Send out troops from five directions and attack Beijing...it looks very powerful!
Shi Kefa, Gao Hongtu, Zuo Maodi, and Zhu Yihai looked at the thick and red arrows on the map, and they all couldn't help but be happy.
After all, it was the strategy formulated by the masters of the Generalissimo's Mansion. It looked reliable! At least it was much better than the two Northern Expeditions they originally planned - their two Northern Expeditions were marching in different directions, wandering around the Liaoxi Corridor and going to Henan... just in case Dorgon had a brain attack They just ignored Liaoxi and instead took the main force to Henan to kill people. Aren't Shi Kefa, Gao Hongtu, Zuo Maodi, and Zhu Yihai dumbfounded? This five-way attack plan is much more clever. As long as one of the five paths succeeds, Donglu will be doomed.
"Okay, okay... The five-pronged Northern Expedition will attack Beijing! Now Donglu is dead!"
"Even if Dorgon has three heads and six arms, it is impossible for him to send troops from five directions!"
"How many people are they? They are divided into five groups, why don't we defeat them individually?"
"It's good to go along the canal... The food route is guaranteed. If it fails, the retreat is also convenient."
"How is it possible to retreat? The Donglu are bound to be defeated... By the way, military advisor, do these five armies have a sequence for sending out troops?"
Li Yan replied with a smile: "The troops will be dispatched from Juehua Island first. After the sea is sealed this winter, we will go to Ningyuan on the ice."
"Sending troops in winter?" Huang Degong was stunned, "It's very cold in Ningyuan over there... The officers and soldiers are southern soldiers, can they handle it? And winter is not conducive to siege, right?"
Wu Guoyong is a member of the Ningyuan Guards. He said with a smile: "This is not a problem...just wear warm clothes when the weather is cold! Moreover, the majority of the new army to overcome difficulties are northerners, who are not afraid of the cold. As for attacking the city, it’s not easy to climb the city wall, so what are you afraid of if you fire cannons to bombard the city? If it’s colder, the cannon body will cool down faster!”
"Bombing the Ningyuan Acropolis?" Huang Degong thought for a while, "The Ningyuan Acropolis is very strong. I'm afraid the Hongyi cannons can't even attack it, right?"
Huang Binqing, the naval commander, took the question and said: "The so-called Hongyi cannon is a 12-pound long cannon of the Westerners. It is not considered a giant cannon in the West... The cannon ordered by the Firearms Department of the Ministry of War from the Westerners The heaviest of them all is the thirty-six-pound long cannon, and its projectiles are twice as heavy as those used by the Hongyi cannon. It can be said to be indestructible!"
Shi Kefa interrupted and asked: "Can such a heavy cannon be transported to Ningyuan?"
Huang Binqing said: "One cannon has already been shipped to Juehua Island! Once the sea freezes, this cannon can be towed to the land in western Liaoning using an ice pry."
"How did you get such a heavy cannon onto the ice and transport it down?" Huang Degong continued to ask.
He asked about details, because he knew that these seemingly trivial things could sometimes determine the outcome of a war!
"We purchased several powerful cranes from the West!"
What Huang Binqing is talking about is a human-operated pedal crane, which existed in ancient Rome, but it has never been introduced to China.
Zhu Cixi didn't expect this thing either. It was the Dutch who took the order from the Firearms Department of the Ministry of War who thought of it - how to load and unload such a large gun after it is shipped to China? How to transport? Let’s order a few more cranes, four-wheel carriages, and, oh, ten more Shire horses to pull cannons...
Now the cranes, four-wheeled carriages and shire horses have arrived one after another, among which there are also "imitation goods" of the cranes and four-wheeled carriages. Thirty-six-pound cannons also began to be "imitation", and only the Shire horses could not be helped, because the ten Shire horses that were transported were all "eunuchs" and castrated.
"And there are such strange and obscene things?"
"It's a coincidence..."
Shi Kefa and Gao Hongtu sighed with emotion. He was also very surprised when he heard Huang Binqing talking about the "crane". This Xiyi people's thinking was really clever, but it was a pity that it was not used on the road... ..
Huang Degong smiled and said: "With a thirty-six-pound Western cannon, Ningyuan Jiancheng will not be difficult to defeat."
Gao Jie also said: "Once Ningyuan is recaptured, Donglu's hometown outside the Great Wall will be in danger. How dare Dorgon just sit idly by and not save him?"
