The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 126 It’s better to leave the remaining brave men to chase the poor bandits

"Liu Zhaosun, you, you beast, what did you do to my sister!"

Pei Dahu swung his sword to kill the assassin. General Liu quickly stepped forward to stop him, holding back the gushing blood from his nose, and looked towards the angel, saying in a muffled voice:
"Brother Dajiu?"

Kang Yingqian said with disdain:

"Brother-in-law? You're already a relative? How shameless! You're truly obsessed with sex!!"

Liu Zhaosun didn't hear what Lao Kang said, and didn't care that his nose was still bleeding. He pushed Pei Dahu away, walked forward, helped the angel up, and looked him up and down.

"You, you are Jin Dajiu? Jin Yuji's long-lost brother? I heard her mention you. She saw you in the capital, when she was presenting the captives."

Familiar recipe, familiar taste, familiar recognition.

In a trance, I felt as if I had traveled to the crew of a Korean romance drama.

The burning pain in his nostrils reminded Liu Zhaosun that he was still on the Hunhe battlefield in Liaodong in the 47th year of Wanli.

"Oppa... no, brother-in-law, long time no see. How did you get here? Why didn't you tell me in advance so I could welcome you? I was busy wiping out the Jiannu the other day... General Kang, Master Kang, a distinguished guest has arrived. Come and entertain him!"

Kang Yingqian muttered softly:

"You make it sound like I'm the top star in Yihongyuan!"

Jin Dajiu drew his sword, pointed at Liu Zhaosun and said:

"Shameless man, stop trying to get close to me! Tell me, why is Jin Yuji like this? If you don't explain clearly, I will not..."

Liu Zhaosun gave a wink, and Zhang Chao, Pei Dahu and others put down the sharp blades in their hands and retreated to the back.

Kang Yingqian got goosebumps watching from the side. He went forward and hugged Jin Dajiu. He exaggerated the story of Jin Yuji beating drums to fight at Hunhe River and Liu Zhaosun wielding swords to defeat the Jiannu. He concluded with this:
"General Liu is truly devoted to your sister. This infatuation makes me wish I could... I am deeply moved!"

As Lao Kang spoke, tears began to flow.

Jin Dajiu was ashamed when he heard this, "The annihilation of the Jianzhou Eight Banners is truly awe inspiring! Is General Liu alright?"

Liu Zhaosun subconsciously reached out to cover the arrow wound on his left ribs and said calmly:

"A mere 100,000 Jiannu were easily annihilated by the Kaiyuan Army. What's so special about it?"

Kang Yingqian puffed his beard and glared, then chimed in:
"Yes, I am no match for General Liu. Nurhaci is an experienced military commander, but so what? The Eight Banners were manipulated by him. They repeatedly divided their forces, Kaiyuan, Tieling, Qinghe, and the entire Liaodong region was in chaos! General Liu personally led the elite troops and attacked Shenyang, killing me so hard that I knelt down and begged for mercy... You have been in Beijing for many years. You should know that if Nurhaci is captured and brought back to the capital this time, the emperor will be very pleased and reward General Liu with hundreds of thousands of taels of silver and make him the Marquis of Ping Liao. It is also possible..."

Kang Yingqian's expression was exaggerated as he pointed at Liu Zhaosun and cursed:
"He, he, he wanted to avenge your Jin family. He ignored my repeated advice and killed me in a rage! This is not just stupid, it's absolutely stupid!"

Jin Dajiu traveled all the way from western Liaoning and heard the news that the Kaiyuan army had won a great victory over the Jiannu. At first, he thought that this was another false report from the Ming army. It was not until he arrived at the Hunhe battlefield that he realized it was indeed a great victory.

Thinking that he had wronged his brother-in-law, he fell to his knees with a thud:
"I only knew General Xuanwu was a hero, but I never thought he would be so affectionate towards my younger sister. I was rude earlier. Please forgive me, General Liu! Although I am a humble official of the Eastern Kingdom, I also know the rules of propriety, righteousness, and honor!"

Liu Zhaosun hurried forward to help Jin Dajiu up, then touched his nose and found that the bleeding had stopped.

Thinking that Jin Yu Ji would die before she could recognize her brother, he couldn't help but feel sad.

