Chapter 1316: Donggo Hoohori

They performed a quick search, gathering up loose money and anything worth taking, then took the horses of those several Dongjiang Town scouts. A dozen or so Jianzhou Jurchen soldiers headed toward the riverbank. Many squads had appeared there — some stained with blood, some not. All wore the clothing of Ming and Goryeo commoners and carried weapons.

"My lord, the Ming dog scouts along the river have all been cleared out," someone came forward to report.

The one who received the report simply raised his voice and shouted: "Raise the flags and wait where we can come ashore. Wave the flags and shout. Those with nothing to do, go drag the rafts over. Anyone who causes a delay will be executed. Move!"

There had been little rain in the last half-month, so the Yalu River's current was not so swift, making the crossing by boat and raft relatively easy. When the men on the river's eastern bank took their positions and began waving flags, the foremost rafts were already nearing the shore. As they were about to land, men on the rafts stripped to the waist and jumped down, hauling the rafts forward with ropes.

More and more Jianzhou Jurchen soldiers came ashore, and the pace of the landing grew faster. Supplies from the rafts were unloaded continuously, and the rafts behind even carried horses. The Jianzhou Jurchen troops who had landed first had already begun forming ranks. The entire landing took on a composed atmosphere. Even if Goryeo or Dongjiang Town organized a counterattack now, they would be unable to shake the Jianzhou Jurchen battle formation.

Although the Jianzhou Jurchens also used the various rivers of Liaodong and the grasslands for boat transport, they were very weak in the matter of ships and vessels. Most of the craft used for the river crossing were rafts made of bound timber — the Liaodong mountains had no shortage of such lumber. The few boats were reserved for nobles to ride in.

When a boat surrounded by rafts came ashore, a commander's banner was immediately raised. Cheers erupted from the landing zone on the Yalu's eastern bank. The commander-in-chief of this Jianzhou Jurchen army, one of the Five Grand Ministers, Donggo Hoohori, had now landed. He was the only one of the Five Grand Ministers still alive, the highest-ranking Jurchen general outside the Aisin Gioro clan.

Donggo Hoohori wore a deep red cotton-padded armor, the color of his banner. Back when Nurhaci first established the Four Banners, Donggo Hoohori had been the commander of the Plain Red Banner. For an outsider to command an entire banner showed the eminence of his status. He had followed Nurhaci in campaigns for nearly thirty years. Yet unlike the burly, stout military officers and soldiers around him, Donggo Hoohori was gaunt, stooped, and appeared exceptionally aged. He did not look like a man of sixty-four at all, but rather eighty-four.

Noble officials within the Pass lived lives of ease and comfort, preserving their health well, so both body and spirit remained vigorous. But for these aged high ministers and veteran generals of the Jianzhou Jurchens, around the age of fifty they were as robust as men in their thirties — yet once past fifty, the whole person would rapidly age and their health would swiftly collapse.

"My lord, we can all be across the river before dark. Shall we go take Uiju? Having it at our flank is unsettling after all," a stocky military officer in his thirties asked.

This form of address, "my lord," was somewhat peculiar. Originally, after the Jianzhou Jurchen Jin state set its regulations, everyone addressed each other according to their banner positions. But in recent years, they had also established ranks following Ming regulations, and on many occasions adopted Han forms of address. Donggo Hoohori was a Third-Rank Regional Commander and the commanding general of this expedition, so he was worthy of this title.

Donggo Hoohori stood there trembling. Just as he was about to speak, he began coughing. A personal guard beside him quickly produced a waterskin and handed it over. Only after drinking a mouthful did he suppress it. A flicker of annoyance and disdain passed through the eyes of the officer making the request, but he immediately concealed it and asked with feigned concern: "Is my lord all right? Let them set up the tent first and boil some ginseng broth to settle it."

"No need for such trouble. I can still hold out. Pay no mind to Uiju. The Goryeo men won't dare move. As long as we proceed as planned, they won't even be able to get word through. Bushan, arrange the cavalry now to block every road. That Dongjiang gang of Ming dogs can't send many men. As for the Goryeo side, most likely they'll just hole up inside their city," Donggo Hoohori instructed in a feeble voice.

This arrangement was, in any case, seasoned and prudent. The young officer called Bushan clasped his fist in salute and accepted the order, shouting as he went off to make arrangements. By now, the eastern bank of the Yalu had become a bustling large encampment. As the sky darkened, piles of firewood were stacked and lit for illumination. Each niru was organizing its camp and military supplies there. On the opposite western bank of the Yalu, lights blazed brightly as well, with many people busy there. Supplies were being unloaded from cart after cart. The grain, fodder, and provisions needed by the army Donggo Hoohori led would have to be continuously supplied from the supply depot on the western bank. Fortunately, the distance from the riverbank to Tieshan and Pidao was not far, so setting up here was sufficient.

Originally, they had Donggo Hoohori ride a horse, but at his age and in his condition, he simply could not mount. The banner soldiers around him simply procured a cart and pushed the old general around the encampment once before he returned to rest.

The company commanders and niru commanders in the camp all knew that Donggo Hoohori was a senior veteran of the Plain Red Banner, the sole surviving one of the Five Grand Ministers, and had married the Great Khan's daughter — his status was eminent. Yet the one truly in charge within this camp was Deputy Regional Commander Bushan; he was the one whose word carried weight. Deputy Regional Commander Bushan had been a personal guard of the Fourth Beile, Hong Taiji. It was said he had been sent along this time precisely to take over in case Donggo Hoohori's health failed.

