The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 268 Qianlong's Disdain

Just a few months later, Mo Zibu basically wiped out the Xishan Army and severely damaged Beizheng.

The Qing Dynasty also suffered a devastating defeat at Mugumu.

The culprit behind this disastrous defeat was Wen Fu, whom Qianlong had originally intended to use to monitor Mo Zibu.

In fact, Wen Fu was not an incompetent general. On the contrary, he was very brave and good at fighting when he followed Zhao Hui to pacify the Hezhuo brothers.

In the famous Battle of Heishuiying, Wen Fu guarded the front camp and repeatedly defeated the superior forces of the Hezhuo brothers. He also launched several counterattacks and made a great name for himself.

He was hit in the cheekbone by a musket on the battlefield, his face covered in blood, but he still fought to the death and repeatedly climbed the city wall first. He was definitely a fierce general.

But this person's shortcomings are as obvious as his strengths. Although Wen Fu is brave in battle, he likes to act recklessly on the battlefield. He is arrogant and underestimates the enemy, and at the same time, he refuses to listen to other people's opinions.

Such a person is only suitable to be kept by the head coach as a brave general who charges into battle. This is how Zhao Hui used Wen Fu back then.

The same reason why Mo Zibu kept Chen Guangzu and Wang Wuchu by his side and did not let them go out to command the army.

But Qianlong didn't do that.

He felt that Wen Fu was one of the most important generals under Zhao Hui, so he appointed Wen Fu as the commander-in-chief according to his own feelings.

This is the disadvantage of senior leaders not having been on the front line.

Qianlong was already a very intelligent man, but without having firsthand experience of the battle, he still made the wrong appointment that a lord like Mo Zibu would never have made.

In May 1772, Emperor Qianlong appointed Wen Fu as the commander-in-chief and commanded the main army in the central route, and the original commander-in-chief Guilin was dismissed.

Qianlong ordered Agui to be promoted to deputy commander and Ha Guoxing to be counselor minister, to assist Wen Fu in attacking Dajinchuan.

After Wen Fu was promoted to head coach, he immediately changed Guilin's original strategy of focusing on attacking the enemy directly.

He divided his central army into seven groups and advanced separately, slowly destroying the bunkers along the way. He used his size, which was a thousand times larger than that of the Jinchuans, to surround and slowly wear down the leaders of the Jinchuans, Sonomu and Senggesang.

There is indeed nothing wrong with this strategy. It even seems more reliable than Guilin's somewhat risky attack on Huanglong.

But Wen Fu forgot one thing, that is, the Big and Small Jinchuan are on the plateau in western Sichuan, not on the plains of Henan.

Although the Qing Dynasty was a thousand times larger than Jinchuan, it was limited by natural geography and road conditions and could not project all its power into this place.

Therefore, Wen Fu could only mobilize about 30,000 combat soldiers. He had many more muskets and cannons than the Jinchuan chieftains, but the quantity and quality were not enough to crush them.

Even out of these 30,000 people, only a little over half, about 17,000 people, could reach the front line.

If there were more people, the supplies would not be enough, even the water would not be enough.

At the beginning, Guilin was unable to cope with the situation when it used two large armies with such a small number of people to attack Huanglong directly. Wen Fu divided the central army into seven groups and advanced simultaneously, which was simply seeking death.

But Wen Fu was immersed in the fantasy of an elephant stepping on an ant and didn't think much about it.

Moreover, he was lucky. As soon as the deployment was completed, the army suddenly split into seven routes, and with the advantage of artillery, it immediately caught the Jinchuan chieftains off guard.

Wen Fu captured many chieftain towers and captured Zewang, the father of Sengge Sang, the chieftain of Xiaojinchuan, and sent him to Beijing to be beheaded.

But soon, when the Jinchuan chieftains recovered, they immediately discovered the huge flaw in Wen Fu's simultaneous advance tactics.

That is, due to the limitations of supply and terrain, the connection between Wen Fu's various armies was very loose, which gave the local Jinchuan chieftains the opportunity to concentrate their superior forces to infiltrate and encircle the enemy.

At this time, the leader Qi Tujia Garsi Jiabu, who was stunned by the previous offensive and forced to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, also saw the weakness of the Qing army and realized that this was an excellent opportunity.

