Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 223 The Survival Logic of Nomadic Tribes
In reality, there were far more high-ranking civil servants in Liaodong than just these few. But currently, men like Wang Huazhen and Xue Guoyong were merely local governors, able to accurately execute orders from the Liaodong Governor's Office or the General Headquarters, and to ensure the smooth running of local affairs. Xiong Tingbi had no need to call them to this small meeting. Logically, Sun Chuanting wasn't eligible to attend either, but his seat of government was in Shenyang, the very place bearing the brunt of the impact, and Xiong Tingbi liked him, so he invited him to attend.

The only military commanders present at the meeting were Shenyang General He Shixian and Deputy General You Shigong for this very reason. Outside of Shenyang, all the generals, including Fengji General Chai Guozhu, Liaoyang General Li Huaixin, and Sichuan Aid General Tong Zhongkui, were required to stay in their respective locations, seizing the final opportunity before the epidemic returned to strengthen the city's defenses and train the new recruits, primarily from Zhili and Shandong.

"There are many things to discuss today. In order to ensure that you can go back before dark, there will be no break at noon. I have asked the kitchen to start the stove. When the time comes, you can drink soup and eat pancakes in the hall." Xiong Tingbi's opening remarks were as straightforward as ever.

In reality, the only person who needed to return before dark was Yuan Yingtai. Yang Lian had originally planned to enter Shenyang that day, and even if Xiong Tingbi hadn't summoned him, he would have come himself to update the garrison situation, which had been recorded over a month earlier. Unless the situation was minor, he wouldn't report to Xiong Tingbi constantly; most of the time, he would only summarize the recent situation when he happened to run into him.

The officials nodded silently, so Xiong Tingbi continued, "Years ago, the Ministry of War sent a letter requesting an audit of the deployment of troops, military equipment, and food supplies to the nine frontier regions." Xiong Tingbi looked at Yuan Yingtai and asked, "How are things going in Liaoyang?"

Yuan Yingtai, Sun Ruyou, and Liu Yirong all passed the imperial examination in the Yiwei year of the 23rd year of the Wanli reign. A highly capable and pragmatic official, Yuan Yingtai, during his tenure as magistrate of Linzhang, built a dike stretching over 40 miles, protecting the Zhang River and irrigating tens of thousands of hectares of farmland, achieving unparalleled achievements in governance along the two rivers.

In March of the 47th year of the Wanli reign, Yuan Yingtai was promoted from Right Viceroy of Henan to Military Commissioner of Yongping. During his tenure, he trained troops, repaired armor, and actively supplied supplies to the areas outside the Great Wall. Before Yuan Yingtai's promotion to Governor of Liaodong, Xiong Tingbi personally managed the practical aspects of civil affairs and logistics, such as the storage and transportation of supplies and the resettlement of returned refugees. After Yuan Yingtai arrived in Liaoyang, Xiong Tingbi took on the overall responsibility.

"We've already cleared up past years' expenses and next year's budget. As for reserves, the Governor's Office has also compiled the results of self-inspections at each checkpoint, city, and post station." Yuan Yingtai nodded. "But the authenticity still needs to be verified. I've brought a booklet; would you like to see it?"

"A rubbing?" Xiong Tingbi asked back.

"of course."

"Then you can leave the booklet in Shenyang. I'll look at it myself later." Xiong Tingbi nodded slightly and turned to ask Yang Lian. "Wen Ru, what do you say about the verification?"

"Zhenjiang, Tangzhan, Fenghuangcheng, Qingtaiyu, Yuanshanguan, Weiningbao, and Fengjibao have been inspected, and the numbers on hand are all the latest." Every time Yang Lian mentioned a place name, he would point from south to north and from east to west on the blank desktop.

Behind them hung a large map of the Liaodong region, but Sun Chuanting was the only one who turned back to look at it while Yang Lian was speaking. Sun Chuanting discovered that the areas Yang Lian had patrolled could be connected to form a northwest-facing line. The next point up this line was Shenyang.

Yang Lian set a goal of touring Liaoyang once a month, but his route was never fixed; he would basically go wherever he wanted. Before leaving for his next destination, he would send a message to Liaoyang and the headquarters to indicate his destination, making it easier for Xiong and Yuan to contact him.

Because he received a letter from the Ministry of War forwarded by Yuan Yingtai in Zhenjiang, Yang Lian planned a route for himself that would first patrol the border towns and then the interior.

The relative situation of "border towns and inland areas" was constantly changing according to the strategy planned by Xiong Tingbi.

When Xiong Tingbi was summoned to Beijing by Emperor Shenzong but had not yet entered Liao, he envisioned a strategy, perhaps even a fantasy, to station 180,000 troops in Qinghe, Fushun, Sanchaerbao, Chaihe, Yiyang, Zhenjiang, Sanchahe, Jinfu, and Liaoyang, following a three-step strategy of "defending, recovering, and fighting." However, upon arriving in Liaodong, the frequent dire situations shattered his plan.

