Chapter 72: My Green Dragon Crescent Blade Has Long Been Thirsty

The Li Family’s courage was thus frightened, or rather, tricked out.

After all, they had no other choice.

Although the Li Family once dominated Liaodong, that was during the time of Li Chengliang and Li Rusong. Especially Li Rusong, who was truly favored by the Wanli Emperor. As a military officer holding the Imperial Sword and overseeing a region, he made many civil officials look on with envy. But after Li Rusong’s death, the Li Family had already lost its past glory. They no longer possessed the conditions to dominate an area alone, and after the defeat at Sarhu, they had even less. By this time, the Li Family could no longer afford to provoke the civil officials. If the civil officials truly wanted to make an example of them to warn other generals trying to rise up, the Li Family really had no power to resist.

Their only hope was that the Wanli Emperor would continue to protect them.

But for the Wanli Emperor to protect them, they first had to be useful to him. Right now, it could be said to be a moment of life and death for the Li Family.

They had to take a risk.

Anyway, even if they failed, it would just mean losing a few thousand more soldiers.

“Where is Chahua now?”

Yang Xin asked.

“Chahua entered Zhenxi Fort yesterday. Aobadaiqing led the original coalition forces of Zaisai’s various tribes south from Qingyun Fort to join him. It’s said Zhong Nen of the Jarud Tribe is among them. Also, Nuantu has arrived with his forces. Combined, the various tribes have at least thirty thousand cavalry, boasting publicly as one hundred thousand.”

Li Rubai said.

Li Ruzhen was hopeless, but Li Rubai at least had some ability.

“What about the Jiannu?”

Yang Xin asked.

“The Jiannu left ten thousand as garrison. Hurhan is left to guard Kaiyuan with forces, while three thousand are stationed at Tieling, commanded by the old slave’s son Abatai. Our army still controls the two cities of Yilu and Puhe.”

Li Rubai said.

That meant the current situation was: The Ming Army, with Shenyang as the front line and Yilu and Puhe as outposts, faced off against Abatai’s three thousand Jiannu troops across the Fan River. Behind Abatai were the seven thousand main forces under Hurhan, one of Wild Boar Skin’s five chief ministers. Once the Ming Army counterattacked Tieling, Hurhan would arrive immediately. In field battles, the combined forces of Li Ruzhen and He Shixian could not defeat him. And lurking beside this confrontation zone were Chahua’s gathered thirty thousand cavalry from the Inner Khalkha Five Tribes, watching for an opportunity. Who they would help depended on the situation. But to the north, there were still Wild Boar Skin’s fifty thousand main forces, entangled with Jin Taiji and his nephew at Yehe City. If the Ming Army counterattacked Tieling here, Wild Boar Skin might give up on Yehe and turn his main army around to deal with those daring to stab him in the back.

And even with the Ming Army and Mongols combined, they might still not win.

On the Ming side, Xiong Tingbi was powerless. At most, he could scrape together just over ten thousand capable fighters.

Yang Xin was playing with fire.

Truly playing with fire.

If Wild Boar Skin were truly angered and decided to rely on the grain from Kaiyuan and Tieling, abandon the Yehe Tribe, and attack Shenyang with full force, Xiong Tingbi would be furious.

But what if they succeeded?

Even if Wild Boar Skin launched a fierce attack, could the Ming Army hold firm and defend Shenyang?

In the war against Wild Boar Skin, the best method was to lure him into attacking cities, then deplete his strength.

“Gentlemen, we must move fast. Jin Taiji said he can hold out for half a month at most. Beyond that, even if he wants to persist, his subordinates will surrender. Nearly half that time has already passed. At the latest, the day after tomorrow we must appear at the walls of Tieling, then take it in one go at the fastest speed. Otherwise, we will have to face Wild Boar Skin’s returning fifty thousand main army. I will open the city gates for you two. You need not doubt this. Once the gates are open, Chahua will not be able to resist. The remaining fighting inside Tieling will be up to you. Then we must clear Tieling at top speed and feign an attack on Kaiyuan. Once Wild Boar Skin turns his army back, we withdraw at the fastest speed. Regardless of whether Wild Boar Skin subsequently invades Shenyang, the Jiannu heads we harvest in this battle will be the Li Family’s lifeline for survival. You might as well buy those harvested by the Mongols too. You can negotiate a price with them in advance.

Two thousand Jiannu heads will be enough to shut those civil officials’ mouths.”

Yang Xin said.

“But what if Wild Boar Skin invades Shenyang?”

Li Rubai said.

It must be said this guy was really useless, so scared of Wild Boar Skin his legs went weak.

“Lord of Xiaocheng, I truly don’t understand. You possess a strong city with a circumference of nine li and walls two and a half zhang high, all brick-faced, over ten thousand soldiers, and no less than twenty thousand able-bodied men who can take up weapons at any time. Why fear a group of savages who, apart from climbing ladders, hardly know any other attack methods?”

Yang Xin said, unable to bear it any longer.

“I myself have killed nearly a hundred Jiannu on the battlefield, including at least one Niu Lu E Zhen. A military household soldier from Jinzhou who went with me to the Yehe Tribe also killed no less than thirty. This is what the Jiannu are. Could it be that the Li Family’s elite veterans who followed you through countless battles are inferior to an ordinary military household soldier? What about Wild Boar Skin? Wasn’t he just a household servant under your esteemed father?”

He continued.

The Li brothers, Li Rubai and Li Ruzhen, fell into an awkward silence.

“Gentlemen, wealth is only wealth if you live to spend it!”

Chen Yujie added fuel to the fire.

“Ah!”

Li Rubai sighed deeply.

Poor these two old brothers, both over sixty, looking much older after being tossed about by the two of them.

