Outside Shanhaiguan, east of the Ningjin Line, a group of suspicious looking guys were welcomed.
Call it a refugee, I have never seen such a large-scale gang. It is so vast that there may not be thousands of people.
Let's say it was an army. They were wearing all kinds of clothes. They had neither armor nor bows and arrows. The cart was pulling farm tools, such as shovels and pickaxes.
There were originally some farmers outside Shanhaiguan, but they were scattered and sparse, and they were mainly concentrated to the west of the Ningjin Line. Because in the section from Shanhaiguan to Ningjin Line, Ming Dynasty's troop control was pretty good, and the situation was relatively stable.
Moreover, the horse market in Guandong is located in this area. In order to do business with the Ming Dynasty, the Jurchens did not dare to fool around in this place easily. Therefore, some people from the Central Plains fled to the outside world to farm.
But east of the Ningjin Line, there is a vast expanse of land that is sparsely populated and overgrown with vegetation. Because the Ming Dynasty's troops are very sparse here, from here to the Heilongjiang River, it is the territory of the Jurchens.
To the east of Heilongjiang is a large area of desolate permafrost. Because it is difficult to farm, the population is even more sparse. Mongols, Jurchens and Russians went there to herd and hunt in the summer.
They hunt all kinds of wild animals, and they often attack people. The Russians, who had been defeated by the Mongols, became angry again after the fall of the Mongol Empire and began to retaliate.
Therefore, the Russians took the initiative to provoke more often. They would attack the Mongols and capture them as slaves. The Mongols were not easy to mess with and often launched counterattacks. Therefore, there are also beautiful slaves with blond hair and blue eyes in the tents of the Mongolian nobles.
The Jurchens established the Jin Kingdom in history, but were later destroyed by the Mongols and the Southern Song Dynasty. They had enmity with the Mongols. Therefore, after the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols were petty and grudge-minded, and gave the Jurchens a lot of small shoes to wear.
I'm not just saying that the Mongols are petty, as evidenced by the classification of people in the Yuan Dynasty. Mongolia, Semu, Han, and South.
The Han people in the Southern Song Dynasty were the lowest class and were called Southerners. But in fact, regardless of the level of education or economic level, the south is very high. The reason why the level is low is because the resistance is fierce and the fighting is strenuous.
It stands to reason that the Jurchens and the Mongols have been together for many years and have similar cultural customs. You just don't give them the treatment of Mongolians, at least they are at the level of Semu people.
No, the Yuan Dynasty listed the Jurchens as Han people, that is, the third group. Nothing else, because you had a fight with me, and the fight was fierce.
This is the standard for classifying people in the Yuan Dynasty. The longer you resist and the harder I fight, the lower your status will be.
Of course, in order not to offend Mongolian readers, I must add: To be fair and impartial, this small-mindedness is shared by the ruling class.
For example, Zhu Yuanzhang punished Shen Wansan and imposed heavy taxes on Suzhou. This was also the case in the Ten Days in Yangzhou in the Qing Dynasty and the Jiading Massacre.
However, generally speaking, after the country stabilizes, such discriminatory policies will decrease. For example, Zhu Yuanzhang's son revised the heavy tax on Suzhou, and after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, he also attached great importance to Jiangnan.
Maybe the Yuan Dynasty occupied the Central Plains for a short period of time. It was beaten away before it reached a century, and it didn't have time to correct its discriminatory policies, so it left people with the impression of being petty.
This feeling is just like when you saw Grandma Rong pricking two squares with a needle, and you hated Grandma Rong until your teeth itched. Then decades later, you suddenly realize that Grandma Rong might have made a mistake.
But some people have passed away in the past few decades and on their deathbeds thought Grandma Rong was a bad guy. It can be seen that the key factor is that you have to live long enough to have a chance to usher in a reversal.
Therefore, the Mongols and Jurchens are not very friendly at this time, but after all, they are nomadic peoples with the same origin, and their interests are often consistent.
For example, they work together to steal the gold and silver treasures of the Ming Dynasty, work together to force the Ming Dynasty to open a horse market for business, organize a coalition to fight with the Russians, etc.
