The Emperor Taiji was sitting on the dragon chair, and his sharp eyes swept over the ministers in the room. Everyone stood up and stood in awe, lowering their heads and not daring to make a sound.
Huang Taiji's eyes first glanced at the head of Jierhalang, the leader of the Blue Banner. It was Jierhalang who fought in the battle of Jinzhou, and said: "Prince Zheng, please tell me about the situation of the battle in Jinzhou for all your ministers."
As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Taiji suddenly coughed several times. He was so fat and had what later generations would call high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia. At this time, he led his troops to the front line. He was already overworked and suffered from old diseases. He also started to have troubles and his health became worse and worse.
Dorgon and Duoduo both raised their heads slightly, and then quickly lowered their heads. Ji'erharang glanced at Huang Taiji worriedly, and then said respectfully: "I respect your order."
"My dear ministers, for this Jinzhou campaign, including the eight banners of the Manchus, Mongols, and Han, as well as the Mongolian and Korean soldiers and horses from the outer vassals, our Qing Dynasty dispatched a total of 250,000 warriors, including 120,000 Aha servants. The rest are all armored soldiers and unarmored bannermen of various banners, totaling more than 130,000 people."
"Now that Jinzhou is under siege, our army has built nine camps around the city, dug three long trenches outside Jinzhou City, and deployed a large number of soldiers and horses, mainly the first part of the red flag of the Prince of Anping County, and Shuo Xiongli The prince is leading one of the red flags, as well as some armored soldiers from the other flags."
"The warriors responsible for the siege outside Jinzhou City include more than 32,000 people from various banners, including 12,000 armored soldiers and more than 20,000 Aha servants."
"Jinzhou City is said to have more than 20,000 defenders, but most of them are defenders from the original forts in Jinzhou. The only Ming army that can really fight is Zu Dashou's servants and his own troops, with a strength of about 5,000. "
Everyone fell into deep thought after hearing this, and had no objections to Jierhalang's deployment.
Prince Zheng Jierhalang continued: "Currently our troops are in Rufeng Mountain, Huangtu Ridge to the east of Songshan Fort, Songshan in the southeast, as well as Shimen Mountain, Shijialing, Zijing Mountain, Mopan Mountain, Jinchang Fort, Shahe There are garrisons everywhere in the fort and Dasheng Fort. The garrison troops include the Eight Banners Manchuria Zhenghuang Banner, Xianghuang Banner, Zhengbai Banner, Xiangbai Banner, Zhenglan Banner, and part of Xianglan Banner, as well as most of the Eight Banners Mongolian and Eight Banners Han troops. , as well as the Mongolian and Goryeo armies of the outer vassals, with a total of more than 110,000 bannermen, including more than 58,000 armored soldiers, and about 50,000 handymen Aha. These are the main forces facing the Ming army head-on."
"The remaining bannermen are 110,000, including more than 50,000 armored soldiers and nearly 60,000 Aha servants. They are stationed in the Baimiaobao area, setting up defenses along the Nuer River, and are used to attack Xingshan and cut off the Ming army's food route."
"However, according to the reports from the sentries, the Ming army carried out large-scale construction in Wudaoling, Hongluo Mountain and other places, and stationed a large number of soldiers and horses. It seems that Hong Chengchou protected the back road very strictly. Our army wants to successfully cut off the Ming army's back road. I’m afraid it’s not that easy.”
At this time, everyone started talking quietly, and Huang Taiji also frowned slightly.
Jierhalang continued: "Hong Chengchou has always been careful. The reinforcements sent by the Ming Dynasty this time are also elite, including tens of thousands of new troops under Liu Yan's command. Previous tests by our army in Songshan Fort and other places also confirmed that the Ming Dynasty The army's combat power is very strong, so our army must be careful in dealing with this battle and must not take it lightly."
After listening to Jierhalang's words, all the slave chiefs present had worries written on their faces. This battle will not be easy to fight.
In order to win the Battle of Jinzhou, Huang Taiji almost emptied the entire Qing Dynasty's family fortune. If anything went wrong in this battle, the foundation of the Qing Dynasty would be completely destroyed!
