"Liu Yan, after passing this depression, you will see Lingshan Acropolis in front of you. When you meet Master Li, you must be careful with your words and do as I say."
At this time, an army of more than 2,000 people was marching north. Liu Yan wore armor and rode on horseback, following the defender Zhang Hailin. Zhang Hailin was seen riding on his horse, pointing at the big city in front of him with his riding whip. Liu Yan explained solemnly.
After listening to Zhang Hailin's words, Liu Yan hurriedly said: "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely follow your instructions, say what you should say, and won't say a word what you shouldn't.
Zhang Hailin nodded with satisfaction. Liu Yan was quite knowledgeable and brave, which further strengthened his idea of making Liu Yan his confidant. He looked up at the Lingshan Acropolis not far away with great ambition. Looking at the majestic figure of the castle, he was fascinated.
After meeting with the defense officer Zhang Hailin at the Thousand Households in front of Xiahe Village, Zhang Hailin was suppressed by Liu Yan's armored army of thousands of people. He could not suppress the ecstasy in his heart. Zhang Hailin knew in his heart: no matter whether he would encounter any enemies when he sent out troops this time, The Qing army could get a lot of bonus points in front of the conduct officer Li Jiwen.
So Zhang Hailin couldn't wait to lead Liu Yan's troops and set off for Lingshan Acropolis.
This time, in addition to the elite Dunjun army with six posts of nearly a thousand men led by Liu Yan, there were also 300 troops led by Song Gongming, the inspector of the Ancient Town Inspection Department, including fifty servants. It can be seen that Song Gongming also spent a lot of money. I just don’t know whether Song Gongming did it for meritorious service or to save his life when he encountered Qing soldiers.
In addition, the defense officer Zhang Hailin also pulled out more than a thousand soldiers and horses, but most of these soldiers were "beggar soldiers". Not only did they have no armor and firearms, but their uniforms and weapons were also very worn, and they were just fill-in. .
Only the 150 servants led by Dai Jingbin from 100 households were the absolute main force in Zhang Hailin's hands.
Soon, the army passed through this depression and walked another twenty miles northeast. Soon they arrived at a place called Zhenhai Bridge outside the west gate of Lingshan Acropolis. The Zhenhai Bridge is not far from the west gate. According to legend, it was built by Chen Hao, a guard from Lingshan during the Wanli period. One mile further and we reach the foot of the Acropolis.
The current Lingshan Acropolis is located in Jiaonan County in later generations. The Lingshan Acropolis was built in the 31st year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Wei Guogong Xu Huizu to inspect the Shandong coast and supervise the construction of three guards and two so as to prevent Japanese pirates. He commanded Zhu Xing to build the Lingshan Acropolis. The city is seven miles in circumference. The city wall is two feet five feet high and one foot two five feet thick. There are four gates in the east, west, south and north. The moat is two feet five feet deep and two feet wide. In the second year of Yongle, he directed Guo Xing, the minister of military affairs, to expand the Lingshan Acropolis. After the expansion, the perimeter of the Lingshan Acropolis was five miles, the city walls were covered with green bricks, and gate towers were built above the four city gates. During the Hongzhi period, large-scale repairs were carried out on the city wall. This was also the third repair.
After the establishment of Lingshan Acropolis, it had a very large area of jurisdiction. There were three thousand-household offices in front of Xiahezhai, middle thousand-household office, and Jiaozhou guarding thousand-household office. There were 107 forts in the territory, and the land was rich. , is an important grain storage place under the Jimo Camp of Shandong Dusi. In the acropolis, there is the Lingshan Guard Command and Envoy Office, the Lingshan Acropolis Administrative Office, and even a Confucian Temple, which are not even found in Jiaozhou City.
At this time, in front of Liu Yan's eyes was the majestic figure of Lingshan Acropolis. Lingshan Acropolis has an unusual circumference of seven miles, and the city wall is three to five feet high. It is a huge thing, almost twice the size of the Qianhu City in front of Xiahe Village.
Zhang Hailin sat firmly on the horse. When he spoke to Liu Yan, he was full of cordiality. Perhaps it was because Liu Yan had made great achievements before, or perhaps because he had to rely on Liu Yan's troops this time.
The troops and horses from the Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village were huge when they came out. However, all the troops and horses were carefully on guard as they came along, as if they were facing a formidable enemy, fearing that a few Qing soldiers and horses might escape somewhere.
Only Liu Yan knew that there could be no Qing troops in the Lingshan Guard territory at this time. Even if the Qing soldiers were all humanoid Gundams, they would not be able to appear in an organized form at the Lingshan Guards at this time, so he looked quite relaxed and leisurely.
At this time, the soldiers and horses of Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village had to reorganize ten miles outside Lingshan Acropolis before they could enter the city one by one.
Liu Yan took this opportunity to observe the servants under Zhang Hailin's command, and saw that the equipment of those servants was better than that of Wangjiazhuang's Dunjun. The one hundred and fifty servants were all wearing armor, and they were also rare mountain armor.
