Datong Xiongcheng.
A winter's siege did not harm Datong City at all!
Although Datong is not a bastion, it is strong enough to withstand the Hongyi cannons owned by the Qing army. To break through the city wall of Datong, it is necessary to concentrate hundreds of cannons capable of firing 12- to 18-pound projectiles and bombard them fiercely for several days. Night...maybe longer!
However, the Qing army that participated in the siege of Datong did not have so many Hongyi artillery, so they focused more on siege than attack.
The food reserves in Datong City are very sufficient, enough to feed all the defenders and residents for a whole year.
Several months of siege were not enough to exhaust the reserves of Datong City. On the contrary, the Qing army outside the city had a low morale due to the long-term battle without success, and it seemed that they did not want to fight anymore.
On the tenth day of February in the eighteenth year of Chongzhen's reign in the Ming Dynasty, the Qing army outside the city sent a peace envoy. The messenger of peace was still Luo Yangxing. He was the one who came to make peace with Wang Yongji and Jiang Yu last time. Dorgon had a beginning and an end, and this time he sent him to Datong to continue his deception.
"Making peace again? You lied to us last time, do you want to lie to us again this time?"
Jiang Quan, who had been guarding Datong for several months, was now so confident that he no longer gave Luo Yangxing face. Instead of going to greet him, he met Luo Yangxing with Wang Yongji in his general military office. And there’s nothing nice to say when we meet!
Luo Yangxing, wearing a flower feather on his head and dressed as a high-ranking official of the Qing Dynasty, just smiled bitterly, took off his top hat, revealing a Han bun, then sat upright on the chair, picked up the tea bowl on the coffee table next to him, and took a sip of tea. Then he spoke slowly: "Yes, although the regent has many tricks, Jiang Zongrong still has one skill... he saw through it at a glance! Otherwise, Datong would not have persisted until now."
"That's right!" Jiang Yan said proudly.
Wang Yongji on the side frowned deeply.
The city of Datong is indeed strong, but it cannot produce food. If it remains under siege for a long time, it will eventually fall.
Luo Yangxing then asked: "Then please tell me, General Rong, what trick is the regent doing?"
"This..." Jiang Quan pondered for a while, "He must be planning to secretly send dead soldiers after the peace negotiation, sneak into Datong, and then break open the city gate, just like what the old slave often did in Liaodong!"
"Then you don't know how to be careful?" Luo Yangxing glanced at Jiang Yu, "And how strong is the defense of Datong City? Can it be broken by just opening a city gate?"
The layout of Datong City is somewhat similar to a fortress, with huge fortresses built outside the four gates of the southeast, northwest and northwest. The city gate is guarded by the fort, and it is also another line of defense after the fort is breached. So it is useless to open a city gate. You must capture a castle and a city gate at the same time. This is simply not something that can be accomplished with a small amount of careful work!
Besides, the defense in Datong City is very careful and they will not make such stupid mistakes. Even if some spies sneak into the city, nothing can be done.
Jiang Yan stroked his beard and frowned, seeming to be still thinking. Wang Yongji shook his head and said: "General Rong, why don't you listen to the conditions of the Tartar Regent... We are trapped in the city now, what loss can we suffer?"
"Okay then!" Jiang Quan nodded, "What are Dorgon's conditions?"
"Conditions?" Luo Yangxing shook his head, "There are no conditions... a three-month truce. The Qing army withdrew to the south of the Sanggan River and settled in the east. But it will still occupy Shuozhou, Jingpingsuo, and Naihe The fort, the general’s fort.”
Shuozhou, Jingpingsuo, Naihe Fort and Jiangjunhui Fort are located in the northwest of Sangqian River. The four cities are lined up from southeast to northwest, and they are built according to the dangerous mountains and rivers. It can just cut off the passage from Datong Mansion to Luliang Mountain - Dorgon has now noticed the third prince on Luliang Mountain!
This target is too hateful! He was the son of Emperor Chongzhen, the half-brother of the Prince of Fujun, Zhu Cixiang, and the second heir to the Ming Dynasty throne—in the eyes of Emperor Chongzhen, Xu was the first heir!
This man held high the banner of resistance to the Qing Dynasty on Luliang Mountain. Dorgon was uneasy when he was sleeping with Aunt Bumubutai in his arms!
So of course he would not let the Ming army in Datong Prefecture go to Luliang Mountain to vote for the third prince.
Jiang Yan asked thoughtfully: "That's it?"
Yes, why don't you even get the high-ranking officials to persuade you to surrender? Are you looking down on Jiang?
Wang Yongji also asked: "Are there no other conditions?"
Luo Yangxing chuckled: "No more... Do you think that the Manchurians live a poor life, do not accompany their wives, do not raise children, and only think about fighting? The Manchurian Eight Banners soldiers are also squad soldiers, half army and half civilians , and all the people are soldiers. How many people are there in total?
There are less than 100,000 men in Manchuria. Now they are either stationed or fighting. There are only women left in Beijing... Only women, no men, can't have children! If this war continues for ten to eight years, won't the Manchus have no successors? "
This statement is actually wrong! During this period of time, many Manchu women in Beijing were pregnant... Just because the husband is not around does not mean that the wife must not be pregnant!
Jiang Quan laughed loudly: "If Dorgon wants to have a truce, he just wants to send his Manchu soldiers back to do so!"
Luo Yangxing smiled and said, "That's necessary!"
Jiang Yan turned to look at Wang Yongji, "Supervisor, do you think we should take a breather?"
Datong Mansion was besieged for several months, and many places were bombarded. Although the city was impregnable, the people inside the city were also under great mental pressure.
Moreover, after being besieged for several months, less than half of the food reserves in Datong Prefecture were consumed, and they had to find ways to replenish them.
In addition, the Qing army's withdrawal from Datong City means that the Ming army in Datong has won!
Although few real Manchurians were killed, the Qing army finally retreated.
Wang Yongji always felt that this was a scam! However, a temporary truce is indeed beneficial to Datong, so he frowned and said, "The soldiers are indeed exhausted after being besieged for several months. We might as well have a truce for a few months. It won't do us any harm, right?"
Now in Datong City, Wang Yongji is still the largest supervisor in name, but it is Jiang Yu who is actually in charge.
Jiang Yan nodded: "Since the Superintendent has nodded, let's have a truce for three months!"
Luo Yangxing added: "Since you two agreed to a truce, the Qing army also captured many people in Datong Prefecture and did not take them away. They stayed outside Datong City. Please take them in. They all belong to the Ming Dynasty. Good people, if you don’t take them in, you will have to let them fend for themselves!”
The battle known in history as the "First Battle of Datong", also known as the "Winter Battle of Datong", started in the winter of the 17th year of Chongzhen's reign and lasted until the spring of the 18th year of Chongzhen's reign. After several months, it was not just a siege. Datong is so simple.
In Datong Prefecture, not only Datong City is fortified, but there are also a large number of acropolis such as Zhenlu Guard, Yanghe Guard, Datong Left Guard, Datong Right Guard, Weiyuan Guard, Pinglu Guard, and Andong Zhongtun Guard. , and there are four prefectures and cities including Yuzhou, Yingzhou, Hunyuan Prefecture, and Shuozhou. As for county seats, suo chengs and forts, they are too numerous to count.
Although Jiang Quan did not set up defenses in all the castles, many castles were still fortified. While besieging Datong Mansion, the Qing army also mobilized troops to attack one by one. Some were broken, some were persuaded to surrender, and some were still under the control of the Ming army.
Needless to say, the cities that were broken had all gone through a lot of disasters...
