MLMD -Chapter 225 The Weakness of the Ming Army

Dorgon was naturally no stranger to Yue Yang. One could even say that long ago Dorgon had already listed Yue Yang as his greatest enemy aside from Hong Taiji. Ever since their encounter in Khorchin, Dorgon had been convinced that Yue Yang was no ordinary man of the Ming. After a series of later events, this conviction only deepened. Yet even though Dorgon believed he already held Yue Yang in very high regard, he had never imagined that the merchant of those days would, in just two short years, grow into a general commanding vast armies.

Over those two years, Dorgon had dispatched large numbers of spies deep into Yingzhou Prefecture, Wuli Fort, and Hunyuan Prefecture, trying to uncover the secret behind Yue Yang’s rise. But the more he learned, the more perplexed he became. High-yield seeds, finely crafted weapons and armor, and fire muskets with astonishing range—all these things seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Dorgon even used covert means to acquire some of these seeds and muskets and had them sent to Shenyang, hoping to emulate Yue Yang’s system of military farming and firearm production. Yet when it came time to put them into practice, he discovered that all his efforts were in vain. Neither the seeds nor the firearms could be cultivated or replicated by them. The feeling was like having a stunning beauty strip naked and stand right in front of you—only for you to discover, at the crucial moment, that you were incapable. The frustration was beyond words.

Now, as Dorgon looked at the neat ranks of musketmen arrayed before him, his expression was extremely grave. He lowered his voice and said to Yueto, “You fought this Yue Yang back in Hunyuan Prefecture. You could be considered an old acquaintance. Today, are you confident you can drive him back?”

If this remark were heard by the generals of Later Jin or the Ming, jaws would surely drop. As the renowned “Mergen Daicing Beile,” Dorgon’s first thought upon encountering a Ming army was not annihilation or total defeat—but whether he could repel them. The implications behind this were enormous.

Yueto’s face was equally cautious. Watching the Ming battle formation, he slowly replied, “Fourteenth Uncle, if we compare martial skill and bravery alone, Yue Yang’s Yingzhou troops are still somewhat inferior to our Eight Banner warriors. But what truly makes them formidable is their firearms. These muskets have a range of two hundred paces. Whether we send cavalry in a rapid charge or have infantry advance steadily, there’s one unavoidable problem—how do we even reach them? Unless we have a large number of cannons to support us, I personally do not recommend launching an immediate attack.”

“Cannons!”

Hearing this word, Dorgon could not help but give a bitter smile. As a state that had risen from a nomadic background, firearms were unquestionably high technology to the Later Jin. Not only did they lack cannons, they also lacked qualified artillerymen. Especially after Nurhaci had been mortally wounded by cannon fire and later died, the Jurchens’ desire for artillery had reached an unparalleled level. This was precisely why, after Shang Kexi led his artillery battalion and a large number of cannon-casting craftsmen to defect to the Later Jin, Hong Taiji had overruled all opposition and ennobled him as a prince. The Later Jin’s thirst for cannons was simply too great.

This time, when Dorgon and Yueto led their troops here, they had originally thought it would merely be an armed show of force. Naturally, no one would be foolish enough to drag along those heavy cannons, each weighing hundreds or even thousands of jin. But upon seeing the current situation, the two of them were instantly dumbfounded.

Without cannons, there was no way to suppress the enemy’s firearms. Sending their own men in to fight head-on would result in enormous casualties—perhaps even costing them their very foundation.

Huang Taiji sat astride his horse nearby, remaining silent. A defeated man was hardly in a position to speak of valor; having just suffered a loss, he had become mute.

“We could attack them from both flanks…” Yueto began, but then shook his head. He had already clearly seen that over a thousand cavalry guarded each flank of the Ming formation. If he attempted a pincer attack, it would likely fail—and instead result in his forces being encircled by the enemy cavalry and infantry working together.

At this moment, a scout galloped in from the distance. Reaching Dorgon and Yueto, he loudly reported, “Reporting to the two Beile: this servant was scouting nearby with Lord Bahabu just now and discovered that six thousand cavalry of the Chahar tribe are observing the battle from about one li behind the Ming formation. Lord Bahabu has sent me to ask how they should be dealt with.”

