Seeing that Zhu Cihong had adopted Jing Muqing's clever plan, Li Yan smiled and said to Prince Zhu: "Master Qiansui, we couldn't find Li Zicheng's weakness, so we had to attack slowly and slowly, and push through step by step. Although we can attack Hanyang and Hankou, Down, but a month or two is indispensable. And even if Hanyang and Hankou are conquered, Li Zicheng will not necessarily be more passive. After all, Hanyang and Hankou are not his lair!
It's great now. We no longer need to storm Hanyang and Hankou. We only need to bypass the various chokepoints along the Han River and go straight to the nests of the rogue bandits. Not only can you enter Xiangyang, but you can also enter Nanyang from Runing. Nanyang is the hometown of Tang and Tibetan people, and there are still many Nanyang old people under the command of the brothers of the Tang King. If we can also carry out the banner of equalizing land based on population and population, we will definitely turn the tide of the rogue bandits in Nanyang. "
Li Zicheng's remaining troops in Xiangyang and Nanyang will not be too many, but they are enough to defend the city. Without opening up the Han River channel, the infantry and cavalry of the Ming army could also pass through, using three-pound regimental cannon and twenty-four-pound mortar cannon (mortar cannons are powerful, but have limited range, which is difficult for a fortified city with a wide moat. Moreover, mortar cannons cannot destroy the city wall) and can be transported a little, but the 12-pound and 24-pound Hongyi cannons will definitely not be able to be pulled up.
Therefore, it is not easy to break through strong cities like Nanyang and Xiangyang, especially Xiangyang City, which is as strong as Xian Mountain and dangerous as the Han River. Without strong naval support, it would be difficult for foreign enemies to get under the city wall, let alone attack the city.
It is really not easy for the navy to break through all the obstacles and reach the gates of Xiangyang City!
Jing Muqing interjected: "What the military advisor said is absolutely true. I am a native of Jingxiang. I know the terrain on both sides of the Han River very well. I know that there are many dangerous points that can be defended along the Han River.
It is also known that Li Ni built fortresses in Qianjiang, Neifang Mountain, Zhongxiang, Yicheng, Lumen Mountain, Xian Mountain and other places to prepare for constant resistance. If the army and the army want to advance step by step, they may not be able to capture Xiangyang in a year. "
Li Yan nodded: "Li Zicheng's plan must be to set up defenses along the Han River in the east to delay the progress of the army. At the same time, he would take Jingzhou, Yuezhou, and Shizhou in the west, then peek into Hunan to the south, and press Bashu to the west. This would establish Invincible!"
Zhu Cixiang smiled, "I also received a report from Ma Shiying that Zhang Xianzhong is gathering troops in Chengdu to counterattack Chongqing. The Bashu War is about to break out... If Li Zicheng succeeds in Jingzhou, Shizhou, and Yuezhou, I'm afraid it will By marching westward to Kuizhou and threatening Chongqing, the situation in Bashu will be out of control. Maybe Li Zicheng wants to learn from Liu Bei during the Three Kingdoms period, and wants to enter Bashu from Jingchu and establish three-thirds of the world in one fell swoop."
Li Zicheng's plan was not very clever, so he could not hide it from the three scumbags Zhu Cihong, Li Yan, and Jing Muqing.
Li Yan smiled: "No matter how careful Li Zicheng's abacus was, he still missed the hearts of the people in his hometown... Who let him make small profits and not use the land and people of Xiangyang and Nanyang to reward the soldiers? Follow along?
Those old soldiers are so poor that they are crazy. How can they not get a huge blow once they turn over? Besides, Li Zicheng didn't have the extra financial resources to subsidize the veteran soldiers below, so he just pointed them to scrape the oil and water from the land and tenants to serve in the military, and he had no choice but to let the people down.
Therefore, as long as the banner of Ji Kou Jun Tian enters Xiangyang and Nanyang together with the army, Li Zicheng will not be able to secure his backyard! "
In a feudal society, it was impossible for Li Zicheng to break away from the social foundation and turn all his veteran soldiers into revolutionary warriors.
Even revolutionary warriors still want the fruits of victory, but their vision is different...
In the eyes of Li Zicheng's veteran soldiers, wouldn't the best fruit of victory be farms with dozens, hundreds, or even hundreds of acres of acres? What else could it be?
This is the most typical feudal land military service!
Moreover, under the feudal land military service system, soldiers who obtained land from feudal lords not only did not receive military pay (sometimes they could get a little money), but they also had to provide their own equipment, horses, followers and even part of the military rations.
For them, military service is not only obligatory, but also a large expense.
Therefore, the farms located in Xiangyang and Nanyang are the lifeblood of the old soldiers under Li Zicheng!
