Chapter 5: The Truly Talented Individuals

Wang Pu said in a deep voice: "Are you also Han Chinese?"

"No, no, no." That fellow waved his hands and said, "I will definitely speak the truth, I will definitely speak the truth"

The scout, Xiao Qi, who was responsible for leading the way, noticed wisps of smoke rising in the distance. He hurriedly rode back to report this discovery to Wang Pu

Xiao Qi received the order and departed

That fellow anxiously said: "Yes, yes, yes, I am indeed a Han person, a genuine Han person without a doubt"

A suffocating heaviness began to permeate the air, and the eyes of every servant revealed a look of despair; no one wishes to die, for all fear death. What Wang Pu desired was precisely this effect. The Bible states that to bring about destruction, one must first drive them to madness, yet Wang Pu's creed is that to drive one to madness, one must first instill despair. Only the madness that erupts from despair is true madness, the kind that belongs to beasts. What Wang Pu desired was precisely this effect. The Bible states that to bring about destruction, one must first drive them to madness, yet Wang Pu's creed is that to drive one to madness, one must first instill despair. Only the madness that erupts from despair is true madness, the kind that belongs to beasts.

Wang Pu urged his horse eastward, raising his right arm and swinging it forward with great force, and shouted sternly: "If you are a man, then follow me!"

What is your name

The scar-faced man grinned menacingly and said, "There’s no need to gnaw on dry rations with cold water, hehe."

This time, venturing alone into Liaodong will undoubtedly be a matter of life and death. We will be surrounded by over one hundred thousand enemy troops, with no reinforcements, no supplies, no support, and even no hope! Many among us, possibly all, will likely die in Liaodong, and it is very likely that not even our remains will return to our homeland

Is there smoke? A glint of murderous intent flashed in the big man's eyes as he sneered, "That must be a village of the Jianzhou bandits. It seems we won't have to sleep outdoors tonight, hehe."

As long as Wang Pu remains alive, the Wang family will not fall, and they will continue to enjoy a life of luxury and abundance, with their family members also able to partake in fine food and drink. However, if Wang Pu were to die, the Wang family's influence in Datong would dissipate, and as the retainers of the Wang family, they would lose their support, leading to displacement and a lack of basic necessities, ultimately becoming refugees.

The three of them responded in unison and each took their leave to carry out their respective orders

The little person is truly talented

This final sentence is akin to a spark igniting a pile of dry kindling, instantly awakening the most primal instincts within this group of retainers. One by one, they mounted their horses, following Wang Pu as they surged eastward. In the east, a rising sun slowly emerged from the horizon, casting the entire land of Liaoxi in a hue reminiscent of blood, a vivid crimson.

... ...

Hong Taiji could not have imagined it, and others could not have imagined it even more. Since Nurhaci raised his banner, the Later Jin army and the Ming army have fought hundreds of battles, with the Ming army rarely achieving victory. Moreover, apart from the Battle of Sarhu, where the Ming army took the initiative to attack, all the other hundreds of battles were initiated by the Later Jin army. In such a context, who could have thought that the Ming army would launch an attack on Shengjing

Burn the grain of the invading forces

Xiao Qi did not miss the opportunity to flatter, saying: "As expected of the general, your considerations are indeed more comprehensive than ours"

"Very well, I will reluctantly believe you," Wang Pu said in a deep voice. "Now, this general will ask you questions; answer one question for each I ask. If you dare to deceive this general, hmph, this general will peel off your skin and stuff it with mugwort to make a human skin lantern"

Over a thousand attendants were silent as a sparrow, and amidst the rustling dust of the wind, only the warhorses occasionally snorted a few times.

At this time, the Manchus had already migrated from the barren and harsh Changbai Mountains to settle in the Liaohe Plain, centered around Shenyang. Hundreds of thousands of Han people, captured from the Central Plains, were confined in various estates, treated like livestock and enslaved. Later, when the Qing soldiers entered the pass, hundreds of thousands of banner people moved to Beijing to enjoy power and privilege. The fortunate Han people who survived also followed them into Beijing, becoming the servants of the banner families. Subsequently, when Wu Sangui rebelled, the descendants of these servants, under the leadership of Zhou Peigong, achieved military merits.

In the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen era (1641), the Ming Empire experienced a nationwide drought, with Liaodong also suffering from parched lands and rivers running dry. As a result, the over one thousand retainers led by Wang Pu were able to successfully cross the Daling River and the Liao River

This is quite a predicament. That fellow is lamenting endlessly, but a petty person truly is a Han person; even with the audacity of a petty person, he would not dare to deceive you, military officer.

"No, please don't!" That fellow was so frightened that he nearly wet his pants. He immediately bowed repeatedly and pleaded, "Sir, please don't kill me. I am not a traitor; I am also a Han person."

The big-bearded man clenched his iron fist and resolutely said, "Yes, General, wherever you go, we will follow you there"

That fellow busily said: "Sir, if I were not Han, how could I speak such fluent Chinese?"

