Chapter 576: Restoration

On the evening of the ninth day of the ninth month, the Dengzhou cavalry arrived outside Gaizhou city. The Later Jin banners still flew atop the Gaizhou city walls, but the defending troops had already scattered in a rout, setting a fire inside the city as they fled.

Wang Zhangfu, leading the advance detachment, garrisoned at Gaizhou for one night and continued north the next day. Fortresses like Boluoguo and Yaozhoubao, originally tightly defended, were now completely empty. Scattered in the forts were grain supplies dropped during frantic looting. That day, the infantry garrisoned at Yaozhoubao. The cavalry pressed on northward, reaching the outskirts of Haizhou before dusk. Black smoke rose from within the city; the defending Mongol Right Wing was nowhere to be seen. The cavalry instead encountered the mountain infantry company approaching via the mountain roads from the Xiuyan direction.

Haizhou was already part of the Later Jin heartland. This prosperous region had been occupied by the Later Jin for over ten years, and many Jurchen inhabitants lived there. When news of the Later Jin army's catastrophic defeat arrived, the Jurchen knew well the crimes the Later Jin had committed in Liaodong. They all feared retaliation from the Liaodong people, and many had already fled north. The cavalry cut off the main road at Haizhou, blocking the Jurchen escape route.

The Later Jin forces collapsed like a landslide, and the Dengzhou garrison met almost no effective resistance. On the twelfth day of the ninth month, the Dengzhou cavalry reached Liaoyang. Most Jurchen in the vicinity of Liaoyang had no time to flee; they dared not remain in the villages and fled northwest through the icy snow. The vast central Liaoning plain was covered with fleeing crowds, a tide of refugees just like the overwhelming wave of Liaodong people when the Later Jin first overran Liaoyang and Shenyang. Their journey was equally perilous; the shortage of grain filled the road with mutual slaughter.

On the fourteenth day of the ninth month, a detachment of the Dengzhou cavalry reached Wujingying, just one step away from the Later Jin capital, Shenyang.

。。。

Shenyang city was filled with panicked, rushing crowds. All sorts of chaotic rumors about the Dengzhou army spread among the people—some said the Dengzhou garrison burned and killed all along their path, others said they were already outside the city—causing even greater panic. Looting became rampant in the city; broken-down doors of residences were everywhere, corpses collapsed by the roadside went unattended, and tens of thousands of people, dragging their families, left the city, blindly heading north.

Inside the Dazheng Hall, Haoge's eyes were red and swollen. He sat alone in the hall, his face ashen. During the great battle at Yulinpu, his Plain Blue Banner had been trapped in Ertaizi Village. When the Ming army broke through the Bordered Blue Banner's lines, he had repeatedly led counterattacks, but each time was repelled by the Dengzhou Fourth Battalion. In Ertaizi Village, he had witnessed the tragic scene of the Later Jin army's collapse and had seen Huang Taiji's Khan banner disappear into the sea of people on the Dengzhou right flank.

In the end, his bodyguards dragged him north in flight, accompanied by only a little over a thousand men of the Plain Blue Banner. These men completely disintegrated after reaching Gaizhou; no soldier heeded their officers' commands anymore. Groups of soldiers looted grain in the city and then fled north in utter disarray. Haoge fled all the way back from Gaizhou, arriving in Shenyang with only a little over three hundred followers. The rest had left midway, returning to their respective villages to prepare to flee with their families.

By this point, only a little over a hundred men remained by his side. The slaves and Jurchen throughout the palace were also scrambling for possessions. The Later Jin had enslaved everyone under its rule through intense oppression, including ordinary Jurchen and bondservants. Nurhaci had forcibly united the various Jurchen tribes by force of arms, then used the Jurchen to oppress the Han people, sustaining this system with plundered land and wealth. The entire Later Jin lacked any true cohesion. Once the Eight Banners army that supported this system vanished, no one was willing to be loyal to a regime that enslaved them.

