Chapter 259: 178. Chapter 176: The Skilled Rider Falls, Strategy is Woven Behind the Curtains

178. Chapter 176: The Skilled Rider Falls, Strategy is Woven Behind the Curtains

In the northern frontier of the Danning Regional Military Commission, between Datong and Jizhen, near the Yanshan Mountains, roughly five hundred li from Jielingkou and over seven hundred li from Xifengkou Garrison.

Rolling hills undulated, grasslands stretched endlessly, and where they met, dawn broke with faint light.

The muffled sounds of slashing and the sharp crack of firearms shattered the morning stillness beneath the Yanshan Mountains.

The sounds were brief.

They ended abruptly.

The sunlight cast upon the earth could not pierce the mingled mist and smoke, only dimly revealing a clean, sharp military formation, and beneath hooves, countless corpses—faces twisted, limbs severed, scattered haphazardly—as soldiers cut off their heads.

The soldiers' armor was unmistakably of Great Ming design.

The corpses' attire was plainly that of barbarians.

Lush blood stained the grass red.

The stench of gunpowder surged into the nostrils.

Military judges moved back and forth through the ranks, counting kills or recording offenses.

A few dozen green recruits, newly arrived on the battlefield, leaned on their horses, vomiting uncontrollably.

Some young masters recruited from the Beijing Garrison Military Academy, upon seeing soldiers sever heads and pin them to their belts, kicked their legs and fainted.

"Form up here for fifteen minutes—inspect firearms, reload gunpowder, feed the horses. We march in fifteen!"

The commanding general sat astride his horse, eyes sharp as a wolf's, gaze piercing as an eagle's.

Hu Wang Shouren was the Regional Commander of the Southern Troops in Jizhen; besides his high rank and power, he commanded unshakable authority forged by decades on the battlefield.

"Time is tight, military law is strict—do not delay!"

Upon hearing this, officers and deputy commanders bowed sharply in response, relaying the order down the chain.

After giving this order, Hu Wang Shouren took down the water-bread from his saddle and began drinking deeply, as did his horse.

The long-distance raid and the unexpected battle had exhausted both men and horses to their limits.

To prevent Dong Huji from becoming alert, Wang Wang Chonggu secured the aid of San San Niangzi, enabling Hu Wang Shouren to detour through Three Xuan-Da and pass safely through Qing Baduer's pasturelands.

Only through relentless day-and-night travel did they reach the Duoyan Guard's pasturelands.

The men could endure it, but the horses were growing weak.

Fortunately, they were about to enter the Yanshan Mountains and head straight for Duoyan's stronghold.

Thinking of this, Hu Wang Shouren pulled out his telescope from his robe and, as the sun rose, scanned the Yanshan range.

From Hu Wang Shouren's official rank, it was clear he was the purest of Qi Qi Jiguang's trusted inner circle.

The commander of Southern Troops—the so-called Southern Troops—were the core army formed from Qi Qi Jiguang's original three thousand veterans from Zhejiang.

Hu Wang Shouren himself had followed Qi Qi Jiguang from Zhejiang and Fujian, fighting Japanese pirates, to now commanding independently on the northern frontier—he was the very core of the Qi Family Army.

At this moment, the military judge had finished tallying the battle's merits and rode up to Hu Wang Shouren: "General Hu, that fellow was hit by three gunshots—he won't survive. Cut off his head."

Hu Wang Shouren nodded immediately: "Cut off his head—count it as battle merit!"

Badang was Dong Huji's disfavored son.

He was the unlucky one encountered this morning—though not truly unlucky, since Dong Huji had left him to watch over Chang'ang; encountering Hu Wang Shouren was inevitable.

But such a minor figure, whether captured alive or dead, made no difference to a Regional Commander like him.

No sooner had he spoken than Bolihan's face darkened: "General Hu, Commander Qi promised my father that no innocent Ge-lan-tai bloodline would be slaughtered!"

"Badang's entire force of one hundred and seventy men have returned to the embrace of the Eternal Sky—why must General Hu kill prisoners?"

"Would you have Commander Qi, a true warrior, grow fat by swallowing his own promises?"

Hu Wang Shouren turned his head and glanced at Bolihan.

This traitor was the son of Wulusihan—his speech, half-Tatar, half-Chinese, revealed a political identity too tangled to explain.

Leaving aside his strange talk of breaking promises and growing fat, the Ge-lan-tai he mentioned was the father of Dong Huji, Wulusihan, and Yingke.

If the Ming's power succession required reproduction through clans, students, old subordinates, and associations, then Mongol succession was simpler—sons of nobles were nobles, sons of slaves remained slaves.

