Huangming

Chapter 378 Slaying the Chieftain and Retrieving the Corpse, A Blood Feud

The moment Nurhaci's body crashed heavily onto the snow, the air in the dense forest seemed to ignite.

The remaining elite Eight Banners troops were initially silent, then erupted into roars like a pack of beasts.

Their eyes were red, bloodstains on their armor mingled with snowflakes, and they raised their swords high as they charged madly toward Zhu Wanliang.

"Avenge the Great Khan!"

"Kill these Ming dogs!"

"Charge! Kill!"

The roars were deafening. The Eight Banners cavalry were like an out-of-control torrent, ignoring the spears and arrows of the Ming army. Even if their bodies were pierced, they would use their last bit of strength to slash at the Ming army's formation with their swords.

A young Manchu soldier, his abdomen pierced by a spear, clung tightly to the spear shaft, dragging his mangled body toward Zhu Wanliang, his eyes filled with mad hatred.

Some cavalrymen charged towards the Ming army's shield wall, using the corpses of their horses to create gaps and pave the way for their comrades behind them.

Zhu Wanliang was initially able to maintain his composure. He wielded a long-handled broadsword, and each swing of it took the life of an Eight Banners soldier. His armor was splattered with blood, yet he remained steadfast at the front of the battle.

His retainers were all elites, forming a tight shield formation, with spears thrusting out from the gaps in the shields, repeatedly blocking the Eight Banners soldiers' charges.

As time went on, more and more Eight Banners cavalrymen rushed out from the gaps in the northern encirclement, densely crowding the forest road. A rough count revealed that there were as many as several thousand of them.

These were Nurhaci's personal guards and the core elite of the Eight Banners, who, in their desire for revenge, had long since disregarded their own lives.

Cold sweat gradually beaded on Zhu Wanliang's forehead; he was acutely aware of his current predicament.
Sun Chengzong brought a total of no more than 10,000 Ming troops from Liaoyang. They had already lost nearly 20% of their forces when they attacked and captured strongholds such as Xinzhai and Wanghongmu Village on the outskirts of Hetu Ala.

Now, the troops need to be divided to maintain the encirclement of the fleeing Jurchen troops, defending the west side against the fleeing Jurchen troops and blocking the reinforcements from Hetu Ala on the east side. The troops assigned to him are less than two thousand men at most.

Two thousand against several thousand, and facing such a frenzied counterattack, even the most elite servants were gradually finding it difficult to continue.

It didn't take long.

Zhu Wanliang's shield formation was already slightly shaken by the impact, and the number of casualties was constantly increasing.

"Commander, if this continues, our formation will be broken!"

A captain of the guards shouted that he had been shot in the left shoulder with an arrow, and blood was streaming down his armor.

Zhu Wanliang gripped the knife hilt tightly.

He quickly calculated in his mind: Nurhaci is dead, the biggest goal has been achieved, there is no need to fight these crazy Eight Banner soldiers anymore. Preserve our strength, entangle them as much as possible, and wait for reinforcements to arrive before we can completely wipe out this defeated army.

Otherwise, if they engage in a direct confrontation, they might all die here.

"Order! Tighten formation and temporarily avoid the enemy's advance!"

Thinking of this, Zhu Wanliang shouted the order: "Shield bearers in front, spearmen on the flanks, musketeers firing alternately, don't let them get close easily!"

The Ming army quickly adjusted its formation, shifting from an offensive posture to a defensive one. The shield wall tightened, and the musketeers fired a volley every few moments. The lead bullets exploded among the Eight Banner soldiers, and as one group fell, another rushed forward. The corpses on the snow quickly piled up into a small mountain.

After charging for a while, the Eight Banners cavalry realized they couldn't break through and had suffered heavy losses. They came to their senses and, not wanting to waste their lives there, decided to retreat.

but.
How can we let them get away?

Zhu Wanliang stood firmly in the center of the formation, then suddenly shouted, "I, Zhu Wanliang, killed Nurhaci! You want revenge? Come on! I'm right here, let's see if you have the ability to take my head!"

His voice was loud and clear, penetrating the sounds of battle and reaching the ears of every Manchu soldier.

These words immediately reignited the anger of these Eight Banner soldiers.

"Damn Ming dogs!"

"Avenge the Great Khan!"

"loyalty!"

At first, many Manchu soldiers rushed toward him with red eyes, shouting vulgar Jurchen language.

Zhu Wanliang was prepared. Whenever someone approached, two servants would come forward to assist, while he would seize the opportunity and swipe his broadsword to cut down the most aggressive Eight Banner soldier.

