Suiyuan Province's strength is extremely weak among other provinces, second only to Ningxia.
However, one good thing about Ningxia at this time is that it had not yet suffered from the civil unrest in the northwest during the Qing Dynasty, so most of the people living in Ningxia were children of military families, and they had strong cohesion.
Suiyuan, on the other hand, was mostly Mongolian people, scattered with tribes of hundreds or thousands of households. The only things the imperial court could really control were the prefectures and nearby tribes.
In fact, what Suiyuan has always been thinking about is to include Datong Mansion. In this way, Suiyuan's strength will increase sharply.
You know, Datong Prefecture is only four hundred miles away from Guihua City, and it only takes two or three days by horseback.
Once hundreds of thousands of people from Datong Prefecture are merged into Suiyuan, Suiyuan's finances will be greatly improved.
The Fourth Prince Department.
Governor Suiyuan came in a hurry and went directly to Chen Yongfu's handsome tent.
"Why is Futai like this? Doesn't this make the relationship between you and me worse?"
There was a sudden gust of wind, and Chen Yongfu put down his drink in embarrassment.
"Born? She has already given birth." The governor sat down angrily, not bothering with the stool rubbing his butt:
"Fifty thousand people eat and drink in Suiyuan, and even a river is drunk dry. Suiyuan is no better than Shanxi. It is really difficult to withstand it."
"Isn't this for war?" Chen Yongfu said softly, but did not directly refute.
Although the imperial court traveled thousands of miles to transport grain and grass, it could only be sent to Datong Prefecture. The naturalization process relied entirely on the herdsmen of Suiyuan.
What's more, the fodder for the horses and the transportation of the horses all depend on Suiyuan.
"Come, come, sit down and have a cup of tea. You can't rush this. The more you rush, the more angry you will be."
Chen Yongfu smiled and pressed him on the chair, his tone was extremely gentle.
"I didn't mean what I said." Zhang Guowei rolled his eyes at him and complained: "Suiyuan has four prefectures. The Han and Mongolian people only have one hundred thousand households, and they can support an army of fifty thousand. It is really beyond their means!"
"The way you are eating, you will eat up all the fodder that the herdsmen stored last winter. Fortunately, it is summer, otherwise many livestock will starve to death."
"We have no choice. We also know Suiyuan's hard work, so we try our best to buy fodder and graze cattle from time to time, just to save some fodder."
Chen Yongfu stood up and explained calmly: "But there is nothing we can do. The tribes in Mobei haven't started fighting yet, so the army can't go north, right? By then, we won't be able to carry enough food and grass."
"As long as they start fighting, I promise to send troops."
"In this situation, Suiyuan won't be able to wait until troops are sent out, and the people will all starve to death." Zhang Guowei puffed his beard and glared:
"In my opinion, you might as well make a memorial and ask Shanxi to provide food. In recent years, Shanxi has been very peaceful and has abundant food."
Chen Yongfu said in surprise: "The mountain roads in northern Shanxi are not easy to walk on."
"It's easy in Datong Prefecture!" Zhang Guowei became interested: "Look, the grain from Beijing is piled up in Datong Prefecture, but Suiyuan organized manpower to transport it."
"It's a lot of trouble going back and forth, it's troublesome."
"In my opinion, the grain road needs to be improved a lot."
Following his words, Chen Yongfu said: "I understand, Datong Prefecture needs to coordinate with Suiyuan, and it is not easy to work with two provinces."
"I will report it to the court."
Only then did Zhang Guowei reveal a smile.
The two chatted for a few more words, and after some perfunctory conversation, Chen Yongfu sent him off.
After finishing the matter, he shook his head and laughed dumbly: "Everyone in the world wants to benefit, who doesn't love Datong Mansion?"
After Suiyuan became a frontier, Datong suddenly became inland. Frequent military disasters disappeared, and border troubles disappeared. So relying on border trade, it is natural that Datong Prefecture should prosper.
According to Shanxi Provincial Language, the total number of soldiers and civilians in Datong Prefecture is about 300,000, and the annual tax is one million, second only to the most prosperous Taiyuan Prefecture in Shanxi.
"It's all about taking advantage of others' short-handedness and soft-spoken words. Let's write a memorial!"
Chen Yongfu thought about it again and again. The army had been struggling in Suiyuan for so long, so it was natural for him to bring some benefits to others.
At the end of June, the heat wave in the Mongolian Plateau came from the north, bringing news about the grassland:
The Manchu Qing Dynasty sent 100,000 troops towards Tuxie Tuhan's tribe.
The combined troops of the Tushetu Khan and Zhasak tribes, more than 100,000 strong, gathered on the banks of the Tula River, and Kulun prepared to fight.
What can the Ming army do at this time?
They can only set off north to meet the tribes of Khalkha.
There is no such thing, because the straight-line distance between Suiyuan and Kulun exceeds 1,500 miles. If it is considered to be some curved lines, it is at least 1,800 miles.