Thus, Ge-lan-tai's bloodline comprised the current power-holders of Duoyan.

Now caught between the Mongol Left and Right Wings and Great Ming, each of them held their own stance.

Ge-lan-tai's eldest son, Yingke, died at the hands of Great Ming; Yingke's son, Chang'ang, now held no real power—let that pass.

The second son, Mengke, commanded over two hundred cavalry, stationed in Tangtu's territory, two hundred li south of Lengkou, three hundred li from Gongguan, allied with the Western Barbarians—the Right Wing leader Nalin.

The third son, Menggudai, commanded over seven hundred cavalry, stationed in Huizhou's territory, two hundred li directly southwest of Gongguan, allied with Right Wing Antan.

The fourth son, Mokechi, commanded over three hundred cavalry, stationed in Mulu's territory, three hundred li from Yiyuan Kou, five hundred li southwest of Gongguan, allied with Right Wing Naisun.

The fifth son, Dong Huji, leaned toward the Chahar tribe, striving to use the Great Khan to break free from Right Wing control.

As for the sixth son, Wulusihan, he was far more sensible—a rare figure friendly to Great Ming.

Last year, when Dong Huji raided, Wulusihan was sent by imperial order to deliver a decree, demanding the return of captives and handing over two scapegoats from Dong Huji's ranks to Great Ming.

This year, when Dong Huji again rallied various tribes to invade Jizhen and Liaodong, Wulusihan directly betrayed him to Qi Qi Jiguang.

And after some undisclosed agreement with the court, he sent his son Bolihan as a guide.

Facing Bolihan's accusation, Hu Wang Shouren shook his head seriously: "Commander Qi ordered me to aid Chang'ang, Ge-lan-tai's rightful grandson, in seizing power. We kill those who resist because Chang'ang has been appointed by our court as a Commander and remains loyal to us as his sovereign."

"Mengke, Menggudai—even their father—are all the same: only those willing to become subjects of our court pass the test of friend or foe."

"But Dong Huji? He has provoked border conflicts six times last year alone! He slaughters civilians! Plunders trade markets! He is lawless!"

"This year, he dares again to rally the Eastern Barbarians and attack Xifengkou!"

"You dare say Dong Huji's son is innocent?!"

He had no patience to explain gunpowder weapons' lethality to this ignorant barbarian—no need to say that a gunshot wound meant certain death.

Instead, he directly pressed Bolihan on the matter of loyalty.

Bolihan's face flushed crimson; he gasped but could not speak.

Seeing Bolihan silenced, Hu Wang Shouren snorted coldly and turned back.

He saw the troops were now properly formed and time had come—he pulled his reins and ordered: "March!"

After the order, not a single soldier moved.

As if deaf to it—as if utterly undisciplined.

In truth, this was precisely the Qi Family Army's command principle: in all land or water camps, regardless of circumstance, orders were given only by flag and drum—no verbal commands allowed; even if spoken by a general or commander, verbal orders were invalid.

As expected, after a single drumbeat, the ranks stirred.

The marching flag rose.

The horn sounded clear.

Officers and company leaders advanced to the central command, their signals responding in unison.

The entire army surged forward in perfect unison, moving as one body in a single direction.

Like an arm obeying the mind—orders given, obeyed without question.

…

On the ramparts of Xifengkou.

Qi Qi Jiguang held his telescope, constantly scanning beyond the Great Wall.

Several li away, scouts circled and galloped back and forth, clearly visible.

Farther still, circles of tents and organized cavalry formations appeared blurred and indistinct in the lens.

Though only vague outlines, combined with recent reports of ten-thousand-cavalry assaults, the enemy's siege was unmistakable.

Beside him, Chen Chen Ziluan reported enemy intelligence: "Commander Qi, according to scout reports, Ha Busen's and Chao Hua's forces withdrew last night—only Subaihai, Heishitan, Bimataiji, and Laxi Huang Taiji remain."

Chao Hua and Subaihai were both of the Duoyan Three Guards—Chao Hua held Fuyu Guard territory, Subaihai was chief of Prince Tai Ning Guard, both close allies of Dong Huji in raiding Liaodong.

Heishitan, Bimataiji, and Laxi Huang Taiji belonged to the Chahar Left Wing; they never missed an opportunity to raid Jinzhou and Yizhou.

Ha Busen was of the Right Wing Kharachin tribe; before Altan Khan's submission, he raided annually; after Altan's submission, he traded at markets, then stole back his goods.

In short—all were Mongol warriors.

Qi Qi Jiguang squinted through his telescope, scanning everywhere without turning: "At least ten thousand cavalry still lurk beyond Xifengkou."

