Chapter 20: The Emperor Casts Aside All Face

Ligdan Khan led his forces in retreat, opening the gateway north of Beijing, and the Jianzhou barbarians' blades pointed straight at the capital.

Amin led his forces to besiege Xifengkou and Jizhou, while Dorgon led his forces to besiege Xuanfu and Datong. The two had originally intended to storm the cities, even promising that the troops would not be restrained from killing for three days after the walls fell.

However, the Embroidered Uniform Guard sent by the Chongzhen Emperor had already secretly spread word in these places that the Jianzhou barbarians were coming and would certainly massacre the cities after breaching them.

The defending troops and civilians, thrown into panic by the prospect of massacre, dared not even think of surrender and only focused single-mindedly on strengthening the city defenses.

After multiple fruitless assaults, the Jianzhou barbarians simply besieged the cities without attacking, merely ensuring that these locations could not send word to the Ming capital.

As for Hooge, since the defending troops along the way had deliberately let him through, and since there were always some elite public intellectuals to guide the way, he advanced smoothly all the way to the outskirts of Beijing.

Hooge, who had reached the outskirts of the capital, had been quite pleased at first, but the report brought back by his scouts immediately wiped the pleasure from his face: "My Beile, the barbarians have burned all the nearby villages to the ground — nothing at all remains.

As for water sources, aside from some river water that can still be drunk, dead dogs, dead pigs, and the like have been thrown into all the other wells — the water is undrinkable now!"

Hooge, who had been quite pleased, was now anything but. Battle-hardened as he was, he sensed something was wrong deep down.

But thinking back to the wolf-smoke he had seen earlier in the direction of Xuan-Da and Jizhou-Xifengkou, he assumed the Ming barbarians had already learned of the Great Jin invasion and thought no more of it.

He simply had to send men along the way to search for water sources and also repair the roads, which the Ming army had dug into a pitted, cratered mess, so as not to impede the cavalry advance of the central army.

By the time Hong Taiji led his troops and the converging Fan Wencheng caught up with Hooge, Hooge had barely marched to the walls of Beijing and was making camp at a spot ten li from the Desheng Gate. The date at this point was only just the ninth day of the tenth month.

The Jianzhou barbarians had set camp and just lain down to sleep when they heard the startled cry of the night sentry: "Enemy attack! The barbarians are raiding the camp!"

The Jianzhou barbarians had just scrambled to their feet when it turned out to be several bulls, their tails soaked in oil and set alight. Maddened by the pain, the bulls naturally ran amok in a frenzy.

With over ten bulls charging at once, it was no wonder the Jianzhou barbarians thought the Ming army had come to raid the camp.

After the Jianzhou barbarians had surrounded and killed the several bulls driven mad with pain, they lay down again, but less than two hours later, from another direction, another ten-plus fire bulls came charging straight at them.

Unable to sleep, the Jianzhou barbarians simply sent out night patrols over a wide area, and only then did things quiet down. Not until the yin hour did another ten-plus fire bulls come charging.

Tormented two or three times over, Hooge, who had not slept a wink all night, was nearly mad with rage. He knew in his heart that most of the night patrols he had sent out had likely been collected by the King of Hell.

He simply gave up on sleep, mustered his troops, and headed straight for the Desheng Gate — if you Ming barbarians won't let me get a good night's sleep, then I'll make sure you sleep forever!

Hooge, his blood up, wanted to go teach the Ming army a lesson, and Hong Taiji, who had likewise barely slept, wanted to go too — war is war, but what the hell is this torment, can't you let this Khan get a moment's proper rest?!

When they reached a bowshot's distance from the Desheng Gate, Hong Taiji and Hooge were both dumbfounded. Standing atop the city wall was a man, clad in a suit of golden armor and holding a treasured sword, about seventeen or eighteen years of age.

Though youthful, the ruthless look on his face could not be concealed.

To this man's left stood several people — one could tell by their attire they were eunuchs from the palace; those standing behind him, judging by their official robes, were clearly high ministers of the Ming court.

Given this, the man's identity was obvious — it was clearly the newly enthroned young emperor of the Ming, who had personally ascended the city wall!

Standing to the young emperor's right was a man with a full beard, clad in armor — none other than the old acquaintance Man Gui.

The Chongzhen Emperor on the city wall, seeing the Jianzhou barbarians forming ranks, shouted: "Is that dog-slave Hong Taiji present? Come out and answer to Us!"

