Huangming

Chapter 425 The Pseudo-Jin Kingdom is Destroyed, Taiji is Captured Alive

The Ming army poured in continuously through the breach in the west gate.

Huang Taiji stood at the end of the passageway, watching the Ming army pouring in.

His first reaction was not to escape, but to drive these intruders out completely and close that damned city gate again!

"Jirhalang!"

Huang Taiji's roar pierced through the chaotic shouts of battle, carrying the ruthlessness of someone who had given up all hope.

"Move all the heavy infantry! Block the breach with corpses! Push them out of the west gate and close the city gate!"

Jirhalang's eyes were already bloodshot. He drew his scimitar and roared at the heavily armored ranks behind him:

"My lads! Follow me, Your Majesty! Those who retreat will be beheaded!"

More than a hundred heavily armored soldiers of the Eight Banners, clad in three layers of iron armor, stepped forward in response.

They carried iron shields as tall as a person, their surfaces riddled with knife marks and arrow holes, forming a black wall of steel as they rammed into the Ming army's charging ranks.

"Oh!"

The sound of iron shields clashing with Ming soldiers' spears was deafening.

The Ming soldiers in the front row were forced back by the force of the shields, their spear shafts snapped with a "crack", and some even had their chests cut open by the edge of the iron shields, with blood flowing down the shields and forming small blood puddles on the ground.

The swordsmen behind the heavily armored soldiers seized the opportunity to swing their swords, and Ming soldiers fell one after another.

But the Ming soldiers behind them seemed fearless, stepping over the corpses of their comrades and continuing to charge forward.

Shouting slogans like "Break through the city and capture the thieves," their voices drowned out the roars of the Eight Banners soldiers.

"Archery! Fire!"

The roar of the Ming army's vanguard commander rang out.

The musketeers at the center of the formation pulled their triggers in unison, the "bang bang bang" of gunfire echoing through the tunnel. Lead bullets struck the heavy armored soldiers' iron shields, scattering tiny sparks, but failing to penetrate the thick armor plates.

But just then, a piercing whistling sound suddenly came from outside the city.

It's a shell from a breech-loading cannon!

"Lie down!"

Huang Taiji screamed, but it was too late.

Three cannonballs crashed into the inner city in succession. The first one hit the side and rear of the heavy infantrymen, sending rubble and iron filings flying. The two heavy infantrymen had no time to dodge, and their armor was torn open.

The second bullet landed in the Han army's flag formation within the inner city, but it didn't injure many people.

The third arrow struck the crenellations of the city wall directly, shattering the bricks and causing the entire section of the wall to tremble slightly. Several Manchu archers who were lying in ambush behind the arrow stacks were instantly buried under the rubble.

The roar of artillery fire continued, and more and more breech-loading cannons were being moved to this location.

The Ming army's firepower is getting stronger and stronger!

The heavily armored soldiers, who had been stubbornly holding on, noticeably slowed down.

Their armor, though strong, could not withstand the shockwaves of cannonballs, nor could it stop the continuous stream of reinforcements from the Ming army.

The Ming army's musketeers reloaded faster and faster, and the spearmen advanced through the blood-soaked path, gradually creating gaps in the heavy armor's iron shield formation.

A young heavily armored soldier was pierced through the gaps in his armor by a spear, fell to the ground screaming, and was quickly overwhelmed by the surging Ming army.

"Great Khan! We can't wait any longer!"

Fan Wencheng stumbled over and grabbed Huang Taiji's arm. His hand was trembling, and his voice was full of despair.

There are too many Ming soldiers!

The artillery fire is still going on!
If we stay here any longer, we'll all die!
Retreat into the palace immediately!
"The palace still has one wall; perhaps it can hold out a little longer!"

Huang Taiji abruptly shook off his hand, his gaze fixed on the ever-widening gap, and the dull pain in his chest surged up again.

The inner city wall is three zhang high and is solidly built of stone. If we can hold the west gate, we might be able to rely on the wall to maneuver.

But what about the palace walls?