This number was not estimated by the telescope alone—it was synthesized from knowledge of these tribes, scout reports, and finally, the telescope's estimation of tents and horses.

Ten thousand cavalry was no small force, especially on open grasslands.

It could rightly be called a flood.

Yet Chen Chen Ziluan was not worried by this number.

After all, inside Xifengkou, besides the regular garrison, there were six thousand cavalry and thirteen thousand infantry, ready to strike—originally ten thousand cavalry, but Hu Wang Shouren took four thousand.

He was confident: "Though Dong Huji gathered many, they're merely rabble. Once they see no profit, they'll scatter in an instant."

"Chao Hua has long been at odds with Chahar; even during these raids, he's clashed repeatedly with Bimataiji—almost came to blows themselves; Ha Busen is under his elder brother Qing Baduer's control, benefiting from our trade markets—now following Dong Huji, he seeks rewards but lacks the courage to attack."

"Their withdrawal was expected."

"Besides, the three Chahar tribes are far from their homeland, with the Jurchens watching closely; their elite have been stripped away, and after days without profit, they won't stay long."

"Once these three depart, we'll have full confidence to take the offensive and strike decisively!"

Qi Qi Jiguang frowned at Chen Chen Ziluan: "Don't be so reckless! Haven't you learned from Liu Viceroy's impeachment and the Censorate's investigation?!"

Chen Chen Ziluan was a knight-errant by origin; his caution as an official or commander was woefully lacking.

He was always certain of victory or dismissing enemies as rabble.

He was far from ready to command independently.

Precisely because of this recklessness, he was impeached by Liu Liu Yingjie and nearly imprisoned.

At the end of last year, as Dong Huji repeatedly raided and murdered, border troops viewed the Mongols as mortal enemies; Southern Troops officers like Wu Qing seized the market opportunity to cross the border illegally, kill Altan Khan's men, fabricate enemy reports, and falsely light beacon fires.

Garrison Commander Chen Chen Ziluan, Deputy Commander Chen Xun, and Director Wang Fengming responded without inquiry, shouting for battle and nearly sparking a disaster.

After all, these were veterans brought over from Zhejiang; Qi Qi Jiguang had brought them along to dilute military merit, but he couldn't help giving them a scolding or two.

Upon hearing this, Chen Chen Ziluan sullenly admitted his fault.

Only then did Qi Qi Jiguang soften his expression.

He gently set down his telescope, tucked it into his robe, and said solemnly: "Now that the Fox has left his den, he is surely doomed. When you can secure victory with caution, don't take unnecessary risks."

The risk he referred to wasn't just military—it was also his desire to avoid major conflict with the Chahar and Kharachin tribes, the eastern and western Mongol wings.

The Emperor and the Grand Secretariat had specifically instructed: don't let the act of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys turn into a full-scale war with either of the two Mongol khans.

As for the Duoyan Guard?

A mere four thousand horsemen—just noisy, nothing more. In truth, they were already on the list.

Qi Qi Jiguang had long wanted to kill the Fox.

During the Emperor Longqing era, after Yingke died, the Fox led four thousand cavalry to invade the Ji frontier.

At that time, Qi Qi Jiguang had already submitted a memorial to court, stating: "The native rebels are merely banners; the Fox is the true source of disaster—he must be denounced and crushed."

Unfortunately, the Viceroy of Ji-Liao and the Censor of the Military Bureau did not support military action against the Duoyan Guard, and the central authority denied approval.

The former said: "The vassal tribes should be crushed, but the terrain is rugged—better to delay."—meaning the Fox should be crushed, yet not really should be.

The latter said: "Fear of the frontier's treacherous terrain and generals' unfamiliarity—only after extreme caution can we speak of war."

Though conservative, their opinions were not baseless.

When the eastern Mongol horde of Chahar migrated eastward, the Prince Tai Ning and Fuyu divisions of the Three Duoyan Guards were swiftly absorbed.

Only the Duoyan Guard, relying on "retreating deep into the mountains, holding strong passes, where grass and trees were sparse and hard to penetrate," resisted for several years.

In short, to strike at them meant fighting on foreign ground, constantly constrained.

Had it not been for this, the border troops would have moved against them during Emperor Longqing—how could the Fox have gotten away with it until now?

Precisely because of this, Qi Qi Jiguang said the Fox's departure from his den meant certain death—the Fox had plundered the Three Xuan-Da and Ji-Liao frontiers for over a decade, and had likely forgotten that the Ming border troops could still bare their fangs.

After being reprimanded, Chen Chen Ziluan became much more subdued.

