Chapter four hundred and twenty first secret edict
On November 16, in the Qianqing Palace in the Imperial City of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youjian looked at Hong Chengchou's "Three Hundred Miles Urgent Memorial" and frowned without saying a word.
The memorial clearly states: On November 10, 70,000 Dongnu troops surrounded Jinzhou City and attacked urgently. Zu Dashou, the commander-in-chief of the vanguard, was trapped in Jinzhou City.
The city of Jinzhou only has six months of food and grass, and especially insufficient firewood, which is only enough for three months. If the reinforcements are cut off, the city will soon be unable to support it.
Jinzhou City was the forefront of the Ningjin Defense Line of the Ming Dynasty and the bridgehead of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty spent more than four million taels of silver on the Ningjin Defense Line a year, which shows the status of the Ningjin Defense Line in the hearts of the Ming Dynasty. If Jinzhou was defeated If it is captured, the Ningjin defense line will shrink by dozens of miles.
Who will bear the responsibility for losing the city and abandoning the land? If Jinzhou is lost, I am afraid that the officials will attack the emperor Zhu Youjian one after another.
Not only that, the soldiers and horses under Zu Dashou's tent were the elite of Guan Ning's army, and were known to fight bravely. If Zu Dashou was killed by the Qing army, it would be an unbearable loss for the Ming Dynasty.
Due to various factors, Jinzhou has no choice but to provide assistance.
Hong Chengchou's memorial said that 70,000 Dongnu people were stationed in Yizhou and attacked the large and small forts near Jinzhou, setting up a long-term siege. Moreover, Jinzhou was only five hundred miles away from Shenyang, Dongnu, and the Tatar troops came from Shenyang. If we send out troops, we can reach the gates of Jinzhou City in a few days. If we fight this time, it will definitely be a big war. We sincerely ask the emperor to mobilize 100,000 troops to support Jinzhou.
Zhu Youjian paced back and forth in the Qianqing Palace, seemingly unable to make a decision on some things.
Wang Chengen looked at Zhu Youjian's face and said, "Your Majesty, there are police in Jinzhou. This is a situation where we have to help."
Zhu Youjian nodded and said: "Indeed, Jinzhou is of great importance. Now that the Dongnu army is pressing on the border, we must mobilize the army to support. It's just that the Tatars besieged Jinzhou to attack the reinforcements, so they are waiting for work. If there is a war with the Tatars this time, the Tatars will definitely not let it go. Chance, I’m afraid it will be a decisive battle once the fight begins.”
Zhu Youjian was a little worried about the combat effectiveness of the Ming Dynasty troops.
Judging from the previous cases of Tatars entering the pass, it seems that the Ming Dynasty's border troops did not have the ability to fight to the death with the Qing army. Normally, thousands of Tatars could overwhelm tens of thousands of Ming army's border troops in a single charge.
In the 11th year of Chongzhen's reign, when the Tatar troops invaded the capital, in Julu, Gao Qiqian's 40,000 frontier troops faced the Qing army. They collapsed before firing a single shot and fled. In the twelfth year of Chongzhen's reign in Tianjin, Hong Chengchou and Chen Xinjia were sitting on ten Tens of thousands of troops guarded Tianjin, but they watched the Tatars leading the plundering women and children slowly exit the pass, and no troops dared to step forward to intercept them.
Judging from previous wars, the average Ming army had to be three times as large as the Qing army in order to fight the Qing army. Jinzhou is so close to Shenyang, and Dongnu can increase his troops and go south at any time. If the imperial court supports Jinzhou, Hong Chengchou will face Maybe it wasn't 70,000 Tatars. The Tatars besieging Jinzhou for reinforcements was equivalent to fighting inside the country. They were mainly fighting against the guests. They would definitely not miss the opportunity for a decisive battle.
Zhu Youjian really didn't know if he was going to die if he sent 100,000 troops to fight the Tatars outside the customs. The Ming Dynasty didn't have much wealth left. If 100,000 border troops were mobilized to Jinzhou to fight a decisive battle and lost, I'm afraid the world would be in ruins. It will collapse thousands of miles.
