The mighty river separated the north and the south. A decisive battle to determine the fate of China was raging in the south, while in the north there were secret battles, affecting the entire war situation.
The Zhengshuo Army captured the important town of Ji'an in Jiangxi and pressed the Qing army from the north towards Ganzhou. If they could be annihilated, not only would the passage between Guangdong and Jiangxi be opened, but the main force of the Qing army in Jiangxi would be eliminated, and the recovery of other areas of Jiangxi would be smooth.
The Qing court's countermeasure was to mobilize a Qing army from Chenzhou, Hunan, to march eastward to Jiangxi in an effort to thwart the Ming army's combat intentions. It also ordered the commander-in-chief Heye, Hulibu, Mu Zhan, and the deputy commander-in-chief Thimphu to lead the drafted banner servants to rush there.
Nanchang. The Qing court's idea was to first separate the Ming army entering Ganzhou in the heart of Jiangxi, use the Ganzhou Qing army and Hunan reinforcements as the south route, and then use the army led by Hu Libu and others as the north route to conduct a combined north-south attack.
But although the plan was good, it was not able to withstand the changes in the situation. Wu Yingxiong, his wife and children were kidnapped out of Beijing, which immediately shocked the Qing court. The only means to check and balance Wu Sangui in Guizhou was no longer effective. Wu Sangui had to be careful about what he did next.
.If Wu Sangui rebels immediately, Huguang will not be able to be saved, and the plan to jointly attack the Ming army in Jiangxi will also be shattered.
After urgent deliberation, the four ministers of the Qing court decided to change their deployment. Before Wu Sangui's movements were undecided, safety should be the priority. From this point of view, the plan to jointly attack the Ming army seemed a bit hasty and risky. If Wu suddenly invaded Hunan from Guizhou,
Hengyang, then together with the Ming army, the Qing army in Ganzhou and the Hunan reinforcements can be surrounded and annihilated.
Abandoning Ganzhou, the whole army retreated to Hunan, which not only conserved the troops, strengthened the defense of Hunan, but also monitored and prevented Wu Sangui's movements; Heye, Hulibu, Mu Zhan and others still led the army to Nanchang, and dispatched the light cavalry to go first; they also dispatched the troops stationed in Xi'an.
General Varkha of Xi'an quickly marched into Jingxiang, and Vice-Capital Commander Korkun went to Xi'an to take over Varkha's duty of guarding Xi'an; he recruited all Mongolian tribes to send troops, and then put them all into Hunan; with Yanzhou in Shandong Province close to Jiangnan (Jiangsu, Anhui),
Jiangxi and Huguang are important passages and are a suitable place where troops can be "assembled and horses are ready." Vice-capital Mahada was specially ordered to lead troops in Yanzhou and dispatch or provide reinforcements to neighboring areas at any time.
At a cursory glance, I thought that the Qing government had made appropriate arrangements and had a clear strategic purpose, which was to attach great importance to Hunan and regard Hunan as the place for the decisive battle. However, a closer analysis will reveal that most of the measures were slow but not urgent.
For example, General Varka of Xi'an had to mobilize his troops and make a long journey to Jingxiang. For example, when recruiting Mongolian cavalry, the Mongolian tribes did not always respond to requests. The only ones who had the best chance of sending troops were those with the Qing government.
The Horqin and Niebuhr tribes are closely related, and the troops and horses in these plans are still in Mongolia. They are assembled and have to march thousands of miles. It is not known that they will arrive in Hunan in the year of the monkey and the month of the horse; there is also the "gathering of troops and horses in Yanzhou"
"Waiting for a while" sounds nice, but where can a large number of troops be mobilized from one place? It is estimated that they can only be pieced together slowly and piecemeal.
In order to buy time, the Qing court pretended to send people to send gifts to Wu Sangui and congratulate him on his fiftieth birthday. On the other hand, it quickly notified the military and political chiefs of Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and other provinces to make advance preparations and beware of Wu's sudden movements.
A successful kidnapping and rescue effectively supported the war in the south. The Qing government was forced to make adjustments, tilting the battle situation more towards the Ming army. The power of the hidden front was highlighted after this incident.
At this time, the group of people who successfully carried out the secret battle had landed in Fuzhou, changed to carriages, and rushed to Guangzhou.
Autumn in the south is not as desolate as Du Fu described it with "the rustling of the endless fallen trees", nor is it the "bleak autumn wind" that Cao Cao said. The sun is high in the sky, but there is still warm sunshine and pleasant breeze.
