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"Idiot, idiot!" Wu Sangui threw the battle report on the table. He was so angry that the veins on his forehead were beating wildly, and he kept cursing, "At this time, if you don't take strict precautions against the native chiefs, you still dare to go to the banquet to sing and dance. Death is not enough.
It's a pity, it's not a pity to die. It's really not a pity to die for such idiots."
Liu Xuanchu and Fang Guangchen looked at each other and reached out to get the battle report. After reading it, they both smiled bitterly and shook their heads.
Whether Fu Qidong, the guard of the Stone Forest, lost his vigilance or just wanted to enjoy himself, he was invited to a banquet by the local official Qin Zugen in the name of celebrating his birthday. But this was actually a Hongmen banquet. The singing and dancing had not stopped. Qin Zugen gave an order, and the local soldiers went to the banquet.
They swarmed out and not only killed all the generals and personal guards brought by Fu Qidong, but also caused Shilin's defensive army to have no generals and command failure. The Ming army took advantage of the situation to attack, broke through the Qing army's defense, went straight to Yiliang, and stormed
Broken city.
Originally, the Ming army launched frequent small-scale counterattacks across the entire Yunnan Province, but Wu Sangui did not take it too seriously, and he did not judge the main direction of the Ming army's attack. The main force of the Eight Banners troops moved north to Guizhou Province to conquer Shuixi.
One thousand were left in Kunming to help defend the city. Wu Sangui was also busy mobilizing troops to balance the defense of Yunnan Province and ensure the safety of the three important cities of Chuxiong, Kunming and Qujing.
The current situation has taken a turn for the worse. The Ming army has occupied Yiliang, which is only more than 120 miles away from the city of Kunming. It is a bit excessive to say that the army is approaching the city, but it is an indisputable fact that Kunming has already faced the threat.
"The royal flag of the pseudo-clan is in Yiliang, which shows that the Ming army's main attack direction is in the east." Fang Guangchen frowned and analyzed: "But if we want to take the provincial capital directly, I'm afraid the Ming army may not be able to capture it."
"We should not underestimate the enemy." Liu Xuanchu shook his head slightly and said: "Although our army has tens of thousands of elite soldiers, it is divided into three places and its strength is scattered. Kunming is at the lowest strength at this time. Who knows that the enemy will not take advantage of the opportunity to attack?
?or--"
Liu Xuanchu paused for a moment, walked to the map and looked at it carefully, and guessed: "Maybe the enemy's target is not Kunming, but - but a false shot. Then the troops will point directly at southern Guizhou."
Fang Guangchen also came to the map, pondered for a while, and said uncertainly: "It is not impossible. After all, Shuixi rebelled, and it is common sense for the enemy to respond accordingly."
When Wu Sangui saw that the two counselors couldn't agree, he couldn't help but slump into his chair. He sighed: "I finally understand the sinister intentions of the pseudo-clan. Kunming, Chuxiong, and Qujing, the three important cities in Yunnan Province, are clearly planned for our army."
The cage that has been released has trapped our army inside, and we are naturally powerless to take care of it."
Fang Guangchen and Liu Xuanchu nodded secretly. This was true, but how could the Qing court understand what was going on? The city had been lost and the land was lost. The crime was not a small one, and even the Manchu generals did not dare to bear it easily. And this was the weakness of the Qing army in Yunnan Province.
If the troops are weak, one army alone will be unable to defend and attack. If the whole army gathers, there is a risk of losing the city.
"If we had known this, our army would have abandoned the city and gathered together. No matter whether it was heading west or south, tens of thousands of troops would have been able to defeat the enemy in front of them. Why are we now stuck and passive." Wu Sangui stroked his forehead and said:
Regretful and helpless.
Liu Xuanchu and Fang Guangchen looked at each other and shook their heads. They both knew that Wu Sangui was in a state of confusion. What he said seemed reasonable, but in fact it was completely impossible. The tens of thousands of troops moved forward with all their might, not to mention how to guarantee food and wages, even if they defeated the enemies in front of them.
