Chapter 578: The Capital in Uproar

Old White Ox: Couldn't nap — once I fell asleep, it was six hours straight.

On the twenty-first, the Great Ming pursuit forces received word that the slaves at Yizhou had already abandoned the city. Under the cover of Daišan and the remaining troops of the Two Red Banners, they moved at maximum marching speed and joined up with the Great Qing army that had crossed the Daling River.

Their retreat was extremely hurried. Along the way, even when some Han slaves seized the chance to escape, they could not spare the time to chase them down.

What was even more astonishing was that they actually surrendered all the grain, fodder, and heavy baggage within the city without a fight, leaving it completely intact for the forces of Wen Fangliang and the others pressing in from the grasslands.

At this time, the Ming troops in pursuit included, besides Wang Dou's Jingbian Army, Yang Guozhu's Xuanfu Army, Wang Pu's Datong Army, Fu Yingchong's Divine Machine Battalion, Liu Zhaoji's Liaodong troops, the combined forces of Wu Sangui's Ningyuan Army and the Zu clan, as well as Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, Tang Tong, and others.

Compared to their peak, these forces had declined considerably, with many familiar faces and Regional Commander-level generals now missing.

Moreover, some local Liaodong officers and generals — Qian Youlu, Assistant Regional Commander of the Vanguard Right Battalion, and Dou Chenglie, the Merit-Recording Mobile Corps Commander, had already died in battle at Daxing Fort and Dongqing Fort. The remaining ones, like Zheng Yilin, Assistant Regional Commander of the Xingshan Road, and various Mobile Corps and Assistant Commanders such as Xia Chengde, Chi Fenggao, and Tong Hanbang, had initially hesitated and delayed, worried that the Qing troops were still powerful.

However, seeing that the main army ahead had pursued for several days without incident, they hurried to catch up — after all, there was considerable military merit to be gained in the pursuit.

Meng Dao, the Coordinating Defense Regional Commander, also gathered some scattered troops from the vicinity of Bijia Mountain and urgently joined the pursuit.

The vast army advanced mightily, keeping a distant trailing position far from the Qing troops. It was already noon. Under the biting, gusting cold wind, Wang Dou, Hong Chengchou, Zhang Ruoqi, Wang Dehua, Wang Chengen, Yang Guozhu, Wu Sangui, and the others all gazed at the Great Qing army on the opposite bank of the Daling River.

They had set up camp near Shishan Fort and were waiting. Judging by the enemy's marching route, they would likely head first to Guangning Right Garrison to rest and reorganize before retreating further.

At that moment, watching the Two Red Banner troops continuously crossing the river upstream over ten li away at Baimiaozi and Zhangjia Fort on both banks of the river, Wang Pu still could not believe his ears: "The Tartars at Yizhou just retreated like that, without even burning their stockpiled grain and fodder?"

Fu Yingchong chimed in repeatedly: "Indeed, indeed. There's quite a lot of grain and fodder at Yizhou."

Wang Dehua laughed: "It's good they didn't burn it. That way, the imperial army's spoils will be greater."

He looked toward Wang Dou: "Of course, this is all thanks to the Loyal and Valiant Count."

Wang Dou smiled faintly: "Eunuch Wang, you flatter me undeservedly."

Hong Chengchou stroked his beard and pondered, occasionally coughing a few times as he sat on his horse. Given his wisdom, he knew this move by the slave chieftain was decisive and ruthless — one could call it maliciously cunning. Yet this was an open scheme: with grain and fodder laid out before them, the Ming army would naturally not refuse. He sighed inwardly: "I hope it does not lead to internal strife when the time comes."

The Liaodong Provincial Governor Qiu Minyang stood by in silence. During the battle beneath Jinzhou's walls, he had essentially played a negligible role. Lifting the siege of Jinzhou was a great achievement, but the deaths of Ma Ke, Zu Dashou, and others also carried responsibility. Whether he would be rewarded or punished would depend on His Majesty's will when the time came.

