Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 301 Joy and Sorrow

The Hetao Plain can be roughly divided into the Front Plain and the Back Plain.

The Qiantao Plain is located between Baotou, Hohhot, and Lama Bay.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was called "Chilichuan".

It is the "Chilichuan" described in the most famous Northern Dynasties folk song, "Chilichuan, at the foot of Yinshan Mountain. The sky is like a yurt, covering the vast wilderness. The sky is vast and blue, the wilderness is boundless, the wind blows the grass low and reveals cattle and sheep."

During the Five Dynasties period, it was called "Fengzhou Beach".

By the early Jiajing period, this area had become the grazing land of the Tumed Mongols and was also known as the "Tumochuan Plain".

Anda used this as a base to roam the entire plateau and launch continuous attacks on the Ming Dynasty's Great Wall defense line in northern Shaanxi.

The long defensive line could not withstand the onslaught of tens of thousands of cavalry. The Tartars swept through the land in a mighty procession, and each time they retreated safely, as if they had entered an uninhabited land.

The Gengxu Incident was a tragedy caused by the low moral standards of Qiu Luanxiu, the general of Datong, but the core reason was that the strategic location was completely controlled by the enemy, who could advance and retreat at will, and come and go like the wind.

The above are already painful lessons. What is even more tragic is that after Altan Khan was granted tribute, he summoned skilled craftsmen from various ethnic groups to build a city on the Hetao Plain, imitating the Yuan capital, Dadu. After the city was completed, the Ming court reluctantly named it "Guihua City".

This refers to the later Hohhot.

In order to develop the agricultural economy of the Hetao Plain, Altan Khan also ordered the recruitment of Han people to cultivate the land.

At that time, many farmers in Shaanxi and Shanxi lost their land but still had to pay taxes, so many chose to flee.

In order to attract Han people to the Hetao Plain, Altan Khan stipulated that "the annual tax payable shall be no more than one bundle of millet and a few bundles of grass, with no other corvée labor."

As a result, Han Chinese migrated to the Mongol territory to farm. By the early Wanli period, the number of Han Chinese cultivating the Hetao Plain had reached 100,000, with "thousands of acres of fertile land" and "hundreds of villages in a row." The folk songs of the time became "People say life on the frontier is bitter, but I say life on the frontier is joyful."

It's ironic.

In view of this, the current Hetao strategy takes the eight principles proposed by Haiyue as its guiding principles: "establishing a grand plan, setting rules and regulations, assessing opportunities, selecting capable generals, appointing virtuous and capable officials, ensuring sufficient provisions and supplies, clarifying rewards and punishments, and refining long-term strategies."

In practice, Yan Song's first step was to appoint his confidants as governors of Shaanxi and Yansui, and to build border walls from Dingbianying in the west to Huangfuchuan in the east.

It was completed within three years.

At the same time, 50,000 elite troops were mobilized, along with 3,000 musketeers transferred from Shandong. Each troop carried enough provisions for several dozen days to advance by land and water, taking advantage of the Tatars' unpreparedness to strike directly at their tribes.

It has maintained its upward momentum for three consecutive years.

Based on the foundation of offense and defense, further reducing taxes and levies will attract farmers from Shaanxi and Shanxi to come and cultivate the land, thus laying a long-term foundation.

On this day, Zhao Shichun was inspecting the fields that were about to be cultivated.

He had long harbored the ambition to serve his country through military campaigns, but unlike Xu Jie and Hai Rui who were released early, Hai Yue suppressed him for three years before finally allowing him to leave the capital and serve as the Assistant Surveillance Commissioner of Shanxi Province.

Later, he was assigned to patrol the northern route and manage the military preparations of the northern and central routes.

He was then promoted to Right Councilor of Shanxi, and continued to manage his affairs.

With the position of Right Councilor, Zhao Shichun personally organized farmers willing to reclaim land in the Hetao region and personally supervised the officials below him to help them settle down, in order to implement the policy in practice.

At that moment, he was on an inspection tour with the clerks of the Three Departments when the sound of horses' hooves came from afar. He turned around and couldn't help but smile: "Brother Yingde!"

