Huangming

Chapter 377 The Final Battle, The Death of the Khan

The Ming army that blocked Nurhaci's path was not a divine soldier that appeared out of thin air.

The commander of this force was Sun Chengzong, who was then the governor of Liaodong. His troops were all elite Ming soldiers from Liaoyang, trained by him.

Even before the outbreak of the Red River Valley battle, Sun Chengzong had already set off from Liaoyang in accordance with the overall deployment of the Ming army, quietly passed through Fushun Pass, and captured Tumuhe Village, located southwest of Hetu Ala.

This village guards the vital passage to Hetu Ala, making it of great strategic significance. Sun Chengzong's move was intended to tie down Nurhaci's forces and create a pincer movement with Xiong Tingbi.

At that time, Nurhaci was focused on rescuing Fushun and completely ignored the Ming army at Tumuhe Village.

In his view, this "flanking force" could not cause any major trouble and was far less important than the main battle in Fushun.

He never imagined that the "flanking force" he once scorned would become the "death warrant" that drove him to the brink of despair.

At this moment, at the edge of the dense forest, Sun Chengzong, clad in heavy black iron scale armor and holding a long sword, stood on a high slope at the front of the group.

The Ming troops behind him had already formed a tight formation:
The front row consisted of heavily armored infantrymen wielding spears and shields, their shield wall seemingly forged from steel, completely blocking the forest path.

In the middle was the musket camp, where soldiers held their breath, the muzzles of their muskets aimed deep into the forest, waiting for the order.

The rear ranks were the cavalry reserve, their warhorses snorting, ready to charge at any moment and cut down any Jurchen soldiers attempting to break through.

Despite the biting wind and snow and the unbearable cold, not a single person wavered.

This team, under Sun Chengzong's training, had already developed an iron discipline.

of course
Today's encirclement of Nurhaci was truly unexpected.

after all.

According to Sun Chengzong's initial plan, after capturing Tumuhe Village, he intended to remain inactive and wait for Xiong Tingbi's signal.

However, as the battle in the Red River Valley became deadlocked, he realized that "passive restraint" was no longer enough to affect the outcome of the battle, so he took the initiative to attack and led his army to successively capture the Jiannu's strongholds such as Xinzhai, Wanghongmu Village, and Wuling Pass.

These strongholds were the outer defenses of Hetu Ala; taking them would be tantamount to tearing open the defensive perimeter of the Jurchen stronghold.

A few days ago, Sun Chengzong led his army directly to the walls of Hetu Ala and launched a siege.

However, Amin was still stationed in Hetu Ala, along with two thousand elite troops and several thousand elderly and weak soldiers. This force was more than enough to defend Hetu Ala.

After several days of continuous attacks, Sun Chengzong was unable to capture Hetu Ala and worried that the main force of the Jurchens would return to besiege it, so he withdrew his troops.

Unexpectedly, this decision led him to stumble upon a "big fish".

During the retreat, a message suddenly came back from the scouts sent out by Sun Chengzong:

On the mountain path on the east side of the dense forest, traces of a large group of Jurchen cavalry were discovered.

According to the scouts, this Jurchen army was large in number but disorganized in formation. The soldiers all looked exhausted, and their warhorses were barely breathing, clearly indicating that they had been through a long raid and fierce battle.

"It must have been Xiong Tingbi who defeated Nurhaci in the Red River Valley! These are the defeated Jurchen troops!"

Sun Chengzong made a decision instantly.

Therefore, the Liaodong governor immediately adjusted his deployment, ordering his infantry to quickly seize the narrow mountain path at the end of the dense forest and build defensive fortifications.

The arquebusiers lay in ambush on the hillsides on both sides, using the trees for cover.

An encirclement of the fleeing Jurchen troops was quietly taking shape.

At this moment, they are surrounded.

Nurhaci reined in his warhorse, his gaze sweeping over the ancient trees covered in snow. It seemed as if Ming soldiers were hiding under every tree. This invisible sense of encirclement made this warlord, who had dominated Liaodong for decades, feel helpless and bewildered for the first time.

The scouts that were just sent out have begun to bring back news.

The mountain path to the east was blocked by the Ming army's palisades and musketeers, and the reflection of the stirrups of the Ming cavalry could be vaguely seen in the river valley to the west. Even the northern hillside, which he initially thought he could detour around, was blocked by heavily armored infantry.

The only way out was to retreat back to the Red River Valley.

But the area is now teeming with Chen Ce's pursuers and the cavalry of the Khorchin tribe; to go back would be to walk into a trap.

