Chapter 495 Zu Dashou's Willingness, Trench Warfare
Although whether the North Korean army can participate in the decisive battle will not have much impact on Guo Dajing's planned plan, more strength will always increase the chance of victory.
Even now, regardless of the attitude of the North Korean royal family, Lin Qingye and Cui Xiaoyi decided to send more than 10,000 North Korean troops into Liaodong to fight alongside the Dongjiang Army.
This not only means a significant increase in the number of military garrison fields, but also greater military pressure on the Jianqiu, which can firmly contain the Jianqiu and launch plagiarism operations on the Jianqiu's retreat.
"The lack of punishment by the North Korean royal family is already a tacit approval and appreciation of the troops led by Lin Qingye and Cui Xiaoyi." Guo Dajing smiled lightly: "With their courage, they will definitely worry about offending Jianlu by publicly rewarding them."
Mao Wenlong shook his head slightly and said: "If you have it, it's better, but if you don't, it won't have much impact. With the successful merger of Liao Town and the recruitment of people, the troops needed for the decisive battle should be enough."
Turning to look at Guo Dajing, Mao Wenlong said solemnly: "I still say what I said, you must be fully prepared and don't make any mistakes. Once the decisive battle begins, you must be at least 70 to 80% sure."
Guo Dajing bowed and said yes, saying: "Commander, don't worry. The general will not only pacify Liao, but also destroy the captives. The time is not ripe, and we will not launch rashly."
Mao Wenlong showed an appreciative smile, nodded, turned his eyes to the sea in the distance, and asked slowly: "Where do you plan to live after Pingliao?"
Guo Dajing laughed twice and said, "In terms of liking it, I still want to live in Dalian, but I also know that this is not realistic."
"Dalian is indeed very good." Mao Wenlong nodded slightly and said, "It's okay to use it as a place for vacation and relaxation. But considering the overall situation, I think Shenyang is the best place."
As the center of Liaodong, Shenyang is indeed suitable. But from the perspective of the Mongolian tribes that need to be guarded in the north, the depth is not enough unless the defense line is greatly advanced to the north.
Of course, from the perspective of the emperor guarding the country, Guo Dajing believed that Shenyang was the best choice, even though he was not the emperor yet.
Guo Dajing pondered and said: "The general thinks so too. But this may be temporary and will change as we expand our territory to the north."
"Nuer Gandusi is indeed a very large territory." Mao Wenlong chuckled and praised: "As long as there is a sufficient population, we should definitely win the victory of opening up the territory."
After a pause, Mao Wenlong added: "Looking at the Ming Dynasty, only our Dongjiang Army has this strength. If there is nothing to do, the court will probably cause trouble again."
That's for sure. Whether it's the emperor or the civil servants in the court, they have a deep-rooted psychology of being on guard against warriors.
But Guo Dajing did not expand the territory to the north just to deal with the imperial court, as Mao Wenlong thought. It was China's century-old plan, and it would have a solid foundation to fight against its evil neighbors in the north.
For the time being, Guo Dajing did not want to participate in quelling the chaos in the country. He had no money or food, so he relied entirely on suppression? Killing all the people also saved the court money and food?
Similarly, the Dongjiang Army, which is fighting deep in the interior, will also face the dilemma of being without money and food. If things go wrong, it will capsize and be defeated by the peasant army.
Of course, Liaodong was pacified and the Jianlu were destroyed, which also created favorable conditions for the court to quell the rebellion. In Guo Dajing's deduction, the peasant uprising army was likely to be wiped out.
Regardless of the outcome, Guo Dajing planned to continue to take root in Liaodong, attack Huduntu from the west, conquer the Mongolian tribes, and march into and develop the land of Nuergandusi.
Up to now, the land of Liaodong is only the territory of Liaoning Province in later generations, so how can that be done? There are not even place names like Changchun, Harbin, etc., let alone!
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The cold sea breeze blew on his face. Zu Dashou narrowed his eyes and tightened his tight-fitting cloak. There was no room to look back, and he felt relaxed.
Even if he is merged into Dongjiang Town, he will be suppressed or discriminated against and will not have any real power. But he has preserved the Zu family and has a chance to make a comeback.
In the fifth year of Xuande's reign, Ningyuan City had just been built. Zu Qing, an officer originally from Chuzhou, South Zhili, moved his family here. Starting from the hereditary military position of Ningyuan Guard in the Ming Dynasty, he was continuously promoted and became a prominent family in Ningyuan.
Zu Dashou's father Zu inherited the training and accompanied Ning Yuanbo Li Chengliang to conquer the east and west.
, due to his meritorious service in resisting the Mongols, he was promoted to the rank of deputy commander-in-chief of Liaodong.
Zu Dashou inherited his father's position and started as the commander of Ningyuan Guards. He successively served as Ningyuan Zhongyou Suo (Shahou Suo) guerrilla, Jingdong Camp guerrilla, and Chinese Army guerrilla.