However, Liu Yan estimated that the individual combat power of those servants was probably only the level of an ordinary Dunjun army in Wangjiazhuang. If they fought in a formation, the combat effectiveness of Zhang Hailin's 150 servants was only equivalent to that of an ordinary Dunjun army in Shunxiang army. level, even worse.
Of course, according to the common concept among the Ming army at this time, whichever general has a large number of servants under his command is considered an elite army. When Liu Yan came out this time, there was no servant around him, so he looked very shabby in the eyes of Zhang Hailin, Dai Jingbin and others.
But these are just trivial details. Zhang Hailin's eyes have been attracted by the Lingshan Acropolis in front of him.
When Zhang Hailin came to Lingshan Acropolis in the past, he always looked up at the castle. Today, for the first time, he looked at the city with the attitude of a master. This time, with Liu Yan's troops at his side, he must be able to see the city in the near future. , you will become the master of this castle.
Liu Yan followed his gaze and carefully looked at the Lingshan Acropolis. According to the historical data Liu Yan knew, the entire Lingshan Acropolis was covered with bricks during the Wanli period. There were more than 2,000 officers and soldiers inside. Looking at the Dunjun patrolling at the top of the city, There are also densely packed artillery, which is double the number of Qianhusuo in front of Xiahe Village.
However, in Liu Yan's view, no matter how strong the city is, it will be in vain if the defenders do not have the courage to fight.
The army regrouped for a while, and Wang Wenzhen and Jia Hongyu, who came with the army, also came over and chatted with Liu Yan for a while. This time, the two of them brought a total of one hundred servants, hoping to follow Liu Yan to gain military glory. Liu Yan asked the two of them to follow the army and not to act alone, so as not to encounter Qing soldiers when they were alone.
Soon the army continued to march, and the group continued to go north from Zhenhai Bridge. Soon, they arrived outside the west gate of Lingshan Acropolis.
Lingshan Acropolis has three gates, the east gate is called Dehua Gate, the south gate is called Yingen Gate, and the west gate is called Zhenhai Gate. There is also a deep moat outside each gate and the city wall.
At this time, outside the Zhenhai Gate, Hu Zongming, the commander of the Acropolis, greeted Zhang Hailin, Liu Yan and his troops outside the city gate.
Hu Zongming is a middle-aged man in his thirties. He is tall and thin. He is wearing a third-grade military attache uniform and looks very energetic. He always has a faint smile on his face. Liu Yan's first instinct was that this was a very deep man, the kind of person whose emotions and anger were invisible, and you couldn't guess what he was thinking in his heart.
Liu Yan once heard Zhang Hailin introduce the scenery of the Acropolis. This Hu Zongming was the most trusted confidant of Lord Li Jiwen. He was the secretary of the Acropolis and was in charge of all the affairs of the camp and the military affairs of the Acropolis. Ma can be regarded as Li Jiwen's direct descendant.
At this time, Lingshan Guard had one commanding officer, namely the conduct officer Li Jiwen, as well as one commanding officer, one commanding officer, one experienced officer, one professor, two town governors, and thousands of people from the three departments on the left and front. A household has three members, a hundred households has twenty members.
Among the several commanders of Lingshan Guard, Zhang Hailin regarded Hu Zongming as the biggest obstacle on his way to promotion. Because of this, Liu Yan was keenly aware that as soon as Zhang Hailin and Hu Zongming met, there was an inexplicable undercurrent between the two. However, on the surface, the two were as good as buddies wearing a pair of pants, patting each other. Shoulders laughed.
Hu Zongming laughed and said: "Master Zhang, you are so late. The men and horses guarding Qianhu Station in Jiaozhou arrived the night before yesterday. Hu has been waiting here for a long time on the orders of Master Zhang."
Zhang Hailin also smiled and said: "The place is not peaceful and the slaves are running rampant. I have to be careful, so I walk slower on the road."
Hu Zongming also sighed and said: "The slaves and thieves are powerful, and there is nothing we can do. I haven't seen any slaves coming in the past few days. It seems that they have not continued southward, which is a blessing."
He looked at Liu Yan with bright eyes: "Is this Liu Baihu under Lord Zhang?"
Liu Yan stepped forward and knelt down to Hu Zongming and saluted: "Liu Yan, the official of the Hundred Households Office of the Thousand Households in front of Xiahe Village of Lingshan Guards, has met Mr. Hu, the commander and the commander."
Hu Zongming helped Liu Yan up with his strong hands. He looked up and down and sighed: "What a good man. Why don't I have a strong general like Liu Baihu under my command?"
Zhang Hailin showed a proud look on his face, and Liu Yan said loudly: "My subordinates are what they are today, thanks to the promotion of Master Defender. From now on, they should follow Master Defender, make new achievements and serve the country!"
There was a look of surprise on Hu Zongming's face. At first, he saw Liu Yan's tall figure and thought he was just a brave warrior who dared to kill and fight. However, now that he spoke well and behaved calmly, he was obviously not a simple person.
Hu Zongming gave Zhang Hailin a meaningful look, then looked at the thousands of armored troops behind Liu Yan, and couldn't help but exclaimed: "What a good soldier! There are such elite soldiers in the Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village!"
