Huangming

Chapter 312 Pursuing a Desperate Enemy, the Fate of a Traitor

On the watchtower atop Shenyang city wall, Xiong Tingbi stood leaning against the railing, his telescope slowly scanning the Jurchen camp on the opposite bank.

Through the lens, the once heavily flag-covered camp was quietly undergoing changes.

The tents were quickly dismantled, and the neighing of horses rose and fell. Soldiers could be vaguely seen carrying their packs and gathering in the dense forest. Although a few men and horses were still patrolling in front of the camp, the tense fighting spirit had largely dissipated.

"My lord, the Jurchens have made their move," the personal guard beside him whispered.

Xiong Tingbi put down his binoculars, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

All of this was exactly what he had anticipated.

Since Liu Xingzuo led his followers to defect to the Ming Dynasty, he has made great contributions.

His Majesty not only pardoned his past transgressions, but also exceptionally bestowed upon him the title of Earl, rewarded him with ten thousand taels of silver and a thousand acres of fertile land. The effect of this "spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones" was far more significant than imagined.

The Han Bannermen in the Jurchen army were originally Han Chinese civilians or surrendered soldiers who had been captured and suffered constant bullying from the Eight Banners.

Being a slave or servant means being beaten and scolded for the slightest mistake, and even one's wife and daughters may be taken away at will.

Liu Xingzuo's generous reward was like a thunderbolt that shattered the shackles in their hearts.

In recent days, dozens of Han Banner soldiers have been secretly contacting the Ming army under various pretexts.

Just now, a junior officer from the Han Banner Army risked his life to deliver a secret letter:
"After Hetu Ala was attacked, the bandit chief Nurhaci urgently summoned his four princes to come back to the rescue, and they broke camp at midnight tonight."

"It seems that Mao Wenlong and his men have succeeded."

Xiong Tingbi muttered to himself, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Hetu Ala was the foundation of the Jurchens. If trouble really broke out there, Huang Taiji would have no choice but to return to rescue them, no matter how unwilling he was.

And this moment.

Below the city gate, General Chen Ce, the commander-in-chief sent to aid Liaodong, and his deputy, Tong Zhongkui, were pacing anxiously.

Seeing Xiong Tingbi come down from the watchtower, the two went to greet him almost simultaneously.

"Lord General!"

Chen Ce's clasped hands were clenched tightly.

"The Jurchens are trying to escape! If we don't pursue them now, when will we? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

With the Jurchens retreating, the great battle in Liaodong seemed to be coming to an end.

If we don't make a contribution now, we may not have another chance in a short time.

Therefore, Chen Ce watched the enemy retreat but remained inactive, his palms sweating with anxiety.

Tong Zhongkui nodded in agreement, his voice earnest: "Exactly! General, we've been at war with the Jurchens for so long under the walls of Shenyang, and we've finally managed to get them to retreat. Sending troops now will surely crush their morale. If we let them retreat safely back to Fushun, it will be difficult to find such an opportunity again in the future!"

Xiong Tingbi nodded slowly, seeing the two of them looking so impatient.

How could he not want to press his advantage?
However, his years of battlefield experience taught him that the more an opportunity seemed within easy reach, the more he needed to remain calm.

"Go after them, you can."

"But there are two rules: First, you must be able to tell whether the enemy's retreat is real or feigned, whether it is a genuine retreat or a ruse to lure them deeper; second, you must be able to see their retreat formation. If the troops are scattered, you can pursue them; if the troops are well-organized and the rear guard is elite, you must be careful to ambush them."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two men: "With Hetu Ala breached, the Jurchens' morale will surely plummet, and there is indeed a chance of victory in pursuing them now. However, Huang Taiji is cunning and will never allow his army to flee in disarray. Look at the opposite bank; although they are retreating, their banners are still clearly visible, and their cavalry is providing cover from behind. They have obviously been prepared."

Chen Ce and Tong Zhongkui followed his gaze and indeed saw that although the Jurchen army was moving, it was like a long snake with its head and tail looking out for each other, showing no signs of collapse.

The urgency on their faces lessened, replaced by a more serious expression.

"Then... according to the General's opinion?" Chen Ce asked.

"Pursuit is possible, but we cannot pursue too deeply. If the Jurchens are truly retreating, they have the heads of Han bannermen and Mongol tribes. If they have an ambush, our pursuit will not result in any losses."

Xiong Tingbi raised his hand and pointed to a hilly area on the north bank of the Hun River.

"Send 5,000 infantry and cavalry as the vanguard, with the infantry in the center, chariots as a shield, the firearms battalion at the rear, and the cavalry on both flanks for support."

They had to stop at Black Wind Pass, thirty miles away, because the terrain there was treacherous and an easy place to set an ambush.

He looked at the two men, his tone becoming more serious: "Remember, infantry and cavalry must be combined, with firearms in front and chariots on the flanks, maintaining formation as you advance. If the enemy counterattacks, do not linger; retreat immediately. Our objective is to harass, not to fight them to the death."

"The last general takes command!"