Wu Sangui spoke up at this point: "Indeed, the capture of the vast stores of grain and fodder at Yizhou is entirely the achievement of the Loyal and Valiant Count and the Jingbian Army."

Perhaps Zu Dashou's death had matured him. Seated on his horse, he bore a rather imposing and distinguished air. Beside him, Zu Dale, Zu Dabi, and the other Zu clan generals remained silent, their gazes toward Wang Dou carrying rather complicated expressions.

They already knew that the Grand Commander's eldest son, Zu Zerun, had been killed without mercy by the Jingbian Army in the great battle at Nüer River a few days prior. This signified the complete failure of their hedging strategy. Although their elder brother (the Grand Commander) still had two sons, Zu Zehong and Zu Kefa, serving as ministers in the Qing state, how could they compare to Zu Zerun?

Now, the eldest brother (the Grand Commander) had no surviving sons in the Great Ming, and Zu Dashou himself had died. Would the Zu clan henceforth have to rely on their nephew Wu Sangui for support, with the entire Zu family following the lead of the Wu family?

Ah, perhaps their decision to side with the Qing state back then had been a mistake from the start.

Toward Wang Dou, the Zu family members could not quite say whether they felt resentment, gratitude, or indifference. Moreover, their two garrisons were far apart, one in the east and one in the west, with no conflict of interest. Was it worth it to bear a grudge? Or perhaps, Wang Dou did not care at all about what they thought.

Adding to that, before Zu Dashou died, he had instructed Wu Sangui and Zu Dale to cultivate good relations with Wang Dou, which made their feelings even more complicated.

In the early afternoon, dust and smoke rolled up from the official road leading from Yizhou. Amid thunderous hoofbeats, countless cavalry surged forward. Under the cold wind, their Sun-and-Moon Wave banners and their uniform eight-petaled iron-tipped helmets were unmistakably the hallmark of the Jingbian Army.

The earth trembled unceasingly. The disciplined cavalry poured across the land like quicksilver. Their sheer might caused the Ming side to pale, and the Qing troops across the Daling River sounded their horns and drums in response. In particular, the Two White Banners, responsible for the rearguard, formed up in tight ranks with strong bows and long spears, on high alert.

Only when the cavalry drew near could one vaguely discern the distinctions. The first two battalions of cavalry were certainly under the command of Wen Fangliang and Gao Shiyin. The battalion behind them, though wearing Jingbian Army armor, did not have the same bearing. And the motley riders further back were undoubtedly the now-famous merchant company militia. Beyond them, there were also large, large contingents of Mongol cavalry in leather robes and fur caps.

Observing their demeanor, Hong Chengchou sighed. Since the times of the Great Ming's first two emperors, Taizu and Taizong, which emperor or general of the Great Ming had ever made these northern barbarians beyond the frontier so submissive and fearful?

The Zu family members' faces changed drastically. They already knew that Wang Dou had suffered considerable casualties in this decisive battle. Yet after merging with these troops, his strength had not declined but instead multiplied several times over. They truly did not know how he trained his soldiers.

Soon, the troops arrived nearby. An aura of power enveloped them, causing the onlookers' expressions to shift again. Quickly, three great generals dismounted from their horses. One was exceptionally handsome, as elegant as a jade tree in the wind, possessing the beauty of Pan An or Song Yu, yet clad in armor with a cloak billowing behind him, radiating heroic vigor.

The other two were extraordinarily burly and so hideous they could frighten someone to death, which only accentuated the handsomeness of the first general. They knew these three must be the Jingbian Army's great generals Wen Fangliang, Gao Shiyin, and Shen Shiqi. Many who had never seen them before stared intently, looking them over again and again.

The three strode over, their expressions somewhat stirred. When they reached Wang Dou, they knelt like mountains toppling and jade pillars falling, prostrating themselves before him and crying out: "We greet the Grand General."

Wang Dou extended his hand: "Rise!"

"We thank the Grand General!"

