Chongzhen Emperor

Author: Fu Cangsong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-11-01
Features: Excerpt: Chapter XII
Boundless falling leaves, Chongzhen, due to the distance, only heard the words "Later Jin" when the report was presented. After the report was finished, he quickly asked, "What's wrong with Later Jin? What's wrong with Later Jin? Quickly report!"
"Your Majesty, Later Jin has launched four armies, crossing the border and invading!"
When the Ming Dynasty's Emperor Chongzhen was trapped in various difficulties and unable to extricate himself, the Later Jin Grand Khan Hong Taiji, far in the northeast corner, was full of confidence. Under his strategic planning, the military machine of Later Jin was operating with full force. Since the military plan to attack Ming was set, Hong Taiji had been making serious preparations day and night. Soon after the fundamental decision to attack Ming was made, he again gathered the Beile and ministers to discuss the specific route of the attack. After careful deliberation, they finally confirmed the plan to avoid Shanhai Pass and target the Xuanfu and Datong prefectures of the Ming Dynasty as the strike points.
Hong Taiji chose Xuanfu and Datong as the targets of attack based on two important reasons. On one hand, he wanted to gather the remaining forces of the Chahar tribes along this route during the journey; on the other hand, the Ming troops at Shanhai Pass were heavily fortified, making it difficult for the Later Jin forces to pass through. In contrast, the Ming Dynasty's Xuanfu defense line was a weak link in their border defenses.
Xuanfu was originally the Shanggu Prefecture during the Qin and Han dynasties. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang established Kaiping Guard here, which was closely linked with Liaozuo Guard and mutually supported. The area was strategically vital, with the Zijing Pass as its southern shield and the Great Wall on its northern flank. The Juyong Pass stood tall on the left, and Yunzhong on the right, forming a formidable and difficult-to-attack position. Due to its important strategic role in defending the capital and suppressing nomadic tribes, Xuanfu remained a key military strategic location in the northwest throughout the Ming Dynasty.
Datong was originally the Yunzhong Prefecture during the Qin and Han dynasties. In the early Ming Dynasty, Datong Prefecture was established, and Zhu Yuanzhang enfeoffed one of his sons as the Dai King to reside there long-term, demonstrating its significant strategic importance. Xuanfu and Datong have long been valued by military strategists for their defensive and control value over northern nomadic tribes. The Ming Dynasty built fortresses and stationed heavy troops here to prevent the Mongol nomads from southward expansion, making Xuanfu and Datong impregnable and unbreakable.
However, by the late Ming Dynasty, one region faced severe border defense issues. This was partly due to continuous invasions and destruction by nomadic tribes in the frontier, and partly because the Ming Dynasty had to divert troops from Xuanfu and Datong to focus on fortifying the defense line from Ning, Jin to Shanhai Pass to counter the military threat of Later Jin, leaving the Xuanfu and Datong areas vulnerable and ultimately in a precarious state.
Hong Taiji chose the Xuanfu-Datong line as the breakthrough point for this military operation. Strategically, this was to avoid the strong points and strike the weak points, attacking where the Ming Dynasty was unprepared.
Datong is slightly farther from the capital, while Xuanfu is only about 300 miles away. By targeting these two military strongholds, Hong Taiji not only posed a direct military threat to the capital but also aimed to significantly undermine the political stability of the Ming Dynasty.
Thus, Hong Taiji bypassed the Shanhai Pass defense line for the second time, traveling thousands of miles, and launched a new strike against the Ming Dynasty.
Before the army set off, Hong Taiji once again inspected the preparations for the expedition and ordered each Nuoer to provide one blacksmith, carrying five woks, five hammers, five shovels, five axes, two chisels, and two drills. Additionally, each Jalan was equipped with two cloud ladders, and so on.
He also specially summoned Fan Wencheng and discussed various details with him in detail for several days. After ensuring that all preparations for the expedition and the personnel in Shengjing were properly and meticulously assigned, he finally launched this military operation.
On May 22, Hong Taiji led his army out of Shenyang and marched westward. After crossing the Liao River, they quickly arrived at Duerbi, where the leaders of the various Mongol tribes gathered their forces.
To adapt to the needs of long-distance raids, the core of the Later Jin strike force was entirely composed of cavalry, making the entire Later Jin army highly mobile. The entire army marched westward from here and quickly entered Inner Mongolia.
As expected by Hong Taiji, the remaining forces of the Chahar tribes encountered them along the way and continuously joined the Later Jin forces.
It was also during the march that Hong Taiji reorganized his troops and continued westward.
On June 20, Hong Taiji ordered Degeli to lead a detachment to occupy Dushikou and rendezvous with the main army at Shuozhou.