Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 405 The Blackwater Upheaval
After unifying the various Jurchen tribes, Nurhaci, in order to stabilize his rear, sent troops to subdue the Sahalian tribe (Sahalian means "black" in Manchu) in the middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River not long after he proclaimed himself Great Khan of the Jin Dynasty, and captured eleven villages on the north bank of the Heilongjiang River.

This was his first step in unifying the upper and middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River.

Shortly after the Later Jin dynasty pacified the Sahalian tribe, Sahalian, the leader of the Sahalcha tribe (Sahalcha means black sable fur in Manchu, and the area where the Jingqili River and the Songhe River meet is rich in black sable) in the northern part of the middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River, chose to submit to the Later Jin under the overwhelming military might and became the Later Jin's son-in-law.

In 1618, the 46th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, Nurhaci swore an oath to Heaven in Hetu Ala, issued a proclamation of the Seven Grievances against the Ming Dynasty, and launched an attack on Fushun. Sahalian, the son-in-law of Nurhaci, led troops to join the campaign and was highly regarded by him.

It is said that during the camping trip, the old Khan personally told him about the "past events of the Jin Dynasty" in order to win him over.

After Huang Taiji ascended the throne, he continued to devote his energy to the management of the Heilongjiang River basin.

He repeatedly told his ministers, "The people of Heishui are the same as those of our country," and "They were originally all people of our country, as clearly recorded in the annals."

Therefore, he adopted an attitude of "comforting with kind words, sharing both sweet and bitter food and drink with all the tribes in the Blackwater region."

In other words, our Great Qing should focus on using appeasement as a means to avoid resorting to arms as much as possible.

Under the influence of this policy, other departments in Heilongjiang came to submit to it.

In August 1631, "four leaders of the Huerha tribe in Heilongjiang, including Tuoheike, came to the court and presented tribute of sable, fox, lynx and other furs."

In February 1634, "the Qiang people of Heilongjiang, including the Qiang Tuli and Maergan, led sixty-seven people from six clans to the court, offering 2 sable pelts as tribute."

In 1635, when he proclaimed himself emperor and established his regime, the Uzhala and Wuerji (Uerji) tribes in the lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River, as well as the reindeer-herding tribes in the northern section of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains and the lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River, successively submitted to him and paid tribute.

In 1636, the Esuli tribe, located on the banks of the Jingqili River, also submitted to the Qing Dynasty and paid tribute.

Even the regions east of Lake Baikal were brought under the jurisdiction of the Qing Dynasty.

In view of the increasing number of ethnic groups submitting to the Qing Dynasty, there was a need for a unified name that included the Jurchens and other ethnic groups that had assimilated with the Jurchens. One year before Huang Taiji ascended the throne (1635), he officially announced the abolition of the name "Zhushen" (i.e., Jurchen) and renamed it "Manchu".

Some tribes in the Heilongjiang and Ussuri River regions were directly incorporated into the Manchu Eight Banners, becoming the most important source of soldiers for the Qing Dynasty.

However, the Qing Dynasty did not incorporate all of the "ambitious and valiant" Solon soldiers into the Eight Banners. Instead, they were kept in the local area by village or clan, allowing them to maintain their "wildness" and be conscripted in times of war.

The term "Solon tribe" was a general term used by the Qing Dynasty to refer to the Evenki, Daur, and Oroqen tribes in the upper and middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River. They were traditionally the main source of Qing troops for attacking fortified positions, as well as for scouts and sentries (cannon fodder).

In recent years, as the Qing Dynasty focused its attention primarily on Korea and the interior of the Ming Dynasty, it paid less attention to the vast Heilongjiang and Ussuri River regions. As a result, it was completely unaware of the significant changes that occurred in the situation there after the arrival of the new Chinese.

It wasn't until more than thirty local tribes in the two river basins failed to travel to Shengjing to pay homage and offer tribute that they were alarmed.

Our Great Qing Dynasty has been violated!
After listening quietly to the Oroqen man's account of the situation of the Xinzhou people, Heshuo Tu remained outwardly calm, but his heart was in turmoil, and his eyes revealed a deep sense of fear.

The Xinzhou people actually managed to sneak into the Heishui area, and even built several fortified villages at the confluence of the two rivers, where they stationed hundreds of armed personnel.

Four years ago, they traveled upstream along the Black River to this place, where they built wooden houses, castles, reclaimed wasteland, and planted grains and vegetables, showing a determination to establish a long-term colony.

