The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 5 You Can't Control It, the Water is Deep

Liu Jing looked at the smoke rising from the southwest. The Korean soldiers were very close. Fortunately, the camp was basically built, so there was no need to worry about Jiang Hongli causing trouble.

He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that Little Thirteen was a man of great potential and needed to be properly nurtured. After sending Ye Bushou away, Liu Jing began to plan his response against Jiang Hongli and his ungrateful group.

After thinking for a while, he felt that the matter was a bit tricky, so he turned around and called the head servant Pei Dahu, asking him to summon his adopted son to the big tent to discuss the matter.

Liu Zhaosun was well prepared and was the first to arrive. He suggested that his adoptive father and General Kang have a talk first.

To kill the vassal commander is, to put it in a serious way, a forged imperial edict.

This was a serious crime punishable by death by slicing. If there was no backup plan and few civil servants who had a close relationship with the emperor to clean up the mess, the emperor would not even need to say a word, the saliva of the censors would be enough to drown the person.

Oh, later a man named Yuan Dudu got into trouble with this incident.

Zhenjiang guerrilla Qiao Yiqi and Jiang Hongli have a very harmonious relationship, and they seem to be sworn brothers. He must not get involved in this matter, and Kang Yingqian has to do it.

Liu Zhaosun suggested that his father find a sword, pretend it was the imperial sword, and execute the person first and report to the emperor later.

Just like how Yuan Chonghuan dealt with Mao Wenlong.

By the way, where is Marshal Mao Yuandudu now?
General Liu laughed and said, there was no need to look for the imperial sword, as Kang Yingqian had one.

"Really? Then godfather can borrow it for use."

Liu Jing was a little embarrassed because the imperial sword was used by the military supervisor to supervise his own execution.

"Hahaha, since we can kill the general of the Ming Dynasty, why can't we kill a Korean marshal!"

Liu Jing laughed in silence, thinking that his adopted son's words made sense, and ordered the head servant:

"Pei Dahu, pick thirty elite servants, bring your weapons, and ambush outside the tent. I want to act like Xiang Yu today!"

Pei Dahu had followed Liu Jing for many years and was experienced in his actions, so he immediately took the order and left.

Liu Jing looked at a wolf skin hanging in the tent. It was hunted in Xuanfu a few years ago. This wolf had killed several soldiers in the camp.

During the bloody battle with Japanese pirates in Pyongyang, Liu Jing and his brothers were trapped in a deserted village, and the Koreans didn't even give them water to drink.

"You bastards, a bunch of ungrateful wolves!"

Liu Zhaosun remained silent. He did not comment on the Koreans, but just looked at the camp in the distance, as if thinking about something.

In the original historical dimension, in the Battle of Sarhu, Kim Young-ha was one of the few Korean generals who insisted on fighting to the end.

Kim Eung-ha was a general of the Korean Left Camp, serving under the army of Deputy Marshal Kim Gyeong-seo.

Kim Eung-ha was a Joseon general who led his soldiers to fight to the death in the Battle of Sarhu.

This man was over eight feet tall, had extraordinary arm strength, and was an unrivaled archer.

In the final battle of the Eastern Army, Jin Yinghe threw himself into the war with the determination to die, leading 3,000 Korean archers and fighting to the end.

At the last moment, Jin Yinghe leaned against a big tree alone, shooting with three large bows in turn, killing countless Later Jin soldiers, so that Bayara did not dare to move forward.

Jin Yinghe died because he relied on a willow tree to kill the enemy, and was known as "General Yiliu".

"Foster father, I've heard there are some loyal and righteous men among the Joseon generals, like Deputy General Jin Yinghe. After we kill Jiang Hongli, we can let him be the commander-in-chief. With us as our backers, I don't think that Gwanghaegun will dare to take revenge later!"

"Okay, Xiao Shisan, you've thought it through. You'll be the one to make this happen later!"

While Liu Jing and his son were secretly planning, Gwanghaegun's man, Marshal Jiang Hongli, was coming towards the Shajianzi camp surrounded by his generals.

