Dashun Yongchang

When the people in the Guanzhong Plain celebrated the arrival of spring again, the grasslands west of Guihua City were still covered with snow, but a group of little Taijis gathered in the tent of Sa Nangchechen Hongtaiji located in the Eight White Room.

The eight white rooms are actually not place names, but refer to the eight white palace tents used by Genghis Khan during his lifetime. After Genghis Khan passed away, these eight white palace tents became relics used by various Mongolian ministries to commemorate Genghis Khan, so where did the eight white palace tents move? The place, which is called the Eight White Room by the Mongolians.

Since the Ordos Department moved the Babaishi to the Ordos Grassland in the Hetao area, it has never moved there, so the Babaishi has a fixed geographical location.

Sananang Chechen Hongtaiji is a descendant of Dayan Khan and a wise man of the Ordos tribe. He has participated in the decision-making of major tribal affairs since he was 17 years old. Lin Dan Khan was a supporter of the idea of ​​unifying the various tribes of Mongolia, but after Lin Dan Khan failed and died, and the Chahar tribe surrendered to the Manchus, he resigned from his position in the tribe and returned to the Eight White Room to live in seclusion.

Although Sananangchechen Hongtaiji chose to live in seclusion, he still had great influence in the Ordos and Tumed tribes. Even Ye Qidai and Qing Jinong would not ignore his opinions.However, Sananangchechen Hongtaiji seems to have no intention of being involved in the political struggle between various Mongolian tribes and the Manchus, so his secluded life is quite peaceful. It is indeed rare that so many small Taiji come to visit this time. scene.

When Sananangchechen Hongtaiji appeared in the tent for the guests, the little Taijis paid respects to the wise man, and then explained their reason for coming to him.Sananang, who was sitting in the north, listened for a while, then stretched out his hand to stop the yelling of the little Taijis, and then said calmly: "There are so many of you, and I don't know who to listen to when each of you speaks a word. .A flock of sheep can’t walk without a head sheep. You can push a representative out and let him talk to me on your behalf.”

After talking with each other for a while, the little Taijis recommended a Taiji called Zamusu. This little Taiji walked to the right hand of Sananang, but did not cross the north of the Tainao crossbar, and then He bent his right knee and sat cross-legged, then said submissively to Sananang: "Actually, we came here to ask for your help.

Since the death of Lin Dan Khan and the submission of various Mongolian ministries to the Manchus, we not only had to pay horses, horns, tendons and other materials to Shengjing, but were also deprived of the right to trade directly with the Han people.

After the Manchus monopolized the trade with the Han people, the tea and ironware on the grassland became more expensive, because the Manchus themselves did not produce tea and were unwilling to give us ironware.The life of our people is very difficult, because there are not enough supplies, women often die because of dystocia, and the elderly die because of stomach discomfort.

The Manchus often said that they belonged to the Mongols and tempted us to follow them to attack the Han.But before the rise of the Manchus, our relationship with the Han people was friendly. The emperor of Ming Dynasty allowed us to trade on the border, and the Han people also built the Green City for us.At that time, the people of our Mongolian right-wing tribes lived in prosperity, and there would be no starvation to death.

But the Manchus chasing Lin Dan Khan brought the blood and fire back to the right wing of Mongolia. They burned the Cyan City and forced the Mongolians on the grassland to submit to them.Even, they refused to let go of the Mongols who surrendered. Wasn't Lindan Khan's eldest son Ezhe poisoned to death by the Manchus?The Manchus never regarded us as their own family, they just regarded us as vassals.

The great Genghis Khan beheaded the emperor of the Kingdom of Jin, but are his descendants begging for mercy from the descendants of the Jurchens?Dear Chechen Hongtaiji, we come to see you, hoping that you can point out a way out for the Mongols. "

Dissatisfaction, intense dissatisfaction.This is what Sananang saw from these little Taijis, but he could also understand why these little Taijis were dissatisfied.Because after Lin Dan Khan chose the Western Expedition, the lives of the Mongolian right-wing tribes fell from heaven to the ground.In the past, the Mongolian right-wing ministries had a hard nomadic life, but at least they could obtain the necessities they lacked through the exchange with Daming, and there was still hope for life.

But since the Manchus took control of the grasslands, not only the Mongolian tribes were prohibited from leaving their resident places for nomadic pastoralism, but also the trade between Mongolians and Han people was prohibited.The reason why Mongolians go nomadic is that they have accumulated experience in surviving on the grasslands, because only continuous nomadic pastoralism can prevent livestock from being infected with plague and find the most suitable pastures for grazing.