The visitor was Tang Shunzhi, a man of exceptional talent in both literature and military affairs, who was currently serving as the Vice Commissioner of the Shaanxi Provincial Surveillance Commission and the Deputy Surveillance Commissioner of Shaanxi.

After arriving in the Hetao region, Tang Shunzhi often said, "When autumn is high and the horses are fat, the Tartars' bows and arrows are powerful. When the enemy gathers to attack, we disperse to defend. Naturally, the enemy is strong and we are weak. When winter is deep and the water dries up, and spring is cold and rainy, their strength will gradually weaken. That will be the best time for us to attack!"

To put it bluntly, it was the season most favorable for the nomadic people to perform, so the Ming army avoided their sharpest attacks. But if the weather turned slightly unfavorable to the enemy, the Ming army would immediately launch an attack.

If this continues repeatedly, the number of Mongol tribes on the Hetao Plain will naturally decrease day by day.

After all, nomadic life is far less stable than agriculture.

However, initially, the attitudes of all parties were not positive.

After all, they can all say nice things, but who knows if it's just empty talk from a scholar?

But soon, Tang Shunzhi proved with his actions that his strategy could definitely be put into practice.

In terms of the current statistics on beheadings in the Northwest, Yu Dayou is undoubtedly the first to be mentioned. Altan Khan clashed with him several times, and apart from the first time when he took advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, he suffered setbacks every time afterward.

Yu Dayou gradually gained power and influence on the grasslands, and many Mongols had reached the point where they would retreat at the mere mention of Yu Dayou's army.

Following Yu Dayou was Tang Shunzhi, who personally led troops out of the Great Wall several times to sweep away small and medium-sized tribes.

They even achieved a remarkable feat of launching a surprise attack on the Tumed tribe's stronghold, capturing hundreds of heads and bringing back cattle and sheep as spoils.

It is said that Anda hated Tang Shunzhi even more than Yu Dayou.

After dismounting, the man who had been at the top of the list of enemies of Anda exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhao Shichun, and then said, "Mingwei sent a letter saying that Anda's tribute mission has failed and he may be considering withdrawing!"

Zhao Shichun was stunned: "Retreat? Retreat to where?"

Tang Shunzhi said, "We will naturally withdraw from the border region!"

If it were anyone else, Zhao Shichun might not have believed it, but since it was that person who said it, he was immediately invigorated: "So, the Tatars are declining and preparing to withdraw from the Hetao region and flee far away?"

If that were the case, wouldn't the strategy of taking over the Hetao region be a success? This was an achievement that previous Ming emperors had longed for but could not accomplish!
"This is not a good thing..."

Tang Shunzhi's tone was very serious: "Don't pursue a desperate enemy. If Anda really takes the initiative to withdraw from the Hetao region and return to the grasslands, after a long march of thousands of miles, our Ming army is no match for the Mongol Tartars. We will definitely just watch them leave! They suffered no losses today and preserved their elite troops and cavalry. If there are any setbacks at the border in the future, they will definitely turn back!"

Zhao Shichun's excitement gradually subsided, and he said solemnly, "Brother Yingde is right. Even if we capture the Hetao region, if we don't annihilate the main force of the enemy, I'm afraid we won't have peace..."

The Ming Dynasty's original strategy was to first clip its wings and then target its core.

Through small-scale battles to "search for and destroy traps," they gradually eroded the living space of small and medium-sized Mongolian tribes.

In this process, it's not just about killing the enemy; it's also about dividing and bribing them. Once there are enough Mongol collaborators, then a general offensive will be launched against Altan Khan's Tumed tribe.

But now, seeing the situation is not good, once the enemy abandons the Hetao Plain and withdraws beyond the Great Wall, it may seem that the conquest of the Hetao region has been completed, but in reality, it has not caused any fundamental damage to the powerful enemy. This increasingly powerful Mongol tribe has stationed troops on the border and is still eyeing the border with covetous intent.

Tang Shunzhi didn't mince words. He took out the draft memorial and handed it over: "I have written down the relevant strategies. I hope Jingren can polish them a bit."

