Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty as the Crown Prince

“Hear my command: Wu Sangui, Wang Pu, Tang Tong, Bai Guang'en, Ma Ke, and Li Fuming, the six commanders, will feign a retreat. Once the main force of the Jianzhou invaders gives chase, Cao Bianjiao’s camp will launch an all-out surprise attack on their main camp at Rufeng Mountain. Wang Tingchen’s troops will remain behind as a reserve and provide support. We must break the enemy’s main camp at any cost and take Huang Taiji’s head. Then the entire army will counterattack. Generals, the fate of this battle rests on this one move. Anyone who dares retreat will be executed without mercy!” Commander Hong Chengchou roared.

“We obey!”

Inside the main tent, all eight commanders answered in unison. They knew the army’s survival hung in the balance, and there was no room for wishful thinking or retreat. Whether they commanded the strongest forces, like Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen, or the somewhat weaker troops of Tang Tong and Ma Ke, they were all prepared to fight to the death, at least on the surface.

At night, fires broke out in the camp and cannons roared. Amid the chaos, Wang Pu, the commander of Datong, abandoned camp and fled, three hours before the agreed time. The Ming army’s camp fell into confusion, and Wu Sangui, Bai Guang'en, Tang Tong, Ma Ke, and the others scrambled to escape, with men and horses trampling one another.

Cao Bianjiao’s troops stood firm. Half an hour later, they followed the original plan and counterattacked the Jianzhou invaders’ main camp, where Huang Taiji was staying. After an initial bout of chaos, Wang Tingchen’s forces also followed the plan and charged forward alongside Cao Bianjiao.

But the rest of their allies had already fled.