In the first year of Chongzhen, Zu Dashou, who had gone through the Ningyuan Defense War and the Ningjin War, was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Forward, assigned the title of General of the Liaodong Forward, and stationed in Jinzhou.
With Zu Dashou's rapid rise in status, everyone in the Zu family was granted official positions.
Brothers Zu Dalue, Zu Dacheng, Zu Dabi, nephews Zu Zeyuan, Zu Zefa, Zu Zerun, Zu Kefa, etc., are all guerrilla officers at all levels from deputy general to staff general, stationed in different places.
Ningyuan, Dalinghe, Jinzhou Zhucheng.
It is precisely because of such strength and connections that Zu Dashou became the boss among the military leaders in western Liaoning. No matter who is in charge of power in western Liaoning, he must be treated favorably and be discussed with others easily.
If Zu Dashou could put national affairs first, then the ancestral family would have contributed to the suppression of Liao for generations. Unfortunately, he began to conserve his strength, shrinking from battle, and fleeing at the slightest setback, treating Liao Zhen as the ancestral family's private army.
For this reason, General Zu and his subsequent successors, Wu Sangui and his son, all learned the secret escape technique of turning into Rufeng.
In key battles, Liao Zhen harmed friendly troops several times, but relying on the important status of the Zu family and the Wu family in Liao Zhen, the court did not dare to severely punish him.
Unfortunately, after the miraculous rise of Dongjiang Town, Liao Town became increasingly worthless. Before Zu Dashou and others could see it clearly, the turning point of Jisi's change appeared.
Leading his troops to the east without authorization and disregarding the safety of his subjects in the capital was the most egregious manifestation of the warlordization of Liao Town and the beginning of the decline of Liao Town and the Zu family.
Guo Dajing led his army on a cross-sea expedition, shattering Zu Dashou's illusions in one fell swoop. Zunhua's victory was so brilliant that Dongjiang Town replaced Liao Town and became the new favorite of the court.
In terms of strength, Dongjiang Town is better than Liao Town; in terms of military performance, the two are even more incompatible; in terms of food and salary, Liao Town has almost bankrupted the court.
"Be willing to give up, be willing to give up, only by giving up can you get something." Zu Dashou stretched out his hand and patted the side of the ship. He felt at ease sitting on this big sea ship. Although this seemed to be his first sea voyage, he did not get seasick.
The eldest son, Zu Zepu, accompanied his father. Hearing his father's sigh, he sighed silently and said, "My father was wise and decisive and won peace for the Zu family. I am very lucky."
Zu Dashou glanced at his son and said slowly: "Whether you can be reused in the future and regain the road to promotion depends on you."
Zu Zepu nodded and said, "Don't worry, kid. Just go into battle and kill the enemy. The son of Zu Zepu is no worse than others."
Zu Dashou lowered his eyes and reminded in a deep voice: "The Dongjiang Army's tactics are very different from our army. After merging into Dongjiang Town, you have to adapt to it before you can master it. In this process, you must act in a low-key manner and not be pretentious.
It’s extraordinary, let alone flamboyant.”
"Father has already taught you. Children should keep it in mind." Zu Zepu paused and added, "I will also remind other brothers from time to time."
Zu Dashou then cast an admiring look, then turned his head to look at the sea.
Compared with Yuan Chonghuan who was cut to pieces in the Jisi Incident, and Liu Ce, Wang Qia and others who were imprisoned and executed, Zu Dagui felt that he was very lucky to be able to save himself and his family.
According to his crime, if the court had no scruples, he would be more serious than those officials who had already been killed.
Now, if he is merged into Dongjiang Town, he will naturally be protected. If Ping Liao has such a small amount of credit, the court will probably not pursue him.
In the process of pacifying Liao, I hope that the generals of the ancestral family can make achievements and reopen the path to promotion. That would be even more ideal.
Only by giving up can you gain. What you give up is immediate benefits, but what you gain is long-term stability.
Zu Dashou felt that his spirit had been sublimated, his horizons were broader, and his vision was longer-term. The key was that the clouds in his heart were gone, and he was no longer depressed and worried.
Just like the sea in front of you, it becomes wider and wider as you travel. Only by looking into the distance can you see the integration of sea and sky, and the infinite prospect.
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Zu Dashou and others will land in Lushun and then take the land route to Gaizhou to pay their respects.
Meeting Mao Wenlong. Judging from the time, there was still plenty of time. Since Guo Dajing arrived, he took over the military affairs again, leaving Mao Wenlong free and easy.
At this time, he was reading a letter in his hand. His eyes narrowed slightly, feeling a bit chilly. He snorted and put the letter down.
This was sent by Lin Tiansheng to someone else. There were four ships in total that bought grain from Nanyang and arrived in Lushun. Originally this was a good thing, but the Zheng family didn't give them face and still collected tolls.
