The biggest disaster for the Ming Empire was the large number of refugees it created, which caused social unrest, or what can be called domestic conflict.
The main way to shift domestic conflicts is to wage foreign wars. The emperor certainly knew this and was constantly implementing it.
But the gains from foreign wars are necessary; otherwise, social contradictions will be aggravated and become more serious.
The emperor delayed the war against Huduntu. On the one hand, he wanted to take the opportunity to subdue the right-wing Mongolian tribes, and on the other hand, he did not want to bear the burden too early.
That’s right, if nomadic peoples could survive by eating cattle and sheep during major disasters, so many people would not have starved to death after Chongzhen cut off the market and issued rewards in history.
In other words, after conquering the Mongolian tribes, the imperial court had to take responsibility for the people of the Ming Dynasty, including providing disaster relief and a large amount of food and supplies.
However, choosing this time to subdue the Mongolian tribes is the easiest and least costly option.
Between two evils, the emperor chose the lesser one. After estimating the court's finances, he decided to take action to solve the problem of Mongolia south of the Gobi Desert once and for all.
It was only a matter of time before the Ming army clashed with the rising Maozi Kingdom in the north. The emperor estimated that if the Ming army could continue to advance northward, it would be in his fifties.
Therefore, to conquer the Mongolians in the south, west, and north of the Gobi Desert, the war in the north alone would take decades.
Of course, we don't have to fight every year, take a break and fight again. Instead, we should advance and manage the territory of the Ming Dynasty northward, even to the North Pole, with unwavering determination!
This is not wishful thinking. With the current weapons and equipment and combat power of the Ming army, as long as the logistics can keep up, it will not be a problem to fight all over the world.
The key is the number of people. If we really organize them, millions of troops will be no problem.
Just when the Ming army was ready to take action and was about to attack the Chahar tribe, Hu Duntu had already entered the right wing of Mongolia without realizing it, and began the "unification" cause like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
Hu Duntu's judgment was correct. The right-wing Mongolian tribes who enjoyed a comfortable life had indeed degenerated seriously and were no match for the troops he led.
First, the Halashen tribe, which was stationed in the former Yuan Shangdu outside Xuanfu, was defeated, and then the Tumed tribe in Guihua City. After these two battles, Huduntu's tribe had established a firm foothold on the right wing.
But Huduntu was not satisfied and continued to attack. Shunyi King Bushitu (grandson of Tumed Altan Khan) was defeated again and fled in panic.
Jinong Elinchen, who was stationed in Ordos and managed the right wing on behalf of the Khan, was also defeated and deposed by Huduntu.
The continuous victories made Hu Duntu very proud. He believed that his decision to march west was wise and decisive, and that the great cause of unifying the Mongolian tribes had finally seen the light of day.
They are all Mongolians. If you can't beat them, just surrender. Huduntu thinks that should be the best choice.
But what made him depressed was that the defeated tribes such as the Halashen and Tumed either fled to the northern desert or surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, but none of them surrendered to him.
However, the Western Expedition did achieve great results. Hu Duntu annexed many tribes of various tribes, rested his horses in Guihua City, and sent Minister Guiying to ask for rewards from the Ming court.
According to the established plan, the generals and officials of the Ming border town sent Guiying to the capital to speak to the emperor on the grounds that they did not dare to act on their own.
In order to temporarily delay Huduntu by a delaying tactic, the governor of Sanbian, Sun Chuanting, and the governor of Xuanda, Zhu Tongmeng, began to prepare for war. In addition to the already organized and trained Ming army, they gathered the defeated tribes of Harashen, Tumed and other tribes, and organized a Mongolian army to counterattack Huduntu.
The Liaodong war zone was the first to launch the attack. A total of 6,000 cavalrymen from the three armies of Yang Guozhu, Kong Youde, and Sun Zushou, plus an additional 10,000 naturalized troops from the Inner Khalkha tribes, launched an attack on the remaining Chahar troops stationed in the Liaohe area.
In fact, Huduntu's westward expedition marked the beginning of the disintegration of the Chahar tribe. The three Otog tribes of Haoqite, Ujumchin, and Sunite, who had long been dissatisfied with the tribe, took the opportunity to flee north to the Outer Khalkha Shuolei Taiji (Chechen Khan) in the northern desert.
When the two Etuokes of Naiman and Aohan who stayed in their hometown saw the Ming army attacking, they surrendered and became naturalized. Alakezhuote also followed suit and surrendered to the Ming.
By this time, Huduntu had lost his old territory and base. Although he had basically pacified the right wing, he only held the Hetao and Tumochuan areas west of Xuanfu, and had lost the left wing.
"It's finally time to deal with Hu Duntu, the Mongol Khan!"
The emperor sat in the Qianqing Palace, listening to Xiong Tingbi report on the preparations of various departments, and felt emotional.
"Xuan Da Governor Zhu Tongmeng reported that he had taken over 40,000 Mongolian troops and recruited 5,000 soldiers; Sanbian Governor Sun Chuanting reported that he had taken over 30,000 Mongolian troops and recruited 3,000 soldiers; Liaodong's General Yang Guozhu reported that he had taken over 20,000 Mongolian troops, for a total of 13,000 Mongolian troops..."
They did not attach themselves to the nominal Mongol Khan Huduntu, but surrendered to the Ming court and naturalized as an independent. The various tribes were also very active in counterattacking the invading Huduntu.
According to the current figures, the number of Mongolian troops attacking Huduntu exceeded 20,000. Add to that the tens of thousands of Ming troops in Sanbian, Xuanda, and Liaodong, and Huduntu was completely no match.
After Xiong Tingbi finished his report, he bowed and waited for the emperor's decision.
"Now that we are ready, let's begin!" The emperor's voice echoed in the hall, mature and deep. "I have ordered the Ministry of Rites to send Guiying away, and to put an end to Hu Duntu's thoughts."
After a pause, the emperor continued, "Luring the Tigers and Rabbits to invade the border was a plan that had been formulated long ago, and the border garrisons claim to be fully prepared. If any harm is done to the people of the Ming Dynasty, it will be a dereliction of duty. I will impose penalties, and the Ministry of War must issue a document strictly announcing this."
"Your humble servant obeys your order." Xiong Tingbi bowed his head, his gray hair already very obvious.
The emperor's eyes flashed and he sighed inwardly.
Yuan Keli, Sun Chengzong and others returned to their hometowns to retire, and Xiong Tingbi and others were getting old. Although the ministers he relied on were replaced by new generations, they were not as easy to use as these old ministers.
"Defeat Huduntu and subdue the Mongolian tribes. The north should be able to enjoy peace for a few years." The emperor said gently, "Xiong Qing can also take a good rest."
"I am still strong and healthy, thank you for your concern."
Xiong Tingbi bowed in thanks, but inwardly he thought: It's not that the northern nomads are restless, it's that Your Majesty's will to expand our territory remains unwavering! Moreover, the conquests of the navy and army in the north, south, and overseas will not cease.
I also want to take a break and be a tyrant who eats, drinks and has fun, and live a carefree life until I die.
But with our national strength and powerful military, if we don't take this opportunity to expand our territory and strive for more and broader living space for the people of Ming Dynasty, who knows if there will be a prodigal son in the future who will ruin all my hard work!
Of course, the cycle of prosperity and decline is inevitable. But if you accumulate wealth, you can afford to decline. At least, while the people of the Ming Dynasty are scattered across the land, some places will always remain and become part of the Chinese territory.
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