Chapter 497 Returning to the front line, targeting Haizhou
Although trade is important, the theme of the war has not changed. After Guo Dajing dealt with the matter with the Japanese merchants, he rushed to the front line to arrange the operation to regain Haizhou.
Jianlu has retreated to Liaoyang, using Anshan Station as an outpost. There will be no major war if they regain Haizhou, which is almost equivalent to taking over.
But Haeju will become the logistics base for the decisive battle. It will not only accept the occupation, but also carry out related construction to make it indestructible and foolproof.
The battle plan has been formulated and distributed to all frontline departments, and will be mainly undertaken by Li Weiluan's Right Association. The Right Association is also at the forefront, with Yingkou and Tashanpu across the river from Haizhou Acropolis.
In Gaizhou, Mao Chenglu's former association, Liu Xingzhi's left association, and the two flying cavalry battalions of Liu Xingzuo and Liu Qishi were assembled, and their strength was sufficient.
Even the special operations battalion in Liaodong, and Kong Youde's Hou Xie, which was quite gratifying, were supplemented by the original 10,000 troops in Liao Town after the war. They will soon regain their strength and launch operations against the Jianlu.
In Yingkou, Guo Dajing met Li Weiluan. They were originally very good friends, but they had not seen each other for a long time. After greeting Li Weiluan, he also complained a little.
"Commander Guo is biased!" Li Weiluan poured tea for Guo Dajing with his own hands and seemed to be complaining, "Not only are our officers and soldiers of the Right Association good at defense, but their offense is also no worse than other troops."
In several battles, Li Weiluan's troops were assigned to defend the rear. After experiencing the Lushun Defense War and the Nanguan Counterattack, being good at defense has almost become the label of Youxie.
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "Old Li, Liaodong has not been pacified yet, so there will be fewer opportunities to make contributions. Don't worry, I won't favor one over the other and forget about you."
Li Weiluan then smiled and asked, "Guo Shuai's training outline was sent to me a few days ago, and the general has already implemented it. It's a bit unexpected that Jianlu will give up his skills in the field!"
"It's not giving up, but it can no longer be an absolute means of victory." Guo Dajing explained: "You must also be proficient in the tactics of infantry battle formations against cavalry. Trench warfare is just a way of attacking a city."
Li Weiluan nodded and said with a smile: "If we can fight cavalry in the field and fight bravely in the city, our army will be invincible in the world!"
Guo Dajing was not modest and said solemnly: "That's exactly it. For now, except for Jianlu who can resist a few times, no army in the world is a match for our Dongjiang Army."
Li Weiluan blinked his eyes, laughed, picked up the teacup and greeted each other, saying: "If Guo Shuai said this, I will definitely believe it. If it were anyone else, I would definitely think that he was bragging."
Guo Dajing raised his glass and took a sip, and said with a smile: "What I said is absolutely true. With only flintlock muskets and numerous artillery, no one in the world can surpass our army."
After a pause, he added: "When the Jianlu are eliminated and the border troubles in the north are eliminated, Guo will take you to conquer the four seas and conquer the world."
Li Weiluan nodded vigorously and said with a smile: "As a warrior, it is most regrettable to waste your time. In the end, I would like to accompany Guo Shuai on the battlefield and become famous all over the world."
Guo Dajing smiled happily, and the grand blueprint seemed to be slowly unfolding before his eyes.
Liaodong is nothing, Ming is nothing, Nanyang is nothing, his goal is the stars and the sea, the pinnacle of the entire world.
"Shuai Guo has been traveling hard, how about reviewing the officers and soldiers tomorrow?" Li Weiluan asked Guo Dajing for his opinion with a smile, "To be honest, the generals also need to prepare to avoid making a fool of themselves."
Guo Dajing readily agreed and said: "The review is not important. I believe in you and the officers and soldiers of the Youxie Association. The main purpose of coming here this time is to survey the Haicheng River to see when to cross the river, build fortifications and garrison troops at Haizhou Acropolis
Defense."
Li Weiluan thought for a while and said: "The current Haicheng River has not yet thawed and civilized, so people and horses can cross the ice. But I am afraid that after the ice melts, the pontoon bridge will not be built enough, and the troops crossing the river will become alone."
Although the Jianlu were huddled in Anshan and Liaoyang, they could not be arrogant enough to think that they would just stay there and not dare to go out.
Guo Dajing nodded repeatedly and said: "After the ice melts, we will build the pontoon bridge and then the large team of people will cross the river. Now that the soil has frozen, it will not be easy to construct."
"It will take more than a month, just right
Let's stock up on food and supplies first, and hurry up with military training." Li Weiluan felt relieved and said, "If Commander Guo has nothing else to do, I will go down and arrange the review tomorrow."
