Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 568: Inside Kuandian Fort
Kuandian Fort, covering an area of ​​800 li, was once a fertile land outside the Great Wall.

Once war breaks out, the place is filled with smoke and chaos and no one is around.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Liaodong's border defenses centered around the Liaodong Border Wall and the large and small forts scattered around it. By the Jiajing period, the original defense line, encompassing the Five Forts of Xianshan and Gushan Fort, was no longer able to withstand the southern and western encroachments of the Jurchen tribes due to the barren soil and deserted troops.

Against this background, Li Chengliang, the new general who succeeded Wang Zhidao, the general who died in Liaodong, proposed a plan of "moving five forts in dangerous mountains and widening Xinjiang", hoping to push the defense line eastward to the Yalu River and form an "800-li Xinjiang" expansion pattern.

Li Chengliang's proposal was fully implemented with the support of Zhang Juzheng, the regent minister who attached great importance to border defense and the then prime minister.

In June of the sixth year of the Longqing reign, Gao Gong was dismissed and Zhang Juzheng was appointed. In September, the emperor ordered Wang Lin, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, who was in charge of the Beijing Camp, and Wu Baipeng and Wang Daokun, the Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of War, to concurrently serve as Right Assistant Censors-in-Chief of the Censorate, to oversee border affairs. Wang Lin was in charge of Yanning, Gangu, and other areas; Wu Baipeng was in charge of Xuanda, Shanxi, and other areas; and Wang Daokun was in charge of Ji, Liao, Baoding, and other areas.

After reviewing the on-site investigation by Vice Minister Wang Daokun, the imperial court determined the specific plan for relocating the forts and expanding the territory: Gushan Fort was moved to Zhangqihaladizi, and the five forts in the dangerous mountains were moved to Kuandian, Changdian, Shuangdun and other places.

Kuandian was the most important of these selected areas, and also the source of the most controversy. Located beyond the Liaodong Border Wall, Kuandian lies at the junction of the Ming, Jurchen, and Korean territories. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a central plain and fertile soil, it possessed both settlement and military value. It resembled a pearl set in the mountains of southern Liaoning, or a miniature Sichuan Basin.

The relocation project began in the first year of the Wanli reign and was gradually completed by the fourth year. By the sixth year, the new border wall, including the various outposts and surrounding the six forts in Kuandian, was complete. The relocation project sparked fierce protests and even resistance from the Jurchen tribes, particularly Wang Gao's tribe. However, the protests were ineffective and the resistance was suppressed. Wang Gao was also brought to Beijing and executed.

During the long period following the construction of Liubao, the Ming court employed a policy of granting land to military households, attracting immigrants from Shandong, Liaoyang, and other regions to settle and garrison the border. This policy stipulated that military households relocating to the border of Liubao would be granted 50 mu of land and exempted from taxes for three years.

Over the decades, the population of Liubao gradually grew to over 60,000 households and over 300,000 inhabitants, creating a prosperous and self-sufficient military settlement where "fences lined up and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard."

But the good times were short-lived, as hidden dangers arose. The rate of decline among hereditary military commanders was alarmingly rapid. From the 20th to the 26th year of the Wanli reign, the Ming Dynasty, as the suzerain, sent troops to resist the Japanese invaders and aid Korea. Most of the 90,000 troops stationed in Liao were conscripted, resulting in a sharp decline in the garrison at Liubao, Kuandian. This allowed the Jurchen tribes to seize the opportunity to encroach on the border.

To make matters worse, in the 27th year of the Wanli reign, the eunuch Gao Huai was sent to Liaodong as an "Imperial Tax Commissioner." While in office, Gao Huai exploited the people's wealth under the guise of mining and taxation. At the same time, Gao Huai colluded with Li Chengliang, the leader of the Second Liao Suppression Campaign. Gao Huai increased land taxes and withheld military pay to enrich himself, while Li Chengliang, acting as his shield, appropriated official and private land.

These actions forced local military households to steal and sell military equipment, illegally reclaim wasteland, and even sell their children. Many villages were left empty-handed. Fortifications were left with "collapsed walls and silted trenches." By the 34th year of the Wanli reign, when Li Chengliang forcibly relocated the residents of Kuandian Liubao on the pretext that it was "difficult to defend," the population had plummeted from its peak of over 60,000 households to less than 20,000. The yield from military farms was less than 20% of its peak, making them unable to sustain military operations and defense. The Liaodong military settlements collapsed.

When soldiers in Jinzhou, Songshan and other places mutinied due to unbearable exploitation, Li Chengliang's forced relocation policy caused the residents of Liubao in Kuandian to be displaced, and news of the tragic deaths reached the capital one after another, public opinion soon boiled over.

In order to investigate the facts and stabilize the situation, the imperial court sent Xiong Tingbi, who was already famous at the time as "the best official in the world", to Liaodong to conduct on-site investigation.

Upon his arrival, Xiong Tingbi immediately launched an investigation. He quickly confirmed that General Li Chengliang, Governor Zhao Ji, and others were guilty of crimes such as loss of territory, humiliation of the nation, forced relocation, and illicit relations with the Jurchens. He subsequently dismissed over a dozen mid- and high-ranking generals, including Deputy General Wu Xihan, Lieutenant General Wu Shijue, and guerrilla commanders Guo Jichuan and Li Ruwu. Li Chengliang also resigned in disgrace.

