novelonline Chapter 1405 Jia Heng: Taking advantage of the grand situation, we should proceed step by step and n
Chapter 1405 Jia Heng: Taking advantage of the grand situation, we should proceed step by step and n
Chapter 1405 Jia Heng: ...taking advantage of the grand situation, we should proceed step by step and not take risks.
In the nineteenth year of Chongping, it was late June, the season had entered midsummer, the weather was hot and the heat was unbearable.
Haizhouwei——
At this moment, just as Jia Heng led the Beijing Camp Army to the outside of Shengjing City, the soldiers and generals of the two guard cities in Liaodong were also thinking about how to defeat the enemy.
Since a part of the troops led by Ajige went to rescue Jinzhou, the troops of the two guards in Liaodong switched from defense to offense.
Haizhou City, in the government office——
Hebei Governor Kang Hong sat behind a lacquered wooden table. He was wearing heavy black iron armor and a copper helmet, with deep wrinkles on his face. Not far away sat Jia Fang, a young general of the Jia family. He had a handsome face and sharp eyes.
With the experience of war, not only Jia Fang, Jia Chang and Jia Ling, who are known as the three heroes of the Jia family, but there are also many rising stars of the Jia family in the army, such as Jia Yun, Jia Qin and other generals.
Kang Hong put down the newspaper in his hand, smiled, and said: "General Xiao Jia, the Duke of Wei has led his troops to Haizhou, and our army should send troops to support them."
Upon hearing this, Jia Fang's face also showed joy, and his voice was full of excitement. He said in a deep voice: "Admiral Kang, the Jurchen Tartars are now retreating to the Liaoyang area. Our army should integrate the relevant troops and first take Liaoyang, and then attack Shengjing directly."
Kang Hong twisted his beard with his hand and said, "General Xiao Jia, according to the military report, the Duke of Wei's intention is that after Lord Shui arrives, our army will gather together and march to Liaoyang together."
Jia Fang's eyes were sharp under his sword-like eyebrows, and his voice was passionate. He said: "Admiral Kang, I am willing to be the vanguard of the army and lead the troops straight into Shengjing."
Kang Hong smiled heartily, his eyes showing admiration, and said: "General Xiao Jia is so brave and valiant, and he is indispensable to us."
Such tasks as leading the troops and charging into battle on the front lines can only be done by young generals like Jia Fang.
Jia Fang said in a deep voice: "Once Liaoyang is taken, the enemy's lair Shengjing will be under the attack of our Han army and can be destroyed in a snap!"
Kang Hong also had some hope on his face, nodded and smiled, "General Xiao Jia is right. At that time, several armies attacked Shengjing and destroyed the country. It was just around the corner."
Not only Jia Fang, but also after Liaodong is destroyed in the future, as the commander-in-chief of the army, he will also have a prominent place in the history books.
While the two were discussing, a soldier in a fiery red uniform strode into the hall in a hurry, clasped his fists and said, "General, Prince Beijing is here."
Kang Hong heard this and stood up, a look of joy on his face, and said, "General Xiao Jia, come with me to welcome him."
Jia Fang also stood up and left the Acropolis with Kang Hong to meet Prince Beijing Shui Rong.
At this moment, Beijing King Shui Rong led 30,000 Jiangnan naval soldiers from Gaizhou Guard. At this moment, the flags behind them fluttered in the wind.
Kang Hong and Jia Fang walked out quickly, stared at the handsome, fair-skinned young man, and said with a bow, "This humble general greets His Majesty."
Prince Beijing Shui Rong smiled widely, and extended his hand to support him, saying, "General Kang, there is no need to be polite. Please stand up and talk."
Kang Hong's eyes looked old under his thick eyebrows. He nodded and said, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Wei has led his troops to Ningyuan City."
Prince Beijing Shui Rong said: "Duke Weiguo has been marching with great speed, and we can't delay here any longer. We can't let the Jurchens have time to deal with it."
As the saying goes, no matter how many ways you come, I only go one way, probably just to create a time difference.