How dare you go deep into the enemy?
"Your Majesty, we have not yet reached the end of the mountain, so why worry too much." Fang Guangchen advised: "The soldiers will block it, and the water will come to the weir. Since the enemy is coming from the east, troops can be sent from Kunming and Qujing to flank the invading enemy. As for city defense -
Qujing is safe for the time being, but the provincial capital cannot be lost. We can mobilize troops from Chuxiong."
"What about Chu Xiong? If the enemy takes advantage of the opportunity to attack -" Wu Sangui said in a low voice without raising his head.
"How many troops does the Ming army have?" Liu Xuanchu suddenly asked: "If it is far superior to our army, why should we consider other things if we want to protect ourselves? We have enough spare power to invade Shu and attack Guangxi, so why don't we gather more troops to fight with them?"
Our army is fighting a decisive battle in Yunnan Province? Knowing its sinister intentions, what is the use of wasting in Yunnan Province? As the general manager of Yunnan and Guizhou, how can you save your place if you have no troops to rely on?"
Wu Sangui suddenly raised his head and glared at Liu Xuanchu. Although everything he said was true, it struck a vital point in his heart, making him a little angry. If it weren't for the imperial court, if it wasn't for the supervision of the Eight Banners soldiers... To put it harshly, he was just...
Manchu's slave dog, it's not up to the master to command it.
Fang Guangchen didn't know what kind of medicine Liu Xuanchu took wrongly. He was stunned for a moment and said quickly: "Xuanchu said it bluntly, but it was for the sake of the prince. The prince should be considerate of his boxing heart."
Wu Sangui snorted, turned away, and said angrily: "The Ming army in Yunnan Province is strongest in western Yunnan. The puppet king Dingguo, Wen Xuan, are all experienced generals in hundreds of battles. Are they afraid that they don't have 40,000 to 50,000 troops? In southern Yunnan,
There are probably 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers in each war zone in eastern Yunnan. However, most of them are newly expanded barbarians. If we fight in a dignified formation, it will be difficult for these two war zones to withstand the sharpness of our army."
"If we add the troops of Shu and Guangxi, the Ming army will probably number one hundred thousand, right?" Liu Xuanchu pursed his lips slightly and said, "I really don't know how the pseudo-clan managed to ensure the supply of money and food.
If you can defeat the whole country with one corner, you will not be left behind."
Fang Guangchen secretly kicked Liu Xuanchu and said with a forced smile: "The fake clan bullied the weak and feared the strong, and took most of their money and food from small and weak countries. They also used land as a lure to lure local chiefs to lose pay and send troops. They also traded with Western barbarians and cast copper coins.
Borrowing grain from the people... Although there are many methods, it is also the limit. As long as the imperial court strongly supports it, there is plenty of money and grain, and all the troops gather, we will definitely be able to destroy this imperial food."
Does this mean he has lost confidence? Wu Sangui sighed secretly in his heart, and remembered another terrible thing. Wu Yingxiong in the capital sent someone to convey the news that Concubine Dong E was dead. Shunzhi was heartbroken and could not go to court for several days. The psychological implications are very powerful.
, will the following three prophecies come true? Wu Sangui is a very superstitious person, and this casts a shadow on his psychology.
Why do I always feel like my hands are tied? Could it be that the pseudo-clan really has the power of prophecy and that every step of his plan is under his control? Wu Sangui suddenly came up with this somewhat absurd idea.
Although Zhu Yongxing did not know exactly the movements of the Qing army, he could still roughly guess some clues based on historical trends. For example, the Qing court's strategic focus shift, the quality of the financial situation, the thoughts of Wu Sangui and the Qing court, and who could
Capital utilization... In this way, although his judgment cannot be said to be 100% correct, it is not far off.
