When Kong Youde arrived with 28,000 Han troops, he saw that the Ming army had occupied a section of the canal that was more than five miles long. It was equivalent to tearing apart a five-mile-long canal on the complete canal defense line.
The hole was opened, and they were still launching continuous attacks on the gun platforms on both sides of the gap, trying to make the gap wider.
The Lian Yong on both sides of the gap was obviously no match for the Ming army.
Therefore, gun towers continued to fall and be captured by the Ming army.
According to the current trend, the gap will expand to at least ten miles before dawn.
"Hong Butang." Kong Youde asked Hong Chengchou, "What should we do now? Do you want us to enter the gun platforms on both sides of the gap and replace Lian Yong?"
The equipment of the Eight Banners Han Army is much better than that of Lian Yong.
Lian Yong was only equipped with a small number of matchlock guns, but the Eight Banners Han Army was equipped with all self-generated fire guns and tiger squat cannons. If Lian Yong on both sides of the gap was replaced, Kong Youde was confident that he could still block the Ming army's offensive.
, but even if it blocked the Ming army's offensive, it only prevented the gap from expanding.
But even if the gap is not allowed to continue to expand, what is the use?
Because the canal defense line had been penetrated, the Ming army could pass through the canal defense line and attack directly outside Beijing.
"Forget it." As Kong Youde expected, Hong Chengchou chose to give up, "Unless you Eight Banners Han Army can recapture the hundreds of missing gun towers, it will not be enough to prevent the Ming Army from passing through the canal. In this case, even if you can hold the gap
What's the use of the blunderbuss on both sides? It has no real meaning."
Kong Youde fell silent, leaving him confident in holding the gun.
But if he is asked to lead the army to recapture the lost gun platform, he has no confidence at all.
The Ming army carried more than a thousand red cannons. What did the Eight Banners Han army use to attack?
"Hou Shenjun?" Hong Chengchou turned his attention to Hou Fangyu who was following him.
Hou Fangyu smiled and said: "Since the canal defense line has been breached, let's simply let the Ming army pass. Hong Butang led his army to cut off the Ming army's food route."
After a pause, he added: "If this happens, within half a month, the Ming army will be defeated."
After hearing this, Hong Chengchou felt relieved and immediately ordered: "Send the order, Zhen Ding, Baoding. The training troops from Shuntian Prefecture will immediately withdraw to Beijing City, and the training troops from Hejian Prefecture will immediately assemble towards Jinghai County and return to Beijing."
Lian Yong from Yongping Prefecture and Shunde Prefectures gathered in the direction of Shanhaiguan and Yanzhou."
Now that the main force of the Ming army has broken through the canal defense line and is about to approach the walls of Beijing, there is no need for the Qing army to divide its forces to guard various defense lines. It can concentrate its forces on several strategic points to strengthen defense.
The first strategic point is Beijing City, then Shanhaiguan, and then Gunzhou.
Finally, there is Jinghai County, but stationed in Jinghai County is the Qing army's offensive group.
By this time, the strategy or battlefield situation of the Ming and Qing armies had become very clear.
On the one hand, the Ming army used heavy troops to maintain a high-pressure posture in the direction of Xuzhou and Liaodong. Then it concentrated its main force on the overland route from Weihekou, and then broke through the Qing army's canal defense line near Jinghai. The next step was to drive straight in and directly attack the Qing court.
Heart of Beijing City, simple and clear.
The Ming army's strategy has become very clear.
Therefore, the Qing army can make targeted deployments.
That is to concentrate our troops to defend Shanhaiguan, Yanzhou and Beijing.
The next step is to retain a strategic force in Jinghai County, ready to cut off the Ming army's food routes at any time.
As long as the Ming army's food route is cut off, the hundreds of thousands of troops fighting in Beijing will collapse without a fight. In this way, the Qing army will win this war to destroy the country.
The most rare thing among them is Dorgon's trust.
Without Dorgon's trust, he would be very passive.
But now with Hou Fangyu's endorsement, Hong Chengchou no longer had any worries and dared to act freely.
In the Songjin War that year, because of Chongzhen's constraints, he, Hong Chengchou, suffered a complete defeat. Without Dorgon's constraints in this war to destroy the country, he, Hong Chengchou, would definitely win.
Hong Chengchou was still very confident in his military strategy.
…
From high in the air, Chongzhen, Zheng Sen and Gao Qiqian knew the movements of the Qing army very well.
"Long live my Lord, Jiannu has withdrawn." Gao Qiqian said, "We have temporarily retreated to Jinghai County."
Chongzhen smiled and said: "Hong Chengchou originally defended the canal defense line with the mentality of giving it a try. It's good to be able to defend it, but it doesn't matter if he can't. Anyway, he still has some backup, since he can't defend it now.
, then it’s better to just let us cross the canal so that he can intercept our army’s food route.”
Zheng Sen said coldly: "Hong Chengchou is just wishful thinking."
Gao Qiqian also said: "Being an enemy of the Ming Dynasty and opposing the Long Live Lord is asking for death."
Chongzhen waved his hand and immediately ordered the speedster pilot to lower his height and quickly return to the ground.
Scholars such as Xu Yingwei, Yan Yingyuan and Jiang Tian immediately came forward and bowed to Chongzhen.
"Your Majesty, this man's name is Li Yucheng." Xu Yingwei pulled a Korean soldier to Chongzhen. "He was the first person to break into the Jiannu gun platform, and he was also the first to kill through the Jiannu gun platform."
