Chapter 619 This beast is indeed difficult to deal with
"It is not impossible to fight cavalry against infantry in field battles." Hou Fangyu said, "Of course, the premise is that we must have an absolute advantage in strength. As long as there are more cavalry, there is still a chance to eat up the small amount of infantry of the Ming army." Qi
Hong Chengchou once again questioned: "What if the Ming army dispatched more infantry to return reinforcements?"
"Then let's mobilize Mongolian cavalry from foreign vassals." Hou Fangyu said, "Let the regent mobilize 100,000 Mongolian cavalry from foreign vassals from Horqin, Chahar and even Tumote to assist in the battle. I want to see how many infantry the Ming army can send to protect the grain road.
?”
In order to stabilize the morale of the frontline troops, Dorgon did not tell Hong Chengchou and others about Horqin's tragedy.
After a pause, Hou Fangyu continued: "Even if the Ming army brings back all the 100,000 infantrymen outside Beijing, the situation will be nothing more than a confrontation between Chenguantun and Dagukou. This is better than a confrontation outside Beijing. Hong Butang
Do you think so?"
Hou Fangyu's last words finally moved Hong Chengchou. Yes, a confrontation between Chenguantun and Dagukou would definitely be better than a confrontation outside Beijing. At least the pressure would be much less.
Moreover, the confrontation between Chenguantun and Dagukou has another benefit.
That is, only Eight Banners Mongolia and Outer Mongolia participated in the confrontation. Other armies such as Lian Yong, Eight Banners Han Army, Eight Banners Manchuria and Green Camp did not need to participate in the confrontation. Qi
As a result, the initiative on the battlefield rested with the Qing soldiers.
Because the Mongolian cavalry had a mobility advantage, the Ming infantry could not overtake them, and casualties were controllable.
"This strategy can be tried." Hong Chengchou nodded happily, "Please join the army and submit a joint letter to the headquarters, asking the regent to urgently mobilize Horqin, Chahar, Tumote and other cavalry to come in for reinforcements."
"Dare you disobey me?" Hou Fangyu agreed happily.
At that time, Hong Chengchou began to write the memorial.
…
The wind is too strong today and it is not suitable for flying cars to take off. Qi
Chongzhen could only bring the imperial guards to the Asahi altar to watch the battle.
The Altar of Chao Ri is located on the southeast side of Chaoyang Gate. It was first built in the Jiajing Year. Every year on the spring equinox, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty would come to the Altar of Chao Ri to worship the God of Ming Dynasty and pray for a good harvest that year.
Before Chongzhen fled Beijing, he would come here every year to offer sacrifices.
However, since he ascended the throne, there has been almost no year of good harvests in Jiuzhou.
So this time when I visited the Asahi Altar again, Chongzhen had no intention of worshiping at all. Worshiping was nothing.
Fortunately, the view from the Chao Ri Altar is pretty good. With the help of a telescope, you can clearly see the Chaoyang Gate Tower, which is being continuously bombarded by the Ming army.
Since the troops arrived at Chaoyang Gate three days ago, Chongzhen mobilized 450 4-inch field guns from 5 field artillery brigades and launched the most violent bombardment on the Chaoyang Gate Tower. Qi
After three consecutive days and nights of bombardment, the bricks covering the outer wall of the Chaoyang Gate Tower were almost shattered, revealing the rammed earth wall mixed with straw stalks underneath.
This layer of rammed earth wall has obviously been added with glutinous rice juice, making it very strong.
The outer wall bricks have been broken into slag, but the inner rammed earth wall has only shallow dents one after another. After so many cannons, there is not even a slight crack.
Chongzhen said with emotion: "This is really a conscientious project."
"That's it." When talking about the city of Beijing, Gao Qiqian immediately became excited and said in a eloquent manner, "From the time of Taizu, we began to reinforce the city of Beijing, and it was not until Emperor Yingzong that the current city outline was built, which lasted seventy years.
