In the Military Aircraft Department of the Forbidden City in Beijing, several military ministers looked solemn. The Ming army's attack from the east to the west to capture Shanhaiguan shocked them greatly. No one spoke. No one wanted to take the responsibility for this wrong decision. The Qianqing Gate opened, and Kangxi Accompanied by Suma Lagu, he arrived at the military aircraft. The ministers knelt down to receive him. Kangxi said in a calm voice: "All the ministers are dead."
Seeing that the emperor was not angry or frustrated, the ministers felt relieved. Although Kangxi was only fifteen years old, he had already seen the elegance of a wise king for the first time. He did not punish anyone, and did not even mention the fall of Shanhaiguan. He just asked everyone How to arrange the next step.
Naturally, the ministers said that they should attack Shanhaiguan with all their strength and open up the roads inside and outside the pass. Kangxi listened but did not nod and asked: "Whose troops are the Ming army stationed at Shanhaiguan?"
Zhou Peigong said: "I am reporting to your Majesty that this is the red shirt army of Liu Ziguang's fellow."
Liu Ziguang was Kangxi's unforgettable enemy, but when he heard the name of his enemy, Kangxi's face became unmoved and he only said: "The red shirt army is the most elite of the Ming army, and Shanhaiguan is the most dangerous pass in the world. Ichifu When the pass is closed, no one can open it. If we send troops to attack, we will fall into the enemy's trick. To attract all our elite Qing soldiers to the front line of Shanhaiguan, the southern front will inevitably be empty. This is the enemy's plan to encircle Wei and save Zhao."
Kangxi's words surprised the ministers. The young emperor saw the problem too keenly. If he raised troops to attack Shanhaiguan, not only would he not be able to defeat it, but he would also lose men and horses in vain. There would be no one to guard the defense line of the Yellow River in the south. Wouldn't it be possible for him to be defeated? The enemy led them by the nose. Everyone was a well-educated man who was familiar with military literature, but they were just stunned by the sudden news. After Kangxi nudged him, they suddenly understood.
"Our army can treat the enemy in its own way and directly send troops south to capture Shandong and cut off the enemy's naval port. This will deprive the enemy of Shanhaiguan's food supply."
"Every city in Zhili can just stick to it. The Red Shirt Army has limited troops and will never divide its troops to attack. Besides, Master Mingzhu is still in Korea. Let him lead the Korean soldiers to attack Shanhaiguan from the north to attract the enemy. Then the capital will be safe. That’s it.”
Zhou Peigong and Tu Hai sang together and gradually figured out the next strategy. Kangxi nodded slightly and said, "Just do what you ministers say." After saying that, he got up and went back to the palace.
This is when Tu Hai said: "Your Majesty, there is one more thing. Shanhaiguan guard Peng Chun lost his city and is now being held at the Meridian Gate. He will be executed just waiting for the Emperor to say a word."
Peng Chun was Tu Hai's old subordinate, he was like a nephew and had a close relationship. However, at this juncture, Tu Hai did not dare to intercede for him, but his tone was soft, revealing a trace of regret unconsciously.
"But that Peng Chun who failed to commit suicide twice? He lost one battle in Shanhaiguan and another in Yongping Mansion. He is really courageous. Well, after repeated defeats and battles, the Qing Dynasty needs such good people Man, let him go and let him serve his purpose. Ministers and ministers, do you have anything else to do?"
Hearing what Kangxi said, everyone looked happy. Peng Chun's life was saved, and the military morale of the Qing Dynasty would be even higher. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, despite your young age, you are better than his father Shunzhi and Rui Prince Dorgon. Wise and benevolent, he truly deserves to be the grandson of Huang Taiji.
The emperor returned to the inner palace, and the military planes spread out the map. After a day of discussion, they worked out a plan: the Mongolian cavalry and the green battalion soldiers led by Wang Fuchen crossed the river and went south, captured Jinan and Denglai, and cut off the Ming army's supply line in Shandong. In this way First, although it would not completely cut off the supply of materials from Shanhaiguan, at least it would greatly extend their transportation distance. The second was to send people to cross Yanshan and take a detour to Goryeo, so that Nalan Mingzhu would not come back for the time being, recruit local heroes on the spot, and then order The King of Goryeo sent all his troops to attack Shanhaiguan. Whether he can win or not is another matter. The key is to attract the Shanhaiguan army so that they have no time to invade south.
The defense of the capital is relatively safe. The city walls are tall and majestic, and there are tens of thousands of strong guards. It is okay for the red shirt regiments to attack Shanhaiguan, but it is not that easy to attack the capital. In addition, the walls of Beizhili are clear and the common people are strictly prohibited from joining the enemy.
Fifty miles southeast of Yongping Mansion, no chickens or dogs were left, so the Ming army couldn't even get horse feed.
The regular army of the Ming Dynasty under the leadership of Xu Zengshou was stationed in Shandong. Whether it was Wei Guogong Xu Zengshou or the famous Xuzhou Army, the Qing army was not afraid. The opponent was cavalry, and they were also cavalry, and they were elite Mongolian light cavalry and the sturdy Northwest Green Camp.
, Nasungerile and Ma Yaozi Wang Fuchen were both famous brave generals, and the commander who led them, Hong Chengchou, was even more of a rare talent.
Hong Chengchou had served as the governor of Liaodong in the Ming Dynasty. He had also encircled and suppressed bandits in Sichuan and Shaanxi. He had rich military experience, and he was extremely familiar with the Ming army's combat routines and habits. The Ming army was completely transparent when fighting against him.
