Huangming

Chapter 310 Heartbreaking Hatred, Old Servant Spits Blood (Bonus Chapter for 400 Monthly Tickets!)

The city walls of Fushun.

The summer breeze is blowing.

The wind made Nurhaci's battle robe flutter loudly.

The Jin Dynasty's Heavenly Mandate Khan, who was over sixty years old, was standing at the highest point of the watchtower, leaning on his riding whip, his cloudy but sharp eyes fixed on the southern horizon.

There, a beacon fire was shooting straight into the sky, a warning signal coming from the direction of Shenyang.

His brows furrowed into a knot.

The battle that took place a few days ago at the gates of Shenyang still lingers in his mind.

Huang Taiji, that kid, always advocated a combination of surprise and conventional tactics. After the failed attack on Shenyang, he strongly advocated bypassing the Hun River, using the two Red Banners as the northern flank to contain the main force of the Ming army, while he personally led the two White Banners and two Blue Banners to penetrate from the south, hoping to advance from both the north and south and take down the fortified city of Shenyang in one fell swoop.

Although he felt it was risky at the time, he also recognized the young man's vigor.

After all, the Eight Banners cavalry had roamed Liaodong for many years and had never encountered a defensive line that could truly stop their iron hooves.

But the result was beyond everyone's expectations.

The defensive line set up by the Ming army on the south bank of the Hun River was much stronger than expected.

Those southern barbarians seemed to have changed their bodies; they were no longer the kind of people who would scatter at the slightest provocation.

They used their wagon camps as fortifications, with breech-loading cannons roaring in turn and musketeers firing in three rows, creating a steel barrier on the open riverbank.

The Eight Banners cavalry attacked for three days straight, from dawn till dusk, piling mountains of corpses in front of the Ming army's lines, but they still couldn't break through.

The two Niru of the Bordered White Banner were almost wiped out, and even Huang Taiji's personal guards, the White Armored Soldiers, suffered heavy losses. In the end, they could only look at the city with regret and retreat to the north bank to join the main force.

"Khan."

The voice of his son, Daishan, came from behind him, tinged with worry.

He didn't personally take the red flag, but instead chose to hand it over to Huang Taiji, because he wanted to avoid the situation from getting stuck in the pot.

Seeing Huang Taiji suffer a setback, they naturally wanted to kick him while he was down.

"Shenyang has been under siege for a long time without success, and our army has suffered heavy losses. Should we send more reinforcements? I think Huang Taiji isn't good at siege warfare..."

Just as Daishan was about to add more fuel to the fire.

"Report——!"

A piercing scream shattered the tranquility of the city tower.

A scout stumbled up the city wall, his armor askew, his tattered fur coat disheveled, and his face deathly pale with fear. He scrambled to his knees before Nurhaci, his voice trembling uncontrollably:

"Great Khan! He... Hetu Ala... the city has fallen!"

"What did you say?"

Nurhaci suddenly turned around and lashed his horsewhip against the blue bricks.

His wrinkled face flushed instantly, and his hawk-like eyes stared intently at the scout, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

"If you dare to spout nonsense again, I, the Khan, will cut out your tongue!"

Hetu Ala was his birthplace and the spiritual totem of the Jurchen tribes. Although the city walls were not as strong as those of Shenyang, Tabai led nine hundred armored soldiers to guard it. There were also strongholds such as Mardun and Gulezhai around it, which formed a defensive triangle. How could it be breached so easily?

Moreover, who conquered Hetu Ala?

Those Jurchen tribes had already submitted to Nurhaci; there was no reason for them to dare to rebel.

Even if they rebelled, they wouldn't have the ability to take Hetu Ala.

The scout was terrified by his imposing manner, but still forced himself to kowtow and weep, saying:
"It's true! I saw it with my own eyes... Hetu Ala was ablaze, and the Ming army's red flags had been replaced on the city walls! Tabai Taiji... Tabai Taiji's head is hanging above the East Gate!"

Really?

Was Hetu Ala really breached by the Ming army?

Nurhaci's face looked extremely grim.

"Say it again, the Ming army captured Hetu Ala? Where did the Ming army come from, and how did they capture Hetu Ala?"

The messenger was terrified, but still forced himself to speak: "Reporting to the Great Han, the Ming army most likely came from the sea, flying the banners of Mao Wenlong and Zu Dashou. Hetu Ala has already been captured, and the people of Gule Village were ambushed and almost completely wiped out..."

The messenger was still speaking, but Nurhaci could no longer hold on.

Although he is in good health, he is, after all, an old man in his sixties.

Having fought for many years and suffered countless minor and major injuries, he was now overwhelmed by this news.

"Pfft~"

Nurhaci felt a metallic taste rush to his throat and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the city bricks in front of him like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

He staggered back a step, and if the guard beside him hadn't caught him quickly, he would have fallen to the ground.

"impossible……"

He muttered to himself, his eyes unfocused, as if he had heard the most absurd thing in the world.

