novelonline Chapter 1412 Jia Heng: Troops will march into Jinzhou tomorrow!
Chapter 1412 Jia Heng: Troops will march into Jinzhou tomorrow!
Chapter 1412 Jia Heng: ...The troops will march into Jinzhou tomorrow!
Liaoyang City
Prince Beijing Shui Rong was talking to Jia Fang. After a while, they saw Hebei Governor Kang Hong and Jiangnan Navy Governor Wei Che enter the government office.
Kang Hong said: "General Xiao Jia, our Han suffered many casualties in this battle. We should rest for a few days before advancing. Now that Liaoyang has been conquered, we should be cautious."
Jia Fang asked: "General Kang, should we first lead the cavalry to the city of Shengjing to gather information?"
Kang Hong smiled and said, "General Jia Fang, do you want to use the cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Shengjing City?"
Beijing Prince Shui Rong smiled and said, "This is not easy."
This is not a novel. The capital of a country is heavily guarded, so there is obviously no such thing as a surprise attack.
Wei Che thought for a moment and said, "It might be a good idea to use the cavalry to test the strength of Shengjing City first."
Prince Beijing Shui Rong said: "Since General Wei also said so, then let's follow General Wei's wishes."
After the three men had agreed, Jia Fang would lead a group of elite cavalry to attack Shengjing City in order to investigate the city's movements first.
……
……
Ningyuan City, government office——
Jia Heng was now sitting behind a lacquered wooden table, looking down at the map. His stern face seemed covered with a layer of golden gauze.
On that yellowed piece of paper, to the north of the Hunhe River and the Dalinghe River is the city of Jinzhou, on which are outlined mountains, rivers and city walls.
At this moment, accompanied by the sound of footsteps, Chen Xiao walked into the government office. His clear and cool voice could not hide his joy as he said, "The pigeon sent by Jinyifu just now said that Liaoyang City has been breached."
Hearing this, Jia Heng looked up at Chen Xiao and asked, "Liaoyang City was captured so quickly?"
Chen Xiao said softly: "Liaoyang City is no different from Ningyuan City. Both cities were attacked with cannons and guns. After the city walls collapsed."
Jia Heng looked thoughtful, and looked at Chen Xiao aggressively, and said softly: "Once Liaoyang is taken, we will reach Shengjing City after crossing the Hunhe River."
Chen Xiao said softly, "Shui Rong sent a letter via carrier pigeon to ask you if you would like to send troops over?"
Jia Heng shook his head, his eyes sharp, and whispered, "We'll have to wait a little longer. By the way, I hope the food and weapons in the city are all in place."
Chen Xiao said: "They have all been delivered in the past few days."
Jia Heng said, "Wait a minute, gather all the generals and reorganize the troops. My army will march towards Jinzhou on a chosen day."
We should have had enough rest these past few days, so it's time to send troops to Jinzhou.
As Jia Heng was speaking, he arrived at the yamen in a short while. After sitting down at a desk, he began to think about how to defeat the enemy in Jinzhou City.
At this moment, in the hall——
Jia Heng sat down. At this moment, as the soldiers came in one after another, Jia Heng was called out of his thinking.
"Greetings, Marshal Ji." The generals paused and spoke.
Jia Heng paused for a moment and said, "Generals, please stand up."
As he spoke, Jia Heng picked up the pigeon message sent by the Jinyi Mansion and said, "Liaoyang City has been breached, and our Han navy has headed straight to Shengjing."
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the officers and soldiers present changed drastically, and for a moment, they began to talk about it.
Jia Heng said: "Now that Liaoyang has been taken, the Jurchen city of Shengjing will be under the attack of our Han army."
Upon hearing this, all the officers and soldiers present showed joy on their faces.
Cao Bianjiao said: "General, once Liaoyang is captured, the Jurchens have no defenses and are attacked from both sides. The main force of our army should also take action to put pressure on the Jurchen troops in Jinzhou to prevent them from returning to Shengjing to resist our Han troops."
When Wei King Chen Ran heard this, his face looked thoughtful.
Jia Heng said in a low voice: "Our Han navy has the advantage of firearms such as the Red Cannon, and also has the advantage of manpower. It is not surprising that they have won a great victory by defeating the enemy with more people and delaying the war until today."
At this moment, Chu King Chen Qin's eyes were full of hope, and he asked, "Zi Yu, can we send out the troops now?"