Of course, it does not mean that if the herdsmen settle down, the animal husbandry cannot be developed.For example, after the Tumote tribe settled in Tumotechuan and established the Cyan City, they also lived a very prosperous life, and the herdsmen of the Tumote tribe were also used to this semi-settled life, and did not feel that they lived in the Cyan City. What's wrong with the city.

This shows one thing, as long as the material supply can continue, then the Mongols are not unable to get used to the settled life of fixed pastures.But in order to obtain a continuous supply of materials, it is necessary to interact with the production activities of the Han people, instead of following them into the customs to rob, as the Manchus said.

If robbery was more cost-effective than trade, then King Shunyi and San Niangzi would not have reconciled with Daming.It would have been nice if the Mongols followed Altan Khan and fought against Daming, why did they follow the Manchus to rob?What's more, the use of the Mongols by the Manchus completely disrupted the traditions of the various tribes of Mongolia. Most of the Mongol men who were incorporated into the Eight Banners lost respect for the various tribes. The Great Khan worked, which also aroused the dissatisfaction and fear of the Mongolian and Taiji people.

It's just that after losing Lin Dan Khan, the left and right wings of Mongolia lost a leader who could lead them, and the Manchus' containment and division of the various tribes of Mongolia have achieved great results.

For example, the Tumed tribe who surrendered to the Manchus, whose lord, Ermubu, was taken to Shengjing for premeditated rebellion and imprisoned by the Manchus, made the Tumed tribe lose a common object of allegiance.The Manchus promoted Omboo's subordinates, Guluge and Hanggao, and made them the lords on the left and right wings of Tumed, but they marginalized Tobok Dalai, who was a descendant of Altan Khan. It is Tumed who has the highest status besides Ombu, and if he takes over Ombu's position, he can also unify Tumed's hearts.

In addition to creating conflicts within Tumet, making Guluge and Hanggao have to rely on the Manchus to maintain their status, the Manchus also left a part of the old family of Chahar for naturalization and let them join the Tumot Mert Ministry.You must know that after the Chahar tribe moved westward, there was a great conflict between Chahar and Tumed. It was precisely because of their opposition to the Chahar tribe that many Tumeds chose to surrender to the Manchus.In this way, it is naturally impossible for these old Chahar clans to unite with the Tumed people. Instead, they have to rely on the protection of the Manchus to prevent them from being annexed by the Tumed tribe.

The political methods used by the Han people to deal with the ethnic minorities in the borderlands, such as the small-scale system and the mixing of sand, have been used by the Manchus with perfect proficiency.The reason why the Ordos Department was able to maintain a relatively independent position and was not strictly controlled by the Manchus like Tumed was because the Ordos Department was too far away from the Manchus; Ye Qidaiqing's firm support made the Manchus unable to do anything for a while.

But this time, Jinong Ye Qidaiqing's refusal of Dashun's trade request finally made these small Taiwanese who were originally dissatisfied with Jinong who surrendered to the Manchus unite because their common interests were violated.

Seeing the performance of these little Taijis, Sananang, who has been struggling with how to reunite the Mongols and get rid of the control of the Manchus, saw a new path.He then said to the young Taijis: "Linqin Ejinong had to surrender to the Manchus in order to defend the Ordos, so you shouldn't be too harsh on Jinong's decision.

After all, we don't know whether Dashun can withstand the Manchus. We must know that even the unified Ming Dynasty failed to defeat the Manchus, and Dashun only occupied a corner in the northwest.If we agree to Dashun's trade request here, and the Manchus defeat Dashun in the pass, then how should we deal with ourselves?Is it rare that we can stop the revenge of the Manchu army? "

Sananang’s words finally calmed down these excited little Taijis. Zamusu turned around and talked to the little Taijis, and then asked Sananang again: “Then please guide us a way. Come on, can it be said that we just rejected the kindness of the Han people? Then after the Han people defeated the Manchus, would they still regard us as friends?"

After thinking for a while, Sananang said: "Of course, I don't advocate fighting against the Han people. We have been at peace with the Han people for nearly a hundred years. Compared with the fierce Manchus, the Han people are our friendly neighbors. If we now Rejecting the friendship of the Han people means that the relationship between Mongolia and Han established by Alta Khan and Da Tianzi is completely broken, and the Han people will also regard us and the Manchus as one, which is a bad result for the Mongolians.

However, until Dashun has shown that it has the strength to fight against the Manchus, I do not advocate the restoration of open trade relations with the Han people. This will only involve our Ordos Department in the flames of war.Whether it is the Han people in the south or the Manchus in the east, they are too powerful opponents for the current Ordos Department. "

A group of young Taiji were confused by Sananang's words, and Zamusu had to ask again on behalf of everyone: "We can neither agree to the request of the Han people nor refuse the request of the Han people, so what should we do?"