Listening to the clamor outside, Haoge slowly stood up, walked to the center of the Dazheng Hall, and stood there blankly. After an unknown length of time, the main door opened. Haoge slowly turned his head to look. It was Bayan, Huang Taiji's personal bodyguard, Li Yongfang's fifth son. He had managed to escape during the battle at Yulinpu and, after joining up with Haoge at Gaizhou, had followed him ever since. The news of Huang Taiji's death in battle had been confirmed by him.

Bayan looked around the empty great hall, then walked in, closing the hall door behind him. "Master Haoge, let us leave too. We can still go to Ningguta. Your slave has already prepared a carriage, and there are still over two hundred armored soldiers willing to go together."

Haoge nodded somewhat blankly. He turned his head to glance at the hall and said in a desolate tone, "This was personally supervised and built by the Great Khan. I never imagined... Ah!!"

Haoge's whole body convulsed. A sharp pain shot through his waist. An arm wrapped around his neck from behind, fiercely constricting his throat. Caught completely off guard, Haoge was unable to fight back. The blade at his waist twisted; gurgling sounds of agony came from Haoge's throat.

Bayan's voice rang out coldly. "Master Haoge, do not blame me. My father left me a letter. That Chen Xin also promised that as long as one serves Dengzhou, the whole family's safety is guaranteed. The Eight Banners are defeated. I originally wanted to take the Great Khan's head for great merit, but unexpectedly he died on the way while fleeing. So I must trouble you, Master Haoge. You once could kill Mangguji's daughter; you should understand your slave's difficulty."

Blood dripped like raindrops onto the stone slabs of the Dazheng Hall. Haoge's mouth filled with blood, and he slowly ceased struggling. The two hands gripping that arm went limp and dropped, his eyes still wide open.

。。。

On the fifteenth day of the ninth month, the Dengzhou Liaonan Second Brigade reached Haizhou city. Chen Xin was also among the ranks. Zhu Guobin stood outside the city for a long time. Chen Xin came over and patted his shoulder. "Nostalgia makes one hesitant near home. You've been away from your hometown for over ten years. This time, take the Fourth Battalion and remain garrisoned at Haizhou."

Zhu Guobin quickly said, "Thank you for your consideration, my lord. Do you have any further instructions?"

Chen Xin nodded. "Hold Niuzhuang and the Sancha River. Before spring begins, no one coming from Hexi is permitted to enter Liaodong."

On the seventeenth day of the ninth month, the Dengzhou infantry reached Liaoyang. Tens of thousands of officers, soldiers, and civilian laborers of Liaodong origin wept bitterly outside Liaoyang city. This was the former political center of Liaodong, and in the hearts of countless Liaodong people, the symbol of Liaodong itself. Recovering Liaoyang was the true restoration of Liaodong.

On the twentieth day of the ninth month, Chen Xin arrived in Shenyang. The Dengzhou Flying Tiger Flag was planted atop the Shenyang gate tower. Under the deployment of the Military Orders Department, the Dengzhou army was dispatched to every key point in Liaodong, and within one month, controlled the entire territory of Liaodong.

On the twenty-third day of the ninth month, Dudu was killed by Dengzhou cavalry at Fushun Pass. The last organized Later Jin force was annihilated.

Since the fall of Liaodong in the first year of the Tianqi reign, after fifteen years, Liaodong was finally restored.

。。。

East side of the Dengzhou Water Fortress, the Dengzhou Regional Commander's Residence.

Liu Minyou was still using a brush to approve documents. Wang Daixi, wearing a white fox-fur coat, stood beside the desk grinding ink for him, her dark, lively eyes fixed on the side of Liu Minyou's face.

"Brother Liu."

Liu Minyou continued reading the documents as he replied, "Mm, what is it?"

"Mm... Lord Chen told me, once the Jianzhou bandits are driven away, he'll let us... let us two go to Liaoyang."

