As time goes by, there are less than two months left before the cross-sea raid is carried out. And once the cross-sea raid begins, it means that the military plan to regain Nanjing has officially begun. Therefore, this paragraph
During this time, various preparations in Zhejiang are also undergoing intense preparations.
And now Shang Yi not only has to consider the war plan, but also the expansion and formation of the army, the manufacturing and accumulation of various military equipment, as well as the size of the army for cross-sea raids, warship combinations, soldiers, ammunition, supplies, etc.
He needs to worry about everything, so he is very busy every day. Of course, he is not the only one. Officials, troops, and workers in Hangzhou and even Zhejiang are also busy.
, even Shang Yi’s wives and concubines are no exception.
Of course, by this time, Ye Yaojia's belly had obviously bulged, and now she looked like a pregnant woman, so she received the focus of care from the whole family, although Ye Yaojia still had to bear a considerable part of the responsibility at this time.
government affairs work,
But Zhu Yao and Chen Yuanyuan also helped her share a lot of the burden, so it was not too hard. But Shang Yi, no matter how busy he was with his official duties, had to take some time to walk and talk with Ye Yaogui every day.
, without interruption.
And time passed day by day in such tension and busyness. In late July, the United Front Work Department also officially came up with a formal organization after the army expansion. In addition to the current five armies, they have been expanded to a certain extent.
, and two new armies were established.
First, the Merchant Army in the Hubei Theater was officially organized into the Sixth Army, with Li Dingguo as the commander, Huang Qingwen as the deputy commander, and Li Mou as the chief of staff. Li Hanjun, the former deputy commander of the Ninth Division, took over Li Dingguo as the division commander of the Ninth Division and the Third Brigade.
The brigade commander, also the deputy brigade commander
Chang Ding Qibing took over, and also expanded the divisions and brigades by one each, with the designations of the 18th Division and the 22nd Brigade. Li Chengdong was appointed as the commander of the new 18th Division, and Li Benzhen was appointed as the commander of the new 22nd Brigade. After the expansion, the
The total strength of the Sixth Army Wa is about 36,000.
The next task of the Sixth Army is to attack Huangzhou, Qizhou and other places, fully occupy the Huangzhou Prefecture area, and then expand to both sides to prepare for the next step of attacking Nanjing in the Zhejiang area and attract the Qing Army's troops.
Including the Second Army stationed in Yangzhou, the total strength is about 57,000. Now the entire Jiangbei strength has reached about 90,000.
In the Zhejiang region, the troops stationed in southern Zhejiang were organized into the Seventh Army, with Duan Peng as the commander. The special forces brigade was expanded into a special forces division. The brigade commander He Chong was promoted to division commander and concurrently served as deputy commander of the Seventh Army.
The 10th Division of the First Army is assigned to the Seventh Army, and there are two new brigades, designated as the 16th and 21st Brigades. The total strength is 36,000 people. It is currently stationed in southern Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Fujian
The place of intersection.
After the establishment of the Seventh Army, the Third Army added an infantry division and two infantry brigades. Now the total strength will reach 45,000. The additional strength of the First Army will be 74,000, stationed in Zhejiang.
The total strength of the northern merchant army in Zhejiang has reached more than 150,000.
Adding up Jiangbei and Jiangnan, the official strength of the troops has almost reached about 250,000. In terms of the number of troops, it is almost enough to recapture Nanjing.
At the same time, the troops to carry out the cross-sea raid plan have also been decided. This time, the first and second squadrons of the navy will be dispatched, with a total of fifty-eight large and small battleships, nearly 6,000 sailors, and fifty-three transport ships.
, forming the entire raid fleet. The newly built first-class battleship Yue Fei has now completed various basic sea trials and adjustment work, and will also officially participate in this cross-sea raid.
In fact, in this naval raid, there was not much chance of a sea battle, and the participation of the Yue Fei was more for symbolic purposes. On the other hand, it was also because of the strong transportation capacity of the Yue Fei. After excluding the sailors and soldiers equipped on the whole ship,
, and can also accommodate three battalions of soldiers. Such a powerful transportation force is also very useful in this cross-sea raid.
