Back to Daming to be a genius

Chapter 313 The prelude is about to start
Long story short, Jiannu decided to use Shanzong to launch a sneak attack on Shanhaiguan, reverse the strategic initiative of the Ming and Jin battlefields in one fell swoop, and force the Ming court to recognize Jiannu's independence and sign a peace treaty. In fact, the possibility of success is quite high .There are two reasons for this. The first is that Shanzong's inside line in the water transport army is very concealed and sudden. Even the cunning Young Master Zhang did not expect this. , and certainly would not have thought that the army that the water transportation yamen would send food to him would be the internal support of Jiannu and Shanzong. Once Jiannu and Shanzong followed the plan, even Xiong Tingbi, a veteran in the battlefield, would suffer a big loss.

The second reason is the backward transportation conditions and means of communication in the era of cold weapons. Calculated according to the fastest speed at that time, the detailed work arranged by the Ming court in Ningyuan City was detected in early April. Shanhaiguan also successfully sent the news to Shanhaiguan through pigeons or fast horses, Shanhaiguan then sent the news to the capital, and the capital of Ming Dynasty sent an urgent notification to Young Master Zhang at 20 miles, which would take at least [-] days!That's all, without counting whether Xiong Tingbi asked the Ming court for help, the Ming court discussed whether to mobilize the slave slaughter army to reinforce Shanhaiguan, and the time it took to distinguish the truth from the fake information!
Taking a ten thousand step back, even if the urgent military report is sent to Xi'an in 20 days without any delay, Young Master Zhang will have to spend at least ten days to gather the main forces scattered in the state capitals of Shaanxi, Gansu and other provinces. It took more than a month to bring the main force to Shanhaiguan—if you count the time to assemble Xuan’s army, as well as the time to prepare food, supplies, ammunition and weapons, the young master Zhang would have wasted at least ten days, that is to say, It is basically the limit of the limit that Young Master Zhang's army can rush to Shanhaiguan to participate in the war in early July. It is conceivable how unfavorable it is to Young Master Zhang that the reinforcements are waiting for the opportunity to work.

The day failed. What Jiannu and Shanzong, who had such a favorable opportunity, never dreamed that a Ming army code-named "North Wind" shattered their dreams. On the evening of the first day of April, Yuan Chonghuan just represented Shanzong agreed to Jiannu's plan to openly change flags and attack Shanhaiguan. At noon the next day, Yuan Chonghuan and Fan Wencheng discovered through the double agent Zuo Liangyu that the mysterious Beifeng already knew their target of action, and by the same day In the evening, Shanzong sent to Shanhaiguan to monitor the detailed work of Xiong Tingbi's army, and sent Yuan Chonghuan and Fan Wencheng even more stunned news-as early as March [-]th, Xiong Tingbi, the governor of Liaodong, announced that the entire army had entered a state of emergency. Martial law was enforced all the way, and Zhao, who was stationed in Qiantun, taught the army to fully prepare for the war, and at the same time, he was also ready to transfer back to Shanhaiguan at any time.At the same time, Xiong Tingbi also issued orders to Sun Yuanhua, governor of Denglai, and Bi Ziyan, governor of Tianjin, in the honor of Liaodong governor, ordering Denglai and Tianjin navy to go northward to reinforce Shanhaiguan.In addition, the army of Yan Mingtai, the governor of Jimen, also lit the Dongjiakou Beacon Tower on the Great Wall, and mobilized and assembled to Shanhaiguan for reinforcements. There is still no big problem against Ningyuan's army in the field.

"Damn it! How is it possible? How is it possible?" Yuan Chonghuan screamed like crazy after hearing Shanzong's detailed report, "Xiong Lao is so stupid that the whole army will be mobilized on March [-]th? Is there a mistake? He How is it possible to know our plan so quickly?"