In other words, even if the Ming army consisted of one man and three horses, galloping day and night, it would take at least seven or eight days to arrive, and they had to make sure not to get lost.
A conservative estimate is that it will take at least fifteen days for the Ming army to successfully reach Kulun.
So the question becomes, why didn’t the Ming army move north in advance?
First of all, the tribes of Khalkha did not trust the Ming people. They were afraid that the Ming people would destroy Guo through false doctrines, so they destroyed the Tushetu Khan tribe.
Secondly, the Ming army did not want to fight for the Mongols in vain, because it would not be beneficial and would bring endless disasters.
Because of the long distance, once they reach the grassland, the civilian army's logistics will depend on the Khalkha Mongolian tribes. If their lifeblood is threatened, wouldn't it mean that they are being exploited?
"Pass on my military order to order Datong Prefecture to send money and food to the naturalized people as soon as possible——"
"Order Wu Sangui to lead 10,000 cavalry and go north to meet the holy Dharma King (Jebu Tsundampa)."
Chen Yongfu kept giving instructions to prepare for the upcoming reception.
That's right, from top to bottom in the Ming Dynasty, no one believed that the Mongols could defeat the Manchus.
To sum it up in one sentence: When facing muskets, the brave and capable cavalry must bow their heads and obey.
After giving the Manchus a lesson with muskets, the Ming army knew Mongolia well and was definitely no match for the Manchus.
Therefore, the strategy formulated by the imperial court is:
Garrisoned troops near Guihua City to support the Holy Dharma King and wait for an opportunity to go north to confront the Manchus.
The best is to defeat his army, otherwise the enemy will be equally divided.
In this way, the Khalkha Mongolian tribes will inevitably submit to the Ming Dynasty.
Because the Ming Dynasty could not devour Mobei, it could only restrain Mi, while the Manchu Qing Dynasty was indeed annexing it.
The grassland tribes who had been taught a lesson by the Manchus had no choice.
At this time, a decisive battle of unprecedented scale was taking place on the banks of the Tumen River.
The Zhasak Khan tribe and the Tushetu Khan tribe united many feudal lords and formed a hundred thousand troops, waiting to be ready to deal with the Manchus.
Although the Khalkha Mongols are composed of three major tribes, they are not a unified tribe, so under the three major tribes, there are still a large number of scattered tribes.
For example, although the tents of the Chechen Khan tribe were plundered, a large number of affiliated tribes and branches had to join forces to join the Tushetu Khan tribe and send troops together.
Now other tribes, which were not big or small, were coerced into sending troops. Although their morale was not good, the scale was shocking.
Tuxedu Khan Chahu Dorji and Zasak Khan Norbu stood side by side, looking at the Manchu soldiers and horses in the distance like dark clouds, and then looking back at their own army, feeling extremely ambitious for a moment.
"When Genghis Khan conquered the world, the soldiers and horses under his command were nothing more than this, right?"
Chahun Dorji couldn't help but sigh.
Norbu on the side couldn't help but roll his eyes: "Times have changed. At that time, Genghis Khan had famous generals such as Muhuali, Zhebie, Subotai, etc., but we had nothing."
"Even if there is nothing, victory must belong to us——"
Chahun Dorji looked calm and quite proud.
Norbu felt regretful: "I heard that Oirat Mongolia was captured by the Ming Dynasty. I should go to Moxi to seek refuge. I will definitely be able to get some pastures by then..."
"But fortunately, my tribe is far away from Culun. When the time comes, I will flee directly and take the tribe away with me -"
Immediately, he glanced at Chahun Dorji and said with envy in his heart: "Now we have moved all the people to the south. Even if the army is defeated, they can escape to Suiyuan."
"Who asked him to hold a Jebtsundamba in his hand?"
"The Emperor of Ming Dynasty did not look at the monk's face or the Buddha's face, and his life would not be too bad."
The Chinese Qing army, which was slowly pressing forward, was overjoyed when they saw the Mongolian army waiting in unison.
In this battle, Jierhalang served as the commander, Nikan, Luckdehun, Tulai, Aobai, Mandahai, Boluo and other generals followed, and Hong Chengchou served as the military advisor.
Obviously, the Qing army had already sent out all its elite troops without caring about the consequences.
Jierhalang was getting older and his beard was gray, and he could hardly ride a horse or dance with a sword. However, after years of prestige, all the proud soldiers and generals bowed to him, which was something Hong Chengchou could not do.
Even though he has made many meritorious deeds, his identity as a Han constrains him.
"The Mongolian army is disheveled, their armor is less than 10%, and they have very few firearms. Our army will win this battle."
Jilharang is riding on horseback, his slightly rickety body hiding huge energy.
He was overjoyed to see that the Mongols really did not run away, but fought directly, and he immediately exuded an astonishing aura.
