Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 186 The Ji Si Incident Comes to an End
Having had their own fathers dug out by the Ming army, Ajige, Huang Taiji, and the others dared not delay any longer. So they packed up and began their return journey that very day. Huang Taiji lost all the artillery wagons he had brought from Liaodong, but Amin and Mangultai made up for it by taking away the cannons captured by the Ming army's wagon camp.

To bring back the looted goods from their southern invasion, the Jurchens dismantled the roof beams of Zunhua City and made them into flatbed carts to transport supplies. These beams were originally intended to be rolled into logs and used to crush the Jurchens. They were so reluctant to part with their wealth that sometimes they didn't even have the opportunity to cede territory or pay reparations, because the enemy would say, "Foolish! Even if we kill you, the money will still be ours."

Even though the Jurchens exhausted all their means and used all their transportation capacity, even having warhorses pull carts and people walk, they were still unable to transport all the looted goods. So before leaving Zunhua City, they set fire to the city, burning hundreds of thousands of shi of grain.

The towering flames, carrying the aroma of roasted wheat, wafted for miles. It was unknown whether the ghosts of the people who died in the war would be able to enjoy this lavish sacrificial meal. It was a pity that the most precious food in this year of great disaster was wasted.

Tens of thousands of people, their hands bound together with hemp ropes they themselves had twisted, were driven by whips and swords to an unknown destination. Would they ever return?! The Jurchens, a familiar yet alien force, were now truly oppressing them.

The imperial court kept talking about "levying taxes on Liaodong," and they used to think that this was just another excuse made up by corrupt officials to exploit the people, no different from other exorbitant taxes. Now they realized that the enemy really existed.

They paid their share of the Liaodong military tax, so why were they still attacked by the enemy? Why didn't the imperial court, which had taken their money, send troops to protect them and rescue them from the enemy?

The Jurchens weren't stupid either. They knew their army was currently bloated and at its weakest point. So even with a huge shortage of transport capacity, they still left 20,000 cavalrymen to line up on both sides of the army, ready for battle, just in case they were afraid of being ambushed by the Ming army.

The Ming army did arrive, and the two sides faced off from a distance without immediately engaging in combat.

Cao Bianjiao stepped forward, spear in one hand, and shouted, "Listen up! The Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty orders you to return the people you have abducted immediately, or we will spare your lives! Otherwise, we will annihilate you all within the pass!"

Huang Taiji and his men were not easily intimidated. They had worked hard to capture some bondservant slaves, and now they were being released just like that. How were they supposed to live when they went back? Were they supposed to farm the land themselves?

Moreover, with such severe losses at home, shouldn't they make amends? If the house is burgled and they don't make any money outside, then Da Jin really should just disband.

"It's him again?!" Ajige's face turned pale when he saw Cao Bianjiao.

At least the three heroes won the battle against Lü Bu. Back then, the three of them, along with Ao Bai, ganged up on Cao Bianjiao and were almost knocked off their horses. If Ao Bai hadn't fought bravely and injured Cao Bianjiao with a life-for-life approach, it's uncertain whether they would have survived.

Seeing that Ajige's face had changed color with fright, Huang Taiji was even more disappointed in him. He reminded him, "Let's keep going and ignore this fellow."

Ajige nodded upon hearing this, and added, "This man is a fierce general in the Ming army." Fearing that Huang Taiji might not recognize him, he continued, "He is Cao Wenzhao's nephew."

Huang Taiji didn't recognize Cao Bianjiao at this time, but he did know Cao Wenzhao, who was one of Sun Chengzong's top henchmen. In fact, Sun Chengzong was quite a headache for them, but the Ming court was just that kind of generous; every time they couldn't take it anymore, the Ming court would take the initiative to remove their generals or make things difficult for their military commissioners.

The news of Xiong Manzi's execution stunned them even more, and the despised Yuan Chonghuan was also dismissed. Every time they opposed the Ming Dynasty, just when they were about to lose faith in themselves, the Ming court would make a series of blunders that gave them hope, making them wonder if they were truly destined for greatness. Sigh, I miss the Wanli and Tianqi Emperors.

Cao Bianjiao was somewhat annoyed that his shouts had been ignored, so he drew his bow and fired an arrow at the enemy ranks. He was met with a barrage of arrows, and Cao Bianjiao spurred his horse and fled.

A moment later, Cao Bianjiao returned, this time with over a thousand cavalrymen armed with arquebuses. Arquebuses have an advantage over three-barreled guns in that they can fire much farther—not in terms of maximum range, but in terms of armor penetration range.

The Ming soldiers charged fifty paces under the Jurchen arrows, pulled the trigger, and pressed the lit match into the gunpowder magazine. With a choking plume of smoke, more than a thousand lead pellets flew straight out, piercing the iron plates inside the Jurchen cotton armor. They were then stopped by the second layer of armor, but it was enough to make the Jurchens grimace in pain. If they took off their clothes, they could see that the places where they were hit were bluish-black.

