Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

Chapter 79 Sun Chengzong's Third Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong (Seeking first subscriptions!!! Two chapters combined)

After a long silence, Sun Chengzong nodded slightly: "Your Majesty is absolutely right! Huang Taiji is a man of both composure and strategy!"

"What if Huang Taiji used the same strategy of besieging Dalinghe and attacking reinforcements on Jinzhou?" Zhu Jian asked.

"This!" Sun Chengzong was speechless for a moment!

After thinking for a moment, he said, "The imperial court will send a large army from Ningyuan to relieve Jinzhou! At that time, they will encounter the Eastern Barbarian army in the wilderness! If the Eastern Barbarians cut off the army's supplies outside the city, then the hundred-mile stretch from Ningyuan to Jinzhou will be the place where the imperial court suffers defeat!"

If the siege and reinforcement strategy at Dalinghe were to be implemented in Jinzhou, Sun Chengzong believed that the imperial court would be bogged down in a protracted war, and if the battle dragged on for too long, the losses would be enormous.

The Battle of Songjin lasted two years. The reason Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian) kept urging Hong Chengchou to advance was due to the problem of supplies and provisions, which ultimately led to defeat. Even if Emperor Chongzhen hadn't urged the troops, the war would have ended in defeat due to the Ming Dynasty's lack of supplies and provisions; the outcome would have been the same.

"Grand Secretary Sun is right! I think Huang Taiji sent an envoy to negotiate peace in preparation for the next step of besieging Jinzhou. Now that the smuggling network of Shanxi merchants has been cut off, the Jurchens are short of supplies and definitely want to peacefully settle down and store grain! Now the soldiers at various outposts on the Liaodong front want to cut off three Jurchen heads and bring their families to the capital to join the Shenwu Guard. Therefore, the Jurchens' settlements on the Jinzhou front are being harassed. That's why they want to negotiate peace to make the country stop the harassment on the Liaodong front!" Zhu Jian analyzed the situation on the Jurchen front, looking at the flickering firelight.

"So, what are Your Majesty's preparations?" Sun Chengzong asked.

"I intend to stockpile grain in Ningyuan City via sea transport! If necessary, I will abandon Jinzhou, Songshan, Xingshan, Tashan, and other places!"

Sun Chengzong was shocked upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, abandoning Jinzhou exposes Ningyuan to the front line! If the Eastern Barbarians besiege Ningyuan again, Shanhaiguan will be in grave danger; the capital will be in dire need of attention!"

This is a series of reactions. Guan-Ning-Jin is a line. Between Jinzhou and Ningyuan, there are a large number of fortresses. These are all powerful weapons to block the Jurchens. If Jinzhou is withdrawn, the fortresses outside Ningyuan will be lost, and there will be no way to counterattack from Guan-Ning-Jin in the future!

By then, the Ming Dynasty will likely have permanently lost Liaodong, with no hope of recovery whatsoever!

"It's not about abandoning Jinzhou now. If the battle becomes too intense, I think we should break out from Jinzhou towards Ningyuan City, with the main force outside the city focusing on supporting the defenders of Jinzhou, rather than holding Jinzhou to the death!"

Zhu Jian understood the principle that prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat. The best approach was to avoid a protracted war with the Jurchens. If a protracted war were to occur, abandoning Jinzhou would be the safest course of action. This would not only address the issue of food and supplies but also preserve manpower and protect Ningyuan.

Zhu Jian felt that the location of Jinzhou was no longer so important after the collapse of the entire Liaodong defense line! The Guan-Ning-Jin defense line was shaped like a funnel, with Jinzhou at the very front of the funnel and Ningyuan in the middle. In the middle were the three cities of Songshan, Xingshan, and Tashan. Defending Ningyuan would not only reduce the consumption of money and food, but also achieve the greatest defensive effect with the fewest soldiers!

Because of Ningyuan's long and narrow terrain, the Jurchens were also unable to launch a full-scale offensive. In the short term, this was undoubtedly advantageous to the Ming Dynasty! However, in the long term, it was disadvantageous to the Ming Dynasty, as it would require a large force to open up a counter-offensive route!

