Chapter 4, Twenty-seven moments in the four years of Chongzhen (4)
The fourth moment: The nightmare of the darling of the times
November of the fourth year of Chongzhen, Western Liaoning, Daling River, the frontier of the battle between the Later Jin Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty
The biting cold wind whistled extremely miserably in the wilderness, sweeping across this desolate and bitter land like a sharp razor. The sky is lead gray, showing a chaotic atmosphere. The sun also seems to have become a poor man, stingily concentrating its light and heat.
At this time when everything is in depression and there should be few people around, the Daling River is extremely noisy - groups of Jurchens and Mongolian sentries roaring back and forth two hundred steps away from the city wall, provoking the defenders of the city in a showy manner. The Guan Ning Army of the Ming Dynasty caused several roars of artillery from time to time.
Three miles away from the city wall, there were countless flags and tents covering the ground like colorful carpets. The ant-like coated slaves were busy between the camps, instead of being whipped to the ground by the overseers. As for the post-Jin army in the east, there are still a steady stream of heavy vehicles coming on the roads leading to Liaoyang and Shenyang. On the flagpole in front of the Houjin Army camp, the imperial flag of Emperor Taiji Khan was flying high.
All signs fully indicate that this is another huge battle related to the success or failure of the country's destiny.
——After Yuan Chonghuan, who collaborated with the enemy and treason, was imprisoned and threatened with death, the frightened cabinet ministers kicked the ball, and the former commander-in-chief Sun Chengzong once again took over as the governor of Jiliao. After Sun Chengzong took office, he first recovered several strongholds occupied by the Later Jin Dynasty in the interior, restored the Great Wall defense line on the surface, and tried to persuade the once-rebellious Zu Dashou to return to the Ming camp. It can be said that he has made outstanding achievements.
But then, regarding the crucial Liaodong War, Sun Chengzong repeated the same old tune. Regardless of the repeated civil commotion in the country and the extreme exhaustion of financial, material and human resources, Sun Chengzong began to spend huge sums of money on large-scale construction projects, trying to put his most passionate The fortress battle will continue to the end - although this famous minister in the late Ming Dynasty has some talents, he really trusts the fortress battle too much. He thinks that as long as he hides in the castle and acts as a Ninja Turtle, the enemy can't do anything to him. But in fact, when Hou Jin had enough food and red cannons, the Ming army hiding in the castle was no longer a Ninja Turtle, but a turtle in a jar!
In any case, as the situation in the rear became slightly stable, Sun Chengzong ordered Zu Dashou to build a city on the Daling River and use fortress tactics to counterattack Hou Jin.
——Daling River City is located on the west bank of the Daling River, more than thirty miles away from Jinzhou, and also more than thirty miles away from Guangning Youtunwei. There are large hills and mountains between the Daling River and Jinzhou. This city was first built in the third year of Xuande's reign. The city is twelve steps long and one foot wide. It was rebuilt in the 42nd year of Jiajing with a height of two feet and five feet. It has been destroyed twice since the army was launched in Liaodong. After it was demolished by the Hou Jin soldiers in the Battle of Ningjin, it was not rebuilt again, but the city foundation is still there. Zu Dashou led the elite Guan Ning Army to build the city this time. They built a wall on the original city foundation. The stones and other materials demolished by the Jin Army were nearby, and the speed was much faster than building a new city.
In this way, even after Huang Taiji learned the information, he devoted all his efforts to mobilize 70,000 troops to attack Daling River City. But it was still delayed until the Ming army completed the construction of Daling River City and the military supplies and supplies were rushed into the city, before the main force of the Jin army arrived at the front line.
On the eve of the war, in Dalinghe City, there were about 5,000 elite soldiers of the Guanning Army led by Zu Dashou, He Kegang, and Zu Kefa, as well as about 13,000 auxiliary troops drawn from Shandong and Henan, plus Shang who accompanied the army. There are about ten thousand people. Dalinghe City has stockpiled tens of thousands of stones of food, as well as countless gunpowder, arrows, and swords, which are enough to withstand long-term consumption. Faced with such a hard nut, even with the fighting power of the Jurchen Eight Banners, it would be difficult to break it down for a while.
