Huangming

Chapter 420 Bloody Battle Breaks Through the City, Bandit Chief Loses His Army
Xiong Tingbi is a patient hunter.

The city was besieged for ten days.

During the ten-day siege, deserters began to appear in Hetu Ala.

Even though Huang Taiji's supervisory team patrolled day and night and implemented a strict system of collective punishment, some daring and reckless individuals still managed to escape from Hetu Ala in gondolas during gaps in their ranks and flee to the Ming army.

now.

Ming army camp.

The Chinese military tent.

The tent flap was gently lifted by the guards, and a figure staggered in and was pushed in. He knelt down with a thud, his tattered Han army uniform stained with mud and blood, his hair tangled like straw, and he didn't dare to lift his head.

This was the highest-ranking deserter in the past three days; he was originally a "boshiku" (a minor official in charge of ten men) of the Han army banner in the outer city.

Last night, taking advantage of the shift change by the supervisory team, he grabbed the straw rope hanging from the city wall and slid down, breaking his left leg, but still desperately crawled towards the Ming camp.

"Keep your head up."

Xiong Tingbi's voice was not loud, but it carried a penetrating authority.

The surrendered soldier trembled, slowly raised his head, revealing a sallow face with a scar below his left eye. His eyes were filled with fear and pleading, and his lips trembled.

"Your servant... I, Li San, kowtow to the General... I beg the General to spare my life!"

Whether I spare you or not depends on whether you tell the truth.

Xiong Tingbi asked:
"What is the current situation in Hetu Ala? How many more days will their food supplies last?"

Li San swallowed hard, his voice still trembling:

"Reporting to...Reporting to the General, the city is already in chaos!"
The outer city is inhabited by our Han soldiers and newly arrived Mongols. For the past ten days, we haven't even had enough to eat.

The granary was under close surveillance by the Eight Banners soldiers, and we Han soldiers were only given a small handful of fried rice each day, mixed with powder made from tree bark.

Most of those patrolling the city walls were boys of fifteen or sixteen, along with some veterans in their sixties, none of whom were fully equipped with armor…

Xiong Tingbi raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Young man? Veteran? What about Huang Taiji's elite Eight Banners troops?"
Where did Bayara and the White-Armored Soldiers go?
Are they all holed up inside the city, too afraid to come out?

"No...no!"

Li San waved his hand hurriedly, his voice suddenly rising and then quickly lowering.

"A few days ago, when I was delivering firewood to the inner city, I vaguely overheard the commanders of the Eight Banners chatting, saying... that the First Prince Amin and the Fourth Prince Ajige had already led their men out of the city!"

It seems they went towards Fushun, but I dared not ask what they were going to do, nor could I find out.

Those Manchu lords wouldn't even give our Han soldiers a second glance..."

Silence fell instantly inside the tent.

Xiong Tingbi stared at Li San's terrified face, his gaze sharp as a knife.

This information perfectly matched his assessment from three days prior:
Huang Taiji was indeed using the Empty City Stratagem!

Those left behind in the city were nothing more than the elderly, women, children, and Han soldiers with weak wills; the elite cavalry must have gone to harass the supply lines!
Although there are protective forts along the grain route from Fushun to Hetu Ala, Amin leads cavalry, which is highly mobile. If they manage to get around the protective forts and burn the grain carts, the supply of 100,000 troops will be cut off!

What a brilliant strategy of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao!
Xiong Tingbi sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, simply raising his hand slowly:

"If any of what you have said is false, this scripture will surely make you wish you were dead."

Li San was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the blue bricks with a loud "thud."
“Every word I have spoken is true! If there is any falsehood, I am willing to be executed by slow slicing! I beg the governor to believe me!”

"Get up."

Xiong Tingbi gestured for his personal guards to come forward.

"Give him ten taels of silver, take him downstairs to take a bath, change into clean clothes, and bring him two catties of cooked meat and a jar of wine."

He must have had some guts to have dared to escape from Hetu Ala.

Li San was stunned, seemingly unable to believe he was being treated this way. It wasn't until the guards lifted him up that he came to his senses. He tried to kowtow in gratitude, but the guards helped him back out, still calling out:

"Thank you for your great kindness, General Xie."

After Li San left, Xiong Tingbi gave instructions to the guards beside him:
"Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), let Li San eat and drink his fill, put on new clothes, and take him to the most conspicuous place under the city of Hetu Ala."

