The Ministry of War's official document calling for the Hua Navy to arrive at the mouth of the Sancha River and merge with the Dongjiang Navy arrived almost at the same time as the imperial edict sent to Dongjiang Town. The reactions of the two sides were naturally very different.
Mao Wenlong and Guo Dajing had anticipated this and were making arrangements intensively, mobilizing the navy to prepare for the ceremony first and then the troops to show off Wu Juehua.
Jue Yuan's Zu Dashou and others were horrified. They didn't expect that the imperial court would pull out the fire so quickly and urgently.
Moreover, this is not the end, but the beginning for Liao Town.
The victory of Zunhua was a turning point. Jianzhou was defeated and Hetuala was burned. It was also a node where the attitude of the imperial court changed significantly.
In the Ningyuan Yamen, the generals from western Liaoning gathered together, all of them looked heavy and the atmosphere was depressing.
"The sea route to Denglai has been opened, but now all the previous efforts have been wasted!" Zu Dashou said slowly with a gloomy face: "The navy has been transferred away, and it is impossible to earn its own wages. The imperial court can put pressure on food and wages, forcing
Liao Town surrenders."
He Kegang pondered and said: "Is this the imperial court's revenge, or is it the intention of Dongjiang Town? We need to find out clearly before we can deal with it."
With a wry smile, He Kegang explained: "If it is the intention of the imperial court, we can perfunctory and delay. After all, there is no means of strong suppression. But if it is Dongjiang Town..."
Dongjiang Town is very popular and powerful. The navy is the most powerful in the Yellow and Bohai Seas. The small Juehua Navy cannot compete at all.
If Dongjiang Town is determined to annex the Juehua Navy, Liao Town cannot stop it. But if Dongjiang Town is not interested, wouldn't Liao Town have another way out?
Ningyuan has become the last base of Liao Town, but Liao Town does not have the strength to turn this place into a self-sufficient base. If the imperial court cuts off food and salary, it will have to rely on Juehua Navy to purchase from outside.
This is similar to Yuan Chonghuan's suppression and blockade of Dongjiang Town at that time. As long as people can't stop coming, there is always a glimmer of hope.
What's more, Liao Zhen also planned to rely on smuggling to maintain the more than 30,000 troops. As for who to smuggle to, besides Jianlu, who else could they be.
They thought very well, didn't the Jianlu people lack supplies? They could sell whatever they wanted. Food, yes; silk, yes; saltpeter, yes; fine iron...
In the minds of several military leaders in Liao Town, as long as they can have money and food to support the tens of thousands of troops under their command, they have preserved their final capital and can continue to spend it and wait for the situation to change.
In the final analysis, the military leader of Liao Town only cares about his own interests. But the basis for obtaining interests is the army in his hands. Without an army, it is nothing, and the court can do whatever it wants.
At this time, they knew they were afraid. It was not when the Jianlu invaders invaded the capital, they believed that they were the only ones who could barely resist and fled without authorization, and the court was helpless.
It was not only the generals of Liao Town who misjudged the situation, but the most important one was Yuan Chonghuan.
During his tenure, all kinds of suppression and blockade of Dongjiang Town did not actually have a substantial impact on Dongjiang Town. However, he and the generals of Liao Town believed that Dongjiang Town's strength had been greatly damaged.
If the generals of Liao Town knew that the strength of Dongjiang Town had far surpassed theirs, and could even cross the sea to fight for the king, how could they be arrogant, and how could they not worry about being regarded as rebels?
When the generals of Liao Town discovered that they were no longer irreplaceable and that the battle of Dongjiang Town had become the decisive force in the situation in Liaodong, it was too late for them to regret.
When the imperial court needed them as a buffer to close the door, to resist the rebels, and even hoped that Liao Town could pacify Liaodong, massive resources were supplied.
But when the imperial court saw the true face of Qingliao Town and realized that they could not be counted on to defend the capital, not to mention pacifying Liao and destroying the captives, they were just a waste of money and food.
"Sending someone to see Mao Wenlong and bribing him with a lot of money can make him resist the imperial decree?" Zu Dale hesitated, looked at the faces of the generals present, and asked uncertainly.
Zu Dashou stroked his forehead gently, and after a long while he said helplessly: "You can give it a try. But I feel that Mao Wenlong may not be in charge of things in Dongjiang Town now."
"Your Excellency, are you talking about Guo Dajing?" He Kegang said: "He is very capable and very young, but Mao Wenlong may not be able to completely delegate power, right?"
Zu Dashou shook his head and said: "Mao Wenlong has been promoted to a marquis and cannot be promoted. He supported Guo Dajing to make plans for the future. Regardless of whether the court will remove his military power, with Dongjiang Town here and Guo Dajing as commander, he will
Able to retire safely.”
"Guo Dajing has been promoted to Commander-in-Chief. He is young and will be more decisive in his actions." Zu Dale sighed and said: "The imperial court has decrees, so he should be the most active in executing them, right?"