The Fuzhou Prefecture arranged a maid for "Princess Jianning", and Li Yingmei finally felt much more relaxed. She no longer had to keep a close eye on her, and she no longer had to be reprimanded for giving "Princess Jianning" two big ears.
The news was sent to Guangzhou by clipper as early as Chongming. Your Highness Min should know it now, but I don't know how to deal with it next? The sun was shining warmly on her body. Gu Yinghui felt comfortable while riding her horse, but her head was thinking wildly.
"How strange!" Li Yingmei sat on the carriage and made a startled sound again.
There were constant surprises along the way. I saw huge ships like mountains, countless sails and rafts, the busyness of Chongming Island, and now the peace and tranquility of Mingtong District, and——
"Why don't you see a few sedans?" Thinking back to Fuzhou, on the road, and thinking of Beijing and Beidi, she couldn't help but ask the accompanying officials: "Civil officials ride in sedans, and military generals ride on horses. Why don't you sit in a sedan? It's still very strange.
If you are poor, you cannot afford to buy a sedan chair or hire a sedan chair bearer."
The accompanying official was the deputy director of the Fuzhou Intelligence Station, named Mi Sihan. He was a serious person, but he was amused by this innocent question and said with a smile: "Young lady, you don't know something. Civil servants ride in sedans, and military generals ride on horses.
That's an old rule. In the Ming Dynasty's ruling area now, except for ladies, wives, or wealthy businessmen, they all ride in cars or on animals."
"Why is this?" Li Yingmei, like a curious baby, threw her dark braids behind her and asked in confusion.
"Wen can bring peace to the world with his pen, but military force can mount his horse and decide the world." Mi Sihan smiled and shook his riding whip and said: "His Royal Highness Min hopes that all officials can be both civil and military. This martial arts is not about fighting on the battlefield. At least they can't be without hands.
He has the strength to tie a chicken, and he still needs someone to carry him after walking three steps. His Highness said that such a person is almost like a waste. Therefore, whether it is a horse, a carriage, a donkey, a mule, or walking on legs, not many civil servants can do it anymore.
Dare to walk through the market with swagger."
Fang Guangchen listened clearly and couldn't help stroking his beard and laughing at himself: "Fortunately, I can still ride a horse, otherwise I would be a waste?"
"Then - doesn't it mean that I have lost my official authority?" Li Yingmei tilted her head and thought for a while, then asked another question.
"Official prestige, what's the purpose of that?" Mi Sihan laughed and said, "Swarming in front and behind, blowing gongs to clear the way, that's called pomp, but not official prestige. The people may be afraid of you, but it's not true.
I respect and admire you, but I might scold you for eight generations behind your back, or stab you with a straw man!"
At this point, Mi Sihan's face became serious, "What's more, now the resistance to the Qing Dynasty is the most important thing, and the ZTE is the top priority. Everyone should do their best for this. Sitting in a sedan chair, you occupied four strong men; to talk about pomp and circumstance, and
I don’t know how many people are doing useless things. If these laborers are used in the fields, the soldiers will be less worried about hunger; if these hands are used in the workshops, the soldiers will have more weapons to kill the enemy. Anyway, as long as they are used for the right purpose
, this will give us a little more power to resist the Qing Dynasty. The great cause of Zhongxing can be completed one day earlier, and everyone can enjoy a peaceful and happy life earlier."
"Well, that makes sense." Li Yingmei nodded repeatedly and said the truth, "Compared with this, the Tartars in the north are far behind. They only know how to press for taxes and food. They talk about ostentation, and the people dare not refuse.
Come on, I hate them in my heart!"
"His Royal Highness works so hard to govern, and everyone under the rule is united, the world will be pacified!" Fang Guangchen didn't know much about the rules of Mingtong District, but he benefited a lot after hearing it, and he couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart.
You don’t know if you compare, but you will know the difference only by comparing. The Qing court was fishing in the lake, and the people had great resentment; but the Ming court mobilized the whole people. Everything is united. Although the war is still going on, one will become weaker and weaker as the war continues, and the other will become stronger as the war continues.
The outcome seems to have been determined.
Mi Sihan signaled with his eyes and deliberately slowed down. Gu Yinghui paused her horse's head and came closer.
"This girl named Yingmei is good at martial arts, right?" Mi Sihan asked in a low voice.
Gu Yinghui didn't understand what he meant and hurriedly replied: "It makes sense."
"Do you know the foundation and your family background is innocent?" Mi Sihan smiled slightly and said: "It makes sense, that means he is better than ordinary people!"