Looking at the three, noting their somewhat haggard expressions, Wang Dou was also quite pleased: "Brothers, you have toiled in your campaign beyond the frontier!"

"No toil, no toil."

Gao Shiyin split his wide mouth in a grin: "As long as the Grand General gives the order, we will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Shen Shiqi was also grinning from ear to ear, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth: "It was glorious, heh heh, absolutely exhilarating."

Wen Fangliang was more circumspect and said in a low voice: "Does the Grand General wish to hear the report on the frontier campaign now?"

Wang Dou noticed that Hong Chengchou and the others beside him were all pricking up their ears. Ignoring their disappointed looks, he waved a hand: "Later."

After that, Wen Fangliang and his companions exchanged pleasantries with the various Jingbian Army generals. Their reunion was an immense joy. They also paid their respects to Hong Chengchou and the others. Aside from being somewhat cordial toward Yang Guozhu, Wang Pu, Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, and a few others, Gao Shiyin and Shen Shiqi could hardly be bothered to pay attention to the rest.

Gao Shiyin, in particular, only spoke with Han Chao, Zhong Xiancai, and the others. He suddenly looked around in astonishment and said: "Why are there so many fewer brothers? … And where are Master Wen and Master Sun?"

Wen Fangliang and Shen Shiqi also looked over in shock. Han Chao, Zhong Xiancai, Zhao Xuan, and Li Guangheng all appeared somewhat downcast. Xie Yike said in a low voice: "In this great battle, we suffered many casualties among the brothers. Also… Master Wen and Master Sun were both wounded. Master Wen even lost an arm…"

"Lost an arm?"

Wen Fangliang's expression changed drastically. Wen Daxing had once been his household retainer. Although their statuses were now equal, the bond between them remained deep. Despite Wen Fangliang's profound composure, upon hearing this news, his mind was thrown into turmoil.

Gao Shiyin's eyes widened. After a long while, he finally managed to say: "At least he's not dead. Better than Old Han…"

On the twenty-second, the Ming army reached Yizhou.

Having joined forces with Wen Fangliang and the other Jingbian Army troops, and with the Qing troops having already moved on to Guangning Right Garrison, everyone from Hong Chengchou and Wang Dehua down to Zhang Ruoqi felt completely at ease. The moment they entered Yizhou, they could not wait to inspect the spoils.

Because they had received Wang Dou's military orders, Wen Fangliang and his men had not touched the spoils at Yizhou; everything was left intact and sealed.

Seeing the granaries full to the brim with grain, fodder, and beans, along with many suits of armor, weapons, winter clothing, and equipment, the assembled officials and generals all burst into hearty laughter, beside themselves with joy.

Zhang Ruoqi stroked his beard and smiled: "The imperial army has won a great victory and captured abundant spoils. In the Battle of Jinzhou, our Great Ming has achieved total victory."

Wang Dehua also swayed his rotund body, wagging his head: "When His Majesty hears this victory report, who knows how delighted he will be."

Finally, they spoke in unison: "It is all the achievement of the Loyal and Valiant Count."

Wang Dou smiled faintly. He understood what was on everyone's mind. Although these supplies had been captured by the Jingbian Army, his Jingbian Army would take the lion's share, but the others could presumably share a bit of the broth, right?

This was what the various Liaodong officials and generals were thinking. Even Yang Guozhu and Wang Pu, who were on good terms with him, might not be without their own ideas. When the time came, how the spoils would be distributed and how the victory report would be dispatched would surely be subjects of debate.

"Damn it, what connection do these supplies have to them, not even a single copper coin's worth?"

Off in the distance, the Jingbian Army generals gathered together. Gao Shiyin glared in that direction and said indignantly.

Han Chao said steadily: "Let's see how the Grand General arranges things."

Wen Fangliang chuckled in agreement. Zhong Xiancai shot Gao Shiyin a glare: "General Gao, do you still not trust the Grand General? When has he ever shortchanged the brothers?"

