Chapter 1728: So Hong Taiji Doesn't Know How to Fight After All!

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded in the central hall of the Ministry of War's yamen.

It was nearing dusk. In the Ministry of War's central hall, only Minister Wang Zaijin and Right Chief Censor concurrently Right Vice Minister of War Zhang Fengyi remained. They were not attending to any official business, just playing a game of go. Black and white stones crisscrossed the board, and the game was already nearing its endgame.

The man who came running up out of breath was a Bureau Director of the Ministry of War's Bureau of Operations, a middle-aged official named Yu Dacheng.

These days, the situation at Datong seemed all but settled. But the young Son of Heaven was still roaming beyond the border wall with the Great Princess of the Uriankhai, and he had kept great nobles like Zhang Weixian, Zhu Chunchen, Zhu Guobi, and Luo Sigong gathered around him. He had also issued an edict ordering the Directorate of Ceremonial's brush-holding eunuch Xu Yingyuan and the Directorate of the Imperial Horses' seal-holding eunuch Shang Fuming to escort Empress Zhou, Noble Consort Tian, and Noble Consort Yuan ahead to the Prince of Gu's residence in Xuanfu to await the imperial arrival (at first they were to go to Datong, then it was changed to Xuanfu), very much in the manner of Emperor Wuzong of Ming establishing the Zhenguo Office. But Wang Zaijin and Zhang Fengyi were not worried, because both were experts in military administration and could naturally see the Son of Heaven's methods for drilling troops and strengthening the military. Moreover, they did not form cliques, had not embezzled tens of thousands of mu of military farmland, and did not take pay for phantom soldiers, so they had no fear of the Son of Heaven's methods of dealing with people. Furthermore, this Son of Heaven was very lax about court politics and even more so about the Ministry of War, following its every suggestion. Whatever strategy Wang Zaijin and Zhang Fengyi submitted was always approved by edict, never sent back.

So Wang Zaijin and Zhang Fengyi held their posts very happily and could put their abilities to full use. They were also glad to let the Son of Heaven stir things up in Datong and Xuanfu. All that stirring in Datong had produced more than forty thousand effective troops! A bit of stirring in Xuanfu might well produce another forty thousand effective troops. Add the Son of Heaven's headquarters army, plus those barbarian cavalrymen of the so-called Uriankhai Myriarchy ordo, and by year's end they could likely field a hundred thousand troops!

With that number, the Ministry of War's work would become much easier. Retaking Liaodong would not be so easy, but at least they could strangle Liaodong to death — and to those who understood the matter, strangling to death and beating to death made no difference!

If the three garrisons of Xuan, Da, and Ji could produce a hundred thousand more combat-ready troops, the Great Wall defense line would be as solid as gold. In southern Liaoning there was still Mao Wenlong blockading and harassing from Jinzhou Guard and Pi Island, and on the steppe beyond the border there was Khutugtu Khan, who had already sided with the Great Ming. The Jianzhou slaves' days ahead would not be easy!

In addition, Wang Zaijin and Zhang Fengyi also hoped to send some elite troops from Xuan and Da to northern Shaanxi and Sichuan. The popular uprising in northern Shaanxi was growing worse and worse! And the An-She rebellion in Sichuan (two native chieftains in revolt) was also endless. Both disturbances had to be suppressed as quickly as possible!

If all these matters could be accomplished, then days of peace throughout the realm would not be far off.

The two men, in good spirits, looked up together and saw the Bureau Director of the Ministry of War's Bureau of Operations, Yu Dacheng — who normally always carried himself with an air of composed dignity — standing there with his face flushed bright red, clutching a memorial in his hand, pointing at the two men playing go, still gasping for breath!

Wang Zaijin and Zhang Fengyi exchanged a glance, both frowning deeply. There had been rather a lot of things lately to make one anxious and irritated. All of it stirred up by that young His Majesty whose valor surpassed the whole army!

Wang Zaijin immediately asked, "Jisheng, what has His Majesty done now?"

Yu Dacheng only shook his head, panting as he said, "No, it's not His Majesty. It's the slave chieftain Hong Taiji!"

Zhang Fengyi smiled at this. "Hong Taiji has begun attacking the Ji Garrison's border wall? Which place is sending up the alarm?"

No matter which place sent up the alarm, there was nothing to fear!

Zhang Fengyi and Wang Zaijin were both conservatives on the "pacify Liaodong strategy" — in their view, an alarm from the Ji Garrison's Great Wall was just an excuse to further withdraw defenses from western Liaoning!

Right now Yuan Chonghuan had 46,000 effective troops in hand. If they were transferred into Shanhai Pass to join the Ji Garrison, the Ji Garrison's defenders would number as many as 80,000.

That would be more than enough!

And His Majesty would soon be able to field a hundred thousand troops. A hundred thousand plus eighty thousand was one hundred eighty thousand!

These were real, solid effective troops, not paper soldiers.

With that number, plus a His Majesty who truly understood military affairs, Hong Taiji was doomed!

