The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 129 Beijing View
Bai Langzai knew what Lin Qian was thinking: "Should we find some more wooden stakes?"

Lin Qian shook her head: "No, beheading and erecting stakes is a Tartar practice. We build mounds of heads."

In terms of cruelty, terror, and boasting of military achievements, none in history has surpassed Jingguan.

Because they were too barbaric and did not meet the standards of a benevolent and righteous army advocated by Confucianism, most of the central dynasties after the Qin and Han dynasties explicitly prohibited the construction of Jingguan (a type of mound of corpses).

However, there are always some remote barbarian tribes who fear power but do not cherish virtue, and regard benevolence and righteousness as weakness.

Lin Qian wanted to retaliate in kind while also letting the Tartars know that even when it came to bloodshed and terror, they were far inferior to the Central Plains dynasties.

Bai Langzai didn't understand the meaning behind the Jingguan (a mound of heads). When the captain told him to cut off heads, he went and did so.

Chen Liangce was quite surprised. He wholeheartedly approved of building the Jingguan (a mound of skulls), but he was worried that building it would make "Commander He" vulnerable to attacks from both the court and the public, turning a great achievement into a disaster.

Before he could even offer any advice, Lin Qian asked him, "Commander Chen, do you know how to perform rituals to build a mound of skulls?"

Chen Liangce was taken aback, then nodded.

In simple terms, a Jingguan is a mound of heads or corpses. There are specific rules about what shape it should be and how tall and large it should be.

If you don't understand the laws of cultivation and just pile things up haphazardly, it's at best a pile of corpses. How can that reflect the etiquette and grandeur of the Central Plains?
Professional tasks should be left to professionals.

"Then we'll leave the construction of the Jingguan (a mound of skulls) to the garrison commander," Lin Qian said.

Chen Liangce clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

Then he realized that he had meant to persuade them, so why had he ended up taking on the task himself?

Moreover, even though his official rank was higher than that of a commander, why did he always feel like he was facing a superior when talking to "Commander He"?

Before Chen Liangce could think it over, Lin Qian added, "There is one more thing. I would like to trouble the garrison commander to send his men on fast horses to spread the news of the fall of Zhenjiang City along the Yalu River to all the Tuokesuo, and bring the captured Han Chinese civilians to Zhenjiang City."

Chen Liangce's eyes lit up, and he bowed to accept the order, while asking, "May I ask how many troops you brought to Zhenjiang, and how you intend to defend it?"

"To guard? Who said we were going to guard it?"

Chen Liangce was full of land warfare thinking and could not understand Lin Qian's words at all: what use is it to capture Zhenjiang City if it is not defended?
Lin Qian said, "Just follow orders."

"Yes!" Upon hearing this, Commander Chen instinctively clasped his hands in obedience.

After the battlefield was cleared, a total of 115 Tartars were killed in the Battle of Zhenjiang, while Chen Liangce's troops suffered 95 casualties.

The majority of those wounded were hit by cannon fire, while the rest were killed by the Tartar soldiers who launched a hasty counterattack.

Lin Qian ordered the burial of the Ming soldiers' corpses and sent all the Tartar heads to build a mound of skulls.

Meanwhile, Bai Qing led three sea wolf warships northward along the Yalu River, cooperating with Chen Liangce's cavalry, advancing in two directions to capture the Jurchen farms and rescue the enslaved Han Chinese civilians.

The Jurchens were exercising a reign of terror in Liaodong, and the contradictions were extremely sharp. Han people rebelled one after another. When they heard the news of the great victory at Zhenjiang, they rose up in rebellion and surrendered for hundreds of miles upstream of the Yalu River.

For a time, the post road was filled with people fleeing to Zhenjiang.

The remaining transport ships frequently traveled between Zhenjiang and Pidao to transport people to the island.

Lin Qian's transport ships in Liaodong consisted of six Haicang ships and twenty Cangshan ships. If they were squeezed together, the capacity for a single voyage was about 1,200 people.

Zhenjiang and Pidao are not far apart, and the round trip takes a maximum of two days, and if the wind is favorable, it may only take one day.

