Just as the two armies were launching an offensive and defensive battle around Hengyang, the initially reorganized Dangshuo Army began to take action, captured Zhenyuan, entered Hunan, arrived at Qinglangwei, and approached Yuanzhou (Zhijiang, Hunan) on November 24th.
, and captured Yuanzhou two days later, and captured Cui Shilu, the city's chief military officer. Subsequently, the Dangshuo army took advantage of the fact that most of the Qing troops in Hunan had been transferred to Hengyang and the local defense was empty, and marched straight forward to Hecheng (Huaihua).
Breaking through Chenzhou (Yuanling) and approaching Changde.
On November 17, after receiving the news that Wu Sangui's troops had surrendered anyway, the Xishuo army was led by Ma Weixing, a male from Syria, and his generals Li Chengjue, Huang Yuancai, and Zhang Guoyong led their troops from Guilin to march into Hunan.
First they defeated Yongzhou, then sent their troops northward. On November 25th, they took Baoqing Prefecture to control Shaoyang, forming a pincer attack on the Hengyang Qing army in the west. However, the Xianshuo army did not advance eastward, but continued northward.
Advance, then attack Xiangxiang (Loudi), send troops into Xiangtan, and cut off the Qing army's retreat in Hengyang.
Wu Sangui returned to the Ming Dynasty anyway, and the Dangshuo Army he reorganized was not powerful in combat, but it was a bolt from the blue to the Qing officials and generals in Hunan and even south of the Yangtze River. In their hearts, this meant that the situation was over and the Qing government would not succeed.
The "three vassals" that ruled the south were either destroyed or rebelled, and all were lost.
In addition, the Ming army in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces broke free and attacked rapidly and fiercely, which frightened the officers and soldiers of the Qing Dynasty and fled after hearing the news.
Yang Yuming, the chief military officer of Changde, was an old friend of Wu Sangui. After serving as a garrison in the Ming Dynasty, he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. He was first awarded the title of guerrilla in Laizhou, Shandong, and was promoted to deputy general with military merit. In the twelfth year of Shunzhi, he was promoted to the chief military officer of Changde Town, Huguang. After hearing that Wu Sangui was in charge, Dang Shuo
When the army came to the city, his son Yang Baoying was also one of the generals of the Dangshuo army, so he acted as an internal response and opened the city to welcome the Dangshuo army. The prefect Weng Yingzhao surrendered. The Qing soldiers fled.
Prime Minister Xia Guo led the army to capture Lizhou north of Changde. There was no fighting in this battle. When the soldiers arrived, the Qing troops in the city presented themselves to the city and changed their banners, becoming part of the Dangshuo army. The Qing general Sang E and the chief military officer Zhou Bangning
He led his troops from Jingzhou to the outside of Lizhou City for reinforcements, and saw that the enemy's troops were in great numbers. He felt that the brigade "could not meet the enemy alone" and "had to retreat to Jingzhou", so he reported to the imperial court and asked for "big soldiers Xingchi" to come for reinforcements.
On December 11, generals Wu Yingqi and Zhang Guozhu of the Dangshuo Army led their troops to attack Yuezhou, an important town on the shore of Dongting Lake. The city's general Li Guodong "paid privately" and surrendered.
Xiangshuo's army marched day and night and forced the Qing army to the gates of Xiangtan City. The Qing army defending the city "disintegrated and left the city without help."
He ignored Changsha and fled to Yuezhou.
Changsha's deputy general Huang Zhengqing and staff general Chen Wuheng stayed to defend the city. Seeing that the Ming army was close at hand, the whole city was panicked. The officers and soldiers no longer wanted to defend the city. They knew that the situation was over and did not want to serve the Qing Dynasty. So they sent people to Xiangtan to ask for surrender.
Together with his subordinates and the city, they were dedicated to the Ming army.
On November 28, the Qing army in Hengyang, which had been cut off from its retreat, retreated in a hurry, while the Zhengshuo army took advantage of the situation to counterattack. The Hunan Green Camp, which was responsible for cutting off the rear, collapsed at the slightest touch. The commander-in-chief He Ye and Hu Libu had no choice but to turn back and fight with their entire army.
