"So, I understand." Zhu Cijiong said, "Wu Sangui and the others have broken through the bottom line of military generals, while Hong Chengchou and Zhang Jinyan have broken through the bottom line of civil servants, so they must be suppressed."
"There is still a difference." Chongzhen said, "Generals like Wu Sangui must be executed, but ministers like Hong Chengchou can still be punished in a better way."
Zhu Cijiong said thoughtfully: "Let them build the railway?"
"Yes, let them build the railway." Chongzhen said with a smile, "First of all, human resources cannot be wasted, and secondly, for the second ministers like Hong Chengchou, letting them live and watch the Ming Dynasty flourish is actually better than killing them.
They make them a hundred times more uncomfortable, and they also serve as a warning to other civil servants."
"That's right. Seeing that Hong Chengchou and the others are living with regrets every day, I'm afraid if anyone wants to betray the Ming Dynasty in the future, they will have to think twice before doing so." Zhu Cijiong turned the topic to the formation of cavalry.
"Father, after suppressing Wu Sangui, will we form a cavalry regiment?"
"Yes, at that time, the remaining 90,000 new troops will be directly brought to Horqin, plus the 10,000 from the cavalry town, to formally form four cavalry towns. The mountain artillery and rifled rifles produced later will be given priority to equip the cavalry."
After wiping out the Jiannu, the next step must be to use troops against northern Sichuan, Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia and Mobei.
There is no need for cavalry in northern Sichuan and Shaanxi, but to use troops in the vast areas west of the Mobei grassland and the Hexi Corridor, cavalry must be used, and it must be a large-scale cavalry.
In view of this, a large-scale cavalry regiment must be established as soon as possible.
But fortunately, all Ming Dynasty needs is dragoons, which is much easier.
"Father, I have a request." Zhu Cijiong suddenly became a little nervous.
Chongzhen said: "Don't you just want to be the commander-in-chief of the cavalry regiment? Father, I'm sure."
Although Hu Guozhu has grown a lot and has become more low-key, if Zhu Cijiong can shoulder the responsibility, then he will definitely feel more at ease with Zhu Cijiong as the coach.
Brothers fighting tigers, father and son go into battle.
No matter what, Zhu Cijiong is a prince.
The most important thing is that Zhu Cijiong's ability is far better than Hu Guozhu.
"Really?" Zhu Cijiong said overjoyed, "Father, please know that you have no words to joke about."
"When did my father ever break his promise?" Chongzhen scolded with a smile, "This is called blackmailing my father."
Zhu Cijiong chuckled and said, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, Father, you have agreed to your request. You are not allowed to cheat on me."
Seeing Chongzhen and Zhu Cijiong chatting and laughing, Lu Jiude and other accompanying eunuchs were also filled with joy, saying in their hearts that the relationship between Long Live Lord and Prince Ding was really good. It was really good that the father was kind and the son was filial.
As he spoke, the majestic Guancheng of Shanhaiguan was already in sight.
Because the Ming army secretly marched along the southern foot of Yanshan Mountain, and then turned south after reaching Yiyuankou, the first thing they saw was not the Xilao City and Gongchen Gate to the west, but the north gate of Guancheng directly.
That is, Weiyuan Gate.
The Weiyuan Gate is more than five feet high, and the walls on both sides of the city gate are also three feet and six feet high.
So when you look at it from a distance, it looks like a giant beast standing between the mountains and the sea.
The momentum is indeed very majestic, no wonder it is praised as the first level in the world.
…
"Ming army?"
Looking at the Ming army approaching from all over the mountains and plains outside the North Moat, Wu Sangui had a complicated expression.
The Ming army in front of him was both familiar and unfamiliar to Wu Sangui. What made him feel familiar was that the uniforms of this army still used bright red as the main tone.
The soldiers' jackets are red, their cotton-padded armor is red, and their flags are also red.
What made Wu Sangui feel strange was the equipment of the Ming army. The equipment of the Ming army in his memory was very messy, with all kinds of knives, all kinds of spears, and all kinds of weapons.
There are shields and vehicles, and most of them are in tatters. Many vehicles will fall apart halfway while walking.
However, the Ming army in front of them all used firearms.
Apart from the self-generated fire guns, there seemed to be no other weapons.
As a result, Wu Sangui inevitably had huge questions?
Can such a Ming army, equipped only with self-generated fire guns, really defeat the Qing soldiers?
Wu Sangui even had a first-class illusion. If there was a cavalry, it would only take one charge to overwhelm the Ming army outside Weiyuan Gate, and then they could chase and annihilate them all over the mountains and plains.
Fang Guangchen also had the same confusion as Wu Sangui.
Can such a Ming army really defeat the Qing army?
…
"Stop, just camp here." Chongzhen said.
"If we go any further, we will enter the range of the red barbarian cannon."
Through the telescope, Chongzhen had already seen the Hongyi cannon at the top of the city.
It's an old-fashioned Hongyi cannon, but it still has no problem hitting seven or eight hundred paces.
After the military order was passed down, the Ming army immediately began to set up camp and build a stronghold, mainly digging trenches. This has almost become a necessary subject for the Ming army to garrison.
Then, the two mountain artillery brigades began to assemble the mountain artillery.
Soon, 180 2.5-inch mountain guns were assembled and lined up in two rows outside Weiyuan Gate. The black muzzles pointed at Weiyuan Gate at an angle of 45 degrees.
…
"What's that? The red cannon?"