"There is only one possibility." Fan Wencheng analyzed with a livid face: "Our plan, as early as the two days of March 28 or 29, has leaked the news, and was given to Xiong Tingbi by the barbarian, Xiong Tingbi, the old barbarian In order to prevent any eventuality, this is the first step to prepare for the battle in advance, and at the same time warn us not to act rashly against Shanhaiguan!" After that, Fan Wencheng shouted at Yuan Chonghuan with red eyes again: "Hurry up and recall to me, the two days of 28 and 29 My God, who knows our plan? God, I really don’t know how you survived all these years, why haven’t you been played to death by barbarians? Such confidential news was leaked so quickly, really I don’t know how many secrets of our Daikin have been leaked to the barbarians by you piece of trash over the years!”

Although Fan Wencheng scolded harshly, Yuan Chonghuan didn't bother to argue with him at this meeting. He just recalled: "Mr. Fan, you just arrived in Ningyuan on March 28. The only people who knew about this plan at that time were you and me. There are also my captains and deputy captains. On March 29, I called the core members of the Shanzong to discuss, and all the twenty or so people who attended the meeting knew..." Yuan Chonghuan's face changed again when he recalled this, and he muttered He said: "During the three days of top-secret meetings, Zu Dale was present, could it be him?"

"Aren't the three ancestor brothers your hard-core confidants? How likely is it?" Fan Wencheng asked doubtfully.Yuan Chonghuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said hesitantly: "If it is really him, the possibility is very high. On the morning of March 29, he knew about it, and he had enough time to pass the news on during the lunch break. The old barbarian Xiong Tingbi issued the martial law order at noon on March [-]th, and the time just happened to coincide. Moreover, he only knew that our Shanzong was preparing to change flags and attack Shanhaiguan, but he didn't know the specific time and specific action plan of our operation. It is completely reasonable for Zuo Liangyu to inquire about these two secrets..."

Fan Wencheng calculated carefully with a livid face, and after a long time, Fan Wencheng said with a gloomy face: "Although the explanation makes sense, don't forget that Zu Dale has this suspicion, and the other twenty or so people who attended the meeting also have Such suspicions may also instigate Zuo Liangyu to spy on our specific action plan and action time. I suspect that Beifeng, a cunning barbarian, may have calculated everything in advance, knowing that as soon as Shanhaiguan is ready to fight, we will know Shanhaiguan There is a traitor in the sect, and he is afraid that we will screen him carefully, so he deliberately planted the blame on Zu Dale to divert attention and confuse our suspects, so that he can take the opportunity to escape from this leak!"

Yuan Chonghuan was reminded by Fan Wencheng, and after careful analysis, he felt that Fan Wencheng's words were indeed very reasonable—these suspicions about Zu Dale also made sense when applied to other members of the Shanzong who attended the meeting.However, Yuan Chonghuan suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly said: "Wait, first, I have checked carefully. This morning, only Zu Dale entered the backyard of the governor's yamen. Second, there is the most important point. Back then, Zhang Hao When Gu Xiaomao came to Liaodong for the first time, because all the Liaodong generals thought he was a little boy who climbed up by slapping his horse, so even the Liaodong generals who were not Shanzong ignored him, only this Zu Dale A toast to him—I was there at the time, and I remember it well!"

"What else?" Fan Wencheng froze, then frowned and muttered: "In this way, the suspicion of Zu Dale is still the biggest." After thinking for a while, Fan Wencheng gritted his teeth and said: "This is the matter. Big body, I would rather kill a thousand by mistake than miss one! From today on, you have to arrange reliable personnel to secretly monitor Zu Dale, and be ready to do it if there is any change. And others, you have to be careful, let me The real savages have slipped away."

"Of course, although Zu Dale is the most suspected, I still hope that he is not the work of a barbarian." Yuan Chonghuan nodded again and again and asked tentatively: "Mr. Fan, the news has leaked now, and the old barbarian Xiong Tingbi is also involved." Without careful preparations, should our sneak attack on Shanhaiguan continue as planned?"

