Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 358 The Price of Glory

"They'll be left to you."

Liu Jing looked towards the east with a deep gaze, pointing his blade towards it: "Your Majesty, by grace, has said that you can exchange your military merits for your fellow tribesmen. Although there are guards who escaped, the area east of here is your hunting ground!"

The leader of the Chahar cavalry who followed Liu Jing to the east looked at Liu Jing, put his hand to his chest, bent over, and then led his army eastward.

Liu Jing then rode his horse southward first. After a while, he dismounted and came in front of Yu Zigao.

Yu Zigao was covered in blood, standing there with one hand leaning on his spear.

"Seeing you is enough to understand your father's elegance in the past." Liu Jing said seriously, "You are the first to besiege and kill Nurhaci!"

Yu Zigao panted, his eyes filled with hatred: "He must die!"

"You are seriously injured!" Liu Jing looked at the remaining soldiers of the Tianshu Camp next to him, "The Tianshu Camp is indeed full of heroes! Most of you are injured, Zhao Sun, go and mobilize some people... Collect the brothers who died in the battle, and let the injured brothers recover and recuperate!"

There are three thousand people in Tianshu Camp, but only six hundred and thirty-five are alive here.

Among these people, it is unknown how many of those seriously injured can survive.

Together with the 533 people who had been injured and did not follow Yu Zigao out of Fushun Pass, after more than a year of fighting, two out of three members of the Tianshu Camp were killed.

Liu Jing looked at them and his heart couldn't help but beat fast.

Most of them were those who had received a hundred taels of silver as a reward for the fighting competition, yet in this battle, so many of them were killed.

This was the result of him arriving in time after hearing the news.

Of course, they had previously defended Hada City and kept nearly 40,000 main forces of the Jianzhou Jurchens out of Guangshun Pass; this time they launched a surprise attack on Toudao Fort and blocked the Jianzhou Jurchens from fleeing eastwards at Babaogou. These were all first-rate tough battles.

What shocked Liu Jing was that they had so many casualties but did not collapse.

After this battle, although only 30% of the brothers out of 10 were left in the Tianshu Camp, the military spirit was there.

"Pass on my order, surround but don't attack!" Liu Jing said loudly, "He wants to sacrifice his country, but it won't be that easy!"

Liu Jing led his army from the north bank of the Suzi River. Nurhaci had already reached the south bank of the river. He could not cross the river and could not quickly destroy the Tianshu camp.

There was no way to escape to the south, and crossing the river to the east was blocked. After Liu Jing led some elite troops to cross the river to the south, he finally returned to the city of Hetuala with Fei Yingdong and the three dignitaries who had always been with him.

Liu Jing did not dare to relax, as his current military strength was not enough to surround the entire Hetuala city.

There are still forts in some valleys in the north that serve as the outer defense line of Hetuala City, and rescue may come from the east and southeast. If the elite Jurchen soldiers who retreated to the city rested and fought back to choose a place to break out, it is not impossible to break through his defense line.

We have to wait until the reinforcements from Fushun Pass and Yagu Pass arrive before we can truly encircle Hetuala City.

Now that he knew that Nurhaci was indeed still in the city, he was no longer in a hurry.

After setting up two layers of scouts inside and outside, and arranging battalion after battalion to guard every pass leading out of the city to the east, south, and southeast, he went to visit Yu Zigao again.

Yu Zigao was lying on the bed in the tent, and Liu Jing looked at his left hand.

"What a pity...Brother Yu has all these skills..."

Yu Zigao had fallen into a deep sleep with his brows furrowed.

"I wonder if Marquis Jingyi can survive this." The doctor accompanying the army said, "I heard from Ranger Zhang that the Marquis ordered him to cut it off so that it wouldn't get in the way. After his left palm was cut off, he still killed several bandits."

"How many arrow wounds are there?"

"I was protected by armor, so the arrow didn't penetrate my body. I only had six flesh wounds. The arrow went through my left palm, and I was slashed by the thief's knife... I lost too much blood and energy."

