On the second day of May, more than 250,000 soldiers of the Ming Army had just left Shanhaiguan and were stationed at Gaolingyi under the jurisdiction of Guangning Zhongqian, preparing to rest for a day before continuing to Ningyuan City.
Liu Yan's troops were stationed twelve miles north of Gaolingyi, near a river called Beiling River. This was a small river. In the hot climate at this time, there was not much water left in the river, and even the soldiers of the army You can walk across the water to the north shore.
However, the soldiers of each battalion of the New Army are considered to be close to a water source and do not need to worry about water.
That night, all the camps of the New Army were quiet. Only groups of soldiers on night duty passed by from time to time, and there were open and hidden sentries at key locations such as the camp gate to keep watch.
Suddenly, a group of men in short-sleeved horses rushed into the main camp of the New Army Guards Camp. These people were one man and two horses, and they also carried strong bows and swords. They were all tough men, and the leader was Wu Guojin, who had been deep into Liaodong for many days, and the rest of the people were the elite of the Intelligence Department investigating Cao, including Wang Yang, the person in charge of investigating Cao.
Not long after, in the Chinese army's tent, Wu Guojin was holding a water bag and drinking. The large water bag deflated quickly. Upon seeing this, Liu Yan handed over another one, and Wu Guojin filled it with water. Hiccup chuckled, then raised his head and drank again. After drinking half of it, he wiped his mouth with satisfaction and let out a sigh of relief.
"In this damn weather, my subordinates and all my brothers have been without water or food for a whole day and a night in order to rush on the road. They almost died of heat and thirst!"
"Are you exhausted during this time? I have already asked people to prepare meals. You and the brothers will finish eating in a while. Take the time to go back and rest."
Wu Guojin clasped his fists and thanked him, and then said: "My lord, I don't know. I am really tired from waiting for this period of time. After my subordinates and a group of brothers left Shanhaiguan, they went all the way north and rushed to Jinzhou to investigate the movements of slaves and thieves. But when we arrived around Jinzhou, we discovered that Jinzhou was already surrounded by soldiers and horses of slave thieves, and my subordinates could not get too close."
Liu Yan frowned slightly and asked, "What's the situation in Jinzhou now? Can you find out any specific information?"
"Some news: my subordinates led people to arrest two slave bandit scouts. After interrogation, they learned that the slave bandits dug trenches outside Jinzhou City in an attempt to isolate Jinzhou from the outside world. Fortunately, the defenders in the city were quite capable. , several attacks have achieved some results, but now the slave thieves’ plot has not succeeded yet.”
"The situation in Jinzhou is generally critical now. I can no longer see the night-time activities of the defenders on the outskirts of Jinzhou. There are slave scouts and small groups of soldiers everywhere. It can be seen that the defenders are already somewhat overwhelmed. .”
Liu Yan nodded. It seemed that the Qing army had basically completed the encirclement of Jinzhou City. Now they were waiting for the Ming army's reinforcements to arrive before they could encircle the city for reinforcements. Moreover, Liu Yan counted the time and found that the Qing army besieged Jinzhou slightly earlier than in history. I wonder how many troops the Qing army mobilized this time?
"Any other information?"
Wu Guojin said: "Sir, seeing that there was nothing done in the Jinzhou area, my subordinates took the brothers and went deep into various places in Liaodong, especially around Shenyang and Liaoyang, hoping to find out what was happening behind the slave thieves. This trip was really a huge gain! "
Liu Yan said in surprise: "Now people all over Liaodong are being forced to shave their heads by slave thieves. How did you get in?"
Wu Guojin said with a wry smile: "We spend most of the day and night, walking in inaccessible wilderness every day. Whenever we see people, we avoid them. We haven't had a hot meal in such a long time. It's a disaster." It’s an old sin!”
"It's really embarrassing for you."
Liu Yan could imagine the difficulty of inquiring about information in enemy territory. Wu Guojin was able to lead people to inquire about information and then escape unscathed. It was already extraordinary. It can be seen that Wu Guojin was indeed a talent, and the Ming Dynasty's Jinyiwei was indeed well-deserved and full of talents.
It's just that in today's world, talented people will never be able to get ahead, otherwise the Ming Dynasty would not have fallen to where it is now!
Liu Yan sighed in his heart, and then asked: "Tell me, what have you gained from this trip?"
"Sir, the slave thieves can be said to be well prepared now!"
Wu Guojin said solemnly: "Around Shenyang and Liaoyang, slave thieves have built a large number of workshops. Most of the craftsmen robbed from the pass and local craftsmen in Liaodong were concentrated outside Liaoyang and Shenyang cities. Now Shenyang and Liaoyang cities A large number of workshops built outside are all for making weapons, and a large part of them are workshops specializing in making firearms and casting artillery!"
Liu Yan was shocked and asked: "Is the news accurate?"
"precise!"
Wu Guojin said: "My subordinates and others met several escaped craftsmen. The slave thieves have never seen how serious the exploitation of these craftsmen was. They had to work for at least eight hours a day. Not only were they not paid, but beatings and scoldings were common. .If someone makes a firearm that is not up to standard, the whole family will be executed in public by slaves and thieves.”