While eliminating corrupt officials and rectifying military discipline, Xiong Tingbi was also working to restore the people's livelihood in Liaodong, where the people's livelihood had been extremely devastated.

Facts have proved that although Liaodong is deteriorating quickly, it is not a completely rotten place. As long as it is well managed, it will recover quickly.

During his tenure, Xiong Tingbi investigated corruption, returned occupied land, reiterated the land grant policy, attracted refugees, resumed military training, rectified firearms equipment, and repaired border walls and castles. After nearly three years of restoration, by the time Xiong Tingbi left office, refugees from various parts of Liaodong had gradually returned, much of the wasteland military settlements had been recultivated, and government granaries were even experiencing surpluses. The population of the Kuandian region also gradually recovered to over 40,000 households.

Liaodong gradually recovered, and the ambitious Nurhaci temporarily lay low. In December of the 36th year of the Wanli reign, Nurhaci, after a long suspension, resumed paying tribute. The emperor ordered that tribute be bestowed upon 357 people, including Nurhaci and Wule, from the Jianzhou and other guard areas. The following year, Nurhaci again expressed his submission and sent envoys to return the occupied areas of Kuandian and others.

Nurhaci's submissiveness obviously paralyzed the emperor and the court who were thousands of miles away.

In March of the 39th year of the Wanli reign, Liaodong, once riven by public unrest, gradually returned to peace, and Xiong Tingbi's term was nearing its end. On the 17th of that month, Xiong Tingbi submitted his final memorial regarding the Jianzhou Jurchens before his trip to Liao. In it, he suggested that Liaodong should continue its strategy of allying with the Mongols to control slavery and with Haixi to control Jianzhou, while striving to secure the northern border. Beyond directly requesting the dispatch of troops to eliminate Nurhaci, Xiong Tingbi said everything he needed to say.

In April, the memorial was submitted to the Ministry of War, which replied:
According to my minister Xiong Tingbi, there is an issue of deregulating the border, which has disturbed the border areas and caused unrest among the Han and Yi peoples. This is not a blessing for the country. I will put this aside for now and allow tribute to stabilize the local area.

In July, Xiong Tingbi resigned and entered the Pass.

In October, the emperor ordered that 250 tribute-paying foreigners from Jianzhou and other guards, including Nurhaci, be awarded double the amount of silk and silver notes.

In February of the 43rd year of the Wanli reign, a banquet was held for the Wei people in Jianzhou and other places.

In the first month of the 44th year of the Wanli reign, Nurhaci established a country and proclaimed himself Khan, naming it "Dajin" and the reign title "Tianming".

In April of the 46th year of the Wanli reign, Nurhaci rebelled and captured Fushun City.

In February of the 47th year of the Wanli reign, the Ming army swore an oath in Liaoyang and marched towards the bandit nest Hetuala in four directions.

In March of the 47th year of the Wanli reign, Du Song was killed in battle, Liu Ying was killed in battle, Ma Lin was defeated and fled, and only Li Rubai's troops managed to escape with almost their entire division. In June, Kaiyuan fell, and Ma Lin was killed in battle. In July, Tieling fell. In August, Yehe was destroyed.

At the time of Tieling's fall, Xiong Tingbi was appointed Liaodong Governor for the second time. Before his arrival, he had held a somewhat optimistic outlook on the situation, but his observations along the way quickly turned to pessimism. To preserve the Liaodong Plain, Xiong Tingbi submitted a petition requesting the abandonment of the six forts at Kuandian, allowing him to concentrate his forces in Liaoning and Shenyang and secure the base.

In August, Xiong Tingbi received an imperial edict that "we should act according to our own circumstances in war and defense" and immediately ordered the Kuandian Lieutenant General Hu Guochen to implement the policy of "burning houses, destroying military farms, and relocating residents."

Destruction always outpaces construction. With Xiong Tingbi's support, Hu Guochen simply set a massive fire, reducing the entire Kuandian Liubao area, particularly the fertile land between Kuandian and Xindian, to rubble. Even the forts he had personally overseen repairs were stripped of their bricks and walls. Such brutality was even worse than Li Chengliang's forced relocation of the Liubao residents thirteen years earlier.

By the time Amin relocated here with the order to invade Korea, Kuandian and other places had recovered somewhat, but their prosperity was far less than it had been. Few intact buildings remained within the once-mighty Kuandian Fort. Amin had no choice but to order his men to clean up the ruins of Kuandian Fort and set up a few tents to serve as a temporary frontline headquarters.

At dawn, a column of smoke rose from the most intact building in Kuandian Fort, a small Ming Dynasty courtyard house rebuilt from the remains of the garrison office. The smoke curled upward, mingling with the sky before slowly dispersing.

Soon, a scent full of oil spread with the help of the early summer morning breeze. The fragrance passed through the undecorated side windows, gradually slipped into the main room, and penetrated into the quilt.

