After the Battle of Daling River, Liaoyang has become the forefront of Liaodong, and it is also the first place to stop the Jin army from advancing.
Although there are still a large number of local people between Jinzhou and Liaoyang, as an important military town, there is only one Xiping Fort that can be used to support Liaoyang.
In Sun Chengzong's Liaodong strategy, the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line was to use military forts and cities as nodes, and connect the main roads and defenses in all areas to push the Ming Dynasty's defense line to Shengjing City. Liaoyang naturally became an important one.
of a link.
The Hou Jin side also clearly saw that the attack on Liaoyang was always part of their strategy to advance the Ming Dynasty. For the defenders of Liaoyang, it was the Hou Jin Tartars against Liaoyang. It was a trivial fight.
When there is a big fight, there is absolutely no time to calm down.
This also resulted in Liaoyang's garrison combat effectiveness and city strength being basically not inferior to Jinzhou's defense. This fact made Lu Xiangsheng, who had just arrived, quite satisfied.
With the foundation laid by Mr. Sun Chengzong and the painstaking management of Yuan Chonghuan, although Liaoyang cannot be said to be impregnable, it is not easy for the Tartars to take it easily.
However, after the Battle of Dalinghe, almost all the Ming troops in Liaoyang had an indescribable fear of war against the Tartars. It does not mean that all officers and soldiers were afraid of death and did not dare to kill the enemy.
The Tartars also dared to fight for their lives, but it has to be said that the Battle of Daling River dealt a huge blow to the defenders of Liaoyang, and their morale was visibly low.
Ordinary soldiers are not particularly well-informed about the news. They only know that the Ming Dynasty suffered a huge defeat with a loss of troops and tens of thousands of elites were completely defeated. However, for senior officers, they had to face a serious problem.
That is, if the Tartars use the tactics they used against Daling River to deal with Liaoyang, can Liaoyang be able to defend it?
Deep ditches, earthen walls, hard bows, artillery, and mobile and fast cavalry to rob and kill reinforcements. These tactics were brought to Liaoyang. How did Liaoyang respond?
Not to mention the high walls of Liaoyang and the sufficient reserves of food and grass in Liaoyang. If the Tartars can besiege the Daling River for three months, they can also besiege Liaoyang for three months, or even half a year, or one year. By that time, who can guarantee
Will Liaoyang City be the same as Dalinghe City?
What's even more terrible is that even if the city is besieged by the Tartars, Dalinghe still has tens of thousands of Jinzhou reinforcements to rescue it repeatedly. But if Liaoyang is besieged, then the number of people who can come to rescue Liaoyang is less than 10,000 people from Xipingbao
of the garrison.
However, if Xiping Fort sends reinforcements, the Tartars will not attack Liaoyang and attack Xiping Fort instead. As soon as Xiping Fort falls, Liaoyang will become a completely isolated city. Let alone the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible to have reinforcements. Even if there are reinforcements, they will definitely
They were blocked on the west side of Xiping Fort, unable to move forward, and even like the Daling River reinforcements, the entire army was destroyed.
The same lesson only needs to be learned once. Ming Dynasty will never make the same mistake again.
When that time comes, abandoning Liaoyang becomes the best choice, but this also means that the Liaodong defense line shrinks directly to the Jinzhou Songshan line. From Sun Chengzong to Yuan Chonghuan, from the Tianqi period to the Chongzhen period, what Liaodong has done in these years
All results have been restored to their original point.
All the advantages over Houjin gained over the years have been completely lost.
This was something Lu Xiangsheng didn't want to see, and presumably, Emperor Chongzhen, who had placed great hope in him, didn't want to see this either.
Lu Xiangsheng came to Liaoyang with his Tianxiong army and a coffin to take office. Not only were the officials of the imperial court not optimistic about the situation in Liaodong, nor was he optimistic about the governor of Liaodong, but he himself was also not optimistic about himself.
The coach is like this, and the soldiers under the coach are even more so.
From taking office at the beginning of the year to now, Lu Xiangsheng has not made any big moves in Liaoyang, and his performance can only be called "mediocre". Apart from improving military discipline in the city, he has punished a group of guys who spread rumors and shaken the morale of the military. For himself,
The army's morale was low, and Lu Xiangsheng had no incentives.
He just arrived at his post step by step, summoned the generals of all ministries, inspected his defense area, and made himself familiar with the situation in Liaoyang, as well as the situation of his troops and generals as soon as possible.
He didn't touch anything that could affect the army's command and combat effectiveness. He seemed to be worried that if he touched these things, it would cause the collapse of Liaoyang, and even make people think: "Liaoyang used to be good, but the new arrival
The governor came and messed around, which led to the final situation..." This feeling.
Even those usually domineering generals have put their minds back in their stomachs after they have been hanging around for a long time. They are also worried that the imperial court will send a stupid governor to come over and point fingers at them, which will be a disservice. Now this governor
Although your Excellency has not made any achievements, it is good that you have not given blind orders.
