In the Chinese army's tent, Zhang Cheng guessed that after the arrival of the captive chieftain Huang Taiji, the Qing army contracted its defense line and withdrew a large number of Eight Banners elites stationed on Shimen Mountain at a time when the morale of the army was strong and the number of soldiers was overwhelming.
With only the Han army and the Korean army relying on dangerous mountains, they used guns, artillery and firearms to fortify themselves step by step. This was intended to lure the main force of the Ming army to attack, and even lure the Ming army to the gates of Jinzhou City, which would extend the Ming army's front and make it difficult to transport food and grass.
.
Moreover, the whereabouts of a large number of Qing troops were unknown after they withdrew. They were hiding in the dark and must have some agenda.
Furthermore, once our army aiding the Liao Dynasty captured Shimen Mountain and Huangtu Ridge, it would face a major decision. Whether to forcefully cross the Nuer River and attack the north bank to establish a camp would be an extremely critical move.
If Shimen Mountain is to be captured, it is necessary to cross the Nuer River and build a camp on the north bank of the Nuer River. This will not only control the river course and facilitate the transportation of baggage and grain, but also use the north bank camp as a base to gather a large army and go to rescue Jinzhou at any time.
Because once the Ming army stopped at Shimen Mountain, but only crossed the Nerv River alone, and just sat on the mountain to watch the battle, the morale of the defenders in Jinzhou City would be too serious.
However, after the Ming army occupied Shimen Mountain, if they tried to cross the Nvnu River, they would inevitably be attacked by the Qing army. Once they were attacked by the Qing army halfway across the river, the Ming army would have no power to resist and would suffer heavy losses.
Once the situation of fighting across the river is formed, the various units of the Ming army will be scattered in Rufeng Mountain, Shimen Mountain, and Huangtu Ridge. Unlike now, they are tightly gathered around Songshan Fort, and they will be more easily defeated by the Qing army.
Huang Taiji’s abacus was so successful!
After looking at the sand table and pondering for a long time, Zhang Cheng raised his hand and knocked the wooden stick heavily on the loess ridge, and said loudly: "Capture the loess ridge first, not only to threaten the slaves on the east bank of the Xiaoling River, but also to defend the fish market of the Empress' Palace, go north
You can also go to Jiejinwei.
At that time, our army can advance and attack, retreat and defend, and firmly seize the initiative on the Jinzhou battlefield."
He added with a deep look: "I, the officers and men of the Xuanfu Army, will drink from the Xiaoling River and fight to the death with the Tatars under Jinzhou City!"
"Okay, let's fight to the death!"
"...a fight to the death..."
In the military tent, a majestic cheer sounded.
Zhang Cheng's final plan was the final hammer, and the Xuanfu army's strategy was thus determined.
Because of Zhang Cheng's outstanding performance in the previous military discussions, he seems to have become the strategic leader of the Liao army!
Among all the officials and generals in Liaodong today, Zhang Cheng's opinions in military discussions have become extremely important. Generally, it is almost difficult for all officials and generals to oppose the military strategy planned by the Xuanfu Army.
The Xuanfu Army has become the de facto decision-making body of the army aiding the Liao Dynasty.
Zhang Cheng looked at the generals of the Xuanfu in the military tent and said sternly: "Okay, now I ask Wei Zhice to put more thought into it and work with the generals to formulate a detailed strategy for entering the army, taking all possibilities into consideration.
Which part of our Xuanfu army goes to fight, which part covers the flanks, which part goes forward to prevent the Tatars from rescuing, and which part stays behind to guard the camp, all aspects must come up with plans.
No matter how we attack, we must have an echelon. If the attack is not effective for a while, when to replace it, when to reinforce it, how to set up defenses after capturing Huangtu Ridge, whether to take the opportunity to cross the Xiaoling River and advance eastward, etc. must all be considered.
The plan must be as detailed as possible, don’t be afraid of trouble, and don’t miss a step and make a big mistake!”
All the generals responded to the order solemnly, then performed their duties and took action quickly.
Zhang Cheng called He Biao again, and added in particular: "Moreover, He Zhenfu, we must follow up on the things that have passed the examination. The soldiers fought for their lives on the battlefield, but they have merit and cannot be left behind, so as not to get cold."
I have the heart of a loyal and brave soldier."
"He Biao is responsible for his duties, Commander, please rest assured."
There are still not many literati in the Xuanfu army, especially those who are really talented in strategy.
After all, with the qualifications of Zhang Chengxuan's deputy commander-in-chief, it is difficult to recruit real talents. Although it has reached the end of the dynasty, the character of the literati is still there. Even if he joins the shogunate, he will usually choose a governor like Hong Chengchou.
Last but not least, you must serve in the general army of a town, so as not to lose your identity. After all, money is a small matter, but fame is a big deal.
Oh, no.
It should be about saving face!