Chen Ce and Tong Zhongkui exchanged a glance, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

Although we cannot pursue them with all our might, it is better to take a bite out of the enemy than to miss a good opportunity.

After receiving their orders, Chen Ce and Tong Zhongkui immediately mustered five thousand soldiers and charged out of the Shenyang city gates under the cover of night.

By this time, the main force of the Jurchens had already retreated north under the cover of night, and those left behind were exactly as Xiong Tingbi had predicted.

Most of them were surrendered soldiers from the Han Banner Army and scattered soldiers from various Mongol tribes.

These troops, deliberately left behind to cover the rear, were clearly abandoned by Huang Taiji.

The Han soldiers were forced to cover the rear by the Jiala Ejen with knives, their faces filled with resentment and fear.

The soldiers of the Mongol tribes were in even greater disarray. Many did not even receive the order to retreat until the Ming army was close at hand, when they realized that they had become cannon fodder to be abandoned.

"Surrender and you will not be killed! Treat prisoners of war well!"

A deafening shout rang out from the Ming army's ranks, its sound piercing the night and clearly reaching the opposite side.

These eight words of promise struck the hearts of the Han soldiers and the Mongol soldiers like a thunderclap.

The news that Liu Xingzuo had been granted the title of Earl had already spread, and upon hearing the words "treat prisoners well," many people's hands, gripping their weapons, began to tremble.

however.

Before the shouts had even faded, the Ming army's offensive had already surged in like a tidal wave.

The breech-loading cannons roared first, their shells exploding in the enemy ranks, instantly tearing open several gaps; chariots led the way, followed closely by infantrymen with their long spears, while the cavalry, like swift winds on both wings, circled around the scattered enemy ranks.

The Ming army showed no mercy to the Mongol soldiers and die-hard Han bannermen who were still putting up a stubborn resistance.

Amidst the clashing of swords and the echoing battle cries, the soldiers, forcibly conscripted by the Jurchens, were already disheartened and quickly crumbled in the face of the Ming army's fierce offensive.

The junior officer of the Han army, holding aloft his tattered flag, laid down his weapon and shouted for surrender. He was immediately protected by the Ming army in their formation.

Some Mongol centurions, seeing the situation was not good, led their men to turn their horses around and flee, but were caught up by Ming cavalry on both flanks and cut down.

Overnight, the wilderness was filled with scattered enemy soldiers, abandoned armor, and fallen corpses.

As dawn broke, the Ming army had already pursued the enemy for more than twenty miles.

Chen Ce counted the heads on horseback. The ledger presented by his personal guards clearly recorded "3,763 heads". Nearly a thousand Han soldiers and Mongol soldiers knelt down to surrender. The escorting procession stretched as far as the eye could see.

"almost."

Tong Zhongkui reined in his horse and pointed to the smoke rising from the chimneys of Fushun city in the distance.

"The main force of the Jurchens has withdrawn to Fushun and is arrayed against the city walls. Their cavalry is patrolling outside the city. If we pursue them any further, we risk falling into an ambush."

Chen Ce gazed at the dark, imposing city, then at the mountain of heads and prisoners behind him, a smile playing on his lips: "Tonight's military merits are more than enough for the brothers to share. Let's call it a day and report back to the General."

The two men exchanged a glance and immediately ordered a retreat.

The Ming army escorted the prisoners, along with the captured armor and horses, back to Shenyang in a grand procession.

As the sun rose, the troops had disappeared on the horizon south of the Hun River, leaving only a desolate battlefield in the wilderness, facing the solemn-faced Jurchen soldiers on the walls of Fushun.

……

the other side.

The gates of Fushun slowly closed behind him. Li Yongfang reined in his horse and looked at the Jurchen soldiers patrolling the city wall, his chest still aching slightly.

Last night, in order to cover the rear of Huang Taiji's main force, he almost exhausted his last three hundred Han soldiers. Those were his trusted followers who had surrendered to the Jurchens with him for many years, but now most of them had fallen on the banks of the Hun River.

He originally thought that such "loyalty" would surely earn him the respect of the Manchu bannermen.

After all, he had gained some prestige among the surrendered Han soldiers over the years. If he could seize this opportunity to join the core ranks, he might have a chance to rise to prominence in the future.

But when he led his remaining troops into Fushun City, the gazes around him made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The Jurchen soldiers by the roadside stopped in their tracks, their eyes filled with undisguised hatred.

Several familiar Han Chinese banner officers watched from afar, their faces bearing gloating sneers, as if watching a play whose ending had already been written.

Even worse, when those white-armored guards glanced at him, they did so with the indifference of looking at a dead man.

"what happened?"

Li Yongfang's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition crept up her spine.

He instinctively gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist, but his fingers trembled slightly.

Just then, heavy footsteps came from the street corner.

Ajige, Nurhaci's twelfth son, approached with a troop of white-armored guards. His face was expressionless, only his eyes gleamed with a fierce rage.

Although his birth mother, Abahai, was "rescued," his younger brother, Dodo, died in Hetu Ala. This debt seems to have been settled against all the Han Chinese soldiers who surrendered.