Sananang finally sighed in his heart. Compared with the Han people and the Manchus, the Mongols are still too simple. Even Lin Danhan, who was played by Huang Taiji in the applause, is already regarded as the central eye of the Mongols. The most heroes.From this point of view, the Mongols who have lost their force are actually no match for the Han and Manchus.

But he quickly put this idea aside, and said to everyone: "It has been almost a year since the Manchus entered the customs. This war cannot be dragged on for a long time. We only need to wait to know the result. Before the results come out, we can negotiate with the Han people first, as for Jinong, I will go to talk to him..."

Chapter 442 Lanzhou One

On the fifth day of February, Wang Yongji, who was stationed in Lanzhou, received the news of the great victory in Henan from Xi'an. Although the soldiers and civilians in Hexi were not very concerned about the battle between the Manchus and Dashun at this time, to Wang Yongji It's really good news.

Under Li Zicheng's order, he traveled thousands of miles to Hexi on behalf of Emperor Dashun and Prince Daming, and told the soldiers and civilians here about the reconciliation between Shun and Ming. This is actually a very difficult task.

Because although Hexi has always been controlled by Daming, the Han people do not occupy a completely dominant position in Hexi, because the Hexi corridor divides Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and the desert into two, and just blocks Mongolia's road to Tibet.When the Ming Dynasty was strong, the Mongolian ministries could only abandon the West Sea and retreat to the grasslands, deserts, and north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. The West Sea here is Qinghai Lake.

However, after the Ming Dynasty gave up the land of Hetao and handed over the Daqingshan area that controlled the Inner Mongolia grassland to the Mongols, the Mongolian ministries began to seek to restore control of the West Sea, because Tibet is too meaningful to the Mongols. It is too important, and the prairie around Qinghai Lake is the necessary supply and rest place for the Mongols to enter Tibet.

By the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the Mongolian tribe had already occupied the grassland Gobi area to the north and west of Qinghai Lake, posing a threat to the people of various ethnic groups in Xining and the Hexi Corridor.

However, the rise of the Mongolian right wing made Gunbilik Mergen Jinong of the Ordos Department and his younger brother Altan Khan of the Tumote Department unwilling to let the Yabubu Department control the passage to Tibet, so they went to the West Sea many times and finally controlled West Sea area.During this process, the rising Mongolian cavalry passed through the area controlled by the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty could only agree to let the Mongolian right-wing tribes enter Tibet to make tea.

There are two main routes for Mongolian right-wing ministries to travel to and from Qinghai and Inner Mongolia: one is to go south through Mingshan Danwei or Yongchangwei, enter Dacaotan, and cross Qilian Mountain from Biandukou to Qinghai.The other route is through Dasong Mountain and Xiaosong Mountain, crossing Mingjing from Liangzhouwei or Zhuanglangwei in Ming Dynasty, and taking Kuangou and Datonghe Gorge to Qinghai. This route is more shortcut and does not need to pass through Dacaotan.

The first road is "the land of Biandu is wide and flat, and the captives chase after herds"; the second is the road from Kuangou and Datong River to Qinghai, "the captives have bitter mountains and dangerous mountains, and the ice is slippery."The Mongols traveled with their livestock to graze, so they were willing to go to Biandukou, but the Ming Dynasty did not want them to go this way: "Those who go to Biandukou will go through Ganzhou and travel more than [-] miles inland, which is very useful for me. Harm. Those who go to the town of Qiang, this is a solid way through the inner road, but the boundary is in Zhuanglang, the border pass is less than one mile, and the captives will go out when they come." The second road passes through the Ming Dynasty. prepare.

During the Jiajing period, Daming's military equipment had not been weakened to the point where it could only defend the city, so Daming could still take the second path.But after Wanli, the Mongols were unwilling to pay attention to Ming's constraints, and would often choose the first route to Qinghai, and Ming's officers and soldiers could only hide in the city as if they couldn't see them.For example, when Lin Danhan fled to the West Sea, he took the first route, but fell ill and died in Dacaotan.

Due to the growth of the power of the Mongolian tribes in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, all the tribes in the Hexi area united with the Ming Dynasty to fight against the Mongols.Because the people of all ethnic groups here know very well that compared with the Mongols, at least the rule of the Han people is milder, because what the Han people need is the tranquility of the frontier, while the Mongols want to let those non-Mongols make offerings to themselves.

What's more, because of the large number of Muslims immigrating in the Hexi area in the early Ming Dynasty, the Muslims here became a group second only to Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is different from inland Buddhism because of the long-term struggle with the local Bon religion in Tibet. , Tibetan Buddhism is very concerned about religious wars, so like Islam, it is an exclusive religion.

