Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 100 Capturing Dai Shan Alive!

In fact, they should have received this urgent message delivered by a carrier pigeon two days ago.

Kejirhalang was eager to support Daishan, who was then locked in a fierce battle with Zhu Youjian at Feihu Ridge.

I didn't even receive this letter.

If Hauge hadn't sent a messenger to find the two men and report the details, they wouldn't have known their house had been ransacked.

"Snapped!"

The blood-stained battle report slammed onto the pine desk, making the pen holder tremble violently.

Dai Shan stared at the four crimson seal characters indicating the fall of Lushun, his Adam's apple bobbing three times before he swallowed the metallic taste.

The brass studs on the collar of the chainmail scraped against the old wound on Flying Fox Ridge, and a burning pain shot straight to the top of the head.

Lushun has fallen...

How could Lushun possibly fall?!
From the moment he entered the pass, Daishan's worldview was repeatedly challenged.

The Chahar tribe rebelled, and the Shun army came to their aid. The Southern Dynasty emperor, with a weak force, dared to fight the main force head-on. Jirgalang provided reckless support, and Dorgon's campaign stalled. The Ming army fought with increasing ferocity.

Each and every incident was beyond his comprehension.

Now, the Ming navy, ignoring the besieged emperor and the precarious situation in Jiangnan, has actually crossed the ocean and landed at Lushun!
Dai Shan simply couldn't believe it.

He even doubted whether he was still facing the weak Ming Dynasty.

Given the precedent set by Jirhalang, Daišan hoped this was false information.

The messenger was Hauge's personal guard, and the urgent letter also bore the seals of thirteen Mehler officers.

Everything confirms the authenticity of the event.

Dai Shan, a seasoned warrior known for his wisdom and composure, was momentarily lost in thought.

Don't know what to do.

Jirhalang's silver-inlaid shoulder guards burst open the tent flap, and his iron-mesh boots, still stained with blood, jolted Daishan back to reality.

"Second brother, look at this."

Jirhalang flung out half a bloodstained command arrow, the Manchu script imprinted in wax gleaming eerily bluish-purple under the candlelight. "The garrison commander of Jinzhou personally witnessed the Zheng banner planted at the Jinzhou garrison's water gate, and the Zheng family's fleet's cannons were bombarding Wanghaiguo!"

Daishan knew these details, even more clearly than Jirhalang.

He shook his head and added, "Not only that, there are tens of thousands of Ming soldiers outside Jinzhou Garrison, while there are only eight Niru inside Jinzhou City. By the time we receive the letter, Jinzhou will probably have already fallen!"

As soon as the words fell, as if to reflect the surprise of Jinzhouwei, the groans of wounded soldiers with red banners came from the direction of the barbican, like a dull knife scraping between bones.

"We have 80,000 shi of grain stored at Xifengkou." Jirhalang turned around abruptly, his chainmail clattering. "Leave a portion here; it can hold out until spring."

"The remaining troops must rush to Shengjing's aid immediately. No matter what, Shengjing absolutely cannot be lost!"

"Are you going to let the fourteenth prince starve to death in Henan?" Daishan immediately retorted. "With nearly 100,000 Ming troops surrounding us and holding Xifengkou to the death, how are the fourteenth and fifteenth princes supposed to come back?!"

The candlelight cast deep and shallow lines on Dai Shan's face.

“The fourteenth and fifteenth princes have four banners. Wouldn’t it be perfect for them to attack the Ming army from both sides when they return?!” Jirhalang didn’t understand why Daišan was being so cautious.

They were the Eight Banners Army!

These are the brave soldiers who fought their way out of the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River.

Daishan sighed, "It's true that they have four banners, but what about the Ming army?"

"If the million-strong Ming army in Jiangnan sees the fourteenth and fifteenth troops retreating, will they pursue them?!"

"Even if we spare 200,000 to pursue them, plus the Ming army in front of us, that's still 300,000!!"

"Without food or rest, how do you expect them to stop the Ming army?!"

"This..." Jirhalang was speechless for a moment. "Then what should we do?"

Now it was Dai Shan's turn to be speechless. He held the urgent letter in his hand and stood there for a long time before finally speaking softly.

"Let's retreat and hold Xifengkou first."

