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

Chapter 315 Qing Army Advances Eastward to the Korean Peninsula, Joseon Changes its Domain and Rule

While the people and soldiers in Sichuan were celebrating the birth of the Han prince, a thousand miles away in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, a somber and gloomy scene prevailed.

No matter how heavy the snow was falling inside the Forbidden City, it couldn't quell Zhu Youjian's anxiety.

Last year, the Qing army broke through the pass and entered the pass as if it were an empty land. They not only plundered countless people, livestock and property, but also forced the Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong and the Minister of War to commit suicide out of fear of punishment.

The imperial court lost face, and the border defense system was on the verge of collapse.

Left with no other choice, Emperor Chongzhen transferred Lu Xiangshan, who was still suppressing bandits in Huguang, to Xuanda, ordering him to clean up the mess.

Hearing that Lu Xiangsheng had vigorously promoted land reclamation and military preparedness after taking office, resulting in significant improvements in Xuanhua and Datong, Zhu Youjian was finally somewhat relieved.

However, Zhu Youjian remained hesitant about the selection of the Minister of War.

The Minister of War is in charge of the deployment of troops throughout the country and is responsible for defending against enemies both inside and outside the country, so he has to be careful in his selection.

With Zhang Fengyi's example right before our eyes, if another mediocre and incompetent person, or one who only knows how to form cliques and pursue personal gain, comes along, the Ming Dynasty will truly be doomed.

Zhu Youjian's ideal Minister of War could not be a member of the Donglin Party, the eunuch party, or any other faction; he had to be a "lone minister" who was unaffiliated with any party or faction.

Only in this way could he feel at ease appointing officials and ensure that imperial power was not hindered.

Secondly, in this turbulent time of resurgence of bandits and frequent border troubles, the Minister of War must be knowledgeable in military affairs, preferably with practical experience in commanding troops and overseeing campaigns, and be able to deal with the complex battlefield situation.

Since Lu Xiang-sheng was transferred to Xuan-Da, the suppression of bandits in the Central Plains has required the court to coordinate more effectively. This Minister of War needs to be able to share the emperor's burdens and solve his problems.

Zhu Youjian searched through mountains of memorials and official files, and after careful selection, finally focused his attention on one person.

He is Yang Sichang, the former Governor-General of Xuanda, who is currently observing mourning for his father in his hometown.

Yang Sichang was born into an official family in Huguang. His father, Yang He, had served as the Governor-General of the Three Border Regions and was an old acquaintance of the rebels in Shaanxi.

Back then, Yang He failed to appease the bandits in Shaanxi, which instead allowed the bandits to grow stronger, leading to his imprisonment and punishment by Emperor Chongzhen.

Upon hearing the news, Yang Sichang, who was serving as the Military Commissioner of Shanhaiguan, submitted three memorials in succession, earnestly requesting to resign his official post in order to take the blame for his father.

Zhu Youjian, considering Yang He's commendable filial piety, ultimately spared him the death penalty and instead exiled him to Yuanzhou, Jiangxi, as a soldier.

In September of the eighth year of the Chongzhen reign, Yang He died at his post in Yuanzhou. Yang Sichang, the Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong, resigned from his post in accordance with regulations and stayed at home to observe mourning for his parents.

Yang Sichang was naturally deeply grateful for the emperor's "favor" back then.

Now that the country is in need of capable people, Zhu Youjian decided to reinstate Yang Sichang despite his mourning period, so that he could serve the country.

When the imperial edict arrived at the Yang family, Yang Sichang, following the custom of officialdom, staged a performance of "three refusals and three concessions" to demonstrate his loyalty and filial piety.

He could wait, but the emperor in the Forbidden City couldn't.

Urgent appeals from all over the country arrived like snowflakes:
In the southwest, Xu Chengming, the general of Guizhou, wrote a letter pleading for help, his words filled with anguish, stating that the enemy forces were overwhelming and the provincial capital was in imminent danger.

In the heart of the Central Plains, in Henan, Huguang, Shanxi and other places, the bandits who had previously ceased their activities re-emerged, attacking cities and seizing territories, keeping the government troops busy and exhausted.
What troubled Emperor Chongzhen most was the news from the Northeast: the Eastern Barbarians beyond the Great Wall had actually declared war on Korea!

The conquest of Korea was an important part of Huang Taiji's strategy.

Last year, Ajige entered the pass, his main purpose being to attract the Ming court's attention and create an opportunity for him to mobilize troops and prepare for an eastern expedition to Korea.