The purpose of moving these Muslims to the Hexi Corridor in the early Ming Dynasty was also to cut off the connection between Tibet and the Mongolian grassland.When Ming was strong, there was no doubt about the loyalty of Muslims to Ming, because the surrounding Mongols would not accept pagans like them, and the Muslim countries in Central Asia were too far away from Hexi, so they had no ability to offend Ming.

Timur did have this idea, but he died before leaving Central Asia, and his empire fell apart.Since then, there has not been a unified Muslim empire in Central Asia.

But when the Ming Dynasty fell, the chieftain of Hexi who tried to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty was defeated by the Dashun army. At this time, the various ethnic groups in Hexi were in chaos.Due to the irreconcilable contradictions between the various ethnic groups in Hexi and the Mongols, they urgently need a new external force to help them balance the pressure the Mongols put on them.

After all, after the Heshuote tribe entered the West Sea and defeated the Zangba Khan in Tibet, the Mongols once again controlled the vast areas of Tibet and Qinghai. If there is no external force to help them resist the erosion of the Heshuote tribe, then Soon the Mongols will be able to bring Xining and other places, and even the Hexi Corridor, under control.

Wang Yongji faced such a chaotic situation when he arrived in Lanzhou. The Shun Army wiped out the forces loyal to Daming in Hexi, but it also destroyed the local balance of power. Li Zicheng ordered the withdrawal of most of the Shun Army in Hexi, although the peace was eased. The contradictions of local forces also made the Heshuo Special Department, which occupied Qinghai, bold.

At this time, some Muslims believed that the Ming Dynasty could no longer protect the Hexi region, and the Shun Army seemed to have no intention of inheriting the various policies of the Ming Dynasty towards Hexi, so they suggested that they should seek help from the Yarkand Khanate.

After decades of division, the newly appointed Eastern Yarkand Khan Abdullah led an army into the city of Yarkand in the 12th to [-]th years of Chongzhen, thus completing the unification of the Yarkand Khanate.

From the 15th to the [-]th year of Chongzhen, Abdullah Khan led his army to attack the Jilighis people, met the Jilighis army in Aksay, and fought fiercely. The Yarkand army finally won and won a rare battle against Jilighis. With a great victory, the northwestern border area of ​​the Khanate was peaceful, and the Khanate began to rejuvenate.

With the news of the Yarkand Khanate brought by merchants from Hami, some Muslims felt that the Hexi region should be merged with the Yarkand Khanate to establish a new country. In this new country, Not only were Muslims free from discrimination, they were also able to unite against the Mongols.As for the Han people, who are falling into a period of dynastic change, I am afraid that they will not have time to take care of Hexi for decades.

The change of these Muslims caused panic among the chieftains and gentry in Hexi. They were neither willing to surrender to the Mongols nor convert to Islam, so their original hatred towards the Shun Army changed.

Although Wang Yongji, the former governor of Jiliao of the Ming Dynasty, was relatively sloppy in commanding operations, he was quite familiar with the personnel struggle methods of pulling one faction against another.Moreover, as the former minister of the military department of the Ming Dynasty, he also came to Hexi on behalf of the prince of the Ming Dynasty. For those local forces in Hexi who were loyal to the Ming Dynasty, getting closer to Wang Yongji became the only choice.

Moreover, Wang Yongji asked Li Zicheng for the power to deal with Qi Tingjian, Li Tianyu, Qi Xingzhou and others. These Hexi chieftains were sent to Xi'an by the Shun army because they killed He Jin.The inside of the Shun Army also knew very well that if these chieftains were killed, Xining and other places would be completely chaotic. Therefore, although Xin Sizhong hated these people, he suppressed the opinions of his subordinates and sent them to Xi'an to be imprisoned.

After being defeated by the Shun Army, Qi Tingjian, Li Tianyu, Qi Xingzhou and other chieftains finally realized how big the gap existed between them and the Shun Army. When they arrived in Xi'an, the news of the fall of Beijing and the suicide of Emperor Chongzhen also came. Shun replaced Daming, and these chieftains naturally gave up the idea of ​​continuing to be loyal to Daming.

Wang Yongji's appearance also gave these chieftains a chance to change their positions, so they quickly accepted Wang Yongji's persuasion and expressed their willingness to be loyal to Dashun.Under Wang Yongji's suggestion, Zhengshitang also resumed their official positions in Daming, so that these chieftains continued to return to Xining to govern the area, thus stabilizing the situation in Xining and other places.