Hetu Ala has his ancestral temple, the foundation of his family, and the very place he left for his descendants. How could it be...?

How did it fall into the hands of Ming dogs?
"Sweat!"

Hu Erhan quickly helped him up, his voice urgent.

"Great Khan, please take care of your health! Hetu Ala may have only been ambushed, perhaps not..."

"Shut up!"

Nurhaci shoved him away abruptly, his scarlet eyes sweeping over the Eight Banners cavalry waiting below the city walls, then looking towards the northeast.

That was the direction of Hetu Ala. Although he could not see the firelight at this moment, it felt as if countless sharp knives were gouging out his heart.

He thought of Abahai, who remained in Hetu Ala, his young children who were still minors, and the ancestors enshrined in the ancestral temple…

A chill ran down my spine from my feet to the top of my head.

"Send the order!"

Nurhaci clenched his fist tightly.

"Withdraw! Withdraw immediately! Return to Hetu Ala!"

Upon hearing this, the Eight Banners cavalry below the city wall immediately stirred up a commotion.

They had fought wars their whole lives and had never seen the Great Khan so out of control, let alone ever considered a hasty withdrawal from the Shenyang front.

But when the words "Hetu Ala City has fallen" reached their ears on the wind, all doubts turned into panic.

That's their root!
Their families are there!
The sounds of clashing armor, neighing warhorses, and shouts from generals mingled together, instantly throwing the once orderly military formation into chaos.

Nurhaci looked at the chaotic army, his blood surging again, but he clenched his teeth and refused to spit it out.

The battle in Shenyang could not continue.

Once Hetu Ala falls, the morale of the Eight Banners troops will inevitably collapse. If they continue to hold on, they will only end up being wiped out.

Nurhaci leaned against the crenellations of the city wall, gazing at the northeastern horizon, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and despair, as if he wanted to burn a hole in the sky.

"Mao Wenlong, Zu Dashou..."

He forced out those words through gritted teeth.

"If I, the Khan, do not grind you to dust, I swear I am not worthy to be called a man!"

Nurhaci's movements were incredibly fast.

Less than an hour after the beacon fire of Hetu Ala reached Fushun City, the Heavenly Mandate Khan had already donned his armor and mounted his horse, followed by three thousand of the most elite armored soldiers from the two Yellow Banners, galloping northeastward like a yellow torrent.

He didn't even have time to greet Huang Taiji under the walls of Shenyang, leaving only an oral order: "Hetu Ala is in danger. You may temporarily halt the offensive and, if necessary, withdraw to Fushun."

In order to save time, he was reluctant to even take a short break.

When his warhorse grew tired, his personal guards immediately provided him with a new mount.

He changed four fine steeds in a single day. The felt mat on the saddle was soaked with sweat, the edges of his armor were worn white, and his throat was so dry it felt like it was about to burst into flames, yet he still couldn't rein in his horse. The wind whistled in his ears, the horses' hooves crushed the remaining snow on the official road, and the armored soldiers behind him gritted their teeth and followed closely, not daring to utter a single complaint.

They could all see the burning fire in the Khan's eyes.

After a day and a night of trekking, the outline of Hetu Ala finally appeared on the horizon.

But the sight before him made Nurhaci's heart clench suddenly.

The fire has been extinguished, but not put out.

The entire city was almost completely burned down, leaving only broken walls standing in the wind.

The glazed tiles of the palace were reduced to charred fragments, the beams and pillars of the ancestral temple were burned to charcoal, and the once bustling streets and alleys were now ruins. The air was filled with a strong smell of burning, mixed with a faint smell of blood.

Nurhaci dismounted and staggered toward the ruins.

The streets and alleys he personally planned, the palace walls he personally laid the foundation for, and even the old elm tree he planted when he met with the Yehe tribe are now all charred remains.

More than 20 years of hard work, the birthplace of the Jurchen people, was reduced to ashes.

His fingers traced a section of the charred city wall; the warmth of the bricks and stones had long since dissipated, leaving only a bone-chilling cold.

A metallic taste rose in his throat, and he clenched his fists tightly to keep himself from coughing.

But a sliver of hope remained in his heart.

Abahai is so clever, perhaps she can escape with the children?
Dodo is a tough kid; maybe he hid in some cellar and escaped the disaster.
And there's Zhe Zhe, Ta Bai...

They were all from the Aisin Gioro clan, perhaps...

Just as Nurhaci was on the verge of collapse, a figure suddenly emerged quickly from behind the ruins. It was Abahai, whom he thought had long since perished in the fire.

Although her brocade robe was covered in dust and her hair was disheveled, her face showed the shock of surviving a calamity and a deep-seated resentment.

Upon seeing Nurhaci, she felt as if she had found her pillar of support, staggering forward as tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"Great Khan! You must do us justice!"

Abahai grabbed Nurhaci's sleeve, her voice shrill and mournful.

"If it weren't for Tong Guoyao's desperate rescue, I would have been insulted by the Ming dogs."

