【Qing History Series-18】
In October of the third year of Jin Tiancong (1629), Emperor Taiji decided to attack the Ming Dynasty again, and the battle of Xueningjin was disgraced. Unlike in the past, Emperor Taiji planned to bypass the fortified Guanningjin defense line and bypass Mongolia to attack from the northern region of Jizhou, where the Ming Dynasty's defenses were weak. At this time, the Mongol karaqin, Naiman, Kharkha and other departments had successively annexed the Later Jin, and the Manchu-Mongolian alliance was initially formed, making it possible for the Later Jin army to pass through Mongolia.
Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Jiliao, had also anticipated that Emperor Taiji might detour through the Mongols to attack Guannei, and he twice wrote to the Chongzhen Emperor to remind him that he should strengthen the defense of the Jibei Great Wall. However, Yuan Chonghuan's letter did not attract enough attention from Chongzhen, and the Ming Dynasty did not have enough resources to increase the number of troops in Jibei at this time. The passes in the north of Jibei are simply vulnerable to the fact that "the walls of the fortress are in decline and the army is in ruins."
Jibei Great Wall
On the second day of the first month of October, Emperor Taiji personally led the 60,000-eight banner army to march to The Ming Dynasty, plus the enlisted Mongolian troops of Horqin, Khalkha, Zarut, Ao Han, Naiman, and Qaraqin, known as 100,000 troops, and the momentum was quite large.
On the fifth day of October, the Later Jin army reached Qingcheng (present-day Chifeng, Inner Mongolia) in the Mongolian Qaraqin Province, not far from the Ming Great Wall, but at this time the Great Belle Daishan and the Three Belle Mang Gurtai began to retreat. Together, they went to the Emperor Taiji's big tent and asked for retreat, on the grounds that the battle line was too long, the labor division was far away, and the risk was too great.
Daishan and Mang Gurtai both belong to one of the four major Baylors, Daishan is the banner master of the two red flags, and Mang Gultai is the banner master of the blue flag, both of which are powerful factions with heavy troops, and their words can be imagined. Huang Taiji was very angry after listening to the two of them' suggestions for retreating, saying that this expedition had been discussed long ago, and at first you did not oppose it, but now that you were halfway through, you started to retreat, and returned to no avail, how to explain it to everyone? He firmly disagreed with the withdrawal of troops.
Big Four Baylor
"The Great Belle Daishan, the Three Belle Mang Gultai stopped outside the account of the Beyler, and entered the secret class... The two brothers said that our troops were deep, the labor division was far away, and if the grain was scarce and the horses were tired, the enemy attacked around the ring, and there was nothing to do. If you wait to see this, and at first you don't say anything, but you are far away, but you will use this as a word. I'm plotting, what's the matter! (Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Taizong Benji)
At the insistence of Emperor Taiji, the Eight Banners Army continued to move south in three routes, breaking into Guannei from Longjing Pass, Hongshankou, and Da'ankou, capturing Zunhua in Hebei and threatening the Beijing Division. At the critical moment, the Ming court mobilized soldiers and horses from all over the country to enter the King of Jingqin, and Yuan Chonghuan personally led the Guanning Iron Horse to come to support, and fought with the Emperor Taiji outside the Guangqu Gate to repel the Eight Banner Army.
At the beginning of Tiancong's fourth year (1930), Huang Taiji felt that there was little chance of invading the city of Beijing. Therefore, after plundering the outskirts of Beijing, he led his army to the east to attack the weakly defended Luanzhou, Yongpingdi, and Lianke counted the cities. In February, Emperor Taiji left part of his troops to garrison Yongping and Zunhua, led the army to withdraw from Guannei, and returned to Shenyang with a large amount of wealth and materials looted.
Schematic diagram of the Emperor Taiji Entry
Although Huang Taiji's first battle of entering the customs did not invade the city of Beijing, it was also very fruitful, and of course took great risks. Why did he insist on bypassing the Mongols to attack the Ming Dynasty despite the joint opposition of the Great Belle Daishan and the Three Belles Mang Gurtai? I think there are three main reasons.
First of all, by uniting with the Mongols to attack Guannei, bypassing the Guanningjin Defense Line, the Ming Dynasty's heavily funded defensive line became a decoration, and at the same time further consolidated the Manchu-Mongolian alliance, laying the foundation for re-entry into The Pass in the future;
Manchurian-Mongolian union
Secondly, the first time the Eight Banner Army hit Guannei and hit the Ming Dynasty's Beijing Division, it could deal a heavy blow to the confidence of the Ming dynasty soldiers and civilians, improve the prestige of the Emperor Taiji in China, and completely wash away the shame of his defeat in the Ningjin War;
Finally, soon after Emperor Taiji ascended the throne, Houjin suffered serious natural disasters and financial difficulties, and by entering the customs to rob the ming dynasty's wealth, it could effectively alleviate the famine and economic crisis in Houjin.