However, the Huanghuai line was sparsely populated, and the fields were largely deserted. Early that morning, beacon smoke was spreading rapidly towards the north.
"Report, the beacon smoke is in danger, the Southern Ming army has marched northward in large numbers."
In the city of Xuzhou, Shandong, Prince Duanzhong, Boluo, heard the news and frowned, "It came so fast!"
In front of Boluo, sat a group of Qing generals, all of whom looked worried after hearing the report.
"How did the Ming army manage to send troops northward on a large scale during this lean season?" Gushan'e Zhentu Lai, his partner in the last southern expedition, asked in confusion.
Boluo made meritorious service in the southern expedition last year, and received a heavy reward afterwards. He was granted the title of Prince of the County. Not long after, during the fierce internal struggle in the Qing court, he was granted the title of Prince Heshuo Duanzhong.
He was named one of the eight auxiliary princes, second only to the three regents.
Under the threat of the sudden rise of Ming Emperor Zhu Yihai, the factions within the Qing court finally reached a compromise and quickly made adjustments.
The auxiliary prince Boluojia, General Zhengnan, succeeded Tan Tai in the Nanzheng.
Boluo transferred more than 20,000 Han troops from Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and other places to accompany him on the southern expedition, including Cao Cunxing, Li Yingzong, Yu Yongshou, Zhang Yingmeng, He Yinchang, Fan Shaozu, Wang Zhigang, Su Jianle and Feng Yong.
At the same time, Tu Lai, Du De, Zhao Butai and other Manchu generals who had accompanied him on the southern expedition also came with him. Tan Tai, He Luohui, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, etc. were all under his command, and Xu Daizui had made meritorious deeds.
After rushing to Shandong from Beijing, he announced the decree to Tan Tai and others, reprimanded him, and then readjusted the deployment. More than 40,000 Manchu and Han troops were assembled and deployed in Denglai, Xuzhou, Huai'an, Fengyang, etc., with Boluo personally in charge.
Xuzhou.
Tan Tai guarded Huai'an, He Luohui guarded Fengyang, and Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming guarded Denglai.
From last winter to this summer, the Qing army mobilized on the eastern front, but it has not been smooth. In the final analysis, it is still a matter of money and food. The land east of Xuhuai Mountain and Henan was already dominated by the Ming army and the peasant army before the Qing army entered the customs.
The battlefield had long been destroyed. When the Qing army went south, although the four towns in the north of Hongguang River were vulnerable and no major battles were fought, after the Qing army captured these places, they also looted wantonly, especially in Yangzhou on the 10th.
Last year, the Ming army went north to carry out demolition, which made the Qing army even worse.
Huguang's grain, Jiangnan's tax, and Yangzhou's salt are all cut off. Even last year, the canal was blocked for more than half a year. It was already very difficult for the local government to supply Tan Tai, Kong Youde and his 20,000 troops, and they also had to bear the burden of shipbuilding.
, and even provided food and salary tasks to Beijing.
Because Tan Tai was defeated, he did not dare to refute the mission sent by Beijing, so he could only issue a death order to suppress it.
The people below have no choice but to plunder in various ways. They will first rob the common people, and then start to rob the gentry and landlords. At this time, no one cares whether you are a scholar or an official. When you rob,
Even if you are already a serving official who has surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, they will not care about you and will still rob you.
But even if we try our best to catch the fish, it is still not enough.
After the beginning of spring, Boluo recruited more than 20,000 horses to garrison Shandong and Huainan. The two dilapidated places had to raise more than 50,000 horses, build ships, restore water transportation, etc., which was completely pushing the people to death.
The natural result of this is that hungry people are now everywhere in Xuhuai, Shandong and other places. There are uprisings of hungry people everywhere. The people can only hide in the lakes, mountains and forests, and the gentry can no longer survive. It is the opposite.
There were also people sent from the Ming Dynasty in the south to liaise with the organization, causing even more turmoil.