Prince Beijing Shui Rong said: "This time I am leading my troops to attack Liaoyang and capture Shengjing City in one fell swoop."
Accompanied by Kang Hong and Jia Fang, Prince Beijing Shui Rong quickly entered the city. At this moment, tens of thousands of troops behind him also filed in.
Led by Kang Hong and Jia Fang, Prince Beijing Shui Rong entered the yamen and sat down at a rectangular desk. He then took the books handed to him by Kang Hong and Jia Fang.
"The troops are ready. The army will take a short rest and will be sent out early tomorrow morning." Prince Beijing Shui Rong looked at Jia Fang with a fixed gaze, his heart moved.
Jia Fang is a handsome man with a heroic temperament. At first glance, he looks somewhat like Zi Yu.
The so-called Wanwan is generally like this.
Well, this Prince Beijing has become somewhat obsessed with Jia Heng.
Prince Beijing Shui Rong was in a trance for a moment, but he calmed down and quickly suppressed his troubled mood and asked, "Which general from the Jurchen side is stationed in Liaoyang?"
"Your Majesty, the general leading the troops is Lekedehun, Prince Duolo Shuncheng of the Pseudo Dynasty. He is the grandson of Daishan, Prince Li of the Pseudo Dynasty." Jia Fang said.
After hearing this, Prince Beijing Shui Rong thought for a moment and asked, "Where is Ajige from before?"
Kang Hong took over the conversation and explained: "Ajige has led his troops to Jinzhou to provide assistance."
Prince Beijing Shui Rong pondered for a while and said, "It seems that Liaoyang is a nail used by the Jurchens to prevent our army from advancing northward."
After all, he was a minister of military affairs with a profound family background and had experienced long-term wars outside. He could naturally see the intention of the Jurchens' arrangement.
After a moment's silence, Shui Rong said, "This time the navy unloaded a lot of red cannons from the ship, which can be used to attack the city. Our army will respond to the front and back, so we must be careful of ambushes. If we can capture Liaoyang City."
Jia Fang said, "Your Majesty, I would like to be the vanguard and attack Liaoyang City."
Prince Beijing Shui Rong nodded, paused, and said, "We need General Xiao Jia to lead the troops to attack, cut through the thorns and take Liaoyang directly."
Afterwards, Prince Beijing Shui Rong stayed at the government office in Haizhou City and spent the whole night in silence.
The next day, in the morning, the wind was gentle and the sky was clear.
Jia Fang led nearly 10,000 cavalrymen from the navy and headed straight for Liaoyang City.
The Jurchen general stationed in Liaoyang City was Lekedehun, one of the eight iron-hat princes of the Qing Dynasty in later generations. He was the grandson of Daishan and the son of Sahalin.
He was also a good fighter and extremely brave. He made great contributions during the Qing Dynasty's invasion of the Central Plains in a parallel universe.
After the Qing emperor Qing ascended the throne, he was awarded the title of Prince Duolo Shuncheng.
At this moment, Lekedehun led the elite soldiers of the Zhenghong Banner and the troops of the two red banners of the Han army and stationed in the city.
In the military tent——
Lekedehun stood in front of a huge map of Liaodong. Under his sword-like brows, his eyes as cold as a knife spanned from Haizhou and Gaizhou in Liaodong, across Anshan in later generations, and to Liaoyang where he was.
Finally, he frowned and sighed.
The Han general Xin Huailong, the commander of the Red Banner of the Han army behind him, said, "Your Majesty."
Lekedehun said: "This battle is not easy to fight."
If we look at the map, the main force of the Han army is pressing on the Songjin line. Once Ningyuan and Jinzhou are captured, Shengjing will be in danger.
Similarly, Liaoyang where Lekedehun was located also faced the main force of the Han army's navy and 30,000 troops from Hebei, about 100,000 people in total.
At this moment, there was another route, the Denglai Navy led by Dongping Prince Mu Sheng, which joined the Korean army and marched into the heartland of the Jurchens along Manpu.
