Chapter 112: Why should Zhang Shuai go there in person
The cavalry led by Guo Yingxian, the counselor of the Xuanfu, only had more than 5,000 people. Most of them were the cavalry of the former commander-in-chief Yang Guozhu's main camp. There were also more than a thousand knights of Datong Wang Puzheng's camp, and more than 500 cavalry under the command of Shanxi commander-in-chief Li Fuming.
After receiving the order from the governor, he did not dare to delay and immediately led his elite cavalry to rush to Songshan Mountain.
However, on the way, he received a letter from Zhang Cheng, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, asking him not to hurry, but to drive slowly, and to always explore the path ahead, and not to rush forward, lest he be ambushed by the Tatars.
Although Guo Yingxian didn't know Zhang Cheng's intentions, he firmly believed in Zhang Cheng's order, and immediately changed from rushing to moving slowly, not as anxious as before.
What he didn't know was that on his way back to Huangtuling, Zhang Cheng received another letter from Changling Mountain, saying that Manchu soldiers and horses with red flags had also appeared at the foot of Changling Mountain.
At this point, the most elite core force of the Tatars, the Seven Banners of the Eight Manchurian Banners, have revealed their true colors. Since the Tatar soldiers of the Four Manchurian Banners have appeared in the direction of Changling Mountain, their target must be Xingshan Fort.
After Zhang Cheng learned of this military situation, he could no longer care about his fatigue. He changed his route and turned back to the direction of Shimen Mountain, heading straight for Hong Chengchou's camp.
Holding the letter from Zhang Cheng in his hand, Hong Chengchou was also in a heavy mood. In fact, when he learned that the Tatars had a white flag and two yellow flags at the foot of Changling Mountain, he had already concluded that the Tatars were not planning on Songshan.
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However, the burden on him was too heavy. He was responsible for the gains and losses of the entire Liaodong war. The safety of hundreds of thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of people was at stake, so he did not dare to make a hasty decision.
Moreover, in his opinion, there were Zuo Guangxian and Meng Dao on the Xingshan side, and Liu Zhaoji was stationed in Tashan. Facing tens of thousands of Tatars' elite cavalry, even if they did not dare to fight, they would have no worries in defending the fortified city of Xingta.
As for the Tatar thieves cutting off the food routes in the wild, so what? Could the tens of thousands of troops here be trapped by the tens of thousands of Tatar thieves?
When that time comes, if hundreds of thousands of mighty troops return to Xingshan to eat, even Doduo's tens of thousands of troops will definitely not be able to resist.
But now facing Zhang Cheng, he was unwilling to speak like this. The three cavalry mobile forces formed previously, Zu Dale, were accompanying the Ningyuan Army and were now stationed at the foot of Shimen Mountain.
Guo Yingxian's troops have been sent to Xingshan Fort, and only deputy general Chen Zhongcai's troops are still under Songshan City. This is also the only military force that Hong Chengchou can dispatch at present, so naturally it cannot be mobilized easily.
However, Zhang Cheng proposed that the Huangtuling defense line be handed over to Datong General Wang Pu, while he would only lead a battalion of infantry under Xuanzhen, plus a chariot battalion to go to Xingshan to rescue Xingshan Fort and Changling Mountain.
It can also prevent Tatar thieves from cutting off food routes.
Hong Chengchou initially disagreed with Zhang Cheng's decision to bring troops back for reinforcements. However, despite Zhang Cheng's repeated entreaties, he could not come up with a better solution, so he had no choice but to agree.
However, at this time, Xie Sixin proposed that he was afraid that Wang Pu, the general of Datong, was in Huangtuling and would be unable to support him alone. Even with the help of some troops and horses from Fu Yingchong, the deputy general of the Shenji Battalion, it would be difficult.
In fact, what he said was clever. In fact, he just couldn't trust Wang Pu. He was afraid that once Zhang Cheng left, there would be no backbone in Huangtuling, and bad things would happen as a result.