Liu Minyou still did not look up. "Liaoyang we must go to, but Dengzhou we must also stay in. Our silver money is all earned through the Grand Canal. Dengzhou here also has the convenience of sea transport, so we need to travel between both places. Don't believe everything Lord Chen says; he forgets in the blink of an eye."

"Mm, what Lord Chen said was... was, after Liaodong is restored, I can then be married... married off."

Wang Daixi's face turned bright red. The last few words were spoken as faintly as a mosquito's buzz. Liu Minyou did not hear clearly and casually asked, "What did you say at the end?"

Wang Daixi pouted slightly and did not repeat herself. Liu Minyou concentrated on his approvals and did not ask again.

At that moment, faint waves of cheering suddenly came from outside. Liu Minyou initially paid no attention; sometimes the soldiers on the parade ground playing football or brawling also caused bursts of noise.

But the cheering grew louder and louder. Liu Minyou finally raised his head, looked outside with surprise and suspicion, then pulled a bell cord. The simple-minded monk burst open the door with a whoosh.

"Simple-minded monk, go see what's happening outside!"

The simple-minded monk hurriedly closed the door and left. The cheering had already spread to the Regional Commander's Residence. People in the outer courtyard were shouting loudly. Liu Minyou seemed to have realized something. The hand holding the brush trembled slightly. Finally, he put down the brush and walked to the doorway with Wang Daixi.

The simple-minded monk came stumbling back from outside the main gate, followed by a messenger. Both faces were filled with irrepressible joy. "My lord, my lord..."

Liu Minyou's hands both clenched.

"Lord Chen annihilated the entire Later Jin army at Yulinpu! Huang Taiji is dead! Liaodong is restored!"

Liu Minyou stood frozen in place. Beside him, Wang Daixi let out a shriek, covered her face with both hands, and burst into tears.

The simple-minded monk finally reached Liu Minyou. "Lord Chen is safe and unharmed. He says to have you, Lord Liu, make preparations to go to Liaodong at the start of spring, and Director Daixi is to come along too..."

"We won! Liaodong is restored!" Liu Minyou let out a great shout, laughed heartily, turned around, and scooped up Wang Daixi, spinning her around.

The simple-minded monk and the messenger exchanged a glance, stunned on the spot.

。。。

At the Liaoxi Jinzhou city, inside the Liaozhen Vanguard Regional Commander's Residence, Zu Dashou had just received Wu Sangui, who had returned from the Sancha River. Zu Dashou already knew of the Later Jin army's total destruction. He was anxious to know the extent of the Dengzhou garrison's losses, to determine the Liaozhen's next course of action.

"Sangui, speak quickly. How many troops does that Dengzhou garrison still have left?"

Wu Sangui picked up the hot tea, took a sip, and stared silently at the floor.

Zu Dashou said somewhat impatiently, "Sangui, what's wrong with you? You weren't like this before you went to Dengzhou."

"Uncle, the Dengzhou garrison suffered several thousand casualties too, but... we cannot defeat them, can never defeat them. Zhu Guobin, Zhong Caisheng, Wang Zhangfu, Liu Pojun, Zheng Sanhu, Fan Shouye, Zhu Feng—every one of them is a tiger of a general. That aside, the most critical thing is, their soldiers are too strong... too strong. Uncle, you should stick to your original plan. Our Zu family should just secure our wealth and status."

Zu Dashou's mouth hung open in shock. Wu Sangui had been proud and arrogant since childhood, and after achieving fame young, his standards were even higher. Now even he was this fearful of the Dengzhou garrison.

Wu Sangui raised his eyes, looked at Zu Dashou, and said desolately, "Uncle, trust me this once. If you had seen it at Yulinpu, you would not be willing to make an enemy of Dengzhou either."

。。。

On the twentieth day of the eleventh month, in the Forbidden City at Jingshi, the Chongzhen Emperor, his face pale, held a Dengzhou military report. It was fully printed with news of the Dengzhou garrison's restoration of Liaodong. Not one of the Later Jin Eight Banner lords had escaped. The Later Jin army of tens of thousands had been destroyed by Dengzhou in a single battle. The entire territory of Liaodong was restored. The heads of Later Jin soldiers taken at Yulinpu were being transported back to Denglai and, it was said, would be publicly displayed in Dengzhou and Linqing.

