Guo Dajing had someone bring in the silver box, which was the funds given to him by Chen Jisheng. Now Deputy Marshal Chen is in charge of millions of taels of silver. He is very confident and spends money very quickly.
In this decisive battle that determines success or failure, Chen Jisheng also clearly understands that if a huge amount of money is thrown at it, it will be victory tomorrow, and there will be no loss.
"This is considered a deposit!" Guo Dajing said with a smile: "Wait until the end, and then according to the time, all will be paid."
Chen Huzhong and Zhao Liancheng looked at each other and then turned to Lin Tianyou.
Lin Tianyou laughed and said: "General Guo is so generous and kind, don't be pretentious, just accept it."
Chen Huzhong and Zhao Liancheng both smiled, bowed and saluted, "Thank you, General Guo."
Guo Dajing waved his hand and said nonchalantly: "In business, since it is an employment, it is natural to pay a deposit and a final payment afterwards. For this help, Guo will also thank you on behalf of Dongjiang Town."
The concept of equality and the consideration of credibility made Guo Dajing very different from the civil servants and military generals at that time. He did not have the frivolous attitude of being aloof and kept his promises.
Regardless of whether there will be further cooperation or not, Guo Dajing is willing to leave a good impression on others.
On the one hand, it is a long-term plan, with many friends and many paths! On the other hand, it is due to his character, and the imprint of future generations' thinking cannot be eliminated.
After chatting for a while, Lin Tianyou knew that Guo Dajing was very busy, so he stood up and said goodbye to Chen Huzhong and Zhao Liancheng.
Guo Dajing sent away his guests, sat down at his desk, picked up paper and pen, and started calculating again.
A cross-sea long-distance attack is a very complex operation. Not only must the material supply of the army after landing be taken into consideration, but also the consumption of a large number of ships docked at Qinhuangdao.
It takes almost two months from departure to return, or even longer. In addition to replenishing on site, a lot also needs to be transported.
If you transport more, you will have to carry fewer weapons and equipment; if you transport less, there will be supply problems. This requires a relative balance, and factors such as time and personnel must be taken into consideration.
Although he forgot the oblique throwing formula, Guo Dajing is still good at arithmetic. At least he can also set "xy" and so on.
Even when it is about to launch, the ship transportation has not been finalized yet.
Guo Dajing hopes to have more large ships that can withstand wind and waves and carry more people and supplies.
The four large sand ships were hired from the south of the Yangtze River with the help of the Lin family. By the way, they also transported the second season of grain from the south. If nothing else happens, Shedra should also transport the guns and artillery from Macau. This is another question.
It is a large ship. There are also Nanyang grain merchants, who are almost here to sell grain as promised.
In this case, at least three or four sea-going ships will be added. Calculated by the carrying capacity of each ship, the grain and grass supplies carried by one ship are almost enough.
Twenty-four thousand infantry and artillery, three thousand cavalry, more than a hundred medium and large ships, and dozens of small boats, this is already the majority of the Dongjiang Town Navy.
Moreover, this also includes the medium-sized ships built in recent years. There are still many small ships, but they are not suitable for long-distance voyages.
"General, the father-in-law of the Supervisory Army is here." The soldier's announcement made Guo Dajing frown slightly, tidy up hastily, and stood up to greet him.
During the battle of Zhenjiang Fort, Fang Zhenghua was not notified. He only found out after the battle was over. Despite Chen Jisheng's repeated explanations, Eunuch Fang was still a little unhappy.
This time the troops gathered in Port Arthur and Dalian Port, even a fool could tell that there was some kind of military operation.
Mao Wenlong and Chen Jisheng had already discussed that the deceiver Fang's father-in-law was going to take the sea route, show off his force at the Sancha River, and wait for an opportunity to capture Gaizhou Acropolis.
Fang Zhenghua seemed a little unconvinced and went to Guo Dajing to inquire about the situation.
Regarding Fang Zhenghua, Guo Dajing has already thought of a way to deal with him. He cannot be taken with him in a long-distance attack across the sea. Because he is King Qin in name, why are you going to Zunhua instead of going to the capital?
Fang Zhenghua was full of thoughts of loyalty to the emperor, but he did not care that taking a long retreat was the most correct tactic. It could rebuild the captives, make their plunder come to nothing, and decline in the great famine.
Just because he didn't know that the capital could definitely be defended, Chongzhen must be fine. If he was taken with him, Guo Dajing would definitely be forced to land and travel day and night to the capital Qinwang.
He didn't care how much losses the Dongjiang Army, which was mostly infantry, would suffer in the field, or even the possibility of a disastrous defeat. The world is vast, and the emperor is the greatest. As long as the emperor is protected, any huge losses are not worth mentioning.
Of course, his name is no longer the King of Qin. The lies are getting better and better. Whether you believe it or not, he will always avoid taboos and the results will be satisfactory.
Guo Dajing went out to greet him personally, bowed and saluted Fang Zhenghua, who was striding towards him, "Eunuch Fang has come to visit us. We will not be able to welcome him from afar, so please..."