That was just a rammed earth wall a few feet high, no different from a stockade wall. If we retreated inside, what difference would it make from waiting to die?
"boom!"

Another shell landed not far away, and the flash of the explosion illuminated Huang Taiji's face.

He saw that Jirgalang's left shoulder was cut by shrapnel, and blood was flowing down his armor, but he was still fighting back with his sword.

Seeing the heavily armored soldiers fall one by one, the iron shield formation completely collapsed.

They saw that the Ming army had already crossed the tunnel and was only a few dozen steps away from them.

There was no time to hesitate.

Huang Taiji closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, there was no more hesitation in his eyes.

"withdraw!"

He gritted his teeth and spat out a single word before turning and sprinting toward the palace.

"Bayara Banner of the Bordered Yellow Banner, cover the rear!"

More than a hundred Bayara cavalrymen followed closely behind, brandishing their sabers and blocking the Ming army that was first catching up, buying Huang Taiji time to retreat.

But once Huang Taiji's figure disappeared in the direction of the palace, the heavily armored soldiers who were still resisting completely collapsed.

They lost their last hope, and the knives in their hands clattered to the ground. Some turned and ran, while others stood there, letting the Ming soldiers' spears pierce their chests.

The Ming army surged into the inner city like a tidal wave, the roar of muskets, the clash of swords and spears, and the screams of soldiers all mingled together.

In the streets and alleys of the inner city.

The Han Banner soldiers who were still putting up a stubborn resistance, seeing that the situation was hopeless, threw down their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy. Some even turned around and helped the Ming army to point out the hiding places of the Eight Banner soldiers.

The few Eight Banner soldiers who stubbornly resisted were quickly surrounded and killed by the Ming army. Blood stained the bluestone road, and corpses were piled up haphazardly at the street corner.

"Whoever surrenders will avoid death!"

The shouts of Ming soldiers echoed through the streets and alleys.

More and more Jurchen soldiers knelt on the ground, their hands covering their heads, trembling all over; some were even so frightened that they wet their pants.

The once invincible Eight Banners soldiers have long lost their former ferocity, leaving only the fear of death.

Huang Taiji rushed to the palace gate, glanced back at the chaotic inner city behind him, where flames soared into the sky and shouts of battle filled the air.

His chest heaved violently, and the metallic taste in his throat rose again, but he swallowed it back down.

On the rammed earth walls of the palace, several Eight Banner soldiers were frantically moving stones to reinforce the city gate, but how long could those thin walls withstand the Ming army's artillery fire?
"Close the city gate!"

Huang Taiji roared at the palace guards, his voice filled with exhaustion and despair.

The heavy wooden door closed slowly, like the closing of a huge tomb.

The end of Hetu Ala is fast approaching.

In the open space inside the palace, Huang Taiji, leaning on a long sword, knelt on one knee, his chest heaving violently.

Each breath was accompanied by a heavy "whoosh," like an old bellows being pulled.

Even the hand gripping the knife hilt was trembling slightly.

"The Prince Consort..."

He raised his head and his gaze fell on He Heli.

"Let's see... how many soldiers are still capable of fighting."

He Heli bowed to Huang Taiji and replied:
"Whoo!"

Then he turned and walked toward the soldiers huddled at the foot of the palace wall.

Most of them were Bayara of the Plain Yellow Banner and a small number of Han Banner soldiers.

Some leaned against the wall, panting heavily, while others held their injured companions, their eyes filled with confusion, even the torchlight on their faces seemed to have lost all their spirit.

The outer city fell, the inner city was captured, the breakout attempt at the north gate was blocked by a siege engine, and the last resistance at the west gate also came to naught.

These soldiers all knew in their hearts that they had no way out.

He Heli counted the heads one by one, and with each head counted, his heart sank a little deeper.

The once elite Eight Banners army, numbering in the tens of thousands, is now reduced to a few scattered figures.

He counted on his palm with trembling fingers, checking three times before dragging his heavy steps back to Huang Taiji.

"Sweat profusely."

He Heli's voice trembled almost imperceptibly, and he lowered his head, not daring to look Huang Taiji in the eye.

