Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 150 The Most Dangerous Situation

Inside and outside the water gate of Nanjing City, there were rows of civilians and soldiers everywhere. The river was covered with masts like a forest, and hundreds of large and small boats were coming in and out. Merchant ships and grain ships coming from downstream were discharging large quantities of cargo, and many troop transport ships were setting sail.

Since Ajige launched a surprise attack in Shandong, the Dingwu court, from the cabinet to the six ministries, and even the newly rebuilt Five Military Governor's Office, began a joint operation, recruiting and transferring hundreds of thousands of strong civilians from Fujian, Zhejiang and other places, and turning Jiangnan into a very efficient logistics base.

The lower reaches of the Yangtze River have a dense water network, many towns, a superior geographical location, and countless excellent ports with excellent conditions. This also reduced the huge transportation costs for the Ming Dynasty to transport troops and prepare for war.

Today, Jianghuai is still in the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and the entire south has not experienced a massacre as in history. Zhejiang alone has a population of millions, and the Ming Dynasty still has sufficient manpower at this time.

Under Zhu Cilang's deployment, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works took joint action and spent more than half a year to finally complete the construction of ports and warehouses around several major barracks in Yingtian Prefecture. In the last month, through the emergency conscription of more than 100,000 civilians, most of the supplies needed for the war were transported onto the ships.

In Jiangxi and Huguang, there were also tens of thousands of laborers conscripted from Guangdong and Guangxi. Before the invention of containers, even in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the efficiency of the docks was not high. In a developed port industrial and commercial city, porters often accounted for a large proportion.

The Ganjiang and Xiangjiang River systems are not connected, and the Pearl River system and the Xiangjiang River system are only connected by the Lingqu Canal with very limited transportation capacity. The transportation cost between the three provinces is extremely high, which has led to the inability of Guangdong and Guangxi to effectively support the military operations of Jiangxi and Huguang.

Zhu Cilang was actually subject to such restrictions when he led his troops westward this time. He could quickly support northern Jiangxi, but he needed to be very cautious in supporting Huguang. It was no small task for tens of thousands of elite troops to successfully cross the Luoxiao Mountains while maintaining their combat effectiveness.

To this end, before the war began, Jiangnan had already transferred supplies in batches to Nanchang and other places for storage, and then used the Ganjiang River to transport them to Changsha via the Pingxiang-Liling line. This greatly reduced the logistical pressure brought about by the Qing army's siege and the Ming army's troop mobilization.

Moreover, due to the obstruction of the Yangtze River and the construction of the northern Jiangxi, Jing-Yue Defense Line, and Jianghuai Defense Line, the Qing army's reconnaissance could not penetrate deeply. Zhu Cilang's military training and plans to stockpile strategic materials were carried out in secret, which was very important for him to hide his defense plan.

Zhu Cilang was inspecting the warehouse near the dock at this time. The army's food and supplies could not be transported to northern Jiangxi at once, and they needed to be stored in these places for a period of time. Therefore, he specifically asked to come and inspect the newly built warehouse.

Lin Changfu and Zhou Shixian led the troops to clear the way, while Zhu Cilang led a group of people on horseback and galloped along the newly built official road. On the road, countless civilians carrying bags on their shoulders and soldiers in armor and sharp weapons were walking together. The difference between the two was huge, and the difference could be distinguished at a glance.

In the river in front of the warehouse, countless small flat-bottomed boats were moving slowly back and forth, and the shouts of the boatmen pulling the boats were heard one after another.

The one who welcomed the emperor at the warehouse door was a doctor from the Ministry of Revenue's Warehouse Department. After seeing Zhu Cilang, he and his officials hurriedly knelt down and saluted, with excitement on their faces.

Afterwards, these officials met with Gao Hongtu, Chen Fu, Zhang Huangyan and others in turn, and gave a brief report on the military supplies reserves and management in the warehouse.

While listening to the report, Zhu Cilang waved his hand and asked the military officials brought by Zhang Huangyan to start checking the accounts and inspecting the goods to ensure that there were no leaks in the military supplies in the rear.

