Chapter 118: Facing the Enemy

The sleeping Chongzhen was awakened by Wang Cheng'en.

Chongzhen threw on his clothes and got out of bed, yawning as maidservants helped him dress, while Wang Cheng'en had already briefly recounted the urgent military intelligence.

After washing his face with cold water, Chongzhen felt his spirits lift—it had finally come. If nothing unexpected happened, the Qing army would still be led by that Ajige, renowned for his ferocity.

In his previous life, Ajige had led troops on a raid, breaking through over a dozen prefectures and counties, seizing more than a hundred thousand people, over five hundred thousand taels of gold and silver, and countless grain and cloth before returning fully loaded. Before leaving, he had the rear guard cut wood into boards, inscribed with the words "All officials need not see us off," and swaggered back to Liaodong in high spirits. And this time?

Chongzhen ordered in a deep voice: "Have Luo Yangxing begin spreading the word! I want the saying 'Ten thousand Jurchen are invincible' to become a joke for the ages!"

Tall and gaunt, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, clad in a buttoned lamellar armor, Ajige stared darkly at the beacon fire atop the mountain. He had planned a night assault to take the pass, then catch Changping, a few dozen li away, off guard—but now they had been exposed.

Having just been titled Duoluo Prince Wuying of the Commandery by his eighth brother Hong Taiji, Ajige was at the height of his pride, having followed his father Nurhaci on campaigns east and west since childhood, earning countless military merits.

This time he commanded fifteen full-strength niru of his own Plain White Banner, five niru of the Bordered Blue Banner, ten niru of the two Red Banners, twenty niru of the Mongol Plain White and Bordered White Banners, plus Geng Zhongming's Chinese Han Army Banner, and several thousand booi bondservants—eighteen thousand men in total—breaking through the pass. His purpose was to plunder more population and supplies to strengthen the Eight Banners.

Since a surprise attack was no longer possible, they would simply attack directly after dawn.

Ajige had not the slightest regard for the Ming army. Hadn't the hundreds of thousands of troops in Liaodong, vaunted as iron cavalry, merely cowered behind their city walls, not daring to come out?

The imperial troops of the interior were far inferior to the Liaodong Ming army. In the second year of Chongzhen, when they broke through the pass, the Eight Banners had surrounded the capital and plundered everything in sight, only withdrawing after being fully sated. The Ming had assembled over a dozen Regional Commanders, dozens of Mobile Corps Commanders and Assistant Regional Commanders, nearly two hundred thousand men—and yet at their own doorstep, not one dared to step forward and challenge them.

Ajige ordered the entire army to rest and eat where they stood after entering the pass, then launch the attack once it was fully light.

Watching the endless stream of men and horses pouring through the border wall from beyond the pass, Ajige's heart swelled with pride. This time he would seize more people, money, and grain, and show that ruthless eighth brother of his that his and his younger brothers Dorgon and Dodo's two White Banners were the finest of the Eight Banners. Even if you forcibly took away the Bordered Yellow and Plain Yellow Banner colors and replaced them with white, no matter how you changed them, you could never take away the hearts of the Two White Banners' sons!

The sky was gradually brightening. The Qing army sent out scouts to the surrounding areas, then the entire force rested and ate.

In Ajige's tent, Rao Yu Beile Abatai, the imperial son-in-law Yangguli, Plain White Banner commander Tantal, several commanders of the Bordered Blue and Plain Red Banners, and the Mongol Plain White and Bordered White Banner gusha ejen Gengger and Danba were discussing the next course of action.

This breach of the pass was the result of a joint council of the Eight Banners' banner masters. Originally, Hong Taiji had wanted his son Hooge to be Regional Commander, leading the two Yellow Banners, the Mongol two Yellow Banners, and the Han Army Banner into the Great Ming to plunder. The purpose was simply to build up Hooge's prestige so that after Hong Taiji's death, Hooge could smoothly succeed him.

But this decision met with fierce opposition from Ajige and his two brothers' Two White Banners, as well as Amin, master of the Bordered Blue Banner. Their reasoning was that Hooge was young, and being suddenly elevated to Regional Commander, it would be difficult to win the obedience of the troops. The Eight Banners currently held an overwhelming advantage over the Ming army—if Hooge led the invasion and failed to secure spoils, the blow to Eight Banner morale would be devastating, and conversely it would boost the Ming army's prestige.

Ajige and the others naturally did not want to see Hong Taiji designate Hooge as his successor. In their eyes, the Eight Banners' achievements today were won by their own blood and steel. Aside from their late father's brilliance and martial prowess, what military merit did you, Hong Taiji, have? While we bled and fought on the front lines, all you did was offer suggestions from behind and manage logistics. The fact that you could ascend to the emperor's seat was only because we chose to yield!

Fine, you became emperor—but now you want your son to become crown prince? Absolutely impossible!

That brat Hooge is arrogant and reckless. The victories he won were merely because his subordinates were capable commanders. What right does he have to be placed above his uncles?

Because whoever seized the Great Ming's population and goods got to keep them, and because the Ming court was weak and the Ming army's fighting power was pitiful, everyone wanted to lead troops in for a plunder to strengthen their own banner's power. Only with strength could one qualify to contend for the throne in the future. Your son Hooge—forget it. Good fortune can't all go to your house, can it?