Therefore, Huang Taiji, who had lost the initiative, assumed a siege posture and ordered trenches to be dug along the periphery of Daling River City, stretching for dozens of miles. It was almost equivalent to building an outer city around the Daling River, and the front and rear There are trenches in all, and camps are set up behind the trenches to prepare for a protracted battle.
By November, the desolate countryside outside Dalinghe City had completely changed compared to before the war. A magnificent earth city rose from the ground. In front of the earth city were three trenches. The first two were slightly smaller and deeper. The two small trenches are less than eight feet wide. Behind these two small trenches are more than ten Houjin army camps. They serve as the first barrier to siege the Daling River, and are guarded by the troops led by Gushan Ezhen of various banners. After the first layer, there is the main trench with a depth and width of more than one foot. The soil excavated from the trench is piled behind the main trench, forming an earth city that surrounds the city for thirty miles and is one foot and two feet high. At the entrance of the crenels, the height reaches one foot and five feet. Behind the earthen city is the camp where the banner owners of each banner are located. Outside the camp, small trenches for horse defense are also dug to form the second barrier of the siege. Most of the flag guards are led by the banner owners. , ready to support the first line of defense at any time. Various blue flags were flying on the earthen city, and many soldiers and soldiers were walking among the winding trenches. If some barbed wire fences were added, it would make people think that it was somewhere on the Western Front of World War I. battlefield!
——Obviously, the Hou Jin army wanted to besiege the city at Daling River for reinforcements. This was not an unpredictable strategy and tactics. Guan Ning's army also understood it from top to bottom. Huang Taiji wanted to lure the elite of the Ming army to die. Sun Chengzong, the governor of Jiliao, also knew that, and he also knew that there would probably be another big defeat...
However, under the repeated pressure from the imperial censors and ministers in the cabinet, as well as the various blind orders from the scholars in the Ministry of War, Sun Chengzong had to reluctantly piece together his troops and attack Dalinghe City repeatedly to relieve the siege. But these reinforcements themselves were mostly miscellaneous people who had owed their pay for several years, and the generals who led the troops had no courage to fight. They were all "to be brave to flee when you see the enemy, to be brave to flee when you hear the news, and to misunderstand the news." "Escape", no matter how many times they attacked, they were quickly driven back by the Jurchen cavalry each time, and each time they were chased all the way to the Jinzhou City by the Hou Jin Army.
After repeated defeats, not only the morale of the Ming army in Jinzhou and Ningyuan was depleted, but even rumors spread in Beijing, making people panic.
However, Huang Taiji's attack on Dalinghe City also resulted in repeated blows. Although Zu Dashou was famous as a runaway general in later generations, and was covered with so many stains that it was impossible to wash them away, it was still an experience after all. Rich veteran scoundrels, once forced to show their true skills, will also not But be underestimated: This person will never defend the city to death. He has to go out of the city every day to make troubles, and there are endless conspiracies and tricks. In just one month, he killed two deputy generals, three guerrillas, and Niu Lu'e. After killing more than five hundred Jin soldiers, the entire Eight Banners army was made highly nervous by him. In addition, there is plenty of food in Dalinghe City, and the morale of the army is very stable. The Guan Ning Army who defends the city are all veterans. Although they were slightly behind, Jiannu also suffered a lot of losses, and the entire Daling River City is still in high spirits.
Fortunately, the red cannon that Huang Taiji spared no expense in casting this year soon made a grand appearance, knocked down the outer fortresses of Daling River City one by one, and then began to shoot at the Ming army artillery in the city, finally regaining control once again. situation. It is a pity that Zu Dashou in the city is still trapped and fighting. After the Jin army attacked the city several times, he led his servants to fight back. In the artillery battle, the Hou Jin army also did not have much upper hand.
Seeing that the military operation has reached a stalemate, the frontline soldiers and horses are consuming huge amounts of food and materials every day. The Jin Dynasty's poor national strength at this time, as well as the severe drought in Liaodong and the current situation of thousands of miles of bare land, are really difficult to support such a protracted campaign. General mobilization operations. Therefore, Huang Taiji, who was in a dilemma, had to resort to political means, constantly shooting letters at Daling River City or sending captured Ming generals to persuade them to surrender. Unfortunately, there has been no progress so far.
