Speaking of Liaodong at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Chengliang is a figure that cannot be avoided. He was the pillar of the Ming Dynasty's northern Xinjiang, and together with Qi Jiguang, he was known as the Northern Xinjiang Shuangbi. He also personally supported Nurhaci, the sworn enemy of the Ming Dynasty, and was considered by many later generations to be the initiator of the conclusion that "the commentators said that the ming died, not died in Chongzhen but died in Wanli".
Li Chengliang official costume statue
Li Chengliang's family moved to Korea to escape the scourge of war at the end of the Tang Dynasty, and during the Jiaqing period, he was recommitted to the Ming Dynasty and was given the position of hereditary commander. Li Chengliang's luck in the first half of his life was not good, although the official position granted to the family by the imperial court was hereditary, but it did not mean that it could be obtained automatically, Li Chengliang needed to personally go to the Beijing division to ask for an attack, and the imperial court would officially grant the post after verifying the examination.
Not to mention the cattiness in the verification school, because of the poor family, Li Chengliang could not even make up the travel expenses to the Beijing Division when he was forty years old. Seeing that he was about to spend his life in obscurity, Wei Xue, who was jiajing's forty-five-year governor of Liaodong, pulled him aside and funded him to enter Beijing and obtain a post.
Soon, the Chahar department of Mongolia moved eastward, settled in the Mujiliao region, and launched a protracted war with the Ming Dynasty, which also provided a rare opportunity for Li Chengliang. Soon relying on the battle achievements won in the sword fight again and again, Li Chengliang was promoted to the rank of general of the Dangerous Mountain in Liaodong Province. In the first year of Longqing, Li Chengliang was promoted to deputy commander-in-chief of Liaodong and assisted in the defense of Liaoyang. In the fourth year of Longqing, the liaodong general Zhi Daobing was killed in battle during the invasion of the Tatar Xin Aibu, and Li Chengliang was appointed to lead the chief military officer and acting governor of the capital.
This position Li Chengliang has been in the nineteenth year of the Wanli Calendar, and during these twenty-two years, Li Chengliang has almost no days and no battles, killing enemies every year. In the face of large and small nomadic tribes, whether it was a single challenge or a joint army, Li Chengliang conquered one of them, and then expanded the territory of 700 miles, built the Six Forts of Kuandian, and opened mutual markets in Kaiyuan, Qinghe, Fushun and other places to win the local tribes to submit to the imperial court. In the era when the generals were greedy and cowardly, and the border was wasted, history called "the grandeur of the martial arts of the border marshals, which has not been seen in two hundred years."
During this period, Li Chengliang and Zhang Juzheng hooked up again. With the support of the first assistant of the cabinet, Li Chengliang did not have the constraints of civilian officials, and his meritorious service was even worse, and his official positions were constantly promoted. In the third year of the Wanli Dynasty, when the barbarians invaded Liaodong and plundered, Li Chengliang defeated the enemy army outside Shenyang City, pursued and killed thousands, and was awarded the title of Prince Taibao for this merit, and sealed the Jinyi Wei Thousand Households for generations.
In the sixth year of the Wanli Dynasty, Li Chengliang destroyed the Split Mountain Camp, beheaded 430 levels, and killed the five leaders. He was enthroned as the Taibao (太保) and was the commander of the Benwei for generations. In June of the sixth year of the Wanli Dynasty, Hai and others once again gathered the barbarians into Yaozhou, and Li Chengliang led his troops out of the blockade, beheaded 840 ranks, and was awarded the title of Ning Yuanbo. In the seventh year of the Wanli Calendar, Li Chengliang went out for two hundred miles and beheaded more than 470 prisoners.
In the eighth year of the Wanli Calendar, more than 750 ranks of the Wutang Department of the King of Wutang were beheaded, and the Wang Wutang Department was devastated from then on, and Li Chengliang was made a hereditary official. In the ninth year of the Wanli Calendar, he was beheaded at level 340. In the tenth year of the Wanli Dynasty, Li Chengliang reached the peak of his life, set up an ambush at Zhenyi Fort, and beheaded the leader of the Taining clan who had been a scourge for more than twenty years. The Wanli Emperor issued an edict, giving Li Chengliang a mansion and a commander of the Jinyi Guards for generations. In the seventeenth year of the Wanli Calendar, Haixi Yehebu was conquered, and the leader Narin Polo asked to surrender.
