When fighting when rivers are frozen, it is difficult for the navy to provide effective support, which is very detrimental to the special operations battalions in Zhenjiang and Kuandian areas.
If we can get help from North Korea, it will be equivalent to having a more stable rear base. With Jianlu's current strength, it is basically impossible to attack North Korea.
What's more, Guo Dajing didn't let the special operations battalion fight the Jianlu, but that didn't mean he didn't want to fight.
A large amount of grain and ammunition supplies were transferred into the secret camps in the mountains and forests. The special operations battalions were broken into pieces. With limited troops and the favorable terrain of Liaodong, the Jianlu who invaded Liaodong fell into a quagmire.
Guo Dajing will stay in Zhenjiang for a while to adjust the deployment in Liaodong, and also take the opportunity to pass on his theories and experience to the special operations battalion generals.
It is said to be guerrilla warfare, but it is not entirely true. When the strength of the special operations battalion was still insufficient, it was able to contain the rebels in Liaodong, making them like a thorn in the back, but it was difficult to remove them.
"Maybe by next spring, the strength of the Dongjiang Army will be greatly increased, and your expansion and training should be completed." Although Guo Dajing was not absolutely sure, he showed considerable confidence.
After this battle, Guo Dajing transferred 2,000 people from each of Mao Chenglu and Li Weiluan to the special operations battalion, which further improved the strength of the special operations battalion.
Mao Chenglu and Li Weiluan saw their preference for the special operations camp and did not object too much. This was because Guo Dajing would give them greater compensation.
After returning to southern Liaoning, recruiting soldiers to replenish battle losses was not the main means of significantly increasing military strength.
Guo Dajing finally decided to take action against Liao Town. Don't just eat and work. Taking advantage of this great victory, Guo Dajing had already written a memorial and asked Fang Zhenghua, who had already boarded the ship to return to southern Liaoning, to forward it to Chongzhen.
Regarding the division and disintegration of Liao Town, or weakening and suppressing it, Guo Dajing believed that Chongzhen had the same intention. He was just following his own preferences and making suggestions.
If Chongzhen approved it, Guo Dajing would be confident that during the spring plowing next year, 18,000 people would be recruited from Liao Town to supplement Dongjiang Town.
Feng Xijian, Wang Qian and other generals listened attentively. They were finally able to determine the strategic direction of Liaodong. They were both excited and a little nervous about the important task of shouldering their own responsibility.
Feng Xijian looked at Guo Dajing expectantly and said: "Mao Shuai is in charge of southern Liaoning, and it would be great if Guo Shuai can be in charge of Liaodong."
Guo Dajing waved his hand and said with a smile: "You are worthy of the important task, and you don't need to be bossed around by me. Jianlu is already in decline, and even if you are defeated, it will not affect the overall situation. So, go ahead boldly.
Do."
After a pause, he added: "There will be sufficient supply of grain, ammunition, materials, and horses. Even if Jianlu does not mobilize in winter, you must take action. The headquarters will carry out containment and try to cooperate with you.
."
The two war zones of southern Liaoning and eastern Liaoning used to be fought one at a time. But this winter, Guo Dajing is going to change.
Of course, when the real decisive battle begins, the protagonist is still the tens of thousands of main troops in southern Liaoning, marching north with the overwhelming momentum of Mount Tai, and launching the final battle with the Jianlu in the Liaoshen area.
Feng Xijian smiled and asked, "Shuai Guo, Jianzhou is empty. Should our department keep an eye on the enemy's weaknesses and continue to attack them?"
Guo Dajing tapped his fingers lightly on the table, as if thinking, he smiled for a while and said: "If I were Dorgon, since the troops were insufficient and Jianzhou was destroyed, I would simply give up and only defend Hetuala.
Let the place become a desolate and inhabited no-man’s land.”
No man's land?! Several generals looked at each other with expressions of understanding on their faces.
If the special operations battalion takes the old route from the Yalu River to attack Jianzhou, the hundreds of miles of barren land will be a huge obstacle. Not only will the road be difficult to travel, but the transportation of grain and ammunition will be even more difficult.
In this way, it not only saved troops and materials, but also basically prevented the Dongjiang Army from continuing to use Jianzhou to bleed Jianlu.
"Of course, this depends on Jianlu's specific deployment. You can act accordingly." Guo Dajing added: "The plan changes according to the situation. This is an eternal principle and purpose."
If Dorgon continues to hold on and refuses to give up anywhere, then he will continue to choose weak points to attack. There is nothing to say.
Mobility and flexibility, Guo Dajing's requirements for the special operations battalion are different from other troops. Liaodong and Liaonan are hundreds of miles apart. According to the communication speed at that time, it was impossible to ask for instructions for everything, and the remote control command was also rigid, which could easily lead to failure.
of fainting.