Li Yan sneered and said: "It is not easy to travel thousands of miles to western Liaoning in the middle of winter. Even if you are afraid of Donglu, you will have to break your muscles and bones, right?"
Wu Guoyong said: "That's for sure... If the Donglu really want to go this way, then the Northern Expedition will be half won!" He paused, "Shandong, Huaibei, and Xuhai will launch a second wave next year. After the beginning of spring, they marched troops and fought north along the canal to attract the Eastern captives to go south.
The third wave was launched on Haisha Island and Dagukou, half a month later than the Shandong side...it attacked Dagukou City first, and then attacked Dongzui Island City and Tianjin Acropolis.
As for His Highness Dai Wang on Luliang Mountain and Wu Zongrong in the northwest, they still have to contact each other before deciding on a time to send troops. "
Zhu Cixiang whispered: "It's spring now, and there are at least eight months to prepare. Every town must work hard and go all out! Food, equipment, livestock, and gunpowder must all be prepared. If government subsidies are needed, then Submissions must be made before the end of May.
In addition, the best way to use military force is to surprise! Therefore, the marriage with Donglu will continue...and you must remember to keep your mouth shut!
You must not reveal anything about what is being discussed today to outsiders, do you understand? "
"I obey the order..."
...
After Zhu Cihong came to power, the Ming court's confidentiality work was greatly improved, at least they would not casually publish important confidential matters in the imperial newspaper. Moreover, the small court meeting in front of the imperial court of the two houses is where the real affairs are discussed. There are few people attending this court meeting, and it is easy to keep it secret.
However, it is still very difficult to keep such a huge military operation completely secret.
But in late March, the marriage envoy Zuk Kefa who was far away in Beijing had no idea that Zhu Cihong was preparing for a large-scale Northern Expedition!
He thought that the marriage would finally be successful, and that the Northern and Southern Dynasties would be able to live a peaceful life from now on.
Forbidden City, Wuying Palace.
Zu Kefa smiled and presented a gift sheet with both hands, and then said: "I wish the emperor, Ama, the regent and the queen mother to grow old together and have a son soon!"
"Hahaha..." Dorgon, who had already put on the dragon robe suitable for Emperor Ama's status, was sitting next to Shunzhi, stroking his beard and laughing, "My good son-in-law is really good at talking! "
The little emperor Shunzhi looked gloomy. It's too early to give birth to a son...will he be considered my younger brother?
Zu Kefa went on to say: "My emperor has ordered people to build the Penglai Palace for Princess Heshuo in Penglai County, Dengzhou. It will be completed in two years at most."
The construction of Penglai Palace is also true, but it will not take two years, because Penglai Palace is expanded on the basis of Penglai Pavilion on Danya Mountain and will be completed before the end of the year. At that time, Zhu Cixiang will go north to Penglai Palace and command the Five-Road Northern Expedition there.
"Okay," Dorgon seemed to have been fooled by Emperor Hongxing and nodded repeatedly, "It couldn't be better... I'll call Gege over when the Penglai Palace is repaired."
Zu Kefa smiled and said: "Your Majesty, the Emperor, I would also like to recall the troops of Datong Commander-in-Chief Jiang Yu and His Highness Dai Wang. I would like to ask for your convenience."
It was impossible to recall Jiang Yu and Zhu Cijiong, but Zhu Cixiang wanted to use this opportunity to solve the siege of Datong.
This wave of siege of Datong began last winter, and it has been five months since the siege!
Because the Battle of Datong dragged on for two or three years, not only was the consumption huge, but agricultural production around Datong was also unable to proceed. Therefore, this fortified city has reached a critical stage... and Zhu Cixiang was so far away from Datong and could not send troops to relieve Jiang Yu, so he could only figure out this method of "handing over the city to save his life".
"Okay!" Dorgon smiled, "That's right, that's right. As long as Datong City is handed over, Jiang Yu will be released."
Zukofa cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Emperor Ama, how about you spare a little more... and spare all the Ming troops and military dependents in Datong City."
Dorgon was still smiling: "Okay... But they have to hand over Datong City completely, so they should evacuate to Luliang Mountain first!"
"This is great!" Zu Kefa was overjoyed. He originally thought that even if Dorgon promised to release the officers and soldiers in Datong City, he would not let them go to Luliang Mountain. I didn’t expect the newly married Qing Emperor Amma to be so easy to talk to...
