MLMD -Chapter 267 Abatai Takes the Field

As the old saying goes, the soft fear the hard, and the hard fear the reckless. Engetu and Buyandai, who had always been meek and submissive in front of the Manchus, suddenly turned tough, leaving Ajige momentarily at a loss.

It wasn’t that Ajige lacked ruthlessness; rather, the relationship between the Qing and the Mongols was extremely delicate. Although the Mongols of today no longer possessed the valor of Genghis Khan’s era, they still numbered over a million people, whereas the Manchus, even at their peak, numbered only six to seven hundred thousand. Nurhaci and Hong Taiji had spent decades—through war, intermarriage, intimidation, and a whole series of measures—subduing the various Mongol tribes of the steppe, turning what had once been a powerful Mongol people into their vassals.

To solidify relations with the Mongols, over the past several decades the Qing had married off dozens of imperial princesses to the Mongol tribes. This showed just how much Nurhaci and Hong Taiji had invested to bind the Mongols to their war chariot. If the Mongol tribes were forced back into opposition, the consequences would be dire. Should responsibility be pursued afterward, even if Ajige escaped execution, he would certainly be stripped of his title and placed under house arrest.

For a moment, the situation grew tense. The group of goshiha beside Ajige glared angrily at Engetu and Buyandai, drawing their curved sabers and waiting only for Ajige’s order to hack these two audacious men into minced meat. It was the veteran general Yangguli, more tactful by nature, who quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

“Please calm your anger, Banner Lords. Just now, the Doroi Prince was merely speaking in anger. The Great Qing has always been on friendly terms with the Mongol people—how could we possibly mean you any harm? Moreover, the two of you are banner lords of the Plain Red Banner and the Bordered Red Banner. How could the Doroi Prince dispose of you at will? He was only anxious because the battle was going poorly. Please do not take it to heart.”

As the saying goes, even a fancy sedan chair needs people to carry it—whether in officialdom or in life, mutual courtesy matters. Since Yangguli had given both sides a way out, neither would be so tactless as to refuse it.

Buyandai and the other man had only flared up because they were pushed too hard. Now that Yangguli had stepped in to mediate, they naturally went along with it. After exchanging a glance, the two spoke to Ajige in unison:

“Your Excellency is too kind. The two of us are utterly loyal to the Great Khan. Just now we were merely anxious and spoke without restraint. We ask Your Highness to forgive us.”

At this point, what more could Ajige say?

He snorted lightly and said through clenched teeth, “Very well. Since this is your first offense, I’ll let it pass this time.”

With that, Ajige waved his hand. Buyandai and the other immediately understood that they had gotten through this ordeal and obediently stepped aside. In any case, they no longer wished to clash with that Ming force ahead—those cannon alone had blasted away so many of their men. If the fighting continued, who knew how many more would die? Such a hard bone could be left for someone else to gnaw on.

Suddenly, a goshiha pointed ahead and shouted, “Master, look! That Ming force is moving again!”

Ajige and the others looked—and sure enough, the Ming troops ahead were advancing toward them. Judging by their formation, they were launching an attack.

This caused Ajige and the others to change expression. Since their southern invasion began, they had swept all before them; Ming troops usually fled at the mere sight of them, with scarcely anyone daring to fight them in open battle. It was one thing that Ming cavalry had fought a battle with the Mongol Eight Banners earlier—but now even Ming infantry dared to advance and attack them. What had this world come to? Had everything changed?

With that thought, Ajige raised his telescope again to examine the troops ahead. Because of the distance and the limits of the telescope, he could only make out vague silhouettes.

Turning his head, Ajige asked the two behind him, “Buyandai, did you notice anything different about the Ming troops who shelled you earlier compared to other Ming units?”

Buyandai thought for a moment and replied, “Reporting to Your Highness, this Ming force is indeed different from the usual ones. Ordinary Ming troops wear red armor, their morale is low, and they certainly don’t have such formidable firearms. But this group is different—they wear black helmets and black armor, their formations are neat, and their firearms are extremely sharp. The rate of fire of those cannons was astonishing—one shot after another. Our warriors were blasted down in droves before they even reached them. This battle was truly a humiliating one for us.”