Outside the city of Dalinghe, there was silence in the Khan King's tent of the Hou Jin Army. Both sides were filled with the banner masters of the Eight Banners, as well as the generals above Gushan Ezhen and the general officer of each banner. Most of these people had strong backs and bare waists, and their heads were bare. There was a money rat tail hanging on the back, and only a few beards on the upper lip were left on their faces. Many of them had scars on their faces. When they looked up occasionally, their eyes always revealed ferocity, filling the entire tent with a terrifying feeling. The cold savage breath.
Huang Taiji naturally sat in the middle of the tent, with Mang Gurtai and Daishan on the left and right. Huang Taiji's face was rather gloomy, Mang Gurtai's fat and wide face had a rebellious look, and Daishan on the other side lowered his head and fiddled with his finger, seemingly in deep thought.
On a stool in the center of the tent, there was a reply letter from Zu Dashou refusing to surrender... Zu Dashou's refusal to surrender was nothing in itself. Huang Taiji actually knew very well that from the perspective of interests, Hou Jin could not give Zu Dashou any benefits. Now the Guan Ning Army has the pay and land of Liaodong, and Zu Dashou himself has a large number of fields in Ningyuan, with tens of thousands of tenants. Zu Dashou is the Supreme Emperor of Liaodong, and even Sun Chengzong does not dare to force him.
And if the Guan Ning Army surrenders, no matter how generous Huang Taiji says, in fact it will definitely be taken back to Liaodong by the Hou Jin Army. At most, they will be allocated some fields, and then they will have to be attached to each banner and completely reduced to the Eight Banners. How can you be as comfortable as your current life as a vassal?
Therefore, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, Zu Dashou is absolutely unwilling to surrender Houjin... But what is special is that Zu Dashou's letter of rejection was actually written on a fox skin, and the fox skin was also Nine tails were deliberately sewn on - when he saw this fox skin with nine tails, Mang Gurtai's face became very strange, and the corners of his mouth twitched non-stop, looking like he wanted to laugh but didn't dare to laugh. appearance. Daishan, on the other hand, lowered his head and remained silent, but from Huang Taiji's perspective, it was obvious that his shoulders were shaking slightly. As for the generals in the tent, many of them couldn't help but burst out laughing, and then quickly covered their mouths with both hands, making a look of fear...
Looking at the living beings in the tent, Huang Taiji's face naturally turned blue and white, but he couldn't help it, so he had to hold it in his heart with hatred.
Alas, I think back to when my father Khan Nurhachi raised his troops with thirteen suits of armor and announced the "Seven Great Hatreds" to attack the Ming Dynasty. How overwhelming and devastating it was, sweeping across Liaodong like a rolling mat, with great joy - the Battle of Fushun, Sasha The Battle of Erhu, the defeat of Tieling, the defeat of Shenyang, the capture of Liaoyang, and the march to Guangning...the Ming army was frightened by the killings, and won a series of brilliant victories, and confidently shouted the slogan "If there are not even ten thousand Jurchens, they will be invincible" .
However, after winning the Battle of Guangning, the good luck that the Jurchens had felt like destiny since they raised their troops seemed to gradually disappear - first Mao Wenlong's Dongjiang Town appeared in the Pidao and Lushun areas, as if attached to Like a gangrene of bones, it always threatens the Jurchen hinterland in southern Liaoning. With the birth of Dongjiang Town, whenever the Hou Jin regime sent out troops for an expedition, Mao Wenlong would come out to rob the Jurchens' rear hinterland. When the main force of the Hou Jin soldiers hurried back, he immediately retracted his head and hid in those few On the islands and peninsulas, the Houjin Army, which had no navy, could only sigh across the sea.
The entire Hou Jin army was undoubtedly disgusted with this enemy who was as difficult to deal with as brown candy, and they sent troops to attack Mao Wenlong again and again. But the results of a series of crusade battles gave birth to the real nemesis and nightmare of the Jin Army - the Battle of Lushun, the Battle of Jinzhou, the Battle of Gaizhou, the Battle of Nanguan... one after another unexpected events The defeat almost destroyed the Jurchens' reputation for bravery. Trampling on the bones of many Jurchen warriors, Huang Shi, an unknown soldier who Huang Taiji once had a relationship with, actually started on a desolate island and embarked on the road to becoming a famous general step by step!
