At the confluence of the Rehe River and the Luanhe River, at the foot of the densely forested Dabeishang, there is an open river beach, which has now been turned into a large construction site.
A large camp for 20,000 to 30,000 people is already under construction. Soldiers from Datong, Xuanfu and other towns and servants from Yongping Prefecture were devouring white-flour steamed buns. There was a crowd of people, and some bosses or foremen were shouting in the crowd: "We will go into the water to build the dam later. Today's wages for those who go into the water will be increased by 100 cents, plus two or two pot heads! Who is willing to do it?"
There was labor in the Ming Dynasty. Although in some places and industries you could pay to avoid labor and hire labor, free labor was still the mainstream. However, in order to speed up the construction of the city of Rehe, Zhu Youjian still raised a sum of money from the internal funds to pay the people and reward the soldiers.
In addition to being willing to spend money, after Zhu Youjian arrived in Rehe, he also went with Sun Yuanhua's assistant, Han Lin, who wrote the "Shouyu Complete Book" in his previous life, and Xu Guangqi, the Minister of Industry who had followed him all the way from Xuanfu. He walked around several hills and valleys at the confluence of Rehe and Luanhe rivers, measured the terrain, and personally designed the Rehe Castle. He also looked for fertile land suitable for farming.
Zhu Youjian was the Ming Dynasty, and perhaps the person who knew the most about city building and siege in the world - Marshal Vauban of France was not even born, and Zhu Youjian had read all his works. So he knows how to build that kind of complicated and deadly bastion, and he also knows how to break an unusually strong bastion...
However, the Rehe Fortress that he personally designed and supervised is not an extremely strong fortress, but a mountain city that relies on mountains and water - that is, the bottom layer is close to Rehe and Dabei Mountain, and then it is built layer by layer along the The hillside is built up, all the way to the top of the mountain. At first glance, it looks a bit like a Japanese castle, but it doesn't have a "main tower" that attracts thunder from the sky.
As for collecting materials, we also took the cheap and easy way. The city walls were packed with sandbags and rammed earth, and the arrow towers, pavilions and gate towers were all made of wood.
In addition, a prismatic fort will be built to erect Fran cannons and general cannons. These forts are also built layer by layer with rammed earth and sandbags. They are solid inside and very strong.
Since there was a fort to provide crossfire and the terrain was utilized to the maximum extent, although the Jehol Castle was built very large, it only needed a small number of defenders to hold on.
In the upper reaches of Rehe, where the Rehe Valley narrowed to the point where there was no value for reclamation, Zhu Youjian also had a Gouguan Fort built, which was much smaller than the Rehe Fort. Gouguanbao and Rehebao are blocked at both ends, making the entire Rehe River Valley a good place where it is difficult for outsiders to break in. The narrow flat land on both sides of the Rehe River is fertile soil that can be cultivated.
The location of the Rehe River Valley is approximately in front of Mameng Mountain. As long as the Ming army occupied the Rehe River Valley, they could approach Mameng Mountain step by step along several relatively narrow valleys - this is the real fortress advance, advancing step by step!
In addition to approaching Mameng Mountain from the front, Zhu Youjian can also choose to go around the relatively open Kuanhe River Basin to the south of Mameng Mountain. The Kuanhe River Basin is the Chahan Loop area. As you can tell from the name, it was once a stronghold of the Chahan tribe. Not only is the terrain open, but the land is also very fertile. It is now a pasture in the Eight Banner Mongolia.
According to Zhu Youjian's plan, after the Jehol Castle is completed, he will lead the main force to move to Hanhetao and seize this pasture. Then he still used a step-by-step approach to force his way behind Ma Mengshan.
If the Mongolian Eight Banners and the slave thieves of the Zhenglan Banner at the foot of Mameng Mountain still hold on, then Zhu Youjian will go one step further and insert himself directly into the Keko Hetao, which is also the hometown of Daning Guard.
At that time, we will no longer be afraid that the Tatars on Mamen Mountain will not move!
Zhu Youjian, who had been wandering around the middle of the Rehe Valley for a day, has now returned to the Rehe camp with Xu Guangqi, Han Lin and others, escorted by more than a hundred personal cavalry.
Along the way, he saw not only the excitement, but also the prosperity of spring. It was a completely upward atmosphere - this kind of atmosphere could not be felt in the mouth where it had developed to a bottleneck and gradually formed a dilemma.
This is the kind of positive vibe that only expansion can bring!
