Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 324 Everyone has their own agenda
Zhaoqing "is surrounded by mountains and controls the river, stretching for thousands of miles, located in the upper reaches of Guangzhou, and is the key point of He and Wu." It is indeed "the key point of Guangdong and Guangdong" and "if there is trouble in the east or the west, this is the place that must be fought for."

The city has a special terrain. It faces rivers on the west, south and east. To the northwest are Dinghu Mountain, Jiangjun Mountain and Beiling Mountain. The mountains are connected and difficult to climb. To the northeast is Lingyang Gorge. There is only Yunxi Valley Road between Dinghu Mountain and Lingyang Gorge, which can communicate with the outside world.

The Xijiang River is convenient for navigation, and the Qing army on the northern route usually transported food and supplies by water, so the Yunxi Valley Road was not that important. However, the Red Army sailed down the river in a hurry and headed straight for Zhaoqing. The Sanban and Changlong warships moved freely, and it seemed that they had already controlled the Xijiang waterway.

The small Yunxi Valley Road has become the Qing army's last straw.

The Red Army also knew the importance of the Yunxi Valley Road, and used warships to transport infantry and penetrate deep into the enemy's rear to fight for the Yunxi Valley Road.

Unfortunately, the navy's delivery capacity is limited. Today, only 1,200 infantrymen were transported, mainly riflemen, most of whom were equipped with Dinglu rifles. These 1,200 riflemen were divided into two groups. One group of 900 people was under the command of Deputy Assistant Commander Cen Xun, and landed at the downstream of the Lingyang Gorge Fort. The other group of 300 people was under the command of Deputy Commander Wang Daquan, who was under the control of Cen Xun and landed at the Lingyang Gorge plank road.

The red flag had just been raised in the fort, and Wang Daquan was still clearing out the Qing troops in the fort. Cen Xun had already led the remaining 900 riflemen to run forward to fight for the Yunxi Valley Road. This valley road was about five miles long, and the narrowest part was in the Huangshatian area, where the Qing army had built a camp.

In Zhaoqing City, the army and the people were in chaos. Zhang Cunren, the governor of five provinces of the Qing Dynasty, was old and sick. He had suffered from insomnia for days because of the failure of the war. He was shocked to hear that the Red Army navy was going down the river and heading straight for Lingyang Gorge. He did not dare to neglect it and issued several military orders:
"Impose martial law, close the city gates tightly, and no one is allowed to leave the city without my order."

"The soldiers of each garrison will go up to the city for defense according to their duties. All military officers below the rank of deputy general will stay overnight on the city tower."

"Set fire to the houses outside the moat to prevent the Red Bandits from using them to attack the city."

……

The most important military order was placed at the end: "Select two thousand elite cavalry, go out of the east gate to fight back against the red bandits, and make sure to secure the Yunxi Valley Road and the Antelope Gorge Artillery Fort."

The middle officer asked carefully, "Marshal, who shall we send over to lead the troops?"

It takes careful consideration to decide which generals and troops to send.

In theory, Zhang Cunren should lead the troops himself. If things went wrong, he would have a chance to escape, or to defend Guangzhou, or to go north to Meiling, instead of defending Zhaoqing. But he was already seriously ill and could only ride in a sedan chair, not a warhorse.

There are more than 20,000 defenders in the city, among whom the elite are Jingnan soldiers. There are 3,000 cavalry, 2,000 Jingnan cavalry, and 1,000 from Jiangxi and Jiangnan Green Camp. If Zhang Cunren cannot go, it would be most appropriate to send Jingnan vassal general Geng Jimao.

"Send someone to invite Geng Jimao over."

"promise."

The officer had just walked away for two steps when a prefect came over to ask for instructions: "Excuse me, Marshal, outside the city are Tianyifang, Linjiang Pavilion, and Duanxi Academy, which are either famous places or historical sites, and are valued by the people of Zhaoqing. Should these places of interest and historical sites also be burned down?"

This Daotai had been active in eastern Guangdong for a long time. He was Yuan Pengnian, the "tiger leader" among the "Five Tigers" of the Yongli Dynasty. After Li Chengdong invaded eastern Guangdong, Yuan Pengnian surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and was appointed as the governor of Guangdong by Tong Yangjia. After Dongxun rebelled, Yuan Pengnian claimed to be the first meritorious official of the rebellion, contacted the censors, and made the best of the situation. He served as the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate of the Yongli Dynasty.