He Kegang thought for a while and said: "Juehua Navy may not be of great help to Dongjiang Town, and maybe they won't take it seriously. Maybe you can give it a try by paying a lot of money to persuade."
This makes sense. Liao Town can only rely on Juehua Navy to communicate with the outside world by sea. Dongjiang Town has a strong navy, but it may not need Juehua Navy.
For the sake of huge sums of money, it may not be Mao Wenlong and Guo Dajing's choice to implement the imperial edict with a perfunctory attitude and leave a glimmer of hope for Liao Town.
It's just that the generals of Liao Town still don't know the court's final bottom line, and they don't know how big the appetite of Dongjiang Town is. Juehua Navy is indeed not noticed by Guo Dajing. What he wants is the entire Liao Town.
For Liao Zhen, the cutoff of food and salary by the imperial court was the most fatal thing. The morale of the army was definitely in chaos, and they were not sure that they could stabilize the army.
You must know that among the more than 30,000 troops, the most important ones are the private soldiers of each general, that is, the retainers. It is said that Zu Dashou relied on the 3,000 retainers to secure his first place at the head of the army in western Liaoning.
Even servants who are willing to fight for the general will become disloyal if they don't have money and food.
In fact, the money and food required by servants is several times more than that of ordinary soldiers. Without preferential treatment, it is doubtful how much loyalty there will be.
Zu Dashou tapped the gum on the table with his fingers and said in a deep voice: "Guo Dajing is a powerful general. First he won the great victory in Zunhua, and then he won Zongheng Jianzhou. From this point of view, Jiannu's side may not be able to survive for a few more years."
Needless to say too clearly, the generals also understood what Zu Dashou meant. It was precisely because the slaves had been suppressed by Dongjiang that the imperial court changed its tune and directed resources towards Dongjiang Town.
By the same token, the danger of Jiannu's destruction has been revealed, and Liao Zhen has lost the option of surrendering to Jiannu, and the court is not afraid of forcing Liao Zhen to rebel.
It's obviously a fire pit, who would be stupid enough to jump into it?
In fact, there is another road before Liao Zhen, and the ending may be the best. But until the end, no one wants to mention it.
Since the imperial court must eliminate them quickly, and since Dongjiang Town has become Ping Liao's only hope, isn't it a logical way for Liao Town to seek refuge in Dongjiang Town?
But how will the Dongjiang Town Council resettle Liao Town? Should it keep its organizational structure intact, or should it be dispersed and reorganized after annexation? As for the officers, should they be abandoned or used in their original positions?
After all, the generals of Liao Town are still worried about their own interests and their official positions. They also know in their hearts that no matter how generous Dongjiang Town is, nothing will remain the same if they surrender to the past.
Perhaps, Liao Town will be used as cannon fodder and used up on the battlefield to save Dongjiang Town from doing anything on its own; perhaps, there will be a Hongmen Banquet and all the officers will be disposed of, leaving no soldiers but no officers.
After discussing for a long time, Zu Dashou and others found that there was no good countermeasure. This was normal. Liao Town, which had been thrown away like worn out shoes by the court, really had no right to bargain.
Delay was the only solution that the generals in western Liaoning came up with. At the same time, they sent people to test the attitudes of Mao Wenlong and Guo Dajing before making plans.
The current situation in Liao Zhen is similar to that of Jian Nu. Under huge pressure, there is no way to make a comeback and can only drag things out for a while.
Sailing against the current, if you don't advance, you will retreat. In the process of wrestling between the two sides, this sentence is very appropriate.
The potential of establishing slaves has been fully tapped and used, but Dongjiang Town continues to grow and develop. Not only weapons and equipment, but also military strength, the overall advantage is becoming more and more obvious.
If Liao Town's 30,000 troops can be annexed, it will mean a leap in Dongjiang Town's strength. There are only 67,000 troops in total, which is equivalent to an expansion of 50%, which was Dongjiang Town's original plan for two or three years.
Taking it seriously, Mao Wenlong and Guo Dajing secretly discussed it in Gaizhou Acropolis and launched an intensive operation.
"I have issued a general order, ordering Juehua Navy to rush to the mouth of the Sancha River within ten days to undergo an inspection." Mao Wenlong drank tea and said slowly: "If they dare to disobey the order, let Zhang Tao lead the navy to dispatch."
Guo Dajing said: "Time is tight. If we move step by step, I am afraid that the move will be delayed for a long time and affect our army's plan to quell the Liao Dynasty. The general thought that Commander Mao could report to the court and request that Liao Town be annexed to Dongjiang."
"Rebirth of the Great Era of Fighting Waves"
Mao Wenlong pondered for a moment, hesitated, and said, "Are you too anxious? Firstly, the court may not agree, and secondly, it's hard to say what Liao Town's reaction will be."
Guo Dajing said: "If the imperial court has decided to abolish Liao Town, the commander-in-chief's memorial will definitely be accepted. If this is not the intention, we can test it clearly and we can make plans early."
