Chapter Sixteen: Playing Along with the Enemy’s Scheme

Page 1 of 3

Shengjing.

“Hahaha, good, that’s a splendid explosion!”

The Chongzheng Hall was brightly lit. Scarface, Zhen Youcai, Big Beard, Little Seven, and others gathered in the grand hall, laughing and chatting, their joy overflowing. Wang Pu grinned wickedly and said, “Coming to Liaodong isn’t easy, and now we’re leaving. There’s not much we can give, so let’s leave the Jiannu a grand firework as a memento, heh heh.”

Scarface said, “General, the Jiannu suffered heavy losses this time.”

“Mmm.” Wang Pu nodded, his smile slowly fading as his expression grew grave. He turned to Big Beard and said, “Big Beard, it’s your turn next. Are you ready?”

Big Beard stood up abruptly and replied in a loud voice, “I’ve been ready for a long time.”

Wang Pu spoke in a serious tone, “Big Beard, whether you can lure away the Jiannu forces outside the city depends entirely on you!”

Big Beard answered solemnly, “General, rest assured. I will get it done.”

Wang Pu nodded, “Big Beard, call in the brothers.”

Big Beard beckoned, and fifty capable retainers filed in.

Wang Pu extended his hand and declared loudly, “Bring the wine!”

Little Seven led his men to serve Big Beard and the fifty retainers with large sea bowls, filling each with a generous helping of sorghum wine. Wang Pu poured himself a bowl, raised it high above his head, and addressed Big Beard and the fifty retainers, “According to military regulations, drinking is strictly forbidden before a campaign. But today, I’ll break the rule once, using this bowl of sorghum wine to send you off!”

Big Beard and the fifty retainers raised their bowls, their faces solemn.

Wang Pu’s gaze grew fierce as he spoke in a deep voice, “Tonight, you fifty-odd men will face thousands of Jiannu in pursuit. Whether you escape, whether you return alive to Ming, only heaven knows!”

The hall fell silent, the heavy breathing of the retainers mingling in the air. To say they weren’t nervous or afraid of death would be a lie. Everyone fears death; if given a choice, no one would choose to die. Yet, fear isn’t absolute. There are indeed many who, out of loyalty, for family, or for ideals, face death unflinchingly.

“This general cannot guarantee you’ll return alive to Ming, but…” Wang Pu’s tone suddenly intensified, “I can guarantee your share of the profits from Shengjing will reach your families. If you return alive, each of you will receive an extra reward of one thousand taels of silver! If you fall in battle, your families will receive two thousand taels in compensation!”

Wang Pu spoke sincerely, and if they truly returned alive, he would do everything to fulfill his promise.

Big Beard and the fifty retainers were about to embark on a mission of certain death; by dawn, they would be martyrs. Wang Pu didn’t want—couldn’t let—these heroes shed both blood and tears.

Hearing Wang Pu’s stirring words, the retainers’ eyes began to blaze with fervor. Most were rough men, barely literate, unfamiliar with the lofty principles of sages and gentlemen. They believed in one simple truth: treat me well, and I’ll treat you well; treat my family well, and I’ll give you my life!

“This general lays his word here: if I break my promise, let all the brothers who return alive butcher me with their blades! If I don’t keep my word, I am not a son of my parents!”

“General, say no more!” Big Beard shouted, raising his wine bowl. “I, Big Beard, trust you. This bowl… I drink!”

“Yes, we trust you too!” The other retainers shouted, “We’ll drink this bowl!”

“Good, true brothers, let’s drink!”

Wang Pu swiftly brought the bowl to his lips, tilted his head, and drained it in one gulp. He then hurled the bowl to the ground; with a crisp clang, it shattered into pieces. Big Beard and the fifty retainers, steeling themselves, closed their eyes and drank, then threw their bowls down as well. The hall echoed with the sound of shattering bowls.

The bowls were broken, but the hearts of these fifty men were steeled!

Page 2 of 3

Big Beard wiped his mouth and turned to the fifty retainers with a cold smile. “Brothers, we’ve drunk the wine, the general has settled our affairs. Now… it’s time to set out. Let’s go!”

“Go!”

“Go!”

“Go!”

The sorghum wine’s strength quickly surged; the northern men, naturally bold, soon cast aside thoughts of life and death, shouting at the top of their lungs.

As Big Beard passed Scarface, he grinned and said, “Scarface, don’t forget to burn a few sticks of incense at my memorial every festival, and if there’s leftover wine, pour a few cups for me, ha ha ha.”

“Big Beard!” Scarface’s eyes grew hot, tears streaming down his face.

As he was about to leave the hall, Big Beard turned back and shouted to Wang Pu, “General, eighteen years from now, I’ll be a good man again. I’ll come find you and follow you once more!”

■■■

Southern outskirts of Shengjing, Qing army encampment.

