Ever since he declined Mao Wenlong's conditions and good intentions in the letter, Zu Dashou knew that Dongjiang Town would take action. This was inevitable. The imperial court and Dongjiang Town joined forces to suppress and sanction Liao Town, and it became increasingly obvious that they wanted to do so.
Juehua Navy was only the first step. Zu Dashou wanted to delay, but he also knew that it was not a long-term solution. As long as the imperial court controlled food and salary, Liao Zhen could only bow its head and admit defeat.
Liao Town has no industry of its own. Even with constant sea access to the outside world, they don't have much money to purchase grain and grass supplies.
What should I do, I can only sit in sleepy city like this, waiting for the noose from the court and Dongjiang Town to be put around my neck, tightening it tighter and tighter?
Zu Dashou sighed, his eyes stopped on a secret letter on the table, and his eyes could not help but shrink.
"Brother, this may not be an opportunity." Zu Dale broke the silence in the room and said, "No actual action is needed. As long as the news is released, will the court dare to force me?"
Dorgon sent a letter to reiterate the peace proposal.
But everyone knows that when Jianlu was strong, the Ming court insisted on not negotiating peace. Now that Jianlu has shown signs of defeat, the Ming court must aim to completely pacify Liao.
Therefore, the so-called peace negotiation is surrender. It is just to give Zu Dashou face and make a fuss about the words.
"Why go to all this trouble? If the messenger is taken to the capital, the imperial court will know about it." Zukefa said, "It will not only let the imperial court understand the loyalty of my ancestors, but also make them afraid to suppress it wantonly."
Zu Dashou pondered for a moment and said slowly: "What you say makes sense. This is also a normal approach to prevent villains from slandering you."
Hiding it without retribution, no matter what you think, is a grave sin.
Zu Dashou could not guarantee whether any of Ningyuan's soldiers had any spies from the imperial court, or those who had changed their minds and had evil intentions.
Besides, Jianlu was probably using counter-intuitive tactics, sending secret messages here and spreading rumors there.
"The Mongolian Eight Banners were established by the captives and the Han army was expanded. Obviously, the troops are already insufficient." Zu Dashou sneered and said: "Sign up our army and work for them?"
The situation has become more and more obvious. Jianlu retreated to Liaoyang and basically lost the ability to take the initiative to attack. They only had the power to parry.
Do you want to surrender to Jianlu at this time and become cannon fodder? Once Jianlu is really surrendered, if you don't want to obey orders, you don't have the strength, and you have to worry about the safety of your family, so you have to obey.
"Perhaps this move can reduce the persecution of the imperial court and give Liao Town a way out."
Zu Dashou caressed his forehead and said helplessly: "Of course, the key still lies in Dongjiang Town. We have to delay Mao Wenlong's plan to mobilize our army by using Ningyuan, an important place, without any loss."
The army is the foundation for our ancestors to stand firm in western Liaoning and become a prominent family. How could Zu Dashou be willing to hand it over unless it was absolutely necessary?
Even if he couldn't withstand it, Zu Dashou still hoped that Liao Town would participate in the battle as an organized body, instead of being broken up and abolished, making Liao Town a historical term.
At this time, soldiers from outside came in to report, and someone from Juehua Island came to deliver a message.
Zu Dashou casually took the letter, opened it, his expression changed drastically, he was silent for a long time, handed the letter to Zu Dalue, and said feebly: "Take a look, Guo Dajing led the Dongjiang Navy to occupy Juehua Island.
Adopted the Juehua Navy."
Zu Dalue and Zu Kefa were the closest people, a brother and a son, so they secretly discussed the secrets of building a captive and persuading them to surrender.
Hearing that the Dongjiang Navy suddenly launched its attack and took Juehua Navy and Juehua Island under control, Zu Dalue and Zu Kefa also looked shocked and quickly took the letter to read.
The letter was indeed written by Guo Dajing. It not only informed Zu Dashou that he was ordered to take over Juehua Navy, but also invited Zu Dashou and other Liao Town generals to meet him.
"We are all soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, and we are all people of the Liao Dynasty. Why are we so anxious to fight against each other?" Zu Dale took a long time to hold back one sentence, and he was angry and helpless.
This is not a private annexation. The Ministry of War has written it, and Dongjiang Town has also received the imperial edict. Although this move is tough and ruthless, it is irreproachable.
Of course, Zu Dashou and others also knew that Guo Dajing's move was to establish his authority, so naturally there was no need to take Liao Zhen's face into consideration.
Yes, there are more than 30,000 troops in Ningyuan, but they have an imperial edict and you landlubbers have no boats. How about swimming to fight the Dongjiang navy?
Besides, no matter how much courage you give, you won't dare to go to war with the Dongjiang Army, which is in full swing. Unless you are really traitorous, you have to run away quickly, and be careful that the army will arrive and occupy Ningyuan.
