In the main hall of the temporary residence of the governor of Jiliao, Songshan Castle, Ma Ke, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan Pass, faced Zhang Cheng's cross-examination, and even his intestines turned green with regret.
The whole hall was silent, no one said a word. No one thought that Zhang Cheng would be really angry, let alone that he would become angry. It was so terrifying that many people remained silent.
On weekdays, Zhang Cheng always treats people in a friendly manner, which inevitably gives people an illusion and often makes people ignore his other side.
It was not until this moment that everyone in the hall suddenly realized that Zhang Cheng was now holding the most powerful army to aid the Liao Dynasty. He had shot Dorgon with an arrow, killed Ma Zhan in formation, and was a fierce figure under Yue Tuo. Not long ago, his subordinates
Returning to the battlefield, the warrior "Batulu" was beheaded by the captors. The captors were holding a white flag to build the Zhenzhun Pagoda on the mountain's forehead.
How can such a person be someone who can easily twist his beard!
Behind Zhang Cheng, Guo Yingxian and Zhang Guangda also glared at Marco. The majesty of their own generals should not be offended, and the majesty of Xuan's army officers should not be violated either.
Amidst the eerie silence in the hall, a voice rang out, but it was Wang Pu, the commander-in-chief of Datong, who said: "This is so outrageous!"
He came out angrily and continued: "It's really outrageous. In military discussions, everyone should express his own opinions and speak freely. The strategy of war and defense mentioned by General Zhang is a plan for the safety of our army and a plan for the future of the Ming Dynasty.
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General Zhang, who is so determined to serve the country, is so harassed and harassed, and suspected of having ulterior motives, is really chilling!"
Wang Pu's words stirred up a thousand waves, and all the officials in the palace started talking one after another. They all felt that Ma Ke was indeed a little unreasonable.
Chen Jiugao, the commander of the front camp of Shenji Camp, also woke up at this time. He kept saying: "Indeed, indeed, this is so outrageous, it is really chilling."
Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming also frowned and said: "If there are any objections, Commander-in-Chief Ma can be very verbal and make suggestions for my army to aid the Liao Dynasty. How can it be the way of a general to be so harsh and mean?"
He has a heroic personality, and he cannot stand looking at Marco's villainous behavior. What's more, he also has two battalions of infantry lent to him by Zhang Cheng. No matter what, he must speak to Zhang Cheng and declare that he is one.
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At this time, a voice from the top came leisurely: "This is nonsense. If you have any military plans for the war, you can tell them directly here. The war situation is changing rapidly, how can you have time to talk nonsense here.
Do you know where this place is?
This is the governor's residence, where military aircraft are discussed, not a bartending wine tavern where you can indulge in drinking, getting drunk, and misbehaving!"
It was the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi who suddenly raised his voice and spoke in a sinister tone. In and out of his words, he actually talked about Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao.
Zhang Ruoqi didn't seem to want to let Ma Ke go. He sat upright, turned his head with bright eyes, and continued in a cold and gloomy tone: "If Mr. Ma has a good idea, he would like to offer it to Governor Hong."
, you can say it here so that everyone can plan together.
If we don’t have any military strategy suggestions, how can we covet the advantage of words and make such hasty remarks and say such words that chill our colleagues? Isn’t it a sin?”
Governor Hong Chengchou was called out by Zhang Ruoqi twice, and he frowned. He was about to speak when Zhang Ruoqi shouted from the side: "General Ma, you are acting like this, do you still have Governor Hong in your eyes?"
Qiu Minyang, the governor of Liaodong, was shocked when he heard this and looked at Hong Chengchou with a furrowed brow. He was worried that if Zhang Ruoqi continued to drag on, things would get worse, but he couldn't say a word to remind the governor, so he was secretly anxious in his heart.
Zhang Dou, the military commander, Yao Gong, the deputy envoy, Yuan Guodong, the general judge, and others looked at Zhang Cheng with some surprise. Only today did they know that Zhang Cheng's temper was so terrifying.
Liu Zhaoji, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, touched his beard on his chin and said to Ma Ke: "Old Ma, I can't even stand your words when you talk like that."
Zuo Guangxian, who had a disheveled beard and hair, also said angrily: "That's right, if you have something to say, just say it properly. It will not be pleasing to a certain family if you carry a knife and a stick like this!"
At this moment, Marco's heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar, and chills rose up his back.
He did not expect that he would be so persecuted by Zhang Cheng today, and that there were so many people in the main hall, but no one would stand up for him or speak for him. He was like the target of a thousand people, which made him very frustrated.
Ma Ke was also followed by a deputy general from Shanhaiguan. He also felt humiliated because of this and stood there motionless to avoid attracting others' attention to his presence.
In the end, Ma Ke had no choice but to look at Wu Sangui, Tang Tong and others beside him for help.
Wu Sangui didn't want to get into this muddy water. Although he couldn't bear to see Zhang Cheng becoming more and more outstanding, after all, he and Zhang Cheng had a planned in-depth cooperation on cigarettes, so it was always difficult to break up.
