On the seventh day of April in the twelfth year of Hongguang, Guoxing Ye left Shi Lang, Liu Guoxuan, Zhou Quanbin and other generals to assist the Nanming Jingying camp to continue its fierce attack on Jinan. The main force of Zheng's army, 200,000 people, took a short rest in Dengzhou and set sail northward. , thousands of ships blocked the sky and headed towards southern Liaoning.
On April 11, forward Gan Hui's troops arrived in Lushun and immediately launched a fierce attack on Deng Changxiong's troops of the Qi Army's Second Corps stationed in Lushun.
On the 12th, Zheng Chenggong led his army to the west of southern Liaoning and approached Gaizhou.
On the 13th, Wu Hao in Xuanyi Hou Town and Han Ying in Zhengbing Town led the first division of the navy to approach Huanggu Island Fort, an important town in southern Liaoning.
Two hundred thousand Zheng troops launched a pincer offensive from three defense lines: east, middle and west, intending to annex southern Liaoning in one fell swoop.
On the 14th, Guo Xingye ordered to guard the periphery of the Liaonan battlefield, while protecting the family members of the accompanying soldiers and being ready to respond at any time.
Among the 270,000 troops led by Guo Xingye in the Northern Expedition this time, more than 50,000 were actually the family members of the soldiers, most of whom were old, weak, women and children.
Chen Yonghua, the first counselor under Zheng Chenggong, once suggested that Guo Xingye should keep these family members in Nanjing when he went out to fight, so as not to become a burden to the army and delay the process of the Northern Expedition. Since ancient times, it has not been heard that an attack with family members can be successful. precedent.
Chen Yonghua's suggestion was recognized by many senior generals. However, after weighing the pros and cons, Guo Xingye finally chose to take his family to the north.
First of all, Zheng Sen, who was very suspicious, did not trust the Nanming court at all, and was worried that the soldiers' families might become Zhu Changhui's hostages;
Secondly, the Zheng army was mainly composed of pirates and was originally disorganized. If the soldiers and their families were left behind, many people would probably escape during the Northern Expedition;
Finally, Zuo Liangyu still has an advantage in southern Zhili. According to the current situation analysis, Qi will soon be destroyed, and the cooperation between King Yanping and Duke Kunshan may be interrupted at any time. Next, Zuo and Zheng will become mortal enemies, fighting for the world to the death. How can Zheng Chenggong rest assured if his family members stay in southern Zhili?
On the 15th, I personally landed on the western land of southern Liaoning to check the terrain.
On the 16th, Guo Xingye began to arrange landing and garrison locations in various towns.
On the 17th, Zheng Jun intercepted a distress letter sent by Gaizhou garrison Huang Delun to Shenyang and Huguang.
Huang Delun (also known as Zhou Jie) was a Jinshi in the former Ming Dynasty. He was originally from Jiangxi and later joined the army. He belonged to the second generation of Qi generals. He is currently the deputy chief of the Second Corps and is Deng Changxiong's right-hand man.
This time, he led 3,000 soldiers to garrison the second city of Yaozhou in Gaizhou. It can be said that he was single and weak, and his situation was precarious.
Huang Delun begged hard in his letter for help, hoping that the Emperor, who was on an expedition to Huguang, could dispatch some troops to assist Liaonan.
It is hoped that the Shenyang court can send more reinforcements and food to strengthen Gaizhou's defense.
Otherwise, Liaonan will repeat the mistakes of Jianghuai and be "annihilated overnight."
After reading the two letters asking for help, Zheng Chenggong proudly said to the generals:
"For such an important town, only three to four thousand people were sent to guard it. It seems that as Duke Kunshan said, Qi State is now a paper house. As long as you step forward and kick it, the house will collapse. I write a letter to Huang Delun, Gaizhou must surrender!"
On the 19th, Zheng's army camp was stationed three miles south of Gaizhou City.
That night, Zheng Jun's archers fired letters into Gaizhou City. In the letter, Guo Xingye urged Huang Delun to surrender immediately. The excerpts of the letter are as follows:
General Huang is safe at his feet. Fortunately, very fortunate! A general who bravely conquers the three armies is the only one who has distinguished himself in the world. In the past, due to changes in circumstances, he encountered a wise master and made meritorious deeds. How magnificent! How can you commit yourself to Jie and Zhou, become enemies of the world, fight with your backs upon hearing the cry of dysprosium, and bend your knees to the Qionglu? How evil is that!
When I went to look for the general, it was not because of him, but because I couldn't judge myself internally, I was exposed to rumors externally, and I was addicted to it, which led to this. This king follows the imperial edict to defeat Qi, pardons his crimes and blames his merits, abandons his flaws and appoints them, promotes his sincerity to the world, and calms down all things. What the general knows is not just a one-two punch.