He leaned over the bed, holding her slender hand, and said in despair:
"I had intended to return to Kaiyuan after this battle, and marry you with all the lights and decorations. But now that you're gone, I won't marry you in this lifetime."

Everyone shed tears.

Jin Dajiu flipped through the vernacular novels left by his sister, from "White Snake Imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda" to "Sun Wukong Defeats the White Bone Demon Three Times". Seeing the things reminded him of her, and tears fell like rain, streaming down the pages.

Kang Yingqian stepped forward to comfort the angel, wiped away his tears, and raised his head and said:
"General Liu treated my younger sister this way. If she knew, she would be relieved. Life and death are determined by fate. I beg you to accept my condolences, General Liu."

"I was in the capital a while ago, and after a few drinks, I chatted with a man named Guo from the Ministry of War. He told me that the She Chongming (1) rebellion was getting worse and worse, and the White Lotus Sect in Shandong was also showing signs of instability. There are many alarms in the north and south of the Ming Dynasty right now, and it is time for people like you, the general, to be loyal to the country. General Liu, you are a precious person, please take care of yourself and stop worrying about my sister!"

Liu Zhaosun didn't want to hear any of this. He waved his hand and said to Kang Yingqian, "General Kang, take Jin Dajiu down to rest first and treat him well."

Jin Dajiu did not leave. He turned his head away, unable to bear to look at Jin Yuji anymore. He took out a small wooden box from his robe and handed it to her with trembling hands.

"I brought gifts with me on my trip back to Seoul from the capital. I wanted to visit her, but I never imagined that we wouldn't see each other for years. When we meet again, we'll be separated by the Yin and Yang. Sigh!"

At this time, Old Song came in limping, carrying a medicine jar. Seeing that the tent was full of people, he turned around and was about to leave. Jin Dajiu looked at the old man's staggering back and said tremblingly:
"Since I can't save him..."

"Please, General Liu, bury my little sister properly."

Liu Zhaosun's old injury had not yet healed, and he was exhausted after several days of searching for medicine. He felt even more sad when he heard this, and suddenly he became so angry that he vomited a mouthful of blood.

Pei Dahu hurried forward to support him. Liu Zhaosun pushed the head servant away and murmured, "It's okay, it's okay, General Kang, take him down to rest first."

Old Song looked at General Liu worriedly, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

After a flurry of activity, Jin Dajiu handed the wooden box to Old Song and followed Kang Yingqian outside.

Medical Officer Song took the wooden box, opened it, and then shouted:
"Korean ginseng?!"

A thousand-year-old Korean ginseng of excellent quality lies quietly in a wooden box, shining brightly under the candlelight.

~~~~~
That night, General Liu, along with Kang Yingqian, Deng Changxiong, Pei Dahu and others, hosted a banquet for Jin Dajiu and Man Gui at the Wengcheng, the north gate of Shenyang.

Compared with the previous few days, the atmosphere of tonight's banquet is obviously much more lively.

There was wine and meat, but no singing girls. Kaiyuan’s military discipline was strict, so Liu Zhaosun naturally had to set an example.

Dajiu Ge has been a court angel for many years, welcoming and seeing off guests, and taking the test of alcohol. Man Gui, with his whiskered face, looks like a Mongolian, and he is even more capable.

The theme of tonight is certainly not drinking.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Liu Zhaosun raised his glass and said with a smile:
"Fortunately, the three armies have obeyed my orders, and my adoptive father's spirit in heaven has blessed us. We fought a bloody battle at Hunhe and defeated the Jiannu. Now that Nurhaci is dead and Huang Taiji is still alive, Liaodong can be pacified. However, the country is in turmoil, and as a general, you must not slack off."

Jin Dajiu raised his glass and praised: "General Liu has eliminated this great threat to the Celestial Empire. It goes without saying that he should be promoted. Liaodong is adjacent to Korea, and I believe Kaiyuan will inevitably have some connection with Korea in the future. If you need me in the future, please don't hesitate."

Kang Yingqian put down the half-eaten chicken leg and said in a heroic tone: "Liu Zhaosun is devoted to the country and never thought about any promotion or honor."

Jin Dajiu was a little embarrassed.

Kang Yingqian deliberately teased, "Haha, you're clearly General Liu's brother-in-law, yet you still call me your younger brother? You brought the ginseng this time and saved Miss Jin. That's what General Liu wants most. What's with all the talk of promotion? General Liu only wants to follow the right path and save the people of the world."

Pei Dahu and Deng Changxiong grinned. Deng Changxiong said, "We are one family and should not talk behind each other's backs. However, I am just a warrior. I don't know how to follow the right path or follow the right principles. General Liu treats us as human beings. If he asks us to fight the Jiannu, then we will fight the Jiannu. If he asks us to fight Beijing..."

Liu Zhaosun coughed, and Kang Yinggan stroked his beard and smiled.

Pei Dahu quickly stood up and toasted Jin Dajiu, taking the opportunity to change the subject: "Brother-in-law, don't use a knife to attack the Thirteenth Master next time. If he had really attacked just now, even ten of you wouldn't have been able to defeat him."

Everyone laughed.

