I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 307: Ahead are Tartars fighting a desperate battle
In Kaiyuan City, Liaodong, the Governor of Ping Liao, Tan Lun, stared at the dusty Zhou Guotai and said in a deep voice, "Bangding, sit down. Someone, quickly serve hot tea to Deputy General Zhou."

Zhou Guotai took the hot tea, blew on it while drinking it, and finished it in a few gulps. He let out a long breath, which condensed into a faint white mist in the air.

"Okay, tell me what's going on!"

"It's Xiantai. Your subordinates led the army out of Zhenbei Pass and wiped out 11 Haixi Jurchen tribes including Yimahu, Yimihu, and Salarlu. We beheaded more than 760 people and captured more than 25,700 people. We deported them all back to Zhenbei Pass and cleared out the area around Jilin City.

Then he headed northeast along the Songhua River, annihilating twelve tribes including the Wulahu, Murughu, and Sawugamu tribes along the way, beheading more than 510 people and capturing more than 13,100 people.

Then they continued to march northeast along the Heilong River, annihilating fifteen tribes including the Qileni, Xishen, Wuerbu, Youtie, and Harman, beheading 367 people and capturing 9,400 people.

The nine tribes of Gejiyemu, Zhazhen, Handaheli, and Buluwu were captured, with a population of 7,620. All of them were sent back to Zhenbei Pass.

Finally, I led my troops to the old site of Nurgan Dusi City, erected a stone tablet and engraved words to show the majesty of the emperor. Then I led my troops to the mouth of the Black Dragon River, looked across the sea at Kuwu Island, and then returned. "

Zhou Guotai remained calm and reported calmly.

Tan Lun also listened quietly and calmly.

Wei Jianping next to him, however, was unable to sit still. He kept moving his buttocks around on the chair and his upper body was swaying as if he was having a hemorrhoid attack.

Tumen Khan has assembled 60,000 cavalrymen to the east of the Black Mountain, and has summoned 30,000 Haixi Jurchens to move southward, but you are not in a hurry at all?
Tan Lun turned his head and looked at him, and Wei Jianping immediately sat up straight and stopped rocking around.

"Taiwanese, I have discovered that the best way for the Ming Dynasty to build a city along the Heilong River, Songhua River, and Asu River (Ussuri River) is to use sea vessels to transport materials and personnel to the old site of Nurgan Dusi City in the warm spring and summer, and then use shallow-bottomed boats to go upstream to the Heilong River, Songhua River, and Asu River. It is fast and convenient, and the number of ships required to transport materials is large."

Tan Lun nodded in approval and said, "This is a good idea. Are you bringing a surveying team with you this time?"

"We carried out field surveys along the way and used theodolites to measure and draw maps."

"Okay. Ask the surveying team to sort out the blueprints, and then write a document with your ideas and submit it together."

"it is good."

"Now let's talk about Tumen Khan."

"Yes. I am leading my troops back, and we have to clear the Songhua River again as usual. As usual, there are always fish that slip through the net the first time our army clears it, hiding in the deep mountains and dense forests, and they will appear again after the king's army leaves.

When we went back to the second round of hunting, we found that there were very few fish that had escaped the net along the Songhua River. This was very strange. So we ordered all the troops to be careful when they went out hunting.

The Liaodong troops went out to wipe out the various tribes of the Jianzhou Haixi Jurchens, and they were gone for about half a year.

They usually carried a large amount of storable dry food, as well as sufficient medicine, weapons and baggage. Usually, they lived like the Jurchens, relying on the mountains for food and the water for water, and fishing and hunting for food.

The meat and food seized from the various Jurchen tribes were used as food for the captured people escorted back to Liaodong. The escort team would also bring back some dry food and supplies as a supplement on their return journey.

This is entirely because the main forces of Jianzhou and Haixi Jurchens had been defeated long ago, and the rest were fighting on their own, so the Ming army would not encounter battles of too high intensity.

"We were in the old territory of the Sakshabuku tribe. The cavalrymen who were out hunting and fishing discovered something unusual. Dozens or even hundreds of Jurchens were heading west. After receiving the report, I told the main force to continue their journey back, and I led 500 light cavalrymen to quietly head west.

When they arrived at the Tar River, as soon as they entered the old territory of Taining Guard, their subordinates discovered something wrong: a large group of Haixi Jurchens had gathered there and set up camp, with about several thousand tents.

The subordinates ordered their men to take off their armor, put on Jurchen clothes, take a detour, and continue their in-depth investigation. Finally, they found Tumen Khan's royal tent at the intersection of the old territory of Taining Wei and Duoyan Wei, that is, between the Tar River and the Chuer River, in the area of ​​Mulita Mountain.

Before I could investigate carefully, the scouts of the Chahar tribe noticed something unusual. Fortunately, I acted decisively and wiped out the scouts.