"Still doing the fart! Let the big gold soldiers die in vain?" Fan Wencheng cursed, and then said viciously: "The plan to attack Shanhaiguan is temporarily put on hold, and I will report it to the master and Sibeile. Don't be too busy It’s a public change of flags, let’s find out all the barbarians in Ningyuan City first.” Yuan Chonghuan nodded again and again, and Fan Wencheng added: “Also, the matter of Wu Sangui should be carried out as soon as possible. Bring me back to Ningyuan."

………………

Although Jiannu and Shanzong's sneak attack plan was forced to abort due to the disturbance of the Ming army's secret agents, the preparation work of the Ming army did not relax at all, but was greatly strengthened. , Xiong Tingbi directly discussed with Yan Mingtai cheekily, and asked Yan Mingtai to keep this army in Shimen City, less than ten miles away from Shanhaiguan, for a long-term station. With a big reduction, Yan Mingtai also agreed to Xiong Tingbi's request.At the same time, Xiong Tingbi ordered the expansion of the Qinhuangdao Wharf, allowing the Denglai Navy and Tianjin Navy to deploy elites to station for a long time, ready to be called at any time. This request was also approved by Ming Xizong and Wei Zhongxian, who paid great attention to the battle in Liaodong.In this way, the defensive power of Shanhaiguan has been greatly enhanced, not to mention, Liaodong Jiannu and Ningyuan Shanzong have gradually given up their hearts to attack Shanhaiguan. Although Xiong Tingbi, an old bear, is not as perverted as his son-in-law, he is not easy to provoke As a character, unless you are absolutely sure that you can succeed in a sneak attack and attack head-on, regardless of manpower and material resources, Jiannu and Shanzong can't consume Xiong Tingbi, an old bear.

It is not just the Shanhaiguan defense line that is actively preparing for the battle. Wei Zhongxian, who also understands that the decisive battle between Daming and Jiannu is likely to happen this year, is not idle. In order to provide strong backup for his son, Master Zhang, all the firearms bureaus in Beijing are at full capacity. Horsepower, day and night, seize the time to produce weapons and ammunition, and the grain and forage collected from all over the country are also sent to Tongzhou through the canal artery in an endless stream, and they are piled up in Tongzhou City, striving to provide at least one year for the Ming army in the decisive battle between Ming and Jin. Forage.At the same time, Wei Zhongxian sent a special envoy to Shaanxi to meet with Young Master Zhang, to introduce the latest military situation in Liaodong to Young Master Zhang, and to deliver the information on Jiannu Mountain Zong collected by Fusi of Dongchang Town through various channels, to consult Young Master Zhang for his opinion. It would be better to see when the Shaanxi-Gansu Xuanda army was dispatched to Liaodong to participate in the war.

Wei Zhongxian's special envoy is Wu Chunfu, the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, the right deputy Du Yushi, and one of the five eunuchs. When Wu Chunfu arrived in Xi'an, Shaanxi, Master Zhang was taking advantage of the opportunity of distributing food to buy people's hearts to promote the Ten Houses. The card law, this immoral decree was the top gangster Wang Yangming's trick to suppress bandits in the past. He asked the people to guarantee each other with ten families as a unit, and supervise and monitor each other.Originally, if this trick was used in the past few years, not only would it be useless in Shaanxi-Gansu territory, but it would definitely be counterproductive, because the common people were starving to death. Bandits?But it’s different now. The high-yield crops promoted and planted in Shaanxi and Gansu are about to be harvested, and Young Master Zhang holds the lifeblood of the hungry people, food relief, and enough armed forces to suppress all rebellions. The people who see the hope of survival will naturally not go there again. Risking the risk of beheading to rebel, the implementation of the Shijiapai method was very smooth and achieved great results, so that when Wu Chunfu saw Young Master Zhang, there were no more thieves in the entire Xi'an Prefecture.

