Chapter 332: The King of Diligent Action kicked off
So far, the Dongjiang Army is not short of food or money, and has reserves of other materials, but it has been difficult to replenish war horses.
Because of this shortcoming, the flying cavalry is currently only expanded to 5,000, and the lance cavalry uses the leftover horses from the flying cavalry, which is only more than 2,000.
Although horses could be purchased from Shandong and Beizhili, the quantity and quality were difficult to meet the requirements. The more than 3,000 horses purchased from Yuan Chonghuan were considered the best batch.
Originally, this should be the job of the imperial court. But now most of the resources are allocated to western Liaoning. Even if Dongjiang Town works hard, it will not get much.
It is hoped that after the "King Qin" operation, Dongjiang Town can bring about major changes in the court. Moreover, Guo Dajing also hopes to obtain a group of war horses from the Gyeonggi region in the cross-sea raid.
After Guo Dajing reported to Mao Wenlong, he stood up and resigned. The work was very busy, especially after being promoted to deputy general, Mao Wenlong handed over almost all military affairs to Guo Dajing and only listened to the report, which made him feel at ease.
A large-scale battle has begun. Although the soldiers do not know the specific plan yet, they can still sense the tense atmosphere of busy preparations.
For ordinary people, there is rarely such a feeling. Their concern lies in the autumn harvest and food for the whole family.
And the shaved-headed Liao people who escaped from the areas ruled by the Jianlu were still being transported in a steady stream and settled in Jinzhou and Fuzhou, where they enjoyed a safe and worry-free life after a narrow escape.
The bell rang, and a moment later, the quiet campus was filled with noise. The children left the classroom, and cheerful laughter could be heard everywhere on the playground.
Some children were laughing and playing, some ran to the toilet, and some went to the dormitory to put things away. The playground became lively, and children could be seen everywhere.
"Little sister." Zhao Xiaozhu was waiting outside the small class classroom. When he saw his sister, he grinned happily and stretched out his hand to call her.
After more than a month of recuperation, Zhao Xiaomei no longer looked as weak as she did when she was at Zhenjiang Fort. Her little face was bulging out a lot, her big eyes were shining brightly, and she ran over jumping.
"Brother." The little sister giggled and called crisply.
Zhao Xiaozhu touched his little sister's head, grinned and laughed heartily. He could see her several times a day, but every time he saw her smiling face, he was filled with joy.
"Let's go eat!" Zhao Xiaomei raised her face and said what she was looking forward to most.
For children, eating is the happiest and happiest thing. Especially for the escaped Liao people, the psychological shadow of crazy hunger has formed, and it will take some time to recover.
Zhao Xiaozhu promised, took the little girl's hand, and walked towards the cafeteria.
This is the Salesian Home, which has the same function as the welfare home in later generations, and adopts orphans from Dongjiang Town.
Guo Dajing made the plan and donated tens of thousands of silver, and it was built by the government. Not only did the orphans have enough food and clothing, but they also received education. They would not leave until they reached adulthood at the age of sixteen to support themselves.
After washing their hands in the sink in front of the canteen, the Zhao brothers and sisters walked into the canteen. The smell of the rice became stronger, and Zhao Xiaomei couldn't help but swallow again.
For these children, food is enough. Picky eaters? That doesn’t exist.
Even so, the food in the cafeteria is not bad, a little better than ordinary people's homes in Jinzhou.
There is no need to worry about food, no need to worry about drinking, no need to work, as long as they study hard, the Salesian Home is simply a paradise for these orphans.
The Zhao brothers and sisters lined up neatly, received bowls and chopsticks, and sat at the long wooden table with others.
A dozen half-year-old girls and boys pushed carts through several aisles, handing out pancakes and serving vegetable soup to the children.
There are not so many idle people dedicated to taking care of children, so those over the age of twelve have to take turns doing whatever work they can to take care of younger children.
A cornmeal pancake that was browned on one side, and a bowl of soup made from potatoes and cabbage, with oily flowers on them and a fragrant smell.
Zhao Xiaomei drank vegetable soup and ate pancakes made with potato noodles. The pancakes were fragrant and had a sweet taste in her mouth. These were her favorite foods.
The half-year-old children who are on duty push the cart in the area they are responsible for. When they see a child raising their hand, they will go over to add soup or cakes.
Zhao Xiaozhu was eating big food, but his eyes were focused on the little girl from time to time. Seeing how sweet she was eating, he felt sincere joy in his heart.
"Brother, I want to study hard and get into the top three." Zhao Xiaomei turned her head, approached her brother, and whispered: "I will be rewarded with money and can buy delicious food."
No loud noises are allowed in the cafeteria, and the children abide by it very well. It is a good place, they are afraid of making mistakes and being kicked out, and they are all very sensible, which makes people sad to see.
