On the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, a certain prince and Hota Masamori formally discussed the specific matters regarding sending troops, mainly to make preparations.
First, if Huang Taiji does not mobilize troops at the beginning of spring, then the Japanese army can set off from the mainland at the end of March and arrive at the scheduled battlefield in mid-April.
Secondly, if Huang Taiji sends troops to attack Jinzhou, then the Japanese army can land on the sea off Jinzhou and advance towards Jinzhou, and the Ming army will dispatch 10,000 cavalry to cooperate.
The former can choose any battlefield, but there is no Ming army cavalry to cooperate.
The latter could only rescue Jinzhou, but it was assisted by the Ming army.
In fact, a certain prince did not want the Japanese army to rescue Jinzhou at all. The city defense in Zu Dashou was quite strong, otherwise Huang Taiji would not have surrounded it without attacking before.
The real purpose of rescuing Jinzhou was to let the Japanese army and the pigtails fight again to consume the pigtails' vitality. If 10,000 people were killed or injured, the mission would be considered successful.
Last year, we killed 10,000 pigtails. This time we defended the city and added smallpox to count as 50,000. In the spring, we killed another 10,000. The total is 70,000, which is almost one-third of pigtails' total strength.
According to the information given by the prisoners, Huang Taiji's most elite two yellow flags did not suffer much loss, and the Menggu cavalry of the eleven flags and the two white flags did not participate in the siege.
As long as Huang Taiji can still use more than 100,000 cavalry, he can continue to pose a substantial threat to the Ming Dynasty's western Liaoning area.
It's not that a certain prince doesn't want to fight, but because money and food are limited at this stage, and logistical supplies are restricted, he can only choose an economical and practical way of war.
That is to ask the Japanese army to do the work for them. Anyway, there is no need to pay the Japanese army a monthly salary, it is all based on commission. If there is no large-scale war with the pigtails, some food and seafood will be enough.
Choosing to send troops in April is also to dispatch a large number of fishing boats to catch seafood at the same time. This can greatly reduce the logistical pressure, transport them ashore nearby, and feed 100,000 Japanese soldiers.
Zu Dashou will know about the reinforcements in advance, and the defenders in Jinzhou City will definitely defend with all their strength after learning that the reinforcements are in the coastal area.
In the previous life, the city's defenders surrendered after Hong Chengchou's reinforcements were defeated by Braid, and it should be similar now.
What's more, the Menggu soldiers and horses who might betray the enemy were transferred to Shanhaiguan, and the people who consumed food were also moved away.
The food in Jinzhou City is enough to last for three years. If you grow some vegetables in the city, you don't have to worry about food and drink at all.
Although there was no need to rescue Jinzhou, both the Ming and Qing Dynasties would probably use Jinzhou as their focus and conduct operations around Jinzhou.
Whether it's Daming or Braid, Jinzhou is the bait used to catch the opponent.
A certain prince also wanted to use this city to attract the main force of braids, and then take the Japanese soldiers up and have a "bang bang"...
Before the construction of Jinzhou City, there was a problem with the site selection. Although the general location was by the sea, it was not coastal and was completely different from Shanhaiguan.
As long as the garrison at Shanhaiguan does not surrender voluntarily and the Ming Dynasty Navy still controls the sea, even a 300,000-strong army cannot defeat this strategic coastal town.
Because reinforcements can enter the city as soon as they disembark, soldiers can enter, and naturally weapons, ammunition, food, and war horses can be transported in continuously.
Since Jinzhou is still some distance from the seaside, this method will not work.
Without opening up the land route, it would be impossible to relieve Jinzhou.
"Your Excellency General, this is an overview of the Jinzhou campaign in the previous life planned by Liu Bowen, the Ming Dynasty's military advisor. Please take a look!"
In order to prepare Hotta Masamori, a certain prince not only provided the braid's organization, personnel, weapons, etc., but also gave the other party a summary of the Shojin Battle so that he could know himself and the enemy well.
It doesn't matter if the Japanese army loses, but if they fail, many people will be killed or injured, which means that a certain prince will have to take out a large amount of pension from his pocket. It is best not to let such a disgusting thing happen.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Hota Masamori had laughed it off before, but after seeing the spectacular airship troop launch performance yesterday, he had no choice but to believe it.
Of course, if you can get this important battle report, you must take a good look at it. At least you must not make the same mistake again. Moreover, you must not play worse than that guy Abe Shugenji and disappoint the general.
"The defeat of the King's Division in this battle mainly had three fatal flaws. First, the imperial court urged the battle, so that the frontline troops had to take the initiative to attack. Second, the land rescue of Jinzhou was easily ambushed and blocked by the enemy, and it fell into the enemy's plan of siege and reinforcements. . Thirdly, the grain and grass were placed on Bijia Mountain. The enemy learned this news and took advantage of the situation to make a sneak attack. This time, the general can use his strengths and avoid weaknesses and adapt to changes."
