Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 369: Strong and Bright Current
In Shenyang, there were both Li Hui who was escorted here from Korea and some surrendered Haixi Jurchen leaders who were escorted here from Hetuala and some new places.

Zhu Changluo was far less "merciful" to them than he was to Li Hui.

"I understand your will. I announced it to Liaodong last year," Zhu Changluo said coldly. "Hada City, Guangshun Pass, Sarhu, Jiefan Village, Suzi River Valley, Babaogou... For such a long time, I didn't see you rebel and surrender. Now that Nurhaci was killed in battle and Hetuala City was captured, you are still saying that you were captured and forced?"

How much did the Ming Dynasty lose in the war against Jianzhou?

Not to mention the newly built Qingheyi Town, which was destroyed, the Tianshu Camp was almost destroyed, and how many other soldiers were killed or injured? Not to mention that there were still so many remaining Jurchen troops that needed to be eliminated.

They placed their hopes on the remoteness and bitter cold of the Changbai Mountain area, and on the hope that the Ming Dynasty would not penetrate so deeply all at once.

At this moment, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty questioned coldly, and all the Haixi Jurchen leaders who had arrived in Shenyang knelt on the ground trembling with fear.

"Jianzhou was powerful and destroyed our three tribes one after another. Your Majesty, we can see clearly that the villain Nurhaci never trusted us and had been imprisoned before... After escaping, we first closed the city gates and helped the heavenly soldiers to wipe out Huerhan, and then immediately opened the city gates to surrender..."

How come this is different from what Mr. Yuan said? The Ming Emperor did not seem to be prepared to use them to establish the Bohai Jurchen Kingdom.

"Your Majesty, this statement is very easy for you to say."

Everyone was shocked and quickly changed to addressing him as "Your Majesty", which was more commonly used in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Changluo looked at them and asked, "Who did you send to lead the way for the Duke of Fuguo and the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and to recruit the soldiers and civilians of the three tribes of Haixi?"

These people quickly began to introduce themselves.

Take the Ula tribe as an example. The original Buzhantai was killed by Nurhaci. The daughter of the previous Beile Mantai was a woman of Nurhaci and had given birth to a young son for him. That line was still trusted by Nurhaci.

But just as Yehe tribe also had two beiles, who served at the same time as Bujantai, Hada tribe also had another beile named Bokeduo. He and his son died in the battle of Wujieyan. This branch was different. They only surrendered when the Ula tribe was destroyed the year before last, and they were not trusted by Nurhaci.

Now Bokduo's cousin Bohab reported his arrangements, while continuing to complain.

"She said she surrendered, but in fact she was captured! Your Majesty, you can see clearly that last year Nurhaci negotiated peace with Korea and was planning to send my niece to Korea for Li Hui to enjoy! He was originally planning to give her to his second son Daishan, who was the enemy who killed my brother and nephew, her father and brother! Daishan didn't want to touch his enemy's daughter, so he used her as a lowly slave. Later, he went to attack Korea. Nurhaci saw that she was beautiful and weak, so he planned to give her to Li Hui! What a beast!"

Zhu Changluo frowned.

Bohab said cautiously, "Your Majesty, Nurhaci originally planned to wait until Korea also sent troops to invade the Ming Dynasty before sending her away. However, he overestimated his own capabilities and ordered my son to send her to Korea when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow after retreating to Hetuala City. I used the excuse of seeing her off to ask him to find a way to delay for a while. After he surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, he really found them all. Now I have ordered my son to lead the way for the heavenly soldiers and generals, and my niece has also come with me to Shenyang..."

Seeing that he was indeed using the same tactics again, Zhu Changluo looked at him and asked, "Do you mean to offer yourself to me, so that I can appreciate your loyalty and know the situation and reward you to lead the future Bohai Jurchens?"

"I dare not beg for mercy, I dare not! Your Majesty, the Godly Emperor, since we have escaped from prison, Your Majesty is our savior and our master! To Your Majesty, we are just like the bondservants treat our master! If the master does not abandon us, and can pity our niece for being lonely, obedient and sensible, and reward her with a meal, then I will be worthy of my deceased brother!"

"A bondservant to his master?" Zhu Changluo couldn't help but laugh. "You are expressing your attitude to me."

After saying that, he put away his smile and prepared to get to the point.

The Northeast is huge. Even if Liaodong Town changes its territory, its control can only extend to the west side of Changbai Mountain for the time being.

Liu Jing, the Duke of Fuguo, was not the permanent garrison in Zhu Changluo's mind. Jianzhou's old territory was not far from Fushun Pass and was not difficult to control. There was no need for Liu Jing to be the permanent garrison there, as that would conflict with the positioning of Liaodong Town and the future civil and military affairs of Liaodong.

