Chapter 511: Ambush

"Tongyuan Fort has been taken by the Dengzhou garrison?" A military officer with a fine beard gazed at the Flying Tiger flag atop the abandoned fort ahead, muttering to himself. Then he turned to the retainer beside him and said, "Then we'll just go around it. Let them take whatever they want — we're heading for Lianshan Pass."

This man was Shen Zhixiang, Vice Regional Commander of the Dongjiang garrison. He was Shen Shikui's nephew. Shen Shikui's daughter was Mao Wenlong's concubine, so by that reckoning, Shen Zhixiang and Mao Wenlong were of the same generation.

However, his authority in Dongjiang was very low, and the same went for Shen Shikui. Thus they had no way to unify the Dongjiang garrison. Now the supplies and military pay of Pi Island had instead fallen under the control of the Dengzhou garrison. Historically, Shen Shikui had always had his eye on the post of Regional Commander of Dongjiang, and that was still the case now. The sales channels for his Liaodong specialty goods were also in the hands of the Four Seas Trading Company. Although he lacked direct military aid from the Dengzhou garrison, he benefited from the transit trade through Joseon. Therefore, Shen Shikui deeply understood Chen Xin's importance to Dongjiang. After seeing the attitudes of Mao Chenglu and Shang Kexi, he too leaned closer to the Dengzhou garrison. This time, when Chen Xin organized the spring offensive, he immediately dispatched troops to coordinate and incidentally grab some benefits.

Shen Zhixiang had been extremely cautious along the way. Whenever any Later Jin scouts appeared, he would halt to reconnoiter, so his progress was far slower than the central column. Only after the Jimo Battalion Commander's unit from Dengzhou had already taken Tongyuan Fort did he arrive here.

The retainer beside him asked, "My lord, why aren't we going to Samaji Fort?"

"There's nothing in that place. My uncle said that if we fight our way to Lianshan Pass, we can report our mission accomplished to Dengzhou. So we'll just make a trip to Lianshan Pass."

The retainer immediately turned back to redeploy the troops. The extremely disorderly Pi Island army continued advancing forward. Men from Dengzhou came out of Tongyuan Fort to request an audience with Shen Zhixiang; it was a Company Commander.

That Company Commander stood before Shen Zhixiang and performed a Dengzhou garrison military salute. Shen Zhixiang shifted uncomfortably. He had long been accustomed to subordinates kneeling before him; this set of etiquette from the Dengzhou Company Commander truly made him somewhat uncomfortable.

"Lord Shen, I am a Company Commander under the Dengzhou garrison's Main Army Battalion. Vice Regional Commander Zhong of the Dengzhou Militia has ordered me to inform you, my lord: please reconnoiter the area around Caohe Fort and Samaji Fort. The mountain paths there are blocked by Later Jin scouts. Our forces are too few and have been unable to break through..."

Shen Zhixiang looked at the Company Commander before him, anger simmering in his heart. If it were Chen Xin, that would be one thing, but now even a Vice Regional Commander of the militia was trying to order him around. Of course he was displeased.

Shen Zhixiang raised his head and said to the Company Commander before him, "I have my own plans. How could a petty Company Commander like you understand my grand strategies? Tell that Vice Regional Commander Zhong to come speak to me himself." With that, he abandoned the Company Commander, and the Pi Island Dongjiang army continued toward Lianshan Pass.

From Tongyuan Fort, following the Jinjia River northward, the river valley wound its way through towering mountains and steep ridges. Passing through places like Monk's Village, Caohekou, Gaojia Ridge, and Liujia Ridge, one reached an important pass in the Liaonan mountain range. Lianshan Pass was not a natural barrier; rather, it controlled the junction where the Jinjia River valley road branched toward Liaoyang and Shenyang.

Lianshan Pass sat right in the river valley at that junction. Without taking this place, the enemy could not launch raids against Liaoyang and Shenyang, which highlighted its critical importance in the Liaonan mountain range. It had always been a place contested by every military force in Liaodong.

West of Lianshan Pass lay Motian Ridge, 969 meters above sea level. In the later First Sino-Japanese War, Nie Shicheng had blocked the invading Japanese army here, forcing them to retreat to Fenghuang City, making it the only victorious land blocking action of that war. Over a decade later, Japanese and Russian forces fought a bloody battle for control of this place.

