It was the first day of the Lunar New Year in the forty-seventh year of Chongzhen.
Nanjing, Mochou Lake.
Under the service of his concubine Yang Xiaohuan, Wang Zhongxiao had already put on a brand new red battle coat, a black breastplate, a saber and a flintlock pistol, dressed like a "lancer".
In fact, he has never believed in "ruling across the river". Even if it was written in black and white in the history books of later generations, he would not agree to it now!
Although he did not expect that the Qing army would send troops to attack Nanjing on New Year's Eve, military preparations never stopped for a moment.
After he, Lu Sanhao, Chen Yonghua and others joined forces to capture Nanjing, various combat preparation measures began immediately. The recruitment of new soldiers from several counties under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Mansion has been going all out. After Liu Jinzhong captured Jiangpu and Liuhe, Wang Zhongxiao shifted the focus of recruiting new soldiers to Jiangbei and Huaixi.
While recruiting new soldiers, bachelors and veterans from the martial arts hall in Guangdong were also constantly transferred to Nanjing. Although the land transportation between Nanjing and Guangdong was very inconvenient due to the presence of the Qing army's Jiangxi camp, the transportation line going north by sea was not cut off because of a magical tacit understanding. Therefore, Wang Zhongxiao can still get support from Guangdong through this Jianghai lifeline.
However, Shi Lang's Yangtze River Navy did not blockade Nanjing, which does not mean letting them go with their eyes closed. People also had to block the road to collect fees, and if they wanted to collect fees, they had to board the ship for inspection. If Shi Lang's people really discovered that they were transporting troops and arms ship by ship, wouldn't they be allowed to start fighting on the Yangtze River?
Moreover, Wang Fuchen was worried about leaving a large number of troops and ammunition to Zheng "Jing" for shipping. God knows where this man Jing would transport the Wang family's troops and ammunition to?
Therefore, the number of sergeants from the Jiangwu Hall, veterans of the Guangdong Army, and various munitions that have been transported by water in the past few months is not very large, but it is still enough for Wang Zhongxiao to organize the entire Huai Army Association in accordance with the standards of the Guangdong New Army. Get organized.
After the troops are formed, all kinds of expedited training begins! What kind of queue formations, what kind of live-fire shooting, what kind of fortification training, what kind of field training, all of which are indispensable!
In addition, Wang Zhongxiao also formed a staff group for himself, led by Zhou Chang, Wang Quan, Wang An and Guo Jinbao.
These four people each have their own division of labor.
Among them, Zhou Chang, who was extremely talented in military affairs, was in charge of combat. Although he was not born in the army, he was familiar with various military techniques and secretly learned the tactics of the Eight Banners soldiers from Tu Hai. After arriving in Guangdong, Wang Zhongxiao asked him to participate in the management of the martial arts hall. He was asked to learn and work at the same time, and he learned all the four axes of the Wang family and his son (horse, infantry, artillery, and work), and also participated in the compilation of the teaching materials for the martial arts hall.
Of course, the new tactics developed by Wang Fuchen and Wang Zhongxiao include cavalry charge, infantry lining up to shoot, skirmishers to shoot, rifle and gun phalanx, digging trenches and fortifications to shoot, digging trenches and firing artillery to attack the city, and coordination with horse infantry artillerymen. Wait, it’s all superficial, so it’s not difficult to master it.
After he arrived in Nanjing, Wang Zhongxiao immediately appointed him as the Zuojunjun of Nanwangfu on behalf of Wang Fuchen. He also asked him to personally bring several graduates of the first and second phases of the Guangdong Lecture Hall to serve as staff officers and support a staff department. . These days I have been wandering around Nanjing, drawing maps, and looking at the terrain, and I have almost learned all the mountains and rivers around Nanjing.
Wang Quan and Wang Anguan, the "old soldiers" led by father and son Wang Fuchen and Wang Zhongxiao, were in charge of the training.
Wang Quan is responsible for training Wang Zhongxiao's personal barracks, and also serves as the general of the personal barracks - this is an elite "synthetic battalion" that uses the military system of the Guangdong New Army and has four musketeers, a cavalry team, an artillery team, and an artillery team. The engineering team, a baggage team, has a total of more than 1,500 people. Among them, veterans accounted for about half, and the rest were all Huaixi warriors!
Wang Anze was in charge of the training of the remaining three infantry battalions of 12,300 people in the "Huai Army" - these three battalions were composed of four musketry teams and two pike teams. They had no cannons, but were equipped with The muskets are also flintlock guns, and their firepower is still very powerful!
However, there are many new recruits in these three infantry battalions, and the training has not been completed, so they must be used with caution.
