Late Ming Dynasty Capitalists Chapter 141: The Three Northeastern Provinces (Part 1)
Tang Tong thought of a man known as the father of the British Industrial Revolution. His name was Cromwell. It was during his time that Britain's industrial development reached the forefront of the world. Tang Tong considered such a man a significant threat.
"Gao Fu, I have a very important mission for you. There was a man named Cromwell in England. He should be a British MP now. You take a group of people with you. Make sure to kill this man." Tang Tong looked at Gao Fu and said seriously. Although the killing method was dishonorable, it was necessary. It would cost the least.
"Cromwell? My Lord. Why do we need to kill this man? Is it so necessary?" Gao Fu wasn't a soldier, not the type to simply follow orders. Naturally, he asked, perplexed by his doubts. "Yes, Gao Fu. This man is a military genius, and a political genius. If we don't eliminate him now, it will be a huge obstacle for us. It will likely cost us dearly on our European expedition." Tang Tong nodded and explained for Gao Fu.
"Okay, sir. Leave this to me. I will make every person named Cromwell in England disappear from this world." Gao Fu didn't ask any more questions. As for how Tang Tong knew about this person in England, Gao Fu assumed that Tang Tong must have arranged for those spies in Europe to pass on the information. This was not something a diplomat like him should inquire about in detail.
Tang Tong and Gao Fu discussed other matters further. Gao Fu then took his leave. Tang Tong then turned his attention to the area where the Jiannu had settled. This area would later become known as the Northeast Three Provinces. Therefore, Tang Tong decided to divide it into three provinces after conquering it. Tang Tong figured that since later generations had divided this area into three provinces, there must have been a reason for it. It would be easier to divide it according to later generations' ideas.
Tang Tong led his troops to the Northeast. Dayu'er and Hailanzhu missed their homeland. Their lifestyles and customs were somewhat unsuited to the climate of Southeast Asia. So when Dayu'er and Hailanzhu suggested going with Tang Tong to the Northeast, Tang Tong naturally agreed. After defeating the Jiannu, the Mongols would have to be dealt with anyway. Dayu'er and the others were needed to give those interested in joining the Mongols a respectable excuse.
Since this was a land war, Tang Tong didn't bring many warships, but instead used a large number of supply transport ships to send his troops to the Jiannu's territory. Ming merchants were thrilled when they heard about another war. In the past, Ming merchants feared war. Now, they feared the absence of war. Profiteering from war is a highly profitable business, especially this kind of plundering. Few merchants dislike it.
However, this time, the Tang would not allow the Northeast region to be plundered. After all, it belonged to the Ming dynasty, and the Tang did not want it to be decimated. Therefore, the Tang did not mobilize the looting Japanese auxiliary troops. Instead, they mobilized 30,000 regular troops, 6,000 Jurchen auxiliary troops, 10,000 Mongol mercenaries, and 10,000 Jiannu cavalry under Amin Manggurtai of the Jiannu. They launched an attack from three directions.
For so many years, Zushou had defended Dalinghe City. Ever since the Jiannu army's failed attack on Dalinghe City and its retreat, they hadn't launched another Ming attack. Dalinghe City was increasingly fortified. Zushou's position as general remained unchanged for so many years, while his successors rose through the ranks.
As the highest official in Daling City, Zu Dashou held great power. However, he was growing weary of serving in such a poor region, just across the river from the Jiannu. Furthermore, he was getting quite old, no longer the fierce and formidable general he had been in battle. Even more worrying for Zu Dashou was the fact that the Ming Dynasty seemed to be on the decline. The rebels were claiming to be kings one after another. All that remained of the Ming Dynasty in the north were the capital and a small area in Hebei. The Ming soldiers hadn't received their pay in a long time, and many had deserted.
In Henan and Shaanxi, Li Zicheng established the Great Shun Dynasty in Luoyang. Zhang Xianzhong proclaimed himself King of the Great West in Xunyang. There were dozens of other rebel groups, both large and small, who also claimed to be kings. Although the capital and Shanhaiguan still had 300,000 troops, they were without pay. These 300,000 men could collapse at any moment. The Guanning Iron Cavalry, once invincible within the Ming, was rendered useless by the rebels' increasingly powerful muskets. Whenever Zu Dashou thought of this, he felt a wave of bewilderment.
The Guanning Iron Cavalry grew up under Zu Dashou's leadership. Although the majority of their military power was later taken away by others, Zu Dashou still cherished this unit like his own child. Watching the Guanning Iron Cavalry decline day by day, Zu Dashou felt a sense of bewilderment followed by a heartache that was like a drop of blood.