"I still think it's best to defend Jinzhou to the death! As long as we proceed cautiously step by step, we will surely be able to lift the siege of Jinzhou!" Sun Chengzong felt that the responsibility of abandoning the territory was too heavy.

Zhu Jian disagreed. He argued that since the Battle of Sarhu, Liaodong had lost half of its territory during the Wanli era and another half during the Tianqi era. Now, all that was left was a few scraps, so there was no need to keep focusing on a few worthless things.

In Zhu Jian’s eyes, Guan Ningjin was a defensive line rather than a governing territory. It was mainly used to defend against the Jurchens entering the pass, rather than being a governing territory like other provinces!

Zhu Jian pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Tashan and Ningyuan are sixty li apart. I think we can strengthen the defenses of Tashan and increase the number of fortifications between Tashan and Ningyuan, forming a defensive line between the two cities. If necessary, we can abandon Jinzhou, Songshan, and Xingshan and withdraw to the Tashan-Ningyuan defensive line!"

"If necessary, additional defensive fortresses and bunkers can be added between Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan!"

After much deliberation, Zhu Jian decided that if necessary, Jinzhou should be abandoned to buy time. As long as the peak of the natural disaster was weathered, the Ming Dynasty would turn the tide and gradually recover! Moreover, Huang Taiji would die of illness within the next two years. After Huang Taiji's death, it would be Dorgon and the young Shunzhi Emperor on the throne. At that time, the pressure on the Jurchens would be reduced, and at least for a short period of time, Dorgon would not be able to have absolute power!

In the original history, Dorgon led his army to defeat Li Zicheng and entered Beijing. He then seized control of the government based on his military achievements. As he marched south to conquer cities and territories, he became the regent. Otherwise, Hauge and others would have fought each other within the Qing court. They only compromised with each other in the face of huge interests!

Seeing that Zhu Jian had made up his mind, Sun Chengzong did not continue to dissuade him. He also knew that withdrawing from Jinzhou was the best option if there was no other choice! However, he could not get over the hurdle of abandoning the territory. After thinking for a moment, he sighed and said, "If Your Majesty wishes to stockpile a large amount of grain and fodder in Ningyuan and to reinforce and rebuild Tashan, you may issue an order to Zu Dashou, the General of Jinzhou, to do this! When I first supervised Liaodong, it was Zu Dashou who rebuilt Ningyuan City!"

Zhu Jian shook his head: "It's not that I don't trust Zu Dashou, it's just that he needs to be in Jinzhou City to monitor the front lines!"

Zu Dashou is not within Prosecutor Zhu's trusted circle. Although he is employed, he will not be entrusted with important matters.

"Then should we transfer Hong Chengchou back?" Sun Chengzong asked tentatively.

Zhu Jian shook his head. He dared not hand over the position of Liaodong Commander-in-Chief to the traitor Hong Chengchou. He was only using him now because he valued his military talent and wanted him to lead troops to suppress Li Zicheng.

"I know that Grand Secretary Sun is advanced in years, but I still request that he not hesitate to go to Ningyuan Tashan to construct the Ningta Fortress Complex!"

Sun Chengzong was the most suitable person to oversee Liaodong. First, he had twice served as the overseer of Liaodong. Second, the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line was originally Sun Chengzong's strategic blueprint. He was also the person most familiar with Guan-Ning-Jin. Moreover, he would not embezzle or deduct the cost of repairing the city to support his private army and retainers.

Upon hearing this, Sun Chengzong rose, bowed, and said resolutely, "Your subject is willing to go to Liaodong!"

In Sun Chengzong's mind, this was about getting up wherever he fell. Even if he died in Liaodong, it would be a perfect ending to his career. He regarded the three trips to Liaodong as his final goal and honor!

"Then I'll have to trouble Grand Secretary Sun! Please also take on the matter of trade with the Jurchens!"

"Trade warhorses for tea, silk, and porcelain; nothing else!"

After speaking, Zhu Jian pondered for a moment: "If the Jurchens insist on including furs, ginseng, deer antlers, and medicinal herbs, that's fine too. We'll price it at 20% of the market price! We'll just say that the Holy Heavenly True Lord has elixirs and doesn't need medicinal herbs!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chengzong smiled and said, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

The Jurchens needed time to amass troops and supplies, and so did Zhu Jian, only their methods differed.

