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

Chapter 316 Huang Taiji Captures Pi Island; Zhu Youjian Entrusts His Mission to the Wrong Person

On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head, and Huang Taiji, full of pride, ordered the army to return to the capital in triumph.

This campaign against Korea was a resounding victory for the Qing Dynasty. It not only completely broke the backbone of Korea, which was known as "Little China," but also seized a large amount of resources and people.

This is to clip the enemy's wings and strengthen our own foundation.

In order to achieve a decisive victory and completely eliminate the last stronghold of the Ming Dynasty along the Liaodong coast, Huang Taiji left behind Prince Shuo Tuo and the Three Princes of Shun, among others.

He ordered them to join forces with the Korean troops to capture Pi Island and eradicate the remaining troops of Dongjiang Town.

Huang Taiji strictly ordered Korea to provide fifty warships and corresponding provisions for the amphibious operations.

After making the arrangements, he escorted more than 180 important hostages, including the Korean prince and ministers, back to Shenyang in a grand procession.

In addition, Huang Taiji also demanded that Joseon arrest its pro-war officials, including Hong Ik-han, Yoon Ji, and Oh Da-ji, and send them to Shengjing for execution, so as to thoroughly intimidate Joseon and eliminate any thoughts of rebellion.

King Injo of Joseon, who remained in Seoul, was filled with mixed emotions, feeling both anger and resentment.

He was furious at the Eastern barbarians' domineering and barbaric ways, who treated Korea as nothing and forced it to sign a humiliating treaty, causing it to lose all its national dignity; he hated the "Celestial Empire" that he had always respected so much—the Great Ming Dynasty.

"More than two hundred years!"

In the empty palace, Li Zong almost ground his teeth to powder.
“Our Joseon has served the Ming Dynasty for generations with utmost respect and adherence to the proper rites of a vassal state, almost regarding it as our father country.”

"But this time the Tartars attacked in full force, and the fighting lasted from the beginning of December to the end of January, a full fifty or sixty days!"

"At Namhansanseong alone, the Joseon king and his ministers held out for forty-seven days and nights!"

"Why has the Ming Dynasty been so slow to send reinforcements for so long?"

"Not only have we not seen a single soldier, but why can't we even take advantage of Shengjing's vulnerability to launch a surprise attack and contain it?"

Li Zong was very puzzled, and even thought that the messenger he sent to ask for help had been intercepted and killed, which made the Ming Dynasty completely unaware of the crisis in Korea.

But this time he misunderstood.

Emperor Chongzhen, inside the Forbidden City, was not unaware of the news, nor did he fail to attempt a rescue.

It's just that the rescue mission was entrusted to the wrong person.

Shortly after Huang Taiji swore an oath to send troops to Korea, Ming officials at the front lines had already sensed the danger.

A number of high-ranking civil and military officials, including the governors of Dengzhou and Laizhou, the generals of Dengzhou and Laizhou, the generals of Pi Island, the governors of Ningzhou and Jinzhou, and the generals of Ningzhou and Jinzhou, sent urgent reports to the capital one after another.

The content is highly consistent: the main force of the Later Jin Dynasty is making a major eastward advance, with its target being North Korea!
At that time, Emperor Chongzhen had not even received Li Zong's formal letter requesting aid.

But even these intelligence reports from the border towns' civil and military officials were enough to make Zhu Youjian realize the seriousness of the problem.

He was well aware of the important strategic value of Korea to the Ming Dynasty in protecting Liaodong and containing the Later Jin.

Looking back at the Wanli era, even with enormous costs, Emperor Shenzong resolutely launched the campaign to aid Korea against the Japanese pirates, demonstrating the importance of Korea in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty.

Despite the empty treasury and weak military at the time, Emperor Chongzhen quickly made a decision:
North Korea must be rescued!

However, while making a decision is easy, implementing it is very difficult.

The biggest problem is, who should we ask for help? And how should we help them?
At this time, the position of Minister of War was still vacant, and the court could not find a capable minister who could coordinate the overall situation and come up with specific strategies.

After some selection, Zhu Youjian finally chose a person – Chen Hongfan, the General Commander of Dengzhou and Laizhou.

He swiftly issued an imperial edict, ordering Chen Hongfan to immediately lead the navy from Dengzhou to cross the sea and meet with Shen Shikui, the Dongjiang General of Pi Island, to rush to the aid of Korea.

This arrangement seems geographically reasonable:

Denglai and Pidao are the most important naval bases of the Ming Dynasty on both sides of the Bohai Strait, forming a strategic triangle, and it is their duty to rescue Korea.

But the problem lies precisely with the executor, Chen Hongfan.

This commander-in-chief of Dengzhou and Laizhou was described as "cowardly and incompetent" as early as the Wanli era, and his actual actions have repeatedly proven this assessment.

In the eighth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Chen Hongfan was still serving as the General Commander of Changping, responsible for guarding the Juyong Pass and Changping line.

However, this person had an unusually keen sense for avoiding war and protecting himself.

