Haisheng Mingdi

Chapter 787
The Songhua River flows mightily, and there are idyllic villages among the jungles on the other side of the river.

The Songhua River flows straight from the south to the north all the way, and suddenly it is blocked by a rugged cliff here, and turns to the northwest, turning a big bend.

However, this cliff is very famous. Yan Shuxun, the new governor of Jilin Prefecture in Bohai Province, and Lv Yicheng, commander of the Ming Dynasty Blackwater Fleet, climbed this cliff today.

There is a Dragon King Temple on this cliff, which was built in the Yongle period.

The Dragon King Temple was built more than 200 years ago. Although the Ming army left later, the various Jurchen ministries here still protect the temple, and often worship and pray for good weather.

Both Nurhachi and Huang Taiji went up the mountain and entered the temple to worship in person.

The former Daming Shipyard has long since disappeared, and there is no trace of it to be found, but the Dragon King Temple is still there. It is now called the Five Dragon Palace, which means five dragons holding saints.

Soldiers from the Heishui Battalion in red military robes carried pigs, cattle and sheep up the mountain to offer sacrifices.

At the foot of the mountain, [-] fast crab boats from the Blackwater Fleet were parked by Ash Village on the north bank, and on the other side were many simpler boats. The officials of the Ming Dynasty did not dare to neglect the order. Those Jurchen leaders who were entrusted with the titles of Duhu, Dudu, Wei Commander, Suoqianhu, etc., rushed over the mountains and mountains on horseback, on foot, or by boat.

Today, they are here.

I saw the eighteen fast crab boats, with slender hulls and three-sided sails, each with fifty oars and a hundred oarsmen.

These are not the most astonishing, but what makes them fear is that each ship has seven cannons, two long cannons at the bow, one at the stern, and four at the sides.

A leader from Hunchun had seen the armed merchant ships of the Vanguard Fleet last year. They were bigger and had more guns, but that was by the sea, but now it is on the inland Songhua River.Half a month ago, there were no ships here, but now eighteen such gunboats suddenly appeared out of thin air.

On the mountain.

The Five Dragon Palace was also renovated by Yan Shuxun, and an Ash Pavilion and a Cliff Pavilion were newly built at the foot of the mountain.

The leaders didn't quite understand that the young Ming official asked them to come here to sacrifice to the Five Dragon Palace. They only showed their faces when they took office, but when they saw the eighteen gunboats, they thought it might be to show off the power of the Ming Dynasty.

Or there might be some tribal leader who didn't know how to live and die, and failed to obey Daming, so now maybe Daming wants to call them to send troops to crusade.

It’s just that they wondered why they came here. They knew that after the establishment of Bohai Province, the Ming Dynasty set up a capital guard, a capital governor’s mansion, and a guard post, and still entrusted the leaders of the Jurchen tribe to lead them. Some post cities or strongholds were established.

For example, Mokuowei, Vladivostok, Hunchun, Wuguocheng, Haixi, Yitong, Changchun, Jilin, and the confluence of the Ash River in the middle reaches of the Songhua River, the former site of Shangjing in the Jin Dynasty, established by the Jurchen A new city was built near Alchuka, closer to the river mouth. This new city is full of swans, and the Jurchen language is Harwin. The new city is named Goose City, and the Jurchens are called Harwin or Harbin.

This new city occupies the banks of the Heilongjiang River, with Alchuka and Hulan City on both sides, Wuguo City on the downstream, and Fuyu City on the upstream.

After more than a hundred years, the Ming Dynasty returned to Haidong Haixi area again, but did not directly seize those big cities and fortresses, but rather re-established the city gates.

These points are being connected into a line, from Mokuowei to Hunchun, to Ninggu Tower, and then to Wuguo City by the Songhua River, which is also the western gateway of the Sanjiang Plain.

The other route is from Vladivostok along the Suifen River to Shuangchengzi, Dongning, Xingkai Lake, and into Niman at the confluence of the Seven Rivers of the Ussuri River.

