Huangming

Chapter 303 Canyon Infiltrators, Massacre of the City is Necessary

"General, once we pass that bend in the mountain ahead, we'll be out of the Bahechuan Gorge!"

The guard's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement, yet he deliberately lowered his voice, afraid of disturbing the silent forest.

Zu Dashou reined in his horse and looked up.

The mountain walls on both sides are as if cut by a knife and axe, squeezing the sky into a narrow blue line, while not far ahead, the exit of the canyon is like an open door, letting in the open light of the outside world.

In the shadows of the mountains and forests, more than two thousand Ming soldiers were moving silently.

They mostly wore light leather armor, the plates of which were covered with mud and grass clippings, almost blending into the surrounding rocks.

Occasionally you might see a few armored creatures, but they all have their armor plates roughened to avoid reflecting light and revealing their presence.

The troops had no food carts, no artillery mounts, and even very few spare weapons.

In order to cross the treacherous road known as the "Ghost Valley Path," they discarded all the supplies that might slow them down, carrying only twenty days' worth of dry rations, and even their water bags were kept to a minimum.

This was a surprise attack by Zu Dashou, who risked his life.

Ten days ago, they set off from Pi Island and landed on Shinmi Island in North Korea under the cover of night. There, they changed into the clothes of North Korean fishermen and quietly sneaked back to the Liaodong coast, landing on the mudflats near Yanchangbao.

Next, they bypassed the Jurchen outposts, squeezed through a collapsed gap in the Hushan Great Wall, and forced their way across the treacherous Bahechuan Gorge along the abandoned post road of Guanshuitun.

"General, let's rest for a day."

An old soldier stepped forward, leaning on a broken spear. His straw sandals were worn through, and the blood seeping from his soles mingled with the mud.

"Further ahead, there should be Jurchen outposts. The brothers have barely slept these past few days. If we keep pushing ourselves, things might get out of hand."

Zu Dashou looked down at his hands. The blisters on the base of his thumb had already scabbed over, but they were scratched open by the bushes and were bleeding.

He turned to look at the line behind him:

Some people stumbled as they walked, relying on their companions for support; others had lips cracked like tree bark; the youngest soldier, only thirteen or fourteen years old, was dozing against a tree trunk, clutching half a spear tightly in his hand.

"How many miles is it to Hetu Ala?" Zu Dashou asked.

"It's less than sixty li away."

The guard pointed ahead and said, "Once you leave the canyon and cross that mountain ridge, you'll reach the Suzi River Valley. After crossing the valley, you'll see the walls of Hetu Ala."

Sixty miles.

This distance is already very close.

If there are horses, it will take two hours to get there.

Even without horses, it takes half a day to reach the city.

Hetu Ala, the stronghold of the Jurchens, was the very place where Nurhaci rose to power.

As long as we can reach that place, burn their granaries, and kill their families, the Jurchen army under the walls of Shenyang will surely return to reinforce them.

By then, Xiong Jinglue's pressure will be greatly reduced.

They will be able to achieve unparalleled feats!

"Rest for a day."

Zu Dashou finally nodded.

"But everyone remember this: disarm and prepare for battle, no fires allowed, no noise allowed, and bury your excrement and urine in the ground, leaving no trace!"

"As ordered!"

The soldiers felt as if they had been granted a pardon, but they did not relax their vigilance in the slightest.

They skillfully dispersed, seeking out secluded ravines or dense forests to slip into.

This mountain forest is perfect for seclusion.

Ancient trees reach for the sky, vines entwine, and dense thickets of bushes can conceal a person's figure; the ground covered with decaying leaves makes no sound when stepped on.

Zu Dashou walked to the foot of a steep cliff and looked up. He saw that the cliff was full of natural caves. If a hundred people were to hide inside, they would not be visible from the outside.

"Even if it were to hide several thousand people, it would be more than enough."

Zu Dashou muttered to himself.

This day of rest is crucial.

After this point, every step forward will be fraught with danger and peril. We must ensure our brothers are well-rested and ready for the bloody battles to come.

The setting sun shone through the treetops, casting dappled light on the ground.