Find ten soldiers with loud voices and teach them three phrases.

The first sentence reads, "The Ming army rewarded the soldiers with ten taels of silver, and provided meat with every meal."

The second sentence reads, "Huang Taiji sent all his elite troops to their deaths, leaving only the old and weak in the city."

The third line reads, "Those who surrender will be granted land and exempted from taxes; those who resist will be executed when the city falls."

Let him shout towards the city wall until someone responds!

"In addition, order the Fushun Grain Protection Fort to increase cavalry patrols and add beacon firemen between each fort. Once Jurchen cavalry are spotted, immediately light a fire to send a message!"

Tell Commander Qi to move the artillery battalion to the flank of the supply route, ready to provide support at any time!

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

Xiong Tingbi sat back down at his desk and stared at the map before him in deep thought.

Huang Taiji wanted to cut off his supply lines, but he insisted on using Li San as a pawn to first disrupt the morale of Hetu Ala's army.

This siege was not just a contest of military strength, but also of the will of the people.

Once the Han soldiers and the elderly and weak in the city panic, Huang Taiji's empty city ploy will not last more than a few days.

but
If they simply stay encircling Hetu Ala, the Jurchen cavalry hiding in the mountains will never move.
They were like wolves eyeing their prey, waiting for the Ming army to reveal a weakness before pouncing, and that weakness could only be "attacking the city".

Only when the Ming army attacked the city did those Jurchens dare to harass the grain supply routes.

Thinking of this, Xiong Tingbi immediately called out to the outside of the tent:

"Guards, summon Chen Ce, He Shixian, Liu Xingzuo, and Li Hongji to the tent!"

"As ordered!"

Outside the tent, a personal guard received the order and left.

Before long, the tent flaps were lifted one after another, and the generals, covered in dust from their journey, entered one after another.

"Please sit down and speak."

Xiong Tingbi pointed to the wooden stool beside the table, and after everyone was seated, he slowly began to speak:
"Huang Taiji is guarding Hetu Ala and not coming out, not because he wants to fight us to the death, but because he is waiting for our supply lines to break down."

He hid his elite troops in the mountains, hoping we would launch a full-scale attack on the city so he could seize the opportunity to cut off our retreat.

Upon hearing this, the tent fell silent.

Chen Ce frowned.

“What the General says is true, but there isn’t even a proper road in Longgang Mountain, and the Jurchens are native to the area. We have no idea which valley they’re hiding in.”

A few days ago I sent scouts to search for three days, but they didn't even find a single hoofprint.

The mountains are high and the forests are deep; hiding thousands of people would be a piece of cake.

"If you can't find them, force them to come out on their own."

Xiong Tingbi said coldly, "We will begin the siege tomorrow. We will set up cannons at the outer city wall and make Huang Taiji think that we must break through the city. His hidden cavalry will surely come out to harass the supply lines and try to force us to retreat."

He Shixian's eyes lit up, and he suddenly slapped his thigh:
"Great idea! This is called luring the snake out of its hole! The more aggressively we attack, the more restless those Tartars will become."

If they saw Hetu Ala about to fall, would they just stand by and watch?

"General He is right, but we must also be wary of them playing tricks."

Liu Xingzuo suddenly spoke.

"The Jurchen cavalry are best at night raids. If we only send infantry to guard the supply lines, we may not be able to stop their charge."

Xiong Tingbi nodded, then turned his gaze to Liu Xingzuo: "Weilübo is right. You should lead your 7,000 cavalry, divide them into three teams, and ambush them along the three sections of the grain route from Fushun to Hetu Ala."

The section from Shenyangbao to Fushun, in particular, is densely forested and deep in the ravines, making it ideal for an ambush.

You are familiar with the Jurchens' harassment tactics; you dealt with them back in Kaiyuan. This time, you must block their retreat.

Liu Xingzuo immediately stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and the silver bell at his waist swayed gently.
"I will obey your orders!"

Then, Xiong Tingbi's gaze fell on Li Hongji.

This young general thwarted Huang Taiji last year; he's someone who dares to fight tough battles.

"Deputy General Li, you will lead three thousand infantrymen to guard the grain supply forts along the way."

Each fortress was to be reinforced with two hundred musketeers and three additional breech-loading cannons.