After being severely defeated by Huangshi, Huang Taiji, who had learned from the pain, managed to assemble 70 Niulu's heavy troops, set up a dragnet during the Battle of Fuzhou, and led Huangshi's 3,000 troops into an ambush. But even in the desperate situation of being completely unprepared and suddenly ambushed, Huangshi just let the infantry spear formation launch an all-out charge, and the entire encirclement designed by Huang Taiji collapsed and was defeated...
By the time the battle of Juehua Island broke out, no one in the entire Houjin Army dared to confront Huangshi head-on. Seeing that he could not defeat this opponent on the battlefield, Huang Taiji had no choice but to use his brains on conspiracy. The result was that Huangshi achieved the legendary reputation of "entering Liaoyang on horseback and killing the slave chief alone"! Although Huang Taiji knew very well that his father was not assassinated by Huang Shi, the problem was that no one would believe him even if he told him!
Fortunately, at this juncture when the Jin Kingdom suffered repeated defeats, panic, internal and external troubles, Huang Taiji, who came to the throne at the critical moment, finally showed that he shouldered the favor of fate. As the darling of the times, he was destined to be lucky in everything he did. On the angry side, luck suddenly fell from the sky, and he received great help from Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Jiliao, an international friend, and a bunch of mediocre civil servants in the Ming Dynasty. Not only did he remove the evil star Huangshi, but Yuan Chonghuan also returned the favor to the emperor. Ji sent a large amount of military expenses and a huge amount of food, and thoughtfully helped him kill Mao Wenlong, starve the Dongjiang Army to death, and avenge countless Jurchen warriors. Then he even managed to mobilize troops for Huang Taiji to annihilate, destroying them bit by bit. They defeated the Ming Dynasty's border defense forces, and finally even almost cooperated with the inside and outside to open the city of Beijing, forcing Emperor Chongzhen to sign an alliance under the city, repeating the scene that the Han people said was the "shame of Jingkang"... Unfortunately, the success fell short in the end.
Next, Huang Taiji's luck began to change. He swept across the capital of the Ming Dynasty and defeated all Ming armies. He also gained huge harvests by plundering Hebei and Shanxi, as well as the battle of Luanzhou and several encounters. During the war, he was depressed and beaten repeatedly by the Ming Dynasty's new general, Chen Xin, who was in Dengzhou and led the Wendeng camp. Last year, when the Jin army broke through Xuanda and swept through Shanxi, they suffered another defeat in front of a guy named Wang Dou.
Not long ago, the Eight Banners' powerful force was beaten hard again by Chen Xin's Dengzhou Army on Shenmi Island in Liaodong. Thousands of people were killed and injured, and they lost a bit of face... Although compared with the threat posed by Huangshi to the Jurchens in the past, There is still a long way to go, but some people have already begun to compare Chen Xin with Huang Shi.
However, the above-mentioned loss of troops is only a minor problem for the Houjin Army, which has already grown into a big business. What really makes Huang Taiji feel heartbroken is that the Jurchens in Jianzhou have suffered the biggest loss since their rise. The intangible assets, that is, the battlefield myth of "the Jurchens are invincible if they are not worth less than ten thousand", were finally completely bankrupt under the repeated attacks by Huang Shi, Chen Xin and others, as well as the counter-evidence of the exposure of Yuan Chonghuan's treasonous conspiracy!
——As Jiannu failed again and again on the battlefield, the invincible reputation of the Jurchen cavalry was greatly reduced one after another, and finally collapsed completely. Even the Jurchens themselves did not dare to continue to brag. , but the morale of all the Ming armies in the world has been lifted.
By the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign, all scholars in the Ming Dynasty had unanimously recognized that the Jurchen cavalry's combat effectiveness was actually just that, and they could be defeated with a little effort. The reason why the Jiannu Tatars have been able to sweep through Liaodong, sweep the capital and make such a fuss in recent years is not that the Jurchen cavalry are too good at fighting - in fact, these Tatars who use the Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a military book are very incompetent, and often Even the cavalry could not beat the infantry. It was entirely because the Ming Dynasty had always had treacherous ministers in the hall, and there were constant traitors and traitors who framed loyal people, which led to such an uncontrollable corruption and defeat.