There is another line, which is Haixi where they are now, from Yingkou to Kaiyuan, then through the Dongliao River to Yitong, and then from Yitong to Songhua River to connect with the shipyard.On this line, they established Yitong, Changchun, and Jilin, and established connections in the name of post roads and border markets.

Even after the Bohai Sea province was established, the original Liaodong territory expanded a lot from north to east. Liaodong originally had a side wall in the Ming Dynasty. The north side of the side wall was Kaiyuan, and the east side was not entirely bounded by the watershed, but further west.But now not only the Dongliao River, Zhaosu Taizi River, Yehe River, Qinghe River, etc. are included in Liaodong Province in the north, but also the upper watershed of these rivers is drawn as the boundary.

Xifeng was established at the source of Qinghe River, Liaoyuan was established at the source of Dongliao River, Siping was established at the source of Lianhuapao River, Lishu City was established at the source of Zhaosu Taizi River, and Huaide was established at Dengzi Village, the upper reaches of Dongliao River. .

The establishment of Changchun in the upper reaches of the Yitong River, Yitong in the upper reaches, Jilin on the banks of the Songhua River in the west, Harbin, and the Five Kingdoms City, etc., was a large number of merchants who came with the postmen of the Ming Dynasty. There was the Frontier Patrol Battalion, and then now the Blackwater Battalion.

"This Ash Village is said to be the descendants of the Han artisans and Jurchen laborers recruited by the Ming Dynasty when they set up a shipyard here to build ships."

When Yan Shuxun returned to Jilin with Heishuiying, the first thing he did was to find traces of the ruins of the old shipyard. The Jurchens who had lived at the foot of Mount Ashhada for generations reported the clues and received a generous reward.

When Yan Shuxun came here, he not only confirmed that this was the former Liaodong shipyard of the Ming Dynasty, but also found the Dragon King Temple and the two stone tablets erected that year.

After vicissitudes and years of burial, the two steles have long been covered by vines and weeds. If the local villagers had not passed down the two steles from generation to generation, it would be difficult for outsiders to find them, but the villagers of Ash did not know what was written on the steles.

Until Yan Shuxun led people to clean up the two steles again.

In fact, it cannot be called a stele, because it is directly engraved on the rectangular blue-gray granite stone that is more prominent on the cliff, facing south from the north, facing the river, and a few meters above the water surface.

The stele is more than four feet high and two feet wide, with three lines of inscriptions.

Although it has been eroded by wind and rain for more than [-] years, the handwriting can still be clearly seen after cleaning.

"Jiachen Dingmaoguichou... Hussar General Liaodong Capital Commander Liu Daming Yongle Shijiu Years and Years Xinchou New Year...Auspicious"

Some words are missing, but basically the above information can be deduced.

This was established by Liu Qing, the commander of the Liaodong capital. According to official historical records, Yan Shuxun found out that Liu Qing led the army to Jilin Shipyard for the first time. Before leaving the next year, he instructed craftsmen to engrave commemorative characters. .

The second inscription is clearer.

Seven lines of text are vertically engraved.

"Liu Qing, Chief Shipbuilding Officer of the Imperial Commission, General Hussars, Commander of the Liaodong Capital Division, led the army here in the 18th year of Yongle, the first year of Hongxi, and the seventh year of Xuande. The Dragon King Temple was established in this place. It was founded in the 18th year of Yongle and Xuande It was rebuilt in seven years. On February [-], the seventh year of Xuande."

The inscription here records that Liu Qing came to Jilin three times to supervise the building of warships and built the Dragon King Temple, which coincides with the year recorded by the official record that the imperial envoy Yi Shiha inspected the Nuer Gandu Si to promulgate comfort.

Liu Qing built ships three times in Jilin, and the eunuch Yi Shiha visited Nuergan three times. Liu Qing built the Dragon King Temple in Jilin, and Yi Shiha built Yongning Temple in Nuergan.

This is an excellent proof of Ming's sovereignty over Liaodong since ancient times.

Yan Shuxun summoned a group of Jurchen leaders from Bohai, read out the content of the two inscriptions in front of them, and then took out several official historical records to teach them a history lesson.The officials carefully and meticulously translated these bits and pieces to the leaders.