The failure of the Ministry of War to mobilize troops and the Ministry of Revenue to allocate military pay was the primary factor forcing Xiong Tingbi to adjust his strategy. Xiong Tingbi went to Liao in July of the 47th year of the Wanli reign, but by the spring of the first year of the Taichang reign, nearly 30,000 troops were still missing from the 180,000 troops listed on paper. Military pay was only fully secured after the new emperor ascended the throne. As for war supplies such as food, fodder, salt, weapons, gunpowder, armor, and clothing, Yuan Yingtai never reported a single "availability" to him.

Because of these incidents, Xiong Tingbi repeatedly submitted memorials to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue between July of the 47th year of the Wanli reign and the year of Emperor Shenzong's death, railing against them. In November of the 47th year of the Wanli reign, Xiong Tingbi singled out and lambasted the Minister of War, Huang Jiashan, and the Minister of Revenue, Li Ruhua, accusing them of shouldering the heavy burden of military pay but focusing solely on preserving their own safety, refusing to fight tooth and nail for the emperor and work diligently. Later, when Huang Jiashan stepped down, Xiong Tingbi went after Cui Jingrong again.

It was for this reason that Li Ruhua repeatedly reiterated when the new emperor came to power that Liaodong was short of funds and the world was overwhelmed, and asked the emperor not to let the Ministry of Revenue pay for the repair of the Huangji Palace.

Insulting the court officials wasn't enough; Xiong Tingbi even scolded the emperor. In May of the 48th year, Xiong Tingbi, ill and vomiting blood, felt aggrieved and submitted a memorial criticizing the "Emperor for his secluded and silent residence, and for not hearing any sound." He even asked, "Do the court officials want Liaodong? Does the Emperor want Liaodong?" without any respectable courtesy.

While cursing, Xiong Tingbi pragmatically adjusted his strategy. This adjusted strategy could be summed up in one word: "cooping up." Specifically, it meant "joining Shen and returning to Liao, and supporting Nanwei."

Needless to say, the "annexation of Shenyang and return of Liao" campaign ended automatically after Nurhaci seized the opportunity of attacking the Yehe tribe to stabilize Shenyang, and Shenyang became a key city that must be defended. However, the "support for Nanwei" campaign continued.

The so-called "support for Nanwei" actually meant "abandoning Nanwei," meaning not sending troops to garrison Qinghe, Yiyang, Kuandian, and Yongdian, isolated and isolated border forts in the northeast, with rugged terrain, sparse populations, and difficulty in reaching supplies. Instead, they retreated to defend the area from Zhenjiang to Shenyang, and from Shenyang to Guangning. The memorial stated: "From the forts of Zhankuan and Yong, located just outside the northeast corner, only thirty, or fifteen or sixteen, miles from the border are extremely thin and close, yet the danger lies within. The inhabitants of these valleys all live in the mountains, cultivating other parts of the hills. Villages are few and far between, and there are no people or property. Therefore, the enemy has abandoned them in recent years." Initially, I worried about the enemy's potential intrusion into Nanwei. Now, the mountains are so remote and difficult to reach, making it difficult for horses to reach them quickly. I also worried about the enemy raiding villages and settlements. With the population so sparsely populated, I would find nothing to gain. How could I dare to gather 10,000 or 20,000 horses and supplies, and thus incite the enemy?" The Sichuan general Zhou Shilu and others, who had been dispatched, were recalled and stationed at Hupi Post Station to provide support for the Shen army. After the soldiers from Tu and Zhejiang have rested for a month and prepared their clothes and armor, they will be sent to guard the forts in Zhenjiang, Fenghuangcheng and other places to provide support for the southern defense.

Frankly speaking, Xiong Tingbi's on-site inspection revealed that this was a desolate patch of land, devoid of anything, not even occupied by Nurhaci. He could reclaim it at any time after pacifying the Liao Dynasty. Sending troops, supplies, and money to those places now would be like laying out a piece of fat meat that could be taken away at any moment.

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"I will stay in Shenyang today. If Sun Boya cooperates, I can put the situation in Shenyang on paper within two days. In this way, the border towns in the southeast will be patrolled once more." Yang Lian said again.

Sun Chuanting was startled, then scratched his forehead and said with a silly smile, "Of course I cooperated."

"Yes," Xiong Tingbi nodded, and said, "Wenru, take the verified figures to the Governor's Office. If there are no major errors when comparing the two, report the verified figures between Zhenjiang and Fengji and the self-checked figures of other places to the Ministry of War. If you only report one figure, it will be considered that the verification of other places has been completed."

After Xiong Tingbi finished speaking, Sun Chuanting asked, "Is there any need to be so hasty? It won't be too late to send it out after Yang Youqian has completed his inspection of Liaodong."

"The Imperial Finance Conference will be held on the 15th day of the first lunar month. Wen Ru has already inspected the area several times, so any mistakes are unlikely. The Ministry of War wants figures, so we'll give them." Xiong Tingbi said. "Okay, that's it for the Ministry of War."

The financial meeting was certainly important, as it would largely determine the various supplies the court would allocate to Liaodong next year. However, for Xiong Tingbi right now, the more important issue was the inevitable outbreak of war after the economic recovery.