In addition to the Navy Department, those who participated in this cross-sea raid also included the Fifth Division from the First Army and a special forces regiment from the Seventh Army. Zhang Dajiang accompanied the fleet north and was responsible for the battle after the landing. This cross-sea raid
The raid was led by Navy Commander Cheng Gang, while the landing force was led by Cheng Peijing of the Fifth Division and Zhang Dajiang, commander of the Special Forces Regiment.
The entire cross-sea raid was completed in two stages. First, the raid fleet successfully landed in Liaodong and captured Shengjing. Then the Shandong Theater launched the second phase of the cross-sea raid, landing at Dagukou, capturing Tianjin Wei, and giving
Qingting formed a double blow, forcing Qingting to mobilize troops from the south.
Now the entire raiding fleet is also making final preparations.
The merchant army was preparing, and the Qing army was also making preparations at the same time. Of course, the Qing army was preparing to launch another attack on Hubei.
Just when Hong Chengchou and Luck Dehun went south to Jiangxi to supervise the war, the Qing army won a series of victories in the Hunan battlefield.
Since the failure of He Tengjiao and Du Yinxi's attack on Jingzhou, the Nanming Army in Hunan was also forced to go on the defensive. He Tengjiao and Du Yinxi divided their forces to garrison Changsha Prefecture and Chongde Prefecture to resist the Qing army's attack on Hunan.
attack.
The Qing army's attack on Hunan adopted the tactic of advancing eastward and defending west. Geng Zhongming first sent his generals Xu Degong and Lien Decheng from Yuezhou to attack Xinqiang County. He Teng and Zhang Kuang deployed the defense of Xinqiang County, and Zhang Kuang sent out the recruited governors.
, Fu Biao's personal troops guarded Xinqiang County. Wu Chengzong, Yao Xing, Long Jianming, and Man Dazhuang led an army of 20,000 to garrison Xinqiang County.
However, He Tengjiao placed high hopes on Supervisor Biao's pro-army troops, who were simply a bunch of rabble. After the Qing army arrived, they were defeated immediately. Wu Mandazhuang was killed in battle, and Long Jianming was captured alive by the Qing army. Wu Chengzong,
Yao Xing and others were frightened by the news and fled southward. Xinqiang was also occupied by the Qing army.
He Tengjiao and Zhang Kuang were both shocked after hearing the news. In order to save the defeat, they gathered another 50,000 troops and prepared to recapture Yuezhou. Zhang Kuang supervised the army and marched from Xiangyin. Wang Jincai and Wang Yuncheng led the water troops.
The division marched from the Xiang River, and the two armies were mighty.
They moved forward by land and water in an attempt to capture Yuezhou in one fell swoop and then take over Hubei. They also sent a message to Du Yinxi, asking him to send troops from Changde to meet him. After Du Yinxi received the report, he also ordered the Zhongzhen camp to send troops to Jinzhong and go north to the Yangtze River.
Attack Jiayu and cooperate with He Tengjiao to fight.
Seeing the strength of the Nanming army, Ma Jiaolin, the Yuezhou garrison general of the Qing army, defended the city and asked for help from Wuchang. Geng Zhongming also immediately sent his son Geng Jimao and his generals Shi Mingxiong, Song Guofu, Pan Xiao and others to rescue Yuezhou.
Unexpectedly, the reinforcements of the Qing army had not yet reached Yuezhou. Ma Jiaolin led his deputy general Li Xian with 600 cavalry to attack at Wanyu Bridge. They faced Huang Chaoxuan, the vanguard of the Ming army, and Liu Chengyin's 10,000 cavalry. After the battle, the Ming Dynasty
The army was again killed and severely defeated. At this time, the reinforcements of the Qing army also rushed to the battlefield and took advantage of the situation to pursue them for more than fifty miles. They then defeated Wang Yuncheng's navy. Zhang Kuang was defeated until he returned to Xiangyin.
Fortunately, at this time, Ma Jinzhong, who was controlled by Du Yinxi, led his army eastward from the Yangtze River to Liujikou in Jiayu County, and the Qing army returned to rescue him. This allowed Zhang Kuang to defend Xiangyin. However, Zhang Kuang was defeated.
, Ma Jinzhong did not dare to stay in Jiayu County for a long time, so he had to return to Chongde. However, they suffered another defeat in this battle, which made Zhang Kuang and He Tengjiao feel guilty and resentful.
