The Dongjiang Army's front line has a buffer area away from Jianlu, such as Haizhou in southern Liaoning. This is also a situation needed by both the enemy and ourselves.
No matter who wants to launch, there will be a buffer area so that they will not be caught off guard. At the same time, this will also help prevent the opponent's spies and sentinels.
But this also has disadvantages, that is, if we want to launch a containment, the movement of the army and the transportation of grain and grass will consume a lot of materials and time.
Moreover, because it was necessary to rely on strong defense and use as few troops as possible, Guo Dajing did not advocate launching a containment campaign in southern Liaoning.
"Most likely the Jianlu will not take action in southern Liaoning." Mao Wenlong also came to the same conclusion and said slowly: "But there must be enough troops left behind, just in case."
With a dull smile, Mao Wenlong added: "I will be here to take charge. You can go to Xiuyan and direct this battle!"
The troops assembled in the Xiuyan area must have a commander-in-chief, either Guo Dajing or Mao Wenlong. Regardless of his body or age, Guo Dajing did his part to endure the hardships in the severe cold winter.
Turning around and seeing He Kegang, Mao Wenlong smiled again and said: "General He, are you going to Xiuyan with Dajing to eat snow and drink in the wind, or are you accompanying me in Gaizhou?"
He Kegang hurriedly bowed and said: "This is a rare opportunity. I would like to follow Guo Shuai to Xiuyan and learn more."
Mao Wenlong smiled and nodded, and said: "That's fine. You have a good sense. If you want to learn something, Dajing is the first one in Dongjiang Town."
"Shuai Mao, thank you." Guo Dajing said with a smile: "As for our Dongjiang Army's current style of play, there is nothing to learn, it is very simple."
After the artillery blast, the infantry charged; when the infantry charged, the artillery fired again.
The Dongjiang Army's tactics are becoming more and more simple, which is to rely on sharp firearms to defeat the enemy, or bully the enemy. The simpler the tactics, the lower the probability of making mistakes, and the harder it is for the enemy to deal with them.
What He Kegang wants to learn and master is actually the performance of various weapons and how to better utilize their firepower advantage.
In fact, not only He Kegang, but also Guo Dajing had secretly given an order to take all the former officers of Liao Town to experience actual combat training.
They are not required to charge into battle, but they must master the Dongjiang Army's combat mode and change their fear of field battles to a certain extent.
As for how effective it will be, Guo Dajing can't guarantee it. He can only try his best to hope that they can live up to their expectations and have the ambition to make contributions.
Otherwise, it is only suitable to be dismissed and retired, and go home to find another way out. Anyway, even if you are farming, you will not starve to death.
Mao Wenlong waved his hand, his face became serious, and he said in a deep voice: "Unexpected victory comes before defeat. Our army is fully prepared for this battle, but we must also be prepared for unexpected situations. It is naturally good to wipe out the enemy as much as possible, in case it fails.
, and don’t force it.”
"The general understands." Guo Dajing cupped his hands and said solemnly: "General, don't worry, the general's caution has not changed, although he also hopes to destroy Pingliao as soon as possible."
"If you can continue to be cautious, I will naturally rest assured." Mao Wenlong softened his tone and said slowly: "The closer we are to success, the more we must guard against arrogance and impetuosity. As long as we can maintain stability, Pingliao will be just around the corner."
Although Mao Wenlong shouted the slogan of three years of peace and stability, he was sure of success, but he could also see that Guo Dajing was trying to advance the process.
The urgency is unavoidable, not only for the imperial court, but also for all the soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang Town, who do not want to completely pacify Liaodong and live a stable and peaceful life.
Mao Wenlong is not worried about the imperial court's failure now, because the Dongjiang Army in Liaodong was established by him, and they are basically loyal generals he trusts.
At most, he would be relieved of military power and go to the capital to serve. With the title of marquis, he could compete with civil servants. In Mao Wenlong's opinion, he should be able to become a minister of the Ministry of War.
Any guarantee comes from strength, Mao Wenlong firmly believes in this. Guo Dajing's loyalty and ability are worthy of his trust.
"By the way." Mao Wenlong suddenly remembered something, stretched out his hand to signal Guo Dajing to sit down, and asked: "The mobilization of troops consumes a lot of resources. After this battle, do you have other ideas that are different from the previous Pingliao strategy?
?”
Guo Dajing smiled, cupped his hands and said: "The commander-in-chief is wise, and the general only has a framework, which will be discussed after it is perfected. Furthermore, the actual situation needs to be determined as to which strategy to adopt."
"Let me tell you first." Mao Wenlong encouraged with a smile: "I'm fine, I can help you think about it."