"Those craftsmen couldn't stand the oppression, so they risked their lives to escape. But then they were caught up by the slave cavalry, and all the young ones were killed. Only two craftsmen survived. They were chopped and thrown on the roadside. When I met them next time, I still breathed a sigh of relief."
Liu Yan frowned and said, "It seems that the slave thieves were frightened by our firearms, so they also started to develop firearms."
Historically, the Qing army did not use cavalry and archery to conquer the world, but used firearms and armored infantry, supplemented by cavalry, to conquer various places.
Now, because of Liu Yan's appearance, the Qing army's emphasis on firearms has accelerated, which can be considered bad news.
In Liu Yan's view, even if the firearms of the Qing army were probably not as powerful and ranged as those of the new army in Qinglai Town due to quality reasons, technical reasons, or gunpowder reasons, the elephants would be killed by too many ants!
The Manchu Qing Dynasty was still a political power. No matter how powerful Liu Yan was, he was just a military town of the Ming Dynasty. With the strength of an army against the national strength of a country, he could not win no matter how he looked at it.
"So, we must directly destroy the Qing Army's firearms army when it has just started!"
Liu Yan thought in his mind, and then said: "You should sort out the information about Shenyang and Liaoyang immediately. This matter is of great importance. I have to go to see Governor Hong overnight and cannot delay."
"yes!"
Late at night, Liu Yan hurried to the Du Biao camp with a team of guards. He saw Hong Chengchou in the Chinese army tent and immediately took out the compiled intelligence.
Seeing Liu Yan's visit late at night, Hong Chengchou felt that something was important in his mind. He hurriedly unfolded the intelligence and read it. After reading it, his expression was extremely solemn and he asked: "General Liu, during the Battle of Jinan, I had a detailed understanding of the battle. The governor remembers that there were organized firearms soldiers in the slave bandit army at that time. In General Liu’s opinion, what is the combat effectiveness of the slave bandits’ firearms force?”
Liu Yan said frankly: "The firearms soldiers of the slave thieves were already well-trained. They were commanded by the traitor Shang Kexi, and they were equipped with well-equipped firecrackers. If Shang Kexi's troops encountered ordinary soldiers and horses of our army, they should It’s a sure win!” m.
"Besides, this time the slave thieves used the power of a country to build firearms. This shows that the slave chief is very determined. The governor must be on guard and must take countermeasures early!"
The worry on Hong Chengchou's eyebrows became more intense, and he said: "This information is not trivial. The slave thieves have suffered heavy losses at the hands of General Liu several times. They must be expanding their firearms force. It seems that the variables in the Battle of Jinzhou have increased again." .”
"The slave thieves already have the advantage of cavalry and armor, and they win more than they lose in field battles. Now with the addition of firearms, the slave thieves will definitely become more powerful. I am worried that this battle will be worrying!"
Then Hong Chengchou asked: "General Liu is a famous general who uses firearms. In General Liu's opinion, what are the strategies to defeat the enemy in this battle?"
Liu Yan pondered for a long time and said: "There is no other way. We can only use firearms against firearms to see which side's battle formation is stronger and which side's soldiers and horses are more tenacious! Other than that, there is no other way."
Hong Chengchou took a breath and obviously understood the meaning of this sentence. Firearms shooting is different from bow and arrow shooting. Amidst the huge roar and thick smoke, all firearms soldiers have to endure artillery fire and musketry belts. The forbearance and courage that ordinary people don't have.
At this time, Hong Chengchou could even imagine that on the smoke-filled battlefield, the two armies were fighting each other. Countless muskets and artillery were firing at each other. The dense lead bullets and artillery shells penetrated the battle formations of both sides. Countless soldiers became The mutilated corpses lost their breath amid the roar and screams.
Just thinking about such a scene is enough to make people shudder. Even Hong Chengchou, who has been on the battlefield for a long time, can't help but shudder at this time.
"If this is the case, our army's chances of victory in this battle will become even less obvious!"
At this time, Hong Chengchou had long lost the confidence to send troops, and felt a little faint in his heart, so he sat down and began to think about countermeasures, and unknowingly fell into deep thought.
Liu Yan looked at Hong Chengchou, who was frowning, and felt heavy in his heart. At this time, the Battle of Songjin broke out much earlier than in history. In addition, the Qing army made a lot of firearms, and its troops would definitely be stronger by then. This battle The outcome is really unpredictable.
So Liu Yan was not prepared to hide his secrets, and said directly: "My lord, the general thought that we could ask the officers and men in each department to prepare sacks. When they arrive on the battlefield, they can use sacks to fill up with soil and place them in front of the army. This can effectively prevent slave thieves." The artillery bombardment can also play a certain role in the shooting of firecrackers."
"In addition, we need to ask the officers and soldiers of each department to prepare more shields and shield carts. If possible, we should also prepare more sophisticated firearms. The governor can ask the Ministry of War to urgently transport a large number of firearms to temporarily equip the officers and soldiers of each department."
Hong Chengchou nodded in agreement and said: "I will make a memorial overnight and send a horse to the capital. Please ask the Ministry of War to immediately raise firearms, shields and other equipment and transport them to Jinzhou City as soon as possible."
"As for the suggestions made by General Liu, tomorrow the Japanese Governor will convene the generals and the army to discuss the matter and report it to the general officers of each department."
Some people died, but not completely...