So Qi Tujia Garsi Jiabu immediately contacted Sonom and Sengge Sang, and agreed to join forces to break through the Qing army camp.

On the first day of June in 1773, the Jinchuan chieftain's soldiers infiltrated the Lama Temple and Dimuda area behind the Qing army and attacked the Qing army's logistics supply station.

At this time, because Wen Fu was attacking everywhere, Dong Tianbi, the general of Chongqing Town, who was in the rear, had only 200 soldiers.

When the Jinchuan chieftain soldiers arrived, more than a thousand people including Qi Tujia Garsi Jiabu who had previously defected came out immediately to cooperate inside and outside and opened the village gate.

Dong Tianbi had very few soldiers and could only gather his guards to defend the city. After two hours of hard fighting, he and more than 200 soldiers were all killed.

Afterwards, the chieftains of Jinchuan and Xiaojinchuan concentrated their superior forces and took advantage of the Qing army's unpreparedness to capture several military and grain stations set up behind them along the way.

Although Agui, who was on the periphery, immediately dispatched reinforcements, it was too late.

On the ninth day of the sixth lunar month, the Tusi soldiers captured a small village northeast of the Mugumu camp and drove more than 4,000 civilians who had just transported grain there to attack the Qing army's Mugumu camp.

Wen Fu was panicked. Firstly, he could not accept these laborers, and secondly, he did not order them to disperse in time. As a result, the wooden fence of the camp was broken through by the laborers. The chieftain's soldiers took the opportunity to rush in and the Qing army was defeated.

Only then did Wen Fu order the elite troops in the main camp to retreat to the wooden stronghold in the rear camp, intending to defend it from a dangerous position.

The chieftain's soldiers killed many Qing soldiers. For a while, they fought like crazy and shot Wen Fu to death as if they were helped by God as soon as the battle started.

The battle had just begun when the commander-in-chief was killed. The battle could certainly not continue. The Qing army completely collapsed at this point. Only cavalrymen such as Hailancha saw the situation was not good and broke out of the siege.

According to statistics afterwards, in the Battle of Mugumu, the Qing army commander Wen Fu was killed in action, as were two deputy governors-general and three generals with the title of admiral, including Dong Tianbi. The rest of the nominal generals, imperial guards, deputy generals, prefects and other civil and military officials, totaling over 100 people, were killed in action.

There were a total of 13,000 Qing troops in the Mugumu Camp, nearly 3,000 of whom were killed in battle, and the remaining 2,000 to 3,000 were captured or missing. Almost everyone who escaped was injured.

In terms of supplies, the loss of gunpowder alone was about 75,000 kilograms, which was the output of General Mo’s two arsenals for most of the year. The other miscellaneous losses amounted to at least 400,000 taels of silver.

It can be said that this crushing defeat was only slightly less severe than the final battle in Myanmar where General Mo Da killed Fu Heng and others.

. . . .

The city of Beijing had begun to heat up in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and Liu Tongxun was sweating profusely while sitting in the cramped official sedan chair.

And this is not a treatment that ordinary people can get. Only old ministers like Liu Tongxun, who is already 73 years old, can get the privilege of riding in a sedan chair in the Forbidden City.

After wandering around here and there, Liu Tongxun felt a little dizzy when he finally saw the plaque of Longzong Gate.

Liu Dashuchen got out of the car as if he had been pardoned, without asking for help. If the car was shaken a few more times, he would definitely vomit in it.

But just as his feet touched the ground, Liu Tongxun suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground.

After trying his best to keep steady, he looked at the yellow tiles and red walls around him and couldn't help but sigh.

Five years ago, Liu Tongxun wrote to Emperor Qianlong, requesting to resign from his official position and return to his hometown to retire.

This was not because Liu Tongxun was being pretentious, but because he knew that his body could no longer withstand such high-intensity work. However, all these resignation memorials were rejected by Emperor Qianlong.

This is how I am. Whoever is useful and can get things done will be used to death.

Thinking about his dizziness getting worse, Liu Tongxun sighed again and muttered in a self-deprecating way, "I will die here sooner or later!"

After sighing, Liu Tongxun walked into the gate of the Grand Council.