It can be said that Li Chengliang single-handedly eliminated the chaos in Liaodong and brought tranquility to northern Xinjiang to the Ming Dynasty. However, at this time, Li Chengliang no longer had the ambition to forge ahead and began to concentrate on business, while he was in charge of war and military achievements. At this time, Li Chengliang no longer wanted to destroy the enemy at once, but deliberately cultivated the enemy, artificially creating contradictions between the various tribes in Eastern Liaoning, taking the opportunity to start a war and then gain military achievements.
In the second year of the Wanli Dynasty, the Jianzhou Jurchen King Gao booby-trapped and killed Pei Chengzu, and Li Chengliang raised troops to question him. Yu Gulezhai broke Wang Gao's department, beheaded more than a thousand ranks, captured Wang Gao and sent him to the Beijing Division, the Wanli Emperor personally came to the noon gate and ordered someone to break Wang Gao's abdomen and corpse. This battle was quite successful, which not only greatly weakened the strength of the Jianzhou Jurchens, but also demonstrated the strength of the Ming Dynasty to deter the various departments of Liaodong.
However, this battle also made Li Chengliang criticized by posterity, and what everyone criticized was not the battle itself, but the post-war Li Chengliang gave preferential treatment and released two people, Nurhaci and his brother Shulhaqi.
Nurhachi statue
As we know in later generations, the heinous crimes of these two people, Li Chengliang did not cut them with a thousand knives, and sent Jing Shi to the palace as a eunuch was cheaper. Even if Li Chengliang could not predict history, Li Chengliang had no reason to let them go because of the identities of Nurhaci and Shulhaqi alone. These two brothers are Wang Gao's grandsons, what is Li Chengliang's purpose in doing this?
Li Chengliang's strategy of running Liaodong was actually also the national policy of the imperial court's foreign relations, economically restraining and controlling, militarily supporting the weak and suppressing the strong, and governing with yi and suppressing yi. Specifically, those who obey and obey will be mutually marketed, and those who rebel and disobey will close the market trade. When these tribes were at odds, the Ming Dynasty mostly did not judge right or wrong by itself, but would deliberately choose to support the weaker side to maintain balance; when the tribes were at peace, the imperial court encouraged them to fight each other and take revenge, but allies were strictly prohibited.
Wang Gao was a guide of the Hada tribe of the Haixi jurchens, who escaped after the Battle of Gulezhai and was also captured by the Hada tribe, which was also the result of the Ming Dynasty's strategy. But Li Chengliang added another one on this basis, and without an enemy, I would cultivate an enemy, because without an enemy, there would be no battle achievements.
In addition, the fact that li chengliang was placed in front of Li Chengliang after the Battle of Gulezhai was that the true power of the Jianzhou women declined rapidly, and the relative Hada department and the Haixi women really became a powerful party; the hada tribe's capture of Wang Gao also caused a vendetta between the two departments, which needed blood to cleanse.
Under these conditions, Li Chengliang's choice is not so incomprehensible. Moreover, Wang Gao's son Ah Tai also escaped from the rebel army, and Li Chengliang did not go after him. As for what the reason is, you can think for yourself.
Since the Ming Dynasty, the Weisuo system has been eroded to the point of no use. The imperial court had to convert the main force of the Ming army to recruit troops, and then expand the number through stacks (similar to Lazhuangdin) during the great war. However, due to the financial difficulties of the imperial court, the military salary itself is difficult to support the family, not to mention, and it is still in arrears for a long time, so the combat effectiveness of the Ming army can be imagined.
The generals who fed on combat strength began to raise their families on a large scale (in fact, the general's private army) out of their own interests. Li Chengliang was able to cross liaodong by relying on his family members. In order to ensure the combat effectiveness and loyalty of jia Ding, the salary and equipment given to Jia Ding are very generous.
Then where the money to support the family comes from, it can only exploit the ordinary soldiers and military households under his command. But most of the time this is not enough, then there are only two ways, one is to ask the imperial court for more military pay, and the other is to collect the rent of the military households under their command. But it was not easy to demand military salaries from the imperial court. Therefore, the main way is to rely on the land plot, with the land there is land, with the land can arrange military households to cultivate and collect rent...
