Chapter 122: The Jian Nu Have Arrived

The longest night had finally passed.

Li Yan’s fears did not materialize. The imperial troops did not launch a massive pursuit as the rebel army retreated, nor did the garrisons from the east, north, and west gates of Datong attempt to sortie and raid the rebel camp. Li Yan could not fathom why Wang Pu had failed to press his advantage.

However, even without an imperial pursuit, the rebel army had suffered heavy casualties. Over five thousand men had been killed in action, and more than ten thousand were wounded. The Huihui Battalion had been hit the hardest, with over half of its twelve thousand troops incapacitated. Li Xuan’s Gushan Battalion and Jing Maocheng’s Laoya Battalion had also been severely mauled. Most crucially, the morale of the rebel army had plummeted; they had lost both the confidence and the resolve to capture Datong.

A grave question now confronted Li Yan: where should the rebel army go? With food supplies running low, he had to make a decision quickly. Remaining at Datong was clearly futile. Retreating the way they came to Mizhi was not an option, as they had failed to secure the necessary provisions. But if not Mizhi, where else could they turn? Should they follow Wang Pu’s example and strike north into Mongol territory? March south to Taiyuan Prefecture? Or strike east toward the capital?

Li Yan fell into deep contemplation, remaining silent for a long time. The dozens of rebel generals gathered in his command tent all kept their heads bowed, faces filled with dejection. When they occasionally glanced at Li Yan, their expressions lacked their former reverence; it was clear that this disastrous defeat had severely undermined his authority and weakened the cohesion of the rebel forces. Rebels were, after all, just rebels—high-spirited in success, but scattered like loose sand in defeat. The only consolation was that Ma Shouying and his four associates had destroyed each other; otherwise, the Shaanxi rebel army would have been on the brink of total collapse.

Just as the generals were growing impatient, Li Yan finally made his decision: "Order the entire army to strike camp immediately. We will bypass the east gate of Datong and head north!"

"What? North?"
"Where can we go heading north?"
"Are we going to raid the Mongols for cattle and sheep?"

The generals in the tent looked at each other in disbelief. The idea of venturing into the grasslands to raid the Mongols seemed utterly insane. In truth, Li Yan had no intention of competing with the Mongols. While Wang Pu had managed it, he had done so under specific circumstances that Li Yan did not believe his own army could replicate. His order to move north was merely a feint to posture as though they were marching against the Mongols.

Li Yan’s true target was the capital. He planned to lead the army north to the Yanghe Guard area, then suddenly turn east to strike into Xuanfu, and from there, march south to descend upon the capital. He believed that instead of being trapped in the poor, mountainous regions of Shaanxi, skirmishing with the elite forces of Wang Pu, Zhou Yuji, and Jiang Xiang, it would be better to emulate Wang Pu’s surprise raid on Shengjing and strike directly at the heart of the Ming Dynasty. It was a gamble, but one Li Yan deemed worth the risk. If successful, the Ming Dynasty would collapse, and the Dashun regime of the Chuang King could take its place. Even if the gamble failed, it would throw the Ming court into chaos, forcing the Chongzhen Emperor to order the elite forces of Hong Chengchou, Wang Pu, Zhou Yuji, and Jiang Xiang to return to the capital to defend it. This would dissolve the pressure on the Henan front, which would be enough to satisfy the Chuang King.

***

At the arrow tower of the south gate, the bearded commander rushed into the room, shouting, "General, why blow the horn to withdraw? It was such a great opportunity; it’s a shame to let it go!"

"Stop your shouting! What is there to shout about?" Wang Pu cut him off sharply. "A carefully planned, sure-fire counterattack, and you turned it into this mess. Tell me, how many brothers were lost in this sortie?"

"Sixty-nine dead, thirty-seven wounded," the bearded commander replied in a low voice.

