Chapter 167: This Is Sent on Behalf of the People of Deng and Lai!

Thick smoke billowed, blotting out the sky and sun.

Fire dragons churned and surged, dyeing the night sky red.

Gazing at distant Dongchang Prefecture shrouded in raging flames and gunpowder smoke, Lin Dao turned his head and asked, "Who is guarding Dongchang Prefecture for the Tartars?"

The personal guard replied, "It is Ebilong of the Bordered Yellow Banner."

"Was he captured?" Lin Dao asked again, "Or has he already thrown himself into the fire?"

"Not yet."

"When our surprise attack corps approached Dongchang Prefecture, this thief set fire to the city, took the garrison, rode horses out of the city, and fled north."

Dongchang Prefecture held vast stores of grain and supplies the Tartars had robbed, as well as men and women they had captured and plundered.

Upon learning of the main battlefield defeat, Ebilong, seeing the righteous army draw near, did not defend the city at all; he simply set fire to the city and fled.

"Huu~~~"

Lin Dao caught his breath. "Since that is the case, I will issue a bounty."

"Whoever captures Ebilong alive will be rewarded with thirty thousand taels of silver, one thousand mu of premium paddy fields, plus two grand mansions within Jinling City."

His eyes glowed red. "Remember, I want him alive!"

The grain and supplies the Tartars plundered along the way — Lin Dao did not care about those, nor did he lack such things.

But the tens of thousands of men, women, old, and young inside the city — how tragic their plight.

Even if the righteous army abandoned pursuit to fight the fire swiftly, they only managed to rescue a portion.

The towering flames were too fierce; many people were trapped in the great fire and could not escape.

Massacring and burning cities — on ancient battlefields that hardly counts as a major event.

Ebilong burned the city to delay pursuers for the sake of his own escape; that was his petty cleverness.

But he ran into Lin Dao, who does not follow common logic.

On the battlefield, at most one slash kills and it is over.

But you commit such an atrocity that outrages both heaven and man — how could Lin Dao possibly spare you!

With such a high reward, the entire army boiled with excitement.

Many did not even bother to eat or sleep; they lit torches and went off in pursuit!

Soldiers earn a hundred-odd taels a year; a bounty of thirty thousand taels means they would have to serve three hundred years!

Three hundred years — the Ming Dynasty has not even lasted three hundred years.

Moreover, one thousand mu of paddy fields directly shattered the soldiers' land-grant ceiling.

Jinling City's housing prices need no comment; two grand mansions — that is truly~~~

If one truly won such merit, needless to say, one would surely establish a separate clan register and enjoy incense offerings forever after.

In the dark night, countless torches rushed northward like stars.

Innumerable soldiers were all shouting loudly.

"Ebilong~ come back quick~~~"

Taiping County, at the foot of Tuoshan Mountain, a ruined, abandoned village.

"Great Khan~"

Seeing Huang Taiji finally wake up, Aobai and the others wept with joy.

"This is~"

Lying there, Huang Taiji looked around with difficulty. "What place is this?"

"Great Khan, still within Dongchang Prefecture's borders; exact location unknown, only know there is a great mountain not far away."

"Oh~~~" Huang Taiji caught his breath, sat up straight with support, took the kettle Aobai handed over and drank two mouthfuls.

Looking around, only a few dozen Two Yellow Banner guards remained by his side.

"Where are the various princes and high ministers?"

"Great Khan." Aobai lowered his head. "We slaves escorted the Great Khan northward; enemy pursuit did not cease; the various princes and ministers all scattered along the way; Suksaha went to block pursuers and never returned."

"Heh~" Huang Taiji gave a miserable smile. "We lost truly miserably."

On the previous battlefield, after the Tartar army totally collapsed, both sides entered a chase-and-flee mode.

Those on horseback ran fast, but the righteous army soldiers, having shed their armor, for the sake of glittering silver and land rewards, insanely used their leg-wrapped legs to chase relentlessly.

They chased with bloodshot eyes, killing; they severed heads, tied them with rope at their waists, and continued pursuit.

An opportunity this good — there truly will not be many more in the future; one must know to cherish it.

