wrapped around the woman in his arms.

His third wife, Yehenara Sutai, was curled up against his chest, her long, black hair spread out on the animal skin carpet like a flowing ink spring.

Her skin was a healthy tan, her figure was voluptuous yet slender, and her shapely shoulders and back shone softly under the light. Her breath carried a faint milky scent, indicating that she was still sound asleep.

"Ok?"

Lin Danhan's snoring stopped abruptly. He frowned and suddenly opened his eyes.

The commotion outside grew closer, no longer a muffled noise, but a mixture of clashing weapons, neighing warhorses, and piercing screams, like countless needles piercing the tranquility inside the tent.

"what sound?"

He cursed gruffly, his tone full of annoyance at being disturbed.

"How dare you make a scene outside my tent? Are you tired of living?"

Su Tai in his arms was also startled awake. His long eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze still hazy with sleepiness.

She flinched, instinctively snuggling closer to Lin Danhan, her voice tinged with the languor of just waking up and a barely perceptible hint of fear: "Great Khan... it sounds like... shouts of battle?"

Before he could finish speaking, a shrill scream suddenly came from outside the tent, followed by the crashing sound of weapons hacking at the tent!

Lin Danhan's expression changed drastically. He sat up abruptly, his muscles tensing instantly, like a tiger poised to pounce.

Su Tai turned pale with fright and hurriedly grabbed the silk sheet next to him to wrap himself up.

Just then, a deep, urgent voice came from outside the tent:
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Upon hearing the voice, Lindan Khan's brows furrowed instantly. It was his brother-in-law, Guiyingqia, a capable officer in charge of the Ahalaqhu Guard. He would never speak in such a tone unless it was an extremely urgent matter.

He quickly put on his leather armor and shouted gruffly, "What's the panic! What's going on outside?"

The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and Guiying rushed in, dressed in full military attire, his armor still stained with blood, his face filled with anxiety: "Reporting to the Great Khan! Someone in the west of the city has colluded with the Jurchens and opened the west gate! Gunchuk of the Naiman tribe has led his men in, and the cavalry of the Plain Red Banner and Plain White Banner are almost outside the tent!"

"traitor!"

Lin Danhan slammed his hand on the table, his eyes wide open, and the veins on his forehead throbbing.

"These ungrateful wretches again! I have treated them well, yet they dare to collude with outsiders to rebel against me!"

Over the years, he has been fighting in the east and west, all for the sake of restoring the glory of the Mongol tribes during the reign of Dayan Khan. However, these tribal leaders fawn over him when they receive benefits, and stab him in the back when they are slightly dissatisfied. In particular, that scoundrel Gunchuk, who was personally supported by him to secure his position as the leader of the Naiman tribe, is now leading a rebellion!
“I have already gathered Ahalahu’s brothers.”

Guiying hurriedly said, "They are charging towards the west gate now, and they will surely drive the traitors out!"

Lin Danhan took a deep breath, suppressing the rage in his heart.

He knew now was not the time to lose his temper; Ahalahu was his source of confidence.

That guard, personally selected by him and armed with Ming dynasty firearms, armor, and Mongolian scimitars, was the sharpest blade in the entire Chahar tribe.

"Let them kill them all for me!"

Lin Danhan gritted his teeth and said, "Find out all the traitors, skin them alive, and hang them on the city gate as a warning!"

"As ordered!"

Guiying clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, turned around, and strode out of the tent.

At this moment, the battle raged fiercely in Ximen.

Although the traitors from the Chahar tribe led by Akma and the elite troops of the Naiman tribe led by Gunchuk had the upper hand, they did not expect Ahalahu's reaction to be so swift.

In less than a quarter of an hour, a thousand guards, fully armored and armed, charged toward the west gate like a black torrent, led by their centurion.

They were clad in double-layered iron armor, and their lances were over ten feet long. When they charged, the sound of their horses' hooves hitting the ground was like muffled thunder, tearing a bloody path through the chaotic streets.

The traitors' scimitars struck the iron armor, leaving only a trail of sparks, while Ahalahu's lances easily pierced the traitors' chests, and screams of agony rose and fell.

Although the Naiman tribe brought by Gunchuk was fierce, most of them were light cavalry in leather armor, or even without armor at all, and they were as fragile as paper in front of the heavily armored guards.