What's more, he wanted to compete with Zhang Cheng openly and openly in the military, instead of showing off his rhetoric like Ma Ke.
But when he moved his eyes, he saw Governor Qiu Minyang giving him a wink, and with understanding, he said with a solemn face: "Shuai Ma also made a mistake for a moment, why don't you apologize to General Zhongchen quickly?
Mr. Zhang is kind-hearted and magnanimous, so I will definitely not blame you."
Miyun Commander-in-Chief Tang Tong also tried to smooth things over and said: "Yes, yes, apologize quickly. Commander-in-Chief Zhang is magnanimous and will not argue with you anymore. Let it go... let it go..."
Hearing this, Ma Ke seemed to be unwilling. He looked at Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao who was sitting in the first place, but he saw that Hong Chengchou looked very unhappy and said in a deep voice: "General Ma, you haven't confessed to General Zhang yet."
, why hesitate there?”
He took advantage of the opportunity to look at the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi, and saw that his face was still full of gloom and displeasure.
Suddenly, Marco's face was filled with a smile. He raised his hands on the left and right faces, lightly slapped his mouth twice, and said: "Look at my foul mouth, I really deserve a slap, I deserve a slap."
Then, he bowed to Zhang Cheng again and again, smiled apologetically and said: "I am a straightforward person, and I don't mean what I say. Don't blame me, Mr. Zhang. Don't blame me."
Seeing that he could still laugh at this moment, everyone in the palace couldn't help but admire his thick skin. Even Wu Sangui, Tang Tong and others couldn't help but turn away and look elsewhere.
Zhang Cheng opened his eyes wide and stared at him for a while, then a smile appeared on his face and he said loudly: "We have traveled thousands of miles to aid Liaodong, all to understand the siege of Jinzhou.
What's more, the Tatar thieves are our enemies. It's too late for me and Marshal Ma to get close to each other, so how can I blame Marshal Ma?
Everyone is doing it for the imperial court and understanding Jinwei, so some disputes are inevitable."
The two of them hugged each other and saluted each other, talking and laughing, as if the incident just now had never happened at all.
Everyone in the hall was relieved to see them like this. The matter was finally over. When Zhang Cheng's anger broke out just now, everyone felt trembling with fear. It was simply too scary!
Hong Chengchou also said to everyone with a serious face: "Let's let this matter go. If it happens again, I will not forgive you."
Zhang Ruoqi looked at Zhang Cheng again and again thoughtfully, with very complicated emotions in his eyes. He warned in a stern tone that it was okay to argue during the military meeting, but he must not lie with his words. Otherwise, if he misses the important military and national affairs, he
The supervisor will definitely write a letter of impeachment.
Ma Ke had become very obedient at this time, nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice, and said: "Yes...yes, I will definitely remember the teachings of Director Hong and Director Zhang and never forget them."
Zhang Ruoqi saw that Ma Ke had already relented, and that Hong Chengchou was indeed stable and did not bother with him twice, so he stopped delving into the matter, lest it cause a big fight and cause confrontation between the generals, which would be detrimental to the war in Liaodong.
He stroked his long beard and laughed, and said loudly: "Okay, okay. Some disputes among colleagues are completely normal. As long as it is not a dispute of temper, they are welcome. Now that the military situation is urgent, everyone should continue
Let’s discuss the matter.”
Hong Chengchou no longer struggled with the matter. He coughed first, then looked at Zhang Cheng and asked: "Just now, General Zhongchen thought that our division should stabilize the front, but how can we prevent slaves from attacking reinforcements and make Jinzhou worry-free? Please give me more details."
Talk about it."
After all, as the governor of Jiliao, he shouldered the great responsibility of guarding the captives in Liaodong. Now, the Ming and Qing countries surrounded a Jinzhou city and gathered hundreds of thousands of the most elite troops from the two countries.
A decisive battle is brewing here, a battle for the fate of the country that will change history!
Although Emperor Chongzhen and the Ministry of War have repeatedly pressed for a decisive battle, Hong Chengchou has been dormant since his previous attack was frustrated, waiting for good opportunities, and only sent out small groups of infantry and cavalry every day to harass the Qing army.
Just imagine, there were more than 150,000 Ming Dynasty troops at that time, fighting against a Qing army of only 60,000 to 70,000 troops. Although the post-war summary showed that the Qing army's captives and cavalry were severely damaged, they still failed to break through the Qing army's defense line. Jinwei
Difficult to understand.
After that, the Qing army shrank its defense line and defended the fortress. Hong Chengchou attacked fiercely for two days in a row, but failed, so he switched to the current method, mainly harassing small groups and supplementing by surprise attacks by large groups. However, the Qing army did not appear.
The battalion pursued, but failed to achieve their goals.
However, in the face of the pressure from the Ministry of War, especially the fact that Emperor Chongzhen was behind Chen Xinjia, the emperor's power was too strong. Hong Chengchou was worried about this and could not sleep at night.