He ventured to speak: "Commander Qi, General Hu should arrive soon. What if, upon hearing the news, the Fox withdraws his forces and joins the eastern and western barbarian chiefs in retreat?"

Currently, the Fox has split his trusted men into two groups: one stationed in the Tugugen border region to guard his stronghold; the other camped north of Danning to restrain Chang'ang.

Hu Wang Shouren is heading for these two locations.

Once the Fox hears the news, he may no longer dare return to the Yanshan region.

Qi Qi Jiguang shook his armor, scrutinizing beyond the Great Wall with penetrating eyes: "Bima Taji is not Tu Man Khan—he has no reason to do someone else's bidding."

Here, he couldn't help shaking his head: "Don't treat the Tartars like our own troops. Tribal chieftains are still barbarians."

If they weren't barbarians, the eastern and western Mongol wings wouldn't have created this absurd situation of dual spokesmen.

The Mongols have no central authority, no grand strategy.

…

Several more days passed.

The Tartar ten-thousand-strong invasion seemed to have been halted by the Great Wall's immovable defense.

In just a few days, the Fox made several attempts to breach the passes—all ended in failure.

When they shifted swiftly to other gates, the defenders still held the advantage of rest.

After scattering to various points and leaving behind a few corpses, they regrouped once more.

The flags on the walls waved vigorously, showing no sign of fatigue.

Ji Garrison's defense was utterly normal.

Too normal—not like the Ming army at all.

Finally.

After days of fruitless effort, the Mongol tribes assaulting the Great Wall finally scattered in chaos.

The yurts were quietly packed up under cover of night.

Most of the scout cavalry withdrew silently, leaving only a small contingent to watch their rear.

The tribal leaders didn't even exchange glances; each silently rode off in a different direction.

The Fox sat astride his horse, gazing under the moonlight at the scattered iron cavalry, his heart heavy.

Qi Qi Jiguang was too difficult to deal with.

In over a decade of plundering Ji-Liao, he had never suffered such repeated setbacks until Qi Qi Jiguang arrived.

During the Emperor Jiajing era, he joined Huang Huang Taiji in invading Xuanfu, pushing straight to the Luan River—like walking through an empty land.

Around the transition from Emperor Jiajing to Emperor Longqing, Jieling Pass was like his backyard—entering and leaving at will, acquiring winter supplies as easily as picking fruit.

Only after Qi Qi Jiguang arrived in Ji Garrison did the situation turn sharply downward.

In Emperor Longqing 4, he joined Subahei and Chao Hua with over ten thousand troops to assault the pass—only to be thwarted by him.

In Emperor Wanli 1, he assumed the border troops were unstable due to leadership transition, but after assaulting Xifengkou, he nearly became Qi Qi Jiguang's next victory.

This year, he had hoped for Tu Man Khan's support, gathering Chahar forces and the Three Duoyan Guards to make a comeback and secure some victories to solidify his position—only to end up scattered and defeated.

Perhaps… he should have struck from Liaodong with Subahei, Blackie, and Chao Hua.

Maybe Li Li Chengliang could be crushed in one blow.

As the Fox's mind churned with these thoughts, he gathered and counted his four thousand horsemen, then rode off with a roar.

Four thousand was inaccurate—it was actually 4,290 horsemen—thus proving Wang Wang Chonggu's military estimates were extremely reliable.

Earlier this year, Wang Wang Chonggu had estimated the Duoyan Guard's population: roughly 60,000 people, 11,000 able-bodied men, about 4,000 cavalry.

This number matched reality closely.

The Duoyan Guard was gradually being consumed by the eastern and western Mongol wings.

This was also reflected in their cavalry.

Currently, the Tumet under Altan Khan directly absorbed 2,050 Duoyan cavalry from four tribes; the Chahar under Tu Man Khan directly absorbed 1,800 from five tribes.

The remaining fourteen tribes, totaling 4,290 horsemen, were the forces the Fox could directly control—his capital for suppressing Chang'ang and attempting to break free from the western wing and align with Tu Man Khan.

Thus, as long as the Fox preserved these four thousand horsemen, even setbacks would only be temporary—he could still rise again.

At that moment,

A lone rider galloped toward him from the direction of retreat.

The Fox's eyes narrowed.

A bad premonition rose in his chest.

He was about to stop the rider from speaking aloud, to hear the news privately.

But it was too late.

As the rider's hooves drew near, his shrill voice rang out from afar:

"My Lord! Wujieyete Wulus has been wiped out by the Han! Chang'ang, that bastard, led the Han to sacrifice all your offspring to Yuelun Hadun!"

Upon hearing this, the Fox's face turned ashen.