MLMD -Chapter 370 The Fall of Shanhaiguan

Wu Xiang and his father had fled, but Wu Sangui and Wu Sanfu had not. Even retreating had its considerations—if the whole family had fled at once, leaving Shanhaiguan leaderless, everything would have immediately descended into chaos. It was necessary to leave one or two people behind to maintain command.

After lunch, the Xuanda army resumed its attack. The high-altitude reconnaissance battalion once again flew over the city walls, dropping explosives, while the artillery continued bombarding the walls. But unlike that morning, the artillery now used shrapnel shells instead of solid shots. The reason they hadn’t used shrapnel shells earlier was simple: shrapnel had a shorter range than solid shots, and they were more difficult to manufacture, store, and transport. The number of shrapnel shells carried was also limited, so Zhao Yongxin had been reluctant to use them in the morning battle. But with the fight already at this stage, he threw caution to the wind and ordered the switch as soon as the bombardment began. For a time, the sound of explosions along the walls of Shanhaiguan was constant, and the defenders suffered unbearably.

“Boom…”

A twelve-pound shrapnel shell exploded less than thirty steps from Wu Sangui, the violent blast lifting the surrounding blue bricks. Flying debris tore through three nearby defenders, leaving them bloodied and mangled.

“Someone… save me…”

“Hurry… help me get my brother down…”

The shrill cries never ceased, mingling with the desperate pleas of soldiers all around.

Hearing these screams, Wu Sangui felt a deep irritation. The Xuanda army’s artillery barrage was far too dense, and the worst part was that they had actually brought shrapnel shells. Wu Sangui was familiar with them—back in the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, the army already had shrapnel shells. But at that time, they were extremely expensive, costing almost five taels and five qian each. By the end of this battle, the money being spent wasn’t just shells—it was a fortune.

Explosions continued to rock the walls. At some point, Wu Sanfeng ran up to Wu Sangui and asked, “Second brother, we need to prepare. If this keeps up, the brothers won’t hold out. Should we retreat too?”

“No!” Wu Sangui shook his head. “Father and third brother just left. We cannot move yet; if the army collapses now, none of us will be able to escape!”

“When then?” Wu Sanfeng, exhausted after half a day of fighting, admitted his fear. Though he prided himself on his bravery, he now trembled before the unstoppable artillery.

“At least two more hours,” Wu Sangui said after a moment of thought. “Father and third brother are taking family and valuables, so they can’t move fast. Two hours from now, it will be dark. We can slip out under cover of night—unnoticed. By dawn, even if the city falls, the Xuanda army won’t catch us.”

“Alright then.” Though still afraid, Wu Sanfeng nodded, and soon ran off to command the troops elsewhere.

But things did not go as smoothly as Wu Sangui had predicted. Bombarded relentlessly by the Xuanda army from sky and ground, the defenders’ morale was already on the verge of collapse. Despite the efforts of Wu Sangui and Wu Sanfeng to rally them, by mid-afternoon the Xuanda forces had scaled the walls. Wu Sangui desperately sent men to retake the walls, but it was hopeless. Soon, the Xuanda army had secured a foothold on the walls, and more troops poured in. When the first unit of arquebusiers climbed up, Shanhaiguan was officially breached. Seeing the situation hopeless, Wu Sangui immediately grabbed Wu Sanfeng, and the two brothers, with several hundred loyal soldiers, followed the path their father had taken in flight…

Luck was on the Wu brothers’ side. They had barely passed the northern gate when Shanhaiguan fell completely. The Xuanda army poured in; the fortress, hailed as the “First Pass Under Heaven,” had succumbed in just one day.

“The city has fallen…”

“The city has fallen…”

Yue Yang sat atop his horse, watching countless soldiers pour into the majestic city, feeling a strange emotion. Though Shanhaiguan was said to be impregnable, history recorded multiple breaches. Today, he was fortunate enough to be among those who had taken it—but why did he feel no joy?

