"Let's wait for a while." Mao Wenlong shook his head helplessly and said, "Let's see what he means again. I will have a good talk with him."
Chen Jisheng didn't know about this. He accompanied the supervisor Zhenghua to observe the battle and stopped by to see Mao Wenlong.
Mao Wenlong, on the other hand, did not raise his flag and did not want to meet with Fang Zhenghua. He simply pretended not to know, thus avoiding embarrassment both times.
At the same time, Mao Wenlong delegated power to generals such as Guo Dajing, which was also part of the inspection.
Although Mao Wenlong was inclined to cut off the enemy's retreat in Gyeonggi and inflict heavy losses on them, making it difficult for them to alleviate the great famine.
But he has not yet made a final decision on how many troops to send and which generals are suitable for the expedition.
After today's fierce battle, Mao Wenlong's confidence increased greatly, and he believed that if it was just for defense, sending 20,000 to 30,000 troops would be enough to withstand the fierce attack of tens of thousands of captives.
Although a long-distance attack might not have the time to build such a complete fortification, it was also impossible for the Jianlu to carry bulky carts and other equipment, and the situation was basically leveled in two attempts.
At the same time, the situation was different for the troops who stayed behind in Jinzhou. Not only did they have time to build strong fortifications, they also had a large number of heavy weapons, and they were not afraid of attacks by the Jianlu who stayed behind in Liaoshen.
Jianlu divided his troops to fight, and Dongjiang Town also had the same arrangement.
Although it may not be a great victory like today, it is extremely difficult for the Jianlu troops who go deep into the country to easily plunder the population and wealth.
According to the timing of Jianlu's launch, which is around winter, Mao Wenlong estimates that there is still more than half a year of preparation time. The weaponry, equipment and strength of the Dongjiang Army are completely likely to reach a higher level.
Of course, this requires Guo Dajing's skill, money and materials.
After Chen Jisheng mentioned it, he said no more and left it to Mao Wenlong to weigh it. Anyway, he expressed what he meant.
"You go and accompany Fang Zhenghua!" Mao Wenlong said warmly: "I don't want to see him, so you can find an excuse. When Jianlu retreats, I will rush to Dalian to deal with important matters."
Chen Jisheng didn't ask any more questions. After bowing and saluting, he got off the fort.
The eunuch Fang Zhenghua watched the entire battle from a fort not far away.
From having a dry mouth to gasping for air; sometimes clenching his fists and shaking constantly; sometimes widening his eyes and opening his mouth to take in the cold air. This eunuch may have used all kinds of expressions and body movements.
.
To be honest, Fang Zhenghua has never seen such a battle scene, or a real battle.
Flesh and blood flew everywhere, men and horses roared, artillery roared... Human life was as despicable as grass, and fresh life was not worth a cheap lead bullet. The corpses were bloody and scattered, as bloody as a slaughterhouse.
Fang Zheng was stunned and shocked. For a moment, his mind was blank, his ears were buzzing, and all he could see in his eyes was death.
It wasn't until Jianlu retreated that Fang Zhenghua slowly woke up. His legs felt numb, his clothes were soaked in cold sweat, and he couldn't move for a while.
It turned out that this was the battlefield, this was the battle. The garish battle reports written by civilian officials that he had read became so ridiculous and nonsense after he witnessed the cruelty of the war with his own eyes.
Shen Zonggui and Jiang Baohe, who were accompanying Fang Zheng's incarnation, looked not much different from Fang Zheng's incarnation. They stared blankly, their mouths wide open, and their saliva flowed out.
These two guys have some experience. After all, they accompanied Zhao Guang and followed Guo Dajing and his troops on overseas expeditions.
But today is different from the past. The fierce fighting and cruel and bloody scenes are many times better than the previous harassment. If this is a real battle between thousands of troops.
After a long while, Fang Zhenghua slowly moved his steps and tried to pretend to be calm. Shen Zonggui and Jiang Baohe also woke up slowly, wiped the saliva from the corners of their mouths, and stepped forward to offer greetings and support.
"Miscellaneous family, you have seen something today." Fang Zhenghua sighed, "This is called war, this is life and death. It's really, really heart-breaking and heartbreaking."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Shen Zonggui and Jiang Baohe and asked, "Have you ever seen such a battle?"
Shen Zonggui shook his head repeatedly and said: "I have never seen anything so fierce and bloody in my humble position."
Jiang Baohe also shook his head and said: "I have never seen it even in my humble position."
Fang Zhenghua looked up at the position and said: "I'm afraid not many people have seen it. If the officials in the court knew that Jianlu was so fierce, they would definitely not be so shameless and talk about the Pingliao extermination all day long."
