Chapter 309: Strategy for Attacking the Ming; Aobai as Vanguard

"Eagle-eyed and wolf-glancing?"

Hong Chengchou glanced at Sun Chuanting: "Baigu, General Wang's heart is wholly loyal; when he resists the slave brigands, he never fails to win. To repay Lu Jiandou's kindness in recognizing his worth, he did not begrudge even a thousand-li journey to face death. With such a loyal and valiant general, you must weigh your words carefully, lest you chill the hearts of the officers and men."

Sun Chuanting sighed: "It is a pity Lu Jiandou is no longer here…"

He was unwilling to dwell on the matter: "Speaking of which, it is laughable. Our grand army at Tongzhou numbers over eighty thousand, while Wang Dou and the others at Pinggu have barely over ten thousand troops, yet we must go and beg them for aid. To think of it truly makes one's teeth go cold."

Hong Chengchou also nodded: "Though the Tongzhou army is large, it lacks the daring, keen spirit of Wang Dou's command. Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei, when they had Wang Dou's troops to rely on, were like wolves and tigers. Once Wang Dou left, they immediately fell to defeat. Their two forces combined also numbered five thousand, yet they could not withstand the same number of the slave general Aobai's troops. At the Battle of Julu, ten thousand men of the Xuan-Da Army resisted sixty thousand slave troops—where did their keen spirit go?"

"With the same number of troops, Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen scattered and fled in panic at Julu, yet when Wang Dou attacked Pinggu, he took the city effortlessly without spending a single arrow or bolt, sending over ten thousand slave soldiers fleeing in disarray. Without Wang Dou, whose valor crowned the three armies, can our Great Ming officers and soldiers no longer fight?"

Hong Chengchou's expression was somewhat bleak.

As for the matter of the Guan-Ning Army at Julu, in truth Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting already understood it clearly; it was something both tacitly acknowledged without speaking aloud.

Sun Chuanting remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice: "The Great Ming cannot rely solely on General Wang's single force. It is time to train troops—to organize and train tens of thousands of soldiers as fierce and hardy as General Wang's. Mentor, your student has already resolved: once the slave chieftain retreats, this student will make a trip to Baoanzhou no matter what, to observe how Wang Dou drills his troops."

Hong Chengchou nodded: "Your teacher also has this intention."

"You Ming men, do you dare to fight?"

Several hundred Qing cavalrymen brandished their might before the encampment, galloping and shouting provocations, yet the Ming camp remained utterly silent. Seeing his own side's morale so low, Hong Chengchou heaved another long sigh. Sun Chuanting, gazing in the direction of Huang Taiji, was also lost in thought for a long while.

Seeing the Ming army's state, the Qing side erupted in thunderous cheers. Dorgon suddenly spoke again: "Where His Majesty's heavenly might extends, the Ming men have already lost their gall; tens of thousands of troops dare not offer a single battle. Why not have our army strike west, seize the Ming capital, and allow Your Majesty to achieve a generation's hegemony, accomplishing unprecedented merit that even the High Emperor never attained?"

Dorgon's words stirred the hearts of the various princes, dukes, and ministers beside Huang Taiji. In particular, Prince Su, Hooge, grew even more restlessly eager. With the Ming army so weak, although they still could not seize the entire Ming state right now, taking their capital and carrying off all its commoners and children would deal the Ming state an extremely heavy blow. Thereafter, even plundering for population and wealth would become far easier.

Huang Taiji swept a glance at Dorgon, his expression somewhat dark and cold. He slowly shook his head: "The Ming state's allotted span is not yet exhausted; the time has not yet come."

He said: "To use the Ming state as an analogy, it is like a great tree with deep roots and luxuriant foliage. Taking Beijing is like felling a great tree: first chop from both sides, and the tree will topple of its own accord."

A contemplative look appeared in his eyes: "We have pondered repeatedly: in the future, once our state is established, if our grand army strikes and the Ming ruler abandons Yanjing and flees, should we pursue him? Or should we not pursue but instead directly attack the capital? Or if we attack but cannot take it, should we then besiege and hold it?"

"If that Ming ruler wishes to sue for peace, should We grant it? Or should We refuse? If We do not grant it, yet he presses and forces a peace, how then should We handle it? If, by Heaven's blessing, We overcome and seize Yanjing, how should its people be pacified and settled? The beile of our state are all covetous at heart—how should this be prohibited?"

"On all these various matters, We have not yet deeply pondered or fully devised a plan. To seize the Ming capital—it still cannot be done!"