“Go out from the east gate, leave twenty shield wagons to cover the rear. The seriously wounded…” His Adam’s apple bobbed twice, and his iron gauntlets creaked as he gripped his wrist guards. “Take off their armor, just leave some weapons.”

The city was already embroiled in a chaotic battle, and the Ming army outside the city consisted only of the Xuanjia cavalry, who were not skilled in fighting within the city, and several thousand heavy cavalry from the rebel army.

The fact that it was nighttime provided Daishan with a favorable environment for withdrawing his troops.

However, just as Zhu Youjian said.

Daishan was most skilled at cutting off his tail to survive.

To ensure the safe withdrawal of the army, Daishan didn't even tell Manggutu.

Three thousand wounded soldiers and more than four thousand Mangutu troops were left behind as bait, while the rest of the army quickly headed towards the east gate.

Jirhalang's woven silver banner was the first to pierce the night.

More than 30,000 Eight Banner troops abandoned their baggage and marched swiftly along the Luan River. Daishan suddenly felt an itch on the collar of his chainmail and touched his hands, which were covered in blood and broken hair. The lead bullet from Feihu Ridge was still embedded in his shoulder blade.

The amount of blood lost is unknown.

Daishan was momentarily dazed.

Based on the experience of that era, if lead remained in the body for too long, at best it would cause chronic illness, and at worst it could lead to sudden death within a few months.

It's actually lead poisoning and tetanus.

Looking at the dejected soldiers around him, Daishan's thoughts drifted back to the time before the expedition.

At that time, he had considered countless possible consequences, but he never imagined that he would lose so miserably.

Santunying is less than 80 li away from Xifengkou.

At the speed of the Qing army, they could arrive in just three hours.

I thought we could safely withdraw our troops to Xifengkou.

But a cry of alarm shattered Daishan's hopes once again.

"Master! The southeastern hills!" Solo's iron-inlaid bracers reflected the firelight.

Dark red fireflies drifted across the treetops, and the muffled bang of a three-barreled gun startled crows roosting in the night.

Huang Degong's crimson banner tore through the night, and the head hanging from the black-armored horse's spear was still dripping blood—it was none other than Mangu Tu, the garrison commander of the Bordered Red Banner!

Jirhalang immediately shouted, "The Bordered Blue Banner will split into two wings! Baiya La, step forward and hold them off!"

"Fire rockets! Set fire to scare the horses!"

Before the blue banner could be unfurled, Li Guo's old cavalrymen came from the flank to encircle them.

As Daishan watched the rickety raft keep falling over, he suddenly snatched the conch shell from the messenger.

The three short and one long bugle calls pierced the night sky.

The already small number of heavily armored soldiers of the Bordered Red Banner, numbering only a little over a thousand, immediately stepped forward, as did Daishan's personal guard.

The two Niru that had not stepped forward to participate in the battle from beginning to end finally took their first steps forward.

Jirhalang looked at Daishan in disbelief.

Those two guards were Daishan's prized possessions, but they were converted from the White Armor Army.

Everyone was equipped with three layers of heavy armor and was skilled in swords, spears, bows, and horse gear.

Normally, the loss of even one person must be reported to Daishan.

But now he's being personally sent to his death by Daishan?

Sensing Jirhalang's doubt, Daishan explained in a low voice, "Right now, someone must cover the rear. Only by occupying Xifengkou and securing our retreat route can we have a chance of survival."

"The Bordered Blue Banner has preserved the most strength, so you go first, and I will cover your retreat!"

"No need, Second Brother, let me cover the rear. Our Great Qing can do without me, but it cannot do without you!" For some reason, Jirhalang felt somewhat relieved in the face of life and death.

It doesn't matter if he dies, but Daishan cannot die. As long as Daishan is alive, Dorgon can be kept in check. As long as the imperial power is legitimate, the Qing Dynasty will not fear any threat.

With Daishan in power, the Qing court had a Mount Tai; no matter what happened, Daishan could guarantee a place to turn back.

Dorgon's resourcefulness is undeniable, but he was too radical. According to the initial plan, did Dorgon want Daišan to advance on the capital and seize Hanoi, or did Daišan demand the opening of three ports to enter the pass? Otherwise, it wouldn't just be Dorgon and Dodo who are trapped now.

