Huangming

Chapter 187 War Breaks Out in Liaodong, Adapting to Changes

The third day of the third month of the first year of the Tianqi reign.

It coincides with the birthday of Xuanyuan and the Shangsi Festival.

In Beijing, men and women would go on spring outings, perform purification rituals by the water, and literati would float wine cups on winding streams, creating a bustling scene.

However, within the Forbidden City, the imperial court did not follow ancient rites to worship the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of Chinese civilization. Instead, it followed the Ming Dynasty imperial tradition and solemnly worshipped the guardian deity, Zhenwu the Great.

This sacrificial arrangement reflects the special status of Zhenwu the Great in the official belief system of the Ming Dynasty.

As the guardian deity of the Ming Dynasty, he was revered far more than the ancient sage king, the Yellow Emperor.

In the construction of political mythology in the Ming Dynasty, Zhenwu the Great was endowed with the sacred function of "pacifying the country and protecting the nation", and after Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing, he became the core object of state worship.

In contrast, although the Yellow Emperor is the common ancestor of the Chinese people, he was only worshipped symbolically in the Ming Dynasty's ritual system, and his political symbolic significance was significantly weakened.

but
Although the atmosphere of the Shangsi Festival was lively in Beijing, with common people going on spring outings and purification rites, and literati drinking wine by the stream, and the Forbidden City was also somewhat noisy due to the festival, none of this had anything to do with Emperor Tianqi, Zhu Youxiao, inside the Qianqing Palace.

At this moment, the young emperor is facing an overwhelming burden of military and national affairs alone.

The spring breeze of March could not penetrate the tightly closed palace gates, but the memorials piled up on the emperor's desk were as fierce and intimidating as the wind and snow in Liaodong.

Sun Chengzong and Xiong Tingbi submitted urgent reports one after another, indicating a rapidly escalating military situation.

Whether it was the worship of the Yellow Emperor or the Zhenwu Emperor, these rituals became insignificant in the face of the imminent crisis in Liaodong.

Zhu Youxiao, with keen eyesight, opened the first memorial:
Your humble servant, Sun Chengzong, Minister of War and concurrently Governor of Liaodong, respectfully submits this memorial:

A scout from Liaodong urgently reported that the Jurchens had been secretly mobilizing troops since the first month of the lunar calendar, a move that seemed highly suspicious.

It has now been discovered that the elite troops of the Eight Banners have gathered outside Liaoyang, training in armor day and night. They are also practicing siege warfare using siege ladders and shield wagons, and have sent spies disguised as merchants and refugees to infiltrate Shenyang to spy on the city's defenses.

According to the confession of a captured spy, Nurhaci, the chieftain of the slaves, boasted that "when the snow melts in March, we will take Shencheng," revealing his true intentions!

I observe three potential problems with their actions:

First, the military forces are assembled.

The Jurchens gathered the Bordered Yellow and Plain White Banners north of the Hun River, and their cavalry scouts had already reached Puhe, no more than a hundred li from Shenyang.

Secondly, tactical changes.

The Jurchens were once skilled in open field battles, but now they are imitating the Han methods to practice siege warfare, clearly intending to swallow up fortified cities.

Thirdly, internal agents should remain hidden.

He Shixian, the garrison commander of Shenyang, once reported that gunpowder had been stolen and the drumbeats had been erratic in the city, which he suspected was the work of spies.

Your subject requests three strategies to defend against the enemy:

Urgent measures: Immediately dispatch additional night scouts to burn down the slave granaries along the Hun River to cut off their supply lines; strictly inspect the four gates of Shenyang, and detain and interrogate anyone without a Baojia document.

Middle Strategy: Mobilize reinforcements from various regions to rush to the city's aid, and dig a three-tiered trench outside the city to thwart the cavalry's charge.

Long-term plan: I request Your Majesty to train a navy to harass the Jurchens' rear from the sea, forcing them to be unable to attend to both ends.

I humbly beseech Your Majesty's decision! I have secretly ordered the garrison in Shenyang to feign weakness, luring the enemy deep into their territory for encirclement and annihilation. However, war is fraught with peril, and a swift decision is urgently needed.

After reading Sun Chengzong's report, Zhu Youxiao felt very heavy-hearted.

As expected, the Jurchens made their move after the start of spring.

Historically, due to Xiong Tingbi's downfall, local corruption in Liaodong, conflicts between visiting troops and local soldiers, incompetent commanding officers, and the general's underestimation of the enemy, Shenyang was captured, and subsequently, Liaoyang, the capital of Liaodong, was also captured.

The Liaodong region was largely lost to the Jurchens.

After Nurhaci captured Liaoyang, he decided to move the capital there, marking the formal transformation of the Jurchens from a local Jianzhou Jurchen regime into the hegemon of Liaodong.

From then on, the Jurchens began to recruit Han Chinese and Mongols, and established the "Eight Banners Han Army" to strengthen their power.

This was a turning point in the rise of the Jurchens. It was also the first hurdle Zhu Youxiao had to overcome in Liaodong after his time travel!

After reading Sun Chengzong's memorial, Zhu Youxiao did not write a reply, but instead took out a second memorial, which was delivered by Xiong Tingbi, the Liaodong military commissioner.

Upon opening the imperial edict, Zhu Youxiao's brow furrowed at its contents:
Your subject, Xiong Tingbi, bows respectfully and reports:
The threat from the Jurchens is not limited to Liaoyang; their treacherous schemes have now revealed a swift and complete annihilation of the Jurchens! Nurhaci is even more cunning than before, and his plans are threefold:

The first is to form an alliance with the enemy and disrupt the border.