Maintaining this situation, if we really lose to the Tartars, it will not be everyone's problem, it will be the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty.
The fate of the country cannot be decided by a few generals. Everyone just accepts their fate.
However, Lu Xiangsheng is definitely not a person who accepts his fate. He has his own plans.
Liaoyang needed reinforcements and a force that could coordinate and assist him. He saw clearly that Jinzhou could not be counted on. Xiping Fort could not be moved, and the only one that could be moved now was Dongjiang Town, which had suddenly emerged last year.
He has very complicated feelings about Dongjiang Town.
Theoretically, this Dongjiang Town should also be under the control of him, the governor of Liaodong. However, whether it was before leaving the capital or after taking office, he knew the soldiers and horses of Dongjiang Town, and he felt that his "control" was probably not enough.
It's just a little nicer in name, some trivial matters. As the governor of Liaodong, he gave orders. Maybe Dongjiang Town can obey. If it comes to things like dispatching troops and generals, I'm afraid the other party will immediately lose sight of him as the governor of Liaodong.
A typical person who "listens to the announcement but not to the tune", and Jiang Wan, the commander-in-chief of Dongjiang Town, is not only the emperor's confidant, but also has the Shang Fang Sword rewarded by the emperor. When Yuan Chonghuan dared to kill Pi Wenlong, he, Lu Xiangsheng, did not have the courage.
With his ability, he rushed directly to Dongjiang Town to kill the opponent and regain the military power.
Therefore, when dealing with Dongjiang Town, we must not solve the problem roughly.
Lu Xiangsheng had a plan in his mind. When he was sure that nothing had changed in Liaoyang, he would go to Dongjiang Town in person and meet Jiang Wan in person. He wanted to know what kind of person Jiang Wan was. At the critical moment,
Is he reliable? If not, what kind of assistance can he give Liaoyang at most?
None of this can be solved by a few letters or a few messengers.
Moreover, if circumstances permitted, he would also like to know whether Jiang Wan, who once used Tartar-style siege tactics to capture Zhenjiang Fort, had any way to crack this method of warfare. He wanted to prepare for the future of Liaoyang.
He left Liaoyang without taking many people with him. Except for a few of his confidants in the Tianxiong Army, everyone thought that the governor had gone to inspect the surrounding defense areas. No one knew that when he left Liaoyang, he felt a hundred
The rest of them went directly to Zhenjiang Fort.
About thirty miles away from Zhenjiang Fort, they encountered the first wave of patrolling Ming troops. This was also Lu Xiangsheng's first contact with the soldiers and horses of Dongjiang Town. When the two sides met, they almost did not hesitate to engage in battle.
Although all of Lu Xiangsheng's troops were wearing Ming army uniforms, in the eyes of the officers and soldiers of Dongjiang Town, there seemed to be no difference between them and the Tartars.
"We are under the command of Lord Lu Xiangsheng, the governor of Liaoyang, and we have something important to report to your Lord Commander!"
"Everyone dismount and hand over their weapons!"
Among the officers and soldiers of Dongjiang Town, the leader shouted loudly while sending out a signal for help, which made Lu Xiangsheng frown slightly.
There are less than twenty Dongjiang Town officers and soldiers patrolling this group, and there are more than a hundred of them. If I are really a Tartar in disguise, these patrolling guys are looking for death.
The weapons would definitely not be handed over easily. Even if they faced one or two hundred people who arrived quickly, Lu Xiangsheng discovered that among the two hundred people, there were even twenty or thirty people with muskets. He heard that the soldiers and horses in Dongjiang Town were good at using them.
Firearms, come to think of it, these were the weapons they used to deal with the Tartar cavalry.
The badges and documents used to prove their identity were all taken out, and the other party finally agreed that they did not need to hand over their weapons.
However, they stopped there.
One of the auxiliary forts in Dongjiang Town here has a simple and rough name, called "A-shaped fort". If we follow this logic, the other auxiliary forts should be called "Y-shaped fort, C-shaped fort, T-shaped fort" and so on.
Yes.
They were taken to a camp outside the auxiliary fort and were not even allowed to enter the fort. They were only ordered not to move around or leave until they heard a reply from above.
"Sir, these people don't seem to regard us as their own!"
Lieutenant General Jin Dong, who followed Lu Xiangsheng, said with some dissatisfaction: "What a feat, at least there are hundreds more people outside looking at us!"
"The Tartars also carried Han flags, and there were even groups of Ming troops who surrendered. Dongjiang Town is heavily guarded. This is a good thing!"
Lu Xiangsheng smiled slightly: "We have learned this. From now on in Liaoyang, even if it is a friendly force with complete identity documents, we cannot take it lightly. We must make sure that they are our own people before we can let them enter the city!"
"Can their mere military fortress compare with our Liaoyang City?" Jin Dong snorted: "I think they are just making a fuss out of a molehill!"
