The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 284 The deer has fallen, and the world is chasing it.
April of the tenth year of Tiancong (the ninth year of Chongzhen), Shenyang Shengjing.

After more than two months of careful planning and constant encouragement from Fan Wencheng and others, Huang Taiji's ascension to the throne was imminent.

On the fifth day, a solemn ceremony was held inside the Chongzheng Hall.

Dorgon, representing all the Manchu Jurchens, Badali, the heir of the Khorchin tribe, representing the surrendered Mongol tribes, and Kong Youde, the surrendered general, representing the Han army banners and Han officials, respectfully knelt and presented a petition to Huang Taiji, written in Manchu, Mongol, and Han languages.

The memorial was full of praise, stating that Huang Taiji was a man of great talent in both literature and military strategy, whose achievements were unparalleled in the world and whose virtue matched that of heaven and earth. He had unified the Manchu, Mongol, and Han peoples and obtained the Imperial Seal of the State, which was truly the mandate of heaven. The memorial earnestly requested that Huang Taiji ascend the throne as emperor.

According to the Han rites of the Central Plains, Huang Taiji naturally declined repeatedly, saying that he was "lacking in virtue and talent, and feared to fail the mandate of heaven," while Fan Wencheng and others continued to urge him to take the throne.

After this dramatic scene of "three refusals and three concessions," Huang Taiji finally "resisted public opinion and reluctantly agreed to the request to ascend the throne."

On the eleventh day of the fourth lunar month, the majestic altar for worshipping Heaven stood tall in the southern suburbs of Shengjing.

The banners of the elite Jurchen troops fluttered all around, their ceremonial guards imposing.

Huang Taiji, dressed in a robe adorned with twelve symbols of the sun, moon, and stars, led the princes, Manchu ministers, leaders of various Mongol tribes, and major generals of the Han Banner Army to hold a grand ceremony to worship Heaven and ascend the throne.

The ceremony was extremely grand and full of symbolic meaning of integrating Manchu, Mongolian and Han cultures.

Dorgon respectfully presented a golden chair, symbolizing supreme power; Badali presented a golden stool, representing the support of the Mongol tribes.
Dodo holds a gold incense box, Hauge holds a gold incense burner, Yuetuo holds a gold washbasin, Eje holds a gold spittoon, Dudu holds a gold bottle, and Kong Youde holds a gold musical instrument.

Each piece of goldware symbolizes submission to the new emperor and congratulations on the new dynasty.

Huang Taiji offered a grand sacrifice of cattle, sheep, and pig to Heaven and Earth, while the official in charge of rites read the prayer aloud, his voice booming and echoing between heaven and earth.
"...Your humble servant, by the mandate of Heaven, relying on the spirits of our ancestors and the strength of the princes and ministers, has conquered Korea, unified Mongolia, and obtained the Imperial Seal, a sign of auspicious omens."

"...I hereby announce to Heaven and Earth that I have ascended the throne as Emperor, the state name is Great Qing, and the era name is Chongde."

After he finished speaking, drums and music began to play loudly.

The civil and military officials, as well as the Mongolian princes, performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows in accordance with etiquette.

"Kowtowing—!"

The master of ceremonies drew out his voice, his high-pitched command piercing the sky.

Led by the princes and nobles, the dark mass of people, like wheat fields blown down by the wind, knelt down in unison facing the altar and the direction of the new emperor, their foreheads touching the ground.

"prosper--!"

The crowd rose to their feet and stood at attention.

"Kowtowing again—!"

"kneel--!"

Each kowtow was performed with utmost respect, forehead touching the ground, the movements perfectly synchronized, followed by a thunderous roar of "Long live the Emperor!" that echoed like crashing waves, resounding across the land, demonstrating submission and unwavering loyalty.

This elaborate and solemn ceremony was intended to announce to the world the formal birth of a new dynasty that integrated Manchu military power, the Mongol alliance, and Han etiquette—the "Great Qing."

From then on, they were no longer the Later Jin Khanate that dominated the borderlands, but a new dynasty that aspired to rule the world and vie for legitimacy.