It’s a shame that the Tatars came before their 50,000 recruits were trained. The Tatars must know that they imitated Li Zhi’s army and horse training to train new recruits. Could it be that the Tatars specially rushed to launch a decisive battle before their new recruits were trained, and they didn’t want to see it? Ming Dynasty got a brave and powerful army?
Maybe we should abandon Jinzhou and let Zu Dashou break out? But what if Dongnu knows the taste by eating marrow and pushes south step by step? Give up the entire Ningjin defense line outside the pass?
Zhu Youjian paced back and forth in Qianqing Palace, really undecided.
Wang Chengen looked at the emperor's face and said tentatively: "Your Majesty, are you worried that this battle will turn into a big war?"
Zhu Youjian stood by the bed, took a breath and said nothing.
Wang Chengen said cautiously: "Your Majesty, Governor Hong Chengchou of Jiliao is a capable man. I'm afraid this battle won't be too bad."
Closing his eyes and thinking for a while, Zhu Youjian said: "I heard that the slave chieftain was training new recruits in Tai Chi. He imitated Li Zhi's soldiers and horses. I don't know how many thousands of surrendered Han soldiers were trained. If these soldiers and horses were half as many as Li Zhi's soldiers and horses, With their combat power, I’m afraid our Ming Dynasty’s border troops are no match.”
Taking a breath, Zhu Youjian hesitated and couldn't make up his mind.
Wang Chengen thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, don't we have Uncle Xingguo Li Zhi? Let Uncle Xingguo Li Zhi support Jinzhou. If Uncle Xingguo's 20,000 troops can dispatch 15,000, they can be equal to 30,000 Tatars."
Upon hearing the words about mobilizing Li Zhi, Zhu Youjian's face darkened, he sat on the chair and said nothing.
Wang Chengen thought for a while and understood the emperor's thoughts. He raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty is worried that Li Zhi will become more domineering if he makes new achievements?"
Zhu Youjian said: "Now that a town in Tianjin already has the surname Li, if Li Zhi makes new achievements, he can only be granted a title of marquis. How arrogant will he be by then?"
"If Li Zhi defeats the Dongnu, what will Li Zhi take from me? Beizhili? Or Shandong Province?"
Wang Chengen hesitated and said: "Your Majesty, although Li Zhi is arrogant and rebellious, if Li Zhi is not mobilized to fight, the chance of winning this battle may not be good. If the Tatars defeat hundreds of thousands of border troops, our Ming Dynasty will have nothing to do." It’s time to fight.”
Zhu Youjian closed his eyes. He was at a loss and closed his eyes helplessly.
Wang Chengen suddenly clapped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, it's better than this!"
Zhu Youjian opened his eyes and asked: "How?"
Wang Chengen said: "It is better to dispatch Li Zhi's troops and horses to Hong Chengchou for deployment, and then explain it clearly to Hong Chengchou in detail. If the situation is favorable, Li Zhi's troops and horses will not be dispatched to fight and let other frontier troops perform meritorious service. If the situation is unfavorable and Li Zhi has to be used, then let him Li Zhi's soldiers will go immediately to kill the thieves."
Zhu Youjian was stunned, looked at Wang Chengen, and said nothing.
Wang Chengen raised his hand and said: "Your Majesty, if the situation is urgent, Li Zhi will still be used. Even if Li Zhi is more domineering, it is better than losing hundreds of thousands of border troops to the Tatars."
Zhu Youjian turned his head and considered Wang Chengen's method carefully.
After thinking for a long time, Zhu Youjian nodded slowly and said: "This is the only way we can use it now."
Zhu Youjian stood up, pondered for a long time, and then said: "Tune Datong's general Wang Pu, Xuanfu's general Yang Guozhu, Miyun's general Tang Tong, Jizhen's Chinese Association general Bai Guang'en, Jizhen's Eastern Association's general Cao Bianjiao, Ma Ke, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan, Wang Tingchen, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of Ningyuan, and officials below the deputy general, with 130,000 infantry and cavalry, support Jinzhou, and are under the overall control of Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao."
"Re-dispatch Tianjin General Li Zhi to assist Jinzhou and put it under the control of Hong Chengchou. Give Hong Chengchou a secret edict. Unless necessary, Li Zhi's troops and horses will never be called upon to kill the slaves!"
