Chapter 245: Beyond the Pass

"Haha! Changbo's words are mistaken! What I just said was merely the worst-case scenario. In truth, the court has not determined that the entirety of Liaodong harbors disloyal intentions. Governor Hong's journey is meant to unite the Ningyuan-Jinzhou army as one! Otherwise, His Majesty need only dispatch a few Embroidered Uniform Guards — why mobilize a large army? Tell me, if the Embroidered Uniform Guard were to come, would your father and you dare defy their orders?"

Shen Shiyu said with a smile.

Even in the past few years when chaos erupted across the whole of the Great Ming, the Embroidered Uniform Guard remained a presence that civil officials and military commanders feared like tigers. Since Zu Dashou led his army back to Liaodong in the second year of Chongzhen, for eight years he had not dared to cross Shanhai Pass into the interior, for fear of being arrested by the depots and guards — a testament to how great the deterrent power of the depots and guards was. This also reflected from the side that even a military strongman like Zu Dashou, who commanded heavy forces, only dared to defy imperial edicts but not openly rebel — let alone other civil officials and military commanders.

Just as Shen Shiyu said, if the Emperor had already conceived murderous intent toward the Wu family, he would have long since dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to seize people. Would Wu Xiang dare to lead troops in resistance? Would the soldiers of the Ji Garrison, sandwiched between Shanhai Pass and the capital, obey your commands? Even if subordinates obeyed, could a force of over ten thousand defeat the court's tens of thousands of elite troops?

"What exactly does Lord Shen mean? Are you asking my Wu family to completely break with the Zu family? Forgive this young man for speaking bluntly — if it truly came to that, I fear it would do nothing for the greater cause. After all, the Zu family has been a military house for generations, operating in Liaodong for many years, and its influence is not something my Wu family can compare with. This young man also senses from Lord Shen's earlier words that His Majesty seems to have no intention of stirring chaos in Liaodong — the fact that the Supreme Commander brings only a few hundred personal guards beyond the pass is clear proof. This young man and my father are ministers of the Great Ming and naturally must obey His Majesty and the court's commands. So today I ask Lord Shen to speak plainly — so long as it is not an excessive demand, my Wu family will have no objections!"

Under Shen Shiyu's combination of soft persuasion and hard pressure, the young Wu Sangui finally could not hold out and conceded defeat.

"Since Changbo knows that the Wu family remains a minister of the Great Ming, then you should fulfill your duty as a minister! You currently hold only the rank of Vice Regional Commander — with your talents, this is far too great an underplacement! If a military officer has no battle merits, relying solely on connections will never provide sufficient capital for promotion! With the roving bandits largely eliminated, if you wish to earn merits, next year's Jianzhou campaign is Changbo's final opportunity! But have you considered — with the court's full hostility toward Liaodong, will you still have the chance to lead troops beyond the pass to fight? You are still young — are you willing to let your prospects end here? If you wish to earn merits, you must become a commanding general! Governor Hong's current effort to reorganize the Ningjin army, so that next year's expeditionary force will be of one mind without rear concerns — this is your opportunity! Changbo, let me speak a heart-piercing word: throughout history, which famous minister or great general was not a ruthless character? Those who are indecisive and overthink end up accomplishing nothing their entire lives! At this time of great transformation, one must possess sufficient boldness to rise above the crowd! Changbo, I have said all I will say — as for the specifics, ponder them well yourself!"

Three days later, after handing over the military pay and provisions, Hong Chengchou led five hundred personal guards and departed the Ji Garrison, heading toward Shanhai Pass. Accompanying him were Wu Sangui and the Wu family's three thousand cavalry.

After informing his father of Shen Shiyu's words, Wu Xiang and his son conferred in secret for a long time, finally deciding on the pretext that Wu Xiang had fallen ill and needed someone to care for him, allowing Wu Sangui to go to Jinzhou to bring the family back within the pass.

As for leading a large force of cavalry beyond the pass, it was because an imperial edict ordered the Ji Garrison to dispatch troops as Hong Chengchou's personal guard escort. The real reason was that Hong Chengchou, acting on imperial authority to handle matters as he saw fit, had promised the position of Ningyuan Regional Commander to Wu Sangui.

When Hong Chengchou entered the capital for an audience, the sovereign and minister had together examined the maps and conducted a comprehensive assessment of the Liaodong defense line, which gave Hong Chengchou a far more detailed understanding of the Ningyuan-Jinzhou front.

On the world map treasured in the Forbidden City, the entire topography of the northeast and the Mongol region was laid out in full view.

The Greater Khingan Range, along with the Qilaotu Mountains, the Nuluerhu Mountains, and the Yan Mountains — these vast, unbroken mountain ranges carved the northeast, the northern borderlands of the Great Ming's interior, and the Mongolian Plateau into three separate blocks, making communication between the three regions extraordinarily difficult.