According to the establishment of the Eight Banners, Niulu is the basic organizational unit, and there is one Niulu for every 200 to 300 people. After the father dies, the son succeeds, and when the brother dies, the younger brother succeeds. Generally speaking, there are several people in a household, and the number of males varies, sometimes two or three, sometimes five or six. Therefore, the population of a Niulu family in the Manchu Qing Dynasty is two to three hundred, usually between one thousand and one. The population ranges from 2,000 to 2,000.
In the Qing Dynasty, soldiers who served as soldiers were called flag soldiers, and they were divided into armored flag soldiers and unarmored soldiers. Those who are not serving as soldiers temporarily are called "Yuding" or "Idle". They can also go to war. As a kind of slave, their status is higher than those of slave Aha.
The two or three hundred men in each Niulu are soldiers. Whether they can wear armor depends on their own abilities. However, men in the Qing Dynasty had to take exams every three years starting from the age of ten. If they met the standard, they would become guardsmen, that is, infantrymen, with military pay and armor. Later, they would be assessed to vests, bagaras, etc. As long as they performed well, they would be promoted to different levels. promotion.
In each Niulu, the proportion of armored soldiers is still very high. After all, as bannermen, they have been tested since they were ten years old. They are not allowed to wear armor until they are sixteen, eighteen, and twenty years old. With the martial atmosphere of the Qing Dynasty at this time , there is no way out for such people, so most of the bannermen are very "curly".
It's just that in this Jinzhou War, Huang Taiji pulled almost all the bannermen from all banners to participate in the war. There were also a large number of Han Chinese and other slaves plundered over the years to follow, and the young men in the country were almost wiped out. If this battle is lost, everyone, including Huang Taiji, knows what the result will be.
At this time, Huang Taiji nodded with satisfaction. Jierhalang was cautious in his behavior. There were no flaws in the various arrangements outside Jinzhou City. After inspecting various places in Rufeng Mountain, he could not find any faults, so he said: "Prince Zheng has personally experienced the battle formation." I am very satisfied with this arrangement."
Then Huang Taiji said to everyone: "Everyone, please tell me how we, the Qing Dynasty, will fight after the more than 200,000 Ming troops led by Hong Chengchou arrive."
The eldest son of Huang Taiji, Prince Su Hauge, was fierce and fierce. He always looked down on the Ming army. He said: "Your Majesty, it doesn't matter if the reinforcements of the Nanmanzi are elite this time. Under the impact of my Qing cavalry, they will come. A million-strong army was defeated in the end!"
Seeing Hauge's arrogant look, Jierhalang just smiled but said nothing, naturally he didn't want to cause trouble.
Ji'erharang didn't speak, but Huang Taiji's face darkened and he shouted: "This time the Ming army is coming with a different ferocity than in the past, and there are new troops under Liu Yan in the army, so we must not underestimate it. This battle is of great concern to us. For thousands of years, if you dare to fight and lose troops and generals, I will definitely punish you severely!"
Upon seeing this, Hauge hurriedly apologized, but his eyes still flickered with dissatisfaction.
Huang Taiji doted on his eldest son Hauge very much. After he came to the throne, he killed his brothers Amin and Mang Gurtai one after another, and continued to suppress the leaders of various banners, all in order to pave the way for Hauge. At this time, Huang Taiji looked at Hauge's expression and couldn't help but frown, secretly calling his son when he could be more stable.
At this time, Azige, the king of Wuying County, also expressed his support for Hauge. He also looked down upon the Ming army. Azig has the same rough temper as Haug. Although he is a good fighter, he knows nothing about political power. Under Haug's constant overtures, he abandoned his brothers Dorgon and Duduo and instead joined Huang Taiji and Hao. Ge and his son suppressed Dorgon and Duduo several times.
When Huang Taiji saw these two reckless men speaking one after another, he could only sigh in his heart.
Fortunately, Minister Ying'erdai came out at this time and said: "Your Majesty, I think Prince Zheng is right, and we need to be cautious in the battle of Jinzhou. The Ming army dispatched more than 200,000 elite troops in this battle, which is extraordinary. Our army is absolutely You can't fight quickly, otherwise what will you do if you lose? So this slave thinks that our army can fight around Songshan, defend step by step along the dangerous mountains, and gradually wear down the vigor of the Ming army. When they are exhausted, our army can defeat their front. Rui, bury all the Ming army here!"
