"Master! How about this one?" Chang Liuqin was wearing a lake-green dress with a goose-yellow belt around her waist. She was dressed in rich clothes and spun in a circle like an elf. Her beautiful face immediately appeared.
It spreads out in all directions, making people breathless in astonishment.
The room and bed were filled with all kinds of clothing. Wu Shigong sat on the edge of the bed, patiently watching Chang Liuqin's "fashion show".
"Not bad!" Wu Shigong smiled and nodded again. His cheeks that were sore from smiling were also a little tight. Today, Wu Shigong just wanted to make Chang Liuqin happy, so he didn't hesitate to stay with her all day.
Chang Liuqin turned and turned, but the speed became slower and slower. "Master!" Chang Liuqin suddenly shouted, and then she threw herself into Wu Shigong's arms with tears on her face.
Holding Wu Shigong in her arms, Chang Liuqin was extremely reluctant to let go. Because Wu Shigong was going to war tomorrow. During this year-long period, Chang Liuqin had long relied on Wu Shigong, so she felt that this time it was a life-or-death separation.
When Wu Shigong rescued Jinzhou for the first time, because Chang Liuqin and Wu Shigong didn't exchange a few words, she had no feelings for Wu Shigong that time. But now the two have been together for such a long time, and they are living and flying together.
There are no other women to share his favor, and Wu Shigong's attitude towards his family has always been very kind, so Chang Liuqin feels quite happy now.
And within a year, this place had already become Wu Shigong's third home besides Jingcheng and Runing. So this separation made Chang Liuqin feel a sense of fear about the future.
Because if Wu Shigong fails in the expedition, his life is likely to be in danger, and Chang Liuqin, who has no status, will drift away again, and I don’t know what his fate will be. Even if Wu Shigong comes back victorious, the best result is to take Chang Liuqin home. But Wu Shigong
How is the situation at home? Will she be bullied by the older woman? This also makes Chang Liuqin extremely worried. After all, she is still a little girl who does not understand the world.
"Why are you crying?" Wu Shigong didn't know at all that Chang Liuqin's heart was full of worries. He gently stroked Chang Liuqin's back and comforted him softly: "There is no danger in fighting the Tatars this time. Master, I'm with you."
After hundreds of battles, you always know how to protect yourself! Be good! Just wait for me to come home!"
Unexpectedly, Chang Liuqin cried even more when she said these words: "Master——!"
…
Today's Liaodong is besieged by the Qing army. Jinzhou City, defended by Zu Dashou, is the most outpost. Behind it is a series of solid small castles in Songshan, Xingshan, and Tashan, and then is the important town of Ningyuan outside the gate. From Jinzhou to Ningyuan
Five cities connected in a line, surrounded by mountains and seas, were the focus of the Ming army's defense on the Liaodong defense line.
The Qing army entered the fortress several times, and it was like entering an uninhabited territory in the Jifu area. However, when entering and exiting the Central Plains, they had to bypass the Shanhaiguan defense line and pass through the various passes of the Great Wall north of Beijing. With the cities of Ningjin and Jin, Shanhaiguan was as solid as a rock; Shanhaiguan was strong
, the road to the Central Plains for the Qing army would not be smooth, and the strategic intention of replacing the Ming Dynasty with the Ming Dynasty would not be successfully realized.
Therefore, Huang Taiji's basic strategy for fighting against the Ming Dynasty was, on the one hand, to continuously send troops deep into the Central Plains to shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty; on the other hand, it was to uproot a string of Ming army strongholds in Liaodong, starting with the four fortresses east of Ningyuan.
By the spring of the 14th year of Chongzhen, the Qing army had completed a solid siege and set up eight camps on each side of Jinzhou. All the siege fortifications had been completed. At this time, the defender of Jinzhou was Zu Dashou, who had a history of false surrender.
, he was very resolute in resisting the siege of the Qing army. Jinzhou City's defense facilities were very good and its food reserves were relatively sufficient. Zu Dashou's tactic was to defend the city and wait for reinforcements.
At this time, Hong Chengchou could no longer delay. Seeing that the Qing army was determined not to retreat until Jinzhou was trapped, the only countermeasure Hong Chengchou could take was to concentrate his forces to fight the Qing army in the Jinzhou area in order to protect the territory outside the pass.
Various forts.
Although Hong Chengchou's reputation was far-reaching, he had no idea how sure he was of winning. However, when the Qing army was approaching, they had no choice but to fight the enemy.
So Hong Chengchou first sent a small group of troops along the coast to Jinzhou to harass the enemy troops and ease the siege of Jinzhou. At the same time, he personally led the various officers and soldiers near Shanhaiguan to exit the customs and stationed in Ningyuan, ready to attack the Qing army at any time.
But while Hong Chengchou was gathering troops in Ningyuan, the situation in Jinzhou's defense became more and more serious. In late March, the Mongolian generals Nomqi and Ubash stationed in the outer city of Jinzhou secretly contacted Jierharang to prepare
Surrender the city.
Zu Dashou discovered this situation and was about to hunt down two Mongolian generals, but the Mongolian army took action first. Zu Dashou's trusted troops and the Mongolian troops fought a battle between the inner and outer cities of Jinzhou, and the Qing army took the opportunity to scale the city.
In the battle, Zu Dashou's troops were forced into the inner city. The outer city was occupied by the Qing army, and Jinzhou's city defense became even more precarious.
But Zu Dashou was still determined to hold on. In May, he sent someone to sneak out of the siege and reported to Hong Chengchou that the food and grass in the city could still last for half a year. He hoped that the reinforcements would not rush into a hasty battle, but would use chariots to move forward step by step and advance steadily.