This is also the predicament of cavalry weapons; range and power are mutually exclusive. The Ming Dynasty did have a type of musket called the Spotted Dove Foot Gun, which was powerful and had a long range, comparable to the Ming Dynasty version of the Barrett. Unfortunately, this musket required a foot brace to be used on the ground. If a person held it directly to fire, not only was it difficult to hold it level, but firing it directly could also easily kill the person from the shock.

Some clever archers, finding that shooting men ineffective, shot at horses; others, with precision, aimed for heads and faces, disregarding armor and inflicting direct casualties. After a round of shooting exchanges, more than ten Jurchens were killed, while not a single Ming soldier was killed.

After one round of fighting, Cao Bianjiao fled again, leaving the Ming cavalry in a dilemma – whether to pursue him or not, they feared an ambush by the Ming army. With their homes on the horizon, everyone was eager to return, their fighting spirit completely gone, and no one was willing to risk their lives! So they ran a few steps symbolically before reining in their horses and turning back.

Huang Taiji's expression was grim. The tactic of exhausting the enemy was nothing new; they used it frequently themselves. But were they really going to let the Ming army keep harassing them like this? If they ignored it completely, the Ming army would probably just close in and attack them; but if they were distracted, it would slow them down.

Sure enough, a scout reported that a Ming army chariot corps was approaching from ten miles away. If they were caught up, what would happen?!

One solution to this kind of rogue tactic is to find a place to ambush them, to inflict heavy losses and terrify them, but there is currently no suitable location. Huang Taiji lowered his eyes and pondered, thinking that perhaps he could make good use of those passes to isolate the Ming army's pursuing troops.

Ajige's face darkened further. This time, it wasn't because of Cao Bianjiao, but because Huang Taiji ignored his presence and gave decisive commands. The others seemed to have gotten used to his presence and naturally obeyed Huang Taiji's orders, as if they had all forgotten about the existence of the Great Khan.

Not wanting to be left out, he suggested, "Why don't we just return some of the Aha to the Ming army? The best course of action now is to get back safely. There's no need to get entangled with the Ming army any further and create unnecessary complications."

Besides, it's impossible to bring all of these tens of thousands of Akhas back; who knows how many will die along the way? It's better to release some; fewer people are easier to manage, and it will also save food.

Again with these negative remarks, Huang Taiji instinctively wanted to rebuke them, but after glancing at Ajige, he ultimately held back. The others, watching the two, secretly chuckled: "Well done, Ajige! So he's already vying for power with Huang Taiji? He hasn't embarrassed us."

Huang Taiji realized this, which is why he didn't directly give Ajige a hard time. He said, word by word, "I object." Ajige glanced at his subordinate, raised an eyebrow, and Dodo said helplessly, "I think the Khan is right."

Daišan, Amin, and Mangultai also expressed their agreement, not so much because they agreed with Ajige, but mainly because it was interesting to go against Huang Taiji, whose face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

They felt they could release them, but not all at once; they had to release them little by little, releasing the injured and sick. Especially the female slaves, who had been captured and tortured for so long, were covered in wounds. If it weren't for the need for amusement on the road, they wouldn't have even planned to take them with them; they would have just buried them alive, since these people clearly wouldn't survive to Liaodong.

If the sick and disabled have all been released, they can also deliberately injure them, such as by cutting their wrists or severing their tendons. The Ming army is supposed to be good people and save civilians, right? Let's see if they will help them or not. If they do, they won't have time to pursue them; if they don't, then they don't need to bother with them, and someone will naturally cause trouble for the Ming army.

These people were indeed seasoned thieves and chieftains; in terms of ruthlessness and cunning, they were absolutely no less than the Ming officials. The Ming court's rulers and officials still had certain moral constraints, but the Jurchens had none of these shackles. They could openly discuss how to abuse slaves, treating the entire Han Chinese people as enemies, without distinguishing between officials and commoners, and they had no psychological burden whatsoever when they committed atrocities.

Cao Bianjiao was about to press on when he sternly criticized his men and ordered them not to shoot at people this time, but to fire at the Jurchen warhorses. However, the Jurchens began to release people, and more than 300 women who had been stripped of their clothes were left by the roadside.

Whoosh whoosh!
A rain of arrows fell, and blood instantly bloomed on the dirty bodies of the women.

"Beast!" Cao Bianjiao was furious at the sight, but he couldn't think of any way to retaliate. He could only watch helplessly as the people of the Ming Dynasty fell into pools of blood.

"What are you all standing there for? Save them!" Cao Bianjiao said through gritted teeth as he watched the Jiannu soldiers gradually disappear.

After settling the women, Cao Bianjiao continued the pursuit, and the Jurchens repeated the same tactics. After several such attempts, Cao Bianjiao began to question the meaning of life. If he watched as the people were taken away by the Jurchens, they would likely not survive; but if he continued the pursuit, even more people would be harmed immediately, or even die on the spot.