"The Ming army's red cannon can actually be dismantled?"
"It's no wonder that the Ming army could march quickly along the southern foot of Yanshan Mountain!"
Seeing these red cannons suddenly appearing, Wu Sangui and Fang Guangchen couldn't help being surprised. This matter simply exceeded the limit of their imagination.
Fang Guangchen sighed: "Your Majesty, Guancheng cannot be defended anymore."
If the Ming army did not carry red cannons, Shanhaiguan could still defend it.
But now that the Ming army has brought red cannons, it is only a matter of time before Shanhaiguan falls, because no city in the world can withstand the bombardment of red cannons.
"We have to hold on even if we can't hold on. We have no way to retreat."
Wu Sangui said bitterly: "For this plan, we can only win a chance of survival if we fight to the death."
There is really no way to retreat. The Western Liaoning Corridor behind them has been completely blocked by Wang Fuzhi's Liaodong Ming Army. To the south is the vast North Sea, and to the north is the Yanshan Mountain with high mountains and dense forests. The only way to survive may be to go east and west of Xiluo City.
Breaking through, but Wu Sangui knew that it was a dead end and a trap.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Chongzhen, the dog emperor, is indeed very insidious.
He deliberately left this way of survival in order to undermine the fighting spirit of the brave warriors in the city.
Fang Guangchen also realized this, so he said that Shanhaiguan City could no longer be defended.
But Wu Sangui was unwilling to give in. He had struggled for half his life and was unwilling to let it end.
At that moment, Wu Sangui turned around and told Wu Yingxiong: "Son, go and move my bedding to Weiyuan Gate. From today on, I will eat, drink, and have sex at Weiyuan Gate!"
Wu Sangui wants to live and die with the Weiyuan Clan.
Wu Yingxiong advised: "Father, it's better to let the children guard it."
"You are still too young." Wu Sangui said with a sigh, "Hurry up and do what your father said."
Wu Yingxiong had no choice but to go down to the city gate and go back to the camp to get Wu Sangui's bedding.
Fang Guangchen seemed to be moved by Wu Sangui's determination, and said with a sigh: "Your Majesty, I'll go back to my house and settle down my family first, and then I'll come here too, vowing to live and die with the Weiyuan Clan."
"Thank you, sir." Wu Sangui bowed to the ground after saying this.
Fang Guangchen sighed softly, turned around and hurriedly left the city gate.
...廙
Ming Junshan artillery position.
Jiang Tianyi asked Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, are we going to attack the city now?"
"There is no need." Chongzhen smiled and said, "The battle of Shanhaiguan, as long as the imperial army appears outside Guancheng, the battle is actually over."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
Jiang Tianyi was confused when he heard this.
Zheng Sen and other scholars also didn't know why.
Only Zhu Cijiong understood the implication of Chongzhen’s words.
"My father is saying that this battle no longer needs to be fought. If nothing happens, someone will kidnap Wu Sangui and surrender after dark, so there is no need to waste artillery shells."
"Isn't it possible?" Jiang Tianyi didn't believe it.
Zheng Sen also said: "The Wu family has been operating in Shanhaiguan for many years and has deep-rooted influence."
"That was before." Chongzhen said, "However, ever since Jian Nu entered the Pass, the Wu family's power in Shanhaiguan has been uprooted by Dorgon. Following the Eight Banners reorganization, even Wu Sangui's Guan Ning Army was also overthrown.
Ergon was demolished to pieces, and now Wu Sangui has only dozens of trusted servants left, and he is almost a polished commander."
Jiang Tianyi said: "But the people from the secret investigation department said that there are still 20,000 people practicing bravery in Shanhaiguan?"
"That's training for bravery." Chongzhen said, "They will flee from Gongchen Gate as soon as it gets dark."
...廙
Chongzhen hit the mark.
As soon as it got dark, the five thousand trained warriors guarding Xilao City quietly opened the Gongchen Gate.
It was discovered that Lian Yong from Xilao City was fleeing under the cover of night, and Lian Yong who was guarding the Ying'en Gate was not to be outdone. He also opened the Ying'en Gate and rushed to escape.
Fang Guangchen immediately came to Weiyuan Gate to report to Wu Sangui.
After receiving the report, Wu Sangui was furious and immediately rushed to the Enmen with a dozen of his servants.
As a result, as soon as they reached the Ying'en Gate, hundreds of warriors suddenly emerged from the alley. The dozen or so servants of the Wu family accompanying them were caught off guard, and most of them were cut down in one fell swoop.
Wu Sangui reacted instantly and went to arrest Fang Guangchen.
But he never thought that he was still half a step too slow, and Fang Guangchen had already run away ahead of time.
"Fang Guangchen, you traitor!" Wu Sangui roared angrily, "I treat you badly!"
"Wu Sangui, you are the traitor!" Fang Guangchen shrank his head and hid behind the wooden sign raised by Lian Yong, and said in a ferocious voice, "The Ming Dynasty court never treated you badly, and you turned against me too?"
"Hahaha, do you want to take my head as a gift?"
Wu Sangui said angrily: "Stop dreaming, even if you kill me, Chongzhen will not let you go. Chongzhen has a small power, and he will never let any rebellious officials and traitors go!"
"That's my business, I don't need to worry about it." Fang Guangchen shouted sternly.
"Try to catch as many alive ones as possible. If you can't catch them, you can even catch them dead. Do it!"
Under the fierce attack of hundreds of Lian Yong, Wu Sangui was quickly defeated and captured.
