MLMD -Chapter 87 Rescuing Dodo

The battlefield reverberated with the deep sounds of horns, occasionally pierced by the sharp notes of bugles — signals that two armies were slowly closing in on each other. Both sides revealed their sharp fangs, ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment.

“Everyone, form up! No whispering! No leaving your posts! Anyone who disobeys… will be executed!”
“Check your ammunition! Load your bullets!”

Officers shouted continuously through the ranks. Many soldiers’ faces were smudged with black soot — the residue of gunpowder that hadn’t fully burned in the matchlock guns.

The gunners who had just fought a battle now showed signs of fatigue, though most remained alert. In the previous fight, they had experienced things they never had before: the roar of matchlocks, the enemy’s screams, and the sound of blades and spears piercing flesh. During the cleanup afterward, many new recruits had vomited at the sight of bloodied corpses and severely wounded, still-living Jurchens. It was the first real lesson in the brutal reality of war for these green soldiers.

The thunder of hooves grew louder. The infantry, having just fought, now stood in neat formations across the grasslands, silently waiting for the enemy to arrive.

Finally, both sides drew near — two forces approaching rapidly, one after the other. At the forefront was a group clad in mismatched leather coats with sparse armor.

As the enemy came closer, Yue Yang, observing from the circular formation, gave a timely order:
“Command the troops — beat the war drums!”

Earlier, because horns and drums were cumbersome during marches, Yue Yang’s army primarily used bugles to relay orders. But in open-field combat, war drums were irreplaceable; they regulated marching speed and coordinated actions. Now, the drums’ thudding began again.

At that moment, one of the approaching cavalry units suddenly slowed to a halt. A rider then broke from the front, charging straight toward Yue Yang’s formation. As the rider drew closer, the soldiers could clearly see the figure — and everyone was stunned. The rider was a woman. A strikingly beautiful Mongol woman. How could this be? Why was a woman approaching the battlefield?

“What? She’s coming here?!”

Yue Yang, commanding from behind the formation, nearly dropped his telescope when he recognized her. It was Ha Lanzhu — the very woman he had come to marry.

“Damn it! Why is she in the middle of the battlefield?!” Yue Yang’s first reaction wasn’t joy, but cold sweat. Ha Lanzhu was now less than three hundred meters from the formation. If any soldier accidentally aimed their matchlock at her… his fiancée could be killed in an instant.

Without wasting a second, Yue Yang cracked his whip on his horse. The steed cried out in pain and galloped forward. Dozens of his guards followed immediately.

Yue Yang covered the distance in record time and reached Ha Lanzhu. Without a word, he grabbed her horse’s reins and led her back toward their formation, with dozens of guards forming a protective circle around them.

Finally, safely back in their ranks, Yue Yang turned to Ha Lanzhu, scolding her:
“You’re insane! Don’t you know where you are? If a soldier had slipped just now, not even ten lives would have saved you!”

Despite the scolding, Ha Lanzhu felt a warm sweetness in her heart. Experiencing love for the first time, she felt a rush of reward for her bold actions.

She said confidently:
“What’s there to fear? Would you really have shot me? I only worried you might be caught off guard by Dodo’s sudden attack. But you held your ground — you’re amazing!”

“Hmph… so the one causing trouble just now was Dodo? Who is he, and why did he target me for no reason?” Yue Yang asked, still annoyed. No one would be pleased to be attacked without cause.

“He’s one of the two Beiles escorting my sister for her family visit — one is Dorgon, the other Dodo. The one who harassed you was Fifteenth Prince Dodo.”

“Dodo… Dorgon…” Yue Yang muttered, suddenly stiffening. Dorgon’s name was extremely familiar — often appearing in later historical dramas. As for Dodo, though less famous, Yue Yang’s history knowledge made him no stranger either. He realized this was Dorgon’s younger brother — so why was he making trouble now?

“By the way, what about Dodo? You didn’t kill him, did you?” Ha Lanzhu asked. If her beloved was safe, it meant Dodo must have suffered a loss.

“Well… he’s still alive, for now,” Yue Yang nodded toward the faltering golden dragon standard not far off.

Ha Lanzhu and Akedun’s timely arrival had forced Wu Chengfeng to hold off attacking Dodo. Instead, he surrounded Dodo’s unit while sending a squad of cavalry to keep watch, not wanting to finish the fight only to be stabbed from the side by an unexpected enemy.

Seeing Yue Yang safe, Ha Lanzhu’s heart eased. She whispered:
“Yue Yang, you should let Dodo go. Though he was wrong, he is a Beile of Later Jin and escorting my sister. If anything happened to him, it would reflect badly on me and my father.”

“Let him go?” Yue Yang hesitated, glancing around. By now, her father, Zaisang, had arrived with several thousand Mongol cavalry, stopping less than five hundred meters away. Another unit of fewer than a thousand Later Jin riders also arrived, glaring at him. Yue Yang knew that if he ordered an attack, the nearby Beile’s men would not stand by. A fight would be uncertain.

After weighing the pros and cons, Yue Yang finally nodded:
“Alright. Since my fiancée is asking, how can I refuse? Today, he gets off easy.”

At that moment, Dodo, having separated from the Ming cavalry, quickly ran to Dorgon’s side. But the proud, imposing image of the Later Jin Beile from moments ago was gone. His golden dragon standard had been lost during his retreat; his white gilded armor was crooked; his face smeared with dust, sweat, and blood. He looked utterly miserable.

Seeing Dorgon, Dodo cried out:
“Brother Fourteen, you’ve got to handle this for me!” Tears poured freely.

Dorgon, torn between anger and sympathy, glared at his younger brother. His face darkened further.

“You’ve got the nerve to ask me to fix this? You’ve shamed the Aisin Gioro name!” Dorgon scolded.

Dodo lowered his head, saying nothing, knowing exactly how furious his brother was.

Thinking of their recent hardships — their mother Abahei was forced to be buried alive after Nurhaci’s death, Dorgon’s elder brother Ajige recently lost his position as Right White Banner leader, and Dorgon had only just claimed it with his loyal men — Dodo’s latest stunt would surely trouble Emperor Huangtaiji upon return to Shenyang.

Dorgon, frustrated but concerned, commanded:
“Say nothing. Follow me quietly to meet Ha Lanzhu’s fiancé.”

“What? We have to meet him?” Dodo shouted, furious:
“Brother Fourteen, he just killed hundreds of our Right White Banner warriors! He’s our mortal enemy! And you still want to meet him?”

“What do you want me to do?” Dorgon finally snapped, pointing at Dodo:
“You boasted you could wipe them out with five hundred warriors. Where are they now? Where’s your five hundred?”

“I… I…” Dodo stammered, unable to continue. The danger earlier had been too clear — his guards were nearly all dead. Without Dorgon’s timely arrival, he would already be a corpse.

“Hmph…” Dorgon glared at him and, without another word, spurred his horse toward Zaisang.

Zaisang and Wudamu had joined forces with Yue Yang’s group. Surveying the battlefield strewn with corpses, Zaisang’s heart raced.

He dismounted and approached a mangled body. Though the face was unrecognizable, the armor revealed he had been a subordinate of a Boshiku. The nearly-bulging armor indicated three layers of padded armor, with a gleaming chest plate that would have been impervious to ordinary bows and crossbows. Yet now, a bloody hole the size of an egg marred the chest.