"After checking the basics, the family backgrounds mentioned by their brothers and sisters are not suspicious." Gu Yinghui said cautiously: "This action can be regarded as a full-fledged effort. I can't see any problems."
Mi Sihan nodded. Seeing Gu Yinghui's confused look, he explained with a smile: "His Royal Highness wants to recruit some female guards to strengthen the security protection of the inner house. As you know, His Highness does not need eunuchs. It is only convenient for female guards to be used."
"
"In that case, why not publish a list -" Gu Yinghui was quick-thinking and knew she had made a mistake as soon as she blurted it out. She suddenly patted her head and said with a self-deprecating smile: "Look at this head, such an important thing cannot be made public.
.If it becomes known to the whole world, it is inevitable that traitors will take the opportunity to sneak in."
"This is exactly the truth." Seeing that Gu Yinghui could figure it out so quickly, Mi Sihan showed admiration on his face and said, "So Your Highness Min only told the Intelligence Bureau to keep an eye on it secretly. If this woman is available, you might as well
try."
Gu Yinghui frowned and said without concern: "This girl is outspoken and has a wild temper. I'm afraid-"
"If it's a maid or a maid, it's natural to look for someone who is well-behaved." Mi Sihan said thoughtfully: "Nan girls are so delicate and delicate, so there are too few suitable ones. Let's talk to Your Highness, whether it is successful or not depends on it.
It’s up to Your Highness to decide! Well, I’m afraid it will have to be done to the satisfaction of the two ladies in the palace.”
Almost everyone knows about Zhu Yongxing's love for Mengzhu and Longer. However, the status is awkward, and he is called concubine, which is a bit disrespectful. He is called princess, and there is no canonization. He has to use the vague name of madam, which is considered perfunctory.
"The south is better. It's not cold. Even if you wear thin clothes, you will freeze to death, right?" Li Yingmei sighed again and said with a sigh: "It's not like the north. How many poor people have frozen to death this winter. And these crops,
Why haven't you confiscated it yet? It has been growing in the ground for so long, so you must have harvested a lot, right?"
Autumn in the north comes earlier than in the south. When the autumn wind blows into the fields, the trees in the south are still green and lush; farmers in the north are harvesting in the fields, while farmers in the south are still looking forward to a good harvest.
Compared with the north, autumn in the south is less depressed and desolate. It is more tranquil and peaceful. As long as the vegetation is still alive, the green will not die. Sometimes it is not until the cold weather in the north that the south has some
Autumn mood. Suddenly I feel that the sky is getting higher, the sunshine is softer, and the wind is getting cooler. Although the grass and trees are not withered and withered, they also seem to be covered with a layer, as if they are trying to avoid it.
"That's two crops of rice. One crop has been harvested in June and July." Fang Guangchen said from the side: "The south and the north are really different. It's a good time for you to come. If it's summer, you'll be in trouble."
"With two crops of rice, we harvest twice a year. Isn't there so much food that we can't eat it all?" Li Yingmei clicked her tongue and praised: "The common people don't have to worry about starving to death!"
"A good climate and a good place must also be well managed by the government." Gu Yinghui interjected: "It was not like this when the rebellious Fujian Province was entrenched. All kinds of harsh governance, coupled with the relocation of coastal areas, thousands of people's families were destroyed.
Tens of thousands!"
"Hey, sir, I want to say that His Highness Min is wise and mighty, and His Highness Min is kind and caring for the people." Li Yingmei blinked her big eyes and said with a smile.
Mi Sihan laughed and said, "Then you should listen more and read more to see if he is right?"
"His Royal Highness Min is so good, but he is not an emperor. How can he still control him for the rest of his life?"
Li Yingmei spoke unintentionally, which made the people around her unable to answer. They each tried to cover up, either turning their eyes to look at the scene, looking up to see, or concentrating on it.
We were passing through a village at this time. There were escorts in front of them who had already shown their military badges. Several guards moved out of the way and watched the group of people passing through the village. There was a line of white-gray slogans on the wall near the road, which caused a lot of attention.
Fang Guangchen's attention.
"Drive out the Tartars and share peace and happiness!" Fang Guangchen understood the meaning carefully. It was simple and unsophisticated, and connected the resistance to the Qing Dynasty with the most basic wishes of the people. It was easy to understand after reading it. Moreover, the slogan put forward by Emperor Gao during the Northern Expedition was "
Expelling the barbarians, restoring China, setting the rules and regulations, and rescuing the people." Fang Guangchen noticed the difference between expulsion and expulsion.
