Chapter 266: Marching South

Inside the Chongzheng Hall of the Shengjing imperial palace, Hong Taiji, having already learned of the Ming army's attack on Yizhou, immediately summoned Daišan and others who had not led troops west to discuss countermeasures.

The messenger Tanggudai had sent back traveled through the night, taking more than two days to return to Shengjing. After arriving, the messenger first sought out his own master Dodo of the Bordered White Banner and gave a brief report of what he had learned. The moment Dodo heard it, he knew the gravity of the situation and immediately brought the messenger to an audience with Hong Taiji.

Since Jirgalang, Amin, Manggūltai, Ajige, Dorgon, Hooge, and others were all leading troops on the western campaign, only Hong Taiji, Daišan, Dodo, and other noble Princes, banner masters, and Beiles remained in Shengjing. For this reason, Hong Taiji deliberately summoned several Han ministers—Fan Wencheng, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and Shang Kexi—to join the deliberations.

"Zu Dashou's been scared out of his wits by us for ages—what's he pulling this time? Tanggudai's been fighting the Ming since the Old Khan first raised the banners; by any reckoning he's a veteran of many wars. How can he be scared just because the Ming finally worked up the nerve to attack once? And he's got the face to send someone back begging for reinforcements! I say, Old Fifteenth, a bondservant like that doesn't deserve an important post like janggin of a company. Once this business is over, just send him off to Hetu Ala to mind the homestead!"

Daišan was not particularly concerned about the Ming army's sudden offensive. Though he could not help feeling somewhat taken aback when he first heard the news, he believed this was Zu Dashou putting on a show for the Ming court. When the time came, the army would march out, chop off a few Han booi bondservants' heads, return and report a victory—claiming falsely that Jianzhou had invaded, our troops had risen to strike back, won a great victory over the Eight Banners, taken over a thousand heads, and sent the enemy fleeing in panic at the sight of us, and so on and so forth.

"Second Brother, Tanggudai is no coward! Over all these years, the Ming dogs who've died by his hand number no less than eight hundred if not a thousand. This time he must have run into real trouble to send someone back with word! I figure the Ming army came prepared this time—Yizhou probably can't be held!"

Though Dodo was young, his mind was sharp, and moreover he knew the temperaments and dispositions of the generals under his banner quite well. He knew Tanggudai was not the worthless sort Daišan made him out to be, so he spoke up in argument, unwilling to concede the point.

"What? Yizhou can't be held? Hahahaha! Old Fifteenth, are you having delusions? With those few wine-bag rice-sacks of the Zu family, they can take Yizhou? Didn't the messenger just say the Ming had several thousand elite cavalry? Are Tanggudai's fifteen hundred men just eating dry rations for nothing? With over a thousand men, there's no need to defend the walls at all—just charge their rear infantry directly with the horse, and the foot soldiers follow in for the melee. Would their cavalry dare to run down their own infantry along with the enemy?"

Daišan burst into loud laughter upon hearing Dodo's words.

Hong Taiji frowned slightly, greatly displeased by Daišan's dismissive manner, but constrained by the presence of Han ministers like Fan Wencheng, he did not rebuke him directly. Instead, he changed the subject, addressing Fan Wencheng by his courtesy name with warmth: "Xiandou, what is your view on this matter? The situation is urgent—speak your mind freely!"

The tall and stalwart Fan Wencheng looked more like a military general than a man of letters. Just last month, Hong Taiji had appointed him Grand Secretary of the Inner Secretariat, charged with drafting correspondence with foreign states, recording memorials from all offices, petitions for redress of grievances, imperial edicts, appointment documents for civil and military officials, and various matters such as sacrificial announcements to the Confucian temple and funeral rites for officials. His hereditary rank had also been advanced to second-class janggin of a company, and he was receiving ever greater attention and trust from Hong Taiji.

"Your Majesty, Prince Rui's words follow from common reasoning, but this slave believes Prince Yu's concerns are not without merit. Since Your Majesty took command of the Eight Banners, our elite soldiers have never once lost to the Ming army. The Ming have no recourse but to turtle up behind their walls. This time the Ming have suddenly acted abnormally, abandoning defense for offense—this slave believes that behind such unusual behavior there must be something they are relying on; one could say they come with ill intent! This slave suspects that even if Yizhou has not yet fallen, our elite soldiers are even now fighting in desperate straits! Therefore, this slave advises Your Majesty to swiftly dispatch a large army to their relief!"

Fan Wencheng stepped forward, knelt, and reported.

Through years of Hong Taiji's deliberate promotion and favor, Fan Wencheng—originally of mediocre talent—had through trial and tempering grown daily more capable and discerning, which in turn made Hong Taiji appreciate him all the more.