In the past, Kangxi always liked to stay in the Military Aircraft Department and discuss state affairs with ministers. This time he was anxious to go back because he had more important things to do. When Kangxi inspected the Qintian Prison three months ago, he saw some copper astronomical instruments.
The craftsmanship was so sophisticated that I couldn't help but feel moved. I called Nan Huairen, the deputy director of the Qintian Supervisory Supervision Bureau who was responsible for supervising the production of instruments, and asked him if he could cast thick copper pipes without bubbles and trachoma. Nan Huairen thought about it and said he was willing to try.
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What Kangxi wanted to build was artillery. Having a matchlock gun was not enough. The Qing Dynasty also needed more powerful firearms. The easiest way was to enlarge the matchlock gun in proportion. However, the barrel of the matchlock gun was wrapped in wrought iron.
It is made from steel rods and is a seamed iron pipe. It will not work after being hit with a few lead bullets. It will either explode or become a bell mouth and cannot be fired continuously. The iron cannon forged according to the same method is even more unusable and will explode at one point.
It is no wonder that the Qing Dynasty did not pay attention to scientific development. Blacksmithing is the most humble profession. Unlike its counterparts in the south, it is even possible to obtain the first prize. Technology has been stagnant for a long time.
Without this, it would be impossible to accurately imitate the firearms obtained from the south.
Fortunately, Nan Huairen was a Westerner and mastered Western metal casting and forging technology. He was also able to draw inferences from one instance and see the essence through phenomena. He studied gunpowder and gunpowder, quickly understood the principle of this chemical explosion, and then designed a
A new type of artillery, the barrel is made of pure copper, the tail is thick, the barrel is slightly thinner, and there are several steel rings on the outside for reinforcement. Today is the day to test the cannon, so Kangxi left in a hurry.
After changing their military uniforms, Kangxi and Sumaragu rode out of the Forbidden City and came to the school grounds to watch Nan Huairen test the cannon. A brand-new bronze cannon was placed on the stone platform and shone brightly. The soldiers first poured the gunpowder into the barrel and then poured it into the cannon.
A cannonball was stuffed in and tamped with a wooden stick. There was a small hole in the tail of the cannon, and a long fuse protruded from it. Nan Huairen took a torch and asked Kangxi to light it himself. Kangxi thought for a while and took the torch.
When he moved closer to the fuse, the fuse soaked in potassium nitrate solution burned quickly, but it was long enough for everyone to hide in a safe place. After waiting for a moment, they saw the spark disappearing at the rear of the gun, followed by a loud bang.
The sound was earth-shattering, and a ball of fire rose from the muzzle. Then the bronze cannon shook violently and fell to the ground. If it had not been fixed on the stone platform, it would not have flown far. Looking further away, a wooden room was used as a target.
A big hole was smashed into the house.
Success! The Qing Dynasty finally had the artillery to compete with the Ming Dynasty. Kangxi excitedly grabbed Nan Huairen's hand and said three good words in a row. At the same time, he lamented how great he was for freeing these Western missionaries from prison.
Correct, originally Oboi had locked up these people and was about to behead them, but unfortunately, he didn't kill them all before finishing the game himself. In order to bring order to the chaos, Kangxi pardoned these useless missionaries and astronomers, and also let them
I used everything I had to do some work in the Qintian Prison. Unexpectedly, my good intentions were rewarded. The sharp weapons of the Qing Dynasty were made by these astronomers.
In excitement, Kangxi immediately sent an order to reward Nan Huairen with a yellow mandarin jacket, a single-eyed flower feather, and the title of minister of the Ministry of Industry. He was responsible for manufacturing firearms for the Qing Dynasty. He happily ordered the soldiers to load the cannonballs and fire another round to see.
, Nan Huairen’s bronze cannon was indeed of excellent quality. After cleaning the sparks from the barrel with a damp cloth, the cannon was loaded and roaring again. This time the distance was measured. The cannonball flew a mile away before falling to the ground. This was a very gratifying result.
, with such a long-range weapon, no matter it is city defense or coastal defense, it is not a problem, but the gun body is too bulky and inconvenient for field maneuvers.
The cannon was loaded with shotshells for test firing, and the effect was very good, and the shooting interval was very short, which was much higher than the combat rate of fire of the huge city-defending crossbow. The cost of the shells was also low, just one iron ball was enough.
Seeing that Kangxi was so happy, Nan Huairen took the opportunity to make a suggestion, asking for the liberalization of religion and the freedom to preach. It would be best to open a church in the capital to allow him to teach the gospel of Jesus.
After hearing this, Kangxi's face turned cold. He knew that the emperor's grandmother was a Buddhist and did not like these Western religions, but he could not refuse Nan Huairen's enthusiasm, so he said perfunctorily that the matter needed long-term consideration, and then
Nan Huairen left the school with slightly disappointed eyes.
Casting artillery requires a large amount of copper. Fortunately, there are copper mines in Chengde, which can meet military needs. However, it is not easy to expand production for a while, so Kangxi ordered the entire capital to donate copper wares. Officials and civilians were all without exception, and even large fire-fighting machines in the palace were
The copper water vat was also donated. If it weren't for Sumala Gu's persuasion, Kangxi would have melted all the Xuande furnaces in the palace. This is a treasured cultural relic of the Ming Dynasty.
The large cannons cast in the capital did not affect Hong Chengchou's army going south. This was an army that brought together Mongolian and Han warriors. In comparison, there were very few Manchus. It was pitiful that all the Manchus who were accustomed to fighting were killed.
In the first two southern expeditions, we now have to rely on these foreigners. Fortunately, Shunge Rile is Dayu'er's nephew, and Hong Chengchou and Dayu'er have an inexplicable relationship, so there is no need to worry about their fate.