The New Destiny of the Ming Dynasty

After listening to Guo Xiaowu's vivid description, Yang Zhen looked at Yang Zhan'ao and saw that Yang Zhan'ao was nodding in agreement with Guo Xiaowu's description. He already had a general idea of ​​who the Tartar leader was.

This is the unique advantage that time travelers have.

Among the Manchu Eight Banners nobles, many enjoyed personally leading troops on the front lines of battle. However, apart from the current Manchu pseudo-emperor Huang Taiji, there was no one else who fit Guo Xiaowu's description of a great figure.

Huang Taiji was tall, but his obesity was unusual, to the point that he was unable to walk properly at one point.

Based on what Yang Zhen learned in his later years, Huang Taiji likely suffered from severe hypertension, and his sudden death a few years later was probably due to a sudden cerebral infarction during a period of intense emotional turmoil.

If I could hold out in Liaodong until Huang Taiji's sudden death a few years later, then the Ming Dynasty might be able to usher in a turning point.

Although Yang Zhen had considered this point, he would never place his hopes on it. Instead, he thought that the Tartar leader who ordered the arson was Huang Taiji, and he felt a little uneasy.

Huang Taiji is currently the most intelligent person on the Manchu side.

Compared to other Manchu nobles such as Daišan, Dorgon, Dodo, Ajige, and Abatai, Huang Taiji's vision, wisdom, and skills were far superior.

For Yang Zhen, although Huang Taiji was an ancient person, he was an extraordinary one. Yang Zhen dared not be careless in the face of such a person.

If he were to encounter figures like Daishan, Ajige, Abatai, or Dodo, Yang Zhen would be able to predict their actions to some extent. However, he was not so certain about Huang Taiji.

For example, given the current situation, if Daishan were in command of the army, he might very well have set a large fire and then decided that attacking the sand island was too risky, so he would have abandoned the attack and instead sent a detachment to monitor him while the main force turned back to continue its fierce attack on Songshan.

If a figure like Ajige, Abatai, or Dodo were in charge of the army, even if they were aware of the hidden risks of attacking the island, they would likely disregard casualties and command their various armies to launch a desperate attack until they were annihilated or driven into the sea.

However, when the person in charge of the army on the other side was Huang Taiji, Yang Zhen had no way of making a judgment.

Huang Taiji has both an extremely rational side and an extremely impulsive side.

Therefore, this time, he might abandon his own interests and adopt a different approach, turning back to continue his fierce attack on Songshan. He might also be enraged by the complete annihilation of the Xianghuangqi Gabuxi Xianchaoha army and come to eliminate him at all costs.

Yang Zhen stood there pondering for a long time, until the rising sun shone its golden light on the sandbar once more, but he still couldn't come to a clear conclusion.

In the end, Yang Zhen simply stopped thinking about it and decided to focus on preparing for war first. Just as he had said when reassuring people, as long as they were prepared for battle, the Tartars would either not come or, if they did, they would die here.

-

Yang Zhen guessed correctly. The Tartar leader that Yang Zhan'ao and Guo Xiaowu had secretly observed while hiding in the reeds at great risk was none other than the Tartar pseudo-emperor Huang Taiji himself.

A long night passed, and Huang Taiji, back in the Niangniang Palace camp, still felt a deep ache in his heart.

Gabuxi Xianchaoha of the Manchu Eight Banners was selected by his order from the Bayala camps of various banners, and each of them could be called the elite of the Eight Banners.

From a full-strength Manchu banner of three hundred bannermen, only three or five Gabuxi Xianchaoha were selected.

Since the establishment of the Gabuxi Xianchaoha, the selection ratio of ordinary bannermen for the Gabuxi Xianchaoha has basically remained at one in sixty bannermen.

Even within the former elite of the Manchu Eight Banners—the Bayara Camp—not everyone was qualified to be selected as a Gabuxi Xianchaoha; the selection ratio remained at more than one in three.

This time, Huang Taiji personally led a large army to besiege Songshan in Jinzhou. More than two months have passed, and the casualties are considerable.

