prosperous age

Since the topic of Da Ning has come up, Vice Minister Zhang Ke said, "Grand Secretary Wei, Da Ning is not a place rich in resources."

In the past, it barely maintained some output by relying on merchant settlements, mainly due to its convenient location, situated between Liaodong, Jizhou and Mongolia, and connected by some trade routes.

It's almost impossible for Da Ning to maintain self-sufficiency. The government troops have only recently recovered, and merchants are scarce. Unless the court grants them the right to trade, it will be difficult to achieve.

Upon hearing Zhang Ke's words, Wei Guangde frowned slightly and said, "Didn't you say that when Prince Ning took up his fief in Daming, he also governed the country with frugality, opened up gardens and planted trees, and ordered his guards to manage the wilderness and cultivate crops suitable for the soil, so the country was prosperous? How could the produce not be plentiful?"

"Shan Dai, you've never been to Daning, so of course you wouldn't know."

When I first took up my post in Jizhou, I accompanied the night patrol to inspect Daning. It is said that in the past, agriculture there was mainly produced by merchants who set up commercial settlements due to the Kaizhong Law, and there were basically no military settlements.

Even for grazing, one has to go dozens of miles north to find lush pastures. The meat supply in Daning is almost entirely provided by the Duoyan Guard, and nearly half of the grain and fodder must be allocated from within the pass.

The imperial court wants that region to be self-sufficient, but that will be difficult unless it allows trade, attracts merchants, and local governments levy commercial taxes.

Tan Lun began to speak.

When he was stationed in Jizhou, he naturally did not overlook the northern barrier of Jizhou. He even personally led more than ten guards to patrol near Daming with Ming scouts. It can be said that he was more familiar with the area than anyone else present.

He did not oppose the court re-stationing troops in Daming because Daming's location was indeed important. It served as a barrier between the north of Jizhou and the east of Liaodong. It was not only a vital transportation route but also an important city in the surrounding area. Occupying it would allow the court to manage and influence a vast amount of surrounding land.

In the 25th year of the Tonghe reign of the Liao Dynasty, Daming was known as Daming Prefecture. It was the location of the central capital of the Liao Dynasty and served as the political, economic, and cultural center of the middle and late Liao period.

Occupying this area not only strengthens the northern defense line, but also allows for free access to and from the grasslands, and is especially significant in directly severing the connection between Mongolia and Liaodong.

It's a pity that although he saw the strategic value, he couldn't persuade the imperial court to send troops to occupy the area because it was too expensive.

Unless this place becomes an important commercial city like Xuanfu and Zhangjiakou, it will be impossible for the imperial court to maintain its rule here.

As a result, the Mongols would abandon their covetousness of this region.

After all, they also need more venues to conduct trade with the Ming Dynasty.

Wei Guangde valued commerce, which gave Tan Lun an opportunity.

As long as Wei Guangde steps in to promote it, this matter can be accomplished, and he need not worry that the imperial court will abandon this place for money decades later.

Zhang Ke glanced at Wei Guangde, then at Tan Lun, and immediately added, "Moreover, the permanent presence of government troops in Daning may also have a positive impact on the Three Guards of Doyan."

The location of Daning was of great importance to the Three Guards. After the Three Guards moved south, they all passed through this place when entering and leaving the border of Jizhou.

Through this connection, we might have the opportunity to regain control of Sanwei via trade channels.

"is it possible?"

Wei Guangde stared at Zhang Ke and asked hesitantly.

In his memory, the three guards of Duoyan were fickle and no longer trustworthy.

However, Zhang Ke said there was a chance to recapture the Three Guards, which Wei Guangde could not ignore.

"The Three Guards were the least trusted among the Mongol tribes because they had pledged allegiance to the Ming Dynasty in their early years."

This can be seen from the news coming back from Guihua City that neither Huang Taiji nor Lady Zhongshun actually trusted them.

Even when Anda Khan was alive, he was better than the Three Guards, even towards the barbarians of Liaodong.