This left counselor of the Joseon Dynasty, who was a civilian, did not ride a horse but marched in a sedan chair, which was carried laboriously by eight strong soldiers as they walked through the snow.

Inside the sedan, the air was warm as spring. Ambergris burned brightly in the incense burner, emitting an enchanting aroma. On the table were snacks, fruits, and vegetables, along with some kimchi, a specialty of Seoul. A beautiful young Korean dancer, hands on a sword, sat beside Jiang Dushuai. She wore a single-sleeved, half-updo, a small-sleeved waist jacket, and an embroidered half-sleeve, giving her a rather heroic air.

Jiang Hongli held Zhang Zai's collected works in his hands and shook his head as the sedan chair swayed:
"Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, and carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages..."

Meiji fed Jiang Hongli a piece of barbecue and muttered to herself.

"It's a really good book, but it's a pity I can't understand it. I only like to read vernacular novels."

"The King trusts me so much that he has entrusted me with the important task of aiding Liao. This time, I must kill more Jiannu and avenge the Korean people who died! Avenge my parents!"

Jiang Hongli dropped the book and hugged Namiji in his arms:
"The master not only wants to kill the bandits, but also wants to get promoted, get rich, and kill his wife. Hahaha, when I return to Seoul, I will definitely get promoted. Then I will change my title and take a concubine! I will marry you!"

Meiji pushed Jiang Hongli away with a serious look on her face.

"The enemy has not yet been defeated, and the Heavenly Army (1) is still waiting for reinforcements from Korea. Master, you must not slack off."

Jiang Hongli became furious and tried to pull at the skirt of the beautiful girl again, but was pushed away by the beautiful girl.

"Master, please respect yourself. You said in Seoul that you would not touch me. Master Dusong Malin has already gone to Hetuala. The Eastern Route Army is the weakest. I wonder if it can defeat the Jiannu?"

The enchantress's serious thinking attitude made Jiang Hongli even more angry.

"My beauty, you are worrying too much. Everything is under the master's control. You are too young to grasp it. The Liaodong region of the Ming Dynasty is full of complicated situations. The governor and the censor are at odds. The southern and northern troops are like water and fire. The slaves and bandits cannot be destroyed in one go. You cannot believe all the reports you read in Seoul. They all say that you are the most beautiful woman in Seoul. Come, my beauty, let the master come and explore..."

The curtain of the sedan chair was suddenly lifted from the outside, and the leader of the personal guards shouted loudly and looked inside the sedan chair.

"Master! Military Supervisor Qiao asked you to come over, saying that we are almost at the Heavenly Soldier Camp!"

"roll roll roll!"

Jiang Hongli was interrupted in his good deeds and immediately flew into a rage. He dismissed his personal guards and got out of the sedan chair cursing. Before leaving, he did not forget to touch Meiji's leg.

The military supervisor Qiao he mentioned was Qiao Yiqi, the guerrilla commander of Zhenjiang in the Ming Dynasty.

In the Battle of Sarhu, as the military supervisor of the Eastern Army, Qiao Yiqi led 500 Ming troops to accompany the Korean army.

Perhaps because the scholars admired each other, in just a few days, this military supervisor who was a Jinshi graduate and the Korean civil servant Jiang Hongli became close friends who could talk about anything.

Qiao Yiqi is a person who likes to hang out with people and is a heavy talker.

After a few days, he told his Korean friends all about the Eastern Army's troop deployment, firearms equipment, and food supplies.

Unfortunately, this North Korean friend doesn't seem to be very interested in helping China.

Jiang Hongli dragged his feet before setting out from Changjun, using various excuses to block the march.

Sometimes they said there was not enough food and fodder, sometimes they said the soldiers had thin cotton clothes. After finally setting out, the army only traveled ten miles a day.

If Yang Hao had not sent Tang Ma to urge him frequently, Master Jiang would probably still be happily on the road when Liu Jing and his son were dead.