Yu Dacheng drew a breath and said in a grave voice, "Hong Taiji has broken through the Great Wall! He has broken through Yiyuankou. Right now, inside and outside Yiyuankou, there are at least tens of thousands of Jianzhou slave troops!"

"What?" Zhang Fengyi roared. "Yiyuankou broken? How is that possible? Yiyuankou is right beside Shanhai Pass. A few thousand troops sent from Shanhai Pass could hold it securely. How could it be broken?"

The terrain of the Yiyuankou Great Wall was extremely precipitous — not at all like the dilapidated Datong border wall. The Yiyuankou wall was built along a mountain ridge, all of it tall, sturdy brick wall, with a watchtower every so often, and it had only been renovated during the Wanli era. With a few thousand men holding such a defense line, how could Hong Taiji get in? Spend the lives of a few thousand Tartars to fill out a breach?

How was it possible?!

Yu Dacheng went on, "Supreme Commander Wang and Governor Yuan say in their memorial that they deliberately let Hong Taiji enter Yiyuankou. They and Regional Commander Zhao together assembled fifty thousand troops, preparing to rely on Shanhai Pass, Tu'er Mountain, Funing Guard, and Funing county town to fight Hong Taiji to the death!"

"Then Hong Taiji..." Wang Zaijin had no time to listen to Yu Dacheng. He quickly beckoned him over and had him hand over the memorial from Wang Zhichen and Yuan Chonghuan.

Yu Dacheng hastily presented the memorial. Wang Zaijin took it and read it word by word, then passed it to Zhang Fengyi to read. Only after Zhang Fengyi had finished reading did Wang Zaijin ask, "Jiubao, what do you think?"

Zhang Fengyi frowned. "It can be fought! Although our side has only fifty thousand men, fewer than the Jianzhou slaves' forces, we do after all have strong cities to rely on. Fighting from behind city walls is Yuan Yuansu's specialty. Even if the battle goes badly, they can withdraw into the cities and hold fast. Moreover, Wang Zhichen and Yuan Yuansu's memorial says they have divided their forces to hold the various forts, walled towns, and stockades, and have strengthened the walls and cleared the fields, standing off against the Jianzhou slaves. The situation is not bad!"

Wang Zaijin frowned. "If what the memorial says matches the actual situation... then this slave chieftain Hong Taiji is far inferior to his father, the old slave chieftain. He simply doesn't know how to fight!"

Zhang Fengyi nodded. "Hong Taiji's ability at war is indeed inferior to his father's. Just look at the seventh year of Tianqi, when he marched out in the heat of summer against Ningyuan and Jinzhou. Crossing the Liao River with a great army took many days, and by then Ningyuan and Jinzhou had long been fully prepared!" He laughed. "Right — our Son of Heaven does know how to fight. If Hong Taiji stands off against Yuan Yuansu and the others inside Yiyuankou for ten days or half a month, by the time the Son of Heaven's cavalry reaches Yongping, this battle will be a sure win!"

"Have the Son of Heaven bring his troops back," Wang Zaijin said with some misgivings.

Zhang Fengyi smiled. "Minister, the Son of Heaven is skilled in war, especially in the use of cavalry. He is far stronger than Yuan Yuansu and the others."

Wang Zaijin thought for a moment, then asked, "Who will make the trip to the steppe?"

Yu Dacheng immediately volunteered. "This humble official is willing to go!"

The young Son of Heaven whose valor surpassed the whole army was at that moment on the shore of Daigen Tala, staying in a detached residence that had once belonged to the Prince of Shunyi's estate.

Daigen Tala was a fine place indeed — backed by great mountains to the north, bordered by the Great Wall to the south, with mountains and lakes, forests and grasslands, and even hot springs and sandy shores. It could well be called a little Jiangnan north of the border.

This blessed spot had long ago been chosen by the Prince of Shunyi's estate, enclosed as a princely manor, opened up with many farm fields, and built up with a princely detached residence and a Yellow Temple.

Such a fine place now belonged to Zhu Youjian and his new favorite, the Great Princess of the Uriankhai, serving as their cozy nest and as the great stronghold of the Uriankhai Myriarchy ordo.

Now that Zhu Youjian intended to make Datong his "second homeland," this Daigen Tala naturally became his summer retreat — not only for cohabiting with the Great Princess of the Uriankhai, but also for contacting and winning over the men of the former Mongol Uriankhai Myriarchy (the Three Guards of Doyan).

According to the agreement Zhu Youjian had reached with Khutugtu Khan, Daigen Tala and Jining Lake and the region to their south as far as the Great Wall all belonged to the Great Princess of the Uriankhai. This was a precious stretch of land backed by the Daqing Mountains and facing the great steppe — by the standards of the northern grasslands, it was quite moist. In particular, the Daqing Mountains contained many basins that could be opened up for farming, and Han settlers who had moved north from south of the Great Wall had long been living there. Zhu Youjian only needed to win them over, and he could collect rent from them just as the Prince of Shunyi's estate had done. With that income, the food problem of the Uriankhai Myriarchy ordo would be solved. And the steppe north of the Daqing Mountains could be used for raising horses. It truly was a rare and excellent place!

(End of Chapter)