"Xiandou's words accord perfectly with my own thoughts! I too feel this matter is no small thing. Within Yizhou's walls are stored the grain and supplies our Eight Banners have accumulated over several years—if the city falls, they may fall into enemy hands! The Ming must have learned of Yizhou's true state and, coveting its riches, given rise to greed. Whether Yizhou is won or lost is a small matter; what matters most is that the prestige of our Eight Banners not be diminished! To that end, I have decided to dispatch troops to the Yizhou–Jinzhou line. If Yizhou has fallen, retake it at once, and seize the opportunity to besiege Jinzhou; if Yizhou still stands, then join forces and besiege Jinzhou, so that the Ming continue to fear the valor of our Eight Banners' warriors! This time the entire Han Banner army marches out. You Three Obedient Princes, return to camp at once and prepare—the army departs within five days! Xiandou, go quickly to arrange provisions—within three days you must gather enough grain for thirty thousand troops for ten days!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Hong Taiji issued his military orders. Fan Wencheng, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and Shang Kexi knelt to receive the command, then left the hall to return to camp and prepare.

"Just the Han Banner troops going to Jinzhou? Old Eighth, don't get me wrong, but when it comes to fighting, you still have to rely on our Eight Banners' elite. Even the Mongols are far better than these Han troops!"

Daišan reminded him with a note of dissatisfaction in his voice.

It wasn't that he looked down on the Han Banner—it was a conclusion drawn from years of fighting the Ming army: Han troops could not be trusted with important matters. They were fine for fighting when the wind was at their back, but once they hit a hard battle, Han troops tended to collapse and drag down their allies with them.

"Second Brother need not worry—do you think I don't know this? I will naturally draw elite troops from the Eight Banners for the campaign, and the three thousand men of the Mongol Banners left to guard Shengjing will also go to Jinzhou. I hear Prince Cheng's health has fully recovered—let him take command of this army heading to Jinzhou!"

Hong Taiji said with a smile.

Yoto, who had just been elevated to Prince Cheng, had led troops west in the third month, but in the fourth month he suddenly fell gravely ill and was forced to return midway to Shengjing to recuperate. As an outstanding figure among the younger generation of the Eight Banners whom Hong Taiji relied upon heavily, the wise and courageous Yoto was the best candidate to command this campaign against Jianzhou.

"The eldest's health is already fine—yesterday he even led some men out hunting. It's no good for him to sit idle at home all day; this time he can take the troops out and stretch his legs. Old Eighth, you'd best send plenty of Eight Banners elite this time—I keep feeling this business isn't so simple!"

Speaking of his eldest son, Daišan's tone was brimming with pride.

Though this eldest son of his was not old in years, his prestige within the clan was extremely high. Having been made a Prince at such a young age, he far surpassed most of his uncles and elders.

"Second Brother speaks truly! I too feel there's something suspicious about this affair! Yizhou has been in the Eight Banners' hands for several years now, and the construction of granaries in the city was hardly a state secret. But the Zu family doesn't lack for grain and supplies. Given Zu Dashou's slippery nature, he wouldn't move troops out of greed for wealth. Could it be that the Ming court has sent a high minister to oversee the army at Jinzhou, forcing Zu Dashou to march? If so, then this matter makes sense. After all, the Zu family are presently Ming ministers, and Liaoxi belongs to the Ming court—no matter how slippery Zu Dashou is, he has to show some real ability for others to see! If the Zu family is truly putting their all into this, Yizhou will be very hard to hold!"

Hong Taiji nodded in agreement, then analyzed.

"The words Tanggudai sent back through his man carry an ill omen—Yizhou truly may not be held! Your younger brother still has five niru under his command; this time I'll hand them all over for you, Elder Brother, to deploy. I wonder if Tanggudai will even make it back in one piece this time. If he falls at Yizhou, I beg Prince Cheng to kill plenty of Ming dogs to avenge him!"

Dodo spoke through gritted teeth.

The words Tanggudai sent back carried a note of finality, and he had entrusted his master with looking after his family and descendants. This gesture meant he knew Yizhou could not be held, yet he had no face to flee—he could only prove the glory of the Eight Banners' soldiers with his death.

Though Dodo was a generation senior to Yoto, he had far less battlefield experience, and being still young, Hong Taiji did not choose him as commander. Dodo harbored no resentment over this. Knowing his own situation well, compared to his two elder brothers Ajige and Dorgon, he truly had seen too little combat.

"Fifteenth Brother, set your mind at ease. No matter how many men you lose from your banner, I will make it up to you in time! As long as we brothers stand united, this glorious realm of the Great Ming isn't necessarily beyond the reach of our Aisin Gioro family! And when that day comes, won't we have everything we could want?"

For Dodo's display of such good sense, Hong Taiji naturally repaid kindness with kindness.

With the main forces away, the formidable Bordered White Banner being able to contribute five niru of troops was an enormous boost to the Eight Banners about to march south.