"After a few days of rest, the troops have recovered their combat effectiveness. Generals, please go back and prepare. We will send troops to Jinzhou in the next few days." Jia Heng said.
When the generals heard this, they were all delighted.
Once the army is on the move, if they win another great victory in Jinzhou, the Jurchen city of Shengjing will be attacked from two directions, and the Jurchen nation will be doomed to fall.
Jia Heng's face was calm, his eyes were fierce, and he said loudly: "Next, General Cao will lead the elite cavalry as the vanguard to Jinzhou City."
Because Xie Zaiyi is currently leading the cavalry, guarding against the Qing army in Jinzhou City, and at the same time looking for an opportunity to attack, planning to make a detour and attack Shengjing directly.
Upon hearing this, Cao Bianjiao clasped his fists and said yes.
Jia Heng said: "I will lead the army to support the rear, and all the generals go back to reorganize the troops and march into Jinzhou tomorrow!"
Just like that, all the generals present clasped their fists in response.
In mid-July of the 19th year of Chongping, the Han army camp in Ningyuan City, after a short rest, headed towards Jinzhou City.
The army was vast and mighty, with flags covering the sky, and the vanguard troops galloped ahead and reached the city of Jinzhou.
The cavalry led by Cao Bianjiao attacked Jinzhou City first.
……
……
Jinzhou City
At this moment, Dorgon was wearing a prince's robe and sitting on a pear wood chair behind a lacquered wooden table. There seemed to be a cloud covering his face and his eyes were full of worry.
Since the fall of Ningyuan City, Dorgon has been in a state of pondering over strategies to defeat the enemy for some time.
Ajige walked quickly into the government hall, looked at Dorgon intently, and said, "Fourteenth brother, the city wall has been reinforced, and a new layer of urn city has been built inside.
This is to prevent a situation like the Ningyuan City, where after the city wall collapsed, the army suddenly entered the city and the soldiers in the city collapsed into chaos.
Dorgon said: "The Han army's artillery is too powerful, we must not be careless next time."
Ajige sighed and said, "Fourteenth brother, have you come up with a plan to defeat the enemy these days?"
Dorgon's face was as gloomy as iron, and he said loudly: "What else can we think of? We can only defend the city and wait for changes."
Ajige nodded and said, "That Jia Heng kid is no pushover. From now on, if the cannons and guns bombard us, our Jinzhou City may not be able to withstand it."
Dorgon's thick eyebrows and stern eyes said, "We have to stop it even if we can't. Our Qing Dynasty has been established for more than 30 years. God will bless our Qing Dynasty."
Ajige remained silent for a while.
At this moment, Dorgon nodded and asked, "Does Liaoyang have any latest intelligence?"
Ajige shook his head and said, "I haven't seen any military reports from Lekedehun requesting help in the past two days."
Dorgon frowned. Coincidentally, at this moment, a guard wearing white armor with nails strode into the hall. With a serious face, he clasped his fists towards Dorgon and said, "Your Majesty, urgent news from Liaoyang."
Hearing this, Dorgon suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart and asked in surprise, "What military report?"
Could it be another military report urging reinforcements? I hope so.
The guard looked grim and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Liaoyang City has been captured."
As soon as these words were spoken, Dorgon stood up suddenly, emitting an indescribable aura of majesty.
Ajige's majestic face also showed surprise.
Liaoyang was captured? Then Shengjing would have to face the Han army directly. ?
The Jurchens originally had no strategic depth in their country.
"Where is Prince Shuncheng?" Ajige's face suddenly changed, anger surged in his heart, and he asked hurriedly.
Thirty thousand people can't even defend a small city like Liaoyang!
The siege on Liaoyang was just a detachment of the Han navy.
The guard said, "Prince Shuncheng has left Liaoyang City and is heading towards Shengjing City."
Dorgon looked extremely dejected, and he felt an endless sadness deep in his heart.
A coward?!
Ajige, who was standing by, had a livid face and said angrily, "Waste! Waste! I really misjudged him! He actually abandoned the city and fled!"
Dorgon's frustrated face also showed a hint of anger, and he shouted: "You are afraid of death and abandoned the city to flee, which has brought shame to the Aisin-Gioro clan."
The two brothers kept condemning Lekedehun, their faces becoming increasingly angry.
But then a deep feeling of despair arose in my heart.
Ningyuan was broken and Liaoyang fell. This is a situation where two ghosts are knocking on the door. Is the Qing Dynasty really going to be finished?
