Chapter 797: Courage Alone Cannot Win

Yuan Yingtai was instantly at a loss for words.

Zhang Quan could not possibly be a coward — this he knew. In fact, he felt Zhang Quan was one of the few pragmatic civil officials in Liaodong who could actually get things done. Before the Battle of Sarhū, Zhang Quan had submitted a memorial to the court, concluding that Yang Hao was no commander-in-chief and could not control arrogant generals like Du Song, Liu Ting, and Li Rubai; he had also been sharply critical of Yang Hao's plan to send isolated columns deep into enemy territory. But the court ignored his remonstrations, and in the end, Sarhū was a crushing defeat, costing over a hundred thousand troops.

In the summer of the forty-eighth year of Wanli, he once again remonstrated with the court, urging them not to impose additional Liao levies on the interior provinces to quell the Jianzhou rebels, lest they provoke popular uprisings. He even used words like: "Draining the realm to save Liao — Liao may not be secured, yet the realm is already imperiled. Now we should unite hearts to strengthen the foundation; how can we endlessly fleece the people and drive them to rebellion?" The reasoning was clear enough, but the court still did not heed him.

Even with Yuan Yingtai, his superior, Zhang Quan never hesitated to raise objections when he thought an approach was flawed. For instance, when Yuan Yingtai first issued the surrender decree, hoping to swell his own ranks with Mongols and Jurchens who had come over, Zhang Quan argued fiercely that the risks were enormous. But Yuan Yingtai did not listen at the time, and Zhang Quan, helpless, could only sigh and say, "Calamity begins here."

In hindsight, Zhang Quan's advice had been very sound. Most of those who surrendered were unreliable, and many were even Jurchen spies mixed in. Time and again, the Jurchens had taken cities precisely by relying on these internal collaborators — the most recent example being Shenyang.

But what was the use of regret now? Yuan Yingtai sighed inwardly, despondent.

When he issued the surrender decree, he had not been unaware of the risks. It was just that the situation in Liao was utterly deteriorating, and the Ming army itself had already developed a deep dread of the Jurchen forces. That was why he had thought to use these battle-hardened men to bolster his own strength. Only…

"Yuheng, I know you harbor resentment and believe men like us have betrayed the nation. I have no defense — the fault is indeed mine. But now the greater cause is paramount; let us not quarrel out of spite…" After a long silence, Yuan Yingtai let out a deep sigh. "Yuheng, leave Liaoyang tomorrow. Go to Hexi — someone is still needed there to take charge of the situation…"

Zhang Quan was first puzzled, then suddenly seemed to grasp something, and the next moment his beard bristled with fury.

"Lord Yuan! Are you telling me to flee? What sort of man do you take me for? I, Zhang Quan, am no coward who clings to life and fears death!"

"Yuheng, how could I ever look down on you?" Yuan Yingtai grew anxious as well. "It is only that your staying here now serves no purpose — why must it be so? I am the Supreme Commander and cannot abandon my post. Once the Liao campaign is over, you are the only one who can go there to salvage the situation and pacify the Liaoxi region for the court!"

"The situation? What situation is left? It is all finished!" Zhang Quan, still in a fury, bellowed again. "We are all men who have betrayed the nation — what face do we have left to speak of salvaging the situation for the court? We can only hope the court can dispatch one or two able officials and fierce generals to quell the Liao crisis — only then might we have the face to meet our ancestors!"

At these words, both men fell silent again, as if by unspoken agreement — clearly neither had much faith that the court could actually "dispatch one or two able officials and fierce generals to quell the Liao crisis." The army before them — was there truly anyone left in the Great Ming who could sweep it away?

Neither had any confidence, yet both could only choose to believe.

After this suffocating oppression had lasted a while, Zhang Quan finally regained his calm.

"To die for one's country — what a beautiful thing. Dalai, if you do not flee, how can I let you claim all the glory alone? Besides, the Liao situation has decayed to this point, and we all bear responsibility. Now that catastrophe looms, how could I flee and save myself alone! What comes after — there will naturally be others to step forward and set things right. We need only repay our country here!"

Seeing the resolve in Zhang Quan's eyes, the Supreme Commander of the Great Ming finally understood that his colleague's decision was set.

His heart could not help but shudder violently.

So be it — then let the two of them die for their country here together.

But just as Yuan Yingtai was still lost in emotion, Zhang Quan suddenly spoke again, his eyes full of deep anguish.

"Since it has come to this, it is only right that we take the blame and end ourselves — that goes without saying. But with the Liao situation worsening by the day, what is to be done when the time comes!"

"The Great Ming has three hundred years of foundation and talent in abundance throughout the realm — how could there be no way to deal with petty barbarians like the Jianzhou rebels? Yuheng, think no more of it." Yuan Yingtai smiled, but his tone was somewhat hollow. "Very well, since you do not wish to leave either, then let us stay here together. That is good too… good too…"

Just then, a fierce drumming suddenly sounded from the distance. Both men immediately turned to look toward the direction of the Jianzhou Jurchen Jin army — and saw a Jurchen unit flying blue banners detach itself from the formation and charge toward the city walls.

Could they be planning a direct assault? The thought flashed through both their minds at once.