As for why so many civil servants and generals were so deceived that they gave up their fame and fortune in the Ming Dynasty, lost their reputations, defected to the Jurchens one after another as traitors, and even lurked in the court as moles, even if they destroyed their families and families. No matter what... Well... This, there must be some masters of magic among the slaves, who are good at bewitching people's hearts, just like the Yellow Turban Taoist in the Three Kingdoms era at the end of Han Dynasty, which can lure away people's souls. .
Therefore, the image of Huang Taiji in the minds of scholars in the Ming Dynasty also changed from a ferocious barbarian covered in muscles, holding a mace, and excellent martial arts, to a cult leader with disheveled hair, burning incense, and sacrificing boys and girls to the gods. Priest...or even worse...
According to the libretto of some storytellers in Beijing, this Jurchen thief Chief Tai Chi is a nine-tailed male vixen who was reincarnated by Daji in the Shang Dynasty. He was born with a pair of enchanting peach blossom eyes, and his charming skills are superb. No matter who he is, he will be a loyal minister. , a chaste and virtuous girl, as long as she takes one look at this Huang Taiji, her muscles and bones will immediately soften and her mind will be dazzled. From then on, she will willingly debase herself and become his slave. As a maidservant... Governor Yuan Chonghuan at that time accidentally fell into his evil ways. From then on, he was completely obedient to Huang Taiji. He did not hesitate to lose his reputation and kill everyone in his family, but also sent food and money to support the establishment of slaves, and also Jiao Zhao killed Mao Wenlong and paralyzed Dongjiang Town, took the initiative to weaken the Great Wall defenses, and finally helped Huang Taiji break through the barriers and enter Beijing, and cooperated inside and outside to seize the three hundred years of Ming Dynasty.
After Huang Taiji entered the border and came to Beijing, the reason why Yuan Chonghuan repeatedly asked the Emperor to negotiate peace with the Empress Jin was also Huang Taiji's trick: as long as Yuan Chonghuan deceived the emperor into shouting and answering on the city wall, he accidentally looked at the emperor. With one glance at Tai Chi, Emperor Chongzhen was immediately bewitched by the evil arts under the full activation of Huang Taiji's charming skills. He obediently took off his dragon robe and gave his Zen position to Huang Taiji, causing the Ming Dynasty to fall overnight...
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In addition to the above-mentioned conjectures, some people have cited evidence: In the year when Huang Taiji led the army of the Later Jin Dynasty to ravage the capital, several crazy beauties with outstanding looks but not very bright minds appeared in various places in the suburbs of Beijing. Not only did he not hide from Houjin's soldiers, but he actively inquired about the location of the Jurchens' camp, and kept saying that he wanted to be the fourth prince's woman. God knows when there was the fourth elder brother they called in Houjin's country? Who is Yinzhen?
However, the above-mentioned crazy beauties who defected to the Tartars arrived a step too late. At this time, Huang Taiji had already returned with a full load of Jurchen soldiers and horses. These crazy beauties wanted to sacrifice their lives to feed the tigers and defect to the Tartars, but they could not find a place for a while. So in the end, some of them were sold into brothels to fend for themselves, and a few were treated as lunatics and kept in temples. However, these women were restless even after entering the temple, going crazy and showing off, and also committed many scandalous things that were immoral. In the end, they had to be put into wooden cages and sunk in the pond... Now thinking about it, these crazy and pitiful women were probably the result of Huang Taiji's misfortune when he was practicing the charm technique during the march, and they became so confused and insane. Well...
Because this matter was said so clearly, even some Jurchen and Mongolian dignitaries believed it after it spread to Liaodong through various channels. For example, one night, Huang Taiji was very depressed to find that Bumbutai (later the Queen Mother of Xiaozhuang) of Jin Dynasty actually put her hand on her butt and touched it while she was sleeping, as if she wanted to Find out if you really have nine tails...
