When Xin Wencheng and Wang Shiguo went north, they were accompanied by more than 18,000 soldiers from the Beijing camp, including more than 30,000 family members.
About a thousand exiles escorted by the Ministry of War also followed the team.
The huge team rested only after arriving in Shenyang.
Wang Shiguo was so envious that his teeth were sore.
Poor General Heilongjiang, the court only arranged 5,000 Korean soldiers and 5,000 Beijing troops, and only 10,000 people under his command.
This manpower is too shabby compared with General Jilin.
"I'll give you a gift."
Chen Yongfu patted Wang Shiguo on the shoulder and spoke earnestly.
Subsequently, thousands of "waiting to return" were also dispatched to farm in Heilongjiang.
Wang Shiguo was overjoyed and had more than 15,000 troops under his command.
The Beijing camp, North Korea, and prisoners were all mixed together, but it was the Beijing camp that had the decision-making power, followed by North Korea, and then the prisoners.
After many years of wandering around the border and fighting countless battles, Wang Shiguo learned the strategy of guarding the army - divide and attack.
Wang Shiguo comforted the Beijing camp, claiming that after arriving in Heilongjiang, they would be allocated at least 500 acres of land and become landlords that everyone envied.
Moreover, the Heilongjiang generals have a vast territory, and everyone can become a high official and honor their ancestors.
The Korean soldiers were simpler, telling them that their household registration would be Mingren, and their children could take the imperial examination and have the opportunity to become officials.
North Korea's classes are solidified. Two groups of nobles rule the world and hold official positions. Those who can serve as soldiers are naturally civilians, and they will never become superiors in their lives.
Now I just go to the north and not only get the household registration of Shangguo, but I can also study and become an official. This is an opportunity that I can't wait for.
For the returnees, he adopted the policy of treating prisoners with prisoners, promoted those who performed well to officers, and announced that after going to Heilongjiang, all the returnees would become civilians in advance.
In addition, there will also be land rewards, and children can participate in imperial examinations and other rights.
The military spirit was greatly delighted by this.
After the two parties met, they arrived in Jilin City together.
It is now the end of July, and in two months, heavy snow will come.
Wang Shiguo made a difficult decision for a while and chose to lead three thousand cavalry to Nurgan City to explore the city and pave the way for the construction of the city in the next year.
Cao Xi and Li Shizhen were lucky enough to be selected. They had superb riding skills, performed well during the return trip, and had good culture. Who would you choose if you didn't choose them?
One man and three cavalrymen, carrying a large amount of food, along the map collected from the Manchus, the three thousand cavalry circled around in mid-August and finally arrived at Ninggu Pagoda.
"Ning Guta!"
Wang Shiguo tightened his grip on his horse and climbed up the hillside. Wrapped tightly in his woolen coat, he looked at an earthen city in the distance and was filled with emotion.
Ninggu Pagoda is located on the tributary of the left bank of the Mudan River and on the south bank of the Langlang River. Nurhachi stationed his troops here at that time. It was the hometown of the Bohai Sea and the Longquan Prefecture of Shangjing.
It can be said that although this place was once a fertile land, it is now the border of the northern Manchu Qing rule and the place is barren.
"Who are you?"
As soon as thousands of troops moved, and hundreds of soldiers and horses stationed in the Tucheng moved, they immediately woke up, climbed onto the tower, and shouted in Manchu.
"what did you say?"
Although Wang Shiguo could understand Mongolian, Manchu, which was closely related to it, was difficult to understand.
The cavalry was not good at attacking the city, and Wang Shiguo also wanted to capture the city without fighting, so he immediately went to find an interpreter.
Fortunately, Cao Xi was found. He ran to the general in a polite manner. Listening to the shouts from the top of the city, he carefully translated:
"They are asking us which department we belong to and whether we have military orders."
"Damn it, the Manchu Qing Dynasty is over, and these bastards are still guarding the city. They have the guts."
Wang Shiguo laughed, somewhat appreciative of the group of people in front of him.
Since he was born in the border army, Wang Shiguo didn't pay much attention to ethnic groups. There were quite a few Tatars among the generals under his command. The court was closely investigating them and even paid Mongolians to make up the number.
Therefore, at this time, he already wanted to recruit this group of people under his command.
"General, these people don't seem to be the Eight Banners, but armored men——"
Cao Xi looked over and said cautiously.
"Oh? Tell me, what is an armored man?"
Wang Shiguo became interested.
"Reporting back to the general, this armored slave was the one who went north to Ninggu Pagoda and built Ninggu Pagoda City. After the construction was completed, there were not enough soldiers and horses sent to garrison."
Cao Xi looked at Wang Shiguo's face. Of course he knew that in Heilongjiang, the person in front of him was the Tu Emperor. He said:
"So we conquered the nearby Sauron tribe and gave them armor, money and food, but they were not incorporated into the Eight Banners, and they were allowed to guard the border for generations, just like slave soldiers..."
"It turns out they are Sauronians."
Wang Shiguo suddenly understood: "No wonder those Sauron soldiers in the Qing army are so fierce and tough. They used to live near Heilongjiang, in such a cold and miserable place. No wonder they were born to be soldiers."
Thinking of this, he was overjoyed and hurriedly ordered: "Tell them that we are from the imperial court and let them open the door."
"But?" Cao Xi was stunned.
"The imperial court I'm talking about can refer to the Ming Dynasty, but you can just translate it and don't talk too much."
Cao Xi immediately started translating.
Click——
The city gate was opened.
Wang Shiguo commanded the soldiers to enter the city.
Such a small city, no matter how many soldiers it hides, cannot defeat them.
After entering the city, with the help of a translator, Wang Shiguo had a preliminary understanding of this group of armored men.
It turns out that the most important role of Nurhachi in conquering the nearby Sauron people was to send people to collect mink fish from tribes near Heilongjiang.
The treatment of this group of people is also very good. Each person can receive twenty-two taels of silver and fifteen stones of food every year. This is much better than their hunting, and it is also stable.
However, after the vitality in the pass was severely damaged, the Manchu Qing Dynasty went on a northern expedition, and many Sauron people were recruited into the army, causing Ning Guta's troop strength to shrink to 500.
"In addition to doing business, you can also collect taxes. Mink fur is very valuable."
Wang Shiguo was greatly moved, feeling that his trip to Ninggu Pagoda was not in vain.
And this group of armored men learned about the hundreds of tribes that paid tribute in hundreds of miles around Heilongjiang. After all, this was their main task.
More importantly, they also know a little bit about the Heilongjiang estuary and Nurgan City, which is only two to three hundred miles away.
In their words, it only takes two full days to ride a horse.
This is definitely good news.
This means that it only takes half a month to travel by land from Jilin to Nurgan City, which is only about a thousand miles.
Taking advantage of the heavy snowfall, the pedestrians led the armored men to Nurgan City.
This place is in ruins, with only a half-ruined temple standing, and in the center, surrounded by many tributes.
Wang Shiguo walked up and took a look, and it turned out to be the monument "Record of the Reconstruction of Yongning Temple".
It is recorded that in the eleventh year of Yongle (1413), Yi Shiha, a eunuch from Haixi Jurchen origin who was appointed as an imperial envoy, built Yongning Temple in Nurgan City.
Later, during the Xuande period, he was ordered to patrol the north again, and Yongning Temple was destroyed. Later, Yongning Temple was rebuilt and this monument was erected to promote enlightenment.