Chapter 193 Chongzhen's strange thinking, two red flags are dispatched
Mao Wenlong stroked his beard and said thoughtfully: "In the seventh year of the Apocalypse, there has been a famine in Jianlu. Looking at this year, the signs are not obvious yet. In other words, it should be next year."
"You can be sure just by looking at the harvest this autumn." Guo Dajing said with certainty: "Next year, there may be better opportunities for Dongjiang Town."
Li Weiluan thought for a while and said: "You mean that Jianlu will take risks and launch a big operation? This may not be good for us?"
"Jianlu will not necessarily use troops against Dongjiang Town." Guo Dajing scratched his head and said with some embarrassment: "We are poor. Even if Jianlu wins, we won't gain much."
Mao Wenlong smiled and said: "This doesn't sound good, but it is very real. We will talk about next year's affairs next year, so don't rush to draw conclusions and make plans."
Guo Dajing did not go into detail and said that in history, Mao Wenlong also made a judgment that the Jianlu wanted to plunder the capital, but the court did not pay attention to it.
Seeing that Mao Wenlong had no explanation, Guo Dajing and Li Weiluan stood up and left, asking Mao Wenlong to rest early.
In the next few days, Pidao reinforcements arrived one after another. After a short rest, the plan to regain Jinzhou began to be officially implemented.
Guo Dajing led 3,000 troops from his headquarters and went to Xiaoheishan and Shiheyi to build simple fortifications. This was not to stop the invading Jianqiu, but so that they could be used more effortlessly when the Jianqiu retreated.
When Jianlu came to attack, they would probably ignore these half-finished fortifications. They would think that the Dongjiang Army had no time to repair them and could only retreat in embarrassment.
At the same time, navy ships, plus the fishing fleet recalled from Guanglu Island and ships from various islands, loaded with 6,000 men and horses and a large amount of equipment and supplies, were waiting to set off at Port Arthur.
Tens of thousands of Dongjiang Army officers and soldiers marched to Nanguan Island. Regardless of the frozen ground, they burned water to irrigate the ground, piled up their shovels and drafts, and dug earth pits.
Yes, they are discontinuous square pits. Although there is not much obstruction to the passage, they can be connected into deep trenches in the future to form a line of defense.
Waiting until the spring warms and thaws before starting work, both Mao Wenlong and Guo Dajing thought that it would be better to put in more effort and make early preparations because of the long nights and many dreams.
Anyway, we have plenty of manpower, don’t just eat and eat, dig as much as you can.
Guo Dajing also released Ye Buzuo to go out for reconnaissance. This was also a way to attract Jianlu's attention.
More importantly, the spies from Dongjiang Town spread the news that the Dongjiang Army had regained Jinzhou and was digging trenches in Nanguan to divert sea water to consolidate itself.
After gathering so many troops and preparing for such a long time, Guo Dajing was looking forward to Jianlu coming to attack. However, generals like Mao Wenlong and others did not have such a strong desire to fight.
It would of course be best if we could occupy Jinzhou smoothly without fighting and successfully build various lines of defense.
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Capital, in the Qianqing Palace.
The newly appointed Minister of War, Wang Qia, and the chief minister of the cabinet, Han Xu, stood bowed, waiting for Chongzhen's instructions.
When it comes to imperial power, there is no small matter. Even though Huang Taiji wanted to seize the imperial seal and proclaim himself emperor, the Ming court could not stop him, but the emperor had to know about it.
Of course, Mao Wenlong's memorial must have also been submitted to the imperial court. But as ministers, it is their duty to report and ask for instructions.
Chongzhen frowned slightly and said slowly: "The jade seal of the country? Is it possible? Could it be that Mao Wenlong is making alarmist remarks and wants to use this to ask for salary?"
It’s hard to answer this. Who knows whether it’s true or not? Because it’s impossible to be sure, it’s hard for anyone to draw conclusions, which could lead to trouble in the future.