The Jianlu were brave and brave, and the Dongjiang Army was also powerful. Although they had the advantage of holding on to the fortifications, they could withstand the waves of attacks and repel the Jianlu, which not many armies of the Ming Dynasty could do.
The battle of Ningyuan was probably not as fierce, otherwise, the gains would not have been so few. Although Fang Zhenghua did not give detailed statistics, he estimated that at least two to three thousand Jianlu would be killed.
What is even more embarrassing and speechless is that the resources Dongjiang Town received were simply too few compared to those of the Ming Army in western Liaoning.
This great victory was the Dongjiang Army's own victory and had nothing to do with the imperial court. It was the Dongjiang Army that withstood the pressure, overcame the difficulties on its own and worked hard to persevere when the imperial court cut off food and salary and had its neck tied.
"Those rounds of shelling were as violent as thunder. The slave chief's flag fell down and turned into a mess." Only then did Jiang Baohe become excited and said, "I don't know what big shot was killed. I
I guess there must be."
Shen Zonggui suddenly knew: "Even if you have it, if you don't get the head, it can't be regarded as a military merit, and you can't get a silver reward."
This is the rule set by the Ming Dynasty. You can't say you killed someone, and you can't do it right. If you can't get the head, it doesn't count, even if everyone sees it on the battlefield.
If you want to say it's unfair, you can definitely make a point. But even if there is someone to record the merits, the Ming army still has too many fake and indiscriminate methods, so it's no wonder that the court was helpless.
"Look at the Zajia family, at least thousands of heads have been harvested." Fang Zhenghua did not worry about the big slave chiefs. He pointed at the battlefield that had been almost cleaned, "If there are any beaten heads, the Zajia family is willing to report them to the court.
The memorial will be counted as military merit."
Although it was a bit embarrassing, the victory of the Dongjiang Army made him, the eunuch who supervises the army, feel proud. It would please the imperial court, and the emperor would definitely be very happy.
Taking this opportunity, Fang Zhenghua also wanted to talk to the emperor about giving some money and food supplies to Dongjiang Town. Such a powerful army cannot make the soldiers feel cold and alienated from the imperial court.
But he didn't know that Guo Dajing and Mao Wenlong had other plans. Whether they succeeded or not would bring disgrace to the court and embarrass Jiliao Governor Yuan Chonghuan.
Clean the battlefield, return to the position, and repair the fortifications. Although they defeated the Jianlu and won a great victory, no one can be sure whether the war is over or whether the Jianlu will attack again.
Joy, excitement, and excitement are certain, but cheering is not.
Guo Dajing and other generals also suppressed their emotions, inspected and patrolled meticulously, and were ready to fight Jianlu again.
Casualties were unavoidable, but compared to the losses suffered by Jianlu, they were disproportionate and quite slight. Let alone one to one, it was one to three or one to five, which was about the same.
The dusk and sunset sprinkled the earth with a crimson color, as sad and bright as blood.
"The front battalion of Youxie came to report that Jianlu was defeated in the encirclement attack on the ice. Thousands of corpses were left. The results of the battle are being tallied." Guo Dajing bowed and saluted, and said with a smile: "Shuai Mao, the statistics of the main battlefield have not been completed yet. It is estimated that
There are also thousands.”
Mao Wenlong stroked his beard and chin, smiled and praised: "After this battle, I am completely relieved. I will do my best in future actions."
Guo Dajing understood that this was a long-distance attack, a plan to fight in the capital, and the test satisfied Mao Wenlong. As long as the capital was well prepared and the plan was launched, Mao Wenlong supported it.
"Don't worry, Marshal Mao, we will never fight an uncertain battle, let alone risk tens of thousands of dollars in gambling." Guo Dajing's assurance let Mao Wenlong know that he would make full preparations and would never make any mistakes.
Mao Wenlong nodded and waved his hand. Guo Dajing understood and followed Mao Shuai closely to a relatively quiet place aside.
"Most likely the Jianlu will not attack again." Mao Wenlong clasped his hands behind his back and looked into the distance, as if he could see the miserable scene in the Jianlu camp, "They have lost nearly a banner of men and horses and cannot afford greater casualties.
Already."
Guo Dajing agreed with this and said: "There should be some action on the side of Besha Mountain City to speed up the retreat of Jianlu."
When the momentum comes, the defenders of Besha Mountain City can be left behind to guard and ignore them. However, after suffering heavy casualties, the back road is like a nail stuck in the throat, and the threat has greatly increased.
Not only Besha Mountain City, but also the special operations camp in the Xiaoheishan Mountains will launch harassment, interceptions, and threaten the rear transportation of Jianlu.