“Sun Chengzong…Ming army in Liaoyang…”

Nurhaci murmured the two names, his teeth grinding together. The pain in his chest returned, and he couldn't help but bend over and cough violently.

The scout was right. What stopped him was not the reinforcements from Shenyang, but the Ming army detachment in Liaoyang that he had initially considered "insignificant".

The army that he thought was a waste to even glance at when they captured Tumuhe Village has now become a demon seeking his life!
"Sweat!"

Hu Erhan rode forward, somewhat flustered.

But at this moment, he knew he couldn't say anything discouraging, so he rallied his spirits and said:
"Although the Ming army has laid an encirclement, we still have more than 10,000 men! As long as we concentrate our forces and launch a fierce attack on the mountain road to the east, we may be able to break through!"
"The Great Khan has forgotten that the Second Prince's troops are still inside Hetu Ala. Once we start the battle, the Second Prince will definitely lead his army out of the city to attack from both sides. With this coordinated attack from within and without, we might even be able to turn the tide and achieve a great victory against the Ming army!"

As he spoke, he pointed eastward, as if he could already see the Second Prince leading his troops to the rescue.

Nurhaci simply raised his head slowly, his gaze passing over Huerhan and landing on the Eight Banners soldiers behind him.

Most of these people were sitting crookedly on the snow, some leaning against tree trunks, nodding off.

Even the shouts of the scouts around them couldn't make them open their eyes.

Some were clinging to the horse's neck, their fingers frozen purple, barely able to hold onto the reins.

Some wounded soldiers lay in the snow, the blood seeping from their wounds already frozen solid, yet they didn't even have the strength to groan.

Thick frost covered their armor, their warhorses hung their heads, the white breaths coming out of their nostrils grew weaker and weaker, their hooves staggered in the snow, and they were even unsteady on their feet.

"It's been three days and three nights..."

Nurhaci's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, and his eyes were filled with sorrow.

"They haven't slept for three days and three nights, and haven't had a hot meal."

He raised his hand and pointed to the sleeping soldiers.

“Look at them, they can fall asleep the moment they collapse. How can such an exhausted army break through the Ming army’s encirclement?”

Hu Erhan's face turned deathly pale instantly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that all the words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Just then, another scout came galloping from the rear of the column.

His warhorse, foaming at the mouth, collapsed as soon as it reached Nurhaci. The scout also fell into the snow, struggling to his feet, his voice filled with panic.

"Great Khan! The Ming army's pursuers... are catching up from behind! And the Mongols from the Khorchin tribe will be there in another hour or two!"

"boom!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt through the ranks.

The soldier, who had been asleep, suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with fear; Huerhan swayed and almost fell off his horse.

Ahead lay Sun Chengzong's Ming army ambush in Liaoyang, behind them were Chen Ce's pursuing cavalry and the Mongol cavalry of the Khorchin tribe, and they themselves were an exhausted army that had not rested for three days and three nights and was even struggling to hold their swords.

Nurhaci closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the cold air tinged with the smell of blood, and when he opened his eyes again, all that remained was a deathly despair.

My current situation can be described in eight words:

There is no way to heaven and no way to earth.

but.
Just give up?
Do not!
This is not something I, Nurhaci, would do!

The cold wind in the dense forest was still biting, but the despair in Nurhaci's eyes melted away quickly, like snow being burned by a raging fire.

He was Nurhaci, the wise Khan who unified the Jurchens and established the Great Jin Dynasty, not a coward who could only lament in desperate situations!

Having traversed Liaodong for decades, he had experienced far more perilous situations than this:
The desperate gamble when the thirteen suits of armor were raised, the four-pronged encirclement during the Battle of Sarhu—each time, wasn't it a path to survival fought out of dire straits?

"Despair is useless!"

"The more desperate the situation, the more we must fight! Only by fighting can we carve out a way to survive!"

He reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping over the generals, and said decisively, "Give the order! Abandon all baggage. Only take weapons and warhorses! Wounded soldiers, hide where you are. Those who can walk, follow. Those who cannot... take care!"

When he said "take care of yourselves," his voice paused slightly, and a hint of reluctance flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a resolute tone.

This is an extremely critical moment, and there is no room for sentimentality.

"I, the Khan, will personally lead all the cavalry to break through to the north!"

"The scouts just reported that the Ming army to the north has the fewest troops and the weakest defenses, making it our only chance!"

"As for the rest of the infantry, break out towards Hetu Ala! What you need to do is draw the main force of the Ming army and buy time for our cavalry."

"As long as I can break through the encirclement, I will definitely send someone back to rescue you!"

It's a big gamble.