Huang Taiji's words drew even greater admiration and praise from the assembled ministers around him, who repeatedly acclaimed His Majesty's far-sighted vision and truly grand strategy. Dorgon's expression grew even more envious; such a high-level strategy for attacking the Ming was something he himself could never have conceived. In terms of statecraft and strategic talent, he was far inferior to Huang Taiji.

Ning Wanwo, Grand Secretary of the Hongwen Academy, loudly declared: "His Majesty is sagaciously wise. In your servant's view of the present situation, that Ming state is a tree with deep roots. If we directly seize the capital before the time is ripe, we risk repeating the calamity of the Liao Emperor Deguang. The ancients said, each generation of rulers and ministers must have its own institutions. For the present plan, Your Majesty need only take the worthy rulers of past dynasties as models, study the sage's classics, reform regulations and institutions, and gradually adopt the systems of the Central Plains. Then, when the day comes that we gain the southern barbarians' territory, we will not be caught in frantic disarray."

This Ning Wanwo was a core figure in Huang Taiji's brain trust; he had offered counsel and proposed strategies more than once, and was deeply relied upon by Huang Taiji.

Hearing Ning Wanwo's words, Huang Taiji said with a solemn expression: "Secretary Ning speaks truly. Since We ascended the throne, We have fixed the official system and distinguished the colors of court attire. We have strictly decreed that the Six Ministries and the Two Academies use the Ming Huidian as the basis for regulations in handling our state's administrative affairs. We once pondered a strategy for attacking the Ming: subjugating Joseon to the east, allying with the Mongols and Tibet to the west, to form a half-moon encirclement around the Ming state. Yet this is greatly insufficient. We intend to appoint you, Minister Ning, as President of the Hongwen Academy, to join with Gao Hongzhong, Bao Chengxian, Fan Wencheng, and the other ministers in translating and compiling the Ming dynasty's Hongwu Baoxun and other canonical texts, to perfect our state's strategy for attacking the Ming."

Ning Wanwo was overwhelmed with gratitude, tears streaming down his face. He bowed deeply: "Your servant will spare no effort in devotion, until his heart stops beating."

…

Watching the two men exchange these refined, literary formalities, the various banner lords beside Huang Taiji all found it utterly dull and flavorless. Yet before the Emperor, they dared not show it, and so endured it with great discomfort. Only Dorgon listened carefully to their exchange, a thoughtful expression appearing in his eyes.

Huang Taiji turned to Tulai, the Bayara Banner Commander of the Plain Yellow Banner beside him, and asked: "Has there still been no movement from Wang Dou and the others at Pinggu?"

Tulai respectfully replied: "In reply to His Majesty, on the third day of the month our grand army routed the Ming generals Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei, and the Ming army at Tongzhou then dispatched messengers to seek aid from Pinggu. By Your Majesty's order, your slaves feigned interception and allowed the messengers to depart; presumably they have long since reached Pinggu."

He added with some puzzlement: "According to the scouts' reports, Wang Dou and the others still hold their troops and have not moved, nor have they led their army back to relieve them… Could it be that our brave scouts missed something and intercepted them all?"

Huang Taiji shook his head: "Wang Dou at Pinggu has certainly received the messengers seeking aid."

His gaze was sharp, and he gave a cold laugh: "What a Ming Mobile Corps Commander!"

He declared: "Decree: Aobai, the Third-Class Meiren-i-Janggin of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner, shall remain the vanguard, leading five thousand troops to strike directly at Pinggu. Our grand army shall break camp tomorrow morning, and while this keen spirit prevails, the entire army shall press forward!"

A chorus of "His Majesty is sagaciously wise" arose. Dorgon added: "Looking at the Ming state, the only one who dares to fight is Wang Dou alone. With His Majesty's heavenly might personally overseeing the campaign, taking Pinggu will be as easy as taking something from a pouch!"

Huang Taiji burst into loud laughter, yet there was not a trace of mirth in his eyes.

…

"The slave chieftain's troops are already upon us. The vanguard is Aobai, Meiren-i-Janggin of the Qing state's Bordered Yellow Banner. This man is acclaimed in their state as the Foremost Warrior of Manchuria!"

At noon on the sixth day, within the Pinggu Garrison Commander's residence, Wang Dou and the others received intelligence from Wen Daxing's night scouts: Aobai's vanguard was already nearing the Machangying area. The grand army of the Qing Emperor Huang Taiji had broken camp from Tongzhou this morning and was advancing with its entire force toward Pinggu.