Such transportation efficiency is extremely high.

In just ten days, five thousand refugees have gathered on Pi Island.

After Liaodong fell, the people either fled to Korea across the river or died tragically under the Jurchen's sword. There were not many people who were captured and taken to farms, and they were transported by more than twenty sea ships, with some ships even left over.

Lin Qian dispatched the carrier pigeon back to Nan'ao and mobilized more ships to open up the sea route between Pi Island and Nan'ao Island.

As for the food rations for the refugees on Pi Island, they came from the Zhenjiang government granary. After the Tartars captured Zhenjiang, they collected and gathered all the food in one place, which was then used to help the refugees.

Moreover, there were also a large amount of gold and silver treasures in Zhenjiang City, especially in Tong Yangzhen's mansion. These items were confiscated by Lin Qian and sold to the border people of the Li Dynasty by small boat in exchange for grain.

Meanwhile, when the Santa Ana sailed north to Liaodong, it also carried a large amount of dry food in its cargo hold.

With these food supplies, plus the food replenishment from the imperial court after Mao Wenlong lands on Pi Island, the refugees should not have to worry about food shortages.

……

Just as Zhenjiang was undergoing a large-scale relocation of refugees.

Liaoyang, the capital of the military governor's office.

Nurhaci was having his primary consort, Hahana Zhaqing, massage his arms.

This was one of the few tender moments between the two of them since their eldest son, Chu Ying, was embroiled in a power struggle and was ordered to be executed by Nurhaci.

Nurhaci's right arm muscles were as hard as steel, a result of his archery practice during the day.

Today, he discussed two important matters with the princes and ministers: moving the capital to Liaoyang and attacking Guangning. He was pleased and led everyone out hunting in the afternoon.

Nurhaci, over sixty years old, mounted his horse with a bow and arrow, and his arrows never missed. He hunted thirteen rabbits, two deer, and even shot a lynx.

He hunted the most in the entire field, winning praise from the princes and ministers.

Of course, his right arm is now swollen and trembling slightly; that's the price he's paid.

Having reached the age of sixty, Nurhaci deeply felt that he was getting on in years, and although he still had great ambitions, he no longer possessed the spirit of his youth.

At this moment, Nurhaci, without armor, lay on a rocking chair, comfortably squinting his eyes, looking no different from an ordinary farmer in Liaodong.

The primary consort, Hahana Zhaqing, gently advised, "Why do you have to do things like horseback riding and hunting yourself? Just leave it to Daishan and the others. You are the Great Khan, and Daishan and the others are your hunting dogs and bows and arrows."

Nurhaci opened his eyes, chuckled twice, his voice hoarse and rough.

"That's what the Southern Barbarian Emperor thought, so he sent a scholar to guard Liaodong."

The scholar Yuan Yingtai thought the same way, so he accepted the surrender of Mongol soldiers. With my help from within and without, we broke through the city, and he himself turned into a charred corpse!
A general must be knowledgeable about warfare. Horsemanship and archery are the foundation of our Jurchen identity; we must always remember this. Even as the Great Khan, I hunt myself; there is no reason to entrust my bow and arrows to others.”

Haha Nazaqing laughed and said, "You always have so many reasons."

"Hehe." Nurhaci chuckled smugly.

The two stopped talking and enjoyed the rare moment of tenderness.

Suddenly, a footstep approached from outside, the voice filled with panic: "Darhan!"

Nurhaci sat up straight and asked sternly, "What happened?"

"Zhenjiang...Zhenjiang City has fallen to the Ming army!"

"What?" Nurhaci frowned and immediately said in a deep voice, "Summon all the beile and ministers here for a meeting!"

"Yes!"

"Wait!" Hahanazhaqing called out to the messenger, his voice trembling as he asked, "Where is my uncle? How is Tong Yangzhen?"

The messenger reported, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, Ezhen...her fate is unknown..."

Haha Nazaqing felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and the world spun around him.

Nurhaci got up and was about to walk towards the main hall.

Hahana Zhaqing grabbed his sleeve and said, "Great Khan, you must avenge my uncle!"