If the imperial court takes a step, Dongjiang Town will follow suit. How much time will be wasted just passing news back and forth? It is better to give Dongjiang Town full power and let Dongjiang Town make decisions based on the specific situation.
Besides, merging command does not mean that Liao Town will be moved to southern Liaoning immediately. Guo Dajing still needs to weaken Liao Town step by step to avoid stirring up chaos.
The changes in the situation prompted Guo Dajing to make such a decision. Jianlu abandoned Haizhou and retreated to Liaoyang. This was a new opportunity.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Jianlu has no retreat, and the decisive battle of Pingliao is in Liaoyang.
If Liao Zhen still wants to redeem himself through meritorious service, this may be the last chance. If he is still selfish, then Guo Dajing does not need to be merciful anymore and joins forces with the court to strangle him, and Liao Zhen will not cause much trouble.
After listening to Guo Dajing's analysis, Mao Wenlong was finally moved and agreed. He immediately took out a pen and paper and began to write a memorial.
"Do you want to shorten the three years of Ping Liao?" Mao Wenlong stopped writing and asked Guo Dajing: "With this bargaining chip, the possibility of the court agreeing will be greater."
Guo Dajing nodded with a smile and said: "If we can successfully annex Liao Town, it will be possible to pacify Liao in two years."
Mao Wenlong smiled, picked up the pen and continued writing, but did not set a specific time. He just said that if Liao Town was merged into the command of Dongjiang Town, Ping Liao would be greatly advanced.
It doesn’t matter whether it is one month or two months in advance, or half a year or one year, there is no room for maneuver. After experiencing Yuan Chonghuan’s five years of peace and Liao Dynasty, Chongzhen should be disgusted with specific figures.
Mao Wenlong quickly finished writing the memorial and sent someone to rush to Lushun, where he was sent to Tianjin by sea ship and then transferred to the capital.
"Now that the Jianlu troops have retreated to Liaoyang, our army should be able to start taking regular vacations." Guo Dajing suggested, "Winter is approaching. In two or three months, the rivers will freeze and we will be on alert again."
Mao Wenlong readily agreed and asked Guo Dajing to go home and take a look.
In this regard, Guo Dajing declined politely, not wanting to abandon official duties for personal reasons at the critical moment of dealing with Liao Zhen.
"If it weren't for Fujino Hide's inconvenience, it would be good for them to come to see you or stay temporarily for a while." Mao Wenlong said with a smile: "As our army continues to advance northward, it is not so convenient for you to reunite.
Already."
Originally, we only occupied Jinzhou, and the front line and Dalian were only a few feet away, and the round trip only took two or three days. After the liberation of Fuzhou, we were further away. Now, it is a cross-state journey, which is really not convenient.
Guo Dajing didn't care about this and said with a smile: "If the last general lets Jiajuan come, how can he restrain other soldiers? It only takes two or three years to make a decision, but it is still important to make achievements."
Mao Wenlong looked at Guo Dajing with joy and said: "After the Ping Liao annihilation, I'm afraid you will rarely have any leisure time. Unlike me, the court will not let you go to Nanshan. There is civil unrest in the country. How can the court do without you and the Dongjiang Army?"
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "That's not necessarily true, it depends on the severity of the civil unrest. The key is that the court has no money, how can it mobilize the Dongjiang Army?"
Without enough money and food, it was indeed difficult for the Dongjiang Army to enter the pass. The emperor was not short of hungry soldiers, and Chongzhen should understand this truth.
Moreover, the Dongjiang Army, which was able to quell the Liao Dynasty, exterminate the captives, and occupy the entire eastern part of Liaodong, would probably be jealous of the imperial court, and would not easily let the Dongjiang Army enter the Pass.
However, without the constraints of the Jian slaves detouring into the pass and plundering freely, it was still a matter of uncertainty whether the peasant uprising army could take off.
Both Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong suffered disastrous defeats and were almost beaten into mere commanders.
And the reason why they were able to revive and grow stronger was not because of their clever methods. It was because of the oppression and cruelty of the Ming court, which caused more and more people to rebel, which gave Li and Zhang a chance to stand up.
History has changed, and there is no need to give up halfway. People like Yang Sichang, Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting, etc. may not necessarily give the peasant uprising army a chance to develop and grow.
Mao Wenlong shook his head slightly and said: "Long Live is an impatient man. After the Liao Dynasty was pacified, the Liao pay saved was enough to mobilize 8,000 Dongjiang troops to enter the pass and quell the rebellion."
After a pause, he added: "Besides, there are still She'an rebels in the southwest. Who knows that Long Live will not mobilize the Dongjiang Army to help the battle."
Guo Dajing frowned slightly and said: "If we fight the rebellion in the southwest, our army may not be familiar with the soil and water, and we will suffer losses. Moreover, the geographical environment, climate conditions, etc. in the southwest are not suitable for the Dongjiang Army to fight."
There are many reasons why the She'an Rebellion lasted for a long time, the most important of which is the unique topography of the Shuixi area, which allowed the rebels to retreat and rest after their defeat, but it was very difficult for the officers and soldiers to go deep."