Once Zhu Cihong incited the peasants in Xiangyang and Nanyang by using land equalization based on population calculation, Li Zicheng was able to calm down, and his old soldiers could not help it either!
The family fortune is gone, how can we bear it?
And Zhu Cixi knew this very well, because the guards of the New Army under his command in Shandong, Runing, and Fengyang also implemented a similar system - only when the land was granted, they would fight tooth and nail to defend it!
However, this is not the case for his divisions. Only veterans who have made meritorious service or have served for a certain number of years can get land.
However, these lands are not used to pay for military service, but are just a reward-the divisions and armies are the backbone of the new army to overcome difficulties, and they are also the foundation of Zhu Cihong's regime. Therefore, he was unwilling to let the officers and soldiers of the divisions place their families in places beyond his control, but let them settle in Nanjing. In addition, Wuhan, the capital of Jiangdu, would also become a gathering place for the families of the new armies of the divisions in the future.
This approach is somewhat similar to the Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing Dynasty, but Zhu Cixiang did not want his new army to "become disciples of the Eight Banners" in the future.
He knows that the hereditary army is inherently prone to corruption. The first generation of hereditary soldiers are very powerful, but the second and third generations tend to gradually become corrupted, while the hereditary soldiers who settle in big cities die faster!
Therefore, Zhu Cixiang did not link land rewards with hereditary military service. Therefore, the main divisions of the new army to overcome difficulties were still state mercenaries from an institutional perspective. Officers can only be trained and cultivated through the martial arts hall system to ensure the combat effectiveness of the troops.
...
"We must now divide our troops into three groups, with the military divisions working together, and command the Zuo Division of the New Army and the Runing guardsmen to march into Xiangyang and Nanyang. We must also use the slogan of equalizing farmland according to population and exempting debts and interest.
Sanfu, you take command here in Wuchang Mansion! The artillery coming from the lower reaches and the Chinese military division will be given to you. Continue to attack Hankou and Hanyang!
Liheng, take the guard battalion and add a cavalry regiment to protect me and go to the police! "
Zhu Cixiang tapped his finger on the table and assigned tasks to his trusted generals.
He is in a pretty good mood now. The initiative on the Huguang battlefield has been taken! Li Yan was originally a bandit, how could he be wrong in playing peasant uprising tactics? It doesn’t take two months to turn Xiangyang and Nanyang upside down!
If Xiangyang and Nanyang are in chaos, the Dashun Army in Hanyang will definitely not be able to stabilize. With Wu Sanfu's ability and the strength of the artillery of the New Army, it will not be a problem to capture Hanyang and Hankou.
Zhu Cixiang looked proud, "As long as Xiangyang and Nanyang are in chaos, and Hanyang and Hankou are lost, Li Zicheng will be completely passive!
Military Advisor, Third Assistant, how is the layout of this palace? "
After listening to Prince Zhu's arrangements, Li Yan smiled: "Master Qiansui, Jingzhou Mansion is probably the burial place of Li Zicheng! I have two suggestions. One is not to rush to a decisive battle; the other is to defend Kuizhou and beware of Li Zicheng's attack to the west. Running to Bashu."
Wu Sanfu nodded: "Master Qiansui, if you and your ministers capture Hanyang and Hankou, come to Jingzhou to join forces by land and water, and then go to Li Zicheng for a decisive battle, you will be safe!"
Zhu Cixiang smiled and nodded. Li Zicheng is anxious about the decisive battle, but I am not! Even if the confrontation lasts for three to five months across the river, it won't be a big deal.
At the same time, Li Zicheng, who was far away in Jiangling, was not in a hurry to fight the Ming army on the south bank of the Yangtze River. He is busy with two things now. One is to equalize land by population in the Jianghan Plain. After capturing Jingmen Prefecture City and Jiangling City, the plain between the Yangtze River and the Han River has been completely controlled by the Dashun regime, and he can have free rein. The fields were divided.
The second is to prepare for the westward march to Sichuan - because recently, Zhang Xianzhong has also been working hard to reverse his decline. While inviting Li Zicheng to Sichuan, he also assembled heavy troops to launch counterattacks against Xuzhou Prefecture, Luzhou Prefecture and Chongqing Prefecture. It is hoped that the Ming army in Sichuan can be defeated in one fell swoop, and at least Chongqing Prefecture, the prefecture with the highest tax revenue in Sichuan Province (one more than Chengdu), can be recaptured. For this reason, Zhang Xianzhong also sent his right minister Yan Ximing to take a detour out of Sichuan to urge Li Zicheng to send troops to attack Kuizhou as soon as possible. For Li Zicheng, this opportunity was extremely rare!