The ancestral firearms expert Guo Jinbao has now followed Wang Zhongxiao to Nanjing. He is Wang Zhongxiao's firearms manager, and is in charge of the artillery team that belongs to the "Li Zhongtang Guards". This artillery team has a total of one hundred and dozens of people. , equipped with six three-pound "red-coated cannons" (reduced red-coated cannons) and four sky-high cannons (mortars) that can fire twenty-four kilograms of shells.
This Guo Jinbao originally wanted to follow Wang Fuchen and Wang Zhongxiao to Guangdong to work as a county official, but he didn't expect that after being deceived into Guangdong, he directly became "Teacher Guo" at the Guangdong Lecture Hall, specializing in teaching cannon fire to the non-commissioned officers under him. , shooting guns and preparing gunpowder.
However, he always felt itchy when he saw his students making great achievements, so this time he shamelessly followed Zhou Chang to Nanjing. Now he is the firearms manager of the Nanwang Mansion, changing from Teacher Guo to Manager Guo.
When Wang Zhongxiao was neatly dressed and put a Guangdong New Army standard helmet on his forehead, on a map table nearby, Zhou Changzheng dropped the pen in his hand on the map with a bang. : "If I were Yue Le, I would work day and night to capture Qixia Mountain first, then build a fortress based on Qixia Mountain and Jiuxiang River, and at the same time divide our troops to guard Longtan Port, Dongyang Town, and Xia Shu Town. In this way, we want to repel Yue Le. It’s not so easy with Loco.”
"Zhongtang, then we have to dispatch as soon as possible!" Wang Quandao, "Yue Le arrived at Xia Shu Town last night. It is only more than forty miles from Xia Shu Town to Qixia Mountain. Before dark today, Yue Le's army We should be able to get there. It's also forty miles from Mochou Lake to Qixia Mountain. We should be able to make a quick march in time. As long as we occupy the high ground of Qixia Mountain, we can block Yuele."
Wang An shook his head: "Stuck? It's a bit difficult. We can make it in time. Lu Sanhao can't make it in time for team training. Most of his people have gone home to celebrate the New Year. It will take at least two days to gather together. Even if Lu Sanhao mobilized troops overnight last night, at least he will not be able to do it until tomorrow. It will take the day after tomorrow to concentrate on Nanjing and drive to Qixia Mountain. How many people will Yue Le bring this time? Thirty thousand? Twenty thousand? Are we going to use 5,000 people to hold him back for two days? If our three infantry battalions are all connected with the guard camp It's okay to have the same elite troops, but in fact those three infantry battalions cannot be fought at all!
Therefore, I do not agree with whether to fight in Qixia Mountain or to establish a stronghold in Jubao Mountain and Lime Mountain, relying on the outer city of Nanjing to maintain a stalemate with Yuele. "
Guo Jinbao also disapproved of competing with Yue Le to capture Qixia Mountain. He said: "We don't have enough cannons. We only have six three-pound cannons and four twenty-four-pound sky-high cannons. Yue Le is coming so fiercely that he might even have a red cannon!" If we really want to go head-to-head with Yue Le in Qixia Mountain, we won't get any advantage."
Wang Zhongxiao smiled: "Pei Gong, now the difference between fighting and not fighting is one to two. What do you mean?"
Zhou Chang no longer looked at the map. He just twirled his beard and squinted his eyes. He could tell at a glance that he was hiding something bad there. When Wang Zhongxiao asked him what he meant, he just looked at his lord and said with a smile: "Zhongtang, lord, we have Nanjing behind us!"
Oh, this Zhou Chang still has such awareness? Wang Zhongxiao nodded and thought to himself: This is the red who is close to Zhu! They all progressed under the inspiration of my noble personality charm!
Zhou Chang saw Wang Zhongxiao nodding, and then said: "This is Prince Zhu San's Nanjing, it is Lu Sanhao's Nanjing, it is Geng Jingzhong's Nanjing, not your lord's Nanjing!"
Wang Zhongxiao looked at him. Zhou Peigong was indeed Zhou Peigong. This awareness was still a bit low!
Zhou Chang went on to say: "So what if we fight tooth and nail to capture Qixia Mountain? Will the world be united for the common good? Will Prince Zhu be willing to be a virtual king in peace? Will Lu Sanhao and Wu Sangui end up fighting each other?" Will Geng Jingzhong and Shang Zhixin, these two thieves who worked together in collusion and with ulterior motives, repent? How many of the famous Southeast Confucians in Nanjing City will regard you, Zhongtang, as the pillar of the world? The Li Shu and the regiments of the five counties in the south of the Yangtze River in Yingtianfu are training for war. Will they? Because my lord fought a bloody battle with the Tatars in Qixia Mountain, so he is the only one who obeys?"