Huang Taiji nodded in agreement. Ying Erdai was very talented and had always been valued by him. She was especially good at financial management and diplomacy. Her several missions to North Korea had achieved satisfactory results, allowing him to have no worries and be able to deal with the Ming Dynasty with all his strength.
The reason why North Korea was able to send 10,000 troops this time and also supply a large amount of food and fodder was not only fearful of the might of the Qing army, but also due to Ying Erdai's hard work.
Now Ying'erdai is in charge of the Ministry of Household Affairs of the Qing Dynasty, and also serves as the prime minister of the army in the Second World War. His status is very important, and his suggestions are in line with Huang Taiji's wishes, so Huang Taiji praised: "He Ta La Cheng Those who are diligent in their duties should set an example for all ministers."
Then Huang Taiji looked at Daishan, the leader of the red flag.
Although Daishan has retreated behind the scenes for many years, he has led the army to conquer the world for thirty years. He is the oldest and has the highest status among the princes of the Eight Banners, including Shuotuo, Wakda, Adali, Luoluohun, and Mandahai. A large number of children and grandchildren who have been granted the title of king and duke are so powerful that they are also known as the Great Baylor.
Therefore, although Huang Taiji repeatedly suppressed Daishan, and Daishan also showed a very respectful attitude, Huang Taiji was still very wary of him and felt very uneasy.
"Prince Heshuo, Brother Li, also told me how our army will fight in this battle."
Daishan stood up and coughed. He didn't know whether he was pretending to be old on purpose or if he was just like that. He said, "There is no problem with Prince Zheng's military strategy. One of our Eight Banners troops lives in Rufeng Mountain, one in Huangtu Ridge, and one in Mao." Jiagou is like a pair of big pliers, clamping down on the Ming army's way to Jinzhou, preventing them from rescuing."
"There are many trenches and stone walls in each mountain. The dangerous fortifications will definitely consume a lot of the Ming army. There is also the Baimiaoba army. In the future, when the Ming army is discouraged, they can cross the Nvnu River and attack Xingshan again to cut off The Ming army's food route laid a foundation that will never be revealed by the emperor."
Huang Taiji nodded noncommittally, and then looked at Dorgon with a complicated expression.
Huang Taiji had already used the failure of the Battle of Jinan to demote Prince Dorgon Yourui to the county prince, and found an excuse to demote Prince Duduo Yuyu to Baylor. Now the two of them are indeed a lot more honest, but Huang Taiji is still He dared not relax and was always on guard against Dorgon and Duduo.
"Prince Rui, please tell me."
Dorgon said respectfully: "Yes, Your Majesty."
"This servant agrees with his opinion of Tala Chengzheng. The Ming army is powerful and it is right to avoid its sharp edge and use dangerous mountain fortifications to drain its energy."
Duduo then said: "I also second my opinion. With His Majesty in charge, our Qing warriors will definitely defeat the Ming army and wipe out the more than 200,000 elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty!"
The rest of the people also spoke one after another, and basically all agreed.
Huang Taiji listened indifferently, and was thinking quickly in his mind. At this moment, Baya Lazhang Jingtulai, who was carrying the yellow flag, hurried in and reported that the reinforcements of the Ming army had arrived and were converging at Songshan Fort in a steady stream.
Everyone in the room suddenly became commotion.
Huang Taiji snorted coldly and said, "Now that Hong Chengchou is here, let's go watch his military formation and make plans later!"
Then Huang Taiji's Luan Jia moved to the mountain city, and Dorgon, Duoduo, Hauge and others also came here. Everyone stood on the city wall and had an unobstructed view of Songshan and Xingshan in the distance.
Under the scorching sun, everyone could even see the steam rising from the ground, which made everyone's vision somewhat distorted. At this time, everyone raised their eyes and looked south, and saw an endless sea of people, slowly moving towards the north.
