In the early Ming Dynasty, Haizhou was established as a garrison with its seat in the old Chengzhou City (now Haicheng, Liaoning Province), under the jurisdiction of Liaodong Military Commission. The area "controlled the east-west passage and served as the throat of sea transportation" and was rich in grain and sea salt.
Haizhouwei connects Lushun and Shandong in the south and Liaoxi and the capital in the north, and its strategic location is quite important.
In the early Ming Dynasty, Korean envoys went to Nanjing, passing through Haizhou and heading south to Lushun. In the late Hongwu period, Korean envoys went to Beijing and from here to Liaoxi.
In the sixth year of the Longqing reign (1572), the Korean envoy Xu Zhentong passed through Haizhou. He compared the city and people with Liaodong and said, "The city and people of Haizhou are inferior to those of Liaodong, but its prosperity is greater."
In the second year of the Wanli reign (1574), when Xu Yu passed through Haizhou, he gave a more detailed description: "Haizhouwei is also a large town, and its prosperity is second only to Liaoyang."
In the 38th year of the Wanli reign (1610), Zheng Shixin, while passing through Haizhou, described it as follows: "I arrived at Haizhou Garrison in the evening. Its grandeur and wealth are comparable to those of Liaodong. Its battlements, towers, turrets, moats, and other equipment for defense are all in meticulous repair, far superior to Liaocheng."
It can be seen from the records of Korean envoys that at least during the Wanli period, Haizhou's economic prosperity was comparable to that of Liaoyang.
The Ming-Jin War in Liaodong lasted for several years, and the economies of various places were severely damaged. Haizhou was no exception and was no longer as prosperous as before.
But one thing that remained unchanged was the fortified city of Haizhou. Not only had it sustained minimal damage during the war, but after Tong Yangxing led the Han troops stationed there, he stepped up repairs, making it even better than before.
Three of the four Liaonan guards had been lost, leaving only Haizhou still occupied by the Later Jin. As the gateway to Liaoyang in the north, the Later Jin could not ignore it.
Moreover, Haizhou Weicheng is located in the north of Haicheng River, at the foot of Yuhuang Mountain. It can be said that it is a dangerous and solid place, easy to defend but difficult to attack.
Tong Yangxing also expressed confidence in his report to Nurhaci, believing that the Ming army would pay a heavy price if they attempted to capture the city. The only concern was that the Ming army, under siege, might run out of food and fodder.
The reason for such confidence was not only due to the geographical advantages and the city, but also due to the large number of artillery pieces and the bird guns equipped by the Han soldiers.
Learning war through war was not only done by the Ming army, but also by the Later Jin. The sharpness of the Ming army's firearms, especially the power demonstrated in defense, left a deep impression on Nurhaci and others.
Although the Han soldiers led by Tong Yangxing were not as well equipped with firearms as the Ming army, their artillery was old-fashioned and their bird guns were weak, but they were still quite powerful if they relied on the city for defense.
"If the enemy advances deep into our territory and we fail to break through immediately, they will be trapped beneath the strong city walls. Once our reinforcements arrive, they will surely be defeated..."
Nurhaci allocated some food and supplies to Tong Yangxing, and told Tong Yangxing through a letter that holding on was victory and Liaoshen would not sit idly by and watch the Ming army's long-term siege.
The amount of food and fodder Tong Yangxing had anticipated was not enough, but he also knew that the Later Jin army was running low. Without the three wealthy Liaonan guards, they would have a hard time getting through the winter, and this was the best Nurhaci could do.
Nurhaci's analysis and judgment were also in line with the essence of military strategy. Fighting a defensive counterattack to thwart the Ming army's offensive momentum and perhaps seize a lot of supplies was indeed a very feasible strategy.
In this case, Tong Yangxing felt reassured. With the defenses of Haizhouwei, they could hold out for half a month, or even a month.