As soon as he entered the room, he felt something was wrong because many imperial guards and eunuchs close to Qianlong had already arrived.

"The Emperor has arrived and is waiting for you, sir." Sure enough, the eunuch in charge saw Liu Tongxun coming and immediately stepped forward to report.

Liu Tongxun was suddenly shocked. The emperor came in such a hurry. Could something have happened in Jinchuan?

"Grand Secretary, there is no need to be so polite. Come and take a look at the battle report first." Sure enough, after Liu Tongxun went in, he saw that Qianlong had a long horse face, and his face was so black that water could drip out of it.

In addition to the old acquaintance Yu Minzhong, there was also Gao Jin, the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace and the Minister of Rites.

Yuan Shoutong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Rites, and Minister of Military Affairs.

The Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, the Minister of War Liu Lun, and the Nine Gates Commander Ying Lian and others.

Liu Tongxun took a quick look and found the defeat report shocking. The casualties were as heavy as those in the Burmese expedition.

But the first sentence Liu Tongxun said after reading it was not to discuss the actual situation, but to sigh.

"Your Majesty is wise! When discussing with this old minister a few months ago, I said that Wen Fu's division of forces was too extensive, and there was a risk that someone would take advantage of the situation.

At that time, this old minister was so overwhelmed by the good news of Zewang's capture that he failed to appreciate the wisdom of His Majesty's planning from afar, which ultimately led to a catastrophe. It is because of this minister, such as I, that I have failed in my duty!"

When Emperor Qianlong first heard the words "Your Majesty is wise and enlightened", he was quite puzzled. But after Liu Tongxun finished speaking, his expression immediately calmed down a lot.

Was this Muguomu defeat serious? It was indeed serious. If it were a small business like Mo Zibu's, it would have been overturned immediately.

However, for the Qing Dynasty, which currently does not have many internal and external troubles, it cannot be said to be a temporary solution, but it is indeed not at the stage of serious damage.

It's just that more than 400 Eight Banner soldiers and thousands of Han soldiers from the Green Camp were killed in the battle, and there was a loss of more than 400,000 taels of silver. It's really nothing.

What is the main impact? It mainly affects your appearance.

The total number of civilians in Jinchuan and Dajinchuan was only about 70,000 to 80,000, and the young and strong were only about 30,000. However, they managed to defeat the main force of the Qing army.

If we take into account the previous losses, it means that at least one elite soldier of the Qing Dynasty was killed for every two Jinchuan people.

How embarrassing!

What's even more embarrassing is that this great defeat was caused by Qianlong's stubbornness. He thought Wen Fu was a powerful general and insisted on using him, which led to the great defeat.

Therefore, for Qianlong, the defeat at Muguomu was nothing, the main thing was the loss of face.

Now that Liu Tongxun said this, the responsibility was no longer on the emperor.

Moreover, when holding a military meeting a few months ago, Qianlong did say that Wen Fu had divided his troops too much, and there was a danger of the enemy taking advantage of the situation.

Seeing that Liu Tongxun's two words brightened Qianlong's gloomy face, the other ministers also began to blame themselves.

For a time, in addition to Wen Fu, the main culprits of the defeat also included these key ministers who gave advice to the emperor.

As for the emperor, he was naturally wise and powerful.

His face was saved, and Qianlong's mind was opened up. He even blamed himself for a moment for the first time.

I am also responsible. I was careless and used the wrong general. You don't have to blame yourself. Let's see what to do next."

Holy shit! Is this still possible?

Ying Lian, the governor of the Nine Gates who seldom attended such high-level meetings, was stunned. These words immediately made the emperor very happy. What a capable person!
"Ying Lian, you are the commander of the infantry, you tell me."

The gentleman was sighing when he suddenly heard the emperor calling his name.

The so-called Infantry Commander, whose full name is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nine-Gates Infantry Patrol and Five Battalions, is generally called the Nine-Gates Commander in Chief in later generations.

This position is somewhat related to commanding troops, which is why Qianlong summoned Yinglian to hold a military meeting.

The Qianlong Dynasty was fighting wars too frequently, and the only opportunities to truly learn about military affairs were when fighting outside. Even the Nine-Gate Admiral like Ying Lian was considered knowledgeable about military affairs.