They were scattered. The Manchu soldiers were defeated by the Ming army, which had an absolute advantage in strength. They crowded into the Xiangjiang River and drowned countless people. The few remaining soldiers did not dare to go north, escaped across the Xiangjiang River, and fled eastward to the west of Jiangxi.
In more than a month, the Ming army mobilized three armies and more than 100,000 troops to attack cities and plunder territory in Hunan. They marched straight forward and captured Yuanzhou, Changde, Chenzhou, Changsha, Yuezhou, Hengzhou and other strategic towns. , in addition to the fierce fighting in Hengyang, the generals and officials in various prefectures and counties that they passed through either fled or surrendered, almost re-enacting the scene of the "Three Feudatories Rebellion".
"Since Wu Sangui's rebellion, many Green Flag officers and soldiers in Hunan have attached themselves to thieves."
"The rebels made false threats, causing Governor Lu Zhen to abandon his territory and abscond, and he has been brought to justice. Hunan's civil and military officials were still able to protect the people, stick to their places, and perform their duties as promised. On a day when things go smoothly, they will be treated with favorable treatment and fines."
"The thieves were rampant, and the officials in the prefectures and counties where they belonged could not calm the people and consolidate the territory, so Chang (De), Li (Prefecture), Chang (Sha), and Yue (Prefecture) were trapped by thieves one after another, and they were all dismissed for questioning."
"Wu Sangui was burdened with a heavy responsibility, and he was willing to become a thief. He went on a rampage and rebellious, causing harm to all living beings. His logic was hard to tolerate, and both gods and men were outraged. Now he has been reduced to a noble, and Ningnan Jing Kou General is sent to lead a powerful force to exterminate the troops wherever they go. The whole time will be settled."
"Local officials and people are in the territory of thieves, or they are loyal and unable to extricate themselves; or they are driven by thieves and are suspicious and afraid of crime. When the soldiers arrive, they will not be able to separate the jade and stone. I have issued an edict and a general edict. You should all live in peace. If you protect yourself and do not listen to temptations and threats, you may mistakenly join the gang, but if you can repent and turn sincerely, you will be forgiven and let go, and you will not be punished again."
The Ming army's counterattack was fierce and difficult to defeat, and the Manchu army was defeated in Hengyang. The Green Banner Qing army collapsed at the first touch, and even fled after hearing the news. The Qing court was extremely frightened and could not stop the Ming army's offensive, so it pursued local military and political officials for losing their lands. Responsibility. Another imperial edict, with false threats and political inducements.
At the same time, the Qing government also realized that "the important area of Wuchang must be defended" and urgently ordered Luo Zhuman, the commander-in-chief, to lead his troops to Wuchang to "secure the place." If you come, you can choose to "garrison at important waterway locations" south of Wuchang. The Qing government was afraid that it would not be able to mobilize troops in time, so it urgently ordered Mu Zhan, the capital commander in Nanchang, to lead his troops to Wuchang to resist the enemy's offensive first.
Then, the Qing government carried out a series of emergency mobilizations, dispatched various front armies, appointed generals as commanders of each front army, and quickly entered their respective war zones, such as Wuchang, Jingzhou, Yiling, Yunyang, Xiangyang, Hanzhong, Xi'an, Jingkou, Important places such as Jiangning, Anqing, Shandong and Henan. These strategic strongholds, relying on the natural dangers of the Yangtze River, will be centered on Jingzhou and focused on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. They extend and intersect with individual areas in the south of the Yangtze River, Shandong and Henan, forming a A rather tight military offensive and defensive line was formed.
At this time, the Qing government finally realized that using only the Eight Banners of Manchuria and the Green Banners of the Han Army was insufficient, and had to recruit troops from all Mongolian banners. First, half of the Haer Guards' Xiaoqi troops were mobilized, and they were recruited from the Forty-nine Banners of Mongolia. First, ten banners of Horqin, one banner of Aohan, one banner of Naiman, one banner of Kexiketeng, and ten banners of Guihua City, which are closer to Beijing, were mobilized, with a total of 10,000 troops dispatched.