Zu Kefa calmly put down the letter and said: "If the navy is gone, it will be gone, but father must not go to meet him. First, be careful of fraud and beware of his murderous attacks; secondly, there are issues of identity, both
Commander-in-Chief, why should you listen to his call?"
Zu Dale also nodded repeatedly and said: "That's true. They are coming with great momentum, and the commander-in-chief cannot show weakness. What about the imperial edict, the commander-in-chief has been summoned to Beijing several times to have an audience."
When the capital was in crisis, Zu Dashou led Guan Ning's army to retreat eastward. He knew that he was guilty of a heavy crime and was afraid of following in the footsteps of Yuan Chonghuan. The emperor ordered him to enter the capital three times, but he always made excuses to avoid it.
For these Liaoxi military leaders, perfunctory or even disobedience to the imperial edict was not just a once or twice-in-a-lifetime experience.
When they were powerful and the court requested them, the court could only pretend to be stupid about their behavior, and no one dared to carry out the imperial edict forcefully to the end.
Therefore, when the Dongjiang Army suddenly took control of Juehua Island and forcibly merged with the Juehua Navy, Zu Dashou and others were stunned.
After being reminded by his brother and son, Zu Dashou slowly woke up from the shock. He definitely didn't dare to meet Guo Dajing, but it was unjustifiable not to send someone there.
"We must send someone to meet and find out Guo Dajing's purpose and intention." Zu Dashou thought for a long time and said, "He Kegang is more suitable, and Zerun will accompany him."
As a deputy general, He Kegang was only lower than Zu Dashou in terms of official position, and was considered the number two figure in Liao Town. This was important enough and was not meant to be looked down upon.
As for Zu Zerun, he represented the ancestral family and also monitored He Kegang to prevent him from changing his mind and forming a conspiracy with Guo Dajing that was detrimental to the ancestral family.
Of course, it was not just He Kegang and Zu Zerun, they were just the leaders and others accompanied them.
In Zu Dashou's opinion, as long as he was stationed in Ningyuan, there would be no danger for the generals who went to see Guo Dajing. They were just going to test the waters and deal with it perfunctorily.
The Juehua Navy was finished, and Zu Dashou felt that his future was bleak, but he didn't give up completely yet. Before the sword fell, he had to take a few breaths, which was human nature.
After the deliberations were completed, Zu Dashou summoned the generals and reported that Jianlu had been persuaded to surrender and that Guo Dajing came with the order to take control of Juehua Island and Juehua Navy.
"The commander-in-chief was wise in tying the Jianlu messenger to the capital." He Kegang agreed with Zu Dashou's handling and said: "In this way, the court knows that Liao Town's loyalty has not changed, and there may be room for change."
Zu Dashou forced a smile and said: "Ke Gang, as the commander of an army, I cannot leave Ning Yuan lightly. I will trouble you if I go to see Commander Guo."
He Kegang just hesitated for a moment, then nodded and agreed, "I will just obey the order."
"Make it clear what Dongjiang Town means, and your attitude should be neither humble nor arrogant." Zu Dashou muttered and reminded: "Although Dongjiang Town is powerful, don't let them underestimate you."
"The general will understand." He Kegang bowed and said, "Commander, don't worry."
There is no danger in this trip, He Kegang is sure of it. Since Dongjiang Town wants to pull Liao Town to fight with Liao, what is the benefit of killing them. At least, the time is not right now.
Zu Dashou is naturally different. If he is detained to threaten Liao Town, things will be difficult to handle. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Zu Dashou letting him go.
Moreover, the conditions in Dongjiang Town are not yet known. They are only there to listen and cannot make decisions. As negotiators, there is no danger in sending messages back and forth.
Zu Dashou also didn't know how Dongjiang Town would treat Liao Town, and he didn't have any instructions. He just asked He Kegang to listen more and ask more questions, and report back with the specific situation.
………………
Juehua Island is commonly known as Dahaishan, Taohua Island in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and Juehua Island in the Liao and Jin Dynasties. It is located 20 miles southeast of Ningyuan and covers an area of 13.5 square kilometers. It is the second largest island in the Bohai Bay.
Juehua Island has been developed as early as the Tang Dynasty and has a famous port. Its northern harbor, called Mohekou, has become an important port on the island and the throat for access to the island.
During the Ming Dynasty, military grain was stored on the island, and Juehua Island became an important base for the Ming army to store grain.
After the fall of Guangning, when Sun Chengzong took charge of Liaodong, he mainly managed the construction and garrison of Ningyuan, as well as the grain storage and boat division of Juehua Island.
On Juehua Island, a grain storage city was built. The city was rectangular in shape, about 500 meters long from north to south and 250 meters wide from east to west. The wall was about 10 meters high and the bottom was about 6 meters wide.
There is a gate on the north wall, which leads to the port outside the city, and is a passage for the transportation of grain and equipment; there are two gates on the south wall, connected to the "dragon's neck", to facilitate travel on the island; there are no gates on the east and west walls, which is conducive to defense.