A few days later, the Jurchen delegation returned to Shengjing and came before Huang Taiji to tell him what they had seen and heard and what the peace talks were about.

When Huang Taiji saw Xifu produce the elixir of immortality from the Ming emperor, he was taken aback: "You met with the Ming emperor?"

Huang Taiji suspected that Xifu had never actually met the Ming emperor, but had been tricked by someone the Ming Dynasty had randomly chosen.

Dorgon, standing to the side, also seemed to be deep in thought. He clearly didn't believe Xifu's accounts of the Ming emperor's various actions, and then gave a strange laugh: "Your Majesty, I believe the Ming court has no intention of negotiating peace. Perhaps we should continue sending troops into the pass!"

Dorgon disagreed with the idea of ​​recuperation and wanted to continue raiding the border. He felt that the previous raid failed entirely because of a strategic error. He believed that they should not have entered the border from two directions, giving the Ming army the opportunity to block them in stages. If they had entered the border all the way and gone south directly from the direction of Tianjin, they might have gained something.

After hearing this, Huang Taiji paced back and forth in the hall, pondered for a moment, then stopped and said, "After the autumn harvest, prepare for an invasion of the border. This time, Abatai will command the operation! We will still enter through Qingshan Pass!"

Dorgon's throat bobbed, wanting to vie for command of this invasion, but ultimately he remained silent... In his view, Huang Taiji was intentionally isolating him, so he would lie low for a while to avoid direct conflict with Huang Taiji.

"Dorgon, Dodo, Jirgalang, Hauge, accompany me to the Jinzhou front to test the waters!"

"yes!"

The people standing to the side said in unison.

Huang Taiji felt that their initiative to negotiate peace had not achieved the expected results, so he decided to force peace through war, compelling the Ming court to take the initiative to negotiate peace in order to buy time for the war.

Currently, the Qing court has a total military strength of 170,000 to 180,000. A portion of these troops can be deployed to the Jinzhou front line, forcing the Ming court's elite troops outside the pass to refrain from making any rash moves. Once these 40,000 cavalrymen who have entered the pass cross the Grand Canal and reach the Central Plains, the Ming army will need several times the number of troops to pursue them. This would break the current stalemate.

This would both weaken the Ming court and allow them to regain the initiative in the war!

At the same time, Sun Chengzong, who was in charge of the Liaodong campaign for the third time, also arrived in Ningyuan City.

Standing atop Ningyuan City Wall, Sun Chengzong looked north towards Jinzhou, a heavy feeling welling up within him.

"General! All the generals have arrived at the headquarters!" A messenger soldier approached Sun Chengzong and announced.

Sun Chengzong nodded slightly: "Let's go! Let's go see him!"

When Sun Chengzong arrived at the mansion, he saw that the General of Jinzhou, Zu Dashou, the Deputy General of Jinzhou, Zu Dabi, the General of Ningyuan, Wu Sangui, the Deputy General of Songshan, Jin Guofeng, the Governor of Liaodong, Qiu Yangmin, and others were all present. He said, "I am honored by His Majesty's trust to be the third commander-in-chief of Liaodong. I urge you all to work together sincerely!"

"We will obey Your Excellency's orders!" everyone said in unison.

Sun Chengzong nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping around before finally settling on Wu Sangui, the General of Ningyuan: "I have decided to continue constructing the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line to resist the Eastern barbarians!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately began to whisper among themselves, mainly discussing the issues of money, food, and manpower. No one wanted to deduct money, food, and soldiers from their own pockets to spend on building bunkers along the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line.

Seeing this, Sun Chengzong stretched out his hands and gently pressed them down: "The provisions and wages for this repair of the defense line will be allocated by the imperial court; the personnel will be provided by civilian laborers!"

Sun Chengzong reassured these Liaodong generals, preventing any unrest in the army. Zhu Jian knew that the Liaodong army was different from the inland armies, being semi-warlord in nature, but they could not be completely disbanded at the moment.