When Nurhaci heard the news of Zhenjiang's fall, he pretended to be calm, but inside he was both shocked and angry.

Surprisingly, the Ming army reacted very quickly. Liaoyang and Shenyang were captured in March, but the Ming army's retaliation came in less than June.

Moreover, the first move was aimed directly at the most vulnerable rear of the Great Jin.

Once the other southern barbarians know that the Ming army has returned, they will surely rise up in response, and the situation in Liaodong, which has been so hard-won, will fall into chaos again.

What angered him was that just a month ago he had ordered Tong Yangzhen to behead Han people and set up stakes, but just over a month later, Zhenjiang City, where Tong Yangzhen was located, was captured.

How is this any different from directly slapping Nurhaci in the face?

Upon hearing Hana Nazaqing's words, Nurhaci impatiently shoved the man aside and coldly said, "Matters of state and military affairs are none of your business!"

After saying that, he quickly walked to the front hall.

The Jin army was known for its strict discipline, and the princes and nobles who led the troops arrived very quickly, as did the important ministers.

In the front hall, more than ten soldiers who had escaped from Zhenjiang were kneeling on the ground, waiting for the Khan to inquire.

Once everyone had arrived, Nurhaci said in a deep voice, "Tell me in detail what exactly happened in Zhenjiang."

The soldiers talked all at once, recounting what had happened that night.

The more Nurhaci listened, the more his brows furrowed, and the surrounding princes and ministers were secretly alarmed.

Did the Ming Dynasty really possess such powerful gunboats? They were capable of reducing an entire city to rubble?

Actually, saying it was bombarded to rubble is a bit of an exaggeration. The Santa Ana only had fourteen Siren guns on each side, and Zhenjiang City had an area of ​​nearly 1.26 square kilometers, or more than 1,900 mu. Even after a whole night of shelling, only about 30% to 40% of the houses were destroyed.

Lin Qian's attack on Zhenjiang relied mainly on the overwhelming force of the artillery, which threw the Tartar soldiers into disarray. With Chen Liangce acting as an inside accomplice, he was able to capture it so easily.

It was only because the Tartar soldiers were unaware of the strength of the Ming army when they fled that they were filled with fear. In addition, fires broke out everywhere in the city and it was dark, which led to the saying that the entire city was reduced to rubble.

Nurhaci looked at Shi Tingzhu, the newly surrendered Han general, and asked, "The Ming Dynasty's firearms are so powerful, what kind of firearms are they?"

Shi Tingzhu said, forcing himself to speak, "It should be a heavy breech-loading cannon."

Nurhaci remained noncommittal and then asked, "How many Ming soldiers were there in total?"

"I don't know, but the number is definitely not small. When I left the city, I could already hear the movements of the Ming army throughout the city!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding Tartar soldiers nodded in agreement.

"When I went out of the north gate, I also heard the sound of the Ming army."

"When I left through the south gate, I also saw Ming troops, and there were more than twenty corpses of Jin cavalrymen on the road, which clearly indicated that a fierce battle had just taken place."

The generals pondered. With such powerful cannons, guarding all the gates of Zhenjiang City, and intercepting and killing fleeing soldiers on the southern roads, it was clear that the Ming army was no small force, at least two thousand strong, and certainly elite.

The Ming army's advance is overwhelming, and the favorable situation in Liaodong is in danger of collapse. We must deal with it carefully.

Just then, someone came from outside the hall to report.

"Your Majesty, the guerrilla commander of Phoenix Fortress has arrived with a report."

"Speak," Nurhaci said in a deep voice.

"On May 21, Zhenjiang City was captured by the Ming army. The Ming army went north along the Yalu River and captured many Tuokesuo. Fortresses and camps within a hundred miles all surrendered upon seeing the enemy."

After the messenger finished speaking, there was no more sound in the hall; you could hear a pin drop. The atmosphere became extremely oppressive.

The thing the Jurchens feared most came to pass: the Han people rose up in rebellion against their rule.

Even if the Jurchen warriors were brave enough to kill all the rebellious people, who would cultivate the fields and where would the military rations come from?
Everyone understood that this trend must not be allowed to spread, and the Ming army in Zhenjiang must be eliminated as soon as possible.

