Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 394 Black Water
March 14, 1639 (April 17, 1639).

Inside the Dazheng Hall (commonly known as the Octagonal Hall) of the Shengjing Imperial Palace, the spring sunlight of April shines obliquely through the carved window lattices onto the golden brick floor, casting dappled light and shadow.

Huang Taiji sat on the dragon throne, the jade thumb ring slowly turning on his fingertip. The warm touch could not hide the sharpness in his eyes. He raised his head slightly and his gaze swept over the civil and military officials in the hall.

The wafting sandalwood incense, while making the entire hall feel somewhat somber and oppressive, couldn't mask the cheerful atmosphere that permeated the air.

In recent days, the sporadic battle reports sent back by Dorgon all indicated that the campaign to invade the Ming Dynasty had achieved results beyond expectations.

Several years ago, he first proposed the strategy of "cutting down a big tree" for the Ming Dynasty: first cut off its branches and leaves, then destroy its roots.

By repeatedly harassing and weakening the Ming Dynasty, they continuously reduced its war potential and shook the foundations of its rule.

This invasion was essentially a "total war" with the core objectives of destroying the economy and people's livelihoods, plundering people, and military intimidation. It aimed to deplete the Ming Dynasty's national strength to the greatest extent possible, making it unable to provide continuous and stable combat resources for the Liaodong military garrison.

Before the army set out, he clearly instructed Dorgon and Yuetuo to "take their unprepared cities and towns."

The word "备" has a double meaning, referring to the Ming Dynasty's military defense and war reserves.

In other words, the strategy for this operation was to bypass the Ming Dynasty's key military strongholds, capture its undefended towns, and then plunder and burn them, turning them into scorched earth, so that these "cities" captured by our Great Qing would completely lose their economic output.

Dorgon and Yuetuo faithfully implemented this strategy, leading their armies on the left and right wings into the pass for several months, capturing countless cities and turning everything they encountered into ruins.

It is said that they have plundered more than 400,000 people and millions of gold and silver items, and caused serious damage to the Ming Dynasty's capital, Hebei, Shandong and other places, resulting in millions of refugees.

If we successfully return to Shengjing, the spoils of these plunders will be like a powerful tonic for our Great Qing Dynasty!

Meanwhile, Dodo's side is also reporting frequent victories. After killing his old rival Huang Long near Yingzhou, he is launching a fierce attack on southern Liaoning. He has successively captured Ming army strongholds such as Gaizhou, Xiongyue, Yaozhou (now Dashiqiao City, Yingkou City), and Fuzhou. Currently, he is besieging Yongning and has his sights set on Lushun.

With just one more effort, the hindrance that has plagued my Great Qing for so many years will be swept away, and the military pressure in the Liaoyang direction will be greatly reduced.

"Ying'erdai, is there anything you wish to report?" Huang Taiji asked, seeing that Ying'erdai, the Minister of State Affairs and Gushan Ejen of the Plain White Banner, was frowning and looking around frequently, as if he wanted to step forward to report but seemed hesitant.

Ying Erdai immediately stepped forward, performed a deep bow, and reported, “Your Majesty, this servant has something to report… Uh, in the Blackwater region (i.e., along the Heilongjiang River) and the Ussuri River basin, more than thirty tribal chiefs have yet to come to Shengjing to pay homage and offer tribute, nor have they sent back a single word. This servant is somewhat uneasy and would like to request Your Majesty to send someone to investigate and find out the reason.”

Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji frowned slightly, tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers, and asked in a deep voice, "In previous years, we should have arrived in Shengjing in the first month of the lunar calendar. Now it is already mid-March, and there is still no movement at all?"

Inordai bowed his head and replied, "Indeed. I originally thought that the heavy snow in winter had blocked the roads, delaying our journey and that we might arrive some time later. But now the snow has melted, and although the roads are muddy, they are passable. No one from the Blackwater region or the Ussuri tribes has yet come. I am worried..."

His voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Xi Fu, the Inner Court historian, frowned and said, "This matter is strange. Since the Blackwater tribes submitted during the Tiancong era, there has never been such negligence. Could it be that they are audacious enough to try to keep our Great Qing at bay?"

“Perhaps they were…swallowed.” Prince Li, Daishan, muttered to himself.

Immediately, the hall was abuzz with discussion.

Now, the mighty Qing Dynasty is at its peak, having defeated the Mongols, conquered Korea, and launched a southern campaign against the Ming Dynasty. We are invincible and worshipped by all. How dare a group of wild savages living deep in the mountains and forests refuse to resist the Qing Dynasty?