Gao Shiyin laughed heartily: "Little Zhong, I haven't seen you for a few months, and your temper has grown even bigger — just like a woman having her monthly period."

The officers of the Jingbian Army all burst into laughter; Zhao Xuan laughed especially loudly. Zhong Xiancai's face flushed red: "I can't be bothered with you lot."

He tightened his scarf and walked over toward Wang Dou.

Wang Dou listened to the tide of praise from the crowd. He slowly swept his gaze over the land of Yizhou and sighed: "In the Battle of Songjin, although the imperial army won a great victory, the casualties were not few. This battle was a mutual defeat."

Everyone's expression darkened. Indeed, the price of this victory was too high. After the great battle ended, and during the pursuit, the casualties of each garrison were tallied one after another. In the earlier battle at Huangtuling, the various armies had already suffered nearly ten thousand casualties — especially Bai Guangen, Regional Commander of Jizhen, who died in battle.

In the decisive battle that followed, the Jizhen army collapsed once again; over ten thousand troops scattered and fled. Fortunately, at that time the Qing cavalry focused mainly on routing them, and the Liaodong region was unlike the interior of the Great Ming — anyone who dared to flee and scatter would simply starve to death; even horse bandits could hardly survive.

So after gathering the routed soldiers, the Jizhen army that gradually returned still numbered over six thousand men, with over four thousand lost.

Li Fuming, Regional Commander of Shanxi, and Zuo Guangxian, Regional Commander of Mobile Suppression, each led over ten thousand troops. During the decisive battle, because they repeatedly regrouped and clashed with the Qing cavalry again and again, their casualties each exceeded half; the two garrisons' combined casualties reached over ten thousand.

Also, the Viceroy's Personal Battalion on the central battlefield, the various armies of Datong Garrison, the Shenji Battalion, and others — over twenty thousand men in total — suffered casualties exceeding seven thousand.

In particular, Ma Ke's division beneath the walls of Jinzhou suffered the heaviest losses. Their various battalions, over twenty thousand men, were bitterly pursued by Dudu during the rout, and in the end only over seven thousand remained. Adding the battles at Mount Shimen and elsewhere, total casualties exceeded fifteen thousand.

The Jingbian Army's casualties were equally severe. In the confrontation with the Han Eight Banners and the Korean army, braving firearms and cannons all the way to volley-fire exchanges — cavalry, infantry, artillery, and others — casualties totaled over two thousand, plus the heavy losses of Li Guangheng's cavalry…

The battle at Mount Changling was especially brutal; Sun Sanjie's supply battalion suffered casualties as high as over seventeen hundred men. Adding the earlier losses at Huangtuling, counting all engagements from the start of the campaign until now, the Jingbian Army's total casualties reached five thousand men.

Since the army was founded, losses had never been this heavy…

Tang Tong's Miyun Army was fortunate, however. Their assault and breakthrough capabilities were lacking, but their defense was tight. From the start of the campaign to its end, their casualties did not exceed two thousand.

Yang Guozhu's Xuanzhen Army was also fortunate. In the engagement with the Han Eight Banners, casualties were about over a thousand men; adding cavalry and previous losses, that was just over two thousand men.

Adding it all up — including the troop casualties at Xingshan and other places, and at Jinzhou City — in the Battle of Jinzhou, the casualties of the Great Ming's various garrisons and the native Liaodong troops actually reached as high as over sixty thousand men, all of them government troops. The casualties among the civilian laborers were not even included.

The losses were devastating. Besides the rank-and-file soldiers, the various garrisons also lost five Regional Commanders in battle, and countless officers above the rank of Company Commander. As for how to write the victory dispatch, everyone's faces turned solemn.

At this thought, the officers and officials all set aside tallying the spoils of Yizhou and began discussing how to write the victory dispatch — mainly how each person's merits should be assessed. This required repeated discussion, even dispute; it concerned everyone's military merit and future prospects, so naturally no one dared be careless.

In the end, even Wang Chengen and Wang Dehua agreed: first report the good news, a rough account; wait on the detailed battle report. They feared that if the casualty figures were reported now, His Majesty could not bear it.

