Chapter 15: Hong Taiji Wants to Visit the Great Ming Too

Back in his seat, Hong Taiji was already nearly mad with rage at those two bastards Amin and Dorgon.

That dog Amin grows nothing but muscle, with not a shred of brain to show for it — there's nothing in his head but kill, kill, kill. If not for my own magnanimity, this idiot would get sold off by someone and still cheerfully help count the money.

The other one, Dorgon, is even more of a headache. He's got both brains and muscle, but the problem is he's at odds with me.

My own wife, Dayu'er, was making eyes at Dorgon before; if I hadn't struck first and gotten Dayu'er into my hands, she'd probably be lying in that dog Dorgon's bed right now!

And on top of that, my khan's throne was more or less snatched from Dorgon, so Dorgon is utterly hostile toward me. If not for his lack of strength forcing him to play the fool, that dog would have already raised troops to kill me.

His head throbbing from Amin and Dorgon's back-and-forth, Hong Taiji roared, "Enough!" and said to Amin and Dorgon, "When Father Khan was alive, he treated Liu Aita with generous favor — and now you want this Khan to dispose of him!

With the evidence still insufficient, are you saying Father Khan could not judge men, or are you saying this Khan executes meritorious subjects on a whim?"

"Have you two even considered this — killing one Liu Aita is nothing, but what will the other Han troops think?

When the fox grieves at the death of the hare, who would still dare serve our Great Jin?!" Furious, Hong Taiji ignored the two bastards, turned to his trusted dog Fan Wencheng, and asked, "Master Fan, tell us: if Liu Aita truly has colluded with the Ming, what should be done?"

Fan Wencheng, hearing his master's question, hurriedly replied, "Answering my master: this matter is simple. The emperors of the southern barbarians are all suspicious by nature, and the Zhu family emperors are mostly harsh and stingy with favor.

Better to send spies to spread rumors, saying only that Liu Aita is about to raise troops to attack the Ming.

When the time comes, no matter how well he colludes, so long as it was not arranged by the little emperor himself, those Ming barbarians will likely tolerate him no longer."

"If Liu Aita truly attacks the Ming, our Great Jin can simply sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, letting Liu Aita go to his death. In any case, this man's heart was still with those southern barbarians before — keeping him is useless."

"In short, if Liu Aita genuinely raises troops to attack the Ming, we just watch — if there's profit, we move; if he goes to his death, we let him."

"If he is not genuinely raising troops, we can use the rumors to force him to raise troops and go die."

The Jianzhou barbarians discussed it further. Since they had nothing to lose either way, they simply decided to support Liu Xingzuo in drilling troops at Fuzhou, while simultaneously sending spies to the Ming side to spread rumors that Liu Xingzuo was attacking the Ming.

With the matter settled, Hong Taiji spoke again: "This Khan has decided to make a trip to the Great Ming. The Ming Emperor has ascended the throne — how can this Khan not go offer congratulations?!"

Daishan, who had been a clay statue for half the day, now spoke: "Great Khan, winter is nearly upon us. May I ask from which direction the Great Khan plans to advance?"

Hong Taiji said, "This matter — this Khan has long had a plan in mind. Winter comes to Liaodong, and winter comes to the barbarians' capital as well. The Ming fear the cold, but what is that trifling chill to the warriors of our Great Jin?

For this advance, we will not go by Jinzhou, nor by Shanhai Pass. We will borrow a route through the Mongols and drive straight from the north into the barbarians' capital. Even if they try to raise troops to relieve the throne, how could they possibly make it in time?"

Fan Wencheng immediately flattered him: "The Great Khan is brilliant. This little Ming emperor has just ascended — it is precisely a time of unstable hearts. Our Great Jin's troops this time will surely return laden with spoils!"

Dorgon at once said excitedly, "Great Khan, your slave begs to be the vanguard!"

Amin, having been beaten to it by Dorgon, glared at Dorgon and said, "You want to fight me for this too?!"