If Zhu Jian is dismissed, I don't feel much heartache, since he wasn't one of my direct subordinates. But I'm afraid he might turn to the Qing court like Kong Youde and other generals from Pi Island. That would be a huge loss. Even if I replace him with my direct subordinates, I would still need a lot of supplies to defend the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line.

However, the group of people sent there are familiar with the fortification defenses of the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line, which may cause huge losses to Guan-Ning-Jin. Therefore, Zhu Jian maintained the current balance. This time, he sent Sun Chengzong to supervise Liaodong and build the Ningta fortification complex, which was to prepare to take the first step in Liaodong.

"Your Excellency! I wonder if the conscription of laborers refers to conscripting refugees from within the Great Wall, or conscripting them locally from Liaodong?" Zu Dashou stepped forward and asked.

He had heard about the situation inside the Great Wall. For him, it was best to maintain the status quo in Liaodong. If a large number of refugees were conscripted from inside the Great Wall, it would directly encroach on the living space of their local forces in Liaodong. Liaodong was the root of their Guan Ning military group, and they did not want outsiders to take it over!

"His Majesty has already dealt with most of the large number of refugees within the pass in batches. The rest will be consumed by the various counties within the pass! This time, I plan to conscript laborers from Jinzhou, Songshan, Xingshan and other places to build Ningyuan and Tashan!" Sun Chengzong replied.

The number of migrants within the pass has been reduced significantly due to the tax exemption policy. The remaining migrants have been absorbed by dozens of reclamation areas, salt fields, textile bureaus, and various southern provinces. This time, Inspector Zhu conducted a large-scale raid on the homes of prefectural and county officials, and all the proceeds were used for disaster relief in the respective counties, which greatly alleviated the growth rate of migrants.

Now, apart from the hardest-hit areas, people in the less affected areas are able to survive thanks to tax exemptions.

Zu Dashou was taken aback, and then asked indirectly, "Your Excellency! This humble general believes that we should start by repairing and building new fortifications in places like Jinzhou and Songshan! The Qing army isn't making any major moves right now, so repairs are just the right thing to do!"

Jinzhou and Songshan are at the forefront. According to convention, it is correct to repair the forefront first in peacetime, so as to avoid the situation where the front line cannot be repaired in time when war breaks out.

Sun Chengzong shook his head: "The front line is too close to the Eastern Barbarians. If we carry out large-scale repairs, we may encounter a sudden attack from the Qing army!"

""

He paused, then continued, "A few years ago, the Qing army bypassed Jinzhou and Songshan, reaching directly to Ningyuan! If Ningyuan's Tashan falls, Jinzhou will be besieged, and Songshan will become a death trap! Therefore, it's best to start construction at Ningyuan's Tashan first to ensure the safety of Jinzhou's rear!"

Sun Chengzong's explanation is from the strategic perspective of the Guan-Ning-Jin region, while Zu Dashou's is from the perspective of the Guan-Ning-Jin battles. The two perspectives are different. Zhu Jian's explanation of abandoning Jinzhou, Songshan, and other places is from the overall perspective of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The three perspectives are different...

Zu Dashou and the others nodded slightly after hearing this, feeling that Sun Chengzong's words made sense. After all, when Yuan Chonghuan was alive, the Jurchens liked to bypass Jinzhou to attack Ningyuan. Then they all said, "This humble general will obey Your Excellency's orders!"

Sun Chengzong's mobilization of people from Jinzhou, Songshan, and Xingshan was a preemptive move to evacuate the population of these three places to Tashan in Ningyuan. This was so that if a major battle broke out and the emperor actually ordered the abandonment of Jinzhou, the soldiers could retreat quickly without having to cover the civilians.

Currently, there are approximately 200,000 troops, civilians, merchants, and soldiers' families along the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line. Half of them are located in Jinzhou, Songshan, and Xingshan. If these people are not evacuated to Ningyuan Tashan in advance, they will quickly perish in the war once it begins.

Therefore, Sun Chengzong decided to use the pretext of repairing the Ningta bunker complex to evacuate these people to Ningyuan Tashan in batches!

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