We didn't dare to stay for long, and immediately turned around and rushed southeast. Not long after, the Chahar tribe, who discovered the abnormality, sent troops to catch up with us. We rushed all the way along the Tar River and Songhua River.

His subordinates sent people to find the main force first, and ordered them to ambush near the Mier River, and then surrounded and annihilated the Chahar pursuers, about 2,000 cavalrymen, beheaded 1,000, captured 700, and the rest fled.

The leader was a Ming Antu (a thousand-household leader), a trusted guard of Tumen Khan. On the way back, the subordinates interrogated him strictly and finally understood Tumen Khan's intention. Xiantai, this is his confession. "

Zhou Guotai took out a piece of paper from his waist and handed it to Tan Lun with both hands.

Tan Lun took it and looked at it carefully, and his brows frowned even more tightly.

Wei Jianping pulled Zhou Guotai aside and asked softly, "Deputy General Zhou, what's going on?"

Zhou Guotai replied softly.

"Tumen Khan was bluffing and attacking from the west. He deliberately sent his trusted generals to lead the former troops of Duoyan and Taining Guards who had surrendered, as well as the former troops of Kalaqin, to attack the Luan River, Huang River, Tu River, and Laoha River.

He also called his uncle Heishitan, led 20,000 cavalry, and waited for an opportunity to attack the Liaoxi important town Chifeng City that was under construction. He drew all our attention to Liaoxi, and he himself led 60,000 elite troops of the Chahar tribe, sneaked all the way, and crossed the Black Mountain.

In August of autumn, they settled in the area of ​​the Tar River and the Chuer River in the former territory of the Doyan Guard and the Taining Guard, and sent envoys to secretly summon the various tribes of the Haixi Jurchens.

But he was very cautious. At first, he only summoned the Jurchen tribes east of the Black Mountain, far away from our army. Later, he began to summon the Jurchen tribes in the Songhua River area, and then I discovered the clues. "

Tan Lun finished reading the confession.

"He is not afraid of being discovered by you. He has already made preparations. The attack to break through the border is scheduled to begin in five days. Tumen Khan will lead the main force of the Chahar tribe to attack Zhenbei and Guangshun. About 30,000 Jurchens, led by his younger brother Zhuangtu Taiji, will take a detour to attack Fushun Pass.

After breaking through Zhenbei Pass, Guangshun Pass, and Fushun Pass, we will go down to Kaiyuan, Tieling, and Fushun, meet up at Shenyang, and finally take Liaoyang.

Wei Jianping found it incredible: "It's already mid-September and it's starting to snow a little in the north. It's freezing cold, and Tumen Khan still dares to use his troops?"

After he finished speaking, he thought it through, and was afraid that his head would be dizzy. It was freezing cold, and Tumen Khan only needed to capture Shenyang and Liaoyang. There were mountains of food and clothing in the city, and they could use them endlessly.

On the contrary, due to the bitterly cold weather and heavy snow blocking the roads, our army was unable to march and launch a counterattack. We could only sit back and watch the Chahar tribe wreak havoc in Liaodong. Xiantai, what should we do? "

Yeah, what to do?
Tumen Khan's bluffing indeed attracted the Ming army's attention to western Liaoning. Most of the main forces were transferred to the areas of Xiliaohe, Tuhe, Huanghe and Chifeng.

Now the main force of Liaodong Town is only left with 12,000 soldiers led by Wei Jianping and 17,000 soldiers led by Zhou Guotai.

The rest were less than 10,000 soldiers guarding various cities. These 10,000 soldiers were the old, weak, sick and disabled who were eliminated after the military reform and served as the camp guards.

It was fine to use them to guard prisoners and city warehouses, but they would be vulnerable to fighting against the elite troops of the Chahar tribe and the Jurchens. The only troops that could be used were the 29,000.

Tumen Khan now had 60,000 Chahar cavalry and 30,000 selected Jurchen elites, a total of 90,000 troops against 29,000 troops.

Tumen Khan had complete dominance.

"We must defend the city!" Tan Lun made a prompt decision, "Abandon the three passes of Zhenbei, Guangshun and Fushun, and gather all our troops in Kaiyuan, Tieling and Fushun. Relying on the city, we will control the main roads heading south and west, and block the way for Tumen Khan to attack Shenyang and Liaoyang.

As long as we hold on to the city and wait until the weather turns cold, that will be the moment when Tumen Khan will destroy himself."

Zhou Guotai and Wei Jianping looked solemn.

"Xiantai, Tumen Khan's move is like a fight to the death. We must fight to the death."

Tan Lun nodded solemnly: "That's right. If the Northern Tartars can capture Liaodong, they will live, if they can't, they will die! Tumen Khan wants to fight us to the death.

Now in front of us are 90,000 Tartars fighting a desperate battle, and behind us are Liaodong and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. "

(End of this chapter)