With the Eight Banners' mobility, they could arrive from Liaoshen in no time. They could quickly defeat the Ming army from both inside and outside, and then return to Liaoshen to prevent the Ming army and navy from attacking western Liaoning. Tong Yangxing also understood the reason for this arrangement.
Tong Yangxing felt that if the Ming army acted in multiple directions at the same time, it would be more threatening and more restraining.
However, according to the current intelligence, although the Ming army in western Liaoning was building ships and pontoon bridges, the progress did not indicate that they were ready to launch an attack soon, which made him very puzzled.
Perhaps the Ming army had learned the lesson of attacking in different directions in the Battle of Sarhu. Tong Yangxing could only make such a guess.
Standing on the top of the city wall, looking at the dense trenches and breastworks outside the city, Tong Yangxing patted the mounted cannon, squinted his eyes, and actually had some thoughts of hoping that the enemy would attack.
"If the enemy comes, their corpses will be scattered all over the ground." Deputy General Ding Bi expressed Tong Yangxing's inner thoughts. "With the Eight Banners troops outside, the enemy will surely flee in panic."
Ding Bi was originally a lieutenant general of the Ming army in Tieling. When the Jiannu attacked Tieling, he was bribed to open the city gate, resulting in the death and injury of many loyal and righteous soldiers and civilians in Tieling.
Although these words were exactly what Tong Yangxing wanted, he was in a gloomy mood. He did not immediately praise this obvious compliment and boasting, but looked at Ding Bi with a little displeasure.
Ding Bi didn't understand what was going on, so she wisely kept her mouth shut.
Tong Yangxing turned his gaze outside the city and said in a deep voice, "Defending a city relies heavily on firearms, so the effectiveness of the Han soldiers is crucial. Lieutenant General Ding, I heard you just stole a Han soldier's wife. Is this true?"
Ding Bi's face was embarrassed. He grunted and said, "I divorced my wife first, and I will marry her again. It's not true that she was forcibly taken away."
Tong Yangxing snorted and thought to himself: Do you think I'm stupid? You're making up this nonsense to deceive me.
After a pause, Tong Yangxing didn't want to pursue the matter too much, so he warned: "The war is imminent. If you want the Han soldiers to work hard, don't let them harbor resentment."
"I won't bother with that." Ding Bi bowed and replied, "I'll send that woman away when I get back, and pay her some silver as compensation."
Tong Yangxing nodded, his expression softening. He said, "Only one of the four Liaonan guards remains. The Ming army will surely attack Haizhou. If you can achieve success, I recommend you for general."
"Thank you for your kindness, sir." Ding Bi bowed again to express his gratitude.
Nurhaci was very suspicious of Han officials and generals. Even Li Yongfang was dismissed and retired, and only a few people like Tong Yangxing were still trusted.
Therefore, if one could get Tong Yangxing's recommendation, promotion was basically guaranteed. For example, he could be promoted to general, the highest rank of a Han general, except for Liu Xingzuo who defected to the Ming Dynasty.
Tong Yangxing felt quite good after both persuading and winning over the Later Jin. He was well aware of the current predicament of the Later Jin. However, the Tong family was unable to escape and could not separate from the Later Jin. This was the biggest difference between him and Liu Xingzuo.
Moreover, Tong Yangxing felt that the situation might not change. Changing orders from day to day and court infighting were chronic problems of the Ming court. How could they be easily changed?
It is undeniable that the current emperor of the Ming Dynasty was very powerful. He promoted and reused a group of capable officials and generals, and vigorously guaranteed logistical supplies, which gradually reversed the situation in Liaodong.
But it is doubtful how much patience a young man in his twenties can have. Moreover, isn't the Ming court's heavy investment just a gritted teeth and perseverance? How long can it last?
Therefore, if the Ming army could suffer a major defeat, whether it was Xiong Tingbi or Mao Wenlong, if one of them could be transferred or punished, the situation in Liaodong might change.
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