The Ji Liao army is one, not to mention that now is a critical moment when a war is imminent.
Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, did not want to see any splitting behavior between them. After all, there was still the Xuanda Army competing there. Facing the Xuanda Army who was already united at this time, there could be no more disputes within Jiliao.
It's not okay to make other people laugh.
On the second day, Hong Chengchou, as the supreme commander of Jiliao Army, had to go to the army of Tangtong, Bai Guangen and Ma Ke in person.
Hong Chengchou treated Tang Tong and the other three people in a normal way. He first gave them some admonitions, telling them to always keep the overall situation in mind and to cooperate closely with friendly forces.
Then there was some consolation, promising that after this battle, not only would they report their merits to the court, but they would also try their best to make Ma Ke and Bai Guangen redeem themselves as they wished, and they would also try their best to replenish the troops and horses they lost in the Liao War.
For old warlords like them, whether the entire army fights bravely or not depends entirely on the attitude of the general. With Governor Ji Liao personally visiting the camp to give him instructions and comfort, they naturally have no excuse for not fighting bravely.
At the same time, several people also knew the key to this battle, and they all expressed their opinions that they would let it go. They also showed their general style and spoke for each other, making Hong Chengchou secretly nod his head in approval.
Although at this time Tang Tong, Ma Ke, Bai Guangen and others colluded with local military leaders and gradually formed factions, there was still some overt and covert fighting among them.
Even Wu Sangui, although he had the support of the elders of his clan when he started his career, he could not do without the support of his uncle Zu Dashou. However, in Wu Sangui's heart, he had the idea of breaking away from his uncle's influence, or even replacing it.
Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, took advantage of these to not only control each military leader separately, but also try his best to make them cooperate with each other, and prevent them from forming a faction.
Now on the surface, the friction between the various commanders of the Jiliao Army has passed. No one, including Hong Chengchou, is willing to let the conflicts between the various battalions of the Jiliao Army be made public.
As for how each commander-in-chief comforts his subordinates when they return, that is their own business. If they don't even have this ability, there is no need to stay in the position of commander-in-chief.
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The regulations of the Ming Dynasty were like this. Civil servants were responsible for formulating battle strategies, while military generals were responsible for beheading generals and capturing flags in front of the battle array. In addition, how the credit was distributed in the end depended on the opinions of those superior civilian officials.
Therefore, very unruly commanders-in-chief such as Tang Tong, Ma Ke and Bai Guangen also looked at the looks of Governor-General Hong Chengchou, General-General Zhang Ruoqi, Futai Qiu Minyang and others, and did not dare to offend them.
Today, all battalions of the Ming Army located north of Songshan are in action. According to the planned order, they are stationed at the northern foot of Rufeng Mountain and Shimen Mountain.
Some were building offensive and defensive equipment, others were building rafts needed to cross the river, and equipment needed to build pontoons. Rows of canoes and small boats were also brought over.
It was obvious that each battalion had prepared the equipment for crossing the river before. In fact, it was difficult to cross the Nvnu River with these alone. However, due to the rush of time, it was impossible to make more adequate preparations.
According to the preliminary strategy drawn up by the Governor's headquarters, Tang Tong's Miyun Army will attack along the north bank of the Nuer River early tomorrow morning to the west, assuming a posture of attacking Baimiao Fort.
At the same time, he must display his river-crossing equipment and be ready to cross the river at an appropriate place at any time. His momentum must be large enough to attract the attention of the Qing army.
Bai Guangen and Ma Ke, while Tang Tong was advancing westward, began to cross the river and attack the north bank.
Bai Guangen launched the offensive first on the west side, directly began to cross the river, and attacked the north bank of the Nvnu River with all his strength, while Ma Ke launched the offensive slightly later than Bai Guangen on his east side.
Hong Chengchou asked the two of them to make a real attack. If they could cross the Nvnu River in one fell swoop, it would be a great achievement. If they could not attack the north bank, as long as they could attract the main force of the Qing army, it would be a great achievement.
Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of the Ningyuan Regiment, led the Ningyuan storm and launched the final offensive. His main attack area was the intersection of Nuer River and Xiaoling River. Although the river here is slightly wide, the water flow is gentle, and both banks are suitable for landing operations.
Once Wu Sangui attacked the north bank and advanced five or six miles further, he would reach the south pass of Jinzhou City. He would be the main force of the Ming army to break the siege of Jinzhou.
Therefore, Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, also had high hopes for him. He specifically asked Chen Jiugao, the commander of the Shenji Camp's front battalion, to concentrate more than half of the Shenji Camp's artillery to suppress the artillery fire on the other side here and fully assist Wu Sangui in the battle.
The key to this battle is whether the three generals Tang Tong, Ma Ke and Bai Guangen can attract the attention of the main force of the Qing army, and how many of the main force of the Qing army can be attracted?