“Black helmets and armor, sharp firearms, disciplined formations?” Ajige murmured, a puzzled look appearing on his face. Suddenly his expression changed. He turned to look to the side and saw that Yangguli and Abatai had also changed expression. The three exchanged glances and almost spoke in unison:

“It’s the Yingzhou Army!”

At once, everyone’s face changed.

Yangguli blurted out, “So the Yingzhou Army—the ones who last time made Dorogon, Dodo, and Yueto suffer heavy losses—has arrived as well!”

Ajige murmured, “I should have realized it earlier. A force with such formidable firearms—throughout the entire Ming realm, only the Yingzhou Army fits.”

Abatai said solemnly, “Twelfth Brother, since it’s the Yingzhou Army ahead, we must deal with them cautiously. Otherwise, one misstep and we’ll suffer a great loss.”

As the saying goes, a man’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow. Yue Yang and his Yingzhou Army had long since become famous among the Qing high command. Now that their identity was confirmed, Ajige and the others immediately took the situation seriously.

A ferocious look appeared on Abatai’s face as he said viciously, “Twelfth Brother, since it’s confirmed to be the Yingzhou Army, then we absolutely cannot let them go. Since we have this opportunity today, we should wipe them out right here!”

Ajige didn’t answer immediately, but instead turned to Yangguli. “Do you think so as well?”

Yangguli nodded gravely. “Your Highness, although I haven’t fought Yue Yang personally, even the Doroi Beile and the Fourteenth Prince have suffered repeated losses at his hands. That alone shows he’s no ordinary man. Since our forces now have the numerical advantage, we should seize this opportunity to annihilate him in one stroke and eliminate a major threat to our Great Qing.”

“Mm, well said!” Ajige nodded. “Yue Yang is indeed a serious threat. The Great Khan once said that whoever captures or kills Yue Yang will be rewarded—those below the rank of prince will be promoted one rank; those at or above the rank of prince will be rewarded with three hundred carved-saddle horses, three hundred suits of armor, five hundred spare horses, and one hundred thousand taels of silver. If Yue Yang is captured alive, the Great Khan will even bestow a Dan Shu Tie Quan!”

At the mention of the Dan Shu Tie Quan, everyone’s eyes gleamed. Since late last year, after Hong Taiji changed the state name from Later Jin to Qing and proclaimed himself emperor, he had adopted many Ming-style rites and institutions, the Dan Shu Tie Quan being one of them.

The Dan Shu Tie Quan was an imperial certificate granting meritorious officials hereditary privileges or immunity from punishment. It was written in vermilion on an iron plate, hence the name. To ensure authenticity and prevent forgery, the plate was split in two, with the court and the recipient each holding half.

This was an extraordinary honor. So far, no one in the Qing had received such a distinction. Naturally, everyone coveted it. The moment Ajige mentioned it, eyes everywhere glowed green with desire.

Before long, Abatai stepped forward and declared loudly, “Twelfth Brother, let me take this merit. Allow me to lead the warriors and capture that Yue Yang alive to present to the Great Khan!”

Ajige looked at Abatai and smiled. “Very well. Since Seventh Brother has such resolve, that’s for the best. But Yue Yang is no ordinary man—are you confident?”

Abatai replied nonchalantly, “Twelfth Brother, rest assured. If that Yue Yang were to stay obediently in his main formation, it would indeed be hard to break through tens of thousands of Ming troops. But now that he dares to sally out on his own, don’t blame me for being ruthless. As long as I lead my own troops, I have a seventy percent chance of crushing his few small formations!”

“Good!” Ajige clapped his hands with a loud smack and laughed. “Since Seventh Brother is so bold, I’ll wait right here for your good news!”

“Excellent! Then I’ll be off!” Seeing Ajige approve his request, Abatai cupped his hands and left eagerly.

