The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Huang Taiji pondered to himself.

The capture of the capital did not take them too much effort, and the casualties were not great.

The reinforcements from the two towns led by Zhou Yanru were defeated by them in the western suburbs.

Zhou Yanru was ignorant of military affairs and handed over military power to Tang Tong.

Unfortunately, the soldiers of the two towns no longer possessed the same fighting spirit they had when they fought to the death in Songjin.

After being surrounded by the Qing army, the troops of the two towns were routed.

With defeat looming, Zhou Yanru ordered his men to kill him, vowing never to become a prisoner of the Qing court.

Zhou Yanru served as Grand Secretary, but his faults outweighed his merits. He was inept at governing the country and lacked military expertise, which led to the decline of the nation.

They formed cliques for personal gain, deceived the emperor, and misled the country.

Mechanical deception is more effective than concealing personal matters.

Misusing traitors has led to the downfall of the frontier.

However, in times of crisis, if one can preserve one's reputation by sacrificing one's life, it is ultimately difficult to criticize one harshly.

Compared to Zhou Yanru's final decisiveness, Tang Tong and Bai Guang'en seemed rather pathetic.

After his army was routed, Tang Tong did not hesitate to lead his troops to surrender to the Qing army.

Bai Guang'en led a hundred of his personal guards to escape the battlefield, but they were intercepted by Qing troops when they reached Baoding.

His son, Bai Liangbi, was captured in the Battle of Songjin and later surrendered to the Qing court.

When he was surrounded, the Qing army sent his son Bai Liangbi to persuade him to surrender.

Bai Guang'en ultimately chose to surrender.

The last Ming army in the north was thus brought under the control of the Qing court.

After eliminating some incompetent and weak soldiers, they gained 20,000 troops.

After capturing the capital, they accepted the surrender of 20,000 troops from the four garrisons.

The Ming Dynasty's four garrisons originally numbered 40,000 troops.

Even after the outer city fell, they continued to fight the Qing army that had entered the city, relying on the streets and alleys.

Li Shouhan, the general of Changping Town, Zhu Guodong, the general of Jizhou Town, and Zhang Shixian, the general of Baoding Town, were killed in battle one after another.

This is why the troops of the four garrisons finally collapsed and began to surrender.

"How is the training of the Green Standard Army near the capital going?"

After pondering for a long time, Huang Taiji asked a question.

Baiyintu bowed his head respectfully and continued to report to the leader.

"A total of 40,000 troops from the former Ming capital garrison, Changping, Baoding, Jizhou, Miyun, Dongxie and the five garrisons near the capital were retrained according to the old system of the previous dynasty and transformed into six battalions."

"Bai Guang'en and Tang Tong each commanded a battalion, while the other four battalions selected outstanding individuals from various banners to serve as generals. All of them have now taken up their posts."

"As long as His Majesty issues an edict, we can be deployed to the battlefield immediately."

Huang Taiji knew perfectly well that the Ming army was not without fighting power.

The reason they collapsed so easily under their military might was because...

Firstly, because the Ming army had rarely won in open field battles, their morale would be weakened when facing them.

Secondly, the lack of military equipment and insufficient military pay meant that soldiers lacked food and clothing, making it impossible for them to fight effectively.

The Ming army was well-fed and well-equipped.

He had already seen it all in Songjin...

A look of surprise flashed in Huang Taiji's eyes.

"forty thousand……"

However, 40,000 people are still far from enough.

He has already dispatched 130,000 troops to advance south.

Of these 130,000 men, only 50,000 were bannermen; the majority were riders conscripted from various Mongol tribes, along with surrendered soldiers from various parts of the Ming Dynasty.

In the capital, only the Plain Yellow Banner and the Plain Red Banner remained. Including the troops left behind by each banner, the total number of banner soldiers was still only a little over 15,000.

The six banners—Plain Blue, Bordered Blue, Plain White, Bordered White, Bordered Yellow, and Bordered Red—were all sent to the south.

Huang Taiji let out a soft sigh, leaving no trace of his presence.

