Chapter 337: Fear

On the wharf at Lüshun, Chen Xin and Huang Side prepared to board ship and depart. The commanders of Lüshun's naval and land forces all came to see them off. Accompanying them was the Guards' First Company Headquarters, who would return to Dengzhou to replenish troops and swap in the Second Battalion's First Company for rotational combat in southern Liaodong.

On the flanking Huangjin Shan and Xiguan Shan, countless auxiliaries toiled, trying to dig more fortifications before winter arrived. Several medium-sized watchtower-forts on the hills linked all the way to the summits; at the foot of the hills, trenches crisscrossed, and the excavated earth was piled into line after line of earthen ramparts.

In the distance, on the northern hills, several clumps of earth erupted, and a long, rumbling boom rolled over.

Liu Pojun said to Chen Xin, "My lord, that is the armory's testing ground. They built a section of defensive earthen wall and are testing the effectiveness of defensive weapons, mainly landmines and thunder-crash bombs." Liu Pojun had performed well this time, and Chen Xin had already removed the "deputy" from his title of Deputy Director of the Military Orders Staff, making him its full Director.

Chen Xin said to him and Wang Zhangfu, "We must conduct more tests of this kind. This winter, you two will remain here. Liu Pojun, you are responsible for constructing the defenses around Lüshun and training the garrison troops in city-defense techniques. The Guards' Second Company Headquarters will stay behind. Next month, the Second Battalion's First Company will be transferred here. Pojun, you will lead them in drilling field operations that rely on fortifications, just like at Gu'an. Wang Zhangfu, take your own battalion headquarters to Jinzhou on your own. Study more cavalry tactics. When the establishment expands in the future, you will need to command multiple arms simultaneously. Getting familiar early is far better than cramming at the last moment."

Wang Zhangfu cupped his hands. "Your subordinate will remember. Does my lord think the Jianzhou Bandits will truly come this winter?"

Chen Xin gazed north and shook his head. "Whether they come or not, we must prepare for the worst-case scenario. When facing a powerful foe, not the slightest wishful thinking can be tolerated."

Liu Pojun also said, "Your subordinate also believes we must be prepared. If Huang Taiji returns in the tenth month, there is time to prepare. According to the Liaodong civilians in Lüshun, in winter the Tatars have ice-beds (Note 1), which can be pulled by sled dogs and horses. A single load they haul is no smaller than a horse-cart's. Although winter brings ice and snow, it also offers this convenience. In past years, the Jianzhou Bandits often chose winter to launch their campaigns. However, judging from the Jianzhou Bandits' situation, the battles at Dalinghe and against the Chahar inflicted heavy attrition. I fear those Banner Lords and ministers will be unwilling to mount another distant expedition to southern Liaodong this year."

Chen Xin smiled faintly. "If the Jianzhou Bandits won't come to us, we'll go to them. Maintain contact with them. Don't let them pass the winter in peace. Send out scout riders from time to time — ride over for a couple of days and then return — to force the Jianzhou Bandits to keep troops at Fuzhou. Even if they have ice-beds, they still need cavalry escorts. Hauled all the way from Haizhou, they'll lose five out of every ten loads. We'll simply wear them down in a war of attrition."

Chen Xin pointed at Lüshun's southern fort. "The outer perimeter of Lüshun's fortifications must form multiple layers of barriers. But the most critical element of all remains the Lüshun bastion itself. Even if all other positions are lost, as long as the bastion holds, the harbor is safe. In the end, the Jianzhou Bandits will have no choice but to withdraw."

After Liu Pojun acknowledged the order, his eyes turned toward a large watchtower platform east of Lüshun, where a group of bondservants were piling up stone blocks. "My lord, these bondservants left over from the screening… your subordinate still believes they should not remain in Lüshun. If a few were to escape, Lüshun's secrets would be leaked."

Chen Xin pondered for a moment. The screening of the bondservants was already complete. Through separate interrogations and mutual denunciations, those bondservants who were not hardened criminals had already been selected and would be sent back to Dengzhou first for reformation — roughly three hundred or so. If the reformation went well, they could be integrated into the Dengzhou system. Among this group were some who spoke well; Chen Xin planned to have them give personal testimonies after each theatrical performance to deepen the impression on the garrison households.