"Count complete... only 521 people remain."

"Five hundred and twenty-one people..."

Huang Taiji repeated the number in a low voice, his tone as calm as if he were talking about something ordinary, but his hands hanging at his sides suddenly clenched tightly.

There are whole and odd numbers; even the last few people can be counted so clearly.

Ha ha.

Huang Taiji gave a bitter smile.

During the Battle of Sarhu, his Plain White Banner cavalry was a mighty force, and their horses trampled through the enemy camps with great ferocity.

When his father Nurhaci was alive, the Eight Banners soldiers were skilled in archery and horsemanship, and even the Ming court had to avoid their sharp edge.

But now, only 521 people remain.
This is the last elite force of the Great Jin.

He slowly stood up and patted He Heli on the shoulder.

"Your Highness, thank you for your hard work."

Huang Taiji's gaze swept over the soldiers. Among them were veterans who had fought alongside him for many years, teenagers who had just come of age and gone to the battlefield, and several surrendered generals from the Han Banner Army. At this moment, they all lowered their heads and stood silently in the cold wind.

These people were the last confidants who remained by the side of the Jin dynasty until its downfall.

"Today, we are destined to die here."

Huang Taiji's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every soldier.

"But we are of Jurchen blood, descendants of the Eight Banners."

The Jianzhou Jurchens never used the word 'surrender'!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a suppressed sob suddenly came from the crowd.

Fan Wencheng covered his face, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably, tears welling up between his fingers, mixing with the dust on his face, leaving two muddy streaks on his cheeks.

He was not a Jurchen nobleman, yet he staked his entire life on the Jin Dynasty.

In order to gain Huang Taiji's favor, he sent his wife and daughter to the Beile Mansion as slaves, enduring the contempt of the Eight Banners nobles.

He devoted himself to the cause of the Great Jin dynasty, racking his brains and devising strategies.

From Fushun to Shenyang, from Sarhu to Hetu Ala, every battle bore the mark of his hard work.

But now, the Great Jin Dynasty is about to perish, and all his efforts and sacrifices have come to nothing.

He wasn't crying over the destruction of the Great Jin Dynasty, but over the absurdity of his own life and the despair of not being able to even protect his family.

"Why are you crying!"

Jirhalang suddenly roared, his left shoulder still bleeding, but he ripped off the burlap covering the wound, revealing a hideous scar.

"We are upright and indomitable men!"
Even if I die, I want to die on the battlefield!
Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!

He raised his sword high and roared at the sky.

But all he got in response were scattered echoes.

"Fight to the death..."

"Fight……"

"The worst case scenario is death!"

These people's voices were so faint as to be like the buzzing of mosquitoes. Some soldiers didn't even dare to look up, just staring at the tips of their boots, not even having the strength to grip their swords.

Their morale had long been worn down by repeated defeats, and their current "fight to the death" was more like a futile struggle.

Huang Taiji looked at this scene and suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly.

But that smile was uglier than a cry.

He carried his knife, turned and walked into the depths of the palace. His shadow stretched long in the torchlight, making him appear particularly lonely.

soon.

Huang Taiji then went into his bedchamber.

The palace servants guarding the palace gate were so frightened when they saw him covered in blood that they all knelt down with a thud.

"Where are Su Qin and Namuzhong?"

Huang Taiji's voice was hoarse, and he gripped the dagger tightly in his hand, the blade still dripping with undried blood.

The elderly palace maid kneeling at the front trembled like a leaf, stammering as she replied:

"Reporting to Your Majesty... We just heard that the palace walls have been breached, and the two consorts have... disappeared without a trace... We've searched the side halls and warm pavilions, but we haven't found them anywhere..."

"Gone?"

Huang Taiji gave a cold laugh.

"Can someone really grow wings and fly away from this square palace?"

He recalled what the two women had said before: "I am willing to be a dagger in its sheath."

Thinking of their tenderness when they nestled beside me, I felt a dull ache in my chest rise again.