So although they nominally obeyed Altan Khan, they were not truly loyal to him. Because they could not gain his trust, they spent most of their time associating with the Tuman tribes of Liaodong and occasionally harassing our border towns with them.

"First, we can use Daning as a transit point to purchase their cattle, sheep, and horses, and exchange them for the iron pots and grain they need. Once they become more reliant on trade with Daning, we might be able to take some action."

No one dares to make a guarantee before things go smoothly.

However, Zhang Ke used business as bait to lure the three guards little by little, and then slowly infiltrated them.

Wei Guangde closed his eyes and thought for a while. Although it seemed feasible, given the current situation of the Ming Dynasty, it was somewhat unreliable.

Unlike genuine Mongols, the Doyan Three Guards were not so upright in their actions. They had learned some of the tricks and schemes of the Han people, which could be seen from their fickle behavior.

Rather than saying that the Ming Dynasty infiltrated them, it would be better if they had completely infiltrated the Ming Dynasty.

"Alright, the Ministry of War should draft a document as soon as possible, detailing the situation in Da Ning, and submit it to me. I'll think about it some more."

The cabinet initially only considered the strategic value of Daming, which was highly beneficial to the northern defense line, and therefore instructed the Ministry of War to take action, neglecting the burden this move would bring.

Wei Guangde also admitted that he had previously instructed the Ministry of War to formulate a plan, and then the cabinet took the opportunity of Altan Khan's death to discuss sending troops to garrison Daming. In fact, the cabinet did not have a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the local area; they had only opened a map in their office.

Controlling this area can protect the safety of Jizhou and the Liaoxi Corridor, and this reason is enough for the Ming Dynasty to send troops.

Huang Taiji had caused this incident before, coveting the entire Liaodong region, so the cabinet naturally wouldn't ignore strengthening the defenses of the Liaoxi Corridor.

Even with sea routes connecting the two regions, communication between Liaodong and the interior of China is not cut off.

"There's another matter. Da Ning is currently under the direct control of the Ministry of War, but ultimately, Harbin needs to decide whether to include it in Jizhou or Liaodong."

Zhang Ke added.

In fact, Daming was originally under the jurisdiction of Beizhili, and before that, it was under the administration of Beijing Xingdusi. Later, when the Prince of Ning took up his fief, it became independent and was directly administered by the imperial court.

After the Yongle Emperor abandoned the plan, Liaodong and Jizhou would occasionally send out scouts to check the situation.

"The garrison consists of one guard each from Liaodong and Jizhou, as well as an infantry battalion sent by Qi Jiguang."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"That's right. Originally, we planned to send three garrisons, but the last infantry battalion sent from Liaodong turned out to be more powerful than the garrisons."

Zhang Ke laughed.

Although the new infantry battalion only has three thousand men, far fewer than a full-strength garrison, its combat strength is actually stronger.

The deployment of the infantry corps to Daning ensures the safety of the city, a fact that the Ministry of War is quite satisfied with.

It is evident that Qi Jiguang also recognized the value of Daming, and directly moved the infantry garrison stationed in Jinzhou westward to Daming.

"Then let's assign it to Liaodong, so that he doesn't withdraw the infantry again."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

The imperial court only allocated a total of ten battalions of soldiers to the Liaodong Army. If the infantry battalions were transferred from Liaodong, Qi Jiguang's forces would likely be stretched thin.

By directly handing over Daming to Liaodong for administration, Qi Jiguang actually gained a garrison in Jizhou.

As for the Governor-General of Jiliao and the Commander-in-Chief of Jizhou, no one is talking about them here. They must be happy to have an extra barrier in front of them. Although Dong Yiyuan lost a garrison, he can stay in Jizhou safely with Qi Jiguang helping to guard the front.

With the business settled, Wei Guangde lowered his voice and said, "You all should know the court's plans, and we haven't kept them from you."

His words successfully attracted the attention of the people in the room, who all perked up and watched him intently.

"Next year, or at the latest the year after, the imperial court will definitely send troops to punish Japan."