To attack the Great Ming from the lands occupied by the Jianzhou barbarians, there were only three routes: one was to depart from Shengjing, first cross the Liao River, then pass through Chaoyang, Daling River, and Lingyuan to reach Xifengkou, then breach the border wall and enter; another was to go west from Shengjing, traverse the Khorchin tribe of the Mongols, then turn south to reach the ancestral court of the Khitan people — Pingquan — cross the Luan River to reach Gubeikou directly, then break through and enter the capital region.

Both of the above routes followed along river valleys, threading through the towering peaks of the western Liaoning highlands. Tens of thousands of men and horses carrying massive amounts of supplies traversing through them suffered quite staggering losses along the way; this was also the fundamental reason why the Jianzhou barbarians in history often had to prepare for several years before they could enter the Great Ming through these two routes to plunder: the going was too difficult, and they risked the enormous danger of being defeated by Ming forces and gaining nothing — that would truly be losing both the bait and the fish.

The road from Shanhai Pass to Ningyuan and Jinzhou was the most convenient route and the closest passage to the Great Ming — it was also the passage Jianzhou most desired to obtain.

Beyond Shanhai Pass, to the west stretched endless towering mountains, to the east lay the vast and boundless Bohai Sea, and sandwiched between mountain and sea was a narrow, slender stretch of flatland — this was the famous Western Liaoning Corridor.

This passage was the vital route the Jianzhou barbarians most urgently sought to open, and the fortress city of Jinzhou, blocking the northernmost end of this passage, pressed against the Later Jin's throat like a dagger.

If the Jianzhou barbarians wished to attack the Great Ming through the Western Liaoning Corridor, they would first need to concentrate their army at Shengjing, then cross the vast marshlands anciently called the Liao Marshes, ford the Daling River to arrive directly beneath the walls of Jinzhou, and after capturing Jinzhou, cross the Xiaoling River, then successively breach the fortresses of Songshan, Tashan, and Lianshan to reach Ningyuan. After taking Ningyuan, they would still need to ford six rivers in succession, including the Nü'er River and the Liugu River, before finally being able to fight their way to the foot of Shanhai Pass.

After examining the maps, Hong Chengchou's confidence in managing affairs beyond the pass grew greatly, and his outlook on the Jianzhou barbarians' prospects darkened even further.

The distance from Shengjing to Jinzhou was nearly five hundred li. For the Jianzhou barbarians to attack Jinzhou, merely gathering the army in advance, preparing grain and supplies, and conscripting Han slaves as laborers would consume the better part of a month; then the long march to Jinzhou, calculated at sixty li per day, would also take nearly ten days; upon arriving at Jinzhou the soldiers would already be exhausted and would need several days of rest before they could assault the city — and siege warfare had always been the Jianzhou barbarians' weakness. Against the formidable fortifications of Jinzhou, it would be very difficult for them to break through in a short time.

In history, Hong Taiji also knew the Qing army's weaknesses, and so dispatched Jirgalang to lead a large army to construct deep trenches and fortifications on three sides of Jinzhou, as a plan for prolonged siege. Later, when the capital received Zu Dashou's urgent plea for relief, it dispatched eight route Regional Commanders, one hundred thirty thousand infantry, and forty thousand cavalry, led by Hong Chengchou and Liaodong Governor Qiu Minyang, to lift the siege of Jinzhou — but unexpectedly suffered a great defeat at Songshan, after which several contingents of the government army fell into ambushes in succession, squandering the Great Ming's final elite strength.

And Jinzhou, after being besieged for over a year, only fell when its grain was exhausted.

Zhu Youjian naturally understood the importance of Jinzhou. Although the historical defeat at Songshan would almost certainly not occur, to prevent the Qing army from adopting siege tactics against Jinzhou as in history, after consulting with Hong Chengchou he decided to strengthen the defensive forces at Songshan and Gaoqiao Town south of Jinzhou, concentrating heavy troops at both locations, and also establishing a Regional Commander at Ningyuan to the south, so as to be ready at any moment to respond to any Qing offensive against Jinzhou.

Wu Sangui's position as Ningyuan Regional Commander was not an act of personal favor by Hong Chengchou, but rather a move made with Zhu Youjian's approval — to have him construct new defensive works behind Jinzhou. Even if Jinzhou in front were lost, Songshan, Gaoqiao Town, and Ningyuan — these three defense lines would become a chasm the Jianzhou barbarians could not cross.

In truth, the proper way to put it was that the Ningjin military strongmen like Zu Dashou should have been called the Western Liaoning military houses. Mao Wenlong's Dongjiang garrison back then was the true Liaodong. As for whether to re-establish a position behind enemy lines in Liaodong, Zhu Youjian was still considering it.