There are grain stores, material piles and the remains of the barracks of the city guards in the city, as well as a drainage ditch running from north to south.
In the imagination of Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan, the navy of Juehua Island was first to guard the food and equipment on the island; secondly, it was to cooperate with the Lu division to restore the lost land in Liaodong; and thirdly, it was to coordinate the defense of Ningyuan City.
As the saying goes: "Those who built eight miles to build the key point of Ningyuan, and even more to guard the eight miles of 40,000 people to rush towards Ningyuan, at the corner of Juehua Island. If the invaders peeked into the city, the soldiers on the island would come out from three sides and burn the pontoon bridge.
, then go around behind it and attack it horizontally."
It's a beautiful idea, but it's just talk on paper, and it's only because you don't understand Jianlu at all that you complacently come up with such an arrangement.
Looking at the many campaigns of Jianlu, they basically chose winter, when the rivers were frozen and the moats were frozen, which was conducive to the recruitment of cavalry and siege operations.
Therefore, in winter, it is simply a fantasy to go out to Sancha and burn the floating bridge.
However, Juehua is no better than Ningyuan. It has neither a solid city nor Hongyi cannons to deter it. The sea water freezes in winter, which is when it is most vulnerable and dangerous.
As for digging ice into trenches, that's even more natural.
For a coastline that is fifteen miles long, the ice trench must be at least ten meters wide. Can you imagine how big the project is and how many people are required to walk through the ice day and night? This does not take into account that the weather is very cold and the ice trench will be cut through.
complex.
As the defender of Juehua Island, the navy has few armors and weapons, and most of them are sailors. Their combat effectiveness is low. How can they withstand the attack of the fierce Jianlu?
Guo Dajing stood on the north gate of the Grain Hoarding City, looking at Mohekou in the distance. From there, Jianlu landed, broke into the north gate of the Grain Hoarding City, and rushed into the city.
The howls of Jianlu wolves, the clash of weapons, and the screams of people before they died seemed to be echoing in my ears; in front of me, there seemed to be flames soaring into the sky, figures swaying around, and a bloody fight...
Shaking his head vigorously, Guo Dajing shook off the painful memories and made adjustments to the previous arrangements.
Winter is probably the most difficult time for garrisoning ships and garrison troops on Juehua Island. The sea water freezes and it is difficult for ships to enter and exit the port, making this place a dead end.
"What Brother Zhang said is absolutely true." Guo Dajing pointed to the sea in the distance and said: "I am afraid that freezing in winter is not a special phenomenon. In the future, it may become a common occurrence. If there are too many troops stationed on the island, it will be a waste; if there are too few, it will be a waste.
, is very dangerous. Rather than doing this, it is better to give up on Juehua."
The purpose of stationing troops on the island was not to protect Juehua, but to monitor Ningyuan. But now it seems that even if there is no monitoring, it will not be a big problem.
Zhang Tao smiled and said: "Actually, a small number of troops can be stationed. It will not be too troublesome to withdraw by boat in winter."
With a small amount, three to five hundred people could be drawn out. Guo Dajing fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons, and did not make a decision immediately.
The Dongjiang Army that landed on the island had two thousand musketeers. They were all naval troops and were selected from various associations. They were not seasick, could swim, and had combat experience.
This is very different from the Juehua Island Navy. No wonder Zhang Tao despises it. The Juehua Island Navy is mostly sailors from the Jianghuai River and has low combat effectiveness, but it is still good for transportation.
After the massacre of Juehua Island, there were no longer any merchants living on the island. Basically, the navy lived there, with a total of less than 4,000 people.
Guo Dajing not only wanted ships, but also people, all of whom were transferred to the Dongjiang Navy. As for their families and relatives, they could also move to Liaonan if they wanted.
These forcibly controlled naval personnel were packing up their personal belongings and loading the food and supplies stored on the island onto the ship.
In fact, for them, there is not much resistance to living in southern Liaoning and becoming a member of Dongjiang Town. Life on this small island is more comfortable than on land.
Perhaps the lower-level officers and soldiers in Liao Town have the same idea. It doesn't matter to them whether they become Dongjiang Town's troops or maintain the status quo, as long as they can earn food and wages.
The officer in charge of the island was named Zhou, and he was just a small guard. After Guo Dajing led his team to the island, he ran back and forth, carrying out Guo Dajing's orders enthusiastically and diligently.
"Guo Shuai." Zhou Shoubei trotted up to him. After saluting, he reported to Guo Dajing, "It's estimated that everything will be ready until the evening. It's more dangerous to sail at night. How about setting off tomorrow?"
Guo Dajing glanced at Zhang Tao, saw him nodding, and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, Defense Zhou. For safety reasons, we will set off tomorrow."
Zhou Shoubei nodded and bowed, and said with a smile: "The humble official will bring someone to arrange accommodation for you, as well as the troops on the island."
Guo Dajing nodded in agreement, and after a few words of encouragement, Zhou Shoubei was asked to resign.