Fortunately, the operation to regain Jinzhou can basically be declared a success. The number of troops left behind will reach 18,000, and Guo Dajing's next goal is to equip and train these nearly 20,000 troops.
Of course, Pidao headquarters also needs to be managed, but the intensity is much different, and there is nothing we can do about it.
However, after this battle, I believe that Mao Wenlong and others will have a correct understanding of the power of light and heavy muskets, and will also have the idea of equipping the troops.
"The general is a little strange." Liu Xingzhi's words aroused Guo Dajing's interest, and he watched with a smile, waiting for him to continue.
The look on Liu Xingzhi's face seemed to be a little contemptuous, and he said slowly: "Ningyuan's great victory, beheading is more than 200 levels. But according to the description, the battle was extremely fierce, and the city wall was almost penetrated. If this is the case, there will be corpses under the city.
It shouldn’t be an exaggeration, right?”
Guo Dajing lowered his eyes, feeling similar to Liu Xingzhi, but only for a moment.
Liu Xingzhi continued: "It is said that the body was snatched away by the Jianlu. Could it be that the defenders on the city were just a decoration and just watched helplessly? If the loss of robbing the body was huge, the Jianlu would not be stupid enough to do it, right?"
Guo Dajing reached out and patted Liu Xingzhi's arm, and said helplessly: "Can you believe what the civil servants say? The Hongyi cannon is very powerful, but can it destroy dozens of miles with one shot? Forget it, let's ignore it and just focus on ourselves.
Let’s fight hard and develop and grow stronger.”
With a vigorous wave of his hand, Guo Dajing seemed to get rid of all the entanglements and doubts, pointed at the heads of Jianlu who had been cut off and piled up, and said: "Look, this is our record. You also know how many Jianlu there are. Like this
If we win a battle once or twice a year, Jianlu will not be far from being destroyed."
Liu Xingzhi laughed and said: "If we fight twice a year, almost all the troops under one banner will be defeated. Jianlu cannot afford it anyway."
"We must do whatever makes the enemy uncomfortable and doesn't want us to do it. If we want us to do it, we must never do it."
Guo Dajing solemnly emphasized: "Actually, the so-called strategy is that simple. If you understand the enemy thoroughly, you will know their weaknesses. If you seize the weaknesses and persist, you will definitely win."
Simple principles and simple truths may sound trivial to say, but they are not easy to implement.
The reason is very simple. All generals read military books, but on the battlefield, there are victories and defeats. In fact, some people who are familiar with military books and think they are extraordinary will find their defeats very ridiculous and sad.
This is not the first time Guo Dajing has said this, but Liu Xingzhi feels more enlightened.
Taking this battle to regain Jinzhou as an example, Jianlu did not want the Dongjiang Army to have a strong base on land, so he would definitely attack Jinzhou.
Jianlu's weakness was to attack fortresses, and the Dongjiang Army that participated in the war had been fully prepared for more than half a year, which was to release Jianlu under Lushun Fort, rely on fortifications to defend, and kill a large number of enemies.
The Jianlu came in a hurry, carrying not much food and supplies, and were defeated at the foot of Lushun Fort. They were eager to retreat, so Guo Dajing intercepted them halfway to prevent them from coming and going freely.
Jianlu hoped to break through in one fell swoop, so the blocking defenders responded tit-for-tat. They first took a defensive position, consumed the enemy with powerful firepower, and then launched a counterattack, overwhelming Jianlu's momentum and making Jianlu not dare to fight anymore and take a detour.
From the beginning to the end, Jianlu had no chance to give full play to his advantages and strengths. Instead, he was hampered at every turn, awkward and uncomfortable, until he had no choice but to retreat.
That's right, battles must be fought like this, forcing the enemy to fight in a way they don't like or are not good at, and on the battlefield chosen by our own army.
The favorable terrain and the rapid construction of fortifications not only greatly reduced the casualties of our own troops, but also made the enemy pay a greater price.
"That's right." Guo Dajing suddenly remembered something and said, "I mobilized several hundred musketeers to go to Shiheyi. General Liu wants to eliminate the 500 captives who will arrive soon. They are also escorting a lot of food and grass."
Liu Xingzhi raised his eyebrows, not too surprised, and asked: "Are there only 500 Jianlu?"
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "There are still some coated slaves who are not worth mentioning. General Liu did not ask for help, but Guo did not want to lose too much to the flying cavalry he had trained so hard."
"But actual combat is necessary." Guo Dajing narrowed his eyes and added: "Many problems and flaws are difficult to discover through training alone. Only in actual combat can we gain experience, learn lessons, and make the flying knight grow up."
Liu Xingzhi agreed with this and said: "The cost of cavalry is too great. I have tried my best to train these six hundred cavalry. But training without fighting is just a decoration, and it is of no use."