Although Chongzhen's expansion in the Yanshan area cannot be compared with the global expansion under the leadership of his previous generation, Zhu Youjian still understood the significance of expansion...
Zhu Youjian rode his horse through the crowd that saluted him and shouted long live, and headed towards his tent.
The emperor's tent was pitched at the foot of Dabei Mountain, right in the center of this huge construction site. A circle of wooden stakes was driven around it, leaving an opening for entry and exit. Brothers Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui stood side by side outside the entrance, with several of their men, and escorted a Tatar with a red flag!
Zhu Youjian jumped off the horse with a smile. Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui hurriedly stepped forward to salute. Zhu Youjian waved his hand: "No ceremony, no ceremony..." He then pointed at the Tatar holding the red flag and smiled. He said, "Caught Zheng Hongqi? Is he one of Daishan's men? Take him to the big tent. I want to question him personally!"
After receiving the emperor's order, Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui picked up the Tatar one by one, followed Zhu Youjian into the enclosure, then into the tent, and then threw them at the feet of Emperor Zhu.
"Your Majesty, Huang Taiji, the great slave thief khan, has arrived in the area of Mameng Mountain, and his tent has been set up in Qingcheng by the Laohamulin River to the east of Mameng Mountain."
Li Zicheng rushed to report without waiting for Zhu Youjian to ask questions.
"What? Huang Taiji is already here?" Zhu Youjian was stunned, "How is that possible?"
The Tatar of the Mongolian Zhenghong Banner could understand Chinese. Seeing Zhu Youjian's surprised look, he laughed loudly: "The Great Khan has led the main force of the Eight Banners Army to Mameng Mountain. You will be finished tomorrow. Hahaha......"
Oh, here comes the main force of the Eight Banners Army! Zhu Youjian murmured: "That's tens of thousands of people...what will they eat?"
"Of course it's time to eat!" the Mongolian Tatar said angrily, "Don't think that if there is a famine in our country of Jin, we will starve the Eight Banners heavenly soldiers... Those who starve to death are the old and the weak, not the heavenly soldiers! And! Last year, the Great Khan conquered the Dorote tribe of the Han Dynasty twice, and captured a lot of them. They were all stationed in Qingcheng, enough to feed tens of thousands of troops for the first half of the year!"
Enough to feed tens of thousands of troops for half a year? Zhu Youjian said heartily: If this is true...then we have to seize the opportunity to transport more food from Yongping Prefecture in summer when the Luanhe River is full of water.
The worst thing is... spending a year with Huang Taiji!
I have plenty of patience and plenty of time!
Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian turned to look at the honest Tatar and asked, "What's your name?"
"Hmph," Tatar turned his head, "I only weigh a pound. Morigen won't tell you!"
"You really don't want to say it?" Zhu Youjian asked, but at the same time he thought: Is there anything else I can ask?
"I won't say anything!" Bo'er Jijin Mo Rigen said with a tragic face, "I am a descendant of Genghis Khan and I have backbone! If you want to kill me, just kill me!"
"What a loyal and righteous man!" Zhu Youjian nodded, "I admire loyal and righteous men the most. Are you willing to surrender?"
"No surrender, no surrender! My son is only a pound. Mo Rigen is a descendant of the Yuan Dynasty. We can't let our ancestors down!"
Zhu You checked his heart and said: Is this guy really that loyal? He asked tentatively: "Should the descendants of the Yuan Dynasty listen to Hutu Dunhan? He is the orthodox member of the Golden Family!"
"Of course!" The Mongolian nodded.
Zhu Youjian nodded and said to Li Zicheng: "Then send someone to escort him to the camp of Wuliangha Wanhu, and let them send someone to send him to Tudun Khan."
Princess Wu Liangha was waiting for childbirth in the Xuan Mansion, but her Ten Thousand Households Orduo still sent hundreds of cavalry to follow Zhu Youjian on the expedition.
Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui escorted the Mongolian "loyal man" out of the tent, and Zhu Youjian ordered the generals to be summoned.
After a while, all the generals in the Rehe camp arrived at the tent. Seeing them performing the courtesy of kings and ministers, Zhu Youjian said with a smile: "I just got the news that Huang Taiji has probably arrived in Qingcheng, bringing tens of thousands of soldiers with him." The Eight Banners Soldiers... He will definitely lose this time! I am going to send troops to insert troops into the Han River to meet this slave-thief Khan!"