Such a great ambition, even Emperor Bi Gao made more concessions. The difference of one word made Fang Guangchen sigh with emotion. It seems that His Highness Min not only wants to regain the south of the Yangtze River, but also expeditions north to restore the Shenjing. He also wants to clear out the holes and restore the whole country.
Liao Tu. Fang is competing for all the merits!
……………
Weapons and equipment may not have revolutionary breakthroughs, but tactics often can. Not only the early firearms line-up to the transitional tactics of skirmishers, artillery coordination, etc., but also the combat methods of cavalry have become more and more diverse.
ization and systematization.
In the process of modernizing the army, the improvement of cavalry tactics has been the most amazing. A dense wall charge, as long as it does not appear in a formation, is invincible against non-modern cavalry. You can't find any modern cavalry above the regiment level.
Being defeated by the opponent's non-modern cavalry.
Wall tactics have appeared in the world, although they have not yet formed a systematic theory. In the battle with the Turks, who were both coming and going quickly and were good at fighting alone, the Eastern European cavalry accumulated experience in wall tactics.
.
There are clear records of at least Louis of Baden (1655-1707) who connected various infantry battalions and cavalry squadrons in a line "without gaps" during the battle with the Turks. The cavalry, like the infantry, mainly relied on firepower to fight to avoid
The Turkish army cut through the gap and launched close combat, which they were not good at.
On this point, Zhu Yongxing's thinking is somewhat similar to Louis of Baden. He believes that no matter how the Ming army trains, unless they have ten or eight years, they will not be able to compete with them in riding and horseback skills.
Compared with "a nation that grew up on horseback".
Since there is no way to break through in terms of individual soldiers' ability, we can only use collective strength to allow the Ming army's cavalry to push their horses side by side, shoulder to shoulder, like a fast-moving wall. In this way, they always fight with collective strength.
, instead of fighting each other in a chaotic manner, the combat effectiveness is far greater than that of traditional cavalry. Just imagine, the enemy will encounter two or three weapons in a confrontation. No matter how high one's martial arts are, it is often difficult to withstand them.
However, this kind of cavalry is difficult to train, because it is a very difficult overall tactical behavior to keep the horses in a dense and orderly formation during a charge. Poor coordination will cause the entire line to become chaotic. But the advantages are also quite obvious. In these
In the dense formation of the cavalry regiment, discipline is paramount, and individual riding skills are no longer important. A single rider does not need to hold the reins, and the horses of his teammates on both sides will lead him forward. In this way, each cavalryman can release
Use both hands to fight.
In the open fields, horses neighed and hoofbeats clattered. Rows of Ming army riders advanced in as dense a formation as possible. The dust was so thick that it almost obscured the entire field of vision.
"The speed of the second team at the beginning was too fast, the first team was okay, but the speed of the third team's formation was not dense enough, it was too slow."
Chang Guo Gong Gao Wengui stood on the tall wooden building, sometimes using his eyesight, sometimes raising his telescope, observing while loudly giving orders to the flag soldiers, his voice was a little hoarse.
King Li Dingguo of Jin climbed up the ladder, waved his hand to signal the flag soldiers to be silent, and silently raised his telescope to carefully observe the cavalry drill.
"Fucking*, what is the fourth team doing? The formation is like a dog chewing." Gao Wengui cursed, his throat was so dry, he turned around to get the kettle, only to find that Li Dingguo was behind him.
"Your Highness Jin, when did you come?" Gao Wengui quickly raised his hands and saluted.
"We just arrived." Li Dingguo handed over the hanging kettle and said with a smile: "Don't be too anxious, you have made great progress now, right?"
Gao Wengui took the kettle, thanked him, drank a few big gulps without even wiping the water droplets from the corners of his mouth, and said: "The charging distance has been increased to one hundred fifty or sixty steps, and one row can reach thirty horses. That's right.
It’s much better than at the beginning, but it’s only been half a year, right?”
"Half a year is already very good." Li Dingguo pointed to the training ground and said: "If you can perform like this on the battlefield, you will be able to fight against the Qing cavalry who are not from the Eight Banners of Manchuria and Mongolia, right?"
The cavalry formation marching like a wall does not require a high running speed, which will disrupt the formation and affect the impact, so a neat jogging charge is often used. The farther the distance of the line charge, the more difficult it is to coordinate.
It took the Europeans more than a century to sum up their experience before extending the charge distance of the cavalry line from one hundred yards to one thousand eight hundred yards. From a single dense line, lines, columns, strides, trots, and casuals were derived.
Various tactical transformations such as array galloping and so on, and made it into a classic text. (To be continued..)