He turned and saluted Hong Taiji: "Your slave begs to be the army's vanguard!"

Hong Taiji said to Daishan, "Stop fighting! For this campaign, every one of you gets a share. What are you grabbing for?

Only, this matter must wait until that dog barbarian Liu Aita raises his troops before it can be announced. By then, those southern barbarians will all be guarding against Liu Aita, and their forces will inevitably concentrate on the Ningyuan-Jinzhou and Dengzhou-Laizhou lines.

Our Great Jin State will then raise fifty thousand troops, bypass Ningyuan-Jinzhou and Shanhai Pass,

join forces with the Mongol tribes, and drive straight for the barbarians' capital. This campaign must scare the dog guts out of that barbarian little emperor!"

The assembled Jianzhou barbarians all bowed and performed the grand salute, saying, "Yes! The Great Khan is brilliant!"

Hong Taiji then said to Daishan, "For this campaign, all military supplies and provisions will be entrusted to you, Elder Brother. But it must be done in secret — by no means let word leak, lest the Ming discover it."

After receiving the order, Daishan cursed Hong Taiji inwardly as a piece of work. He had to consider: secretly preparing military supplies and provisions for fifty thousand troops without letting anyone know — how enormous was the difficulty?

If someone really did leak word, would Hong Taiji let him off lightly? He could neither skim off the top nor avoid constant fear.

Why don't you make your own son do this job?!

Ignoring the inwardly cursing Daishan, Hong Taiji said to Amin and Dorgon, "You two will each command a contingent of troops, joined by the Mongol tribes, forming the left and right armies to guard the main army's flanks.

Let Hooge lead five thousand as the vanguard, and this Khan will personally command the remaining forces as the main army."

Amin, hearing this, had little reaction. After all, for a brute like him who grew only muscle and no brains, having a fight to fight was enough — what he enjoyed was the sensation of cutting people down and torturing them; power and influence he cared little about.

Dorgon, however, was cursing in his heart: "You bastard, you stole my Dayu'er, you stole my khan's throne, and now you want to use me to pave the way for your son! Why doesn't a Ming arrow just shoot you dead!"

After the Jianzhou barbarians dispersed, word was sent to Liu Xingzuo permitting him to drill troops for the Ming attack on the third day of the month.

The only small episode was that when the fine Manchu-Qing dog Fan Wencheng returned home, his steward reported that Hooge had gone to his house looking for Fan Wencheng's newly taken concubine. Fan Wencheng merely laughed heartily and went to spend another night at a brothel.

Upon receiving the message, Liu Xingzuo immediately ordered men to summon the other Depot and Guard troops from the four southern garrisons to assemble at Fuzhou and prepare for the drill. The flurry of actions was dizzying.

He also conferred with his younger brother Liu Xingxian: "Our mother hanged herself so that we could successfully return south — we cannot let her sacrifice be in vain. Let's just give the Tartars a grand gift this time."

Liu Xingxian asked, "What does Elder Brother plan to do?"

Liu Xingzuo said, "On the third, after the drill, we consecrate the banners — but the banners we consecrate will be those dog Jianzhou barbarians' own! Those willing to return south with us will return south together; those unwilling, we'll let them go freely.

When the time comes, we'll coordinate with Marshal Mao inside and out and turn his four southern garrisons to dust! That will serve as our pledge of allegiance!"

He then dispatched trusted men to Pidao to deliver word to Mao Wenlong.

Pidao.

Mao Wenlong watched as the sturdy, vigorous man before him unwound the gauze from his arm and, without a change of expression, used a small knife to cut open the wound that had begun to heal, extracting from within a small section of sealed bamboo tube and handing it to him.

He could not help but say with solemn respect, "A true man!" He immediately sent for a physician to treat the man's wound.

The man's forehead beaded with fine sweat from the pain, but he grinned and said, "You should know, Grand General, this matter is of grave importance — we had no choice but to act with caution.

The Tongzhi has ordered that this intelligence must reach the Son of Heaven and the Grand General at any cost."