Chapter 068 A great victory
The 70,000-strong army was defeated in an instant, just for a moment.
Facing the Tatars who had already fled in panic, Chen Cao did not delay. He immediately ordered the cavalry to pursue them, and the infantry to coordinate: "Send the order, we must retreat after we have pursued them for at most thirty miles."
"yes..."
"Congratulations, Uncle... Congratulations, Uncle..." Han Shun saluted Chen Cao with his hands raised.
Most of the commanders of the guards chased them out. Now is a good time to make contributions. Han Shun's Zhenjiang Guards were arranged by Chen Cao as the rear troops, so even chasing them out at this moment would not help.
Chen Cao laughed loudly, and then said: "Commander Han, how does it feel to win the battle?"
Han Shun also smiled and said: "Shu Tan, who can kill Tatars, will be a great source of conversation after returning home."
"The Zhenjiang Guards have not been damaged. Now is not the time to be happy." Chen Cao smiled and returned to normal: "We have severely damaged Eyidu's army. Nurhaci will definitely not underestimate us. It is still extremely difficult to go north to Guangning. , Songjiang Guards suffered heavy losses, and in the following battles, Commander Han will have to rely on you, Zhenjiang Guards, as the vanguard."
Han Shun solemnly handed over his hands: "Don't worry, uncle, as long as the general is still alive, Zhenjiang Guards will never take a step back."
Cleaning the battlefield was very complicated. Chen Cao ordered Song Che to take charge, and then took the people back to the Acropolis to rest. From last night to now, he has not closed his eyes to sleep.
In the residence of the commander of the Acropolis, Zhang Chunyao fell asleep with his arms around him.
I didn't wake up until around 10 o'clock the next day.
As soon as they arrived at the lobby, all the commanders had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Chen Cao walking in, they all stood up and saluted.
Chen Cao sat down and said, "Do you all have a rest?"
"While I slept for a few hours last night, I was a little excited because of the big victory." Weng Linzhi said first.
"Hahaha..." Everyone in the hall burst out laughing.
Chen Cao also smiled, and then stared at Song Che: "Shixiu, how about your gains?"
Song Che was the person in charge, and handed the book for registration to Chen Cao: "Each department has gained a lot, captured more than 30,000 people, killed more than 13,000 in formation, captured 4,000 war horses, and have food, grass and military supplies to be recorded."
"Okay," Chen Cao nodded: "I make the decision, and what each guard gets is his own. There is no need to hand it over."
"Uncle Xie..." Everyone in the hall raised their hands.
This is the most comfortable thing. After killing the enemy, every soldier likes to search for money and materials from the enemy. Some people can collect a hundred taels of silver in one go. This is a more profitable thing than being a soldier.
"Uncle, what should I do with the prisoners?" On large occasions, Song Che would address Chen Cao respectfully: "There are many injured Tatars."
Chen Cao frowned and said: "Our army was defeated in Sarhu. As long as the wounded soldiers were injured, those Tatars would kill them. The enemy is unkind, so we will be unjust. Send an order to cut down all the real Tatars." The head is made into a Jingguan to show to future generations, the ears are cut off, pickled and brought back for reward."
"Yes..." The people in the hall said in unison, cupping their fists.
After speaking, Chen Cao stared at Song Che and said: "To prevent the Liaoyang disaster from happening again, all the captives who have wives and children on the Tatar side will be released."
"Let the tiger return to the mountain?" Song Che frowned.
Chen Cao nodded: "Before letting them go, take them to see the prepared capital and tell them that if they are captured on the battlefield in the future, that will be their fate. The remaining people, as long as their wives, children, and children are all in the Ming Dynasty, all will be accepted , incorporated into each guard, replenished the troops, and reorganized them on the spot. Didn’t the Tatars say that the places in Jinzhou, Fuzhou, and Gaizhou were all vacated? I will report to the court and ask them to make up for their mistakes and reorganize them. In the guardhouse.”
"yes..."
"Uncle, what's the next step for our army?" Lin Guodong asked with his hands raised.
"Liu Aita's army is stationed in Haizhou. If we attack Haizhou urgently, will the Tatars be stimulated and return to the army for rescue?" Pang Zhihuan asked with his hand raised.
After hearing this, Chen Cao shook his head: "Nurhaci is aiming at Guangning this time. According to the Jinyi Guards' report, the Tatars are planning to use the Liao River as the boundary to devour our land in northern Liaoning. The east of the river will belong to their so-called Great Jin Kingdom, and the west of the river will belong to us. Ming Dynasty, but they want Hexi to be undefended."
"No defense?" Han Shun frowned: "The court should not agree to such conditions."
"That's right," Chen Cao nodded: "If the imperial court has no intention of retaking Liaoyang and does not have the strength to protect Guangning, then it can only draw a river as the boundary with the Tatars. Hexi is undefended and is a small area south of Guangning and north of Jinzhou. The river is the boundary," Chen Cao pointed to the map behind him: "But the undefended Hexi that the Tatars want is in front of the entire Shanhaiguan Pass."