Wu Chunfu and Young Master Zhang met each other, and after exchanging extremely unnutritious polite words, Wu Chunfu quickly took out Wei Zhongxian's letter and said politely: "Zhang Shaobao, this is a letter from Jiuqiansu, Jiuqiansu Let me ask you, can the main forces of the Tunu army, Xuanda, and Shaanxi-Gansu troops be dispatched to reinforce the Liaodong battlefield? Nine thousand years old and the court judged from various signs that Jiannu is likely to be sent to Ming Dynasty within this year. Launch an all-out general offensive, and the Ningyuan rebels may openly change their banners and defect to slavery at any time. Shaobao, you are the greatest military reliance of Nine Thousand Years and the Ming Dynasty. If you are not prepared, the pressure on Shanhaiguan may be too great. big."

"Master Wu, don't worry, wait for this junior to read the letter first." Young Master Zhang agreed with a smile, picked up Wei Zhongxian's letter and carefully read the sealing sealant and the secret seal on the envelope, and after verifying that it was correct, he opened the letter and read it carefully. After reading it, Young Master Zhang picked up the intelligence summary of Dongchang and Zhenfu Division brought by Wu Chunfu, and buried himself in studying hard.After watching for more than half an hour, Young Master Zhang raised his head, smiled and said to Wu Chunfu who was impatiently waiting for the tea, "Master Wu, my father and the court's analysis is correct. We will definitely launch an all-out attack on Shanhaiguan, and it is very likely that we will send troops after the autumn harvest, that is, in August of this year!"

"Why? As far as I know, Jiannu is afraid of the heat and usually chooses to attack in winter?" Wu Chunfu asked quickly.Young Master Zhang smiled and replied: "Lord Wu, don't be offended. To speak arrogantly, Jiannu violated the rules and chose not to launch an all-out attack on Shanhaiguan in winter because of the younger generation! Jianu is afraid that the younger generation will withdraw from the Shaanxi-Gansu battlefield, and even more afraid of the younger generation." Bringing the Ming elite who had already been trained on the Shaanxi-Gansu battlefield to launch a counterattack to Liaodong, that's why they chose to go out before winter and attack Shanhaiguan with all their strength. Because according to common sense, if the juniors want to withdraw from the Shaanxi-Gansu battlefield, they must at least After the drought-resistant crops in Shaanxi and Gansu are harvested, the situation in Shaanxi and Gansu has basically stabilized before I can calmly go to Shanhaiguan to attack, and for all of this, I need at least two to three months to prepare for the war."

"In this way, if Jiannu chooses to send troops in winter, the juniors will have enough time to assemble their troops and rush to the Liaodong battlefield, so the best time to attack is in early August after the autumn harvest." Young Master Zhang shamelessly boasted : "Why is it the best time to send troops in August to build slaves? Because doing so has two benefits for Jiannu. The Liaodong battlefield provides timely and powerful reinforcements. At the same time, once Jiannu successfully takes Shanhaiguan, it can also form a favorable situation for me to wait for work. Second, Shaanxi and Gansu have just finished the autumn harvest, and Liaodong, North Korea and Ningyuan have also just completed the autumn harvest. Jiannu For a considerable period of time, the army will not need to worry about the shortage of military rations. With the guarantee of military rations, the old Jiannu Nurhachi can even issue an emergency mobilization order to recruit all the troops that can be recruited to fight to the death with the Ming army. Fight hard and strive to win the strategic initiative.”

"It makes sense." Wu Chunfu nodded slowly, and said in a deep voice: "For Daming, once Shanhaiguan falls into the hands of Jiannu, then the area of ​​Beizhili and Shandong will be safe to defend, one place will be passive, and everywhere will be passive. After that, Wu Chunfu hurriedly asked again: "Zhang Shaobao, then what do you plan to suggest to Jiu Qiansui and the court? This time Jiu Qiansui asked his subordinates to bring you a blank military dispatch order, and when necessary , you can directly send troops to reinforce Shanhaiguan without requesting an order from the imperial court."