However, amidst this undulating wave of kneeling worship composed of Manchus, Mongols, and Han Chinese, two figures stood out abruptly, motionless.

These two men were none other than the Korean envoys, Luo Dexian and Li Kuo.

Dressed in North Korean official robes and wearing gauze hats, they stood out like glaring rocks against the backdrop of kneeling figures around them.

The master of ceremonies' commands seemed to have no effect on them, and the thunderous shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" all around them could not shake the two men in the slightest.

Luo Dexian and Li Kuo simply kept their faces tense, their lips pursed, their necks stiff, and their eyes fixed straight ahead, deliberately avoiding Huang Taiji's figure on the altar, as well as the astonished and angry gazes coming from all around.

In an instant, almost everyone's attention was drawn to them.

From Huang Taiji, who sat high on the altar, to Fan Wencheng, who presided over the ceremony, and Dorgon and other Manchu nobles and leaders of various Mongol tribes kneeling on the ground, everyone stared in astonishment at the two outstanding Korean envoys.

The solemn and dignified atmosphere of the ceremony was instantly shattered, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Whispers spread among the kneeling officials, and many Mongol princes wore expressions of amusement and surprise.

The Manchu ministers glared angrily; had it not been for the grand ceremony, some would likely have already shouted rebukes or even drawn their swords.

Luo Dexian and Li Kuoneng could clearly feel the gazes coming from all around them.

They were well aware of the consequences of their actions, but the Confucian teachings they had received since childhood, the national policy of "serving the great with utmost sincerity," and their loyalty to the Ming Dynasty made it impossible for them to bow their heads to Huang Taiji.

Korea, which calls itself "Little China", has always regarded the Ming Dynasty as the legitimate dynasty, adhered to the Confucian distinction between Chinese and barbarians, and regarded the Manchus as barbarians. Its king was only recognized by the Ming Dynasty.

To expect the Korean envoys to perform the rites of a subject to the Qing emperor was, in their view, undoubtedly a disgraceful betrayal of the Ming Dynasty and an acceptance of barbarians as the legitimate rulers.

In the eyes of Luo Dexian and Li Kuo, Huang Taiji was nothing but a usurper and a barbarian ruler. How could he be worthy of changing the era name and becoming emperor?

Moreover, although North Korea was beaten by the Later Jin, it was nominally a "brotherly country" with the Later Jin.

How could a younger brother submit and kneel before his elder brother?
This is not only a matter of personal integrity, but also a matter of national dignity.

Their knees seemed nailed shut with steel nails, refusing to bend.

Those straight spines and stiff necks, amidst the prostrate postures, formed a silent protest.

This was the most direct puncture of the "all nations paying tribute" scene painstakingly cultivated by Huang Taiji, and also the most blatant contempt for the Qing regime.

Huang Taiji, perched high on the altar, witnessed this scene clearly.

His face instantly darkened, and anger surged in his eyes.

In order to gain "international" recognition and strengthen the legitimacy of the Qing Dynasty, Huang Taiji specially "invited" the Korean envoy to participate in the ceremony.

He painstakingly constructed a "world" system that transcends ethnic groups and encompasses all corners of the world.

The North Korean envoy's open resistance was tantamount to a public slap in the face, directly challenging his bottom line.

But Huang Taiji was, after all, a powerful ruler, and given the grand occasion, he ultimately suppressed his anger and did not lash out on the spot.

He sat high on the altar, giving Luo Dexian and Li Kuo a cold glance, and secretly made up his mind.

On April 12, Huang Taiji led the princes and beile to the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Shengjing to perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony to posthumously honor his ancestors.

He first posthumously conferred the title of "Emperor Chengtian Guangyun Shengde Shengong Zhaoji Liji Renxiao Wu" on his father, Nurhaci, the Old Wild Boar, with the temple name "Taizu".
Later, his mother, Meng Guzhe, was posthumously honored as "Empress Xiaoci Zhaoxian Chunde Zhenshun Chengtian Yusheng Wu".

Subsequently, he decreed that the founding heroes be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The first merit was posthumously awarded to Li Dun, the eldest son of his great-great-grandfather, Juechangan, the commander of the Jianzhou Left Guard, with the posthumous title of "Prince of Wugong".

