Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 363: The King's Plan for Hegemony Vanishes
The heroic leader means so much to a tribe that is seeking a breakthrough.

Nurhaci was undoubtedly the powerful leader of the Jianzhou Jurchens, but now his consciousness was becoming unfocused.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

A vague and ethereal voice came over, and was then drowned out by an even more powerful roar: "Nurhaci is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

No, I... I'm not dead yet!

But he was not the real sun after all, and could not compete with the brilliant stars that exploded not far in front of him.

"Quick! Retreat back to the city! It's a trap! Their cannons can reach here!"

Nurhaci turned his head with difficulty and saw chaos all around him. Countless people and horses were lying on the ground, struggling and wailing.

He opened his mouth to speak, but instead spat out a mouthful of blood foam. Wind seemed to flow into his neck and then out of his mouth.

Nurhaci knew it was over.

As long as he failed to organize a breakout according to the previous plan, he would be finished. What's more, he was seriously injured by the Ming army's huge artillery bombardment?

He is not dead yet, but it is very likely that he cannot be saved. So what should he do in the current battle?
"Nurhaci is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

As the increasingly orderly voices reached his ears, he looked forward with difficulty, only to see that the Eight Banners infantrymen who had already charged forward were subconsciously gathering together. They looked back to see what was happening at the city gate, and then looked vigilantly toward the Ming army in the north.

No...can't be like this...

Nurhaci slowly moved his finger, pointed forward, and said with all his strength: "...Ha!"

"……what?"

"……ha!"

He wanted to say kill, and in the end someone could understand what he meant.

No matter what, we must first resist the Han people.

"Your Majesty is fine! Your Majesty is fine! Eight Banners soldiers, listen to my order, kill!" Then he lowered his head again, "Your Majesty, please move back to the city first?"

Of course the "Emperor" was ill, with several bloody holes on his body.

And if we can fire the first and second shots here, we will certainly be able to fire the third and fourth shots.

The person who asked the questions was He Heli, and now he looked extremely frightened.

He was originally on the city wall, but seeing that the ground below was blooming, he naturally ran over here as fast as he could.

The Great Jin Dynasty has only one backbone, and that is Nurhaci!

Every minute and every second is precious now. Perhaps the Ming army on Longzhua Mountain is busy loading gunpowder and projectiles, and another artillery bombardment may arrive here at any time.

Nurhaci rolled his eyes and looked at him, then pointed to the west.

"Not entering the city?" He Heli said anxiously, "Your Majesty, the Han people's artillery shells can reach this far..."

"...flag..." He pointed forward, then pointed to the west, "...oh...horse..."

He Heli gritted his teeth and immediately ordered: "Hold the flag again! Let the warriors know that the emperor is safe!"

Then he ordered: "Quick, put another fur cloak on the emperor! Where is the war horse? Where is the war horse?"

He knew what Nurhaci was worried about: a crushing defeat.

This is the case. Now that the ceremonial procession is hastily returning, how much morale do the defenders outside the city still have? Doesn't that confirm what the Han people are saying?

It was okay to have blood on his face, after all, it was a battlefield. But the bloody holes on his body and neck had to be covered up.

"Help the Emperor sit up! Help him and move around so that the soldiers can see him!"

He Heli made hasty arrangements, and the flag representing the ceremonial guard of the Great Jin Emperor remained in its original place and was carried up again.

Use movement to counter stillness. The Ming army may have just happened to see the city gate open and the flags flying and fired there, but the huge cannons were not easy to move, so as long as they moved, it would indeed be much safer, but...

"Your Majesty, the injury is serious!"

A Baoyi Aha got into Nurhaci's newly-wrapped fur coat, sat behind him and held him tight. He was shaking in the pungent smell of blood, but Nurhaci tried to stay calm.

With someone leading the horse, Nurhaci only had to try hard to appear normal.

Among the ceremonial guards, there was indeed a burst of cheers when they saw that he was safe and sound.

