Today we will talk about a more interesting topic, called "cutting down large trees". Cutting means cutting, and "cutting down a big tree" means cutting down a big tree. Cutting down trees? What's there to talk about? In fact, cutting down trees is just a metaphor, and "cutting down big trees" is an important strategy for Nurhaci and Huang Taiji to defeat the Ming Dynasty. Today we will talk in detail about what is the strategy of "cutting down large trees".
First, let's look at a passage from Nurhaci (the original text is a text, in order to reduce dyslexia, I directly translated. There are some inadequacies in the translation, and you can point them out. ）：
If you want to cut down a stout tree, how can you cut it down with an axe? It must be cut with one axe after another, from the outer skin to the center of the tree, from thick to thin, before it can be cut down. This is equivalent to attacking a country whose national strength is equal to or even stronger than ours, how can it be conquered and destroyed in one fell swoop? It must first destroy its vassal cities and eventually capture their capitals. Only in this way can we create a situation in which "no servant is the lord, and no one is the king."
Nurhaci said this not against the Ming Dynasty, but at another Jurchen tribe. The background of this passage is as follows:
In the 40th year of the Wanli Calendar (1611 AD), Nurhaci personally led an army to attack Ulabu, accompanied by his fifth son Mang Gultai and his eighth son Huang Taiji. Nurhaci's Jianzhou army descended along the Ula River and conquered six cities in succession. Bu Zhantai, the leader of the Ula tribe, organized a large army to resist, and the two sides formed a confrontational situation. At this time, Nurhaci sent troops to burn the grain of the Ulabu, which greatly alarmed Buzhantai. In the end, the Ulabu had to make peace. Buzhantai personally went to the Nurhaci camp to beg for peace, pleading with Nurhaci not to burn any more grain. Nurhaci reprimanded Buzantai for his treachery and non-observance of his covenant.
Why treachery? It turned out that Nurhaci and Buzhantai were old acquaintances.
After Nurhaci unified the Jurchens, their power gradually became stronger and expanded to the surrounding areas. As a result, other tribes united and attacked the Jianzhou Department, known in history as the "Nine-Part Coalition Army".
The "Nine-Part Coalition" did not limit the expansion of the Jianzhou Ministry, but was instead broken by Nurhaci. The Ulabu are also one of the "Nine Ministries", and the leader of the Belle is Buzhantai. During the battle, Buzhantai was captured by Nurhaci. In order to win over the hearts and minds of the people, Nurhaci did not kill Bu Zhantai, but instead "nurtured him for three years", released him back to the Ula tribe, and supported him as the leader of the Ula tribe. In order to further consolidate the relationship, Nurhaci also married his daughter to Buzhantai and made peace with him.
However, Bu zhantai did not accept Nurhaci's affection, and privately contacted the Yehe ministry in an attempt to attack the state department again. Nurhaci was furious, which is why he made this expedition. This is also the reason why Nurhaci scolded Buzhantai for treachery.
Nurhaci asked Buzantai to send hostages before agreeing to retreat. Bu Zhantai said yes. At this time, both Mang Gultai and Emperor Taiji suggested to their father Nurhaci that they should lead their troops across the river and eliminate Ulabu in one fell swoop. Nurhaci said the above words to his two sons meaningfully.
The two sons thought about it and did not insist any longer. Soon after, Nurhaci left a thousand men stationed on the Ula River, and then led the army to retreat and return to Hetuala.
Because the Ulabu did not send hostages for a long time. Nurhaci believed that the time was ripe for the complete elimination of Ulabu, so the following year Nurhaci once again led an army of 30,000 to conquer Ulabu. In this battle, the Ula tribe was completely destroyed, and the land and people of the Ula tribe were occupied by the Jianzhou Nurhaci. Buzhantai was forced to flee to Yehebu for refuge.
Following his father in his conquest of Ulabu was the first time in Emperor Taiji's life. For Huang Taiji, the biggest gain for Huang Taiji this time was not how many enemies he had killed and how many meritorious deeds he had made, but how much he had received his father's teachings. Nurhaci's metaphor of "cutting down a big tree" made him unforgettable for a lifetime. During his lifetime, he always adopted the strategy of "cutting down big trees" in the attack on the Ming Dynasty.
After Nurhaci's death, Emperor Taiji succeeded to the Khan's throne. When the Later Jin army continued to defeat the Ming army and achieve victory, many generals suggested that Huang Taiji lead a large army to attack Beijing and destroy the Ming Dynasty in one fell swoop. At this time, Huang Taiji always used the metaphor of "cutting down a big tree" to warn them that the destruction of such a huge empire as the Ming Dynasty was not an overnight thing, and it was necessary to cut down a big tree, starting with cutting down his branches and leaves, pruning it little by little, and then cutting down the trunk, so as to ensure that nothing was wrong.
According to this strategy, Emperor Taiji first completely beat the Ming Dynasty's younger brother Joseon down, causing them to completely abandon their friendly relations with the Ming Dynasty and honor the Qing Dynasty as the suzerainty. At the same time, through diplomatic, military and other means, the Mongol departments were conquered, and the worries of attacking the Ming Dynasty were cleared. This is equivalent to pruning the branches of a big tree.
Immediately after that, it is time to cut the trunk. During the reign of Emperor Taiji, he sent troops again and again to harass the borders of the Ming Dynasty, constantly depleting the national strength of the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, he coerced and seduced the Ming generals, forcing them to surrender and weakening the ming army. He also constantly used anti-interval tactics to divide the relationship between the emperor and the generals, and even let the Chongzhen Emperor kill him, and Yuan Chonghuan died in the divisive scheme of the Emperor Taiji.
Huang Taiji's strategy of "cutting down big trees" is undoubtedly very successful. Although he never crossed Shanhaiguan in his lifetime, during his reign, the system construction of the Qing Dynasty was continuously improved, the national strength of the Ming Dynasty was greatly depleted, and the strength of the Ming Army in the Liaodong region was exhausted. Cleared the way for Dolgun to enter the customs. Without Emperor Taiji's "cutting down trees", it would not be so easy for Dolgun to enter Beijing later. It can be seen from this that Huang Taiji is really a top military expert!