But in the cold-weapon era, Motian Ridge, lacking a water source, held little importance, because it was still impossible to control the surrounding area with firepower. That was why the pass fortress was built directly in the river valley. For the Later Jin, the fortress of Lianshan Pass itself was far more important than Motian Ridge.

On the lush, forested Motian Ridge, Yoto gazed down at the valley below from within a grove of newly leafed trees. Behind him stood Haoge, Shuotuo, Dodo, Zhu Shichang, and the Plain Red Banner's Gūsa Ejen, Yongshun.

Yoto's eyes remained clear and bright. The dozen or so hairs of his upper lip mustache were meticulously groomed, looking glossy and sleek.

Yoto slowly raised the monocular telescope in his hand. It had been captured by the Plain Red Banner from a unit of Dengzhou mounted scouts during last autumn's offensive. There were only two such devices in the entire Later Jin; one was in Huang Taiji's hands, and the one Yoto held had been passed on by Daišan.

Yongshun looked curiously at the object in Yoto's hand. He had never been able to figure out how this thing was made, that it could see so far. It was an excellent tool for warfare. The Dengzhou garrison's scouts could often observe from a distance and better conceal themselves.

After satisfying his curiosity, Yongshun reported to Yoto in a low voice, "Yoto Beile, yesterday the Gabshiyan Cooha (Note 1) came to report that there is a unit of Dengzhou troops near Tongyuan Fort. Their numbers are not large. After occupying Tongyuan Fort, they attempted to scout toward Lianshan Pass and Caohepu, but were blocked by our Bayara. Perhaps the Dengzhou garrison is about to come."

Yoto said flatly, "The confirmed report is that there are several thousand Dengzhou troops at Xiuyan. Those few hundred men at Tongyuan Fort likely came from the Xiuyan direction. Today's report from Gaizhou says the Dengzhou garrison has begun attacking Yulinpu. Xiuyan can tie down the armored troops of Haizhou and also the forces of Gaizhou, making it impossible for us to concentrate the western army against the Dengzhou army in the south. But what Dengzhou's intention is right now is still hard to say."

Dorgon looked at Yoto and said, "Perhaps those few hundred men are only meant to control the road from Lianshan Pass to Xiuyan."

Yoto shook his head and said, "Whatever their intention is, whether the Dongjiang garrison comes or the Dengzhou garrison, they will certainly attack Lianshan Pass. Only thus can they tie down more of our Great Jin troops at Liaoyang and Shenyang."

Beside him, Haoge looked at the composed Yoto, feeling considerable admiration for this Beile of the same generation. In warfare, Yoto often had more insight than Dorgon and the others. If things had gone as before, he could indeed have become an important right-hand man to Huang Taiji. But Haoge also harbored resentment over Yoto's refusal to execute his own wife, which had made Haoge, who had executed his wife, appear extremely awkward.

Haoge looked at the official road in the distance and said, "Yoto Beile." Haoge began, "I believe we should not send out too many scouts. Otherwise, the Nikans on this road will grow deeply suspicious and think we are deliberately concealing troops, and then they won't come north past Tongyuan Fort."

"On the contrary, it is if the scouts are too weak that this would happen." Yoto turned his head to look at Haoge, his eyes very confident. "Lianshan Pass is the necessary route into central Liao. The Dengzhou garrison is aggressive and will not be limited to the gains they made during last autumn's harvest. If they want to defeat our Great Jin, they must attack the richest plains of central Liao. This is a situation both the enemy and we understand. If we do not send out large numbers of scouts to block them, they will instead think it is a trap and become even more suspicious."

Haoge was momentarily speechless. He couldn't help but turn his head to look north. The official road there curved west around a mountain, and the road further north was hidden behind that mountain. Even further north was a place called Xiamatang. The five thousand armored soldiers and five thousand bondservants drawn from the Eight Banners were concealed behind that mountainous area.

Lianshan Pass was one of the places Yoto had suggested for striking the eastern Ming army. The fortress at Lianshan Pass could effectively screen against Ming reconnaissance, creating conditions for the Later Jin army to launch a sudden attack on the Ming forces.

