Liaoyang held out for so long because of the heavy troop presence in the Beizhen area, two hundred li to the west. Although Jizhou could not send reinforcements, the Grand Governor, overseeing the overall situation, could still form a defensive perimeter from the outside. Coupled with this, the border walls, constructed during the early Ming Dynasty, continued to serve some purpose.
These border walls, nestled within the mountains, were effective in blocking large-scale enemy movements. Although only temporary, they created small windows of opportunity for the transport of grain and supplies from several cities to heavily fortified locations like Beizhen and Panshan Post. While Beizhen was not particularly close to Liaoyang, it was a flat plain, allowing chariots to sally forth in support and carriages to speed in supplies.
However, when Yang Bo ordered a halt to supplies that night, Liaoyang city erupted in mutiny by the following afternoon. First, the porters clamored to leave the city to find work, followed by the entire populace, and finally, the newly recruited soldiers. Wang Zhidao and Lang Degong attempted to intervene but lacked sufficient authority. By the following night, Liaoyang's defenses were merely a name.
At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) that night, three armies entered through the west gate. Wang Zhidao committed suicide, while Lang Degong, with a small contingent, broke through and took refuge in Beizhen.
At dawn on the third day,
Prince Jing only received the urgent report then and immediately led his army north at a gallop. However, the exact location of Tumun's command tent remained unclear. Although over a thousand men had been dispatched two days prior, and reports were trickling in, a definitive location could not be pinpointed. The reason for this left Prince Jing quite surprised—Kuai Shuge.
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Guo Hu was reluctant to reply, but being a man who deeply cared for the safety of his soldiers, he spoke with a touch of exasperation.
"Your Highness, your subordinate believes that even if it is a surprise attack, we could have waited a bit longer… Liaoyang has just fallen, the enemy's movements are unknown, and the Tumen people are nomads. Where their king's tent is located, it would be best to ascertain that before setting out… To be so sudden, this battle might not be easy to fight…"
Hmph,
Prince Jing snorted through his nose, but his face was smiling.
"The three of you, since even you are taken by surprise, it means my action is bound to succeed! Rest assured, I know where the king's tent is!"
Giddy-up!
He flicked his whip and outpaced the army on the mountain path, leading the way at the front.
Guo Hu shook his head, a thought that had been held back now finding its voice:
"Gentlemen, this is what they call a blind man riding a blind horse, wouldn't you say? Heh heh…"
Yang Tianchen and Wu Ding dared not speak, merely lowering their heads. Guo Hu, with no other recourse, assigned two men to cover the rear while he managed the central army, the troops advancing with great difficulty.
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…
By afternoon,
Guo Hu suddenly saw a commotion in the vanguard and felt a surge of alarm, knowing well the dangers of disorder on a mountain path, which could easily cause the army horses and supplies to tumble down the cliff. He immediately shouted,
"Silence!"
"Hold your positions!"
At the same time, he spurred his horse forward. Before he had even exited the central army, he saw a disheveled figure rushing towards him.
"General Guo, we've found it!"
"Tumun Khan's camp is just ahead!"
Prince Jing was overjoyed and, heading along the edge of the cliff, showed no fear, calmly stating,
"General Guo, my prediction was indeed correct. Over there—"
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He flicked his whip towards the east of the mountain pass ahead, continuing,
"In that mountain valley, there is a large grassy plain. The scouts have spotted many livestock. While not the king's tent, it is a ceremonial tent, with a white top!"
A ceremonial tent?
Guo Hu was skeptical.
In truth, if it were indeed a ceremonial tent, it would be even better. For ceremonial tents were where cattle and sheep were kept, and they would not be far from the king's tent.
His heart also filled with excitement. He galloped forward with Prince Jing, rounded a mountain ridge, and indeed saw a large, gently sloping grassland, with a small river at the bottom of the valley and a marshy area. Tens of thousands of cattle and sheep grazed in the lower areas, while the slopes were densely packed with horses. In the middle of the slope were hundreds of tents, and in front of a large white-topped tent, a tall pole stood, fluttering with colorful streamers…
"Indeed! Your Highness, Tumun Khan practices a secret faith! That is a prayer flag!"
Guo Hu examined it more closely and saw that the military presence was small, around three to four thousand men, all gathered around the ceremonial tent and the prayer flag. It was likely they had already learned of Liaoyang's fall and were awaiting orders to move their camp.
Just as he was about to instinctively order the entire army to advance, he saw Prince Jing dismount and remount his horse, shouting,
"General Guo! The king's tent should not be far. Assign some men to search for it!"
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As the words fell,
He, along with Wu Ding's contingent, had already charged down the slope.
…
When Yang Tianchen led the rear guard to catch up, Prince Jing and Wu Ding had already plunged into the herds of horses.
Whoosh!
The startled horses ran in panic, and the thunderous sound of hooves instantly filled the air. Though at a distance, the two and the army behind them could hear it clearly. Looking up, the enemy's three to four thousand men also quickly advanced, but were immediately scattered by the panicked horses. After a moment of trampling, they were routed almost in the blink of an eye.
Following this,
The two saw fires erupt, and hundreds of tents were quickly engulfed in flames. The horses and cattle were driven to the riverbank and marshy areas, crowding together and letting out continuous neighs. The herders also fled in panic, but many were trampled by the frightened herds.
Yang Tianchen sighed,
"How ruthless…"
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He had expected a fierce battle, but he hadn't anticipated that Prince Jing would utilize the terrain, attacking from above to first startle the herds, causing them to trample down and annihilate the enemy in an instant.
Guo Hu was both shocked and fearful, unable to articulate his feelings. He found this Prince Jing to be exceptionally strange; everything concerning him was bewildering.
In his astonishment, Yang Tianchen suddenly cried out,
"Look! Arrows!"
A torrent of arrows rained down like a shower. The cattle, sheep, and people crowded by the riverbank fell one after another. This caused another wave of immense panic, and many livestock became trapped in the marshy water, lifting their heads and letting out desperate neighs. The scene was truly tragic!
"Alas… what a waste, what a waste of these supplies and warhorses…"
Guo Hu was mesmerized, finding the spectacle of devastation before him to be unlike anything he had ever witnessed in his life. In his daze, the battle was nearing its end—
Tumun Khan's ceremonial tent was virtually reduced to ashes!
Even the livestock had been utterly slaughtered…
Alas…
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What a sin…
Guo Hu shook his head and sighed, resigned.
"Tianchen, let him have his way… Who is he but a prince… He wasn't wrong, the king's tent should be nearby. You go look for it… I'll go persuade Prince Jing. If he continues like this, the Tumen people will fight us to the death in the future…"
Mm-hmm,
Yang Tianchen had also fought on the frontier for many years and understood that although the Great Ming was at odds with the north, and had the ancestral tenet of the Son of Heaven guarding the nation, they were generally lenient towards commoners. In past campaigns, there had not been such brutality. Moreover, ministers in the court often held opposing views, leading to occasional retrials and imprisonments. Frontier generals, to protect themselves, were often unwilling to engage in excessive killing.
Therefore, the present devastation was truly a sight unseen in many years. These herders were simple folk. Even though the two armies were at war, they did not go to such extremes. Since they did not massacre the populace, the Ming army could not pursue them to annihilation.
However, this scene had likely put an end to this long-standing tacit understanding.