Emperor Hongle sat upon his ivory throne and was troubled. Was it the constant squabbling of his nobles that wore heavily on his brow? Was it the presence of a large and soon to be hostile neighbor in Manchuria? Was it the question of what to do with the island kingdom of Nippon? Did the burden of his overlarge army devouring his treasury trouble him? Or was it just that his ongoing battle with constipation was taking its toll on him once again? No one knows the tale of what the mighty Emperor thought but his actions about leaving the Royal Lavatory where clear and decisive.
China stood like a great giant across the Asian landmass. Her Eastern border was protected by the very feebleness of her neighbors there. The South teemed with danger and possible rivals, but the lack of resources and provinces spelled doom for any foolhardy enough to make war on great China. To the West lay the island of Nippon, the only country to muster military resources even close to those of China. And to the North? Aye, there was the problem at hand.
Manchuria and Korea were both quite powerful for their size and their dangerous proximity to the capital of China could not be ignored. Of the two Manchuria was the more dangerous. Her army was large and well trained, her hatred for the great realm unquestioned.
Hongle declared what would later be known as the Northern Solution. Manchuria would be humbled and her mighty armies destroyed. Her provinces would be taken from her one by one, with pauses between the wars to allow China to regather her strength and not appear too greedy to the rest of the world. Korea would be neutralized though diplomatic means till it was her turn to face the armies of China. Nippon would be drawn ever closer to the Imperial court through royal marriages, treaties and gifts to her king. The East could be ignored and the South would be watched like a hawk by a powerful force of horsemen.
The great and powerful army of China was moved to the Northern border. Over 100K+ strong it dwarfed the two Manchurian armies facing it, though their combined might was almost 65K. Once upon the border the army waited till the time was right for it unleash its awesome power (and for me to get a pesky Diplomat to finally show up).
The signs were finally right in the summer of 1419 and the Imperial army surged across the border into Manchuria. The larger of the two Manchurian armies was brought to combat and after a long and costly battle was utterly destroyed. Meanwhile 7k horsemen from the other remaining Manchurian army struck into China and besieged a border province. A contigent of 15k infantry was brought up to deal with them. But they were routed by the superior tactics and fighting ability of the Manchurians and retreated in dissarry to the South. Hongle turned his ponderous army to the South and marched on the foolish horsemen. They were wiped from the face of the Earth. Only one force stood between China and the undefended lands of Manchuria. In the fourth of the great battles of the North the last Manchurian army was brought to bay and slain to the last man.
Leaving behind a force to besiege Jehol, Hongle moved the main army to Lieokung (never can spell that sucker right)and brought its walls under attack. The two cities would bravely hold out while disease and desertation took its toll on the Chinese army. Lord Hongle was not dismayed by this and announced that all was going according to plan. Then he returned to his Ivory Throne for more thinking. At last the siege of the main army was successful and the detachment besieging Jehol was nearing fruitition. The stubborn Manchurians still refused Hongle's reasonable request for the border provice of Jehol and as a result he determined to carry the fight deeper into Manchurain soil. The capital of Manchuria itself was brought under siege and after a long and bitter winter finally fell. Its fall brought the Manchurians to the bargaining table and the province of Jehol was added to the Chinese Empire. But at what price? Almost 100K Chinese perished in the bitter war. Hongle just smiled and asked his advisors for the tax records of the varios provinces.