“Leader, we’ve finally finished harvesting all the new grain day and night these past few days. There’s so much of it. Now we won’t starve to death anymore.”
“Tell the villagers to keep their own rations, and bring the rest to me. I’ll store it for you, otherwise, when the Tartars come, it will all be plundered. From now on, we will distribute the food uniformly. Also, the Tartars might have a big operation recently, so tell the brothers to be prepared. There will be a big battle in a while.”
“System, where was that Tartar from a few days ago?”
“Ding, Host, that was the Niulu Zhangjing guarding Huludao Island.”
“How many people are on Huludao Island now, and what are their military strengths?”
“Ding, Host, Huludao Island currently has one Niulu of the Bordered Blue Banner, with an actual count of two hundred ninety-one people. There are also two thousand Han Eight Banners, and over four thousand Han people slaves. Since you killed their Niulu Zhangjing, they are now preparing to seek revenge on you.”
“What about their weapons and equipment?”
“They are mainly cold weapons. As a garrison force like them, they are second-line troops, and they only have two Hu Dun Cannons in total.”
“System, when are they planning to retaliate?”
“Their superior died suddenly, and according to military regulations, they would be punished, so it’s not good for them to report it now. They are currently assembling their forces and are expected to arrive by noon tomorrow. Moreover, they believe there will be no danger and have brought most of their forces, leaving only ten Tartars and two hundred Han traitors to guard the slaves.”
“Excellent, I’ve thought of a good idea.”
“Host, what do you plan to do? With your two hundred-some people facing two thousand on the plain, even with a weapons disparity, it would be difficult to win, wouldn’t it?”
I have no intention of fighting them on the plain. I now have complete intelligence on the enemy. They don’t seem to take us seriously at all. In that case, I’ll go straight for the Dragon, directly swapping bases.
This is what I plan: I will take all the villagers with me. We will bypass the main road and go directly to Huludao Island. The two hundred-some people they left behind are no match for us. After we quickly occupy Huludao Island, I’m sure those Tartars’ homes also have a lot of money. By then, we can buy another batch of weapons. And among the more than four thousand Han people slaves, we can always find some who can work with us. It will definitely be better to defend with firearms than to attack on the plain.
Thinking of this, Tianbao immediately arranged for people to summon the village chiefs of several villages. After explaining to the village chiefs, everyone understood that the most urgent task now was to escape for their lives. Fortunately, preparations had been made, and training in this regard was already in place.
Soon, the villagers from each village headed towards Huludao Island via different small paths.
At the same time, on the official road, banners fluttered. The first one or two hundred people were majestic and well-disciplined, while those following behind looked like refugees, all in a chaotic mess. This was precisely the group that had come out of Huludao Island.
Although the Tartars frequently raided the passes, and the Ming army soldiers who surrendered to the Tartars were living much better than before, that also depended on the timing. When they fought, each of them plundered a good amount of gold and silver treasures. But this group was a garrison force, and they usually didn't have much to gain. Only when the grain ripened could they get a little extra. However, they didn't expect that this time their garrison commander, a Niulu Zhangjing, would be inexplicably ambushed and killed. If they didn’t kill all these Han people, they would also have to be buried with him. As for the soldiers below, they were eager to come and loot, so they could get some spoils.
Thus, even before the Qing army arrived at the village, Tianbao had already led his two hundred-some brothers to the edge of Huludao Island.
Now, under Huang Taiji’s rule, no one in the entire Liaodong dared to contend with the Qing army. The Ming court was too busy with its own affairs, and Korea and Mongolia had both been conquered by the Jurchens. So, even if the entire army left, the remaining ten Tartars and two hundred-some surrendered Ming soldiers could still guard thousands of slaves.
Tianbao approached and saw that they were also harvesting grain, and the island was basically undefended.
In the vast fields, ten Tartars were chaotically drinking and gambling in a shed. Around them, two hundred Han Army Banner soldiers were divided into groups of ten, scattered in various corners, patrolling idly.
In this land, those Han people slaves toiled like walking corpses. They were treated as livestock by the Tartars’ families, mercilessly driven. These slaves had pale faces and empty eyes, as if they had lost their Soul. They mechanically swung the sickles in their hands, harvesting the ripe grain, every movement appearing so heavy and powerless.
The sunlight spilled onto the fields, reflecting a golden hue, but this beautiful scene could not conceal the sorrow in people's hearts. In this oppressed world, the slaves' fate was like grass in the field, ready to be harvested at any moment. And those ten Tartars and two hundred Han Army Banner soldiers became the Dominators of this land, their presence filling the entire scene with a tense and oppressive Aura.
“Give the order: later, no mercy should be shown to the Tartars’ families, regardless of age or gender. Especially those old guys. Those are old soldiers left over from Nurhaci’s time. Don’t be fooled if some are disabled; if you don’t pay close attention, you’ll suffer a great loss.”
“Yes, we understand.”
“According to our usual training, we’ll form groups of ten, then fire in volleys without breaking formation. Kill the Tartars first.”
Thus, everyone scattered, each finding their own target. Tianbao stealthily sneaked into the shed where the ten Tartar soldiers were.
Suddenly, Tianbao’s eyes narrowed, and the long Dao in his hand slashed out fiercely, as swift as lightning. The blade flashed, instantly piercing a Qing army soldier’s neck, and blood splattered.
This sudden turn of events instantly stunned the group of Qing army soldiers, as if time had frozen at that moment. They widened their eyes, faces filled with astonishment, completely unable to react.
Immediately after, Tianbao’s figure moved like a ghost, weaving among the Qing army soldiers. His movements were as fast as a gale, each strike carrying a fierce Aura. Amidst the flashing blades and fiery reflections, he struck again, and two more people screamed and fell into a pool of blood.
After a moment of panic, the remaining Qing army soldiers finally regained their senses, picking up their weapons one after another and charging ferociously at Tianbao. They roared, brandishing their swords and spears, attempting to put Tianbao to death.
However, how could Tianbao’s skill be compared to that of these ordinary Qing army soldiers? He dodged to the side, avoiding an incoming strike, and at the same time, he kicked the opponent’s abdomen, sending him flying.
Tianbao’s swordsmanship was like flowing clouds and water; every strike precisely hit the enemy’s vital points. He charged left and right through the crowd as if entering an unmanned territory. The Qing army’s attacks missed him repeatedly, while his counterattacks caught them off guard.
In a few moments, the Qing army soldiers fell one after another under Tianbao’s blade, either wounded and falling to the ground or directly killed. The entire scene was bloody and tragic, like a cruel slaughter.
“Bang, bang, bang.”
Gunshots constantly rang out from a distance. The Qing army’s family members also picked up their weapons, and those old men were excellent archers. Soon, several brothers were hit by arrows, but fortunately, they were all wearing inner armor, so they were only injured and not fatally. With a burst of gunfire, the remaining Qing army family members also fell one after another.
When the battle ended, over a dozen Han Army Banner soldiers surrendered. As for the Qing army families, everyone except the women was killed.
Tianbao ordered people to gather all the slaves. There were Han people and Koreans among them. Based on their testimony, these Han Army Banner people had often bullied others using their connections and had persecuted them greatly, and although those women had been captured, except for a few who had just been captured last year, the others had, over time, started to see themselves as masters and had committed many bad deeds.
Given this, after a public trial, those who deserved execution were executed, and those who deserved to be spared were spared. Thus, Huludao Island was easily taken, while the Qing army who went to the village found it empty, unaware that their home base had been stolen.