"No courtesy, no courtesy." Fang Zhenghua hurriedly stretched out his hand to support Guo Dajing, showing no sign of arrogance towards Guo Dajing, the number three figure in Dongjiang Town.
Guo Dajing invited Fang Zhenghua into the house and ordered someone to serve tea.
Fang Zhenghua showed his gratitude with a smile on his face, and slowly said: "The Jianlu have been launched. Although Hu Duntu is also an enemy of the Ming Dynasty, we can take advantage of the enemy's emptiness and our army will launch operations to contain them. Seeing this posture, the Zajia family said,
Isn’t this another battle no less powerful than Zhenjiang Fort?”
Mao Wenlong wrote a memorial, reminding the imperial court to strengthen the defense of Jizhen and prevent the captives from taking a detour to enter the pass. However, Guo Dajing's actions were under the guise of taking advantage of the opportunity to harass.
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "The Jianlu have already reduced their defense line, and it is difficult for our army to take advantage of the situation to attack. However, the navy is the commander of our army, and the troops are approaching the Sancha River, waiting for an opportunity to regain some places. I do have this idea.
"
As he said that, Guo Dajing spread out the map in a serious manner and gave directions to Fang Zhenghua, "My father-in-law, please take a look. Go upstream from the Sancha River and then turn to the Liao River..."
There are many waterways in Liaodong, and the Sancha River should be the most accessible hub. From there, you can go upstream and pass through the branch rivers Liaohe, Hun, and Taizi Rivers to reach Liaoyang and Shenyang.
Of course, the current conditions are not yet mature for a long-distance attack with a naval division or a landing operation at selected locations. But in the future, when the waterway is clearly explored, Guo Dajing will definitely make a plan like this.
"Here, the Empress Palace, we can set up a stronghold." Guo Dajing continued to explain: "With Lianyun Island as the backing, occupying Gaizhou Acropolis can also make advance preparations for occupying Fuzhou and Gaizhou."
Fang Zhenghua looked at the map, his eyes flashing, and he nodded repeatedly.
This is different from the original old-fashioned map, but a rather detailed combat map drawn by Guo Dajing based on the memories of later generations and after sending people to continuously conduct reconnaissance.
"The Miscellaneous Family remembers that the imperial court once intended to order the Dongjiang Army to move to Gaizhou, but Commander Mao submitted a powerful report and refused." Fang Zhenghua raised his head in confusion and looked at Guo Dajing.
Guo Dajing smiled slightly and said: "The current situation is different, how can we generalize? Now that Jinzhou is stable, it can provide backing for Gaizhou. When our army is stationed in Gaizhou, it can attack, defend, advance and retreat. It is no longer as dangerous as it was a few years ago.
"
Fang Zhenghua nodded, still very satisfied with this explanation.
"A tiger must fight a rabbit with all its strength." Guo Dajing said: "Even if there may not be a big war, our army must be fully prepared. Especially when winter is approaching, it is the fighting season that Jianlu prefers."
Fang Zhenghua nodded again and agreed: "The Za family has always admired General Guo's use of troops. This launch is expected to achieve great results."
Guo Dajing hurriedly said humbly: "Eunuch Fang is overly commendable. The general's use of troops is still very superficial. He can only be cautious, which is barely worthy of praise."
Fang Zhenghua laughed and relaxed a lot. He obviously believed Guo Dajing's words and was not so eager to follow him in the battle.
Moreover, Fang Zhenghua was not very adaptable to taking a boat. If he really wanted to fulfill his duty of supervising the army, it would be very convenient to go to Gaizhou by land via Fuzhou.
"The Miscellaneous Family remembers that Mao Shuai seemed to have sent a memorial in March and April, reminding the court to pay attention to the border defense in Jizhen, saying that it was possible for the Jianlu captives to take a detour to enter the pass?"
Fang Zhenghua looked at Guo Dajing and asked: "General Guo also said just now that winter is often the time when the rebels are launched. I wonder if the rebels will change their route during this expedition to the Chahar tribe?"
Guo Dajing frowned slightly and said: "No one can say for sure about this kind of thing. Even so, it is the responsibility of Mr. Yuan, the governor of Jiliao."
Fang Zhenghua sighed softly, knowing that Dongjiang Town was in a remote location overseas, and even if Jianlu took a detour to enter the pass, it would be beyond his reach.
What's more, Fang Zhenghua, like Emperor Chongzhen, didn't understand the situation in Jizhen.
In order to defend the capital, the Ming Dynasty established nine military towns along the Great Wall starting from the Yalu River in the east and ending at Jiayuguan in the west: Liaodong, Xuanfu, Datong, Yulin, Ningxia, Gansu, Jizhen, Taiyuan, and Guyuan, which were known as the "nine military towns" in history.
side".
Among these nine military towns, Ji Town is the most special.
Jizhou, also known as Yuyang, belongs to Youyan in ancient times. It is adjacent to Yanshan Mountain in the north and looks to the Bohai Sea in the south. It "controls the key point from the northeast to Beijing and controls the dangerous fortresses in the Central Plains and Bashang". It is a battleground for military strategists of all ages. It has "Jidong"
"Lock and Key".