Emperor Hong Taiji never imagined that a cavalry unit of over 1,000 riders from hetushu.com was already advancing towards Shenyang under the command of General Wang Pu from Datong

The big-bearded man and the scar-faced man nodded repeatedly

However, what I want to tell you is that there are two ways for a person to die. One is the coward, who is beheaded by the oppressors in despair. The other is the man, who, even in death, will take a few oppressors down with him, who, even in death, will first sleep with the oppressors' women, burn the oppressors' grain, and destroy the oppressors' cities, turning these Tungus savages into destitute paupers

"That is hard to say," Wang Pu remarked, "Some of the Jurchen traitors can also speak fluent Chinese."

The three individuals expressed their determination to Wang Pu, their unwavering loyalty stemming partly from a sense of gratitude and partly from their own vested interests

Wang Puda: "What reason do we have to trust you?"

Indeed, the general is correct

Yes, first sleep with the woman of the Jianzhou

When Wang Pu led over a thousand soldiers in a relentless charge towards Shengjing, Huang Taiji was waiting in the main camp for reports of victories from various armies

As dusk approached, Xiao Qi returned, and this fellow did not fail his mission, indeed bringing back a live captive. The man was short and stocky, with an unattractive appearance, sporting two tufts of dog-like whiskers on his face, resembling a clown. Xiao Qi grabbed the small braid on the man's forehead and yanked him in front of Wang Pu, threateningly asking: "General, do you prefer to light a lantern or skin a person?"

Let these Tungus people go back to their grandmother's house

After Wang Pu expressed his decision, Xiao Qi, Da Huzi, and Dao Ba Lian were initially taken aback. However, after their shock, the three quickly reached a consensus.

The other more than one thousand servants are similar; their interests are closely tied to Wang Pu's life, death, honor, and disgrace.

After the sound of the three gongs, the well-trained servants quickly assembled, each leading a warhorse and forming a neat military formation on the grass by the river. Wang Pu rode his warhorse and slowly passed in front of the ranks, and the eyes of all the servants followed him as he moved. The current Wang Pu felt somewhat unfamiliar to these servants; they even found it hard to believe that the young man before them, with a hawk-like gaze and an air of murderous intent, was indeed their familiar young master, General Wang Pu.

"Do not rush." Wang Pu glanced at the sky and said in a deep voice, "Wait until it gets dark, and the enemy soldiers have all returned to the village before we act, to prevent any from escaping and exposing our troops' movements"

Eliminate all the Jianzhou bandits

It was not until we crossed the Liao River and ventured thirty miles in that we first saw the cooking smoke

The journey to Liaodong is bound to be fraught with peril, constantly facing the threat of disaster. If we do not fully unleash the beastly instincts of this group of retainers, transforming them into a pack of inhuman beasts, it will be impossible to navigate this treacherous path to the end

Xiao Qi listened with blood boiling and said, "Well said, if we are to die, let us die together; on the road to the Yellow Springs, we shall not be alone"

The scar-faced man, with a fierce glint in his eyes, said in a menacing tone: "Since the general has already made the decision, there is nothing more to discuss. Even if the stronghold of the enemy is a den of dragons and tigers, I, the scar-faced man, will venture in. After all, the lives of my entire family are given by you, General. For your sake, I would not hesitate to walk on a mountain of blades or into a cauldron of boiling oil; I, the scar-faced man, will never flinch!"

Brothers, I will not waste words. The reason I have gathered you here is for one matter: we cannot return to Songshan. Over a hundred thousand Jurchens have completely surrounded the entire Songshan camp, and retreating now would only lead to death! The only path before us is to march eastward, directly into Liaodong and seize Shenyang, destroying the Jurchens' stronghold! Then we will detour through Korea and return to Dengzhou by sea. This is our only chance for survival!

The desperate servants, incited by Wang Pu, began to go wild, their eyes bloodshot, roaring like beasts

At this time, Liaodong, due to the bloody massacres by Nurhaci and his son Huang Taiji, was no longer the prosperous scene it had been decades ago when the renowned general Li Chengliang defended the region. Guangning, Haizhou, Gaizhou, Fuzhou, and Jinzhou had all become desolate lands, with not a soul in sight within a thousand miles. Wang Pu led his troops from the Daling River straight to the Liao River, and along the way, he did not encounter a single inhabited village.

"Alright," Wang Pu nodded and said to Xiao Qi, "Xiao Qi, gather all the brothers together; I have something to say to them"

Xiao Qi asked Wang Pu: "General, should we destroy this village now?"

Wang Pu said in a deep voice: "Big Beard, Scarface, let the brothers take the time to rest, and make sure not to run around to avoid being discovered. Xiao Qi, take two of the more clever brothers to scout ahead; it would be best to capture a live one to inquire about the situation. We have now penetrated deep into the heart of Liaodong, surrounded entirely by the Jianzhou people, so we must be cautious in all matters."