Before the Battle of Songjin, the number of bannermen in the Manchu, Mongol, and Han Eight Banners had exceeded 80,000.

However, in the Battle of Songjin, their total casualties exceeded 20,000, with nearly 10,000 of their soldiers lost, and many officers and soldiers of all ranks dying in battle. For them, it was a devastating loss.

A small country attacking a large one is unlikely to succeed.

It is far too far-fetched for a small corner of the country to attempt to conquer the vast Central Plains.

China has a vast territory and a profound cultural heritage. Even in decline, it would not be severely weakened by the loss of ten or twenty thousand lives.

If China were still in chaos at this time, with peasant uprisings constantly breaking out in various places and internal power struggles continuing, it would not be a pipe dream to seize the opportunity and invade the Central Plains.

But now, the Ming court has fallen, and Chen Wang has replaced it as their adversary.

Under Chen Wangqiang's strong and powerful military force, the southern kingdom has initially completed its unification.

Chen Wangchen had a large army stationed in the Huaihe River and Yellow River area, making it extremely difficult for them to cross the line.

Huang Taiji was well aware that the current troop strength was completely insufficient.

It's not just a lack of ambition, but also a lack of self-preservation.

Thinking of this, Huang Taiji couldn't help but curse Li Zicheng under his breath.

Li Zicheng harbored wolfish ambitions. Although he occupied the Northwest and submitted to him, his ambitions remained undiminished, and he still dreamed of unifying the world.

Instead of joining him in attacking Chen Wang, they focused all their attention and military strength on the southwest.

Gushi Khan, who had always been obedient to him, is now also having an ambiguous relationship with Li Zicheng, which is truly short-sighted.

After Gushi Khan occupied the snowy region, his focus remained on the southwest, and he had little intention of conquering the Central Plains.

What good would it do to occupy such poor and remote areas as the Southwest?

Guangdong and Guangxi, Hubei and Hunan, and most importantly, Hanzhong Prefecture were all in Chen Wang's hands. Li Zicheng's idea of ​​advancing eastward from the southwest was nothing but a pipe dream!
Huang Taiji unconsciously tightened his grip on the armrests of the dragon throne.

In his eyes, Li Zicheng's evaluation dropped even lower.

When it comes to fighting, Li Zicheng was indeed quite capable.

However, when it comes to strategic vision, Huang Taiji thought Li Zicheng was no different from an idiot.

It took Li Zicheng a great deal of time to conquer Chengdu during his campaign into Sichuan.

However, the three prefectures in eastern Sichuan are now under Chen Wang's control, and the roads into Sichuan are unobstructed for him.

Li Zicheng neither launched a fierce attack on Hanzhong Prefecture while the main force of the Jingnan Army was in Yangzhou, nor did he attack Tongguan, thus failing to seize control of such a strategically important town and open the gateway to Henan.

The ownership of Tongguan and Hanzhong determined who would hold the initiative in the war.

"We can't go on like this..."

Huang Taiji looked solemn. He had hesitated for a long time, but finally made up his mind at this moment.

"Issue my imperial decree."

Huang Taiji's deep and resonant voice echoed in the spacious hall.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, all the civil and military officials of the Qing court bowed their heads and knelt in unison, their foreheads almost touching the cold blue brick floor.

"The Ming Dynasty has been destroyed, the Mandate of Heaven has returned to the Qing, the northern kingdoms have been swept away, it is time to march south and establish our rule!"

Huang Taiji slowly stood up.

On the steps of the imperial palace, Huang Taiji turned his body slightly to the side, one hand on the sash at his waist and the other on the back of the dragon throne.

To cope with the escalating war, he conscripted a total of 50,000 banner soldiers upon entering the pass.

They also recruited a large number of cavalry from various Mongol tribes, including the Chahar, Khalkha, Alukorchin, and Khorchin, bringing their total force to 130,000.

After capturing the Ming capital, they captured more than 60,000 surrendered soldiers and incorporated them into the Green Standard Army.

More than 40,000 Green Standard Army soldiers were undergoing reorganization in the capital, and more than 20,000 others were still in service. Huang Taiji was directly incorporated into the army that was leading the southern expedition. Now, only 15,000 Banner soldiers remained in the capital.

