Although Dai Shan cared about his general health, his psychology should have changed after the death of his two sons. It was one thing to support Huang Taiji and succeed him as king, but it was another thing to claim the throne as emperor.
Therefore, if Huang Taiji wants to launch a war, he must meet two conditions.
First of all, there must be a high degree of certainty of victory, and the casualties will not be too large. To put it bluntly, it is a relatively easy victory.
Secondly, something must be gained from the battle. Whether it is food and supplies, or people and livestock, the shortage of materials faced by Houjin must be alleviated.
Those who meet these two conditions seem to have no other targets except the Chahar tribe and other Mongolian tribes.
The Ming army in western Liaoning retreated back to Ningyuan. Huang Taiji would not ask for trouble again without a weapon to attack the enemy.
Dongjiang Town in Liaodong is itself a pauper, and most of them have retreated to the islands. Some small strongholds on land will not gain much even if they win.
North Korea has been conquered, and the country is small, poor, and weak. Even if we continue to attack and plunder, we will not get much supplies.
In fact, after careful analysis, it is almost certain that Huang Taiji will take action against the Mongolian tribes.
Attacking the Mongol tribes could, on the one hand, plunder people and livestock, forcing the Mongol tribes to join the attack on the Ming Dynasty. On the other hand, it also caused the Ming Dynasty to lose its strategic allies and fall into isolation.
The night was getting darker, and Guo Dajing didn't feel too sleepy after seeing off Fujino and his daughter. He stood on the porch and looked at the falling snowflakes, and fell into long thoughts again.
………………
The New Year is almost here, and although the island is short of supplies, it still has a festive atmosphere.
The streets are cleaned, blessing characters are distributed to each household, lanterns are made with skillful hands, and the clothes are washed even if they are not new.
The soldiers and civilians are both happy and regretful, but this year is about to pass, so we should put our hope to next year, hoping that we can get better and better.
Some cloth and cotton were distributed, but it was not enough for the people to make new clothes for the whole family. But even fur and blankets could be used to keep warm when sleeping, and people who went out also had clothes to cover themselves.
Xiaoying was wearing a newly made cotton coat, holding a bowl, and eating delicious food.
Shuzhen still wore the same old clothes, but she changed the blanket she used to cover herself when sleeping so that she could put it on to keep out the cold when she went out.
Many families in the new village are like this. Clothes to keep out the cold are worn first by those who go out, mostly men who go out to work to earn food.
We don’t suffer from poverty but from inequality. Everyone is in a similar situation, so there is no question of who is laughing at whom.
Han Shantong put on new clothes, which was a benefit for military relatives. Han Zhong was able to receive military uniforms in the army, and the cloth and cotton distributed were used by his son.
"When you put on new clothes, you should pay more attention. Don't scratch or rub them. Don't get them anywhere." Shuzhen looked at Han Shantong and reminded with a smile: "The Chinese New Year is coming soon, don't make it too dirty."
Han Shantong nodded repeatedly and agreed happily. Seeing Xiaoying looking at him with big eyes, he laughed twice and said to Xiaoying: "It's delicious to eat dumplings during the New Year!"
Xiaoying blinked her eyes, licked her lips, and asked crisply: "Have you eaten it?"
Han Shantong paused and said, "My father said that during the Chinese New Year, the dough will be fermented and the meat will be fermented so that you can have a meal of dumplings."
Xiaoying laughed and said, "The porridge is also delicious, and the pancakes are also very fragrant."
Shuzhen felt sad and felt sorry for her child, who could be satisfied so easily after only a few good days.
I have been on the island for a month or two, and the food alone is already unimaginable under the rule of Jianlu. With simple food, I can't be hungry, let alone live in fear.
As for making dough and meat, that must be a matter for the army. As for ordinary people, it would be very happy to be able to send out two fish and see meat again.
"Aunt Zhen, come to my house to eat during the Chinese New Year!" Han Shantong looked at Shuzhen and invited her expectantly: "My father is an army officer, so he will definitely give out a lot of food, enough for us to eat."
Shuzhen forced a smile, but did not comment. She treated it as a child's words. How could this be allowed?
Han Shantong didn't think so much, so he put down the bowl and chopsticks and said: "There is no other work today, let's grind all the grain into flour! Xiaoying loves to eat pancakes, bake some more for her."
Shuzhen hesitated for a moment and said, "It's better to eat as much as you can and leave some grain to make porridge."
"Just eating porridge won't stop you from being hungry." Han Shantong pointed at the rice bag and said, "When my father comes back, I can bring a lot, so there is no need to save food."
After saying that, he stood up and went to carry the thirty-four kilogram bag of grain.
Shuzhen got up helplessly and said to Xiaoying: "You stay at home and stay at home. Mom and your Shantong brother are going to grind noodles. You will be back soon."