“Young master…”

Shunbao’s voice came from beside him. Yue Yang turned to see Shunbao looking worried. He quickly scolded, “You! You’re a guerrilla general now, yet you still call me ‘young master’ all the time. We are in the army—if anyone overhears, they’ll gossip.”

Shunbao lowered his head, feeling wronged. “I’ve been calling you that for over ten years. It’s just a habit.”

“Ah, you…” Yue Yang sighed and waved him off. “But this is the last time. Now go do your work.”

“Yes!” Shunbao’s face lit up, and he rode off happily toward the city gate. Watching him go, Yue Yang shook his head. He knew Shunbao was deliberately acting this way. Since Yang Guozhu, Hu Dawei, and other former Xuanda generals had joined his command, Shunbao, Hu Laosan, Wu Chengfeng, and others seemed to feel a threat, constantly vying with each other. For Yue Yang, this was welcome: a leader fears nothing more than a unified subordinate force. When subordinates form competing groups, it’s easier to maneuver and control them.

Once the Wu brothers fled, the remaining defenders immediately lost central command. Most surrendered, kneeling before the Xuanda army; only a few stubborn soldiers resisted, but it made no difference. By nightfall, Yue Yang’s forces had fully occupied Shanhaiguan. With seventy thousand troops, all strategic positions were taken. But when the soldiers rushed into the Wu residence, they found it empty, save for a few old servants. The Wu family had vanished hours earlier.

“They must have gone to Jinzhou,” Yue Yang concluded without hesitation. The Wu family had nowhere else to go.

“Order the troops to rest here tonight. At dawn, march on Jinzhou immediately!” he commanded.

The next morning, Yue Yang left over fifty thousand troops to march toward Jinzhou, leaving ten thousand under Chu Di to guard Shanhaiguan.

The Wu brothers soon caught up with Wu Xiang’s convoy. The Wu family, fearing delay, pressed forward day and night, reaching Jinzhou on the third day.

When Zu Dashou saw the battered and exhausted Wu family, he could hardly believe his eyes.

“‘Erhuan’ (Wu Xiang’s courtesy name), Changbo, how did you end up in such a state? What happened?”

“Uncle…” Wu Sanfeng, Wu Sangui, and Wu Sanfu all knelt and wept. The youngest, Wu Sanfu, sobbed, “Uncle, Shanhaiguan… Shanhaiguan is lost! That cursed Yue Yang and the Xuanda army have taken it!”

“What… is this true? What happened?” Zu Dashou was shocked. Even known for his composure, his hands trembled as he tried to help the Wu brothers up.

After the Wu brothers recounted the events, Zu Dashou took a deep breath. “So Yue Yang came under imperial orders to capture us?”

Wu Sangui shook his head. “I don’t know if Yue Yang had an official order to capture my nephew. We never saw an imperial edict. But one thing is certain: Yue Yang came with no good intentions. He must think highly of us to bring seventy thousand troops into Liaodong. He won’t rest until our families—the Wu and Zu—are completely wiped out.”

Zu Dashou sighed. “No wall is completely sound. We should have anticipated exposure when we led the Qing troops into the pass. I underestimated the emperor and his ministers’ reaction.”

The youngest Wu Sanfu snorted, “We just opened the pass. The Qing troops have now withdrawn, and the pass is garrisoned again. If the court wants to punish us, a mere reprimand and demotion would suffice. But instead, they sent the Xuanda army—clearly aiming for our lives!”

Wu Xiang spoke without noticing the wry smiles of Zu Dashou and others. At seventeen, Wu Sanfu could speak freely, but the elders knew better. The Wu and Zu families’ recent actions—receiving pay without serving, selling military goods, conspiring with the Qing—had crossed the line the court could tolerate. Now the Xuanda army, the strongest in the Ming military, was sent to deal with them. Zhu Youjian truly hated them to the bone.

Zu Dashou finally said, “What’s done is done. Since we’re here, we must settle in. Erhuan, stay here. Jinzhou isn’t as strong as Shanhaiguan, but it won’t fall easily to Yue Yang.”