The infantry sacrificed themselves to save the cavalry.

No one present raised any objection.

Those Eight Banner soldiers who were originally slumped on the snow struggled to their feet upon hearing Nurhaci's order. Some leaned on tree trunks, while others helped each other up. The weariness in their eyes was gradually replaced by a fierce determination.

They were the Eight Banners descendants who rose from humble beginnings following Nurhaci, and their indomitable spirit was etched into their very bones.

No matter how tired we are, we must protect Da Han with our lives!

"As the Khan commands!"

The crowd roared.

Looking at the scene before him, Nurhaci felt a complex mix of emotions.

He reined in his horse, his gaze slowly sweeping over his old ministers, including Hu Erhan and He Heli, who had followed him for decades. His voice softened, tinged with a hint of reminiscence:

"Seeing you reminds me of the past. Back then, I started an army with only thirteen suits of armor and a few of you by my side. We didn't even have a stable territory."

But with sheer determination, we first unified the Jianzhou Jurchens, then conquered the Hada, Huifa, and Ula tribes of Haixi, and even the various tribes of the Donghai Jurchens submitted to us…”

Looking back, those were truly glorious years.

A smile unconsciously appeared on Nurhaci's face.

"Later, we established the Eight Banners, and my brothers elected me as Shule Beile, and I became the Khan of Kundulun."

In the first year of the Tianming era, we formally established the Great Jin Dynasty, and I, the Khan, will be known as the Wise Khan. The good days for our Jurchen people are finally about to begin.

"In the third year of Tianming, the Khan swore an oath with the Seven Grievances to attack the Ming Dynasty, and captured Fushun and Qinghe. The Ming army fled at the mere sight of him."

In the fourth year of the Tianming era, at the Battle of Sarhu, we defeated the Ming army's four-pronged attack, leaving their corpses strewn across the battlefield. Then we captured Kaiyuan and Tieling, destroyed the Haixi Yehe, and completely unified the Jurchens..."

"That vibrant scene, where all things flourish, is still vivid in my mind."

At this point, Nurhaci's voice was full of pride, and his eyes gleamed, as if he had returned to that era of war and high spirits.

"These great achievements are not the work of this Khan alone, but the result of the hard work of all of us, fighting with every single sword and spear."

But then, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, and his voice became heavy.

"But the situation in Liaodong changed after the Tianqi Emperor of the Ming Dynasty ascended the throne."

Xiong Tingbi, Sun Chengzong, Chen Ce...

The Ming Dynasty has awakened, their generals are becoming increasingly difficult to deal with, and our days are getting harder and harder. "But remember this!"

Nurhaci suddenly raised his voice.

"Although the Ming Dynasty is strong, it cannot withstand a prolonged war in Liaodong! They are riddled with internal conflicts. As long as we can weather this storm, when their internal and external troubles erupt, it will be time for our Great Jin to rise again!"

Immediately afterwards, he took a deep breath and said, "Furthermore, from this day forward, I hereby declare that the Fourth Prince Huang Taiji is hereby appointed as the Crown Prince of the Great Jin! After my death, Huang Taiji will inherit the throne of the Great Jin, lead the Eight Banners, and continue the legacy of our Jurchen people!"

"what?!"

The generals were immediately shocked and looked up at Nurhaci.

What shocked them was not that Huang Taiji had been made crown prince.

Huang Taiji was a highly decorated military leader with great prestige, and was a strong contender for the Khanate.

It was quite normal to make Mangultai the crown prince after Daišan's death, when his fate was unknown.

What shocked them was Nurhaci's tone.

The tone was as if he were giving his last instructions.

"Great Khan! You are blessed with good fortune and will surely break through the encirclement and return safely to Hetu Ala!"

Hu Erhan couldn't help but speak, his voice choked with emotion.

"Great Khan, you haven't even seen the Great Jin unify Liaodong yet, how can you say such things?"

Nurhaci slowly shook his head, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes:
"On the battlefield, life and death are in the hands of fate. All I can do is choose a good successor for the Great Jin Dynasty so that our legacy can be passed down."

"Alright, enough talk! Cavalry, follow me north, infantry, head towards Hetu Ala, let's... charge out!"

Nurhaci stood before his horse, entrusted his last task to everyone, and then had no more worries.

He took out the silver bottle from his pocket, which had been warmed by his body heat, uncorked it, and drank the remaining mixture of century-old sea cucumber syrup and deer blood in one gulp.

The warm liquid slid down his throat, but it stirred up a searing pain in his chest. A mouthful of bloody sweetness welled up in his throat, and he clenched his teeth tightly to swallow it back.