The new shipyard is located on the S Big Bend Plain, more than [-] miles upstream of the upper river. The shipyard is located on the south bank, while the post city and bastion are located on the north bank. , The family residence area of ​​​​the frontier army is also a trading point with the Jurchens on both sides of the strait. In the northernmost part of the bend, there is also a Tunbao and Tuntian.

The Ming army set up three settlements in this big river bend separated by two sections of the river.

When the Ming Dynasty expelled the Tartars, in order to take over the vast northeast territory of the Yuan Dynasty, the Liaodong Capital was established in Liaoyang to govern the east and west of the Liaohe River outside Shanhaiguan.

When it came to Ming Chengzu Zhu Di, he was even more ambitious and set up the Nuer Gandu Division at the entrance of Heilongjiang to the sea to extend the operation of the Heilongjiang area.

However, Daming at that time was still beyond reach outside the customs.

At that time, Jilin was relatively close to Kaiyuan in the northeast of Ming and Liao, and the Songhua River was directly connected to Heilongjiang. Its strategic location was very important. Therefore, Zhu Di sent Liu Qing to build warships, expand post stations, and establish a waterway transportation hub to strengthen the control of the Jurchen tribes in the Northeast. connection and control.

During the Ming Dynasty's Eastern Expedition, the Navy relied heavily on the Songhua River, and Jilin was the beginning of the voyage.

When Liu Qing came to Jilin, he chose this location for shipbuilding. First of all, in Ashhada, that is, in the area of ​​Zhuque Mountain named by the Ming army, there are dense ancient pines, which are excellent shipbuilding materials. Straight into the river to the shipyard.

As for the section of Zhuque Mountain Pass, the river flow widens and the water flow slows down, making it easier for craftsmen in the shipyard to harvest the timber discharged from the upper reaches to the shore, and there is also a pond near the river, which is convenient for shipbuilding.

In the Jurchen tribe, there are still many stories about the Ming Dynasty building ships here. However, when Zhu Di’s grandson became emperor, he had already begun to shrink his strategy and ignored the Nuergan area. didn't come back.

But now that Daming is back again, and even conjured up a gunboat directly from Dongliao River, this makes these savage Jurchens who have moved from the farther back of Baishan Heishui even more amazed and awed.

Listening to the son of this great scholar talking about the old history of the shipyard here, and listening to him say that the Ming Dynasty really built ships here in the past, and that they cruised directly down the Songhua River from here to the mouth of the Heilongjiang River, they really admired them.

It turned out that Daming was so powerful, and they always thought that Ming was weak all these years. Jianzhou Jurchen kept telling them to rob the west, take them to the west to rob the Ming Dynasty, rob women, livestock, and gold and silver.

Uruka, the guardian of Ningguta's Protectorate Mansion, bowed respectfully, "If the imperial envoy needs us to do something, just ask."

The other savage Jurchen leaders are all holding the titles of governor, commander, command envoy, thousand households, or Duke Bozinan at this time, and they have just begun to enjoy the huge dividends of direct trade with Ming. The respectful ones all said that if you have something to do, you can order it, whether it is logging or building a city, or sending troops to fight against unconvinced bastards, we have no two words.

"Although we have also set up a new shipyard here, we don't need to build ships for the time being. We have prepared all the materials in the Central Plains, and we will ship them to assemble and paint the seal. But the shipyard will definitely need to build ships in the future, and good shipbuilding wood is also needed. If you are free, you can cut down trees according to the needs of our shipyard, and then sell them to the shipyard, and earn money to buy silk, porcelain, tea, tobacco, wine, iron pots and other good things in the side market. It is always a good deal.”

"If you are willing to help with shipbuilding, city building, or wasteland reclamation, we will also give you rewards, and you can exchange them for Central Plains merchants."

Yan Shuxun took the opportunity to start discussing cooperation with the leaders.

Building shipyards, logging and discharging wasteland, building cities, reclaiming wasteland, and even hiring them to hunt wild animals for furs, as well as hire them as mercenaries and guides, transport on the Songhua River, and move goods to Yitong. Anyway, as long as they work hard, they will be paid well.