Although Yinglian was born into a scholar family, he had some vision. He was not afraid and said directly to Qianlong:
“Although I did not personally brave the arrows and stones, I can see that the leader of the Dajinchuan bandits, Sonom, is at the end of his strength.

He had the advantage of time, place and people, and also successfully launched a sneak attack, but he only managed to defeat Wen Fu.

Moreover, given the dangerous road in Dajinchuan, it was impossible to stop the defeated army and annihilate them, so they could only chase them down. It was obvious that they did not have enough troops to encircle and intercept them.

Therefore, in my opinion, since the rebellion of Sha Luoben in the twelfth year (1747), it has been more than twenty years since the imperial court either sent troops to suppress or imposed siege and restrictions.

"The small land of Jinchuan and Dajinchuan relies on Shu for its rice, grain, tea, sugar, salt, and cloth, and they are almost all used up now. Once these supplies are completely cut off, it will be the end of Sonom and Sengge Sang."

Qianlong nodded, obviously very satisfied with this speech, and then looked at Yu Minzhong, "You civil officials, please also express your opinions."

Yu Minzhong bowed and said softly, “Your Majesty, I don’t understand military affairs, but I do know.

From Xiaojinchuan to Xiaojinchuan, heading south is Dajianlu, an important town in western Sichuan, and it also leads to northern Yunnan.

To the east is Chengdu.

To the west is the main road to Tibet, with a wide impact.

If the imperial court does not launch an attack, then it is fine. It can only offer generous rewards to keep the enemy in line. But once the war starts, there will be no room for compromise.

Otherwise, they think that the court can do nothing to them, and rely on connections to ask for things every day. Their desires are insatiable, and who can provide for them?

Even if we can supply them, the chieftains in other places will follow suit. Not to mention the unrest in the southwest, if something happens in Tibet, it will be a big disaster!"

"That's right!" Qianlong was very satisfied with Yu Minzhong's answer, because this was exactly why he was determined to wipe out the Jinchuan chieftains at all costs.

Only by completely destroying this guy who stood out can we intimidate the chieftains in the entire northwest of Sichuan and Yunnan, make them identify with the country, and know the power of the imperial court.

"Then mobilize the troops. The Internal and External Firearms Battalions, the Jianrui Battalion, and the Eight Banners outside the Great Wall will each send 2,000 soldiers. I must see the heads of Sonom and Sengge Sang!"

Qianlong revealed the side of his character that must seek perfection. He did not care about the cost, but was determined to do what he wanted to do.

Upon hearing the emperor's order, all the ministers and grand secretaries began to plan for troops, horses, money and food.

At this time, Gao Jin, who was in charge of the Ministry of Rites, took the time to come out and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites has received two memorials from Nanyang.

Li Shiyao, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, received a letter from King Li Weiyu of Annan, accusing the Ha Tien Mo clan of attacking Annan, usurping power and rebelling, and having occupied Hue, and asked the emperor to take charge.

In addition, the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Zhong Yin, received a letter from the Mo family of Hexian, accusing the powerful official Zheng of Annan of provoking war and invading Guangnan.

"They killed hundreds of thousands of members of the Guangnan royal family, ministers, and civilians, violating the imperial edict of the Qing Emperor Shengzu to mediate a truce between the two sides. I implore the Emperor to intervene on behalf of the Guangnan Nguyen family."

Qianlong took it and took a quick look at it, then immediately threw it aside in disgust, "This is the Zheng and Ruan families arguing again.

These two families are both usurpers who rebel against their superiors. Instead of protecting the country and the people, they rebel against their superiors and harm their subordinates. It is disgusting to see them.

Li Shiyao was ordered to send people to Hexian and Zhong Yin to send people to Beihe to find out the situation.

If the two sides are attacking each other, then they should be ordered to cease hostilities and not engage in conflict without authorization. Each side should protect its own territory and the people."

This memorial is so unfortunate. I, Emperor Qianlong, am already furious about the defeat at Mugumu and busy dealing with the Jinchuan Islands. Who would have the patience to take care of your business at this time?

Yu Minzhong glanced at Gao Jin very secretly. This memorial should not have been submitted earlier or later, but it had to be submitted when the emperor was angry.

Why does it look like it was deliberately arranged?

(End of this chapter)