"If the Jurchens attack, you should first defend the fortress. Once they press their advantage, then join forces with Wilhelm's cavalry to launch a pincer attack."

Upon hearing this, Li Hongji's eyes lit up instantly.

"I will finally understand!"

Xiong Tingbi's gaze swept over Chen Ce and He Shixian.

"Commander Chen, Commander He, tomorrow's main attack direction is set at the west gate."

That was the defense zone of Tong Yangxing, a Han Chinese bannerman. He was known for his cowardice in battle, and his soldiers were mostly conscripted Han civilians; their morale was easily shaken.

He paused, then moved his fingertip to the southwest corner of the map.

“Look here, the outer city wall is only two zhang high, the lowest point in the whole city, and the foundation is mostly sandy soil, which cannot withstand repeated bombardment by cannons.”

Tomorrow morning, all two hundred breech-loading cannons will be moved to the west gate. We will first concentrate our firepower to blast down the southwest corner of the city wall, and then launch a fierce attack from the east, west, and north gates at the same time.

Ideally, the city should be captured in one battle. Even if that's not possible, the elite Tartar troops outside the city should be made to believe that "our army is attacking the city with all its might, leaving our rear vulnerable."

Chen Ce gripped the ring-pommel sword at his waist, his eyes burning with fighting spirit:

"Rest assured, General! The musketeers of Zhejiang under my command are ready. As soon as a breach is blown in the city wall, they will be the first to rush in!"

He Shixian patted his chest and replied, "Although the Shenyang soldiers are not as elite as the Zhejiang soldiers, they are still able to withstand a desperate battle!"
Tomorrow, I will lead the attack on the north gate, and I will not give the Tartars a chance to regroup!

"it is good!"

Xiong Tingbi nodded.

"Return to your camps and prepare. Tomorrow at dawn, the cannon will sound as a signal!"

"I will obey your orders!"

The generals all obeyed and dispersed.

The next day.

Before dawn, the morning star still hung atop Longgang Mountain.

Outside Hetu Ala, the Ming army's siege formation, under the last cover of night, quietly advanced towards the west gate.

Two hundred breech-loading cannons were pushed to their designated positions by cavalry and dozens of soldiers.

The musketeers lined up in three rows, with the butts of their muskets resting on their shoulders, their eyes fixed on the city wall.

The heavy infantry carried ladders and pushed battering rams, waiting behind the artillery positions.

"Load!"

The roar of Wang Polu, the commander of the artillery battalion, pierced the morning mist.

The gunners, shirtless with bulging veins on their dark arms, first wiped the gun barrels with burlap soaked in tung oil to prevent gunpowder residue from jamming.

Then, the heavy lead bullets and gunpowder wrapped in oil paper were stuffed into the muzzle of the cannon, and the wooden mallet was used to pound them down hard, making the ground tremble slightly with each blow.

The soldier holding the fire knelt on one knee, bringing the tinder close to the fuse without the slightest hesitation.

"put!"

With a roar from Wang Polu, two hundred cannons simultaneously spewed fire, the booming sound shaking the ground, and the smoke instantly engulfed the cannon array.

Lead bullets whistled as they slammed into the city wall, and stone chips rained down from the top of the wall like a storm. The once smooth surface was quickly riddled with deep craters, and the wooden palisade at the crenellations was shattered, with wood chips flying several meters away.

The Jurchen soldiers on the city wall were so shocked that their ears rang and their vision blurred. Many lost their footing and fell off the city wall. Their screams, mixed with the roar of the cannons, echoed across the battlefield.

of course.

Faced with the Ming army's fierce attack, the Jurchens on the city walls did not sit idly by and wait for their doom.

Eight breech-loading cannons smuggled from the Ming Dynasty were hastily pushed to the ramparts, where several Han Chinese artillerymen shakily loaded ammunition.

They were originally surrendered soldiers of the Ming army, and were unwilling to fight to the death for the Jurchens. Now, facing the barrage of cannon fire, their hands trembled violently.

The cannon had just been aimed at the Ming army's artillery position when it was hastily fired. With a loud "boom," a cannonball landed at the edge of the Ming army's artillery position, overturning two ammunition carts. Wood chips and gunpowder powder mixed with dirt splashed up, and two soldiers had no time to dodge and were buried on the spot.

Before they could even load their second shell, the Ming army had already locked onto those gun positions.