Nurhaci pondered for a long time before saying, "Amin!"

"Great Khan!" Second Prince Amin stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"You have one month to prepare the Bordered Blue Banner and retake Zhenjiang!"

“Yes, ma’am!” Amin replied loudly.

...Since mid-June, fewer and fewer Han Chinese people have been coming to Zhenjiang every day. Those who live nearby and can escape have already fled to Zhenjiang.

Those who are far away cannot escape even if they want to.

By the end of June, almost all the people living along the Yalu River had been relocated to Pi Island.

At this time, the total population of Pi Island had reached nearly 30,000. The people cut down trees, built shacks, and barely survived on just one meal a day.

Although life was tough, at least they had escaped the clutches of the Tartars and no longer had to live in fear.

On June 28, the carrier pigeon returned, bringing with it a large number of transport ships, roughly thirty in total, covering a large area of ​​the sea. From a distance, it was truly an impressive sight.

The fleet docked near Pi Island, attracting refugees to the shore to look out.

The carrier pigeon then sailed alone to Zhenjiang to report to Lin Qian.

That evening, in the captain's cabin of the Santa Ana.

The ship's owner, acting on behalf of the carrier pigeon, handed over the fleet list and supplies list to Lin Qian.

The inscription stated that the ships that sailed to Liaodong this time consisted of four Haicang ships, nine Cangshan ships, and eighteen bird ships.

This is all that Nan'ao Island can offer, apart from the three offshore fleets of Chen Jiao, Bai Qing, and Jose.

Even bird boats, which are not well-suited for navigating the open sea, followed along.

Including this batch of new ships, Liaodong now has nearly fifty transport ships, including ten Haicang ships, twenty-one Cangshan ships, eighteen Bird ships, and the Xinge ship can barely be counted as one.

Although the number looks impressive, the vast majority of them are small boats with limited carrying capacity. At most, they can only transport three thousand people.

Even the largest sea hull ship, no matter how hard it is loaded, can only carry one hundred people.

This was with the help of the USS Santa Ana and three other Seawolf ships loading supplies.

There was no other way; ever since the Ming Dynasty imposed a maritime ban, shipbuilding technology had plummeted, and even the navy's warships were mainly these small boats.

According to rough statistics over the past few days, there are a total of 28,000 people on Pi Island and 2,000 people on Guanglu Island, totaling more than 31,000.

There's definitely no way to ship them all back to South Australia.

Even if they were all transported back, Nan'ao Island wouldn't have that much carrying capacity.

There must be trade-offs.

Lin Qian pulled a list from the table, which contained information on the people of the two islands that had been recently compiled.

“Let’s select people to board the ship according to this list,” Lin Qian said. “Let’s start with craftsmen and doctors, and then we can choose farmers. Those who are selected can bring their families with them.”

Of course, not being selected doesn't mean they'll be left on the island to die. Counting the days, Mao Wenlong is almost in Zhenjiang. Once he arrives on the island, these people will naturally receive aid from the Ming Dynasty.

Even if the imperial court doesn't intervene, developing Dongfan Island will still require a large number of people, and Lin Qian's fleet will still come back to pick them up.

The ship's owner, Lin Qian, took the order and instructed, "Tomorrow I will have Bai Qing, Zhong Aqi, and you return to Pi Island to select the people to board the ship. Hurry up, we must leave the island no later than the fifth day of the seventh month."

Lin Qian thought for a moment and then added a word of advice: "When the people see us leaving, they will definitely rush to get on the boat. This will not be easy to do, so we must be a little hard-hearted."

"My subordinate understands!"

"Go."

……

The next day, at the west gate tower of Zhenjiang City.

Lin Qian saw the newly completed Jingguan (a type of mound of stones).

The mound of skulls resembled a grave mound, about half a zhang high and two zhang in diameter, made of Tartar skulls, and surrounded by rammed earth.

Rising abruptly from the flat ground, it looks extremely abrupt and sends chills down your spine.