"Sixty-nine!?" Wang Pu gasped, his temper flaring. "These were battle-hardened veterans! The Battle of Yan’e Hai, the bloody fight at Sanbula River, and thousands of miles of marching through ice and snow couldn't kill them, yet you managed to lose them today. You really outdid yourself, 'Beard'."

The commander’s face turned the color of liver. He stammered, "I... I didn't expect the rebels to have an ambush outside the gate..."

"So what if there was an ambush?" Wang Pu roared. "Are the weapons in our men's hands for show? You watched the rebels close in, yet you didn't order a volley, opting only for cannon fire, and finally forcing them into a bayonet fight. What is the point of you being a thousand-man commander? Why didn't you give the order to fire?"

"I..." The man hung his head. "I was panic-stricken at the time."

"Panic-stricken!?" Wang Pu was so angry he couldn't speak. But upon reflection, he realized he couldn't blame the man entirely; he had appointed him, and he bore responsibility for the failure of the counterattack. However, this served as a wake-up call that the competence of his subordinate officers needed improvement. Fortunately, his opponents were merely rebels; had he been facing the Manchus, the casualties would have been far higher, and he might have lost the entire battalion—or even Datong itself.

***

The failure was not entirely without merit, as it gave Wang Pu a clearer understanding of his officers' capabilities. Under his direct command, officers like the bearded one and the scarred one were fierce warriors, but they lacked the ability to hold the line independently.

"That's enough," Wang Pu said, his voice lowering. "You may go."

"Yes." The bearded commander retreated sheepishly.

Wang Pu exhaled and turned to Lu Liu. "Liu-er, what are the casualties for Zhao Liujin's two battalions?"

"The rebels fought fiercely last night," Lu Liu replied quietly. "The casualties were heavy. Over six hundred dead, and more than two hundred seriously wounded—even if they survive, they’re crippled. There are many more with light injuries; hardly a man was left unscathed."

"Hmm, that is heavy." Wang Pu nodded. "But these men are heroes. They stood their ground against tens of thousands of rebels. They are the best! Liu-er, go to the silver treasury immediately. Give one hundred taels of silver to every man still breathing. As for those who died, we will settle that after the battle."

"Yes." Lu Liu acknowledged the order and left.

Wang Pu turned to Xiao Qi. "Xiao Qi, what about the task I gave you?"

"I have found out," Xiao Qi said. "His name is Jiang, from Yulin, Shaanxi. His father was the Yulin Regional Commander. He has practiced martial arts since childhood and is skilled in archery and horsemanship. He was transferred to Datong by Zhang Zi’an a month ago and promoted to thousand-household. By the way, his elder brother, Jiang Rang, is the current Yulin Regional Commander, and his second brother, Jiang Xiang, is the Regional Commander of Guyuan."

"Jiang Xiang?" Wang Pu exclaimed. "You mean his brother is Jiang Xiang?"

Wang Pu knew the name well. In history, Jiang Xiang was the successor to Wang Pu as the Regional Commander of Datong. When Li Zicheng’s Dashun army reached Datong, Jiang Xiang surrendered, transforming from a Ming general into a Dashun general. Later, when the Manchus entered the pass and drove out Li Zicheng, Jiang Xiang betrayed the Dashun regime to join the Manchus, becoming their Regional Commander. Later still, fearing Dorgon’s actions, he rebelled against the Qing to return to the Southern Ming. He was a true "four-dynasty veteran."

"No doubt about it," Xiao Qi nodded. "He is the third brother of Jiang Rang and Jiang Xiang."

"A tiger from a military family, indeed," Wang Pu remarked with a sigh. "No wonder he stood his ground under pressure."

Xiao Qi asked, "General, should I bring him up?"

"No hurry," Wang Pu shook his head. "Let's leave that for another time."

Suddenly, Nenniang cried out, "General, the rebels look like they’re abandoning their camp to flee!"

"Is that so?" Wang Pu turned to look, and sure enough, the rebel camp was a flurry of activity.