~~~~~
During this meeting, Jin Dajiu not only brought thousand-year-old Goryeo ginseng, but also let General Liu learn important information about the She'an Rebellion and the White Lotus Sect in Shandong.

In addition, Jin Dajiu also introduced the trade between Liaodong and North Korea.

After all, Dajiu is my brother-in-law.

Like his sister, Jin Dajiu is resolute and courageous. He served as a court angel for three years and gained a lot of experience, extensive network of contacts, and wild ways in the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

Liu Zhaosun has a strong military force and extensive connections, but he is currently short of money and food.

Jin Dajiu suggested that his brother-in-law take over the Liaozhen business and use his relationship with Ligdan Khan (although he had no real relationship with him) to expand the trade route westwards and trade directly with the Mongols to make huge profits. This shows the importance of Man Gui.

During the days when Liu Zhaosun was searching for immortals and medicine, Kang Yingqian had already distributed a thousand Jiannu heads to Man Gui. Old Kang told the bearded lieutenant general that General Liu would include a note in his memorial to the emperor, commending Lieutenant General Man for his contribution in the bloody battle of Hunhe River:
"Fortunately, Lieutenant General Man came to our rescue in time. We fought bloody battles and killed more than a thousand bandits. Man Gui, with 120 arrow wounds on his body, raised his arms and shouted: A real man should serve his country, only today..."

With this memorial, Big Beard might be promoted to General. Man Gui and Liu Zhaosun had similar personalities, and now that he had achieved such remarkable military success, their friendship would naturally grow even stronger.

In order to transform the Xia into the Yi, Mongolia is the top priority. As a fulcrum of the Kaiyuan Army in Jizhen, Xuanda and other places, Man Gui will play an important role in Liu Zhaosun's future layout.

From this perspective, General Liu must establish close contact with the bearded man.

Compared with feelings, interests are the reliable bargaining chips to consolidate alliances.

"Although the Jiannu suffered a heavy blow this time, Huang Taiji still has strength left and should not be underestimated. The Kaiyuan army is already at the end of its strength, so it is a pity that we cannot defeat them in one battle."

"The battle is over, and what happens next is just beginning."

Liu Zhaosun personally filled Man Gui and Jin Dajiu's glasses with wine, his eyes gleaming as he spoke, "These past few days, I've been thinking deeply. Although the Kaiyuan army won the battle at Hunhe, we haven't yet succeeded in destroying the enemy. You all still need to work hard."

"In addition to the battles between the two armies on the battlefield, if we want to truly destroy the Jiannu, we must also blockade Hetuala in trade and gradually weaken Huang Taiji's power."

Everyone looked over here, curious about General Liu's proposal.

Jin Dajiu's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Trade strangulation? General Liu is going to ban trade exports to Jianzhou?"

Liu Zhaosun nodded and said, "That's right."

Kang Yingqian stroked his beard and said in a gloomy tone, "It's easier said than done. From Xifengkou in the west to the Yalu River in the east, Japan, Mongolia, and of course, Korea, there are so many people doing business with the Jiannu. They dare to buy and sell everything, including ginseng, salt, iron, sable fur, falcons, horses, and even artillery. How can you stop them?"

