Huangming

Chapter 361 The Mad Dog of Jianzhou, the Wrath of the Khan

The wind and snow outside Kaiyuan were more intense than those in Fushun.

The gale howled as it swept across the dilapidated walls of Jing'an Fort.

Most of the houses inside the fortress were half-collapsed, with charred wood chips still hanging on the broken beams, and dried bloodstains piled up in the corners.

This place was originally a border fortress of the Ming Dynasty, but it was later occupied by the Jurchens. However, the Jurchens only knew how to plunder, but not how to repair it, and it is no longer as strong as it used to be.

That is why Ligdan Khan's Chahar tribe was able to break through in one fell swoop last night with almost no effort.

In the largest hall of the fort, a charcoal brazier was burning brightly.

Lin Danhan, dressed in a black leather robe with gold trim and a jade belt inlaid with gemstones around his waist, sat upright on a tiger-skin chair at the head of the table, his eyes sharp as an eagle, scanning the crowd below.

When he personally led the expedition to Kaiyuan, he brought almost the entire core force of the Chahar tribe. Those standing in the hall were all renowned figures on the grasslands.

The first one on the left is Guiyingqia, the commander of Ahalahu (the guards).

Beside him stood Mao Han, the head of the Chahar tribe. He was a bit older, with graying hair and beard, but still vigorous and held a scepter made of sheep bone in his hand, exuding a sense of authority.

Further down the list are Tubajinong, a high-ranking official of the Chahar royal family; Naohan Taiji, an important Taiji; Shakechasengge, the leader of the Ordos Wanhu tribe; Subudi, the leader of the Kharachin tribe; and Dorji, the leader of the Dorot tribe…

Everyone was dressed in their tribe's traditional clothing, standing solemnly in the hall, waiting for Lindan Khan to speak.

The most eye-catching figure was a Han Chinese man standing in the corner.

He was dressed in a blue long robe, with a fair complexion, standing out from the other grassland leaders around him who wore fur robes and had weathered faces. He was Zhang Liwei, a Han Chinese strategist recruited by Ligdan Khan in recent years.

Lin Danhan's gaze fell on the crowd below the hall, and he slowly said, "Now we have arrived outside Kaiyuan City, and Jing'an Fort has been captured. The next step is to attack Kaiyuan."

Please feel free to share your thoughts, and we can discuss them together.

He was still thinking about what had happened these past few days.

On his way from Chahar to Kaiyuan, he deliberately passed through the territory of the five Inner Khalkha tribes. He originally thought he would be blocked, but unexpectedly, Chaohua not only did not send troops, but also sent people to deliver a lot of fodder and cattle and sheep, ostensibly to "reward the allied forces".

Lin Dan Khan sneered inwardly. This old fox, Chao Hua, clearly didn't dare to openly oppose the Jurchens, but wanted to secretly curry favor with the Ming Dynasty, waiting to reap the benefits.

'You cunning swindler, wait until I take Kaiyuan, then I'll settle the score with you slowly!'

He meditated in his heart.

On the other side, as soon as Lin Danhan finished speaking, Gui Ying stepped forward and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, Kaiyuan will not be difficult to take! Right now, Xiong Tingbi is leading a large army to besiege Fushun, and Daishan's two Red Banners are tightly tied down and cannot support Kaiyuan at all."

Within Kaiyuan City, only Mangultai's Plain Blue Banner, numbering less than ten thousand, had any truly elite troops, probably only a few thousand.

We've brought 20,000 elite cavalry, giving us an overwhelming numerical advantage. If we launch a full-scale attack, we'll surely capture Kaiyuan within three days!

"However, we cannot let our guard down."

First, we must be wary of the five Inner Khalkha tribes. Although Chaohua appears to be friendly towards us, he may not be sincere. If our siege of the city becomes a stalemate, he may suddenly launch a surprise attack and reap the benefits.

Secondly, we must also be wary of the Jurchen reinforcements in Hetu Ala. If Nurhaci learns of the crisis in Kaiyuan, he will surely send a large army to support us. If we are attacked from both sides, we will be in grave danger.

Gui Yingqia's words reflected the concerns of many.

Shakcha Sengge, the leader of the Ordos Wanhu (a type of administrative unit), stepped forward and added:
“Guiying is right. Although Kaiyuan City is not as fortified as Shenyang, it still has a certain level of defense. If Mangultai holds firm and does not come out, our cavalry advantage will be difficult to utilize.”

Why don't we send someone to persuade them to surrender first? If Mangultai is sensible and voluntarily surrenders the city, we'll save ourselves a lot of trouble.