Over time, these generals could not be separated from the land under his jurisdiction, and the primary purpose of these generals was no longer the defense of the imperial court, but the cost of keeping their own livelihood - Jia Ding, which basically became a warlord. Li Chengliang had countless meritorious achievements in Liaodong for more than twenty years, his brothers and nephews had all been awarded official titles, and his subordinates Li Pinghu, Li Ning, Li Xing, Qin Deyi, sun Shoulian, and others had special cities and pools, and they occupied a large amount of land in western Liaoning and had already become a warlord group. This is also an important reason why the later strategic rigidity of the empire in Liaodong led to the corruption of the Liao.
Ten years after Wanli, Zhang Juzheng died of illness, and the Ming Dynasty also began a vigorous movement to overthrow Zhang at the behest of the Wanli Emperor. Officials associated with Zhang Juzheng were basically deposed, and Qi Jiguang withdrew from the stage of history in this context. Although Wanli did not attack Li Chengliang, there was no protective umbrella in the court, and in the face of those wolf-like officials, Li Chengliang was afraid that he could not sleep at night, and he also urgently needed a big victory to protect his position.
Li Chengliang found a target, Wang Gao's son Atai. After Ah Tai escaped from the rebel army, Li Chengliang did not pursue him again. Atai reorganised his team between Tieling and Fushun and returned to Gulezhai to rebuild the castle. In the eleventh year of the Wanli Calendar, Li Chengliang played the imperial court on the grounds that "Atai was not captured, and it was the ultimate disaster", and the overseers sent troops out of Cao Zigu to defeat Atai and beheaded more than a thousand. In May of the same year, he again sent troops to besiege Gulezhai, but due to the steep terrain of Gulezhai, the rapid attack was unable to succeed for two days and nights.
At this time, Nurhaci's grandfather Kyaw Chang An felt that the opportunity for meritorious service had come and that he might also be concerned about the safety of his granddaughter (Kyaw Chang An's granddaughter was married to Atai), and volunteered to bring his son Tak Shi (Nurhaci's father) into the city to persuade Atai to surrender.
After Jue Chang'an entered the village, Nikan Wailan, the lord of the Jianzhou Jurchen Su Kesu River Who accompanied Li Chengliang to attack Atai, may have wanted to take the opportunity to get rid of Jue Chang'an or he may not have wanted Jue Chang'an to get credit, so he ran to the village and shouted: "The Heavenly Dynasty soldiers are in the city, how can there be a reason for The Ruban Division!" It is better to wait than to kill Ah Tai and submit to submission. General Li Chengliang had an order that whoever killed Atailai was the lord of the city. ”
The people in the village believed it to be true, and poured into the Atai residence to start cannibalism, and opened the gate of the village, preparing to surrender. However, Li Chengliang had no intention of surrendering, and he needed the first rank to report the battle merits, so he ordered "to lure the people in the city out, regardless of men, women, old and young."
After the war, Gulezhai was flattened, Wang Gaobu was destroyed, and more than 2,300 people were beheaded for their meritorious service, including Of course, Nurhaci's father and grandfather. After the battle achievements were reported to the imperial court, Wanli won the Taimiao Temple, which was very lively. Of course, Li Chengliang's position has once again been stabilized.
Many people have doubts, first, since they have already killed Nurhaci's father and ancestor, why should they keep nurhaci as a hidden danger? Second, even if you don't kill, why do you still think that "Ruzu and Father are really killed by mistake." For this reason, he was given the post of commander of the Left Wei Capital of Jianzhou and given him the edict of thirty ways (the edict was a permit to exchange markets with the Ming Dynasty), thirty horses? Isn't this raising tigers for trouble, raising self-respect?
What is Li Chengliang's purpose? In fact, the previous Atai has already explained everything. Whether it is Atai or Nurhaci, there is no difference to Li Chengliang, keep it as a resource to obtain battle achievements, and kill it when needed.
After this war, Li Chengliang turned his attention to dealing with the barbarians again, and although there were victories and losses between them, the losses were not large. However, in March of the nineteenth year of the Wanli Calendar, Li Chengliang overturned the ship, and was ambushed on the way to the submarine attack on the bansheng, and was defeated and lost thousands of soldiers. Li Chengliang and Inspector Jian Da did not report the incident, and were exposed by Inspector Yushi Hu Kejian. The imperial court took this opportunity to start attacking Li Chengliang and accusing him of "too much military power" and "the plague of tail power". At this point, the Wanli Emperor also began to waver, and finally accepted Li Chengliang's "begging to be exempt from the governor of Bingning Town".