To everyone's surprise, the Ming court's defenses in the Xuanda and Beijing areas turned out to be utterly vulnerable, and the officials and soldiers were terrified of the enemy.

Even the governor-general and the minister of war were so frightened that they committed suicide by poison, which far exceeded Huang Taiji's expectations and was an unexpected delight.

In October of the ninth year of the Chongzhen reign, after receiving the returning army of Ajige, Huang Taiji immediately returned to Shengjing.

On the third day of the eleventh month, he, as the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, held a ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple to announce the victory.

Huang Taiji reported to the spirit of the old wild boar skin about Ajige's "glorious achievements" in his invasion of the Central Plains:
They plundered twelve prefectures and counties, won fifty-eight consecutive battles, captured the Ming general Chao Pichang alive, and seized as many as 180,000 people and livestock.

In the following days, Huang Taiji lavishly rewarded the generals who had made meritorious contributions in the invasion of the border, while also severely punishing a group of officers and soldiers who had performed poorly in battle.

The first to be punished were the Qing generals who were killed by the defeated Ming army in the Battle of Changping due to their negligence, and their subordinates were severely punished.

Furthermore, more than ten soldiers were whipped for failing to transport the weapons to the designated location.

Huang Taiji also investigated and punished those who falsely reported their military achievements or retreated in the face of battle while trying to contain Zu Dashou's Guan Ning Army.

This demonstrates the strictness with which he disciplined his troops.

After completing the rewarding of meritorious officials and the internal purge, Huang Taiji believed that the time was ripe to conquer Korea.

In late November, he officially issued an edict to launch a campaign against Korea.

As for the reasons for sending troops, they are readily available.

Huang Taiji had always remembered the scene of the two Korean envoys refusing to kneel during his coronation ceremony, and now he was making a big deal out of it.

Therefore, he brazenly declared war on Korea on the grounds that Korea was "arrogant and rude and refused to pay tribute".

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the Mongol troops from the outer vassal states, who were ordered to lead the expedition, arrived in Shengjing one after another.

Huang Taiji judged that the time for the eastern expedition had come, so he arranged for Jirhalang to stay in Shengjing, Ajige to be stationed in Niuzhuang, and Abatai to be stationed in Haicheng, each leading a small force to defend against the Ming army.

He himself personally led the main force of the Manchu Eight Banners, the Mongol army of the outer vassal states, and the firearms troops of the Three Shun Kings, almost the entire nation's army, to attack Korea.

While the main force of the army advanced, Huang Taiji also dispatched an elite squad of 300 men, disguised as merchants, to set off from Shahepu and take advantage of the frozen Yalu River to secretly infiltrate into North Korea.

The North Korean army was already weak, and now with internal collaborators, it is even more vulnerable.

With the Qing army's inside help and outside support, the Korean army was powerless to resist, allowing the Qing vanguard to advance triumphantly as if entering an empty field.

Starting from Shengjing, the Manchu cavalry reached the foot of Seoul in just about ten days.

Upon hearing the news, King Injo of Joseon was terrified and decided to immediately abandon the city and flee to avoid disaster.

For a time, panic and chaos gripped Seoul.

Historical records state: "The people were in a state of panic, at a loss for what to do. The officials and scholars of the capital, supporting the old and carrying the young, wept along the roads."

The Qing army was exceptionally fierce, aided by artillery fire. King Yi Jong, along with the Crown Prince and others, had just escaped to the south gate of Seoul when they received an urgent report from the front lines.

It was said that the Qing army's vanguard had reached Hongjewon in the western suburbs of Seoul, and that the Korean troops in the western suburbs of Seoul had been completely annihilated.

Left with no other option, Li Zong could only send officials from the court to the Qing army camp to pretend to negotiate peace in an attempt to buy time.

He fled south, eventually reaching Namhansanseong, about 40 miles south of Seoul.

He planned to defend the mountain fortress and then take advantage of the Qing soldiers' lack of naval warfare skills to escape to Ganghwa Island for refuge.

However, people are not as good as heaven.

The next morning, as Li Zong and his party were preparing to leave the city for Ganghwa Island, a sudden blizzard struck, making it impossible for their vehicles to move.

Li Zong had no choice but to retreat to the fortified city of Namhansan and hold it.

In the short time it took to delay them, the Qing army arrived and surrounded Namhansanseong Fortress.

