“It’s not us, it’s me. The three of you are responsible for preparing an escape route for me. Eunuch Guo, you can teach me some basic Manchu now. I don’t need to ambush the Later Jin army. I just want to kill Nurhaci.”
When Lu Xuan spoke, the other three, despite being mentally prepared, were still stunned by his directness.
"This... Brother Lu. You are the number one master I have ever seen. I don't think there is a martial artist stronger than you. But the feat of capturing an enemy general from among ten thousand troops is usually just a legend. You might..." Lu Wenzhao tried to persuade him, but Lu Xuan interrupted him directly.
“I’m not going to rush in, kill people, and then rush out. Even I would need to plan this carefully. But we don’t have enough time, so we have to keep things simple. We’ll wait for you on the main road the Later Jin will take to defend their territory. I’ll explain my plan to you on the way.”
“Brother Lu, I, Lu Wenzhao, have never admired anyone in my life. But today I must say something. Based on what you did today, no one in the world can match you. I, Lu Wenzhao, am convinced. No matter what the outcome is, today, I entrust my life to you.”
"Shen Lian is also risking his life. If I can exchange my life for Nurhaci's, then I can fulfill my father's wish to serve his country."
In the original novel, Shen Lian's father was likely a soldier in Qi Jiguang's army and later became a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. After Shen Lian's sword was broken by Ding Baiying, he replaced it with his father's Embroidered Spring Blade.
The three of them finally turned their gaze to Guo Zhen.
Guo Zhen was in a terrible predicament. He genuinely didn't want to risk his life with these three lunatics. However, given the current situation, these three were planning something that would result in certain death. If he didn't comply with their wishes, they might just chop him up on the spot.
"My brave warriors, you are loyal to your country! Although I, Guo Zhen, am a eunuch, I still have some ambition. I want Nurhaci's life!"
"Okay, let's set off now."
Marin was defeated, but in reality, he shouldn't have been defeated so quickly. He had 30,000 troops, while the enemy had less than 20,000. This was a head-on clash. The Ming army had ample firearms. Even though their cavalry was far inferior in quality, it should have been more than capable of defending.
However, he still lost. Because the loyal and patriotic Pan Zongyan, leading the follow-up troops, not only failed to provide timely support, but also collapsed even faster than the vanguard (???). With Pan Zongyan's retreat, Ma Lin immediately lost cover. The Later Jin elite cavalry broke into their formation and instantly routed them. Nurhaci annihilated Ma Lin's unit, then led his troops to pursue Pan Zongyan, defeating him as well. Afterwards, Nurhaci felt the battle was won. To prevent chaos in his rear, he prepared to return to the capital.
He arranged for generals such as Anba Beile to join other troops in a joint attack on Liu Ting. Afterwards, Nurhaci hurriedly returned to the Later Jin to stabilize the situation in the rear.
.............
“This must be the place Nurhaci had to pass through on his way back to the capital. There are still hoofprints of their horses on the ground,” Shen Lian said after carefully observing the terrain.
“That’s right. This road is quite rugged all around, but this section is the flattest and smoothest. Moreover, the view is wide and it’s not easy to be ambushed. If I were the general leading the troops, I would definitely take this route. But Brother Lu, I understand your plan. You want to hide underground and take advantage of the army’s passage to launch a surprise attack from the middle and kill Nurhaci.”
But if we bury you underground, how would you know that Nurhaci was passing overhead? He would be returning to defend the capital with several thousand elite troops, a force stretching for hundreds of meters. How would you accurately locate Nurhaci?
Shen Lian and Guo Zhen were also curious about this question. The three of them looked at Lu Xuan together.
“As the commander-in-chief, Nurhaci would certainly be protected by his troops in the middle of the formation. Now that it is wartime, his guards would certainly be on high alert at all times. For this reason, they would need to maintain a fixed formation. As a result, their pace would definitely be different from that of the scattered soldiers around them. If you listen carefully, it should be easy to tell the difference.”
Lu Wenzhao: "..."
Shen Lian: "......"
Guo Zhen: "......"
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Chapter 112 The Fate of a Traitor
Lu Xuan certainly wouldn't simply bury himself. The four of them first dug a long, narrow pit. Then Lu Xuan lay down in it, and placed a ring of stones around his body. Next, they placed two heavy shields on top of the stones to cover his body, preventing it from being directly trampled by the warhorses.