Zhao Shichun took it and said without hesitation, "We will all submit a petition together to request permission!"

Members of the Yixinhui who were assigned to external posts either gathered in the Jiangnan and Zhili regions or in Shanxi and Shaanxi. Due to age and seniority limitations, they were mostly appointed as deputy positions.

However, both Zhao Shichun, the Right Councilor of Shanxi, and Tang Shunzhi, the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shaanxi, held the official rank of fourth grade and had a very important position.

Coupled with their exemplary leadership, their prestige far surpasses that of ordinary officials in charge of the three departments. Their joint memorial is believed to be enough to sway the central government, mobilize military resources, and launch an unprecedented siege.

Of course, Lu Bing and Yu Dayou also cooperated, but compared to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the military system, it was indeed easier for the petitions from civil officials to gain support.

"Report!"

Just then, a scout arrived at full speed with a report.

"The three pastures of the Tumet tribe are empty..."

Tang Shunzhi unfolded the document and sighed deeply, "Anda is more decisive than we expected. The Mongols are going to abandon the Ordos region!"

……

"It's done! It's done!"

Lin Daqin's joyful voice rang out, and at the same time, cheers rose and fell from outside the courtyard.

Haiyue looked up, unsurprised: "The good news has arrived?"

"Yes Yes!"

Lin Daqin, now also a lecturer, always behaved with propriety and composure when serving as a lecturer before the emperor, earning his deep trust. But this time, he was so excited that his sleeves fluttered, and he almost rose to sing: "The bandits have occupied the Hetao region for decades, but finally we have recovered our Han lands! From now on, the people of the nine border regions will no longer have to suffer the ravages of the barbarian cavalry, and can rest easy!"

Haiyue didn't agree with the idea of ​​being complacent, but she smiled and said, "Years of hard work have finally paid off!"

His views were similar to Tang Shunzhi's, but he was more optimistic.

Anda was not easy to deal with, so he decisively abandoned the fertile land of Qiantao and led his troops to flee north, which shows his true nature as a ruthless and ambitious man.

It seems inevitable that war will break out on the grasslands again someday.

However, upon closer examination, the idea of ​​trapping and annihilating Anda's main force in a corner of the Hetao region was nothing but wishful thinking.

In the past, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing launched expeditions to the northern desert, but neither of them were able to achieve their goal in one battle.

The security of the nine border regions ultimately lies not in annihilating the enemy, but in strengthening the army and consolidating the borders.

It's never as good as strengthening yourself as hoping your opponent makes a mistake.

To be honest, the southern pirates and northern barbarians during the Jiajing era wouldn't have been anything special in other dynasties.

The Japanese pirates were entirely self-inflicted. Altan Khan, though seemingly a powerful figure on the steppe and a major threat, was in reality no match for the steppe's power at its peak; he was simply the tallest among the short.

Ultimately, the problem stemmed from the fact that the Ming Dynasty had reached its mid-period, various social contradictions erupted, and the dynasty itself was too weak.

Historically, the new policies implemented by Emperor Jiajing after his ascension to the throne did have some effect, but they were far from sufficient.

After all, once Zhang Cong left, the government ceased operations, and the period of stability was too short.

Now, after Zhang Cong, there is Yan Song.

Two prime ministers took turns in office, and the new policies have been in effect for nearly two decades.

Both the national treasury and military equipment are far superior to those of the same period.

With everyone working together with one heart and one mind, we can achieve our goal.

As Haiyue gently stroked the letter, she turned her head and suddenly saw a plum tree in full bloom outside the window—just like those pearls that had been covered in dust, finally shining brightly in the north wind of the border.

With pillars like Yu Dayou, Tang Shunzhi, and Zhao Shichun, the nation's power grows daily, and Mongolia beyond the Great Wall will eventually become nothing more than a clown.

But at that very moment, the pageboy Gong Hao hurried in, leaned down and whispered in his ear: "The lady has entered the palace! She must be summoned to the palace immediately!"

Haiyue suppressed her joy, turned her gaze towards the direction of Ciren Palace, and sighed deeply: "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager..."

(End of this chapter)