Regarding this hateful rumor that denies his human identity, Huang Taiji, who was supposed to be the darling of this era and blessed by the aura of "Destiny", was naturally very angry. He also tried to clarify and defend, but unfortunately it had no effect at all. . On the contrary, the leader of the White Lotus Sect in the Central Plains actually sent a secret envoy to the outside of the pass. He wanted to draw Huang Taiji into the sect in a whimsical way and make him the "Supreme Nine-tailed Protector"... which made Huang Taiji dumbfounded: You guys, these monsters from the Ming Dynasty,... I really thought Ben Khan was a fox!
Back to the subject, after receiving the rejection letter from Zu Dashou's unique nine-tailed fox skin, Comrade Huang Taiji, who was recognized by both the Ming Dynasty and the public as the best vixen in the world, no matter how angry his heart was, he could only announce the end of the military meeting depressingly, and everyone went their separate ways. Return to the camp, pay attention to night patrols and curfews, and beware of night attacks by the city's defenders and the Jinzhou Ming Army... In short, we will continue to fight this boring siege for a long time.
As a result, many Jurchen generals couldn't help but burst out laughing just a few steps out of the tent, making Huang Taiji's face as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he became even more depressed.
However, just when Huang Taiji, the vixen who had been holding back his anger, returned to his sleeping tent in a depressed mood, preparing to have some wine and food to rest and go to bed, he was struck by an unbelievable piece of bad news that made him lose all his appetite and even became extremely angry. He kicked the messenger away.
"...What? The city of Ning Guta was burned down by a group of big iron birds raining down fire from the sky? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
"...The Great Khan! Everything I said is the truth!"
Looking at the furious Huang Taiji, Sagali, the guard of Ninggu Tower who had just been kicked over, reluctantly got up from the ground in pain and replied tremblingly.
Under the dim candlelight, you can see that this guy's clothes are in tatters, his expression is panicked and haggard, and a short length of hair has grown on the top of his head - according to Jurchen customs, he has to shave once every five to seven days. Obviously Sagali I haven't shaved my head on time lately.
But what Huang Taiji is concerned about now is of course not the length of Sagali's hair, but what happened at Ningguta (modern Jiuguta Village, Changting Town, Hailin, Heilongjiang Province).
"...As far as the Great Khan is concerned, as far as I know, this is probably what happened..."
As the rear area of the Hou Jin regime, since Nurhaci sent troops to defeat the Woji tribe in 1610, conquered both sides of the Suifen River, captured more than 10,000 tribesmen, and moved a large number of tribes to the Liaodong area, the area around Ningguta has been very peaceful. calm.
But just two months ago, a man who claimed to be a member of the Urgu tribe under the Varkha tribe suddenly came to Ningupa and met with the guard Sagali, saying that a group of pirates had occupied Vladivostok to the east.
Naturally, Sagali, the guard of Ninggu Tower, could not ignore this sudden enemy situation. He quickly sent someone to Vladivostok to inquire about the news. But this inquiry was so good that he almost frightened him to death - according to the report from his men, this group of pirates was very powerful. Last autumn, they swept away hundreds of small and large tribes in the Varka tribe north of Vladivostok, and even killed them overnight. In time, the powerful Urgu tribe there was wiped out.
Moreover, those pirates were very rich. The spies who had seen those pirates said that the pirates' clothes and accessories were very exquisite. Moreover, they also have firearms that can be fired continuously, and they can throw explosive fire thunder at will...
Sagali instinctively felt threatened by this group of pirates who suddenly appeared. But whether to attack Vladivostok next, Sagali was very hesitant - because Ninggu Tower was located in the rear where there had been no war all year round, he only had a few hundred soldiers in hand.
Although he could recruit a group of young men from the Jurchen tribe near Ninggu Pagoda, the equipment of these tribal warriors was too poor, and they had not been trained in military formations. They relied on such a group of ragtag men holding bone arrows and harpoons in their hands. . How can you defeat these powerful pirates?
After thinking about it, he finally brought more than 300 people to Vladivostok. Under the banner of the Houjin Great Khan, he gathered a mob from nearby tribes and used them as cannon fodder to launch an exploratory sneak attack on the pirate stronghold in Vladivostok... Anyway, they died. If you are not one of your own, there is no need to feel heartbroken no matter how tragic the loss is.