After inspecting the camp, the flagging Donggo Hoohori exchanged a few words with Bushan, and then no one was seen at his command tent, where only a few close personal guards attended him.

"Isn't this just sending you to your death? At your age, can you even withstand this torment? How many years has our Donggo clan bled and died for his Aisin Gioro? How many men and women have we thrown in — and this is what we get?" A personal guard brought a bowl of herbal medicine to him, grumbling incessantly.

There were no other guards left in the command tent. Donggo Hoohori reclined against the wooden bed as if about to fall asleep. Only when that personal guard came close did he open his eyes and say: "After I die, you'd best cut out your own tongue. Don't drag our whole family into disaster."

When Donggo Hoohori spoke, his voice sounded like a torn bellows wheezing. His body was indeed failing. The personal guard's face was full of grievance, but he dared not speak further. After drinking a mouthful of the herbal medicine, Donggo Hoohori looked at him and said: "You see this as sending me to die; I see it as a reward. I have only days left to live, yet they still give me this merit. It can at least bring you brothers some benefits."

"Ama, what benefits could we brothers possibly get? The Great Khan has already said we have no standing, no future prospects to obtain. Who would give us anything? Those few from the principal wife's side have nothing to worry about, though." At this, the guard's face was full of resentment, though he dared not raise his voice.

The Jurchens called their father Ama. There was an old story about Donggo Hoohori. After Nurhaci married his daughter to him, Donggo Hoohori's first wife flew into a rage and led the troops of the Donggo tribe to attack Donggo Hoohori's garrison. The conflict was resolved only because Nurhaci personally intervened. Outsiders spoke of it as a joke, but those familiar with the inside story knew that Nurhaci had brought his troops and coerced Donggo Hoohori's first wife into backing down.

As punishment afterward, Nurhaci bestowed upon Donggo Hoohori's first wife the name "Ehe Mama," and forbade her children from any official rank or future prospects. Meanwhile, the several children Donggo Hoohori had with Nurhaci's daughter had all received rewards and titles. Seeing their half-brothers enjoy glory and wealth while their own family could only serve as lowly personal guards, resentment naturally festered in their hearts.

"Benefits? Are wealth and land not benefits? Your Ama here has sold his life so desperately — it's unreasonable that after death, even my children's benefits would be stripped away. Isn't it good enough for you brothers to live in peace?" Donggo Hoohori said leisurely, but after a couple of sentences, he began coughing uncontrollably again.

After another sip of the herbal medicine, Donggo Hoohori picked up a bell beside him and shook it three times. His son knew this meant the guards and personal soldiers outside were to move farther away. Once this was done, Donggo Hoohori gestured for his son to come closer and lowered his voice: "Caqi, this is the last time I'll tell you this. And don't you go telling your brothers either. Let it rot in your own gut. Of all the children your mother bore, your temper most resembles hers."

"... You don't need to tell me. I know it in my heart this time. These old bones will likely be left behind in Goryeo. I've already had someone draft a memorial. When I'm gone, I'll rely on whatever face I have left after death to beg some settlement for you brothers. Don't you go dreaming of any grand future prospects. Being able to live the life of a wealthy landlord in the Ming state is a blessing... Do you think your Ama is honest and dull? If I weren't, your mother and all of you would have been slaughtered long ago. Think about how Šurhaci died. I reckon that Amin won't meet a good end either. Now everything must be decided by his Aisin Gioro clan. You still think about the Donggo tribe? It hasn't been ours for a long time. That's a fatal calamity..."

As he spoke weakly, Donggo Caqi, who was listening, felt a chill run down his spine. He and his brothers had held no status since childhood; there were many things they saw but did not understand. Naturally, they could not see as clearly as Donggo Hoohori, who had long been at the center of Jianzhou power. Thinking that of the founding Five Grand Ministers, only his father remained; thinking of how Šurhaci, once considered the Deputy Khan, had been nailed inside a wooden box and left to die of starvation — Donggo Caqi's resentment suddenly vanished without a trace.

Over on the bed, Donggo Hoohori had spoken too much and began coughing uncontrollably again. Once he had recovered, he said weakly: "This Ming state to the west, Joseon to the east, the Mongols to the north — none can compare to our Jin state. Campaign after campaign, this fine land of Liaodong can still be held. Whether we can seize more depends on the blessing of the Heavenly Spirits. After this strike against Mao Wenlong, you'll be able to share in some of the merit no matter what. I've already bought manors in Shenyang and Liaoyang. When the time comes, you brothers just guard them and live well..."

The commander's poor health and his private words to his son did not affect the advance of the Jianzhou Jurchen troops. At this time, the Jianzhou Jurchen Jin state placed extreme importance on military law. Failing to advance without cause was a grave crime — a crime even Nurhaci could not shield someone from. Donggo Hoohori and Bushan naturally would not court such misfortune. The next day, they struck camp and set off. Donggo Hoohori could no longer ride a horse, but everything in Goryeo was crude, and the official roads had long fallen into disrepair. Riding in a cart over them was even more jarring and bumpy. Left with no choice, they had to find a few sturdy bannermen to carry him forward in a sedan chair. *******

Thank you to "Duan Yichen, Huaji, Xiaoqi Wenming Qiji, Juedui Dian, Li Shenlin Xi," both new and old friends, for your tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Tips, monthly tickets, subscriptions — send them all my way! Thank you, everyone!