Now, when the generals in Zhang Cheng's army participate in military discussions, they can enthusiastically offer suggestions and suggestions. However, once the strategy is determined and when it comes time to formulate specific action plans, there are few who can take up this responsibility.
At this time, most of the generals in the Xuanfu army were the only scholars. Wei Zhice came to deal with these details and formulate detailed battle plans.
Wei Zhice therefore became an indispensable figure in the Xuanfu army, just like the chief of staff of the army in later generations.
Zhang Cheng formed his own shogunate not long after he left the town of Xuanbei. However, most of its members were old men in the army who followed him and officials from the Kaiping Wei Si Yamen Office.
At the beginning, Zhang Cheng's temporary shogunate was mainly to coordinate and manage various military and civilian affairs in Xuanbei. At the beginning of the establishment of the shogunate, there were no suitable candidates, so they could only be filled with officials and generals from the Kaiping Guards and around him.
.
After several years of operation, the results have been great, but the main content is focused on political settlement and military training. Now as its strength continues to grow, the wars it participates in are becoming more and more complex each time.
Zhang Cheng vaguely felt that the original shogunate was no longer enough to cope with today's complex situation. He planned to reorganize his shogunate after returning to Xuanfu after completing the Liaodong affairs.
In his vision, this time the shogunate would be divided into several relatively independent branches to respectively preside over civil affairs, garrison administration, finance, military administration and other affairs within their jurisdiction.
The two aspects of military command and intelligence work were put forward separately, and the personnel he selected were responsible for handling these matters independently.
After all, military commanders are on the front line. Those involved in formulating military action plans must be familiar with their own strengths and have timely grasp of battlefield terrain, enemy troop strength and other information, so that they can formulate reasonable advance and retreat strategies.
Intelligence work is the top priority for internal stability, because the intelligence work content designed by Zhang Cheng not only includes spying on enemies and counter-intelligence, but also includes internal surveillance, anti-corruption and other matters.
In the future, he will implement a counselor system and station military counselors within the military at all levels. This will somewhat imitate the military staff form of later generations.
At that time, when the army goes to war, generals at all levels gather together to discuss the strategy of advance and retreat, and then the counselor's office is responsible for formulating specific combat steps, which are finally handed over to generals at all levels for actual execution.
All matters involved in marching and fighting are indeed complicated and cannot be accomplished by oneself, so the counselor's role is particularly important.
Each battalion, department, division, and residence marches and fights in accordance with regulations and systems, which will also be what distinguishes the Xuanfu Army in the future.
In this kind of marching and fighting, every detail is well documented, but even if there is no famous general to command, even if we cannot win every battle, it will be very difficult to fail even once.
Just like today, although the Counselor's Office has not yet been formally established, the generals participating in the military discussions still have to work out every step and detail of the battle with Wei Zhice. This is their responsibility.
In the future, everyone in today's military tent will either lead an army to sit on one side, or lead an army alone to go out to fight. By then, they will also have their own Counselor's Office personnel.
Seeing everyone in the big tent busy with work, Zhang Cheng himself felt relaxed.
Although, in the eyes of the generals in the army, the commander-in-chief is far-sighted and far-sighted.
In fact, Zhang Cheng is the hands-off shopkeeper most of the time!
All you have to do is hold on to the rope by the nose of the morning glory, grasp the main tone, and control the direction. As for the hard work and detailed work, you can leave it to your subordinates. In the end, you will gain a reputation for not taking power.
Zhang Cheng looked at the busy generals and pondered alone for a long time. Then he saw his adopted son Zhang Chengfang walking over, clasping his fists and saying: "Father, Commander Hong sent someone to summon the generals to discuss matters. The time is set at Youshizheng."
Zhang Chengfang is now almost Zhang Cheng's lieutenant general. Although he has not been officially appointed, Lin Fangping has more and more affairs at the Tiger Guard Camp and is completely unable to take care of Zhang Cheng.
And Zhang Jintai didn't pay attention to these matters. He only wanted to enter the Tiger Guard Camp and become a night warrior to find the excitement he had been waiting for for a long time.
There is another person who is two years younger than Zhang Chengfang, named Zhang Mingyuan. He is also an orphan brought back from Mafang, Jibei Province. His real surname is Chen. He took his last name after recognizing Zhang Cheng as his adoptive father.
Zhang Mingyuan is also very clever. Now he and Zhang Chengfang are helping Zhang Cheng with his affairs, acting as his lieutenant and deputy lieutenant officers, and have also begun to get involved in camp affairs, somewhat similar to the secretary-generals of later generations.
Even Zhang Cheng's daily schedule and related activities are arranged by Zhang Chengfang and Zhang Mingyuan.
Zhang Cheng nodded when he heard this. Because the Tatars were in a hurry to attack Jinzhou, Governor Hong Chengchou of Jiliao and others were restless every day. The matter regarding Jinzhou was discussed almost every day, but they were still unable to make a decision.
However, Zhang Cheng knew for sure that the strategy for the Battle of Jinzhou would be decided today.
