Huangming

Chapter 371 Tingbi's Desperate Situation: Attack Where He Must Rescue (Bonus Chapter for 200 Monthly Tickets!)
Within an hour of the fall of Fushun, Chen Ce and his generals had completed the reconstruction of the city's defenses, quickly transforming the post-war chaos into a tight defense.

The ice city previously built outside the city has now become the first line of defense.

These ice walls, built with river water and mixed with gravel, are over ten feet high and have a smooth, mirror-like surface. Sharpened wooden spikes are buried beneath the ice walls, and the outer side is covered with three layers of deer antlers and chevaux-de-frise. Not to mention cavalry charging, even infantry would suffer heavy losses if they approached.

Behind the ice city, the Ming army's firearms battalion was busily adjusting its equipment.
The soldiers of the Shenji Battalion worked in groups of three, checking the powder chambers and lead bullets of the muskets to ensure that each one was ready to fire at any time.

Four scouts rode swift horses, spreading out in a fan shape towards the Red River Valley. Every fifteen minutes, one of them would return with the latest news from the front. The entire defense system was like a clockwork mechanism, with every component operating efficiently.

On the city wall, Chen Ce gripped the sword at his waist, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers below who were standing ready for battle.

Although they had just experienced several days of bloody battle, and their armor was still stained with blood and dust, there was no sign of fatigue in their eyes. Instead, they exuded a vigorous spirit after a victory.

"Pass down the order: defending Ice City is defending Fushun! If the Jurchens attack, let them taste the power of firearms first!"

"As ordered!"

Chen Ce's voice carried across the city walls through the cold wind, and the soldiers responded in unison, their battle cries brief yet powerful, echoing across the snowy plains.

And this moment.

Fifteen miles north of Fushun City, Nurhaci's Eight Banners army was rapidly approaching.

Black banners fluttered in the cold wind, and the cavalrymen's sharp eyes showed they were also on guard against a Ming army attack.

The scouts sent by the Ming army to blockade Fushun had already been dispersed by the Eight Banners cavalry, so Nurhaci was already able to obtain intelligence about the city of Fushun.

At this moment, a scout from the Eight Banners was kneeling before Nurhaci's horse, reporting in a trembling voice:
"Great Khan... Fushun City was captured by the Ming army two hours ago, and the Great Prince... Great Prince Daishan, has died in battle..."

"What did you say?!"

Nurhaci suddenly tightened the reins, and the warhorse reared up, letting out a neigh.

His eyes were bloodshot, his gaze was wide with anger, and the flush on his cheeks spread from his cheekbones to his neck. Even his breathing became heavy.

Daishan was his second son, the banner lord of the two Red Banners, and the core fighting force of the Eight Banners. Now he died in battle in Fushun, and the two Red Banners were destroyed. For the Great Jin, this was tantamount to losing an arm!
"That despicable Xiong Tingbi!"

Nurhaci roared through gritted teeth, his blood surging in his chest, a wave of dizziness washing over him, and his vision blurred.

Only now did he fully realize that every moment he was held back by Xiong Tingbi's feint in the Red River Valley was pushing Daishan toward his death.

If it weren't for the need to guard against the "main force of the Ming army" in the valley, and if it weren't for the need to divide his troops to deal with Xiong Tingbi's entanglement, he should have arrived in Fushun long ago, and Daishan wouldn't have died in battle!

"Sweat!"

Seeing Nurhaci swaying, the guards beside him quickly stepped forward to support him. At the same time, they took out a piece of dried ginseng from their bosom, sliced ​​it into thin slices with a dagger, and handed him a bowl of warm deer blood.

Nurhaci took the bowl, tilted his head back, and swallowed the deer blood and ginseng slices together. The warm liquid slid down his throat, slightly calming his turbulent blood and qi. The dizziness gradually subsided, but his mind remained tense, his chest was still heaving violently, and even his fingers were trembling slightly.

"Father Khan!"

Mangultai spurred his horse forward, his hand on the curved sword at his waist, his eyes filled with fighting spirit and the flames of revenge.