Brotherhoods have blossomed all over Jiangbei, opening forums and clubs everywhere, and there are even many new organizations, such as the Small Sword Club, the Red Spear Club, the Big Sword Club, the Ax Gang, the Boat Gang, the Bad Gang, the Horse Gang, the White Spear Club, the Bow and Arrow Club, and the Loyalty Fist.
Zhongyi Society, Zhongxiao Hall, Zhongwumen, Honghua Society, Tiandi Society, etc., with various names, are spread throughout the countryside.
Everyone actively joined the society, helped each other, protected each other, practiced swords, guns, and boxing. Not only poor farmers, small handicraftsmen, urban poor, small businessmen, water transport workers and other lower-class people joined, but even some scribes
After the war, the green camp soldiers, gentry and landlords also began to join secret societies.
It can be said that the entire Huainan region of Shandong is basically in a state of anarchy. When Hongguang was first established, there was still barely an official government. However, since the Qing army went south and Hongguang died, local officials either fled or surrendered.
, there is already a serious shortage of people.
The Qing army had not yet arrived to restore the local government, but Zhu Yihai came on the Northern Expedition. After a series of forced demolitions and relocation to the south, the officials who surrendered were killed and captured, and many of them ran away quickly when they saw the opportunity.
Until now, it has not been able to recover. There is a shortage of officials and officials, and it is in chaos.
Without the management and authority of the government, everyone can only seek security on their own. All forces have emerged to compete for this power. The Brotherhood appeared at this time and spread faster than the White Lotus Sect.
These various clubs are actually mainly because they are organized by different intelligence departments in Nanming. Some are run by the Jinyiwei, some are supported by the Dongchang, and there are also the Staff Department of the Ministry of War, the Imperial Camp Editing Office, the Investigation Department, and the Staff Department.
Waiting for the results of the intelligence agency's involvement.
Many of them were formed after recruiting some local forces.
So overall, they are blooming everywhere, but very loosely. But even so, their blooming everywhere has also exacerbated the chaos in the Huanghuai area today.
Even if the auxiliary prince Bolo came to Xuzhou in person to take charge, it would not be any better.
Bolo also heard about these secret societies that were emerging now, and tried to recruit them for his own use, but in fact it was simply unrealistic.
Gu Huan
His side was in a mess and he couldn't sort it out, but the Ming army had already come to kill him.
There was some intelligence before that showed that the Ming army was gathering the imperial camp to prepare for the Northern Expedition. It was even said that the troops would be divided into separate groups, and more than 100,000 troops from the imperial camp would be mobilized for the northern expedition.
But Bolo, who had fought all the way to Hangzhou and stayed in Hangzhou for a few months, scorned the news because he did not believe that Zhu Yihai could integrate the Jiangnan area in just six months. Even if he captured Jiangnan very well last year, he could use
I have used many despicable methods, but they are not digested so quickly.
Especially now is the lean season. The Qing army is unable to mobilize now. Where can the Ming army get this ability?
But now the war is in danger, and the Ming army has really arrived.
"Has the mission sent to Jiangning to negotiate peace failed?" Bolo sighed.
Tu Lai was the seventh son of Fei Yingdong, the five founding ministers of the Later Jin Dynasty, and a fierce general of Zhenghuang Banner. He originally wanted to make Hauge the emperor. Later, like Bolo, he also eased the relationship with Dorgon. Now as Bolo
A lieutenant general is a first-class officer.
"Zhu Yihai was extremely cunning. He killed Chen Hongfan before, but later said he was willing to negotiate. As a result, Prince Regent Rui sent a delegation south, but they made all kinds of rude conditions. In vain, Tong Yangjia kept reporting that the peace talks were going smoothly, and there was hope that
Achieve the result of dividing the river and governing it.
He was totally fooled by Zhu Yihai!
He is treating Tong Yangjia like a monkey. Yesterday, Tong sent an envoy to Beijing via Xuzhou, saying that the peace talks were just in time, but today the smoke of war has reached Xuzhou. Do you think this guy should be killed?"
In terms of charging into battle, Boluo, Tu Lai, Tan Tai, Baiyin Tu, and Ashan were all famous warriors in Manchuria, but now they are facing the bad situation of Huanghuai and the extremely cunning Ming Emperor Zhu Yihai.