However, Wang Yongji tried his best to stabilize the situation in Lanzhou and Xining. There are still many uncertainties about Liangzhou and Ganzhou in the middle of the Hexi Corridor.This kind of thing is not controlled by his personal ability, but is closely related to the general trend of the world. If the Shun army loses the battle with the Manchus, what will happen to Liangzhou and Ganzhou, Wang Yongji has no way of knowing.

However, since Emperor Yongchang defeated the army of the Qing army in Henan, it seemed to Wang Yongji that he had taken a reassurance. Do not fall into the predicament of isolation and helplessness.

The messenger who delivered the news also brought him another good news. At the suggestion of Emperor Yongchang, the Zhengshitang considered setting up a Governor of Gansu and Ningxia in Lanzhou to take charge of the military and political affairs of Gansu and Ningxia, in order to deal with the current situation Gansu is facing. The complicated situation means that Wang Yongji finally does not have to handle military and political affairs in Gansu with the title of Minister in Lanzhou.

Judging from this change, Wang Yongji believes that Li Zicheng finally accepted him and regarded him as one of his own.Otherwise, he, the former governor of the Ming Dynasty, would not be allowed to serve as the governor of Dashun. If Dashun faced a disadvantageous situation, the military strength of Gansu and Ningxia would be a real threat to Xi'an.

After accepting the notification from the Zhengshitang, Wang Yongji asked the banner officer to take the messenger down to rest, and at the same time sent someone to call Xu Zili, the prefect of Lanzhou.Xu Zili, who has been in the northwest from the county magistrate to the magistrate, has an incomparable understanding of the Hexi area, so Wang Yongji, who has not long been in Lanzhou, soon regards him as his brain truster.

As for Xu Zili, who had no foundation in his superiors, Wang Yongji's friendship made him a little flattered.In normal years, it would be almost impossible for him, the magistrate, to be promoted again, and it would be impossible for him to have any intersection with such a big man as Wang Yongji.Faced with Wang Yongji's closeness, he naturally did his best.

Chapter 443 Lanzhou II

Xu Zili, who was summoned by Wang Yongji, heard that Dashun intends to set up a governor's mansion in Lanzhou, making it the political center of Gansu, Ningxia, and Qinghai. But the center of the Northwest is Xi'an.

In the past, Chang’an was the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and there was no problem with the communication between Chang’an and Ganzhou. However, the distance between Beijing and Ganzhou was a bit long for my capital in the Ming Dynasty. The center of Hexi is placed in Gongchang Mansion.However, it was too far from Gongchang Mansion to Jiayuguan, so Daming gradually lost control of the Hami area.

Now that Lanzhou is setting up the governor's office in charge of Hexi, the geographical location is suitable for far and near, and Lanzhou is surrounded by mountains and is close to the Yellow River. It is an important place for military strategists. The key is to carry on. "

Wang Yongji also nodded in agreement with Xu Zili's point of view. In fact, Daming did not fail to notice the geographical location of Lanzhou, so he entrusted King Su here. However, after Jingnan, the vassal king lost his military power, so Lanzhou's status also fell. It became embarrassing.

After thinking for a while, he said: "Since this dynasty has already forced King Fu to return to the vassal, and defeated all the Qing troops in Henan, it must be this dynasty that restores the unity of the world. When the new dynasty was first established, everything must be destroyed Xing, some people who were originally sinking in the lower ranks will stand out, prefect Xu, this is your chance. As long as we can work together to stabilize the situation in the Ganqing area, then Your Majesty will not fail to see your achievements."

To be honest, Xu Zili, who has been loyal to Daming for decades, cannot change his position as quickly as Wang Yongji. He can already regard Dashun as his dynasty without any psychological barriers. In his heart, he still has some expectations for Daming.

Hearing what Wang Yongji said, he hesitated for a moment, looked around and saw that there were no other people around, and couldn't help asking him in a low voice: "Lord Ministry, is it so difficult that my Daming really has no chance to recover? Li Zicheng Although he is brave, he has no sons under his knees, and the safety of Dashun depends entirely on him, but I have the crown prince, prince, and clan of Ming Dynasty, if in the future..."

"Shut up." Wang Yongji quickly stopped him, then stared sternly into Xu Zili's eyes, and finally made this guilty man bow his head, and Wang Yongji said seriously: "It's better to forget what you just said, If this is heard by others, you don't care, but where do you put the crown prince and the two princes? Could it be that you want them to end up like King Su, so that you can be worthy of Emperor Lie?"

Hearing Wang Yongji mention Su Wang's fate, Xu Zili finally stopped talking.The last King Su was killed by the Shun army because he refused to surrender, and Wang Yongji was mourned again after he came. This move also won the support of many local gentry.After all, in the eyes of these gentry, this action represented Dashun's signal to rebuild social order.