As a result, this chaotic attack failed as expected. The bullets and cannonballs fired by the pirates mopped down the Jurchen warriors armed with bone arrows and stone axes. Not to mention that almost all the cannon fodder brought from nearby tribes were wiped out, and even most of the real Tatars brought by Sagali were dead.
In the end, Sagali managed to escape from the battlefield with only more than 30 people, avoided the pursuers, and successfully sneaked into the vast mountains. After several days, they returned to Ninggu Pagoda in embarrassment. But the scene that appeared in front of them stunned them - Ning Guta had been burned into a dark ruin! The families of Sagali and his men, as well as many banner men, young and old, were all burned to charcoal in the city!
So, seeing that Sagali was homeless, he had no choice but to go all the way south to find the Khan to report the matter.
"...I heard from a few survivors at Ninggu Pagoda that there were several huge iron birds flying from the east that day. They were very scary. They could drop iron eggs that could explode and catch fire from the sky. These iron birds were Burn down Ningguta’s walled city And when I led people to attack Vladivostok, I also saw with my own eyes several iron birds flying in the sky, rushing down from the sky and throwing exploding iron eggs, which scattered our attacking team..."
Sagali stared with red eyes and cried, "...Great Khan! Please avenge us! You must kill those bastards!"
However, Huang Taiji did not agree immediately. He only comforted Sagali with gentle words and asked someone to take him down to rest.
Then turning around, Huang Taiji ordered his personal guards to imprison Sagali and the few followers he brought. The news that Ning Gu Pagoda was burned down must not be allowed to spread, which would cause the military morale on the Daling River frontline to spread. Was shaken - although judging from Sagali's journey from Shenyang and Liaoyang, it is estimated that this bad news will not be hidden for a long time. This guy has never been a tight-lipped person... but he can still hide it for a while. Bar!
Later, looking at the map of Liaodong on the bed table, Huang Taiji frowned and drew a circle on the location of Vladivostok, and then felt even worse. Although Sagali's words may be a bit exaggerated, Vladivostok It's probably true that a new hostile force has emerged over there.
In this case, the Houjin regime, which was originally sandwiched between the Ming Dynasty, North Korea and Mongolia, and was surrounded by enemies on three sides, would cease to exist even as the last stable rear area. Although Vladivostok is still far away from the core area of Hou Jin's rule, if those tough pirates follow the Tumen River waterway and penetrate deep into Jianzhou Zuowei, they can cause Hou Jin ten times or even more damage than they did in the past. Mao Wenlong’s threat...
Oh, what the hell, you pirates are so powerful, why don't you go plunder the colorful world of Korea, Japan, and Ming Dynasty in the south, but instead, you want to fight with me, a poor man like me, in this extremely cold savage land in the north? What's the dilemma? Huang Taiji rubbed his temples with a splitting headache, feeling that his mind was full of chaos - out of the instinct of a military strategist, of course he wanted to nip the disaster in Vladivostok in the bud, but the current situation in the country All the troops and material resources have been pressed into western Liaoning and filled up in the Daling River. It is impossible to have any spare power to expedition to Vladivostok.
More importantly, because Huang Taiji had already bet too much money on the Daling River battlefield, there was no room for him to put away his chips and leave midway. If they return from the Daling River front without success, it will seriously dampen the morale of the Houjin Eight Banners and severely damage the reputation and prestige of Huang Taiji. Even the position of King Khan under his butt may not be stable - even if he is not defeated, as long as there is no gain, it is equivalent to a loss.
"...Oh, the national situation is really difficult!" Huang Taiji groaned almost in pain, simply not knowing what to do. However, just when he was in a bad mood due to the continuous bad news and was about to lose sleep at night, a messenger finally thoughtfully sent him a piece of good news.
"...The Ming court did not withhold food and wages, which led to an outbreak of riots in Dongjiang Town and starving people everywhere on the islands? How wonderful! Please open your eyes and starve to death those untouchables who are enemies of me, Dajin." ! This is good, at least the Liaonan side no longer has to worry about being taken advantage of by the Dongjiang Army! ”
Putting away the letter with satisfaction, and with a rare good mood, Huang Taiji got into bed and closed his eyes drowsily. However, what Huang Taiji, who was immersed in his dream, didn't know was that even the last piece of good news he received was now out of date...