Chapter 310: Planning in the dark room, a new battlefield in Liaodong
Ningyuan.
Governor Yuan is writing furiously to report to the emperor who is far away in the capital, and continues to defend his shrewd strategy.
In his opinion, although the Haraqin tribe surrendered to the Jiannu, it was forced by the situation. Now, facing famine, it is a good opportunity to win over them.
"He will be of great use to me." After Master Yuan finished writing this sentence, he paused for a moment and thought it was good.
The Mongolian tribes were dealing with the power of establishing slaves, using barbarians to control barbarians. Such a clever strategy, why did the emperor not allow it, and the officials in the DPRK and the DPRK turned against each other?
What if the Mongolians, who are starving and red-eyed if they do not sell grain to the Haraqin tribe, collude with the slave-builders to bypass the border and enter the country?
Well, Governor Yuan's worries were not unreasonable, but so what if they were given food? On the contrary, it would be more conducive to the creation of slaves.
No matter what the purpose of Governor Yuan was, perhaps it was a sincere spirit of internationalism, but it made him extremely uncomfortable to see the Mongolians starving.
Maybe they really wanted to win over the Mongolian tribes, and wanted to win an ally for the Ming army to fight against the slaves together; or maybe it was some other plan that was not convenient to explain to the outside world.
But if we look at this matter from the final result, Yuan Chonghuan's crime is not unjust at all.
It is indeed a good strategy to use barbarians to control barbarians, but it also requires time, consideration of the situation, analysis and research, and cannot be applied mechanically.
Huduntu moved westward, declaring that Houjin became the most powerful existence in Eastern Mongolia. The Haraqin tribe defected to Houjin, and also expressed its attitude, "If you are not afraid of the Ming Dynasty, you will form an alliance with your enemies. What can you do?"
You must know that the Ming Dynasty's northern frontier army was not only tired of resisting the slaves, but also lost the power to cross the Great Wall and attack the Mongolian tribes.
The Haraqin tribe is not stupid. It is already obvious who they will choose between Hou Jin and Ming Dynasty.
If you choose the Ming Dynasty, the Later Jin Dynasty will attack you, and you will either be destroyed or escape like the Chahar tribe; if you choose the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty will be unable to punish you.
In the final analysis, the Mongolian tribes will rely on whoever has the biggest fist. This is the most realistic consideration and the wisdom of surviving in the cracks.
Would Commander Yuan not be able to carry out such a simple analysis? Or he might not have done it at all. He was just talking on paper, without any strategic analysis ability or strategic vision, but he was still immersed in the fantasy of his own brilliant strategy.
In fact, in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, under the ancestral system of using civil society to control military affairs, it was not unexpected and very common for commanders like Yuan Chonghuan to appear.
People like Yang Hao, Yuan Yingtai, Wang Huazhen, Gao Di and others were all Jinshi. After reading two military books, they were touted by the civil servant group as knowing soldiers and having talents, so they could be superior to military generals.
In fact, famous generals are not created by reading military books, but by flattery. Sooner or later, the secret will be revealed, and the higher you climb, the harder you fall.
After Yuan Chonghuan finished writing the memorial, he sent someone to deliver it and summoned his close associates to discuss the matter.
Xu Fuzuo, Zhang Binliang, and Xie Shangzheng, these three are Yuan Chonghuan's real confidants, the kind who can plan in the dark room.
"Mao Wenlong wrote a handwritten thank you and gave him a gift, but he did not come to Ningyuan." Yuan Chonghuan felt a little regretful, but also a little helpless. "We just had the great victory at Nanguan, and even if he comes, it will be difficult for the headquarters to take action."
It is indeed extremely inappropriate to kill people without any charge. The most important thing is that the timing is wrong.
Xu Fuzhuo said: "What you say is absolutely true. If you kill Mao Wenlong just because he is rude, the court will definitely not be accommodating. What's more, if you kill the commander in Ningyuan, for fear of mutiny in Dongjiang Town, the court will blame him."