"To run Jinzhou well this year, I will expand the cavalry." Guo Dajing looked at Liu Xingzhi and said, "I told you about the cavalry, and you agree with it, right?"
Liu Xingzhi quickly agreed and said: "Lancers are easy to train. Most of the soldiers can ride horses. With the rest, there will be no problem in riding horses with a little training. The speed of horseback riding can make the musketeers even more powerful."
It is certainly not difficult to know how to ride a horse. Riding a horse is not a battle, and the requirements for war horses have been reduced a lot, making it easier to assemble.
According to Guo Dajing's vision, flying cavalry, lance cavalry, infantry, artillery, and heavy baggage troops will form a mixed force, with a battalion of 3,000 people, becoming a unit capable of independent combat.
There is another organization, which is to combine flying cavalry and lance cavalry to form a mobile combat group. The number of people is preferably two thousand.
According to the latest establishment of Dongjiang Town, there are nine thousand people in one association, and there will be two associations in Jinzhou with 18,000 people. But this number is not fixed, just like the number of people in Guanglu Island exceeds the rated number.
After a large number of immigrants moved to Jinzhou, Guo Dajing believed that the population had the foundation and conditions to expand the army. As long as the money and food could keep up and he could afford it, he planned to expand each association to 12,000 people.
Although Chen Jisheng was in charge of Jinzhou, since the army was expanding and he did not need to provide money or food, there was no reason to disagree.
In addition to expanding the army, the militia policy must also be implemented in Jinzhou, using money and food as inducements to gradually realize Guo Dajing's goal of all people becoming soldiers.
Next year will be the strategic turning point of the Ming Jin Dynasty. Without tens of thousands of troops, it is not enough to criticize the arrogance and defeat the weak. They will go straight to Huanglong, smash and destroy the Hou Jin's ruling area, and make it unable to recover.
"After this disastrous defeat, I'm afraid the Jianlu will not invade again in the short term." Liu Xingzhi said as if asking for advice: "The first thing is that Huang Taiji led troops to conquer Chahar, and the second thing is that the weather is getting hotter. If I were Huang Taiji, the best thing would be
The time of attack should be after the autumn harvest."
Guo Dajing nodded appreciatively and said: "You cast the net for me to catch fish, and you plant the land for me to collect food." Jianlu had a beautiful idea, but he didn't know that half a year later, our army's combat effectiveness would increase again. Come on, bump.
They were so badly beaten that they gave up completely."
"The general requested to garrison Beisha City." Liu Xingzhi bowed his head and asked for orders, obviously he had been thinking about it for a long time.
Daheishan Mountain to the east of Jinzhou Acropolis is known as the first mountain in southern Liaoning. On the mountain is Besha City, which is a battleground for military strategists, namely Daheishan Mountain City. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, two major battles took place in this city.
However, Besha City, built in the Jin Dynasty, was in ruins by the Ming Dynasty. The military significance of this famous ancient military castle in the Liaodong Peninsula was also greatly reduced.
But Guo Dajing did not want to carry out large-scale construction and restore Beisha City to its original appearance. Times have changed, weapons and equipment are different, and the requirements for defense facilities are naturally very different.
To put it bluntly, there is no need to build tall and thick city walls like those in Ningyuan and Jinzhou. This is why Guo Dajing wanted to regain Bisha City and make it a solid stronghold in front of the Nanguan Defense Line.
As long as Bisha City is not lost, Jianlu cannot boldly go south to attack the Nanguan defense line. And south of the Nanguan defense line is the core area designated by Guo Dajing. It is the top priority of the Jinzhou base and must not be lost.
The Nanguan Defense Line is so important, so naturally Guo Dajing personally takes command. Bisha City, as the buffer of the Nanguan Defense Line, is also critical.
As for Xiaoheishan and Shiheyi further north, only a small number of troops will be stationed as a backstop and outpost.
Obviously, Liu Xingzhi was fully aware of Guo Dajing's idea of arranging defenses, so he took the initiative to ask for troops to garrison Beisha City.
As long as Bisha City is defended, the Nanguan defense line will be safe. If this can defeat Jianlu's attack, it will be a great achievement.
Guo Dajing pondered for a moment and asked: "How many troops are needed to garrison Beisha City?"
Liu Xingzhi already had a plan in mind, and without much hesitation, he replied: "Five thousand is enough!"
Guo Dajing slightly chinned his head. This was similar to what he had expected, and said: "Three thousand are one battalion, and there will be two battalions stationed in Beisha City."
"Thank you, sir." Liu Xingzhi bowed to express his thanks.
Guo Dajing expressed his agreement and even added a thousand soldiers.
"One hundred projectiles, twenty Franchise guns, six hundred heavy muskets, a thousand light muskets..." Guo Dajing stretched out his fingers one by one, counting in detail the weapons and equipment he could equip Beshay City with.