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "After this battle, the troops stayed in the Xiuyan area temporarily, or took advantage of the heavy losses of Jianlu to gradually push the front to the north. South Liaoning is Anshanyi, east Liaoning is Lianshanguan, and then
In addition, the naval force copied from the Hun River from the east, forming a three-sided pincer attack on Liaoshen..."
Expelling Jianlu from Liaoshen and gathering them to annihilate Liaoshen are, of course, two concepts and two completely different results.
One is a superficial victory, with subsequent battles; the other is a once and for all victory, completely destroying the power of Jianlu to cause trouble in Liaodong.
Even if the second plan cannot completely achieve the goal, Guo Dajing still hopes to cripple the Jianlu, rather than just regaining Liaodong on the surface.
Therefore, Liaoyang is certainly the place for the decisive battle between the two sides. But before the decisive battle, can more Jianlu strength be consumed? Or can the troops be mobilized in place to outflank their retreat?
This may require more troops, and it may also take more time, but sharpening the sword is the key to chopping firewood. Guo Dajing believes that once successful, it will be the true meaning of pacifying Liao and annihilating the captives.
"We are not in a hurry to attack Liaoyang, so as to give the illusion to Jianlu. We are not in a hurry to retreat or give up. We wait for our army to move in place before launching a fierce attack and outflanking..."
Guo Dajing pointed at the sand table and made a final conclusion, "Encircling the east and west sides by land and water, at least the main force of the rebels in Liaoyang must be eliminated."
If the Jianlu troops in Liaoyang want to retreat, one way is to retreat north towards Shenyang, and the other way is to go east through Benxi and back to Jianzhou Guard.
The navy's plagiarism can form a blockade between Liao and Shen; if the Jianlu's eastward retreat is cut off, the Jianlu will become the turtle in the urn.
Mao Wenlong nodded repeatedly and said slowly: "If this is the arrangement, it will not increase the number of troops much more than the original plan. Well, for the time being, it will be a plan and will be perfected in writing."
Unlike the navy, which was sandwiched between Liaoyang and Shenyang and had to resist the Jianlu invaders from both directions, the Jianzhou Guard had very few enemies. As long as the blocking force was dedicated to dealing with the Jianlu invaders who had withdrawn from Liaoyang, they naturally did not need too many troops.
In Guo Dajing's preliminary estimate, 20,000 troops was the safest. Ten thousand troops was not very reliable.
This was 8,000 more troops than the original planned general attack force. As Mao Wenlong said, it was really not that much.
If the men and horses from Liao Town in Ningyuan can be mobilized, there will be no need to recruit additional troops, and the requirements for besieging Liaoshen on three sides will be met.
He Kegang was a little embarrassed, but he didn't show it on his face, nor did he talk nonsense. He had already sent a letter to Zu Dashou, but so far, there has been no reply.
Are you really unable to see the situation clearly? If you desperately try to grasp the power, you may end up with nothing and even worse results!
He Kegang sighed secretly in his heart, but was helpless.
Emotionally, He Kegang certainly hopes that the original Pao Ze can find a good home. But now he can't help it. The key depends on the attitude of Dongjiang Town and Zu Dashou's change.
It should only take about two months to decide the fate of the officers and soldiers in Liao Town.
He Kegang knew that Guo Dajing had set a deadline and Liao Town must make a choice before spring plowing. Otherwise, there would be no chance again.
I hope that after winning this battle, Zu Dashou will wake up.
The conversation between Guo Dajing and Mao Wenlong made He Kegang put aside his thoughts and listen attentively again.
The No. 1 and No. 2 figures in the Dongjiang Army are talking about the expansion of the army. Whether it will start after the spring plowing or after the new year has not been determined.
"After the New Year, we will strengthen the training of the militia so that they can meet the standards of replenishing the army at any time." Guo Dajing put forward his own idea, "As for the expansion, it is more appropriate to start after spring plowing."
Regardless of whether Pingliao can advance ahead of schedule, there must not be a crisis of food shortage. The influx of immigrants, social stability, and the food and grass materials needed for the decisive battle must be mainly produced locally.
The procurement of food supplies from outside will not be interrupted, and the quantity will even increase. First, it is to diversify the food for the military and civilians, and secondly, it is also necessary to stock up for shortages.
The domestic disaster situation will become more and more serious, and the price of food will continue to rise. This is the judgment that Guo Dajing has made long ago.
Moreover, he has opened up channels to purchase grain from overseas and is trying his best to maintain it, although the annual quantity is not very large now.
Mao Wenlong nodded and agreed to Guo Dajing's suggestion. He knew that Guo Dajing had used his own money to purchase large quantities of horses and cattle and other large livestock.
"All the efforts will be compensated after Ping Liao." Mao Wenlong did not go into too much detail in front of He Kegang, but just hinted to Guo Dajing happily.