In the past few years, five emperors have spent billions of dollars, how can it not be solid?"
Chongzhen rolled his eyes and said, "No matter how strong the city is, won't it eventually fall into the hands of thieves?"
"This..." Gao Qiqian was speechless. Long live my Lord, this old slave can't accept your words. Qi
Just when Chongzhen was chatting to death, Wu Batan ran up to the altar of Asahi and reported: "Your Majesty, Chen Guantun has just sent a good news. Yan Gijian led the 7th and 8th infantry brigades to re-establish themselves last night.
We beheaded more than 6,000 slaves, destroyed and captured 200 red barbarian cannons and more than 6,000 flintlock muskets."
"Haha, good, he is indeed Yan Yingyuan." Chongzhen was overjoyed when he heard this.
Gao Qiqian and Lu Jiude also quickly brought a group of young eunuchs to congratulate Chongzhen.
Chongzhen ignored it, let alone the reward. In the past, according to the rules of the palace, whenever there was a happy event, some reward must be given to the eunuchs and maids, but Chongzhen paid nothing.
Not long after, Xu Yingwei and Jiang Tianyi also rushed to the Asahi Temple with a group of scholars.
Jiang Tianyi said: "Your Majesty, Jianheng has defeated Hong Chengchou's offensive, the Chenguantun camp is as secure as a rock, and our army's food routes are as stable as Mount Tai, so should the second town that went south for reinforcements be transferred back?"
After receiving the urgent report from Yan Yingyuan last night, Chongzhen urgently ordered the 2nd Town to rush to rescue. Qi
The 7th and 8th Infantry Brigades, the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade, and the 2nd Mountain Artillery Brigade affiliated to the 2nd Town all followed Yan Yingyuan and were stationed at the Chenguantun Camp, so there were only three infantry brigades with more than 10,000 troops sent south for reinforcements.
This was actually a trap set from the beginning, deliberately leaving no heavy troops to protect the food route.
After Hong Chengchou's army launched an attack on the Ming army's food road, the Ming army gradually increased its troops.
Then Jiannu also increased his troops one by one, until finally, the two sides staged the final battle around the grain road.
To put it bluntly, they used the grain road as bait to lure Hong Chengchou's army to take the initiative to attack. If there was a chance for a decisive battle, they would fight decisively. If there was no chance for a decisive battle, they would continue to consume Jiannu.
This is the string of pearls tactic designed by Chongzhen.
So now, the Chenguantun camp remains unchanged, and the movement of the other three infantry brigades from the 2nd Town south seems a bit redundant. Qi
Because these three infantry brigades were added to the grain road, the strength of each stronghold was greatly strengthened. Hong Chengchou might give up his plan to harass the Ming army's grain road.
Then it really became a stalemate.
This is not what Chongzhen wants to see.
Thinking of this, Chongzhen immediately nodded and agreed to be transferred back to the second town.
Xu Yingwei asked again: "Your Majesty, the city wall of Beijing is very strong. Without a month or even two months of continuous bombardment, it would be difficult to demolish the city wall. Can we take advantage of this gap to order the soldiers to dig a blockade ditch and blockade the city wall?"
The entire city of Beijing is surrounded? This will not only block internal and external traffic, but also prevent the Jian slaves in the city from escaping!"
Chongzhen pondered for a moment and then nodded and said: "You can dig a blockade ditch, but you can only dig it from the north and south directions from Chaoyang Gate, and you can't dig too fast. It only needs to put pressure on Jiannu."
"Surrounding three towers?" Jiang Tian asked, "The Holy One wants to force Jiannu to abandon the city?" Qi
"No, Your Majesty wants to force Jiannu to fight our army as soon as possible." Xu Yingwei shook his head and said.
"Youzhen is right." Chongzhen nodded. "The main purpose is to exert pressure and force Jiannu to fight me as soon as possible. The sooner Jiannu fights me decisively, the smaller the cost of this battle will be."