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became deserted, and Chen Cao said: "We still have fourteen days. We are all defeated. It has been at least three days since they spread the news. Therefore, after noon today, the entire army broke camp and set off north to Guangning. , we can’t delay, if Nurhachi finds out, they will definitely intercept us halfway, they have 70,000 elite Jurchen cavalry, to be honest, I don’t have the confidence to defeat them."
Even Chen Cao said that he did not have the confidence to defeat his opponent. Everyone in the hall was a little embarrassed. It was the first time for all of them to participate in the Liaodong war.
Chen Cao continued: "Military supplies will set off first. I will order the navy to transport them along the coast. It is said that the Tatar navy is from our Ming Dynasty. Their combat effectiveness should not be as powerful as our navy. It is completely feasible to suppress them."
"Uncle, since the navy can arrive, why didn't we just take the navy's warship and land at the mouth of the Shuangtaizi River? It is only a hundred miles away from Guangning. It can be reached by marching for two days and two nights." Han Shun asked rhetorically.
Chen Cao shook his head with a smile, and then raised the corners of his mouth: "Commander Han really thinks the Tatars are stupid."
Everyone was waiting to see Han Shun's joke: "What do you mean, uncle?"
Chen Cao stood up and pointed at the map: "In order to prevent the Penglai Navy from harassing the coast, the Tatars arranged cavalry in places such as the Daling River and Shuangtaizi River Mouth since the siege of Guangning. There are so many of us. The navy ship is so big that it will be discovered before it gets close to the mouth of the river. By the time we land, the Tatar cavalry will have been waiting on the shore. By then it will not be as simple as landing on Lianyun Island. Do you think we are waiting for you? There are only five or six thousand cavalry? It’s a joke. For such a big target, there are ten thousand less. I’ll chop off my head and use it as a chamber pot for you.”
Han Shun was embarrassed at the moment. When Chen Cao saw this, he continued: "Our landing on Lianyun Island this time was purely a fluke. The Tatars can't send many cavalry troops. If they had 10,000 cavalry last night, to be honest, they wouldn't be able to stop them. Where we live is unknown, not to mention that they have known our movements for a long time, and our army only occupied the fleet. If Eyidu's army and cavalry are here at the same time, let alone the cavalry from last night plus 20,000 Infantrymen, today you and I are prisoners of the Tatars."
Everyone in the hall took a breath. When Chen Cao mentioned it, it was indeed true. Pang Zhihuan handed over his hand and said, "Uncle, did you write a letter to the court about our being betrayed?"
"Of course," Chen Cao said angrily: "I don't think I'm a good person. How can I let a man be a human being after suffering such a big loss?"
After the battle, Chen Cao wrote a victory report and a secret report to Xu Xianchun. He was an eunuch, and Xu Xianchun would never hide it. Everyone was his own, and Chen Cao even added fuel to the fire. He thought he would have something good in the future. Watch the show.
"Let's not mention the betrayal for now, the key is to go north. We can catch up with the defeated Tatars, and maybe we can reach Guangning before they react."
"Uncle," Song Che handed over his hand: "Liu Aita's defeated troops are still in the Haizhou Guard. What if they rob our retreat?"
"No," Chen Cao waved his hand: "Haizhou Guard is an important guard against Liaoyang. Liu Aita will never act without permission without Nurhachi's order. Besides, he scared them all yesterday."
Chen Cao did not say in front of everyone that Liu Aita was willing to surrender, and Wan Qing did not tell him this clearly.
"Everyone, go down and deliver the order. All the guards will eat quickly and set off in the afternoon."
"yes.."
...
July 13th, Quang Ninh Guard, Quang Ninh Acropolis
Wang Huazhen and Xiong Tingbi were discussing important matters, and the focus was on whether Xixing Fort and Zhenwu Fort could be defended.
Wang Huazhen's consistent idea was to gather superior forces, withdraw all the soldiers from the forts around Guangning into the city, and then find the right time to fight Nurhaci to the death.
Both Xiong Tingbi and Xiong Tingbi were civil servants, but the key point is that Xiping Fort and Zhenwu Fort are important fortresses in the Guangning outpost. After the loss of Xining Fort, these two places were the only areas that could go out of the Liaohe River, not to mention that they were the Ming Dynasty's Land cannot be lost.
"Master Xiong, now that the bandit chief has crossed the Liao River, the front line is at Xiping. There are not enough defenders in the forts. How can we compete with them?" Wang Huazhen said and became a little angry.
In addition to being at odds with Wang Huazhen, Xiong Tingbi also looked down on Wang Huazhen and felt that he would just run away blindly, especially the words in the memorial, "To conquer Liaodong with 60,000 people, to regain Liaoyang", but it was such a big talk , Emperor Tianqi liked it the most, otherwise he would not have let Wang Huazhen continue to be the governor of Liaodong.
