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Chapter 827 Falling apart
In fact, this arrangement is not the end of this large-scale northward campaign to suppress Ligdan Khan, because in the Liaodong region there is another hungry wolf lying in wait for an opportunity, the Great Jin Kingdom.

Regardless of whether Huang Taiji would do his best to mobilize the elite Eight Banners to rescue a potential competitor who was neither a friend nor an ally, as the designer of the campaign, he must take into account all parameters that might change and find corresponding solutions.

Therefore, the regime change in Korea became the finishing touch for Hong Tao to contain the Jurchens. Li Hun, who originally wanted to be a fence-sitter and not offend both sides, and planned to benefit from the conflict between the snipe and the clam, was burned to death in a fire. The successor Li Jong and the Queen Dowager, who regained her freedom, had to listen to the arrangements of the Ming Dynasty.

As soon as Li Zong ascended the throne, he cut off all ties with the Jurchens, recalled the Korean people who went to Liaodong area to farm, and stationed heavy troops along the northern Great Wall and near Liubao in Kuandian, as if facing a powerful enemy.

Under such circumstances, even though Huang Taiji had a far-sighted vision and was well aware of the principle of "the lips are cold and the teeth are broken", he did not dare to send troops north easily.

Once the Korean army launched an attack, coupled with the elusive Ming navy that might land anywhere, under attack from both sides, it was not certain whether Lin Danhan would be in trouble. The Jurchen heartland would certainly be lost, and the foundation accumulated by two generations would be completely destroyed.

In order to make Huang Taiji's brain work faster, half a month before the army marched north, naval ships continued to appear in the waters near Gaizhou Wei, occasionally lowering small boats to the shore for reconnaissance.

At the same time, armed cargo ships would dock at North Korea's Iron Mountain Port every now and then, unloading food, armor and weapons. It looked like the scene before a major war.

Faced with this situation, the reactions of all parties were basically as expected. Lin Danhan learned about the Ming army's massive northward march at the end of March, and led his army into the mountains in early April. As a result, before he could see the outline of Fuyu City, he was ambushed by the Ming army halfway.

Due to the complex terrain of the mountainous area, it was unclear how many enemies there were, and they suffered losses as soon as they came into contact, leaving behind hundreds of bodies and having to retreat. In the following half a month, the two sides had several small-scale encounters, and then Lin Danhan had to choose to withdraw his troops.

There was no way, the Ming army was too bad, they were all hiding in the mountains and dense forests, and they dug many ditches and caves that were invisible to the naked eye. But as long as you get close, they will immediately shoot bullets from the nearby hillsides and woods.

There was no place to hide, and they couldn't find their targets when charging. The battle between the armies turned into a hunting game in the mountains. Whoever hid better would have the advantage. At this time, the cavalry became a burden. Almost one fell down after a shot was fired. Either the man or the horse was killed.

Moreover, the chaos continued day and night. The Ming army not only hid people on the hillside, but also brought cannons up there. From a high point, the range was several miles away, and it was not safe to camp anywhere. Often, a few cannons did not injure many people, but running around in the dark resulted in many casualties.

Not only was Lin Danhan unfamiliar with this type of warfare, but his generals were also completely clueless. In order to avoid too much loss in the mountains and forests, they could only retreat to the Shaolang River line to prevent the Ming army from rushing into the plains.

Huang Taiji, on the other hand, retreated instead of advancing. After hearing that a major change had occurred in Korea, he immediately abandoned the Dalingh River line and withdrew all the Eight Banners soldiers to the Haizhouwei line, preparing for full defense.

Forget about the five Khalkha tribes, which were seriously injured in the last battle and almost lost all the soldiers in the tribe. Now that they saw that the war had started again, they dared not go north to help Ligdan Khan fight, nor did they dare to change their course and turn to the Ming Dynasty.

They all huddled in the area north of Jinzhou, trembling in fear, and sent people to Shanhaiguan all day long, crying to the guards that all the people in their tribe were honest people, and had no intention of disloyalty, and begged to be spared. Bai Hong, the great taiji of the Kharchin tribe, did go to Xuanfu and talk with Du Wenhuan. After learning that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was determined to destroy Ligdan Khan this time, he drank one cup after another with mixed feelings and got drunk.

When he sobered up and left at noon the next day, he only asked Du Wenhuan one question: If Ligdan Khan fails, who will occupy the Chahar tribe's pasture?
After learning that the Ming Emperor intended to divide the territory equally between the Kharchin tribe and the Chahar tribe, he immediately stated that if necessary, the Kharchin tribe was willing to send 20,000 troops to threaten the Chahar tribe from the west.

This is the tribal alliance relationship. When the tribal leader is strong and can generate enough centripetal force, the hundreds of small tribes around him will unite closely, provide people and horses, and shout "We are Mongols!"
Once the leader is not strong enough and does not have enough centripetal force, the tribes will immediately start to think for themselves and turn against each other without hesitation when necessary. Then they will start to say "I am from the Kharachin tribe" or "I am from the Khalkha tribe", but they will no longer mention that we are all Mongolians.

"Write a letter to Du Wenhuan and ask him to tell Bai Hongda Taiji not to rush. This war may last until winter. The Kharchin tribe can focus on the battle situation and be prepared at any time. Once Lin Dan Khan shows signs of defeat, I will ask him to send troops to help."

Hong Tao did not agree with the suggestion of Bai Hong Da Taiji. It was not yet the closing stage and the Kharchin cavalry could not help in the siege. Their involvement would limit the combat effectiveness of the Ming Army.

But he did not refuse outright, and still kept a thought in mind. If Lin Danhan really had no shame and wanted to save his life, he would have to use the Kharchin cavalry to pursue northward, but the Ming army was not that fast.

"Your Majesty, there is something I have been thinking about for two days, and I still think it is better to let Your Majesty make the decision." Ever since the three guards were about to go north to build the city, the General Staff Headquarters has been in 6*24 mode, with lights on all night long.

Receive battle reports from the front at any time, and hold meetings to give answers at any time. If a decision cannot be made, report to the palace as soon as possible. As the chief of the general staff, Yuan Keli almost had to eat and live in the government office. After a month, his eyes were dark.

"When it's time to let go, just let go and let them try. If you keep watching them with concern, they will never be able to take charge on their own. Won't that tire you out?"

Although Hong Tao was not feeling well and was often woken up from his sleep, he generally got enough sleep. Seeing Yuan Keli's haggard face, he couldn't help but say a few more words.

"Your Majesty, I am grateful for your compassion, but I have a heavy responsibility. If I don't do it myself, I won't be able to eat or sleep well even if I return home."

As a minister, it was very useful to be recognized and appreciated by the emperor for his hard work. But Yuan Keli insisted on doing so. The reason was simple: he was not as generous as the emperor. He could go fishing in Taiye Lake while fighting in the front.

"Then hurry up and tell me, and then go back to sleep!" Hong Tao was not really being generous, but he just didn't care. But he knew that many people couldn't be indifferent, so he didn't force it.

(End of this chapter)