The shield formation, combined with spears and muskets, rendered the Jurchens' charges completely ineffective.

After several attempts, no one dared to charge alone again.

Just then, a deep command suddenly came from the crowd.

It’s He Heli!

This veteran minister, who had followed Nurhaci for decades, was now riding a horse, waving his command flag, his voice filled with suppressed grief and indignation:
"Don't get entangled with them! Retrieve the Khan's body and retreat to Hetu Ala!"

The Eight Banner soldiers were taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was happening.

Their primary objective on this journey was no longer revenge, but to bring the Khan's body back to Hetu Ala.

If the Great Khan's body were to fall into the hands of the Ming army, it would not only be a great disgrace to the Jin Dynasty, but would also shake the morale of the army.

Several Manchu guards immediately spurred their horses toward Nurhaci's body, bent down and hoisted him onto their horses, while the rest formed a rearguard formation and retreated toward Hetu Ala.

"Kill them! Stop them!"

Upon seeing this, Zhu Wanliang immediately ordered a pursuit.

However, the rearguard of the Eight Banners soldiers was exceptionally tenacious. They held the Ming army's path and refused to retreat even if it meant dying in battle, thus buying time for the team carrying the corpses.

Before long, the Eight Banners soldiers disappeared into the depths of the dense forest, leaving behind only corpses and bloodstains.

Zhu Wanliang reined in his horse, gazing in the direction the Eight Banners soldiers had retreated, his eyes filled with regret.

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his face, thinking to himself:

If we delay for another incense stick's time, the reinforcements sent by Minister Sun to the east will arrive, and they will surely annihilate this defeated army, leaving not even Nurhaci's corpse behind.

But in the end, they still managed to get away.

Zhu Wanliang took a deep breath, turned around and ordered: "Take stock of the casualties, clean up the battlefield, and send someone to report to Minister Sun. Nurhaci has been killed, and the Jurchen troops have retreated with their corpses!"

The servants responded in unison and began to clean up the battlefield in an orderly manner.

And this moment.

The direction of Hetu Ala.

Sun Chengzong, wearing a black cloak, stood on a high slope, his sharp gaze sweeping over the Jurchen infantrymen in the encirclement.

That elite force that had followed Nurhaci in his campaigns across the north and south had long lost its former ferocity. Most of the soldiers walked unsteadily in the snow, some even unable to hold their scimitars properly, staggering like candles in the wind.

Some simply collapsed onto the snow, panting heavily, their eyes unfocused, too exhausted to even look up at the Ming soldiers.

"Minister, the encirclement can be tightened again!"

The adjutant rode up to Sun Chengzong and reported in a low voice.

Sun Chengzong nodded slightly and raised his hand to wave the command flag.

The Ming army's formation then slowly advanced, with the heavily armored infantry in the front row wielding long spears, forming a moving steel wall that gradually compressed the Jurchen infantry's space to maneuver.

The cavalry on both sides patrolled back and forth to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to break out.

But now, for these Jurchen infantrymen, the possibility of breaking out is almost zero.

after all.

The cavalry still had some mobility, but these exhausted infantrymen were already fish on the chopping block, and didn't even have the strength to run away.

As the encirclement tightened, Sun Chengzong finally gave the order: "Prepare the artillery, musket battalion, suppress the enemy, and rain down arrows!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three cannon shots pierced the sky, and the shells landed in the Jurchen infantry's formation, instantly creating a gap. Snow and gravel flew everywhere, and many soldiers fell to the ground in pools of blood.

Immediately afterwards, the musket battalion fired in unison, and lead bullets rained down like a storm, causing Jurchen infantry to fall in droves.

Finally, the archers drew their bows and unleashed a hail of arrows, sweeping away the remaining resistance fighters.

The losses of the Jurchen infantry increased exponentially, and despair spread through the ranks.

Finally, a Jurchen mele'ejen threw down his scimitar, knelt on the snow with a thud, and shouted:

"Stop fighting! We surrender!"

With the first one, there will be the second one.

More and more Jurchen infantrymen laid down their weapons, knelt on the snow, put their hands behind their heads, and looked humiliated and exhausted.

Looking at the scene before him, Sun Chengzong finally showed a hint of joy. He dismounted and said to his personal guards:
"Immediately clear the battlefield, count the prisoners, register the weapons, and send another team to guard the city of Hetu Ala to prevent the remaining troops inside the city from coming out to harass us!"

"As ordered!"

The guard bowed, accepted the order, and turned to leave.