"Dodo is gone! Hauge is gone! So many children are gone! It's all because of that Ming army traitor, Li Yangeng! He pretended to reward the garrison, but secretly led the Ming army around and even drugged their wine..."

Nurhaci was stunned at first, then overwhelmed with immense joy.

Abahai is still alive!

She's still alive!

This is the only solace on this scorched earth!
But as soon as the name "Li Yangeng" entered his ears, all the color drained from his face, and the glimmer of light that had just ignited was swallowed up by a deeper rage.

"Li Yangeng?!"

He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking, and his eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, with blood vessels like spider webs covering the whites of his eyes.

Another traitor!

These traitorous Han Chinese traitors again!
That Liu Xingzuo from before caused him to lose his beloved son Degelai, and also caused the water attack to fail. If it weren't for that, Shenyang City would have been captured long ago!
Now, this Li Yangeng, as the son of the Fushun prince consort, has received his favors for many years, yet he has turned around and stabbed him in the back like this.

Not only did he kill his son, grandson, and nephew, but he also burned down the Hetu Ala temple he had built up over half his life, and even failed to save the ancestral tablets in the temple!

"Han people..."

Nurhaci's teeth clenched so hard they rattled, his voice icy and filled with a near-mad hatred.

"These Han Chinese! A bunch of ungrateful wretches! We gave them fertile land and official titles, and all we got in return was betrayal! They slaughtered the bloodline of my Jurchen people!"

He kicked the charred wood beside him with a sudden thud, and the thick beam snapped in two.

Abahai was so frightened by his hideous appearance that she took a half step back, but still cried out, "Great Khan, you must avenge the children! Tear those Ming dogs and traitors to pieces!"

"revenge?"

Nurhaci let out a low roar, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the corpses scattered on the ground, over the city reduced to ashes, his anger almost bursting out of his chest.

"It's more than just revenge!"

He turned and roared at his guards behind him: "Pass on my order! From this day forward, all Han soldiers will be incorporated into the Death Camp! All Han officials will be dismissed! Anyone who colludes with the Ming army will have their entire family executed!"

"And Li Yangeng! Liu Xingzuo!"

His voice, like the roar of a trapped beast, echoed over the ruins.

"Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find these traitors! I want them to witness the slaughter of their own people, and I want them to experience the cruelest tortures in the Great Jin Dynasty!"

Just as Nurhaci was about to unleash his fury, the Jurchen soldiers who had entered the city to search began carrying the bodies they had found to the drill ground.

This open space, because it was close to the city wall, was fortunate enough to escape the fire, but now it has become an altar for displaying the souls of the dead.

"Tabaitaiji's headless corpse is here!"

"The headless body of Heshuo Ezhen Duoduo has been found!"

"The headless corpse of Hauge, the son of the Fourth Prince... is here!"

……

Each announcement struck Nurhaci's heart like a heavy hammer.

Zu Dashou clearly did it on purpose.

The corpses of these Jianzhou nobles were neatly arranged in the open training ground, most of them well-preserved, as if deliberately left for people to identify.

But as more body parts were brought in, a strange, burnt smell filled the air.

It smelled like something cooked by a fire. Some limbs were curled up like charcoal, and some faces were so blurred that they could only be identified from the remaining fragments of armor.

Nurhaci walked step by step toward the corpses, his body swaying.

Tabai's headless body lay in a pool of blood, the jade pendant he had personally given him at his waist stained with black blood.

Dodo's neck wound was clean and sharp, clearly indicating that he had been beheaded with a single blow.

Haug's armor was cleaved in two, and burn marks remained in the hole in his chest...

These are his descendants, the bloodline of the Aisin Gioro clan, but now they are cold corpses, some of which are not even preserved intact.

"what!!!"

The pent-up anger and grief finally burst forth from his chest.

Nurhaci suddenly drew his precious sword from his waist, the blade flashing across the sky. He pointed to the horizon and roared, "You damned Tianqi brat! You damned Mao Wenlong! Zu Dashou!"

His voice was hoarse as if tearing silk, filled with hatred as deep as blood and tears.

"As long as I live, I will surely eat your flesh, drink your blood, and grind your bones to dust!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly tilted his head back, and a mouthful of bright red blood gushed out like an arrow, staining the ground in front of him.

Those eyes that once looked down on Liaodong suddenly lost their luster, and his burly body swayed before falling straight backward.

"Khan!"

"Father Khan!"

Abahai, Huerhan, Daishan, and others rushed forward in alarm, but only managed to catch his heavy body.

Nurhaci's eyes were closed, his face was ashen, and his breath was so faint that it was almost imperceptible.

Abahai's face instantly turned pale, and his fingers trembled as he reached for his breath.

Fear washed over me like ice water.

She hoped this man would avenge the humiliation and loss of dignity she suffered at the hands of the Ming army.

If he were to die like this, what chance would she, a disgraced principal wife, have in the face of the covetous princes?
"Your Majesty! You absolutely cannot be harmed!"

(End of this chapter)