"Cough cough..."

He coughed twice and raised his hand, trembling, to grasp the reins.

Those hands, which had gripped the hilt of a knife countless times and commanded countless victories, were now trembling with weakness.

But his eyes were very sharp, like a lone wolf about to pounce on its prey.

"rush!"

A low shout came from Nurhaci's throat.

He brandished his sword, and the Eight Banners infantry, already fully armed and ready, surged towards Hetu Ala like a flood bursting its banks.

Knowing full well that they were "bait" to lure the main force of the Ming army, not one of them retreated. They charged forward with their spears, roaring as they rushed into the Ming army's formation.

As expected, the Ming army was drawn to this infantry force. Many musketeers and infantrymen who were originally stationed on the north side turned around and headed towards the infantry to block them.

Suddenly, the forest path was filled with the sounds of dense musket fire and fighting. The screams of the Eight Banners infantrymen and the shouts of the Ming army mingled together. Blood was instantly splattered on the snow, which was quickly covered by new snow, leaving only dark red marks.

"It's now!"

Nurhaci's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he suddenly spurred his horse.

"Personnel follow me, let's break through to the north!"

The thousands of Manchu cavalry behind him were the most elite warriors of the Manchu Banners. Although they had not rested for three days and three nights and their eyes were bloodshot, they unleashed their final ferocity the moment they heard the order.

Arrows rained down on the Ming army's lines like locusts, and many Ming soldiers fell to the ground, causing brief chaos in the defenses.

After they ran out of arrows, the personal cavalrymen abandoned their bows and arrows and spurred their horses to charge towards the Ming army's shield wagons and barricades.

Some soldiers even leaped off their horses and rammed their bodies into the shield carts, their scimitars slashing wildly at the ropes of the barricades. The sound of flesh and wood colliding was terrifying.

"Kill! Don't let them charge!"

The Ming generals shouted loudly, directing their heavily armored infantry to use their spears to kill the Jurchen cavalrymen who were charging forward.

Many Jurchen cavalrymen, along with their horses, were pierced by spears and fell to the ground in the snow, but the cavalrymen behind them continued to charge forward, stepping over the corpses of their comrades.

"boom!"

With a loud crash, a shield carriage was simultaneously struck by several warhorses, and a path was actually forced open.

A glint of wild joy flashed in Nurhaci's eyes. He immediately spurred his horse forward and, with a swift stroke of his sword, cut down two Ming soldiers who were trying to seal the gap.

Seeing this, the personal guards behind him rushed in one after another, and the originally tight Ming army defense line was torn open by this fearless charge!
"Quick! Get out of there!"

Nurhaci roared and spurred his horse toward the crevice. Once he broke through the dense forest, there would be open space ahead, and perhaps there would still be a glimmer of hope.

Just then, two figures suddenly rushed out from the side of the dense forest, followed by hundreds of elite guards clad in heavy black iron armor. Like two black lightning bolts, they blocked Nurhaci's path.

The two leaders, one wielding a long-handled broadsword and the other carrying a tiger-headed golden spear, had their breastplates gleaming coldly in the dim forest light.

It was none other than General Zhu Wanliang and Jiang Bi, who were sent to aid Liaoning!

"Jian barbarians! You want to leave? You'll have to ask your Grandpa Zhu's big sword first!"

Zhu Wanliang roared angrily.

He spurred his horse forward, his long-handled broadsword flashing in the air, the blade whistling as he slashed straight at Nurhaci.

Even before the blade touched him, the menacing killing intent made the surrounding Jurchen cavalrymen tense up.

"Protect the Khan!"

Hu Erhan roared and spurred his horse forward, his scimitar firmly blocking Zhu Wanliang's broadsword.

With a sharp clang, sparks flew, and Hu Erhan's arm went numb from the shock, causing him and his horse to stagger back half a step.

Yet he still stood firmly in front of Nurhaci, his eyes fierce like those of a trapped beast.

The people behind me are the sky of the Great Jin Dynasty; they must not be harmed.

"The Khan?"

Upon hearing those two words, Zhu Wanliang abruptly stopped his chopping motion, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes before erupting in ecstatic joy.

He originally thought that the defeated soldiers were at most a Taiji or Beile of the Jurchens, but he never expected that it would be Nurhaci himself!

This is the head that the imperial court has offered a reward of 10,000 gold pieces for, a tremendous achievement that would earn him a title and a high rank!
"Hahaha! Nurhaci! So it was you!"

Zhu Wanliang's eyes instantly turned red, blood vessels filled the whites of his eyes, and he gripped the broadsword in his hand even tighter.