Dorgon sat dejectedly on the armchair, thinking a lot in his mind.
Ajige's face was as gloomy as iron, and he asked worriedly: "Fourteenth brother, now that Liaoyang has been captured, Shengjing City is right under the enemy's attack. How do you plan to deal with it? Should you send troops to help Shengjing to prevent the Han army from breaking through?"
Dorgon gradually calmed down and whispered, "Lekedehun has already fled back to Shengjing City. Let him make amends for his crime and defend with Shuose for the time being. This is enough to deal with the situation."
Ajige also reacted and said, "So, Lekedehun fled back to Shengjing, could it be..."
"The situation is hopeless, so we have no choice but to abandon the city and flee." Dorgon looked sad, sighed, and ordered, "Prepare the pen and ink, I will write a letter to him immediately. This time there is no way to retreat, let him live and die with Shengjing City!"
How could Shengjing City be abandoned and defended? What would the Queen Mother and Fulin do at that time?
Ajige's tiger eyes flashed fiercely under his thick eyebrows. He said, "Fourteenth brother, how should we march and deploy troops next?"
Dorgon paused for a moment, and whispered, "Be prepared."
Now, the Jurchens have no troops to deploy, like a grasshopper nailed to death, unable to move at all.
At this moment, a military officer outside the palace hurried into the hall and said, "Your Majesty, Han cavalry were spotted by the Daling River."
"The Han army has moved." Ajige said with a serious expression and a fierce look in his eyes.
Dorgon frowned, his eyes looked deep, and he said in a cold voice: "They are taking advantage of the victory in Liaoyang to rob us."
It can be said that Jia Heng gave Dorgon the impression of a seasoned chess player, who was steady and cautious, and step by step blocked the Jurchen troops into a dead end.
Ajige nodded, his face full of worry, and asked, "Fourteenth brother, will Shengjing send more troops to reinforce us?"
"Don't worry about Shengjing for now, just guard this city first. Shengjing has already left some troops which are enough to deal with the Han court's naval coalition. Our army is facing the main force of the Han army, so we must not relax at all." Dorgon looked deep under his thick eyebrows.
Now that things have come to this, the only thing to do is to remain calm.
Upon hearing this, Ajige's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself, but a layer of gloom gradually covered his heart.
The Qing Dynasty today is showing signs of national demise.
……
……
While Dorgon in Jinzhou City was feeling overwhelmed by the capture of Ningyuan City and Liaoyang, the Han army led by Mu Sheng, the prince of Dongping, and the Korean coalition forces also advanced towards Hetuala from Manpu and fought with the Jurchen troops at Niumao Village.
At this moment, the Jurchen general leading the troops to garrison was Man Dahai.
Niumao Village
This mountain stronghold is built on the mountainside. As the only way to Hetuala, it controls the key thoroughfare and is easy to defend but difficult to attack.
Man Dahai led only 20,000 troops this time, but he was facing 20,000 to 30,000 Han troops and a 100,000-strong Korean coalition force. The enemy was strong in both men and horses, with a large number of people and a certain number of red cannons.
They had already fought a battle before, but the Han army was slightly inferior in combat power. However, relying on their large number of troops, they gained the upper hand at this moment.
In the mountain stronghold, in the military tent——
Man Dahai paced back and forth in the military tent with his hands behind his back, hesitating whether to fight or retreat.
Because in this situation, Niumao Village could not be held for long, but with Hetuala City behind them, it was impossible for them to abandon the city and allow the Han court troops to march straight in.
Otherwise, the city of Hetuala would be destroyed under the artillery fire.
Hetuala City has always been the old stronghold of the Qing Dynasty. For example, the tombs of Nurhaci and his father and grandfather are all in this city, and there are also 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers stationed in the city.
Man Dahai frowned, his eyes flickered, and he was thinking about how to defeat the enemy, with anxiety on his face.
At this moment, an officer wearing selected iron armor strode into the military tent with his head held high. He looked hurried and anxious, and said, "Your Highness, military reports from Shengjing."
Man Dahai was surprised when he heard this and asked, "From Shengjing? Why are you sending me a military report at this time?"
As he spoke, he motioned to the guard beside him to walk away quickly, then bowed and took the military report.
"Ningyuan City was breached by the Han army." The officer looked extremely anxious, his eyes flickering under his thick eyebrows, and he said in a deep voice.
Because Liaoyang City was captured only recently, the battle report was not delivered immediately.