This is all the available troops that Huang Taiji can currently mobilize.

But even so, it's still not enough.

The Ming Dynasty was too large, to an unimaginable degree.

The northern kingdom alone was like a giant, insatiable mouth; even with an army of over 100,000, it was difficult to defend the southern frontier.

Huang Taiji's gaze was solemn, his mind made up. Without the slightest hesitation, he spoke in a solemn voice.

“All men under the age of seventy and over the age of ten in Jianzhou shall be enlisted in the army.”

Huang Taiji turned around, stood atop the high steps, looked down at the bowing officials in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and said in a cold voice.

"All Mongol tribes and all available troops shall be incorporated into the army and accompany us on the southern expedition!"

As soon as Huang Taiji finished speaking, the once silent and lifeless hall suddenly erupted into a cacophony of noise.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Manchu ministers exchanged worried glances, but none dared to speak up to dissuade Huang Taiji after he had already issued the imperial edict.

Jirhalang calmed himself down, squinting his eyes as if deep in thought.

The eyes of the generals and leaders of the various Mongol tribes gleamed, and several young chieftains even unconsciously straightened their backs.

Although the Mongol princes from the outer vassal states appeared normal, their upturned beards and flushed cheeks betrayed their inner excitement.

The wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner at the corner of the hall accentuated the subtle atmosphere.

Fan Wencheng stood with several Han officials, seemingly oblivious to the strange atmosphere in the main hall. They stood there like clay or wooden sculptures, maintaining a respectful yet aloof demeanor, as if none of this concerned them.

In fact, these things are indeed none of their business now.

In the current imperial court, they are far from having a voice.

Fan Wencheng slightly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials in the hall in a subtle manner.

Huang Taiji's order has undoubtedly sown the seeds of a huge hidden danger.

Generally speaking, when fighting against the Ming Dynasty, the troops were mainly composed of banner soldiers from the Manchu, Mongol, and Han ethnic groups. The attendants were mostly Mongol and Han cavalry who were temporarily recruited but not yet enlisted in the banners, as well as Han people who had surrendered.

In addition, there were some auxiliary soldiers from North Korea who were conscripted from North Korea. The North Korean soldiers were weak and had limited loyalty, and most of them could only be used as auxiliary soldiers and laborers.

Under the Manchu Eight Banners system, bannermen held a noble status, while ordinary people were extremely lowly.

Therefore, the number of banner soldiers in the Mongol Eight Banners and the Han Eight Banners was actually not large.

Historically, the Mongol Eight Banners numbered only around 20,000 men when the Qing army entered the Central Plains.

In 1648, the fifth year of the Shunzhi Emperor's reign, the number of Mongol bannermen was only close to 30,000.

However, the Mongol tribes in southern Mongolia certainly did not have only these troops.

More of them, of course, were those who had not joined the banner.

In addition to the Mongol Eight Banners, the Qing army also mobilized some of the outer Mongol vassals, such as the Khorchin and Kharachin, but these troops were not entirely included in the Mongol Eight Banners.

Generally, the Qing army would not conscript too many ordinary Mongol cavalry for activities that could bring wealth and expansion, such as raiding enemy borders.

The main reason why so many Mongol cavalry were conscripted for this entry into the pass was because the loss of Songjin severely weakened the Qing army's strength.

Although the Ming army was defeated in the Battle of Songjin in the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, it inflicted significant casualties on the Qing army.

The Qing army today is much weaker than the Qing army of history.

This explains why, despite the fact that during the reign of Ligdan Khan, the Mongols were able to send tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops to fight against the Qing army, large-scale Mongol cavalry rarely appeared after the Qing army entered the pass.

Although the Qing court always promoted the idea that the Manchus and Mongols were one family, it actually suppressed and restrained the Mongol tribes in the north in order to prevent them from becoming too powerful.

The Qing court always kept these distinctions very clear: the Mongol Eight Banners were the Mongol Eight Banners, and the Outer Mongolian Banners were the Outer Mongolian Banners.