Watching the delight on Abatai’s face, a trace of unease rose in Yangguli’s heart. He said worriedly, “Your Highness, even the Fourteenth Prince and Yue Tuo suffered setbacks at Yue Yang’s hands. That shows he’s not easy to deal with. Is Beile Raoyu’s force not too thin?”

Ajige showed a faint smile, as if somewhat reluctant. “Of course I know that if Yue Yang were easy to fight, the Great Khan wouldn’t have specially promised a Dan Shu Tie Quan. But my elder brother insists on going—if I forbid him, wouldn’t that chill the hearts of the officers and men?”

Seeing Ajige’s seemingly helpless expression, Yangguli sighed inwardly. As a veteran who had followed Nurhaci since the founding days, there was little that could escape his eyes.

Abatai, though also a son of Nurhaci and a man of notable military merit, had been born to a secondary consort and thus held a relatively low position among the brothers. In rewards and promotions, he was often treated unfairly, harboring much resentment. After Hong Taiji became Great Khan, Abatai was repeatedly humiliated and punished.

For instance, when Hong Taiji ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor earlier this year, he began formalizing the hereditary ranks of the imperial clan. Among the brothers, the youngest—Dorogon and Dodo—as well as the nephews Haoge and Yueto, were all promoted to princes. Ajige himself was promoted to a commandery prince. Only Abatai remained a beile, merely given the honorific title “Raoyu” (meaning “abundant” in Manchu) before his rank to mark a distinction. Compared to a prince, the beile rank was two levels lower.

Whenever the Aisin-Gioro clan held family banquets, Abatai’s seat, being only a beile, was arranged below those of the heshuo beiles. Watching his younger brothers and nephews drinking merrily, he felt deeply humiliated.

Such humiliation was unbearable for a proud man like Abatai. His greatest wish was to raise his rank by two levels. That was why, upon encountering Yue Yang and the Yingzhou Army this time, he disregarded everything else and insisted on going into battle.

Soon, the mournful blare of horns echoed across the field. One unit of cavalry after another broke away from the main formation and charged toward the Yingzhou Army’s squares, while countless infantry with heavy shields followed behind.

Just as the Qing forces launched a massive assault on the Yingzhou Army, Wang Pu led the Datong troops back to the main formation. No longer did he possess the dashing appearance he had before the battle—after hours of fighting, his armor was stained with blood, scarred by blades and arrows, and the red cloak behind him had long since vanished. Upon returning, he immediately knelt on one knee before Lu Xiangsheng and spoke with shame:

“Governor, this subordinate is incompetent. I failed to drive the Tatars back. Please punish me!”

Lu Xiangsheng did not reproach him. Instead, he helped him up and comforted him. “General Wang, there’s no need to blame yourself. With only three thousand men, you held off over ten thousand Tatars without falling behind—that alone is commendable. I’m pleased enough as it is; how could I punish you?”

“Yes indeed,” others chimed in. “General Wang fought very well just now. This should be reported to the court for commendation, not punishment!”

“That’s right. Brother Wang fought splendidly—he deserves praise!”

Yang Guozhu, Hu Dawei, and others all came over to console him. They had seen the battle clearly—Wang Pu’s Datong troops had fought very well. If not for the Mongol cavalry’s numerical advantage, they would have been routed long ago.

As for Lu Xiangsheng, the overall commander, he understood the situation perfectly. Without Yue Yang blocking the pursuers, Wang Pu’s troops might have collapsed already. Though Wang Pu had suffered losses, the fact that he took the initiative to meet the enemy and fought so long with inferior numbers was already remarkable. Although the opponent had only been the Mongol Eight Banners, this point was conveniently overlooked by everyone.

After comforting Wang Pu for a few words, Hu Dawei pointed ahead and said, “Governor, the Tatars are on the move again—this time they’re heading for Brother Yue. What should we do? Should we go help him? Most of Brother Yue’s men are infantry—if they get entangled, they may not be able to withdraw!”

“Yes!” Wang Pu added. “Governor, you should order Brother Yue to pull back quickly. Otherwise, once the Tatar army swarms in, they’ll be in serious danger!”