Yuan Chonghuan nodded and said in a deep voice: "The only way is to enter the place, behead it, seize its courage, and frighten its army."
Seeing Governor Yuan's eyes glancing over, Zhang Binliang and Xie Shangzheng hurriedly bowed and said they would obey his orders.
"Sir, we still have to wait for the opportunity." Zhang Binliang reminded: "After the victory at Nanguan, the wind direction in the court has changed, and even Long Live's attitude towards Dongjiang Town has also changed."
Yuan Chonghuan stroked his beard and said: "Of course we have to wait for the right time. This department only targets Mao Wenlong, not Dongjiang Town."
Mao Wenlong was uncontrolled. In order to unify power, the more military achievements he gained, the more determined Yuan Chonghuan was in killing Mao.
With the Dongjiang Army in your hands, you can do whatever you want, whether it is increasing your weight in the court or how to act.
Mao Wenlong is available, but there is no one who can use Wenlong. If you are disobedient, you can only be obedient.
Subduing Mao Wenlong and controlling Dongjiang Town was the first step in the plan formulated by Governor Yuan and the big shots in the court.
Since these two goals cannot be achieved now, we can only use tough measures to kill the commander and collect the army.
"Dongjiang Town's food and salary are transferred from Liaodong. Your Excellency, you can ask Mao Wenlong to come and discuss the payment." Xu Fuzuo said, "Maybe we can have less luck and just say it's gone and force him to come to Ningyuan to discuss with Your Majesty."
Yuan Chonghuan pondered for a moment and said: "The headquarters still believes that killing him in Ningyuan is not the best choice. Moreover, in terms of public opinion, we must prepare in advance."
"The Imperial Court Examination of Denglai Road may be useful." Zhang Binliang said: "Mao Wenlong repeatedly demanded payment for the owed food and salary, and even wanted to send troops to Denglai. If he invades Denglai, the direction of the court will definitely change."
Yuan Chonghuan squinted his eyes and heard the connotation of Zhang Binliang's words.
Regardless of whether Mao Wenlong was a soldier and a prisoner of Denglai, even if he only went to Denglai on a ship and did not land ashore, he can still be charged with this crime.
The common people didn't know it. Rumors were spread in Denglai, saying that pirates or insurgents came ashore to kill and plunder. The gates of various states and counties were closed, and people were panicked and confused.
Leaving flood areas without authorization is prohibited by law. He calls his troops introverted and his officials massacre. This is indeed a good excuse to anger the emperor and cause civil servants to criticize each other.
"Okay, this is a great plan." Yuan Chonghuan clapped his hands and said, "I should send a letter to Wang Tingzhao and ask him to help me."
Next, several people discussed for a long time, determined how to deal with Mao Wenlong, and then dispersed.
………………
Phi Island.
Since the beginning of last year, a large number of soldiers and civilians have moved to Jinzhou, and Pi Island, the former Liaodong anti-golden base, has gradually lost its former bustle.
By the middle of the year, almost all the troops of the Four Associations had gathered at Nanguan, preparing for the war. However, there were only two to three thousand troops left on Pi Island, plus part of the navy.
After the Nanguan War ended, a large number of naval ships transported food and ammunition to Pi Island.
Next came the special operations battalion, then Kong Youde's rear associates, and finally Guo Dajing's command and the commander-in-chief of the Dongjiang Army, Mao Wenlong.
Phi Island seemed to have suddenly returned to its former liveliness, with shouts of killing in the barracks, ships coming and going in an endless stream, and people coming and going on the island.
While the troops were resting briefly, the special operations battalion took boats in batches and went upstream from the mouth of the Yalu River, which was completely frozen. With the support of a small group of troops that had already infiltrated, they landed at selected locations and entered the Kuandian area.