He sensed that the Eastern barbarians were likely to invade again.

In order to stay away from the front lines and avoid direct confrontation with the Qing army, Chen Hongfan submitted a memorial to Emperor Chongzhen, proposing a plan that sounded very "brilliant"—"to plow the court with the sea," that is, to launch a surprise attack from the sea and strike directly into the heart of the Later Jin territory.

As expected, Zhu Youjian, eager to find a way out of the impasse, approved the plan.

Thus, Chen Hongfan was transferred from the front lines in Changping, where he was facing the enemy head-on, to Dengzhou in the rear to serve as the commander-in-chief.

The unlucky guy Chao Pichang took over his post in Changping.

Just two months later, the Qing army broke through the pass and entered the country. Chao Pichang became the scapegoat and was captured alive by the Later Jin.

Chen Hongfan, however, managed to escape unscathed thanks to his "foresight".

Now, this very general, known for his avoidance of war, has suddenly received orders to send troops to rescue North Korea.

One can imagine the devastation and fear Chen Hongfan felt upon receiving the imperial edict.

Chen Hongfan was dumbfounded. He had gone to great lengths to be transferred to Dengzhou, precisely to stay away from the Tartar invasion.

Why, after going around in circles, do we still have to fight the Eastern Barbarians to the death in the end?

Isn't this going to die?
But Chen Hongfan was a seasoned veteran. He did not directly submit a memorial to disobey orders, nor did he complain about the difficulties. Instead, he took a more sophisticated approach—promising something in return.

He submitted a series of memorials to Emperor Chongzhen, his words earnest and full of confidence, claiming that he had led the main force of the navy to "coerce Lushun" and then "successfully arrived" at Pi Island, and was in close consultation with General Shen Shikui.

They said they would soon send troops together to deal a heavy blow to the Eastern barbarians.

His memorial to the throne was written in flowery language and full of fervor, but his actual actions were a completely different story.

Chen Hongfan only sent a small number of ships out to sea as a feigned attack, while he himself remained firmly seated in Dengzhou, holding back his troops.

This whole operation left Yang Wenyue, the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, completely dumbfounded.

He never expected that Chen Hongfan would be so audacious as to openly deceive the emperor on land!

Only after Yang Wenyue's repeated urging and even warnings did Chen Hongfan reluctantly lead the main force of the Dengzhou navy out to sea.

But going to sea does not mean heading straight to the battlefield.

Chen Hongfan's Dengzhou navy numbered no more than seven thousand men. Sending such a small force to rescue Korea would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

As a result, after Chen Hongfan's fleet set sail, it seemed to have "disappeared," wandering and lingering near the Bohai Bay.

He neither approached Pi Island nor went to Korea, but instead kept sending small boats to maintain contact with the rear, continuing to use false military intelligence to appease the court.

With Chen Hongfan's reinforcements no longer a possibility, all the pressure fell on the shoulders of General Shen Shikui.

But Dongjiang Town at this time was no longer the Dongjiang Town of Mao Wenlong's era. Since Mao Wenlong's death, Dongjiang Town had lost its backbone and its strength had been greatly reduced. In addition, it had suffered several internal power struggles and upheavals, and it could no longer serve as a strategic pivot.

The current commander-in-chief, Shen Shikui, was not a particularly capable general.

In his early years, he was just a commoner merchant. Later, because of his merit in offering his daughter, he was able to climb up Mao Wenlong's social ladder and gradually gain promotion and trust.

North Korea had a very poor opinion of Shen Shikui, describing him as "fierce-looking, rude, illiterate, and unable to understand the people's sentiments," and as having the demeanor of a smuggler.

Pi Island, which Shen Shikui guards, now has only about 12,000 men, most of whom are Liaodong refugees who depend on the island, making them half civilians and half soldiers.

The livelihoods of the military and civilians on the island largely depended on the maritime smuggling trade organized by Shen Shikui.

It's fine to let these people rely on the sea to guard the islands, but to expect them to go ashore and fight the Tartars in the open is simply wishful thinking.

Just as Shen Shikui was anxiously awaiting reinforcements, Shuo Tuo, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi and others were already sharpening their knives, preparing to attack Pi Island.

Faced with the impending battle, Shen Shikui was truly panicked, and he could only repeatedly plead for help from Dengzhou and Laizhou.

At this point, theoretically, the only person who could help him was General Chen Hongfan, who had "disappeared."

Perhaps under pressure, or perhaps just to put on a show, Chen Hongfan finally dispatched the first reinforcements.
A lieutenant named Bai Dengyong arrived at Pi Island with a small number of troops.

Seeing this meager amount of reinforcements, Shen Shikui's heart sank.

But surprisingly, Bai Dengyong brought him some "good news":
He relayed Chen Hongfan's order, instructing Shen Shikui to actively defend and await reinforcements.

General Chen has already dispatched Deputy General Jin Riguan of Dengzhou and Laizhou to lead elite troops to provide support!

The name Jin Riguan gave Shen Shikui a glimmer of hope.