How could Wang Zhongxiao not understand what Zhou Chang meant?
Only by taking control of Nanjing after the Battle of Nanjing is the real winner!
And the winner is not subject to criticism, no matter how many shady methods he adopts!
"Then... march to Jubaoshan?" Wang Zhongxiao said thoughtfully.
"Do you think Yue Le is outside the outer city of Nanjing?" Zhou Peigong said with a smile, "The Gonggun princes in Nanjing may not even be able to hear the sound of cannons clearly. Isn't this inappropriate?"
"Then station troops at Xiaoling Mausoleum and Xiaoling Guards!" Wang Zhongxiao finally made up his mind, "Xiaoling Mausoleum is the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu, and it is located on the Zijin Mountain. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. There is no room for loss. And Xiaoling Guards The city is the strategic point to the east of Nanjing, and it is at the horns of the Xiaoling Mausoleum on Purple Mountain. The two must be defended together! Let's guard the tomb of Ming Taizu at Xiaoling Guard and Xiaoling Mausoleum, and fight a battle to defend Nanjing. !”
Zhou Changyi cupped his hands and said: "Zhongtang Yingming, let's move the entire army to Xiaoling Guard now!"
"Move the entire army?" Wang Zhongxiao thought for a while and then glanced at Yang Xiaohuan beside him.
Zhou Chang nodded, "Take away the lord's family members and the belongings in the Mochou Lake Palace. You must be on guard against others! If your family members stay in Mochou Lake, you will be taking risks even if you go back home!"
This Zhou Chang is indeed becoming more and more thoughtful! This is a bit dark, but people like Geng Jingzhong and Shang Zhixin are all in Nanjing now!
"Okay!" Wang Zhongxiao nodded heavily, "That's it. The entire army will be stationed at Xiaoling Guard!"
"Long live the King of the West! Long live the King of the West!"
On the outskirts of Xi'an, on the silver-white Baling Plain, the densely packed Wu Jiajun cheered loudly. Standing high on the hillside, Wu Yingxiong, the eldest son of the Western King of the Ming Dynasty, and Wu Shifan, the grandson of the Western King, both showed proud smiles.
This time Wu Yingxiong really shocked China! After his son Wu Shifan led his troops to capture Wuguan, he personally led an army of 47,000, marched nearly 200 miles, and was invincible along the way, directly reaching the Balingyuan outside Xi'an City.
This Balingyuan is located to the west of Bashui. It is a tableland and was called Bashang in ancient times!
It was the place where Emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty stationed troops to resist the overlord Xiang Yu of Western Chu after he entered Guanzhong. The famous meal in history, called the Hongmen Banquet, was about fifty miles northeast of Balingyuan.
And now that Wu Yingxiong is marching his army to Balingyuan, it is equivalent to putting a big knife on the neck of the "Emperor Kang" in Xi'an City!
Didn't Emperor Kang like to play the role of imperial chariot and personal conquest, and the emperor's defense of the country? Have you folded yourself in now?
Thinking of this, Wu Yingxiong said to his son Wu Shifan beside him: "Son, Kangxi can't even send troops to guard Ba Shang. It seems that Xi'an is really empty of troops. How about we send troops to attack Xi'an after a few days' rest? If we can defeat it in one fell swoop Xi'an, the world can be settled!"
What? Is this about to attack the city? Wu Shifan was also stunned. How could his father be so "bad"? In order to be the emperor, I didn’t even want my wife.
"Father, the fortified city of Xi'an is difficult to conquer, and Kangxi is determined to hold on to it, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to conquer." Wu Shifan said after considering, "If a large number of soldiers are under the fortified city for a long time, and the attack cannot be defeated and many soldiers die in battle, I am afraid that the people's hearts will If you float around, you will miss the mark. It is better to set up a large camp in Bashang, and then divide the troops to capture Lantian, Weinan, Huxian, Xianyang, Gaoling and other counties, as well as the towns south of Xi'an and the entrances of the Qinling Mountains, and completely turn Xi'an into an isolated city!"
"Set up camp at Ba Shang? And seize the territory of Lantian, Weinan, Huxian, Xianyang, Gaoling and other five counties, as well as the south of Xi'an city." Wu Yingxiong hesitated, "Can it be defended?"
"Father, just lead my troops and guard Ba on Ba," Wu Shifan said confidently, "My guards' fusiliers are very good at fighting, and there is no problem guarding the camp.