The primary objective of the attack on Japan was, of course, to acquire vast amounts of gold and silver. However, to justify the attack, they used the word "punishment," meaning that this attack on Japan was a retaliatory action against the earlier raids by Japanese pirates in the southeast.

"I have read the records of the Yuan Dynasty's several failed attempts to attack Japanese pirates."

Wei Guangde, having said this, looked at Yu Dayou and Xu Qiaoan and asked, "If the Ming army were to attack the Japanese, what season would be the best to set out to avoid being disturbed by storms?"

In fact, this was already a consultation for the war. As a later generation, Wei Guangde certainly knew that an important reason for the Yuan Dynasty's failure to attack Japan was that it did not have a grasp of the climate in the western Pacific region, which led to the failure of the attack on the Japanese mainland due to typhoons.

Kublai Khan, the Yuan Dynasty emperor, launched two expeditions to Japan, but both times, just when victory seemed assured, his massive fleet was thwarted by typhoons.

This nearly decade-long transoceanic expedition was not only a rare and devastating defeat in the history of the Mongol Empire's expansion, but it also profoundly rewrote the political landscape of East Asia.

Beginning in 1266, Kublai Khan dispatched envoys to Japan seven times, attempting to bring Japan under his control through diplomatic means.

These official letters contain both conciliatory phrases such as "exchanging greetings and establishing friendly relations" and implicit threats of "even resorting to military force."

However, Hojo Tokimune, the regent of the Kamakura Shogunate in Japan, was deeply dissatisfied with the fact that the emperor was referred to as "King of Japan" in the letter of state. In addition, he was confident in the natural defenses of the surrounding seas and consistently rejected the demands of the Yuan Dynasty.

After numerous failed peace talks, the Mongol emperor finally lost confidence in continuing negotiations and chose to resolve the issue by force.

1274年10月，元军统帅忻都、洪茶丘率蒙汉军2万、高丽军5000人，联合高丽水手6700人，分乘900艘战船从合浦出发。

With the bravery of the Mongol cavalry and the seafaring experience of the Goryeo shipwrights, the Yuan army quickly captured Tsushima Island and Iki Island. The Japanese resistance on the islands was weak, and the defending generals such as Munekoku and Taira no Kagetaka were killed in battle. The two islands became the Yuan army's forward base.

On October 19, the Mongol army landed at Hakata Bay, facing approximately 30,000 Japanese samurai. The Mongol army bombarded the Japanese positions with "thunderclap bombs," and the loud noise and flashes startled the Japanese warhorses, causing them to lose control.

The Han infantry advanced in formation, coordinating with long-range cavalry archery to suppress the enemy. The Japanese army's traditional single-horse duel tactics were completely ineffective. Within a day, key locations such as Akasaka Highlands and Hyakudohara fell one after another, and the Japanese army retreated to Dazaifu Water Castle to hold out.

After the initial victory, the Yuan generals were divided due to insufficient logistics.

Xin Du believed that the risk of going too far alone was too great, so he decided to retreat to the ship to rest and reorganize. This directly led to the entire army being hit by a strong typhoon on the night of October 20.

The typhoon caused more than 200 warships to crash and sink, and 1.35 soldiers to drown. The remaining troops retreated in panic, and the first Eastern Expedition ended in a disastrous defeat with "most of the soldiers drowning".

The Japanese army regarded the typhoon as a blessing from the "divine wind," which greatly boosted their morale.

The defeat in the Bun'ei War did not deter Kublai Khan from his ambition to conquer Japan. After the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty in 1279, the Yuan Dynasty had no more worries about its rear, and Kublai Khan began to prepare for an even larger-scale eastern expedition.

In 1281, the Yuan Dynasty assembled an army of 14 men, divided into two routes. The eastern route, consisting of 4.5 men led by Xin Du and Hong Cha Qiu, set off from Hapcheon in Goryeo.

The Jiangnan Army, numbering 10 men and led by Fan Wenhu, a surrendered general from the Southern Song Dynasty, set sail from Ningbo with as many as 4400 warships. Such a massive fleet was virtually invincible in the East Asian seas at the time.