"Your name is Li Yucheng?" Chongzhen's eyes fell on Li Yucheng.
Li Yucheng's face turned red with excitement, and he immediately fell to his knees with a pop.
"Li Yucheng, the minister of the vassal state, bows to His Majesty the Ming Emperor and wishes him long live, long live, long live!"
"Get up." Chongzhen raised his hand to signal Li Yucheng to get up, and then asked with a smile, "Li Yucheng, you were the first to get merit, what kind of reward do you want?"
Li Yucheng was overjoyed when he heard this and asked eagerly: "I heard that the meritorious soldiers who performed outstandingly during the Northern Expedition can enter the Imperial Academy without taking the examination. I wonder if the ministers of the vassal state have such an honor?"
Chongzhen didn't answer but asked: "Who did you learn the Ming Dynasty Mandarin from?"
Li Yucheng quickly responded: "I learned it from the Ming Dynasty soldiers when I was stationed in Liaodong."
"You've learned quite well." Chongzhen asked again, "Then can you write Chinese characters?"
"I also learned a few Chinese characters from scholars in Liaodong," Li Yucheng said, "but not many."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! While talking, Li Yucheng wrote the three characters "Li Yucheng" on the ground with his fingers, which was quite neat.
Chongzhen smiled and asked: "If I grant you the identity of the Chinese ethnic group now, Li Yucheng, will you be willing?"
"I am so honored!" Li Yucheng was so excited that his body began to tremble. He is of Chinese descent. Does that mean that he is of Chinese descent from this moment on?
As for the Korean identity, there is nothing to miss at all.
"Okay, then from this moment on you are no longer a Korean, but a Chinese." Chongzhen said happily, "When the Imperial College recruits students again next year, you can enroll together with other meritorious soldiers."
This Li Yucheng is very talented and brave in fighting, so he is worth cultivating.
But there is a prerequisite for this, that is, you must give up your ethnic Korean identity.
After finishing speaking, Chongzhen said to Li Yucheng: "Li Yucheng, go back and tell the other Korean soldiers who participated in this night battle that I can grant them Chinese ethnic status. After the Northern Expedition, they can be selected as Beizhi soldiers and enjoy other soldiers."
Equal treatment, of course, if they are unwilling to give up their Korean identity, I will never force them."
"Your Majesty, Li Yucheng, kowtows to thank the Holy Grace." Li Yucheng was so excited that he knelt down and kowtowed three times.
After he kowtowed and stood up, Li Yucheng happily went to announce the good news to his compatriots.
In this night battle, a total of 8,000 Korean troops participated in the battle, and almost 5,000 survived.
After listening to Li Yucheng's oral edict, the five thousand surviving Korean troops suddenly cheered like a mountain roar and a tsunami. Obviously, this was great news for them.
Unwilling to give up your Korean ethnic identity? Non-existent.
Anyone with a right mind doesn't want to be a member of the Chinese ethnic group, and who doesn't want to be a member of the Ming Dynasty?
Seeing the North Korean army shouting "Long Live Long Live", Chongzhen smiled and said to Gao Qiqian: "Gao Banban, please prepare a decree and send it to the cabinet. From now on, when the Ministry of Household Registration registers the household registration of Ming people, it will be written as Huaxia
clan.”
Since the Jiashen National Disaster, Chongzhen has hardly interfered with the specific affairs of the cabinet.
But today, Chongzhen issued an unprecedented edict to unify the people of the Ming Dynasty.
After a pause, he then said: "All the people in the Ming Dynasty, whether Han, Yi, Miao, Dong or Hakka, are all written as Huaxia! Furthermore, all the Chinese people in our country need to speak Ming Mandarin.
To learn Chinese, no matter how remote the mountainous area, the Ministry of Rites still needs to send edicts to teach Mandarin Chinese to the local people and implement enlightenment."
Gao Qiqian quickly took out a small notebook and carefully recorded each stroke.
Xu Yingwei, Yan Yingyuan and Jiang Tianyi could not understand Chongzhen's feelings.
But they won't object. I believe the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue will also not object.
After the reward for the Korean army came to an end, Xu Yingwei suggested: "Your Majesty, this node is crucial to the entire supply line. I suggest leaving more troops here and leaving a general to guard this place."
After saying that, Xu Yingwei looked back at Yan Yingyuan, and this matter belongs to his brother.
Yan Yingyuan immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I will leave this place to my guard."
"Well, then I'll leave it to you, Jianheng." Chongzhen asked again, "How many troops do you want?"
Yan Yingyuan replied without hesitation: "It doesn't take much, one brigade is enough."
"Only one infantry brigade is too few." Chongzhen shook his head, "I leave you with two infantry brigades, a mountain artillery brigade and a field artillery brigade. We must ensure that the entire supply line is unimpeded."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Yan Yingyuan responded, "I will live up to my command."
Chongzhen said to Xu Yingwei again: "Youzhen, hurry up and bury the pot to make rice. The army will be on the road immediately after a good meal."
"Yes." Xu Yingwei immediately gave an order to the staff officer behind him, "pass the order, every town and every brigade should hurry up and make food, and immediately send troops to Beijing after a good meal!"
Military orders were quickly conveyed.
Five infantry towns and one cavalry town began to make rice.
Soon, smoke was rising from the cannons on both sides of the canal.
[There should be another chapter in the afternoon]