Among the many natural moats such as Panshan Mountain, Jiulong Mountain and Baxian Mountain, this passage is the only one. It is like the gateway to the middle of Beijing, so it is called Jimen. Since ancient times, military towns and Guancheng have been set up, surrounding the capital from east, west and north.
It can be said that if Ji Town is stable, the capital will be safe.
In order to strengthen the defense capabilities of Ji Town, Emperor Longqing specially transferred Grandpa Qi to the north to take charge of the military affairs of Ji Town. The general military headquarters was located in Santunying.
After Qi Jiguang took office, in addition to thickening the walls of the Great Wall, he also built more than 3,000 hollow enemy towers along the Jimen line (the hollow enemy towers can not only station dozens of elite soldiers, but also store food and arms).
In addition, he rebuilt and expanded Santunying City and the town hall, making Santunying a veritable military town.
When Grandpa Qi was guarding Jizhen, the Oara, Tatar and other tribes north of the Great Wall fled after hearing the news. Only the Duoyan tribe was not convinced. As a result, they were defeated in Qingshankou and Xifengkou. In the following decades, Jizhen Yan
Nothing happened.
But in Ji Town today, not only are the city walls dilapidated and in disrepair, but with a lack of food and pay, the soldiers have no fighting spirit, and the number of soldiers is insufficient, with even more than half of the vacancies.
With such a depleted border defense, even if thousands of Jianlu were invaded, the people of Ji Town could only huddle inside the city at best, making it difficult to take the initiative to fight against the Jianlu.
But Chongzhen didn't know himself or the enemy. His thinking might still be in the time when Grandpa Qi was stationed in Jizhen, but he had no idea that Jizhen was already riddled with holes and vulnerable due to his reduction of troops and payment of wages.
The Santun camp was breached in an hour, and Zunhua was forced to open the city gates, and was captured by the Jianlu at an alarming speed. The Ming army in the Gyeonggi area was powerless to resist the Jianlu, and allowed the Jianlu to be invincible.
The human realm.
"If the capital is in danger, Dongjiang Town will definitely go all out to relieve the king and father's worries." Guo Dajing solemnly assured Fang Zhenghua, "Whether it is crossing the sea to serve the king, or going straight to the prisoner's lair, we are all responsible."
Fang Zhenghua nodded vigorously, showed admiration for Guo Dajing, and said: "The Za family admires and trusts General Guo. In the past few years, no one has achieved more military exploits than General Guo."
Guo Dajing said a few more humble words and talked with Fang Zhenghua for a long time before sending him away.
Sooner or later, Fang Zhenghua will know that Guo Dajing led his army across the sea to fight for the king, but the news he gets will have been fabricated.
In Guo Dajing's plan, Fang Zhenghua would be the person to go to Beijing to deliver the news, which would make the Ming army's deployment after the Jianlu retreat more conducive to the Dongjiang Army's interception.
Of course, these are all planned, and the timing must be accurately grasped, either sooner or later.
If the Ming army could strengthen defenses in Jizhou and block the Jianlu's other escape route as Guo Dajing wished, Guo Dajing would be sure to annihilate all the Jianlu and make it difficult for them to return.
But this hope is unlikely to be realized, and Guo Dajing just talks about personnel matters.
Jizhou is also known as a dangerous pass and natural chasm, but how did Jianlu sneak through it? There are many theories, but Guo Dajing has his own guess.
Unless a city is built between two mountains and a road passes through the city, it can be called the way of one man guarding the gate.
In other words, to block the enemy's advance, it is usually necessary to form a formation outside the city, defend against the city, and block the enemy's path around the city.
When Guo Dajing thought about it, someone's evaluation of Guan Ningjun at that time was hit the nail on the head and hit the mark.
"If there is no cannon to fortify the city, the army will be as afraid of battle as a tiger. If there is a fortified city to hold on to, it will avoid the enemy and not get out, and even allow the enemy to cross the pass. All these are due to the cowardice of the army."
The fact should be like this. Governor Yuan and his troops huddled in Jizhou City and did not dare to go out of the city to block the roads, let alone conduct bold reconnaissance, which gave Jianlu the opportunity to bypass Jizhou.
If Yuan Chonghuan led Guan Ning's army and watched Jianlu march around the city, it would obviously be an injustice to him. But his military talent is also evident from this.
In addition to retreating into the city to defend, Yuan Chonghuan can be said to have no other tricks. As with Ningyuan's victory, Ningjin's victory is still as immovable as a mountain.
Just two defensive battles relying on Hongyi artillery and fortified city walls can make him a famous general. He, Yuan Chonghuan, believed it to be true. You think it's ridiculous or not.
What's even more ridiculous is that the reason why civil servants recommended Yuan Chonghuan's comeback was that he was "not afraid of death, not greedy for money, and has fought before."
At this point, Chongzhen really believed it. He recalled Yuan Chonghuan, who "had fought before", entrusted him with important responsibilities, and obeyed his words. It was not until the "Five Years of Peace and Liao Dynasty" arrived in the capital that he woke up from a dream. It was because he had been hasty and made a mistake.