These were the three armies of the Han Dynasty, which completely conquered Liaodong from three directions.
Of course, the main battlefield was still the troops led by Jia Heng.
"Your Highness, as long as my army holds Liaoyang and the front line of Ningyuan and Jinzhou, if the Regent wins a great victory, my Qing Dynasty will be as solid as a rock." Xin Huailong said.
Lekedehun said: "That's true, but the Han people are coming with great force and are armed with cannons and guns. It will not be easy for our army to hold the city."
Xin Huailong said: "Your Majesty, at this point, we can only defend the city and fight for a glimmer of hope for the Qing Dynasty."
"There are more than 20,000 soldiers and horses in the city, and the stored food and fodder is as high as hundreds of thousands of stones. It should be enough." Lekedehun said loudly with deep tiger eyes under his thick eyebrows.
In other words, this way, we can probably hold out for a few months.
Lekedehun's face became solemn, and he said in a loud voice: "Gather all the generals, I want to discuss matters."
After a while, all the officers and soldiers from the rank of lieutenant colonel and above of the Zhenghong Banner gathered in the hall, making a lot of noise and discussion.
"Boom!"
As the gavel slammed, the officers and soldiers who had been making so much noise suddenly became quiet.
Lekede said in a deep voice: "Generals, the Han army is coming fiercely. Our army is mainly focused on defense. Recently, we have to split into several parts to defend the four cities. When the enemy invades, we can take turns to guard the four cities and respond to each other."
In fact, according to the ancient city defense method, more than 20,000 soldiers stationed in the city can basically resist an army of 100,000 for nearly half a year.
But since the advent of the Red Cannon, it is hard to say. It can be said that the form of war has been basically changed.
The Jurchens had previously relied on red cannons to win battles in Japan with great momentum.
In other words, the improvement of siege technology has caused the city defense facilities and defense methods to temporarily fail to catch up, but as time goes by, they will definitely catch up.
Offense and defense are essentially the relationship between a spear and a shield, with one growing while the other declines, creating a dynamic balance.
An officer below said, "Your Majesty, the Han army's red cannons are powerful. Liaoyang City is originally a small city, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to resist."
"We have to stop it even if we can't!" Lekede said in a deep voice.
"Behind us is the Shengjing City of the Qing Dynasty, and inside are the people of the Qing Dynasty. We must not retreat even a single step." Lekede said in a clear voice.
Upon hearing this, the Jurchen officers and soldiers below all showed anger on their faces.
It can be said that the Qing Dynasty has now reached a critical moment of life and death.
As Lekedehun began to mobilize troops, many soldiers in the entire city began to move, walking back and forth on the city walls with weapons in hand, looking ready for battle.
……
……
满浦
It was midsummer, and the high-latitude geographical environment of Korea created a climate that was not too hot in summer. At this moment, the Prince of Dongping, Mu Sheng, the Governor-General of Japan and Korea, led a group of officers and soldiers, both big and small, to the top of Manpo City, holding a telescope in his hand, and looking at the winding Yalu River.
"Sir." The deputy general at the side looked at Mu Sheng and said, "The Duke wants us to send troops to attack on our own. What do you think, General Mu?"
Mu Sheng put down the telescope, retracted his gaze, and said in a deep voice: "Our army is heading to Hetuala to attack the Jurchen's lair and cut off the Jurchen's retreat."
"Let's go back and gather all the generals to discuss military intelligence." Mu Sheng said, turning around and returning to Manpu City.
At this moment, the generals of the Korean side, including Li Daoshun, the former commander of the Jeolla Navy and now the commander of the Joseon Navy, Park Chongwi, the former governor of Chungcheong Province, and Li Sang, the governor of Gyeongsang Province, were all present.
"We greet the Governor-General." In the hall, all the Korean generals present called out in unison.
Mu Sheng said: "No need to be polite."
All the generals present stood up and looked at Mu Sheng.
