"Hetuala" in Manchu means "flat land on the hills" in Chinese.
Jianzhou Jurchen's lair is located on a high slope by the Suzi River and is divided into two parts: the inner city and the outer city.
In the inner city lived Nurhachi's large family.
The outer city and the surrounding mountains, forests and rivers are inhabited by members of the Eight Banners who "fight when they go out and fish and hunt when they go in".
Zheng Haizhu, who majored in Ming and Qing history, roughly remembers that the military units under each "banner" from small to large were Niulu, Jia La, and Gushan. There are three hundred households in a Niulu, and each household has a strong man who enters the Niulu military register. Five Niulu is a Jia La, and five Jia La is a Gushan.
In this way, depending on the different forces, each banner owner has thousands to 20,000 strong soldiers. For example, Nurhachi commanded the Zhenghuang and Xianghuang banners, with a full strength of 20,000 troops. Manggurtai's Zhenglan Banner and Huang Taiji's Zhengbai Banner had a full strength of six to seven thousand men respectively.
However, in this era of disease and famine, non-combat attrition also occurred from time to time. In addition, people had to be left to look after the home when going on an expedition. Therefore, historically, in the Battle of Fushun that took place four months later, the Jurchen side of Jianzhou won The number of troops that came out was 20,000.
Numbers are one thing, weapons are another. When passing through Qinghe Fort this time to give gifts to the guard Zou Chuxian on behalf of Mao Wenlong, Zheng Haizhu was told that the current combat weapons of the Eight Banners soldiers were mainly swords, spears, heavy infantry bows, etc., and they had never seen firearms.
After all, grinding iron armor and manufacturing muskets and artillery that require high requirements for smelting, chamber pressure control, and uniformity of cylindrical wall thickness are two different things.
Moreover, before the upcoming siege of Fushun, Hou Jin had not yet had a battle-type showdown with the Ming Dynasty. At most, it was harassment by small groups and plundering the civilians of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, Nurhachi had not personally experienced the effect of artillery, so he had not yet experienced it. Invented the tactic of laminating cars wrapped in iron and cowhide.
At this moment, Zheng Haizhu gently lifted the car curtain and looked at the mountains and forests. After the cavalry entered the area populated by huts, she could see towering trees being cut down and fallen from time to time. Bannermen drove their own packers to transport the wood in groups.
"Aya, what did Mang Gurtai say to his sister?" Zheng Haizhu asked in Aya's ear.
Since Yilanzhu met her cousin at the inn, during the last fifty miles into the city, she refused to sit in the car with Zheng Haizhu. Instead, she mounted her horse and rode alongside Mang Gurtai, occasionally letting go. The horse galloped wildly for a while, as free and carefree as a skylark. Most of the time, he looked at the scenery of his hometown and asked questions about his cousin.
"Back to Miss Zheng," Aya also lowered her voice to the lowest level, "Yilanzhu asked, what are you doing to chop so much wood? Why don't you let the packers rest when the Chinese New Year is about to come? They are so exhausted. Auspicious, Mang Gurtai said, in order to build stables for each banner."
What kind of stables should be built, Zheng Haizhu thought to himself, it should be a siege equipment for attacking Fushun.
Soon, the convoy entered the outer city of Hetuala.
Although this Houjin King City, which was developed from a tribal settlement, is not as prosperous as the Ming Dynasty city, the houses are neatly arranged. On the ground outside the houses, there are hollow tree trunks wrapped with yellow mud and smoke made of mud. The road is connected to the house and serves as a chimney for burning wood and exhausting smoke.
Walking on the road were bannermen wearing all kinds of furs and fur hats, or slaves wrapped in tattered linen cloths stuffed with withered grass. When they saw the upright Blue Banner leader Mang Gurtai, no matter how high or low they were, they all quickly fell to the ground. On the snow, they didn't dare to get up until the last horse of the entire convoy passed by.
Soon, the convoy arrived at the main entrance of the inner city. The inner city is very small, and you can see the administrative offices of various flags at a glance. In fact, it is just a small house with no one in front. At the deepest part of the "Khan Palace Office", there are many soldiers gathered under the steps. , Nurhaci is convening the banner leaders to discuss matters.
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Mang Gurtai saw Yilanzhu on the horse next to him, showing an anxious look, and said with relief: "It is a happy event that you are coming back to visit the Great Khan and his brothers. The Great Khan will be happy. Wait here, I will go in. Report to the Great Khan."
Yilanzhu nodded. She had already learned from Mang Gurtai that Amin, the son of his father Shuerhaqi and his direct descendant Fujin, was now the owner of the Xilan Banner. But Yilanzhu has been alienated from Amin since she was a child. In her heart, Mang Gurtai, her cousin, is much closer than Amin, her half-brother.
The Ming army guards Kong Youde and others who were protecting him had been ordered by Manggul Taylor to stay in an inn fifty miles away. Now, as soon as the only trusted man, Mang Gurtai, entered the inner city, Yilanzhu, who was sitting on the horse, looked at the expressionless Eight Banners sergeants around him, suddenly became frightened, slid off the horse, and got into the carriage where Zheng Haizhu and the others were riding. In the car.
"Madam, please come in a long time ago. It's so cold outside." Zheng Haizhu handed Yi Lanzhu a hand-warming copper stove.
Yi Lanzhu did not hide her thoughts from her: "Miss Zheng, I'm a little scared, aren't you?"
Zheng Haizhu smiled and said: "This is your own home, what are you afraid of? As for me, I am here to give gifts to your home, why should I be afraid?"