"Taizu drove the Tartars to conquer the world, and the Northern Yuan Dynasty fled to the desert to survive." Han Xu thought for a while, bowed and said: "The so-called jade seal passed down to the country is just said to be in the hands of the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty."
"For me, the Ming Dynasty, the Ding Dynasty has been ruling the world for hundreds of years, and its orthodoxy is unquestionable. The jade seal passed down to the country is useless. But for Huang Taiji, who built the captives, it is a blessing for thousands of years. Since he wants to be emperor,
It is not false to think that we must seize the national jade seal."
As the central dynasty, the Ming Dynasty could not show obvious interest even if it was confirmed that the Chahar tribe had a jade seal to pass down the country. It was orthodox in itself, so why didn’t it have the confidence to rely on the jade seal to pass down the country to prove it?
Huang Taiji was different. Obtaining the imperial seal was like his ruling status being recognized by heaven, which provided the conditions and basis for him to proclaim himself emperor.
Wang Qia also bowed and said: "The three-party blockade and siege of the Ming and Mongolian dynasties, and the build-up of captives to attack the dynasty, have forced North Korea not to be an enemy. Now they are attacking Mongolia. In addition to snatching the national jade seal, they also have to cut off the threat and isolate us from the Ming Dynasty."
meaning."
Chongzhen nodded slightly, agreeing with this, but he didn't care very much, saying: "Huduntu moved westward, obviously he did not dare to fight against the Jianlu, and the effect of attack and containment was almost completely lost.
Wang Qia's brows tightened imperceptibly. He felt that the emperor's judgment was not correct, but he did not dare to easily assert that the emperor did not intend to control the thoughts of the Chahar tribe.
Although Hu Duntu did not dare to confront Hou Jin head-on, as long as it existed, Hou Jin would feel threatened and would not dare to venture westward.
Besides, there is no need to pay more. The purpose of Hudauntu's westward march is to snatch the market rewards from the right-wing tribes, and the Ming Dynasty will not give them to anyone. Letting the Mongolian tribes kill each other will also be beneficial to the Ming Dynasty in the long run.
If the Chahar tribe can gain a foothold on the right wing and live in peace with the Ming Dynasty, it will also be a barrier to Xuanda. At least, it will not face the threat of Hou Jin directly.
But Chongzhen didn't think so. He neither understood the strength of Hou Jin nor the combat power of the Ming army, and he even looked down upon the Chahar tribe.
Huduntu seems to be at the end of its rope, so it's a good opportunity to suppress them, and maybe solve the problem of northern nomads that has plagued the Ming Dynasty for hundreds of years.
"Huduntu should be a traitor and not an opponent of the right-wing Mongolian tribes." Chongzhen finished thinking and made a strange decision, "Besides, the Chahar tribe has withdrawn from Liaodong and cannot pose a threat to the Jianlu. I want to revolutionize it as much as possible."
Give him rewards and force him to submit."
In the Ming Dynasty, in addition to market rewards for the Mongolian tribes, that is, horse trading, there were also rewards. The Chahar tribe received thousands of silver every year, which was regarded as employment money, and they were enemies of Houjin.
Wang Qia was shocked. As soon as he stepped forward to remonstrate, he was stopped by Han Xu's eyes.
Han Xu bowed and said: "Long live the Holy Ming. The rewards given by the Chahar tribe should indeed be eliminated. As for the city rewards, it is better to wait until the competition with the right-wing Mongolian tribes is over before making any plans."
Chongzhen smiled and nodded, and said: "I deeply agree with Han Qing's words of seeking the country."
Wang Qia reluctantly bowed to accept the order and resigned together with Han Xu.
The logic seems to be this. Since the Jianlu are not defeated, the employment money will not be given. But from the overall perspective, it is always good to have one more ally to fight against the Houjin.