For officials like Xu Zili who still have deep feelings for Daming, it was not their intention to push the prince into the kang. After all, the prince is the orthodox heir of Daming, as long as he is still alive, it represents hope.

If the crown prince was lost, it would be very difficult for Ming to find an orthodox heir recognized by all parties. This is also the reason why King Fu did not trigger a large-scale rebellion after returning to the vassal, because there were indeed legal problems in King Fu's succession to Datong.King Fu's entry into the Datong was actually a compromise made by the southern gentry to resist the northern forces going south. Otherwise, they should have confirmed the life and death of Chongzhen, the prince, and the prince before they could publicly recommend King Fu as the successor to the Datong.

But it is clear that the southern gentry was afraid that the northern gentry would bring the orthodox heir to the throne south, thereby suppressing the power of the southern gentry. During the chaos of China, a large number of northern aristocratic families and royal families traveled southward, thus establishing the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the south. It was suppressed by the northern family until the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

For example, Xu Zili, officials of the Ming Dynasty in the north were dissatisfied with King Fu's succession to the Datong, because they guarded the land for Emperor Chongzhen, and Chongzhen's blood would naturally remember them when they came to power, but the King Fu established by the southern gentry might not care about their life and death. , because the southerners might not want the Northern Expedition to take back Beijing, but want to start the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Therefore, although he was dissatisfied with Li Zicheng in every possible way, Li Zicheng's move was acquiesced by the northern gentry for forcing King Fu to return to his vassal.And this is also the basis for the northern gentry to accept Shunming's reconciliation, because Li Zicheng controls the prince and issues orders to them in the name of the prince, which eliminates their appeal to the people of Ming Dynasty.

In the eyes of ordinary people, what they recognize is only the righteousness of the monarch and ministers that has been instilled by scholars. That is to say, no matter whether the order issued by Li Zicheng is the true meaning of the prince or not, according to the rule that ministers need to obey the monarch unconditionally, subjects cannot question this. The rationality of an order, otherwise the gentry will also be questioned about their orders.

Wang Yongji just wanted to beat Xu Zili, and didn't really want to have any other thoughts about this local official who was close to him.In his view, when Li Zicheng defeated a Qing army in Henan and dragged the war with the Manchus into a confrontational war, the Manchus would not be able to replicate the experience of the Jin and Mongols in the Central Plains.

Relying on the advantage of owning a large number of horses, the nomads can be said to have an advantage over the farming peoples in the Central Plains in mobile warfare, but the economic capacity of the nomads is completely insufficient to support a long-term war, so after the Mongols were driven out of the customs by Ming , although they broke through many times and surrounded the city of Beijing, but almost all of them retreated after not holding on for long.

Although the Manchus also farmed, they were still barbarians in the eyes of the Ming people. Therefore, Wang Yongji believed that as long as the war continued, the Manchus who could not win a quick battle had to retreat outside the pass.

Now that Dashun has been determined to survive, Wang Yongji is relieved. What he has to think about now is how to restore peace in Gansu and Qinghai. As for Ningxia, it is okay, because Ningxia surrendered peacefully, so it is preserved. The complete military and political system has hardly changed locally.

Seeing that Xu Zili remained silent, Wang Yongji also turned the topic back to business, "I don't mention anything else in advance, and spring is about to start now, and the channel from Henan to Shaanxi has also been opened, so the tea and cotton cloth that will be transported from the south next The supplies should arrive in Lanzhou soon. The next thing we should do is to open the market. As long as the trade channel is opened and the benefits brought to the local area by trade, everyone will calm down in a short time, and there will be no It will be as tense as it is now."

Border trade, this is one of the contradictions that have always existed between the central and local governments.For the locals, open border trade can not only bring peace, but also bring benefits to the local people. The business tax is still small. The transportation of goods can feed a large number of people, so it is profitable to grow grain in the frontier areas.

However, in the eyes of the imperial court, the important thing about opening border trade is not economic interests, but the means of controlling the various ethnic minorities. If the ethnic minorities on the border express obedience to Ming Dynasty, then the imperial court will let go of trade with them, otherwise, they will sever relations. These ethnic minorities lacked living materials and had to bow their heads to the imperial court.

However, this kind of trade prohibition method needs to be coordinated with the country's force and bureaucratic integrity, otherwise, the northern minorities and maritime merchants will use force to plunder the Ming border, or smugglers will be everywhere, and even contraband will be sold out. Case.If selling a jar of sauerkraut to the Mongols and selling a steel knife to the Mongols is a crime of beheading, then merchants will naturally choose weapons with higher profits for smuggling.