If he refuses to surrender, we will launch a full-scale attack on the city, while simultaneously sending a cavalry force to patrol the outer perimeter to prevent any surprise attacks from the five Inner Khalkha tribes and Jurchen reinforcements.

"Persuade to surrender?"

Mao Han, the head of the Chahar Wanhu (a type of administrative unit), shook his head.

“Mangultai is Nurhaci’s son. He is hot-tempered and competitive. How could he surrender so easily? In my opinion, we should attack the city directly and finish the battle quickly! We don’t have much food with us. If we drag this out, it will be disadvantageous to us.”

The crowd below immediately split into two factions, one advocating a swift victory and a full-scale attack on the city.

The other faction believes that caution should be exercised, and that external threats should be guarded against before attempting to attack the city.

Both sides held their own opinions and argued endlessly.

Lin Danhan didn't speak, but listened quietly to the argument, his gaze occasionally falling on Zhang Liwei in the corner.

The grassland leaders are brave and skilled in battle, but lack strategic acumen. Zhang Liwei, though a Han Chinese, is quite knowledgeable about the situation of the Jurchens and the Ming Dynasty, and may be able to offer different advice.

"Mr. Zhang, what do you think?" Lin Danhan suddenly asked, turning his gaze to Zhang Liwei.

The argument in the hall immediately subsided, and everyone's attention was focused on Zhang Liwei.

Many people looked at him with disdain.

There was clearly some prejudice against this Ming dynasty figure.

They stood before the Khan based on their bloodline or their bravery, but this guy, through flattery, made himself their equal, which naturally made them unconvinced.

Zhang Liwei ignored all these stares, pretending not to notice them.

He stepped forward, bowed, and said calmly, "Great Khan, esteemed leaders, in my opinion, when attacking Kaiyuan, we should 'besiege it without attacking, and cut off its reinforcements first.'"

Seeing Lin Danhan's unusual expression, he continued:

"Although we have 30,000 cavalry, we are not good at attacking cities. If we force an attack, we will suffer heavy casualties."

Although Mangultai has fewer troops, he has the advantage of city defense. If he holds firm and does not come out, it will be difficult for us to take Kaiyuan in a short time.

"Why don't we first surround Kaiyuan, cut off its food supplies and communication with the outside world, and plunge Mangultai into panic?"

Seeing the look of interest on Lin Danhan's face, Zhang Liwei felt even more confident.

"Furthermore, we must send an elite cavalry force to ambush the only route from Kaiyuan to Hetu Ala to prevent the Jurchen reinforcements from coming to our aid."

Then send another envoy to see Chao Hua to put pressure on him and make him afraid to send troops easily.

We can promise him that after we take Kaiyuan, we will give him three pastures outside the city. If he dares to collude with the Jurchens, we will first annihilate the five Inner Khalkha tribes!

"Finally, we spread the word that Ligdan Khan had allied with the Ming Dynasty and that Xiong Tingbi's army would soon arrive from Fushun to join us in attacking Kaiyuan."

Once the Jurchen soldiers in the city learn of this, their morale will surely collapse. Then we can seize the opportunity to attack the city, and we'll achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Zhang Liwei's words were clear and logical, taking into account the difficulty of attacking the city, the threats from the outside, and psychological tactics, which made the grassland leaders in the audience look at him with new respect.

This Ming dynasty person did have some wisdom after all.

A hint of appreciation flashed in Lin Danhan's eyes as he said, "Mr. Zhang is absolutely right! We will proceed according to your plan! Gui Yingqia, you will lead 10,000 cavalry to surround the east and south gates of Kaiyuan, cutting off the city's connection with Fushun."

Mao Han, you will lead 10,000 cavalry to surround the west and north gates of Kaiyuan, and at the same time send a small team to ambush them on the road to Hetu Ala.

"Shakcha Sengge, go see Chaohua yourself and tell him to be sensible, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Yes, sir!" the crowd responded in unison, bowing and accepting the order.

After everyone left, the hall of Jing'an Fort gradually quieted down.

Zhang Liwei did not leave with the others, but remained standing in the corner, his brows slightly furrowed, his expression carrying a hint of hesitant seriousness.

Lin Danhan sat on the tiger-skin chair, picked up the milk tea on the table and took a sip. His gaze inadvertently swept over Zhang Liwei. Seeing his appearance, he knew that Zhang Liwei must have something to say in private.

He put down his teacup, leaned back slightly, and spoke with a casual tone.

"Sir, you've lingered here for so long, surely you have something else to say? Please speak freely."

