After some distance, both sides reined in their horses and stopped, dismounted, and approached him with a smile.
Zhang Pan took two steps forward and took the lead in saluting, "I have seen General Guo and General Li."
"General Zhang, you are polite." Guo Dajing returned the courtesy with a smile.
Li Weiluan waved his hand and said with a smile: "Old Zhang, you are so polite. What kind of general are you doing to offend me, Li?"
Zhang Pan was a little embarrassed. Li Weiluan was relatively familiar with him, but Guo Dajing was once his subordinate and now his rank surpassed him.
He had thought about the scene and etiquette of the meeting, and felt that it was not strange to be polite to many people, but it was better not to show off his seniority.
After Li Weiluan said this, Guo Dajing became easy to talk to and said with a smile: "We are all brothers from Paoze, so we shouldn't be so polite. Guo was once a soldier under General Zhang, and he will never forget his kindness."
"Not to mention the favor, it is too superficial." Zhang Pan waved his hands, feeling much relieved and said: "General Guo was promoted entirely based on his military exploits and ability, and Zhang is deeply honored for this."
Li Weiluan nodded repeatedly, deliberately bantering to relieve the embarrassment between the two of them, but seeing that both of them were generous, he felt relieved and invited each other with a smile, and they went back to the castle to talk together.
Guo Dajing glanced at him, walked two steps, smiled and greeted Zhou Qing next to him, "Brother Zhou, we haven't seen each other for a long time, how are you always?"
Zhou Qing hurriedly saluted and said, "I have met General Guo."
"No need to be polite." Guo Dajing stretched out his hand to help him, and said to everyone with a smile: "Brother Zhou Qingzhou, Guo was his guide when he fled from the Jianlu territory. Without him, General Zhang would not have taken him in and appreciated him.
, there would be no Guo today."
Zhou Qing's eyes were a little wet, and he could not speak. He did not expect Guo Dajing to be so grateful and nostalgic. He was already a guerrilla general, and his status was very different, but he did not mean to be arrogant or contemptuous.
Guo Dajing does have such a temperament, but he also hopes to create an image and persona that repays kindness and values love and justice.
No one wants to be a true friend with an ungrateful and villainous guy. Guo Dajing may not be able to learn Mao Wenlong's method of controlling his subordinates, but he has his own way, which is to exchange sincerity for sincerity.
Everyone was talking and laughing, and most of them were lamenting that Guo Dajing was a refugee from Liaodong a year ago, but now he has led thousands of elites to repay the blood debt from the Jianlu captives.
Zhang Pan felt that he had made a good move by bringing Zhou Qing over. Guo Dajing was still the same person who was nostalgic and grateful, and had not changed.
The episode passed quickly. At the invitation of Li Weiluan, Guo Dajing and others returned to Lushun Fort again and received warm hospitality.
In the next few days, troops from Wangjiashan Island, Changshan Island and Shicheng Island arrived in Lushun one after another.
According to the previously formulated combat plan, troops were dispatched from each island as agreed, bringing the total strength assembled in Lushun to 12,000.
Desiring for land, coupled with the fear of food and salary cuts from the imperial court, the generals on each island hoped to obtain land that could support their troops for farming after the war.
If a strong defense line is built in Nanguan, it can only be regarded as half of the Golden State. Obviously, this is no longer enough to satisfy everyone's appetite.
To capture the entire Jinzhou, the defense line must be pushed forward to at least Shiheyi, Xiaoheishan, and Hongzui Fort.
On the map, the defense line is relatively wide and does not seem to be very easy to defend. But this is just an opinion on paper. As long as the important strongholds on the transportation thoroughfares are defended, if the Jianlu wanted to penetrate deep into the hinterland of Jinzhou, they would have to take them down one by one.
This is like the role of Ningyuan. Unless it is captured, Jianlu would not dare to go around the city and attack Shanhaiguan.
Guo Dajing also believed that the more land the better, he also had his own unique methods for building fortifications, and made a backup plan for this purpose.
"The first line of defense has two fortresses, respectively guarding the two main roads into Jinzhou. One is based on Shiheyi and Xiaoheishan, and the other is based on Hongzui Fort..."
"The second line of defense is Bisha City in Daheishan, and the third line of defense is the narrow strip of South Guan Island that is more than ten miles long..."
"Based on these three lines of defense, Guo divided Jinzhou into three areas. The core area is south of Nanguan Island, which is mainly used to resettle people, set up military workshops, and expand the port; Nanguan Island to Beisha City is the buffer zone, where soldiers and civilians live together;
From Bisha City to the first line of defense, it is a military-controlled area with the strictest security, and ordinary people will not be accommodated..."
"In addition to these three districts, we must also rely on Lianyun Island and Changsheng Island to push the outpost to Fuzhou or even Gaizhou to provide timely early warning..."