The forest was so quiet you could hear the chirping of insects; only the occasional suppressed cough suggested that a surprise force was lurking there, ready to strike.

Zu Dashou leaned against an old pine tree, closed his eyes, and repeatedly rehearsed the route ahead in his mind.

The city walls of Hetu Ala, the ferry crossing on the Suzi River, the location of the Jurchen granaries...

The soldiers carried twenty days' worth of military rations, which consisted of pre-baked wheat cakes and dried meat. They were so hard they could break your teeth, but they were enough to keep you full, and more importantly, they didn't require lighting a fire.

After all, once a fire is lit, the risk of exposure increases exponentially.

Zu Dashou leaned against an old tree root, broke off a piece of wheat cake and put it in his mouth. The dry, hard crumbs stung his throat, but he slowly swallowed it down with a mouthful of water he carried with him.

The surroundings were so quiet that the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind, and even the chewing sounds were deliberately suppressed to a minimum.

He turned to look at the man beside him, dressed in a mountain folk's short jacket. The man's face was smeared with black ash, and his coarse cloth clothes were covered with patches. If he were mixed in with the woodcutters, he would not be noticeable at all.

It was Shen Lian, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Commander Shen."

Zu Dashou's voice was kept extremely low.

"Are our people still in Hetu Ala? Can you try to contact them?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian silently stood up.

He wasn't wearing his signature flying fish robe, nor did he have an embroidered spring knife hanging at his waist. Instead, he concealed a three-inch dagger in his boot, exuding the fierce aura of a mountain hunter.

This disguise was intended to allow them to infiltrate the heart of the Jurchen territory undetected.

"Don't worry, General, we have people in Hetu Ala."

Shen Lian's voice was equally low.

"I will set off immediately to wait for news at the dilapidated Dragon King Temple twenty miles outside the city."

He knew in his heart that the person he needed to contact was Hu Xue.

The secret agent of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had been lurking in Hetu Ala for many years.

Before setting off, the time and place for the rendezvous had already been arranged. Now, being only half a day's journey from Hetu Ala, it was the perfect time for the rendezvous.

Zu Dashou nodded slightly: "Be careful in everything. If... if you can't get in touch, don't force it, come back immediately."

Infiltrating the Jurchen stronghold was extremely risky; there was a possibility of being discovered by the Jurchens at the outpost, and if discovered, there would be no chance of survival.

"My subordinate understands."

Shen Lian clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and disappeared into the dense forest.

His footsteps trod on the thick layer of decaying leaves without making a sound, and his figure vanished in a flash among the shadows of the trees.

As a veteran of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Shen Lian's stealth skills were already superb.

The map I had memorized before setting off was laid out in my mind, and I could clearly see which streams could bypass the Jurchen's strongholds and which dense forests had shortcuts.

Like a wild beast familiar with the mountains and forests, he moved swiftly towards Hetu Ala under the cover of twilight.

However, as he walked through the dark forest, Shen Lian's brows furrowed slightly.

He thought of his two brothers who had parted ways before they set off.

The eldest brother followed Zhao Shuaijiao along the main road, while the third brother led another group of people to follow Huang Degong by water.

Along the way, he and Zu Dashou narrowly avoided all the Jurchen strongholds, and even personally dealt with two Jurchen soldiers on guard duty to ensure that their whereabouts were absolutely secret.

"Big brother, third brother... you must not get into any trouble."

Shen Lian silently recited in his heart.

Whether this surprise attack will succeed depends not only on Zu Dashou's two thousand elite troops, but also on whether Zhao Shuai can successfully lead them.

The mountain road resembled a twisted python in the night, with loose stones and broken branches hurting the soles of the feet.

Shen Lianshen stumbled forward, his steps uneven, relying only on the faint light of the crescent moon in the sky to discern the path. The moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground, resembling the claw marks of ghosts.

The chirping of insects in the mountains and forests was tireless, with their "chirping" sounds rising and falling, mixed with the occasional roar of beasts in the distance.

That was the roar of a black bear or a mountain leopard, so dull it made one's heart tighten.