"Should the Korean volunteers be organized separately?" The king put forward his own suggestion, "If it can be broken up and combined with the special operations battalion, it should be more beneficial to the battle."
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "I will discuss this matter with Lin Qingye and Cui Xiaoyi. At least some of the Korean volunteers will be able to break up and form a unit, but an independent unit must also be retained."
Under the premise that North Korea cannot openly participate in the war, Lin Qingye and Cui Xiaoyi will probably face a lot of inconvenience even if they have Shen Qiyuan's support.
It was actually the best choice for the Korean volunteers to join the Ming army as volunteers, which would have the least impact on Lin Qingye and others. However, from their perspective, they still hoped to maintain control over the Korean volunteers.
"First Evolution"
Guo Dajing can discuss with Lin Qingye and others. In his opinion, a compromise plan is no problem.
North Korea now has two important areas that need to be defended. One is Manpo, which is directly opposite Jianju, and the other is Sinuiju with Zhenjiang as a buffer.
Lin Qingye sent most of the elite soldiers he had trained in the past few years to garrison Manpu, and began to continue to expand, build fortifications, and strengthen the city.
On the Sinuiju side, only a small number of troops were left for defense. As long as the special operations battalion was still active in Zhenjiang and Kuandian, it was unlikely that the Jianlu would come to attack at the risk of cutting off their retreat.
The Dongjiang Army relies on North Korea, and North Korea also relies on the Dongjiang Army to resist the rebels. Both sides benefit from cooperation, and it is a win-win relationship.
Since the Zunhua War, the attitude of the Korean royal family has also gradually changed. Although they still dare not openly fall out with the Jianlu, they have turned a blind eye to the actions of pro-Ming factions such as Shen Qiyuan and condoned them.
Between countries, there are no real friends, only eternal interests. Seeking harm and avoiding harm is a natural and instinctive choice.
What Guo Dajing can do is to continue to attack Jianlu and make Jianlu's decline more obvious. In this case, North Korea's attitude will change more and more obviously without the need to win over and persuade.
Now, the conditions he proposed are not excessive, and Lin Qingye and others should have no reason to refuse. Moreover, this is not unconditional support, and Guo Dajing will also give them considerable value in exchange.
Guo Dajing was happy to see the improvement of the combat effectiveness of the North Korean army, mainly the army controlled by the pro-Ming faction, and gave a lot of support.
North Korea poses no threat to the Ming Dynasty, but it can provide help to the Dongjiang Army. If North Korea has a strong army of tens of thousands and suddenly joins the war, it may also deal a heavy blow to the unprepared Jianlu.
………………
Guo Dajing temporarily stayed in Liaodong to redeploy, and the latest intelligence information reached Mao Wenlong and Dorgon almost at the same time.
The sheep attack on Haizhou Acropolis had already played its due role. Mao Wenlong received the intelligence of the victory and immediately arranged for the retreat of the land and water armies.
The retreat was a retreat, but a solid defense system had been established at Tashanpu, Yaozhouyi, and Liangfangkou Pass, pushing Liaonan's defense line north again for dozens of miles.
If we attack Haizhou Guards again, it only takes one day to start from the new defense line. It can be said that we are close enough to maintain pressure on Haizhou Guards.
What's more, there is also a navy, as long as it is not frozen, it can break into the Haicheng River faster and pose a greater threat to Jianlu.
At the same time, Mao Wenlong also received a personal letter from Guo Dajing. Not only did he know that he would stay in Liaodong for a period of time to readjust his deployment, but he also had to report to the court.
"We are finally going to attack Liao Town!" Mao Wenlong was excited and sighed. Once upon a time, Dongjiang Town was suppressed in every possible way. Compared with Liao Town, it was like a stepmother.
He briefly described the contents of the letter to Kong Youde and other major generals, and especially told Zhang Tao, the commander of the navy: "The first step is to annex the Juehua Navy. This is your job, and you must start preparations immediately."
Zhang Tao bowed and said: "Commander, don't worry, Juehua Navy can only serve as a transportation force and does not have the ability to fight. In the end, the general will only send a dozen large ships, which is enough to overwhelm them."
Guo Dajing has never stopped investing in the Dongjiang Navy.
In addition to Hongyi cannon equipment, they also purchased Xiyi ships and began to imitate plywood ships. In terms of force, the Dongjiang Navy had no problem dominating the Yellow and Bohai Seas.
Controlling the Juehua Navy means that Liao Town in Ningyuan has completely lost its channels for purchasing or exporting from outside. If it is not accessible by land, it is completely closed.
As for the Tonglu, Liao Town has a fixed salary and no extra supplies. This means that Liao Town does not have the conditions for Tonglu to betray the country.
First there was the great victory of Zunhua, and then there was the destruction of Hetuala. The decline of the Jianqi was irreversible. Unless Liao Zhen had water in his head, he would not have the intention to surrender to the Jianqi.