The batch of bondservants beside the watchtower platform were precisely those who still had relatives in Liaodong. Although the mobilization a few days earlier had stirred them up momentarily, the Intelligence Bureau judged that after a while they might begin to miss their families, which posed a certain risk factor.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhangfu said dismissively, "If you ask your subordinate, just shave their heads, chop them, and send the heads to Jingshi."

Huang Side, seeing Chen Xin silent, probed in a low voice, "My lord, how about we ship them to Dengzhou before the freeze and hand them over to Prefect Wang and Army Supervisor Lü to deal with?"

Chen Xin glanced at Huang Side. In truth, Huang Side's idea was the same as Wang Zhangfu's. These people's faces differed from the Jianzhou Bandits, but they had also kept their heads shaved all along. The likelihood of passing them off as military merit was high. Sent to Wang Tingshi, they would simply be beheaded with one stroke — it just spared Chen Xin from having to do it himself.

"Send them back to Dengzhou. Have that earlier batch of Dengzhou captives guard them and repair roads everywhere." In the end, Chen Xin still decided to give them a way to live. Part of that earlier batch of Dengzhou captives had already completed reformation. They drew monthly pay and guarded other captives. After this division, military surveillance was no longer necessary. Twenty veterans retired due to injury were assigned, forming a unit under the Construction Department. Over a thousand men were split into a dozen-odd small squads, specializing in road repair everywhere. This construction unit had strict disciplinary requirements — precisely the right establishment for reforming captives.

A quarter-hour later, the ship left the wharf, exited the water gate, and rendezvoused with other vessels in the harbor. Following the Laohuwei Channel, it slowly put out to sea. Chen Xin gazed at the layers of fortifications on Huangjin Shan to port, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Fourth Beile, do you dare come?"

…

At Guihua City in the Mongol Tumote territory, Huang Taiji sat in the traveling palace left behind by Lin Danhan. His face was grim as he looked at the urgent dispatch that had just arrived. Only after a long while did he pass it to Daišan beside him.

Daišan was illiterate. Although Huang Taiji's expression was calm, Daišan noticed a slight tremor in Huang Taiji's hand and knew it was nothing good. He hurriedly had Bakši Sonin read it to him in a low voice. After listening, he too showed a look of surprise. By now, it was already twenty days after the Battle of Fuzhou; the messenger rider had only just located them here. The losses suffered by the Plain White Banner and the Han troops truly shocked him, and the situation of the ongoing campaign against the Chahar could hardly be called good either.

This long-range expedition of Huang Taiji's was a disaster — for him every bit as much as for Lin Danhan. Originally, after Lin Danhan fled west, he had broken off contact with the Later Jin. But last year, taking advantage of the outbreak of fighting at Dalinghe, he had again sent troops back to the Xar Moron River. Because the Battle of Dalinghe dragged on, the Chahar forces carried out a massive spree of looting in Tumote and Kalaqin, throwing the Mongol troops at Dalinghe into panic. At the time, Huang Taiji had even dispatched Haoge with a thousand troops to relieve them, and only then did the Chahar withdraw again.

As early as the seventh month of the fifth year of Tiancong, Huang Taiji had already decided to attack the Chahar the following year. Now that Lin Danhan had returned east, stirring alarm among the Mongol tribes, this was the perfect moment to continue winning over Mongol hearts. He issued orders for the various Mongol vassal tribes to assemble their troops in one place — they would all go teach that bandit Lin Danhan a lesson.

But no sooner had they reached Hana Cliff than several Mongols under the household of the Plain Yellow Banner's Gūsa Ejen stole horses and escaped, fleeing all the way to Lin Danhan and reporting the news of the Later Jin army's attack. Lin Danhan feared the Later Jin like a tiger. Abandoning his baggage, he fled westward in one breath, escaping toward Guihua City (Hohhot).

Huang Taiji, still unaware, had hoped to deal Lin Danhan a stunning blow. A few days later, upon reaching the Dule River, he learned that Lin Danhan had fled. So he pursued him all the way. Lin Danhan threw away his helmet and armor, but Huang Taiji fared little better. The drought of the Little Ice Age was also ravaging the Mongol steppe. The Later Jin troops were woefully underprepared. Not only was there nothing to eat — even water became a problem.