This move is intended to demonstrate that we should not forget our roots.

If Li Dun hadn't participated in the village feud as the eldest son, his Aisin Gioro family wouldn't have even had a place to stand.

Subsequently, Huang Taiji posthumously conferred the title of "Duke of Righteousness" on Fei Yingdong, a founding hero who came from a village bully background and was known as the "Saint of Thieves in Liaodong," and posthumously conferred the title of "Duke of Profound Responsibility" on Eidu, a street urchin who came from a murder background.

To put it bluntly, the history of the Aisin Gioro family's struggle is essentially a story of Northeast China.

Immediately afterwards, Huang Taiji conferred the title of prince upon Daishan, Jirgalang, Dorgon, Dodo, and others.

Other leaders of various Mongol tribes, such as Badali, were also granted the titles of prince or duke.

The grand investiture ceremony lasted a long time and covered almost all Manchu and Mongol nobles.

However, the meticulous Fan Wencheng noticed that Kong Youde and others, who brought important artillery technology and a navy and represented the Han people in the urging to ascend the throne, were not included in the list of princes in this grand imperial investiture.

Fan Wencheng was well aware of the importance of the three men in winning over the Han people and setting an example of submission.

He seized an opportunity to speak to Huang Taiji, saying:
"Your Majesty, now all the nobles of Manchuria and Mongolia have been granted titles and rewards, and the hearts of the people are with you."

"However, the three generals Kong, Geng, and Shang abandoned the Ming Dynasty and joined us. Their meritorious service is outstanding, and they are even more exemplary for the Han people."

"If these three men are granted royal titles, it will surely let all Han people in the world know that our Great Qing is open to heroes and has a heart that recognizes and appoints people well."

“If this is taken as an example, the armies outside the pass and the officials inside the pass will surely be shaken.”

Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji immediately realized his mistake, rubbed his forehead, and sighed:

"Without your advice, sir, I would have almost made a grave mistake!"

He immediately issued an imperial edict to bestow additional titles: Kong Youde as the Prince of Gongshun, Geng Zhongming as the Prince of Huaishun, and Shang Kexi as the Prince of Zhishun.

The name "Three Obedient King" was thus established.

After all the ceremonies of the enthronement ceremony were completed, Huang Taiji summoned the princes, nobles, civil and military officials to the Chongzheng Hall to discuss and make political decisions.

Huang Taiji sat high on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Manchu, Mongol, and Han civil and military officials below, and said in a deep voice:

"The Ming dynasty has lost its mandate, and our Great Qing dynasty shall take it back."

"According to Mr. Fan, if we want to conquer the Central Plains, we must first stabilize the rear and clip its wings."

"Although Korea made a treaty with us as a brother country after the Dingmao year, its king Yi Jong outwardly complied but inwardly defied it, always keeping his heart in the Ming Dynasty, paying tribute every year, and treating us as barbarians."

"If this villain is not eliminated, our army will surely be hampered when it marches south in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Fan Wencheng immediately stepped forward and added:

"Your majesty is wise and wise."

"During the previous coronation ceremony, Na Luodexian and Li Kuo refused to kneel, revealing their disloyal intentions!"

"I believe that we can use this as a pretext to completely conquer Korea and force it to submit to our Great Qing."

"Korea is the most loyal bulwark of the Ming Dynasty. Eliminating this scourge will not only sever one of the Ming's arms but also stabilize Liaodong, allowing us to seize its provisions and people to support our army." Huang Taiji nodded slightly upon hearing this, his mind made up.
"My mind is made up. I will first send troops to the Ming Dynasty!"

When Huang Taiji said this, all the civil and military officials in the Chongzheng Hall were stunned, and no one could follow Huang Taiji's train of thought.

What's going on? Wasn't the plan to attack North Korea?

Why are we going to attack the Ming Dynasty again?
Seeing the confusion on everyone's face, Huang Taiji explained:

"Using troops in Korea is no ordinary matter."

"Have you not heard of the time when Japanese pirates invaded Korea, and the Ming Dynasty dispatched its elite troops to rescue them?"