Mu Sheng said: "Our army's main purpose along the way is to contain the majority of the Jurchens. Of course, when the time is right, we will also attack Shengjing. Before that, our army will attack the Jurchens' old stronghold."
As he spoke, he pointed to the map behind him and said, "This is the Jurchens' old nest, Hetuala. There are not many Jurchen troops stationed there. Our army may be able to attack Huanglong directly."
Upon hearing this, all the generals looked inexplicably excited.
Mu Sheng said, "Observer Li."
At this moment, Li Shang stepped out from among the generals, cupped his hands and said, "Governor Mu, please give me your instructions."
Mu Sheng said in a deep voice: "Envoy Li, I will send out 3,000 Han soldiers and you will lead your own troops as the vanguard to attack Hetuala first."
Li Shang raised his rough face and said in a muffled voice, "I will obey your orders."
Mu Sheng glanced at the officers with a cold gaze under his sword-like brows, and said loudly: "Everyone, now is the time for us to make achievements and go down in history. You should work hard!"
"Governor Mu, the Jurchens and we have a long-standing feud. We will certainly fight bravely and risk our lives." Park Chongwei paused slightly and spoke.
Mu Sheng said loudly: "Everyone."
Afterwards, he made arrangements for the military generals.
It can be said that in this war to annihilate a nation, although Jia Heng was the chief commander and in charge of all parties, he still needed to lead the troops and command one side in specific routes.
Of course, Jia Heng's side is the main force in the decisive battle.
……
……
Ningyuan City
As Jia Heng's Beijing camp army rushed to Gaotai Fort and gradually reached the front line, Jirgalang and a group of officers in Ningyuan City were also on high alert.
At this moment, in Ningyuan City, in the former Weicheng Yamen——
Jirgalang sat down with a golden sword, his face solemn, and said: "Our army now has about 40,000 soldiers and horses. What strategies do you two have to defeat the enemy?"
"Uncle, instead of passively taking the beating, it is better for us to take the initiative and defeat the vanguard of the Han army first." Ai Duli said.
"How to defeat him? We have previously fought with Cao Bianjiao of Shanhaiguan, and our army did not have much advantage." Jirgalang said.
Gulmahong said: "During the Battle of Sarhu, Taizu once said that although the enemy came from several directions, we only had one direction. Why can't we do the same? With the elite and brave Eight Banners, if we defeat the Han army first, the rest of the battle will be easier."
Jirgalang shook his head, his face gloomy as iron, and said in a solemn voice: "This is a different time, and that is a different time. Today, our Qing Dynasty is no longer the same as it was thirty years ago."
At that time, there were not so many soldiers and horses, but they were of the same desire and were fearless of death. The Han Dynasty's military affairs were not in order and its military preparations were loose.
But now, whether it is the fact that a number of princes and ministers have died one after another, or the once elite Eight Banners have completely lost their fighting spirit in continuous setbacks.
Ai Duli said: "Your Majesty, then can our Qing Dynasty only passively take the beating?"
If you fall behind, you will be beaten. This is an eternal truth.
"The only plan now is to hold on and wait for the situation to change!" Jirgalang narrowed his eyes and asked, "How is the city's reinforcement going recently?"
"It has been reinforced with one layer, but it may not be able to block it." Gulmahong said.
Only the city walls like those of Shengjing City and Beiping City could remain unmoved under the bombardment of dozens of cannons.
In this war to annihilate the nation, Jia Heng mobilized nearly a hundred red-haired cannons. It can be said that he spared no expense and planned to push forward all the way, using the country's powerful national strength to completely nail the Jurchens to the ground.
"The red cannons only made a deafening noise, but when they really landed on the top of the city walls, they didn't cause much damage. The four gates in the city were blocked with bricks and stones. The Han army couldn't take the city after a long siege and lost their fighting spirit. Their food and fodder were depleting day by day, so they naturally retreated." Jirgalang said to encourage the two men.
The Jurchen prince's idea was not wrong, which was to wait and see.