This is the advantage of the Dongjiang Army. The navy stretches across the coast and the Yalu River, which makes Jianlu's defense stretched. It can even enter the Changbai Mountains along the river and attack Jianzhou.
"Zhenjiang is almost here." Liu Qishi came out of the cabin, handed Guo Dajing a bottle of wine, and said: "The wind in the river is strong, take a sip to warm yourself up."
Guo Dajing stretched out his hand to block it and said with a smile: "The elder brother is responsible for drinking. The younger brother is not cold and is not used to keeping warm like this."
Liu Qishi didn't force himself, he raised the bottle and took a sip, his eyes were half-closed, and he was breathing heavily, looking like he was enjoying it very much.
Guo Dajing smiled faintly, raised the telescope again, and observed the situation on the shore.
There are shadows of the Jiannu cavalry, but they are far away and cannot be seen clearly. No matter how fast and fierce the cavalry are, they can only sigh while looking at the ships in the river.
It was here. A peninsula extending into the river appeared in the field of view of the telescope. Guo Dajing looked at it more and more carefully.
This is the place commonly known as Ma Shi Tai or Ma Shi Island in history, and the official name is Zhongjiang Island.
At that time, Ma Shi Island was not an island in the complete geographical sense, surrounded by water on three sides, but a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides, with "Shangjian" connected to the rolling land of Kuanbei's "Maoqiding" mountains.
Since the Yuan Dynasty, Jiuliancheng, or Zhenjiang, has been conducting trade and exchanges with North Korea and has become a place for "mutual trade".
Huang Taiji ascended the throne, launched a war to attack the imperial court, and agreed that Zhongjiang Island would be one of the places for mutual trade.
Zhongjiang Island faces water on three sides and is connected to land on one side. The road leads directly to Zhenjiang Fort. In Guo Dajing's opinion, it is the best landing site.
The island was small, and Jianlu's cavalry had no room to gallop. It was surrounded by water on three sides. If Jianlu wanted to defend the island, they would have to face fire from three sides.
After occupying the island, set up mortars and naval artillery to cover the infantry's advance and approach Zhenjiang Fort.
Guo Dajing pursed his lips slightly, and the battle plan finally took shape in his mind, and he could begin to implement the layout.
Liu Qishi was also optimistic about this small peninsula. He talked with Guo Dajing when he came here. At this time, he pointed out: "After the infantry has firmly occupied it, the cavalry can also land here to launch an assault on the Jianlu."
Guo Dajing nodded in agreement and said with a smile: "Since the cavalry is here, there will definitely be a battle. Whether it is an assault on Jianlu or an ambush of the enemy in Fengcheng. Or there will be other battles."
Liu Qishi took another sip of wine and said: "The Flying Cavalry Battalion has been training. Although there are not enough war horses, the number of qualified cavalry will reach seven or eight thousand in a few months."
The overall strength of the Dongjiang Army has not changed significantly, and the four infantry associations have not been expanded on a large scale, but the tilt towards the Flying Cavalry Battalion is still proceeding as planned.
The personnel added to the Flying Cavalry Battalion are all elite soldiers and generals drawn from Si Xie, which greatly saves training time.
Guo Dajing sighed helplessly and said: "Cavalry is enough, but war horses are hard to come by. It's not that we don't have money, but it's hard to buy them."
If you're just buying a horse, that's fine. If you're qualified to be a war horse, you still have to choose.
Although it is not as high as the exaggerated claims of those corrupt officials: 1 in 20 or 1 in 10, nearly one-third of them are only suitable for private use.
Guo Qishi laughed, patted his brother on the shoulder, and said, "I know you tried your best. Who told us that we are in a remote place overseas, too far away from the Mongolian tribes!"
"It's a pity that there are already more than 20,000 cavalry in Liao Town, but they are all nothing but wine and rice bags." Liu Qishi said without concealing his contempt: "If I lead three thousand flying cavalry, it will be enough to sweep them all."
Guo Dajing smiled and nodded, expressing deep agreement.