"If we march straight to Korea, the Ming Dynasty, seeing that its loyal vassal is in trouble, may very well send troops to its aid again."

"If our army is bogged down in Korea, and the Ming army launches an attack from Ningjin and Pidao, either attacking Shengjing or cutting off our retreat, then the situation will be perilous!"

"This is a feint attack."

He paused, then shouted sternly at the crowd in the hall:

"Prince Wuying!"

"exist!"

"I hereby appoint you as commander, with Beile Abatai, Gushan Ezhen Yangguli, Baiyintu and others as your assistants. You shall knock on the gates and enter to mobilize the Ming army."

"I will lead you with the elite troops of the Eight Banners, the cavalry of various Mongol tribes, and the firearms battalion of the Han Banner Army, totaling 20,000 troops, through Dushikou, and advance on Xuanfu!"

"Their main task was not to conquer cities and seize territories, but to plunder people and livestock on a large scale to intimidate the Ming emperor and his officials."

"When our Great Qing army enters the pass, the little Chongzhen Emperor will surely be panicked and mobilize all the armies that come to his aid around the capital, leaving him powerless to attend to anything else!"

Immediately afterwards, Huang Taiji ordered Prince Rui Dorgon and Prince Yu Dodo to lead troops in a feigned attack on the Ningjin line, further tying down the main force of the Ming army in Guanning.

Once the Ming Dynasty's attention is drawn to the northern defense line, Huang Taiji will personally lead a large army to conquer Korea in one fell swoop.

Upon hearing this, the princes and nobles in the hall suddenly understood and were all impressed by Huang Taiji's profound wisdom and far-sightedness.

As this was the first expedition since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, Huang Taiji attached great importance to it.

He patiently instructed Ajige and others, establishing numerous rules and regulations:

For example, he strictly ordered all departments to obey Ajige's unified commands and not to act on their own;
Try to avoid the poor areas that have been plundered before, and target the rich areas instead;
Huang Taiji even imposed restrictions on the scale of the looting.

He stipulated that each Niru (a military unit) could only abduct six men and women and two cattle in order to avoid the formation becoming too large and affecting maneuverability;

Furthermore, he specifically arranged for each banner to send an officer and each niru to send a soldier to form a special logistics support team, stationed near the Great Wall, responsible for transporting the looted people and property back to Liaodong in batches...

Huang Taiji, like a mother hen, explained every single detail, down to the smallest detail.

After several days of tedious arrangements, Huang Taiji finally led all the civil and military officials of the Qing Dynasty out of the city to see him off.

Before leaving, he was still worried and pressed Ajige and the others for more information:

"Have you remembered all my instructions?"

The crowd answered in unison, "We will heed the imperial edict!"

Only then did Huang Taiji feel reassured enough to send them on their expedition.

After the army had gone far away, Huang Taiji suddenly felt a sense of loss, as if this expedition lacked some sense of ceremony.

Only after Fan Wencheng reminded him did Huang Taiji realize what was happening.

The emperor himself sent a prince to lead the expedition and gave him command of the army, but didn't even give him a temporary general's title.

At least give them a title like General Who Conquers the West or General Who Subdues the Ming Dynasty.

Isn't this just the same old practice from the Later Jin period?
This is completely out of step with the new dynasty and is utterly improper.

But now that the army had already set off, Huang Taiji could only sigh helplessly:
"I made a mistake, I made a mistake."

"Definitely next time."

The world is in turmoil, and now is the time for heroes to rise up and compete for control of the land.

While Huang Taiji was sharpening his sword in Liaodong, Jiang Han, far to the southwest, was also preparing to make his move.

Chengdu, the Han Prince's Mansion.

After half a year of rest, training, and land reclamation, Jiang Han had initially consolidated his rule in Sichuan.

On the fifth day of the fourth month, he summoned his main civil and military generals to the Chengyun Hall to discuss the next strategic direction.

The generals in the palace, including the original team such as Shao Yong, Li Laowai, and Hei Zi, as well as the newly surrendered former Ming generals such as Ma Ke, were all eager to fight when they heard that the Prince of Han intended to use troops.

"Your Majesty! This humble general requests to be the vanguard and will surely capture Songpan for Your Majesty!"

