Story 83. Deep-Seated Grudge: Grandfather and Father Murdered by Ming Troops

 Story 83. Deep-Seated Grudge: Grandfather and Father Murdered by Ming Troops

 In the third year of Wanli (萬曆 1575), when Wang Go's clan was exterminated, his son Ah-tae (阿台?–1583) fled to Guleuksae (古勒塞, present-day Xinbin Autonomous County, Liaoning Province), vowing revenge and seeking a comeback. Yi Seong-ryang believed that if Ah-tae was not killed, he would eventually become a source of trouble. He was a skilled general who manipulated the Jurchen people. To divide the Jurchen people or subdue a specific tribe, he would first recruit other tribes to his side and then cause them to fight among themselves. The Jurchen chieftains, drawn into his schemes, clung to him, seeking to kill other leaders and expand their own power.

Nigam Waeran (尼堪外蘭 ? ~1586), the lord of Dorun Fortress (圖倫城 now Tangtu Township 湯圖鄕, Fushun 撫順) of the Sogeuk Sohoha (蘇克蘇滸河 now Sojaha蘇子河) tribe of the Jianzhou Jurchen(建州女眞), was just such a person. When he met Yi Seong-ryang (李成陽), he generously offered him rare local products such as fine horses, ginseng, sable skins, and deer antlers, and flattered him by calling him “Tae-ya (太爺) Grandfather.” Yi Seong-ryang also showed him kindness in order to use him for political purposes.

In the 11th year of Wanli (1583), A-tai formed an alliance with the Mongolian tribe and conquered Guangning(廣寧), Kaiyuan(開原), and the Liao River(遼河). Intelligence of a planned invasion reached Nigamwaeran's ears. He immediately reported this to Yi Seong-ryang. Yi Seong-ryang raised an army, placed Nigamwaeran as his puppet, and surrounded Goruksae with multiple layers of force. The Ming army attacked Goruksae(古勒塞) day and night, but Goruksae, a fortress built on rough terrain, proved difficult to capture. As Ming casualties continued to mount, Yi Seong-ryang harshly rebuked Nigamwaeran, demanding that he be punished if he failed to capture the fortress quickly. Embarrassed, Nigamwaeran came out to the front of the fortress and shouted,

"Master Yi Seong-ryang has issued an order: whoever surrenders after killing A-tae will be made the lord of the fortress."

 Agitations erupted among the soldiers defending the fortress. One soldier, oblivious to Nigamwaeran's rank and harboring other intentions, shouted, He killed Atae and shouted outside the fortress,

"I killed Atae. I will open the gates and surrender, so appoint me as the lord of the castle."

 The Ming army swarmed into the fortress in an instant. Bloodshot-eyed, they slaughtered everyone they encountered. Over 2,200 innocent villagers were slaughtered. Nurhachi's grandfather, Gakchang-an, and his father, Tapgeuk-se, were also killed. But why did these two men, so loyal to Yi Seong-ryang, meet their tragic fate while inside the Gorukchae?

The story goes like this. Atae's wife was the daughter of Gakchang-an's eldest son, Ye-don(禮敦). Ye-don was Nurhachi's uncle, and Atae's wife was his cousin. Furthermore, Atae was Nurhachi's maternal uncle. This blood relationship was a testament to their closeness. Gao Changan and Tap Keukse wanted to stop the fighting. They hoped to persuade Ataei to avoid the tragedy of his tribe's annihilation, but Ataei stubbornly rejected their advice. When a fierce battle broke out between the two armies, the two men were unjustly killed in the ensuing chaos.

Heard of the tragic news of the two men's untimely deaths, Nurhachi was overcome with anger. He rushed to the Liaodong Commandery(遙東都司) and fiercely protested to the Ming officials.

"Why were my grandfather and father murdered? Now you are sworn enemies."

In truth, the two men were more loyal to the Ming than anyone else, yet they were unjustly killed. The Ming court sent an official to apologize to Nurhachi, saying,

"This was by no means intentional. It was a mistake by the soldiers in the midst of chaos."