Xiao Qi said, "General, it seems they really are retreating."

"It seems Li Yan realizes he can’t gain anything here," Wang Pu said with a faint smile. "I wonder where he plans to go? Back to Shaanxi? South to Taiyuan? North to the desert, or east to the capital?"

"That goes without saying," Xiao Qi replied. "They must be going back to Shaanxi."

"No," Wang Pu shook his head. "Li Yan will never go back to Shaanxi. It’s too poor; going back is a dead end."

"Then where will they go?"

"Soon," Wang Pu said. "We will know soon enough."

***

In Jia County, Henan, Li Yan's strategy of division had succeeded. Due to the diversion created by Li Guo and Li Yan, Ma Shiying's army had retreated to Fengyang, and Fu Zonglong’s forces had withdrawn from Tongguan to Xi'an. Now, Li Zicheng’s only remaining enemy was Hong Chengchou in Xiangyang.

The situation in Henan had improved, but Li Zicheng’s mood was complex. He was pleased to have a talent like Li Yan, but he was also worried. He feared Li Yan might harbor ulterior motives or attempt to establish his own power base to rival his own. The urgent secret letter from Datong only deepened this anxiety.

Li Zicheng summoned his two chief advisors, Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance, to analyze whether Li Yan would try to strike out on his own.

After reading the letter, Niu Jinxing sighed. "Brilliant, truly brilliant! Your Majesty, Li Yan's move is profound. In ancient times, there was the 'Two Peaches to Kill Three Warriors' strategy; now we have 'Four Gates to Seize Five Camps.' This Li Yan is clearly trying to outdo the ancients."

"Two peaches to kill three warriors?" Li Zicheng frowned. "What is that?"

Niu Jinxing explained the classic tale of the Qi advisor Yanzi, who used two peaches to incite three arrogant warriors to kill each other over who deserved them, eventually leading to their suicides.

"I see," Li Zicheng nodded. "You mean Li Yan used the same method to kill Ma Shouying and the others, then seized control of the five battalions without shedding his own blood?"

"Exactly," Niu Jinxing said. "They all thought they were the rightful leaders, which is why they fell for his trap."

"So, in your opinion, will Li Yan try to set up his own base?"

"Certainly!" Niu Jinxing replied without hesitation. "It is obvious."

Li Zicheng turned to Song Xiance. "And what does the vice-advisor think?"

"This..." Song Xiance hesitated. "I have not been with the rebel army long enough to know General Li Yan well enough to judge."

Niu Jinxing glared at him and suggested, "Your Majesty, I have a plan to test him. Once the battle of Datong ends, send a new general to replace Li Yan, and order him to return to Henan. If he refuses, he has ulterior motives. If he returns, then whether he has such motives or not, it will no longer matter."

Li Zicheng nodded. "Good plan. But we don't need to wait for the battle to end. I will send Liu Zongmin to replace him now."

"Your Majesty is wise," the advisors chimed in.

***

In Datong, Li Yan was unaware of Li Zicheng’s suspicions. He was leading his remaining sixty thousand troops out of the east gates, marching north with great fanfare.

In the center of the column, as Li Yan rode alongside Hong Niangzi, the sound of urgent hoofbeats approached. Dust billowed as Jing Maocheng raced back. He pulled his horse to a halt before Li Yan, cupping his hands. "Commander, it's bad!"

"What happened?" Li Yan frowned.

"Scouts report a large force of cavalry twenty miles north of Datong!"

"A large force?" Li Yan’s expression changed. "How many?"

"At least seven or eight thousand!" Jing Maocheng said solemnly. "The scouts didn't dare get too close, but they are fast. They might be less than ten miles away now!"

"Woo—"

Before Jing Maocheng could finish, the long, continuous sound of a horn echoed from the north. Li Yan, Hong Niangzi, and Jing Maocheng looked toward the horizon, where a massive cloud of dust was rising, stretching to the sky, vast and desolate.