Jin Dajiu and Man Gui looked at Kang Yinggan at the same time, their eyes full of surprise. They obviously felt that this civilian military supervisor was a bit eye-catching and was so rebellious in front of Liu Zhaosun.

Liu Zhaosun said with a smile: "General Kang and General Qiao are both my close friends. You don't have to mind them, hahahaha."

Pei Dahu was whispering about Qiao Yiqi to Jin Dajiu. Jin Dajiu just listened to a few words and then interrupted him with a wave of his hand:

"So it's Jiang Hongli's sworn brother. I recognize him. He's quite talkative and talks a lot. He's been an official for many years, but he's still so thin. He must be an honest official."

The angel group has always used the weight of the officials to measure whether they are honest.

Everyone laughed.

Guards Zhang Chao and Tao Dongfeng also laughed. They were the guards who fought to the death to protect Jin Yuji and beat the drum during the bloody battle at Hunhe River that day.

Liu Zhaosun laughed, not caring about Kang Yingqian's rebuttal. He looked up at Jin Dajiu and patiently explained to his brother-in-law:
"Indeed, as Inspector Kang just said, the Liaoxi, Liaonan, and Kaiyuan armies are too far away to control them. Zu Dashou has been secretly smuggling Jiannu supplies for a long time. I will impeach him."

Liu Zhaosun looked stern, and Jin Dajiu subconsciously straightened his back.

"From now on, not only Liaodong, but also Mongolia and Korea, I hope that not a single grain of food, an inch of cloth, a piece of tea, or a grain of salt will be sold to the Jiannu!"

"Strike the snake at its weakest point. As long as the three of us work together, especially if the King of Korea cooperates in blocking border trade, even if Huang Taiji is Zhuge Kongming reborn, he won't survive next winter!"

Liu Zhaosun glanced at everyone with a sharp gaze, while Man Gui and Jin Dajiu were both lost in thought.

Man Gui frowned.

The bearded man looks rough and big, but he is actually delicate inside.

This strategy of strangling the three parties is easy to say but actually very difficult to implement. Not to mention whether Man Gui can convince the Mongols, even Li Huaixin and Chai Guozhu have been trading privately with the Later Jin merchants for a long time and will never give up this interest easily.

Seeing that both of them looked embarrassed, Liu Zhaosun knew that with Kaiyuan's current strength, it would be difficult to completely blockade Jianzhou.

He couldn't help but worry that if Huang Taiji was allowed to hide in Hetuala to recuperate and recover his strength, he didn't know how many Han men would die in the next raid!

"Hey,"

Jin Dajiu put down his wine glass and sighed, as if filled with infinite emotion.

"General Liu, I'm sure you know that during the Battle of Sarhu, our king was against sending troops. And his favorite, Jiang Hongli, died inexplicably in the Hunjiang River. Rumors in Seoul say that you killed Commander Jiang..."

Liu Zhaosun said solemnly, "I want to emphasize that this is not a rumor, it is true. However, it was not me, but my fourth brother."

Kang Yingqian spit out the wine in his mouth with a chuckle, and hurriedly tried to smooth things over: "I was there at the time. Jiang Hongli colluded with the Bordered Blue Banner and plotted to harm the Eastern Route Army. If he didn't die, who would? How could the King of Korea be so ignorant..."

Jin Dajiu continued, "During the Battle of Shenyang, the Celestial Emperor also ordered Korea to send troops to contain the Jiannu. This time, Li Zong ignored him completely. Therefore, the three-way blockade strategy that General Liu just mentioned is probably impossible to implement. At least in Korea's Pyeongan Province (connected to Liaodong), as far as I know, there are thirty-six wealthy merchants who have been engaged in smuggling trade with Jianzhou for many years..."

Liu Zhaosun's newly ignited hope was shattered again.

Kang Yingqian coughed and added, "Everyone says the Jianzhou people only know how to hunt and not how to farm. But in fact, during the Chenghua period, the Jurchens began trading with Korea. The Jiannu bought large quantities of farm tools, oxen, and ironware from Korea, and farming gradually flourished. In the eleventh year of the Wanli reign, the chieftain of the Jurchens secretly opened a trade route through Cheyuling to Maoshan (now Gumaoshan, north of Funing, North Hamgyong Province, North Korea) (Note 2). Korean merchants sold farm tools, pots and pans, and salt to the Jiannu. Although the King of Korea issued repeated orders to prohibit this, he was ultimately unable to control these barbarians. In short, the rise of the Jurchens is not unrelated to your trade with Korea."