Zhao Xiaozhu nodded vigorously and said, "Little sister, I can definitely do it. I believe in you."
Zhao Xiaomei smiled, showing a small gapped tooth. Soon, she raised her little hand high and added a bowl of soup and half a piece of cake.
The war seems to have gone away, or even dissipated. This is what the children think. Now, that is no longer what they care about. Growth is the theme of their age.
………………
Beijing.
In Dong Laishun Restaurant, He Guizhong was sitting behind the counter, doing abacus with his fingers, but his mind was absent, thinking about other things.
Rumors had spread that it was a letter sent by someone specially sent by Guo Dajing, and He Guizhong knew that this was not an official mission of the Intelligence Department.
But this is no different. Guo Dajing has the power to do so. As long as it does not harm the interests of Dongjiang Town, He Guizhong is also willing to carry out it.
Based on his analysis of intelligence over the past few years, as well as the preparation and arrangement of Operation Qin Wang, He Guizhong knew that Dongjiang Town had broken with Yuan Chonghuan, and that an earth-shattering operation had begun.
"It is not easy to exchange letters, and there is a worry of leaking secrets. I simply explain it clearly at once. I hope Brother He will prepare in advance and comply with it..."
Guo Dajing's letter made it clear that there was more than one rumor, but when it was spread depended on the situation and the development of events, He Guizhong had to grasp the opportunity himself.
In He Guizhong's view, most of these rumors were aimed at Yuan Chonghuan. Obviously, Guo Dajing was determined to bring down Governor Yuan, and even wanted to kill him.
"Brother, here's another pot of wine and ten skewers of roasted lamb kidneys." A guest greeted loudly, obviously eating and drinking in high spirits.
In later generations, this was also the peak season for barbecues. Street stalls abounded, and diners chatted, ate and drank.
"What you eat is what you need to replenish yourself. Did you drink too much flower wine?"
The diners at the same table burst out laughing, making fun of this friend who had a special liking for roasted kidneys.
"This is a good thing. After eating it, you will become a dragon and a tiger, and you will be victorious in every battle." He was ridiculed but was not annoyed at all. He smiled evilly and said, "You have a wife and concubines, how many of them do you want?"
Men just talk about this, and there is not much difference between ancient and modern times. In ancient times, women rarely ate or drank outside, and there was nothing to worry about.
He Guizhong rolled his eyes. Although it was not contempt, he hated the nonsense these drinkers were talking about. Didn't he see Cui'er going back and forth bringing wine and food?
Cui'er's face was as usual, and she was still busy walking around with a cheerful expression. To her, being able to be taken in by Boss He and having a job to make a living, what did some dirty words mean to her?
He Guizhong suddenly focused his eyes and looked at an acquaintance who walked into the store. He was also one of the espionage personnel who was sent to survey and conduct reconnaissance in the Zunhua area.
Meng Hao nodded to He Guizhong, then walked to a small table and sat down. Like other drinkers, he ordered food and drinks and started eating and drinking casually.
He Guizhong didn't have to go talk to each other. Knowing that Meng Hao was back, he naturally had an agreed-upon place to meet again.
Meng Hao was also a leader, and he was not alone in the investigation and reconnaissance. But he was the only one who knew He Guizhong and could contact him.
He Guizhong confessed to the waiter and went back to the backyard. He changed clothes in the room, sat in a chair, sorted out the recently received information in his mind, and prepared to tell Meng Hao.
"Boss." Cui Er knocked on the door softly.
"Come in!" He Guizhong had nothing to hide and responded quickly.
Cui'er pushed open the door and came in, carrying a bowl of scallion oil noodles to her, placed it on the table, and said, "The noodles you want are ready."
After a pause, she said with concern: "Let's go out after eating the noodles!"
This is a girl who is smart and good at observing facial expressions. He Guizhong knew that it was the clothes he had put on when going out, so the girl guessed the clues.
"Okay." He Guizhong nodded and said, "You should also take time to eat. There are always people drinking. When will they all leave?"
Cui'er smiled and said, "Everyone will eat in different shifts. Don't worry, you won't be hungry."
He Guizhong waved his hand, and Cui'er bowed and retreated.
Alas! Who would have thought that Jianlu might attack the capital this winter and break the peaceful and peaceful life of the common people, including Cui'er?
He Guizhong suddenly felt that the noodles in his mouth had lost their flavor. He had eaten too much mutton and wanted to eat something light. But when he saw Cui'er and the bewildered drinkers in the store, he couldn't help but sigh.
The Dongjiang Army has been fighting hard for several years, and Guo Dajing has been working very hard, but it still can't stop the Jianlu people from taking a detour to enter the pass, killing and looting. Who is responsible?