In the end, Zhang Cheng proposed that Wei Zhice, a guerrilla from the Xuanfu, temporarily serve as Wang Pu's deputy general and take charge of the remaining Xuanfu soldiers and horses. He would assist Wang Pu to defend Huangtu Ridge and take care of the security of the Xiaoling River mouth.
Although the Xiaoling River has not stopped flowing, its current is not as fast as before. However, even so, it is still not possible to cross it at will. There are only a few shallow areas suitable for people and horses to swim across.
You only need to send people to monitor day and night. Once you find that the Tatars are crossing the river to attack, you only need to set up defenses in advance to ensure that all the cities and villages are safe.
In view of this, Hong Chengchou agreed to Zhang Cheng's proposal, but he also put forward a condition, that is, Zhang Cheng must return to Huangtuling first and arrange everything before he can lead his army to Xingshan.
At this point, everything seems to be developing in the direction Zhang Cheng expected.
Chen Zheng, the hard nail he had buried in Changling Mountain earlier, also came into play at this moment. Moreover, when he ordered Guo Yingxian to go slowly, he actually wanted him to wait for his steps.
However, at that time, he was not sure whether Hong Chengchou would agree with him leading troops to help, so he did not make his words too clear.
The military situation was urgent, and Zhang Cheng did not dare to delay. He left Shimen Mountain because of his greed. First, he ordered Zhang Mingyuan to lead 20 cavalry to Xingshan Mountain to catch up with Guo Yingxian's army. He informed him of the situation here and asked him to wait for him before marching.
At the same time, Zhang Chengfang was sent with 20 cavalry to rush to the direction of the Empress' Palace, and the decision was reported to Zhang Ruoqi, the commander-in-chief, and Wang Pu, the commander-in-chief of Datong, and ordered Zhang Guodong's troops to return to Huangtuling immediately and wait for orders.
Zhang Cheng himself, accompanied by his own soldiers, rushed directly back to the Huangtuling camp. Proper arrangements needed to be made there, otherwise if something happened here, the gain would be outweighed by the loss.
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"No..."
Wang Pu looked anxious. He no longer cared about whether it was appropriate or not. He stepped forward and said hurriedly: "Commander Zhang, please don't go rescue Xingshan. The military situation here is also urgent. Yesterday, slave thieves crossed the river and attacked our grain storage camp at the mouth of the river. Who can guarantee that there will be no rescue tomorrow?"
Come again?"
Fu Yingchong also disapproved. He said aside: "Fu also disapproves of Zhang Shuai going to Xingshan. If the military situation is really urgent, we can send a capable general to lead the army to help. Why does Zhang Shuai go in person?"
Zhang Ruoqi also had objections to Zhang Cheng's aid to Xingshan. He continued: "I will write a letter to the governor and ask him to order other generals to lead the army to aid."
Zhang Cheng looked at the people in the military tent and wondered whether they really loved him or were worried about his safety when he went to Xingshan.
Taking another look at the generals under his command, they were standing on one side of the military tent, with their faces unchanged and their expressions calm.
After all, they were the generals who were brought up by themselves. They were now accustomed to obeying orders, and they were not afraid of the Tatars on the opposite side of Huangtu Ridge. That was why they were so calm and composed.
Zhang Cheng smiled and said to several people: "Why do you make me feel like I am going to die?"
"Bah...bah...bah..."
Upon hearing this, Wang Pu hurriedly stepped forward and said, "The war is about to begin. Please don't say such depressing words."
Zhang Cheng smiled and said not taking it seriously, and said: "On my way back, I received another letter from Chen Zheng. He said that with the dangerous mountains and the trench fortifications he had built, he had blocked the Tatars for two consecutive days, preventing them from advancing.
However, the Tartar thieves are powerful after all. Even though General Guo Shen is leading the army to help, I am still worried.
He paused for a moment before continuing: "For this reason, I personally asked Governor Hong for orders and personally led the army to help. This is to assist me with hundreds of thousands of Liao troops. And I have made up my mind. You don't need to persuade me anymore."