"This humble general is willing to go! With just 10,000 elite troops, we can sweep away the land of Guizhou!"

"The Mu family of Yunnan is now nothing but bones in a tomb. This humble general requests permission to lead the expedition!"

Seeing the high morale of his generals, Jiang Han was very pleased.

He nodded and said loudly:

"I am greatly pleased by the eagerness of you generals to fight."

"However, this military campaign, in addition to conquering cities and expanding territory, is also about training soldiers and generals!"

He looked around at everyone and slowly explained,
"Our army now has nearly 100,000 troops, but only about 15,000 of them are combat soldiers."

"The remaining 70,000 to 80,000 were all reorganized from local militias and local braves."

"Although these militiamen have undergone initial training and have begun to take on human form, they have little combat experience."

“In Yunnan and Guizhou, the Ming army was small, local chieftains were everywhere, and the people were not united. It was the perfect place to train a new army.”

"In my opinion, this battle should be fought primarily by the militia, with combat troops as a secondary force."

"Only by eliminating the weak and retaining the strong in actual combat can we gradually promote those who dare to fight and are capable of fighting into elite soldiers."

Having said that, Jiang Han turned his gaze to the two young generals inside the hall:
"Yu Chengye, Li Dingguo!"

At this time, Yu Chengye and Li Dingguo were nearly seventeen years old, having long since shed their childishness and grown into tall and upright individuals.

Furthermore, his experience in battle has honed his skills, giving him a sharp gaze and an imposing presence.

Previously, the two of them had worked together to kill Ding Yunxiang, a Ming army adjutant, and were promoted to the rank of guerrilla general for their meritorious service. They were leading figures among the younger generation in the army.

Upon hearing the command, the two men strode forward, clasped their hands in a fist salute, and responded with resounding voices:

"The general is here!"

Jiang Han looked at the two of them, his eyes filled with expectation:

"You two started as militiamen and followed Li Zicheng in battles around Shiquan. You went through a lot of hardships and must have learned a lot of skills."

"You two should come with us on this expedition to Guizhou."

"I will allocate five hundred soldiers and two thousand five hundred militiamen to accompany the army on the expedition!"

"In this battle, we must fight bravely and advance valiantly. In addition to our military campaigns, we must also diligently study the art of leading troops and the methods of warfare!"

Yu Chengye and Li Dingguo were thrilled to hear this.

The two immediately knelt on one knee, their voices booming:
"Your humble servant obeys! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"

On the tenth day of the fourth month of the ninth year of Chongzhen's reign, in the suburbs of Chengdu.

Below the command platform, banners blotted out the sun, swords and spears stood like a forest, and 50,000 troops were arrayed in perfect order, their chilling aura soaring to the heavens.

Jiang Han personally took to the stage to preside over the departure ceremony.

Zhao Sheng stood beside Jiang Han and loudly recited the proclamation to boost morale.

After the song was finished, General Shao Yong, fully armored, stepped onto the stage.

Jiang Han, holding the official seal and badge, solemnly presented them to Shao Yong, and said sternly:

"General Shao, I hereby appoint you as General Pinggui and Commander-in-Chief of Bozhou, to oversee all military affairs during this campaign into Guizhou!"

"I hope you will proceed with caution and determination, wipe out the stubborn enemy, and enhance the prestige of our Han army!"

Shao Yong knelt on one knee, accepted the seal with both hands, and said in a deep voice:
"The general will get the order!"

"We will exert all our strength in this battle to conquer Guizhou and serve the King!"

Subsequently, Jiang Han bestowed the seal of Vice General upon Liu Ning, encouraging all the generals.

The young generals gazed at the grand scene of the seal-awarding ceremony on the stage, their eyes filled with longing and fighting spirit.

After the ceremony, three cannon shots were fired, and the army immediately set off.

Jiang Han led an army of 50,000 men, with Shao Yong as the main general and Liu Ning as the deputy general. Under his command were guerrilla generals Yu Chengye, Li Dingguo, Ma Ke, and others. The army marched south in a mighty procession, heading straight for the borders of Guizhou!

(End of this chapter)