The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 3 Gwanghaegun's Man
On the afternoon of the third day of the third month in the forty-seventh year of the Wanli reign, on the Shajianzi hills north of Kuandian in Liaodong.

The turbulent Hunjiang River suddenly turns here, the water flow slows down, and flows into the Yalu River from the Hunjiangkou of Luhe.

This place belongs to the three guards of Jianzhou and can be called a barbaric land.

Before Nurhaci's rise to power, this place was sparsely populated. Apart from the Liaodong hunters who went deep into the mountains, there were only a few Koreans who crossed the border to dig ginseng.

At this moment, Shajianzi Hill is bustling with activity.

Layers of fortifications and barricades were built at the foot of the hill. Auxiliary soldiers and civilians cut down all the trees along the banks of the Hunjiang River to make fences and traps.

The camp was bustling with people and quite lively.

The news that General Liu would reissue the wages spread throughout the army, inspiring the soldiers. These heavy infantrymen, who had been struggling in the mud of Liaodong for four or five days, all cheered.

The imperial court has been in arrears of wages for several months, and these foreign soldiers who came from thousands of miles away are all filled with resentment.

Although the Ming Dynasty's finances were not enough to support a considerable number of mercenaries, it is really speechless that the Zhu emperor wanted the horses to run fast but did not give them grass to eat.

If the imperial court had not kept making promises, saying that Hetuala was rich in gold and silver and that rewards would be given after the conquest, they would probably have mutinied.

Now General Liu is actually using his private money to pay the soldiers' salaries. How can these soldiers not be moved?

Except for the night patrol officers who were out on patrol, the soldiers in each battalion received their salaries according to the roster under the command of the captain and captain.

Teams of strong servants, armed with swords and spears, stood around the ranks, watching vigilantly the soldiers from each camp who came to collect their wages.

On the top of Shajianzi Hill, everyone looked at the scene of soldiers receiving their wages at the foot of the mountain with surprise on their faces.

The era when Qi Jiguang provided generous salaries to his soldiers has long passed. Now, it is normal for the imperial court to withhold military pay.

Today, Liu Jing spent all his family wealth to provide food and wages for more than 10,000 soldiers under his command, which was clearly a violation of the rules.

"General Liu, you killed the bandit Tang Ma before without informing me. Now you're secretly distributing food and wages to the soldiers, delaying the army's advance. If General Du is still trapped by the bandits and waiting for our rescue, and the army can't come to his aid in time, I can't bear the responsibility!"

Liu Zhaosun was guarding Liu Jing. When he heard someone talking, he quickly looked in the direction of the voice.

But he turned out to be a thin civil servant with slightly white hair and beard. He was wearing a third-grade dragon robe with a layer of fish-scale armor underneath, and had a bit of the demeanor of a Confucian general.

This person is Kang Yingqian, the military supervisor of the Eastern Route Army.

He was a Jinshi in the 32nd year of Wanli's reign, and served as the magistrate of Chenzhou, the doctor of the Nanjing Ministry of War, and the deputy envoy of Shandong. This time he was transferred to serve as the military supervisor of the Eastern Route Army and led 5,000 Zhejiang troops to aid Liao.

Due to the large amount of equipment, especially the 17-foot-long spear that each person carried, which was quite inconvenient to carry, the Zhejiang army followed the Korean army and walked behind.

In the original historical dimension, after the defeat at Sarhu, Kang Yingqian fled alone.

After Liaoyang fell, Kang Yingqian returned to the court by boat with the official seal, reported the situation to Emperor Wanli, and begged for mercy. The emperor showed leniency and pardoned his death penalty.

Perhaps influenced by some historical forums in his previous life, Liu Zhaosun had no good feelings towards this civilian military supervisor who was defeated but did not die for his loyalty.

Before Liu Jing could speak, Liu Zhaosun retorted:
"The court is obliged to pay the soldiers. The five thousand Zhejiang troops under General Kang have not been shortchanged! Du Song was defeated and killed long ago, so there is no need to rescue him. We must protect ourselves here. Besides, my adoptive father must have other plans for paying the soldiers..."

Kang Yinggan's beard trembled, and he was quite annoyed.

He had nothing to do with the Zhejiang Army and was just a temporary military supervisor. He looked down on these soldiers on a daily basis.

Besides, Liu Zhaosun was just a captain, and he was valued for his civil service but despised for his military service. If he had not been Liu Jing's adopted son, he would have been killed by me long ago.

Liu Jing's expression remained unchanged after hearing this. After a long pause, he turned to Supervisor Kang and said,

"Liu Zhaosun is being rude, I hope the military supervisor will forgive me! Qi Shaobao's "True Records of Military Training" states: If a camp's troops leave with fewer than they enter, it's not a miscalculation; they're likely looting civilians or carrying spies. In this bitterly cold land, there aren't many civilians to loot. Liu Zhaosun just informed me that there are some unfamiliar faces in the camp."

Qi Shaobao's military books were quite popular among the military generals of the Ming Dynasty.

Even a civil servant like Kang Yingqian, if he were to serve in the military one day, would buy a copy and study it carefully.

When the military inspector heard Liu Jing say that there were Jiannu spies in the army, his face changed slightly.

This time, he led the Eastern Route Army northward, and he had heard many rumors about the Nu chieftain using spies to capture Fushun. Du Song and Ma Lin were being reckless. If the Jiannu army really joined forces and defeated the Eastern Route Army, he would not only be blamed by the court, but he would also be killed without a burial place.

"General Liu, distributing the pay now will not only boost morale and help us hold the camp, but also provide an opportunity to check the roster, count the troops, eliminate spies, and rest on the spot. This is the best way to employ troops. He truly is a wise and prudent maneuver for the country!"