In less than half an hour, Ximen's rebel army was defeated. Scarface was impaled on the city gate with a spear. Seeing that the situation was not good, Gunchuk led his remaining troops to flee out of the city in a sorry state, leaving behind a ground full of corpses and wailing wounded soldiers.

After Guiyingqia led Ahalahu to defeat the remnants of the Naiman tribe, the anger in his heart had not yet subsided.

Seeing the dark shadows looming over the grassland outside the west gate, he assumed they were fleeing rebels and immediately shouted, "Pursue them while you're ahead! Eliminate them completely!"

More than a thousand guards responded and stepped forward, their iron armor clanging, their horses' hooves pounding the stone slabs of the city gate, like a black torrent rushing out of Daban City.

However, what awaited them was not a routed deserter, but a trap that Huang Taiji and Daishan had already laid.

The elite troops of the Plain Red and Plain White Banners lay in ambush behind the earthen slope outside the city gate, where they reined in their horses and stood still.

Huang Taiji watched as Ahalahu surged out of the city gate, a cold smile playing on his lips. He suddenly swung his arm down: "Release!"

The eight cannons that had already been set up roared first!

"Boom boom boom——"

The roar of the cannonballs from the barrel shook the grassland, and they crashed down on the dense ranks of the guards with a piercing shriek.

Dirt flew everywhere, and men and horses screamed in agony. The dozen or so Ahalakhu at the forefront were instantly blasted to pieces, their limbs and fragments of armor flying into the air, and the stench of blood instantly filled the air.

Immediately afterwards, hundreds of muskets opened fire simultaneously, the sound of gunfire echoing in one after another. Lead bullets rained down like a storm. Although the iron armor could withstand some of the bullets, it could not stop the close-range barrage. One after another, the guards fell from their horses and collapsed to the ground.

The Eight Banner soldiers on the outer perimeter drew their bows and nocked arrows, and thousands of arrows whistled through the air like locusts, further scattering the already chaotic ranks.

Guiying felt a burst of fire before her eyes, and all she could hear was a deafening roar and the screams of her subordinates.

His warhorse, startled, reared up and threw him violently to the ground. When he struggled to his feet, he found that nearly half of his guards had fallen, and the rest were being carried around in all directions by their frightened horses, their formation completely broken.

"Form ranks! Form ranks now!" Gui Ying roared, brandishing his scimitar in an attempt to reorganize the ranks, but the sounds of cannons, gunfire, and horses' hooves were all mixed together, and no one could hear his command clearly.

Just then, Daishan's Plain Red Banner cavalry moved.

"kill!"

Daishan took the lead, and his cavalry, clad in red armor and trimmed with white, charged down the earthen slope like a flood bursting its banks.

Instead of directly charging the chaotic guards, they moved like a sharp scimitar, circling and cutting through the scattered men and horses. Their hooves trampled over the bodies of the fallen, producing a dull crushing sound.

Huang Taiji's Plain White Banner blocked the city gate, preventing Ahalahu from retreating back into the city.

The white-armored, red-trimmed ranks formed a tight, impenetrable line, their lances pointing diagonally forward, like a cold wall that cut off the guards' retreat.

Guiying noticed that there were fewer and fewer people around her, and finally realized that they had been ambushed.

Although Aharaq was brave, he could not withstand such a pincer attack, not to mention that the enemy also had artillery support.

He roared and swung his scimitar, cutting down two Manchu soldiers who charged at him. Just as he was about to fight his way through, a stray arrow struck his arm, and his scimitar clattered to the ground.

"Retreat! Retreat back to the city immediately!"

Guiying, clutching her bleeding arm, roared as she gave the order.

Upon hearing this, the surviving Aharahu rushed towards the city gate like a madman, only to be repeatedly driven back by the cavalry of the Plain White Banner, leaving behind even more corpses.

Daišan looked at the chaotic battlefield and grinned, revealing his yellow teeth: "Lindan Khan's precious guards are nothing special!"

He turned his horse around and pointed it towards the brightly lit area inside Daban City.

"Brothers, don't waste time with these remnants, let's go loot!"

The cavalry of the Plain Red and Plain White Banners, like sharks smelling blood, turned their horses around, bypassed the routed Ahalahu, and surged into Daban City like a tide.