However, the current war situation leaves Huang Taiji with no room for further hesitation or deliberation.

The escalation of the war has far exceeded the Qing court's own capabilities.

In response to the increasingly chaotic situation, the number of Mongol cavalry in the interior of China now exceeds 50,000.

Huang Taiji's move to bring young and strong men from the Outer Mongolian tribes to the border will undoubtedly further expand the power and influence of the Outer Mongolian tribes.

Huang Taiji took in all the different expressions of the courtiers in the hall.

Huang Taiji remained expressionless, silently observing the commotion among his ministers.

How could he not know that conscripting Mongolian cavalry again to enter the pass would break the existing balance?

However, with the war situation escalating, Huang Taiji can no longer afford to worry about restraining Southern Mongolia.

The existing troop strength is simply insufficient to sustain the continuation of the entire war.

Huang Taiji was well aware of Chen Wang's thoughts.

The Jingnan Army's defense is only temporary and will not last forever.

Chen Wang's troops were strong and well-equipped. If it weren't for the lack of cavalry, they would probably have immediately launched a northern expedition.

Their advantage lay in their large cavalry force, which moved with incredible speed and could easily control vast areas.

The Jingnan Army consisted mostly of infantry with few cavalry. Even if they were defeated on the battlefield, it would be difficult to inflict serious damage on them. Once they left the canal or key cities, their fragile supply lines would be easily cut off.

This is one of the main reasons why Chen Wang has not yet gone north.

Another factor restricting the Jingnan Army's operations was the availability of supplies.

Under Chen Wang's leadership, the Jingnan Army fought for years, incurring huge losses. Even though Huguang and Jiangxi were important grain-producing areas, the distant water could not quench the immediate thirst.

The Jingnan Army has been waging wars in various places, and a large amount of food and supplies have been consumed.

The closure of the canal caused millions of canal workers to lose their jobs, and the chaos in Southern Zhili lasted for a considerable period of time.

In the end, Chen Wang hardened his heart and sent troops to occupy both sides of the strait. He used forceful methods and swiftly killed thousands of people. He also transferred grain from Henan and Huguang to provide relief, which barely maintained the situation.

Later, these canal workers were mostly incorporated into the local population and relocated to various places in Southern Zhili, which finally ended the problem of canal workers being unemployed.

Natural disasters, wars, and man-made calamities have caused the southern kingdom to suffer financial losses.

Even though Chen Wang had been operating in Hanzhong and Huguang for many years, he still couldn't make up for this deficit.

The wealthy households in the South had a considerable amount of grain reserves, but Li Yan squandered almost all of them.

To support an army of over 400,000, the daily consumption of food and fodder would undoubtedly be an astronomical figure.

The Jingnan Army's food reserves are currently not high, and much of it needs to be distributed to Liaodong, which is far away in the north.

This also means that the Jingnan Army currently does not have enough food and supplies to provide for the Northern Expedition.

Of course, Huang Taiji was unaware of the detailed situation of the Jingnan Army.

However, a lot can be found in the official records of the Ministry of Revenue of the Ming Dynasty.

Although many of the data in the Ministry of Revenue's documents are inaccurate, they can still serve as a certain reference. By combining this with information concealed in other places, one can roughly deduce the actual situation.

Moreover, the news that the Jingnan Army was short of food and supplies and could not support the Northern Expedition was also corroborated by Qing spies.

Huang Taiji slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, shook his head, and cleared the chaotic thoughts from his mind.

Now, he has come this far.

They captured the Ming capital and broke down the gates of the land.

It has come to the point where it's a fight to the death.

Many things are no longer within the scope of consideration.

Now, he only has one thing left to consider.

win!
"The outcome hinges on this one battle!"

Huang Taiji gripped the back of the chair tightly, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

“Hmm—”

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the officials collapsed like a dark cloud, kneeling in unison on the ground.

The dull thuds of bricks colliding against each other blended together, while the jingling of court beads and necklaces tinkled crisply between the palace buildings.

Beneath the towering imperial steps, a sea of ​​submissive backs instantly spread out, revealing dense braids at the back of their heads. (End of Chapter)