Chapter 409 Changes in North Korea's Political Situation
There were five thousand men and horses to contain Jianlu in Liaodong. They had to station troops at Lianshan Pass and guard Crow Falcon Pass, so Jianlu had to deploy almost the same amount of troops.
Even so, with Jianlu's population and military strength, the territory occupied was too large. Liaoshen was both the core and the head. The Jianzhou Guard was the tail. The distance between the head and the tail was very long, making it difficult to take care of both.
From Guo Dajing's point of view, he hoped that Jianlu would still cling to the territory he had already occupied and fight tooth and nail to fend off the attacks of the increasingly powerful Dongjiang Army.
If Jianlu suddenly gave up Liaoshen and retreated to Jianzhouwei or further north while still having strength, such as now, it would put Guo Dajing in great embarrassment.
Liaoshen is the symbol of Pingliao. If the Jianlu abandon the defense, the Dongjiang Army will definitely recover and occupy it. There is also the Liaodong area. Do you occupy or defend it?
In that case, the situation would be reversed. With the Dongjiang Army's strength and being stationed everywhere, how many mobile troops can continue to attack Jianlu?
Not only was it no longer possible to attack, but because the territory was large and the troops were dispersed, it was necessary to prepare for a surprise attack by Jianlu.
Despite such considerations, Guo Dajing did not think Jianlu would take such a bold action.
Not to mention whether Dorgon has such courage, internal opposition and resistance also make it difficult to make a decision.
Having already enjoyed the blessings, who would want to go back to that remote and cold place; who is used to living in a spacious mansion, who would live in a low-rise small party house again?
It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality! This saying can well express Jianlu's current mentality.
After Guo Dajing arrived at Zhenjiang, he sent people to Yizhou to deliver the message, and at the same time inspected and inspected the preparations of the troops participating in the war.
Mao Chenglu finally got this opportunity to make a contribution, and he did not hide his eagerness. In other words, this is also a strong desire to fight, which is what any motivated coach hopes for.
"The last general has seen Guo Shuai." Mao Chenglu was very respectful and did not look down upon Guo Dajing, who was inferior to him in terms of qualifications, age, etc.
Guo Dajing raised his hand to support him and said with a smile: "Guo took a quick look and found that General Mao was very well prepared and well trained, which is admirable."
Mao Chenglu smiled and said humbly: "Guo Shuai deserves the praise. Compared with Zuo Xie, our department still lags behind."
Guo Dajing shook his head and said: "If we talk about the gap, it seems to be in the spirit and will. There is no other way but to sharpen it in actual combat."
Mao Chenglu thought for a while, nodded and said: "What Guo Shuai said is true. What our department lacks is actual combat experience. We don't have the confidence to win in the Jianlu battle like the Zuo Xie."
The mentality of being afraid of the enemy and cowardly fighting, to being just like the enemy can only be formed and consolidated through victory after victory in actual combat. There is no trick.
However, the current Wuxie soldiers of the Dongjiang Army have participated in several battles, whether relying on strong defense or attacking and harassing, and have accumulated a lot of actual combat experience.
When it comes to the gap, although there is a gap, it is not very big. The orderly expansion also allows the new recruits to be quickly attracted by the larger number of veterans, and the replacement of the old with the new reflects greater and better effects.
Of course, Guo Dajing is the most confident in his own Zuo Xie and can be used with confidence. As for other units, he can only be a little more conservative and strive to be safe.
Guo Dajing smiled and nodded. Although Mao Chenglu's statement was not comprehensive, why should he be dissatisfied with the fact that the various departments of the Dongjiang Army have developed to their current combat capabilities?
"Is there any information from North Korea?" Guo Dajing was a little confused and asked several officers who came to greet him.
Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads. Guo Dajing could only shrug his shoulders helplessly, waiting for Lin Qingye to come to meet and everything would be clear.
At present, the Dongjiang Army's intelligence work focuses almost entirely on building captives, and neglects North Korea quite a bit.
There is no other way. We don't expect much help from North Korea, and we are not afraid that it will turn against the Dongjiang Army.
The occupation of Zhenjiang and Kuandian areas also cut off the contact between North Korea and the Jianlu. This not only protected North Korea, but also cut off the trade between the Jianlu and North Korea.
If North Korea were to rely solely on its strength, it would not dare to refuse like this. Now, it is just a matter of time to follow the trend and no longer conduct business transactions with Jianlu.
What's more, North Korea has also experienced disasters and famine broke out. It may recover somewhat this year, but it is by no means abundant in money and food.
Lin Qingye also received some assistance from Dongjiang Town, which made the situation in Yizhou better. At least the morale of the army was not in chaos, and the strength of the army was enhanced.
"Those thousand Korean martyrs are still mixed with the special operations battalion and have no contact with the North Korean side." Feng Xijian, the commander of the special operations battalion, bowed and reported: "So, they should not know much about the situation in North Korea."