The Wu family exchanged glances, swallowed their words, saluted, and went to arrange their troops.

Zu Dashou turned to Zu Dale, Zu Dazhou, and eldest son Zu Zerun. “Put the city on full alert. Have able-bodied men transport stones and logs to the walls. Check the cannons and firearms. If my intuition is correct, Yue Yang will arrive tomorrow.”

Zu Zerun worried, “Father, Jinzhou has a few tens of thousands of soldiers, but food is limited. If Yue Yang besieges us, what then?”

“True,” Zu Dashou considered. “Zerun, move your mother and family overnight to Jiepaiguan. Inform your uncle to do the same with his family.”

“Jiepaiguan?” Zu Zerun was shocked. “Father, only two thousand soldiers there, and it’s less than two hundred li from Shengjing. You intend to…” He dared not finish, realizing the plan—and fearing it.

“You guessed correctly,” Zu Dashou grimly smiled. “I am planning for the worst. Shanhaiguan fell in a day despite its fortifications and tens of thousands of soldiers. Can Jinzhou withstand Yue Yang’s attack? If Jinzhou falls, would you really want to be captured and executed in Beijing?”

“But… we cannot submit to the Qing!” Zu Zerun stammered. “We’ve fought them for years, killed many. If we go to them, can we survive? And the current emperor, Dorgon, isn’t Hong Taiji. If…” He could not continue.

“And do you have a better solution?” Zu Dashou asked, leaving Zu Zerun silent. Indeed, aside from submitting to the Qing, they had nowhere left.

After convincing his son, Zu Dashou turned to Zu Dale and Zu Dazhou. Both shook their heads. Zu Dale sighed, “Brother, what can we say now? We are family. The road we chose, we bear together. Though loyal in our time, now…” His voice faltered.

Zu Dashou’s eyes reflected fleeting regret. Then he said harshly, “No time for that. The court wants us dead. We will not hand ourselves over. Zerun, act immediately. The fate of our family rests on today!”

His intuition proved correct. The next morning, the Xuanda army from Shanhaiguan arrived outside Jinzhou. Seeing the fluttering Sun and Moon banners, Zu Dashou and the Liaodong commanders felt a surge of emotion. Once, they too had served the Ming army under that flag, fighting alongside these soldiers. Now they were enemies. Fate had twisted them so.

Though Jinzhou’s leaders were prepared, seeing the army still maintaining high morale after days of marching, in perfect formation, they could not help but shiver.

The troops looked familiar in flag but unfamiliar in attire: all in green, and seemingly unarmored. Zu Dale asked Wu Sangui, “Changbo, what’s with these Xuanda soldiers? Why no armor? Aren’t they known for wealth and resources?”

Wu Sangui shook his head gravely. “Do not underestimate the garments. At Shanhaiguan, though they seemed unarmored, each soldier wore sleeveless light armor weighing less than five jin. It’s tough—arrows and swords cannot pierce it. Their infantry could march eighty li a day and still keep up with us to Jinzhou because of this.”

All grew more serious.

On the city gate, Zu Dashou saw a red horse slowly emerge from the formation. A green-clad rider stepped forward and raised what looked like a telescope toward the walls. Liaodong commanders, with their own spyglass, saw him clearly.

Though unfamiliar, Zu Dashou immediately sensed his distinction. “This must be Yue Yang, Yue Zhenghong.”

Wu Sanfu ground his teeth. “The wretch Yue Yang! He brought the Xuanda army to slaughter our men at Shanhaiguan!”

Watching Yue Yang, calm on his horse, Zu Dashou muttered, “Truly formidable. No wonder he can make the Manchus flee.”

The Xuanda army did not immediately assault the city. After a tense standoff, they withdrew and set camp about ten li away.

Though Yue Yang did not attack today, Zu Dashou and his commanders remained vigilant. A brutal battle awaited them the next day…