After the Qing army conquered Guangzhou, Yuan Pengnian volunteered to join the army and was appointed as the magistrate of Guangzhou by Shang Kexi. After Zhang Cunren arrived in eastern Guangdong, he believed that Yuan Pengnian was familiar with the political affairs of the Southern Ming Dynasty and could be used by the Qing Dynasty, so he promoted him to "Guangzhao Luodao" and stationed him in Zhaoqing.

At this critical moment, Yuan Pengnian still asked about these details. Zhang Cunren was furious. Although he knew that he wanted to take the opportunity to find out the news, he still patiently said: "The situation is urgent. We have to focus on the overall situation and can't care about these places of interest."

Zhang Cunren had heard of Yuan Pengnian's shamelessness. He was erratic and he had to be on guard against him at this critical moment.

"The situation is urgent right now, and you have never had any capable guards around you. I will ask the central army to pick out a few capable men to go over and protect you."

Yuan Pengnian blushed and said, "Thank you for your concern, Marshal." He stepped forward and whispered, "Marshal, I have a few words to say to you."

He probably couldn't spit out ivory from a dog's mouth, but Zhang Cunren wanted to hear his opinion when the disaster was imminent, so he happily said, "Please speak."

Yuan Pengnian looked embarrassed and said, "Marshal, can you please send the others away?"

"It's okay. You are all trusted by everyone around you. Just say whatever you want."

Yuan Pengnian glanced at the guards behind Zhang Cunren and said with courage: "The Red Bandits have already wiped out the Manchurian soldiers in Luoding. The Jingnan vassal state was also seriously injured and lost its elite troops. Today, the Red Bandits took another risky move and broke through the Beiling Mountain River Defense in one fell swoop, crossed Zhaoqing, and went straight to the downstream. I am not saying this to discourage people, but the isolated army in Zhaoqing may not be able to stop the Red Bandits..."

"Nonsense!" A tall guard retorted without caring about Yuan Pengnian's status as a prefect, "Zhaoqing is a strong city, and Marshal Jue is a famous general of the Qing Dynasty. Although our army failed in Luoding, we can still hold on to Zhaoqing. The elite northern troops have come to our aid overnight. As long as we hold on until the reinforcements arrive, we will be able to defeat the red bandits in one fell swoop."

The imperial edict from Fulin to dispatch northern troops was not sent to eastern Guangdong until January. The border town was far away and the journey was difficult. Those northern troops could not reach Zhaoqing for a year or so.

These reinforcements from the northern border towns totaled only 24,000 troops, and they had to be divided between the two generals, Hong Chengchou and Zhang Cunren. It would be good enough for eastern Guangdong to get 1,200 troops.

Yuan Pengnian did not dare to refute the Manchu guards, and turned to Zhang Cunren and said: "Zhaoqing is too close to western Guangdong, and the enemy and we must fight for it. Marshal Jue is the governor of five provinces, not a military commander who fights on the battlefield, and cannot be put in danger. From a moral point of view, it is better to retreat at night before the main force of the Red Bandits arrives, and meet with the King of Pingnan in Guangzhou, and then try to recover."

It's not that Zhang Cunren didn't think about breaking out. But the Red Army was advancing too fast down the river. The Qing army had lost its elite troops and could not control the Xijiang River. If they retreated hastily, they would inevitably suffer a crushing defeat.

He is old and no longer has the decisiveness he once had.

Just at this moment, the sound of horse hooves was heard in the distance, and several military officers in armor hurriedly entered the Marshal's residence. The leader was none other than Geng Jimao, the chief general of Jingnan Feudalty.

Zhang Cunren was very prestigious, and he said to the guard Xia: "General Geng and I need to discuss important military matters. You stay outside the house to guard, and no one else is allowed to enter."

The Manchu guard had no choice but to leave with his men.

Yuan Pengnian was about to leave when he heard Zhang Cunren say, "Jiemei, you stay first."