Zhe Zhe had already become a concubine of the Ming emperor, Huang Taiji's woman. How could she be allowed to be captured by the Ming army and manipulated by others?

Even if I die today, I will take these women with me and never let them bring any humiliation to Da Jin or to myself!

He really didn't want to wear that green hat anymore.

"Get up and search!"

Huang Taiji kicked the dressing case next to him, and the gilded mirror frame crashed to the ground with a "crash." The mirror surface cracked with spiderweb-like patterns, reflecting his blood-stained face.

"Search every side hall, storeroom, and even the woodshed!"

Furthermore, by my decree, all the concubines in the harem must gather in the main hall within a quarter of an hour!
Anyone who dares to delay or conceal it will be executed by slow slicing!

The palace servants scrambled to their feet, some staggering as they ran out of the hall, others rummaging through the side rooms.

It didn't take long.

More than ten concubines, including those from the Nara, Qilei, Yanzha, and Irgen Gioro clans, were led in by the palace servants.

Most of them only had time to put on an outer robe; some had disheveled hair, some were barefoot with their ankles turning purple from the cold, and their faces were full of terror.

Nara was holding her one-year-old son in her arms. The child was terrified by the smell of blood in the palace and cried loudly. She hurriedly covered the child's mouth with her clothes, but she could not stop her whole body from trembling.

"Where are Lady Su Qin and Lady Namuzhong?"

Huang Taiji's gaze swept over the concubines, and when he saw that the two most conspicuous ones were missing, his expression became even more ferocious.

The palace servant in charge of summoning them knelt down with a thud, his forehead pressed against the cold ground.

"Great Khan, spare my life!"
The servants searched the palace from top to bottom, but they really couldn't find the two empresses...

"Maybe, maybe they've already escaped..." "Escaped?"

Huang Taiji clenched his fist tightly.

"What a wonderful phrase, 'willing to die with the Great Khan'!"
In the end, he still became a deserter!

Bitch!

They're all despicable people!

He kicked over the sandalwood table beside him, shattering the jade and porcelain vases on it. The shards splashed onto Nara's skirt, frightening the child in her arms and making him cry even harder.

The shouts of battle outside the palace grew closer and closer, and the Ming army's roars of "Break the Khan's Palace, capture the Tartars!" could be clearly heard, mixed with the screams of the remaining Eight Banner soldiers.

Huang Taiji knew that time was running out.

I don't have time to go find those two bastards.

Those five hundred remnants, who had long lost their will to fight, wouldn't last much longer.

He abruptly drew his dagger, its blade gleaming coldly in the candlelight, sweeping over the trembling concubines:

"The Great Jin Dynasty is doomed. You are my women, so you must follow me!"

Your death now will preserve your honor.

If they fall into the hands of the Ming army, they will only be treated as playthings and humiliated day and night!

"Great Khan, spare my life! I don't want to die!"

Qi Lei was the first to break down, crying and crawling towards the palace gate, but Huang Taiji grabbed her by the hair and stabbed her directly in the back of the heart.

Blood splattered on the curtains, turning the light pink silk into dark red in an instant. She convulsed and fell to the ground, her eyes fixed on the outside of the palace, filled with resentment.

"Spare me, Great Khan! I am willing to go with you, but my child is still young..."

Nara knelt down, holding her child, begging for mercy. Before she could finish speaking, Huang Taiji's sword came crashing down.

The child's crying stopped abruptly, and blood splattered all over Nara's face.

She was stunned for a moment, then suddenly lunged at Huang Taiji like a madwoman, only to be stabbed through the chest by him with a backhand, and fell beside the child's cold body.

Screams and pleas for mercy echoed throughout the palace.

Yanzha tried to hide behind the screen, but Huang Taiji grabbed her arm and dragged her out. A flash of light, and her head rolled onto the carpet, her eyes still wide open.

The woman, Yiergenjueluo, was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to even run away. She could only watch helplessly as the blade approached, and finally closed her eyes in despair.

With each stroke of the knife, blood soaked the carpet, seeped into the cracks between the blue bricks, and even splashed onto the beams of the palace roof.

