In the temporary headquarters of Governor Ji Liao in Songshan Fort City, the generals of the various towns gathered together in small groups to talk about the war in the past few days. Basically, two small circles were formed with Zhang Cheng and Wu Sangui as the center.
I remember that when he first arrived in Liaodong, Zhang Cheng only had Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu and a few other people around him, and there were also Fu Yingchong, Guo Yingxian and other deputy generals who were close to him.
At that time, it was he who took the initiative to move closer to Yang Guozhu's side. After all, although he formed his own army, he was still nominally the deputy commander-in-chief of Xuanzang and was still under the command of Yang Guozhu.
At that time, three small circles were formed centered on Yang Guozhu of Xuanzhen, Wu Sangui of Liaodong, and Bai Guangen of Jizhen. However, Chen Jiugao, the commander-in-chief of the front camp of Shenji Camp, was able to navigate these three circles with ease, and all parties got along well with him.
After all, no one wanted to offend him, a popular person in the Beijing camp. Although he was popular there, Chen Jiugao was quite nostalgic and was still closest to Zhang Cheng.
Especially now, he is inseparable from Zhang Cheng, sticking to Zhang Cheng's side whenever they meet. Zhang Cheng's weight and importance in his heart even exceeds that of the Commander-in-Chief Zhang Ruoqi.
Furthermore, Li Fuming, the commander-in-chief of Shanxi Province, is now very close to Zhang Cheng. The last time he tried to seize the troops in Xuanzang but failed, he was really upset for a while, and he secretly hated Zhang Cheng because of this.
But what he didn't expect was that after Zhang Cheng received a secret letter from Chen Xinjia, the court promised him to temporarily act as the commander-in-chief of Xuanzhen, and would issue an order to appoint him as the commander-in-chief of Xuanzhen when the Liao Dynasty was over.
Until Li Fuming took the initiative to show his kindness.
Zhang Cheng told Li Fuming in private that the officers of the three towns of Xuanda and his troops would come as one, and if he was ordered to command the troops and horses of Xuanzhen to aid the Liao in the future, he would not sit back and let Li Fuming have no troops to use.
He further stated that after all matters were agreed upon, not only would one and two battalions of Xuanzang soldiers and horses be assigned to Li Fuming for temporary command, but he would also advance and retreat with them in future wars and share the merits and demerits.
Faced with Zhang Cheng's promise, Li Fuming was naturally elated. He felt like he wanted to give birth to a daughter immediately so that he could repay Zhang Cheng's support.
It's a pity that he also knows that this is just a fantasy. Even if he has time to give birth, it will be at least ten years later. By then, he still doesn't know whether Zhang Cheng likes him or not!
In the camp hall, Datong Commander-in-Chief Wang Pu, Shenji Camp Front Camp Commander Chen Jiugao, and Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming all gathered around Zhang Cheng, whispering about how to attack the Tatar positions.
This kind of topic is naturally inseparable from the artillery of the Shenji Battalion. Every time he talks about the bombardment of the Qing army's position at the Empress Temple in the previous war, he burst into laughter from time to time.
Because the artillery carriages of Zhang Cheng's carriage camp only had a small test of their skills during the previous war and did not exert their due power in the real war, they were instead ignored by them.
Chen Jiugao seemed to have regained the long-lost feeling, and was quite content with the praises of everyone. He seemed to be back to the way he was when he first met Zhang Cheng, talking to Wang Pu, Li Fuming and others, and even promised to support them with powerful artillery when the battle comes.
Two towns of soldiers and horses.
Although Wang Pu also looked forward to the artillery support from the Shenji Battalion, he also hoped that when the battle against the captives was on the battlefield, his Datong Army would be able to kill the slaves side by side with the Xuan Army.
Thinking of Li Fuming's battle with the bandits, the whole army almost collapsed. Fortunately, Zhang Cheng led his Xuanbei Army's infantry and cavalry to arrive in time. Otherwise, not only the Shanxi troops and horses would be routed but also Li Fuming himself might not have been able to save his life.
However, Zhang Cheng's Xuanbei army and horses drove the chariots forward quickly, which solved Li Fuming's critical situation, and even pursued the Tatar thieves all the way. Looking at the more than ten generals inside and outside Songshan City, who else has such a powerful army and horses?
The greatest achievement of this time was to kill two members of the Tartar bandit Gushan Ezhen. One was the Xuanfu counselor Guo Yingxian who killed He Luohui, and the second was the Xuanfu guerrilla Zhang Guangda who killed Zhun Ta.
If compared, Zhang Guangda seems to be even better, then Tong Jia Zhun Pagoda is the Manchurian Zhengbai Flag Gushan Ezhen, and that is the Manchurian "Batulu" personally sealed by the slave chief Huang Taiji!
How can this be compared to the Mongolian Zhenghuang Banner Gushan Mountain Real Heluohui?
Even if He Luohui is also a Manchurian bandit, so what?
He is not "Baturu" after all!