Only Aha, the bannerman hiding in the fur cloak behind him, felt that the gaps between his fingers and his face were becoming increasingly blurry. It was the emperor's blood.

"Let's go... through the west gate..." He heard the emperor say something, and then spoke incoherently, "... the eldest... prince... is... five... Xi... Jiu... Si... is... not dead..."

Beside the horse, He Heli burst into tears, knowing that Nurhaci was making arrangements for his funeral.

Among the princes who have grown up and are still in Jianzhou, regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate, from the eldest prince to the twenty-fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth princes, none of them should forget his hatred today.

"Go faster, don't stop!"

He looked towards the north, calculating the time in his mind.

The Ming army’s new cannons were now capable of being fired three, four, or even sixty or seven times within half a minute by experienced soldiers.

But the larger the gun, the more time it takes to clean the debris, cool the barrel, and load new propellant and bullets.

How much time had passed since he ran down the city gate?
The Han people were still shouting "Nurhaci is dead", but cheers continued to be heard from the base of the city walls.

The Jurchen soldiers seemed to be inspired by their king's bravery, and it seemed like it was their destiny to survive such a huge artillery fire.

"...Kill..." Nurhaci adjusted to his current state a little, and seemed to burst out with vigorous vitality. Although his tone was not firm, his pronunciation was clear.

He Heli followed and shouted: "Kill!"

"Kill!" More people nearby began to shout, and the hesitant Jurchen infantry launched a charge again.

"kill!"

Because of the shocking cannon and the shouts of the Ming army, the Jurchen soldiers, who had been in panic for a moment, rushed forward again.

“Kill!” Manggurtai saw the flags begin to move and swung his sword again, “Kill all the Han dogs! Go!”

He gave his mount a strong push and then unleashed his hooves again.

There were frequent sounds of horse hooves ahead, and he stared at the Liaodong cavalry opposite.

Sun Shoulian took a detour and fought back.

This time their target was the Jurchen infantry who had begun to charge the Ming army. When they charged, unlike the Ming army which always advanced in battle formations, these Jurchen infantry were the most vulnerable to being killed by the cavalry.

The Zhenglan Banner cavalry led by Manggurtai rushed towards them.

Now that the infantry have begun to charge, the Ming army's gun and spear formation can be left to them, and the Ming army's cavalry will be blocked.

"Kill!" He swung his knife forward, "Shoot!"

No matter how chaotic the battlefield was or how many casualties might occur, the enemy cavalry were, after all, sitting on horses and were much taller than them.

Sun Shoulian doesn't have to worry so much, as there are enemies all around him.

"Old rules, after three shots, draw your sword and kill!" He shouted, "Disperse! Disperse! Disperse!"

The more than 300 cavalrymen spread out as far as possible in the shape of an arrow, ready to advance in unison.

Then, within a few breaths, there was a burst of dense gunfire, then another, and another.

"Come together! Come together! Come together!"

They formed a fast cavalry team of about a hundred cavalrymen, and became like a spear, attacking the Jurchen infantry from the flank.

At this time, Manggurtai had led his men from the west to the east and attacked the outermost part of the southern side of the Ming Dynasty's gun formation.

The musketeers were at a disadvantage in close combat, and only a few dozen swordsmen were left on the periphery, and dozens of them fell.

Only then were they able to re-form their battle formation. Three rounds of gunfire rang out one after another, and more than a dozen cavalrymen fell at the end of the Jurchen cavalry.

Then they immediately headed towards the right wing, where the Liaodong cavalry's three-barreled guns fired a semicircle of Jurchen infantry.

"Ignore them! Our horses are fast!" Sun Shoulian glanced at the Jurchen cavalry that were coming from the northwest and drew his sword, "Kill the infantry! Kill them all!"

The Liaodong cavalry, which had already accelerated, only needed to move forward in a straight line, while the Jurchen cavalry had to slow down and turn a corner.

After all, when it comes to leading cavalry, Sun Shoulian is much more experienced than Manggurtai, who is only in his early twenties.