At this time, Lin Fangping also came over. He said solemnly to Zhang Cheng: "Master Handsome, General Chen Zheng has sent us a message. Recently, the number of Tatar outposts has increased significantly. I guess the Tatars are about to take action!"
Zhang Cheng looked at Lin Fangping and asked with concern: "Send a message to Chen Zheng. He only needs to hold on to Changling Mountain. The Tatars want to seize our food routes. They only need to hold on to Changling Mountain, Wudaoling, and Xingshan Fort."
If it is still in the hands of our army, the Tatar conspiracy will not succeed."
Lin Fangping now not only leads the Tiger Guard Camp, but also has the responsibility of intelligence and surveillance for the entire army. He has also personally led a team into dangerous situations to spy on the Tatar military situation.
The last time Li Changsheng went out on a sentry line, he encountered the Tatar bandit Manchurian Zhenghuang Banner whistle on the road south of the Erhe River. He was just catching up with Lin Fangping returning from his sentry line, and had to quickly rescue him before forcing back the Tatar cavalry that followed.
After that, Zhang Cheng sent an order to stop the distant sentinels and only cover the periphery of our nearby battlefield. However, Lin Fangping was still not allowed to rest. He also had to conduct final analysis and summary of the intelligence from the previous sentinels.
Lin Fangping also said solemnly: "Here, I will send out sentries to convey the commander's wishes to General Chen."
Lin Fangping was different from the other generals of the Xuanfu Army battalions. Although he was the chief general of the Tiger Guard Battalion, he often took his sentries and cavalry into dangerous situations, instead of just hiding in the camp to safely analyze his sentry cavalry at night.
The military information brought back.
Of course, the Tiger Guard Camp is also equipped with a large number of clerical staff. They are actually part of the intelligence department and do not directly participate in sentinels. They only summarize and analyze the military information from the sentinels in the rear military camp and find out valuable information.
content, clues about the enemy, etc.
Intelligence work and document compilation account for a large part.
Zhang Cheng looked at Lin Fangping's leaving back and could still see his fatigue and exhaustion. He couldn't help but think to himself: It's time to find someone to help Lin Fangping share some military duties!
Thinking of this, Zhang Cheng thought of Zhang Jintai, who was still recovering from his injuries. He thought that Zhang Jintai could assist Lin Fangping and take on the task of summarizing and analyzing intelligence first, which could be regarded as an alternative for him to enter the Tiger Guard Camp.
In addition, he felt that it was also time to officially appoint Zhang Jintai as his lieutenant general, so that Lin Fangping could concentrate on the affairs of the Tiger Guard Camp and focus on intelligence work.
…………
Zhang Cheng also had a simple dinner here, and then left the camp with Zhang Chengfang, Zhang Mingyuan, a hundred cavalry guards, the staff general Guo Yingxian, and the two guerrilla generals Zhang Guodong.
Wei Zhice and the generals were still discussing the specific details of the operation and finalizing them one by one.
The general governor, He Biao, also summoned the governors of each battalion to make statistics and records on the previous battalions' battles and outposts, as well as make arrangements for mobilization for the upcoming war.
His department of governors not only monitors generals and sergeants for misdeeds, but also assesses and examines their merits during wartime. This is also their main job.
Another point is comfort, including the care, love and encouragement for the sergeants in peacetime, especially the encouragement of the sergeants during wartime and mobilization before the war, all are within the scope of their responsibilities.
Zhang Cheng rode his horse slowly outside the camp, and a gust of evening wind blew, bringing with it a hint of coolness.
Seeing the sunset filling the sky, burning like fire, and so magnificent, he couldn't help but think to himself: Soon, the hot weather will be over, and the days to come will be easier!
The sound of hoofbeats was heard as horses galloped across the open fields. As far as the eye could see, there were patches of Ming army camps, with flags fluttering like clouds.
At this time, it was the time for each battalion to teach night patrols and issue night calls.
Just listen to the sound of drums, the sound of gold trumpets, and the faint accents of various accents, all of which are the generals of each battalion giving orders: "... officers and soldiers, listen, watch carefully at night... Do not be lazy and make mistakes.
Military law will not spare you...get up..."
Every time an order was given, the accompanying patrolmen responded in unison.
The sound of Diao Dou's teachings also began to ring out, one after another in each camp, as if the world between heaven and earth was filled with the atmosphere of a golden war and an iron horse.
Not far west, Zhang Cheng met Wang Pu, the commander-in-chief of Datong, Chen Jiugao, the commander-in-chief of the front camp of Shenji Camp, and deputy general Fu Yingchong. They all walked together.
Therefore, the front camp of the Shenji Camp at that time was divided into two camps. The commander-in-chief Chen Jiugao and the deputy general Fu Yingchong were each in charge of one battalion, so Fu Yingchong also had to participate in the military meeting.
Like Zhang Cheng, they all brought with them some close officers and generals in the camp, in addition to the accompanying servants and soldiers.