How many families of the common people in the Gyeonggi region will be destroyed in this drastic change, and how many people will be driven to Liaodong like animals and become slaves of the Jianqi?
Originally, the soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang Town should have faced the war directly and experienced the most pain and suffering. But now it seems that this is not necessarily the case.
He Guizhong finished the noodles and drank the soup before getting up and leaving the house. He first went to the store and took a look, and found that Meng Hao had left. He also left and went to meet Meng Hao.
………………
The sand table in the Gyeonggi area is already relatively detailed. Of course, without any satellite or aerial survey, the details of mountains, rivers and rivers are still lacking.
However, this has little impact on the "Qinwang" operation, and the specific operational deployment has been clearly formulated.
Zunhua will be the most important battlefield for Dongjiang Army to intercept Jianlu. As a guarantee of retreat, Jianlu will leave troops to defend, which requires Dongjiang Army to attack first.
Because his troops were limited, Guo Dajing did not make arrangements to divide his troops, but used the main force to fight the main force in a decisive battle with Jianlu in Zunhua.
In addition to Zunhua, Guo Dajing also wanted to set up an ambush in Shicheng, intercept Jianlu in front and behind, and try to rescue the plundered people.
Shicheng, later known as Shimen Town, is located about 60 miles west of Zunhua City. There are two peaks facing each other. A gap in the stone is a gate, and an official road passes through it. It is commonly known as Shimenkou. It is also an important pass in ancient times.
Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin returned to the dynasty after his victory in the Eastern Campaign. Tang general Zhou Qing saw that the two mountains here were confronting each other, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack, so he enlarged and raised the original Shimen City, making it stronger and more dangerous.
In fact, the construction of the stone city can be traced back to the time of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty. During the period when Mengyi, the general of Zhonglang, was guarding the fortress, the city was built by cutting rocks out of the mountains.
Judging from the geographical location of Shicheng, it is adjacent to Jiufeng Mountain in the east, Chimney Mountain in the north, and Tashan Mountain in the south. It faces Linhe River in the west and surrounds the Xianshui River in the northwest. It is not a favorable battlefield for the Jianlu cavalry.
But for the Dongjiang Army, it would be more appropriate and more advantageous if they could arrive here in advance to block the Jianlu and prevent them from approaching the capital.
On the other hand, Guo Dajing suddenly found that he had taken things for granted and was talking on paper.
Hiding troops in the mountains on both sides of Shicheng, waiting for the Jianlu to pass, then ambush the troops to rush out, cut off the Jianlu's tail, and rescue the looting people. This sounds like a good strategy at first.
However, it must be well concealed so that the Jianlu cannot be discovered, and it must also attack quickly and cut the Jianlu into two pieces. Furthermore, it must remain motionless under the attack from both sides by the Jianlu.
Guo Dajing shook his head secretly and basically rejected the battle plan that he once thought was very clever.
If there are too few hidden troops, they will not be enough to withstand the Jianlu's onslaught; if there are too many troops left, they will be easily discovered by the Jianlu in advance. With a highly demanding and highly variable battle plan, a small accident will lead to a complete failure.
"Assemble the main force and line up at the city of Zunhua to cut off its northward retreat." Mao Wenlong inserted the small red flag at the location of Zunhua City and said loudly: "If Jianlu cannot attack, they can only detour to Jizhou and Miyun.
, exit through Gubei Exit.”
Even if he could not block all Jianlu's escape routes, Guo Dajing did not have any hope for the Ming Dynasty defenders in Jizhou and Miyun. However, Jianlu was repulsed in Zunhua and had to take a detour to escape, so he would not be able to carry a large amount of property and people.
.
In other words, Guo Dajing did not have the extravagant hope of completely intercepting and annihilating the Jianlu in one fell swoop. As long as he destroyed the Jianlu's plunder of people and money, the purpose of this war would be achieved.
As analyzed by Mao Wenlong, after the Jianlu were defeated in Zunhua, they only had to take a detour to the west, passing through Jizhou and Miyun, and exiting through Gubeikou.
It is impossible to go eastward. There is the sea and Shanhaiguan over there. Jianlu's brain was flooded, so he chose to exit the wall from there.
In other words, if Zunhua's interception is successful, it will indirectly protect Qian'an, Yongping, and Luanzhou. The Jianlu who have lost their vigor will still have the heart to attack the city, and leaving the border as soon as possible becomes their only choice.
If the number of cavalry was large enough, Guo Dajing thought that he could wait for Jianlu to take a detour to leave the pass. He would exit the pass through Da'ankou and Xifengkou, and then intercept Jianlu on the grassland outside the pass.
Obviously, on the surface, it is very difficult and somewhat risky because food and grass supplies are difficult to solve, but for Guo Dajing, space is both an arsenal and a grain depot.