Among them, 6,000 Mongolian soldiers and half of the soldiers under the banner, about 10,000 people, were led by Gushan Beizizhunda to Jingzhou; the remaining 4,000 Mongolian soldiers and half of the soldiers under the banner, about 10,000 people, were led by Dorobele Shangshan. The Qing government ordered the Mongolian soldiers to arrive in Beijing before February 1st. At the same time, the Horqin tribe was ordered to assist the Duke Tunahei, Dulbert Taiji Wenbu went to Jingzhou to listen, and the Bahrain tribe Beizi Wenchun , Taijigrad plans to go to Wuchang.
In fact, it was already too late for the Qing government to remotely command and deploy troops. Changde and Changsha "struggled with the dangers of Hunan and Hunan, and faced the collision of water and land". After they were occupied by the Ming army, the "entire power of Chu" was transferred to the Ming Dynasty.
As for the military, it is easier said than done to reverse the situation?
Moreover, the Ming army's complete victory in Hunan was like a shock wave, causing a chain reaction. Those who were dissatisfied with the rule of the Qing Dynasty took advantage of the situation and rose up in an uncontrollable surge.
"The general will give you the yellow belt, and the prince will lead the green flag soldiers." It means that the leading generals are all royal nobles. These noble children, royal relatives and nobles, are the younger generation of the royal family. They have not experienced the hardships of their ancestors.
In the age of entrepreneurship. When they were born or just started to understand, the Aixinjueluo family had already ruled the world, enjoying the fruits of victory of their ancestors, inheriting the titles of their fathers, living in a pampered manner, rarely seeing battles, let alone having rich combat experience.
In the impression of the Manchurian soldiers, battle formations were nothing more than riding horses, shooting arrows, and waving swords and guns while roaring up. However, when faced with the Ming army's muskets, artillery, bayonets, and strict military formations, these seemingly simple and effective tactics became
Lost the ability to show off one's power.
Compared with the panic of the Qing court and the confusion of the Manchu soldiers, Zhu Yongxing appeared more confident and majestic, looking forward to the flying of the gods and giving guidance to the country. He showed his brilliance and martial prowess.
This is not because Zhu Yongxing is a military genius, and he has never thought so, but history is heading towards a trajectory he is familiar with. Well, it should not be said to be history, but the war situation. The current situation is similar to the "San Francisco Rebellion"
"It was so similar at that time. He knew why Wu Sangui lost, so he naturally knew how to win.
Historically, after Wu Sangui raised his army from Yunnan and Guizhou, he marched straight forward and captured Yuanzhou, Changde, Chenzhou, Changsha, Yuezhou, Hengzhou and other strategic towns. In the places he passed, the generals of various prefectures and counties either fled or surrendered.
, in just three months, the four provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Chu, and Shu were taken over.
After that, Geng Jingzhong from Fujian and Zhejiang, Wang Fuchen from Gansu and Shaanxi, and Zheng Jing also sent troops to the southeast. The Wu army continued to use rapid and fierce offensives to seize parts of Guangdong, Hunan, Sichuan and Jiangxi. The forwards reached the south bank of the Yangtze River, drank from the Yangtze River, and headed north.
Hope, the situation has been set up to cross the river and march north, and the situation can be said to be very good.
At that time, the Wu army advanced to Songzi and was able to cross the Yangtze River. At this time, the Qing army had not yet gathered, and the north of the Yangtze River was already in turmoil, and people's hearts were not solid. If they could cross the river quickly and monopolize the danger of the Yangtze River, the military initiative would be in their hands.
, and further expanded its influence politically, mobilizing Han officials and generals from Jiangbei and even the Yellow River Basin to participate. The Qing Dynasty would be unable to clean up the situation and would inevitably continue to retreat to the north bank of the Yellow River in an attempt to hold on.
But at this time, Wu Sangui exposed his fatal weakness of being good at both ends and indecisive. He stationed in Songzi for several months, with no sign of moving north. This fatal strategic mistake gave the Qing government the opportunity to dispatch troops.
, the opportunity to redeploy defenses created a confrontation between Jingyue and Yue. Moreover, this kind of military conservatism also caused the Wu army to quickly lose its enterprising spirit.
If we delve deeper into Wu Sangui's thoughts, Zhu Yongxing feels that Wu Yingxiong's family stranded in the capital may be one of the reasons why Wu Sangui refuses to go north, but it is by no means the most important. The most important thing is that Wu Sangui lacks the determination and momentum to move forward without hesitation.
