Chapter 151: General Loyalty, Can There Be Countermeasures
Wang Pu, the commander-in-chief of Datong, brought his general Wang Xi, Chen Jiugao brought his general Chen Shihu, and Fu Yingchong also brought his general Lin Jinsi.
At this time, it was a common phenomenon among the officers and soldiers of various towns in the Ming Dynasty to support family members. What followed was the rise of personal generals. The chief soldiers, deputy generals, and even generals of each town promoted their own sons and nephews as generals.
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The worst thing is to choose those loyal subordinates who have followed you for many years and have clean and reliable status to serve as generals and lead your own servants and elite knights. This is the core combat force of an army.
Just like Zhang Cheng, he was originally the personal general of Zhang Cheng, the commander of the right-wing battalion of Xuanfu Town, and was responsible for commanding the most powerful thousand headquarters elite cavalry under Zhang Yan.
At this time, Zhang Cheng was already the chief military officer of Xuanfu Town. Although he was younger, he was second to none in terms of military strength and Xuanfu Town's status among other towns.
The whole group was obviously headed by Zhang Cheng. Even the generals brought by Wang Pu, Chen Jiugao, Fu Yingchong and others were very respectful when they met Zhang Cheng. Only Guo Yingxian was always heartless and even looked at Zhang Cheng.
Tsukuru is the little brother from back then.
As he approached the south gate of Songshanbao City, he happened to meet Zhang Ruoqi, the commander-in-chief of the army, who was coming towards him. He was accompanied by Shanxi general Li Fuming, who was accompanying him, and his general Li Yunshu, who led more than a hundred soldiers to accompany him.
During this period, Li Fuming had been stationed at the mouth of the Xiaoling River. He was very courteous to Zhang Ruoqi and had completely attached himself to the commander-in-chief of the Liao Dynasty's division.
When he saw Zhang Cheng and a group of people, he rushed forward with a big smile, and exchanged greetings with Zhang Cheng very enthusiastically, with a hint of friendship in his words.
The reason why he did this was not only that Zhang Cheng dispatched two battalions of Xuanfu troops to give him temporary control, but also because Zhang Ruoqi agreed to recommend him to return to Shanxi to take up the post of chief military officer after the war in Liaodong was resolved.
Li Fuming knew very well how important Zhang Cheng was in Xuanda. Even when he was the deputy commander-in-chief, he was almost the most powerful person.
What's more, he still has the favor of Emperor Chongzhen in the court, and the care of his own soldier Chen Xinjia. The successive governors of Xuanda are also polite to him. If Li Fuming wants to gain a foothold in Shanxi, he will definitely need Zhang Cheng's support.
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Furthermore, if he really serves as the commander-in-chief of Shanxi Province in the future, he will be regarded as the first line of Xuanda.
Although he was born in Liaodong, he is now on the decline, and the local officials in Liaodong will become more and more alienated from him. Under this situation, he also needs to consider his own interests.
To ensure your own interests, you must invest in a team. Only with the support of your own faction can you ensure your own interests. Neutral results are often rejected by all parties.
Having the same idea as Li Fuming is Liu Zhaoji, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong. In addition to his positive performance recently, he has also been moving closer to the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi.
The motivation for this was entirely due to the governor of Jiliao, Hong Chengchou, who intended to let Wu Sangui replace Liu Zhaoji in order to rectify the power of the generals in western Liaoning.
Although Liu Zhaoji didn't say anything about this, he was naturally not willing to do so in his heart. His favorable impression of Hong Chengchou was also decreasing day by day, but he was powerless.
Just because Wu Sangui was popular in Liaodong, had outstanding connections, and had the support of his ancestral family behind him, Liu Zhaoji was unable to compete with him. However, the arrival of Zhang Ruoqi gave Liu Zhaoji some opportunities.
After all, Zhang Ruolin can be considered a member of Chen Xinjia, Minister of War!
Zhang Ruoqi was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Liao King's Division. He was an official appointed by the emperor and a doctor in the Ministry of War. He had the support of his own soldier Chen Xinjia. It was no wonder that Liu Zhaoji was cautious.
Because the replacement of the commander-in-chief of a town requires court approval, it is obvious that the opinion of Chen Xinjia, Secretary of the Ministry of War, is of vital importance.
Privately, he secretly moved closer to Zhang Ruoqi. However, Zhang Ruoqi first arrived in Liaodong. Although he was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the army, he did not know whether he sincerely surrendered to him, and he did not give him a good look at the beginning.
But under the corrosion of Liu Zhaoji's sugar-coated bullets, it finally collapsed. He even more swore that there was no need to worry about this. As long as he performed well and successfully fought the Liaodong war, his position as commander-in-chief would not be lost.
Commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi and Yan Xiaoyan greeted Zhang Cheng and other generals.
He wore official uniform today and came all the way from Xiaolinghekou. He looked a bit dusty, but the three strands of beard on his chin were still neatly groomed. He was surrounded by some so-called staff and personal guards, cheering and cheering.
It's quite stylish.