The Qing army demanded that Yi Jong first send the crown prince to the Qing camp as a hostage before they would consider peace talks.

Under immense pressure, Li Zong initially intended to agree, but this was met with strong opposition from officials within the city, who considered it a great humiliation, and the peace talks subsequently broke down.

With no other options, Li Zong could only issue a nationwide order to come to the aid of the emperor while simultaneously sending envoys to his suzerain state, the Ming Dynasty, for assistance.

On December 18, King Injo issued an edict at the south gate of the palace in Namhansanseong Fortress.

He swore that "the emperor and his subjects will defend this city together; the will to make peace has been made, and we will fight to the death," and decided to rely on the strategic mountain city to fight the Qing army to the bitter end.

At this time, there were more than 13,000 Korean soldiers and officers, more than 200 civil and military officials, more than 200 members of the royal family, and more than 300 servants in the city.

The number of people seemed large, but the problem was that the city only had a mere 16,000 dan of grain and 200 jars of soy sauce.

This amount of reserves is barely enough to sustain a little over 10,000 soldiers for a month.

Originally, Yi Shu, the minister in charge of building Namhansanseong Fortress, had stored a large amount of military rations in the fortress in advance.

However, after Li Shu resigned due to illness, Han Mingxu, the governor of Guangzhou who took over, believed that transporting grain to the rugged mountain city would be too much of a drain on the people's manpower.

He took it upon himself to store most of the military rations in the armory on the banks of the Han River.

As a result, after the Qing army arrived, the grain easily fell into enemy hands.

With severe logistical shortages, the North Korean army had no choice but to seek a swift victory.

At Li Zong's command, an elite force was selected from the city to go out and fight the Qing army.

However, the Qing army was cunning. When they saw the Korean army coming out of the city to challenge them, they instead held their camp and avoided fighting.

The Korean army hurled insults and challenges outside the Qing army camp all day long, but the Qing army in the distance remained unmoved. By dusk, the Korean army was exhausted and their morale was low.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Inspector Jin Liu hurriedly ordered a retreat.

But at that moment, the Qing army camp suddenly opened, and the elite cavalry, who had been preparing for a long time, rushed in and charged straight into the Korean camp.

Under the surprise attack of the Qing army, the elite Korean troops suffered heavy casualties, and were almost completely wiped out.

After the crushing defeat, morale within the city completely collapsed, and the emperor and his officials were ashen-faced. At this time, the main force of the Qing army also arrived one after another, and the Korean army was unable to leave the city to fight again, so it had no choice but to hold the mountain fortress and not come out.

Huang Taiji was not in a hurry to attack the city, but instead sent orders to the rear:

"Quickly bring the Red-Clad General Cannon and all firearms to make full preparations for the siege."

As the year drew to a close, Huang Taiji established his imperial camp on the west side of Namhansanseong Fortress.

He ordered his Qing troops to capture Seoul, search for and capture the hiding Korean soldiers and civilians, and plunder their property and livestock to provide for the army's New Year celebrations.

On the fourth day of the first month of the tenth year of Chongzhen's reign, the artillery troops of the Three Princes of Shun finally arrived at the city.

After acquiring the cannons, Huang Taiji was still in no hurry to attack the city. Instead, he moved his imperial camp to the north bank of the Han River and continued to impose a strict blockade on the mountain city.

He adopted a strategy of besieging the enemy's strongholds and attacking their reinforcements, continuously eliminating North Korea's manpower.

From December to January, several major Korean loyalist armies were successively annihilated, and Namhansanseong became an isolated island.

On the seventeenth day of the first month, Huang Taiji issued an ultimatum to Li Zong, who was besieged in the isolated city:

"If you wish to live, you should leave the city and surrender immediately; if you wish to fight, you should also go out and fight immediately."

Seeing that all the loyalist armies were being wiped out one after another, and that his own father, the Ming Dynasty, showed no intention of coming to his rescue.

Coupled with the lack of food supplies and no hope of breaking out, they finally gave up the idea of ​​resistance.

He sent envoys to express his willingness to surrender and become a vassal of the Qing Dynasty, and tentatively proposed some conditions that would allow him to retain some dignity.

At this point, Huang Taiji had complete control of the battlefield, and what he could not obtain on the battlefield, he could not obtain at the negotiating table.

In order to completely shatter Li Zong's wishful thinking, on the 22nd day of the first lunar month, the Qing army, under the command of Dorgon, launched a amphibious assault on Ganghwa Island.