With his encouragement, all the generals under his command nodded, their eyes shining brightly.
Hong Chengchou glanced at the crowd, feeling quite a bit dissatisfied.
Otherwise, he understood what these people were thinking.
Just like how the Buryat Mongols did in the past, they directly divided the Zasak Khan tribe and the Tushetu Khan tribe. In this way, the entire Mobei grassland will become a paradise for the nobles of the Eight Banners.
The feudal lords, big and small, are like pearls scattered on a jade plate, and they cannot be counted.
Although this war was fought for the Qing Dynasty, it was actually fought for oneself.
"Whether you win or lose, this is a difficult question."
With a long sigh, Hong Chengchou fell silent.
No one can stop the chariot composed of nobles from the Eight Banners.
In this battle, the Manchu Qing Dynasty sent 80,000 cavalry, including 30,000 Manchu Eight Banners, 10,000 Han Eight Banners, and the rest were all Mongolian Eight Banners.
The bright flags are extremely conspicuous on the grassland, and the various colored armors of the Eight Banners make the Mongolians drool with envy.
A large number of people and flags were surging in the distance. Some people stopped in place, while some people in front continued to move forward. The cavalry on both wings were also moving.
The Qing army began to prepare for battle step by step.
Hundreds of thousands of people, like a huge war machine, are moving slowly and making huge noises!
The grasslands within a hundred miles are filled with war horses and people.
"Woo..." The powerful horns sounded in unison, passing through the noisy crowd in the wind, heading towards the depths of the grassland, seeming to announce the arrival of another feast to the land that has been barren for thousands of years.
For the Mobei grassland, animal carcasses are always the best fertilizer, and humans are animals too.
The grassland was full of people, the noise could not be stopped, people were crowded together, and people were sitting next to each other. I don’t know when the two armies met, and then the war began.
As for the main force, Jierhalang was not serious and gave orders directly.
Some partial armies and miscellaneous armies are not enough to change the outcome of the war. Only the main force is the key to the outcome of the war.
“Fire—”
At the forefront of the Qing army were the rare musketeers on the Mongolian plateau, with a total of three thousand.
This is the inventory accumulated over the years, and now it is all poured out.
This really made the Mongolian cavalry panic and shock. As the cavalry sprinted, they were shot dozens of feet away.
This is a very scary scene.
While the cavalry was charging, the horse fell down directly. The cavalry was immediately thrown out in a parabola, lying there with its head stretched out, its head smashed into pieces.
But most people were not so lucky. They were thrown to the ground and trampled to death by the horses behind them. They lay in a pool of blood in pain, with their bloody livers and intestines exposed to the naked eye.
The sudden outburst of the musketeers directly stopped the Mongolian army's forward momentum, just like a giant suddenly stopped, but his body refused to obey, and the army suddenly became confused.
Some cavalry wanted to bypass the musketeers, while others wanted to ride straight away to avenge the former army.
The Qing army did not hesitate, and the cavalry on both wings directly intervened and started fighting face to face.
Wearing elite armor, sharp weapons, high morale, and strong organizational power, the Qing army completely gained the upper hand.
"Crash-"
The Qing army fought fiercely and directly tore apart the Mongolian army's camp. There was almost no place for them to face each other directly. Many people were defeated as soon as they met.
At this time, the gray Mongolian army camp was like a mulberry leaf swallowed by silkworms. It had no power to fight back and was ready to be slaughtered.
It's like snowflakes that can't wait to melt when they see the sun.
There is no doubt that the Mongolian nobles are extremely vigilant and have an innate sensitivity to danger.
As soon as Chahun Dorji saw that the momentum was not right, he subconsciously ordered the army to slowly move south and prepare to leave the battlefield.
Norbu, whose tribal tent was thousands of miles away, ordered his own army to preserve its strength when the front army was defeated.
Now, as its troops moved, there were more gaps between the Mongolian armies, and the Qing army seemed to have reached an uninhabited land.
Seeing how his teammates were being deceived, Chahun Dorji no longer hesitated, and directly left the battlefield with his trusted troops and headed south.
As a result, the Mongolian army collapsed directly on the battlefield.
On the huge battlefield, the cavalry could not stop galloping, let alone flee.
Even though the Qing army repeatedly blocked and pursued them, most of the Mongolians fled and only captured 20,000 to 30,000 people.
And the biggest harvest was the cattle and sheep that accompanied the army. As the military rations were there, they couldn't take them away no matter what.
As for the herdsmen, the herdsmen in Kulun have been moved away long ago. Even if the situation is bad, they will simply flee away from the battlefield.
The greatest gain for the Manchus was prestige.
Throughout Mobei, the scattered tribes of Khalkha and the tribes that had not migrated, numbering hundreds of tribes, began to make pilgrimages to the Manchus and submit to them.
Chahun Dorji, who lost his hegemony, could only flee.