"Concentrate fire! Blow up their cannons!"

More than a dozen breech-loading cannons turned simultaneously, and a dense barrage of lead bullets instantly covered the city wall. The Jurchen cannons, along with the soldiers operating them, were blasted to pieces. The cannon barrels twisted and flew into the air, then crashed heavily onto the inner side of the city wall, eliciting screams of agony.

After that, no more cannons dared to peek out from the city walls. Only Jurchen soldiers hid behind the crenellations and launched sporadic counterattacks with arrows, but they couldn't even get close to the Ming army's lines.

To prevent the cannon barrels from overheating and exploding, the artillery battalion followed Xiong Tingbi's instructions and stopped firing for one hour after every fifteen minutes.

During breaks, the soldiers poured water on the cannon barrels to cool them down. The cold water was poured onto the scalding hot cannon, and the steam enveloped the cannon, making it look like a layer of white mist from a distance.

This cycle continued for three days and three nights.

During the day, the smoke of gunpowder covered the sky, preventing even sunlight from penetrating, and the entire Hetu Ala seemed to be shrouded in a gray-black curtain.

At night, the firelight from the cannons illuminated half the sky, casting long shadows of the city walls. The torches on the city walls flickered like candles in the wind.

Under repeated bombardment, the cracks in the western city wall of Hetu Ala grew larger and larger, and the wall surface gradually caved inward. The original three-zhang-high battlements had been mostly cut away, and the shortest section of the city wall in the southwest corner was bombarded down to only a few zhang high, with the bricks and stones so loose that it seemed as if it would collapse at the slightest touch.

On the morning of the fourth day, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the smoke of battle...

"Boom!!!"

A deafening roar shook the battlefield.

The city wall at the southwest corner of Hetu Ala finally gave way!

The wall, several meters wide, collapsed with a roar. The brick and stone ramp stretched from outside the city all the way into the city, and dust billowed into the sky, even startling the birds on Longgang Mountain in the distance, causing them to scatter and flee.

The Jurchen soldiers on the city wall looked at the breach, their faces drained of color, and even the steel swords held by the supervising officers paused.

"it is good!"

"It finally exploded!"

"Jian slaves, prepare to eat your grandfather's lead bullets!"

A cheer erupted from the Ming army ranks. The musketeers raised their weapons and shouted towards the breach, their voices filled with excitement.

however.

The deafening cheers had not yet subsided, the smoke and dust that filled the gap had not yet dissipated, and the sharp bone whistle had already torn through the air!

Wow~
Beep~
Five hundred suicide soldiers rushed towards the gap in the slope, which was more than ten feet high, like a turbid torrent bursting its banks, stepping over scorching rubble and severed limbs.

They were mostly surrendered Mongol soldiers wrapped in tattered fur coats, fierce Jianzhou escaped slaves, and soldiers from the Ming army's vanguard battalion.

All they saw was the ruined city and the enemy.

"Charge in! Plenty of meat! We can also escape our status as surrendered soldiers, get land, and live a good life!"

"The first to reach the top will be promoted three ranks!"

"Brothers, charge!"

The suicide squad member, his eyes bloodshot, was the first to leap onto the top of the rubble, only to be struck in the throat by a heavy arrow!
The body rolled down and was instantly swallowed up by the surging crowd.

The gap instantly transformed into a grinding wheel of flesh and blood.

The dull thud of blades slicing through bone, the screams of the dying, and the sharp scraping of metal against brick and stone mingled with the thick smell of gunpowder and blood, swirling and billowing on the narrow slope.

Inside the gap.

Tong Yangxing's Han army flags were already in complete disarray.

These conscripted Han Chinese were emaciated and sallow, carrying rusty knives with chipped edges and weak, ineffective shields.

The supervising officers' steel knives flashed, but they couldn't quell the commotion and dissipation of the crowd.

Seeing the suicide squad rushing down the slope like madmen, trampling over the corpses of their comrades, dozens of Han soldiers in the front row let out a scream, dropped their weapons, and fled in panic!

The breach in the defense line was on the verge of being overwhelmed by this desperate torrent.

"waste!"

A loud shout exploded like a thunderclap!

The fierce general Ashan of the Bordered Yellow Banner, clad in two layers of heavy armor, charged into the chaotic Han soldiers like an iron tower.

