Chapter 9: Nurhaci
Ah? This response truly left Nurhaci utterly astonished. Upon hearing these few words, Nurhaci involuntarily compared this Tang Feng to himself during his youth in Jianzhou, and could not help but exclaim, "Alas, heroes emerge from the young. You princes and brothers should take note, this Han youth is remarkable. If I, Nurhaci, am not mistaken, he will be the only obstacle to our dominance in the Central Plains, provided, of course, that he serves the Ming Dynasty." As Nurhaci spoke, he walked back and sat down on the tiger-skin chair.
"Bring him into the tent." With his eyes closed, Nurhaci suddenly commanded. Following the order, the guards under Huang Taiji brought a Han man into the tent. The man limped as he entered the golden tent, and before he could raise his head to see who was seated above, he was pushed from behind by the guards and fell to his knees on the ground. He trembled intermittently, clearly showing signs of great fear. He was pushed from behind by the guards and fell to his knees on the ground. He trembled intermittently, clearly showing signs of great fear
Dai Shan let out a long sigh, and with a heart full of trepidation, he stepped into the golden tent. Upon raising his head, he unexpectedly met the imposing gaze of Nurhaci, who radiated authority even without anger. Dai Shan quickly lowered his head, walked respectfully to Nurhaci's seat, and silently knelt down.
At last, the city wall of Ningyuan Xingcheng appeared in their sight, and the villagers were all visibly delighted. This time, there was no need for Tang Feng to urge them; they took the initiative to quicken their pace. Meanwhile, the person Tang Feng had sent out to seek reinforcements from Ningyuan Xingcheng was also returning in a gloomy mood.
The team continued to advance, but Tang Feng always felt an ominous sensation in his heart. Therefore, he personally led forty-seven individuals to both cover the rear and set up some small traps along the way. The purpose was not only to inflict damage on the enemy's cavalry but, more importantly, to slightly delay the enemy's marching speed.
Hong Taiji and Dai Shan exchanged a glance, both realizing that something was amiss. This time, Nurhaci had actually sent his personal guards to deliver a message, a situation unprecedented in the past. This clearly indicated that Nurhaci had already heard reports from others and was likely waiting with a surge of anger for the two brothers.
Well, my second brother, the invincible general who usually does not suffer defeats, why have you returned today in such a disheveled state? Is it because the opposing Ming army is formidable, or have you been too clever for your own good and fallen into their trap? I have entrusted you with the command of both red banners, and those brave warriors are the stalwart men of our Later Jin. Now, they have been carelessly lost because of you. Daisan, do you know how many families have been ruined because of this? Do you know how many wives and children are waiting for their husbands and fathers to return? You useless thing, how dare you come back to see me? You should have fought to the death alongside those young men in Fuzhijia Village; that would not have disgraced the honor of our Aisin Gioro family. Your cowardice has made me misjudge you. From now on, you will no longer command these two red banners. Huang Taiji, these two red banners will be temporarily assigned to your command. Daisan, you are stripped of the two red banners and your title of beile, starting as a du tong. Your future rank will depend on your military achievements. " After Nurhaci finished speaking, he saw Daisan merely bowing his head in silence, not rebutting him at all. His anger was somewhat alleviated as he glanced at the other brothers in the tent and then at the court officials. He then slowly inquired, "Has anyone investigated this matter thoroughly? Which unit of the Ming army was responsible for Daisan's defeat in this ambush? Who was the commanding officer leading the troops?" After speaking, he cast a fierce gaze over the faces of the civil and military officials present.
Dai Shan watched as Huang Taiji hurriedly departed, knowing that Huang Taiji would not likely speak well of him. He merely hoped that the Buddha would bless him by not speaking ill of him. With a long sigh, Dai Shan called over the commander beside him, instructing him to take the remaining cavalry to find a shaman to treat the burns. He then borrowed a robe from Huang Taiji's subordinates and, feeling reluctant and unwilling, came to meet Nurhaci. With a long sigh, Dai Shan called over the commander beside him, instructing him to take the remaining cavalry to find a shaman to treat the burns. He then borrowed a robe from Huang Taiji's subordinates and, feeling reluctant and unwilling, came to meet Nurhaci.