As for your father, you can retreat to Lantian with General Guo (Guo Zhuangtu), guard the retreat, and then divide into General Wang (Wang Pingfan), General Wu (Wu Zhimao), General Han (Han Daren), General Gao Shang ( Gao Dejie) and General Tan Shang (Tan Hong) stationed troops in Weinan, Huxian, Xianyang, Gaoling and the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains. In this way, we can provide food to the enemy and recruit troops in Guanzhong. Maybe you can use the wheat in Guanzhong to feed the soldiers in Guanzhong and trap the Hulu king to death! "
Wu Yingxiong didn't know much about military affairs, but he was accompanied by a great military advisor, Liu Xuanchu, so he looked back at him and asked, "Commander, what do you think?"
"Shisun's plan is brilliant!" Liu Xuanchu said with a smile, "But the prince does not need to return to Junlantian immediately. You can leave Shisun's army to guard Bashang, and then take Weinan first, then Gaoling, and then Xianyang, Huxian and Each mouth of the Qinling Mountains finally settled in Lantian.
After stationing in Lantian, Your Majesty, you can also recruit wise men in Guanzhong, buy horses and gather troops, and cultivate fields and accumulate grain for the long term. "
Wu Shifan nodded and said: "The military advisor said that although we can't attack the fortified city of Xi'an, we can set up a camp under the fortified city to trap the enemy, and slowly consume the Kangxi in the city. It won't work for a year and a half, and it will take three years." It can be done in five years!”
Liu Xuanchu smiled and said: "This method of warfare is really brilliant! Shisun, your ability to fight with soldiers really impresses me!"
After hearing Liu Xuanchu's praise, Wu Shifan blushed and said a little embarrassedly: "Military advisor, I didn't come up with this, but the method of fortifying a city and besieging it was learned in the Guangdong martial arts lecture hall run by Wang Shikai." Kai said that with the basilica, flintlock guns, and bronze smooth-bore cannons, the side that builds the fort and holds on has a great advantage. Therefore, the attacking side can use a small number of troops to build a fortified city and trap it to death. The enemy’s great city.”
This tactic of Wang Zhongxiao was of course thought up by a loyal minister of the late Qing Dynasty who killed people like shaving his head to deal with the Taiping Army. Unexpectedly, it was now being used to trap Kangxi!
This "Qing Saint Ancestor" may soon become a "Qingzhai Sect" like King Hong Tian!
However, at this moment, Kangxi, who was staying in Prince Qin's Mansion in Xi'an, did not feel that he was going to be a "house master" at all because he had just discovered a clever trick to defeat Wu Yingxiong and completely reverse the decline of the Qing Dynasty!
"Hahaha, that idiot Wu Yingxiong really doesn't understand the art of war. Not only did he go deep into the city alone, but his retreat was also extremely empty! Now Wu Sangui is in Hanzhong, Wu Yingqi is in Longxi, and Wu Guogui is in Hunan, and they are all unable to move. And how many defenders can there be in Nanyang behind Wu Yingxiong? Even if it is not an empty city, it is not enough to resist the Tianbing Brigade from Zhili and Henan, right? If Nanyang is lost, Wu Yingxiong's tens of thousands of troops may never be able to return! As long as Wu Yingxiong is finished , the Qing Dynasty can do it.”
Not to mention, this Kangxi trick is quite clever!
It's no wonder that in history, this trouble-making emperor finally got a "holy ancestor" and lay down in the ground with satisfaction.
However, there is a big loophole in Kangxi's clever plan. Is Yu Wang Fuquan really willing to help attack Nanyang? After helping Kangxi, does Fuquan still have hope of becoming emperor?
This Kangxi emperor seems not to be very good at it. Should Fuquan help him become the emperor?
If King Yu hadn't sent troops, it would have been impossible to defeat Wu Yingxiong's garrison in Nanyang with the strength of Amida and Tong Fengcai alone. If Nanyang cannot be defeated, then no matter how high Kangxi's strategy is, it will probably be in vain.
"Your Majesty," University Scholar Suo'etu immediately requested, "I am willing to go to Beijing and ask His Highness Prince Yu to personally lead the capital's army southward on Your Majesty's behalf!"
"Okay!" Kangxi was relieved now. With Suo'etu coming forward, Fuquan had to be obedient no matter what. Even if Fuquan was disobedient, Suo'etu could still speak to the Empress Dowager.
Kangxi thought for a while and then said: "Suo'etu, I will appoint you as the Imperial Envoy and Supervisor of Military Affairs. You have the power to control the troops and horses of the four provinces of Zhili, Shandong, Henan, and Shaanxi, and you have the power to act expediently!"
"This slave accepts the order!"
(End of chapter)