They probably don't even know how to write the word "death"!

Uh, could it be as Prince Li said, that a powerful new force has emerged there, conquering and annexing all the tribes, and then preventing them from continuing to pay tribute to our Great Qing Dynasty?

If things really happen that way, it will not be good news for our Great Qing Dynasty.

It should be understood that the Eight Banners of the Great Qing Dynasty suffered heavy losses in the course of continuous warfare, and could not replenish their strength through internal means alone.

Therefore, every few years, our Great Qing Society would organize a "conscription" campaign, sending out several elite teams deep into the Blackwater region and Ussuri River to capture Jurchen people and convert them into banner soldiers.

These wild men, living deep in the mountains and forests, are physically strong and skilled in combat. With a little training, they can become qualified warriors.

If the wild Jurchens in the mountains were eaten up by some force, where would our Great Qing Dynasty go to "recruit men"?
It's not so bad that we can't conscript men; it just means that the replenishment of the Eight Banners vacancies is a little slower.

The most worrying thing is that if a powerful force emerges and rises in the rear of our Great Qing, it cannot be taken lightly.

If our Great Qing were to be engaged in a fierce battle with the Great Ming in Liaodong, and this force in the rear were to suddenly launch a ruthless attack, we would immediately find ourselves in a predicament of being attacked from both sides.

After a long silence, Huang Taiji suddenly asked, "When was the last time the various tribes in the Blackwater region sent a message?"

Ying Erdai hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, it was last January. At that time, they also said they would send even more furs and winter ginseng as tribute the following year to please Your Majesty."

"So that means..." Huang Taiji's eyes flashed with a cold light, "...from the first month of last year to the third month of this year, there has been no news of them for more than a year?"

The temperature inside the hall seemed to drop suddenly, and everyone immediately felt a sense of unease.

"Ha, I told you so. Something's happened in Heishui and Ussuri." Daishan sighed heavily. "We need to send someone over there to see what's going on. If someone really wants to follow in the footsteps of the old Khan, then we're in trouble..."

Huang Taiji glanced at him, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

"Summon Wu Bahai to come to an audience!"

"Whoo!"

Wu Bahai, a third-class Angbang Zhangjing, was originally a Ningguta Meile Zhangjing (Deputy Commander-in-Chief), responsible for governing the affairs of various tribes in the Heilongjiang and Ussuri River basins.

However, in March of last year, he was dismissed from his post as a convict for harboring criminals, abusing his power as a servant, and stealing rice. He was punished and exiled to the Bordered Blue Banner as a convict.

If one wants to understand the affairs of the wild Jurchen tribes in the Heihe and Wujiang River basins, no one knows better than him.

"Who is the current Meile Zhangjing of Ningguta?" Huang Taiji asked in a cold voice.

“Your Majesty!” Ying Erdai bowed and reported, “The current Meile Zhangjing of Ningguta is Jing Guerdai.”

"Go and take him back to Shengjing!" Huang Taiji said in a deep voice.

With such a situation arising in the two rivers basin, dozens of tribes have not come to pay homage, and there has been no news for a year. Jingguerdai, as the Meile Zhangjing of Ningguta, has not sent a single word of report.

Such dereliction of duty and negligence deserves to be brought back and executed. Should he continue to remain in his position as a mere figurehead?

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

A guard rushed in, performed a deep bow, then knelt down and presented an urgent document: "Your Majesty, an urgent report from Korea!"

Huang Taiji's heart skipped a beat. He quickly took the urgent report from the attendant and scanned it at a glance.

"Huh?" His expression changed drastically after reading it.

"Your Majesty..." Jirhalang looked over cautiously upon seeing this.

"The Korean capital, Seoul, is under attack by Donggang Town. Dozens of cannons are bombarding it day and night, and the city may fall at any moment..." Huang Taiji gripped the urgent report from Korea tightly, took a deep breath, and said, "Korea requests that our Great Qing immediately send troops to its aid to avert this crisis!" "Rescue Korea?" Jirgalang was taken aback. "Where do we have any spare troops right now?"

"To relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao," Fan Wencheng said softly.

“North Korea doesn’t deserve it!” Daishan glanced coldly at Fan Wencheng.

These Han Chinese people love to be clever and use allusions to make themselves seem more witty.