North Korea has no role to play anymore. If it loses the control of the Mongolian tribes, the Ming Dynasty will have to fight against the Jianlu alone, and the Jianlu can also concentrate on dealing with the Ming Dynasty.
The palace became quiet again, and Chongzhen had no awareness of his strategic missteps. Instead, he was complacent and quite proud.
This time, I saved another several thousand taels of silver. Maybe I could severely damage the Chahar tribe, or even eliminate Lin Dan Khan, the true descendant of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
I seized the opportunity very well to take advantage of his illness to kill him, and I did this beautifully.
After walking out of the Qianqing Palace, Han Xu slowed down and slowly explained to the confused Wang Qia: "Mao Wenlong's memorial was submitted yesterday. Long live the proposal must have been carefully considered."
Wang Qia smiled bitterly and said: "Although Huduntu has moved westward, Jianlu still attacks, which shows that it still poses a threat."
"There is a threat, but it is not a big one." Han Xu waved his hand and said, "Long Live wants to take advantage of the poverty of the Mongolian tribes to eliminate the border troubles forever. Although it is not that easy, it is still an attempt."
Han Xu was evaluated in history as "he served as prime minister one after another, he was mature and prudent. He introduced righteous people and suppressed the evil party, and the world praised him as a virtuous man."
However, from the time Chongzhen ascended the throne to Huang Taiji's attempt to copy the capital, the chief minister of the cabinet had little achievements.
Perhaps the biggest highlight in the historical commentary written by the Donglin Party is that he advised Chongzhen not to be suspicious of his ministers, and also deployed many factory guards and spies to secretly monitor the courtiers, putting everyone in the court in danger.
It's still the old Donglin Party's trick, taking it as an honor to fight against the emperor, but doing nothing for the country or the people. And history has proven that Chongzhen's inability to make good use of factory guards was also an important reason for being bullied by his ministers, which led to the deterioration of government affairs.
In other words, Han Xu did not understand military affairs, and he did not have a far-reaching vision to analyze the situation of the Ming Dynasty at that time. How could a guy who was full of four books and five classics find the right direction for the Ming Dynasty in the frequently changing situation?
Wang Qia was originally the right minister of the Ministry of Industry. When Emperor Chongzhen summoned the ministers, he was surprised by Wang Qia's majestic appearance and extraordinary appearance. He was immediately promoted to Minister of the Ministry of War, responsible for managing the country's military and armaments.
Judging people by their appearance?! It’s completely unreliable, let alone such an extremely important position as Minister of the Ministry of War.
They look like kings, but in fact they are not even bronze. Everyone thinks they are wise and far-reaching, but in fact they are full of bad tricks.
What good could the Ming Dynasty do if the court was ruled by such an emperor and such civilian officials?
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Liaoyang.
Daishan, who was stationed here, received intelligence from Jinzhou one after another. After spying and reconnaissance, he finally determined that the Dongjiang Army was launching a large-scale attack to occupy Jinzhou.
"The Dongjiang Army lost the Tieshan Base in North Korea and had to move dangerously in an attempt to occupy Jinzhou. Now that the weather is freezing, how can we build fortifications and cities?"
Dai Shan made a judgment, and it was quite accurate, but he underestimated the enemy's view. If the scale of construction is like that of Jinzhou and Daling River, it will be difficult to complete in less than a few months.
Daishan did not take simple fortifications seriously. Besides, the Dongjiang Army did not have the sharp artillery of Ningyuan and Jinzhou.
Ma Mingpei is more cautious, but he is a Han Chinese. Apart from Huang Taiji, who pays more attention to Daishan, Daishan is okay, but he is only used as a clerk, so he still doesn't value him that much.
"Back then, Zhang Pan dug trenches in Nanguan Island, intending to cut off the land and fill it with sea water to stabilize it." Dai Shan said with a sneer: "But he was attacked by our army and lost his life."
Ma Mingpei reminded carefully: "Da Beile, just after King Khan personally conquered Chahar, the Dongjiang Army launched. It is obvious that it has been planned for a long time and cannot be underestimated."