"I, a humble one, bow down to the great Khan. As long as I know anything, I will certainly speak the truth to the great Khan," said the cripple, as he forcefully bowed his head several times to Nurhaci, who was seated above.
Dai Shan felt somewhat guilty as he looked at Huang Taiji, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally managed to say a few words. "Eighth brother, you must help your elder brother this time. By the way, I will go change my robes first; I cannot meet Father in this attire. You go ahead, and I will follow shortly." Dai Shan planned to let Huang Taiji go first, allowing Nurhaci to vent his anger, and then he would go afterward. After all, he still had many military achievements from the past to rely on, which should at least compensate for this defeat.
The guard did not expect that the usually arrogant Dai Shan, known for being extremely stingy, would act so unusually this time. He actually rewarded himself with a full twenty taels of silver, which had never happened before. In a low voice, he leaned close to Dai Shan's ear and said, "Second Prince, today the Great Khan is truly enraged. When you go in, just keep your head down and take all the blame upon yourself. This way, perhaps the Great Khan will show some leniency towards you." After speaking, he bowed his head and stepped aside.
Oh, still as meticulous as ever, Old Eight. You all should learn from him. Taiji, just let him in. " Nurhaci casually instructed, leaning back in the tiger-skin chair, tilting his head back and slightly closing his eyes. The civil and military officials in the tent, including Daisan who was kneeling on the ground, did not dare to utter a word, standing quietly in attendance.
Thank you very much, these silver coins shall all be given to you, after all, who knows what fate awaits this prince after this?" After saying this, Dai Shan took out a few pieces of silver from his bosom and stuffed them all into the hands of the guard in front of him
The lame man's eyes, at this moment, sparkled with light, no longer shying away from anything. His pair of triangular eyes stared directly at Nurhaci, and saliva unconsciously dripped from the corners of his mouth. This sight filled Nurhaci with even greater disgust, prompting him to quickly distance himself further from him
Seeing this, Nurhaci felt a wave of nausea in his heart and quickly stood up, maintaining a certain distance from the cripple. After pondering for a moment, he asked again, "Do you know where he is now? I greatly admire him, and if I could recruit him to serve under my banner, I would certainly reward you handsomely." Having said this, he fixed his gaze on the cripple, waiting for a response that would satisfy him.
"Reporting to the Great Khan, I, a humble servant, have secretly overheard that they intend to head to Ningyuan and Xingcheng to seek refuge with a Ming dynasty general named Yuan Chonghuan." The cripple recounted everything he knew to Nurhaci in detail.
In response to the question, the lame man said, "In our village, there has never been a garrison of the Ming army, nor has there been a Ming general stationed here." His answer subtly confirmed what Nurhaci had in mind, yet he felt somewhat unwilling to accept it. He then continued to ask, "Do you know who led the villagers to defeat my iron cavalry? Speak the truth quickly." As he spoke, Nurhaci's murderous intent became apparent.
As expected by Tang Feng, Nurhaci's advance troops indeed pursued from behind. However, they were led into a fork in the road by the cavalry of Erlaizi, which bought a little time for Tang Feng's weak and elderly group. Not willing to be a fish on the chopping block, Tang Feng instructed a clever individual to hurry to Ningyuan Xingcheng to inform Zu Dale of the situation, urging him to quickly gather troops for support. Additionally, he informed the local villagers to increase their pace.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the temporary golden tent, Daisan reined in his horse and leaned down, straining to listen to the sounds within the large tent. Strangely, there was not a single sound coming from inside. At this moment, Daisan felt increasingly uncertain, as he was preoccupied with his thoughts. When he dismounted, he failed to properly remove his foot from the stirrup and fell to the ground, with one foot still caught in the stirrup. Fortunately, a guard stationed at the entrance of the golden tent, seeing the situation was dire, swiftly seized Daisan's reins and managed to hold the horse.
The cripple kneeling on the ground, feeling a moment of fear, shrank back slightly, and then mustered the courage to respond, "That is Fu Mei from our village, the one without a father. I heard they also call him Tang Feng? This person is just a boy." After finishing his words, the cripple wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, looking obsequiously at Nurhaci's toes, waiting for Nurhaci's reward.