After they charged into the Jurchen infantry, the Jurchen cavalry could no longer shoot arrows at them as they had more concerns.

"go with!"

"puff!"

The effect of a high-speed horse hitting a person directly is that abdominal blood gushes out, bones break, and the person is knocked flying.

Then the people around who can react must subconsciously avoid it.

But Sun Shoulian simply crouched down and held his sword horizontally to slash the neck of a Jurchen infantryman who dodged to the side and was about to look.

His neck tilted, and then he fell asleep with his hands covering his neck. His kicking legs were immediately broken by the warhorse behind him.

Manggurtai looked at the Jurchen infantrymen who were making way for him like grease being cut by a knife, and shouted with gnashing teeth: "Kill them back, kill them back!"

Sun Shoulian had previously chosen to go east, and now the Jurchen cavalry could not catch up with him because of this distance - they could not learn from the Liaodong cavalry and cut through their own infantry.

But they are all heading west. Will the Liaodong cavalry be trapped in the more densely populated south and then turn back?

The Jurchen cavalry turned a corner and prepared to cut through the bridge: "Destroy their artillery vehicles that just crossed the bridge!"

The battlefield is full of bravery at this moment.

"Follow me!" Sun Shoulian gritted his teeth, "Capture and kill Nurhaci! There is no way we can be safe under the might of the Ming army!"

After loading the three-barreled gun and charging westward again, he certainly saw Nurhaci's procession moving, and heard the cheers of the Jurchen generals and soldiers whom he had inspired.

He is moving, can I still hit him next time?

Since they failed to kill the enemy with one shot, naturally someone had to go up and finish off the enemy, even if most of these fierce riders had to die here!

More than three hundred cavalrymen struggled to dig their way towards the more densely populated southwest.

At this time, the familiar sound of cannon fire was heard again.

This time there is a slight difference in sequence.

Sun Shoulian was startled when he heard this, and subconsciously looked to the southwest in front of him. Manggurtai, who had already rushed to the east side of the Ming army at the bridgehead, also subconsciously looked to the south, but he saw the eyes of the flanking swordsmen who were ready for battle.

Because there was a time when, after the cannon was fired, the Jurchen soldiers couldn't help but look to the south.

The Ming army's previous attempt to hide their weakness and then suddenly attack with a cold arrow had clearly told the Jurchens that they wanted to capture the leader first.

With the power of the cannon, they killed Nurhaci from three or four miles away. After failing once, they tried again.

But it was a matter of life and death, and their emperor was brave and willing to take risks to encourage them to drive the Han people across the river and hold the defense line outside the city.

Now the huge cannon fired again, and the result was only a matter of seconds.

If the Mandate of Heaven is with the Great Jin, the morale of the Jurchens will be even higher.

Otherwise... who else can lead the Jurchen tribes to continue to fight against the powerful Ming?

"Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!" He Heli shouted anxiously.

He had already made arrangements, after all, he had seen it clearly from the city gate before.

The cavalrymen who were originally marching outside Nurhaci immediately gathered together and raised their shields, and Nurhaci also lowered himself on his horse's back, or rather, he was pressed down by the bannerman Aha behind him.

With preparations in place, the only thing they had to do was prevent the Ming army from hitting them while they were on the move.

It shouldn't be that accurate, right? It's so far away...

At this moment, He Heli remembered the sound of artillery fire that had been coming from the northwest.

Now we know that the Han people were planning and practicing this at that time.

"Protect..." He was still shouting when suddenly a roar came from nearby, and then he felt a burning sensation on his cheek.

He saw that many of the cavalrymen who were protecting Nurhaci from the outside were trembling as if they had been hit hard, and he also heard the harsh sound of raindrops hitting their shields or armor.

"Play... steadily... the cup... leaks..."

With his burning and numb mouth, he was about to remind them to sit tight and not fall off their horses, and to hold on even if they were seriously injured, because the cannons had fired one after another.