Huang Taiji had no choice but to lead them hunting as they went, slaughtering Mongolian gazelles to survive. Fortunately, gazelles were plentiful there. In this moment of crisis, the Later Jin Khan displayed his divine might, claiming to have shot dead fifty-eight in a single day, and even killed two gazelles with one arrow — only a little inferior to Guo Jing, exceedingly heroic and brilliant. Pity this record was broken not a few decades later by his grandson, the Kangxi Emperor. Because his grandson claimed to have shot dead three hundred and eighteen rabbits in a single day — truly the Greatest Emperor of All Time. (Note 2)

Pursuing in this fashion, he captured Guihua City. Lin Danhan continued fleeing west. Huang Taiji still kept pursuing. The two sides never fought a single battle, yet countless men died of exhaustion and disease along the way. In the end, Huang Taiji could not afford the attrition. Reaching Bulongtu, he finally turned his army around and withdrew, plundering those scattered minor Chahar tribes along the way.

Although the Later Jin troops had driven off the last Genghis Khan, they themselves were left with only half a life. After catching their breath back at Guihua City, Huang Taiji, unwilling to settle for such meager gains, dispatched Ajige and Jirgalang to split their forces and plunder the Chahar population, sweeping up all those Mongols who had failed to retreat in time.

Just before receiving the urgent letter, he had been convening the various Banner Lords and ministers for a council. The Later Jin army was short on both rations and drinking water, and now they were burdened with so many plundered captives. Returning to Liaodong would not be easy. The result of their council was that they still had to pull one more job; otherwise, they would not even have traveling expenses for the journey back. So everyone decided to make a detour to Xuanfu to extort some supplies — to go begging alms from Ming officials for provisions, so they could return to Liaodong with some dignity and face.

They had just settled on the plan when this report of defeat arrived. Huang Taiji felt that this Chen Xin was nothing short of a calamity star. During the Jisi campaign, just as his prestige was reaching its zenith, Chen Xin had dealt him two major defeats in succession at Gu'an and the Four Cities. Last year, when he wanted to reform the system and finalize the Six Ministries, Chen Xin stirred up trouble at Shenmi Island. After finally dealing with the Zu family army at Dalinghe and just as his prestige was climbing again, Chen Xin could not wait to go to Jinzhou and give the Plain Blue Banner a beating. Now, Lin Danhan was fleeing with his head in his hands. Although the Later Jin troops were also somewhat bedraggled, strategically they had gained the complete upper hand. Just as his prestige value in Mongolia was steadily rising, Chen Xin actually jumped out again and heavily mauled the Plain White Banner and two Han units at Fuzhou.

Whether Dorgon got beaten or not, Huang Taiji did not care, because the sixty strong niru in the hands of those three brothers were always a threat to his authority as Great Khan. But he could not tolerate suffering such enormous losses — those were, after all, the very foundation of the Later Jin. And the two Han units had lost over eight hundred men while displaying utterly abysmal battlefield performance, which would inevitably deal a huge blow to his plan of using Han to control the Manchus.

What was most infuriating was that the Plain Blue Banner had suffered no significant losses. Manggūltai had instead used his years of battlefield experience to tie down the enemy on multiple fronts. Not only had he rescued Dorgon, he had also driven back the Dengzhou army — at least, what he told Yoto was that he had pursued and slaughtered the Ming army for nearly a hundred li.

Huang Taiji motioned for Sonin to give the assembled Later Jin nobles a rough account of the battle. The crowd of lesser beile and gūsa ejen below looked at one another. They were already sick to death of hearing the name Chen Xin, yet each time they had no choice but to listen.

Huang Taiji spoke flatly, "This Dengzhou army under Chen Xin is no longer damaging our Great Jin's face for the first time. This force is the strongest army in the Ming realm. Its ferocity now surpasses even the Sichuan and Zhejiang troops at the Hunhe. No matter how one views it, its entrenched occupation of southern Liaodong shows a trend of becoming a mortal threat to our Great Jin. If any of you have opinions, speak them directly. There is no need for any scruples."