There may still be no money after Ping Liao, but there is plenty of land. It is easy to give Guo Dajing a few thousand acres, or even tens of thousands of acres.
Mao Wenlong only thought of this method, which was not only applicable to Guo Dajing, but also to the generals of the Dongjiang Army.
Of course, Guo Dajing did not have the consciousness to become a landlord, and he did not want the landlord class to appear again in Liaodong.
………………
There is not much of a New Year atmosphere in Ningyuan. Although the food and salary have arrived, the depression and depression at the top inevitably affects the mood below.
"The navy of Juehua Island has evacuated." Zukfa said in a deep voice: "It should be because they are afraid that the sea water will freeze and the ships will not be able to leave the port."
Zu Dashou said nothing, and there was no change in the expression on his face. He stood at the top of the city and looked into the distance, but there was really nothing to see in the distance except the vast expanse of white covered with snow.
Zukefa knew that his father was still struggling with the letter from Hegang Gang, but he had nothing to persuade him. Liao Town had been reduced to a piece of meat for others to slaughter. As long as Dongjiang Town was cut off from food and wages, he would collapse and fall into chaos.
The secret mission to send people to the capital also ended in failure.
No official dared to speak for Liao Zhen, and Liao Zhen could not offer any conditions more attractive to the emperor than "three years of peace in Liao".
Even if Liao Town dares to boast about two years of peace, no one will believe it. Because, with Liao Town's current strength, it would be good to be able to defend Ningyuan.
"Dongjiang Town must deal with Liao Town before spring plowing." Zu Dashou suddenly spoke and said slowly: "After the New Year, we only have a month or two, and then we will be cut off from food and wages and force us to submit."
Zu Kefa sighed silently and said: "Is there really no other way? If we report to the court, we can't abandon Ningyuan and leave the door open without a barrier, right?"
Zu Dashou glanced at Zukefa, lowered his eyes slightly, and said in a deep voice: "The imperial court has asked Dongjiang Town to control Liao Town, so why would it favor us?"
"By deploying troops to weaken it step by step, does Liao Town have no power to resist and can only sit and wait for destruction?" Zukefa said angrily: "The court only talked about moderation, not annexation. Dongjiang Town acted brazenly, and the court did not
Are you afraid of their ambitions?"
Zu Dashou nodded slightly and said: "I have reported it to the imperial court with your words. But who knows whether it will be effective?"
Zukefa seemed to have hope again in his heart, and said: "Maybe there will be a turn for the better. Dongjiang Town is the only one in Liaodong. This is not what the court wants to see, right?"
"There is not much hope." Zu Dashou shook his head dejectedly, "Yuan Chonghuan was killed, and the implication was so wide that even Sun Chengzong was speechless. Ma Shilong was still stationed behind closed doors, and the court was suspicious of Liao Town, even more so than Dongjiang Town.
"
Sun Chengzong, as Yuan Chonghuan's teacher, had indeed been sent back to his hometown with courtesy, and Chongzhen's dissatisfaction with him was obvious.
As a non-Liao general, although Ma Shilong had a relationship with Liao Town, he was not a good one. The imperial court left him to guard the gate, and the intention of precaution was obvious.
Now, Zu Dashou really regrets it. If he hadn't rebelled eastward without permission outside the capital, how could the situation have been so difficult? Even if Yuan Chonghuan had done something wrong, the impact on Liao Town would not have been so great.
It's a pity that there is no medicine for regret in the world. No matter how you try to remedy it now, you will never gain the emperor's trust and understanding.
Of course, if he had stayed at that time, he would have had to fight against the fierce Jianlu, and the outcome would have been somewhat unpredictable.
"Ningyuan always needs troops to garrison, right?" Zukefa said tentatively: "It should be at least 10,000 troops, right? If Dongjiang Town mobilizes more troops, just give them to them. Can't we just defend the city in Ningyuan?"
Zu Dashou gave a bitter smile and was too lazy to answer. Didn't he think about this possibility, but what he was worried about was the future.
When Pingliao succeeds in Dongjiang Town, the ancestral army, which has no merit in terms of size, will be preserved. It is impossible to think about it with your own feet!
Zu Dashou also figured out some of the emperor's temperament. His hatred for Liao Zhen would not dissipate, he was just waiting for the opportunity to impose severe punishment.
Dongjiang Town is even less generous. It is certain to dominate Liaodong and will spend money and food to maintain an army that they are not confident about.
When the time comes, no matter whether it is to cut off food and salary, or to solve it by force, Ningyuan's ancestral army will not have any good results.
Alas, Zu Dashou sighed helplessly, feeling that he could only wait a while, even though the hope was slim. This chapter has been completed!