Huang Taiji's face and body were stained with new blood, and his originally fierce eyes gradually became numb. Only when he heard the sound of Ming soldiers' hooves outside the palace would a trace of remaining rationality flash through his mind.

After the last concubine fell into a pool of blood, there was no sound in the palace except for his heavy breathing and the dripping sound of the blade falling into the blood.

Huang Taiji leaned on his sword, slowly stood up, and glanced at the corpses filling the hall.

Some had their eyes open, some were curled up, and some were still in a begging posture.

He suddenly felt dizzy, and a metallic taste rose in his throat. He could no longer bear it and spat out a mouthful of blood.

After a while.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"They are all my women, so they won't be alone on their journey to the underworld."

He murmured softly, his voice devoid of its former fierceness, only filled with an empty weariness.

After handling the funeral arrangements, Huang Taiji turned and walked out of the palace.

The sword in his hand was still dripping blood, and the stench of blood mixed with the burnt smell of charcoal in the hall behind him was carried away by the cold wind.

The sounds of battle shouts outside the palace were almost within reach, and the Ming army's flags could even be seen fluttering at the breach in the palace wall.

Huang Taiji took a deep breath, suppressing his last hesitation, and walked towards the Khan's Palace and the main government office.
Outside the palace.

The Ming army's offensive had already begun.

More than 500 remnants of the Eight Banners staggered toward the rammed earth wall.

Some of the people desperately grabbed the logs from the corner of the wall and tried to shoot arrows with their bows.

Many others simply gripped their broken knives numbly, staring at the surging flames outside the wall, their eyes devoid of fighting spirit, filled only with empty fear.

"Frankenburg cannon! Dodge the cannon fire!"

Jirhalang let out a roar, but it was immediately swallowed up by the deafening explosion of artillery fire.

More than a dozen shells, trailing scarlet flames, slammed into the northwest corner of the palace wall one after another.

The blast created a gaping hole half a meter wide, and the rammed earth crumbled like shattered jade. More than a dozen soldiers of the Plain Yellow Banner were blown away by the shockwave before they could even scream. Their armor twisted and deformed in mid-air, and their limbs fell mixed with the rubble.

Before the Eight Banners soldiers could bring pine pillars for support, the Ming army's ladders had already been placed over the gap.

The musket bullets rained down like a storm, whistling as they struck the rammed earth wall, the splashes of mud stinging the faces of the defenders.

He Heli gritted his teeth and swung his knife to cut off the iron hook of a ladder. With a sharp sound of the blade cutting through metal, he suddenly let out a muffled groan.

A stray bullet came from the rear, piercing through the gap in his leg armor and embedding itself deeply in his right thigh.

Blood trickled down his trouser leg, leaving a long red trail on the ground. He staggered and knelt down, pressing his palm into the ground, instantly staining it red.

Through his blurred vision, He Heli saw a Ming army centurion leap onto the wall like a monkey, using the crossbeam at the top of the ladder.

The centurion's blade flashed so fast it was just a cold shadow; the two Bayara didn't even have time to raise their shields before their heads rolled off the wall.

"Kill the Tartars! Destroy the Khan's palace!"

The centurion's roar was like thunder, attracting even more Ming soldiers to the top of the wall.

Some fired short guns at close range, while others wielded long swords to slash. The last line of defense of the Plain Yellow Banner collapsed in an instant, like a sand embankment washed away by the tide.

Some soldiers jumped over the wall to escape, while others turned and ran, but most of them were stabbed through the chest from behind by the Ming army.

the other side.

The sounds of banging at the palace gates never ceased.

Thirty Ming soldiers, shirtless, with their muscular arms wrapped around a massive log covered in pine resin, pounded against the palace gate with each impact, causing it to creak and groan.

Oil splattered from the giant logs onto the door latch, ignited by sparks, and the flames licked at the door panel, while the black smoke made the Eight Banners soldiers blocking the door cough repeatedly.

They held on tightly to the door, their shoulders numb from the impact, and some of them had blood coming out of their mouths and noses.

at last.