At this time, Geng Zhongming personally led the army and took advantage of the great victory over the Ming army to march directly to Changsha. As the Qing army advanced, the Ming army was vulnerable and scattered like birds and beasts. Zhang Kuang led his army to abandon Xiangyin and fled to
Changsha, discussed countermeasures with the governor He Tengjiao. However, He Tengjiao was helpless at this time and could only ask Du Yinxi, who was stationed in Changde, for rescue.
After Du Yinxi received He Tengjiao's request for help, he immediately sent a horse to Jinzhong, and Wang Yuncai's troops came to rescue Changsha. While Taima and Wang's two troops were still on the way, the Qing army had already gone straight to the city of Changsha. He Tengjiao and Zhang Kuang saw the reinforcements.
Before arriving, they did not dare to fight the Qing army, so they had to take a boat to retreat south, abandoning the city and fleeing. As a result, the Qing army occupied Changsha without a single blow.
Then the Qing army took advantage of the situation and marched in two directions, attacking Changde Mansion along the way and attacking He Tengjiao along the way.
Because Changsha had been lost at this time, Du Yinxi was alone in Changde Mansion. Therefore, he could not defend Changde. Together with the Zhongzhen Battalion, they retreated to the Lingdong area and temporarily stationed themselves, waiting for the opportunity. However, He Tengjiao was a soldier.
The defeat was like a mountain, and they successively abandoned Hengzhou, Baoqing, Chenzhou and other places, and retreated all the way to Yongzhou. Zhang Kuang fell ill during the retreat and died in Yongzhou. Fu Rui, the governor of Pianyuan, and his generals Dong Ying, Huang Chaoxuan and others all attacked the Qing army.
surrender.
By this time, only Yongzhou was left in Hunan, and the rest of the country was basically occupied by the Qing army.
Geng Zhongming was about to take advantage of the victory and march to capture Hengzhou, and when he joined forces with Shang Kexi in southern Hunan, Hong Chengchou's order came, ordering Geng Zhongming to hand over Hunan to Han Dai's management, lead his troops, and immediately return to Wuchang to prepare to join the Qing Dynasty.
The fourth battle of the army to suppress the merchant army in Hubei.
The three attacks on Hubei failed miserably. On the contrary, the merchant army in Hubei became stronger and stronger, and its territory became larger and larger. Especially after the failure of the third attack, the entire Huangzhou Prefecture was almost occupied by the merchant army.
.Although at this time, the Qing army was in Hunan and Jiangxi,
The battlefields in Fujian were successful one after another, but Hong Chengchou was still worried. After all, the biggest enemy of the Qing court was still the merchant army, not other Southern Ming forces. This also made Hong Chengchou feel that if the merchant army in Hubei was not wiped out as soon as possible, it would probably be worse in the future.
It's getting harder and harder.
Now Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian have been pacified, and the Aobai tribe has also arrived in Nanjing. Hong Chengchou has also brought back 50,000 troops from Jiangxi. The force is sufficient. Therefore, Hong Chengchou is also convinced and immediately attacks the merchants in Hubei.
The army launched a new round of offensive. Return to Nanjing and send Zheng Zhilong away.
This time, Geng Zhongming was also transferred back to attack Hubei, mainly because he did not want him and Shang Kexi to successfully join forces in southern Hunan. This was because when Wu Sangui, Shang Kexi, and Geng Zhongming were originally assigned to attack the south, careful arrangements were made to send the three of them together.
people divided,
Now that Wu Sangui is far away in the four states, there is no need to cause trouble, but he must not let Geng Zhongming and Monk Kexi reunite again. At the same time, Hong Chengchou also plans to use this opportunity to suppress the merchant army to consume Geng Zhongming's strength. However, it is naturally impossible for Hong Chengchou to attack Azige.
It's so obvious.
Although Geng Zhongming was unwilling in his heart, he was alone at this time and did not dare to disobey Hong Chengchou's order. He had to hand over the affairs in Hunan to Han Dai, and then returned to Wuchang with his troops.
Han Dai led the army and continued to attack Yongzhou, and then joined forces with Shang Kexi, Jin Shenghuan and others, and continued south to attack the Guangdong and Guangxi areas.