The feeling of having nowhere to go.
Tu Lai was even more resentful towards Dorgon. They went south this time, but Dorgon insisted on repeatedly emphasizing stability and even told them not to stir up trouble first. As long as the Ming army did not invade, they would never let go.
The first arrow.
They are also required to cooperate with Tong Yangjia's Jiangning peace talks.
This seems like nonsense now.
Not only Tong Yangjia was tricked by Zhu Yihai, but Prince Regent Rui was also tricked around. This Prince Rui was not worthy of the word Rui at all.
Bolo readily admitted that he had misjudged, "I underestimated Zhu Yihai and Nanming's organizational recovery ability. Our soldiers here are still hungry and well fed, but he has the ability to dispatch more than 100,000 elite troops to go north."
,"
Tu Lai thinks this is because Zhu Yihai received reinforcements from the rear. "Eastern Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi, and southern Jiangxi have basically not experienced war. They are no better than the northern part of the Central Plains. Everywhere has been reduced to a pot of porridge. We suffer in this regard."
Bolo thought, "Even if he has some food in his hands now, doesn't Zhu Yihai need to recuperate and reintegrate the southern provinces? Why is he in such a hurry to go north, why is his military morale stable, and why doesn't he need to worry about the rear?
"
"Maybe it's because he's good at fighting!" Tu Lai thought.
Bolo could only think so, "Actually, I think Prince Regent Rui's plan was right. Our previous entry was too smooth. We thought we could destroy the Ming Dynasty and conquer the world quickly in one battle. But now we have encountered a setback. Our shortcomings are
It also shows that our population in Manchuria is too small, and the Han troops that surrendered before are unreliable. Only the Eight Banners Manchu, Mongolian and Han troops can be trusted, but there are too few people."
"If we can't win quickly, we have to plan for the long term. If we can make peace with the Ming Dynasty and divide the river to rule, give us time. It doesn't need to be more, just three to five years. In three to five years, we can absorb the northern part of the Central Plains. By then, no matter what
The war reserves of grain, grass and weapons, as well as the combat sergeants, can increase their strength several times. If they cross the river at that time, they will definitely be sure of success.
Fighting now is really too much."
"Having said that, we are recuperating in the north. Doesn't this give Can Ming a chance to breathe? Once the war stops, how many of the Eight Banners Manchurian soldiers will still be willing to fight? They occupy half of the colorful world of the Central Plains.
, the Eight Banners raced to encircle the territory in the north and accepted contributions from the Han people. These days they no longer suffer the hardships outside the customs. For a few years, they will no longer be able to fight and will not want to fight." Tu Lai said.
"Hey!" Bolo sighed, neither left nor right. In the final analysis, it was Zhu Yihai who was so capable. This damn guy came out of nowhere and ruined the great cause of the Ming Dynasty's rapid destruction.
"Zhu Yihai caught us off guard again this time. Your Majesty, how do we respond?"
"The soldiers and horses have not moved, and the food and fodder have gone first, but now we have no reserves, and this battle will be difficult to fight," Bolo sighed repeatedly, "I think it is better to simply defend the cities and not leave, and let them come."
"Aren't you trying to be a coward?" Tu Lai was dissatisfied.
"It's easy to attack and defend. The situation on the Western Front is good now. We can advance into Sichuan at any time. If we can hold back Zhu Yihai's main force, it will be enough. Let Zhu Yihai be proud for a while. Anyway, it is a scorched earth outside, even if he has a large army
If you go deeper, what can you get?"
"I wonder if we can still find an opportunity to take advantage of him when he becomes arrogant and arrogant."
Tu Lai remained silent. He was the deputy general of the Southern Expedition and was dissatisfied with this plan. Bolo had to persuade him, "When we were still outside the Pass, we fought with the Ming army in western Liaoning for many years. Didn't the Ming army use this kind of shrinking tactic?"
, have you just kept us out of the customs for many years? Let’s learn and apply it now, what’s wrong with it?”
"As long as you win in the end, it's a good plan."
Tu Lai said helplessly, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