Eighty white-armored Ba Ya La followed closely behind him. These Jianzhou assassins, who had been resting and preparing for battle for a long time, had a glint of coldness in their eyes like that of wolves. A Shan swept his heavy spiked club across, and the heads of two Han army supervisors who turned to flee exploded like watermelons!

"Tong Yangxing! Take your dogs and guard the flanks! If you retreat one more step, I'll chop you down first!"

He roared ferociously, pointing his spiked club at the gap ahead: "Bayala! Block it with me! Push Ming Gou back!"

Ah Shan took the lead, charging forward against the most surging wave of the suicide squad, stepping over piles of corpses!

The spiked club in his hand whistled through the air, and each swing was like a siege hammer, breaking bones and tendons wherever it touched!
A assassin's scimitar struck his shoulder armor, scattering only a few sparks, before he was smashed into a bloody pulp by a spiked club, shield and all.

Eighty white-armored soldiers followed closely behind their commander, forming a wedge-shaped arrowhead formation.

They were as silent as rocks, yet moved with lightning speed, their steel spears piercing the throats and hearts of the assassins with pinpoint accuracy.

The heavy blade cleaved down, severing the wooden shield and the arm in one fell swoop!
This group of well-rested and well-equipped Eight Banners warriors unleashed terrifying firepower on this narrow, sloping gap, managing to halt the horde of suicide soldiers!
Tong Yangxing was intimidated by Ashan's fierce power. He shouted at his subordinates and killed several fleeing soldiers before finally managing to stabilize the situation.

The Han army soldiers, relying on the ruins, used spears and inferior bows and arrows to shoot and stab the surging suicide soldiers from both sides.

Despite their weak fighting spirit, the steel blades of the supervising team and the white-armored soldiers of Ashan eventually created a slow-moving flanking fire network.

Huang Taiji stood in the shadow of the inner city's arrow tower.

He saw Ah Shan's figure, like a reef, stubbornly holding back the floodwaters through the breach.

"What a fine Ah Shan... what a fine Tong Yangxing..."

Huang Taiji's voice was barely audible, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the gap filled with smoke and blood.

"Block it! Block it for me for just one more quarter of an hour! Just one more quarter of an hour!"

What he needed was this brief but crucial respite, bought with his life.

He has already assembled his elite troops and sent them there. They just need to hold out a little longer before they can provide support.

the other side.

The other northeast gate of Hetu Ala.

Hundreds of Ming soldiers, carrying ladders soaked in tung oil on their shoulders and with short knives at their waists, charged toward the city wall under the cover of side wagons.

The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the gravel outside the city. The carts were riddled with arrows shot by Jurchen archers, their shafts trembling, but they could not stop the advancing soldiers.

The Jurchen soldiers on the city wall leaned out halfway and poured rolling stones and hot oil over their heads. Some of the suicide soldiers screamed in agony from the hot oil, but they still clung tightly to the ladder until they were hit by rolling stones and fell off the ladder, crashing into the pile of corpses below the city, splashing blood everywhere.

This fierce feint attack did indeed divert the Jurchens' attention.

Many soldiers who were originally going to support the West Gate from the Northeast Second Gate had no choice but to retreat and defend.

but.

On the watchtower in front of the Ming army camp.

Xiong Tingbi's gaze remained fixed on the gap in the southwest corner, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

They saw that although their own elite soldiers had rushed to the breach, they were blocked outside the city by Tong Yangxing's Han army flag and Ashan's white-armored Bayara.

No advance.

If this continues, today's siege will be in vain.

"Commander He, it's your turn!"

Xiong Tingbi's gaze fell on He Shixian beside him.

The Shenyang garrison commander, unable to contain himself any longer, immediately drew his ring-pommel sword from his waist upon hearing this. The blade flashed in the morning light as he shouted at the heavily armored elite troops behind him:
"My lads! Charge with me!"

Five hundred elite heavily armored soldiers from Liaodong, who had been waiting for orders, stepped forward. They were clad in two layers of iron armor, with their helmets covering most of their faces, leaving only their sharp eyes visible.

Each person held a long-handled saber in their hand, the hilt resting against their waist, and ran towards the gap.

At the same time, Xiong Tingbi raised his hand and waved:
"Move artillery fire! Cover the inner city!"