The head servant supported Jiang Hongli and stood by the road. Master Jiang sneezed and when he looked down, he found that it was still snowing outside the sedan chair.

He raised his head and looked towards the west with hatred, cursing in a low voice:

"You dog emperor, you're still fighting in the snow!"

Not far from Jiang Hongli, a large number of North Korean troops were trudging through the snow.

The marching Korean soldiers looked like imps from hell, all skinny and pale, staggering in the snow. Many of them wore only tattered linen shirts, shivering in the cold wind, and some of the old and weak fell down and never got up again.

Many of these soldiers, recruited from various provinces and prefectures of Korea, were farmers a month ago and had never touched a weapon. They were only sent to Liaodong by the King of Korea to complete the task and fill the gaps.

The food, wages and fat coats given to these Korean soldiers by the Ming Dynasty were all embezzled by Mr. Jiang, who "established his mind for heaven and earth and his life for the people."

Then they smuggled it back to North Korea at a high price. After a series of operations of importing and selling it domestically, tens of thousands of taels of silver went into the pockets of Mr. Jiang and others.

"It's so cold, what should we do if the soldiers get frostbite? Hurry up and ask the heavenly soldiers for more charcoal! Where's Supervisor Qiao?"

"Master, Mr. Qiao is waiting for you two miles ahead. He said we have arrived at the Heavenly Army Camp! General Liu is still waiting for us there."

After Jiang Hongli heard what the servant said, an expression of displeasure immediately appeared on his face.

"Humph! You're quite arrogant! You're just a mere fifth-rank military supervisor, how ridiculous!"

The main thing is that this Ming guerrilla didn't call for help earlier or later, and just now ruined his good fortune for no reason.

"Let him wait. Our army is short of food and fodder, and cannot compare to the heavenly soldiers, so naturally we move slower. I, the master, do not have enough strength, so I move slowly."

The head servant looked puzzled:
"Master, you ride in a sedan chair, not walk."

Jiang Hongli was furious and swung his folding fan to hit the servant on the head:
"Idiot, it's a metaphor! A metaphor!"

When they set out from Changjun, the Korean army was short of food and fodder. King Gwanghaegun of Korea and his favorite minister, Marshal Jiang, did not care much about the food problem of their soldiers.

Soldiers from various provinces of Korea were inexplicably involved in the war against the Later Jin Dynasty. They suffered from hunger every day. If the Ming army's vanguard had not buried food and provided them with support, these people would have frozen to death or starved to death long ago.

In the Ming Dynasty, civil officials were valued over military officials, and the same was true for Korea, a vassal state. Korean civil officials showed even more contempt for military officials than did the Ming Dynasty officials.

After the Imjin War, Kang Hong-lip briefly served as a minister of the court (2).

The corruption of the Ming Dynasty shattered this Korean civil servant's yearning for heaven.

When the envoys passed through Shanhaiguan, the Liaozhen officers and generals plundered the area desperately, even taking the Korean paper (3) carried by the envoys.

Not to mention that every time he went to Beijing, he had to take care of the Beijing Guild Hall, various government offices, and even the eunuchs, which was a huge expense.

"General Jin, have you prepared Korean paper to give to General Liu this time?"

Jiang Hongli glanced at Jin Jingrui, the governor of Pyeongan Province.

Jin Jingrui was Jiang Hongli's confidant. Not long ago, he sent Jin Jingrui to negotiate peace with Daishan of the Later Jin Dynasty in private.

"Master, we don't even have food or wages, how can we afford to buy paper for the Ming people?"

Jin Jingrui spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm and laughed coldly.

The story about Ming officials asking for Goryeo paper was widely circulated in Pyongyang.

Later, the Koreans used it to mock the Heavenly Kingdom officials for their greed and extortion, which were even more barbaric than the barbarians.

Several generals burst into laughter and cursed the Ming army in Korean, as if they were cursing the enemies who killed their fathers.

The person next to him remained silent. He did not participate in the crusade against the Ming Dynasty. He turned his back to everyone and looked coldly into the distance.