The dozen or so loud-voiced Han generals beside him, holding the crude megaphones the Chongzhen Emperor had "invented," repeated the Chongzhen Emperor's words, and every man among the Jianzhou barbarians, whether in the vanguard or the rear, heard it crystal clear.

Even though Hong Taiji had always cultivated his composure and long ceased to show joy or anger on his face, these words still made him furious enough to choke.

You son of a bitch Ming Emperor, you really are a piece of work — at this close distance, if you just raised your voice a bit I could hear you clearly, yet you deliberately had men shout it out loud — are you shouting it for this Khan's officers and soldiers to hear?!

Urging his horse forward a few steps, Hong Taiji spoke in a ringing voice: "Hong Taiji, Great Khan of the Great Jin, greets the Ming Son of Heaven!

This Khan has no wish to see living beings reduced to ashes, and has therefore personally led troops here to seek peace with the Ming Emperor!

So long as the Ming Emperor is willing, my Great Jin is willing to honor the Ming as elder brother, and both sides shall lay down arms forever! I wonder what the Ming Son of Heaven thinks of this!"

The Chongzhen Emperor on the city wall shouted: "Shut your mouth! You dog-slave who dreams of biting the hand that fed you!

You wish to negotiate terms with Us? Fine!

Lay down your swords and spears, bind your own hands, and enter the city! Otherwise, We may agree, but the countless vengeful souls of Liaodong will not agree!

The people in this capital whom you have rendered homeless will not agree! The countless officers and soldiers of my Great Ming will not agree either!"

Hong Taiji saw the Ming troops on the city wall whispering among themselves, and knowing they could hardly be saying anything good, his expression grew even uglier. He said angrily: "Do not be so ungrateful, Emperor of the Ming!

When the flames of war rise, I fear swords and spears have no eyes and will not recognize the Emperor's priceless person! If we lay down arms and the two houses become brothers, is that not better than fighting a battle to the death?!"

The Chongzhen Emperor on the city wall laughed in extreme fury and roared: "Dog-slave! When my Great Ming took in you Jianzhou Jurchens in Liaodong, were there swords and spears then? The common people of my Great Ming tilled the land diligently — did they start the fighting?"

Everyone on the city wall, whether civil and military officials or defending soldiers, had originally thought Hong Taiji's words made some sense — if the two nations formed an alliance, wouldn't that mean no more war? Everyone getting along is what's truly good!

But after hearing the Chongzhen Emperor's words, they chewed it over and the truth dawned on them: Right, damn it, it was the Jianzhou barbarians who started all this trouble — my Great Ming never treated the Jianzhou barbarians poorly!

From this, it was clear that these Jianzhou barbarians were wolves that could never be tamed!

To think they themselves had been considering a truce and cessation of hostilities — if they ceased hostilities today, these dog Jianzhou barbarians would probably be massacring the city tomorrow!

Chongzhen watched the people on the city wall whispering among themselves, very satisfied with their reaction. He quietly tugged at Man Gui and said: "Man, my beloved minister, at this distance, can you shoot Hong Taiji dead?"

Man Gui broke into a cold sweat inwardly — this Emperor was far too underhanded! He instinctively gauged the distance and said to Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, this distance is exactly beyond the range of both bows and cannons — we cannot reach him."

The Chongzhen Emperor felt deeply regretful upon hearing this. What a perfect opportunity — if only he had a rat-tat-tat-tat blue-flame-spitting thingamajig, or a Barrett, this dog Jianzhou barbarian would be smashed to pieces here beneath the walls of Beijing today!

Why didn't he have Fang Xing's luck, bringing a whole dock with him?! The more he brooded, the angrier he got, and the Chongzhen Emperor simply cast aside all face and shouted down from the wall: "Dog-slave, We hear your wife Dayu'er has been slept with by Dorgon?

How does it feel to wear a pair of broken-in shoes?"

Among the Jianzhou barbarian troops below the wall, the moment they heard this explosive news, the looks they directed at Hong Taiji all turned strange — although Consort Dayu'er's maiden family is Khorchin, Great Khan, it seems you've planted a Hulunbuir grassland right atop your own head!

As the saying goes, when the master is shamed, the servant dies — Fan Wencheng, the good slave of the Manchu Qing, immediately leaped forth: "Dog Emperor, do not think to prevail by wagging your tongue!

When the city falls, you shall certainly be ground to dust and scattered to the winds! Those who offend my Great Jin, though distant, shall be put to death!"