Yi Lanzhu said: "The generals of the Ming Dynasty said that I, Amma, died very strangely."
Zheng Haizhu pointed at Mu Zaohua and Aya, and said with a hint of teasing: "Then I will die here with you, and let the two of them go back and report."
Yilanzhu choked and stopped talking.
Then I thought, after all, I am the daughter of Shuerhaqi, how can I be less courageous than an ordinary businesswoman from the Ming Dynasty? Moreover, even if his father was indeed killed by his uncle Nurhachi as rumored, isn't Amin still doing the right thing now? Lord, there is no reason for my uncle to still not let go of his married niece after so many years.
When Yilanzhu was giving herself some reassurance, there was the sound of horse hooves, and Mang Gurtai galloped back, his face full of relief and joy.
"The Great Khan asks you to go in quickly."
…
Nurhachi sat on a sweat seat carved with a rough dragon body, staring at his niece who was saluting him.
He was quite unfamiliar with Yilanzhu's appearance, and he only had an impression of Shuerhaqi sending his daughter to please the Li Chengliang family.
To be fair, Li Chengliang had been in Liao Dynasty for many years. Although he accidentally killed his grandfather and father, Nurhaci also planned to write this into the "Seven Hatreds" of the Ming Dynasty that he would soon release. But he knew very well that the Ming Dynasty he should be most grateful to The Chinese is Li Chengliang.
Many years ago, a strongman named Zhang Juzheng in the Ming Dynasty gave Li Chengliang a large sum of money to build a fortress and cultivate fields in Kuandian.
It should be noted that these people of the country can endure hardship better than mules, and they can use their brains to cultivate the territory beyond the Great Wall into fertile fields in no time. However, in order to protect his own power, Li Chengliang suddenly abandoned Kuandian Liubao and forcibly moved 60,000 Han people into the fortress.
These lands benefited the rising Jianzhou Jurchens, and many Han people who had no way of making a living in the pass and missed their old lands outside the pass secretly ran out and joined the Jianzhou Jurchens.
At the moment, Nurhachi looked at Yilanzhu who looked nervous and frightened, stood up, stepped off the throne, and helped her up personally.
"You have grown up, and Ben Khan is also old. I heard from Sanbeile that you and the Li family's father have two brothers? Okay, okay, your mother and mother will be very happy in heaven. Let's do it Parents, I am most happy to see you blossoming and having children and grandchildren. Come..."
Nurhachi, who had a solemn expression just a moment ago discussing matters with the flag owners, now looked exactly like a kind elder among the people, leading Yi Lanzhu, Amin, Huang Taiji and other Beile to meet.
The guards had already moved the brocade stool and placed it next to Nurhachi's throne.
Nurhachi sat back on the throne and motioned for Yilanzhu to sit down as well. Fang narrowed his eyes and said to the outside of the hall: "Let that Ming Dynasty businesswoman come in too."
Zheng Haizhu had done a lot of psychological construction for herself, and now she entered this octagonal pavilion-like "Yamen of the Khan Palace" and knelt down to salute.
It's just acting, just kneel to Nurhachi.
Nurhachi still looked kind and cheerful: "Are you a relative of Liaoyang Guards? Are you from Liaodong, or are you from somewhere else?"
His Chinese is better than that of his son. After all, before he became rich, he went to Fushun market to sell mushrooms and often interacted with people from the Ming Dynasty.
Zheng Haizhu replied: "Back to the Great Khan, Cao Min is from Nanzhili, and he sells silk cloth."
Nurhachi suddenly leaned forward and asked with great interest: "I didn't expect that women from the Ming Dynasty also ran around. You must be well-informed. Come on, tell me what the soldiers of your Ming Dynasty are like. Isn’t it awesome?”
What kind of stupid question is this?
It was obvious that he was making fun of himself, a citizen of the Ming Dynasty.
After all, he was called a "hero of the generation" by some experts in later generations, and his style was a bit low.
The sons of the "Hero Lord" also let out low laughter, as if they were expecting the frightened expression of this weak Ming Dynasty man.
Zheng Haizhu stared at the simple blue brick floor.
Since the meeting hall was really small, she could even catch a glimpse of the robes and boots of Huang Taiji and others from the corner of her eye.
Zheng Haizhu pretended to ponder for a few breaths and then said: "Great Khan, the common people have never seen our country's military officials galloping on the battlefield, so they don't know how to judge the military power of our country's athletes. However, when the common people do business with the foreigners, they listen to what they have learned from the West. The merchants all mentioned that the Cossack cavalry of the Rakshasa Kingdom are very powerful. One day they will cross Mobei and fight to the east."
"Rakshasa? Cossack?"
It was obviously the first time Nurhachi heard these two names. His face darkened and he asked Huang Taiji and others a few questions in Manchu. Everyone expressed their ignorance.
Nurhaci returned to Chinese and asked Zheng Haizhu: "Who are they and what is their situation now?"
Zheng Haizhu said: "It is said that they were originally slaves of Mongolia. Later they rebelled and became stronger and stronger. Twenty years ago, they defeated the Siberian Khanate. They live further north than the Oara Mongols and are not afraid of them. Severe cold. Those cavalrymen called Cossacks are fierce and ruthless. They want to fight eastward because they need the seaport of Heilongjiang, and then build big ships to continue trading or plundering at sea. "
As Zheng Haizhu popularized science about Russia, a fighting nation, Nurhachi gradually showed a complicated expression.
He heard a familiar name: Heilongjiang.
It is called Saharian Ula in Manchu, and it is the territory of the Jurchens in Jianzhou!