But after all, some of the caltrops happened to hit the vital points, which could kill people instantly, so he saw people falling off their horses, including the outer war horses that could not sit on the armor and were also hit.

It's like some of the wheat has fallen.

Then, sure enough, another roar came, and this time, it was more like the sound of real wheat being cut.

After just one or two breaths, many people fell down in unison, including He Heli himself.

He held his chest and breathed heavily through his mouth.

But in his eyes, Nurhaci was still on the horse, and He Heli saw him turning his head.

“Heaven…fate…”

He Heli's eyes were burning.

He did not regret running out of the city, did not regret...

Just as he did not regret making preparations at the first opportunity and telling Nurhaci that Daiqing had sent people to talk about attacking the Ming Dynasty together.

He didn't want to leave Hetuala, nor did he want to leave the Jurchens' homeland.

Why did the Great Jin Kingdom have to rely on the Ming Dynasty for rewards?
Now the Ming army has arrived, but Nurhaci cannot be defeated, even though he is seriously injured!

But the brothers...most of them are great! The Eight Banners Manchus are all great!

But He Heli then watched Nurhaci struggle as if helpless, but then slowly slid to the side involuntarily.

The fur cloak that he had put on fell off the horse first, and the bannerman Aha was seen holding Nurhaci and sliding off the horse uncontrollably.

His back was covered in blood as he had held Nurhaci's back tightly. But even though he was dead now, his hands were still holding Nurhaci tightly.

"boom!"

From He Heli's point of view, the bannerman Aha, holding Nurhaci, landed head first.

He just watched Nurhaci's neck bend strangely, and then the two of them looked at each other from a distance.

It was hard to describe the look in the emperor's eyes, but they began to dim and become distracted.

He Heli also felt burning all over and breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.

There was chaos all around him, but he could hear the voices of the Han people getting closer and closer.

"Nurhaci is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Sun Shoulian was extremely excited.

Fuck!
That telescope really stretched out!
These shots were really satisfying!
Now he is closest to Nurhaci. No matter whether he is still alive or dead, Sun Shoulian will take care of his body!
This time, Nurhaci never got back on his feet.

Looking at He Heli's hand that was stretched out to him, Nurhaci was a little confused: Why didn't this dog let go?

In fact, he knew that when a person is about to die, he will always try his best to grab something. A drowning person will always hold on to the person who is saving him involuntarily. At that moment, they are both extremely strong.

It was as if he was obviously seriously injured, but he still had to hold on and get through the current situation, hoping to kill a group of Han people first and drive them back to the other side of the river.

Just as the national strength of the Great Jin and the Great Ming were not comparable, since he had already retreated from Guangshun Pass, he should not have tried to tell the young emperor: I am not someone who can be messed with!

In fact, they are just dying and fighting hard. They always think that the strength in this state is what they already have, and they always feel that they can seize the chance to save their lives.

Now, the smoke from the explosions of the shrapnel bombs that enveloped the area was blown away by the wind, just like Nurhaci's ambitions for the throne that had vanished into thin air.

Would things have been different if we had listened to the young emperor?

In the distant Forbidden City, Zhu Changluo suddenly sneezed.

"Your Majesty! It's not even summer yet, and you're losing your clothes too quickly!"

Liu Ruoyu felt a little resentful.

Just after leaving the court and walking out of the back door of Fengtian Huangji Palace, Zhu Changluo looked at his summer court dress and said with a smile, "It's not a big deal. Last year in Liaodong, I didn't catch a cold even in the ice and snow."

"You knew it was very cold, but you wore too many clothes and the fire was too strong!" Liu Ruoyu hesitated and continued to complain, "Your Majesty didn't know how to control yourself last night in Chengqian Palace!"

"…You're meddling too much."

"Eunuch Chen has told me! He said that Eunuch Wang is timid, and I am more educated, so I should not be timid when it comes to giving honest advice! You must live long and long, otherwise who will lead the great cause of Ming's revival?"