He feared that Dorgon would lead the Qing Dynasty down a path of no return.

Daishan chuckled lightly without saying a word, but urged his horse forward, came to Jirhalang's side, and patted the latter's shoulder heavily.

it is more than words.

He then drew his sword and was about to step forward, but was stopped by Soroge.

The latter didn't utter any grand pronouncements, but simply recounted, "Master, Manggutu and I grew up together, hunted together, braved the blizzard to raid the barbarian tribes at night, wore animal skins, drank snow water, and thanks to your grace, we both became Gushan Zhangjing." "Now that Manggutu is dead, I don't want to live alone either. Before leaving the pass, you said it was so that the younger generation wouldn't have to wear animal skins anymore, wouldn't have to live in tents anymore, wouldn't have to fight to the death for food, and could live like the Southerners, in a place without the blizzard, where they would have medical care when sick, clothes when cold, and wouldn't have to fear freezing to death."

"The three Niru in my household and the four Niru in Mangutu's household are still struggling to find food all over the mountains. I wonder if the deaths of me and Mangutu can be exchanged for some clothes and tea cakes from the south for these Niru. If we could get more ironware, fewer of our offspring would die next year."

"Master, I will serve you again in my next life!"

Solomon turned around, his eyes filled with determination.

He raised his waist knife high and yelled at his own Gushan monster.

"Let's kill the southern dogs!"

Then, five thousand soldiers, along with two personal guards of Daishan and more than a thousand armored soldiers, charged straight into the Xuanjia cavalry.

The two Niru (units of troops) formed from the White Armor Army were exceptionally powerful.

With only a hundred casualties, the Xuanjia cavalry's speed was slowed down. Some even deliberately lay on the ground, letting the warhorses trample over them, their only purpose being to trip the horses.

Daishan's emotions surged, and Jirhalang kept praising him, "What a good servant! Second Brother is so lucky!"

"Withdraw!!!" Dai Shan only uttered one word.

Before Li Guo and Huang Degong could complete the encirclement, the army hurriedly departed.

The Qing army was very strong, and its military experience was the best of its time.

But when people are in a state of chaos, they tend to overlook certain issues.

If Daishan hadn't been so anxious, and had instead dealt with the situation while simultaneously scouting, he would have discovered that the pursuers were actually only a few thousand strong.

The main force was still clearing out the stubborn enemy at Santunying.

The Qing army, trapped in a desperate situation, unleashed an extremely formidable fighting force.

Their advantage in tough and arduous battles became apparent, as 50,000 to 60,000 Ming troops were unable to defeat several thousand Qing troops.

Huang Degong is in the same situation now.

With Solo's troops clearly determined to fight to the death, they simply couldn't break through the Qing army's defenses.

They could only watch helplessly as the main force of the Qing army broke through the encirclement and fled north.

……

The sky is slightly bright.

A layer of spring mist floated over Xifengkou.

After several days of fleeing, Daishan finally arrived at a place where he could rest.

He rolled over and dismounted.

The stacks of grain piled up inside the barbican made his pupils shrink slightly; a full 80,000 shi of millet!

It's unclear why the Ming army didn't come to take Xifengkou.

However, the garrison inside Xifengkou was exceptionally small, numbering only a few thousand.

"Where are your troops?" Jirhalang grabbed the neck guard of the garrison commander, "Where are the five thousand garrison soldiers?"

"Prince Su transferred three thousand men yesterday," the Plain Blue Banner officer tried to explain, "now only some bondservant aborigines are left."

"Isn't Hauge afraid of being attacked by the Ming army?!" Jirhalang was extremely angry.

This was the last way out for the 200,000 troops inside the pass, yet Hauge didn't take it seriously at all.

Isn't he afraid that his 200,000-strong army will be wiped out by the Ming army?
Enraged, he was about to draw his sword on the spot, but Dai Shan stopped him.

"Alright, Sixth Brother, don't bother with the servants."

"While it's still dark, you should quickly take all the warhorses and return to Shengjing. I'm worried something might go wrong on Hauge's side. If the Bordered Blue Banner sets off now, it will take twelve hours to reach Kuancheng Post Station."

"I will hold off your pursuers here."