Even though Wang Pu is not good at running an army and fighting, he still has some abilities. Just like Chen Jiugao and Fu Yingchong are good at socializing. This Wang Pu is not only good at socializing, but also has a good vision.
After all, he is also a general who has led the army for many years. Although he does not have any decent achievements to show for it, just because he has never eaten pork does not mean that he has never seen a pig running!
At the same time, Wang Pu's inability to manage the army is not because of lack of ability. He is just unwilling to give up money and grain to support the army. Just like other commanders in various places, he embezzled and deducted the pitiful military pay, money and grain, and then used most of it to support some
Servants serve as thugs and guards.
In fact, the clever Wang Pu has the most lively mind. He typically doesn't like the things that are in front of him. Such people are very discerning.
He had also long seen that Zhang Cheng's troops and horses were different. Not to mention the armor and weapons, chariots and cannons, but also the spirit of the sergeants of the Northern Army battalions. With a little refreshment, he would naturally find out that they were different from other battalions.
The difference between soldiers.
It's just that some people regard Zhang Cheng as an alternative, or even as a threat to themselves and others, and turn a blind eye to the strong military performance of his soldiers.
Wang Puke didn't care about that, what's more, he had already known Zhang Cheng as early as the eleventh year of Chongzhen, and they were both members of the Xuanda army, so they were a family.
According to Wang Pu: How can one family speak the same language as two different families?
So this time, he decided no matter what, he would never leave Zhang Cheng's side again.
At the same time, Wang Pu also saw the perseverance and tenacious combat effectiveness of the new army trained by Yang Guozhu. If it were his own soldiers and horses, they would have been defeated by the attack of the captive cavalry, and they would not be able to wait for Zhang Chengxuan's northern army.
Come to the rescue.
Therefore, he also secretly decided that after his aid to the Liao Dynasty was completed and he returned to Datong Town, even if he spent some money, he would follow Yang Guozhu's example and train a new army that could fight and dare to fight.
Although several people have their own small thoughts, the central issue is still how to solve the siege of Jinzhou.
Zhang Cheng, who had been deep in thought while a few people were chatting, suddenly said: "Although there are few bandit enemies in Shimen Mountain, the walls of the village are strong and it is located high up. It is indeed an easy-to-defend but difficult-to-attack place."
Wang Pu nodded at the side and responded: "In addition to the strong walls, wide and deep trenches, and the tricky bows and arrows of the thieves slaves, it is most difficult to defend. Now there are more cannon operators, making it even more difficult to attack."
In the past few days, he and Zhang Cheng attacked the Qing army's positions in Huangtuling, and he deeply felt that he was powerless. Before, he didn't pay much attention to guns and artillery, thinking that those gadgets were flashy and were just like burning money when used.
But he did not expect that the Tatar formation now actually had such cannons and cannons. In the past few days, they had taken turns attacking Huangtu Ridge, and his Datong army could not advance at all. They were bombarded by the cannons and cannons of the Qing army early on.
On the contrary, the infantry under Zhang Cheng's command pushed a light artillery cart, or a few people carried small cannons, and they rushed forward and dared to fight against the Tatars. Moreover, he even discovered that the guns and artillery used by Zhang Cheng's soldiers were extremely sophisticated.
Not only did the fire cannons hit very far, but the cannons and cannons in his camp rarely had any concerns about exploding their barrels. They fired continuously, taking turns, without stopping for half an hour.
It’s simply breathtaking and incredible!
Now that I have suffered a loss, I have discovered that compared to the combat effectiveness of Zhang Cheng's Xuanbei Army, my own Datong Army is really too weak.
His army was an old-style Ming army. It relied on only a few servants as its core combat force and led a group of soldiers to fight. When faced with the powerful Qing soldiers, they often lost more than they won.
In the past, he could rely on the few three-eyed muskets and small cannons to form a defensive formation, but now the Tatars' muskets were more powerful than his own, which made him deeply frustrated.
If you don't change the equipment and morale of your soldiers, there will be no war in the future!
Especially in this Songjin battle, not only compared with Zhang Cheng's Xuanbei Army, but also compared with the new army trained by Yang Guozhu, the gap has been clearly exposed.
He and Yang Guozhu were both experienced officers and generals, and his Datong Town was also a big town, but it was increasingly being left behind by everyone. This made Wang Pu deeply stimulated?
He decided that after the Songjin War here was over, he would return to Datong Town and find ways to organize a new army. Even if it was not comparable to Zhang Cheng's army, it would at least have the combat power of Yang Guozhu's new army.
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At the same time, he also secretly decided that after this battle, he would go to Xuanfu Town to find Zhang Cheng and befriend him, and it would be best to get some sophisticated guns and cannons from him.
Individuals were chatting here, while on the other side, Ningyuan regiment training commander Wu Sangui was surrounded by some military generals, such as Shanhaiguan commander Ma Ke, Liaodong deputy general Zu Dale, etc. They all gathered around him and chatted together.
