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

Chapter 275 The Mouse Cries for the Cat
"Alas! Myna, why did you leave us like this! What will I do without you?! The Great Jin Kingdom cannot live without you!!!"

Outside Xiping Fort, Ajige held Huang Taiji's headless corpse and wept bitterly. His cries were so mournful that they brought tears to the eyes of anyone who heard them; one might mistake him for someone who had lost his parents! No, even when Nurhaci died, he did not show such grief.

When the Ming army left, they only took the remains of their comrades. As for the wild boar skin's body, they were naturally not so kind as to take care of it.

However, important figures like Huang Taiji still received certain preferential treatment. He, along with Sony, Ebilun, and others, were impaled on sharpened wooden sticks by the Ming army, which were then stuck into the ground, raising their bodies high into the air.

At this time, more than 20,000 slave cavalry had gathered outside Xiping Fort, and most of the important figures of the second and third generations of the Jurchens were present.

Suddenly losing his father left Hauge completely bewildered. Although he had sometimes fantasized about Huang Taiji dying and him inheriting his father's vast power, now that he had actually come to this point, he was at a loss.

Hauge covered his empty right arm with his left hand, looking bewildered. He wanted to cry, but couldn't. Seeing his uncle Ajige crying so sadly, he felt a strange anger rising within him. The more he looked at Ajige, the more disgusted he became.

Daišan and Mangultai stood together, yet they were clearly wary of each other, with an invisible iron curtain separating them, and their respective guards wearing iron armor.

"Hauge is a pitiful child. Now that he's like this, it's inconvenient for him to lead troops," Daishan sighed, speaking with a sense of compassion.

“Who can argue with that? This child is closest to me. When he was little, he always followed me around. When he turned eighteen, I even gave him a gyrfalcon.” Mangultai said with emotion.

"You really didn't do it?!" Dai Shan suddenly said.

"It's pointless for a thief to cry 'stop thief'!" Mangultai sneered.

“You know it couldn’t be me,” Daishan said calmly. “Do you think it could be that brat Ajige?”

"Do you have any evidence?" Mangultai asked quietly.

“No, I thought Huang Taiji would be keeping an eye on him. Why would I need to worry about him? My men are enough to keep an eye on Huang Taiji,” Daishan said.

"If there is no evidence, then it is not."

"Ha! This kid's acting is terrible. Even if he were to smirk, it would look a little more normal," Dai Shan said sarcastically.

"So what do you plan to do? Replace Ajige?!" Mangultai asked.

"How can we exchange them? He is now the rightful Khan, with at least two flags under his command, more than the two of us. That idiot Hauge is still completely in the dark!" Daishan sneered.

Mangultai placed his hand on his waist knife and moved closer to Daishan. Daishan jumped back half a step, glaring at Mangultai. Mangultai was taken aback, lowered his hand from the knife, and said somewhat helplessly, "Isn't this necessary, Second Brother?"

"Just say what you have to say, don't give me this nonsense!" Dai Shan said with some disdain.

"Are you really sure it was Ajige who did it?" Mangultai asked in a low voice.

"I'm not sure, but Huang Taiji's death would be the biggest benefit to Ajige. Only when the retired emperor dies can the new emperor take power." "If that's the case, he can betray Huang Taiji, so he can betray us next time! How can you sleep soundly if we just keep him around like this?!" Mangultai said.

Daišan frowned as he looked at Mangultai without speaking. Mangultai felt guilty under his gaze and finally couldn't help but speak up: "Second brother, since you don't want to be the Great Khan anyway, why don't you support me to be the Great Khan! I will appoint you as the One-Word Level-Shoulder King, and you and I, brothers, will share the Great Jin Dynasty!"

"Heh, I say you haven't given up yet!" Dai Shan sneered.

Mangultai, like a fly, rubbed his hands together and said, "The Great Khan, who wouldn't want to give it a try? My father said I'm not suitable, and I don't accept that!"

“I think Father Khan is right. I also think you’re not suitable. Ajige hasn’t done anything wrong, so what reason do you have to replace him? Besides, our Great Jin is in such a precarious state right now. Is the Khan something to be amused about?!” Daishan said.

Mangultai remained silent, turned away, and sulked!
Ajige actually had a popular following. He was about the same age as the core figures of the third generation of Jurchens, and before he was injured, he was known for his bravery, which made him admired by the younger generation.

In addition, he has always played the role of the eldest brother taking care of the younger brothers, unlike the four princes who were paternalistic, didactic, and contemptuous of these young people.

In short, while he lacked Huang Taiji's prestige, he was more than capable of surpassing him; he was essentially Huang Taiji's high-ranking substitute. Hauge's injury resulted in the loss of his right arm; even if he had lost his left arm, he wouldn't have been able to draw a bow.

Although the Jurchens were transitioning from a tribal system to a state system, it was not yet complete. At present, the Jurchens still highly valued individual military strength, and Hauge was directly eliminated.

Ajige had previously said he was seriously injured, but now it seems he has recovered. He was originally the Great Khan, elected by the Eighth Prince's Council, and thus held the moral high ground, so it seems perfectly reasonable for him to pledge allegiance to him.

Among the generals who died following Huang Taiji, Sony's descendants were the most accomplished. Sony's eldest son, Gabula, and third son, Songgotu, were both young generals who had already shown their talent during the Tianming era and were personally recognized by Nurhaci. The two brothers silently took down Sony's body, shedding silent tears but not weeping loudly.

The Plain Yellow Banner voted with their feet; of the remaining twenty-eight Niru Ejen, twelve stood behind the two brothers. The rest didn't disown them; they simply didn't come. Therefore, gaining the approval of these two brothers was equivalent to gaining the approval of the Plain Yellow Banner.

The Plain Yellow Banner was Nurhaci's main force, originally consisting of forty-five Niru (military units), which were almost completely passed down to Huang Taiji. However, some were lost in the battles of Ningyuan and Ningjin, and over a thousand were lost in the Battle of Beijing. This time was the worst; the most elite and core three thousand men were almost wiped out.

Of the scattered guards, only about three hundred cavalrymen chose to return; the rest either fled or were killed and their bodies were recorded as missing. Among the generals, only Turgh's brother, Ilden, escaped. Ebilun could have survived, but he chose to die instead.

The Jurchens probably knew more about the details of that night's battle than the Ming army. After all, the Jurchens were cavalry, and they were ultimately unable to annihilate the enemy completely. The two sides had different perspectives, and only the Jurchens themselves would know the true reason behind their confusing actions.

Their commander died in battle, but these men survived. According to the military law of the Jurchens, they should all be executed. This was because the Jurchen system was a hierarchical web of slave owners and slaves; the Eight Banner soldiers were all minor slave owners, yet they were also the servants of the upper echelons. "A subject dies for his master's honor," as the saying goes. With their masters dead, what face did these servants have left to live?!

But Ajige suddenly announced a pardon for these people and took the opportunity to incorporate them into his Bordered White Banner, gaining hundreds of grateful and loyal followers.

But his actions were undoubtedly digging the grave for the entire Eight Banners army. Without strict, almost brutal military law, what could the Jurchens use to fight the Ming army? At least the Ming army had military pay, but they didn't!

"This hatred will never end! The Ming army killed my father and brothers and slaughtered my people. I, Ajige, swear to be irreconcilably opposed to the Ming army!"
"One day, I, the Khan, will surely trample Beijing and make the young emperor of the Southern Dynasty kneel under the Yellow Banner and repent for our Fourth Prince!" Ajige said hatefully, and the crowd watched him perform with different expressions.

(End of this chapter)