Hong Taiji was chatting idly with Manju Xili when Oboi hurried into the tent and knelt, reporting, “Your Majesty, the Ming army is on the move again.”

Hong Taiji acknowledged with a grunt, “Speak.”

Oboi said, “Just now, a unit of Ming troops left the west gate, heading towards Liaoxi. No carts, only cavalry. Without torches, it’s hard to estimate their numbers, but from the sound of hoofbeats, probably seven or eight hundred riders.”

Manju Xili looked at Hong Taiji with deep admiration. “Just as Your Majesty predicted, the Ming army is indeed making a feint—east to west. Your insight is extraordinary, I am truly impressed.”

Hong Taiji rose expressionless, seeming not to hear Manju Xili’s praise. He paced, analyzing, “This Ming force slipped silently from Songshan to Liaodong, so their strength can’t exceed a thousand. Attacking Shengjing would have cost them losses; seven or eight hundred remaining is reasonable. It seems the Ming are truly attempting a breakout.”

Oboi said, “I’ll lead troops to intercept them.”

“Go.” Hong Taiji nodded. “Take two thousand cavalry, against seven or eight hundred, victory should be assured. Remember—wipe them out completely, let none escape, especially their commanding general.”

“Yes!” Oboi saluted and turned to leave, but as he reached the tent’s entrance, Hong Taiji called sharply, “Wait!”

“Your Majesty?” Oboi turned back, puzzled. “What is it?”

“Something’s wrong.” Hong Taiji shook his head, frowning. “It’s not right.”

Manju Xili asked, “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”

“Cannons!” Hong Taiji pondered briefly, then spoke with sudden resolve. “The Red-barrel cannons—the Ming army hasn’t destroyed the Red-barrel cannons on the city walls.”

“Red-barrel cannons?”

Page 3 of 3

Manju Xili and Oboi exchanged glances, clearly unable to follow Hong Taiji’s leap in logic. They couldn’t see what the sixteen Red-barrel cannons atop Shengjing’s walls had to do with the Ming army’s escape.

Hong Taiji smiled slightly. “Red-barrel cannons are difficult to cast, expensive, and immensely powerful. Used in defense, they can slaughter enemy troops en masse; in attack, they break any fortification. If you were the Ming commander inside Shengjing, knowing the cannons’ power but unable to take them, what would you do?”

Oboi answered without hesitation, “That’s obvious—you’d blow them up.”

“Exactly.” Hong Taiji smiled. “But the Ming haven’t destroyed the cannons, so they’re still in the city!”

Manju Xili asked, “Then what about the seven or eight hundred Ming cavalry leaving the west gate?”

Hong Taiji replied, “Simple. The Ming merely gathered the city’s horses, strapped wooden dummies on their backs, and with a few soldiers driving them, created the illusion of a large cavalry force departing. It’s just a feint.”

Oboi said, “Your Majesty, whether the Ming are still in the city, I can send a probe to find out.”

“No.” Hong Taiji shook his head. “If the Ming have already left, by the time you confirm and pursue, it’ll be too late. If they’re still inside, probing will only alert them.”

Oboi asked, “Should I pursue or not?”

“Pursue, of course! If by chance their commander is hiding among the feint, letting them go would be a disaster. Take the remaining two thousand five hundred Mongol cavalry, carry plenty of torches to make a show of force! After ten miles, split into two columns: you take five hundred to continue pursuit and annihilate any escaping Ming; the other, led by Tazhan and Ebilun, will extinguish torches and quietly circle back to ambush twenty miles east of Shengjing’s eastern gate.”

“But…” Oboi hesitated. “Your Majesty, if I take all the Mongol cavalry, you’ll only have two hundred guards left. If the Ming break out through the south gate, that would be disastrous.”

“They won’t.” Hong Taiji said firmly. “The Ming will never break out through the south gate.”

Seeing Oboi and Manju Xili still doubtful, Hong Taiji explained, “There are two reasons. First, the Ming inside the city don’t know I’m here. Even if they realize the camp is empty, they would never attack it—capturing an empty camp does them no good and only delays their escape.”

Manju Xili nodded. “And the second?”

Hong Taiji picked up the Romance of the Three Kingdoms from his desk and shook it with a smile. “The Han are fond of stratagems, and there’s an old saying: the most dangerous place is the safest. The Ming already failed once trying to break out through the east gate; logically, east is the most dangerous direction—they shouldn’t try it again.”

“Indeed.” Oboi agreed. “I believe the Ming will break out through the north gate next.”

“No.” Hong Taiji shook his head. “The Ming will never break out through the north gate. They will definitely break out through the east gate!”

“But…” Oboi still felt uneasy.

“Go.” Hong Taiji commanded loudly. “Don’t let the Ming escape.”

“Yes.” Oboi gritted his teeth, accepted the order, and departed.

Hong Taiji turned to Manju Xili with a faint smile, “Come, let’s continue our conversation.”