Man Dahai took the military newspaper from the lieutenant colonel and read it attentively, with a hint of surprise appearing in his fierce eyes.
The military newspaper in his hand was shaking slightly.
Ningyuan City was captured and Prince Zheng died in battle?
How can this be?
But on second thought, Prince Zheng was in Ningyuan City, facing the Duke of Wei who was all-powerful, so this defeat seemed... natural.
This is the psychological advantage that Jia Heng has established in the wars against the Jurchens in recent years.
Just when Man Dahai was in shock, he suddenly heard the sound of drums beating. The drum beats were as dense as raindrops, and the Han army launched an attack again.
Man Dahai suppressed the complicated thoughts in his mind, called a deputy general, and whispered: "Follow me to take a look."
The day before, Mu Sheng, the prince of Dongping, also received military intelligence of the fall of Ningyuan City through a carrier pigeon from the Jinyi Palace.
On a mound three miles away from the mountain stronghold, Mu Sheng put down the telescope in his hand and said to the officers beside him: "The Marshal has conquered Ningyuan City and annihilated countless Tartars. We can't fall behind here."
Deputy General Wei Tong said, "Sir, once Ningyuan City is breached, the Jurchens will be pushed into a corner."
Mu Sheng said: "Yes, with the Duke of Wei's military ability, it is only a matter of time before Songjin wins a great victory. However, we must also cut off the retreat of the Jurchens and prevent them from escaping to Hetuala."
As Mu Sheng's military order came down, small apricot-yellow triangular flags waved continuously. Then, the drum beats of the Han army were as dense as raindrops, crackling, and a large number of soldiers and horses rushed towards the mountain stronghold.
"Boom boom..."
The sound of cannons rumbled, and rocks and dirt flew everywhere above the mountain stronghold. A large number of Jurchen bannermen did not know how to fight back and could only endure it.
Mu Sheng narrowed his eyes and shouted solemnly: "Send people to use red cannons to continue bombardment."
At the beginning, the Jiangnan Navy and the Denglai Navy joined forces to go to Japan to conquer Japan, and they left behind a batch of red cannons. Although they only carried a dozen or so at the moment, they were still useful.
"Boom boom!!!"
Cannonballs and bullets suddenly fell on the mountain stronghold. Soon, sand and rocks were flying everywhere, blocking the view.
A large number of Korean generals not far away, such as Li Shang, Tian Siquan and others, were staring at the scene in amazement, thinking to themselves that the Central Plains Celestial Empire really has powerful firearms that are intimidating.
But this bombardment is undoubtedly unsustainable.
Then, with the cover of artillery fire, the Han army launched a massive attack on the city.
At this moment, the Qing army on the mountain stronghold also recovered from the bombardment and began to raise bows and crossbows, firing back at the Han army.
"Whizzing……"
Arrows flew through the air and landed on the shields in the hands of the Han and Korean armies, making a tinkling sound, interspersed with some "puff" and "puff" sounds of penetrating flesh.
The Han army and the Korean coalition forces rushed towards the mountain stronghold. At this moment, looking down from the sky, one could see balls of flames that seemed to be burning the entire mountain.
At this moment, Man Dahai, accompanied by several personal soldiers, was inspecting the battle situation. Seeing this scene, he frowned secretly.
"Your Highness, the firepower of the Han army is too strong." The deputy general on the side said with a serious expression.
Man Dahai's face was as solemn as ice, and he said in a deep voice: "Don't pay attention to it. They will send troops to attack the village anyway. Besides, the geographical location of this village is not conducive to the deployment of troops. This is our chance to defend the village."
Although the Han army's artillery and muskets were powerful, it was impossible for the two armies to use artillery and muskets all the time when they were attacking cities and strongholds. They would eventually have to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
After all, this is not the future where drones carry out massacres and infantry come out to clean up the battlefield.
Afterwards, as the two armies came into close combat, it was just as Man Dahai had said, the Han and Korean soldiers were inferior in actual combat capabilities when facing the elite soldiers of the Eight Banners.
Seeing the Han army's formation approaching, Man Dahai was repelled by his eight banners.
Mu Sheng was holding a monocular telescope below, looking at the mountain village, his brows gradually furrowed.
Deputy General Wei Tong whispered, "Sir, our army is not as strong as the Jurchens."
Mu Sheng's frown gradually relaxed and he said, "Let's try attacking first. We have many soldiers and horses, so we are not afraid of casualties."
Wei Tong responded softly, "Yes."
(End of this chapter)