In the end, with the support of his brothers' Two White Banners, Amin's Bordered Blue Banner, and Daišan's Two Red Banners, Ajige secured command of this expedition. Hong Taiji was forced to compromise under pressure, but in his heart he harbored a deep hatred for Daišan and Amin.

Rao Yu Beile Abatai spoke up: "Prince of the Commandery, once the army has eaten, I'll lead the vanguard to attack Changping. You and the imperial son-in-law just need to back me up. In two hours, I'll have you resting inside the city walls!"

Yangguli, already sixty years old, remained vigorous in spirit. His voice boomed like a great bell as he said: "Rao Yu Beile holds a noble station—how could he serve as vanguard? Let this old man take the lead instead!"

The other commanders and the Mongol gusha ejen also spoke up one after another, volunteering for battle. The first to strike earned the greatest rewards, and those who broke into a city first could plunder first, gaining more supplies. As for Ming resistance, they had already dismissed it entirely—having clashed many times, the Ming army basically fired one volley of muskets and arrows before scattering when the cavalry charged.

Ajige waved his hand, and the tent fell silent at once. Everyone was deeply afraid of the hot-tempered, violent Ajige.

"Tantal, you take five niru of our own banner, five niru of the Bordered Blue Banner, five niru of the Two Red Banners, plus a thousand booi bondservants, and head east. Take Huairou, then after taking Huairou, head south to take Shunyi and Xianghe, then withdraw. The rest of you follow me—after breaking Changping, we press toward the capital, then split forces south to take military pay and provisions, Fangshan, Gu'an, Yongqing, and other places. Once we've plundered enough, we turn back! This time we must seize more grain and craftsmen—with grain we can hold steady, and with more craftsmen we can manufacture muskets, cannons, and arrows. Leave as soon as you've eaten—don't delay!" Ajige ordered.

Yangguli spoke up: "Prince of the Commandery, shouldn't we leave some troops to watch the west? The Ming army at Xuanfu has quite a few border troops. If we linger too long in Ming territory, I fear they might seize the opportunity to pick up easy gains!"

Ajige said disdainfully: "Two years ago I led troops against the Khalkha Mongols, pushing west a thousand li to Wanquan. A Xuanfu Assistant Regional Commander led three thousand men out beyond the border wall to face me, and I cut him down with a single charge! What bullshit border troops! No need to guard against them—I only fear they won't come!"

Just as dawn broke, the capital began to enforce martial law. News that the Jianzhou barbarian army had broken through Juyong Pass and invaded spread rapidly through every street and alley, throwing the entire capital into panic. The Jisi Incident of the second year of Chongzhen was still fresh in memory, and now the Jianzhou barbarians had invaded again. If Changping fell, the Jianzhou barbarians could drive straight in, pressing directly toward the capital. Could this be another catastrophe?

Prices in the capital began to rise rapidly. Whether great households or common folk, everyone rushed to stock up on rice, flour, oil, salt, and other daily necessities, fearing the Jianzhou barbarians would again besiege the capital—if the grain transport by canal were cut off, who knew what rice prices would become.

The price of grain in the capital had already risen to one tael of silver per shi, and the upward momentum was extremely fierce. Oil, salt, and vegetables, while rising less sharply, were also beginning to climb. This was only the first day since the news arrived—if the Jianzhou barbarians ravaged the capital region for long, who knew how many times over the current price of one tael per shi of rice would multiply.

Just as nearly everyone was consumed with worry, a piece of news spread rapidly among the high officials and nobles: the Emperor intended to have each household send someone to Changping to witness how the imperial army would shatter the Jianzhou barbarians.

Because this message was delivered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, although the high officials and nobles who received it were all astonished and uncertain, most still prepared to send trusted members of their households to rush to Changping—to see what was actually happening, and whether the legendary Yongwei Camp truly could defeat the fierce Jianzhou barbarians.

At the exact hour of Mao, just as Desheng Gate north of the capital opened, a great crowd of people in blue clothes and small caps surged out of the city gate, some on horseback, some in carriages, heading straight for Changping, several dozen li away.

Along the way, everyone found it strange—they hadn't seen a single refugee fleeing south from the north toward the capital. Could Changping have already fallen and been massacred? No, that couldn't be—if the city had fallen, why were there so many Embroidered Uniform Guard horsemen riding back and forth on the road?

Carrying fear and dread of the unknown, yet not daring to defy their masters' orders, they could only steel themselves and press onward. All along the way they kept glancing around, ready to turn and flee the moment anything seemed amiss.

What they did not know was that the Yongwei Camp had already been encamped near Changping for over a month, with a thousand men placed inside the city to guard against a Jianzhou barbarian sneak attack. The moment the beacon was lit, the entire army assembled and equipped itself; an hour later, the main force had entered the city.

With the cooperation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, both the east and west gates of Changping had been closed, and the city's residents were ordered to stay indoors and not come or go. After the Yongwei Camp ate in rotation, they formed up by company units outside the north gate, awaiting the arrival of the Qing army. Scouts galloped back and forth, continuously delivering intelligence to the central command. A great battle was about to erupt.