The officer came in with the latest report, which clearly stated that the Red Army's vanguard had crossed the Jiangbin Wharf and continued to head downstream towards Lingyang Gorge. Geng Jimao entered the room, saluted Zhang Cunren, and said, "Marshal, the Jingnan troops are gathering and will be dispatched soon."

He played a trick and called out the 2,000 cavalry and 4,000 infantry of the Jingnan Clan in the city, preparing to station them at the Yunxi Valley Road and Lingyang Gorge Fort. In case of an emergency, he could just run away with his troops and not return to Zhaoqing, so as not to be buried with Zhang Cunren.

Two years ago, Zhang Cunren plotted to kill Geng Jimao's father, Geng Zhongming, and he had always held this grudge in his heart.

After reading the Tang newspaper, Geng Jimao lost his patience and asked, "Marshal, are the Red Bandits planning to attack Guangzhou directly this time?"

"No," Zhang Cunren said decisively, "The Red Bandits are not strong enough to cross Zhaoqing and attack Guangzhou directly."

Bashan was dead, the Eight Banners of Manchuria and Mongolia were annihilated, and Zhang Cunren relied more on the Jingnan soldiers. Geng Jimao deliberately mentioned his father and sighed: "Dingnan Fan fought north and south for 30 years, and was swallowed up by the Red Bandits overnight. Bashan was a famous Manchurian general, but he also died at the hands of the Red Bandits. I followed my father to fight for many years, and I have never seen such a fierce and tenacious bandit."

Zhang Cunren's heart moved, and he secretly felt sad. As the governor of five provinces, he could control the civil and military officials of the five provinces. When he first came to eastern Guangdong, Shang Kexi and Geng Jimao were very respectful to him, and even Bashan had to give him some respect. Now that the Qing army has been defeated in succession, Zhang Cunren's prestige has been greatly damaged, and Geng Jimao's words have become sarcastic.

As the ancients said, husband and wife are birds of the same forest, but they fly away when disaster strikes. If this is the case for husband and wife, how much more so for the warriors who harbor grudges? The overall situation is corrupt, and the civil officials and military generals have their own agendas. How can this war be fought?
Hong Chengchou was also a military commander, and his subordinate Wu Sangui was at least his student. But as a military commander, he did not even have a trusted general. Originally, he had Bashan to restrain him, but after Bashan's death, Geng Jimao became even more unruly.

"Although the Red Bandits are powerful, they also suffered a crushing defeat in Luoding. They underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, stretching the battle line and leaving many loopholes. I have ordered Jiangxi, Jiangnan, and Fujian to send reinforcements. As long as the army holds out until the reinforcements arrive, we may be able to turn defeat into victory."

In the minds of Zhang Cunren, Geng Jimao and others, it was not difficult to hold on to the city for a long time. Defending a city was much easier than attacking it. As long as the defenders worked together and there was enough food and grass in the city, it would be no problem to hold on to Zhaoqing for a year or two.

Haven't you seen that Jin Shengxing and Jiang Ge held on to Nanchang and Datong, and the Manchu army gathered and besieged the city for nearly a year, until the defenders ran out of food, and the Manchu army finally broke the city. More recently, Du Yonghe defended Guangzhou for eight months. If Fan Chengen had not surrendered, the Qing army might not have been able to capture Guangzhou.

Geng Jimao had different ideas and was unwilling to follow Zhang Cunren in defending Zhaoqing. He said, "Although Zhaoqing is a battleground, it has a river to the south and mountains to the north. There are only a few fields outside the city, and the grain production is not abundant. Our army has no navy, so it is difficult to sustain it."

This is obviously singing in opposition to Zhang Cunren.

Zhang Cunren was so angry that his beard was shaking. He suppressed his displeasure and said, "I will defend Zhaoqing by myself. You lead two thousand cavalrymen to set up defenses in Yunxi Valley and protect the Lingyang Gorge Fort. When reinforcements come in the future, whether by land or water, the valley and the fort must not be lost."

The two men parted unhappily. Yuan Pengnian also saw an opportunity and hurriedly said goodbye to Zhang Cunren. He caught up with Geng Jimao and said, "Marshal, I have been in Zhaoqing for a long time and am familiar with the terrain. I am willing to follow you around for advice."

Geng Jimao also looked down on Yuan Pengnian and didn't want to bring him along as a burden.