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"However, as General Wang and Vice General Fu said, Huangtu Ridge is also important. Therefore, our Xuanfu army will still focus on Huangtu Ridge, and a large army must be stationed here."
Ignoring the dissuasion of Zhang Ruoqi, Wang Pu and others, he glanced at the generals of the Xuanfu. After a moment, he said: "This time we are going to aid Xingshan. Zhang Guodong, Zhang Guangda, and Lin Fangping will lead their troops to accompany them, and the left part of the chariot will accompany them."
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The rest are all staying at Huangtuling, but I am no longer here, so I need someone to take charge!"
The Xuanfu generals looked at Zhang Cheng nervously, wondering who their commander would order to take charge of the military affairs here on his behalf.
Zhang Cheng looked at the generals under his command with a stern look, and said solemnly: "While I am away, Wei Zhice will make the final decision on military matters. He Zhenfu is still responsible for supervising military discipline and assessing merits and demerits. In all matters big and small, you guys
The two will decide randomly.
If you can't decide on your own, you two can make an agreement."
No one had any objection to Zhang Cheng's arrangement. Among the generals of the Xuanfu, Chen Zheng, Zhang Guangda, Zhang Guodong and Wei Zhice were the first to lead a single battalion.
Although Wu Zhizhong was also a veteran during the reign of King Qin, he was mostly responsible for the recruitment and training of the new army. Although he was equally respected, he did not have the opportunity to go to war with the army, so he was always one level behind.
Now, Chen Zheng is guarding Changling Mountain, and Zhang Guangda and Zhang Guodong will accompany him to help. Naturally, among the remaining generals, Wei Zhice is respected by everyone. What's more, Wei Zhice's strategy and military knowledge are obvious to everyone.
How could you be dissatisfied?
The remaining troops of the car camp were all under Wei Zhice, and the Dengfeng camp was a general who was later organized and trained. Although He Zhenxiong was a genuine guerrilla general with the same military rank as Wei Zhice, he had just joined Zhang Cheng's command after all.
I won't have any opinions.
Zhang Cheng saw that none of the generals had any objections, so he loudly ordered: "Everyone, please listen carefully. In our Xuanfu army, Wei Zhice and He Biao are respected, and all matters are decided by them.
However, the military affairs for the defense of Huangtu Ridge and the mouth of Xiaoling River should be respected by Commander-in-Chief Wang of Datong. Everything must be at the discretion of Commander-in-Chief Wang. The orders given by Commander-in-Chief Wang will be the same as the orders of this commander. Anyone who resists will be punished.
Engage in military law!"
"Here!"
There was a burst of neat cheers in the big tent.
"Everyone, go down and prepare. Tomorrow at nine o'clock, the army will set off!"
"Commander, you have been working hard for days, why don't you take a break?"
"No, the military situation is urgent and cannot be delayed for a moment."
"Here!"
After the Xuanfu generals retreated, Zhang Cheng turned to Zhang Ruoqi and others and said with a smile: "Master Supervisor, there is no need to worry. There is Wang Shuai and General Fu here in Huangtu Ridge, so the Tatar thieves have nothing to fear."
Zhang Ruoqi was still uneasy in his heart, but he also knew that he was destined not to be able to persuade Zhang Cheng, so he could only say: "I hope, I hope."
The helplessness in his words was clear, and Wang Pu even murmured: "Can't you not go? Can't you not go..."
Zhang Cheng smiled and reassured him: "Wang Shuai also has nearly ten thousand soldiers and horses under his command. In addition, there are also Shanxi General Li Bing. General Fu's Shenji Camp is here. Our Xuan Mansion still has thousands of elites stationed in the Huangtu Ridge area.
All of this was done under the military orders of the king.
On the other hand, the Tatars on the opposite side are only fighting part of the Blue Banner, and they returned defeated at the mouth of the river the day before yesterday. I predict that they will not dare to cross the river again to attack in these days, so there is no need to worry about the area around the Empress' Palace."