In his mind, he wanted to try to let Liu Jingyong control the Tongmen River, which is the lower reaches of the future Tumen River, including the area extending to Vladivostok, which Zhu Changluo was familiar with.

There are three important places in that area.

One is Mao Lianwei of the old Nurgan Dusi. Zhu Changluo now only knows that there is a large alpine grassland there, which was originally controlled by the Ula tribe and was the best horse farm for the Ula tribe and even the entire Jurchen. The Ula tribe not only sold horses to the Ming Dynasty through tribute trade, but also sold horses to other Jurchen tribes and even North Korea. This alpine grassland will become the production area of ​​a once well-known dairy product brand in the future and will be renamed Wandashan.

Therefore, if Liu Jing could permanently control that area, he would first have a foundation for building a strong cavalry unit. In the Maolian area, through Mudanjiang to the north, he could control the future Bohai Jurchens; to the south, he could control Korea through Hamgyong Province.

The second important place is naturally the Tongmen River, which is an important channel connecting the Jianzhou Military and Civilian Government.

The third place is the Subing River or the Xupin River, which originates from the mountains in the south of the Maolian grassland. The name of this river has been changed again and again, but its estuary is Vladivostok. It goes without saying how important it will be in the future.

So he said, "No matter what, you are the first to join the rebellion and bring disaster to the Ming Dynasty. I have said that I will only attack the Jianzhou Jurchens. If you can turn back from your mistakes, your lives will not be in danger."

Bohab and others breathed a sigh of relief.

"Since the Duke of Fuguo is advancing eastward, it depends on whether the people you have arranged are capable. Rest in Shenyang for a few days, and then follow me to Tongliao. We need to see what Khorchin says about where the Bohai Jurchens will establish their country. There must also be an explanation between you and the Wild Jurchens and the Beishan Jurchens. In addition, there must be an explanation on how to punish the crime of treason. I... need to think about it."

The real "northern granary" of Northeast China is the Sanjiang Plain, but it is too far away, with swamps and frozen soil...

As for that, Zhu Changluo hoped to make good use of the Bohai Jurchens first.

The so-called crime of treason was just an excuse. Although Nurhaci had captured many young and strong men from the Huifa and Ula tribes the year before, the core of his fighting power was still the Jianzhou tribe and the Hada tribe that surrendered earlier. The Huifa and Ula tribes played a limited role, and had been consumed in large numbers in Korea, outside Guangshun Pass, and the Suzi River Valley.

They themselves were accustomed to using slaves. They were first conquered by the Jianzhou Jurchens and then faced the more powerful Ming Dynasty. Therefore, they habitually wanted to regard themselves as a slave country in order to gain the opportunity to gain power in the Bohai Jurchen Kingdom.

Zhu Changluo actually wanted to train them and let them reclaim the area around Lake Khanka and the Sanjiang Plain, which were the core of the former Bohai Kingdom.

They would cultivate as much land as they could; they were completely helpless against the huge swamp in the Sanjiang area.

However, as long as the area east of the future Harbin where the Mudan River meets the Songhua River can be reclaimed, the Ming Dynasty will be able to further expand its outpost towards the Harbin area through various operations such as border trade and buying grain from them.

Therefore, it is not a bad thing to keep them in a more servile state now. Not showing them a good face at the beginning is nothing more than making them afraid. First hit them with a stick and then give them sweet dates.

But the truth is that the Ming Dynasty is not prepared to give up the old three territories.

Where the Bohai Jurchens will gain a foothold depends on the attitude of the Ming Dynasty, Khorchin, or even the more barbaric and backward Wild Jurchens and Beishan Jurchens.

Even in the area around Lake Khanka, if they wanted to gain a foothold there successfully, they still needed to subdue other small Jurchen tribes scattered in the area.

This still requires the help of the Ming Dynasty's power.

"Bring your niece here for me to see." Bohab was overjoyed and obeyed the order quickly.

"Pick one of your tribeswomen too."

So the others were also very happy, thinking that the emperor was going to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

As long as he enjoys it.

They didn't know Zhu Changluo's intention.

If we want Liu Jing and his soldiers to be willing to stay in such a cold and bitter place in the future, we must let them feel more of the emperor’s grace and trust.

Anyway, the long-term goal is to turn the entire Northeast into real land, so let them get married and integrate first.

In order to make the Bohai women willing to learn how to cultivate the land like the Han people, Zhu Changluo had to adopt an approach that was in line with the times in his policy towards these foreign races.