The night wind howled through the deep valley, sometimes sharp like crying, sometimes soft like lamenting. If an ordinary person were to walk in such a night, they would probably be scared out of their wits long ago.

But Shen Lian did not stop. His breathing was even, and his eyes were sharp as an eagle's.

Years of service in the Embroidered Uniform Guard had long since made him accustomed to traversing more dangerous environments; the sounds of wind and beasts were nothing more than ordinary scenery to him.

About an hour later, a corner of a broken eaves suddenly appeared through the gap in the woods ahead.

Shen Lian slowed his pace, drew a short knife from his boot, and crouched low as he crept forward.

That was the Broken Dragon King Temple where the meeting was arranged.

The temple gate was long rotten and hung crookedly on the door frame. The three large characters "Dragon King Temple" on the lintel had been eroded by wind and rain, leaving only a blurry outline.

Shen Lian first circled the temple wall, pressed his ear against the mottled mud wall and listened for a while to make sure there was no movement inside, and then checked the footprints on the ground by the moonlight.

Apart from a few hoofprints of wild rabbits, there were no other traces.

Only then did he push the door open and enter.

The temple was covered in a dense web of spider webs, the weeds in the corners had grown to waist height, and the Dragon King statue on the shrine had long been knocked down and broken into pieces, scattered in the dust.

The air was thick with the smell of mildew and rotten wood, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Shen Lian's gaze swept over every corner of the temple, finally settling on the mottled earthen wall on the west side.

The weeds there clearly showed signs of being trampled, with the roots leaning towards the corner of the wall, revealing a small, relatively flat patch of ground.

He walked over, squatted down and examined it carefully, and sure enough, he found something unusual in the gaps between the wall bricks.

One of the bricks had a newer edge than the others, as if it had been pried up recently.

More importantly, on the side of the brick was engraved a very faint "" character, with sharp strokes, which was the "Ghost Arrow Talisman" used by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to mark rendezvous points.

Shen Lian was overjoyed; half of the weight that had been hanging over him had been lifted.

He gently tapped the brick with the back of his dagger to confirm that it was hollow, and then carefully pulled it out.

Sure enough, there was an oilcloth bag hidden behind the bricks, tightly bound with oil rope, clearly placed there carefully.

He retreated to the vicinity of the temple gate and, using the moonlight filtering in, untied the oilcloth bundle.

Inside was a roll of yellowed hemp paper. When unfolded, it turned out to be a defense map of Hetu Ala!

The map is marked with vermilion ink, indicating the location of the city gate, the number of garrison troops, the location of the granary, and even the weak points of the city wall. The handwriting is elegant yet vigorous.

Beneath the defense map lay a neatly folded letter.

Shen Lian did not open the letter immediately; he knew this was not the time to examine it closely.

He quickly rewrapped the defense map and letter, stuffed them into his bosom, and then took out his Imperial Guard badge from his bosom.

—It was a palm-sized bronze plaque with "Shen Lian, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard" engraved on the front and a sunflower with a dark pattern on the back.

He also took out a letter he had written beforehand, which briefly reported the movements of Zu Dashou's troops and their needs for support, and put it into the hidden compartment behind the brick.

After doing all this, he rebuilt the bricks, then trampled the surrounding weeds back into place with his feet, erasing all traces.

The whole process was smooth and quick, and everything was restored in no time.

If you didn't know the inside story, no one would be able to tell that there's a secret hidden behind this wall.

Shen Lian took one last look at the dilapidated temple before turning and disappearing into the night.

He needed to get back to Zu Dashou's camp as soon as possible and deliver the defense map.

With this map, the chances of a successful surprise attack on Hetu Ala have increased even further.

just
Is Hu Xue alright?

A lingering worry remained in his heart, and his pace quickened involuntarily.

Just as dawn was breaking, Shen Lian's figure appeared at the edge of the dense forest.

The morning dew dampened his short shirt, and his temples were still covered with bits of grass, but it couldn't hide the sharp glint in his eyes.