Yes, they were not fur traders who made a quick buck and left, but a group of pioneers who wanted to settle down here and establish a permanent settlement!
After a moment of silence, Heshuotu punched the tree trunk next to him, shaking down countless pine needles and pine cones.

"Summon all generals of Niru Ejen rank and above for an immediate meeting!"

Fifteen minutes later, in a drafty tent, five officers gathered around a rudimentary sketch marked with the intelligence they had gathered along the way and the latest news brought back by their scouts.

“As you all probably already know,” Heshuo Tu said, pointing to the newly marked ink dots on the sketch. “The Xinzhou people not only built cities and fortresses here, but also won over dozens of savage tribes in the surrounding area, and their influence once extended to the upper reaches of the Black River.”

"According to the captured prisoner, the Xinzhou people traded ironware, cloth, salt, and other items for the furs hunted by the local savage tribes. They even taught them to grow new crops and build new villages and camps."

Erhe spat: "These cunning southern barbarians! No wonder so many savage tribes refused to provide us with supplies after we reached the Blackwater, and even made us go through the trouble of robbing them. It turns out these scoundrels had already been bribed."

"So, the savage tribes near Blackwater may have become vassals of the New Continent people, and may even launch attacks against us under their orders?" Takshan's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"No way?" Ortai exclaimed in astonishment. "If that's the case, then aren't we completely isolated here, constantly vulnerable to attacks from the Xinzhou people and the local savage tribes? Then what will we..."

Seeing the disdainful or angry looks from his companions, he immediately stopped talking, and Nie Nie dared not continue.

After leaving their settlement in Xinzhou, Haidong, they were subjected to relentless attacks. From the Great Lake (Xingkai Lake) to the Songacha River and then to the Ussuri River, the native hunters were like a leech, hiding in the jungle and frequently launching sneak attacks on them.

That is, the attack only came to an end when the troops reached the middle reaches of the Ussuri River, possibly beyond the enemy's range of activity, which brought a sense of relief to everyone.

In just over ten days, 32 out of the 300-strong team were attacked, resulting in 17 deaths, 6 serious injuries, and 7 minor injuries, a casualty rate of 10%.

If we add the casualties suffered in the earlier attack on the small village of Xinzhou people, their total loss exceeded sixty people!

This is an astonishing figure, and also an incredibly embarrassing loss rate.

It should be noted that at the beginning of the year, when Dodo led his troops to besiege and kill Huanglong's forces, and in the subsequent attack on the strongholds and fortresses held by Liaonan Town, the loss of soldiers was only a mere five hundred or so.

However, in just over two months, Dodo annihilated more than 8,000 Ming troops, almost crippling the Liaonan garrison, which was barely surviving with only two remaining coastal cities.

And what about our record?
They attacked and destroyed a New Island people's wooden village, killing 27 enemy soldiers, and in the subsequent counterattack, they captured and killed five native hunters.

And then, that was it.

The casualty ratio was two to one.

Uh, our losses are "two", and the enemy's losses are "one".

This inevitably left everyone feeling a deep sense of frustration, and a touch of fear.

Because the new Chinese also possessed a group of swift and valiant "Solon soldiers".

"Leaving everything else aside for now," Heshuo Tu tapped the map with his finger. "We currently have less than three hundred men, and we're short on food and weapons. Meanwhile, the castle occupied by the New Continent people..."

He paused, then said with a grave expression, “There are at least two hundred garrison troops. What’s more worrying is that the New Continent people may also conscript the surrounding savage tribes that have submitted to them; conservatively speaking, there are at least four or five hundred.”

"So, the current situation is that the enemy outnumbers us, and we are on a long and arduous expedition. What should we do?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the generals present, waiting for them to offer the best solution.

A deathly silence fell over the tent, broken only by the mournful whistling of the river wind filtering through the cracks. "Master..." the experienced Takshan broke the silence, "How about we try contacting those tribes in the Blackwater region that haven't yet submitted to the New Continent? The Soren people are known for their bravery and skill in battle; if we could gain their assistance..."

"The people we sent to contact the Sakhalin tribe six days ago have not returned yet. I'm afraid the outcome is..." Heshuotu shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Everyone looked at each other.

The messenger has not yet returned; he is most likely in grave danger.

They might be killed by the Saharan tribe, or they might be kidnapped and taken to the New Zealanders to collect a reward.

"Report..." A soldier suddenly announced from outside the tent.

"Speak!" Heshuo Tu looked at the bewildered expression on the face of the scout who had gone to investigate the New Continent people's fortress, and a bad feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

“Master…” the scout said breathlessly, “The New Continent people… two ships have come from there. Besides unloading a lot of cargo, they also brought… quite a few people.”