Then they suddenly noticed that behind these soldiers, many people dressed like ordinary commoners were following, being herded as they rushed toward the walls of Liaoyang.

What was this? Were they driving civilians to storm the city?

The two men exchanged a glance.

"This is bad — the Jianzhou rebels mean to dig channels and drain the moat!" After watching for a moment, Zhang Quan suddenly shouted. "Supreme Commander, give the order to stop them at once!"

"Damned Jianzhou rebels!" Yuan Yingtai also reacted immediately.

For city defense, the most critical element was the walls, and the second was the moat. If a defensive line like the moat were removed, Liaoyang, with only its bare walls left, would certainly not hold for long. As the Supreme Commander of Liaodong for the Great Ming, Yuan Yingtai knew that the Ming could not possibly scrape together many troops to relieve Liaoyang in the short term — one could even say that no one would come to rescue Liaoyang at all.

Simply abandoning the outer perimeter and huddling inside the city to defend was also unrealistic. Since ancient times, if a defending army lacked even the courage to fight a field battle against the enemy, then even huddling behind walls would not hold for long. This much, even Yuan Yingtai, who had never commanded troops before, understood.

That being the case — since he was going to die anyway — he might as well die with a little more valor, Yuan Yingtai thought.

With that thought, Yuan Yingtai hesitated no longer. He turned to his personal guards and issued a loud command.

"Go at once and relay the order to Regional Commander Hou and Regional Commander Li and the others — I shall personally lead them out of the city to do battle with the Jianzhou rebels!"

Before long, Yuan Yingtai, now in full armor, led the Ming Regional Commanders Hou Shilu, Li Bingcheng, Liang Zhongshan, Jiang Bi, Zhu Wanliang, and others five li out of the city, charging toward the Jurchen army to give battle.

The moment he rode out of the city, Yuan Yingtai knew he could not win. Even at Sarhū, with a several-fold numerical advantage, they had been unable to win — now, with the enemy outnumbering his own forces, there was even less chance. He only wanted to kill as many Jurchen soldiers as possible before the end.

"My lord, you absolutely must not do this! After successive defeats, the troops are already utterly demoralized. Defending the city is already so difficult — if we go out to meet the enemy in the field, there is even less hope of victory!" Before they sallied forth, a staff officer pleaded bitterly with Yuan Yingtai. "The Liao situation may be dire, but since His Majesty has entrusted it to you, my lord, you must still labor to manage it. Why go to such lengths of self-abandonment?"

"My resolve is set — why speak further!" Yuan Yingtai left only these words behind, then turned and strode away with solemn determination.

Watching the Supreme Commander's departing back, the staff officer trembled with anxiety, but in the end could only stamp his foot fiercely and heave a long sigh.

You think only of dying for your country — have you never considered that the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming sent you here to recover the nation's rivers and mountains, not to die for your country!

These civil officials — eloquent in ordinary times, full of grand words — yet when the crisis comes, they can think of nothing, only longing to die for their sovereign when things turn desperate. If you die, you may leave a fine name for yourself — but what of the Great Ming Son of Heaven's expectations? What of the fortunes and misfortunes of the people of Liaodong? What is to become of them!

"Those who ruin the state are the greedy and corrupt officials; those who betray the state are these pure-stream civil officials!" Perhaps because he sensed the end was near, this staff officer no longer cared about anything. A man usually cautious and circumspect, he now actually shouted aloud, his eyes brimming with tears. "The Great Ming court is now filled to the brim with both — I fear it is finished!"

This lament, Yuan Yingtai could no longer hear. Even if he had heard it, he would have made no response.

Though it was called a charge, the Ming army's formation was in truth far from orderly, let alone possessing any of the tragic grandeur of a force resolved to fight to the death. Under their officers' strained efforts to maintain order, the soldiers clutched their weapons and lurched unsteadily toward the enemy, letting out ragged, uneven shouts that did nothing even to bolster their own courage.

When Nurhaci saw the Ming army sally forth to meet him, he did not let the opportunity slip and immediately ordered his main force to charge the Ming troops.

The two armies quickly collided.

How could Ming soldiers with morale so shattered be any match for the battle-hardened Jianzhou Jurchen Jin army?

The Jurchen armored soldiers, clad in sturdy, heavy armor, swiftly cut into the Ming formation. Then, with practiced battle skills and formidable individual prowess, they swept through the Ming troops around them, tearing through the Ming battle lines like keen blades.

The Ming soldiers, already stricken with terror, completely lost whatever will to fight remained under such dire circumstances. They soon began to shrink back and retreat, but the Jurchen armored soldiers gave them no chance to catch their breath, pursuing and slaughtering them relentlessly. As the slaughter continued, Ming casualties mounted higher and higher, while the Jianzhou Jurchen Jin army suffered few losses, as if they grew fiercer the more they fought.

At last, one small unit could no longer endure this utterly hopeless battle. They turned and fled to the rear, shouting loudly as they ran.

"Defeated! Defeated!"

As if by chain reaction, the moment they saw one small unit break and flee, the remaining Ming soldiers seemed infected as well. One after another, they disengaged from the Jurchen forces and fled for their lives toward the rear.

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