Aixinjuelu Amin, who had been hungry all night, was awakened by the smell of fat. He threw back the quilt and got out of bed, not caring that a woman in a piece of clothing was lying next to him.

This woman was one of the daughters of Baindari, the last leader of the Huifa tribe of the Haixi Jurchens, and was also the woman of Amin's father, Aisin Gioro Shurhaci.

In the 32nd year of the Wanli reign, in order to expand his own power, Shurhaci took a daughter of Nabaindari as his concubine with the tacit consent of Nurhaci.

In March of the 35th year of the Wanli reign, Shuerhaci passively avoided fighting during the Battle of Wujieyan, putting Chu Ying and Daishan in a difficult position. After the battle, Nurhaci severely reprimanded Shuerhaci and partially stripped him of his military power, leading to his marginalization.

In September of that year, Nurhaci led his army to attack Huifa City on the pretext of "breaking the alliance" and captured the city in three days. After the capture of the city, Nurhaci beheaded Baiyindari and his son, and the Huifa tribe was destroyed.

In the 36th year of the Wanli reign, Shuerhaci secretly contacted Li Chengliang, then the general of Liaodong, in an attempt to gain the support of the Ming army through marriage in order to establish his own country. However, Li Chengliang was already in dire straits due to the Kuandian abandonment incident and could not provide any help except a nominal one.

In the 37th year of the Wanli reign, during the period when Xiong Tingbi was suppressing the Liao Dynasty, Shuerhaci, along with his eldest son Altong'a, second son Amin, and third son Zasaktu, moved to Heichem and declared independence from Jianzhou. The following month, Nurhaci sent troops to besiege Heichem. Shuerhaci, desperate and without external aid, surrendered without a fight.

Afterwards, Shulhaci's property was confiscated, Altong'a and Zasaktu were executed, but Amin was spared because of his previous military achievements and the advice of Chu Ying, Daishan and others.

Later, Nurhaci adopted Shuerhaci's remaining sons, including Amin, under the pretext of "reparing family ties." Shuerhaci's wives and concubines were also "reasonably" distributed by Nurhaci. As the primary heir to Shuerhaci's estate and his followers, Amin received several concubines of similar age, including Huifa Nara.

"Second Prince?" Huifa Nara was indeed awakened by Amin's movement.

"Now that you're awake, get up and have dinner with me." Amin didn't look back, but took his clothes and put them on.

"Let me help you get dressed." Huifa Nara rubbed her eyes, propped herself up lazily, and got out of bed sideways without putting on anything.

"Okay." Amin spread his arms.

Huifa Nara walked behind him, first helped him straighten the wrinkles on his clothes, then went around Amin and tied the belt for him, and soon put one piece of clothes after another on Amin.

Amin's eyes followed Huifa Nara's figure, and her proud and upturned breasts particularly attracted his attention. "Put them on later." Amin suddenly grabbed Huifa Nara's hand.

"Ah?" Huifa Nara was stunned for a moment.

"Ah, what?" Amin smiled softly and suddenly pressed down on the peaks. "Isn't that what you're jumping around for?"

Huifa Nara understood and her face flushed. She lowered her head and let Amin push her to the edge of the kang.

Amin struggled to take off the clothes he had just put on, and Huifa Nara also obediently took off her only covering.

As the smell of grease outside the window grew stronger, a fierce but bloodless battle began without any concealment.

Nearly three-quarters of an hour later, Amin, tired, hungry, yet slightly excited, left the room with Huifa Nara, whose face was flushed. By then, most of Kuandian was bustling with activity. Shouts, the clatter of iron hammers, and the sounds of sawing wood echoed incessantly.

Soon, the servants brought up the prepared breakfast. It was a perfectly roasted otter. The transition between spring and summer is the season for otter breeding and raising chicks. These animals, which pose little danger to humans, often choose to nest in rivers with gentle currents and abundant fish. The Pushi River in Kuandian happened to be one such gently flowing river.

Although autumn is when otters are at their fattest and most juicy, naturally plump otter meat is undoubtedly far more delicious than the usual stale meat of lean cattle, sheep, or wild boar. The rich, fragrant flavor is easily addictive. More importantly, Amin's shop also offers salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and even rare southern spices. With these precious seasonings, Amin can enjoy delicious food every day.

These rare goods were all acquired by Amin in exchange for gold, silver, furs, ginseng, and other valuables from risky smugglers. Besides these flavorful condiments, Amin also bought silk, cloth, and porcelain. Nurhaci did not forbid his generals from enjoying these Chinese goods, as he himself enjoyed them. Sometimes, Nurhaci would use these Chinese goods as special rewards for meritorious service.

A few days ago, Amin heard that another group of smugglers were caught and executed by the imperial court. Amin did not believe it because the people who brought this news were the smugglers who sold the goods to them. Amin felt that those greedy guys just wanted to raise the price. If it was really so dangerous, they would not have come.

However, Amin agreed to increase the price during the last transaction. After all, he not only needed the goods smuggled by these merchants, but also the information they brought. He was not like Huang Taiji who managed Nurhaci's intelligence network.

(End of this chapter)