Liu Jing nodded silently: "Take good care of him. No matter what, Brother Yu's life must be saved! In order to allow him to bandage his broken palm first, the brothers of Tianshu Camp surrounded him and lost three lives."

His previous long circle had already taught him more about the previous war.

The Tianshu Camp paid the price of more than 1,300 lives, but did save Nurhaci.

The Tianshu Camp had run out of bullets and gunpowder for their cannons, and their arrows were almost all gone, so in the end they had no choice but to engage in hand-to-hand combat with weapons such as swords.

Just north and south of the Suzi River, there were nearly four thousand corpses left by the Jianzhou Jurchens.

He now set up his camp north of the Suzi River, northeast of Hetuala City, and looked at Hetuala City on the other side of the river from afar.

Nurhaci should be regretting now for underestimating the fighting power of the Ming army, right?

How dare he, a small clan, rebel against the Ming Dynasty?

The Khan Palace in Hetuala City was built in the third year of Taichang. Last year, Nurhaci ascended the throne here and was called both Khan and Emperor.

He was called Khan because he "conquered" Khorchin, but Khorchin now begged for peace with the Ming Dynasty.

He proclaimed himself emperor because he was unwilling to be expelled by the Ming Dynasty and live as a vassal king of a small country, like Li Hui, who was controlled by the Ming Dynasty. But now, the Ming army surrounded them in Hetuala City.

Did he underestimate the fighting power of the Ming army?
No, in fact, if the situation at that time had not made him feel that the opportunity was not to be missed, under other circumstances, he really would not dare to rebel now, thinking that he did not have the strength to do so.

But he did underestimate it. The defeat of the Chahar Khanate was one, the defense of Hada City and Guangshun Pass was two, and the fact that less than 2,000 men completely disrupted his strategic retreat plan was three.

The atmosphere in the main hall of the Khan's Palace was heavy.

He still spoke: "As long as Fei Yingdong is here, he will be able to ensure that the people of the Eight Banners of the Great Jin Dynasty can escape eastward. Are you worried about dying here?"

Nurhaci was asking about the dignitaries of the three Haixi tribes who had surrendered to him.

Among the three tribes of Hada, Huifa and Ula who surrendered to him, there were some whom he trusted and could be used, but they were not here.

He was unsure about the remaining ones and did not dare to let them leave with the main force, so he still kept them by his side and controlled them.

"No way! We swear to stand by His Majesty!"

Now that Nurhaci asked the question, these people quickly expressed their opinions.

Nurhaci just looked at them.

The emperor of the Ming Dynasty issued a clear decree, saying that the only people to be conquered were the Jianzhou Jurchens, namely Nurhaci.

The Hada tribe is okay. The Huifa and Ula tribes were only conquered the year before last. How loyal are they to the Jianzhou Jurchens?

Even Nurhaci could not fully trust them, fearing that they would stab him in the back, so he did not dare to let them go first.

Even if they were afraid of Nurhaci, would they be afraid of Zhu Ying?
"Okay! Then let's prepare for the breakout first."

"Your Majesty, which way should we break out?"

"Let's go to Sarhu!"

Many people were shocked: "Going to Sarhu, that's not..." "They are afraid that we will go east, so let's go the other way!" Nurhaci said, "The reinforcements are tired after marching, and a surprise attack will surely succeed! Even if there are more reinforcements in Maldun Village, we are not afraid, as it will be a good opportunity to break out when they arrive. How can they be as familiar with the mountains and hills around here as I am? We should circle around them among these mountains, so that the people of the Great Jin can go more safely! That's it, you can go back and rest first!"

Nurhaci drove away those he did not completely trust and kept his confidants such as Huerhan.

"Your Majesty, do you really want to go to Sarhu?" Huerhan asked.

Nurhaci looked at them without saying anything.

Hu Erhan gritted his teeth and said, "I will prepare it right away!"

Everyone else was in a heavy mood, but they all stood up and saluted, ready to make their own preparations.