With a loud, tearing sound, the bolt snapped in two, and the palace gates burst open.

Amidst the flying sawdust, the Ming cavalry surged in like a torrent, trampling the kneeling Han bannermen who had surrendered to the death like garbage.

The spear then sent the fleeing bondservant flying, his body hanging from the spear tip, blood dripping down the shaft and forming small puddles on the ground.

More and more people rushed into the palace.

Soon, the more than 500 people in the palace either retreated into the Khan's palace, were killed, or surrendered.

now.

Inside the Khan's Palace and the Grand Secretariat.

The last thirty or so Manchu bannermen remaining in front of Huang Taiji formed the final human wall.

Their armor was mostly damaged, some had broken arms, and some were blind, yet they still stood tall, their swords pointing at the surging Ming army.

But the Ming army's musket squad had already lined up in three rows in the courtyard, their dark muzzles gleaming coldly, aimed at the last remaining soldiers.

"put!"

With a command from the Ming army captain, smoke instantly filled the entire courtyard.

The "thud" of lead bullets piercing the iron armor rose and fell, and the Bayara men fell one after another like wheat being cut down.

Huang Taiji staggered back two steps as a lead bullet pierced his heavy armor. A cold pain instantly spread throughout his body. He hurriedly used the tip of his sword to brace himself and barely managed to stand.

He looked up at the Ming Dynasty banner fluttering on the palace wall, its fluttering in the wind as if announcing the end of the Jin Dynasty.

Huang Taiji's throat churned violently, but he only vomited a mouthful of black blood.

That was a sign of sudden internal heat damaging his heart and internal organs. Black blood flowed down from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto the dragon pattern on his clothes, turning the golden dragon scales into a dark black.

"Great Khan! Charge out!"

Jirhalang suddenly sprang up from the pile of corpses.

His left arm had already been blown off by a shell, leaving only his right arm tightly gripping the knife.

He roared as he slashed down two Ming soldiers who charged at him, his blade splitting open one man's chest. But before he could retract his blade, more than ten spears came from all directions, piercing deep into his body.

Jirhalang's body stiffened abruptly, his face contorted with resentment. He turned his head with difficulty toward Huang Taiji, his lips moving as if to say, "Go quickly."

When Huang Taiji saw this scene, he felt both sorrow and despair.

But now, where can he go?

With all resistance forces annihilated by the Ming army, more and more Ming soldiers poured into the palace like a tide.

The Ming army musketeers stood in neat rows, their dark muzzles pointed directly at the only figure in the hall.

"Nock the crossbows! Aim the muskets!"

The roar of the Ming army's captain echoed in the hall.

The archers on both sides drew their bows taut, the cold glint of the arrows reflecting in Huang Taiji's eyes.

The spearmen took half a step forward, their spear tips forming a sharp iron forest that surrounded him.

Generals such as Liu Xingzuo, Chen Ce, He Shixian, and Li Hongji followed closely behind.

Their eyes were sharp as eagles, fixed intently on the Great Jin's Tiancong Khan.

This decades-long war in Liaodong is finally coming to an end today.

Huang Taiji slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the Ming soldiers in the hall, a bitter smile curling at the corner of his lips:
"Heh... In the end, it still came to this."

He tightened his grip on the knife, the blade trembling slightly, not from fear, but from extreme resentment.

"Huang Taiji, your death is near!"

Liu Xingzuo stepped forward first, his voice as cold as the wind in Liaodong, his eyes filled with deep-seated hatred.

He had submitted to the Jurchens and suffered humiliation at the hands of the Eight Banners nobles, but now he could finally settle this score himself.

"Over the years, you Jianzhou Jurchens have been burning, killing, and looting in Liaodong. Countless families have been destroyed and countless cities have been reduced to ashes."

Today, this debt should be settled!
"Rest assured, after you die, we will go to your ancestral graves in Hetu Ala, dig that old traitor Nurhaci out of his grave, and leave his corpse to rot in the wilderness to atone for the sins of the people of Liaodong!"

"you dare!"