Two hundred Portuguese cannons immediately adjusted their angles, and the shells whistled over the breach, crashing into the open ground below the inner city wall. Dust billowed up, and gravel flew everywhere, frightening the Jurchen soldiers on the inner city walls into retreating.

This sudden barrage disrupted Tong Yangxing's defensive rhythm.

He was originally directing the Han army flag to fire muskets at the breach, but the loud bang of the falling shells startled many soldiers.

Many shells even landed directly on the musketeers.

The losses were severe in a short period of time.

Just then, He Shixian's heavily armored elite troops rushed to the breach.

Ah Shan, carrying a spiked club, personally led his men to block the breach. When he saw the Ming army's heavy armor charging in, he roared and swung his club at a heavy armored soldier in the front row.

With a loud clang, the spiked club struck the steel armor, but was bounced back, leaving Ah Shan's hand numb from the impact.

Before he could react, the heavily armored soldier's saber swept out, slicing a white-armored soldier next to Ashan in half at the waist, blood splattering onto Ashan's face.

"kill!"

He Shixian took the lead, slashing down two Han soldiers with his ring-pommel sword. He then led his heavily armored elite troops like a sharp blade, tearing through the Jurchen defenses.

Ah Shan still wanted to resist, but He Shixian was not someone to be trifled with.

The ring-pommel sword in his hand slashed directly at the gap in the armor, first severing Ah Shan's hand that was holding the spiked club.

Then, with another slash, Ah Shan's head was completely severed.

The Ming army's morale soared even higher after the generals were killed on the battlefield.

Seeing the situation was dire, Tong Yangxing tried to call for reinforcements, but the Ming army's infantry had already poured in through the gap, firing their muskets at the Han army bannermen. Amidst the "bang bang bang" of the muskets, the Han army bannermen fell in droves, and the once relatively orderly defensive line collapsed instantly.

Soon, the Ming army controlled most of the outer city, and the shouts of battle echoed from one end of the street to the other.

Huang Taiji, standing atop the inner city wall, witnessed all of this, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.

He originally thought that even if the outer city was breached, the defense of the Han army flag and the white-armored Bayara could hold out for at least a day, but he did not expect that the outer city would be lost in just one hour.

Some of the newly recruited soldiers didn't even dare to draw their swords before running away. Even after being beheaded by the supervising officers, they couldn't stop the rout.

"waste!"

Huang Taiji cursed under his breath, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

He turned abruptly and shouted at the guard beside him:
"Pass on my order! All elite troops in the outer city must immediately retreat to the inner city!"
The rest of you, fight in the streets, stall for time!

The guards obeyed and rushed off, while Huang Taiji looked out of the city again.

The Ming army's artillery had stopped bombarding the inner city and had begun clearing out the remaining enemy forces in the outer city.

Amidst the smoke and dust, the banner bearing the character "Bear" was slowly moving towards the outer city.

Huang Taiji took a deep breath and his gaze fell on the three-zhang-high stone wall of the inner city.

It doesn't matter if the outer city is lost. As long as the inner city is still there and the elite cavalry are still outside the city, there is still a chance to turn the tide.

Also.

Ajige, Amin, shouldn't you take action too?
……

Huang Taiji's long-cherished Ajige was outside the Ming army's grain depot outside Fushun Pass.

Mosquitoes in the forest had already begun to swarm, buzzing and circling around the horses' hooves.

Two thousand paces away from the Ming army's grain depot, in a mountain valley, Ajige's three thousand cavalrymen lay in wait like a pack of wolves, silently lurking in the bushes.

The horseshoes were wrapped in coarse linen, and even the weapons had their sheaths wrapped with dry grass, making them look like old silver coins.

Down in the mountain valley.

The Ming army's grain storage camp had walls made of newly rammed yellow earth, which were damp and dark yellow. The walls were more than three zhang high, and every ten steps there was a watchtower. The Ming soldiers on the towers carried muskets and their eyes swept around the surroundings vigilantly.

Grain carts came and went in a constant stream through the village gate, the creaking of their wheels on the dirt road carried by the wind up the mountain. The sacks of millet piled high in the carts gleamed a pale yellow in the sunlight.

Ajige squinted.

Judging from the number of watchtowers and the scale of the grain carts entering and leaving, the grain stored in the stockade must be more than 100,000 shi (a unit of dry measure). If it could be burned, Xiong Tingbi's 100,000-strong army would probably have to retreat within ten days.

