Chapter 183

In the great tent of the Aisin Gioro clan of the Manchus, the atmosphere was solemn and reverent.

Nurhaci sat on the tiger-skin chair, his gaze deep as he stared ahead.

His face bore the marks of time, and between his brows lay a dignified aura that commanded respect without anger.

"Report! — Great Khan, urgent news!"

"The Khan of the Jurchen Wanyan clan, Wanyan Aguda, has sent a joint message."

"At the same time, Temujin's Mongols have launched an attack on both the Manchus and the Jurchen Wanyan clan!"

Suddenly, a messenger rushed into the great tent, fell to his knees before Nurhaci, and presented a letter with both hands.

Upon hearing this, Nurhaci frowned slightly, took the letter and quickly skimmed it.

A flash of sharp light appeared in his eyes.

"Summon all members of the Aisin Gioro clan to the council in the great tent!"

He took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

As the order was given, many Manchu Aisin Gioro clansmen quickly gathered in the great tent.

Some sat, some stood, discussing loudly; worry and tension were written on every face.

"The Mongols' ambitions are now clear: they intend to swallow both the Manchus and the Jurchen Wanyan clan at once."

"This is our common enemy, and also our common challenge."

"Wanyan Aguda has extended a hand of alliance to us; I believe we should respond positively and jointly resist the Mongols."

Nurhaci rose, glanced around the assembled clansmen, then spoke in a deep voice.

"Father!"

"When have our Manchu Eight Banner warriors ever feared battle?"

"As long as you give the order, we are willing to follow you and level the Mongol camp!"

As his words fell, a sturdy clansman rose to his feet.

Nurhaci's eldest son, Chu Ying, brandished his horse saber and spoke excitedly.

Nurhaci, seated at the head, nodded slightly, saying nothing.

As Nurhaci's eldest son, Chu Ying was brave and daring, skilled in warfare, had earned great military merit, and enjoyed high prestige among the Eight Banners.

But his character was ferocious, his mind narrow, he regarded no one, was at odds with his brothers, and was ultimately stripped of the crown prince position by Nurhaci and executed.

"Sir, according to your view, how should we respond?"

Nurhaci turned to his Central Plains strategist Fan Wenchen and asked.

Although most of Nurhaci's top aides were Manchus,

he did not practice favoritism.

As long as you had talent, even if you were Han, he would still respect you,

and although Fan Wenchen was Han, his learning was second to none even among the Manchus.

Thus, under Nurhaci's command,

Fan Wenchen's position was not low.

Historically, Fan Wenchen served Nurhaci, Hong Taiji, Shunzhi, and Kangxi, four emperors, and was a senior minister of the early Qing.

Most of the regulations at the founding of the Qing dynasty came from his hand, and he was regarded as the foremost civil official.

"Great Khan, I believe we should adopt a two-front strategy."

"On one hand, we will send elite forces to join with the Jurchen Wanyan clan to jointly resist the frontal assault of the Mongol army."

"On the other hand, we will exploit the Eight Banner warriors' advantage in mounted archery, adopting guerrilla tactics to harass and sabotage the Mongol rear, leaving them unable to attend to both front and back."

Fan Wenchen looked at the Khan seated above, pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly.

Don't look at how, by the late Qing, the Eight Banner descendants had become a derogatory term,

synonymous with idle old-timers living off state handouts.

But when following Nurhaci to conquer the realm,

the Eight Banner army was the strongest elite of the Aisin Gioro clan in the early Qing.

Under Nurhaci's leadership, the Eight Banner army rapidly developed and grew into a cavalry‑centric force with formidable combat power.

In peacetime the Banner men were civilians; in war they were soldiers, skilled in mounted archery, brave and good at fighting, and utterly loyal to Nurhaci.

They repeatedly won against superior numbers on the battlefields against the Ming armies.

Nurhaci, seated above, also nodded in agreement; this strategy considered the pressure on the front line while fully exploiting the Manchus' mounted‑archery advantage.

"Good! Let us proceed according to this plan."

"Issue the orders at once, prepare the troops, and meet the Mongol army!"

He scanned the assembled clansmen and spoke loudly.

The wind howled, the battle flags snapped, cutting across the vast earth, raising clouds of yellow sand; the sky was shrouded in dark clouds, as if foreshadowing an inevitable war.

On this expansive plain, two powerful armies lay in readiness.

The Manchu Aisin Gioro army led by Nurhaci and the Mongol army led by Tiemuzhen's Four Heroes.

On this vast plain they launched a heart‑pounding clash.

Nurhaci wore a golden robe, sat atop a tall warhorse, his eyes like torches fixed on the enemy ahead.

Behind him stood rows of Manchu warriors holding spears and wearing leather armor.

Each was spirited and high‑spirited.

The Four Heroes—Bo'ershu, Muhuali, Chilaowan, Bo'ehu—stood like four heavenly pillars, firmly supporting the morale of the Mongol army.

Behind them, the Mongol warriors were all stalwart; mounted on their horses they resembled moving small hills.

The sabers in their hands flashed coldly in the sunlight, as if they would cut through everything.

As the two armies gradually approached, the sounds of war drums, horse hooves, and shouts intertwined, shaking the heavens and earth.

"Warriors, for our homeland, charge!"

Nurhaci raised his long sword high and shouted loudly.

"Ding! Nurhaci's skill Heroic Might activates!"

Heroic Might: a generation's hero, a lifetime of war, mighty and awe-inspiring, dominating the realm, this is Nurhaci's exclusive skill.

Effect One: When personally leading troops in battle, Commander-in-Chief +1, our soldiers' combat power, morale, and speed greatly increase.

Effect Two: When personally engaging in combat, depending on the pressure one receives, one's own martial power increases by 1–6 points, and the enemy's martial power decreases by 1–6 points.

Effect Three: When a regime is formally established and one becomes king, one's all five attributes permanently +1; after becoming emperor, one's all five attributes permanently +1 again.

Nurhaci's base Commander-in-Chief is 99, Heroic Might Effect One adds +1 to Commander-in-Chief, raising the current Commander-in-Chief to 100!

The Manchu army behind him surged toward the Mongol army like a flood of ferocious beasts.

"Lads, follow me to kill the enemy!"

Muhuali, the Commander-in-Chief of that army, also refused to be outdone, waving the sabre in his hand, and commanded.

"Ding! Muhuali's skill Wise Battle activates!"

Wise Battle: steady and resolute, full of wisdom, brave and skilled in battle.

Effect One: After activation, martial power +5.

Effect Two: When commanding troops in battle, Commander-in-Chief +1, intellect +2.

Effect Three: When one's subordinate troops are cavalry, greatly enhance the speed, morale, and combat power of all subordinate troops……

Muhuali's base Commander-in-Chief is 99, Wise Battle Effect Two adds +1 to Commander-in-Chief, raising the current Commander-in-Chief to 100!

The Mongol army numbered many; facing the Manchu army's charge, they also did not show weakness and went forward to meet it.

The Four Heroes led from the front, leading Mongol warriors and the Manchu army into fierce battle.

At the moment the two armies collided, the battlefield instantly erupted into chaos.

The clashing of weapons produced a piercing metallic collision sound.

Shouts and the neighing of war horses intertwined, blood flowed like rivers.

It formed a stirring, heart‑shaking symphony.

(End of chapter)