Jin Dajiu smiled awkwardly. He obviously didn't expect that Kang Yinggan knew so much about the past of Korea. He couldn't help but look up to General Kang.

"General Kang is so well-versed in the history of the dynasty and is so familiar with our country's affairs. How rare! With General Kang's assistance, General Liu will undoubtedly achieve great success!"

Kang Yingqian's beard trembled, his eyes narrowed, and he kept praising him.

Jin Dajiu said with shame, "To be honest, it's no secret that people in northern my country often trade with the Tartars. Some even secretly sell iron armor to the Jiannu. [Note 3] The Jurchens processed the ironware they traded into weapons. The wealthy families in Jianzhou all had blacksmiths. They set up furnaces at home to make arrowheads. The bows and arrows they made were powerful, and the armor they crafted was of better quality than that of the Ming Dynasty. Over time, Jianzhou's combat power surpassed that of the Yehe Huifa tribe, and it's no wonder that they were able to unify the Jurchen tribes."

Jin Dajiu looked at his brother-in-law and said excitedly:

"General Liu, although I am only an angel in the imperial court, my influence in Seoul is insignificant and I am powerless to influence our country's government, but please rest assured that even an ant can shake a tree! This time when I return to the capital, I will do my utmost to lobby the ministers of the Yangban class. Even if I die, I will contribute my humble efforts to General Liu's great cause!"

Liu Zhaosun said excitedly: "Brother-in-law, I trust you to do things!"

Man Gui was well aware of Jizhen's involvement in smuggling trade with Jiannu merchants along the border, particularly the rampant reselling of salt and iron by Li Huaixin and others. Like Jin Dajiu, he was outnumbered in Jizhen. However, for Liu Zhaosun's sake, he decided to risk it all. Upon his return, he submitted a memorial to the court impeaching his colleagues involved in the smuggling trade.

Man Gui's neck flushed as she raised her glass and drank it all, saying loudly:

"Me too!"

Liu Zhaosun tightly grasped Man Gui's hand and said with tears in his eyes, "Good brother!"

~~~~~
Although the Later Jin was crippled, it would not pose a threat to him in the short term. However, to cut the grass, one must uproot it. Only by curbing Jianzhou from an economic perspective can we prevent the emergence of another Nurhaci.

However, there is always a gap between ideals and reality.

The reality is that, except for Kaiyuan led by Liu Zhaosun, almost all the forces around Liaodong are willing to let Jiannu continue to exist for their own interests...
Liu Zhaosun thought of the bandits in the late Ming Dynasty. One of the important reasons why Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong could not be completely killed was that the various government troops had intricate interests with these bandits.

The affairs of Liao are difficult, harder than climbing to the sky. When one side does something, it is constrained by many parties.

Liu Zhaosun slammed the table and stood up, shouting:

"Xie Yang!"

Xie Guangkun, who had been sitting in the corner without a chance to speak, finally showed up.

"Lead the civil officials and immediately draw up a list. From today onwards, within the Kaiyuan Military Territory, in addition to prohibited items like grain, cloth, medicinal herbs, and tea, all items such as mulberry, orange, thorn, elm, buffalo horn, goose feathers, and ironware used to make bows and arrows must be strictly controlled. Anyone who dares to smuggle Jiannu will be executed, regardless of who they are!"

Note:
(1) She An Rebellion: She Chongming started an uprising in Chongqing in September of the first year of the Tianqi reign, and An Bangyan followed in February of the second year of the Tianqi reign. The rebellion lasted for 17 years, affecting the four provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Guangxi, resulting in over one million casualties.

(2) Annals of King Sejo of the Joseon Dynasty[Z]. Seoul: Korean History Compilation Committee, 1980.
(3) Annals of King Seongjong of the Joseon Dynasty[Z]. Seoul: Korean History Compilation Committee, 1980.
(End of this chapter)