The ambush ended not long after.

Those Jurchen infantrymen who stubbornly resisted were mostly reduced to corpses.

Those who remained alive were all prisoners.

The shouts of battle on the battlefield have gradually subsided.

"At least we've made some progress."

Sun Chengzong stood on the snow, watching the busy Ming soldiers, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Previously, he led his troops from Liaoyang, intending to cooperate with Xiong Tingbi to contain the Jurchen forces. However, after capturing strongholds such as Tumuhe Village and Xinzai Village, he never encountered the main force of the Jurchens. Even Hetu Ala was only besieged without attacking before the troops withdrew.

His soldiers were already somewhat discouraged. After all, the Ming army in the Shenyang direction had won one victory after another and received continuous rewards. The Ming army in Liaoyang was envious. If they returned empty-handed again this time, he, as the governor of Liaodong, would really have a hard time explaining to his soldiers.

Fortunately, they managed to rescue this defeated group of soldiers in the end, which at least gave them some credit.

But this joy didn't last long, because a series of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

Sun Chengzong looked up and saw a group of Ming cavalry galloping towards them. The general in the lead was covered in blood and his armor was covered with knife marks. It was Zhu Wanliang!
"Minister! Minister! This is fantastic news!"

Before Zhu Wanliang even got close, he shouted loudly, his voice trembling with excitement.

He dismounted, not even having time to remove his armor, and rushed to Sun Chengzong, kneeling on one knee, clasping his hands in a fist, his eyes filled with ecstatic joy:

"This humble general...this humble general has beheaded Nurhaci!"

"What did you say?"

Sun Chengzong froze, thinking he had misheard. He stepped forward, grabbed Zhu Wanliang's shoulders with both hands, and said urgently, "Say it again! Who did you kill?"

"Nurhaci!"

Zhu Wanliang said, enunciating each word clearly.

"The Jurchen troops that I intercepted in the dense forest just now were not led by any Beile or Taiji, but by Nurhaci, the Jurchen chieftain!"

I, your humble servant, and General Jiang led our troops to intercept them. In the midst of the melee, I struck him on the shoulder with my sword, and the bandit chieftain died on the spot!

Although his remaining troops managed to steal the body and escape, I, your humble servant, guarantee with my life that Nurhaci is absolutely dead!

Sun Chengzong's body jolted violently, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He stared into Zhu Wanliang's eyes, trying to find a trace of a joke, but all he saw was excitement and certainty.

Nurhaci!

That warlord who unified the Jurchens, established the puppet Jin dynasty, and defeated the Ming army at Sarhu, that bandit chieftain who caused the Ming dynasty to suffer repeated defeats in Liaodong, was actually beheaded by Zhu Wanliang?
"Zhu Shuai... are you telling the truth?"

Sun Chengzong's voice trembled slightly. He raised his hand and pressed it to his chest, feeling as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

This is no ordinary military achievement; it is a monumental victory that could change the course of the Liaodong campaign and shake the entire court! "Absolutely true!"

Zhu Wanliang hurriedly explained from the side: "At that time, the Tartars guarding Nurhaci were shouting 'Protect the Great Khan' when I confirmed that it was Nurhaci!"

The bandit leader's eyes went glazed over after being stabbed, and he collapsed onto the snow, bleeding profusely, motionless. He was definitely not going to survive!

Sun Chengzong took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with ecstasy.

He slapped Zhu Wanliang on the shoulder and shouted, "Good! Good! Good! Commander Zhu, you have performed a tremendous service! The imperial court will surely reward you handsomely! Our Liaoyang Ming army has finally been able to hold our heads high!"

Upon hearing this, the Ming generals and soldiers around them erupted in cheers, their previous fatigue and dejection vanishing instantly.

Sun Chengzong looked at the cheering soldiers, then at the direction of Hetu Ala, and straightened his back considerably.

With Nurhaci dead, the Jurchens were leaderless, and a struggle for the Khanate was inevitable. From this moment on, the war situation in Liaodong would completely turn in favor of the Ming Dynasty!

"Send the order!"

Sun Chengzong gave the order loudly, his excitement undisguised.

"Immediately send messengers at top speed to report the news of Nurhaci's execution to the court! Tell His Majesty this good news! At the same time, order men to strengthen vigilance, inventory the spoils of war and prisoners, and prepare to return to Liaoyang!"

"As ordered!"

The generals responded in unison, their voices echoing across the snowy plains.

however.

While the Ming soldiers in Liaoyang were busy counting the prisoners and spoils of war...