.This is due to his character. In the cracks of history, Wu Sangui was able to have both sides and become rich and prosperous, but when it came to the decisive moment of history, he did not have the courage.
"If you want to achieve perfection, you will not abandon Yunnan and Guizhou." Wu Sangui has worked hard to manage Yunnan and Guizhou for more than ten years and regards this as the foundation. Going north means abandoning the foundation and opening up a new world. If things don't go well and the middle road is frustrated, he will fall into A dangerous situation of being unable to advance or retreat.
If we station troops south of the Yangtze River, consolidate our positions and gain a firm foothold, even if we fail to accomplish anything major, we can still "dedicate the river to the country" and establish half of the country. Although this consideration is considered stable, it cannot guarantee victory. According to the art of war, if you advance, you cannot retreat. Only by attacking can we achieve and consolidate the victory we have won. Once the military attack stops and turns into defense, we will be passively beaten.
Standing still was a fatal strategic mistake. However, the Wu army failed to achieve decisive victories in Gansu, Shaanxi and Jiangxi, to open up contact with Wang Fuchen and Geng Jingzhong, and to connect the occupied areas, and was in a dangerous situation of being defeated individually. The key.
Anyway, at that time, whether the Wu army crossed the Yangtze River and went north, or went down to Jiujiang, strangled the Yangtze River, and the Huaihe River to block the Qing Dynasty's north-south transport route. It would be much more realistic to be frightened and put Wu Yingxiong's family back and negotiate peace with Wu Jun. At the intersection of history, it can be said that Wu Sangui made the stupidest decision.
The current situation is very similar to that of the "San Francisco Rebellion", but there are many differences. Zhu Yongxing is from the imperial clan of the Ming Dynasty, and the appeal of this flag is not comparable to that of Wu Sangui, who calls himself "King of Zhou"; Fujian and Zhejiang have troops to destroy Shuo, There are naval divisions at sea, and there are two divisions led by Wei Junzhong in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province. It is not difficult to establish contact with Changsha, Pingxiang, and Yichun; there is an army in Jingxiang to challenge Shuo, and there is a naval division on the Yangtze River. Changsha surrendered without a fight, and the subordinates The warships are all owned by the Ming army, and the Ming army has a clear advantage in terms of water power; Yun, Xiang, and Gucheng are still in the hands of the Shuo army, controlling the upper reaches of the Han River. If the Qing army wants to confront the Jingzhou camp, they will be attacked Threats from the east and north.
The Qing government chose to deploy emergency defenses in Jingzhou as a strategic focus. Firstly, it wanted to cut off the connection between the Ming army and the Jingxiang army against Shuo. Secondly, it also estimated that when the Ming army went north, it would cross the river through Hunan. Therefore, the Qing government tried to Taking advantage of the danger of the Yangtze River, we set up defenses in Jingzhou to block the Ming army from crossing the river. If we can withstand the military pressure of the Ming army here, we can gather a large army and use it as a base for counterattack across the river.
The wealth of Wu and Yue (referring to the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions) and the martial arts of Shan (West) and Shaanxi (West) were all concentrated in Jingzhou, Xiangyang, the Yangtze River, and the Han River. Wu Sangui's rebellion caused the situation in Hunan to take a turn for the worse. Both sides mobilized their troops and generals. After adjusting the layout, the focus of the war south of the river was suddenly concentrated between Jingyue and Yue.
And Zhu Yongxing's movements also seem to indicate to the outside world that the Ming army will cross the river and head north, with the frontline directed at Jingzhou. Because Zhu Yongxing's royal banner is now in Yuezhou, and the clan is marching in person, Zhu Yongxing is a figure that attracts attention from both the enemy and us. Where is he? , of course, is probably the main direction of attack of the Ming army.
Yuezhou is not only Hunan but also the "important place between water and land" in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is located on the bank of the vast Dongting Lake, on the south bank of the Yangtze River, surrounded by water on three sides and connected to land on one side. The water of Dongting is connected with the Yangtze River, so with the help of The waves from Dongting can go along the Yangtze River and out of Hunan Province, traveling on land and water at the same time, as you please.