“Prince Li, Korea must be saved!” Xi Fu said solemnly, “Otherwise, if Korea is severely damaged, our Great Qing, as the suzerain state, will lose face.”

"Hmph! We can't sacrifice substance for the sake of face." Daishan sneered. "Dorgon and Yuetuo led a large army into the pass to conquer the Ming Dynasty and have not yet returned. Dodo led his troops to attack Liaonan, and the complete victory is just ten days away. Shuo Tuo commanded more than 10,000 troops from the Plain Yellow, Plain Blue, and Bordered Yellow Banners of the Eight Banners to be stationed in Guangning (now Beizhen, Liaoning), confronting the Ming army in Ningjin."

"Given this situation, where can we spare the manpower to rescue North Korea? Should we withdraw Dodo, or should we order Sukto to retreat and turn his troops towards North Korea?"

"May I ask Prince Li, if we do not rescue Korea, and the Ming army breaks through Seoul, forcing Yi Jong to betray our Great Qing and return to the Ming Dynasty, how should we deal with that?" Xi Fu asked rhetorically.

“If Korea rebels against our Great Qing, then we will attack it again!” Daishan said impatiently. “Our Great Qing was able to defeat Korea once or twice and force it to surrender, so we can conquer it a third or fourth time.”

"If Korea is captured by Dongjiang Town, what will become of the dignity of our Great Qing?" Xifu argued, "Our Great Qing established its dynasty and should be a dignified and legitimate dynasty. If we cannot even protect our own vassal states, wouldn't we become a laughingstock to the world!"

"What a joke?" Daishan glared at him fiercely. "We never said we wouldn't help Korea. It's just that we really don't have enough troops to spare right now. Besides, do you think the troops in Dongjiang Town can break through Seoul and destroy Korea?"

“Prince Li, Dongjiang Town easily defeated Yizhou two months ago.”

"That's because the Koreans attacked our Qing Dynasty's jurisdiction and willingly handed this city over to that old dog Shen Shikui!"

"Since the Koreans have already surrendered Uiju, if they see that our Great Qing is slow to come to our aid, they might very well surrender Seoul to Shen Shigui as well. What should we do then? Don't forget, the deposed King Gwanghaegun of Joseon is not far from Seoul. If Seoul falls, King Injo is captured, and the Koreans reinstate Gwanghaegun, wouldn't that just lead Joseon to surrender to the Ming Dynasty again?"

"So what? I just said that if Korea surrenders to the Ming Dynasty again, we will attack it again and turn it back to the Ming Dynasty!"

"This..." Xifu was speechless for a moment, "This... would damage the reputation of our Great Qing!"

"What a load of rubbish!"

"Prince Li..."

"Snapped!"

But then Huang Taiji on the imperial steps suddenly threw out a paperweight. With the sound of the jade shattering, all the officials in the hall bowed down in unison.

"emperor!……"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

"..."

Huang Taiji strode down the steps, his sharp gaze sweeping over the assembled officials. He said in a cold voice, "Our Great Qing has been established for over a decade. Why must we discuss matters in the hall in such a manner, like an old woman arguing and shouting? You are all pillars of our Great Qing, yet you behave like this... What kind of decorum is this!"

He paused, glancing at Daishan out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly raised his voice: "Korea is our vassal state. As the suzerain, our Great Qing cannot fail to save it. If we sit idly by, it will damage our national prestige and further alienate our vassal states."

“…” Dai Shan frowned, but did not speak.

Huang Taiji stopped in his tracks, his gaze piercing like an arrow as he looked at Daishan. "Prince Li, have you forgotten why the Khorchin were willing to form a marriage alliance back then? It was because our Great Qing could protect them!"

“…” Dai Shan’s throat bobbed, and he finally lowered his eyelids.

"Indeed, the main army is still fighting in the interior and has not yet returned. Dodo and Shuo Tuo are each in command of their troops and stationed in two different places, so there is no opportunity for them to withdraw. As a result, the court currently has no extra troops to spare. But if we delay and do not send reinforcements, how can we be sure that the situation in Korea will not change?"

"A report came from Korea that the invasion was not only caused by tens of thousands of troops in Dongjiang Town. In recent years, the Xinzhou people who have been active in Liaohai have also participated, and have dispatched more than ten gunboats to blockade the Han River and provide artillery support to cover the Ming army's attack on Seoul."