A Ming army troop arrived hastily.

It was Chen Ce's troops who had just rushed over from the Red River Valley.

The cavalry's armor was still covered with unmelted ice, and most of their warhorses were foaming at the mouth.

In pursuit of Nurhaci, his three thousand cavalrymen worked almost day and night, galloping for a hundred miles across the snowy plains.

Of the warhorses beneath him, few will survive this battle.

But Chen Ce couldn't control it anymore!

As long as Nurhaci can be killed, everything is negotiable.

But after galloping a hundred miles, the Jurchens didn't see them, but instead saw their own people?
Upon seeing these Ming soldiers from Liaoyang, Chen Ce felt a sense of foreboding.

"Where is Nurhaci?" he asked anxiously.

A squad leader who was cleaning up the battlefield glanced at Chen Ce, then at the large banner behind him, and immediately said respectfully, "Reporting to the General, Nurhaci has been beheaded by Commander Zhu."

what?
Chen Ce was stunned.

The expression on his face was quite interesting.

He had finally driven the Jurchen main force into a desperate situation, but he never expected that the monumental achievement of "slaying Nurhaci in battle" would fall into the hands of Zhu Wanliang.

hateful!

Chen Ce felt very uncomfortable.

No matter how upset he was, Chen Ce had no choice but to accept the situation.

It's better to have the credit stolen than for the thief to escape.

Chen Ce kept reassuring himself to avoid getting so angry that he vomited blood.

It's just a little bit of credit!
no big deal.

They're all family.

Besides
He also wanted to thank the Ming army in Liaoyang.

If it weren't for them, Nurhaci would probably have fled back, and their contribution to this battle would have been greatly diminished.

But the more Chen Ce thought about it, the tighter his fists clenched and the redder his eyes became.

Damn it!
This is the execution of the bandit chieftain!
That's the greatest achievement!

That's a good deal for Zhu Wanliang.

I, Chen Ce, will never be able to swallow this anger until I give him a good beating!

With mixed feelings, Chen Ce rode his horse to the main tent of the central army.

"I am Chen Ce. Is Minister Sun in the tent?"

Chen Ce reined in his horse and asked the guards outside the tent with a hint of fierceness.

"Commander Chen, the minister is inside."

The guard immediately replied.

"Please convey this message," Chen Ce said coldly.

"I'll go and inform them right away."

Seeing that Chen Ce was angry, the guards lowered their voices considerably.

Soon, the guards came out again.

"Please bring the commander-in-chief into the tent!"

After receiving an affirmative reply, Chen Ce dismounted and strode into the central command tent.

The tent was warm and cozy. Sun Chengzong was standing in front of the map, his finger sliding along the route between Hetu Ala and Liaoyang. Several adjutants were gathered around him, discussing the military withdrawal in hushed tones.

"This humble general, Chen Ce, pays his respects to Minister Sun!"

Chen Ce bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Oh? Commander Chen, please rise quickly."

Sun Chengzong stepped forward, helped Chen Ce up, patted him on the shoulder, and said with emotion:

"Commander Chen, you've worked hard. If it weren't for your brilliant victory on the front lines, we wouldn't have achieved such merit. We owe you all the credit!"

After hearing this, Chen Ce's resentment dissipated considerably.

"It's all just to be loyal to His Majesty."

After a few polite words, Chen Ce immediately got straight to the point.

"My lord, now that Nurhaci is dead and the Jurchens are leaderless, it is the perfect time to conquer Hetu Ala and completely annihilate them! But I see that the army is preparing to break camp. Why withdraw now?"

Sun Chengzong turned around and saw Chen Ce's reddened eyes and tense jaw. He knew that Chen Ce was angry and understood his resentment.

He gestured for everyone to leave, leaving only Chen Ce, before slowly speaking:
“Marshal Chen, I know you want to press your advantage and I understand that you want to achieve even greater merit. But you can’t fight a war based on impulse; you have to weigh the pros and cons.”

He walked to the map, pressed his finger heavily on the location of Hetu Ala, and said:
"Hetu Ala is the old lair of the Jurchens, which they have built up over many years. The city is high and deep, with a moat outside."

Although the area was frozen in winter, the Jurchens chiseled out icicles, making it difficult for their cavalry to approach.

There are still more than 5,000 garrison troops in the city, mostly veterans of the Eight Banners. Although they may not be elite, they are familiar with the terrain and are more than capable of holding out for reinforcements.

Moreover, many defeated soldiers fled into the area, making the defending forces quite formidable.