According to Chen Liangce, this is just a small mound of skulls, containing less than two hundred heads. If it were a mound of skulls made up of tens of thousands of heads, it would resemble a small hill and look extremely impressive.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qian couldn't help but laugh and said, "Have you ever seen such a mound of corpses?"

“I also read it in a book,” Chen Liangce said. “Back then, when Emperor Yang of Sui suffered a disastrous defeat in his campaign against Goguryeo, Goguryeo built a mound of jingguan that looked like a mountain.”

Lin Qian withdrew her gaze and looked at the ruined city of Zhenjiang. She said, "In a few days, the navy will be retreating south. I estimate that the Tartars' counterattack will be coming soon. Come with me?"

Chen Liangce smiled and shook his head.

Lin Qian never liked to advise people, but after spending a few days with Chen Liangce, he discovered that Chen Liangce was both literate and martial, and had a calm personality, and was well-liked by his subordinates, so he couldn't help but admire his talent.

A few days ago, Chen Liangce's scouts discovered over a thousand Jurchen troops on the northwest post road. They were presumably there to recapture Zhenjiang. Compared to such a force, Chen Liangce's attempt to stay behind was futile.

Lin Qian couldn't help but speak again: "What's the point? Hair can just grow back after being shaved. You surrendered back then because of the prevailing circumstances and had no other choice... Knowing that staying meant certain death, why throw your life away in vain?"

Chen Liangce's gaze was resolute: "I am the garrison commander of Zhenjiang under the Ming Dynasty. How can I abandon the city without a fight?"

Lin Qian sighed, then lowered her voice and said, "If the garrison commander is worried about punishment from the court, I do have a place to go."

Chen Liangce cupped his hands and said, "I appreciate your kindness, Commander."

Then, he pointed to the top of his head where a layer of stubble had just grown: "But having suffered such a great humiliation and lost my integrity, I have no face to return to the Ming Dynasty. I only want to wash away this shame with a bloody battle. This time, I will not run away!"

Lin Qian was moved by his integrity and remained silent for a long time before patting his arm and saying, "Alright, don't forget our promise!"

Chen Liangce laughed loudly, "Hahaha, it's a deal!"

Lin Qian sighed, cupped her hands in farewell, and was stopped by Chen Liangce as she was about to descend the city wall: "Commander, I am a dying man, may I reveal my real name?"

"Lin Qian".

Chen Liangce silently recited these two words, then cupped his hands and said, "Brother Lin, take care!"

……

In early July, the Santa Ana departed from Zhenjiang.

Zhenjiang City fell into desolation.

Inside the city gate tower, Chen Liangce was sharpening his knife, his expression focused and meticulous.

Beside him were more than a hundred Ming soldiers who had volunteered to stay behind; these constituted the entire defensive force of Zhenjiang.

At the West Gate tower, a large flag is fluttering in the wind.

The flag was triangular, with a red background and a ring of red flame patterns sewn around it. In the center of the flag was a large character: “Ming”.

This flag was made by rough-looking men from the border army. It wasn't very refined; the stitches were still showing, and the flame pattern was crookedly sewn.

The materials used are solid; the entire flag was soaked in the blood of the Tartars.

The character "明" in the middle was written by Chen Liangce himself, and it is bold and powerful.

Combined with the towering mound of skulls that rise abruptly beside the flat post road outside the West Gate, the scene was truly desolate and chilling.

Just one glance at it gives you goosebumps.

A few days later, at noon, Amin, the banner chief of the Bordered Blue Banner, accompanied by his generals, arrived at the northwest mountain of Zhenjiang and saw this scene.

When the generals saw the large banners and the mound of corpses, they immediately knew what had happened and were furious. They all asked Amin to lead the troops into battle.

Amin frowned, pointed his riding whip at Zhenjiang City, and said, "Send out a scout team to scout around the city. Then send out two more scout teams to scout along the Yalu River for twenty li."

His personal guards immediately relayed the order.

One of the captains said, "Banner leader, I see no smoke or fire in the city. The southern barbarians must have been scared away by us long ago. Why be so cautious? Let's just send men to attack the city."

Amin remained silent with a cold expression.