He walked quickly to Zu Dashou's temporary resting place. The sentry, who was keeping watch in the shadows, recognized him and silently let him pass.

"General Zu."

Shen Lian lifted the tent flap and handed over the oilcloth package he was carrying.

"This is a defense map of Hetu Ala, and a letter from our inside accomplice."

Zu Dashou had already stood up and was deep in thought while looking at the map. Upon hearing this, he immediately turned around and took the oilcloth bag with both hands.

His fingers trembled slightly as he quickly untied the oiled rope and laid the yellowed hemp paper on the ground.

The morning light shone through the gaps in the tent roof, falling directly on the defense map.

The ink on the map is as clear as new, showing the layout of the city walls of Hetu Ala, the location of the four gates, the location of the granary, the deployment of soldiers, and even the time when the patrols changed shifts.

In particular, the place in the west of the city marked "the city wall has been in disrepair for many years" made Zu Dashou's eyes light up.

"Good! Well done, Hu Xue!"

He couldn't help but gasp softly, tapping his finger lightly on the image.

"Even the Jurchen granaries are inside the east gate, and the armory is near the north gate; these have been marked!"

Then he unfolded the letter.

The letter paper was rough, but the handwriting was elegant and strong.

Zu Dashou's brows relaxed more and more as he looked at the scene, and in the end, he could no longer suppress the smile on his lips.

"Brothers, the opportunity has come!"

Zu Dashou waved the letter, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"In Hetu Ala city, there are only nine hundred regular soldiers, and even with laborers, the total number is only a few thousand! Moreover..."

He paused, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

"We have an inside man in the city who can make a move at any time!"

The guerrilla general, the assistant general, and several captains inside the tent immediately erupted in chaos.

"General! This is a golden opportunity!"

A sergeant with a full beard suddenly stood up, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"With our two thousand brothers, we'll definitely take this city if we charge in!"

"Yes, General! Taking Hetu Ala is an immense and monumental achievement!"

Another guerrilla general chimed in, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Everyone knows that Hetu Ala is the stronghold of the Jurchens. Taking it is more effective than killing ten White-Armored Soldiers outside Shenyang.

Zu Dashou slowly shook his head, the excitement on his face gradually fading, replaced by a chilling calmness: "No."

He scanned the crowd and said, word by word, "We only have two thousand men, and we don't even have a decent siege cannon. A direct assault would only increase casualties. We must wait for news from our inside accomplice to see if we can trick the city gates open. That's the first point."

He paused, then tapped his finger heavily on the city walls on the defense map: "Secondly, Hetu Ala City contains not only soldiers, but also the families of the Jurchens, plus those bondservants, totaling at least ten thousand. Can our two thousand men handle it? We must wait for reinforcements to arrive before we can completely... solve the problem."

He spoke the last four words very softly, yet they carried a chilling aura.

The forest fell silent instantly.

These were all veterans who had survived countless battles, and they could easily understand the meaning behind the words "solve the problem".

Zu Dashou wants to massacre the city.

A captain, his face showing some reluctance, said, "Isn't massacring the entire city excessive? The people are innocent."

Zu Dashou snorted coldly and said:

“My ancestor Dashou was from Liaodong, and my father even served as a deputy commander-in-chief. I know more about the Jurchens than you do.”

How many cities did they massacre in Liaodong? Kaiyuan, Tieling, Fushun…where wasn't bloodshed a constant flow? Did they show any mercy when they killed my Han people?

"Now, all we're doing is... seeking revenge."

"Besides."

Zu Dashou's eyes flickered.

“Those Jurchen people were accomplices to evil; they were not innocent. On the contrary, their sins were grave, and they deserved to die. A general must not have the slightest pity or mercy for the enemy.”

The only way to completely solve the problem of the Jurchens is through killing!
Their population is already small; killing one means one less. Only when they are terrified, when they dare not set foot across the Great Wall again, can Liaodong truly be at peace!

In Zu Dashou's view, once the Jurchens were all killed, Liaodong would naturally be at peace.

As for cruelty?

When we become slaves of a conquered nation, we'll see who's more cruel.

(End of this chapter)