“The Chahar tribe?”

Upon hearing this, Yueto and Dorgon’s eyes lit up simultaneously. Even Huang Taiji, who had been silent, suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “That’s right! If we can’t break the Yingzhou army’s formation for the moment, can’t we at least deal with those useless Chahar troops led by a bunch of women?”

He then shouted, “Fourteenth Uncle, Yueto, let me go this time! Just give me three thousand troops, and I’ll wipe out those Chahar wastes in one sweep. Then I’d like to see what the Yingzhou army will do!” His face was filled with ferocity as he spoke.

“Hm, that could work.” This time, there was no trace of mockery in Dorgon’s eyes. He nodded slowly and said to Yueto, “What do you think?”

“I think it’s feasible,” Yueto nodded without hesitation. “As long as we crush the Chahar forces, Yue Yang will definitely not stand by and watch. After all, he has quite a lot of infantry. Once their formation moves, we’ll have our chance!”

“Good, then it’s settled!” Once Dorgon made a decision, he acted decisively. “Huang Taiji, I’ll assign you two thousand cavalry right now. Together with your own Bordered Yellow Banner troops, that’ll be over three thousand men. Your task is to rout the Chahar forces in the shortest possible time! Remember… rout them, then drive them toward the Ming formation. Do you understand what I mean?”

A flash of excitement passed through Huang Taiji’s eyes. He responded loudly and then rode off eagerly.

Watching Huang Taiji’s departing figure, a faint, almost imperceptible glint flashed through Dorgon’s eyes. Turning to Yueto, he said, “If Huang Taiji can drive the Chahar troops into chaos and disrupt the Ming formation, then it will be our turn to strike.”

“Rest assured,” a fierce light also flashed in Yueto’s eyes. “This time, I will definitely avenge our defeat beneath the walls of Hunyuan Prefecture!”

While the Yingzhou army and the Later Jin forces were locked in their standoff, about one li behind the Ming lines, Namu Zhong was leading Siqintu and the others, commanding more than six thousand Mongol cavalry, standing quietly atop a hill and observing the situation ahead. They had watched for quite some time, yet after the Later Jin army arrived, it merely stood there, making no move to attack.

Siqintu, puzzled, asked Namu Zhong, “What’s going on? Why are those Jurchens being so well-behaved today?”

Namu Zhong shook her head as well, indicating she did not know. At this moment, Bater stepped in to explain, “The two Consorts may not know this, but the reason the Later Jin army hasn’t attacked immediately is because they are wary of this Ming force. They aren’t confident of victory, so they’re observing and searching for the Ming army’s weaknesses. You saw the power of the Ming firearms just now. Dorgon and Yueto are both seasoned commanders. Before they identify the enemy’s weakness, they won’t lightly launch an attack.”

When Bater mentioned the power of the Ming firearms, the expressions of Namu Zhong and the others subtly changed. Earlier, when Huang Taiji led more than two thousand cavalry charging forward with terrifying momentum, even they had broken into a cold sweat for the Ming army. Yet the outcome that followed had utterly stunned them. With just two volleys of gunfire, Huang Taiji’s cavalry was thrown into complete disarray. In less than a few minutes, several hundred cavalrymen were lost, forcing Huang Taiji to turn tail and flee. The scene had been truly shocking.

Thinking of this, even Siqintu—who had the least favorable opinion of Yue Yang and his men—could not help but nod in reluctant acknowledgment. But then she asked somewhat unwillingly, “If that’s the case, Bater, can you tell where the Ming army’s weakness lies?”

Bater gave a wry smile and said, “If I had that kind of ability, our Chahar tribe wouldn’t have been bullied by the Later Jin to this extent.”

Just as Bater was speaking, a faint but distinct sound of galloping hooves suddenly came from the right flank. Bater listened carefully, froze for a moment—and then his face changed drastically as he cried out, “I know where the Ming army’s weakness lies!”