"With Fushun City just fallen, the Ming army must be exhausted and lax in their defenses! Your Majesty, I am willing to lead five thousand elite troops to charge directly into their lines, break through their defenses, and avenge the Great Prince!"

As he spoke, he was about to order the mobilization of troops.

Daišan's death filled him with both grief and excitement. He was grieving that his brother had died in battle, but excited that one less competitor for the Khanate had been eliminated, giving him an opportunity to make a great contribution.

Nurhaci raised his hand to stop him, his gaze slowly sweeping over the army behind him.

Despite the cold wind, the soldiers of the Plain Yellow Banner and Bordered Blue Banner maintained their formation, but their exhaustion was undeniable.

Many of the soldiers' armor was still covered with unmelted snow, and some cavalrymen were leading their horses, yawning little by little.

Even worse, the straw rope wrapped around the horses' hooves was worn through, and the exposed hooves trudged along on the snow.

These soldiers set out from Hetu Ala and marched continuously for nearly ten days, resting for only one or two hours each day. They were already exhausted and could hardly be considered an elite force.
"No hurries?"

Nurhaci's voice was slightly hoarse, but he had regained his usual composure.

"You think the Ming army is exhausted? Scouts have reported that the Ming army has deployed along the ice city, fully equipped with firearms, and in perfect formation, even with three layers of deer antlers. They were prepared and were waiting for us to walk right into their trap."

He turned his horse around, gazing at the distant outline of Fushun city, his tone growing increasingly heavy:
“Our men haven’t had a proper rest for ten days, and their warhorses are almost exhausted; the Ming army is well-rested and has the city and Bingcheng as their defenses. If we launch a strong attack now, it won’t be revenge, it will be suicide.”

Mangultai was stunned. He was only thinking about revenge and merit, but he did not notice the army's exhaustion.

The surrounding generals nodded in agreement, their gazes towards their troops now filled with concern.

After their anger and impatience subsided, they realized that the Eight Banners army had lost the vigor it had shown when it arrived.

"Father Khan, what should our army do next?"

"I think we should set up camp, recover our strength, and rest before engaging the Ming army in a decisive battle!"

"No!"

Nurhaci suddenly raised his hand, interrupting everyone.

Although his face was still flushed with an abnormal redness, and his lips were slightly pale due to the surging blood, his eyes were surprisingly bright.

"The most urgent task now is not to set up camp, but to immediately mobilize troops and take Xiong Tingbi's head!"

"what?!"

A collective gasp of astonishment erupted in the room.

Mangultai frowned and couldn't help but step forward: "Father Khan, you said before that rescuing Fushun was the top priority, and Xiong Tingbi was nothing but a skeleton in a tomb..."

Before she could finish speaking, Nurhaci's gaze swept over her, and she swallowed the rest of her words.

Nurhaci naturally noticed everyone's confusion.

He saw the confusion, bewilderment, and even subtle opposition on the faces of the generals.

He slowly said, "The reason I was not in a hurry to kill Xiong Tingbi before was because I had a better option."

If they can rush to Fushun's aid in time and join forces with Daishan to attack from both inside and outside, they can annihilate the main force of the Ming army attacking the city.

At that time, the Ming army would be leaderless, and Xiong Tingbi would be isolated and helpless. His death would only be a matter of time; why rush it?

As he spoke, Nurhaci's tone grew increasingly heavy:

"But now, Fushun has fallen, Daishan has died in battle, and the possibility of annihilating the main force of the Ming army has vanished."

We lost two Red Banners and Daišan. If we cannot get an equivalent compensation from the Ming army, not only will the Eight Banners themselves become suspicious, but the various tribes of the grasslands will also look down on us.

We absolutely cannot swallow this insult!

Upon hearing this, the generals fell silent.

They then realized that Nurhaci was not acting on impulse, but was calculating a deal involving "exchange of assets".

Daishan was the Grand Prince of the Jin Dynasty and the banner lord of the two Red Banners, holding a prestigious position.