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After Zhang Mingyuan caught up with Guo Yingxian, he immediately conveyed Zhang Cheng's military order to him. However, Songshan and Xingshan were not far apart. Even if they set up camp early to prevent Tatar raids, they would soon enter the Xingshan Fort.
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Zhang Cheng also led the cavalry battalion and the Tiger Guard battalion to set off before dawn on the second day, while Zhang Guodong's infantry battalion and the left part of Yu Jin's chariot hurriedly caught up behind.
When Duduo, Prince of Yu of the Qing Dynasty, received a report that a Ming army cavalry was rushing from the direction of Songshan, Zhang Cheng was already less than five miles away from Guo Yingxian.
At this moment, he saw that the army had already reached the main stronghold of the Ming Army guarding the mountain. He thought that he would be able to conquer it in one fell swoop today, and he had just ordered all the Baya soldiers from all banners to attack.
Even the master of the slave king's second load, Pashkulqihun, who was assigned to the Bajala camp with a white flag, also led the warriors in the team and rushed forward.
Looking at Le Qihun's retreating back, Wang Erdan seemed to have forgotten the pain on his body. He seemed to have seen the scene of his master beheading the Ming army's dog in a trance, and couldn't help but softly screamed: "Happy!"
He heard a violent roar, and even the ground beneath his feet was shaking. When he was suspicious, he saw a large cloud of smoke and dust billowing upwards on Changling Mountain and lingering for a long time.
Seeing this situation, the Qing generals at the foot of Changling Mountain were all frightened. What kind of cannon could have such power?
Prince Duduo of Yu was also frightened, but he pretended to be calm. He hurriedly ordered his sentries to go quickly to find out what was happening on the mountain ahead.
The sentry riders had just walked for a moment when they saw a man covered in dark red, which looked like blood mixed with sand. He quickly ran forward, already out of breath: "Bao... Baoyu...
Prince Yu..."
Duduo saw that it was Niu Lu Zhangjing, a member of his own banner, who had been praised by himself for his bravery in battle not long ago. From what he looked like at this moment, he said angrily: "What a fool? It's useless. Tell me quickly."
Come on, what's going on in the mountains?"
"Back to Yu... Prince Yu... Ming Gou is cunning... Gunpowder is buried on the mountain... My great Qingyong... warriors... were... blown away... none of them..."
Duduo was furious when he heard this, but when he saw him suddenly pull out the sword from his waist, and slashed hard at the neck of Niu Lu Zhangjing, a huge and square head rolled to the ground in an instant, and the blood that spewed out was dyed red.
The land at Duo's feet.
Such a true warrior who was extremely loyal to the Qing Dynasty did not die in the hands of the Ming army soldiers, but ended his short life in such a way. What a pity!
Prince Duduo of Yu raised his sword and shouted loudly: "Niulu Zhangjing Guarda did not obey the military orders, retreated from the battle, and even made words to deceive the soldiers' morale. He has been beheaded in public."
His cold and sinister gaze swept over the generals, and even Bai Yintu couldn't help but tremble, only to hear Duduo continue to shout in a louder voice: "Although the southern army in Changling Mountain is stronger than elsewhere,
In the end, he is no match for our warriors of the Qing Dynasty.
Now our army has attacked outside the main gate of the stronghold, and Changling Mountain can be defeated in a day or night. I have now passed on my military order. After conquering Changling Mountain, not a single Nangou will be left behind. I don’t want anything else except artillery on this mountain.
want!"
Duduo's words undoubtedly gave him a massacre order. He wanted to kill all the Ming soldiers and civilians on Changling Mountain, even at all costs.
It seems that only in this way can the resentment in his heart be relieved!
As military orders were conveyed from level to level, the sound of war drums urged the warriors in all banners of the Qing army to rush towards Changling Mountain.
It was only at this moment that Duduo asked softly to the sentry who had just reported: "How far are the reinforcements from the Southern Dynasty based on this?"