In other words, Guo Dajing chose to act at this time, and he was more certain to force Liao Zhen to surrender.
"As long as the imperial court oppresses Liao Town in terms of food and salary, they will have almost no power to resist." Mao Wenlong said slowly: "The imperial court may not want to see that Dongjiang Town is the only one in Liaodong, but the situation dictates that if they want to pacify Liao and destroy the captives faster,
, and there is no other way.”
Now it depends on whether Chongzhen values Ping Liao more, or whether he is more wary of Dongjiang Town becoming a warlord like Liao Town.
If it is said that balancing the two families is the best strategy, it is very contradictory. At least Chongzhen's attitude towards Liao Zhen cannot be justified now.
Therefore, Mao Wenlong agreed with Guo Dajing's judgment and agreed with the plan to gradually annex Liao Town.
The Ming Dynasty now not only had the formidable enemy Jianlu, but also the She'an Rebellion in the southwest that had not yet been settled, and the civil unrest in the northwest that was spreading and expanding. Chongzhen no longer had the time and energy to play any balancing act.
Money should be the only thing Chongzhen needs most right now. The Liaodong military expenditure, which accounts for the majority, is the biggest headache for him.
Yuan Chonghuan boasted that the Liao Dynasty would last for five years, and Chongzhen was willing to believe it. The main reason was that he was eager to save the salary, which was enough to bankrupt the Ming Dynasty's finances.
"Commander." Shang Kexi said with a cupped hand: "In this case, we in Dongjiang Town might as well make a guarantee to the court to pacify Liaodong within five years or less."
Only when my confidence continues to increase can I dare to say this.
Although there have been internal studies and discussions, and it is believed that Liaodong can be pacified in three to five years without any accidents, this has always been cautious and not announced to the public.
For Chongzhen, who was eager for success, the prospect of Ping Liao in 3-5 years was definitely very tempting. With this condition, it might play a big role in annexing Liao Town.
Mao Wenlong smiled faintly and said: "After Yuan Chonghuan's big words to deceive the emperor, if we repeat the same tactics, I'm afraid it will be counterproductive. Let the court know the approximate time of peace and Liao in Dongjiang Town, but it is best not to have a formal guarantee."
With Fang Zhenghua, the eunuch of the supervisory army, Mao Wenlong or Guo Dajing could reveal a little bit and let Chongzhen know through him. But formal guarantees are better, as it will easily remind Chongzhen of the stupid mistakes he made.
"The men and horses in Liao Town will be annexed in batches. If they want to be more effective, they can only be dispersed and resettled." Mao Wenlong glanced at the generals and said solemnly: "Since they have been included in Dongjiang Town and they are all Liao people, I am the commander.
I don’t want to see discrimination and suppression.”
Liu Xingzhi hurriedly raised his hand and said: "Don't worry, Commander. Since you have joined the Dongjiang Army, you are naturally a comrade in Paoze. How can there be discrimination and suppression?"
If they are dispersed and relocated, the soldiers will naturally have no problem, and they will obey whoever pays them.
But those officers from Liao Town will obviously not be directly placed in the Dongjiang Army. At least before inspection and study, they will not be allowed to have real power.
This is easy to handle. If there are no soldiers in hand, it is not impossible to let Mao Wenlong and Guo Dajing pinch it. It is not impossible to just raise it with salary.
Mao Wenlong just said it casually and reminded him, but in his heart he looked down on the generals of Liao Town at all. He would wait for Guo Dajing to come back before carefully discussing and deciding how to arrange it.
"That's it for the matter in Liao Town." Mao Wenlong changed the topic and said: "Jianlu suffered a big loss, and we cannot rule out the possibility of retaliation in the winter. All associations must continue to maintain the intensity of training and be prepared to face the battle.
preparation."
"General, I will obey your orders." All the generals bowed and saluted.
After the military meeting ended, only Mao Wenlong was left in the room. He took Guo Dajing's letter and read it carefully again. After thinking for a long time, he picked up paper and pen and started writing the memorial.
The support of the imperial court was very important to speed up the process of Ping Liao.
Military pay is still a small matter, but the supply of strategic materials such as war horses, saltpetre, and iron materials has saved Dongjiang Town a lot of money.
The money saved can recruit more craftsmen and expand more people. The growth of Dongjiang Town's strength can be clearly seen to be accelerating this year.
If Liao Town can be annexed, even if it is only the first batch of 18,000 people, or even just 18,000 war horses, it will mean a sudden increase in strength for Dongjiang Town.
At the same time, this has another great significance for Dongjiang Town, Mao Wenlong and Guo Dajing. That is, Liaodong will be the only one in Dongjiang Town.
Especially Mao Wenlong, he hoped that there would be only the Dongjiang Army outside the Pass and no other armies.