"The Military Affairs Department and the Logistics Department have already made plans. As long as there are no problems with the ports and warehouses, the military equipment, food, cotton clothing, and other supplies transferred from the various prefectures in Jiangnan, Fujian, Zhejiang, and other places can be transported to northern Jiangxi within the next three months. Some of the food and military equipment have already set off and are on their way."

When the officers from the Training Corps and the Military Affairs Department finished checking the accounts and goods, Zhang Huangyan immediately bowed to Zhu Cilang and introduced the plans of the Military Affairs Department and the Logistics Department:
“In addition, the warehouses along the river in Nanchang and other provincial capitals have also been completed. Some of the food needed to supply the army, especially military equipment, will be stored there in advance.

When the war begins, the food and armaments there will become the most important supplies for the Palace Army and the Beijing Camp. According to the instructions of the Five Military Commandery, the transportation route to reinforce Huguang will use Nanchang as the core hub.

After hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded and said with satisfaction:

"Nanchang is a good place, especially for the current war situation. No matter which direction the Qing army chooses to attack, Nanchang's supplies can be quickly transported to the other side without being affected by the wind and waves on the lake, and there is no danger."

Nanchang was an important node for his advance into Huguang. Pingxiang and Liling were just passages. However, due to the obstruction of the prefectures in northern Jiangxi, it was not easy for the Qing army to detect the transportation of troops and supplies in Nanchang.

You have to know that with 50,000 well-equipped troops, nearly 100,000 civilians assembled to transport supplies, and countless boats, oxen, horses and vehicles, it would be difficult for the Qing army to ignore such a huge team if there was no obstruction from the prefectures in northern Jiangxi.

The city of Nanchang is impregnable and very safe. It can serve as a transit station for storing and carrying large quantities of materials and take on the responsibility of a material base.

In other words, even if the Qing army discovered that there were a large amount of supplies stored in Nanchang City, and they ignored everything and bypassed Jiujiang and launched an all-out attack, the city would only be able to hold out for a while with the Governor's Battalion under He Tengjiao.

Of course, the Qing army could not attack quickly due to the lack of navy. What's more, the elite troops of Zuozhen were stationed in Jianchang and other places. The Qing army moved south from Jiujiang and built a large number of platforms and fortresses along the way. It was impossible for the Qing army to break through these fortifications in a short time.

In addition, Nanchang is located on the main stream of Ganjiang River and is surrounded by dense water networks. Boats can go up the river directly to Yuanzhou Prefecture City. Even if towing is required, it is much more efficient than transportation by cattle, horses or manpower.

Zhu Cilang's Huguang defensive counterattack plan had already been carefully planned and was now being implemented step by step. As the Jinyiwei further infiltrated, he also obtained more and more intelligence and learned about the Qing court's preparations for war.

Unlike the original history, the powerful strength displayed by the Ming Dynasty at this time and the strategic location of Huguang that forced Dorgon to put it first, a steady stream of troops from the north were being dispatched.

Zhu Cilang's personal inspection continued until the evening. There were no problems with the accounts of the three warehouses and the materials stored therein. This was the result of Li Banghua and Shen Tingyang's previous killing of more than 30 responsible officials in Nanzhili and redesigning the supervision system.

However, real embezzlement is absolutely inevitable. Since there is no way to tamper with the money after it is stored, naturally someone will be tempted to do something before it is stored.

Zhu Cilang was mentally prepared for this, so whenever he saw reports of disappearances, he would ask Zhou Shixian to arrange for the Jinyiwei to conduct secret investigations so that he could eradicate them completely in the future.

Now, the Jinyiwei are basically devoted to military intelligence gathering, and there is a serious shortage of internal manpower. Moreover, they are mainly responsible for monitoring various places and are unable to concentrate their efforts to deal with corruption.

Zhu Cilang rested in the military camp for one night. Early the next morning, he took a group of military generals across the river by boat and arrived at Pukou Military City on the north bank of the Yangtze River. This was the last stop of his inspection, and he sent the civil servants back one after another.

He climbed up the southwest tower and looked out. Not far away, at two newly built docks and on the Yangtze River, ships carrying military supplies were setting sail. To the south, several large troop transports were sailing upstream.

The army stationed at Pukou Military City, with the exception of a battalion left to guard against the Qing troops in Jiangbei, would all join the expedition to Huguang. Now, the soldiers in the city and the thousands of conscripted civilians were also on the move.