Yuan Pengnian said hurriedly: "Marshal, you can lead the troops out of the city without being trapped in an isolated city. You can move freely. However, Marshal, you have offended the governor. If the governor sends a secret letter to the emperor, how will you deal with it?"

This makes sense. Zhang Cunren was of noble status and had made outstanding contributions. His position was comparable to that of Meng Qiaofang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and was actually higher than that of Hong Chengchou and Feng Quan. If Zhang Cunren died a martyr and wrote a will before his death, Geng Jimao would be embarrassed.

"What do you think?" Geng Jimao asked, becoming interested.

"The governor is seriously ill and may not live long. Once the governor dies, Zhaoqing will certainly not be defended. Marshal, do you think it is possible to defend Guangzhou with the strength of the two vassal states of Jingnan and Pingnan?"

What's the point of defending this? The families of the two vassal states of Jingnan and Pingnan are in Ji'an and Ganzhou, Jiangxi. If it's really urgent, who would go to defend Guangzhou? They have to flee as soon as possible and reunite with their families in Jiangxi.

Geng Jimao remained silent, but heard Yuan Pengnian say, "When I served Prince Yongming, I got along well with Liu Xiangke and Jin Bao. Liu and Jin are old acquaintances with Cen Danchu. If Marshal Jue is interested, I can write to Liu and Jin to find out their intentions."

"Well, don't make this public yet. Report to my central army first."

At 5 p.m., the sun was setting and it was almost evening. The soldiers in Jingnan were still preparing their weapons and food supplies and had not yet left the city. Suddenly, a report came in saying that the Red Army had occupied the Lingyang Gorge Fort and sent troops into the Yunxi Valley.

Geng Jimao was shocked. He did not expect the Red Army to advance so quickly. He quickly selected a thousand cavalrymen and went out of the east gate to enter the Yunxi Valley Road. Before leaving, he specifically instructed: "The army should travel light and bring five days of dry food. Don't bring the Weiyuan cannon and the Portuguese cannon. First occupy the Yunxi Valley Road and protect the Lingyang Gorge artillery fort tonight."

Soon after leaving the city, Geng Jimao ran into the defeated soldiers. After asking around, he learned that the Huangshatian camp had been lost.

Huangshatian is located in the middle of Yunxi Valley, with a large pond next to it. The water in the pond is very deep and comes from Dinghu Mountain on the north. The Qing army built two camps on both sides of the pond, which, together with the pond, was enough to control the Yunxi Valley and ensure the Qing army's retreat.

But why were the defenders so useless that they were defeated by the Red Army so quickly?

"Marshal, no one could have imagined that the Red Bandits would attack from the east. The brothers were only concerned with defending the west and paid no attention to the east."

Geng Jimao was furious and cursed: "You good-for-nothing! Now that the camp is lost, it's all over for us!"

It was already dark when the Jingnan soldiers entered the Yunxi Valley. When they approached the yellow sand field, they saw countless torches lit there, and the firelight reflected in the pond water, overlapping, and they didn't know how many Red Army soldiers had arrived.

The scouts reported that the Red Army had no less than a thousand men, divided into two camps and deployed at the water pond. They had many muskets and the shooters were very accurate.

Geng Jimao took a deep breath, fell into deep sorrow, and sighed: "Tonight, we must seize the camp overnight and open up the Yunxi Valley Road. Otherwise, when the red bandit reinforcements arrive tomorrow, our situation will become even more difficult.

"Pass the order. We will attack the Huangshatian camp in a while. Those who are willing to die will be rewarded with 50 taels of silver. For each red bandit killed, another 20 taels of silver will be rewarded. Urge all the soldiers of Jingnan to leave the city and come to fight for the valley road. Send a letter to the governor to transfer the red cannons from the city. The soldiers of Jingnan will never give up until the Yunxi Valley Road is opened."

"Charge!" The situation was urgent and Geng Jimao could not care less. He divided the one thousand cavalry into the left and right wings, with eight hundred men on the left wing and two hundred men on the right wing, and launched a tentative attack first.

The Red Army had come from afar, and with success in sight, they would not retreat. The Qing army was struggling to its death, with only one last straw left, and the soldiers were willing to fight to the death.

A fierce battle began again at the foot of Antelope Canyon.

(End of this chapter)