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Chapter 763 Fragile Alliance

"There are only two roads that can accommodate a large army. Other places can only be passed by two legs. Four legs are not enough. Don't think about it. My people have tried it. The Han people have left people on the road leading to the border wall, hiding in the dense forests on the hillside. If they find someone in the valley, they will shoot with muskets from a distance. With fewer people, they can't get close at all!"

His suggestion was rejected, and according to Lao Chaohua's previous temper, he would have immediately turned hostile and cursed. But today he held back, there was no other way, the Khalkha Five Tribes were wrong first, the Han people sneaked into the hinterland and built a city, now he needed help from them, no matter how dissatisfied he was, he had to endure it.

In addition, the Khorchin tribe is no longer the same as before. With a son-in-law who is the crown prince of the Jin Dynasty, even Ligdan Khan cannot underestimate it. If things really get out of hand, the five Khalkha tribes will definitely suffer.

"Alas... I heard that the Han emperor is young, but his methods are so experienced. He has left us all helpless with just one city. We should have listened to Huang Taiji earlier and gathered our forces to attack the border wall last year, so we wouldn't be in such a dilemma now."

Oba Dataiji sighed deeply, his words revealing deep helplessness and a little complaint. Earlier last year, the three tribes of the Mongolian Left Wing and the Great Jin Dynasty's Huang Taiji had met in Daning and discussed how to attack the Ming Dynasty.

According to Huang Taiji's idea, they should first gather their forces and give it a try. Regardless of whether they could break through the border wall or not, they should make the Han emperor nervous and have to send heavy troops to guard the various passes.

Judging from the performance of the Ming army in Tashanbao and Xinghecheng, a direct confrontation with both Mongolia and Jin would be a disadvantage. There are only two ways to defeat them:

First, lure out the Ming army, make full use of the terrain to lengthen the battle line, and then find an opportunity to cut off their food and grass and then encircle and annihilate them. Second, use harassment tactics to fight a war of attrition. The more troops the Ming army stationed at the border wall pass, the greater the consumption.

If they delay for a few years, they might relax, and then they will find a loophole to break through the border wall and march south, attacking Shanhaiguan from both sides. As long as Shanhaiguan is captured, the Ming Dynasty will be like a courtyard without a door. Anyone can enter at any time, and it will be completely passive.

At that time, Kelindan Khan was sending envoys to the Kharachin tribe to try to persuade Baihong Dataiji to fight against the Ming Dynasty together, and he refused to send troops south before receiving a definite reply. After much delay, the Kharachin tribe did not agree to cooperate, and winter was approaching, so a year was wasted.

"Oba, what is your son-in-law doing?" Lin Danhan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

"He should have reached the Daling River, and maybe even occupied Jinzhou. Whether the Han people believe it or not, they dare not withdraw troops from the Shanhaiguan area at this time." Speaking of his son-in-law, Oba Dataiji had mixed feelings. He felt very proud, but also a little bitter.

At that time, at the invitation of Ligdan Khan, he led tens of thousands of people from the Nawu River to the south to the present-day Dongliaohe area. The living conditions and natural environment were indeed much better, but problems also followed, and he encountered a bad neighbor.

In the mountains east of the Dongliaohe area lived many Jurchens who made a living by gathering and hunting. At the beginning, the relationship between the two sides was okay, and over time there were also intermarriages.

But since Nurhaci emerged from the Jurchen tribe, the relationship between the two sides has gradually become tense. Nurhaci, who was located in the south, continued to annex Jurchen tribes to the north, and eventually became neighbors with the Khorchin tribe, so the two sides had to fight from time to time.

The Jurchens were very strong in combat, and the Khorchins lost more than they won. But a few years ago, Nurhaci focused on advancing westward, and the Khorchins were able to catch their breath. But the good times didn't last long. Nurhaci encountered a stronger opponent in the west and barely escaped with serious injuries. Unable to advance westward, he refocused his attention on the north and increased the annexation of the Jurchen tribes. Then the nightmare of the Khorchins really came.

The Khorchin tribe had a hard time dealing with the well-equipped Jin army, which was as fierce as wolves and tigers in the mountains. They also tried to form alliances and formed alliances with local Jurchen tribes to resist the enemy several times, but all ended in failure.

On the other hand, Lin Danhan did not intend to lend a helping hand, but advised the Khorchin tribe not to interfere in the affairs of the Jurchens. Oba Da Taiji had no choice but to negotiate peace with the Jin Dynasty and married his daughter to the regent crown prince Huang Taiji.

It was originally just a helpless act, but after they became real relatives and interacted more frequently, Oba Da Taiji suddenly discovered that although Huang Taiji and Lin Danhan were of the same age, there was a big gap in their temperament and mind.

Compared with Lin Danhan, who was narrow-minded, indecisive, and always liked to talk about Mongolian orthodoxy, Huang Taiji was more down-to-earth, more tolerant, and more decisive in decision-making. He could tell which was better at a glance.

So when Huang Taiji proposed to form an alliance with Ligdan Khan to deal with the threat from the Ming Dynasty, Oba Da Taiji was willing to help with all his strength. As an introducer, he actively promoted the negotiations between the two sides.

However, after a few years, Obada Taiji felt that this alliance was in name only. Lin Danhan's mind was not on the Ming Dynasty. He was thinking about how to weaken the right wing of Mongolia and swallow it up, so as to become the legitimate Khan of Mongolia.

Huang Taiji's mind was really on the Ming Dynasty, but his attitude towards Lin Danhan was not as simple as that of an ally. He used and guarded against it more. Instead, he traded more and more with the Korean Kingdom in the south, and the relationship became closer and closer. He even allowed a large number of Koreans to enter the hinterland of Liaodong to live and farm.

The Khorchin tribe was caught in the middle, neither side was appropriate, nor could it be purely neutral, so its position was quite delicate and uncomfortable. If most of the tribesmen had not gotten used to the life here, they would really want to return to the north and avoid this troubled place.

"Since the Jin army is holding back the Ming army at Shanhaiguan, and it would be disadvantageous for us to attack the city deep into the mountains, why not take the opportunity to attack the Kharchin tribe to the west? According to the Han books, this is called "Besieging Wei to Save Zhao".

If the Han emperor does not send reinforcements, we can drive the Kharchin tribe westward, occupy more grasslands outside the border wall, and directly threaten Gubeikou and even Xuanfu. By then, this newly built city will become useless, and the Ming Dynasty will have to send troops to guard it all the time, and then find a way to capture it when the garrison is relaxed.

If the Han emperor sends troops deep into the grassland to support the Kharchin tribe, we can split our troops into two groups. On one side, we can lead the Han people to circle around the grassland, and on the other side, we can join forces with the Jin Kingdom to break through the border wall and take Shanhaiguan directly, making it difficult for the Han emperor to take care of both ends! "

Don't say that Oba Dataiji had resentment in his heart. Lin Danhan didn't say it, but he dragged the Kharchin tribe into it again. And it was not just an attempt, he really wanted to attack.

(End of this chapter)