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It has been eighteen years since Liu Lu robbed Liaodong. His evil deeds have accumulated misfortunes, and heaven and earth are indignant. The situation is hypocritical, cowardly, cunning, alienated from morality, killing each other, taking tribes away, and chiefs guessing. Isn’t it confusing to tie up one’s neck in a man’s mansion and hang one’s head in the street, while the general fish swims in the boiling cauldron and the swallow nests on the flying curtain?
In late spring in March, grass grows in the south of the Yangtze River, there are mixed peanut trees, and flocks of orioles fly around. Seeing the flags and drums of the motherland, feeling that I have been born in the past, stroking the strings and climbing the ridge, wouldn't I feel melancholy!
Therefore, Duke Lian misses General Zhao, and Wu Zi weeps at Xihe. This is how human feelings are, but the general alone is ruthless? If you want to practice good discipline early, you will be blessed. Please tell me in detail.
After reading this letter, which completely copied Qiu Chi's letter to persuade Chen Bozhi to surrender, Huang Delun also sent a reply to Zheng Chenggong, but he did not know the specific content of the communication between the two.
On the 21st, Zheng Jun began to arrange garrison positions at various gates in the outer city of Gaizhou.
From the 21st to the 26th, there was no movement of the Zheng army to attack the city.
On the 26th, the Qi army clashed with the Zuo Pioneer Battalion from Fengyi Gate and was repulsed. The Zheng army still made no move to attack Gaizhou.
Perhaps Zheng Chenggong is still waiting for Huang Delun to surrender himself.
On the 27th, the admirals and general soldiers, headed by Wu Hao from Xuanyi Hou Town, approached Mr. Guoxing one after another and requested to attack the city quickly.
In the southwest of Gaizhou, in the main camp of Zheng's army, Mr. Guo surnamed him and stood up, shouting angrily at a group of generals:
"Speed war is a pedantic theory! Don't you think of attacking the city after hearing the plan of the army? Gaizhou, the gateway to southern Liaoning, has been run by Liu Zhaosun for many years. The city is tall and easy to defend but difficult to attack. I bought the eighty gates from Macao The Hongyi cannon will be delivered later. Attacking now will only cause heavy losses to the sergeants! By then, the morale of the army will be shaken. What should we do? Moreover, Liaodong is a vast area, and the Liu bandits are scattered everywhere. Our army is not good at land warfare, and our cavalry is not as good. , how can we sweep across Liaodong? Therefore, I am besieging but not attacking, just to wait for the reinforcements of the Liu thieves to gather in Gaizhou, and then invite and kill them! Isn't it wonderful to accomplish all the results in one battle?"
After Zheng Chenggong finished speaking, he suddenly asked his general: "Do you know how the northerners make dumplings?"
The generals were talking a lot.
Wu Hao, the commander of Yi Town after Xuanwu, said: "King Yanping, Zhao is still resisting in Linqing, Jinan. In the Shandong war, the outcome is unknown. The Qi navy led by Wu Aheng has been missing. It is either hiding on Pi Island in Korea or lurking in a harbor in southern Liaoning. Our army has been landing in southern Liaoning for many days, but has not advanced in size and has not killed many Qi troops. If the Shandong reinforcements move north, the Qi army in western Liaoning advances eastward, and Wu Aheng cuts off our navy's retreat, I am afraid that we will not be making dumplings, but we will become dumplings. "
Han Ying of Zhengbing Town advised: "When General Zheng (Zheng Zhilong) was here, he fought against Wu Aheng many times, with neither side winning or losing. I heard that they equipped eight new ships last year, each with one hundred and two guns. The power of the ten sects cannot be underestimated! As a general, you should put caution first."
Zheng Chenggong snorted and said disdainfully: "Wu Aheng, he has defeated General Er. He can beat my father, but he is no match for me! As long as Gaizhou is destroyed, the main force of the Qi army is destroyed, and the east and west advance, Liaonan will be mine, and he will There are eighty warships, but there is nothing I can do about it! Don’t lose the big for the small!”
Titong Feng Ying was from Jiangxi and a fellow villager of Huang Delun. After hearing this, he said: "Huang Delun is a close general of the Qi State. His family members are all in Shenyang. He is very loyal. It may not be easy for him to surrender."
Mr. Guo stood up with a puff of sleeves:
"The life and death of an army of 200,000 people depends on just one thought. As a general, how can you not be cautious! How can you waste your battle without a complete plan! After this battle, whoever competes with me in the world will be Zuo Liangyuer, as good as the army. The serious injury is to make wedding clothes for others! I have my own plan, you can’t wait to talk about it!”
"The sergeants in each department are ordered not to slack off. Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed! Three days later, the Hongyi cannon will arrive and attack the city immediately!"