"Slow down!" Nurhaci called them and pointed to one person first. "You go first and pay close attention to their movements. If they have any ulterior motives, they will definitely try to contact the Ming army. They are preparing to break out to Sarhu, but actually head south."

"...Southward?" Huerhan asked.

"That's right. I will tell them tomorrow to defend Hetuala first. My head is here, how many Ming army soldiers want to take the credit? They will surely flock to us. During the defense of the city, it will be clear who is loyal and who is treacherous. What we are familiar with but they are not is actually the mountains in the south. We will go straight to Kuandian Liubao from the mountains. The border troops there are the weakest, and they may come from Yagu Pass to grab the credit. If Kuandian Liubao is empty, we will break through one or two, plunder food, military supplies and people, and then go to Hamgyong Province of Korea!"

He sneered, "If anyone really has ulterior motives, let them break out to the Sarhu side. To make it look real, someone must actually go there."

Nurhaci paused and said, "Huerhan, you go over there first and say that you are clearing the way for us."

"I obey your order!" Hu Erhan said without hesitation, "If I can get away..."

"There are so many mountains, where can't we go? You should find a way to get to Wula City and join up with Zhu Ying." Nurhaci looked at him, "When my dragon flag is pointing south, it will be easy for you to escape."

"Your Majesty, why don't you just kill them first? The sword and the gun have no eyes. If they say they died unfortunate deaths, their children, nephews and relatives will have nothing to say. How can I let Your Majesty lure the thieves south for me?"

"If we want to kill them, we have to rely on the Ming army. If they really have ulterior motives and collude with the Ming army to deploy heavy troops in the west, you can just abandon them and go on your own. I will then fight my way out from the south gate, and the Ming army will just think that they are pretending to surrender to lure the enemy, but are actually helping me escape. How can they survive?"

Nurhaci formulated a strategy for breaking out here. He did not, as Liu Jing thought, rather die than sacrifice his life for his country, thus arousing the courage and hatred of the remaining Jurchens to continue their rebellion against the Ming Dynasty.

But no matter what, because Nurhaci wanted to take a defensive stance first and mobilize the Ming army outside to encircle and kill him, and the troops Liu Jing brought with him were slightly insufficient, the battlefield inside and outside Hetuala City calmed down for a while.

Yuan Keli had personally led the army from Sarhu via the Suzi River Valley to Hetuala City, and the battle reports here were also sent to Beijing City as quickly as possible.

Of course, the fastest one was still the military order given by Yuan Keli to Liu Jing.

Liu Jing was stunned after hearing this: "What did you say? Build a fort, build a city?"

"That's right. The governor said that Hetuala is too small. If the Marquis wants to stay in Liaodong forever, Jianzhou should be bigger. Since we are sure that Nurhaci is in the city, there is no need to rush. No matter which side we are on, we must not let down our guard. We must use the dumbest method to trap him to death. We will surround Hetuala and see if the Jianzhou thieves come to rescue. If they don't, the Jurchens will immediately fall apart and each will rule their own country. If they come, we will surround the city and attack the reinforcements."

Liu Jing scratched his head and asked, "What do you mean I will stay in Liaodong forever?"

Although he wanted to, didn't he depend on the emperor's opinion?
"The governor told me to say this," the messenger said. "In short, first treat Hetuala City as the future Jianzhou City. Build forts at several openings and dig trenches that can serve as the foundation of future city walls. An isolated city can be taken sooner or later as long as the food and grass are cut off. On the contrary, if it is destroyed, it will cost money to rebuild it in the future."

"...Isn't that killing thieves impossible?"

The messenger looked at him strangely.

Liu Jing patted his head again and said, "Yes, yes, the Jurchens will definitely not sit idly by and watch us trap them to death. They will definitely leave the city and try to break out."

There are still opportunities to kill the enemy and gain merit, but we should try to set the battlefield outside the city and avoid bombing the city of Hetuala to pieces.

However, if this is done, then the focus will be on the north and south, apart from the Babao Ditch.