Xiaoying nodded her little head obediently and said again: "Mom, I'm playing in the yard pushing snow."
"Go inside when it's cold. Don't freeze!" Shuzhen took a bag and a small broom and followed Han Shantong out.
There is a mill in the new village, which is public. When the two of them arrived, no one else was there, so they worked together to grind the flour.
Han Shantong held on to the putter and turned it around and around without getting tired. A little while later, white mist appeared on his head.
Shuzhen carefully swept the grain with a small broom and put the flour into the bag, not wanting to waste it at all.
"You want to join the army when you grow up?" Listening to Han Shantong's ideal, Shuzhen was a little surprised, "War is very dangerous, don't you know?"
"I know, how come I don't know." Han Shantong was very proud and told how his father and son followed the Dongjiang Army deep into the Jianlu controlled area, attacked Anshan Station, and ambushed the enemy.
He didn't see the battle, he just heard his father talk about it and saw the scene after the war.
"...Jianlu looked very fierce. In the hands of General Guo and his soldiers, they were all beaten to pieces. Hundreds of their heads were chopped off, and their bodies were thrown into the mountains to feed wolves. It was really a relief..."
"My father said that we must take revenge. That's what a man is! We are afraid of death and don't go to the battlefield. When will we regain Liaodong and return to our hometown? When I join the army, I want to be like General Guo. Isn't that right?
I miss those few buckets of grain..."
The truth is right, and the child is also very ideal, but Shuzhen still feels that the battlefield with human heads and flesh flying everywhere is a bit unbearable for her.
But when she heard about revenge, admiration and excitement arose in Shuzhen's heart. No one had any relatives who died in the hands of Jianlu. Her parents, brothers, sisters, and Shuzhen's man also died because of this, leaving her and her daughter alone.
If someone joins the army and fights without fear of death, isn't he also trying to avenge her when he can't do it himself?
The word hometown also deeply touched Shuzhen. The house, the fields, and the childhood memories imprinted in my mind, the experience of growing up, the graves of her parents...
"My father killed several captives and avenged my mother and my father." Han Shantong's face was full of pride, like every child who shows off his parents, grinning happily.
Shuzhen also laughed and praised: "Your father is so awesome. He became an officer within a few months of being a soldier."
Han Shantong laughed louder, feeling proud of his father. But compared with others, there was still some shortcomings.
"General Guo is so powerful." Han Shantong said with admiration on his face: "At this time last year, he killed Jianlu and escaped with the whole village. In less than a year, he has become a general.
He has thousands of people under his command."
Idol, this is Han Shantong’s idol.
In Han Shantong's imagination, Guo Dajing was more powerful than Lu Bu, Guan Yu and others mentioned by storytellers. Carrying a knife, killing Jianlu was like chopping melons and vegetables.
Well, my father is also very good, but General Zhao Guo is still a little behind.
Shuzhen sighed softly and said: "It's a pity that our village has no leader. We really couldn't survive, so we risked our lives to escape. If I had come out earlier..."
She thought of her husband and her father-in-law, who both fell on the way to escape due to years of fatigue and hunger, as well as physical weakness.
The fact that she and her daughter were able to survive was actually due to the efforts of her relatives, who saved the last bit of food.
Now, Shuzhen has thought clearly. If she stays in the Jianlu-controlled area, death will only happen sooner or later. If she desperately escapes, there is still a glimmer of hope for long-term survival.
After the grain was ground, Han Shantong carried the bag, Shuzhen followed, and they returned home together.
In the yard, Xiaoying had already pushed the snow into a small pile, her flushed face full of joy. When she saw her mother and elder brother coming back, she immediately greeted them with joyful shouts.
This is the kind of life that can make people happy and smile, even if they eat bran all day long, it is still good.
Shuzhen scolded her daughter, covered her cold face with distressed hands, and quickly moved into the house to warm up.
Han Shantong went into the house and put down his noodles, blinked his eyes, went out again, picked up a small shovel, patted and repaired the snowdrift, and decided to make a good-looking snowman to make Xiaoying happier.
…………….
The day after Guo Dajing returned to Guanglu Island, a North Korean ship docked at the dock. With the token given by Guo Dajing, Cui Xiaoyi and others set foot on Guanglu Island again.
"Is this a fish?" Cui Xiaoyi's eyes widened. He circled under the high pole and looked at the whale skeleton carefully.
Zhang Xifan's mouth was wide open, but he noticed the notice posted under the pole and hurriedly stepped forward to take a closer look.
"Wow, a whale weighing 40,000 to 50,000 kilograms." Zhang Xifan swallowed hard, his face full of surprise, "I wonder how you caught it? General Guo is always so unexpected!"
Cui Xiaoyi also stepped forward to read the notice, shook his head and sighed, "Every time I come here, I am surprised and happy. I really want to be with General Guo and listen to his teachings all the time."