Zhang Hailin laughed loudly and said to Hu Zongming: "Master Hu, it's better to go to the city, so as not to keep Master Chengshou waiting for a long time."
Hu Zongming smiled and said: "Master Zhang, please."
A group of people entered the Lingshan Acropolis from Zhenhai Gate. The Lingshan Acropolis was built with east-west, north-south cross streets. The streets and lanes were laid out in a "well" shape, with the cross street in the center and a bell attic. In the city, there is the Lingshan Guard Command and Envoy Office, and the Lingshan Guard City Conduct Office.
There are also buildings in the city such as the Almshouse, Xingxingcang, Beihuangcang, Grassland, Ordnance Bureau, and Pharmacy. Outside the south gate, there is another martial arts hall. Eight miles east of the city, there is a post office named "Hongzi Nuanpu". Twenty miles east of the city, there is a "Zuanzi Nuanpu". Thirty miles east of the city, there is a "Qi Zi Nuanpu". One hundred and forty miles southwest of the city, there is also a deep well station. Inside the west gate, there is a pony station responsible for postal transportation with various places.
Like all the military fortresses of the Ming Dynasty, there are also many temples in the Lingshan Acropolis. According to historical records, there are a total of thirty-nine temples inside and outside the acropolis.
At the same time, there are many shops and workshops in the acropolis. According to historical records of the Ming Dynasty, during the Wanli period, there were 150 official households, 1,019 military households, and 1,813 rural households in Lingshan Guard. There are five commanding officers who are appointed or actual professors, and eight commanding officers. There are also Confucian professors, instructors, and officials of all sizes in the acropolis.
A considerable part of such a large population lived within the Acropolis. The wide demand led to the prosperity of commerce in the city.
However, like other cities, due to the invasion of Qing troops, there were very few people walking on the street at this time, and the scene was depressing.
Soon, Liu Yan and other generals settled their soldiers and horses in the barracks in the city, and then followed Zhang Hailin to the front gate of the Lingshan Guard Commander's Office. Here, a tall square watch was erected with the three characters of Lingshan Guard.
The Lingshan Acropolis Conduct Officer Office is located in the Lingshan Guard Command Department. This is the case for the Ming Dynasty defense posts. After the self-defense station and the battalion system were combined into one, the commander of each acropolis basically served as the local conduct officer and the commander of each guard. The envoy office is also divided into two parts. When discussing local ethics and defense matters, one goes to the officer's office, while when discussing matters regarding the garrison, one goes to the command and envoy office hall.
At the door, Liu Yan met many officials of Lingshan Guard. Zhang Hailin also helped Liu Yan introduce several generals, most of whom were the commanders of the guard city, Qianhu and other figures. When he met Liu Yan, all of them were With smiles on their faces, at least on the surface, they were very affectionate towards Liu Yan and looked very impressed. After all, Liu Yan's military training and bandit suppression has been spread among Lingshan Guards, and he is still very famous.
After greetings, Hu Zongming welcomed Zhang Hailin, Liu Yan, Wang Wenzhen, Dai Jingbin and others into the Lingshan Guard Commander's Office. When everyone entered the meeting hall, Liu Yan saw a skinny man standing under the eaves. Wearing the uniform of a third-grade guard commander, he was looking at the officers and generals who came in with gentle eyes.
Liu Yan thought to himself: "This person must be Li Jiwen, the leader of Lingshan Guard."
Li Jiwen asked everyone to sit down. He first emphasized the seriousness of the Qing troops entering the invaders, and then talked about the situation of the soldiers and horses brought by everyone. After all, this is the most important thing.
After Li Jiwen's introduction, Liu Yan got to know some generals from the other two Qianhu Stations. Among them, the one that caught Liu Yan's attention the most was Tang Jingming, the Qianhu Guards Officer of the Jiaozhou Qianhu Station. This man was a five-year-old. Although the man in his teens is a bit older, he has a strong body and a pair of shrewd eyes, giving him a sinister feel.
The other one is the Qianhu Defense Officer at Zhongqianhu Station, named Ji Xianhai. A Qianhu Officer who is only thirty years old, he is smiling and cheerful with everyone around him.
Then Li Jiwen took everyone to the military camp in the city and inspected the troops and horses of each department.
The result is self-evident. Whether it is the Jiaozhou Guard Qianhu Station or the Zhongqianhu Station, most of the soldiers and horses assembled look like beggars. Those who can march in formation without breaking up are considered elite soldiers. .
Only Zhang Hailin and other Qianhu, as well as Lingshan Guard Officer and other generals' servants are very elite, but their number is very small. There are hundreds of people and only a few. If they really go to the battlefield and face the Qing soldiers The attack has no big effect at all.
But then Li Jiwen noticed Liu Yan's troops. The six-posted armored army immediately aroused everyone's surprise. Nearly a thousand powerful soldiers stood in the army, standing out from the crowd.
Liu Yan was immediately called to him by the conduct officer, who praised him very much, making the generals around him very jealous.
Some people died, but not completely...