If they didn't use their lives in front of the formation and failed to attract the attention of the Qing army, Wu Sangui might not be able to do much on his side.
Therefore, Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, personally visited the battle today to encourage Tang Tong and other three people in their camp, in order to further clarify their interests and interests to the three of them.
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In fact, if the Ming army wanted to advance and break the siege of Jinzhou, they would eventually have to conduct a river-crossing operation. It was simply a choice between going north to cross the Nuer River or east to cross the Xiaoling River.
It can also be seen from the terrain alone that from Shimen Mountain and Huangtu Ridge to the Xiaoling River, the terrain is narrow and there is not much flat land, so it is difficult for our troops to deploy.
Such a wave can only survive a few thousand people. Such a battle is tantamount to fueling tactics. However, the Qing army can quickly mobilize troops in the east and north of Jinzhou City, deploying several times or even ten times the strength.
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This is also the reason why Hong Chengchou did not support Zhang Cheng's attack eastward across the Xiaoling River. He could not cross the river with enough troops at once, so the Qing army could adopt the tactic of overwhelming the minority every time.
The combat power of the Ming army was already weaker than that of the Qing army, and if they were overwhelmed by the numbers, the consequences would be disastrous.
But attacking the Nuer River to the north is different. As long as you cross the Nuer River, there is a flat river to the north, and then face Jinzhou City directly. It can also threaten the safety of the Qing army's garrison in Jinzhou South, Jinchang Fort, and Baimiao Fort.
Once the Ming army really crosses the Nvnu River, it will be a heavy burden that the slaves cannot bear. Although Huang Taiji has left the Jinzhou front line, Dorgon and others are not idlers.
Therefore, they could not fail to see this, and they would definitely gather heavy troops to intercept the Ming army. A battle between the two sides on both sides of the Nuer River was inevitable.
The key now depends on whether Tang Tong, Ma Ke, and Bai Guangen can achieve their predetermined strategic goals and attract the attention of the Qing army.
Because the place where Wu Sangui attacked was the focus of the Qing army. Once it crossed the river, it faced Jinzhou South Pass, which was very difficult to capture, so Tang Tong and others were asked to attract the attention of some Qing troops first.
However, Zu Dashou in Jinzhou City is also an extraordinary figure. Once he sees the heavy artillery fire here, he will definitely seize the opportunity to go out of the city to fight with the slaves, and attack the Qing army in the east of Jinzhou City in front and back, so as to increase Wu Sangui and others' chance to win the battle across the river.
Probability.
The key to this battle is not only the sacrifice of all parties in front of the formation, but also the word "quick".
Each battalion must act quickly in accordance with the military strategy and military orders, and must not be sloppy. They must be one step ahead of everything, and quickly break through the mouth of the Nuer River and merge into the Xiaoling River before the Qing army can react.
As long as the Ming army stood firm on the north bank and built pontoon bridges on the river, the battle would be considered a great victory.
At that time, the soldiers and horses of the Ming army Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, Zu Dale and other generals will be able to move to the north bank in a steady stream, without fear of the Qing army attacking.
What's more, there are also the Biaoying of Hong Chengchou, Qiu Minyang, Yao Gong and others, who are also very powerful forces.
The original intention of the Ming army was not to defeat the Qing army in a field battle. After their large army crossed the river, they only needed to camp step by step, approach slowly, and relieve Jinzhou, which would be considered a victory.
In short, tomorrow's battle is indeed no small matter. One disadvantage is that it will be a decisive battle involving hundreds of thousands of troops from both the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Opposite are Tartars who are as fierce as tigers and wolves. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses are fighting, but life and death are unpredictable. Disasters and blessings can only happen in an instant. No matter how big or small you are, you may die on the spot.
Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, wandered among the camps, trying his best to encourage the generals. Even the eunuch Wang Chengen made it clear in a very gloomy way: "In tomorrow's battle, anyone who dares to retreat will be timid and unwilling to fight for the country's strength."
Otherwise, our family will definitely report to the emperor truthfully and hope that he will die a good death!"
Qiu Minyang, the Fu minister, and Yao Gong, the Inspector, also visited each camp and said a lot of words of encouragement to boost the morale of the generals.
Especially Ma Ke and Bai Guangen, the two general officers, they never left when they arrived. In addition to encouraging and comforting, they even stated that they would come with their Biao camp. If they really had difficulty crossing the river, their Biao camp would also come with them.
We will provide all-out reinforcements and fight against the slave thieves together.
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By the time Hong Chengchou finished handling military affairs and came out of the camp again, the sun was setting and night was gradually falling.
Looking at the past, whether it is the northern foot of Rufeng Mountain, the northern foot of Shimen Mountain, or even the northern part of Huangtu Ridge further east, they are all a sea of flags and military camps. The flags of the generals in each camp are all hunting in the wind.