It doesn't matter if you don't want to be hired, you have hunting furs, ginseng mushrooms and pine nuts you dig, etc., you can trade them in the border market.

We have a steady stream of goods coming from the Liaohe River. Although the Songliao Canal has not been opened, the distance between Huaide Wharf and Zhaotong Wharf is only a hundred miles. I am researching and building a carriage track, and using the track to improve the efficiency of the carriage will increase the transport capacity several times, and a few horses can pull several carriages.

Anyway, there are many opportunities to make money now, those who have the ability to hunt and dig, and those who are not able to herd and sell cattle, sheep and horses, or if you are good at weaving nets and fishing, then you sell fish.

If you have the ability to pick pearls and you can get east pearls, you can sell more.

If you don’t have these specialties, you can earn good wages if you do coolies, log, quarry, build roads, build cities, transport, run ships, and even help open up wasteland and farm land. A steady stream of goods come in and a lot of native products are exchanged. It is opportunity.

The Blackwater Fleet is about to go south, and Lu Yicheng intends to recruit some wild Jurchen warriors. They will be guides and hunters at that time. The reward will be a blunderbuss plus some ammunition and some silver. If they perform well, there will be rewards.

As soon as this remark came out, many Jurchens were very excited. The bird gun is a good thing, and everyone wants it.

I worshiped the Dragon King and saw the stone carvings.

Yan Shuxun and Lu Yicheng returned to the boat by the river.

"What happened to that Zongbing Liu?" Lu Yicheng asked, he was a veteran of the brave guard, he followed Huang Chuangzi to Lu Wang's mansion, and became Zhu Yihai's bodyguard.After Yan Shuxun's father, Yan Wogong, broke into Li Yuchun's captive camp, his undercover career became popular, and later he "instigated" a large number of generals under King Lu's command.

What general seal, there are a bunch of uncles and ministers, and Lu Yicheng was also on the list of instigators submitted by Yan Wogong to the Qing court at that time. At that time, he was only the captain of King Lu's bodyguard, but he also had the seal of an earl and general Anyang.He followed Yan Wogong to lurk in the enemy camp for a long time, and after Emperor Nanjing ascended the throne, he also really made the earl.

Although it is not as good as Wang Chuangzi, he is now the Duke of Jingguo and the governor.But he is also the founding county marquis, and he is a world-appointed person. When he came to Bohai this time, his official title was the admiral of the Bohai Provincial Patrol and Garrison Battalion, and also the admiral of the Blackwater Fleet.Because Bohai Province is a province with the nature of a prison, although there are also governors, admirals, and cloth officials, the governors and governors below are all appointed as Jurchen leaders. Keep a low profile.

The admiral of his province is very different from the admiral of Handi Province, but although the Blackwater Fleet has just been established, it is within the scope of patrol from Songhua River to Heilongjiang, and its authority is still very large.

"Liu Qing, he didn't end well. In the third year after he came to the shipyard for the third time, he was ordered to lead a fleet to escort supplies to Nuer Gandusi, but when the fleet reached the lower reaches of the Heishui River, it was captured by the Jurchen tribe. The attack, the supplies were looted.

Liu Qing should be sentenced to death, but the imperial court thought of his meritorious service, dismissed him from his post and sent him to Gansu, and later used it again. "

Lu Yicheng thought that Liu Qing, a general who expanded the border, would have a good result, but who knew it would be so.

"It seems that I have to be extra careful of the Jurchen tribes downstream when I am touring the Songhua River and Heilongjiang this time, so I can't be robbed too."

Yan Shuxun said with a smile, "You have 100 boats, each with seven cannons, and there are more than [-] people on board. That's a whole standard sentry force. Everyone has guns and swords. How can you be afraid of Jurchen attacks? How many can come? It’s not enough for your teeth.”

"It's better to be careful in order to be able to sail for thousands of years. I can't bear the responsibility for this failure, and I can't afford to lose that person."

(End of this chapter)