However, Xiong Tingbi was the Liaodong Military Commissioner of the Ming Dynasty and the supreme commander of the Ming army in Liaodong. In terms of "weight of the pieces", Xiong Tingbi was even more important.

"The defeat at Fushun and the death of Daishan were like losing a crucial piece on a chessboard."

Nurhaci's voice gradually hardened, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

"But as long as we can take Xiong Tingbi's head, this game won't be considered a loss. We used a 'second-in-command' piece to exchange for the Ming army's 'top leader' piece. In the long run, we might even have made a profit!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly making the generals in the tent realize the truth.

Yes, with Xiong Tingbi dead, the Ming army in Liaodong lost a commander who could coordinate the overall situation, and the subsequent battles were bound to fall into chaos.

Although Daišan died, the Jin Dynasty still had Nurhaci in charge, and Beile such as Mangultai and Huang Taiji available.

This "exchange" deal, though seemingly disastrous, is actually the best option to salvage the situation at present.

"Xiong Tingbi's head was not only the key to eliminating the Ming army's 'commander,' but also the key to stabilizing the Chaohua and Khorchin tribes."

The Mongol tribes have always relied on their strength to submit to the Mongol forces.

Previously, the Jin dynasty had defeated Lindan Khan in a row, and only then did Chaohua reluctantly send troops to help. The Khorchin tribe was also willing to send troops.

But now that the two Red Banners have been destroyed and Daishan has died in battle, the strength of the Great Jin has been greatly weakened. If Xiong Tingbi were still alive, these tribes would definitely have second thoughts.

Chao Hua has always been cunning and adept at changing his stance depending on the situation. Once he senses that the Jin dynasty is weakening, he will immediately halt his troops and observe the situation, and may even side with the Ming army.

Although the Khorchin tribe had marriage ties with the Jin dynasty, they would not offend Xiong Tingbi, who held considerable military power, for the sake of a declining ally.

“If Xiong Tingbi hadn’t died, we would have suffered heavy losses, and the Mongols would have hesitated to advance, or even secretly communicated with us.”

"At that time, we will not only have to face the Ming army, but also have to guard against the Mongols behind us. We will be attacked from both sides, which will be a real dead end!"

All the generals nodded in agreement.

They all knew the true nature of the Mongol tribes; without sufficient deterrence, the so-called alliance was nothing but a mirage.

Only by taking Xiong Tingbi's head can we prove to the grasslands that although the Jin dynasty lost Daishan, it still has the ability to kill the Ming army commander and remains the king of Liaodong.

"All troops, listen to my command! Break camp immediately and return to Red River Valley!" Nurhaci turned his horse around, his whip pointing directly towards Red River Valley.

"Sweat!"

At this moment, Hu Erhan suddenly spurred his horse forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and offered his advice.

"I have a plan: We should leave 3,000 men here to set up a makeshift camp, plant many flags, and send a small number of cavalry to patrol back and forth to confuse the Ming army in Fushun and make them think that our army is still in a standoff, thus buying us time to return to the Red River Valley."

His eyes flickered, clearly indicating that he wanted to emulate Xiong Tingbi's previous feint and use the same tactic against him.

Many of the generals under his command showed their approval and echoed, "This plan is brilliant! If the Ming army thinks that our army is still outside the city, they will not dare to send troops out easily, and we can return to reinforce Red River Valley at our leisure!"

Nurhaci slowly shook his head, his sharp gaze sweeping across the plains outside Fushun City.

The snowfield was wide open, with no shelter or obstruction, not even a decent tree, only scattered patches of snow. Where could it hide anything?
"No."

Nurhaci immediately shook his head and refused.

"The Red River Valley is surrounded by mountains on both sides and a valley in the middle. Its complex terrain can hide troops, which is why Xiong Tingbi was able to use a feint to deceive us."

But this is a plain, flat as a pancake; even ten thousand people, let alone three thousand, wouldn't be able to hide their tracks.

He raised his hand and pointed to the distant city of Fushun, and continued, "The Ming army can see the strength and weakness of our army with just one glance from the top of the city wall."