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "It doesn't matter. I have sent someone to send a message and asked General Lin to meet at Ma Shi Island in the next day or two."
Mao Chenglu pondered for a moment and said: "Can Guo Shuai borrow the navy from North Korea to help the battle and put all the troops into the Jianzhou Guard at once?"
Although the navy of the Dongjiang Army is very powerful, ocean-going ships are transporting victims, and some offshore warships are in the Sancha River, and some are participating in the attack.
Therefore, the number of warships carrying men and horses was slightly insufficient, so a plan was made to load and transport troops twice.
Guo Dajing lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and then said with his head: "I can make this request, but whether it succeeds or not, it will not affect the actions of our army. All departments will still prepare according to the original plan."
"Yes!" All the generals bowed and saluted.
Guo Dajing raised his hand and said with a smile: "Actually, the purpose of deploying troops in batches is to confuse Jianlu. By making them underestimate the enemy's reinforcements, our army can also expand its results."
After a pause, he continued: "However, if we can get assistance from North Korea and our troops can station in Manpo, the problem will be solved better."
Going upstream along the Yalu River, you can land near Manpu in the upper reaches and enter Jianzhouwei. After crossing the Changbai Mountains, you can directly attack Tonghua and Baishan.
At that time, there were no names for Tonghua and Baishan, but these two places already belonged to the hinterland of Jianzhouwei and were quite close to Hetuala.
During the Tianqi period, the Dongjiang Army also occupied Manpu and Changcheng in North Korea. It also sent small troops over the mountains and attacked Jianzhou Guards.
Therefore, the road is not unfamiliar, and after reconnaissance, it is not difficult to invade Jianzhou Guard by land.
There is a more important winning factor, which is the waterway.
The Yalu River Channel goes up from Sandaolangtou Port through Wudaogou, Liudaogou, Mashitai to Lizigou, and can reach Tonghua, Jilin. In the Linjiang area, ships of two to three hundred stone can sail.
Although there are restrictions on sailing ships, it is still relatively convenient to transport ammunition and supplies or carry small-scale elite troops.
As Manpu is across the river, it serves as a dock for the navy to dock. If troops can be gathered here in advance, the attack will be faster and more powerful.
Looking at Feng Xijian, Guo Dajing said slowly: "The special operations battalion has infiltrated and set up a secret sentry point. Let's eliminate Jianlu's sentinels from now on!"
According to the report from the special operations battalion, Guo Dajing has been conducting remote control. Relying on the Kuandian base area, the special operations battalion has continued to carry out small-scale harassment, including infiltration reconnaissance, attacks and harassment of Jianzhou Guards.
Guo Dajing was not worried about alerting the enemy. The entire Dongjiang Army's sentinels also took similar actions on a broad front.
This will cause the Jianlu to have the illusion that small-scale battles occurring in various places are normal. If Liaodong is just peaceful, it will actually arouse concern and suspicion.
Judging from the time, there is only half a month left before the actual launch, and the battle between the sentinels that started in advance will not attract Jianlu's attention.
Feng Xijian bowed to accept the order, with excitement and excitement on his face.
This guy was also very militant. In addition, Guo Dajing personally trained the special operations battalion and led them in repeated operations, which aroused their extreme admiration and awe.
Similarly, the special operations battalion is also proud. In their view, even the Zuo Xie, which calls itself Guo Shuai's headquarters, is not as important as them.
Because the special operations battalion was an elite group drawn by Guo Shuai from various ministries. The number of people was not too large, but it was directly commanded by Guo Dajing.
Guo Dajing does have high hopes for the special operations battalion. They are all training now. When the battle situation is decided, it may be the special forces of the special operations battalion that stand out.
After discussing some details of the battle with the generals, Guo Dajing rushed back to Ma Shi Island, waiting to meet Lin Qingye.
Lin Qingye did not keep Guo Dajing waiting for long. In less than half a day, he took a dozen of his cronies and crossed the river by boat to Ma Shi Island.
Guo Dajing was notified and came out in person without showing off after being promoted.
"Lin has met Guo Shuai." Lin Qingye took two steps forward to salute, but Guo Dajing reached out to support him.
"Brother Lin doesn't have to be like this." Guo Dajing said with a smile: "Guo used to be a humble official and didn't show any courtesy when he was young. Brother Lin didn't blame him."
Lin Qingye nodded with a smile and said: "Shuai Guo re-established the captives and captured the slave chief Tai Chi alive. He became famous at home and abroad. He was admired and admired, and his blood was strong."
Guo Dajing waved his hand and said humbly: "It's just good luck. There's no need to praise Brother Lin."
After saying that, he met Shen Qi next to Lin Qingye again and exchanged greetings, "I don't want to see Brother Shen again. It's been more than a year, and Brother Shen's style is still the same!"