But for something as trivial as robbing Han farmers outside the Pass, the Jurchens would definitely not call the Mongols together. Because it's like picking up money with your head down, why should you invite others to share it with you?
When these thousands of farmers separated into several areas, built houses, gathered into villages, and cultivated land, the Jurchen team, which had been observing for a long time, took action.
Summer has just entered, and it is not the harvest season yet, so the only way to grab food is to grab some rations. The Jurchen branch is for the money of these immigrants.
The nomadic people have long discovered that there is a characteristic of the farming people, that is, no matter where they go, all their belongings must be carried with them in soft clothes.
Even if there are more than a thousand people in a village, even if each person's possessions are only one tael of silver, if you accumulate a little, it will be more than a thousand taels, and you will pick it up for nothing. Whoever doesn't want it is a fool.
So a small detachment of one hundred cavalry roared over with sabers. While the people who were clearing up wasteland and farming gathered in the village for lunch, they first chopped down a charging dog with a knife, and then waved their swords and shouted.
"If you don't want to die, hand over all your money, otherwise you will all die!"
The villagers who were eating stopped using their bowls and chopsticks and turned to look at the Jurchen cavalry. An unshaven man looked at the steel knife that was still dripping with blood.
"Why did you kill my dog? My woman left it for me!"
The leading Jurchen frowned. He had never watched the Speed series, and he didn't know if the man in front of him was named John, so he didn't think it was a big problem to kill other people's dogs.
"Yes, if you don't hand over the money, you will be such a bitch!"
"How dare you kill my dog! I will fight you!"
The Northeast version of the murder caused by a dog was staged. More than a thousand guys who were still holding hoes at noon suddenly pulled out steel knives and spears from the cart. There were not enough weapons, so most of them took out sickles and pickaxes.
The Jurchen detachment was fooled. They had never encountered any resistance when they robbed farmers before, and they always took what they asked for. Even a large village with a large number of people would not dare to resist when facing the cavalry.
But these farmers are all guardsmen. Although their combat effectiveness as soldiers may not be very strong, they are by no means comparable to ordinary farmers.
They had a large number of people, and they had an advantageous location in the village. People from nearby villages got the news and swarmed in. They beat the Jurchen team to pieces, threw away more than a dozen corpses, and fled.
The captain of the small team became more and more angry as he thought about it. He ran a hundred miles eastward overnight and found his tribe. When the tribal leader heard this, he became furious.
You and a hundred people were beaten by a group of farmers? How is this possible? If word gets out, how will we collect protection fees in the future?
What's more, we are never smart enough in horse market transactions, and we all rely on momentum to bargain. If the Han people heard about this, the prices would be even higher in the future!
Incompetent person, tomorrow I will personally lead a team to help you find the place, and let those mud-legged people with hoes and sickles know that in this land, the horsemen will always have the final say!
That night, Yang Zhao, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, also welcomed a special guest. Master Wenxuan, the Great Tomorrow Master, and Xiao Feng, the Second Assistant to the Cabinet, rushed over with three hundred cavalrymen from the capital.
Yang Zhao was originally the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan, but Xiao Feng wanted to implement the strategy of farming outside the customs, so he was directly promoted to the commander-in-chief of Liaodong and also in charge of Shanhaiguan.
As a result, Yang Zhao was directly promoted from the commander-in-chief of a town to the level of governor, which was equivalent to a big step. He was naturally grateful to Xiao Feng for promoting him.
At this time, when he heard that Xiao Feng was going to lead the troops into battle in person, he was immediately frightened, fearing that his backer would become cold before he could rely on him.
"My lord, the Jurchens are rude and cruel and do not know etiquette. My lord, you have a rich body, why bother to go into battle in person? It is enough for the general to lead the troops!"
Xiao Feng smiled: "Everyone of my three hundred cavalrymen is carrying a newly made musket from Wushiguan. Your cavalry is not used to it yet, and it is easy to make mistakes.
What's more, I am the one who advocated the farming outside the customs this time. How many pairs of eyes in the court are watching. If I fight the battle myself, I can suppress many voices. "
Yang Zhao naturally knew that the situation in the court was complicated, but he was still very worried about Xiao Feng's safety, so he made another suggestion.
"If you want to go into battle, you must bring more men and horses. We must fight the enemy with ten times the number of men and horses to ensure safety."
