nucmednet Chapter 635 An Unprecedented Victory
Chapter 635 An Unprecedented Victory
In fact, before Liu Ye could even relay the message, the pursuing troops from Shanxi and Xuanfu had already been routed by the counterattacks of Abatai and Yangguli. When it came to cavalry combat, these border towns were no match for the Later Jin.
Abatai's intervention, while not a complete turnaround, did prevent the army from collapsing. The army, initially routed by the attack on their commander, was revived under the leadership of Abatai and Yangguli, regaining their confidence at the battles of Shanxi and Xuanfu.
After cutting off the cavalry's pursuit, the Later Jin army was much more at ease facing the Qionghai infantry, who were at a greater distance. They fought and retreated until they reached the central position where they had set out.
The first thing Yangguli did after regaining his composure was to check on Ajige's injuries. After seeing them, he was somewhat relieved. Although the arrow was extremely powerful, even two layers of armor couldn't stop it, as it pierced through the armor. Fortunately, it was slightly off-center, about an inch away from the heart. Although the injury was serious, it wasn't fatal. If a doctor treated him carefully, there was a good chance he could survive.
After checking Azig's injuries, Yanguli turned his gaze to the other side.
Looking at the Qionghai Army, which was slowing down but still pressing forward, and the Ming Army, which was still eager to fight despite setbacks on both sides, Yang Guli asked bitterly, "Prince Raoyu, what should we do now? Although we have temporarily stabilized our position, the situation is still not good. What should we do with the people and goods in the rear?"
Ajige's burning, killing, and looting in the capital region yielded a great harvest, capturing over 100,000 young men and women and accumulating millions of taels of silver in valuables. What should have been a great achievement has now become a hot potato. Taking him along would be a burden, slowing down the march, and the Ming army, led by the Qionghai Army, would surely take the opportunity to attack. Leaving him behind would mean that this trip into the pass would have been in vain, with many people dying. How could anyone be willing to accept this?
Abatai had faced this choice before, and without much hesitation, he took a deep breath and said firmly, "There is only one way to go: abandon all our people and wealth, travel light, and return to the interior as soon as possible, lest things get complicated!"
"Give up everything?" Yanguli exclaimed in surprise. "Then we've come all this way for nothing! So many people have died today, how are we going to explain this to the Khan?"
Abatai calmly said, "When faced with two evils, choose the lesser. Now that the fate of Prince Ying is unknown, if we let him die on the way in order to protect our people and wealth, what do you think will happen to us?"
Yang Guli thought for a moment, then gasped, "I was too naive. Luckily, Prince Rao Yu reminded me..."
The Later Jin dynasty was not only known for its strict military discipline but also for its rigid hierarchy. Ajige, as the commander-in-chief of the army and the former banner chief of the Bordered White Banner (the current banner chief being Dodo), and holding the title of Prince, was one of the top figures in the Later Jin power pyramid. His death within Ming territory would undoubtedly cause a major upheaval, requiring not only accountability but also a complete reshuffling of the Later Jin's power structure. Someone always had to take the blame, and from Abatai and Yangguli to the Bordered White Banner's Gushan Ejen and Meile Zhangjing, no one could escape responsibility. Even if someone wanted to protect him, how could they face the wrath of Dorgon and his brothers? Even Huang Taiji, who secretly suppressed the two White Banners, as the overlord of the Eight Banners, had to publicly "uphold justice."
Yangguli groaned inwardly at the thought of the powerful and ambitious Dorgon brothers, not to mention the more cunning and ruthless Khan. This ruler of the Eight Banners showed no mercy when it came to punishing his own people. Amin, one of the Four Great Beile, was imprisoned to death on sixteen charges. How much more so would he, a marginal figure far inferior in status and power, be punished for failing to protect his commander? The single charge of failing to protect the commander-in-chief would be enough to make him suffer a fate worse than death.
Having figured out the pros and cons, the two quickly made a decision: abandon all their people and possessions, take only some valuables, and immediately retreat back to the interior of the pass via Lengkou.
The Plain Blue Banner men had no objections; they'd already lost in Changyi once, so they were used to it. However, the Bordered White Banner men were somewhat resentful. "We earned all this through our own abilities, following our master. Why should you, Prince Rao Yu, throw it all away with just a word? You don't care if it's not yours?"
Abatai only left the Bordered White Banner Gushan Ejen with one sentence: "I am not your master, and I cannot be the master of the Bordered White Banner. Then, Yingcheng Gong and I will take the others and retreat. You are responsible for protecting your master, these people, and the goods. I hope you can return to the interior alive. If you are attacked by the Ming army, don't blame us for not coming back to help. If you abandon your master and run away halfway, then you can expect to be beheaded by the Khan, have your property confiscated, and have your wife, children, and elderly parents exiled to the armored soldiers as slaves!"
Gushan Ezhen shivered, and sweat poured down his face.
"Please calm down, Prince Rao Yu. I was confused for a moment. As long as you are safe, the Bordered White Banner is willing to follow your lead and return to the interior together."
After unifying their thoughts, the army began to move. The front line became the rear line, and the rear line became the front line. Several Niru of the Bordered White Banner protected Ajige and went first, Yangguli brought up the rear, and Abatai directed the operation in the middle. Before long, the tens of thousands of troops withdrew from the battlefield, leaving behind more than 100,000 civilians and an endless line of wagons.
Hu Dawei and Yang Guozhu could hardly believe their eyes when they saw this. Fighting alongside the Qionghai Army and managing to repel the Tartars was already beyond their wildest dreams, but now the Tartars had actually abandoned all the captured people and property and fled in panic? Had the sun risen in the west? This was something that hadn't happened in decades.
Fearing this was a trap set by the Tartars to lure them in, the two men quickly went to the Qionghai naval camp to consult Xia Tiannan's opinion.
"General Liu, what are the Tartars up to? Could it be a trap?"
Liu Ye knew, however, that the Tartars had truly retreated. They had lost their fighting spirit in this battle, and with their commander's fate unknown, the Tartars couldn't afford to play the game of luring the enemy deep into their territory. Besides, Abatai had done something similar in Changyi, a "heroic sacrifice," so this was just a repeat of the same tactic.
He replied with a smile, "You two need not worry. The Tartars have been scared by our defeat and have truly left. You should quickly send cavalry up to collect the spoils of war, lest something unexpected happen."
Hu Dawei was delighted and picked up the reins to leave. Yang Guozhu, being more mature, asked, "May I ask, General Liu, what kind of wealth did these Tartars plunder?"
Liu Ye understood his meaning and readily replied, "Without your help, this battle wouldn't have been won so decisively. The valuables we seized from the Tartars are naturally ours, so let's divide them equally among the three families. However, all these people belong to me."
Upon hearing this, the two men's eyes narrowed into slits with delight, and they both gave a thumbs up: "General Liu is indeed straightforward, we'll do whatever you say."
After the Later Jin army disappeared on the horizon, all the soldiers could confirm that they had won the battle. They spontaneously began to celebrate, and cheers rose and fell, echoing outside Yongding Gate. In particular, many of the officers and soldiers of Shanxi and Xuanfu were sobbing uncontrollably. After so many years of humiliation, this battle had defeated the main force of the Tartar prince and beile. It could be called an unprecedented victory in the history of the dynasty. They had no regrets in their lives for being able to participate in such a great event.