He followed his father into battle from birth, and at a young age he repeatedly made military achievements, winning every battle. He ranked second among the four great princes. How could he be someone who knew nothing about military affairs?

Would he not realize that there weren't actually many Ming soldiers in Zhenjiang?
However, the power of those gunboats was truly terrifying, so we had to be cautious.

Although there are no gunboats on the river now, it is hard to say that they may be lurking upstream or downstream. If a battle breaks out, being bombarded by gunboats would only add to the casualties.
Based on his understanding of the Ming Dynasty, he knew that the Ming army would not easily give up a city.

Zhenjiang City is so important. The Ming army had finally managed to recapture it. The fact that they didn't send a large number of troops to garrison it must mean something was amiss. Amin had no choice but to treat it with utmost care.

Two hours later, the scouts returned one after another.

"Your Highness, no Ming troops have been found ten miles south of Zhenjiang City."

“Your Highness, there is no trace of Ming troops on the upper reaches of the Yalu River.”

"There were no Ming army flags in the city, and the city walls were empty and deserted, so it was impossible to see how many troops there were."

Amin thought to herself, "They really ran away? Those southern barbarians are truly cowards!"

The commander of the Bordered Blue Banner said, "Banner Lord, don't wait any longer, let me lead the men forward!"

The surrounding officers and lieutenants volunteered for battle, while their warhorses neighed restlessly and pawed at the ground with their hooves.

Amin glanced at the sky. It was already close to dusk, with only an hour or two left until nightfall. It wasn't a good time to send out troops. To be on the safe side, it would be better to wait until the next morning to attack the city.

Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard his subordinate say, "Your Highness, look!"

Amin looked in the direction of the sound and saw a bamboo pole extending from the city wall, with something hanging from it—the rotting head of a Jurchen.

The braid at the back of his head was tied to a bamboo pole with a rope, which looked quite comical.

Below its head, a flag was tied, with pebbles hanging from both corners. A string of bright red characters could be vaguely seen on the flag, but it was too far away to see clearly.

Amin sent out scouts to investigate.

A moment later, the scouts rode back.

“Your Highness, the flag bears the words ‘Head of the bandit chieftain Tong Yangzhen’ written in Jurchen.”

"This is outrageous!" Amin roared. "Sabing'a, you take two Niru infantrymen and attack the main gate. Akdun, you take one Niru cavalryman and conduct guerrilla archery from below the city."

"Yes!"

The messenger galloped off on horseback to deliver the message, and in no time, a large cavalry force burst out of the forest, galloping freely beneath the city walls, bows in hand, eyeing the city walls menacingly.

Meanwhile, about four hundred infantrymen, carrying shields and ladders, slowly approached Zhenjiang City.

Eager to make a name for himself, Amin traveled light to Zhenjiang, without carrying any heavy supplies such as battering rams, and only brought a little over 1,500 men. His only siege weapon was a siege ladder.

Amin did not participate in the previous bloody battle of Hunhe River. He still believed that the Ming army was just a bunch of chickens and dogs. If it weren't for his fear of those gunboats, he could have recaptured Zhenjiang with just his personal guards from the Bordered Blue Banner.

Now, standing beneath the walls of Zhenjiang, seeing that the gunboats had withdrawn and the large Ming army was nowhere to be seen, he felt even more disdain.

On the distant city wall of Zhenjiang, the Ming army was still cowering, allowing four hundred infantrymen to walk to the city, erect ladders, and climb up.

Amin sneered, thinking to himself, "The Ming army is truly a bunch of rats, only good at stealing grain in the granary, and they're too scared to even fight back when they see a cat."

He then shouted, "Send orders to Sabing'a and Akdun: after the city falls, do not harm the Southern Barbarian commander!"

After all, the movements of the main Ming army and the status of its gunboats still needed to be pried out of the commander's mouth.

"Yes!" The messenger galloped off on his horse, brazenly relaying orders across the battlefield.

In the blink of an eye, the infantry had climbed halfway up the wall, and the city wall was in sight. Just then, the Ming army on the city wall moved.

(End of this chapter)