Especially in the fierce battles that have been launched against Songshan City in the past two days, the Manchu and Mongol Eight Banners troops, the Han Banner troops, and the Tianyou and Tianzhu troops of the Three Shun Kings have suffered more than 3,000 casualties.

However, no battle was like the Battle of Xiaolinghekou, in which a single battle wiped out the entire elite force of Gabuxi Xianchaoha.

These dead people were not Han Bannermen, nor Mongol Eight Bannermen, nor any Heavenly Blessed Soldiers or Heavenly Helpers, but the most elite Gabuxi Xianchaoha of the Upper Three Banners under Huang Taiji's command!

Ajige certainly didn't care about this result, nor did Abatai. Even Prince Li, Daishan, only offered a few words of comfort, showing no real concern. But Huang Taiji couldn't help but care and feel sorry for him!

That morning, Huang Taiji woke up exceptionally early. Accompanied by several imperial guards and accompanying ministers, he stood on a high platform outside the main hall of the Empress's Palace, gazing eastward with a solemn expression. He remained silent as he watched the thick smoke billowing in the east.

The thick smoke from the burning reeds by the sea drifted in the wind, choking people's noses and mouths, while the falling ash from the grass and wood rained down on the ground and onto people's bodies.

However, none of the Manchu nobles attending him dared to speak. They all knew that Huang Taiji had been furious the previous evening and was in a very bad mood, fearing that they might offend their master at this critical juncture.

After a long silence, Huang Taiji sighed and murmured, "Do you think I'm grieving for the more than four hundred Gabuxi Xianchaoha under the command of Arsalan? No, no, those four hundred-plus Gabuxi Xianchaoha were the elite of my Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner. To die like that, to die under firearms, is indeed a great loss! However, I am not so narrow-minded as to worry so much about such a small loss!"

After saying these words, Huang Taiji slowly turned around. His large, dark red face was expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Huang Taiji turned around and looked at his close and trusted ministers who were attending him one by one, then continued, "It's been more than two months since I left Shengjing and came here! Before I left, Consort Chen was unwell and caught a cold. I wonder how she is now, and whether she's feeling any better?"

As Huang Taiji spoke, he glanced toward Songshan City, it was unclear whether he was talking to himself or asking his trusted advisors.

However, before his close advisors could understand his meaning, he immediately revealed the conclusion he had reached after tossing and turning all night:

"Is this Zu Dashou a muddle-headed man or a wise man? It's true that people's hearts are hard to fathom! But in any case, he is indeed a figure outside Shanhaiguan Pass!"

"I besieged Jinzhou and Songshan for over two months, and he actually withstood the pressure from the Southern Dynasty emperor and officials, refusing to send reinforcements! This determination and this heart have made me look at him with new respect!"

At this point, Huang Taiji's gaze returned to his attendants and close ministers. He sighed and continued, "Since things have come to this, there is no benefit for me to continue leading the army here! Even if we occupy one or two of their cities, it will be a net loss. What is the point?!"

"Tulai, in a moment you will go to the Songshan army and convey my decree to Prince Li, Prince Gongshun, Prince Huaishun, and Prince Zhishun! Tell them that I have ordered them not to hold back their artillery fire today and to continue bombarding Songshan!"

"Furthermore, you must convey my decree to Prince Li separately, saying that this afternoon I will first lift the siege and retreat back to Shengjing! Tell him to lead the remaining three armies back tomorrow morning!"

At this point, Huang Taiji seemed to have made up his mind, and his mood improved somewhat.

He looked at a tall man around forty years old and continued, "Tulai, after you've met Prince Li, you don't need to come back here! Go directly to the Tashan and Xingshan military camps to deliver an imperial edict, ordering Prince Wuying and Prince Raoyu to withdraw their troops together tonight. They must arrive at Songshan military camps before tomorrow morning to await Prince Li's command!"

The man whom Huang Taiji addressed as Tu Lai, after hearing Huang Taiji finish speaking, immediately flicked his horse-hoof sleeves, knelt on one knee, and shouted, "Yes, sir!"

Then, the man named Tulai, without accepting any written order or token, shouted "Yes, sir!" and immediately got up, backed away from Huang Taiji a few steps, and then turned around and left quickly.