Zu Dashou didn't know how much longer the Ming Dynasty could hold out. Nor did he know what his future would hold. Joining the Qing army was out of the question. The Qing army no longer had the might they once had. Like a wounded beast, it waited for its hunter to come. Joining the rebels was also out of the question. Currently, there were four significant rebel factions within the Ming Dynasty. But Zu Dashou couldn't predict which of these four would ultimately emerge victorious. Furthermore, in his eyes, these rebels were nothing more than a bunch of bandits. He had a feeling that the future of the world would not be ruled by the figures among these rebels.
In this situation, Zu Shou had a tendency to muddle through. He also knew deeply that as long as he held on to his troops, he would have negotiating power with whoever ruled the country in the future. However, Zu Dashou had not expected this day to arrive so soon. Its arrival caught him off guard.
Tang Tong sailed along the Daling River in a small boat and arrived at Dalinghe City. Dalinghe City was now much more fortified than it was then, with several red-coated cannons still atop the walls. However, in Tang Tong's eyes, these outdated artillery no longer posed much of a threat. Although he had only brought a thousand men this time, the two small boats carried ten steel cannons. In terms of power and range, they were no match for the red-coated cannons. A single round of shells wouldn't be enough to blast open the enemy's city gates.
The soldiers from Dalinghe City came over with Tang Tongyi. They blew the alarm horn and attracted the whole crowd.
There was a commotion in Linghe City. Zu Dashou heard the sound of a horn. After a moment's pause, he hurriedly ordered his men to don armor. He mounted his own warhorse and galloped towards the city walls. It had been six or seven days since there had been a war here. The peaceful life had made Zu Dashou somewhat relaxed, especially since he never stopped training his soldiers. After a moment of chaos, things calmed down.
Zu Dashou ascended the city wall and took a look. The first thing he saw was a banner with a large Tang character inscribed on it. Sitting on a throne was a figure in odd clothing. It looked like a unique military uniform, accentuating his majesty. Zu Dashou clearly knew he was the leader of the group. The others wore the same strange uniform, resembling the same kind of Japanese-style troops. There were about a thousand of them, all uniformly armed with muskets.
Zu Dashou thought for a moment and realized who this visitor was. The most famous man in the Ming Dynasty today was Tang, the former Dongjiang General. This General Tang was even more famous. Zu Dashou had heard of him many times. It was said that this man was the richest man in the Ming Dynasty, a Ming Dynasty merchant who had occupied vast territories. Everyone knew him, and many merchants, big and small, traveled overseas to seek their fortunes.
"Is the newcomer a Tang Jingtang?" Zu Dashou asked loudly. Although he and this Lord Tang had some grievances before, Zu Dashou was very clear. This was not the time to ask about those grievances. The current situation was different from the past. Although Zu Dashou still had over ten thousand Guanning Iron Cavalry under his command, he had also heard merchants exaggerate that this Lord Tang now had hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command. Regardless of whether these were exaggerations, the fact that this Lord Tang's men had defeated the Jiannu without a fight was true. Therefore, Zu Dashou's tone was still very polite. For a soldier, strength is everything. Tang Tong now has everything. Even more than the former Huang Taiji. Although Tang Tong did not claim the title of king, he was a truly powerful person. In a few moments, he developed the dignity of a superior. Tang Tong watched Zu Dashou leave the city walls. He smiled slightly and slowly stood up. He pointed toward the Dalinghe city walls and shouted, "Yes, it's me. Is that General Zu Dashou on the city walls?"
"Yes. Your Highness is Dashou. I wonder what brings you here, Lord Tang?" Zu Dashou appeared to be a rugged man, but he was also quite shrewd. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left such a great reputation in history. After surrendering to the Jiannu, Zu Dashou was also highly regarded by the Jiannu. This showed that he was a very extraordinary person.
"General Zu, I've come here hoping to fight alongside you and together we can defeat the Jiannu in the Northeast. Would you be willing?" Tang Tong said loudly. The two sides were too far apart, so they had to speak loudly.
Hearing Tang Tong's words, Zu Dashou's eyebrows twitched slightly. He was a shrewd man. From Tang Tong's words, Zu Dashou understood that this Lord Tang was here to recruit him. This made Zu Dashou hesitate slightly. Although everyone at that time had held the position of general, they all knew that Lord Tang had developed a huge power. Although Dashou didn't know how big it was, Zu Dashou did know one thing: if the Jiannu could not resist, then Lord Tang's power was enough to establish a country.
This was also what Dashou was worried about. Lord Tang was undoubtedly more powerful than the rebels within the Ming Dynasty. However, Lord Tang had always sought to expand his influence overseas. Dashou worried that if he joined Lord Tang, he would eventually have to go overseas. However, his ancestral family and his relatives, the Wu family, were the most powerful families in this land. If they left this land, they would be nothing and would have to start their own business elsewhere.
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