This former border interpreter of the Ming Dynasty was fluent in both Chinese and Mongolian, and was also familiar with the inner workings of the Ming Dynasty and the Jurchens.

When he joined the Chahar tribe, he offered Ligdan Khan many strategies for dealing with the Jurchens and the Ming army in Liaodong. Although he did not make any earth-shattering contributions, he helped the Chahar tribe avoid many traps.

Now that the Ming Dynasty has re-emerged in Liaodong, and Xiong Tingbi is pressing closer and closer, Ligdan Khan is paying more and more attention to this "Ming traitor," hoping that he can devise a path for development and expansion from the perspective of the Ming people.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liwei stepped forward, bowed, and slowly said:

"Great Khan, I couldn't speak much in front of everyone just now. Now that we're all alone, I'd like to ask a question:"
Mangultai's six thousand troops were indeed insignificant compared to the Khan's twenty thousand elite troops; taking Kaiyuan was only a matter of time.

"But has the Great Khan considered what you will do next after conquering Kaiyuan?"

When Lin Danhan heard the question, he was taken aback at first, and then burst into laughter.

"Is that even a question? Of course, we'll plunder Kaiyuan! We'll take everything we can from the city—wealth, grain, people, cattle, sheep—back to the grasslands!"

Kaiyuan is an important town in Liaodong and a place for trade with the grassland tribes. It must have many good things. With these supplies, the Chahar tribe will not have to worry about the "white disaster" this winter, and the people will be able to live more comfortably.

In his view, the grassland tribes' southward conquests were solely for the purpose of plundering resources.

Whether it was the early conflict with the Ming Dynasty or the later battles with the Jurchens, the ultimate goal was to seize grain, people, and livestock so that the tribe could survive and reproduce.

In his eyes, Kaiyuan, this wealthy city, was nothing more than a treasure trove filled with "spoils of war." After taking it over, he would naturally plunder it to the fullest extent to make up for the deficit of the Chahar tribe.

"What happens after that?"

Zhang Liwei didn't stop, and continued to press for answers.

"After looting Kaiyuan and returning to the grasslands with the supplies, what should we do next?"

"after?"

The smile on Lin Danhan's face gradually faded. He frowned, seemingly having never considered this question before, and after a moment of contemplation, he said:
"After that, we will naturally return to the grasslands, properly settle our people, and help them get through the winter."

If the Jurchens dare to invade again next spring, we will send troops to teach them a lesson.

If the Ming Dynasty is willing to offer more annual rewards, we can consider continuing our cooperation with them.

His answer remained at the level of "survival in the present moment".

Zhang Liwei's expression suddenly turned serious, and his tone became more somber:

"Great Khan, you only think about plundering Kaiyuan to survive the White Calamity. Have you ever thought about what the situation in Liaodong and the grasslands will be like once the Jianzhou Jurchens are severely damaged or even completely wiped out by Xiong Tingbi?"

These words struck Lin Dan Khan like a thunderbolt, causing him to pause in shock as he was still debating between "plundering and garrisoning".

He had never considered this aspect. Previously, he only thought that helping the Ming Dynasty fight against the Jurchens was a sure-fire way to get revenge and earn annual rewards from the Ming Dynasty. He never thought deeply about how the Ming Dynasty would treat the grassland tribes after the Jurchens were destroyed.

"You mean... Xiong Tingbi will make his company a major player?"

Lin Danhan lowered his voice unconsciously, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

He suddenly realized that the reason why the Ming Dynasty was willing to unite with the Chahar tribe was simply to deal with the common enemy, the Jurchens.

Once the Jurchens fall, the Ming Dynasty will be free of its constraints. Given Xiong Tingbi's military leadership and the Ming Dynasty's strength, the next target to deal with will likely be the tribes on the grasslands.

Zhang Liwei nodded emphatically, his tone becoming increasingly earnest:

"The Great Khan is wise! On the Liaodong battlefield, the Ming army is fighting against the Jianzhou Jurchens, but this is only a temporary balance of power."

Once the Jianzhou Jurchens are defeated, Xiong Tingbi's Ming army will have no rivals. Who do you think his next enemy will be?

who is it?

Lin Danhan instantly had the answer in his heart.

Who else could it be but him, the Great Khan of the Chahar tribe who commanded 100,000 archers and controlled half of the southern steppe?
The Ming Dynasty has always regarded the nomadic tribes of the grasslands as "border troubles," but now it is simply a matter of "pacifying the internal before resisting the external," and dealing with the Jurchens, this major threat, first.