The Khorchin tribe, repeatedly tempted by gold and silk, has already sworn an alliance with the Jurchens through marriage, leaving Ligdan Khan's Chahar tribe vulnerable on both sides. Furthermore, spies have been sent to infiltrate Xuanfu and Datong, using the pretext of "the Ming court's harsh treatment of border troops" to lure our officers into surrendering. If the other fortresses along the border follow suit, the entire Liaodong bulwark will collapse!

The second principle is to sustain war through war.

Last year, the autumn grain harvest in northern Liaoning was almost entirely plundered by the Jurchen cavalry. This spring, they again forced Han Chinese to work, transporting grain and weapons to Liaoyang day and night. They captured our craftsmen to imitate firearms, and the Ming-style tiger-squatting cannons have already been deployed to the Plain Yellow Banner. Furthermore, they use shamanistic witchcraft to bewitch the people, claiming that "a white rainbow piercing the sun signifies the return of Heaven's mandate to gold." The soldiers are acting like madmen, this is truly a disease of our hearts!

Thirdly, it involves manipulating public opinion and disrupting the government.

The enemy spread prophecies among the refugees, saying, "The earth will crack in March, and the Ming dragon will fall," causing more and more people from Liaoning to flee south with their families. Furthermore, paper figures appeared in Shenyang, bewitching people with their cryptic pronouncements, and the defending troops were terrified and their camps were bombed at night. This was not a natural disaster, but a man-made catastrophe!
Your Majesty, I urge you to make a swift decision:

Immediately arrest the enemy generals who have colluded with the border guards, and have the Embroidered Uniform Guard thoroughly investigate the nine border regions; deploy elite troops from Sichuan and Zhejiang to garrison Jinzhou, cutting off the Jurchens' westward advance.

Following the model of Qi Jiguang's chariot army, they organized and trained a new army of 30,000 with firearms, using Hongyi cannons to guard the Liaoxi Corridor.

The Jurchens are now much stronger than they were at the time of the Battle of Sarhu. I humbly beg Your Majesty to learn from the Wanli Emperor's Korean campaign and prepare the full strength of the nation. This battle concerns the survival of the country. I am willing to risk my life to ensure the safety of Liaoshen for three months. However, if the court hesitates and does not make a decision, the country may be destroyed in an instant!
Your subject, Tingbi, respectfully submits this petition written in blood.

In March, the military situation in Liaodong suddenly became urgent.

How can we save the country without winning a few battles?

Zhu Youxiao did not delay any longer and immediately began to annotate and reply to the letter:
"The Jurchens are rampant, and Liaodong is in grave danger. I am deeply worried! After reading your reports, the enemy situation is clear, and a decision must be made quickly."

First, concentrate our forces and hold the key points. Shenyang and Liaoyang are the foundation of Liaodong; we must not repeat the mistake of dividing our forces at Sarhu! Each army must support the others, using firearms to defend the cities and relying on moats for defense. If the Jurchens attempt to attack, we will surely defeat them beneath the walls.

Second, a series of interconnected fortifications were established. Following the method of Qi Jiguang's Jizhou garrison, a triangular network of fortifications was constructed around the Liaoshen region, with beacon towers linked together. When the enemy approached, the beacon fires served as a signal, allowing each fort to reinforce the others and use firearms to blunt their advance.

Third, firearms should be the primary weapon, with cavalry and infantry working in coordination. Red-barbarian cannons and Portuguese cannons should be quickly deployed to the Liao army, with elite troops specifically assigned to firearms; do not allow them to fall into enemy hands! Cavalry should patrol the flanks and harass the Jurchen supply lines; reckless battles should be avoided.

Fourth, unite with the Mongols to subdue the Jurchens and jointly attack their chieftain. Quickly send an envoy to secretly meet with Ligdan Khan, promising him rewards and agreeing to a joint attack; if any remnants of the Yehe tribe still exist, they should also be pacified and sent to aid them. However, we must guard against their potential rebellion and exercise caution!

Fifthly, "When a general is in the field, he may disobey some of the emperor's orders. You are all my trusted advisors; in the face of the enemy, you may act first and report later. As long as you seek to repel the enemy and preserve the land, even if you disobey, I will not punish you!"

Zhu Youxiao knew he was not a professional.

It's best not to do the thing about the airdrop order, which requires moving the musket one centimeter to the left.

He only offered advice; when it came to major decisions, he left the decision-making power to Sun Chengzong and Xiong Tingbi.

but
Although the Jurchens were fierce, the Ming Dynasty was not entirely without a chance of victory.

Compared to the precarious situation in the original historical trajectory, where Xiong Tingbi was dismissed and the defenses of Liaodong were in disarray, the Ming army was already on high alert at this moment.

Xiong Tingbi remained in his position as military commander, strategizing and planning, while Sun Chengzong, as governor, oversaw border affairs. The two had been preparing for this since last year, devising a meticulous defense strategy against the Jurchens' usual spring offensives.

When Nurhaci's Eight Banners cavalry began to stir, they were no longer facing the unprepared Ming army of the past, but a formidable force that was always ready for battle.

His arrival ultimately changed history.

As for how much history can be changed, that depends on how the war goes.

Regarding the war, Zhu Youxiao had a clear understanding: the most dangerous arrogance of an emperor is to presumptuously make decisions on the battlefield based on his position in the imperial court. Even if he were a time traveler who knew the progress of history, he would not dare to claim that he could control the situation.

History is not a game, and war is not child's play.

He focused on playing the most crucial role of overall logistics coordinator, clearly stating through an urgent imperial edict: "For all firearms, armor, provisions, and pay, I will use the imperial treasury to meet the military needs; for all military achievements of my soldiers, I will not hesitate to bestow titles and rewards."

I just hope that he, as the chief logistics coordinator, doesn't end up becoming the head of the transportation team.

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(End of this chapter)