"You've worked hard, Your Highness."

Ajige walked up to Li Yongfang, his tone terribly calm, and patted him on the shoulder.

Just as Li Yongfang thought this was an attempt to appease him, Ajige's hand suddenly slid to his waist, deftly unfastened his sword, and casually tossed it to the guards behind him.

"you……"

Li Yongfang was about to speak when she was silenced by Ajige's cold gaze.

"Take it."

Ajige waved his hand, his tone completely calm.

The white-armored guards behind him immediately stepped forward, their large, iron-like hands gripping Li Yongfang's arm tightly and forcing him to the ground.

The cold iron chains rattled as they wrapped around his neck and limbs, chafing his skin painfully.

"Why?!"

Li Yongfang suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

I risked my life for the Great Jin! Last night, we covered the retreat, and only fifty of our three hundred brothers remained! Even without reward, what crime have we committed?!

Looking at Ajige's evasive expression, he felt both angry and pained.

"Ajige Taiji! Why are you treating me like this?!"

Li Yongfang was pinned to the ground, her wrists aching from the iron chains, her eyes bloodshot, and her voice hoarse.

He couldn't understand why he had ended up like this after serving the Jurchens for more than ten years, even if he hadn't made any great contributions.

Ajige turned around, his face no longer showing the previous hostility, but instead displaying a more complex expression.

He gazed at Li Yongfang's face, which was etched with resentment, and slowly sighed: "Li Yangeng betrayed the Jin dynasty, leading the Ming army to burn down Hetu Ala, which enraged my father, the Khan... He made me..."

At this point, Ajige's voice trailed off, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he ultimately couldn't finish his sentence.

He had witnessed Li Yongfang's loyalty.

He surrendered Fushun back then and later followed the army in battle. Although he was a Han Chinese, he worked harder than many Jurchen generals.

But fate played a cruel trick on him; his son, Li Yangeng, became the knife that pierced the heart of the Jurchens.

But Ajige took a deep breath and put aside his reluctance.

"Your father has decreed that your entire clan be exterminated and subjected to the punishment of slow slicing."

Ajige's voice was deep.

“You have made great contributions to the Jin Dynasty, and I… cannot bear to see you suffer that torture.”

After saying that, he took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket and put it into Li Yongfang's hand.

The bottle was cool to the touch, and the liquid inside swayed gently, emitting a faint, almost imperceptible aroma of bitter almonds.

Ajige didn't look at him again and turned to leave.

Li Yongfang held the bottle of poisoned wine, and the iron chain clattered to the ground.

In the end, she gave birth to a rebellious son.

If I had known, I would have killed that rebellious son.

He eventually softened.

Now, they face the situation of their entire clan being killed.

Li Yongfang didn't cry. Instead, she grinned and let out a strange, hoarse laugh, a laugh filled with sorrow and madness.

“Hahahahaha~”

He served as a loyal servant diligently, opening the gates of Liaodong for the Jurchens, bearing the infamy of being a "traitor," and splattering the blood of his Han compatriots on his armor...

He thought that as long as he worked hard enough, he could eventually earn a place for himself. But in the end, because of his son, all he got was a cup of poisoned wine and the execution of his entire family.

"Ha ha ha ha ha……"

"I'm not reconciled! I hate it!"

He suddenly tilted his head back and drank the poisoned wine in the bottle in one gulp.

The spicy liquid slid down my throat, instantly burning with intense pain.

Moments later, he clutched his throat, foaming at the mouth, his body convulsing violently, his eyes fixed on the gloomy sky of Fushun City, as if trying to etch all the injustices of the world into his eyes.

Fifteen minutes later, the convulsions gradually subsided, and the eyes, though still wide open, had lost their sparkle.

Soon, several executioners came forward and dragged Li Yongfang's body into the torture chamber.

According to the Khan's orders, even if he committed suicide, his body would still be subjected to the punishment of slow slicing.

The cold blade sliced ​​through the already stiff flesh, cutting this body, which had once served the Jurchens, into pieces of meat.

However, Li Yongfang's family and relatives were not so "happy".

The men were tied to wooden stakes, and the women were chained to racks. The executioners, with small knives about an inch long, cut off pieces of their flesh.

A piercing wail emanated from the torture chamber, penetrating the thick walls and echoing through the streets and alleys of Fushun, making hearts clench.

Not far away, Tong Yangxing huddled in a corner, his face as pale as paper.

He watched the blood dripping at the door of the torture chamber and listened to the heart-wrenching screams, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

As fellow Han Chinese generals who had surrendered, he had worked with Li Yongfang for many years. Although they occasionally had disagreements, he now felt a deep sense of shared sorrow for the fate of his fellow Han generals.

If someone as "meritorious" as Li Yongfang still ended up like this, how much better can these people be?
"Serving as a Han Chinese slave in the Great Jin Dynasty..."

Tong Yangxing muttered to himself, his voice trembling and out of tune.

"Life is just too hard..."

Is it...

Is this what happens when you become a traitor?
(End of this chapter)