After two careful surveys and inspections, Guo Dajing drew a very detailed map and took out a large, somewhat crude sand table.
From Guo Dajing's point of view, he was unable to obtain accurate data on the shapes and elevations of many mountains and rivers, and could only roughly simulate them.
But in the eyes of the generals, this big sand table was refreshing, and they could see mountains, rivers, roads and other situations at a glance.
"The west side of Jinzhou is Pulandian Bay, and the east side is the sea. Whether it is Xiaoheishan or Hongzui Fort, they all have the advantage of having their backs to the sea. As long as our army has a strong navy, whether it is transportation or landing plagiarism,
, all making it difficult for Jianlu to break through easily..."
Guo Dajing put away his pointer, glanced at the generals, and said with a smile: "This is Guo's humble opinion. Please give me your advice."
This was actually just a plan for the follow-up operations. Guo Dajing did not elaborate on how to run Jinzhou.
For example, in the three farming areas set up, the core area mainly grows potatoes, rye, and corn; the military and civilian areas in the buffer area grow beans and alfalfa; and the military-controlled area mainly grows hemp, fruits and vegetables.
The crops grown are not absolutely clearly differentiated and must not be mixed. However, there is a principle, that is, even if the Jianlu can break through the two lines of defense, it will be difficult to obtain the food and grass supplies to support the war.
Li Weiluan and other generals looked at each other and couldn't help but nod or smile.
"General Guo's plans and arrangements are already so detailed, I can't think of anything else to add."
"Haha, I think it's great, so I don't need to worry about it anymore."
"General Guo, may I ask how many troops are needed for such an arrangement?" Li Weiluan asked with a smile.
Guo Dajing picked up the pointer again and placed the small red flag representing the strength of the troops on the defense lines and strongholds to be defended. One small flag represented one thousand.
Xiaoheishan has two thousand, Hongzui Fort has two thousand, Bishacheng has three thousand, Nanguan Defense Line has three thousand, and Lushun Fort has two thousand, a total of twelve thousand troops.
"This is the minimum force estimated by Guo." Guo Dajing explained: "If there are another three to five thousand mobile troops, or a navy composed of one hundred and eighty ships, it will be impregnable."
Dongjiang Town has about 36,000 troops, and Jinzhou accounts for almost half. Even with the smallest troop allocation, the garrison troops on each island will basically be exhausted.
If Mao Wenlong or Chen Jisheng were in charge of Jinzhou, the generals would obviously not have any objections and would not dare to express them openly.
Jinzhou has many fields and a large area, but it has to be controlled by others; and garrisoning an island looks like a local emperor, which makes some people like it even more.
Others did not express such thoughts, but Guo Dajing added, "Shuai Mao decided to station the six thousand troops of his headquarters in Jinzhou permanently."
Many generals were obviously relieved. With these 6,000 men and horses, plus Guo Dajing and Li Weiluan's own troops, they had reached the minimum equipment. A small number of troops from each island, two to three thousand, would be acceptable.
After North Korea's Tieshan Base was lost, the location of Yuncong Island was very awkward. Apart from housing some military and civilians, it could even be said to be useless.
Under such circumstances, Mao Wenlong believed that the fields on Yuncong Island could not support too many people, so it was better to leave only a small number of troops as a backup for Pi Island.
At the same time, Mao Wenlong planned to divide Dongjiang Town into four associations. He and Mao Chenglu each led one association, Guo Dajing led one association, and the commander of the other association was Chen Jisheng.
The strength of the two associations in Pi Island and the strength of the two associations in Jinzhou were reduced by half, thus forming a strategic situation in which Liaodong and Liaonan were heavy at the two ends and light on the islands in the middle.
Guo Dajing didn't know that the troops were divided into four associations. But he was also mentally prepared. It was easy to be promoted to a general, but commanding nearly half of Dongjiang Town's troops might not be that easy.
The best result is that deputy commander Chen Jisheng is in charge of Jinzhou, and Guo Dajing, as his deputy, becomes the second-in-command of the Jinzhou garrison.
Guo Dajing's goals are lofty and he will never be satisfied with just being an island owner. Even if the entire army is stationed in Jinzhou and obeys the orders of Chen Jisheng or Mao Wenlong, he can accept it.
Guanglu Island is simply too small. Whether it is the population or the amount of cultivated land, there is no condition to continue to expand the number of people.
To pacify Liao and exterminate the captives, you don't need fifty or sixty thousand troops, but you have to have well-equipped troops, so you don't have to think about it at all.
Being familiar with the historical trajectory is certainly the most advantageous weapon. But the outcome of a war ultimately depends on strength.
In one year, two years, or most of next year, Guo Dajing's main goal is to improve the strength of the entire Dongjiang Town.
Weapons, equipment, and tactics are on the one hand, but the main thing is food and supplies. Let the soldiers be well fed and worry-free, so that they can train with peace of mind and fight with peace of mind.