At this time, Zhu Cilang saw not only densely packed soldiers and civilians on the move, but also warehouses and barracks in large numbers. He was very satisfied with the overall performance of this pilot military city.

The Palace Army will definitely need to expand further. Zhu Cilang needs to promote this more advanced military organization method and further improve the army's professionalism. This is a win-win strategy to maintain the army's combat effectiveness and control.

And this kind of military city is Zhu Cilang’s “processing factory” for mass-producing troops!
Although the supply reserves in Pukou Military City were not large, as the army set out, it now looked like an army logistics base and a soldier distribution center.

Zhu Cilang looked at the soldiers in the military city, then at the warships that were leaving with the flags of the army hanging in front of the palace, then turned to look at Chen Fu and asked:
"Have Du Yinxi and He Tengjiao received any updates on the Qing army's movements?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Fu immediately turned around and saluted Zhu Cilang, saying:

"Your Majesty, Lord Du has delivered the latest military intelligence from Huguang. The Qing army has increased its reconnaissance efforts in Yiling and Yuezhou, with some even attempting to cross the river. Meanwhile, the Qing army in Wuchang is also constantly harassing the Yuezhou defense line.

Lord He has not sent back any important military information recently. Although the Qing army still maintains harassment of Jiujiang, the intensity is far less than that of Yuezhou, and it seems that they have no interest in Jiujiang.

However, He Ge Lao believes that this may really be a Qing army tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. Judging from the current performance of the Qing army in Wuchang, Ruichang, and Huangzhou Prefecture, Dorgon is likely to focus his attack on northern Jiangxi, but has not yet made full preparations.

"Is the focus of Dorgon's attack in northern Jiangxi?" Zhu Cilang frowned and asked coldly.

He had heard He Tengjiao say this many times, but the memorials submitted by He Tengjiao, apart from the analysis of various strategies and strategic intentions, had never been able to provide enough military intelligence to convince him.

If the Qing army's movements can be judged solely by its so-called strategic intentions, then the statements of others are equally reasonable and well-founded. When the Qing army formulated its strategy, it actually chose one or several of the various strategic goals and plans.

"That's exactly what Lord He said in the military report." Chen Fu answered cautiously.

In fact, he did not believe what He Tengjiao said, but the other party was a cabinet minister and had the support of many important officials in the court. He could not judge whether it was right or wrong, or he did not dare to judge.

"Your Majesty, the Qing army's preparations in Wuchang are far more thorough than we anticipated. They've not only set up 'Rolling River Dragons' and 'Iron Chain Rails' in the middle of the river, but have also built water forts to shield our navy from attack and reconnaissance. They've also set up two artillery arrays on the shore." Zhou Shixian, upon seeing this, immediately interjected and analyzed:
"The Qing army's move is clearly intended to isolate our eastern and western armies. What I am most worried about now is that the Qing army will use a large force to defend Wuchang and cut off the Yangtze River."

"This is also what I am most worried about right now." Zhu Cilang nodded, and then continued: "These so-called 'Rolling River Dragons', 'Iron Chain Fences', and even the Water Strongholds deployed by Aljin and Tong Yanghe are actually not difficult to deal with."

He naturally understood the meaning of Zhou Shixian's words. It was obvious that He Tengjiao was selfish and bold this time. Chen Fu didn't dare to say anything, but Zhou Shixian was not afraid.

Now, the latest actions of the Qing army detected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard were somewhat beyond Zhu Cilang's expectations. The troops deployed by Dorgon in Huguang were insufficient, and they were frequently dispatched to pave the way for the main army, so there were not many troops available for investigating military intelligence.

Therefore, when the Qing army strengthened its reconnaissance in the directions of Yiling and Yuezhou, he became suspicious of the military intelligence reported by He Tengjiao and the so-called strategic intentions of the Qing army.

Although Zhu Cilang entrusted him with important tasks and believed that he could command the military commanders of the various camps of Zuozhen, this did not mean that he had completely trusted this minister who had made many mistakes in history.

In comparison, Du Yinxi is more trustworthy, and the facts are constantly sending this signal to Zhu Cilang.