The Han Dynasty mobilized an army of nearly 500,000, but it was obvious that the force could not last long, especially due to the consumption of food and fodder, as well as military equipment, and there was also the problem of morale after a long war.
This is why during the Warring States Period, a siege of a city would often take half a year or a year. In the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy or trickery is useless.
On the contrary, battles that used strategies are rare and thus are recorded in history and become the military books and battle examples that are talked about with relish.
Jirgalang said in a deep voice: "Now our army can only defend to the death. After this year, the Han army will definitely not be able to hold out for long. Then, it will be our Qing Dynasty's chance."
Upon hearing this, Aiduli and Gulmahon nodded.
Jirgalang said: "Follow me to the top of the city to see the appearance of the Han army."
Having said that, he left the hall and the government office and headed towards the city wall.
……
……
At this moment, three days after arriving at Gaotai Fort, Jia Heng also led his troops to Ningyuan City.
At this moment, Jia Heng, accompanied by Cao Bianjiao and other generals, came closer on horseback and looked at the towering city with flags waving in the wind.
Jia Heng looked at her with an observant look in his eyes and said loudly, "Ningyuan City looks to be about three meters high."
Cao Bianjiao nodded and whispered, "General, this is reinforced and raised. In the past, this was the first line of defense for our Han Dynasty against the invaders. It had artillery batteries and arrow towers, but now they are used by the Jurchens."
At the end, there was some indignation in Cao Bianjiao's voice.
At this moment, there were about a dozen red cannons on Ningyuan City, distributed on several angular corner towers. The dark holes seemed to carry a huge deterrent.
Jia Heng nodded and said loudly: "I have seen that the Jurchens have also mastered the art of making red cannons. Although they are not as good as our Han, they can still cause continuous damage to our Han soldiers from the city gate tower. When the battle begins, we will bombard and clear the enemy's artillery positions first."
Inspired by him, the artillery of the Beijing Camp had already learned a little about how to calculate parabolas and could carry out bombardments with a certain degree of accuracy.
Of course, even if it is not possible to attack accurately, it is still possible to provide fire coverage over a large area.
Cao Bianjiao looked thoughtful and said, "What the Duke said is very true."
Jia Heng said: "Now I have hundreds of thousands of troops and a great momentum. We should proceed step by step and not take risks."
This is the strategy for pacifying the Jurchens, which is to seek stability first and never take risks.
At this moment, the cavalry behind them moved in large numbers. After a while, a knight could be seen riding a horse. "Thank you, marquis, please go back and report some urgent military information."
Xie Zaiyi had already arrived at the city of Ningyuan, trying to seize the opportunity, but it was easier said than done. He could only send a cavalry unit to bypass the city and look around.
Jia Heng said nothing more and followed Cao Bianjiao back to the military tent.
At this moment, Xie Zaiyi was already waiting there, his unshaven and resolute face was full of energy.
Jia Heng nodded, his eyes flashing, and asked, "Lord Xie, what military information do you have to report now?"
Xie Zaiyi said in a clear voice: "General, a cavalry of the Jurchens has appeared from Xiaoling River, and it seems that they also want to attack from behind."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "We have hundreds of thousands of troops stationed here, and our food supply is long. They are trying to use this to rob us of our food supply. This is the only way to defeat the enemy."
The Han army's food supply route was from Shanhaiguan through Qiantun and finally gathered at Gaotaibao.
It’s actually not that bad now. As the battle line gets longer, the supply lines will be longer.
Xie Zaiyi said: "Maybe they are also on guard against our Han cavalry, bypassing Ningyuan City and marching into Shengjing from the northwest."
Jia Heng said: "Marquis Xie can lead his cavalry to chase and fight with them, and I will stay here to attack Ningyuan City, and the two sides will support each other."
Xie Zaiyi raised his hand and said yes.
Jia Heng ordered: "Come here, tell all the generals to rest for a day and attack Ningyuan City tomorrow."
At this time, the accompanying Jinyi guards responded and then went to pass on the order.
(End of this chapter)