"In addition, the deposed King Gwanghaegun of Joseon raised an army in Kangryeong County, and successively captured Haeju and Yeonan, and went straight to Gaeju. As a result, officials of various provinces and counties in Joseon who did not submit to the rule of King Injo responded in droves, preparing to change their flag and welcome Gwanghaegun back to the throne."

"Under these circumstances, our Great Qing should send troops to Korea with thunderous force, not only to save the country from its predicament, but also to completely eliminate those who rebelled and restored the regime, and thoroughly stabilize the situation in Korea, so as not to give the Ming court any opportunity to intervene."

"Therefore, matters have varying degrees of importance and urgency. We should prioritize the most important ones and deal with the less important ones later. Shuo Tuo must be vigilant against the Ming army's Guan Ning garrisons and also support the main army inside the pass. He should not act rashly and should continue to maintain order and guard the Guangning line."

"In this month, Dodo not only killed Huanglong and annihilated more than 10,000 elite Ming troops, but also broke into the heart of Liaonan and reached the coast. After this attack, the Ming army in Liaonan no longer poses a military threat. Therefore, we can temporarily move our troops eastward to aid Korea."

"Your Majesty, there is a saying: 'If you don't kill the snake, you will suffer the consequences.'" Daishan said calmly.

"Hmph, with Huanglong dead, who can rebuild Liaonan Town?" Huang Taiji sneered. "When wolves approach on a snowy night, sheep huddle together, their trembling bodies clustered in a ball, even holding their breath in unison. But once the wolves' howls fade away, those sheep that were just clinging to each other will immediately use their horns to push aside their companions and fight for the first patch of hay to be exposed to the sun."

"As long as our Great Qing stops its offensive, the likes of Shang Kexi and Xiang Zuolin will surely fight to the death for control of Liaonan Town, exhausting their remaining strength. At that time, it will be time for our Great Qing to easily reap the rewards."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Jirhalang, Xifu, and others shouted.

"Since the founding of our Great Qing Dynasty, what storms haven't we weathered? Liaonan Garrison is nothing but a minor ailment, Shen Shikui and his ilk are nothing but clowns, and Korea is a tiny place, how could it withstand a full-force attack from our Great Qing? As for that troublemaking man from Xinzhou..."

He took a deep breath and said coldly, "Once we have cleared Liaonan, pacified Liaohai, and subjugated Korea, I want to see what they can do under such circumstances."

"Your Majesty..." Ning Wanwo, a second-class Jiala Zhangjing and Inner Three Courts Councilor (whose academician status was revoked two years ago for his crimes), suddenly spoke up and said, "I have just been thinking hard and I suspect that the Dongjiang Town's raid on Korea, as well as the future tribute missions from the Heishui and Wusuli tribes to Shengjing, are all related to this Xinzhou man."

"Hmm?" A strange light flashed in Huang Taiji's eyes, then he calmly asked, "What is the basis for this conjecture?"

"Your Majesty..." Ning Wanwo bowed and replied, "Last year, this servant learned through secret channels that the Xinzhou people have established a stronghold on a large island north of Japan. They are skilled in sailing, roam the seas, and plunder furs and steal gold and silver."

"I was thinking that these New Continent people might sail to the shores of the Blackwater, then travel upstream along the river to the areas of the wild tribes in the Blackwater and Ussuri regions, and then use force or favors to win them over, and then plot against them."

“How can those New Zealanders reach so far?” Jirhalang looked at him in astonishment.

“By traveling by land, one might find the land between the two rivers too far and difficult to reach. But by boat, traveling day and night, the journey of thousands of miles should be quite convenient,” Ning Wanwo bowed to Jirhalang and replied cautiously.

"Heshuotu!"

"Your servant is here!" Heshuotu, the Gushan Ejen of the Zhenghong Banner, immediately stepped out of the ranks and knelt on the ground.

"Immediately lead two Niru troops to Heishui and Wusuli to see what the situation is there."

"Whoo!"

"As for Korea..." Huang Taiji paused for a moment, "Immediately order Dodo to postpone the offensive in southern Liaoning and lead his troops to aid Korea overnight. Order Wuzhen Hachao's firearms battalion of Tongtulai to accompany the expedition. We must make sure that Dongjiang Town and those Xinzhou people see that the sword of our Great Qing can not only destroy the Ming, but also cut down chaos."

After Huang Taiji finished speaking, he put his hands behind his back and looked up at the outside of the hall. The April sky was a clear, bright blue.

But in his eyes, he seemed to already see the smoke of gunpowder rising in the distance.
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(End of this chapter)