After saying that, he added, "Send three thousand light cavalry to Shimen Village. The pursuing troops from Shanhaiguan will follow closely behind. Shanhaiguan will be undefended. If we can take it, we will have another way to retreat. If we can't take it, it's okay. I will send a message to the fourteenth prince and the other two, and tell them to launch a fierce attack on Shanhaiguan."

Jirhalang nodded emphatically, "Take care, Second Brother!"

They also brought along the warhorses with the red-flag design, barely managing to have one rider and four horses. Twenty-three thousand men with blue-flag designation left Xifengkou and headed towards Shengjing.

The defenses at Xifengkou also awoke in the morning light.

Iron shield carts were used to block the breach in the barbican, and archers with red flags planted oil-soaked arrows into the snowdrifts.

At this time, only 14,000 men remained in the Bordered Red Banner, and Daishan arranged for them all to be stationed on the south side of the city wall.

This was a last resort. Although Xifengkou was an important border town, its main purpose was to defend against the north.

In addition, the Ming court had a long-standing fiscal deficit, and the southern city wall had fallen into disrepair.

To block the Ming army's complex firearms, Daišan could only try to concentrate his troops on the south side.

Looking at the vast land within the pass, suddenly a muffled thunder rumbled from the northwest.

Before Daishan could react, a sentry rode up at full speed.
"Master! Enemy attack from beyond the pass!" The sentry staggered up the steps. "Forty thousand cavalry!"

"At least forty thousand cavalry!"

"They're using the banners of the British Duke and Zhang, and the white ox-shaped banner of Chahar!"

"We're less than ten miles from the pass!"

"What!?!?!?"

Daishan was completely shocked this time. Just how many Ming soldiers were there?
Didn't they say that when Zhu Youjian's army surpassed one million, there were only seventy or eighty thousand people?

But now there are already 70,000 to 80,000 troops in front, 150,000 to 160,000 confronting Dorgon and Dodo, tens of thousands attacking Lushun, and now 40,000 cavalry coming from outside the pass.

With such a large army, why don't you just bring it out and fight it fair and square?
Despite my complaints, the necessary personnel still need to be mobilized.

Daishan could only spare 6,000 men to defend the north.

Eight thousand men were deployed to guard the south wall.

Zhang Shize did not launch an attack prematurely, but waited outside Xifengkou for another day.

The attack was not launched until the sun was setting and Huang Degong's main force arrived.

A full army of 100,000 launched the attack.

Artillery shells flew everywhere.

Xifengkou has been transformed into a hellish landscape.

The moment the archers of the Bordered Red Banner fired their rockets, the Shenji Battalion's Lumi guns overturned the battlements.

Zhang Shize's heavily armored cavalry, braving ballistae, charged to the gate, where gunpowder charges sent the iron-clad wooden door flying into the air.

Dai Shan's brocade armor was riddled with arrows.

The guards used corpses to build a barrier, and the lassoes of the Chahar cavalry became entangled in the beams and pillars of the corner tower.

The southwest arrow tower collapsed amidst a loud crash.

The battle lasted for another day and night, until the night of the third day when Xifengkou was finally lost.

But that's enough.

Two days and one night were enough for the Bordered Blue Banner to shake off the pursuit and return to defend the area outside the pass.

Dorgon and Dodo also received his urgent letters, which were then sent via Shanhaiguan.

Even if the Ming army were to return to Shanhaiguan now, it would take them six days, enough time for Dorgon and Dodo to lead their large army back to the outside of the pass.

Daishan felt it was worth it to exchange two red flags for the lives of the other five flags.

When the city fell, three hundred guards, along with Daishan, fled through the east gate.

Iron hooves left bloody marks on the wasteland, while the sound of horns grew ever closer behind them.

After several days of fierce fighting and running around, Daishan's personal guards were long exhausted.

They were caught after only one day on the run.

Zhang Shize's dragon-patterned cloak gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"Prince Li has impressive stamina." Blood droplets from the lance were flicked onto the snow. "I chased you for 170 li from Xifengkou to Laohahe."

Thus, Daišan, one of the eight Iron-Capped Princes of the Qing Dynasty, the second son of Nurhaci, and the leader of two Red Banners, was a figure who could rival Dorgon in status.

Captured...

(End of this chapter)