"Otherwise, the daily expenses for eating horse chews would be a huge amount."
After a pause, Chongzhen continued: "Although the Ministry of Internal Affairs has accumulated a lot of wealth, if you really have to work in Beijing for two years, it will be enough to empty out the wealth of the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
The current assets of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are approximately 500 million.
The cash on hand is almost 20 million.
If you need money urgently, you can mobilize 50 million in a short time.
These are all the assets of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, barely enough to fight for two years.
Xu Yingwei said: "I'm afraid that Dorgon will not give in easily. He still hopes that Hong Chengchou can cut off our army's food routes and force our army to collapse without a fight because of the lack of food supplies."
"Then we can only tell Dorgon with facts. This is a delusion."
At the same time, in the East Nuan Pavilion of Prince Rui's Mansion.
Dorgon also received the report of Hong Chengchou's defeat.
He also sent soul torture to Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo.
"Mr. Xian Dou, Mr. Gongfu, do you think Hong Chengchou can cut off the Ming army's food route?"
Fan Wencheng and Ning Wan couldn't help but change their expressions after hearing this. They said to themselves that the general was commanding troops outside, and the most taboo thing was the superior's suspicion. It had only been less than two months, and they had already lost confidence in Hong Chengchou?
Then again, it's no wonder that the regent's confidence was wavering.
Because they also read the report of Hong Chengchou's defeat, and there were many words of defense in their words.
On the surface, Hong Chengchou was justifying his failure, but in fact, Hong Chengchou's guilty conscience had been exposed. In other words, even Hong Chengchou himself had lost confidence, let alone the regent?
So Fan Wencheng, Ning Wan, I am very confused, what is going on in Chenguantun? Qi
Why did Hong Chengchou seem to be a different person after the battle in Chenguantun?
Is that Yan Yingyuan really so terrifying? Can he actually make Hong Chengchou lose his mind?
But no matter what happened in Chenguantun, no matter whether Hong Chengchou still had confidence, they must help Hong Chengchou and the regent strengthen their confidence, otherwise what war would they fight?
At that time, Fan Wencheng admonished: "In the past, Feng Yi held a heavy army but was unable to pacify Guanzhong. At that time, people falsely accused him of supporting the bandits and he was self-respecting. Feng Yi was uneasy and wrote a letter to resign. Emperor Guangwu wrote back saying that the general is responsible for the country.
The king and his ministers are as kind as a father and a son. Why are there any suspicions or fears? Feng Yi's heart is at peace, and he will soon settle down in Guanzhong."
After Ning finished, I continued: "If the king and his ministers are of the same mind, their sharpness can cut through gold and stone. Although Hengjiu has the ability to lead and use troops, if he does not have the trust of the regent, he will not be able to do anything."
Dorgon once again took up Hong Chengchou's defeat.
"Don't you two gentlemen feel that Heng Jiu's confidence has been shaken?" Qi
Fan Wencheng immediately said: "Yan Yingyuan is indeed difficult to deal with. With the great strategy of the Ten Kings, he was completely defeated in Huai'an Mansion. It is human nature for Hengjiu to suffer such a sudden defeat and feel shaken."
Fan Wencheng actually had one more cruel thing to say that he didn't say.
Prince Regent, weren't you also defeated by Yan Yingyuan at Dagukou?
But Dorgon understood and said with a sigh: "That's true."
After Ning finished, I continued my analysis: "But fortunately, there is only one Yan Yingyuan in the Southern Ming Dynasty, but the Ming army's food road is more than a thousand miles long. No matter how powerful Yan Yingyuan is, can he still guard everywhere?"
Fan Wencheng then said: "This time Chongzhen abandoned the waterway for the land route, ventured into the Kou capital with heavy troops, and left only a small number of troops to protect the grain route, which violated the taboo of military strategists."