If we were to launch a forced siege, it would take anywhere from three to five days, or even more than ten days, before we could take it.

Chen Ce frowned and retorted, "But Nurhaci is dead, and the morale of the defenders in the city must be low! If we take advantage of this and launch a fierce attack, we might just be able to take the city in one fell swoop!"

"The morale is indeed low, but our soldiers can't hold on any longer either."

Sun Chengzong shook his head and looked outside the tent.

"Chen Shuai, look back at the cavalry behind you. They have been running day and night, and the ice on their armor is so thick that you can scrape off a layer. Their warhorses are foaming at the mouth, and many soldiers have frostbite on their hands and faces. They are so weak that they can barely hold their swords."

Our Ming army in Liaoyang was in no better shape. After capturing several fortresses and setting up an encirclement, our soldiers were already exhausted.

If we launch a forced attack now, and the siege drags on without success, the soldiers' morale will plummet, and they are highly likely to collapse.

He paused, his tone growing increasingly serious:
"More importantly, news has just come from Uiju. Huang Taiji has withdrawn his troops from Korea and is leading a large army to reinforce Liaodong. He will arrive in Hetu Ala in three to five days."

"If we fail to breach the city before his return, we will be attacked from both sides, with Huang Taiji's reinforcements on the outside and Hetu Ala's garrison on the inside. With our limited forces, we fear we will be completely annihilated on this snowy plain."

Chen Ce's body stiffened abruptly. He had indeed not considered Huang Taiji's speed of return and had also overlooked the soldiers' fatigue.

Just now, my mind was full of the achievement of "conquering Hetu Ala", and I forgot about the danger of the battle.

Seeing the softening look on Chen's face, Sun Chengzong softened his tone: "Commander Chen, we have already won. We have killed Nurhaci in battle, killed tens of thousands of enemies, captured thousands of Jurchen prisoners, and will soon complete our predetermined objectives of recovering Fushun, Kaiyuan, and Tieling."

It even exceeded the original target.

These victories were enough to shake the court and the public, and enough to severely damage the Jurchens' strength.

As for Hetu Ala, after we withdraw to Liaoyang, consolidate our gains, and allow our elite troops to rest and recuperate, we can regroup our forces in the spring. At that time, the struggle for the Khanate among the Jurchens will be unresolved, and they will be in internal turmoil. Wouldn't it be safer for us to capture the city in one fell swoop then?

Chen Ce remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slowly.

He knew Sun Chengzong was right; he had been blinded by the thought of "making meritorious contributions" and had ignored the real risks.

“What you say is absolutely right, sir. It was my oversight that led me to fail to consider this matter.”

Seeing that he had figured it out, Sun Chengzong continued to soothe his emotions, smiling and saying, "The court will not forget General Chen's contributions in the Red River Valley. Take a good rest, and there will be plenty of opportunities to make contributions in the future."

Even though he was extremely unwilling, Chen Ce had no choice but to say, "Yes, sir!"

The following morning, the bugle call to retreat sounded in the Ming army camp.

Ming soldiers escorted thousands of Jurchen prisoners, carrying captured weapons and provisions, and slowly made their way toward Fushun.

The line was long but orderly, though the soldiers looked tired and less excited than yesterday.

The hardship of continuous combat ultimately outweighed the joy of victory.

Inside Hetu Ala, Amin stood atop the city wall, watching the retreating Ming army with a complex expression.

He did not order a pursuit.

Amin had his reasons for not pursuing them.

Firstly, the morale of the garrison in the city was low. After news of Nurhaci's death spread, many soldiers showed fear and had no will to fight.

Secondly, he was unaware of the true strength of the Ming army and feared being ambushed.

Thirdly, he was still waiting for Huang Taiji's reinforcements.

Only with Huang Taiji's return can the situation be stabilized.

"Your Highness, the Ming army has already gone far away, should we..." the adjutant beside him asked cautiously.

Amin shook his head, his voice low: "No need to pursue. Send the order to close the city gates tightly and strengthen defenses. We'll talk about it again when the Fourth Prince returns."

Daishan died in battle, and the fate of Mangultai is unknown.
The only one who can lead Dajin forward now is Huang Taiji!
The blood feud of today can only be avenged by Huang Taiji!

Amin clenched her fists so tightly that her nails pierced her palms, drawing blood without her even noticing.

"Xiong Tingbi, Sun Chengzong, Chen Ce, Zhu Wanliang"

"Just wait for me!"

"My Great Jin will definitely avenge this blood feud!"

(End of this chapter)