The Yuan army quickly captured Tsushima and Iki islands. Although the Japanese troops on the islands put up a fierce resistance, they suffered heavy casualties under the Yuan army's fierce attack.

However, as the Eastern Route Army continued its advance towards Hakata Bay, it encountered fierce resistance from the Japanese army.

Although Fan Wenhu was a surrendered general of the Southern Song Dynasty and was familiar with naval warfare, he was appointed to the post in a time of crisis, as the commander-in-chief, Arahan, suddenly died of illness before the expedition.

Faced with the complex naval situation and the powerful Japanese army, they appeared powerless and built a stone wall stretching more than 20 kilometers and two meters high along the coast of Hakata Bay, known as the "Yuan Kou Defense Fortress".

This stone wall served as a formidable defensive line, making the Yuan army's landing operation exceptionally difficult.

The Yuan army made several attempts to force a landing, but the Japanese army repelled them each time, relying on the stone walls, resulting in heavy casualties.

Fate once again bared its cruel fangs at the Yuan army, as a super typhoon that lasted for four days struck the Yuan fleet.

The wind howled and the waves surged. The warships were like fragile eggshells in the storm, colliding with each other and sinking.

The soldiers struggled desperately in the raging waves, and "more than 100,000 soldiers drowned."

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, generals such as Fan Wenhu and Xin Du abandoned their army and fled back to China in a panic with only a few ships.

The remaining Yuan troops left on the island were isolated and helpless, surrounded by the Japanese army, and were brutally massacred.

According to records, apart from some Southern Song craftsmen and farmers who were spared because they had mastered the skills, the rest of the Yuan army was almost completely wiped out.

This typhoon, known to the Japanese as the "Second Kamikaze," not only saved Japan but also strengthened the Japanese concept of a "divine nation," who believed that it was divine protection that shielded them from foreign invasion.

Based on this information, Wei Guangde's first priority was to avoid the typhoon season.

蒙元先后在6、7月和9、10月在倭国遭遇台风，所以魏广德第一时间就判断6到10月是不利于大军出征的。

But if you deduct that time, what's left is only half a year at the beginning and end of the year, which seems rather rushed.

At the same time, Wei Guangde also noted that after the Yuan army landed in Japan, due to the initial consideration of "quick victory", they did not bring much food and supplies. After encountering fierce resistance, they were caught in a dilemma due to logistical reasons.

However, the Ming Dynasty had already prepared enough provisions for an army of 80,000 for a year, so this problem had been solved.

That's why he asked this question. He needed to carefully consider the timing of the army's attack on the Japanese, so as to avoid another defeat due to a typhoon.

It is worth mentioning that although the Japanese pirates were brave, their individual bravery was completely useless against a well-organized military formation.

Therefore, Wei Guangde did not consider how strong the Japanese pirates were. As long as the Ming army formed a tight formation, defeating the Japanese pirates would be a piece of cake.

Yu Dayou and Xu Qiaoan exchanged a glance, and finally Yu Dayou clasped his hands and replied, "Grand Secretary Wei, if we want to avoid the storm, the army should choose to launch its attack at the end of the year."

As far as I know, the storm season is mostly from April to October. If we can choose to send troops after October, the army will have a full six months to defeat the main land force of the Japanese pirates.

The Mongol Yuan dynasty clearly didn't understand walruses; if their first attack had been delayed by a month, they certainly wouldn't have failed.

"Admiral Yu is absolutely right. There have been almost no storms since October, making it the perfect time for the army to land and launch operations."

Xu Qiaoan immediately echoed, saying that he certainly didn't want to go out to sea to attack the Japanese during the typhoon season, as it was too dangerous.

"In that case, the approximate timeframe is set for after October next year. The Ministry of War must intensify the training of the officers and soldiers, and the Navy must also make full preparations."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"With 60,000 troops attacking the Japanese, is the shipping fleet sufficient for transportation?"

Zhang Ke looked at Yu Dayou and Xu Qiaoan and asked. (End of Chapter)