nucmednet Chapter 605 Unwilling to Fight
Chapter 605 Unwilling to Fight
Upon hearing Gartu mention ships and sea routes, Abatai realized: "That's possible, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get ahead of us. But this Qionghai Town is truly detestable, like a persistent ghost, haunting us. I wonder what benefits the Ming emperor promised them that made them so diligent?"
Gartu said worriedly, "Your Highness, there is something I'm not sure if I should say?"
Abatai glanced at him. "What do you want to say?"
"In this raid on Shandong, we lost all our wealth and lives, and suffered heavy losses. In Han Chinese terms, we 'lost both our wife and our army.' We've also missed the deadline for joining forces with Prince Wuying, and we'll face military punishment upon returning to Shengjing..."
Abatai's face gradually darkened. Although Gartu had encouraged him to raid Shandong, it was ultimately his own decision. To say such things at this time was tantamount to slapping him, a prince, in the face. The fact that he would be punished by military law for delaying the rendezvous was already a worry for him, and yet they had to bring it up again.
Gartu glanced at his face and knew he was upset, but for the sake of the army's fate, he had to speak. So he gritted his teeth and blurted out everything he had to say.
“My lord, we have lost everything we plundered and all our people, and we have suffered a defeat. The morale of the entire army is low, and it is not advisable to fight the enemy here. I suggest that we avoid getting entangled with this Guangdong army, bypass them and head north, so as not to delay the deadline for returning to the interior.”
Abatai's hand had already touched the riding whip, ready to teach this outspoken subordinate a lesson, lest he embarrass himself further with his words. But when he heard the next sentence, he was stunned. Was this an advice to run away at the first sign of trouble?
He glanced at the several Niru Zhangjings surrounding him and noticed that they all lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with him, clearly believing that Gartu was right.
Abatai was heartbroken. These elite troops of the Plain Blue Banner, who had built an absolute psychological advantage over the Ming army over more than a decade of warfare, had been utterly defeated in a single battle. To think that fleeing before the fighting even began was the Ming army's specialty! When had it become their turn?
In truth, this was also related to his own decisions. He had abandoned the money and people he had painstakingly plundered in Changyi, and instead took a long detour to avoid the army in Qionghai Town, fleeing in panic. This had already foreshadowed the fact that his entire army was unwilling to fight today. Once an army is defeated and flees, even just once, its morale collapses.
Suddenly, Abatai could understand the psychological state of the Ming army's repeated defeats: the successive defeats had created a strong psychological suggestion that they would doubt themselves and lose all confidence when they saw a powerful opponent. They would collapse completely at the slightest setback. No matter how famous the general was, he would be powerless to reverse this situation.
He couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, it turns out that my Great Jin is not invincible, but simply hasn't encountered a strong enough opponent..."
Fearing that Abatai would completely lose confidence, Gartu tried to salvage the situation: "Your Highness, don't underestimate yourself. It's not that we're afraid of these Guangdong soldiers; it's just that the deadline is approaching, military law is strict, and we're not going to get entangled with them..."
“You don’t need to say anything more.” Abatai waved his hand to stop him. “I, Abatai, have fought for decades. I can win and I can lose. I will not sacrifice the elite of the Plain Blue Banner here for the sake of my own face. If I have to accept military punishment when I return to Shengjing, I will bear it alone. It has nothing to do with you.”
Gartu and the Niru officers were deeply moved upon hearing this. They dismounted and knelt on the ground, saying in unison, "Your subordinates are willing to stand with Your Highness through thick and thin, and share the blame and punishment!"
Abatai raised his hand to signal them to stand up. "Now is not the time to talk about this. Stand up. With a formidable enemy at hand, the most important thing is to get through here safely. Find someone to ask about the terrain around here, and also see if there are any other troops stationed here. If there is only one army in Qionghai Town, it will be easier."
Gartu summoned a Han Chinese military commander whose ancestral home was Hejian Prefecture. The man said, “Your Highness, this place is very close to Tianjin. If I remember correctly, besides the three Tianjin garrisons, there are also the troops of the Tianjin General. In addition, there are the troops of the Baoding General, which is a hundred miles away, and the Tongzhou General, which is even further away. Individually, none of these troops can match us.”
"There's still a force in Tianjin?" Abatai asked, somewhat troubled.
If it were just the infantry of Qionghai Town, he was confident he could escape unscathed. He could escape once in Changyi, and he could escape a second time in Tianjin. Qionghai Town was a strange force, almost entirely equipped with firearms, yet extremely lacking in cavalry, unlike other Ming Dynasty generals. Their strengths and weaknesses were equally obvious. Without artillery, defeating them head-on was extremely difficult, but if they wanted to escape, the enemy couldn't catch them. However, if the Tianjin general's troops joined the battle, it added many variables. No matter how weak their fighting strength was, as long as a few thousand cavalrymen fought relentlessly, they could buy Qionghai Town enough time and opportunity to pursue them. The thought of Qionghai Town's overwhelming artillery fire and formidable bayonet formation made Abatai uneasy; he really didn't want to experience such a bitter battle again.
He continued, "If we want to go to Shunyi, is it the fastest route from Tianjin? Are there any other routes that can bypass this?"
The Han army commander replied, "To the east is the sea, with no way to go; a little to the west, we'll go around to Baoding, where the Baoding garrison is still stationed; further west, we'll go in a big circle through Xiongxian and Gu'an, where there aren't many troops stationed, but the terrain is complex, and the Baiyangdian area is full of lakes, which is not conducive to marching..."
After hearing the explanation, Abatai fell into deep thought. Geographically speaking, going through Tianjin was the shortest and easiest route; detouring through Baoding would not only add considerable distance but also expose him to the threat of a pincer attack from the Baoding general and the Qionghai garrison; the route through Xiongxian and Gu'an was safer, but the march would be difficult, and maintaining the army's food supply would be a huge burden. Which of the three options should he choose?
He looked around; everyone was waiting expectantly for his decision. This decision would determine the fate of the entire army, and no one could help him; the power to decide rested entirely in his hands.
After taking a deep breath, Abatai finally spoke: "Send out the order to send three thousand men to hold off Qionghai Town, while the main army charges straight there, taking the Tianjin route."
Gartu and the others did not question his decision and responded in unison, "As you command!" The order was then passed down from level to level, and the paused army began to move forward again, the thunderous sound of hooves echoing across the plain.