To the officers and soldiers of Ding Haijun, this situation of fighting for a sphere of influence, or even for a single lush pasture, is both familiar and unfamiliar.
What is familiar is that many soldiers once experienced the prosperous age of the Kingdom of Jin in their childhood or youth. At that time, the Jurchens' cavalry rumbled into the depths of the grassland at regular intervals, either massacring a disobedient tribe or plundering a certain pasture and bringing back thousands of horses or tens of thousands of sheep.
However, as the Great Jin Kingdom continued to weaken, the cavalry that charged into the grasslands with great arrogance would most likely come back with their armor removed or even defeated, and this scene became increasingly unfamiliar.
As the fighting along the northern border trenches became more and more difficult, the Jurchens tried various methods to relocate them, and their number became smaller and smaller. Only Han'er was left to hold up the scene, fighting fiercely with the Mongolian cavalry who were desperate for revenge. .
The battle after that was a scene that Zhang Qian had witnessed and participated in countless times. It was a bloody road full of despair and sacrifice, escape and betrayal.
But who would have thought that after only three or four years, the Northern Xinjiang warriors who fled in embarrassment that day would come back again?
When his own side used powerful forces to regain the Qijinshan grassland, and when Huihe and Wuping in the northeast were determining the boundaries bit by bit with that Jurchen girl Aruzhen, Zhang Qian always felt that something was missing, that something was wrong. .
He was vigilant for several days, and even forced his subordinates to maintain the highest state of state. Only then did he realize that he was too nervous. In fact, there was nothing wrong, but there were fewer Mongolians on the pasture.
Not the messy Mongolian tribes that escaped from the Qijin Mountain pasture, but the Mongolians who gathered under the white blanket, as hard as steel and as ferocious as wolves.
Hearing that the Mongolian headquarters was about to follow Genghis Khan and launch a western expedition, Zhang Qian could guess without using his brain that they would fight in the west for a few years and then come back with a lot of men and animals.
He hoped that the Mongols would come back soon and have another serious fight to avoid future troubles. However, these are not things that a mere Qiao Jue should worry about.
Previously, Zhang Qian's troops, as the flanks of Shi Tianying and Xue Ta Lahai's armies, set out from Qijin Mountain and continued deep into the grassland. They passed through Anfeng and Luchuan and other places, and passed through eight hundred miles of pine forests, almost reaching Linhuang Mansion. .
But Shi Tianying and others immediately faced off against the Jin troops pouring out of Taizhou, Zhaozhou and even Huiningfu in Shangjing.
The two sides said it was a confrontation, but in fact the grassland was vast and sparsely populated, and there were many fights between the sentries and cavalry after they collided.
Only the subordinates of the Black Army lost more than a dozen people before and after, and the Jurchens' casualties were no less than this number. Anyway, human life is cheap in troubled times, and the death of a few people will not affect the meeting and negotiation between the two parties, and they can drink and eat meat to bond and bond.
In the end, the two parties reached several temporary agreements and roughly divided up the pastures suitable for overwintering. Zhang Qian took his headquarters back to Daxing Prefecture in Zhongdu and asked the soldiers to garrison the camp in Wuqing County. He himself took his followers and turned around and rushed to Zhongdu.
It is common for tribes on the grassland to have conflicts over the distribution of pasture and water sources. But the confrontation between the forces of the Ding Navy and the warlords in the northeastern hinterland is not a trivial matter.
Regardless of the need to maintain trade economically or to stabilize the court politically, the Marshal's Mansion has always attached great importance to its connections with the northeastern hinterland.
In the past few months, the reason why the Du Marshal's Mansion has mobilized troops from Beijing Road as the main force to expand its power to the north of Dading Mansion is also to avoid conflict with those Jurchen forces.
After all, even if the surrender of troops is done exceedingly well in many matters, the Marshal's Office still has room to evade mediation. As for what happened during the several confrontations during this period, Zhang Qian, who is in charge of the Dinghai Navy Headquarters, has the most say.
Therefore, as early as half a month ago, Yili Chucai wrote a letter in the name of the Privy Envoy, asking him to go to Zhongdu when he led his army back, so as to investigate the reason in detail.
Zhang Qian was an officer trained at the Haicang Town Military Academy in Laizhou. He was able to read and write thanks to Yi La Chu Cai's teachings, so his group of officers had an attitude of awe towards Yi La Chu Cai.
When they met, Yila Chucai asked casually, and Zhang Qian answered respectfully and in as much detail as possible. Speaking of the specific locations, causes and processes of several confrontations, he moved Chucai and asked the officials to spread out the map on the table. Zhang Qian stretched out his hand and pointed. Not only did he explain the situation clearly, but he also asked for a brush to mark the map. Named several inconspicuous meadows and streams.
After repeated questions several times, Yizai Chucai stood up and nodded: "In other words, this is indeed not an intentional arrangement. It is completely out of... the desire of the people below for pasture? You have dozens of people scattered out to grab the land, just How many times have there been such small conflicts, and then more than a dozen people died?"
