Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 142 Feint to the East, Attack in the West: A Tai Chi Tale (Part 1)

It's already quite hot in Liaodong in July. The area along Shenyang and Liaoyang already feels like summer, and the area between Shuangtaizi River and Daliao River is even more bustling with heat.

The bustling activity wasn't just limited to the weather; it also included the soldiers and civilians of Liaodong Town.

The soldiers and civilians of Liaodong have suffered greatly in recent years. Since Xiong Tingbi was impeached and dismissed in the first year of the Tianqi reign, the Liaodong border army has suffered a series of defeats. Meanwhile, the Jurchens have made a crazy advance, killing their way from Shenyang to Liaoyang, and then from Liaoyang to Haizhouwei.

Following this, Gaizhouwei, Fuzhouwei, Jinzhouwei, and Dingliaoyouwei fell one after another. The Jurchens then marched from Haizhouwei all the way through the Daliao River, Shuangtaizi River, and Daling River, until the sixth year of the Tianqi reign. By then, Nurhaci had already reached the walls of Ningyuan City. All that remained in Liaodong was a narrow corridor, about a hundred li long and less than fifty li wide, from Ningyuanwei to Shanhaiguan.

For the past six years, the soldiers and civilians of Liaodong Town have been on the run, fleeing for five or six hundred miles from Shenyang and Liaoyang to Ningyuan, dragging their families with them.

Many people couldn't keep running and were captured by the Jurchens and enslaved. Many others, after years of escape, had nothing to eat and starved to death on the road.

That's nothing compared to the harsh winter. During their escape, they could only build a makeshift shelter to keep warm. In the freezing weather, the ground was so cold that ice would form inside the shelter. Many people's hands and feet were frostbitten. No one knows how many people froze to death during that winter.

Those captured by the Jurchens and enslaved suffered equally miserable fates. They were exhausted from working all day long, barely had enough to eat, and their clothes were tattered. In winter, they would shiver from the cold, and many froze to death.

They had been hoping that the imperial army would come to rescue them from their misery, and now the imperial army finally arrived. They also killed the Jurchens who had oppressed them, and they were able to eat the grain that the Jurchens had taken from them. They no longer had to be whipped by the Jurchens and forced to work day and night.

People only learn to cherish things after they've lost them.

They naturally want to protect this rare freedom with all their might.

Therefore, when they heard that the northern border wall had been torn down and that the Jurchen cavalry might attack at any time, all the able-bodied men volunteered to repair the border wall. They worked desperately, day and night.

Sun Chuanting was also quite good at winning people over. He would provide meals and food to anyone who came to help on their own initiative, and he also promised that each person who came to help would receive one or two taels of silver as wages after the wall was repaired.

Everyone who could carry a hoe and move bricks came. At least 200,000 people gathered on both sides of the border wall, which stretched for hundreds of miles. The wall was rising at a visible speed, getting higher and higher.

The soldiers and civilians of Liaodong Town really didn't want this rare freedom to vanish in the blink of an eye, so they worked day and night without any prompting.

As a result, in just five days, the wall on the other side was miraculously built up to a height of about ten feet.

At this point, Sun Chuanting no longer pursued building the border wall to its original height of 1.5 zhang. Even if the wall were built to 1.5 zhang, without arrows, it would not be able to stop the Jurchen cavalry archers. Standing on the city wall would only make one a target for the Jurchens.

Therefore, after the city wall was built to a height of about ten feet, he immediately ordered people to build arrow emplacements to prevent the Jurchen cavalry from shooting.

Around 5 PM that afternoon, as the sun was about to set, everyone gradually descended the city wall and came to the inner shack area to prepare for cooking.

Sun Chuanting was considering whether to go back to the Liaodong cavalry camp for a meal or just eat there when a fast rider suddenly galloped in from the south, rushing right up to him before he could rein in his horse.

The messenger excitedly cupped his hands and said, "Sir, His Majesty has sent Imperial Guard musketeers to reinforce us."

what?
Imperial Guard Musketeers!
This reinforcement was quite unexpected.