Still with the same idea, while Huang Taiji was plundering the capital, Guo Dajing must be able to bring out at least 30,000 troops to destroy his lair and destroy his foundation.
History is changing, but it cannot change the severe cold climate of the Little Ice Age.
The Jianlu regime showed signs of famine last year, and they managed to survive by plundering North Korea.
This year, by attacking the Mongolian tribes, we can capture a large number of people and livestock, and we can survive Badi for another year.
However, a poor or no harvest in the autumn harvest will plunge Houjin into a complete famine next year and face collapse.
Either sit back and wait for the bandit group to fall apart, or take a risk and give Huang Taiji the only two choices.
No matter which one Huang Taiji chooses, for Guo Dajing, the outcome will be similar. The collapse of Hou Jin means that the process of Ping Liao's extermination of the captives will be smoother; for military adventures, Guo Dajing will have to give him a heavy blow.
Emotionally, Guo Dajing hoped that Huang Taiji would just wait to perish, and that the people of Gyeonggi would not be tortured and their families destroyed; but intellectually, a decisive battle would be enough to change the entire war situation in Ming and Jin Dynasties.
The same goes for the current Jinzhou operation. If it succeeds, Dongjiang Town will have a stable land base, which will be able to get rid of the bad influence of the imperial court's shortage of food and pay, and will have the conditions for expansion and development.
You must seize the opportunity. Facing Jianlu, who can dispatch at most two flags, giving them a heavy blow can almost guarantee the safety of this year.
Guo Dajing's pointer pointed to Pulandian Bay, Xiaoheishan and Shiheyi Station, and said: "Our army will land here to attack Jianlu and try to inflict heavy losses on the retreating enemies. After a battle, Jianlu will be discouraged and they will invade Jinzhou again.
We must proceed step by step and do not dare to drive straight in.”
Li Weiluan was already aware of this. He and Guo Dajing had the most frequent and in-depth exchanges. He smiled and nodded in agreement.
If you make a move step by step, you have to chew hard bones one by one. The first line of defense, the second line of defense, and the third line of defense. If the rebels do not hit the core area, the losses will be considerable.
The number of captives was small and they could not withstand the attrition. The defenders of Jinzhou relied on solid defense and had sharp firearms to assist them, so their battle losses would definitely be less than those of the enemy.
Will Jianlu be willing to pay the price of tens of thousands of casualties? Guo Dajing thinks it is unlikely. This is not a strategic decisive battle, it is just a Jinzhou. It is impossible for Huang Taiji to spend such money.
Zhang Pan and other generals also understood that Guo Dajing insisted on copying Jianlu's retreat, which was to make Jianlu fearful and lay the foundation for Jinzhou's future security.
"In ten days at most, even if the ground does not thaw, all the ice along the coast will melt." Zhang Pan came by boat and had already seen signs of melting sea ice. "There should be no problem with the landing operation."
Shang Keyi continued: "The sea ice in the deepest parts of Pulandian Bay may not completely melt, but in Xiaoheishan and Shiheyi, there will be no problem."
Pulandian Bay is trumpet-shaped and extends into the land for more than 60 miles. The mouth of the bay opens to the southwest towards the Bohai Sea. It is surrounded by low mountains and hills on three sides. The water in the bay is narrow and there are many islands and reefs.
Guo Dajing, Li Weiluan and others carefully surveyed and combined with the freezing water conditions over the years, finally decided on a plan to land at Xiaoheishan and Shiheyi, which is not far into the bay and close to Haikou.
Based on the melting of coastal sea ice that has been detected so far, we can be very confident about landing in Xinjin even if we go deeper.
There was no landing and interception at South Guam, the narrowest island on the peninsula, because the landing conditions at that time were limited. There was no ready-made port and the speed was very slow, which gave the Jianlu in Lushun an opportunity to turn around and attack.
Xiaoheishan and Shiheyi were relatively far away. Jianlu retreated after receiving the news. Guo Dajing believed that there were enough thousands of troops to land and build a blocking position.
But there are also disadvantages in doing so, that is, the exit is relatively wide. In addition to taking the Shiheyi road to retreat north, the Jianlu could also take Hongzui Fort, Jiifu Fort, and then turn north after entering Fuzhou.
Of course, if the troops are strong enough, interceptions can be set up on both roads.
However, the troops were weak and Guo Dajing did not plan to completely annihilate the invading enemy, but only made a plan to intercept them at Shiheyi and Xiaoheishan.
What's more, if the Jianlu soldiers know that their retreat has been plagiarized, they will probably fight back the same way they came. When their heads are bruised and bleeding, they want to take a detour, so they have to return to Jinzhou Acropolis, and then take the Hongzui Fort.
In other words, there should be only one main road that normally enters Jinzhou, also known as the southern land route.