Shen Qizhong bowed deeply and said, "Guo Shuai's demeanor is even better than that day."
Guo Dajing smiled and nodded to his acquaintance An Kecheng, stretched out his hand to make a gesture of invitation, and said with a smile: "Please, please come inside and talk."
All the soldiers stayed outside, and only Lin Qingye, Shen Qizhong and An Kecheng followed Guo Dajing into the fort.
The guests and hosts were seated, and tea was served by a soldier, so there were only four people left in the room.
"Shen would also like to thank Guo Shuai." Shen Qizhong bowed deeply again and said sincerely: "Thank you Guo Shuai for promoting Shuo Qing. It is the honor of the Shen family to hold an official position in the Ming Dynasty."
Shen Shuoqing is now the head of the Ceremony Department of the Ministry of Rites of the Ming Dynasty, and is a minor official of the sixth rank. However, due to the vassal relationship between North Korea and the Ming Dynasty, it is a great event to be an official in the Ming Dynasty.
At that time, the Ministry of Rites of the Ming Dynasty had four departments: ritual system, temple sacrifices, host and guest, and fine dining, with ritual system being the most important.
The reason why the status of the Ministry of Rites is important is due to ideological needs. Ancient Chinese monarchs advocated ruling the country by etiquette.
The position of Minister of Rites became self-contained. After Hongzhi, it was often held by Hanlin Confucian officials, and they were usually teachers of the emperor.
It is precisely because of the special relationship between the Minister of Rites and the emperor that in the Ming Dynasty, the number of Ministers of Rites who held the title of Gonggu was the largest.
The fact that Shen Shuoqing was able to serve as an official in the Ming Dynasty and learn rituals was of extraordinary significance to Korea, which admired Chinese culture.
Regardless of whether Guo Dajing knew about the Shen family's foresight or not, he did give Shen Shuoqing a lot of help in becoming a Mingguan, and it was reasonable for Shen Shuoqing to express his gratitude with great gifts.
In fact, the greater credit for Shen Shuoqing's success in serving as an official in the Ming Dynasty should be attributed to Cao Huachun. Emperor Chongzhen also made the decision to grant a favor considering that the Liaodong war situation required North Korea.
"Guo is just trying his best. His nephew's talent is the key." Guo Dajing gave him a little support and said humbly: "Brother Shen, there is no need to be so polite. Let's sit down and talk!"
Several people were seated separately. Guo Dajing took a polite sip of tea, allowing the three of them to take a breath, and then asked: "Brother Lin asked Guo to meet. He must have something important to discuss, right?"
Lin Qingye moistened his throat and said: "Guo Shuai must not be very familiar with the trends in our country's court. This is directly related to the victory of Zunhua and the capture of Huang Taiji."
Guo Dajing tilted his head slightly, signaling Lin Qingye to continue.
Jianlu suffered a disastrous defeat in Zunhua, especially Huang Taiji who was captured alive and sent to the capital to be cut to pieces. Such shocking news spread to North Korea, which inevitably caused a sensation and changes in the court.
Originally, Korea and Jianlu were forced to form a brotherly alliance. Both the upper class and the people were reluctant and even hated it.
Jianlu suffered unprecedented heavy losses and showed a decline, which directly led to the expansion of the power of the pro-Ming faction in the court and the complete suppression of the surrender faction.
Renzu Li Zhu's mind wavered, and he began to lean towards pro-Ming and enemy prisoners. As the leader of the pro-Ming faction, Shen Qiyuan was promoted to the position of Youyi Zheng, in charge of military affairs and the affairs of Juan Yi Jin.
With Shen Qi's visit to the prime minister, North Korea also survived the famine period, and a large number of pro-Ming officials were re-employed and promoted, including Lin Qingye.
"It's gratifying that Brother Lin has been promoted to the Observation Envoy of Ping'an North Road." Guo Dajing sincerely congratulated him, "In this way, it will be more convenient for our two armies to fight against the Japanese invaders."
"Thank you Commander Guo." Lin Qingye returned the gift and said: "Lin has reported to the court that Cui Xiaoyi will be appointed as the judge of Yizhou. Moreover, in response to the current situation, the following military adjustments will be made..."
Ping'an North Road is directly facing the frontier of Jianlu, not only Yiju, but also Shuozhou, and the important places of Manpo and Changseong are also among them.
Since Yizhou has Zhenjiang and Kuandian as buffers and barriers, it is no longer possible for the Jianlu to invade again unless the Dongjiang Army is defeated.
Therefore, Lin Qingye will lead the main force of the Uiju Korean soldiers to Manpo and Changseong, across the river from the Gunju Guards, to strengthen defenses.
As another staunch figure of the pro-Ming Dynasty faction, Choi Hyo-il will be transferred from Tamna Island to Uiju, accompanied by 3,000 Korean volunteers he has already trained.