Therefore, not only opponents like Wu Sangui were surprised, but even the generals and officials under Zhu Yongxing had an unfathomable feeling about him over time.
Liu Xuanchu was extremely disappointed. Wu Sangui remained stubborn, worked hard for the Qing court, and became the enemy of Prince Min. He was no longer the hero of the Han family in his heart, so he kept silent.
Fang Guangchen was very deep in the city and was very dissatisfied with the Eight Banners of Manchuria who abandoned Yunnan and entered Guizhou in the name of countering the rebellion, but in fact used the Han to control the Han, regardless of the life and death of the Han army. The situation was unfavorable at this time, and if the plan went wrong, the consequences would be disastrous, so he wisely protected himself.
Wait for Wu Sangui to make a decision. Anyway, the stakes have been clearly analyzed. It is not that easy to keep the three cities safe and defeat the Ming army at the same time.
Moreover, Fang Guangchen believes that through his understanding of the pseudo-clan, he always feels that the Ming army has a back-up plan, and it is by no means as simple as instigating a rebellion against Qin Zugen. If you act rashly, you are very likely to fall into greater passivity, and if you are cautious, it will be equivalent to sitting back and watching.
Ming army action.
"Abandoning the city is not advisable." Seeing that the two counselors remained silent, Wu Sangui felt slightly angry and said unhappily: "The imperial scholar is about to arrive in Yunnan. At this time, I have lost the city and lost the land. Where is my dignity? How can the imperial court give full support?
Southwest? I have made up my mind to send troops to fight and defeat the enemy."
"Your Majesty is wise." Fang Guangchen and Liu Xuanchu bowed and handed over their hands insincerely.
Wu Sangui felt depressed, waved his hand, immersed himself in looking at the map on the table, and stopped talking.
In fact, Fang Guangchen's feeling was right. The Ming army's counterattack was planned very carefully and meticulously. It would use unprecedented power from various departments. The cooperation between local officials Qin Zugen and Zi Gong cannot be said to be unimportant, but it is not the most critical one.
ring.
………………
The dark red sun was about to set behind the western mountains when five horses ran from west to east on the post road from Kunming to Qujing. The riders on the horses kept pushing the horses. When they arrived at the post station, they rolled their saddles and dismounted. It turned out that
He is an officer with a beard, about thirty years old, and the other four are his guards.
The bearded officer jumped off his horse and shouted in a high voice: "Bring the good wine and food, prepare your horse, we have to travel all night."
When the postmaster saw this, he knew that he was the minister from Kunming, and he hurriedly led others to make arrangements. They were all experts who were used to being busy, and the postmaster was always prepared. In a moment, the food and wine were put out. There were nothing more than slices of chicken, fish, and fresh vegetables.
Although the young vegetables are not as abundant as those served at the banquet, they are cooked according to the needs of travelers and are delicious and delicious.
The Yi Cheng personally prepared the dishes and provided the bowls and chopsticks for General Qiubeard. He was very attentive and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry, sir?"
The bearded officer said: "The person in charge of this office has a major military issue, so don't ask too much. Don't drink too much of this wine, just take a pot to moisten your throat."
Yi Cheng understood, and as expected, he didn't ask any more questions. After a short while, he brought a pot of fine wine, poured a glass for several Qing soldiers, and then stood aside.
"Good wine." The bearded officer finished the drink in one gulp, praised it, and stretched out his hand to pour another glass. His attendant did not dare to drink more. After drinking one glass, he took some vegetables to eat, and there was a sound of chewing.
Yi Cheng pursed his lips slightly, with a cold light shining in his eyes, but soon returned to a slightly flattering expression.
"You—" The bearded officer suddenly felt dizzy. When he raised his head to look at Yi Cheng, he could no longer see clearly. He pointed at Yi Cheng with trembling fingers. His head was in a mess and he had lost the ability to think.