As a local official, Xu Zili naturally supports the opening of border trade, because Gansu is too poor, but before Daming did not cut off contact with Hami, Gansu was rich. After all, it is "Golden Zhangye, Silver Wuwei" .But after cutting off the trade channel with the Western Regions, Gansu became poor.

Of course, the severance of commercial routes in the Western Regions was not only a problem of the Ming Dynasty itself. It was also related to the civil strife in the Yarkand Khanate and the rise of Junggar and Mongolia, which led to the blocking of commercial routes to Central Asia.Precisely because the commercial route to Central Asia was cut off, the Ming Dynasty did not encounter too much opposition when it ordered to cut off trade with the Western Regions.

However, the soldiers and civilians in Gansu did not expect that the trade would be cut off for such a long time, so they heard that Dashun was going to reopen the commercial roads in the Western Regions, which won the response of many merchants and people in Gansu.

Hearing Wang Yongji talk about this question, Xu Zili immediately said with confidence: "Xining is naturally the first choice to appease all ethnic groups in Qinghai; Liangzhou is the most suitable place to appease Alxa Mongolia and Khalkha Mongolia; The Shuo Te Department has never had any connection with the local area. It can be said that they are strangers. Although it is appropriate to appease them with trade, we have to be wary of them.

Although Heshuote has not been in Qinghai for a long time, its expansion speed is very fast, and it has even set its sights on Dacaotan.Dacaotan starts from Shuimochuan in the east, ends in Ganzhou flood in the west, starts in Baishiya and Biandukou in Ganzhi in the south, and ends at Kipkou and Xinhe in Dahuang Mountain in the north.The luxuriance of its grass is the only one outside the Great Wall that is unique in the interior, and its land also directly invades the Gan and Liang roads.

If the Heshuo Special Department is allowed to occupy this place, it will pose a threat to Gansu and Liangzhou.Therefore, we should use trade as an excuse to send troops to Dacaotan and open the market in the flood.If the Heshuo Special Department is unwilling to withdraw from Dacaotan, then we will cut off the trade and exchange it for its withdrawal.

However, the opening of these trades will not bring about a fundamental improvement in Hexi. To restore Hexi to its pre-Wanli grand occasion, it is necessary to open up business routes in the Western Regions.It is said that the Yarkand Khanate was reunified by Abdullah Khan, and the restoration of traffic in the Western Regions is not a problem, but the problem is the current chaotic situation in our country. The Muslims in Gansu, Liang and other places are quite unified with the Yarkand Khanate The tendency to contact Hami proactively would be to lure wolves into the house? "

Wang Yongji also knows that Xu Zili's words are not groundless. After the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, the hearts of all ethnic groups in Hexi are fluctuating. Not to mention the Muslims in Gan, Liang and other places have changed, even the Muslims in Lanzhou seem to be not so calm. up.After thinking for a long time, he finally said: "First prepare for the trade, and then I will write a letter to His Majesty to report the situation here to him, and His Majesty will make a decision..."

Chapter 444

When Wang Yongji was thinking about writing a letter to Li Zicheng, the southeast corner of Chengwu County, which had been bombarded by the Qing army for ten days, finally collapsed with a gap of more than twenty feet. The Qing army outside the city cheered for a while, and soon the two teams The Qing army rushed into the gap with alternate cover.

Although the General Staff Department has given basic anti-bombardment education and precautions for defending the city to all units of the Shun Army, the soldiers of the Shun Army who have been standing in the city for several months have bottomed out in terms of physical strength and supplies.

At this time, the advantage of the Qing army in numbers was finally brought into play in the siege battle.After opening the gap in the city wall, the Qing army that kept pouring in quickly broke through the defense line set up by the Shun army at the gap, and then rushed straight into the streets in the city.The layout of this kind of county town is actually similar. The Shizi Street connecting the city gate divides the city into four areas, and the intersection center of Shizi Street is usually the Drum Tower.

Although Shizi Street is relatively spacious and straight, the alleys in the block are winding. When the Qing army rushed into the streets, the area that the Shun army needed to defend expanded. Saying it is disadvantageous.In Tianjin, the reason why the Shun army was able to win the city defense battle was based on the Shun army's artillery advantage and the use of fire attack tactics.

But in Chengwu County, the Shun army did not have a large number of artillery and firearms, nor did they have so many firelighters.Therefore, when the Qing army brigade rushed into the city through the gap in the city wall, the Shun army could only retreat steadily.