Leaving behind several thousand men will not only fail to deceive them, but will also allow the Ming army to see that our main force is retreating, and they will definitely send troops out of the city to besiege us.

Those few thousand men were isolated and helpless; they would be swallowed up by the Ming army sooner or later, a pointless loss of manpower.

Upon hearing this, Hu Erhan suddenly realized his mistake and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise! This servant was careless and almost ruined a great undertaking!"

Nurhaci shook his head, not blaming Huerhan.

He immediately said, "No need for further words, return to the capital immediately!"

After speaking, Nurhaci did not delay any longer. He raised his whip and galloped off towards the Red River Valley.

More than 20,000 Manchu troops, like a black torrent, instantly changed direction, their banners unfurled in the opposite direction, their horses' hooves trampling the snow, raising clouds of snow mist. The troops that were originally advancing towards Fushun now retreated back towards the Red River Valley.

This army, which rushed to the outskirts of Fushun City in a great hurry, did not even have time to set up camp before turning back in a hurry. In just one hour, they left two deep hoofprints on the snowy plain.

Not far away, behind a snow-covered slope, two Ming scouts lay prone in the thick snow, holding their breath and peering intently through the gaps in the branches at the Jurchen army's movements.

They were wrapped in white cloths that matched the color of the snow, and even the horses were covered with white cloths, making them almost blend into the snowfield.

"Look! The Jurchens are withdrawing their troops!"

A scout lowered his voice, his eyes filled with shock.

"They didn't attack Fushun, but instead headed towards the Red River Valley!"

Another scout immediately pulled out parchment from his pocket and quickly used a charcoal pencil to record the movements, numbers, and retreat direction of the Jurchen army, saying hurriedly as he wrote:

"Quickly! Go back to Fushun immediately and report to Commander Chen that Nurhaci's main force has abandoned the attack on Fushun and returned to the Red River Valley! I will continue to monitor the situation here to prevent them from playing tricks!"

"it is good!"

The scout tucked the parchment into his pocket, carefully led the horse over, mounted it, and, keeping low to the ground, galloped along the hidden path at the foot of the snow-covered slope toward Fushun City.

The sound of horses' hooves crunching in the snow was drowned out by the cold wind and quickly disappeared into the depths of the snowfield.

On the city wall of Fushun, Chen Ce stared at the Jurchen camp in the distance, his heart filled with doubts.

It was highly unusual that Nurhaci's army was pressing in but he was slow to attack.

Just then, a scout rode up to the city walls and shouted, "General! Urgent military news! The main force of the Jurchens has withdrawn and is heading back to the Red River Valley!"

The cold wind was still howling through the city walls of Fushun. After listening to the scout's report, Chen Ce felt a buzzing in his mind.

The first thought that flashed through his mind was that Xiong Jinglue was still in the Red River Valley!
He's not dead!
Nurhaci abandoned the attack on Fushun, surely to turn around and annihilate the remnants of Xiong Jinglue's forces!
"No! We must send reinforcements immediately!"

Chen Ce suddenly drew his sword, the tip pointing towards the Red River Valley, his voice trembling slightly with urgency.

"Pass on my order: muster the troops and depart with me immediately!"

Xiong Jinglue had delayed the main force of the Jurchens for several days, leaving him with only remnants of his army. If he were to besiege Nurhaci's main force, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But before he could finish speaking, Li Bingcheng, the general of Fengji Fort, quickly stepped forward, stopped the personal guard who was about to relay the order, and said in a calm tone:
"Commander Chen, calm down!"

He glanced at the generals below and continued:
“Nurhaci is a cunning and shrewd man. Could his sudden return to the capital be a deliberate attempt to lure our army out of Fushun and ambush them along the way?”

If we fall into an ambush, not only will we fail to save Commander Xiong, but we will also lose over ten thousand elite troops. At that point, Fushun and even Shenyang will be in imminent danger!

Chen Ce's movements suddenly stopped, and his brows furrowed instantly.

He was only thinking about getting to the rescue as quickly as possible, but he overlooked the most critical risk.