They knew exactly where to go, rushing towards cattle and sheep pens, granaries, and even civilians' yurts, stuffing whatever they could grab onto their horses.

Silk, fur, salt, iron, and even women and children were dragged out roughly, their cries and screams echoing through the night.

Although the elite Chahar troops in the city had assembled, they were divided into several sections by the Eight Banners cavalry and could only fight on their own, unable to stop the ravenous raiders.

Lindan Khan stood in front of the Khan's tent, looking at the streets ablaze with fire, trembling with rage, but powerless to change the situation.

Ahalahu was scattered and unable to form a fighting force. The remaining forces that were gathered together could not even protect themselves, let alone drive away the enemy.

Amid the chaos, Daišan rushed to the outside of the Khan's tent, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes as he looked at the golden-roofed felt tent.

But when he heard the increasingly intense shouts of battle all around him and looked at the sky, he knew that further delay might lead to unforeseen changes.

He spat angrily and roared at his men, "Don't be greedy! Burn what you can't take! Drive the cattle, sheep, and people out of the city!"

At this moment, a long queue had already formed outside Daban City.

The Eight Banner soldiers drove the stolen cattle and sheep, and dragged the weeping people, toward Hetu Ala.

Countless felt tents were set ablaze, the firelight illuminating half the sky, like a grand sacrificial ceremony of plunder.

As dawn broke and the spoils of war piled up like mountains outside the city, Daishan knew he couldn't be greedy any longer. He immediately reined in his horse and shouted at the chaotic battlefield, "Retreat!"

"Woooooo~"

The sound of the retreat bell suddenly rang out, deep and long, like an invisible command.

Hearing the commotion, the Plain Red Banner cavalry who were still looting inside the city rushed out of Daban City like a receding tide, their horses laden with silk, furs, and even Han Chinese women and Mongolian children with their hands and feet bound.

Before leaving, Daishan did not forget to give the order: "Leave a 'big gift' for Lindan Khan!"

Several Manchu soldiers grinned and threw torches at the haystack. The dry felt tents caught fire and quickly turned into a sea of ​​flames.

Amidst the crackling sounds of burning, the streets and alleys of Daban City were engulfed in flames, and thick smoke billowed straight into the sky.

The Chahar people were busy putting out the fire and had no energy left to pursue them. They could only watch helplessly as the Eight Banners cavalry swept away with their spoils.

On the high platform, Huang Taiji stood with his hands behind his back, calmly surveying everything before him.

The flames illuminated half the sky, and the outline of Daban City twisted and collapsed in the sea of ​​fire, like a burning scroll depicting the decline of the Chahar tribe and the rise of the Jin dynasty.

Just then, a scout who had been sent out knelt down below the platform, panting: "Reporting to Your Highness, Dorji Darhan, Garma Jinong, and Donikuluk, whom Ligdan Khan sent to receive supplies from the Han army, have already led their troops back to reinforce Daban City!"

"They've returned to provide reinforcements?"

Huang Taiji's eyes suddenly narrowed, and then a sharp glint flashed in them.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up and ordered his personal guards: "Pass on my order that Abatai and Ajige immediately lead their elite troops to bypass Shifang Temple Fortress and plunder the Han army's supplies! Also, inform Mangultai and Amin that they can begin their operation!"

The guard was taken aback: "Your Highness, the Ming army is still at the Great Wall..."

"They will be gone soon."

Huang Taiji's lips curled into a cold smile as he worked on his abacus.

"Lindan Khan's men have returned to reinforce the city. If the Ming army learns that Daban City is in danger, they will definitely send troops to rescue it. Once they leave Shifang Temple Fortress, the supplies that were prepared to be sent to Lindan Khan will become ownerless!"

He gazed toward the Great Wall, as if he could already see the Ming army rushing to the rescue, and also the mountains of grain, gunpowder, and silk piled up in Shifang Temple Fortress.

“Lindan Khan wanted to use the Ming army’s strength, but I will cut off his retreat.”

Huang Taiji's voice carried a hint of smugness.

"When the Hanming army arrives at Daban City, they will find only scorched earth, and their supplies will already be ours."

This is his real purpose:
Using the fire at Daban City as bait, they lured the Ming army into a trap.

Do you want to avoid a field battle with my elite Eight Banners troops?

There are no doors!

ps:
6400 big chapters!

(End of this chapter)