Of course, this relief force also had its advantages — namely, the nearly ten thousand severed heads in hand. The bulk of these heads were the over four thousand heads Sun Sanjie had taken at Mount Changling, all of them true Manchu and Mongol Tatars, not the heads of bondservants and the like.

On the central battlefield, the head count also exceeded three thousand, likewise true Manchu and Mongol Tatars. Adding the head counts from other battlefields, and the 1,854 heads taken earlier on the plains of Huangtuling, in the Battle of Jinzhou the imperial army had, in successive engagements, taken over ten thousand heads.

There were also large numbers of captives, captured cannons, and even the slaying in formation of the slave chieftain's false Crown Prince Haoge and many officers of the Bayara Banner. With such a brilliant victory, once His Majesty received the report, the imperial countenance would surely be greatly pleased, and the court and the realm would rejoice.

And after the great victory dispatch, when the detailed battle report was submitted later, blurring one's own losses and amplifying the tragic heroism of the soldiers' fight, a battle worthy of the history books would be concluded.

Listening to the crowd's discussion, Wang Dou merely listened indifferently. He gazed at the clouds and sky and thought to himself: "Yes, the Battle of Songshan is over."

On the twenty-second day of the ninth month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, the victory dispatch from the Liaodong front was sent toward the capital at the urgent speed of three hundred li per day and night.

On the afternoon of the twenty-fourth, the victory messengers from Liaodong, drenched in sweat, galloped into the capital. Waving the victory dispatch, they shouted at the top of their lungs all along the way: "Great victory! Great victory! A great victory in Liaodong! The imperial army has taken ten thousand heads of the slave bandits, and slain in formation the slave chieftain's false Crown Prince Haoge…"

"Great victory! Great victory! The slave chieftain has withdrawn his troops, the siege of Jinzhou is lifted…"

"Great victory! Great victory! The imperial army has recovered the lost cities and lands of Xiaolinghe, Dalinghe, and Yizhou…"

Everywhere they passed, all officials and commoners boiled over with excitement. Countless firecrackers exploded one after another, like ten thousand cannons firing in unison.

At that very moment, the Chongzhen Emperor was in the Qianqing Palace, in council with Zhou Yanru, Chen Xinjia, Li Rixuan, Wei Zaode, Chen Yan, and the other Grand Secretaries. Days before, military reports from Liaodong had suddenly become scarce, which made the Chongzhen Emperor extremely anxious; he had already summoned the Grand Secretaries for emergency discussions many times.

Now, his brow deeply furrowed, he paced back and forth within the hall, his heart filled with terrible fear. Liaodong — what exactly had happened? Would news of a great defeat arrive? Why were there no more military dispatches?

His heart was in turmoil, all kinds of thoughts rushing in, wave after wave of unease.

Beside him, Zhou Yanru, Chen Xinjia, and the others sat dumbstruck like wooden chickens, none daring to speak lightly, fearful of drawing the Emperor's inexplicable wrath.

Suddenly, they heard a heaven-shaking uproar outside the imperial city. Finally, the entire city seemed to boil over, with only individual voices echoing between heaven and earth: "…Great… great victory…"

"…Ten thousand heads taken… the slave chieftain withdraws his troops…"

"…Slain in formation the slave chieftain's false Crown Prince Haoge…"

The roaring, boiling sound grew louder and louder, becoming clearer and clearer. At last, the Chongzhen Emperor finally understood. Shocked and overjoyed, his entire body trembled uncontrollably. He suddenly strode to the hall door and gazed out with eager anticipation, like a young wife longing for her husband long overdue from his travels.

The ministers inside the hall, once they heard clearly, were also full of disbelief, and each one involuntarily rose to his feet.

The Senior Grand Secretary Zhou Yanru also abruptly stood up. With a crash, the teacup beside him was knocked over by his sleeve and shattered on the floor, yet he remained unaware. (To be continued)

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