Lu Xiangsheng shook his head, pointing ahead with a grave expression. “It’s already too late to withdraw. If Yue Yang retreats now, that Qing force will seize the chance to pursue. The Yingzhou Army isn’t all cavalry like yours—do you think infantry can outrun four-legged warhorses?”

“Then let us send troops forward immediately to support Yue Yang!” Hu Dawei stepped forward eagerly. “Governor, though I am unworthy, I am willing to lead my troops to support the Yingzhou Army!”

“Not yet,” Lu Xiangsheng said, still shaking his head. “The enemy’s intentions are not yet clear—we must not act rashly. Besides, the Tatars have only sent out over ten thousand troops so far. Yue Yang should be able to handle it. Still, we can’t be completely unprepared. General Hu, Sub-Commander Wu, General He—most of your troops are cavalry and can move fastest. I order you to quickly assemble your forces and be ready to reinforce Yue Yang at any moment. Do not delay!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

The three cupped their hands in unison. Even Wu Sangui, who secretly wished Yue Yang would die at Tatar hands, dared not utter a word of dissent. This was the battlefield—here, the commander’s orders were supreme. If he dared disobey, Lu Xiangsheng would not hesitate to use the imperial sword and take his head.

Just as Lu Xiangsheng ordered Hu Dawei and the others to prepare for relief, Abatai and his cavalry reached a point one li from the Yingzhou Army’s formation.

Looking at the infantry squares ahead, still standing in perfect order, a jalan ejen moved up beside Abatai and asked, “Beile, allow this subordinate to lead my men in a direct charge. I guarantee we can smash their formation in one go.”

Seeing his subordinate’s confidence, Abatai scolded him irritably, “Idiot! Didn’t you see the fate of the Mongol Plain Red Banner and Bordered Red Banner earlier? The Ming dogs may be cowardly, but their firearms are truly formidable. We can’t send our warriors to die for nothing.”

“Firearms?” the jalan ejen scoffed. “This subordinate thought the Ming dogs were only strong in their cannons. As long as we speed up and reach them, they’ll be helpless!”

In his view, Ming troops could only hide behind cannons. Once you rushed up close, those cannons became useless.

“What do you know!” Abatai glared at him. As a member of the Qing high command, Abatai knew far more than ordinary soldiers. Yue Yang’s most fearsome weapons were not cannons, but muskets. This information had long been passed up through Dorogon, Dodo, and Yueto, but to maintain morale, the Qing leadership had kept it secret. Thus, in the minds of ordinary Qing soldiers, Ming firearms were still as poor as ever—endure the first few attacks, and the rest would be a slaughter.

Narrowing his eyes, Abatai surveyed the field and pointed ahead. “Charqi, once the attack begins, you lead your cavalry to strike the Ming right wing and rout the cavalry there. Changadai, you lead your men to attack the left wing.”

After a pause, Abatai turned to a meile ejen beside him. “Botai, you lead the infantry in a frontal assault. We must devour this Ming force—and I want Yue Yang alive!”

“Beile, just watch!” the officers grinned savagely. “This subordinate guarantees we’ll capture that Yue Yang and bring him before you for disposal!”

In their eyes, with over ten thousand Qing troops encircling them, this was as sure as plucking a snail with three fingers.

“Good!” Abatai nodded. “Whoever captures Yue Yang will be rewarded by me with ten Han female slaves, twenty fine horses, five thousand taels of silver, and I will recommend him for promotion!”

“Thank you for the reward, Beile!” The three were overjoyed. After bowing their thanks, they exchanged glances, greed blazing in their eyes.

A quarter of an hour later, once the infantry had arrived, the three roared their commands and led their troops charging straight at the Yingzhou Army’s formations.

Yue Yang lowered his telescope, a cold smile on his lips. Turning to the messenger, he said, “Tell Zhao Yongxin: once the Tatars enter firing range, hit them hard—beat the gall and guts right out of them! And tell Wu Chengfeng to watch the flanks closely. If the Tatars break through either wing, I’ll hold him accountable!”

“Yes!”