However, although his words were quite cordial, Zhang Cheng still felt a trace of anxiety in his heart.
Obviously, the current focus and changes in the war in Jinzhou have caused great confusion to him.
Sure enough, after a brief exchange of greetings, Commander-in-Chief Zhang Ruoqi couldn't wait to ask Zhang Cheng: "Now that Jinzhou is in crisis, no more disputes can be tolerated. I wonder what General Zhongchen can do to deal with it?"
Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of the Ningyuan regiment, had personally requested Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, to immediately send troops to help Jinzhou in danger several times, but Zhang Cheng dissuaded him.
However, judging from the current situation, it cannot be delayed any longer.
Zhang Chenglue replied somewhat tactfully: "Director Zhang, please rest assured. Jinzhou has already made up his mind on the strategy for dealing with it, and we may be able to decide on it today."
When Zhang Ruoqi heard what Zhang Cheng said, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said repeatedly: "Okay, okay, that's good..."
He is indeed a little impatient, although now he has become in favor of a prudent and long-term strategy, but if it is really prudent, Jinzhou will fall.
This consequence was something Zhang Ruoqi could not afford, so when he heard Zhang Cheng's words, he couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.
Moreover, although Zhang Ruoqi serves as a doctor in the Ministry of War, he is not a person who truly knows the military.
The reason why he came to Liaodong to serve as the commander-in-chief of the army was just to help Chen Xinjia, his own soldier, to urge Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, to fight quickly.
Therefore, although Zhang Ruoqi was nominally praising Hong Chengchou's strategy, in fact he really didn't know much about military matters.
But now it is very different from the past, because the emergence of Zhang Cheng no longer allows Zhang Ruoqi to act like he did in history.
Therefore, the current war in Jinzhou still depends on the opinions of Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, and Zhang Cheng, the deputy commander-in-chief.
And because Zhang Cheng had the powerful Xuanfu army at his disposal, and the support of several generals such as Wang Pu, Chen Jiugao, Li Fuming, etc., the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi also pissed in the same crotch as Zhang Cheng.
Therefore, his weight in the military deliberations was unknowingly comparable to that of Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao.
As long as Zhang Cheng is firmly opposed to something, it will never be reached during the military meeting. Only something Zhang Cheng approves of can be implemented.
In this regard, Hong Chengchou, who was the governor of Jiliao, was very annoyed, but he was somewhat powerless. Zhang Cheng and Zhang Ruoqi's singing and singing was a great constraint for him, especially Ma Shaoyu, who joined the army and would cooperate with the two of them from time to time.
Everyone greeted each other and entered Songshan Castle.
On the way, Zhang Ruoqi, Wang Pu and others couldn't help but ask about the strategy of the Jinzhou war, but Zhang Cheng simply introduced his ideas to them.
Several people did not know the specific movements of the Tatar bandits, so they could not explain in detail Zhang Cheng's marching strategy for the time being, but out of trust in Zhang Cheng, they did not put forward any opinions.
Wang Pu even vowed to guard the flanks of Zhang Cheng's Xuanfu Army. In fact, his real idea was to fight side by side with Zhang Cheng's Xuanfu Army. He believed that only in this way could he feel safe.
Zhang Cheng shook his head and said: "Although there are far fewer Tatars on Shimen Mountain and Loess Ridge, the number of Han and Korean troops has increased. Moreover, the fortress walls are strong, there are many cannons and cannons, and they are located high up, so it is not easy to attack.
What’s more, I’m afraid that during the attack, the Tatar cavalry will suddenly appear again. I’m afraid it won’t be easy to decide on this candidate!”
Li Fuming also nodded in agreement and said: "The walls of the bandit slaves' stronghold are strong, the trenches are deep and wide, and they are located in a condescending position. It is really difficult to attack."
In the battle when he first arrived in Songshan that day, he and Yang Guozhu's troops attacked West Shimen, and he felt deeply that he was powerless.
Although Yang Guozhu, the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu Town, died for the country in this battle, the officers and soldiers of Xuanfu Town did win a victory. Their own casualties were comparable to those of the Tatars, and they killed one of the Tatars, Gushan Ezhen.
It is truly a great achievement.
Li Fuming's nearly 10,000 soldiers and horses were not only unable to advance under the blockage of the Tatars, but also almost collapsed. This made him feel that his army and horses were too weak.
His armies were all of the old Ming style, relying only on their elite servants to advance bravely. Once they faced the powerful Qing army's elite cavalry, they often lost more than they won.
Although Li Fuming often charged forward bravely, the effect was not obvious. This was the key point that made him deeply frustrated.
Especially this Songjin battle, not to mention compared with the elite warriors under Zhang Cheng's command.
Even compared with the soldiers under Yang Guozhu, Wang Pu and others, the gap is already obvious.
He and Yang Guozhu were both veterans of the war, and Shanxi Town was also a big town. Although he was punished for his crimes and temporarily served in Liaodong with his soldiers, the gap was not so big.
Seeing that he was more and more left behind by the generals of other towns, how could this not make Li Fuming deeply stimulated?