Liu Jing waved his hand to interrupt Kang Yingqian's flattery and said solemnly:
"General Kang has a heavy responsibility and has personally ventured into dangerous territory. We must all stand together. The war is raging right now. If we can inflict heavy damage on the bandits and eliminate this great threat for our emperor, we will be promoted and our names will go down in history."

Kang Yingqian is, after all, a veteran in officialdom. Although there is a difference between civil and military officials, this is not the time to be particular about this.

He knew that Liu Jing had something else to say, so he quickly bowed and asked for advice.

"But I have something else to tell the military supervisor in advance."

"General Liu, just tell me, I will do my best to help you!"

Liu Jing looked up at the foot of the mountain. At this time, the military pay of each camp had been distributed.

Dozens of Jiannu spies wearing Ming army jackets were identified and escorted to various camps for public display.

General Liu turned his gaze to the people around him and said word by word:

"I have already sent people to investigate. Before departing from Changjun, Korea, the Korean Five Provinces Marshal Jiang Hongli, who was assisting the army in this campaign, instructed his deputy general Quan Jingrui to negotiate peace with Daishan. He also informed the enemy of the entire marching route of the Eastern Route Army!"

Kang Yingqian's eyes widened. He had been in Shandong for a long time and had a good impression of the Korean monarch and his ministers. He only regarded Korea as a country of gentlemen. He never expected that they would do such a beastly thing.

"Is this serious?!"

Seeing that the time was ripe, Liu Zhaosun told everyone about the glorious deeds of King Gwanghaegun of Joseon.

"When the Japanese invaded Korea, Yi Sun fled to the Yalu River and asked the emperor for help. He once requested to annex Liaodong. At that time, he left his son Yi Hui in Seoul (1) to fight against the Japanese. Yi Hui is the current king of Korea."

"The Japanese rebellion was quelled, and Li Hui succeeded to the throne smoothly. Because he wasn't Emperor Xuanzong's eldest son, his throne was never recognized by the Ming Dynasty. This guy harbored dissatisfaction with the Ming Dynasty and was seeking revenge. He maneuvered between the Ming Dynasty and the rebels, allowing border residents to smuggle ironware and gunpowder to the Jiannu. The rebels' current power is not unrelated to this guy!"

Liu Zhaosun paused for a moment, and seeing everyone's pale faces, he added:

"Korean commander Jiang Hongli is a close confidant of Gwanghaegun, and is said to have a close relationship with Yi Hui. Gwanghaegun (2) sent him to Liaodong, and before he left, he warned Jiang Hongli not to blindly follow the advice of the general, but to focus on establishing an invincible position. In other words, he wanted them to protect themselves and let the Ming army take the lead! If necessary, they could sell us to the thieves!"

Kang Yingqian waved his fist and cursed:
"Shameless! How dare you betray the Celestial Empire like this! In vain did the Ming Dynasty send troops to drive out the Japanese pirates and help them restore their country! You are truly unruly and unfathered! Unruly and unfathered!"

Supervisor Kang suddenly remembered something and said with sudden enlightenment:
"No wonder the North Korean soldiers kept delaying their marches for no reason a few days ago. If it weren't for Qiao Yiqi's repeated urging, they probably wouldn't have crossed the Yalu River yet!"

Kang Yingqian's face was sinister, with a hint of murderous intent.

He was an official who had fought his way up from the prefect and the Ministry of War. When it came to plotting, scheming, killing, and decisiveness, he was even more capable than the generals present.

"Ye Bushou captured a Jiannu scout and found a secret letter on him. It was from Daishan and addressed to Jiang Hongli. We intercepted it before it could be delivered. Here is the letter, please review it!"

Kang Yingqian took the note from Liu Zhaosun. He knew Manchu and read it in public.

"As promised by Gwanghaegun, if Liu Jing is captured alive, he will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins and three hundred bondsers. If the military supervisor is captured, he will be rewarded with two beautiful women and a pig..."

"A pig?"

Kang Yingqian's beard trembled with anger. He gritted his teeth, put the note away, and looked up at Liu Jing.

"He deserves to be killed! I will explain this to the Emperor. This barbarian has no king or father. General Liu, please do as you please. But if I kill him, I'm afraid the Korean army will collapse and become difficult to maintain! What should we do?"

Liu Zhaosun looked at Liu Jing and saw his adoptive father nod at him, so he bowed to the military supervisor:

"We will immediately descend the mountain, boost morale, and prepare for any possible disaster. The Korean troops are still two hours away. Please ask Supervisor Kang and Guerrilla General Qiao Yiqi to explain the situation and prevent them from making any rash moves. Kill Jiang Hongli's trusted retainers, then provide the Korean troops with adequate food and wages. By combining kindness and force, we will surely conquer them!"

"As for Jiang Hongli, that man of Gwanghaegun, whether he should be tortured to death or beheaded, I leave it to General Kang and my adoptive father to decide!"

Note:
(1) The Joseon Dynasty was established in 1392 and the capital was moved to Yangzhou in 1394. To express his admiration for the Central Plains Dynasty and his determination to "loyalize to Han", Lee Seong-gye wrote to Emperor Hongwu, requesting that Yangzhou be renamed "Hancheng". Hancheng is located on the north bank of the Han River. According to the feng shui principle of "water to the north is yang", it is also called "Hanyang". At that time, Korean letters often referred to it as "Hanyang" or "Wangjing". To facilitate readers' memory and avoid confusion with certain place names in China, this book uniformly calls it Hancheng.

(2) Gwanghaegun: Yi Hun, the fifteenth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, was deposed by a coup d’état and had no temple name or posthumous title. For ease of memorization, this book generally refers to him as “Gwanghaegun, Great God, Do Not Strike Back”.

(End of this chapter)