In this way, Nurhaci was fortunately forgotten, and he began to expand his ranks with thirteen pairs of armor and began to expand his ranks. Although he wanted to unify the Jurchen ministries, his hopes were slim, not because he was not strong, but because the Ming Dynasty would not allow it under normal circumstances. But history always plays against the norm.
In the 20th year of the Wanli Dynasty, Ningxia Didibai rebelled because of a grudge with the Inspector Dangxin, and the imperial court commanded Li Rusong, the general of Liaodong, to lead an army to quell the rebellion. The Ningxia rebellion had not yet been completely quelled by Japan and invaded Korea, and after the pacification of Ningxia, Li Rusong did not stop entering the DPRK to resist the Wu Dynasty, and this battle was fought until the twenty-sixth year of the Wanli Calendar. Under the successive wars, who will care about the small tribe of Nurhaci?
In the twenty-first year of the Wanli Calendar, Nurhaci defeated the "Nine-Part Coalition Army" at Gule Mountain, and according to the previous pattern, the Ming Dynasty was about to begin to strike at the Jurchens of Jianzhou. However, the empire, which was fighting fiercely with Japan in Korea, had no choice but to take care of Nurhaci and had to make him "General of the Dragon and Tiger". Nurhaci also duly paid tribute to Kyoshi, and then returned to Jianzhou to continue his conquest. Just after the end of the 26th year of the Wanli Dynasty Aid Campaign, Li Rusong was killed in the battle between Fushun and Tuman, and Nurhaci was one less confidant.
In the twenty-ninth year of the Wanli Calendar, Nurhaci attacked the Haixi Jurchen HadaBu, and at this time he was no longer the former Amun. After seven years of aiding the Ming Dynasty and resisting the Ming Dynasty, it was already seriously injured and unable to control the situation in Liaodong. Played by the university scholar Shen, Li Chengliang was reinstated as the commander-in-chief of Liaodong Province.
Li Chengliang, who was seventy-six years old, did not have the vigor of that year, and together with Inspector Zhao Kai, changed his previous strategy, turned from attack to defense, no longer sent troops, and exchanged the opening of the market for the obedience of the Jurchen departments. In addition, at this time, the Tatar barbarians, Chang Ang, and the rabbits had already died, and the Tatars had already entered the Kou, and Li Chengliang was crowned to Taifu with his merits in patrolling the border.
In the 34th year of the Wanli Dynasty, in order to reduce the cost of guarding the border, Li Chengliang abandoned Kuandian (Gushan New Fort, Kuandian Fort, Xindian Fort, Dadian Fort, Yongdian Fort, Changdian Fort), moved the local residents into the interior, fortified the walls and cleared the wilderness, artificially opened up a buffer zone, and curbed the Jurchen invasion. Moreover, the military strength is like a mountain, and those who do not move are killed. House utensils burned down countless times, and more than 10,000 people died of hunger and frost. Nurhaci was also very cooperative not to attack, because he was busy conquering the Jurchen tribes.
The act of abandoning the Six Forts caused an uproar in the imperial court, and the officials began to attack Li Chengliang for abandoning his land and losing power and insulting the country, and his crimes were damned. It is impossible for Li Chengliang not to know the seriousness of this act, and the reason why he chose it is simple, someone needs him to do so.
Abandoning the land without war is not something that a military general can decide, and the actual status of a military general of the Ming Dynasty is very low, so how can a decision be made on national policy? In addition, his inspector did not oppose, the cabinet did not oppose, and Wanli did not oppose.
As a posterity, we can only blame him for not having the courage and ambition to wipe out Liaodong again at this time. The impeachment of the Wanli Emperor remained in the middle, and the officials also saw the tendency of Wanli, and the impeachment of Li Chengliang was immediately weakened. In this way, Li Chengliang ushered in the end of his life in the forty-third year of the Wanli Calendar in peace, at the age of ninety.
Liaodong is peaceful because of Li Chengliang, but no matter what Li Chengliang's original intentions are, we can also say that without Li Chengliang, there would be no Nurhaci.