When the time comes, heaven and earth are on your side; when luck is gone, even heroes cannot be free.
The Jiannu were certainly not heroes, but using the original meaning of this sentence to describe their current situation is very appropriate.
To put it bluntly, when you are unlucky, even drinking water will get stuck in your teeth.
They thought that after some arrangements, they had basically stabilized the front line. If the Ming army launched another attack, it would need at least two or three months of rest and storage of supplies.
Indeed, the main concern of the Later Jin was southern Liaoning. The Ming army in southern Liaoning was like a steel knife, directly pointing to the belly of the Later Jin, and posed the greatest threat.
Although the Ming army in western Liaoning was powerful, it was still separated by the Liao River and Liaoze. If it attacked in the summer and autumn, it would be very difficult.
But what the Later Jin had not expected was that the strategic focus of the Ming army had shifted to defending western Liaoning and attacking southern Liaoning. Heavy troops were concentrated in southern Liaoning, but the Later Jin had not received any accurate intelligence.
Haizhouwei and Haicheng River, the Later Jin Dynasty placed its hopes on this line of defense, but it did not know that the few defending troops could not withstand the attack of tens of thousands of Ming troops.
Before the Later Jin could make preparations to attack Inner Khalkha, the Ming army in southern Liaoning had already launched its attack, advancing northward at a leisurely pace, and its intention to attack Haizhou was obvious.
While the Ming army in southern Liaoning advanced steadily, the Ming army in eastern Liaodong launched a swift and fierce attack. After deploying troops, Mao Wenlong took the lead and headed straight for Jianzhou.
It was the same old trick, just on a different scale. Mao Chenglu led 3,000 musketeers on boats up the Yalu River, traversing mountains and forests, and suddenly attacked several villages in Jianzhou, successfully ambushing a reinforcement force of Jiannu.
When Ajige and Dudu mobilized their troops and launched another counterattack, Mao Chenglu led his troops into the mountains and forests, but did not retreat immediately.
Taking advantage of the opportunity when the two flags of Jiannu were mobilized, Mao Wenlong commanded two groups of Ming troops to march out from Kuandian, and successively captured the three forts of Aiyang, Gushan and Jianchang, and headed straight for Hetuala.
Ajige hurriedly led the main force back and set up defenses at Yagu Pass, preparing to resist the attack of the Ming army.
Faced with the military operations of the Ming army in southern Liaoning and Liaodong, Nurhaci had to postpone the plan to attack the Inner Khalkha tribe and deploy troops to deal with another round of offensive by the Ming army.
Nurhaci and the high-ranking officials of the Later Jin Dynasty naturally did not know that the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had invested a huge amount of money again, and food, ammunition and other resources were continuously transported to southern and Liaodong.
In addition, Zhu Youxiao allocated money and weapons to Liaoxi, Liaonan and Liaodong, and expanded and trained the three-association musketeers on the spot to prepare for the subsequent continuous battles.
The emperor's intention remained unchanged: to use the Liao people to defend Liao territory and to use Liao soldiers to destroy the Jiannu. With sufficient food and proper resettlement, the Liao people also showed their bravery and fought bravely, living up to the emperor's expectations.
Don't compare the Ming army in history with the Ming army today, and don't compare the Liao people in history with the Liao people today.
The Ming army in history was short of food and wages; the Liao people in history suffered from cold and hunger. Yet most of them still fought desperately with the Jiannu until they could no longer hold on.
The emperor was not a good emperor, the civil officials were corrupt and factional, and the military generals withheld food and wages and only supported their servants. Under such circumstances, how could we blame the ordinary soldiers for fighting and sacrificing their lives for the country?
Ultimately, it was the emperor's fault. Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Keli both managed to suppress the Jiannu, but ultimately failed. In this respect, Wanli was relatively good, placing his absolute trust in Xiong Tingbi.
Of course, the current emperor is even more powerful. He promotes capable people and provides them with all the necessary supplies. It is no surprise that he crushes the Jiannu.
....................Dividing line........................
"Your humble servant bows to thank God for His grace. Long live the Lord, long live the Lord, long, long live the Lord!"
After Li Dan finished thanking the emperor, he raised his hands and took the large tray handed to him by the imperial edict messenger. On the tray were the imperial robes, the clothing of a fourth-rank common noble, and several exquisite jade articles.
The messenger did not stay for long. He helped Li Dan up and left.
Li Dan's adopted son, Li Guozhu, was a man of his time. He handed the sixth-rank civilian nobility robes to a servant and escorted them out. Not long after, he returned with a smile on his face. Clearly, the messenger hadn't returned empty-handed.
Li Dan had already changed into the imperial robes bestowed upon him, which were different from the standard attire of commoners. They demonstrated the emperor's courtesy and symbolized the highest honor.
"Congratulations, father. Congratulations, father." Li Guozhu knelt on his knees to congratulate his adoptive father.
Li Dan laughed heartily, raised his hand, and said, "Hurry up, you and I are father and son, there is no need to do this."
Li Guozhu kowtowed, then stood up and looked at the Qilin robe bestowed by the emperor. He praised, "Royal gift, this is the auspicious Qilin beast. My father's honor is unmatched in the Ming Dynasty."
Li Dan was also proud in his heart, but he remained reserved. He waved away the servants and gestured to Li Guozhu to sit down.
Li Dan took a sip of the fragrant tea and, after carefully considering his words, he slowly spoke, "Guozhu, do you know that my father has been promoted to a noble and given clothes? You have also been awarded the sixth-rank civilian nobility. What is your contribution?"
Li Guozhu didn't think much about it and answered, "I thought it was transporting grain from overseas to Liaodong and that he had made contributions to the Liaodong war."
Li Dan nodded, his face appreciative, and said, "That's right. The Yang and Huang families have also been granted civilian titles this time, both of which are related to the transportation of grain to Liaodong. Clearly, the most important issue right now is Liaodong. Your Majesty will not hesitate to reward anyone who has made a contribution there."
After a pause, he continued, "Although my father is the president of the Maritime Merchants Association, I cannot force other companies to earn less money for transporting grain. The Emperor has never promised any rewards. It all depends on each person's self-consciousness."
Li Guozhu nodded vigorously and said, "The first thing to do is to be conscious. If you wait until you see the reward before doing it, it will be much worse."
"Sometimes, making money isn't the primary reason for considering the pros and cons of something," Li Dan taught earnestly. "Father has said before that Your Majesty is a man of affection and loyalty, and will remember your efforts and contributions. Even if there's a small profit in purchasing grain for Liao, even if it's a loss, we still have to do it. Many people fall short because they're too calculating."
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