Guo Dajing once asked Lin Tiansheng to send a letter to the Zheng family, asking them to study in the same imperial court to facilitate the transportation of grain ships so that Dongjiang Town could save some money.
"Earning money will cost you your life!" Guo Dajing stood up and walked to the window, stretched out his hand and pushed it open, letting the cool wind cool down the rising anger.
Zheng Zhilong had been recruited and promoted to the rank of commander-in-chief, and was stationed in the Minhai Sea. He still led his original troops to guard the coast for the Ming Dynasty to prevent pirates, Japanese pirates and the Dutch from attacking.
Unfortunately, apart from peace and stability on the sea front, the Ming court did not receive any other benefits.
On the contrary, Zheng Zhilong, with his strength and official status, became the overlord of the South China Sea. Maritime merchants who sold foreign goods all used the Zheng family name and made a lot of money from tolls alone.
"I don't care about the country at all, and I don't care about the imperial court." Guo Dajing crossed his arms in front of his chest and was very angry. "There is only money in his eyes and only the interests of the family."
Although Guo Dajing did not take the court and the emperor seriously, he had the country and the people in his heart. Money did not matter much to him.
From these two points, it is destined that he and Zheng Zhilong are not the same people. Although Liaodong is not at peace now, he has already established a future enemy.
Hu Duntu in the north, the Zheng Group in the south, the Spaniards in Luzon, and the Dutch in Java. His enemies are no longer limited to the country.
Not to mention three years, ten years, even thirty or forty years, it is also within Guo Dajing's plan. Others don't understand his investment in the navy, but they don't know that he is holding back his big move.
Of course, the great development of the navy will not occur until after Ping Liao. It is necessary to go to war with the Zheng Group, and even more to win. Guo Dajing is preparing to achieve this goal within ten years.
"More than a thousand ships and more than 30,000 troops." Guo Dajing touched his chin and felt that without two or three hundred large ships, he would not dare to claim victory.
Of course, he also knew the Zheng Group's naval weakness. There were more than a thousand ships, and there were relatively few medium and large ones. Most seagoing ships had two or three, or five or six guns.
In his plan, each of the Dongjiang Navy's two to three hundred warships would be equipped with at least ten or more artillery pieces. Coupled with rockets, they would have a crushing advantage in terms of firepower.
"Commander Guo, I have a military intelligence report." The soldiers came in to report, interrupting Guo Dajing's thoughts.
After receiving the military report, Guo Dajing dismissed his soldiers and began to read it. This was the latest information from spy reconnaissance, regarding the transformation of Jianlu's fortifications.
"Trench warfare?" Guo Dajing lowered his eyes, thought for a while, and couldn't help but sneer with disdain.
Jianlu expanded the trench outwards to block the Dongjiang Army's mortars and rockets with a range of more than three miles.
Guo Dajing was not surprised. He had already suffered several losses. Jianlu would definitely learn a lesson. The easiest way to think of it was this.
"In this case, we should add more training subjects." Guo Dajing took out a pen and paper and began to compile a training plan. There was still more than half a year left, so there was still time.
Today's trench warfare is very different from that of World War I and World War II in history.
The rate of fire and length of the musket may not be effective in narrow trenches. Similarly, Jianlu's bows and arrows will lose most of their effectiveness.
For close combat, spears and broadswords are not very effective. Shorter daggers, also known as trench knives, are very practical. Because in trenches, stabbing is more practical than cutting.
There are also striking weapons such as short-handled maces, which don't even require a long period of training. Just rush into the trench and swing them hard.
Of course, coupled with a hand crossbow or short crossbow, the team can complement each other with multiple weapons, and the combat effectiveness can be enhanced.
Mere close combat with cold weapons is not enough. Guo Dajing also plans to use the power of firearms. The direct fire like a mortar is very good and can attack trenches.
Cause damage to enemies within.
But using mortars is obviously a bit wasteful. Since Jianlu extended the trench for several miles, he didn't have to worry too much about the bombardment from above on the city wall. The simplest and easy-to-build trebuchet could also exert its power.
Another advantage of using a trebuchet to throw bombs is that it saves gunpowder. Whether it is mortars, rockets, or other types of artillery, they all require propellant.
In addition to trebuchets, hand-thrown bombs should also have their place. Throwing them across the trench can cause chaos to the enemy. If you then rush in and fight hand-to-hand, you will definitely gain the upper hand.
Guo Dajing wrote eloquently and very quickly. He didn't have much time, and he had already written seventy-seven or eighty-eight words.
In addition to the training outlines for the various armies, there are also those written for the arsenal. They only need to be supplemented and detailed before they can be sent out and implemented as soon as possible.
It's a pity that there are no bulldozers, otherwise, the Jianlu would be buried directly in the trench and turned into fertilizer. Guo Dajing pursed his lips slightly and showed a fierce evil smile.