In truth, the Banner Lords and beile below were all frightened by the Plain White Banner's casualties. These were niru converted from the original Two Yellow Banners. Had this happened to a lesser banner, losing over a thousand adult males would have essentially crippled it — not to mention that the majority of them were armored soldiers.

They could tell from Huang Taiji's tone that he wanted to strike southern Liaodong, but at this moment, no one was willing to go. In this campaign against the Chahar, the captives they had rounded up already numbered in the tens of thousands. Moreover, they had just settled on the principle of dividing them equally among the Eight Houses. Once brought back to Liaodong, the Mongol adult males among them could replenish each banner's losses from the previous year.

In the two major campaigns this year, the number of adult males had increased considerably, but the material gains were very few. None of them wished to go and suffer further attrition in the desolate wastes of southern Liaodong.

Seeing that no one spoke, the youngest, Dodo, stood up and said loudly, "I am willing to go strike southern Liaodong and avenge Fourteenth Brother. This Chen Xin is truly hateful. We didn't go provoke him, yet he keeps pushing his luck."

Jirgalang hesitated for a moment, then finally also stood. "Your slave will follow whatever the Great Khan decides. It is just that this Dengzhou garrison is no ordinary Ming army. To strike southern Liaodong, we must still make proper preparations."

Huang Taiji nodded slightly. He deeply understood the importance of the Southern Four Garrisons. The Jinzhou Isthmus posed a far greater threat than any of the Dongjiang islands. A large army could be garrisoned there. Once it possessed a large cavalry force, it would be a threat far greater than Mao Wenlong ever was.

But this was the Deliberative Council. Having only these two Banner Lords express their stance was clearly not enough. Below, no one else rose to speak — not even Ajige of the Plain White Banner stood up to say he would avenge his banner. In reality, they had already made their stance clear. Each banner had its own interests. Even within the same banner, the interests of the niru under different masters were not identical. Everyone could join together to loot, but when faced with a tough fight with no profit in sight, they still shrank back somewhat. At the very least, striking southern Liaodong this year was out of the question. They could only slowly work on persuading each banner after returning to Shenyang.

Daišan coughed once and said, "Southern Liaodong is still far away. For now, let us focus on what is before our eyes — how to bring the captives back to Liaodong. Since that Xuanfu Provincial Governor Shen Qi has shown some signs of relenting, let us make a tour of Yanghe and Datong and conveniently plunder some more Han civilians along the way. As for the matter of southern Liaodong, we can wait until we return to Liaodong, get to the bottom of it, and then decide. There is no rush."

Huang Taiji sighed inwardly and spoke in a calm voice, "The Senior Beile speaks reason. Word of the Battle of Fuzhou must not be leaked to anyone outside this place. Violators will be severely punished." After speaking, he turned to Jirgalang. "Jirgalang, you will take the Bordered Blue Banner troops and enter Ming territory first. We will follow later with a contingent of the army. Take advantage of those Nikans being off guard and seize some captives first. Beyond that, find a way to negotiate with that Shen Qi. Best if you can make him voluntarily hand over grain and livestock."

Jirgalang knelt. "But on what grounds would it be best for your slave to negotiate with him?"

Huang Taiji said flatly, "Our Great Jin has driven the Chahar tribe from beyond the passes on behalf of the Ming. The annual reward and appeasement silver they used to give the Chahar should therefore, as a matter of course, be given to our Great Jin. If there is no silver, then let them pay in grain, fodder, and horse feed."

"Ja!"

…

Note 1: Ice-beds are the sleds used in the north. They were in use in the Northeast during the late Ming and early Qing. The Old Manchu Archives record: "Five men from each niru, each bringing three ice-beds, to fetch rice and grain from Shenyang and welcome the households from Xincheng and Aihe at the government office."

Note 2: Old Manchu Archives, fifth year of Tiancong, fifth month: "The Khan shot twice, one arrow piercing two yellow sheep. The Khan shot dead a total of fifty-eight yellow sheep."

Collected Statutes and Precedents of the Qing Dynasty: "(The Kangxi Emperor) We, in a single day, shot three hundred and eighteen rabbits. An ordinary mediocre person could not reach this number of a single day in their entire lifetime." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to come to Qidian to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)