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Dots of lights in each camp have been lit. Between these camps, there are many camps for soldiers and civilians. Although their camps are more simple, they are all brightly lit, and they are in full swing building what they need for tomorrow's battle.
of various types of equipment.
Tomorrow's battle, whether it is Ma Ke, Bai Guangen and others' first attack to attract the Qing army, or Wu Sangui's strong attack to force the crossing, will require a large number of wooden rafts and pontoons. Naturally, the more of these equipment, the better.
Not only that, Zhu Tingxie, the grain master in charge of logistics, under the supervision of the great eunuch Wang Chengen, collected many fishing boats, some of which were collected by the Xuanfu army before and were requisitioned by the governor's camp.
These many fishing boats went all the way north along the west bank of the Xiaoling River and transported them to the south bank of the confluence of the Nuer River, so that the pontoon bridge needed to cross the river could be quickly built for Wu Sangui.
Although the Ming Dynasty has become a lean camel, it is still much bigger than a horse. Under the high-speed operation of the frontline army, all kinds of materials are still being collected continuously.
Of course, although these fishing boats were docked on the south bank, many soldiers were sent to guard them. After all, they had to prevent the Qing army from sneaking across the river to attack and destroy these boats that had been collected with great difficulty.
The camp of Tang Tong, the commander-in-chief of Miyun, is located at the western end of the northern foothills of Rufeng Mountain. From the foot of Rufeng Mountain to the bank of the Nuer River, there are all his military camps in Miyun Town, layer upon layer, densely connected.
In Tang Tong's usually cautious style, they set up many fires 200 steps away from the camp to prevent the Qing army from sneaking up on them at night. Even the banks of the Nerv River were full of dense patrols. I don't know how many patrols were sent.
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Bai Guangen's Ji Town army and horses were stationed three miles east of Tangtong. Although they were also in full swing, they were much worse than Miyun Town. After all, despite the new defeat, the morale of the army was still not as good as before.
However, Bai Guangen also understood in his heart that if he did not perform well in this battle, it would not be as simple as dismissal and questioning, and it might even affect his family.
Therefore, he did not dare to treat him lightly, so he summoned several of his generals into the military tent that night and gave them gentle words of comfort. In addition to promising benefits, he also distributed a large amount of gold and silver on the spot.
He even summoned several generals and guerrillas from Ji Town to his military tent, and informed them of their interests, saying that if the attack was unfavorable tomorrow, he would never survive, and they were even ahead of him!
Marco's mountain navy camp was three miles east of Bai Guangen. He had experienced a major defeat before, so he was naturally particularly cautious this time.
He even personally led the generals in the town to conduct guerrilla attacks, inspecting each battalion one by one, cordially condolences to the soldiers of each battalion, and promised generous rewards to encourage them to fight bravely tomorrow. In order to redeem themselves through meritorious service, he spent a lot of money.
The quietest one is Wu Sangui's Ningyuan Army Camp, but it is only quiet on the outside. Inside each camp, the lights are brightly lit, and the civilian servants accompanying the army are also busy making various equipment.
And the reason why it seems to be extremely quiet from the outside is all due to good scheduling and everyone performing their duties, so there is no chaos at all, everything is orderly and there is no noise at all.
This is how a strong army should behave. Looking at the entire Ming Dynasty, it seems that only the Xuanfu Army can compare with it!
There were flying flags everywhere, and the densely packed Ming army camps spread for more than ten miles. People shouted and horses neighed constantly, and there was an aura of fighting and iron horses.
Strings of colorful signal lights, piles of lit bonfires, and rows of dragon-like torches roamed inside and outside each camp, adding bright colors to the army camps.
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At the highest point of Huangtu Ridge, an Eight Immortals table is placed here. Zhang Chengzheng, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, General Zhenshuo, Zhang Ruoqi, the commander-in-chief, and Zhang Dou, the commander-in-chief of Ningqian soldiers, are sitting around the table.
There were some grilled pork chops, stewed chicken, roasted fish and other food and wine on the table, but they were not in the mood to drink, and their eyes could not be separated from the looming campfire to the north.
"I still don't understand why the governor doesn't use the Xuanfu army to fight."
Zhang Dou grumbled, picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, and then said: "How many children this family has raised, not all of them will be successful. Is it just to balance the military merits of the general troops in each town that they abandon the strong army of Xuanfu?"
"Snapped."
He dropped the empty wine cup heavily on the table and said, "I really don't understand my job."
Zhang Ruoqi squinted at the side and sneered: "Director Hong intends to support Ningyuan Wu Sangui. If the limelight of this battle is once again taken away by the Xuanfu army, Wu Sangui will have no chance!"