Inside the residence, a simple topographic map of the area from Tongzhou to Pinggu lay spread across the table. Wang Dou, Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, and the others gathered around the map to study it.

"Scout reports indicate Aobai's vanguard numbers five thousand men, all slaves of the Bordered Yellow Banner. Armored men number over two thousand, among them five hundred Bayara soldiers. The slave chieftain Hong Taiji is estimated to have over twenty thousand troops, including several thousand bearing white-bordered-black banners, carrying bird guns—likely the troops of the surrendered traitor Kong Youde. Another roughly seven thousand bear various banner colors, likely the troops of Dorgon and the other slaves who originally invaded."

Upon hearing the full extent of the Qing forces advancing on Pinggu, Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen breathed a sigh of relief. Twenty-five thousand Qing troops—the Ming army at Pinggu still had the capability to handle them. Of course, this was because Wang Dou's grand army was present, which gave Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, and the others their courage and confidence.

"Dorgon and those slaves are not worth worrying about!"

Cao Bianjiao declared decisively.

Dorgon and the others originally had a main force of tens of thousands concentrated at Tianjin, and over ten banner lords of the Manchus and Mongols who had originally entered the pass. Yet now, accompanying the army were less than ten thousand. Presumably, they had long since been chilled to the core by Wang Dou and lost their nerve. The few thousand coming along with the army were mostly just going through the motions for appearance's sake, utterly unwilling to fight to the death. They might even be happy to see Huang Taiji's strength suffer losses.

"The slave army is advancing; the siege of Tongzhou is thus lifted. Our troops, having rested in wait for the exhausted enemy, can meet them with calm composure."

He added with some indignation: "I did not expect that rebel scoundrel Kong Youde to come along. He brings several thousand firearms troops—does he intend to engage General Wang in a match of volley fire?"

"Having suffered enough from the General's cannons and guns, do the slave thieves now wish to use his own methods against him?"

Wang Dou said: "Kong Youde has not brought artillery; he is not worth worrying about!"

He had not expected Kong Youde to come as well. After surrendering to the Qing, this arch-traitor had been enfeoffed as the Prince of Respectful Obedience and had always been utterly loyal to the Qing state; his combat power could not be underestimated. The several thousand bird-gun troops he brought were presumably the fine bird guns that Sun Yuanhua had spent a fortune to manufacture back then?

After his mutiny and defection to the enemy, those bird guns had been taken away by him as well. However, Kong Youde came from a cavalry assistant regional commander background, and under his command was a crack artillery unit trained by the Portuguese. He could manage cannons, but if he wanted to play at firearms battle formations with Wang Dou, that would be showing off his slight skill before a master.

Since he had not brought artillery this time, Wang Dou would let him have a good look at what firearms shooting truly meant.

Still, Kong Youde's appearance also sounded an alarm for Wang Dou. As his own cannon and firearms tactics gained attention from both enemies and allies, he would face more and more opponents wielding firearms in the future, and he would need to adapt accordingly. Especially on the Qing side—Huang Taiji was no hidebound pedant.

Cao Bianjiao cursed: "The sharp weapons that Provincial Governor Sun painstakingly researched and refined have become tools to aid tyranny. Those Shandong miners of his are truly hateful!"

Since Wang Dou said Kong Youde was not worth worrying about, then he was not worth worrying about. Cao Bianjiao mused: "Excluding the troops of Dorgon, Kong Youde, and the others, and counting Aobai's vanguard, the main force of the eastern slaves this time consists of over fifteen thousand men from the slave chieftain Hong Taiji's and Hooge's two Yellow Banners and the Plain Blue Banner."

The Ming army at Pinggu numbered over twelve thousand, facing over fifteen thousand enemy troops—not a great disparity in strength. Of course, this battle still had to be approached with caution. As for Dorgon and the others' seven thousand troops, if their own side won, all would be well; but if they lost, those troops would become a wolf-and-tiger-like death warrant.

Wang Dou studied the map: "The slave vanguard Aobai is separated from the slave chieftain Hong Taiji's main force by over half a day's march, and is already nearing the Machangying area. They have marched a hundred li, their men and horses are weary, while our troops have rested in wait, with soaring morale. We shall set an ambush and intercept them at the Daxingzhuang area, and thoroughly deflate this Foremost Warrior of Manchuria of the Qing state!"

The men in the room all looked at one another and burst into laughter.