The Tartars' horses, after running long, must rest, must drink water, eat feed and salt.

Tartars lacking supplies gradually lost their horse advantage.

The princes and ministers' accompanying troops gradually fell behind and scattered.

For some reason, Huang Taiji suddenly felt his body improving.

Not only did he have strength, his nose no longer bled, and mentally he was incomparably clear-headed.

He asked again, "Do you know where everyone ended up?"

"Unknown." Aobai shook his head. "On the road we did encounter other routed soldiers, but they were already scared out of their wits, only knowing to flee with heads in hands — truly losing all face of the Eight Banners' stalwart sons."

"Do not be too harsh." Huang Taiji waved his hand.

Just as he was about to say something, noisy sounds came from outside.

The sentry ran in to report, "A large enemy force has entered the village!"

All the guards gripped their weapons and protected Huang Taiji on all sides.

Aobai stepped forward, wanting to carry his master on his back and break out.

"I cannot escape." Huang Taiji shook his head repeatedly, speaking urgently, "Listen to me."

A sudden shout rang out from outside: "Men of the Bingwu Camp say they've found Ebilong's trail, in the direction of Jia Zhen Bao!"

The soldiers all shouted, "Quick, quick, quick, go catch Ebilong!"

"Capture Ebilong alive~~~"

Dense footsteps, accompanied by clamorous noise, gradually faded into the distance.

Huang Taiji, who was just about to give his final instructions, and Aobai looked at each other in dismay.

What on earth has Ebilong done to incur the wrath of heaven and the resentment of men?

No time to pay attention to Ebilong anymore.

Huang Taiji, his vision gradually blurring, his head throbbing painfully and growing dizzy, gripped Aobai's hand tightly.

"Aobai, listen to me."

"After I die, immediately burn my body and take the ashes back."

"If that's not possible, just scatter them into the river."

"Back in Shenyang City, if Hao Ge also returns alive, say that my dying wish is for Hao Ge to inherit the great lineage."

"If Hao Ge does not return, say that my dying wish is for Prince Li Dai Shan to inherit the great lineage!"

Huang Taiji had quite a few sons, but among the adult sons, only Hao Ge held the Plain Blue Banner and possessed the leverage.

If Hao Ge lives, combined with the Two Yellow Banners it would be sufficient assistance for him to ascend the throne.

As for the other sons, in such a time of national ruin and great chaos, they fundamentally have no opportunity to come to the fore.

If Hao Ge is also dead, only the stay-behind Prince Li Dai Shan can suppress the crowd.

Aobai kowtowed repeatedly: "The Great Khan need only rest at ease; once the dragon body recovers, he will naturally be able to lead us slaves."

"Enough~" Huang Taiji knew that his waking this time was merely a final flicker of life before death.

No time to listen to this useless nonsense.

He caught his breath: "Tell Hao Ge or Dai Shan to cede Shenyang, Liaoyang and other places."

"Give a portion to the Mongol tribes, a portion to the Guan Ning Army."

Huang Taiji spoke with increasing difficulty: "Wealth, bondservants, women — all can be given, let them fight over them."

"Must~ must return to Hetu Ala~"

"As many as possible~ take the people back~"

Huang Taiji's voice grew lower and lower: "If Lin Dao refuses to let it rest~ then~ then drill into the woods and return to the White Mountains and Black Waters~"

"Hide~ wait for the Central Plains to fall into chaos on their own~~~"

Aobai, kneeling to the side with head lowered listening, waited a good while without hearing any continuation.

He abruptly raised his head.

Huang Taiji sitting there, head drooped, already had no movement.

Aobai's hands trembling, he tested his breath; a moment later he kowtowed heavily: "The Great Khan has returned to heaven~~~"

The bodyguards of the Two Yellow Banners all knelt, kowtowed and wailed, their crying shaking the heavens.

Under the cover of night, this desolate ruined village resembled a ghostly realm.

Outside Dongchang Prefecture City, the Main Camp.

The sky was gloomy, leaden clouds like ink.

The pouring rain drenched the Qi Lu land.