"Previously, our troops had a fight with five Mongolian troops outside Dading Mansion, with nearly a hundred people killed and injured. Shi Tianying and other troops were attacked by the Mongols on the line from Cover Mountain to Luoma River, and more people died. Later, everyone lost their temper and rushed north in pursuit, killing anyone they saw. They rushed north for more than two hundred miles in one breath, so after they collided with the Jurchens, they were not polite..." Zhang Qian said this. , seeing that Yi La Chucai's expression was wrong, he quickly changed the subject: "Actually, the death of so many people is not a big deal. Sir, you don't know. In the early years, we had to fight for several military fortresses along the border trench. There will be bloody conflicts over pastures and water sources every three to five years, and the death of a few people is nothing. It’s the same this time, Shi Tianying didn’t take it seriously at all, and the Jurchens in Taizhou didn’t care either.” Zhang Qian After a pause, he continued: "This time I had a lot of interactions with ordinary Jurchens and Huli Gai people in the Huihe and Wuping areas. I also got to know a few chiefs who belonged to the second division of the Jin Kingdom in the early years. It was quite fun chatting with them and I somewhat understood their thoughts.”
"Oh? What do you think?"
"In the eyes of the Jurchen and Huli Gai chiefs in the northeastern hinterland, they are not the same as the many Jurchens who moved into the hinterland. When the Jin Dynasty captured the Central Plains, the Jurchen people dispersed in the Han Dynasty. Now they are eighty Years have passed, and the two sides have been isolated for eighty years. How can there be any kindred spirit? Those chiefs only bear the name of Xiangwen, Yilijin, or Tuli in vain, but in fact they have to send out soldiers and grain every now and then; the imperial court in the Central Plains Han'er The money squeezed out of them did not fall on them. They had no loyalty to Dajin for a long time! They sent out troops to fight so desperately, all they could think about was to grab more pastures, raise more groups of war horses, and then Sell it to us for money!" Yila Chucai studied in Yizhou when he was a boy, and he had seen a little of the behavior of those Yi people, so he nodded slightly.
He immediately said: "These chiefs have been able to live a better life recently and enjoy a little happiness as masters, thanks to the business of Qunmu Station. I guess they are close to us. However, Wanyan Chengchong, He Shiliehuanduan, etc. Where are the people?" Zhang Qian frowned: "What do you mean, sir?"
"After all, Wanyan Chengchong, He Shilie Huanduan and others are generals appointed by the Kingdom of Jin, and they are the most capable and loyal among the generals. Otherwise, they would not have been able to persevere in the difficulties of the past few years. That day they and I The army jointly faced the huge pressure from the Mongols, so they stood together hand in hand. Now the Mongols are marching westward, just like the tide suddenly recedes from the grassland. When the tide recedes, they leave fish, shrimps, crabs and turtles all over the place. What they will do What choice?" Yila Chucai patted Zhang Qian on the shoulder: "Can you guarantee that Wanyan Chengchong and Heshi Liehuanduan were not pushing for these recent conflicts? Can you be sure that they did not take the opportunity to expand their sphere of influence? ?”
"This..." Zhang Qian thought for a long time, shook his head and said: "I have never met those people, so I really dare not make false claims. However, most of the people below are interested in us. Even if those people have second thoughts, how can they still make trouble? Come?" And Yi La Chucai laughed: "That's right. In the northeastern hinterland, if the chiefs and chiefs below don't make trouble, the generals above can't make new tricks. If you put it this way, I I feel more at ease... Just go and rest, the marshal has been in the mansion these two days, and he might summon you, so don't rush back to Wuqing County." Zhang Qian said goodbye and felt that Chu Cai suddenly asked The political situation in the northeastern hinterland is a bit too tense.
And Yi La Chucai watched Zhang Qian's back disappear outside the courtyard gate, then sat down and flipped through the thick stack of documents at his hand.
The documents placed in this position were all copied by the Recorder. Recently, the Recording Department and the Metropolitan Inspection Department have cooperated and laid out a lot of secrets, so the scope of reported incidents has become wider and wider, and has begun to involve the Northeast Inland and Beijing Road.
The situations mentioned by Zhang Qian just now are clearly recorded in this document, and the statements of both parties are exactly corroborated, which makes Xiancai Chucai feel a little more relieved.
However, the most detailed record in the document is still the direction of Zhongdu. All because as the news of Mongolia's western expedition spread more and more widely, many of the original undercurrents became more and more turbulent, as if fish, shrimps, crabs and turtles wanted to re-divide the beach after the tide receded.
Guo Ning has been staying in the mansion for a while now, waiting for his wife to give birth, so he has given instructions several times to make sure Zhongdu's face is stable and there is no trouble.
Yila Chucai has known Guo Ning for three years, and has rarely seen him with such a gentle attitude. But some people insist on provoking the evil tiger regardless of life and death...what can they do?