"Today is your death day! Take your head and I, Zhu Wanliang, will gain immense wealth!"

On the other side, Jiang Bi also reacted, twirling his tiger-headed golden spear in his hand, the tip pointing directly at Nurhaci's chest, his tone as cold as frost:

"You traitorous chieftain! You slaughtered the people of my Great Ming Dynasty and captured my cities in Liaodong. Today you have finally fallen into our hands! Obey your fate and we will at least leave you with a whole corpse!"

The two men, one on the left and one on the right, approached Nurhaci like two sharp knives.

The hundreds of guards behind them, all battle-hardened elites, quickly formed a dense formation, spears like a forest, bows and arrows nocked, tightly surrounding Nurhaci and the remaining dozens of his personal cavalry.

Although the Jurchen cavalry tried to rush up to provide cover, they were held back by the spears of the Ming soldiers' household guards. Every step forward cost them blood, and they could not get even half a step closer to Nurhaci.

Nurhaci reined in his warhorse, a sharp pain in his chest washing over him like a tidal wave. The ginseng and deer blood he had just drunk had long since lost its last bit of effectiveness, and his limbs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

He looked at the murderous Zhu Wanliang and Jiang Bi in front of him, and then at the fallen corpses of his personal guards around him, his pupils suddenly contracting.

pity!

hateful!

His carefully planned breakout had backfired at the hands of these two Ming generals.

But he was, after all, a powerful figure who had dominated Liaodong for decades, and even in dire straits, the ruthlessness in his bones had not dissipated.

"You want my head?"

Nurhaci's voice was hoarse but carried a hint of defiant resentment as he suddenly raised his sword.

"Then it depends on whether you have the ability!"

Before he finished speaking, Nurhaci suddenly spurred his horse forward and charged at Zhu Wanliang with all his might.

The knife traced an arc in the air, aimed directly at Zhu Wanliang's throat.

This was his final counterattack, the last vestige of a ruthless hero's dignity.

Upon seeing this, a hint of disdain flashed in Zhu Wanliang's eyes.

He dodged Shun Dao by sidestepping, and with his long-handled broadsword like a viper spitting its tongue, he slashed fiercely at Nurhaci's chest while Nurhaci's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen.

"Pfft!"

The sound of the blade piercing flesh was clearly audible, and blood gushed out from Nurhaci's left shoulder like a fountain, staining his sable coat and the warhorse beneath him.

Zhu Wanliang's strike severed half of his shoulder along with his scapula. The bone fragments mixed with flesh and blood fell onto the snow and were instantly soaked by the snow.

"Sweat!"

Hu Erhan's eyes were bloodshot and his gaze was filled with rage. He roared as he broke free from the Ming soldiers in front of him, wildly swinging his scimitar as he charged toward Zhu Wanliang.

Before he could get close, Jiang Bi's tiger-headed golden spear had already pierced his abdomen, the tip of the spear protruding from his back, carrying hot blood.

Huerhan turned his head with difficulty, his gaze falling on Nurhaci, his eyes filled with despair and resentment, before finally falling heavily to the snow and dying without a sound.

At that moment, Nurhaci was slowly sliding off his horse.

His left hand hung limply at his sides, blood continued to gush from the wound on his shoulder, the color drained from his face at a visible speed, and the light in his eyes grew increasingly dim.

The life force that sustained him was finally and completely exhausted by Zhu Wanliang's knife.

As he gazed at the falling snowflakes, memories flashed through his mind of the initial aspirations of raising an army with thirteen suits of armor, the glory of the Battle of Sarhu, and the high spirits he felt when he founded the Great Jin Dynasty…

Finally, all the images froze in the direction of Hetu Ala, and with a hint of regret for not being able to complete the great task, he slowly closed his eyes.

"Boom~"

Nurhaci's body fell onto the snow, and the knife slipped from his hand and stuck into the snow.

The sounds of fighting around them seemed to freeze instantly, with only the low whistling of the cold wind.

Nurhaci, the brilliant Khan of the Great Jin Dynasty and a powerful and ruthless leader, finally passed away in the dense forest outside Hetu Ala, ending his magnificent life.

The History of Ming records:

In the winter of the tenth month of the first year of the Tianqi reign (1621), Zhu Wanliang, the general who was sent to aid Liaodong, led his elite cavalry straight into the enemy's formation, brandishing his sword and killing the bandit chieftain Nurhaci amidst the chaos of battle!
ps:
6400 big chapters!

Besides, wasn't that a clean and satisfying piece of writing?
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(End of this chapter)