And with the help of a river, you can enter Dongting from the Yangtze River. When entering Hunan Province, you must pass through Yuezhou. Traveling from north to south and east to west, if you want to gain the benefits of both water and land, Yuezhou is an insurmountable area. In terms of military, By capturing Yuezhou, we can control the lifeline of Hunan and cut off the communication between the north and the south. Therefore, this city is a battleground for military strategists.
Zhu Yongxing was based in Yuezhou and personally supervised the division. He did not immediately make preparations to attack Jingzhou, but made some troop mobilization.
"The conquering Shuo army transferred from Changsha to Changde, took over the area occupied by the Dangshuo army, attacked Shishou (still named today), Huarong (still named today), Songzi, and formed a corner with Yuezhou, and opened up with Kui.
Overland connections to the east.”
"After the Dangshuo army changed its defense, it turned to Changsha, went to Zhuzhou, and attacked Pingxiang. After entering Gan Province, it went north with Wei Junzhong's troops to threaten Nanchang."
In order to prevent the Dangshuo Army, which was reorganized from the Dashun Army and the Wu Army, from meeting early and give their respective generals a buffer time, Zhu Yongxing had no choice but to move the Dangshuo Army farther away from Guizhou.
One of the little thoughts.
"The navy stepped up its reorganization and set out in three days, anchoring at the upper reaches of the Hudu River (still named today, in the territory of Hubei Province) to intercept the Qing army in Jingzhou."
This is common sense among military strategists. It was mentioned by the staff, and it is also true in history. Zhu Yongxing followed the example of good deeds.
"The Intelligence Bureau will send people with Gu's secret message to Yiling, and order the troops in Kuidong and the Yangtze River Navy to go down the river, meet at Songzi, and control the upper reaches of Jingzhou."
Although there was a Changsha Navy, its ships had few cannons and were mostly warships. They were far less powerful than the Yangtze River Navy. The attack on Jingzhou would definitely require Yangtze River water to help.
"Xianshuo's army set up defenses in Yuezhou, and the Duke of Xu took charge. Three days later, he went to Songzi to supervise the division in person."
Going to the governor in person was not only to boost morale, but also to meet with various generals in Kuidong to communicate with them and dispel some of their doubts.
"I have been told by Gu that supplies from the three provinces of Yunnan, Guangdong, and Guangxi can use the Xiang-Li Waterway as far as Changsha."
There is no rapid beach below the Xiangjiang River's diversion pond, and the water depth is usually more than one and a half meters, which can be used by civilian ships. In the 33rd year of Qin Shi Huang (214 BC), Emperor Qin Shi Lu sent Shi Lu to dig the Ling Canal in present-day Xing'an to divert 30% of the Xiang River into the Li River.
, connecting the Yangtze River water system and the Pearl River water system. Since then, the river has become an important water transportation route for economic, military, and cultural exchanges between the Central Plains and Lingnan. Transporting materials by waterway by ship is obviously faster and can better meet the needs of the front line.
After some arrangements, the Ming army's strategic focus has shifted to Jingyue. According to estimates, it will take at least half a month for the Qing army to mobilize troops and strengthen Jingzhou's defenses. Even if there are Qingqi Xingye to come to the rescue, it is unlikely that there will be too many
The Ming army's control of Yuezhou was equivalent to cutting off the Qing army's support along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Yunyang and Xiangyang were in the hands of the Shuo army. The Qing army could only go overland from Wuchang, or along the Han River to Qianjiang or Shajiang River.
After Yang, turn to land and travel.
If the Qing army poured troops from Wuchang to reinforce Jingzhou, the Ming army did not necessarily have to attack by force. Only leaving part of the navy and part of the army could contain the Qing army in Jingzhou. The Ming army could move down the river and attack Wuchang, or
He gathered his troops and marched eastward, attacking Nanchang, the capital of Gan Province, and then moved north to Jiujiang, quickly encircling the Qing army.
When fighting along the river, the navy is the most important. With the help of the Yangtze River Navy, the Ming army can use its troops flexibly and advance by land and water, which increases its power and chance of victory. During the "Rebellion of the Three Feudatories", in the early stages of the confrontation at Jingyue, the Wu army
The navy had the advantage in terms of strength, but it just delayed and watched the Qing army establish a base camp in Jingzhou and build a large fleet, gradually losing the initiative on the water. (To be continued...)