Nurhaci was most adept at using ambushes, and even more skilled at besieging a point and attacking reinforcements, ensuring the enemy would have to defend it.

This is how the Ming army suffered a defeat at the Battle of Sarhu.

Thinking of this crucial point, Chen Ce turned to look at Li Bingcheng, his tone softening slightly: "So, what does Commander Li mean?"

"Support is necessary, but we must not be reckless."

Li Bingcheng stepped forward, pointed to the snow-covered plain outside the city gate, and analyzed the situation clearly:
"I suggest adopting the method of 'gradual advancement by vehicle, cavalry, and infantry':"
First, send two scout teams ahead to investigate and clear out any potential hazards in the hilly areas along the way.

Then the chariot battalion led the way, with each chariot covered with thick cowhide to protect against arrows and block cavalry charges.

The cavalry were positioned on both flanks, ready to respond to any emergencies; the infantry and firearms battalions brought up the rear, maintaining a tight formation.

Although slower than a light cavalry rush, it is more reliable and can prevent ambushes.

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, with Nurhaci's main force deployed, his stronghold of Hetu Ala must be vulnerable!"

We can immediately send a message to Minister Sun, instructing him to send troops from Muhe Village directly to Hetu Ala.

Hetu Ala contained the Jurchens' families, provisions, and treasuries, which was Nurhaci's foundation. If he learned that his home base was threatened, he would inevitably be distracted and might even be forced to withdraw his troops from the Red River Valley!
This strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" and "cutting off the fuel supply" is the fundamental way to protect General Xiong and stabilize Fushun!

As soon as Li Bingcheng finished speaking, the generals under his command nodded in agreement.

"Li Shuai is absolutely right! Rash advances are too risky. A gradual approach combined with a strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' is the safest course of action!"

"Hetu Ala is the lifeblood of the Jurchens. If Minister Sun sends troops, Nurhaci will surely come to their aid!"

Chen Ce slowly loosened his grip on his sword. Although the anxiety in his heart had not dissipated, he had become calmer.

Li Bingcheng is right.

The more critical the situation, the more important it is to stay calm and composed.

If they fall into an ambush in their attempt to provide quick reinforcements, they will not only fail to save Xiong Jinglue, but will also squander the gains of the previous victory at Fushun and put the Liaodong war situation back on the defensive.

"Alright! Let's do it according to Commander Li's plan!"

Chen Ce took a deep breath, his tone regaining its usual authority.

"Order: First, the scout battalion is to immediately dispatch ten light cavalry teams to scout along the Red River Valley, setting up a sentry post every five li, and reporting back immediately if any ambushes are found."

Second, the tank battalion, cavalry battalion, infantry battalion, and artillery battalion immediately assembled and, in a formation of 'tanks in front, cavalry on the flanks, and infantry behind,' mobilized 15,000 elite troops and gradually advanced towards the Red River Valley.

Third, send a fast messenger to Minister Sun, informing him that Hetu Ala was undefended and requesting that troops be sent to contain it!

"Follow the order!"

The generals received their orders and left, and Fushun City instantly became bustling with activity.

The chariot soldiers quickly reinforced the chariots; the cavalry checked the saddles and hooves to ensure the horses were in good condition; and the infantry and firearms soldiers inspected their weapons, armor, shields, and muskets.

In less than half an hour, the 15,000-strong army had assembled outside the city. War chariots formed an iron barrier in front, cavalry were positioned on both flanks, and infantry followed closely behind, advancing in a mighty force towards the Red River Valley.

Chen Ce stood on horseback in the center of the army, his black cloak fluttering in the cold wind.

He watched the steadily advancing army before him, appearing calm on the surface, but his fingers unconsciously tightened around the riding whip.

Hurry up!

Faster!
Every moment of delay increases the danger for Xiong Jinglue.

He would occasionally look up towards the Red River Valley, his eyes filled with worry.

Lord General, hold on!
We've already set off, so hold on until we get there!
. . .

PS:

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(End of this chapter)