"Your Highness, the mosquitoes are really vicious."

The Niru Ejen beside him complained in a low voice, reached out and swatted a mosquito that had bitten his neck, his fingertips stained with blood.

Ajige ignored him, his gaze fixed on the east gate of the grain village.

That was the main passage for grain transport vehicles to enter and exit. Although there were many guards there, they were not as densely packed as the arrow towers at the north and south gates.

He suddenly raised his hand, signaling the scouts behind him to step forward, and said in a very low voice, "Investigate again. Are the guards in the village regular Ming soldiers or just a bunch of laborers?"

Half an hour later.

The scouts then sneaked back from the foot of the mountain.

"Reporting to Your Highness, I circled the stockade wall three times and saw that there were many civilians in short clothes among the guards, carrying hoes and wooden sticks. There were only about a thousand Ming soldiers in full armor, all guarding the watchtowers and the stockade gates."

but……"

He paused, his tone becoming more serious.

“There are abductors buried at the base of the stockade wall, and there are two moats outside the gate. If our cavalry charges in head-on, we’ll probably suffer losses.”

"Of the thousand-strong garrison, half are civilian laborers..."

Ajige repeated in a low voice, his brows furrowed.

His three thousand cavalrymen were all elite troops of the Eight Banners, unstoppable in field battles and charges, but their weakness was always in attacking fortified positions.

Although the grain fortress was not a strategic pass, its rammed earth walls and palisades, coupled with the arquebuses of several hundred Ming soldiers, would likely result in heavy casualties if attacked head-on, and there was no guarantee that the gates could be breached.

He looked up toward the grain depot and saw a convoy of grain carts coming out of the east gate. There were about twenty carts, escorted by only about fifty Ming soldiers, along with a dozen or so civilian laborers.

Ajige's eyes suddenly lit up, and he slapped his thigh hard:

"Have it!"

He turned to look at a Niru Ejen beside him, whose face was covered in a thick beard, and pointed to the grain transport wagons:
"Take one of the Niru men, make sure the horseshoes are wrapped even thicker, go around from the back of the mountain, and when the grain carts reach the fork in the road ahead, then make your move."

"Don't kill them all. Leave a few alive so they can run back to the village and report back. We'll pretend to be a small guerrilla force, steal the grain, and leave."

The Niru'e was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and grinned:
"Does Your Highness intend to lure the garrison out of the stronghold?"

"Exactly!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Ajige's eyes.

"Who are we cavalry afraid of in open field battles? As long as they dare to leave the city to pursue us, we'll lure them to the open ground ahead, surround them like dumplings, and swallow them whole!"
"Without the garrison, the grain depot will be easy prey; we can burn it down however we want!"

"Whoo!"

The Niru Ejen immediately accepted the order and turned to give a hand gesture to the three hundred cavalrymen behind him.

A moment later, the cavalry swept down the forest like a gust of wind. Their horses' hooves, wrapped in burlap, made only a soft "rustling" sound, and they quickly disappeared into the depths of the oak forest.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a shout of battle suddenly came from afar, followed by a plume of black smoke rising, which was the signal that the grain carts had been set on fire.

"It's done!"

An excited glint flashed in Ajige's eyes.

as predicted.

The east gate of the grain depot creaked open, and a group of Ming soldiers, about five hundred men, rushed out wielding swords and spears.

The Ming soldiers on the watchtower were still looking in that direction, completely unaware that the three thousand cavalrymen in the ravine had quietly removed the hemp cloth from their horses' hooves.

Ajige drew his sword from his waist, the blade flashing coldly in the sunlight. He lowered his voice:
"Listen up, all of you! When we charge out, first kill the Ming army's centurions and captains to cut off their command! Remember, don't linger in battle, drive the men to open ground!"

"Whoo!"

Seeing this, Ajige immediately waved his hand.

The group mounted their warhorses and charged toward the Ming army that had left the camp.

The sound of horses' hooves gradually rose, from the initial clatter to a rapid, dense thud, like a thunderclap, sweeping towards the pursuing Ming army.

Ajige took the lead, his face full of a ruthless smile.

As long as we swallow this Ming army, the grain depot outside Fushun Pass will surely fall today!
However, it didn't take long.

Suddenly, a rapid drumbeat came from the east gate of the grain depot.