To appease Nurhachi, he also He granted him an imperial edict(勅書) of 30 provinces and 30 horses, appointed him Commander of the Left Guard of Jianzhou(建州左衛都督), and bestowed upon him the title of Dragon and Tiger General(龍虎將軍). Nurhachi had no choice but to submit, for he was still inadequate to oppose the Ming. However, this incident would remain a source of eternal resentment for him, and later became the first of the so-called "Seven Great Grievances(七大恨)" he declared while conquering the Ming.

 Nurhaci first directed his anger at Nigam Waeran. In May of the 11th year of Wanli (1583), at the age of 25, Nurhachi, claiming to avenge the unjust deaths of his grandfather and father, led 13 sets of armor left by his father and dozens of soldiers to attack the city of Dorun.

Nirga Waeran was a coward. He was terrified by the attack of Nurhachi's army of fewer than 100 men. He ate and fled to Jiaban Castle(嘉班城) in the Hun River region. This attack was the first battle in which Nurhaci raised troops on his own and launched his war to unify the Jurchen people. When he attacked Jiaban Castle again, Nigam Waeran was chased.

In the 14th year of Wanli (1586), Nurhaci, having received intelligence that Nigam Waeran was hiding in Aihun Castle(阿爾渾城) in the Hun River region(渾河部), took advantage of the darkness to capture Aihun Castle, but again lost Nigam Waeran. Nigam Waeran's only refuge was the Ming camp. He fled to Fushun and sought Ming protection. Enraged by the news that the Ming army was protecting him, Nurhaci massacred 19 Ming soldiers in the castle, stabbed six captured soldiers with arrows, and then returned them to the Ming camp, declaring,

"If you don't hand over Nigam Waeran immediately, I will attack you." Speak up.”

 The Ming officials believed that the Nigam Waeran was now of no use. There was no reason to harbor a feud with Nurhachi, whose feud was escalating by the day because of the Nigam Waeran. Nigam Waeran, acting like a rat between the Jurchen and the Ming army, was eventually branded a traitor and beheaded by his own people, Nurhachi’s men. From then on, Nurhachi established the principle of “ruling the obedient with virtue(仁德), and the rebellious with weapons(兵器).”

 At that time, the Jianzhou Jurchen(建州女眞) were divided into several tribes, including the Hunhe tribe(渾河部), the Wanyan tribe(完顔部), the Dongyue tribe(董鄂部), and the Chechen tribe(哲陳部). Nurhachi’s first goal was to unify the Jianzhou Jurchen(建州女眞). In the 12th year of Wanli (1584), he attacked Yongyue Luocheng(翁鄂洛城). As he climbed onto the roof and fired arrows at the castle, an arrow fired by the enemy general Ak-E-Gwa(鄂爾果) pierced Nurhachi's helmet. Covered in blood, Nurhachi flaunted his arrows and killed the enemy.

But this time, another arrow, this time from Luo-Gwa(洛科), struck Nurhachi in the neck. He was so badly wounded that even when he pulled out the hooked arrow, a chunk of flesh was torn off. His panicked subordinates tried to help him down from the roof. However, he shook off their efforts and descended alone. Fearing that showing weakness as a general in the midst of a fierce battle would shake the morale of his troops, he narrowly escaped the enemy's range and fainted. After his wounds healed, he attacked the castle again and captured Ak-E-Gwa and Luo-Gwa. His subordinates demanded their immediate execution. However, Nurhachi replied:

"Shooting an enemy with an arrow on the battlefield is like killing someone you serve. This is loyalty to my lord. Even if I were seriously wounded by their arrows, wouldn't it be a pity to let them die?"

He approached the two men and released their ropes, saying,

"I won't kill you just because you harmed me. You have been loyal to your lord. However, your lord is already dead. If you follow me from now on, I will never mistreat you, and even if you leave, I will not stop you."

 The two men, overcome with emotion, begged to become Nurhaci's subordinates. Nurhaci personally poured them drinks and said,

"After drinking this, I hope you will stop talking about the past and start anew."