In the ensuing chaos, the Jurchens even dragged civilians to the outer edge of their ranks, using them as shields and taking them hostage. Cao Bianjiao recalled Cao Wenzhao's words, "A compassionate general cannot command an army." Everyone understands the principle, but how many can truly be as hard-hearted as iron?
Moreover, he did not have enough troops to win a decisive battle and rescue most of the civilians. If he recklessly charged into battle with his small force, he would probably all perish here.

Half a day later, the Jurchens gradually withdrew from several passes, abandoning tens of thousands of civilians along the way. However, the civilians were in very poor condition, and only about half of them were likely to survive. After leaving the pass, the Jurchens left several thousand troops to guard the pass and prevent the Ming army from continuing their pursuit.

Half an hour later, Yang Hao and his chariot battalion finally arrived. Using cannons, they successfully recaptured Longjing Pass. The Jurchens left behind had no will to fight and fled in panic. Upon receiving the news, the Jurchen soldiers at the surrounding passes also scattered. From then on, the Ming army completely recovered all lost territory and drove the Jurchens out of the country.

This should have been a joyous occasion, but Cao Bianjiao became sullen. He wanted to lead his troops out of the pass to continue the pursuit, but Yang Hao stopped him.

"Commander Yang, this humble general doesn't seem to be under your command, does he?!"

Yang Hao rolled his eyes, thinking: Why are young people these days so hot-tempered?!
“It’s not that I want to stop you, but this is His Majesty’s order. His Majesty said that you are not allowed to chase after him beyond the Great Wall, and that you must return to the capital immediately to marry the princess,” Yang Hao said, squinting and stroking his beard.

"This?!" A hint of panic flashed in Cao Bianjiao's eyes.

"Lord Yang, do you think I can still marry a princess like this?!" Cao Bianjiao touched his face, looking somewhat bewildered.

Yang Hao, a resident of Bengbu, chuckled. Just now he was called "Commander Yang," and now he's called "Lord Yang." How ridiculous!

Seeing that Cao Bianjiao was a little angry, Yang Hao put away his smile and said seriously, "His Majesty's words are law. Since he has already bestowed marriages upon you, how could there be any reversal? You are just overthinking things."

"Even if His Majesty doesn't go back on his word, what will the princess think?!" Cao Bianjiao was still somewhat unsure.

Yang Hao frowned and pointed at Cao Bianjiao, saying irritably, "It's just a shallow scar, it's not like it tore your face off. You're so handsome that even I'm a little jealous. Why are you putting on airs here? Get lost, you annoy me!"

Yang Hao waved his sleeve and left. As the Governor-General of Jiliao, he still had the important task of repairing the pass wall and rearranging the defenses. He had to hurry up and do it because he didn't know when he would be summoned back to the capital to be held accountable.

Although this was a huge scapegoat for him, he had just taken office and hadn't even had time to reorganize the Jizhou garrison when the Jurchens invaded. It's unclear what his predecessor, the Governor-General of Jizhou and Liaodong, was doing; the defense line crumbled at the slightest touch.

Yang Hao stood on the city wall of Longjing Pass, filled with emotion. The last time he stood here was more than ten years ago, when he was the Liaodong Military Commissioner, commanding an army of 140,000!

When Zhu Youjian learned of the situation at the front, he was somewhat bewildered. It turned out that not every plan could be implemented smoothly, and the Jurchens were frighteningly shrewd! He had won the war, but lost the economy and the hearts of the people!
The Jurchens were indeed driven out, but the post-war challenges were extremely severe, leaving a huge mess to clean up. The imperial court was out of money again. Given this financial situation, should priority be given to rewards or pensions? Should the army be prioritized or the people's livelihood guaranteed? Or where should the funds be raised?

Killing the enemy is exhilarating, but the bounty of sixty taels of silver per head is a real headache. And then there's the promotion and title; you can't just give someone a bare title without any land or money, can you?
Furthermore, how should the military achievements in Liaodong be calculated? Should the bannermen be considered legitimate slave cavalry? How should the traitors and the women and children of the Jurchens be calculated? People who have done the work should be paid. Otherwise, if there is favoritism, the Liaodong soldiers will become even more alienated from the court.

However, Zhu Youjian couldn't figure these things out yet. Now he should go to sleep. He always thought he was carefree, but he really couldn't sleep during these days of fighting. It turned out that he wasn't as carefree as he thought. He just pretended to be calm and composed in front of his ministers, but in reality, he was panicking inside!
Sun Chuanting returned unscathed, without even a scratch. Zhu Youjian sent someone to fetch him to the palace. Sun Shiwan laughed and cried when she saw him, but Sun Chuanting now had a new favorite. He was holding his grandson and granddaughter in one hand, doting on them, and didn't want to pay any attention to his two daughters.

Actually, he still loves his daughter more, but he doesn't want to shed tears in front of her. He wants to maintain his image as a father. Childbirth is so dangerous! Fortunately, they are both safe and sound. His heart is breaking!

(End of this chapter)