Emperor Hong Taiji gestured to his personal guards stationed at the door, indicating with a hand and a * map * book. The guard immediately understood and went down. Before long, a voice was heard at the entrance of the golden tent, reporting loudly, "I report to the Great Khan and all the princes, the person has been brought in."
All the civil and military officials fell silent as if frozen in fear, none daring to speak. Nurhaci, witnessing this, felt a sense of frustration as he did not even know who the other party was, thus suffering a silent loss. His anger surged within him, and just as he was about to unleash his wrath on the civil and military officials in the tent, suddenly Hong Taiji emerged, paying his respects to Nurhaci. After straightening up, he replied, "In response to Father Khan, I have some insights regarding this matter. On my way back to see you, I encountered a Han man who claimed to be from Fuzhijia Village. He stated that there were no Ming troops stationed in the village; it was merely because I was anxious to return that I did not question him in detail." After Hong Taiji finished speaking, he waited quietly for Nurhaci's inquiry.
Oh, I ask you, has the Ming army ever been stationed in your Fu family village? Which general of the Ming Dynasty was in charge?" Nurhaci squinted slightly, staring at the Han person in front of him, his hands tightly gripping the armrests of the tiger-skin chair, his body leaning slightly forward
"What are you saying? Is he really just a boy?" Nurhaci was taken aback, and it was no small matter; he immediately stood up. He walked up to the cripple, bent down, and asked him face to face, his eyes seeming like knives, piercing straight into the cripple's heart
Reward this Han person with fifty taels of silver, but detain him in the army until we capture that Tang Feng, at which point he may be released. Furthermore, convey my command to the troops to immediately march to Ningyuan and Xingcheng; I wish to personally meet this young man who resembles Zhou Lang. After Nurhaci finished speaking, he waved his hand to Hong Taiji. Hong Taiji understood immediately and hurriedly ordered the guards to take the cripple away and keep him under strict surveillance.
Huang Taiji had long understood the intentions of Dai Shan and did not refuse. He nodded to Dai Shan and said, "Then please, Second Prince, make yourself comfortable. I shall return first to avoid keeping the Great Khan waiting anxiously. I will certainly speak a few good words for my elder brother in front of Father King." After saying this, he waved his hand to the commander under him, whispered a few instructions, and then, accompanied by his guards, hurriedly made his way to Nurhaci's temporary golden tent.
Tang Feng had not yet spoken, but he could already tell from the expression on the other person's face that they were definitely unwilling to send troops. "Wang Liang, is it true that Ningyuan and Xingcheng are unwilling to send troops?" Although Tang Feng had guessed the outcome, he still wanted to understand the details. Why exactly were they unwilling to send troops to assist him? Was it possible that they feared there were troops from the Later Jin mixed in with his forces?
In response to the Great Khan, the petty man stated that every word he spoke was the truth. If the Great Khan did not believe him, he could inquire in the village to see if such a person existed. This individual lost his father at a young age and has been living with his mother, relying solely on himself to gather firewood for sustenance. Recently, he married a young girl from the village. In the past, he had defeated Japanese pirates and even killed officials appointed by the court. Great Khan, everything I know has been conveyed to you. Now, where can I go to receive my reward?" The crippled man, with a shameless grin, asked Nurhaci with a face full of springtime cheer.
As Tang Feng led the villagers away from Ningyuan Xingcheng, still two li away, Erlai Zi also brought along forty-seven elite team members to catch up with him, joining together at the rear of the villagers' procession to provide support for them.
"The Han person kneeling below, you need not be afraid. I merely wish to ask you a few questions. If you answer my inquiries truthfully, I shall reward you." Nurhaci raised his head and fixed his gaze on the lewd-looking cripple before him, speaking to him in a calm manner.
Brother Feng, I followed your instructions and went to Xingcheng to find Zu Dale. But guess what he told me? He said that the commander has issued an order that no one is allowed to arbitrarily move the troops in the city out of the city. He also mentioned that they have heard about the incident involving the troops of the Later Jin passing through Fujia Village. However, their commander analyzed that Nurhaci is not here to pursue us, but rather to attack Ningyuan and Xingcheng. He also asked me to convey a message to you, which was also said by their commander: to quickly detour around Ningyuan and Xingcheng, as a great battle is about to unfold here. So I had no choice but to return, which goes against your instructions, and Wang Liang is willing to accept the punishment for this.