Yi Cheng sneered and clapped his hands vigorously. Several people rushed in with weapons and ropes and threw themselves at several Qing soldiers. Several Qing soldiers wanted to resist, but they were spinning around, unable to stand, and were knocked down.
Pushed to the ground and tied up.
The last person who came in had a gloomy face and didn't say much. He went straight to the bearded officer and took the official document bundle from him. When he opened the bundle, what was inside was a cylindrical official document wrapped in multiple layers of cloth. It was sealed with paper.
After receiving the seal of Prince Pingxi, the two ends of the roll were sealed with wax. Without any hesitation, the man peeled off the sealing wax, tore off the sealing paper, and unfolded it to see that it was the military order Wu Sangui had sent to General Qu Jingqing.
"Sir -" Yi Cheng asked carefully from the side: "How to deal with these guys?"
"Take off your clothes and armor, then drag them to the back, kill them, and bury them." He Yong, a member of the Field Service Section of the Intelligence Department, stretched out his hand expressionlessly, paused, and then ordered: "Zhang Cheng, Zhao Yingshou is here to stay."
Down."
"Understood." Yi Cheng agreed, calling his men to take off the clothes of the five unconscious and sleeping Qing soldiers and drag them out.
When Yi Cheng finished dealing with several Qing soldiers, he returned to the house and found that He Yong and the other three had already put on Qing soldiers' armor and were inspecting each other. When they saw that there were no flaws, they relaxed.
"Have a rest first, and we will leave for Qujing tomorrow morning." He Yong reached out and called Yi Cheng, with a rare tenderness on his face, and carefully explained: "After we leave, you will retreat at night. Don't be reluctant to leave.
Leave the kindling behind, burn the inn with a fire, and throw a few corpses into the fire to make it look like an accident."
The postmaster hesitated for a moment and said tentatively: "Sir, this post station was not easy to come by. It took more than half a year -"
"If this operation is successful, what is a post station?" He Yong waved his hand and said in an unquestionable tone: "Just do what I want. Speaking of which, we should also go to the rear to enjoy the blessings. Mr. Ye has made arrangements.
Yes, there will be someone to help you along the way, and you will be rewarded heavily when you return."
"Understood, I will definitely follow the orders of the adults." Yi Cheng showed a cheerful smile, feeling happy that he could finally escape from his current life.
……………
The communication conditions in ancient times created favorable conditions for the Intelligence Department to implement operations. After receiving a letter, there was no condition to confirm it, especially military orders. Even if there were doubts, the orders had to be followed.
Historically, when Wu Sangui was conquering Shuixi, he mistakenly wrote Liugui as "Lu (capitalized "Liu") return in his marching order to Guizhou Governor Li Benchen, which caused the two armies and horses to be isolated from support. Sangui's army was blocked by the water.
The Western Army was trapped in Longchang (east of Zhijin, Guizhou) and was almost defeated and killed.
The Intelligence Department has Zha Rulong, a master of forgery. Shuixi's rebellion against An Kun is a small test, and this time it is a big fake letter and military order. Counting the time, the Intelligence Department will send people disguised as Qing army messengers to deliver them to everyone.
Route the Qing army to disrupt the Qing army's deployment.
Among them, the letter sent to Qujing was very critical. For this reason, the Intelligence Department did not hesitate to abandon an important intelligence point that had been laboriously constructed, and even sent out capable personnel - Baihu He Yong and his men. Originally, Ye Hu wanted to come in person, but instead
He was stopped by Zhu Yongxing. Ye Hu's position was too high and he knew too many secrets. Once something happened, the consequences would be disastrous.
Wu Sangui thought that his plans and arrangements were all right, and even if he could not defeat the Ming army, it would not further worsen the situation in Yunnan Province. However, he did not know that a few fake letters and fake military orders were enough to make all his hard work go to waste.
Soldiers are deceitful! It's not that Wu Sangui didn't understand, but he didn't expect such a method, so his defeat was not unfair at all.