The Chongzhen Emperor put down the military report, leaned back weakly against the chair, and after a long while, closed his eyes and asked, "Cheng'en, what reply has come from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War?"

Wang Cheng'en said cautiously, "The Minister of Personnel says that all officials dispatched to take up posts in Liaodong were stopped at Jinzhou. Zu Dashou says the area between the Daling River and the Sancha River has many scattered Later Jin soldiers, the roads are unsafe, and he will not let the various officials go to Liaodong. The Ministry of War... the Ministry of War still has received no word from Denglai. Chen Xin has not sent anyone to deliver a field report."

"Zu Dashou is blocking them. What about Fang Yizao? Can he, the Provincial Governor, still not control Zu Dashou?"

"Lord Fang personally led his personal battalion to the Sancha River. Zu Dashou did not stop him. The Niuzhuang area is already garrisoned by the Dengzhou garrison, but... they will not let Lord Fang go to Liaodong. Chen Xin also did not show himself. Only a Dengzhou garrison Vice Regional Commander, Zhu Guobin, came out, but he also would not let Lord Fang pass, only saying that the Dengzhou garrison is still mopping up the remnants of the Jianzhou bandits."

The Chongzhen Emperor abruptly stood up, slamming his hand on the imperial desk with a bang. "He, Fang Yizao, is the Provincial Governor of Liaodong, and he cannot even enter Liaodong? Is the personal battalion he brought just for show!?"

Wang Chengen kept his head lowered, not daring to answer. Everyone knew the Dengzhou Garrison's battle strength was formidable; Fang Yizao's paltry personal battalion could not even defeat the Jianzhou bandits — how could it possibly be a match for the Dengzhou Garrison.

The Chongzhen Emperor stood for a moment, then slumped dejectedly back onto the dragon throne.

In the study of Liang Tingdong's residence, Liang Tingdong had just ushered an honored guest into the room. Today was unusual — he had laid out a few small dishes in the study and even brought out a pot of wine, unlike his usual custom of serving tea to guests.

"Please sit, my lord Song." Liang Tingdong addressed Song Wenxian courteously.

Song Wenxian, dressed in refined scholarly fashion, had just arrived in the capital. He cupped his hands and said, "I dare not accept such a form of address from the Minister of War."

"With Mr. Song's talent and learning, rising to high office is only a matter of time. I have been a close friend of Mr. Song for many years — from now on, how about I call you Brother Song?"

Song Wenxian repeatedly protested that he dared not accept. After the two had exchanged courtesies for a while, Liang Tingdong finally broached the matter of Liaodong. "Allow me first to congratulate Lord Chen on recovering Liaodong. When the news arrived, I was so stirred I could not sleep that night, and drank deep into the night, raising my cup from afar to toast Lord Chen's heaven-startling achievement."

Song Wenxian gave a hearty laugh. "Lord Chen is well aware of Lord Liang's sentiments. But sometimes a heaven-startling achievement is not necessarily a good thing. That is why Lord Chen says that in the past, it was only through the patronage of several lords in the capital that Dengzhou achieved what it has today. The recovery of Liaodong was not something he could accomplish alone. In the future, matters in the capital will still depend on the patronage of those lords. If the lords in the capital encounter difficulties, wherever he can lend his strength, he will certainly do so — that is simply the proper way to conduct oneself."

Liang Tingdong grasped the meaning at once and laughed heartily. "Lord Chen speaks well. When we look after one another, matters are easily handled. From now on, whatever Lord Chen instructs regarding affairs in the capital, I will certainly see it done for him."

"I thank Lord Liang. If Lord Liang encounters any difficulties at court that require Dengzhou's assistance, you need only tell me."

Both men smiled knowingly, and their two wine cups clinked together. (To be continued.)