Due to his military incompetence, He Tengjiao began to engage in factional and internal strife in order to gain promotion. This time, he ignored the facts and sent military intelligence to Nanjing again and again, which was clearly an attempt to kill with a borrowed knife and weaken Du Yinxi's strength.

However, the combat plans of the Five Military Commanderies were all formulated based on the military intelligence gathered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the front-line scouts and the results of analysis by the generals. If the military intelligence or the analysis of the military intelligence was wrong, the combat plans would certainly not be effective and might even lead to a huge military failure.

"So is the Qing army going to attack Jiujiang, Jingzhou, or Yuezhou?" After listening to this, Chen Fu looked at the complicated expression on Zhu Cilang's face and asked the question even though he knew the answer.

Zhu Cilang also knew that the problem of He Tengjiao, the commander, needed him to make the final decision, but now was not the time. He then said:

"Convey my order. Have Du Yinxi continue to send scouts to investigate and determine the true direction of the Qing army's deployment, especially the actions of Ye Chen's troops in Yiling and Aljin's troops in Yuezhou. At the same time, vacate barracks in Changsha and prepare food and fodder."

At this time, Zhu Cilang had already vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but Dorgon could not have known his defense plan, unless the Qing court had been prepared in advance and was heading for Changsha from the beginning.

Whether it was Yiling or Yuezhou, they were just superficial. If the military intelligence was correct, Dorgon's intention was very clear - Changsha.

If this is the case, he must adjust his battle plan and take action in advance. Otherwise, whether Changsha is rescued or not, failure will be waiting for him.

In Zhu Cilang's original plan, he led the Palace Front Central Army, the Palace Front Left Army, the Heavenly Cavalry Army, the Nanjing Beijing Camp and other troops, plus the Zuozhen Army originally stationed in northern Jiangxi, a total of 70,000 to 80,000 troops, which were enough to repel or even annihilate the Qing army's vanguard attacking northern Jiangxi, and then lure the main force of the Qing army to come for a decisive battle.

But of course he could not fight a decisive battle with the main force of the Qing army. The Palace Army, the Heavenly Cavalry Army, and part of the Nanjing Jingying troops had basically been transformed into mules and horses, concentrating the vast majority of the Ming Dynasty's cavalry, and even some mounted combatants. They could march on the interior line and maneuver quickly. They could transfer the main force to Changsha and Yuezhou before the Qing army could react.

This was the helpless move Zhu Cilang took when his field mobile forces were at a disadvantage.

His previous judgment was that Dorgon, faced with a complex war situation, would still be eager for quick success and instant benefits in order to establish unquestionable authority as quickly as possible.

But judging from the current military situation, the other side may have seen through his intentions and decided to proceed steadily from the beginning, which would render ineffective the Ming army's previous successful strategy of attrition in actual combat in Jianghuai.

The Qing army already had the initiative on the battlefield because of the mobility advantage of its cavalry. If they did not make any mistakes, the Ming army would be even more passive and might even have to start defending the city in advance.

Of course, these are actually not enough to make a decisive judgment. It is very likely that Dorgon was just exploring the feasibility of attacking Changsha from two directions, or he might really be making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. He still needs more military intelligence.

But one thing is certain: once the Qing army surrounded Changsha before the main force of the Ming army entered Changsha or Yuezhou, the situation would be difficult to control.

Changsha City is too important. Once Changsha falls, the defenders in Jingzhou and Yuezhou will be insufficiently strong, and the Qing army will be restraining them from outside, making it impossible to obtain supplies. These two strong cities will definitely not be able to continue to defend.

In other words, Du Yinxi's deployment in Huguang had its strengths and weaknesses here.

If the Qing army is unable to see through the situation and continues to attack the outer Jingzhou and Yuezhou, then the Ming army can continue to play to its advantage of holding on and avoid its weaknesses.

But once the Qing army discovered the clues and headed straight for Changsha, Changsha would certainly find it difficult to defend for more than a year, and even the entire Huguang region would be lost.

"Your Majesty's deployments in Huguang and northern Jiangxi were flawless. Even if Dorgon had guessed something by chance and made some preparations, it would have been in vain. Furthermore, Jingzhou and Yuezhou are not easy to capture, and it would have been difficult for the Qing army to quickly break through them."