"...That's what Wanhua said." Zhu Changluo sighed softly, "I was a little reckless with Concubine Kang last night. I will listen to your advice and go back to put on more clothes!"

We do need to guard against late spring cold snaps, but after this period, it will be summer.

It is not long since Qingming Festival and Grain Rain is approaching.

Although Beijing is not experiencing the continuous drizzle like the south at this time, it has been cloudy in the past two days with occasional drizzles.

On the seventh day of March, a sudden and sudden news came, shocking the whole capital.

"Your Majesty! Great joy! Great joy! Jianzhou won a great victory. With the help of the telescope, the Mingwei cannon was as straight as thunder, and killed Nurhaci with one shot!"

Zhu Changluo was stunned for a moment after hearing this: "Really?"

Zou Yi quickly handed it over: "How can it be false? General Sun Shoulian, the deputy general of Liaodong, took back Nurhaci's body from the midst of thousands of troops. Now the government troops have all crossed the river and surrounded Hetuala City!"

Zhu Changluo was a little dazed for a moment.

Nurhaci... just died like that?

However, he quickly came out of his special "historical mood".

After all, he had been the emperor of the Ming Dynasty for so long. In his eyes, Nurhaci was just a chess piece that could be used.

Now that he is unwilling to be a chess piece, he becomes a stumbling block and can be kicked away.

After a while he laughed: "Such good news, we must report it to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, to our grandmother, and to our father's mausoleum."

In any case, Nurhaci is a symbol among these three generations of ancestors and grandchildren.

Someone had already arrived at the Cining Palace to announce the good news. After hearing the news, Empress Dowager Li felt as if a huge burden that had been weighing on her heart for many years had finally been lifted off her shoulders.

The Jian Nu who seized the Ming Dynasty during the Bodhisattva's warning should no longer be a threat.

Acquired image, hasn’t it already been changed?
"Quick! Prepare the sacrifices, we need to fulfill our vows, we need to..."

Yehenara Donggo went directly to the Yangxin Palace to ask for an audience. After the meeting, he kowtowed without saying a word, tears streaming down his face.

"…Since you are pregnant, you can't be so sad or happy. Get up quickly!"

"Your Majesty has helped me to avenge my deep hatred. I..."

"..."

Zhu Changluo thought that this was not to help him, but no matter whether she really thought so, or just said so to please him, in the end he would only reap the benefits.

The dark clouds that had been hanging over Beijing for days seemed to be dispelled by the good news. The dazzling sun was pouring out light and heat, and it seemed to be as prosperous as the Ming Dynasty at that moment.

"The Ming Dynasty will be victorious!"

"Is Liaodong now peaceful from now on? Can we go and explore now?"

"How can there not be peace? When Your Majesty goes to Tongliao to hold a meeting with the tribes, anyone who still wants to be in unrest will have a taste of the Ming Dynasty Thunder God Cannon like the Jiannu did!"

"I heard that it was His Majesty who asked the master craftsmen of the Institute of Research to jointly create the Clairvoyance, which performed a remarkable feat. Wow, it's truly a divine ability..."

"I have the clairvoyance, but what about the super hearing? I wonder how much it would cost to get a pair..."

"With this kind of magical power, can you pretend to be so powerful?"

"What do you think this clairvoyance looks like..."

In the Fengtian Hall, Shen Li was also curious.

Tian Le smiled and said, "It's not surprising. Your Majesty has drawn a better one. We will make a lot of them in the future and have fun with them. Li Qing is really decisive and knowledgeable. He made such a brilliant plan as soon as he got this thing."

"Now the Jurchen rebels are still hiding in the city..."

"They are just vying to be the leader and begging for peace with the Ming. Once Nurhaci is dead, the remaining bandits are not worth mentioning." Tian Le waved his hand, then cupped his hands, "It is time to set up the Jianzhou Military and Civilian Office. The new border of Liaodong must be in shape before the emperor leaves Beijing."

Xiao Daheng's face suddenly fell: "There's not enough money and food!"

(End of this chapter)