It happened that the point of view put forward by Zhang Cheng today coincided with his intention. Just when he was feeling happy, his rhythm was disrupted by Ma Ke's sudden ridicule. How could he not be annoyed?
But for the sake of the Liaodong military, he endured it again and again. Even if Zhang Ruoqi used the topic to make sarcastic remarks, he was completely unaware of it. He just didn't want to cause any more trouble.
At this time, when he saw that the incident had subsided, he hurriedly asked questions, fearing that he would be disturbed by any sudden incident again.
Zhang Cheng nodded when he heard this, and after saluting, he said: "The intention of the captives to gather around for reinforcements is very obvious, and there is no need to elaborate further.
But how can I, my teacher, be led by their noses?
Besides, our king's division has hundreds of thousands of brave soldiers here. How can he dare to attack Jinzhou City with all his strength? Isn't he afraid that I will wait for the whole division to attack when the attack on the city becomes difficult?
At that time, the bandits had been attacking the city for a long time and were exhausted and weak. Our master and our ancestors were attacking from both sides. How could they hold on?"
Zhang Cheng paused for a moment before saying, "Now, our division must change from attack to defense. Tens of thousands of thieves and horses are here. They consume a huge amount of food every day. They will not be able to last for ten days."
They will definitely come to attack me."
Wu Sangui was already looking at Zhang Cheng with admiration at this moment. He had been listening carefully and suddenly asked: "I dare to ask General Zhongchen, my army is gathered here, so I am not afraid of slaves and thieves.
But if slave thieves are always treacherous, especially Hongtai, the leader of the captives, is the most cunning, we must prevent him from dividing his troops and robbing our division's food channels!"
Zhang Cheng clasped his fists and said with a smile: "General Chang Bo is wise and knowledgeable. He deserves to be a tiger general in the world and a leader in Liaodong!"
Everyone in the hall laughed. Wu Sangui was a little surprised to be praised so much by Zhang Cheng. Suddenly aware of his own mentality, he couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart.
Zhang Cheng continued: "Indeed, an army of slaves and thieves has gathered outside Jinzhou City. If they see my king's army setting up camp around Songshan, like a hedgehog unable to eat, they will definitely find another way.
The weakness of our division is the same as that of the bandits. They have long grain roads. In addition to the difficulty of transporting grain, they are also afraid of being intercepted by sneak attacks. The bandits have many cavalry and are good at field battles. Their advantage is that they come and go like the wind and arrive suddenly.
It’s impossible to guard against it.”
He added: "And our division's food route is divided into two routes: land and sea, and one route is sea. It is relatively safe. It is only a place for storing food and transferring it at the mouth of Xiaoling River. There is a fear of bandits riding across the river to sneak attack, so we still need to strengthen the protection of troops.
In addition, the land route has a long grain road and cannot be fortified everywhere. However, the three forts at Xingshan, Gaoqiao, and Tashan must be ensured without loss. There is also Bijia Mountain, which is a key place for our army to store grain."
"The scouts learned that the bandits had an army stationed on the banks of the Nerv River in Jinxi, with a strength of about 30,000. And from the Nerv River to Xingshan there was a flat land. Most of the slaves' cavalry consisted of one man and two men.
Therefore, we need to send another general to Tashan to guard it to prevent the cavalry from taking advantage of our food route. After all, stocking up on Beacon Mountain is the lifeblood of our army."
Hong Chengchou was thoughtful, and after a moment, he pondered: "In this way, what General Zhongchen said is indeed a wise man, which shows that he is experienced in planning for the country. What do the supervisors think?"
Hong Chengchou stopped the discussion among the generals at the right time and kicked the ball to Zhang Ruoqi, the commander-in-chief. At this moment, Zhang Cheng analyzed the strategy of encircling the captives and attacking reinforcements so thoroughly that even a fool could understand it.
Zhang Ruoqi knew that at this time, the captive chieftain Hong Taiqin was coming, and all the men in his country came to the Songjin front line. Especially after hearing what Zhang Cheng said just now, if he continued to press the battle blindly, he might make all the soldiers feel resentful.
He thought for a while and said: "Since entering the Liao Dynasty, our army has fought against the Tatars many times and won consecutive battles. I have seen with my own eyes the bravery of the soldiers.
However, after the continuous battle, the soldiers were exhausted and exhausted. According to my opinion, the troops should be temporarily suspended for a few days so that the soldiers can rest. After regaining their physical strength, they can advance bravely and relieve the siege of Jinzhou in one fell swoop.
What does Governor Hong think?"
Hong Chengchou had no objection to this, so he immediately decided to hold on to the camp, rest and recuperate the soldiers, waiting to observe the actions of the captors, and then make a decision on how to break the siege of Jinzhou.
It’s just that we can’t decide for the moment who to send to guard the grain road at Tashan Fort and guard the important grain storage area in Beacon Mountain!