Chapter 815: Who Will Save the Common People?
In the seventh year of Chongzhen's reign, the Manchus divided their forces into four columns, sweeping into Xuanfu and Datong Prefecture.
"They didn't attack cities, only pillaged villages and fortresses."
It was clear this wasn't about achieving any strategic objectives; it was purely about plunder.
The Chongzhen Emperor, Zhu Youjian, decreed that anyone who lost a city would be executed.
With such an order in place, which local official would be foolish enough to lead their troops out of the city to rescue the common people in the countryside?
After all, the Manchus weren't attacking cities, so as long as I didn't leave the city, the city wouldn't fall, and I wouldn't lose my head. As for the common people in the villages and fortresses, well, they could pray for their own blessings.
As a result, the local officials' actions also gave the Manchus an idea: "Oh, they're not coming out of their cities, so why are we still only plundering villages? We can try attacking cities too, since the Ming armies aren't reinforcing each other, all these cities are isolated.”
And so, the Manchus began to attack cities. They first assaulted Lingqiu. The county magistrate of Lingqiu, Jiang Bingcai, raised troops and held firm. The garrison commander Shi Qi, the officers Chen Yanwu and Ma Ruzhi, the judicial officer Zhang Biao, and the instructor Lu Dengfu all died in battle. After the city fell, Magistrate Jiang Bingcai hanged himself, and his entire family committed suicide to follow him.
Daizhou...
Without the court's support, relying solely on his personal strength would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
The only thing he could do was desperately assist the Prefect of Daizhou in defending Daizhou City.
Just then, a clamor of noise erupted outside the city. A massive crowd of refugees surged towards Daizhou City. The fastest runners were young, able-bodied men, while far behind them, a large group of slow-moving elderly, women, and children struggled.
Behind the elderly, women, and children were the Manchu cavalry.
"Open the city gates! Let the common people in quickly!" Sun Chuanting roared.
The Prefect of Daizhou hesitated for a moment, then obeyed his words: "Open the gates!"
The city gates swung open, and the swiftest of the young men scurried into Daizhou City.
But the elderly, women, and children trailing behind were not so fortunate. They ran too slowly, and the Manchu cavalry arrived too swiftly. Before long, over a thousand of the vulnerable were intercepted by the Manchu riders.
The Prefect of Daizhou gritted his teeth and bellowed: "Close the city gates!"
Sun Chuanting was frantic: "Don't close them! We must sally out, repel the Manchu cavalry, and rescue those elderly, women, and children!"
But this time, the Prefect of Daizhou ignored his plea. With a wave of his hand, he commanded, “Close them!”
The city guards strained at the capstan, and with a resounding 'clang,' the city gates slammed shut.
Outside the walls, a wail of despair rose from the elderly, women, and children...
Those who had already made it inside scrambled onto the ramparts and wept bitterly as they watched those who hadn't made it in time.
The Ming soldiers defending the city dared not shoot a single arrow, fearing they would provoke the Manchus' savagery and trigger an assault on the city. They could only watch, helpless.
The Manchu cavalry whistled, swaggering proudly. With a single stroke each, they cut down all the elderly among the crowd, leaving only the women and children, whom they herded northward. For the Manchus, women and children represented productivity. But the elderly were useless, so they didn't even qualify as captives.
Sun Chuanting's eyes burned crimson with rage. With a guttural cry, he lunged for the city gate capstan.
His household guards rushed in from both sides and held Sun Chuanting tightly: "Master, no! We don't have enough fighting strength; we can't go out there!”
Sun Chuanting roared in fury: "Where is the Xuan-Da Command's Grand Commander, Zhang Zongheng? Why isn't he coming to rescue Daizhou?!"
A guard responded: "The Manchus divided their forces into four columns, Master. Zhang Zongheng can at best manage to defend against one of them.”
Sun Chuanting wept, looking up at the sky: "Someone, anyone! Please, quickly, come save the common people!”——
"Report! The Manchus are plundering Chunxian!"
Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi.
Shanxi Governor Dai Jun'en sat in the main hall, his face etched with worry.
His household guard was reporting to him: "Manchu cavalry plundered over a thousand women and children in Chunxian, Shanxi. As they passed beneath Daizhou City, the captives saw their relatives on the walls and cried out to them, weeping bitterly. The Ming troops guarding the city dared not loose a single arrow, watching helplessly as the Later Jin soldiers herded the women and children away. Chunxian fell, and the Manchus plundered extensively, loading over three hundred carts with stolen goods before departing. Days later, long after the Manchus had left, the local officials of Chunxian finally emerged from their hiding places and reported to the court that they had 'gloriously recaptured' the city...”
Dai Jun'en sneered: "'Gloriously recaptured'? How glorious! Truly glorious.”
The guard asked: "Master, what should we do?”
Dai Jun'en shook his head. "What else *can* be done? Nothing can be done! Xuanfu and Datong are under the jurisdiction of the Xuan-Da Command's Grand Commander. As the Governor of Shanxi, I can only watch; I cannot intervene. If I were to intervene, it would be overstepping my bounds, tantamount to rebellion.”
At this, he sighed deeply again and said, "Besides, the few garrison troops I command are utterly lacking in combat effectiveness. Sending them to help would be sending them to their deaths.”
As he spoke, a guard rushed in from outside: "Master, a letter has arrived from Xing Honglang, Commissioner of Military Preparations for Hedong Circuit!"
"Oh?" Dai Jun'en prompted. "Tell me."
The messenger quickly relayed: "Xing Honglang says that the gentry of Hedong Circuit have heard of the Manchus' rampage through Shanxi, and everyone is quite indignant. The gentry have spontaneously organized militias and armed volunteers, prepared firearms and grain, and dispatched these militias northward as reinforcements. They will pass through Taiyuan Prefecture in a few days. She asks that you be informed.”
Dai Jun'en couldn't help but let out a surprised 'Oh?'
When he first took office, he had visited Hedong Circuit with the eunuch Lan Xingyang from the palace. At the time, he had been full of praise for Xing Honglang's efforts to help the common people, and had even turned a blind eye, helping Xing Honglang to 'handle' Eunuch Lan.
Now, seeing Xing Honglang dispatch forces northward to assist, and using the excuse of "militias and armed volunteers organized by the gentry," he couldn't help but sigh inwardly with emotion: "Ah! They say 'militias and armed volunteers,' but it must be Xing Honglang's own army, mustn't it? She's a pacified bandit leader, with numerous troops and generals at her command. Deploying a portion, disguised as militias and armed volunteers, to head north and confront the Manchus, is indeed a clever strategy. Since that's the case, I certainly can't hinder her now.”
Dai Jun'en ordered: "Pass down my order: All checkpoints throughout Taiyuan Prefecture are to grant passage to these militias and armed volunteers.”
As soon as his order was disseminated, the various government troops stationed near Taiyuan naturally turned a blind eye and a deaf ear. They saw nothing, heard nothing, and simply assumed it was indeed a group of militias and armed volunteers heading north, and certainly not Xing Honglang's forces.
The Gao Family Village Militia met no hindrance whatsoever as they marched north.
In just a few days, they passed by Taiyuan Prefecture city.
Dai Jun'en stood on Taiyuan's towering city walls, silently watching the ten thousand-strong Gao Family Village Militia march past the city's edge...
A guard murmured softly: "Master, Xing Honglang's forces are growing by the day. This is at least ten thousand strong, with bright armor and excellent equipment. If they were to rebel, it would be a disaster."
Dai Jun'en cursed under his breath: "Don't speak such words, and don't even think them. We saw nothing, and we know nothing.”
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