If Shedra or the Lin family could purchase muskets from Haojing on time, Guo Dajing would not be stingy and send them to Beisha City again.
Even the weapons and equipment that can be determined now are enough to make Liu Xingzhi feel excited and his confidence has greatly increased.
You should know that the city wall of Besha City was built along the ridge of Dahei Mountain, around the mountain ridge and the canyon. The canyon inside the city is winding, and the city is surrounded by cliffs. You can attack when you advance, and you can defend when you retreat.
Such a favorable terrain, with a little repair, is more dangerous and difficult to attack than Lushun Fort. The current Xiaoheishan blocking position cannot be compared with it.
During this blockade, Liu Xingzhi also truly saw the damage that powerful firepower could do to Jianlu, and he became more confident and wanted to make another great contribution to Beisha City.
Guo Dajing also thought highly of Liu Xingzhi, and went on several campaigns with him, and taught him the most, which made him feel more at ease in terms of ability.
Moreover, if he expected it to be true, if Jianlu attacked in the autumn, they would have about half a year to prepare. The equipment of the Jinzhou defenders could only be better and more powerful.
The advantage of the Nanguan Defense Line is that it is narrow, but in terms of terrain, it is not as good as Beisha City.
In order to be absolutely sure, Guo Dajing had decided to personally guard the area and build fortifications on the ground that would be difficult for the captives to overcome.
This is a technical job. Unlike Lushun Fort, which has a city to rely on, and unlike Xiaoheishan's blockade, the width of the defense is not large.
But Guo Dajing already had a plan in mind, and it was the most economical. It did not require large-scale construction, and did not require too much manpower and resources.
This is also the current situation in Dongjiang Town, but unlike in western Liaoning, the imperial court is willing to invest. Jinzhou, Dalinghe and other cities can be demolished and rebuilt, no matter how much it costs, they even force the people to revolt.
………………..
In the field of view of the telescope, a long motorcade winding like a snake appeared in Liu Xingzuo's eyes.
After intercepting Jianlu's messenger at Shiheyi, five hundred Jianlu were about to arrive soon to escort grain and grass, and Liu Xingzuo immediately started thinking about fighting.
This is a rare opportunity. There are not many enemies and there are no defenses. It is just a good time to practice your skills.
It had only been a few days since they landed and attacked Shiheyi. Jianlu's messenger threw himself into a trap, which shows that Jianlu had not noticed anything unusual on the way to Liaoyang.
Since flying cavalry has been trained, it has not fought a single battle with the enemy. No matter how good the theory and drills are, it is still not a qualified army.
Now the opportunity has come. There are only 500 enemies. Even without the help of infantry and 600 flying cavalry fighting head-on, we are still sure of victory.
But Liu Xingzuo knew he couldn't do this, and knew that Guo Dajing would definitely not agree.
He knows better than anyone how much energy and resources these six hundred flying cavalry have spent. Even if they need to use actual combat to train, gain experience, and strive for excellence, it is not so reckless.
Therefore, while looking for and setting up positions, he reported to Guo Dajing.
Sure enough, Guo Dajing immediately sent musketeers to support the battle and conveyed his wishes to Liu Xingzuo.
There is no need for a head-on confrontation. Use muskets to attack, and then use flying cavalry to attack the chaotic enemy cavalry to win at the minimum cost.
Although this kind of fighting is a bit opportunistic, and the fighting is not satisfying. But Liu Xingzuo and others knew that Guo Dajing had high hopes for the flying cavalry, so how could he bear to suffer too many casualties?
These six hundred flying cavalry were trained through the continuous exploration of Guo Dajing and the generals. They all put in a lot of energy and effort, and will be the backbone and seeds for future expansion.
"Sir, I will go and lure the enemy here." Liu Qishi bowed to the side and asked for orders.
Liu Xingzuo put down the telescope, looked at Liu Qishi, nodded, and briefly warned: "Be more careful."
"Don't worry!" Liu Qishi grinned nonchalantly and said, "If I weren't afraid of casualties, I would have just rushed in to fight, and it would have caused so much trouble."
Liu Xingzuo patted Liu Qishi's arm and said, "When we have thousands of flying cavalry, we can fly across Liaodong and kill them all."
Liu Qishi nodded vigorously and turned around. Thousands of flying cavalry would not last more than three to five years. How could they be expanded?
There is no shortage of men, and war horses can be obtained, but they cannot be raised.
The war horses can not only eat, but also add beans. The cost of one cavalry is equivalent to three infantry, which is really unaffordable for Dongjiang Town.
Recovering Jinzhou should be able to alleviate the shortage of money and food, raise more war horses, and expand more cavalry, right?
Liu Xingzuo is not too sure about this. After all, it will take at least half a year to see the results of how the business is doing. It will be satisfying to have thousands of riders next year.
With a sigh, Liu Xingzuo issued an order to prepare for battle