His tall and burly figure stood out among the crowd.

Jin Jingrui raised his eyebrows and winked at the guard beside him. The guard understood and said to the general:
"Jin Yinghe, what are you looking at? The thief is not in the east."

"The capital is to the east, and I'm away from home, missing my Lord!"

"Do you still miss the capital?"

After hearing this, Yu Hou's brows turned grim:

"Back in Seoul, we told you to advance slowly, wait for your chance, and not stand alone against the enemy. All this time, you bastard, you've been constantly urging the Grand Marshal! And you've even been flirting with the Ming people. Do you still have the Lord in your heart?"

Jin Yinghe slowly raised his head, looking majestic without being angry.

"In the Imjin War, the Heavenly Army helped Joseon to recover its country."

"I was only three years old at the time. My parents were killed by Japanese pirates. Fortunately, I was rescued by the Ming army. The Ming army rebuilt Korea and saved my life."

When he said this, he suddenly drew the heavy sword from his waist, pointed at Yu Hou and cursed:

"You are such a heartless bunch, you have no regard for gratitude. Instead, you sell off grain and fodder for your own selfish gain, trading with the bandits. Right now, the Ming Emperor is sending troops to quell the bandits, yet you cower in fear and even try to negotiate peace with them! Your Majesty, do you know how utterly devoid of conscience you are?! Does the Ming Emperor know?!"

Yu Hou was frightened by the momentum. He pointed at Jin Yinghe, his throat gurgling, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

Jin Jingrui's expression remained unchanged. The generals beside him all kept their hands on their scabbards. Jiang Hongli stood in the distance without saying a word.

Jin Yinghe's personal soldiers also drew their swords and protected him in the center.

A personal soldier galloped on his horse and called for Jin Yinghe's servants to come for reinforcement.

The marching soldiers were frightened by the scene and moved away from it.

A hoarse voice came from behind. When I turned around, it was Commander Jiang Hongli.

"Deputy General Jin's sincerity is as clear as the sun and the moon. His Majesty often told me that Jin Yinghe was a good general, a talent who could assist the Crown Prince. He wanted me to keep an eye on him. Well, well, the Heavenly Army camp is just ahead. All of you put down your weapons. Do you intend to start a civil war in front of the Heavenly Army? Where is the dignity of our Kingdom of Korea?"

Jin Yinghe threw his knife to the ground, jumped on his horse, and galloped away with his personal soldiers, leaving the generals looking at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing Jin Yinghe walking away, Jiang Hongli turned back to look at Jin Jingrui and said angrily:

"How did he find out about the peace talks? This bastard is so stubborn. Did he even know about the last time we sold military rations?"

Jin Jingrui was about to explain when a horseman from the front came to report that General Liu had sent someone to pick up the generals and bring them into the camp, saying that he wanted to give everyone a welcome.

Jiang Hongli rolled his eyes.

The Ming army stationed at Shajianzi and built a camp, apparently intending to stay there for a long time.

This is somewhat different from the information I got a few days ago.

"Why doesn't General Liu leave? According to the agreement, we will arrive in Hetuala tomorrow."

Before Liu Jing set out from Kuandian, Jiang Hongli had already learned of the marching route of the Eastern Army.

Based on his understanding of Liu Jing, this reckless man Liu Dadao should be advancing at full speed at this moment, on the way to attack Hetuala, or he has been besieged by the Later Jin army.

"Perhaps Liu Jing is timid. These Ming officials are all good-for-nothings!"

Jiang Hongli consoled himself and shouted to his generals:

"Let's go to the general's camp and have a few drinks. Then, with all our forces, we can attack together. The bandits will surely be defeated tomorrow. This situation will become clear to everyone! Hahahaha!"

(1) Heavenly Soldiers: Korea’s honorific title for the Ming army
(2) Angels of the Court: The envoys who came to pay tribute to the capital every year.
(3) Goryeo paper, a local specialty of North Korea, comparable to Xuan paper
(End of this chapter)