Upon seeing this, Tian Jianxiu bowed and flattered Zhu Cilang:

"Moreover, the people of Huguang and northern Jiangxi are all loyal to the Ming Dynasty. This battle has the advantage of time, place, and people. It is completely destined by heaven. If the Qing army rushes in rashly, it will only bring about its own destruction. I am willing to defend Changsha for Your Majesty."

After hearing Tian Jianxiu's request to fight, Zhu Cilang did not express his opinion immediately. He knew that the other party wanted to gain a foothold in the new dynasty and to gain a firm foothold through this defensive counterattack.

"Although the people's hearts are with the Ming Dynasty, this is not enough to determine the outcome of the battle. Dorgon has Hong Chengchou by his side. He was once the commander-in-chief of Huguang. He is very familiar with the terrain of Huguang and the weaknesses of our army. This enemy cannot be underestimated."

"Then why don't we transfer the Beijing garrison originally stationed in northern Jiangxi to Huguang as well, and let the right army of the palace go out in advance to join the central army of the palace, the left army and the Tianqi army? As long as our army gathers together and defends Changsha, we will be able to advance and retreat freely. Even if Dorgon really plays some tricks, it will be of no avail." Chen Fu thought about it and immediately offered a suggestion.

"Yes, if we transfer the Beijing Camp and the Right Army of the Palace to Huguang, we won't have to worry about the Qing army concentrating its main force and heading straight for Changsha." Chang Denggui also spoke immediately.

"The Beijing Army should not rush west for the time being. Wait for my order. However, the Right Army in front of the Palace does need to be mobilized in advance. Tian Jianxiu, after you go down, deploy immediately. After entering Changsha City, continue the training."

Zhu Cilang paused after speaking, then turned to the generals and said:
“Even if Dorgon really leads the Qing army to encircle Changsha City, we don’t need to concentrate all our troops in the city if we want to wait for an opportunity to counterattack. As long as we build a strong defense around Changsha and clear the fields, the Qing army will not be able to obtain supplies nearby. If we need to repel the enemy, the most important thing is to cut off their logistics.

Jingzhou and Yuezhou must be heavily guarded, and other strongholds in Xiangxi and Changsha Prefecture must also maintain a certain level of military presence. This will force the Qing army to leave troops behind to defend them as they advance southward."

"Your Majesty is wise. As long as Dorgon leaves troops along the way, we will have a chance to annihilate these scattered forces. The Qing troops outside Changsha will surely be in a state of panic."

Chang Denggui also said: "At that time, the armies of Jingzhou City and Yuezhou City can still move according to the original plan. As quickly as possible, we will cut off the Qing army's cover on both sides of the Yangtze River, completely sever the Qing army's food supply, and force Dorgon to retreat."

"But Dorgon must have thought of this, or guessed it almost right."

Zhu Cilang listened to Chang Denggui's words, thought for a moment, and then issued another order:
"Therefore, the Palace Guard must leave two battalions behind to assist in the defense of Jingzhou and Yuezhou. This way, they will have enough strength to harass the elite Qing troops left behind and shake Dorgon's resolve."

In fact, according to the original plan, after the Qing army suffered a setback in northern Jiangxi, Zhu Cilang would lead the main force directly into Changsha City. Although Dorgon would still lead the main force of the Qing army to attack, he would definitely leave more troops to garrison in Yuezhou, Jingzhou and strategic logistics routes.

However, the current situation is obviously different. If Dorgon does not make these strategic mistakes, he can only adjust his strategy.

The Five Military Commandery had also been well prepared and had made several contingency plans based on different anticipated battle situations. Zhu Cilang's current decision was actually made based on these plans and combined with the latest military intelligence.

Although he was still not sure about Dorgon's actions, from all the current signs, he had determined that the other party was much more difficult to deal with than Dodo.

Often, on the battlefield, there's less strategy involved and more of a showdown of strength. This becomes even more apparent if the enemy doesn't make a mistake.

What Zhu Cilang was most worried about was that before the Qing army's strength was depleted, Dorgon had already made up his mind to fight a protracted war, making the situation become the most dangerous.

Everything he had done before was, after all, to lure the Qing army into a quick victory!
　Thanks to the book friend "Yueken Road Dazhuang" for the reward
　　
　
(End of this chapter)