"Master Wang, I still say the same thing. I advise you not to abandon those castles, otherwise it will be detrimental to Guangning. I came here today because of the face of Governor Sun. I won't say more. You can take care of yourself. , farewell."
Xiong Tingbi slapped his butt and left. Wang Huazhen kicked his nose in anger. His crony, guerrilla Sun Degong, handed him over: "My lord, I will finally think that Lord Xiong's words are reasonable."
Wang Huazhen relied on Sun Degong as his confidant. When he saw him talking to Xiong Tingbi, he immediately became dissatisfied: "Whose are you? How can you talk to that guy?"
Sun Degong sighed: "Xiping Fort and Zhenwu Fort are extremely important. If we want to ensure the safety of Guangning, we must first protect Xiping."
Seeing that Sun Degong was like this, Wang Huazhen agreed: "In this case, I order you and Zu Dashou to lead 20,000 troops to support Xiping, and tell Qi Bingzhong to defend Xiping no matter what."
"The general will have his order..."
Just as Sun Degong was about to leave, Wang Huazhen remembered something and asked: "By the way, I remembered something. I heard that the imperial court sent Uncle Dingwu and Chen Cao to bring 30,000 southern troops to the north for reinforcements. Where are they now?"
Sun Degong rolled his eyes and said: "They landed in Gaizhou and defeated an army of 70,000 led by E Yidu, one of the five chief ministers of the bandits. They must be on their way to Guangning."
"Well," Wang Huazhen said after pondering, "Send someone to contact them immediately. If they arrive, ask them to go directly to Xiping Fort for rescue."
"yes..."
"Report..." A messenger walked in: "Your Majesty, Sir Xiong has sent General Liu Qu to lead an army of 20,000 people to Zhenwu Fort."
"Hmph..." Wang Huazhen huffed and ignored, then stared at Sun Degong: "Degong, this time it all depends on you."
Sun Degong clasped his fists: "Please rest assured, sir."
Xiong Tingbi's command post was stationed in the rear guard, forty miles away from Guangning City. Before leaving, he ordered Liu Qu, the commander-in-chief, to reinforce Zhenwu Fort. If there was any disharmony in Xiping Fort, Liu Qu was asked to lead his troops there directly.
Councilor Xing Shenyan handed over his hand: "Sir, I remember that the imperial court sent the Southern Army to rescue."
"Yes," Xiong Tingbi slapped his forehead: "Why did you forget them? Where is Uncle Dingwu now?"
"After the great victory in Gaizhou, they went north. The imperial court asked them to arrive in Guangning before July 15th. They should be on the way now on the 13th. I heard that a warship from Caojiang Navy appeared at the mouth of Shuangtaizi River. It should be them." Xing Shenyan said.
Han Chuming, the minister, frowned: "There are Tatar cavalry along the coast. If they land with such great fanfare, it would be terrible if they are blocked by the Tatars."
Xiong Tingbi thought it made sense and said urgently: "Send someone to contact them quickly and tell Uncle Dingwu to help Qi Bingzhong and Luo Yiguan defend Xiping."
"Sir, it was reported," Xing Shenyan whispered, "Uncle Dingwu was attacked by Tatar cavalry when he landed in Gaizhou. Uncle Dingwu reported to the court that someone had revealed their whereabouts."
Xiong Tingbi's eyebrows jumped: "There are such traitorous people?"
"It is said that Uncle Dingwu was originally scheduled to land in Lushun, but later changed to Gaizhou. This was a secret military information. Uncle Dingwu only passed this news to Governor Sun." Xing Shenyan continued.
Han Chuming sneered: "Perhaps he was just looking for a reason to think that Uncle Wu would be defeated first. Those warriors are always used to this."
Xiong Tingbi interrupted him immediately: "It's impossible. After the victory at Gaizhou, he could have added the damage caused ashore to the Battle of Gaizhou. No one would be stupid enough to bring this matter up."
Xing Shenyan nodded: "Your Excellency is right. According to the news from Shanhaiguan, Governor Sun was furious when he learned about it and ordered a strict investigation."
"What's the result?" Xiong Tingbi asked.
Xing Shenyan shook his head: "I heard that the only people who know the news are Governor Sun and Yuan Chonghuan in Ningyuan."
Xiong Tingbi was really for Liaodong, and he felt very unhappy when he heard this: "In the face of national events, these people are still crushing each other. If something happens to Chen Cao, it will not be of any benefit to the court. Why can't these people understand?"
Xiong Tingbi was very aloof and had no fixed party, but he was on good terms with all parties and was a bettor in many places.
"Send the order to send food to Xiping first, and also move the carriage to Luyang to facilitate coordination."
"yes..."
...
"Xin Zhao, where is the front?"
"Uncle, if we walk ten miles further we will reach the Daliao River."
"Send the order, and the whole army will prepare on the spot and build a camp immediately to prevent the Tatars from sneak attack."
"yes..."