Xiao Feng smiled and said: "How many troops can you have? Only tens of thousands of people. You still have to guard Shanhaiguan. The remaining troops are sprinkled on the vast land of Guandong, just like a handful of pepper noodles sprinkled in a pot of soup."
You can't fight a war like this, fight with more than you have, and don't be afraid if you win the enemy. In this battle, I am going to defeat my fearful opponents so that they will never dare to act rashly again! "
Yang Zhao thought to himself that this was a bit exaggerated. Although I heard that Mr. Xiao had fought against Japanese pirates in Jiangnan, the Japanese pirates were Japanese pirates after all. Can they compare with the Jurchens?
This kind of war involving cavalry in the wilderness is completely different from the war in the mud pit on the seaside.
But Xiao Feng had already said so definitely that he did not dare to refute any more. He could only ask Xiao Feng for instructions on where to fight the first battle so that he could arrange backup troops.
Xiao Feng smiled: "Isn't there a reclamation site that was attacked today? The other party will definitely bring more people to take revenge, so let's fight here!"
The next day, the entire Jurchen tribe's cavalry gathered, and under the leadership of their eldest brother, they attacked those villages aggressively.
On the road, he met Tan Ma, who was being followed by a small team, and reported breathlessly: "Brother, leader, after the battle yesterday, the Ming Dynasty's cavalry came and left three hundred cavalry."
The leader frowned: "Where are the remaining cavalry? Where have they gone? Are they close?"
Tan Ma shook his head and said: "Our people have been watching, and they have gone very far. It seems that there is more than one such settlement, and they have to patrol other settlements."
The leader breathed a sigh of relief: "We have a thousand cavalry here! The opponent only has 300 cavalry and more than a thousand farmers! If we can't win this battle, we might as well drown ourselves in urine!"
The team leader had some doubts: "Chief, it's one thing for us to intercept and kill the peasants, but it's completely different if we really fight against the regular army of the Ming Dynasty.
In the past, when we killed Han people, as long as they were outside the Ningjin Line, Ming Dynasty would turn a blind eye. But if they attack the army, will the leaders of the Three Guards of Jianzhou be punished? "
The leader shook his head: "The Ming Dynasty is no longer what it was back then! The leaders of Jianzhou are just kind-hearted in appearance.
The last time Anda Khan came to the capital, Jianzhou Wei pretended to be the king of Qin and went all the way around Shanhaiguan to rob it. All the soldiers from Shanhaiguan were mobilized to attack An Dahan, and the defenders didn't leave the city at all!
Afterwards, the General Army of Liaodong pretended to send troops to conquer, but the leaders of Jianzhou misunderstood and sent some gold and silver, and everything was calm!
Therefore, if we win this battle today, it will be beneficial. If we don’t dare to fight, the big leaders will find out and think we are useless!
We are a small tribe. If we want to get ahead, we have to let the big leaders know our usefulness. In the future, our territory will naturally become bigger and bigger! "
So a thousand Jurchen cavalry roared excitedly, rushing towards the farmers' settlements in a cloud of smoke and lightning.
The farmers were cultivating the fields, and three hundred cavalry were patrolling around the open fields. They looked very wet in the open fields.
In this vast world, the Jurchen cavalry felt that they were fighting on their home field and were extremely excited. A thousand cavalrymen raised their sabers and raised a cloud of smoke in the distance, shouting fanatically.
"Put down your weapons and we will kill a hundred people to avenge the warriors who died yesterday! If you dare to resist, we will kill them all!"
The leader of the Ming cavalry raised his hand, and the three hundred cavalry walked around the field, blocking the way between the farmers and the Jurchen cavalry, and lined up in a long row without charging.
The captain of the Jurchen team was very surprised: "Chief, the Ming army's cavalry did not escape or charge. What is going on?"
The leader laughed wildly and said: "It seems that the leader is an idiot! If the cavalry does not charge, it is not as effective as the infantry! Facing the charge of the cavalry, the cavalry will stand still and wait for death!
This is why the Ming Dynasty’s army was not good! Either a civilian officer leads the army, or a hereditary military attache!