Zhang Xifan also felt the same and said: "If I didn't have parents at home, I would have to obey General Guo's orders no matter what. I really envy Jin Zhongguo and the others!"
There was a rapid sound of horse hoofbeats, and Guo Dajing rushed to greet him with his own soldiers.
After dismounting and exchanging a few words of greeting, Guo Dajing led everyone to the guest house, sat down and had tea, and then got down to the topic.
Guo Dajing's memory is gradually recovering, or in other words, the things he thought he had just glanced at but had forgotten are actually buried deep in his mind, waiting to be awakened at the right time.
Nowadays, Shen Qiyuan, who is currently in charge of the political affairs of the Joseon Dynasty and has been granted the title of Lord of Qingyuan Prefecture, seems to have been executed by Injo for treason.
The reason for the rebellion seems to be that Injo defected to the Qing Dynasty. After Lin Qingye was captured by the Qing army, Shen Qiyuan wanted to take him back, but he was murdered by Jin Zidian's men on the way.
Guo Dajing's memory is not very clear, but one thing is certain, that is, through Lin Qingye and Cui Xiaoyi, he knew that Shen Qiyuan was a pro-Ming sect.
In this case, Guo Dajing had an idea and was ready to support Shen Qiyuan. To rebel, he needed an army. This was the most basic condition.
Cui Xiaoyi was a little surprised that Guo Dajing had only seen the cargo list and was eager to ask about the details of Shen Qiyuan, but he still tried his best to explain it in detail.
"...Shen Qiyuan studied under Quan Yuan, and later joined Injo's rebellion, entered the official career, participated in pacifying Li Shi's rebellion, and was promoted to General of the Guards, Criminal Cao Judgment, and Bing Cao Judgment. He was first promoted to Zuo Yizheng, and was granted the title of Lord of Qingyuan Prefecture. …”
"According to General Lin, Shen Qiyuan originally advocated the establishment of Huaienjun Li Deren as the new king, so he seemed to be dissatisfied with Injo..."
Guo Dajing was not ashamed to ask, "Who is Quan Yuan? Please introduce me to Brother Cui."
Cui Xiaoyi showed a look of reverence on his face and said: "Mr. Quan Yang is the most famous sinologist in North Korea. His "Zhou Sheng Biography" quoted classics..."
Quan Yang was a sinologist with far-reaching influence in Korean history. In his work "The Biography of Zhou Sheng", he integrated Chinese historical elements and constructed a three-dimensional Chinese geographical space, full of admiration and reverence for China.
This makes sense. Shen Qiyuan must also have admired the Central Plains culture, despised Jianlu, and was dissatisfied with Injo's weakness.
Guo Dajing nodded lightly, smiled, and said: "Thank you, Brother Cui, for your advice. In Guo's opinion, Shen Qi is a distant relative of the enemy and is in a high position. He can make efforts to make friends, strive to change the attitude of the Korean court, and jointly fight against the enemy. .”
"General Lin thinks the same way." Cui Xiaoyi agreed deeply and said: "With Shen Qiyuan's support, it will be very convenient to do many things!"
Guo Dajing pondered and said: "Jeju Island is in an excellent location and is remote from the sea, which is very suitable for secret military training. Guo suggested that we take the long route to gain control of Jeju Island."
The ancient names of Jeju Island include Daoyi, Dongyingju, Sheluo, Tammulao and Qianluo. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was occupied by the Mongols, who herded horses on the island.
Now, Jeju Island has two counties, Daejong and Jeongui. The population is not large, and the Korean court does not pay much attention to it.
Cui Xiaoyi couldn't make the decision, so he nodded in agreement and reported to Lin Qingzhi before making a decision. As long as Shen Jiyuan is willing to help, the appointment of Jeju Island officials will not be difficult.
"In addition to transporting supplies, I also want to bring back craftsmen who are learning how to make muskets." Cui Xiaoyi said: "I have sent a dozen more reliable Korean martyrs. Please arrange for General Guo to serve in the army."
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "No trouble, no trouble. There will be a big war next year, and they can gain experience. There are many new tactics for Jianlu."
"A war next year?!" Cui Xiaoyi was refreshed and excited, but he couldn't make a final decision yet. "I will ask General Lin for instructions. It will be a blessing if I can participate in the war."
"Welcome, welcome!" Guo Dajing said with a smile: "Let's rest in the guest house. I also prepared a batch of supplies and asked Brother Cui to bring them back as a New Year's gift."
Cui Xiaoyi stood up to see him off, and Guo Dajing told him that he would immediately summon Korean martyrs serving in the army to meet him.
Lin Qingzhi recalled the craftsmen and prepared to build heavy muskets. Guo Dajing was pleased with this.