 Nurhaci appointed the two men as Urok (牛錄) and placed them in command of 300 soldiers. This incident demonstrated Nurhaci's insight and tolerance. Those who have achieved great things generally have a common trait: they embrace even their enemies if they are loyal and capable. Their desire to acquire talented individuals can be strong. This is the way to get closer to ‘great power.’

In the 13th year of Wanli (1585), Nurhachi led 25 armored officers and 50 soldiers to attack Jiebian Castle(界凡城) in Cheoljinbu, but failed to achieve any results and withdrew. As he was passing the Tailan River(太蘭江) south of Jiebian Castle, the lord of Jiebian Castle, Pamukni(巴穆尼), and the lord of Maidon Castle(瑪爾敦城), Nulsin(訥申), led about 400 soldiers in pursuit. Pamukni and Nulsin simultaneously charged at Nurhachi. Nurhachi was not intimidated at all and fought back. Nulsin was struck by a lightning-quick sword swing by Nurhachi, and Pamukni was killed by an arrow. While the pursuers hesitated, Nurhachi killed them. He managed to outmaneuver them, but before long, his horse grew tired and could no longer ride. Nurhachi said to his men,

"You all dismount quickly. Pretend to clear the snow with your bows and gather your arrows, then calmly climb over the pass and rest!"

 In a heavily outnumbered situation, Nurhachi sent his men ahead, and sat with seven heavily armed soldiers at the foot of the hill, their helmets barely visible. It was a deception designed to present the enemy with an ambush. The pursuers, mistakenly believing a considerable force was waiting, turned their horses and fled. Had he not shown his wit in that moment, he would have been in serious trouble.

Nurhachi was a master of strategy. This incident occurred in the 12th year of Wanli's reign (1584), near the beginning of the Jianzhou Jurchen unification war. One night, under thick darkness, an assassin raided his quarters and was captured. His bodyguard, Luo Han(洛漢), attempted to kill him. But Nurhachi thought,

‘Killing this man is a waste of time. It's easy, but killing me will provide an excellent justification for war to the enemy who wants to attack me. Right now, the enemy is strong and I'm weak, so we shouldn't recklessly raise an army.'

He approached the assassin and said,

"You're a thief who came to steal cattle."

The assassin, who had expected to be beheaded with a single stroke, was so delighted by the unexpected response that he hurriedly replied,

"Yes, yes, please forgive me just this once. I won't do this again."

Luohan, who was watching from the side, said,

"Master! This is clearly an assassin, not a thief who came to steal cattle. You must kill him immediately."

The assassin and Luohan were completely oblivious to Nurhachi's motives. The released assassin suspected Nurhachi of being a fool. One night, a month later, the assassin came again to assassinate Nurhachi, but was captured.

Upon interrogation, his name was revealed to be Yisu(義蘇). The tribesmen unanimously insisted on his death.

Nurhaci's response was this:

"If we kill him today, the enemy will find an excuse to attack our tribe tomorrow. They will attack us now. Our forces are weak. If we fight and lose, our wealth and food will all be plundered. It would be better to release the assassins and thwart the enemy's plot."

 Everyone nodded in agreement. Several assassins attempted to kill him afterward, but all failed. This was due to his bold and calm approach. When he was weaker than his enemies, Nurhachi thoroughly disguised himself, treated them with respect, and bided his time.

He also consistently obeyed orders from the Ming court. In 1588, the 16th year of the Wanli era, the Jurchen leader Ke Wusip(克五十) plundered the Ming military camp of Shihebo(柴河堡) and murdered its general Liu Bu(劉斧). Nurhachi, upon receiving the imperial order, immediately raised troops and killed ten of his own people. In recognition of his dedication to the imperial court, he was appointed the Jianzhou Left Guard Commander.

Furthermore, in 1592, when the Imjin War(壬辰倭亂) broke out in Joseon, he pleaded with Emperor Shenzong(神宗) to join the war. While his request was unsuccessful, it served as a symbolic gesture demonstrating his loyalty to the Ming. Although the Ming, which had killed his grandfather and father, was his sworn enemy, Nurhachi, still lacking in power, concealed his true intentions and outwardly adopted an attitude of utter submission until his power had been fully consolidated.