"Although Nurhaci plundered a significant number of livestock through the annexation of the Yehe tribe, he surprisingly didn't resort to heavy knife attacks this time. His ambitions are truly significant." Xiong Tingbi's already serious expression grew even more solemn. "Last winter, Liaodong experienced several heavy snowfalls alone. In Jianzhou, the snow was as thick as a velvet blanket. Spies reported that numerous livestock from various tribes had frozen to death."

The Yehe tribe had a large population, and in peacetime, they relied on Ming Dynasty supplies to survive the winter. After the Battle of Sarhu, Nurhaci completely cut off land transportation between the Yehe tribe and Liaodong, forcing the Ming Dynasty to rely on Joseon for aid. However, the current Joseon King, Gwanghaegun Yi Hun, was intimidated by Nurhaci's threat of force and prevaricated the court. This soon led to a shortage of supplies for the Yehe tribe.

The Ming's defeat and shortage of supplies led to a significant drop in Yehe's morale, a key factor in Nurhaci's ability to capture Yehe City within a few days. However, Nurhaci's purpose in attacking Yehe wasn't to plunder but to annex it, ultimately unifying the Jurchens. After conquering Yehe City, Nurhaci avoided the widespread slaughter he had inflicted upon Fushun, Tieling, and Kaiyuan. Instead, he simply executed the surrendered leader of the Yehe tribe, Beile Buyanggu, and relocated the Yehe civilians to Jianzhou, where they were naturalized and incorporated into the banners. This way, Nurhaci gained not only expanded territory and access to food, fodder, and cattle, but also the population of the territory.

Before the rulers talk about production and fighting, the first thing they have to solve is the problem of food. Since Nurhaci chose not to massacre the people of the Yehe tribe, but to become the ruler of the Yehe tribe, he had to prepare food for these new subjects who were forced to move to Jianzhou.

During the Ming Dynasty, the survival logic of nomadic tribes on the grasslands was that if their population grew and their food supply decreased, or if a natural disaster struck and their food supply decreased, they would raid southward. If they succeeded in plundering, it was naturally good, but if they failed, a few casualties and a reduction in the population were also good. During this period, although Nurhaci founded the Jin dynasty, established the reign title of Tianming, and proclaimed himself the Emperor of Tianming, and bestowed upon himself the title of "Wise Emperor Who Nurturing All Nations," the basic survival logic of the nomadic regime remained unchanged.

"The bandits plundered twice in June and August last year. Although they destroyed some villages and looted some food, they didn't take any major cities or towns. The little things Nurhaci robbed were not enough for his tens of thousands of soldiers to eat for a whole winter. So there will be a big looting after the weather warms up. According to past experience, the bandit chief will lead his bandits out of the nest as early as March and at the latest in April. By then, Shenyang will inevitably become the first major town that the chief and his slaves will attack." Xiong Tingbi said in a deep voice.

Xiong Tingbi had already formulated a rough plan, transitioning from harassment to counterattack. However, this plan presupposed that Shenyang would not fall and that villages and towns throughout the region would not be plundered. Although the Shenyang-Fengtian Line of Defense had repelled two enemy attacks in the 48th year of the Wanli reign, and Xiong Tingbi had reported this victory to the court, anyone with even a passing understanding of military affairs would have known that Nurhaci likely had no intention of launching a full-scale siege from the outset.

"How is the city defense of Shenyang?" Yuan Yingtai asked Sun Chuanting.

"The breaches in the city walls have been repaired. Without heavy artillery, the enemy will be unable to breach them. The breaches in the parapets and battlements are almost complete, too. But repairing the towers and corner towers will take some time." Before Yuan Yingtai and Xiong Tingbi could ask further questions, Sun Chuanting volunteered to add, "Initially, we were short of manpower, building materials, and craftsmen. After October, refugees gradually returned from Zhili, significantly increasing the manpower and craftsmen, but building materials were not forthcoming." The exodus of Liao civilians began with the fall of Fushun and reached a minor peak with the defeat at Sarhu. It peaked after the fall of Kai and Tie, reaching its peak in June of the 48th year of the Wanli reign, when Liaodong troops first held the city.

Sun Chuanting spoke confidently, so Yuan Yingtai didn't say much. He then asked, "Where are the cannons? I remember four red-haired cannons were sent to Shenyang a year ago. Have they all been installed on the city walls?"

Arms dealer Harald Brandt presented the emperor with a total of ten cannons: four long-barreled twelve-pounders, three medium-barreled six-pounders, and three medium-barreled four-pounders. The six-pounders, four-pounders, and the one hundred muskets were from Harald Brandt's inventory. The twelve-pounders, however, were salvaged from a Portuguese warship by this compulsive arms dealer for the exorbitant sum of three hundred Spanish silver dollars each. Three hundred dollars per cannon was an absolute exorbitant price, as the average price of a heavy gun made in Europe at the time was less than one hundred and fifty taels of silver. Three hundred Spanish silver dollars converted to two hundred and ten taels of silver.

Normally, Harald Brandt would never do such a losing business, but the opportunity to open up new markets is not always available, so he endured the discomfort of doing a losing business and obtained a few heavy cannons to pay tribute to the emperor.

(End of this chapter)