Once he understood this, Lin Danhan's forehead instantly broke out in a fine layer of cold sweat, and his palms turned icy cold.

He stood up abruptly, strode over to Zhang Liwei, and asked urgently, "Sir, what do you suggest I do?"

At this moment, he had lost all his previous composure.

Seeing that Lin Danhan had finally come to his senses, Zhang Liwei breathed a sigh of relief and slowly said:
"Kaiyuan can be attacked or plundered, after all, the Chahar tribe needs supplies to get through the winter. But there is one thing that the Great Khan must remember: Mangultai can be spared."

"Let him go?"

Lin Danhan frowned, his tone tinged with confusion.

"Wouldn't this violate my alliance with Xiong Tingbi? We agreed to attack the Jurchens from both sides, with me attacking Kaiyuan to contain Mangultai. If I let him go, wouldn't I be breaking my promise to the Ming Dynasty?"

"Your Majesty is overthinking it."

Zhang Liwei smiled slightly, his tone carrying a hint of malice.

"The alliance only said that the Great Khan needed to attack Kaiyuan to contain the Jurchen forces, but it did not say that Mangultai must be captured or killed alive."

The Khan only needs to capture Jing'an Fort, surround Kaiyuan, let Mangultai know the power of the Chahar tribe, and then deliberately leave a gap so that he has a chance to break through and escape.

Then the Khan can publicly declare that Mangultai fought desperately to break through the encirclement, and our army couldn't keep up, which is why he escaped.

"As for whether Mangultai goes to support Fushun or retreats back to Hetu Ala after breaking through, that is beyond our control."

In this way, it would neither violate the alliance nor prevent Mangultai's forces from remaining.

As long as the Jurchens still had strength, Xiong Tingbi's Ming army could not fully deal with the steppes.

As long as the Jurchens and the Ming Dynasty continue to check and balance each other, our Chahar tribe can grow stronger in the cracks, and even have a chance to unify the grasslands.

Zhang Liwei's words were like the sun breaking through the clouds, instantly enlightening Lin Danhan.

He had only thought about how to deal with the Jurchens, but he hadn't thought about the word "checks and balances".

Leaving behind the remnants of the Jurchen forces to continue their struggle against the Ming Dynasty would allow the Chahar tribe to reap the benefits in the long run.

"Yes! Well said, sir!!"

Lin Dan clapped his hands, his eyes regaining their light, and his previous anxiety and unease vanished.

"Do as you say. Tomorrow we will attack Kaiyuan, but only surround it and not attack. We will deliberately leave a gap at the east gate so that Mangultai will have a chance to break out."

As for the grain and wealth within Kaiyuan City, we will plunder them without hesitation. This way, we gain substantial benefits while also leaving behind pawns to counterbalance the Ming Dynasty—a win-win situation!

He secretly rejoiced that he had Zhang Liwei as his strategist; otherwise, he might have made a grave mistake, personally clearing obstacles for the Ming Dynasty and ultimately plunging the Chahar tribe into utter ruin.

of course.

When Ligdan Khan devised the strategy of "surrounding three sides and leaving one open, giving Mangultai a way out" at Jing'an Fort, he never imagined that his "strategy of checks and balances" would fail because of the word "people's hearts".

He believed that Mangultai, facing 20,000 elite Chahar troops, would weigh the pros and cons and try to break through the gap in the east gate to escape.

After all, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.

But he forgot that Kaiyuan was no longer just a city to Mangultai; it was his last bargaining chip in his struggle for the Jurchen Khanate.

At this moment, the atmosphere in Kaiyuan City was extremely tense.

Mangultai stood on the city tower of the North Gate, looking at the densely packed Chahar cavalry outside the city, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Below the city gate, soldiers of the Plain Blue Banner were busy wiping their weapons and inspecting their armor.

"Your Highness, the Chahar army has begun to move!"

A scout ran quickly up the city wall, his voice tinged with urgency.

Mangultai looked in the direction the scout pointed and saw that the Chahar cavalry outside the city were like a black tide, surging towards the west, south and north gates of Kaiyuan. Only the east gate was deserted.

Clearly, Lin Danhan deliberately left himself an "outcome".

But this "way out" became a humiliation in Mangultai's eyes.

"You think I can escape? Lindan Khan, you underestimate me, Mangultai!"

A fierce glint flashed in Mangultai's eyes. He abruptly drew his scimitar, pointed it at the Chahar army outside the city, and shouted:

"Brothers! Does Lindan Khan think that leaving the east gate open will make us run away like stray dogs?"
"Let me tell you, as long as Kaiyuan exists, we exist! Today, we will fight the Chahar tribe to the death and show them that the warriors of the Plain Blue Banner are not to be trifled with!"