I heard that some people's father died early and they became military generals at the age of twelve or thirteen. Can such a stupid boy lead troops and fight in war? Ridiculous!
Look at the guy who leads the team. He is really young. What kind of clothes is he wearing? Tsing Yi and white robe. Is this what he wears on the battlefield?
There is also a collar around the neck, so damn...it looks pretty! Grab it, I want it!
We Jurchens are all warriors who can become generals. Today we will show them what it means to be a cavalry! "
The Jurchen cavalry roared towards them, and in the blink of an eye they were only five hundred steps away. Xiao Feng waved his raised hand back, and each of the three hundred cavalrymen picked up their muskets from the hooks next to the saddles and held them flat against their chests.
The team leader shouted loudly to the leader, because although he was close, the sound of horse hooves was like a heavy rain, and it was not easy to hear anything.
"They have guns! Musketeers!"
The leader replied loudly: "I'm afraid of you. I have seen the Ming army's muskets, but they are all useless as soon as they are fired. I heard that there is a three-eyed musket that only officers can use!"
And that thing is not very lethal, and it doesn't hit very far. At this distance, even if we rush in front of them, they can't even kill a few people! "
With a bang, Xiao Feng waved his hand down and fired a volley of one hundred and fifty muskets. Because there was so much volley, the gunfire sounded at the same time, like a cannon.
About a hundred Jurchen cavalrymen and horses fell down, and the leader was shocked.
"Why is it so far away? Can you kill someone from such a distance? Speed up the charge. They need to change the gunpowder. Don't give them a chance to shoot again!"
boom! There was another sound, and the one hundred and fifty muskets that had not been fired just now were fired. Another hundred men fell to the ground!
"Don't be afraid, they are taking turns to fire, and they must change their dressings now!"
boom! There was another sound, how could the gunpowder change be done so quickly? The charging cavalry looked at the leader in horror. The leader was also beating a drum in his heart, but at this time, he fired his bow and had no arrow to turn back!
You can still win by going forward, but by going backward? The cavalry is not infantry. It stops when it wants to stop and retreats when it wants to retreat.
The speed has increased. If you have to brake suddenly at this time, not only will you be rear-ended, but you will also get trampled!
"Come on, warriors, they have three-eyed fire cannons! Fire them three times at most!"
Boom, boom, boom! After three shots, the three hundred muskets had fired three times in turn. A company of one thousand Jurchen cavalry had fallen, and the horses frightened by the gunshots had been damaged by nearly half, but the remaining five hundred cavalry charged forward instead. Gotta go faster!
"The three-eyed fire gun also needs to be replaced. Let's rush forward!"
"I'm going to kill them all today. My brother just fell down!"
"I want to have sex first and then kill him!"
"They are all men! We saw it yesterday and there are no women in this group!"
"...I don't care! What you say must come true!"
boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
In fact, if they push forward, the Jurchens may not have no hope of victory. Because they are already very close. At least two hundred people could rush forward.
But the closer they got, the more desperate they became. They saw with their own eyes that those Ming soldiers were not holding three-eyed muskets. After firing a shot, they pulled the gun, stuffed a thing into it, and then fired again!
What kind of gun is this? Never seen it before! The psychological shock caused by the continuous gunfire is even stronger than the actual lethality.
Less than a few dozen steps away, facing the black muzzle of the gun, the Jurchen cavalry finally turned their direction and fled in all directions.
Xiao Feng waved his hand and immediately led his army to pursue them. Gunfire continued along the way. The Jurchen cavalry managed to escape a lot thanks to their excellent riding skills.
But those who fell off their horses and fell to the ground were swarmed up by the farmers and tied up. When the cavalry patrol came the next day, they took everyone away.
These Jurchens were not killed, but were escorted by the army to a new land and looked at the farm tools in front of them at a loss.
The Ming army guarding them wore bright armor and looked majestic. Without their horses, the Jurchens looked much smaller.
For the first time, they felt up close that the Han people were so tall and majestic. In the past, they thought the Han people were weak because they were always riding on horses, so they naturally looked tall!
"The imperial court has issued an order. If the Jurchen captives are willing to farm patiently and mingle peacefully with the Han people, they will be exempted from crime. If they are not willing, they will be executed for robbery and murder!"