"Is it the army or the people?" Heshuo Tu pressed.

"...They are commoners." The scout swallowed hard. "However, I saw from afar that all those disembarking were strong young men!"

"A young, strong man?" Upon hearing this, Heshuo Tu's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

Young and able-bodied men meant potential sources of soldiers for the army.

With a little training, they can hide on the city wall and fire their guns to defend against external attacks.

At the very least, they could build fortifications and transport supplies, serving as an important auxiliary force for the defending army.

Of course, these young and middle-aged men could also work as farmers, helping the people of Xinzhou to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land, thus providing them with more material support for long-term residence here.

Approximately how many people were transported?

"I didn't have time to count them all..." The scout said sheepishly, bowing his head. "Several native hunters seemed to have discovered my whereabouts and came running with short knives and iron forks. I dared not stay any longer and could only try to escape... However, I estimate that those two ships can carry at least a hundred people."

"Hiss..." He Shuo Tu gasped, his face turning even uglier.

The people of Xinzhou were constantly sending people to this place by boat, and the number was not small.

If they are allowed to grow and expand, they might go upstream along the Blackwater River in the next few years and eventually occupy the entire Blackwater basin.

It is even possible that, relying on the Blackwater, they could expand southwards and gradually move into the rear depths of our Great Qing.

The people of Xinzhou are skilled with firearms. Once they settle down, they will surely build cities and fortresses, expand and cultivate the land, just like the people of Wusuli and Heishui, and firmly control the land they occupy.

It will probably take a lot of time and effort to get rid of them.

The problem is, how can our Great Qing Dynasty completely expel them?
Neither the Ussuri River nor the Blackwater River basin is more than a thousand miles away from Shengjing, making it impossible to mobilize a large-scale army.

This is because this vast region is all mountain forests and meadows, sparsely populated, with few tribal groups living there, making it virtually impossible to obtain supplies along the way.

What was even more disheartening was that there were no ready-made roads from Shengjing to Wusuli and Heishui; the route was through dense primeval forests, swamps, and crisscrossing rivers, making marching and transportation extremely difficult.

If you are marching in the summer, you will face many problems such as mosquito breeding, swamps and mud, and muddy roads. If you are not careful, your men and horses can easily get stuck.

Although the Songhua River, Ussuri River, Heishui River and their many tributaries can be used to transport people and supplies, many sections of the river have rapid currents, requiring a large amount of manpower to pull the ropes or row when going against the current.

Winter marches are hampered by hard roads, but the frigid weather can be deadly.

A storm arrived, and the snow was chest-deep, causing people and vehicles to sink and making progress slow.

Therefore, when the Qing Dynasty was managing the Ussuri and Heishui regions, it usually dispatched troops of several hundred men, relying on its tight organization and advanced weapons to conquer one local indigenous tribe after another.

However, due to logistical and supply issues, the Qing army was unable to stay there for long. Generally, after subduing the local tribes and forcing them to submit and pay tribute on time, the army would immediately withdraw and return south.

Well, in other words, my Great Qing Dynasty did not actually have substantial control over this vast territory.
“Master, we…” Takshan hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

Heshuo Tu turned around and looked at him, his face full of exhaustion and helplessness: "Speak!"

“Our forces are insufficient to conquer the New Continent people’s castle,” Takshan said, forcing a smile. “The best course of action now is to retreat to Shengjing and report this situation to the Emperor. Then, we can gather a larger army next year…”

Upon hearing this, Heshuo Tu fell silent and did not respond.

Although Taksin said, "We will gather a large army and attack next year," a closer look reveals that it is impossible.

To launch an expedition to the Blackwater and sweep through the Ussuri River, at least three to five thousand troops would need to be mobilized, along with heavy siege artillery; otherwise, the New Continent people's fortresses would be impossible to breach.

The problem is, how much manpower and resources would be needed to support such a military operation?

This long and terrible supply line could bring down my Great Qing Empire.

Even though the looting of the interior last year yielded a great deal, it couldn't stop the depletion of resources.

unless……

Ha, how could that be? My Great Qing Dynasty has no energy to expand and develop this land of white mountains and black waters.
"master……"

As Heshuo Tu was pondering whether he should follow Takshan's advice and immediately lead his troops back to Shengjing, a report suddenly came from outside the tent.

"Master, Suoshun has returned from the Sakhalin tribe!"

"He also brought an envoy from the Sakhalin tribe..."

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Heshuo Tu's spirits lifted, and the thought that had been completely extinguished suddenly resurfaced.

Could things have taken a turn for the better?
(End of this chapter)