Of course, they deserved it.

If not for their family’s playing with the bandits to enhance their own importance, Wild Boar Skin would not be where he was today.

“I’ve been corrupted by you!”

Chen Yujie lamented after they came out.

Just think, he was a proper government student nurtured since childhood in the way of sages and worthies, a handsome talent from a scholarly family south of the Yangtze. Since making this troublemaking friend, he had participated in harboring fugitives, brawls, bribing officials, and now even forging someone else’s letter to frame the Minister of War. At this moment, he was like a good girl who had just finished reveling in a nightclub, standing dazed with a drunken expression and disheveled clothes before the dazzling lights, suddenly looking back…

Where am I?

What have I done?

“That only means beneath your refined exterior lies a wild soul!”

Yang Xin said.

“Wild?”

Chen Yujie pondered, not yet satisfied.

“But it is indeed quite exhilarating!”

He said.

“What do we do next?”

Cao Wenzhao asked.

“You write a letter to fool Xiong Tingbi, make him think nothing happened here. Dress up those five hundred Capital Garrison troops nicely, and tell them the time to gain merit and receive rewards has arrived!”

Yang Xin said.

This was easy. Even though it was only about a hundred li away, Xiong Tingbi truly knew nothing about Shenyang at this time. He had sent civil officials to inspect several times, but no one would go. He forced Yan Mingtai to go north, but old Yan cried his way back at Hupi Post. Angered, Xiong Tingbi finally came himself, even personally leading a thousand soldiers to the destroyed Fushun Pass to mourn the fallen Ming soldiers.

And up to now, Chen Yujie was practically the first one he sent to inspect Shenyang.

“What else do you want to do?”

Chen Yujie said warily.

“Is Chahua so easy to trap? To make him decide to help us, we need to see if we are truly determined to counterattack. He is also an old fox; he won’t act without seeing the rabbit. He won’t be used as our pawn. To make him fight the Jiannu, it can only be when we truly counterattack. On the contrary, if we ourselves lack this determination, he won’t be foolish enough to face Wild Boar Skin alone. He has no need to. So he must be made to know that this time, Xiong Tingbi is personally leading the army north. These five hundred Capital Garrison troops are for this purpose. I also need someone to impersonate Xiong Tingbi. Additionally, you really must forge a letter from Xiong Tingbi, but no need to sign it. They have letters from Xiong Tingbi; the handwriting can be easily compared. Whether it’s signed or not, they won’t care, given their style.”

Yang Xin said.

This battle could not rely on the Li Family.

From start to finish, his goal was to trick Chahua into being the pawn. Deceiving the Li Family into going north was just to prove to Chahua that the Ming Army was indeed launching a large-scale counterattack. But the Li Family alone was certainly not enough. The Li Family only represented the Shenyang Ming Army. Xiong Tingbi appearing among the Ming Army attacking Tieling would truly mean a large-scale Ming counterattack.

Chahua indeed did not like Wild Boar Skin extending his hand into the grasslands. But to say he would fight Wild Boar Skin to the death over this was unnecessary. His insertion into this war was speculative business: showing strength and grabbing as much profit as possible. Simply put, he came to wait and see the price. But to try to preserve the Yehe Tribe as much as possible, to push Wild Boar Skin back into the mountains and forests—this principle was not unchangeable. Whether he chose the Ming Army depended only on the Ming Army’s determination to restore the old order in Liaodong.

In short, he too had to be deceived.

Deception, enticement, and also intimidation.

Speaking of which, Yang Xin’s Green Dragon Crescent Blade had been thirsting for a long time.

“Xiong Tingbi will kill me if he knows I did so much behind his back!”

Chen Yujie exclaimed in astonishment.

“No, he won’t. He has no reason! Li Ruzhen has already burned the letter. No matter what he says later, as long as we don’t admit it, Xiong Tingbi ultimately cannot find evidence. With Chahua, as long as there’s no signature, it cannot count as you forging his letter. Same handwriting doesn’t count; without a signature, it’s not forgery.”

Yang Xin said.

Of course, the important thing was to succeed.

As long as they counterattacked and recaptured Tieling, then Xiong Tingbi would tacitly accept all this.

The Ming Army desperately needed a victory at this time. Xiong Tingbi was not that kind of pure civil official. Coming from a military household background, he retained some military commander style. He recognized victory; the victor would be forgiven. As for truly angering Wild Boar Skin into turning his army back to attack Shenyang, what could Xiong Tingbi do then? He would have to fight with all his might. And then he would be even more unable to do without Yang Xin and the others. Including Chen Yujie, he couldn’t do without him either. During this time, Chen Yujie had been truly planning strategies with him, especially the casting of new-style cannons, even coaxing Xiong Tingbi to purchase Red Barbarian Cannons.

And he also understood European-style bastions.

Such a talent was worth forgiving some mistakes.

Chen Yujie suddenly turned to look at Huang Zhen.

At the same time, Yang Xin also fixed his eyes on his so-called uncle.

The latter looked at them blankly.

“Looked at this way, there is some resemblance!”

Chen Yujie said.

“But it still needs some makeup. I need some women’s makeup things!”

Yang Xin said, feeling the same.

“What do you need women’s things for?”

Chen Yujie asked, puzzled.

“You don’t understand. It’s rumored in the martial world that one of the four great dark arts of Asia is makeup. Those skilled in this art can make an old woman look like a young wife, turn men into women, women into men, so that parents cannot recognize their children up close, and wives and children cannot recognize their own family. I, Yang, happen to have dabbled quite a bit in this art!”

Yang Xin said with a serious face.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Huang Zhen said, clearly uneasy.

Then the two unscrupulous fellows across from him chuckled.