In ancient times, the mobilization of men and horses and the transportation of grain and grass were very time-consuming. If we waited until the news was received to prepare and then dispatch, it would be too late.
Dai Shan smiled and said: "Of course it has been planned for a long time. Ever since he lost the Tieshan base, Mao Wenlong was probably eyeing Jinzhou. However, the timing was not chosen well. If it is spring and the flowers are blooming, or it is hot in summer,
Wouldn’t it be more beneficial?”
"Yes!" Daishan nodded and said, "They were afraid that they would not be able to catch up with the spring plowing, so they grabbed the land, but it was of no use."
Ma Mingpei agreed with this judgment, but in his heart, he always felt that the actions of the Dongjiang Army were unpredictable.
"Ama." Saharian said with cupped hands: "Haier leads the Red Flag Brigade and attacks quickly, and we will definitely defeat the enemy."
After the deaths of Yue Tuo and Shuo Tuo, the two red flags were still managed by Daishan, and the owners of the two flags were their third son Saharian and fourth son Wakda respectively.
Wakda was still too young, and Saharian became Daishan's most trusted son.
Although it was their sons who filled the gap, Yue Tuo and Shuo Tuo were experienced in many battles and had rich experience, while Saharian and Wakda were much inferior.
Daishan pondered for a moment and said: "The two red flags sent out 10,000 people, plus another 2,000 coaters, carrying carts and other equipment. This attack must not only defeat the enemy, but also capture and demolish Lushun Fort."
The Dongjiang Army was very slippery. Dai Shan believed that facing the main force of the Two Red Flags, it was very possible to avoid fighting, but Fort Lushun was not something the Dongjiang Army could give up easily.
In this case, even if the Dongjiang Army hides at sea again and defeats Lushun Fort, it will still gain something and remove a nail in the Dongjiang Army's path in southern Liaoning.
Saharian understood what his father meant. The Dongjiang Army mobilized on a large scale and launched an operation to occupy Jinzhou. It was necessary to hoard a large amount of grain and grass supplies, which would undoubtedly be stored in Lushun Fort.
The battle must be fruitful, Houjin's food and supplies are in short supply, and meaningless military operations should be avoided as much as possible.
Although Jianlu gave up the three states of Gai, Fu, and Jin, and gave up a large coastal area to the Dongjiang Army, they had hidden conspiracies.
As long as the Dongjiang Army dares to penetrate deep into the land, Jianlu will rely on their mobility advantages and strong combat power to carry out powerful raids.
Similarly, the Dongjiang Army's attempt to occupy Jinzhou was also a strategic move. If left unchecked, after the Dongjiang Army had stabilized its defense facilities and then attacked again, a heavy price would have to be paid.
"Big Beile, should you send someone to inform Second Beile and Fourth Beile to ask them to send some troops to help in the battle?" Ma Mingpei bowed and made a suggestion because he felt that such a force was not too safe.
He had a thorough study of the Dongjiang Army's performance and intelligence. After fighting to support North Korea, he found that the Dongjiang Army had undergone great changes, and its combat power seemed to have increased a lot.
You know, when Amin attacked the DPRK, he had quite a lot of troops, but he suffered heavy losses and suffered heavy casualties. He has not fully recovered to this day.
Daishan nodded and said: "I will send them a letter, but whether I can send troops to help is unknown."
In all likelihood, Amin will not send out troops from his own banner. Even if Manggurtai can send troops, they will not be too many.
Nominally, they all have their own tasks. In fact, the rumors have resurfaced, which has affected even Daishan's psychology, not to mention these two.
It was originally rumored that Huang Taiji would proclaim himself emperor and would continuously weaken the strength of other banners and eliminate dissidents. This attack on the Chahar tribe also implicated the national jade seal in Huang Taiji's personal expedition, which made people more and more suspicious.