Dorgon interjected, "If it is the Dengzhou troops who come, what shall we do then?"

Yoto said coldly, "No matter what troops come, we must throw in all our armored soldiers to strike them. This place is a perfect location. There are no other paths through the mountains. Once they are routed, the fleeing enemy will find it hard to escape pursuit by our cavalry."

Yoto glanced at the others. "The Great Khan's decree is clear: in this battle, there is no room for retreat. We must annihilate the enemy before us in one blow, then control Tongyuan Fort. The main army will follow the route from Fenghuang City to the Liaodong coast, then flank and strike Huanggudao Fort, cutting the grain route of the Ming army at Xiuyan."

Dorgon swallowed. Huang Taiji's appetite was not small this time. Although they might have the advantage in troop numbers, this kind of terrain meant they could only rely on human lives to fight the Dengzhou garrison. Every time he thought about having to charge head-on against Dengzhou's firearms and cannons, he shuddered.

Sensing that Haoge beside him was observing him, Dorgon quickly said to Yoto, "Then when the time comes, we shall simply follow Minister Yoto's commands."

Only then did Yoto nod. He raised the monocular telescope again and looked into the distance. The official road was empty. The yellowish-brown road stood out starkly against the emerald-green backdrop of the mountains.

"I hope the Great Khan can successfully cut off their retreat."

In a mountain forest north of the official road at Samaji Fort, numerous Later Jin troops were resting among the trees. Looking from outside the forest, one could see no banners or troops at all.

Huang Taiji, his hair in a small queue, sat in a crude tent holding a tree branch in his right hand, gazing at the wooded land outside. Under his pressure, these Later Jin armored soldiers had recovered the abilities they had possessed in the years of harsh survival in the mountain forests. They had gone two consecutive days here without lighting a fire, subsisting only on the dry rations they carried. Even Huang Taiji himself had returned to the state of hunting in the mountain forests of years past.

A group of Gabshiyan Cooha had blocked the Dengzhou infantry's scouts between Caohekou and Caohe Fort. Those Dengzhou troops were not numerous, and they still needed to occupy Tongyuan Fort, so they could not spare too many men to break through the Later Jin blocking line, allowing the Later Jin troops to remain concealed.

Huang Taiji withdrew his gaze. A few pebbles were laid out on the ground. Huang Taiji used the tree branch in his hand to draw lines between the pebbles.

At that moment, a shadow flickered at the tent entrance. Huang Taiji looked up. Jirgalang had arrived at the entrance. Seeing Huang Taiji drawing lines, he was unsure whether to enter or leave.

Approaching forty, Jirgalang had a fierce countenance, yet one could still faintly discern features familiar to Huang Taiji. Jirgalang was the fourth son of Šurhaci. Šurhaci was Nurhaci's own younger brother. After his power grew strong, he attempted to establish his own faction and was ultimately imprisoned by Nurhaci until his death; his eldest and third sons were killed. Back then, it was Huang Taiji and others who pleaded for mercy, sparing only Amin and this Jirgalang. Amin had also been imprisoned after the Battle of the Four Cities. According to the Eight Banners' private property rules, Jirgalang inherited his brother's population and assets, became the Banner Lord of the Bordered Blue Banner, and sided with Huang Taiji.

The past flashed by in an instant. Huang Taiji smiled faintly and said, "Jirgalang Beile, where have those Nikans gone?"

Jirgalang quickly replied, "A portion of the Dongjiang army, about three to four thousand men, passed Tongyuan Fort a few days ago and headed toward Caohekou. It seems they will not come to Samaji Fort. Today they should be encamped at Shangzhuangzi. The banners the scouts saw should belong to the forces of Shen Shikui of Pi Island."

"Three to four thousand men?" Huang Taiji's face darkened as he tapped a small pebble. He looked up at Jirgalang and said, "Keep an eye on them. After they pass through Caohekou and advance north to besiege Lianshan Pass, you will lead troops to cut off their retreat. Together with Yoto Beile at Lianshan Pass, annihilate this force completely. Let us see whether those Dengzhou troops at Tongyuan Fort will come to their rescue or not."

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