Not to mention Liu Zhaoji, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, although he was worried that Wu Sangui might replace him in the future, so he secretly had a lot of contact with Zhang Cheng. He wanted to leave a way out for himself.
If in the future I am really suppressed and ostracized so much in Liaodong that I cannot stay any longer, I hope I can find a place to stay. Even if I am not doing it for myself, I must consider it for the sake of the brothers who have been following me for many years.
In his opinion, Zhang Cheng and Wu Sangui are about the same age, and they are basically equally matched in terms of personal ability and reputation.
Although it seems that Zhang Cheng is slightly better at the moment, Liu Zhaoji does know that Wu Sangui comes from a family of military leaders in Liao Town, and has the support of his ancestral family behind him.
What's more, Wu Sangui is also a student of Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao. His future is really unlimited. Maybe he has accumulated a lot of experience. In the future, with the support of the Wu family, the ancestral family and other local powerful factions, and the help of Hong Chengchou, Liaodong may finally have the surname Wu.
How can you have your own space then?
But even so, he still chose to move closer to Zhang Cheng secretly. After more than a month of observation, Liu Zhaoji felt that Zhang Cheng treated his soldiers well, and the Xuanfu was far away from Liaodong, so it would not be affected by the Wu and Zu forces.
Constraints.
Although Liu Zhaoji had this thought in his mind, he still had to do the superficial work. When the day came, he couldn't completely break up with Wu Sangui.
Even Bai Guangen, the commander-in-chief of Jizhen, and Tang Tong, the commander-in-chief of Miyun, are moving closer to Wu Sangui. They and Wu Sangui are under the same rule as Governor Ji Liao, so they are naturally closer.
Furthermore, if a person with a bright future like Wu Sangui is given the opportunity, who would not take the initiative to make friends with him?
For no other reason, let alone whether you can borrow strength, even if it is to form such a good relationship for your descendants, it is not a good thing. After all, they are all people who fight for their lives on the battlefield. No one dares to conclude that they will not die on the battlefield.
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Just like Yang Guozhu, the commander-in-chief of Xuanzhen, what will happen to the family members and children?
You may not have noticed that Yang Guozhu took great care of Zhang Cheng during his lifetime. Judging from Zhang Cheng's actions, it is natural that he would not make things difficult for Yang Guozhu's family, and would even take good care of him.
Nowadays, while I still have some ability, I want to expand my network and make good friends, not only for myself, but also for my family and children, and for the future.
This is just like betting, no one knows whether they will win the lottery before opening the lottery!
But as long as you place a bet, it is like placing a bet. Once you win, you will gain a lot. If you are bold and cautious, just bet one bet. If you are timid and cautious, just bet a few more bets.
Cao Bianjiao, the commander-in-chief of the ASEAN Association, and Wang Tingchen, the former commander-in-chief of the garrison, were chatting at their original positions. They did not take sides. Perhaps in their hearts, only the governor-general Hong Chengchou was worthy of their following.
The generals here were noisy and burst out laughing from time to time, especially the heartless laughter bursting out from Guo Yingxian's rough voice. It was quite contagious and added a bit of joy to Zhang Cheng's side.
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On the other hand, the civilian officials on the opposite side were much deserted. They sometimes looked sideways at the military attachés and generals on this side, their eyes full of contempt.
Suddenly, the inner door of the hall opened, revealing a group of elite warriors wearing helmets and armor. Their boots made a "pat-pat-pat" sound on the ground. They stood in awe on both sides.
After a while, Governor of Jiliao Hong Chengchou, Commander-in-Chief of Military Affairs Zhang Ruoqi, and Governor of Liaodong Qiu Minyang came from the inner room.
There was a big tiger-skin chair in the middle of the room. Hong Chengchou walked up to the chair and glanced at all the officials and generals of His Highness with piercing eyes. Then he lifted up his robe and sat down firmly. His expression was still so elegant, and there was no trace of it.
Expressions of joy and sorrow.
Then Zhang Ruoqi and Qiu Minyang also came forward and sat down on either side of Hong Chengchou, their leader. Their faces were quite happy, especially Zhang Ruoqi's eyebrows were raised, and the corners of his mouth were also raised, very proudly.
appearance.
Ever since he learned from his own soldier Chen Xinjia that he was going to be assigned to supervise the army in Liaodong, he had been imagining all the time that he would rebuke Fang Qiu in Liaodong, defeat the Tartars, and shock the capital.
Even when I am sleepless late at night, I imagine that I will go to the palace to pay homage to the Prime Minister in the future. The feeling of being inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people is really like drinking sweet wine, eating delicious food, and feeling like a spring breeze.
Every time late at night, when this feeling came over him, he would feel as if he was drunk. He would sit in his room and dream for a long time, so that the next day his eyes would be red, and it would seem that he had not slept all night.
Now he was working hard. Although the light in his eyes was a little dim, his three beards were still neatly groomed. Compared with Hong Chengchou, he still looked elegant.