The royal family members of Korea, including the shrine deities, the crown prince's wife, the two great princes, and the grandson of the king, as well as the families of ministers, all hid on this island.

The Ganghwa Strait has always been regarded as an insurmountable barrier by the Korean monarchs and their officials. In the dead of winter, the seawater is icy cold and ice floes float on the surface, making crossing the strait extremely difficult.

However, Dorgon commanded the Qing army to launch a strong attack on the Gapcheonjin ferry crossing north of Ganghwa Island, using the cover of cannons.

The North Korean navy intended to intercept them, but the tide suddenly receded, leaving them stranded in the sea hundreds of paces from Gajwanjin and unable to move.

Dorgon seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack, quickly capturing Gajwanjin and successfully landing on Ganghwa Island.

The island's garrison was completely wiped out, and the members of the Korean royal family, members of the royal clan, and the families of many ministers who were hiding there all became prisoners of the Qing army.

With their rear area captured and their families falling into enemy hands, the king and his ministers in Namhansanseong lost all will to fight.

On the night of the 23rd day of the first lunar month, the Qing army pushed cannons and other artillery to the front lines and launched a fierce bombardment of Namhansanseong Fortress.

Historical records state:

"The cannonballs are as big as goose eggs, or even as big as a child's head, and can fly over hills and mountains, crashing into palace walls."

"The sound shook heaven and earth, continuing day and night. People in the city died one after another, and the battlements collapsed wherever they touched. The people's hearts were in great turmoil as a result."

Under the threat of artillery fire, Li Zong could no longer afford to consider any conditions and sent his ministers overnight to present a letter of surrender to Huang Taiji, asking only to save his life.

After receiving the letter of surrender, Huang Taiji announced a pardon for Li Zong's crime of "disrespecting the emperor's rule," but also put forward eleven conditions:
First, Korea must immediately surrender all imperial edicts and seals bestowed by the Ming Dynasty, completely sever its tributary relationship with the Ming Dynasty, cease using the Ming Dynasty's reign titles, and recognize the Qing Dynasty as the legitimate dynasty.

Second, the King of Joseon must send his crown prince and another prince to the Qing Dynasty as hostages, and the ministers of Joseon must also send their sons as hostages.

Third, Korea has an obligation to assist the Qing army in attacking the Ming Dynasty. Its primary task at present is to cooperate with the Qing army in capturing Pi Island.

Fourth, on the birthdays of the Qing emperors, New Year's Day, the winter solstice, and the birthdays of the empress and crown prince, Korea must send envoys to present tributes to the Ming Dynasty in accordance with the etiquette and protocol of paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty in the past.

Fifth, any Koreans captured by the Qing army who crossed the Yalu River and escaped back to Korea must be repatriated to the Qing Dynasty and shall not be taken in, but their families may be allowed to pay for their ransom.

VI. The Korean royal family needed to form marriage alliances with the Qing dynasty's imperial family and nobility in order to solidify the "alliance".

7. North Korea shall not repair any new or old cities, walls, or fortresses.

8. Korea must return all the Warkha people within its borders to the Qing Dynasty.

9. Korea is permitted to continue trading with Japan, but Korea is obligated to assist the Qing Dynasty in establishing contact with Japan.

10. Trade between Korea and the Warka people outside the Tumen River is prohibited. If such people are found, they must be arrested and handed over to the Qing Dynasty.

11. Korea is required to pay a huge annual tribute to the Qing Dynasty; the specific varieties and quantities will be discussed later.

When Li Zong saw the treaty, he was so angry that he almost fainted. What difference was there between this and the fall of the country?
Seeing this situation, the Korean court officials submitted memorials offering their advice:

"After submitting to the emperor and accepting the new moon, there is nothing more that can be done."

"Given the current situation, with little military strength, what path can we take to repel them?"

"Today, all the power lies with them, and it is difficult to resist them."

The general idea is that, given the current situation, we are at their mercy and have no choice but to accept it. At least we can preserve our ancestral temples, the state, and the Li dynasty's rule.

The ministers were willing to offer a way out, and Li Zong was not ungrateful, so he agreed to all of Huang Taiji's conditions.

On January 30th, the two countries held a surrender ceremony at Samjeon-du on the banks of the Han River.

King Injo of Joseon removed his royal robes and donned a blue cloth robe signifying a guilty subject. He then performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows before Huang Taiji, who sat beneath a yellow parasol.