"About this point, let me think about it first." The drought-resistant crops in Shaanxi and Gansu have not yet been harvested, and the situation has not yet stabilized completely. Young Master Zhang does not dare to act rashly. Gan Zesheng made a big fuss again, and that young master Zhang lost face.After thinking about it for a while, Young Master Zhang said in a deep voice: "There are two ways to do it now. The first is to use the strategy of delaying the army, and design to delay the general attack time of the Jiannu army, so that the Jiannu army will send troops in winter. It is difficult, but it is not hopeless. During the eight years of Tianqi’s Shanhaiguan War, the Liuzhou River that will not freeze in winter caused Jiannu to suffer enough. When troops marched in autumn, not only the Liuzhou River would not freeze and freeze, but it could also pass through the sea. No matter how big or small the boat is, the Linghe River will not freeze, and Nuerhachi, who has rich experience in the battlefield, will not ignore the consequences."

"Zhang Shaobao, since you have a way to delay Jiannu's attack, then use it quickly." Wu Chunfu interrupted excitedly: "Just now you also said that when winter comes, your slave-slaughter army and Shaanxi-Gansu, Xuanzhou The big main force can calmly reinforce the Liaodong battlefield and delay Jiannu's attack, wouldn't it be much easier for you?"

Young Master Zhang didn't answer immediately, but fell into deep thought again, with a rare hesitation on his face.Song Xiance next to him understood the vicious intentions of Young Master Zhang, and interjected in a low voice: "Master Minister, you don't understand the mind of the villain's master. As far as the master is concerned, using the strategy of delaying the army to delay the general attack time of Jiannu until winter is not good for the master. It can be said that it is indeed much more calm. The slave slaughter army and the troops of the northwestern provinces also have enough time to prepare for the battle calmly, and they don’t need to risk the danger of reducing combat effectiveness and army morale. It is much more difficult to go north by sea and cut off the food road of Jiannu. Therefore, for the master, if he wants to implement the tactics of closing the door and beating dogs, and annihilate the main force of Jiannu in World War I, the best opportunity is also in the This fall."

"Oh, it turns out that the Shaobao has considered this point." Wu Chunfu suddenly realized, but scratched his head and said: "However, I feel that it is best to be cautious about such a major national event, even if the main force of slavery cannot be wiped out immediately. , you can also take your time, why take risks and rush for a while?"

"Master Minister, this is the master's foresight." Song Xiance said with a smile: "If the Ming army can annihilate the main force of slavery in the narrow area of ​​the Liaoxi Corridor, then the next step is to recover the entire Liaodong area. It is much lower. But if the main force of slave building is allowed to run away, and the owner wants to recover the entire territory of Liaodong, it will be stubbornly resisted by the main force of slave building. At the same time, the Ming court will also pay ten times and dozens of times the human and material cost for this—— Mr. Wu, you are the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and you are often in charge of river engineering and large engineering. You should know how much money and food will be consumed on the way to send enough food and materials to the construction site thousands of miles away? At that time, the Ming army of more than 20 will make a full-scale counterattack In Liaodong, what a huge amount of money, food and supplies will be needed for the battle?"

As Song Xiance said, although Wu Chunfu, who was born in the Ministry of Industry, did not understand the military, he was often in charge of projects that required a lot of manpower and material resources, such as the river engineering project. He quickly understood, stuck out his tongue, and sighed: "Master Shaobao is indeed a young and mature man who seeks the country. How many people in the world can match such a long-term vision? But in this way, Zhang Shaobao's second choice should be There is no need to delay the army, and now we will dispatch the main force to Liaodong, and prepare for the decisive battle with Jiannu in August?"