"Fight it! Fight it!"

The soldiers of the Plain Blue Banner below the city gate shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth. Even the Chahar cavalry outside the city were slightly stunned by this momentum.

Before long, the Chahar army arrived at the city.

With a command from Lindan Khan, the siege began.

Arrows rained down on the city walls, and catapults hurled boulders at them with deafening roars. Bricks and stones fell from the walls, raising clouds of dust.

To Ligdan Khan's surprise, Mangultai not only did not break out through the east gate, but instead opened the north gate, leading three thousand Plain Blue Banner cavalrymen, shouting as they charged out, and took the initiative to engage the Chahar tribe in open battle.

"Is he crazy?"

Lin Danhan sat on his horse, looking at the Plain Blue Banner soldiers rushing out, his eyes full of surprise.

Three thousand against thirty thousand—this is clearly a suicidal charge!

Although the Chahar cavalry were not good at siege warfare, they had an absolute advantage in open field battles. Mangultai's move was undoubtedly courting death.

But what he saw next shocked Lin Danhan even more.

The soldiers of the Plain Blue Banner pounced on the Chahar cavalry like hungry wolves. The shield wagons accompanied the army in battle, and the swords in their hands were wielded with fierce force. Even if they were hit by several arrows, they would still drag the enemy down with them.

Mangultai led the charge, his weapon stained with blood, his warhorse splattered with flesh and blood, yet he continued to charge forward without flinching.

In just half an hour, the Chahar tribe lost over a thousand cavalrymen, and hundreds of soldiers of the Plain Blue Banner also fell.

Looking at the scene of corpses strewn across the battlefield, Lin Danhan's brows furrowed even more deeply.

He originally only wanted to plunder Kaiyuan's supplies and spare Mangultai's life, but now he has been caught in a fierce and bloody battle.

"No, we can't go on like this!"

Lindan Khan gritted his teeth and immediately ordered a halt to the attack. He then selected an eloquent messenger to carry his message to Kaiyuan City to meet Mangultai.

The envoy was quickly brought before Mangultai, who tremblingly conveyed Ligdan Khan's message:
“Mangurtai Beile, my Khan said that as long as you are willing to leave the wealth, cattle, sheep and grain in Kaiyuan City, you can leave with your people through the east gate, and my Khan will not pursue you.”

Upon hearing this, the generals of the Plain Blue Banner all showed signs of interest.

If they continue fighting, they will be wiped out sooner or later. If they can escape with the remnants, at least they can retain a glimmer of hope.

But Mangultai burst into laughter after hearing this, his laughter full of sarcasm.

He suddenly drew his scimitar and, before the messenger could react, slashed him to the ground, splattering him with blood.

"Lindan Khan is scared! He's afraid of us!"

Mangultai raised his blood-stained weapon high and shouted to his soldiers:

"Brothers, do you see? The people of the Chahar tribe no longer dare to fight us. They want us to leave, but we won't leave!"
Today, we will drive back the Chahar tribe, defend Kaiyuan, and show Father Khan that I, Mangultai, am the most valiant warrior of the Great Jin!

"Fight back Chahar! Defend Kaiyuan!"

The soldiers of Zhenglan Banner were inspired by Mangultai's imposing manner.

"Return the envoy's body to Ligdan Khan and tell him that he must either retreat or die in Kaiyuan!"

The envoy's body was dragged before Lindan Khan. Seeing the bloodied head, Lindan Khan could no longer contain his rage. He drew his sword and roared at his generals:
"You beast born of a bitch! This Mangultai is a mad dog! I, the Khan, gave you a way out, but you refused and insisted on courting death!"

Lin Dan was immediately sweating profusely.

He had long since forgotten about the previous "overall situation on the grasslands" and "strategies for checks and balances".

Looking at the Plain Blue Banner soldiers charging like madmen on the battlefield, and thinking of the thousands of cavalry he had lost, only one thought remained in his mind.

Kill Mangultai!

"Pass on my order! All troops, attack! At all costs, take Kaiyuan and kill Mangultai!"

Lin Danhan's roar echoed across the battlefield, carrying a chilling aura.

Seeing that the Khan was truly enraged, the Chahar cavalrymen no longer held back, drawing their scimitars and charging towards the soldiers of the Plain Blue Banner.

In an instant, the sounds of battle shook the heavens outside Kaiyuan City, swords flashed and blood stained the snow on the ground.

A bloody battle that could have been avoided has completely erupted.

(End of this chapter)