He had considered that His Majesty might send the chariot troops of the Beijing Garrison, or even the remaining 10,000 cavalrymen of the Beijing Garrison, to reinforce him, but he never expected that His Majesty would send the Imperial Guard musketeers.

Sun Chuanting asked in surprise, "How many Imperial Guards and musketeers did His Majesty send? Where are they?"

Without hesitation, the messenger replied, "His Majesty has sent a thousand Imperial Guard musketeers. They arrived by fast naval ships, which are currently on the southern coast. General Zhou is ordering a temporary dock to be built for them." Although a thousand musketeers were a bit few, they were exactly what he desperately needed. With musketeers, the border wall would be much easier to defend.

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting immediately waved his hand and said, "Come on, take me there to take a look."

Upon hearing this, the messenger immediately turned his horse around and headed straight for the southern coast.

Sun Chuanting immediately led over a hundred personal guards on horseback to follow.

The northern border wall is less than a hundred miles from the coast; it wouldn't take half an hour to gallop there on horseback.

When they arrived near the coast, the sun had just set, and the afterglow of the sunset was still lingering.

At this time, Zhou Yuji had already completed the construction of the temporary dock, and the imperial guards were carrying muskets and bullets wrapped in oilcloth and continuously unloading them.

His Majesty even sent someone to deliver something?
Sun Chuanting had no idea that the oilcloth contained a musket and bullets, because even the messenger was unaware of this.

He rode up to Zhou Yuji and asked with some curiosity, "General Zhou, what did His Majesty send with him? Why is it wrapped in oilcloth?"

Zhou Yuji couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "His Majesty ordered them to bring muskets. He ordered the Imperial Guards to bring 10,000 muskets and 200,000 rounds of ammunition. His Majesty also instructed you to quickly select 10,000 Liaodong infantrymen and have these Imperial Guards teach them how to use muskets."

His Majesty actually ordered that all the firearms and ammunition used by the Imperial Guards be sent over!
Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting was so moved that he repeatedly cupped his hands towards the direction of the capital and said, "The Emperor's grace is boundless, the Emperor's grace is boundless! Now even if the Jurchen cavalry charge over, they won't gain any advantage."

These are nothing compared to what's to come.

Zhou Yuji then explained in detail: "My lord, the Imperial Guard officers who just took command of the troops also told me that His Majesty has sent 10,000 Imperial Guard infantrymen, all of whom are equipped with firearms."

However, at that time, there were only so many fast naval ships docked at the Tongzhou canal wharf. They arrived first, and later, the fast naval ships from the south that were hauling confiscated goods to the capital would be borrowed by the Beijing garrison infantry to arrive. Within four days, all of the tens of thousands of Beijing garrison infantry could arrive.

Furthermore, General Sun has already departed from Santunying with 10,000 chariots and soldiers, and should arrive in about four days. Also, His Majesty has dispatched all 70,000 chariots and soldiers from the capital, and they should arrive within ten days.

His Majesty has sent so many reinforcements!
Now the Liao River defense line is secure, with 80,000 chariot soldiers guarding it. Even if we build cities and fortresses right in front of the Jurchens, they won't dare to come over.

Sun Chuanting thought for a moment, then asked, "Is Your Majesty only sending the Beijing garrison to resist this wave of Jurchen attacks, or are you preparing to recover the entire Liaodong region?"

I don't know either.

Zhou Yuji shook his head slightly and said, "The one who led the troops was just a guerrilla general of the Imperial Guard, and he came in a great hurry. His Majesty did not explain any strategy to him, so he only knew how many reinforcements His Majesty had sent."

Has His Majesty not thought it through, or is it that he didn't have time to explain?
If these 80,000 chariot soldiers and even 10,000 musketeers could stay in Liaodong, then there would be hope for the recovery of Liaodong.

Should he write a memorial requesting His Majesty to retain these eight chariots and even ten thousand musketeers?

Sun Chuanting watched the Imperial Guards carrying muskets and bullets back and forth, lost in thought.

(End of this chapter)