Then they covered the shields with mud, deliberately making the surface uneven. Snowflakes were still falling from the sky, which would soon cover up these minor traces. Afterward, Lu Wenzhao, Shen Lian, and the others quickly left the area. They began setting up various traps and mechanisms at the agreed-upon location, while waiting for Lu Xuan.
The wait was long and agonizing. At least Shen Lian and the others, waiting in the outer woods, were almost frozen stiff. Just then, they finally heard the sound of horses' hooves.
“They’ve arrived. At least three thousand elite cavalry. There’s a big shot among them, but we’re not sure if it’s Nurhaci.” Lu Wenzhao handed the monocular telescope to Shen Lian.
Shen Lian took it and looked at it. He still couldn't tell who the people in the very center were.
"No matter who it is, the one returning to defend at this time must be a high-ranking official of the Later Jin. Killing him would definitely be a win."
“That makes sense. The only worry now is whether Brother Lu can make it out alive.”
“That’s what I’m worried about too. We’ll take it one step at a time. Even if we don’t get out of here, killing a general of the Later Jin will be worth it. Eunuch Guo, if things come to a head, we will do our best to let you leave alive. When that happens, you will be the one to tell future generations what happened here.”
Guo Zhen opened his mouth, but in the end, he agreed. He really didn't want to stay here and risk his life. But he had to admit that what the three men were doing was indeed admirable. At least in his life, he had never seen anyone more crazy or more respectable than the three of them.
"Rest assured, both of you. I, Guo Zhen, still have some influence in the palace. What has happened today will surely spread throughout the entire Ming Dynasty in the future."
"That's good. Everyone needs to have some ambition in life. I, Lu Wenzhao, am waiting for the moment when I become famous throughout the world."
"If the Shen family can bring honor to their ancestors through me, my parents in heaven can rest in peace."
...............
Meanwhile, Nurhaci led his 5,000 elite troops back hastily to the capital. He felt a growing unease. Theoretically, the Ming army had four units. Three were currently under his control, but the remaining unit had disappeared without a trace.
Li Rubai had originally sent a scout force of two hundred men to keep an eye on the enemy's movements. However, the enemy managed to outmaneuver the scouts by weaving through the mountains.
This greatly alarmed Nurhaci. If the enemy were to bypass his scouts and attack his main camp directly, the few old, weak, and disabled soldiers there would likely be no chance of resistance.
Moreover, the entire army had been mobilized. Morale was beginning to waver. Many soldiers were longing for their hometowns. This was a major factor that forced him to return.
After two days of fierce fighting, even these elite troops were beginning to tire. The march was slow. Nurhaci wanted to speed up the march, but he was somewhat helpless. At this point, forcing a rapid march risked danger if they encountered the Ming army's fourth route.
Li Rubai had no idea that his getting lost had sparked so many questions in Nurhaci's mind. He was currently wandering aimlessly in the mountains, trying to run back. "I don't even know where I am, how could your Later Jin scouts possibly know?" he thought.
Suppressing his growing unease, Nurhaci rallied his spirits and continued his journey back. Two consecutive days of fighting had left even him exhausted, and his concentration was clearly failing him.
At this time, the Ming army's third route army, led by Liu Ting, also began to encounter the Later Jin forces.
Note that Liu Ting is quite different from the three generals mentioned above. He was a true military officer, possessing both courage and strategy. Crucially, he had numerous solid military achievements: fighting against Burma, quelling the Luo Xiong Rebellion, resisting Japanese aggression and aiding Korea, among others. He won more battles than he lost, demonstrating extremely rich practical experience.
In fact, not long before, Liu Ting's forces had encountered a probing attack from 500 elite Later Jin cavalry. Their aim was to delay the Later Jin's advance and await reinforcements from Anba Beile's main force. Liu Ting achieved his greatest victory in the entire Battle of Sarhu, routing the Later Jin's 500 elite cavalry, killing nearly 100 and capturing over 100 alive. However, half of these were Han Chinese auxiliary soldiers who had been coerced into joining the attack.
Two of the three Niru were killed on the spot by Liu Ting. This made the subsequent reinforcements, including Beile Anba, much more cautious. Liu Ting was clearly different from the two incompetent generals before him. He was much more careful in his military tactics. He wouldn't recklessly charge like Du Fengzi, nor would he flee without a fight like Pan Zongyan.