Huang Taiji's breathing suddenly became heavy, his chest heaved violently, and the metallic taste in his throat rose again.

"Liu Xingzuo, you traitor!"

Your father took you in, entrusted you with important responsibilities, and treated you well, yet you dare to desecrate his mausoleum like this!

You, a traitor who seeks only personal gain, will surely meet a terrible end!

"Will you be nice to me?"

Liu Xingzuo seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and suddenly sneered, his voice full of sarcasm.

"The so-called 'treating me well' means making me kowtow and pay my respects to you Manchu nobles every day like a slave?"
Is it to make my people your bondservants, to be beaten, scolded, bought and sold at will?
Huang Taiji, I, Liu Xingzuo, cannot accept, nor do I deign to accept, your Jurchen nobles' 'favor'!

Today I will watch your head be severed, watch the Great Jin dynasty fall, and bring solace to the people of Liaodong who died by your swords!

"Too much nonsense!"

Li Hongji, who was standing to the side, could no longer contain himself.

He stared at Huang Taiji, his eyes gleaming.

Capturing the Great Khan of the Jin Dynasty alive would be an immense achievement, and if successful, it would undoubtedly lead to a meteoric rise in his status within the Ming army.

He gripped his long-handled sword tightly, pushed off with his feet, and charged towards Huang Taiji, his roar causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker.

"You bandit chieftain! Die!"

A resolute will to die flashed in Huang Taiji's eyes.

He knew he was going to die today, but even in death, he would take a few people down with him!
He brandished his sword and charged forward to meet Li Hongji's blade. The wind from his blade was fierce, aimed directly at Li Hongji's throat.

This was the art of battlefield combat he had learned throughout his life.

However, due to the fatigue from days of fighting and the weakness from vomiting blood earlier, he was a fraction slower.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the hall.

Li Hongji blocked three blows in succession. Although his arm was numb from the impact, he keenly noticed that Huang Taiji's movements were becoming increasingly sluggish.

When Huang Taiji swung his sword again, Li Hongji suddenly dodged to the side and kicked Huang Taiji in the knee at the same time.

Huang Taiji lost his balance and stumbled forward, causing the trajectory of his sword to deviate instantly.

This was the flaw that Li Hongji had been waiting for!
"Pfft!"

Li Hongji brought down his long-handled sword with a fierce slash, the blade striking Huang Taiji's right arm where he was holding the sword with pinpoint accuracy.

The cracking sound of bones breaking was clearly audible, blood gushed out, and the right arm fell to the ground with a clang as the knife struck.

Huang Taiji screamed in agony, clutching his severed arm and kneeling on the ground, his face filled with pain and resentment.

Before he could recover, Li Hongji raised his foot again and kicked him hard in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

"Hold him down!"

Li Hongji shouted sternly, while stepping on Huang Taiji's face.

He Shixian and several Ming soldiers immediately stepped forward and held down Huang Taiji's limbs tightly. Some of them even took ropes from their waists and tied his hands and feet firmly.

Some people were so considerate that, fearing he might bite his tongue and commit suicide, they picked up a blood-stained rag from the ground and roughly stuffed it into his mouth, letting him let out a series of "ooh-ooh" roars, but he could no longer utter a single word.

Huang Taiji lay on the cold blue bricks, his cheeks being stepped on by the soles of his boots.

Through his blurred vision, he saw the smiles on the faces of the Ming generals, the Ming banners fluttering outside the palace, and the complete collapse of the Great Jin Dynasty he had built up over his entire life.

His body was still struggling, but his heart was already dead.

"The bandit chieftain has been captured alive! The fake Jin dynasty has been destroyed!"

Li Hongji shouted loudly.

The Ming soldiers inside the hall erupted in thunderous cheers, their muskets firing into the sky, the sound echoing over Hetu Ala.

This war in Liaodong, which lasted for decades, ended with the Ming army capturing Hetu Ala and taking Huang Taiji prisoner.

The Great Jin Dynasty established by Nurhaci.
From this day forward, the nation is officially destroyed.

ps:
The pig slaughter is complete.

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(End of this chapter)