Ulanala Bushunda, who was sent to him shortly afterwards, was indeed like a frightened little beast.

Zhu Changluo now only saw that she was indeed fair-skinned, and as for her beauty, she was still a little more beautiful than Dong Ge. According to the sayings of later generations, it should be six or seven points, not more.

He didn't know that this Ulanara was actually sent by Nurhaci to attack the Ula tribe after the Battle of Wujieyan. The Ula tribe was not directly destroyed that time, and Bujantai did use her as a bargaining chip to negotiate peace with Jianzhou. And the person she married was Huang Taiji, who was already doomed at this time, and she gave birth to his eldest son Haoge.

History had already taken a turn, and now her fate had taken a turn as well.

She died before Huang Taiji inherited the throne, but now she might really go to the Forbidden City.

At this moment, the Khorchin delegation from the far north had also set off.

There were also many women in the huge team.

That was something they had discussed last year. It doesn't matter who the emperor chooses.

After the news came that Nurhaci was killed by the divine cannon on the battlefield, the powerful people in Khorchin quickly thought: choose more people, and each family must send at least one daughter, even if it is just to be a maid in the Ming Dynasty palace first.

Faced with the combat power unleashed by the Ming Dynasty this time, they, who had been living in peace for many years, could not put up any fight at all.

Therefore, in the huge team, there were Haoshan, who was originally prepared to marry Nurhaci, Ming'an's daughter, and Manggusi's daughter Zhezhe, all of whom were named Borjigit, because their ancestors were all Genghis Khan's second brother Hesar.

Some of them are already adults, while others are only in their teens. For example, Zhezhe heard from her father Manggusi that although she is only eleven years old, she must please the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. If she fails, then her niece Hailanzhu, who was born just this year but is as beautiful as a natural jade, will continue to shoulder the same mission!
In the face of the Ming Dynasty, which is already so powerful and will become even more hopelessly powerful in the future, the only thing that can be done is to marry a princess to the emperor.

What's more, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty has already made a clear attitude: to expand border trade with various tribes.

The premise is that everyone is friendly.

How can you not be friendly?
Tongliao was still stepping up preparations. Ma Gui, Du Song and others were training soldiers in the parade ground all day long, preparing to use the Nine Thunder Guns and other weapons to "welcome" the "distinguished guests" coming from afar.

They were responsible for intimidation, and the emperor was responsible for appeasement.

Zhu Changluo's birthday is on August 11, and the Longevity Festival has always been a very important day.

Now, no matter how he was counted, he was still two years away from turning thirty.

The emperor who was able to travel to Liaodong and personally lead the army to the front line to discuss matters with Lindan Batur when it was still icy and snowy last year must have been in good health.

So how to face the next twenty, thirty or even longer years?

Lindan Batur chose to go through Qingzhou this time. After all, they were going to the alliance. Since there was no danger, of course they had to see how the Ming Dynasty had prepared here.

Now there is only a Ming army of 5,000 people stationed here.

The ones who helped them build Qingzhou City and many strongholds to make money here were mainly the Yehe tribe.

In other words, it was mainly the people of the four Chahar Lingnan tribes who were previously captured and now enslaved by the Yehe tribe.

Although he could only see the Khan's banner from a distance, Lindan Batur heard many crying voices.

He knew that this was a strategy of the Han people: to let the Yehe tribe temporarily control the captured people of the four Lingnan tribes. This was a favor from the Ming Dynasty, and the Yehe tribe dared not refuse it; but since so many Chahar people had been enslaved by the Yehe tribe, the hatred between the Lingnan Jurchens and the Chahar would be even deeper in the future.

They occupied some of their native lands and enslaved them.

“…This time, bring back more.”

"...How much will the Han emperor recognize my merits in helping Jianzhou to attack the Jurchens?"

"Even if you kneel down to him when you meet him, you should bring more back!"

The young Lindan Batur could only hide his resentment and hatred deeply. There was not much communication between him and the Chahar warriors who went to Jianzhou. After all, they were so far away and temporarily under the control of the Ming Dynasty.

They risked their lives to help the enemy just to get back their captured people.

This was the requirement that the Ming Dynasty allowed them to be surrounded and killed but still let them go, and this was the price they had to pay in exchange for the captured people.

"They wanted coal, iron, and copper, and I brought them!"

Lindan Batur looked at the horse-drawn cart behind him and said solemnly: "These are all dug out by the tribesmen with sweat and blood. Even if it's not much, I want them to pay a good price! My golden knife, my treasures, all can be exchanged!"

At this moment, he only remembered the words of the Han people: sleep on firewood and taste gall!

(End of this chapter)