He then affixed the Korean seal to that humiliating treaty.

This war was called the "Byeongja War" by the Qing Dynasty, while in Korean history it is known as the "Byeongja Horan".

This treaty is known as the Treaty of Namhansanseong or the Treaty of Jeongcho.

Thus, Korea, which called itself "Little China," officially broke away from the Ming Dynasty's tributary system, which had lasted for more than two hundred years, and became a tributary state of the Qing Dynasty.

The Byeongja Horan and the Treaty of Namhansanseong had a profound and devastating impact on Korea.

Politically, Korea was forced to submit to the Qing Dynasty, its authority was damaged, and it fell into a period of humiliation that lasted for more than two hundred years.

Economically, the enormous annual tribute became a heavy burden for the Koreans, severely depleting the country's strength.

Militarily, the clause prohibiting the construction of city defenses left the city wide open, making national defense entirely dependent on the Qing Dynasty.

More importantly, the traditional ties between Korea and the Ming Dynasty were forcibly severed, and the cultural ideology of "respecting the Ming and expelling the barbarians" was completely broken, thus creating long-term internal contradictions and suffering.

For the Ming Dynasty, the change of Korea's vassal state was also a triple blow in terms of politics, military affairs, and economy.

From a political perspective, the Ming Dynasty's tributary system as a "Celestial Empire" completely collapsed, and its international prestige plummeted.

The Ming Dynasty constructed the international order in East Asia through the "tributary system," and Korea was the most core and loyal tributary state of the Ming Dynasty.

Since the establishment of the tributary relationship during the Hongwu era, Joseon has always been "cautious in serving the Ming Dynasty," paying tribute regularly, using the Ming Dynasty's reign title, and respecting the Ming Dynasty as the "legitimate successor," serving as the benchmark for the Ming Dynasty's tributary system.

Joseon's loyalty to the Ming Dynasty is an important testament to the Ming Dynasty's mandate of heaven.

Neighboring countries such as Ryukyu and Annam all took Korea as their model and recognized the Ming Dynasty's status as a "Celestial Empire".

Now, with Korea changing its domain and ruler, it is tantamount to announcing to the whole of East Asia that the Mandate of Heaven for the Ming Dynasty has been lost.

After that, although Ryukyu and Annam did not immediately change their status as vassal states, they significantly reduced the frequency of their tribute to the Ming Dynasty and even secretly contacted the Qing Dynasty.

The suzerain authority of the Ming Dynasty existed in name only.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted within the Ming Dynasty itself.

The scholar-official class of the Ming Dynasty had long regarded Korea as a cultural ally. Korea's transformation into a vassal state instilled in Ming officials and literati a sense of despair, a feeling of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."

For example, Yang Tinglin, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy, once wrote in a memorial to the throne:
"Korea was my bulwark. Now that the bulwark has been breached, the hearts of the people are shaken!"

This anxiety about the "collapse of legitimacy" further exacerbated factional strife and alienation among officials within the Ming Dynasty.

Economically, the Liaodong garrison relied partly on sea transport from Korea for its food supplies, while its warhorses were mostly purchased from Korea.

After Korea was converted into a vassal state, the Qing Dynasty strictly prohibited trade between Korea and the Ming Dynasty, and the Liaodong garrison had to rely entirely on the interior to transport grain.

During the late Ming Dynasty, maritime trade between the Ming Dynasty and Korea was very active, such as the tribute trade between Dengzhou in Shandong and Busan in Korea.

The customs duties collected by the Ming Dynasty were an important supplement to local finances.

After Korea was converted into a vassal state, the Ming Dynasty also lost this portion of customs revenue, further exacerbating the collapse of local finances.

In response, the Shandong governor once reported that "the annual customs duty in Dengzhou has been reduced by 100,000 taels, leaving the military funds unpaid."

From a military perspective, the Ming Dynasty lost its northeastern flank as a protective barrier, and was forced to fight on two fronts.

Previously, when the Later Jin attacked the Ming Dynasty, they were always worried that Joseon would join forces with Dongjiang Town to harass their rear.

After this battle, Huang Taiji was completely free from worries about his rear and was able to concentrate all his efforts on dealing with the Ming Dynasty.

Overseas outposts such as Damingpi Island became precarious, and potential support from North Korea, including food and troops, was cut off.

The pressure on the Liaodong front increased sharply, and the entire eastern coast of the empire, as well as the capital region, was directly exposed to the Qing army's offensive.

(End of this chapter)