Jin Riguan was a rare fierce general in the Ming army. During the Jisi Incident, he led his troops to defend Malanyu to the death. He fought to the death against the Qing army's siege and refused to retreat, showing great bravery.

With the help of Jin Riguan and the advantage of the island's terrain, they might still be able to put up a fight.

In fact, Shen Shikui was quite confident about a simple island defense battle.

He was well aware that the Korean navy was weak and lacked large warships.

When Kong Youde betrayed the Ming Dynasty and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, Shen Shikui burned most of Kong Youde's ships.

When Shang Kexi surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, his fleet consisted mainly of sand ships used for transporting troops, and their combat effectiveness was very limited.

The ships provided by North Korea were even less noteworthy.

Shen Shikui controlled a number of large warships capable of mounting Hongyi cannons.

In addition, the fortifications built along the coast made Pi Island's maritime defenses quite sturdy.

In the days that followed, Chen Hongfan gradually dispatched most of the available troops to Pi Island.

First, about 1,700 men from the Tianjin Navy were transferred there. Then, Jin Riguan, the deputy commander of Dengzhou and Laizhou, led more than 2,600 Ming soldiers to Pi Island.

Although it seemed like they had reinforced their troops, Chen Hongfan successfully shifted the heavy responsibility of defending Pi Island entirely to Jin Riguan and Shen Shikui through this series of operations.

He himself remained observing from the rear, refusing to take a single step forward.

After arriving at Houpi Island, Kim Ri-gwan lived up to expectations.

He worked almost non-stop, organizing the soldiers and civilians on the island to repair fortifications and deploy defenses. The soldiers took turns on guard duty, remaining vigilant day and night, preparing to repel the invading enemy.

Just as the Ming army was preparing for war, the Qing army also encountered unexpected trouble.

Huang Taiji had ordered preparations to attack Pi Island as early as the second day of the second lunar month, but it was not until the beginning of March that the Korean side finally handed over fifty warships.

Prince Shuo Tuo knew nothing about naval warfare, but he was overjoyed to see the warships arrive and immediately invited expert Kong Youde to inspect them.

After carefully inspecting the ships provided by North Korea, Kong Youde simply uttered two words:

"Rubbish!"

Upon hearing this, the North Korean officials accompanying him turned pale with fright and immediately knelt down, weeping and pleading.

They tried their best to explain that these were the best warships Korea could offer, the same warships they had used to defend against Japanese pirates.

However, not only Kong Youde, but also Geng Zhongming and Shang Kexi stood up and unanimously believed that these ships were of poor quality and had too shallow a draft, making them completely unsuitable for amphibious operations.

Attacking Pi Island in such "rubbish" aircraft would be tantamount to sending soldiers to their deaths.

To be fair, North Korea did not deliberately give a perfunctory response this time.

They were indeed terrified of Huang Taiji, and the warships they provided were already considered top-notch in Korea.

The problem is that Korea's shipbuilding technology is far inferior to that of the Ming Dynasty, which has a rich history and profound expertise.

Don't forget that Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and Shang Kexi were all former Ming army generals; they were worldly-wise.

These Korean ships were like toys compared to the Ming Dynasty warships they had flown on in the Dengzhou-Laizhou navy.

The ships provided by North Korea were not only unable to mount Hongyi cannons, but they couldn't even mount any of the heavier artillery pieces.

Large ships can only carry thirty or forty people, and small ships can only carry ten people. With such a carrying capacity, they wouldn't even qualify as troop transport ships in the Ming Dynasty.

Using such a "toy" to attack Pi Island, which possesses heavy ships and powerful guns, will have predictable results.

North Korean officials were helpless in this regard, as they had never seen a cannon before, let alone built a large warship capable of mounting heavy artillery.

Faced with this reality, Shuo Tuo and the three Han princes were at a loss.

A forced sea attack would be tantamount to suicide, but Huang Taiji's orders could not be disobeyed.

Left with no other choice, they immediately wrote a report on the situation and sent it to Shengjing by fast horse.

When Huang Taiji received the urgent report from the front, he suddenly remembered the situation of his first attack on Pi Island in his early years.

Due to a lack of warships, the Qing army was completely overwhelmed by the Ming general Huang Long and had no chance to fight back.

He couldn't help but slam his fist on the table and exclaim in surprise:
"Oh no! I was careless!"

He had truly been blinded by the great victory in Korea; how could such a small force possibly deal with the Ming army's gunboats on Pi Island?

But the problem was, Huang Taiji was also at a loss.

The Qing Dynasty was not skilled in naval warfare and lacked a large number of skilled shipbuilding craftsmen. It was simply impossible for them to build large warships in a short period of time.

Left with no other option, Huang Taiji thought of Ajige again.

Although Ajige isn't very bright normally, he's full of clever ideas when it comes to fighting, so he might have a solution.

Therefore, Huang Taiji immediately ordered Ajige to rush from Shengjing to the front line in Korea to take full command of the attack on Pi Island.

(End of this chapter)