So he decided that after the war in Songjin ended, if he could return to Shanxi Town to serve, he would have to find ways to organize a new army no matter what.
At that time, it would be better to show his face in front of everyone. Why do he have to rely on others like now and rely on the charity of Zhang Cheng from Xuanfu Town to garrison the mouth of Xiaoling River.
Although he thought so in his heart, on the surface, he was particularly close to Zhang Cheng, because he was still thinking about cooperating with Zhang Cheng to open a workshop to make money on the border of Shanxi Town.
Furthermore, Li Fuming was also eyeing the chariots and the sharper muskets and artillery in Zhang Cheng's army. He was thinking that when he was organizing the new army, he would buy some from Zhang Cheng.
Such sophisticated cannons and tanks.
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The group of people rode into Songshan Castle and soon arrived in front of the residence of Governor Ji Liao.
When entering the hall, Ningyuan Commander-in-Chief Wu Sangui, Shanhaiguan Commander-in-Chief Ma Ke, Miyun Commander-in-Chief Tang Tong and others had already arrived and were gathering together to whisper something.
Cao Bianjiao, the commander-in-chief of the ASEAN Association, and Wang Tingchen, the former commander-in-chief of the garrison, were talking softly in a corner of the lobby. They seemed to be a little out of place with Wu Sangui, Ma Ke, Tang Tong and others.
Especially Cao Bianjiao, who was originally a member of the Qin army who followed Hong Chengchou, and could not always get along with the Liaodong generals. In addition, he only took orders from Hong Chengchou and ignored external affairs. There were many circles in which he could not fit in.
When Zhang Cheng and others came in, Wu Sangui and others hurriedly came forward to greet them. However, they greeted Zhang Ruoqi, the commander-in-chief, but their attitude towards Zhang Cheng was a bit tepid and perfunctory.
Even with Wang Pu, Chen Jiugao, Fu Yingchong and others, he seemed much more enthusiastic.
It can be seen that Wu Sangui's expression looks much pale and haggard. It is obvious that he is worried about the birthday of his uncle Zu who is surrounded in Jinzhou City.
He no longer had the previous enthusiasm for Zhang Cheng, and even his smile was very forced. Thinking about it, he still resented Zhang Cheng for resolutely blocking the immediate rescue of Jinzhou.
Out of the corner of Zhang Cheng's eye, he spotted Ma Ke, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan Pass. He was looking askance at Zhang Cheng, a sinister smile flashing across his lips.
"It seems like this guy didn't work well again. I wonder what kind of trouble he got up to?"
Zhang Cheng thought to himself, but had no intention of paying attention to him. He walked to his seat and sat down.
Wang Pu, Chen Jiugao and others greeted Wu Sangui and others, and naturally they all gathered around Zhang Cheng, chatting without a word.
However, Zhang Ruoqi did not stop in the lobby. Under the guidance of the Central Army of the Supervisory Biao Battalion, he went straight to the inner room behind the lobby.
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After a while, a burst of drum music came, and Governor Hong Chengchou of Jiliao, General Commander Zhang Ruoqi, Governor Qiu Minyang of Liaodong and others walked out of the back hall.
Zhang Cheng and other generals hurriedly stood up to greet them. After Hong Chengchou and others sat down, they clasped their fists and saluted before sitting back on their chairs.
Hong Chengchou first said: "General Zhongchen, the information reported by the sentinel investigation the day before yesterday has been verified by many parties and is indeed true. The slaves and thieves, tens of thousands of men, are indeed entrenched on the banks of the Nvnu River on the west side of Jinzhou.
But its specific movements are indeed unknown. Is there any new military report coming from the Xuanfu Army?"
Zhang Cheng cupped his fists and replied: "Reporting to the governor, Cheng received a message from Changling Mountain today. The number of Tatar sentries coming from Henan is increasing day by day. They have covered a large area. Our army's sentries are obviously hindered."
As for the movements of the Qing army, no one else knew anything about it. Except for Zhang Chengxuan's army sentry cavalry, the other town chief soldiers' sentry cavalry only dared to patrol around Songshan.
Even though Hong Chengchou's supervising battalion and the sentry cavalry under Cao Bianjiao occasionally crossed the border between the Ming and Qing Dynasties and entered the Qing army's territory to explore, the number of times was limited and the information they obtained was limited.
At this moment, there were only two sources of intelligence for the army aiding the Liao Dynasty. One was naturally the military situation of the Tatars detected by Zhang Chengxuan's military sentry; the second was the intelligence detected by the servants of Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of Ningyuan.
After all, Wu Sangui was a descendant of a family of generals in Liaodong, and most of his servants were natives of Liaodong. They had been cared for by their ancestral family and favored by the Wu family for many years. Today was the critical moment for them to repay their kindness.
If you can't show some decent skills, who can guarantee that the Wu family will be as nurturing as before in the future?
Furthermore, they were extremely familiar with the topography between Song and Jin, and many of them even had such and such relationships within the Qing army.
So their intelligence sources are also extremely complex!