Liu Jing was too lazy to think about it, and then gave the order: "No matter what, build a wooden wall for me on the north and west banks of the Suzi River, the valley in the south, and the ridges of the mountains in the southeast. Add the Babaogou Pass!"

So the area around Hetuala city began to become a construction site.

Nurhaci looked heavy-faced as he stood on the city wall.

The Ming army suddenly stopped trying to grab the credit for breaking into the city and capturing the enemy, and resorted to this most stupid method.

But it is the most effective.

"Your Majesty, I will lead a thousand elite soldiers to harass them first. We must not let them build this wooden wall!" Huerhan immediately requested.

Nurhaci looked at the guns and cannons they had set up on the other side of the Suzi River, gritted his teeth and slowly shook his head.

"It's not like the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. What are you afraid of?"

Since they had made up their minds to leave, they had to spend manpower to build the wooden wall, so that it would not be particularly difficult to break it down when the time came.

When you get to this wall, all you need is a few fires; it's not a solid stone wall.

On the contrary, if they continued this kind of siege, how exhausted would the Ming soldiers besieging Hetuala City?
After two days, they suddenly noticed that many old people, women and children had come. Upon closer inspection, they found that they looked like Jurchens.

Nurhaci felt a tightness in his chest.

It turned out that last year's war broke out again, and the surrendered Jurchens in Liaoyuan Military and Civilian Government naturally had a hard time again. Now they are not only providing work-for-relief in Hetuala, but also providing work-for-encirclement.

Yuan Keli managed to capture the enemy, comfort the people, and build a new border at the same time.

Now we have to start harassing them. We can't just sit back and do nothing and appear not to be worried about being trapped to death.

The battle situation in Liaodong and Yuan Keli's strategy were sent to the Forbidden City. After reading it, Zhu Changluo felt very sad at first: "The Tianshu Camp was hit so hard, and Jingyi Marquis..."

"The Tianshu Battalion has been to dangerous places many times and has made outstanding contributions. Marquis Jingyi is seriously injured and should be returned to the border as soon as possible to send famous doctors to treat him..." Tian Le said this first, and then saluted, "The government troops fought bravely, the enemy chieftain was trapped, and there is no need to worry about pacifying Jianzhou. I congratulate your majesty and the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Changluo was silent, then asked, "Does Yuan Liqing want to capture Nurhaci alive? I'm afraid he won't succeed."

"If we can capture him alive, Your Majesty will hold a meeting with all the tribes in Tongliao on the birthday of His Majesty, which will shock the world. Nurhaci is unwilling to be humiliated, and it doesn't matter if he kills himself or dies in battle. Leaving Hetuala City will be beneficial in the long run. After a year of fighting, if the Liaodong border troops can suffer fewer casualties, they can also leave more elite soldiers to continue to pursue the remaining bandits in the future."

Tian Le thinks Yuan Keli's strategy is very good.

"That's it." Zhu Changluo nodded. "If that's the case, then we must not be short of food and military supplies. With tens of thousands of troops besieged, there are harassment from within and reinforcements from outside, so we can't afford to make any mistakes."

"I understand. The Privy Council will never make any mistakes in these matters."

"Issue an order to promote Marquis Jingyi to Duke Jingguo. After the Tianshu Camp has rested, it will return to the capital!"

Tian Le was shocked: "Your Majesty, your grace is great. I would like to thank you on behalf of the soldiers of Tianshu Camp. As for the relief of the soldiers of Tianshu Camp, I will propose a strategy and submit it to you now!"

Zhu Changluo said sadly: "If I had waited a few more years, waited for new guns and cannons, waited for telescopes..."

This should be the last time that the Ming army fought against surrounding foreign enemies with such similar weapons and equipment levels.

This has to be.

Otherwise, Tianshu Camp would not have to pay such a painful price.

This was also because the emperor wanted to win a great victory that had never happened before and achieve sufficiently brilliant results to facilitate the next step in domestic affairs.

Even if a general achieves success, thousands of lives have to be sacrificed. How much more so if a saintly king wants to look down on the world?
(End of this chapter)