The uniforms and flags of the Ming army were all red. The more than 200,000 troops passing through the hilly areas of Songshan looked like an endless red ocean. The red waves were marching forward bravely. It was spectacular from a distance!
When Huang Taiji and others saw that the Ming army had such a military appearance, they all took a breath of cold air. Scouts from all banners had reported that the Ming army was extremely powerful, but everyone just listened. Their impression of the Ming army was still that it was about to collapse. , afraid of fighting and unable to move forward. But at this time, when everyone saw with their own eyes the appearance of the Ming army that came to the aid, they really felt a chill. Is this still the Ming army in everyone's impression?
At this time, even the most arrogant Hauge and Azig were stunned. They had never seen such a powerful Ming army. They didn't know whether it was because of anger or fear, but their faces were a little tangled.
At this time, all parts of the Ming army marched together, and soldiers and horses from all towns came in formations. Countless large and small battle formations were very spectacular, with cavalry in front, infantry behind, endless red armor, endless spears, firecrackers, and flags. Mi Mi, the army is really like a sea, and it seems to reach the end of the sky.
The sound of the war drums in the Ming army's formation also shook the hearts of Huang Taiji and others, as if every hammer hit everyone's hearts.
Suddenly, Huang Taiji's eyes narrowed and he saw a few large flags standing out among the swaying ocean flags.
As soon as Huang Taiji stretched out his hand, a slave offered him a telescope. Huang Taiji held the telescope and looked at it. The rest of Dorgon, Duduo, Haoge, Jierhalang and others all held telescopes and looked at the Ming army's positions. .
I saw a huge billowing sun and moon flag. In addition to Hong Chengchou's banner, Liu Yan's "Qinglai Town Chief Military Officer, Liu"'s banner was also particularly conspicuous.
Huang Taiji has reviewed the Battle of Julu and the Battle of Jinan many times, and the results are without exception. Even if he personally led the army and faced Liu Yan at the time, it would be difficult to achieve a great victory. The best result would be a tragic victory, and the Eight Banners would be defeated at the cost of it. A tragic victory can only be achieved at the cost of being disabled!
At this time, not only Huang Taiji, but Dorgon, Duoduo and others who saw Liu Yan's banner were also gnashing their teeth with hatred, angry and a little afraid.
Jierhalang, Abatai, Daishan and others also looked serious. Everyone said that Hong Chengchou was good at using troops. Now that all the elites of the Ming army have gathered here, and there are strong troops like Liu Yan on the side, here I'm afraid it won't be easy to fight.
On the same day, Hong Chengchou led the main force of the Ming army to Songshan Fort. He met with the officers and soldiers of Songshan Guards, as well as the Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming and Ningyuan Commander-in-Chief Wu Sangui who had previously supported him. Then the army set up camp around Songshan Fort.
At this time, according to Hong Chengchou's strategic layout when he was in Xingshan, the various ministries of the Ming army stayed between Songshan Fort and Rufeng Mountain. They mainly camped on the east, west and north sides of Songshan Fort, forming a layout surrounding Songshan City.
The new army in Qinglai Town led by Liu Yan had the largest number of troops and the strongest combat power. It was deployed by Hong Chengchou to the north, facing the main force of the Qing army in Rufeng Mountain.
Liu Yan didn't say anything about this and led all the battalions to set up camp.
In the blink of an eye, at dusk, all the Ming army's camps were completed one after another. Around Songshan Fort, the Ming army's camps stretched for more than ten miles, and each battalion was deployed in an orderly manner. Huang Taiji on the mountain city was amazed to see that Hong Chengchou was indeed a master of military affairs. There is a way.
Huang Taiji originally intended to attack the Ming army's camp at night, but at this time he saw that the Ming army's camps had no loopholes and the entire defense was well deployed. There was no chance of victory in a night attack, so he gave up the idea.
At the same time, Hong Chengchou also summoned the chief military officers of each town, together with the supervisor Zhang Ruoqi and the supervisor Ma Shaoyu. Under the protection of the brigade's servants and guards, they went out of camp to climb the Songshan fortress wall to observe the deployment of the Qing army on Rufeng Mountain. .
Some people died, but not completely...