In the Northern Lands during the Chongzhen Era, three years of great drought followed by three years of great flood, cycling repeatedly — simply not giving people a way to live.

Lin Dao, returned from Yonghe Spacetime, walked out of the rear tent.

"Commander~"

The bodyguards stepped forward to report: "Last night the various departments pursued and captured a batch of high-ranking Tartar officials and generals."

Ordinary Tartars — nothing much to say about them; catch up and it's one slash, two hundred taels of silver plus land in hand.

Those with obviously unusual identities were to be captured alive whenever possible.

These Tartars, their ransom value certainly exceeds two hundred taels.

Like that Ebilong, the Commander offered a sky-high price!

Lin Dao, having come over after eating breakfast, sat down and unscrewed a water bottle: "Who are they?"

"According to their own confessions and the captives' identification, there are Fan Wencheng, Ning Wanwo, Bao Chengxian, Yang Fangxing and a whole group of Han Army who surrendered to the Tartars. Also~"

"Wait." Lin Dao raised a hand to stop the bodyguard: "Where are these people?"

"All waiting outside the tent."

Lin Dao stood up, picked up an umbrella and walked toward the outside of the main tent.

Halfway there he seemed to remember something, turned back to the rear tent to fetch something.

Fan Wencheng and the others had already been standing in the rain outside for half the night.

These people who served the Tartars as slaves naturally would not die loyal for the Tartars.

Earlier when they followed Huang Taiji fleeing, they still had horses to ride.

But as they gradually scattered, encountering routed Tartar soldiers they were directly knocked off and their horses seized.

Even though they kept shouting that they were the Great Khan's confidants, it was still the same — men like Gao Shijun were killed by the routed soldiers.

Without horses, relying on two legs they couldn't run far, and were finally captured by pursuing Righteous Army troops, escorted back all the way.

Rain fell in the deep night; they just knelt before the main tent enduring until now.

One by one, faces livid, lips white, trembling violently.

When Lin Dao came out, everyone raised their heads to look.

Lin Dao first spoke gently to the bodyguards guarding the captives: "You got soaked in the rain, go rest first, change clothes, eat some hot food, today you have the day off."

The bodyguards saluted and withdrew, replaced by another batch of bodyguards who stepped forward to keep watch.

"Marshal!"

Ning Wanwo, bound hand and foot, kowtowed his head into the mud.

"We are willing to surrender, willing to serve the Marshal like dogs and horses~~~"

Fan Wencheng and the others came to their senses and hurriedly followed suit, kowtowing in the mud to beg surrender.

The Great Qing is finished.

Now is the time to hurriedly jump ship and seek a new way out.

As for serving the Great Qing loyally and such~

Don't make me laugh; how could people like them possibly have such thoughts.

Lin Dao, holding an umbrella in one hand and a Beretta in the other, let his gaze slowly sweep across the crowd.

Looking at those who had not kowtowed to beg for their lives, his expression playful: "You aren't begging me?"

"The Marshal jokes."

Kong Youde, built like an iron tower, laughed heartily: "If the Marshal intends to accept surrender and take in turncoats, he would not treat us like this."

"Since it's death either way, why demean oneself so."

"Who are you?"

"Kong Youde."

"Oh." Lin Dao nodded. "You actually didn't die in the battle?"

By rights, Kong Youde, who commanded the Artillery Camp in combat, was in the very midst of the battlefield; when the whole army collapsed he should have been the hardest to escape.

Head bowed, Kong Youde sighed: "Bad luck."

He indeed had not fled the battlefield, but chose to hide under a blown-up cannon carriage and feign death.

He originally planned to wait until nightfall and take the chance to escape, but unexpectedly was caught by Auxiliary Soldiers cleaning the battlefield.

Had he not revealed his identity, he would have been beheaded on the spot by the Auxiliary Soldiers to claim the reward.

Lin Dao stepped forward, coming to stand beside Kong Youde, who was bound like a rice dumpling.

The Beretta in his hand pressed against his temple.

Not a word of nonsense, and even less of any impassioned speech.

Only a single sentence spoken.

"This is delivered on behalf of the Deng Lai commoners!"

Bang!

End of Chapter