Guo Dajing waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, I'll call you if I need anything."
Li Weiluan resigned and left. Guo Dajing did not take a rest immediately. He took the report materials left by Li Weiluan and read them carefully.
Occupying Haizhou is not the main goal, and the Haizhou Acropolis is not the front line against the enemy. First establish a firm foothold and stock up on food and ammunition. After spring plowing, Liaodong and Liaonan advance together, adopting a close-pressing containment strategy against the Jianlu.
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The so-called close pressing means that the defense line is against the defense line, ranging from thirty or fifty miles away from Jianlu, and it can be pressed in front of Jianlu in one day.
Jianlu must not be given time to buffer and prepare, or in other words, Jianlu must always be prepared and dare not relax at all. All his troops must be occupied and cannot be left to take care of others.
Such a long-term confrontation is very detrimental to Jianlu. Because there is not enough population, many production activities will stagnate. For the army, there will not be enough rest time.
The Dongjiang Army is different. It has a great advantage in terms of military strength. Its sharp firearms make its defense strong and it can also save many front-line troops.
More importantly, Dongjiang Town has a large population, so whether it is farming or manufacturing, it will not be affected.
It doesn't take long, half a year can drag Jianlu to exhaustion. If the decisive battle is launched before the autumn harvest, Jianlu will not even have time to harvest.
Guo Dajing read the document, took out a pen and paper, and carefully calculated how long Jianlu's grain and grass supplies could last according to the formula summarized by the Ministry of Military Intelligence.
As long as the spring plowing has been completed, the Jianlu could not give up Liaoshen even if they wanted to. The land that has been cultivated can be discarded. Without the autumn harvest, what will they eat?
"Jianlu is bound to fail." Guo Dajing finally put down the documents and came to a conclusion with confidence.
A large trench was dug to engage in trench warfare with the Dongjiang Army. Jianlu seemed to be very smart and had a strong learning ability and could quickly find a way to deal with it.
But from another aspect, this tactic is to compete with the Dongjiang Army for manpower, which is a dead end, a desperate struggle, and self-destruction.
"This time it's Jianlu's turn to feel timid!" Guo Dajing cleared the desk, stood up, and walked out with firm steps.
Although the chill is still there, you can already smell the breath of spring. The snow in sunny areas has turned black, and even where the snow is thin, mottled frozen soil has been exposed.
The arrival of spring every year means the rise of hope, which is exciting.
Of course, this is also due to the environment we live in. As the saying goes: people feel refreshed when happy events happen. This is what they say.
For example, the people living in Jinzhou have not heard the sound of guns and artillery for a long time since the Nanguan War, and have not suffered from the war.
On the contrary, their lives are getting better year by year, and their life goals are improving year by year.
Without confidence in victory, how could one save paper money, buy cattle, horses and other large livestock, or think about renovating a house and living in a big tile-roofed house?
"I've seen the commander-in-chief." The two soldiers on guard bowed and saluted, their voices clear and clear.
If they are not with Mao Wenlong, there is no need to distinguish between Mao Shuai and Guo Shuai. The soldiers are accustomed to calling them "marshal".
Anyway, Guo Shuai seems to like this title very much and responds with a smile and nod every time.
Guo Dajing smiled and asked, "What are you talking about, are you so happy?"
The two soldiers smiled awkwardly. This was not a violation of military discipline, but they seemed a little embarrassed to say it out loud.
Guo Dajing did not force it, and said with a smile: "There is a happy event at home. If you don't tell me, you will lose a piece of wedding money. Don't regret it!"
A soldier hurriedly said: "A letter came from his home, telling him that he has a daughter-in-law from the same village as him."
Guo Dajing chuckled, looked at the young soldier who was about to go on a blind date, and said, "That's a good thing. Do you still have a holiday this year?"
The soldier scratched his head and said with some embarrassment: "Come back to the commander, I don't want to take a vacation this year. I don't want to get married."
Not in a hurry."
"Why, you didn't like her?" Guo Dajing joked: "Or is there someone else you like?"
"Little, little--" the soldier scratched his head and scratched his head, and said in a murmur: "I have taken a fancy to someone from out of town, but I don't know what he means."
Guo Dajing laughed and said, "Don't you have any money? If you have time, buy something and go see them. Just ask them. Man, please be more cheerful. She is from out of town, what can she choose?"
The soldier nodded repeatedly, his face flushed, and he was too embarrassed to speak.
Another soldier smiled and poked his companion, and joked: "Look, what did I just say? Even the commander-in-chief said so. You, ask someone to bring you a message, and I'm sure it will be done as soon as you say it."