As Ajige was wielding his sword and felling a Ming army centurion, he caught a glimpse of dust rising at the gate of the stockade. Hundreds of infantrymen pushed out ten shield carts, which were covered with thick raw cowhide and studded with spikes. The wheels made a loud "boom" as they rolled over the ground, quickly forming a shield wall on the open ground.

"Form an array?"

Ajige reined in his horse, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

He raised his hand and waved, and two hundred cavalrymen behind him immediately spurred their horses into a charge, their hooves shaking the ground, their spears pointing straight at the gaps in the shield wagons.

But the next instant, the sound of gunfire suddenly rang out.

The Ming musketeers behind the shield wagons fired in unison, the lead bullets raining down like a storm. The dozen or so cavalrymen at the forefront fell from their horses, their neighing and screams mingling together, forcibly halting the charge.

"There's some skill involved."

Ajige's eyes darkened, but before he could adjust his tactics, another group of men rushed out of the grain stockade.

Hundreds of cavalrymen brandished gleaming sabers, followed by thousands of infantrymen carrying spears on their shoulders. Although their formation was not perfectly orderly, it exuded an aura of fearlessness and indomitable spirit.

"This small grain depot seems to be hiding quite a few soldiers?"

Ajige was surprised, but then he sneered.

More than a thousand infantrymen and five hundred cavalrymen were nothing more than more targets to be slaughtered in front of his three thousand elite Eight Banner troops.

Once these people are wiped out, the grain depot will surely fall without a fight!

He immediately ordered: "The left-wing cavalry will flank around the rear, the right-wing mounted archers will harass, and the center will push forward! First, break through their infantry!"

As the bugle sounded, the three thousand cavalrymen split into three groups. The cavalry on the left wing, like a black lightning bolt, circled around to the flank and rear of the Ming infantry.

The right-wing cavalry dismounted, drew their bows, and unleashed a dense rain of arrows upon the Ming army's ranks, forcing the infantry to raise their shields in defense.

The cavalry in the center maintained their charging posture, the sound of their hooves making one's heart tremble, and it looked like they were about to break through the Ming army's formation.

The Ming cavalry panicked, and several even began to retreat. But suddenly a loud shout rang out from the infantry ranks:
"Hold your ground! Anyone who retreats will be executed!"

Immediately afterwards, the shield wagons moved forward again, and the musketeers took turns firing, managing to withstand the attack of the Eight Banners cavalry.

The more Ajige fought, the more he felt something was wrong.

These Ming soldiers were clearly showing signs of exhaustion, yet they refused to retreat, as if they were deliberately delaying the inevitable.

however.

It's too late to realize this now.

at this time.

Suddenly, a deafening thud came from afar. The sound was not like the light footsteps of cavalry, but rather like countless heavily armored infantrymen marching in unison, so muffled that the ground trembled slightly.

Ajige suddenly turned his head and saw a large flag embroidered with the character "Liu" suddenly rise on the mountain to the east. Immediately afterwards, Ming soldiers poured out from all over the mountain. Their armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the tips of their spears and muskets stretched as far as the eye could see.

"It's Liu Xingzuo!"

The scout beside Ajige cried out in disbelief.

Azig's pupils suddenly contracted, and he finally understood.

No wonder these Ming soldiers fought so fiercely; they were waiting for reinforcements! He immediately shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

But it's too late.

Suddenly, a snapping sound of tree branches breaking came from the forest behind them. A group of Ming soldiers in heavy black armor rushed out. They were carrying long swords and their armor was thick enough to stop arrows. They were the elite heavy armor troops under Li Hongji.

These infantrymen formed a moving iron wall, instantly blocking the retreat of the Eight Banners cavalry. Amidst the swinging of swords and axes, cavalrymen fell from their horses one after another.

Moreover, Qi Jin's artillery battalion has also arrived.

Under the bombardment of artillery, the Jurchen cavalrymen were thrown to the ground.

"We've fallen for their trap..."

Ajige's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the Ming army attacking from both sides, and at the Ming soldiers who he had originally regarded as prey, but who had now become the hunters hunting him.

The sounds of horses' hooves, shouts of battle, and clashing weapons mingled together.

The sunlight was obscured by the smoke of gunpowder.

This open area outside Fushun Pass was instantly transformed into a battlefield for the Eight Banners cavalry.

……

PS: A super long chapter of 9100 words!
(End of this chapter)