The tense situation in Liaodong also made Emperor Chongzhen nervous, but he had never known anything about military affairs and had no idea how to organize this major military operation.
On May 18th, Emperor Chongzhen summoned Chen Xinjia, Secretary of the Ministry of War, in Zhongji Palace and asked him how to make decisions and arrangements. Chen Xinjia had been dispatching troops and paying for Ningyuan for several months and wanted to fight a good battle.
He reported to Emperor Chongzhen that Hong Chengchou had gathered Ningyuan Commander Wu Sangui, former Tun Guard Commander Wang Tingchen, Shanhaiguan Commander Ma Ke, Yutian Commander Cao Bianjiao, and Jizhen Commander Bai Guangen in Ningyuan.
, Miyun Commander-in-Chief Tang Tong, Xuanfu Commander-in-Chief Yang Guozhu, Datong Commander-in-Chief Wang Pu, and Runing Commander-in-Chief Wu Shigong, a total of 150,000 soldiers and horses in nine towns, and the army, food and pay will soon be shipped.
Chen Xingjia believed that the Ming army could gather such a strong force to fight the Qing army in the narrow area between the mountains and the sea in Jinzhou, so that they could avoid the enemy's cavalry. This was an excellent opportunity that had not happened in many years. Hong Chengchou and Shen Yong were able to tactfully carry out the battle.
Command, it is expected to achieve a great victory.
For this reason, Chen Xinjia suggested: use Songshan as the center, divide the troops into four groups, go out of Tashan all the way through Dashengbao to attack the enemy in the northwest; go out of Xingshan all the way around Jinzhou to attack from the north; go out of Songshan all the way to cross the Xiaoling River to block the enemy's east side;
The main force attacked the enemy's southern flank directly from Songshan. Encircled the enemy in four directions and annihilated the enemy bandits.
Chen Xinjia's battle plan was of course just talk on paper. His judgment on the comparison of forces and the geographical situation was correct, but he did not take into account the key factor of the extremely poor combat effectiveness of the Ming army. The generals were cowardly and corrupt, the morale of the soldiers was low, the equipment was dilapidated, and the military and administration were in chaos.
The 150,000-strong army that had finally been gathered together was pretty good if it could be gathered together to scare the enemy, but it was simply a dream to think of a combined attack and a complete victory.
Hong Chengchou was on the front line and was well aware of the chronic diseases of his troops, so he had always opposed the Ministry of War's fanciful battle plans. However, Emperor Chongzhen was very happy after listening to Chen Xinjia's talk. Over the years, he had only received reports of failed battles.
, it is rare to hear the sound of victory. If we can attack the enemy on the Liaodong front line, we will not only be able to show off the evil spirit of being swept across the capital by Qing troops many times, but we can also take advantage of the victory and dispatch troops to the Central Plains to encircle and suppress the bandits. Such a prospect
Isn't it exactly what he has dreamed of for many years?
So Emperor Chongzhen fully supported Chen Xinjia's plan in principle. But he was no longer the "chu brother" who held the junior throne back then. He would no longer be so impatient and self-righteous. So Emperor Chongzhen hoped that the Ministry of War would give more consideration to the opinions of the commanders at the front.
Try to achieve coordination between the center and the front line.
After this summons, Chen Xinjia discussed with several ministers of the cabinet, Wu Di, the minister of the Ministry of War, and Fu Zonglong, the former minister of the Ministry of War, and finally decided to send Zhang Ruoqi, a doctor in the Ministry of War, to the Ningyuan Army as a special commissioner to understand the situation and participate in the decision-making. Later, he
Ma Shaoyu, a former magistrate of Suide County, was sent to the front of the army as the head of the Staff Department of the Ministry of War to praise the machine maintenance.
From the beginning of the summer of this year, officers and soldiers from several towns of the Ming army drove out of Shanhaiguan and assembled in the Songshan area. They had several small-scale contacts with the Qing army near Songshan and also achieved a small victory in the Shimen area. Hong Chengchou
He was not optimistic about this limited victory, and still adhered to the policy of protracted war. He said in a report to the court: "Songshan will be held for a long time, and Xingshan will be used to transfer food and wages, and the Jinzhou city is quite strong and difficult to be broken.
If the enemy's army survives this autumn, not only will it be unable to sustain itself domestically, but the food and wages supplied by North Korea will not be guaranteed. This is a strategy that can be sustained and then fight again. Now that the Minister of War is discussing the war, how can I dare to delay? I am just afraid of difficulties in transporting food and wages.
, it is beyond the reach of the whip. It concerns the state, so it would be more advantageous to wait a little longer and make the enemy trapped."
However, Zhang Ruoqi, who had already reached the front line outside the pass, was dazzled by several small victories and thought he could advance quickly and defeat the Qing army in one fell swoop. In a secret report delivered to the Ministry of War and the emperor, he stated that the opportunity must not be missed, hoping that the imperial court would order an immediate order
Have a decisive battle.
As a representative of the imperial court and Minister of War Chen Xinjia, Zhang Ruoqi is so urgent for the following reasons:
First of all, of course, Jinzhou City is indeed particularly dangerous;
Secondly, Hong Chengchou's delay was too long, which put the court under tremendous logistical pressure, so it could not be delayed any longer;
The third is that Chen Xinjia wanted to prove that his plan for a decisive battle with the entire army was correct, to show off his offensive in front of Emperor Chongzhen, and to overwhelm Hong Chengchou in the court's influence in discussing military strategy;
In the end, of course, Zhang Ruoqi himself wanted to show that he could play a great role in this war.
Emperor Chongzhen, who was originally inclined towards a quick victory, could no longer keep his composure. Since the victory he had longed for for many years was within his reach, of course he could no longer delay it.