"That's right, Master Wu is right." Song Xiance replied in a deep voice: "For the Master, the second choice now is to gamble with Jiannu, and while there is still a little time, immediately mobilize the main force, Rush to Liaodong to meet the decisive battle in August, and strive to determine the overall situation of Liaodong in the first battle, and lay a solid foundation for the future recovery of the entire territory of Liaodong. However, this move can be said to be very risky. Now that the Shaanxi-Gansu rebellion has not been completely quelled, the Dongjia will be dispatched now The main force rushed to Liaodong, what if the remaining thieves were given a chance to make a comeback? And it is already the end of April. If you want to arrive at the Liaodong battlefield in time for reinforcements before August, the time is too tight. The one who gains the most will be the general! The Dong family takes risks to gain thousands of miles, but it is a big taboo for military strategists! That's why the Dong family is so hesitant, otherwise, with the character of the Dong family who can make decisions, they have already made up their minds."

Wu Chunfu, who was stupefied by Song Xiance, stuck out his tongue again, knowing that he was not suitable for military affairs, so he honestly picked up the tea bowl, not daring to disturb Master Zhang's thoughts anymore.And just as Song Xiance said, Young Master Zhang, who has always been able to make good decisions, also hesitated for a long time, unable to make up his mind for a long time whether to gamble the fortune of the country with Jiannu.At this time, Shi Kefa, the last person present and the most loyal and honest under Young Master Zhang's command, suddenly murmured, "If there is a way, it would be great if we can delay the dispatch of Jiannu troops until September."

"Xianzhi, what did you just say?" Young Master Zhang raised his head suddenly.Shi Kefa was taken aback, and hurriedly replied honestly: "The student said just now that if there is a way to delay the dispatch of Jiannu troops to September, it would be great."

"Why?" Young Master Zhang's eyes lit up, and it was rare to ask Shi Kefa for his military opinion - because Shi Kefa was so honest, it would be no wonder if he followed his advice to fight and not be played to death by the enemy.Shi Kefa was also very surprised. He thought he had said something wrong again, so he could only answer with a blushing face: "Because the students think that if Jiannu will send troops in September, then Zhang Shaobao, your main force can send troops after June." Reinforce Liaodong. June is the harvest season for dog potatoes. With food, the situation in Shaanxi and Gansu will be much more stable. Zhang Shaobao, you don’t have to worry too much when you leave the Shaanxi-Gansu battlefield. In addition, in Liaodong, September and October The river has not yet frozen over, and although the north wind is picking up gradually, there are still some southeast winds from time to time, which is beneficial for the Daming navy to rush to the blocking battlefield from the sea, Zhang Shaobao, if you want to close your door and fight dogs, you still have a chance."

"Zhang Shaobao, did the student say something wrong again this time?" Shi Kefa peeped at Young Master Zhang's face and asked anxiously.And Young Master Zhang stared at Shi Kefa for a long time, and suddenly showed a smile on the handsome face of Shanganhei, who had lost a lot of weight, and said with a smile: "Xianzhi, you are not only right, but also too right. Hehe, I am also on the edge of my horn, Why didn't you think that besides these two choices, there is a third choice?"

"Really? Student...student is lucky. He came up with it by chance." Shi Kefa couldn't help being excited when he saw that it was rare for Young Master Zhang to adopt his own military advice.Song Xiance next to him poured cold water on him, and interjected: "Master, Xianzhi, don't think too much, we know that it is best for us to send troops in September, does that old fox Nuerhachi know? There is also Huang Taiji who is even more treacherous and cunning, who will honestly wait for us for a month, let the master sharpen the knife, and then obediently send it to your door to cut it for you?"

"This..., that's true." Shi Kefa, who was already lacking in self-confidence, was the first to get discouraged after Song Xiance poured cold water on him.Wu Chunfu next to him also interjected: "Zhang Shaobao, although I don't understand military affairs, I also think Master Song's words are very reasonable. Nuerhachi old Jiannu is famous for being a treacherous and slippery man. I'm afraid it won't be that easy. Listen to our arrangements."

"Regarding this point, the difficulty is indeed very high." Young Master Zhang said with a sinister smile: "But it doesn't matter, I still have a few cards in my hand to play. If these cards are played well, there is still a little hope for a month's time." of."

(End of this chapter)