"Don't be impatient!" Lu Xiangsheng said: "We are not here to cause trouble, just wait!"
In fact, the waiting time for this group of people was not long, it was just a day and a night, but to them, it felt like a long time had passed. After all, Lu Xiangsheng came out quietly, and they were delayed for one more day outside. What happened in Liaoyang?
It's a little more likely to happen.
Jin Dong asked several times the leader of the Dongjiang Town officers and soldiers who were guarding them, and the answers he received were that they had already been reported and someone would soon handle the matter.
At noon the next day, there was a commotion outside the camp. Someone finally arrived from Zhenjiang Fort.
The leader was a middle-aged general, whom Jin Dong didn't recognize. However, the person behind him looked familiar to Jin Dong. He didn't know what the man said to the middle-aged general. The man smiled and looked at him.
Came over here.
"It's Deputy Commander Jin from Liaoyang City, right? Are you neglecting me?"
"Do you know me?" Jin Dong was surprised. He had never seen this person before.
"I am happy to have Sheng Sheng under General Jiang's command and join the army. Deputy General Jin followed Mr. Lu to quell the rebellion in Shanxi and suppress the bandits in Henan. These are numerous military achievements. I have heard of Deputy General Jin's name for a long time!"
The other party did not explain. Jin Dong looked at the entourage beside him, but suddenly remembered that that person should have been to Liaoyang before, and seemed to have delivered official documents for Dongjiang Town at that time.
He immediately understood something in his mind.
"I didn't know that Deputy General Jin was not guarding in Liaoyang, but he came to Dongjiang Town to work with you!" Gao Sheng said, "Is there military information in Liaoyang?"
"By the order of my governor, I have something important to report to General Jiang!" Jin Dong replied: "I have been waiting here for a day and a night. If it is an emergency military situation, is this how you, Dongjiang Town, will treat it?"
In his words, he was already a bit displeased. Lu Xiangsheng beside him was like his personal guard, silently watching the two of them talk.
"How do I do things in Dongjiang Town? I don't need Deputy Commander Jin's guidance!" Gao Shengsheng's face also became serious: "Our Commander-in-Chief is busy with military affairs. I'm afraid I don't have time to see Deputy Commander Jin. If anything happens, Deputy Commander Jin can do it."
Tell me and I will tell our commander-in-chief!"
"You..." Jin Dong was about to get angry, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Xiangsheng beside him shaking his head slightly. He suppressed his anger: "Our governor's order is to meet with General Jiang to report!"
"If the governor has nothing urgent to do, you can ask the governor's office to come over!" Gao Xingsheng shook his head lightly: "As for urgent matters, let me think about it. Now the main forces of the Eight Banners of Tartar are stationed around Shengjing, and all the Eight Banners of Mongolia are stationed around Shengjing.
We have returned to Mongolia, and the surrendered troops of various Han banners seem to be reorganizing and practicing on the front line of Malanyu. Well, unless the troops in Liaoyang mutiny, there should be no urgent matters!"
He looked at Jin Dong: "Deputy Commander Jin, are you sure you want to see our Commander-in-Chief to report in person? Then just wait here with peace of mind, and wait until our Commander-in-Chief is free to meet you again!"
He crossed his fists and said, "I'm also busy with trivial matters, so I won't wait with Deputy Commander Jin. I'll say goodbye!"
After saying that, he ignored Jin Dong's general soldiers and turned around to leave the camp.
"I am Lu Xiangsheng!" Lu Xiangsheng suddenly said: "Dongjiang Town has indeed done a good job in detecting the enemy's situation. The governor has nothing urgent to do. If I want to see Jiang Wan, do I need to continue to wait here for him to be free?"
"I've seen the governor!" Gao Xingsheng said with a look of shock: "General, I'm blind, damn, damn, the governor is here in person, and we, the commander-in-chief, should come to greet him in person, but the general never expected that, the governor
You actually took the risk to inspect this small place in Dongjiang Town, I will report it to the Commander-in-Chief immediately!"
"No, let's go together!" Lu Xiangsheng shook his head, and there was no trace of embarrassment on his face: "I, the personal guards, will go to see your commander-in-chief, and we will still have to hand over our weapons!"
"Of course not!" Gaoxing Sheng smiled slightly: "But when we get to Zhenjiang Fort, my Dongjiang Town soldiers and horses will naturally protect the governor's safety. It's better for your personal guards to stay here, so you don't have to go with them.
!”
"You...you are so bold!" Jin Dong shouted angrily.
"This is not bold!" Gao Sheng said solemnly: "What if one of the governor's personal guards comes with a Shangfang sword? We, the commander-in-chief, will definitely not think so, but those of us who are subordinates,
You’re right to think more!”
"Okay!" Lu Xiangsheng nodded expressionlessly: "Jin Dong, come with me, the others stay here! Remember, tell them not to cause trouble, we will be back soon!"