Guo Dajing reached out and patted the soldiers' arms, smiled and walked past them, took the horse's rein from the soldier, got on his horse, and galloped away.
There is actually no difference between ordinary soldiers and civilians. In Guo Dajing's view, it is just a difference in occupation. The seven emotions and six desires, joys, anger, sorrows, and family shortcomings are all the same.
Guo Dajing hopes that the soldiers and civilians in Liaodong can live and work in peace and contentment. Although the war is still going on, it may take another year or two.
However, the soldiers' weddings and funerals, vacations and rests, family reunions, etc. will not be delayed. As long as it does not affect returning to the army on time and participating in the battle, Guo Dajing manages it as humanely as possible.
The war has lasted for too long. From Wanli to Chongzhen, it has gone through three dynasties and more than ten years. Almost a generation has lived in the war.
The cold wind blew on his face, and Guo Dajing's expression gradually became serious. The sooner the Liao Dynasty was brought to peace, the sooner the burden on his heart was relieved, and the sooner the army and the people of Liaodong returned to peace and happiness.
"Actually, I'm also worried about the long nights and the many dreams!" Guo Dajing was not worried about the court and the emperor. Although it would have some impact, it could no longer stop him from conquering the Liao Dynasty.
What he is most worried about is Mao Wenlong's thoughts. If there is a change, it is beyond his control. The split within Dongjiang Town is the biggest variable and obstacle to Pingliao's great cause.
Quite simply, Guo Dajing believed that his prestige was far inferior to that of Mao Wenlong. As for his confidants and cronies, they probably only included Liu Xingzhi's Zuo Xie, Liu Xingzuo and Liu Qishi's flying cavalry battalion, and Liaodong's special operations battalion.
Even with these troops, Guo Dajing could not guarantee that they would obey his orders and fight against Mao Wenlong.
From the beginning to now, Guo Dajing has not had any intention of replacing Mao Wenlong, despite his concerns and worries.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that Mao Wenlong believed in him, supported him, and helped him, making him the number two figure in the army and treating him as his successor.
Guo Dajing believed that his prestige was largely due to Mao Wenlong's trust. Although he made a significant contribution to Dongjiang Town, he can be said to be the biggest contributor to the reconstruction of the Dongjiang Army.
Contented! Guo Dajing counted on his fingers. In less than five years, he had climbed to this position and was only one step away from realizing his initial ideal.
Mao Wenlong is already old. This is his biggest flaw and it is difficult to make up for it. Except for himself, no one can control the generals of Dongjiang Town, not even Chen Jisheng.
Mao Wenlong would have no regrets if he could complete the great cause of Ping Liao in his lifetime. What's more, he has several escape routes and is not worried about future unforeseen events.
Guo Dajing returned to his residence and had not rested for a while when Liu Xingzuo and Liu Qishi came together again.
"Although there are still gaps in the war horses, the expansion of the flying cavalry has not stopped. How many troops do you have available now?" After the greetings were over, Guo Dajing asked straight to the point.
The reason is very simple. For example, the number of muskets is difficult to equip the entire army, but training will not be delayed. It is no problem for several people to use one.
Once the muskets are built and issued to the hands, they will be qualified soldiers. How can we wait until everything is ready before starting recruitment, training and other work.
For flying cavalry, Guo Dajing has always been the key supporter. After defeating Jianlu, and Lin Danhan, cavalry is an indispensable unit in the northern grasslands.
"More than six thousand!" Liu Qishi quickly replied: "If we can expand it, in a few months, ten thousand will be no problem."
Liu Xingzuo smiled and said: "Liao Town has been completely merged, and the imperial court is also supplying it. There should be no shortage of war horses, right?"
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "The three major flying cavalry battalions will be organized into six thousand troops. After expansion, they will be converted into regiments. Two thousand flying cavalry and one thousand lance cavalry will be organized into one battalion, supplemented by one thousand rocket troops.
"
"Ten thousand horses!" Liu Qishi smiled and seemed very satisfied. He took out two bottles of wine from nowhere and said with a wide grin: "My niece is pretty good. She looks like my younger sibling."
Guo Dajing laughed and said, "Girls, how can they be like their father? How can they get married when they grow up?"
Liu Xingzuo sat down politely and said, "I got a sheep and asked them to groom it. They will bring it over in a while."
Guo Dajing said with a smile: "When I came here, I also brought a deer, which was shot by Mao Shuai and his men. Since there is mutton, I will eat it another day."
"Shuai Mao can be free and at ease again!" Liu Qishi was a little envious and said, "It's not very convenient here on the front line. When I'm on vacation, I have to go hunting happily."