Zhang Wenbiao, the general of the Shun Army who was in charge of the defense of the southeast city, was almost attacked by a group of Qing troops who walked behind him through an alley. Fortunately, he was on a platform built on the roof, and the condescending Shun Army general After discovering the traces of this group of Qing soldiers, and relying on the terrain and the cooperation of the soldiers of the Shun army below the platform, they surrounded and wiped out this group of Qing soldiers in the small courtyard and alley.

However, although Zhang Wenbiao wiped out the Qing army team who came to him, he also knew that the southeast city could no longer hold, because the enemy and us had lost the clear front, and now the southeast city had fallen into chaos.He couldn't mobilize troops to intercept the Qing army's offensive line, because he couldn't judge the Qing army's offensive line at all. After the Qing army broke through the simple defense line of the Shun army at the gap, it immediately divided into several small groups and went deep into the city.

The Qing army is not in a hurry to destroy the main force of the Shun army in the city. They just want to completely mess up the situation in the city, so that when the follow-up troops of the Qing army enter the city, the Shun army will lose their resistance to the Qing army because of the defense everywhere. Opportunities for centaurs to attack.

Zhang Wenbiao, who didn't want all his subordinates to lose here, quickly gave the order to retreat.When he retreated to the vicinity of the Drum Tower, he happened to see his boss Ma Ruqing coming down the stairs angrily, and the rebel generals who crawled out from the pile of dead people would not talk about brotherhood at this time, Ma Ruqing was eager to fight when he saw him He yelled at him: "I can see clearly from above that the city wall collapsed and you took the lead in running without even half an hour. Is that how you lead the troops?"

Zhang Wenbiao also said anxiously: "What can I do? I told you before that our supplies are insufficient, and the red cannons of the Qing army are too powerful. Once the city wall collapses, it will be impossible to stop it.

Moreover, His Majesty gave us the order to stick to it until the first day of February. Today is the fifth day of the lunar new year. We have already overfulfilled the task. You can't let all the brothers die here, can you? "

After hearing this, Ma Ruqing roared even more angry: "The military order is like a mountain, I didn't say to withdraw, even if you die here in battle, I will accompany you. If your grandma retreats without authorization, I will be able to implement your military law..."

Seeing that the chief and deputy officials in the city were about to fight, the generals of the Shun army hurried forward and grabbed Ma Ruqing.A general persuaded from the side: "It is not appropriate to talk about other things now. It will be at least two hours before dark. We must persist until dark before we can break out. The most important thing right now is to follow the east gate and Fortify Nanmen Avenue, don't let the Qing army easily break through these two streets and enter other urban areas, otherwise our army will not even have a foothold in the city..."

Zhang Wenbiao also admitted that what this subordinate said was reasonable. If the Qing army had occupied the four city gates before dark, they would have become shackles.Moreover, having worked with Ma Ruqing for so long, he also knew Ma Ruqing's personality. He didn't have any malice towards him, it was just his personality.

Therefore, taking advantage of this subordinate's interruption, Zhang Wenbiao turned around and led his subordinates towards the south gate, shouting loudly: "I guard the South Gate Street, and I will never let the Qing army occupy the South Gate before dark." The city gate, otherwise I will die there. Brothers who survived, please remember to burn some paper money for me during the holidays..."

On the side of the Qing army, Shi Tingzhu, who was in charge of attacking Chengwu County, finally walked up to the East City Gate tower after more than half an hour after the city wall collapsed. And near the East City Gate, the other three city gates are still under the control of the Shun Army.

Seeing the pillars of smoke burning everywhere in the city, Shi Tingzhu couldn't help but said to Meng Qiaofang who was behind him: "These bandits are indeed difficult to deal with. Even the Ming Dynasty's officers and soldiers have no fighting spirit after losing the protection of the city wall. Officials will only run away at the first moment, why would they wait to die in the city? Unexpectedly, these thieves are quite ambitious, so they don’t run away like this.”

The Shi family that Shi Tingzhu came from was originally a Liaodong general. Even after surrendering to the Manchus, the Shi family's power in the Han army banner was second only to Nurhachi's in-laws, the Tong family.Therefore, Meng Qiaofang replied very cautiously: "Shun thieves are indeed more difficult to deal with than the Ming Dynasty's officers and soldiers, but the officials also heard from those green battalions that in fact, the shun thieves in the past were not so difficult to deal with.

Just seven or eight years ago, only a few hundred horsemen could disperse tens of thousands of bandits, but Li Zicheng was very resilient. Although he failed repeatedly under the command of the officers and soldiers, he still refused to surrender to the court. Gathered troops to resist, so the bandits became stronger and stronger, and finally surrounded and wiped out the main force of the official army three or four years ago, and it has been out of control ever since.