Of course, the Jianlu soldiers came to attack with some grain and supplies. If they were stationed in Jinzhou Acropolis, they could last at least more than ten days. But the attack was hopeless, and it was uneconomical and meaningless to waste grain and grass in vain.
The most important thing is that Jianlu did not have the means to achieve a breakthrough. Chariots, heavy armor, and bows and arrows have proven to be of limited use. If they attack again, they will make the same mistake again.
Therefore, Mao Wenlong's judgment was very accurate. With their population and strength, the Jianlu could not afford the casualties.
"You deserve the greatest credit for the victory in this battle." Mao Wenlong softened his tone, turned to look at Guo Dajing, and said with undisguised admiration: "The Dongjiang Army should also add a deputy commander in charge of military affairs, so that I can enjoy my leisure."
Guo Dajing blinked his eyes, but he didn't feel too surprised. He also heard that there was something more in Mao Wenlong's words, so he smiled slightly, bowed and said: "Even if the general is not promoted, Marshal Mao will still be able to enjoy his leisure."
This shows his attitude. No matter what, Guo Dajing will still do his best for Dongjiang Town's dedication. He indeed thinks so, and there is no hypocrisy in doing so.
Mao Wenlong was pleased, patted Guo Dajing's arm, and said with a smile: "Let's end the exchange of heads for silver. After Jianlu retreats, I will report to the court, how about promoting you to deputy general?"
Guo Dajing frowned slightly and said: "Mao Shuai, I still want to give it a try. As for promotion, it is not important to me."
"Why?" Mao Wenlong was a little surprised. He didn't know why Guo Dajing was so persistent. Is he really so short of money?
Guo Dajing thought for a while and said: "This failure will have a great impact on Huang Taiji's prestige. In order to win people's hearts, he will probably agree to use money to buy back heads or corpses. After all, Jianlu has no shortage of gold and silver.
"
The Jianlu did have gold and silver treasures, which were all looted. However, due to the blockade of the Ming Dynasty, they could not buy the materials they needed even if they had money. For example, the most important grains, cloth, etc.
But Guo Dajing insisted on this. In addition to wanting to earn hundreds of thousands of silver, purchase military supplies from outside, and strengthen the strength of the Dongjiang Army, he also had a deeper intention.
The first is to impress the imperial court. It is hard to say what the effect will be, but the imperial court and the emperor must know that the Dongjiang Army is difficult to fight and the Dongjiang Army is also short of money.
The imperial court should have a clear attitude towards such an army that can compete with Jianlu and continuously regain lost ground, whether to continue to suppress them harshly or to bribe them.
Secondly, he vented his dissatisfaction with Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Jiliao, and asked the court to correct and change his actions.
The imperial court may have paid the food and salary, but after it was transferred to Jueyuan, Yuan Chonghuan withheld it all and delayed its payment. What was his intention?
Another point is that Guo Dajing created an illusion for Jianlu, thinking that Dongjiang Town was in a financial and food shortage, and would rather embarrass the court than get money to tide over the difficulties.
If Jianlu believes that Dongjiang Town can be impressed or bribed with money, it will be of great benefit to future battles.
"In the future, Marshal Mao can report to the court, telling the difficult situation of Dongjiang Town, and exchanging heads for silver as a strategy to make the captives lose their lives and wealth, and to frighten their hearts."
Guo Dajing expressed his thoughts and continued: "Whether it succeeds or not, I will think that this is a good opportunity to express the attitude of Dongjiang Town. Mao Shuai, if Dongjiang Town is short of money and food, and countless soldiers and civilians starve to death, will you
In anger, you raised troops to demand pay and demonstrated to the court?"
Mao Wenlong lowered his eyes, and after a long while he finally said: "I have thought about it. I also thought of an excuse to deal with it, so I said that the warship was blown to Denglai because of the rough sea."
After giving a wry smile, Mao Wenlong sighed and said: "I understand, the commander-in-chief. Can the crime of exchanging heads for money be greater than raising troops to demonstrate and threatening the court?"
"This is what I mean." Guo Dajing said calmly and sincerely: "I estimate that whether this matter succeeds or not, if Fang Zhenghua knows, Yuan Chonghuan knows, and the court knows, the situation in Dongjiang Town will be improved."
"How bad can it be?" Mao Wenlong waved his hand fiercely and said, "I am in charge of this matter and it has nothing to do with you."
Guo Dajing hurriedly said: "Commander, didn't we agree that the last general will be in charge and the last general will be the bearer?"
"I have broken my word." Mao Wenlong rolled his eyes at Guo Dajing and scolded him with a smile: "Your shoulders are not wide enough and your wings are not strong enough. Besides, there are many people who slandered me, and this one is no exception.