A certain prince also had to point out the main reason for the defeat last time, so as to prevent the guy in front of him from repeating yesterday, which would be completely ruined.
"Your Highness, after landing from the sea, my army will naturally have no worries. It's just a matter of food and fodder..."
Hota Masamori was very worried about this aspect. Since ancient times, without military rations, the morale of the army would be disrupted. Without food supply, it would be a problem not to mention relieving the siege of Jinzhou, but also to advance in the direction of Jinzhou.
"I have informed Zheng Zhilong that he will be fully responsible for the supply of the army. All supplies will be transported by sea. What's more, most of the warships under the Donglu Navy have been destroyed by our army in the previous battle. This battle will definitely not be successful. Repeating the mistakes of the past life.”
This time we all go to sea, I will see how you can cut off my food supply!
Between Ningyuan and Jinzhou, from south to north, are Tashan, Xingshan and Songshan.
During the war, these were the three hell gates that the Ming Dynasty reinforcements had to pass through.
A certain prince would not be stupid enough to make the same mistake again and directly bypass the land route, even Ningyuan.
Because he did not believe in the character of Wu Sangui's goods, the main supplies departed from ports in the south, and the secondary supplies departed from Tianjin and Denglai.
The supplies are piled on the beach. If you dare to come over and grab them, that's fine. If you don't dare, you can only stare at them.
The only people who set out from Shanhaiguan were fishermen. A certain prince could responsibly say that he could supply the army with seafood for four months and then rest until the end of the year. The money earned would be enough for the New Year.
The Japanese soldiers of this era were less picky about food than the gray beasts of later generations. As long as they had rice balls, they could continue to fight and did not need to equip themselves with spirits at all.
If there is a supply of sea fish, the combat effectiveness can be increased by 50%. If equipped with plate armor, the combat effectiveness will be doubled!
In order to fight against braids, a certain prince wanted to increase the Japanese soldiers' combat effectiveness to its peak!
Even if he is equipped with plate armor, he won't hesitate, at least he can really kill a lot of pigtails.
"Your Highness has thought carefully and carefully, and I am very relieved!"
Hota Masamori knew Zheng Zhilong's strength very well and almost monopolized the maritime trade of the Japanese army. With him in charge of transporting grain and grass, the army would have no worries about its operations.
After receiving a large number of artillery and tens of thousands of Ming army cavalry, plus the adequate and safe supply of food and grass, Hota Masamori was now very satisfied with the arrangement of the Ming prince.
"By the way, I will also provide 100,000 breastplates to your army. Since they were made in a hurry, the workmanship is rough. I hope your Excellency, General, will not take offense!"
It is just two iron plates at the front and back, packed with cloth bags and tied with cloth ropes. It is simple, but it can completely ignore arrow attacks.
With the steam forging machine, this thing can be made very quickly without pursuing craftsmanship.
A semi-soft iron plate is formed by pressing it five or six times, and can be put into water for cooling.
This is the finished product. It doesn’t need to be processed anymore. It’s for the Japanese army anyway, so just make it in large quantities.
"I don't dare! I don't dare! Your Highness cares so much about me. I'm really flattered. Thank you so much for your generous gift!"
Hota Masamori knew that Abe had not received such treatment last time when he led the army again. Now he got so many armors for free. It was an unexpected surprise and he was so happy that he was elated.
After seeing the armor worn by Ming army soldiers, Hota Masamori knew that he could only envy him and could not afford the equipment.
Even General Tokugawa could only equip the most elite of his troops with iron armor.
However, the armor made by the Japanese country was far inferior to similar products produced by the Ming Dynasty in its ability to defend against arrows.
The reason is that although the defensive power of Ming Jia below the trunk is inferior to that of Wa Jia, the defensive power of the trunk area is super strong and unrivaled.
The most powerful archers of the Japanese country use armor-piercing arrows and bows, but they are completely unable to penetrate the armor at close range. It is a whole iron plate with no gaps at all.
"I only hope that your army will kill more enemy soldiers and less of our own soldiers. To this end, I can only do a small amount, which is insignificant!"
No matter how expensive the plate armor was, it was only as high as a pension of one hundred taels of silver. A certain prince was very afraid of massive casualties from the Japanese army, mainly because he couldn't afford the compensation!
If ten thousand people are killed, one million taels of silver will be gone!
What can I do with this money?
If that doesn't work, I can still buy five thousand heads of braided armored soldiers!
That is equivalent to three dozen soldiers and horses, equivalent to the strength of more than half a banner, and it can make the banner owner feel distressed to death.
"Your Majesty Zheng Zhilong..."
"Excuse me! I and General Hotta were talking about you just now, and my beloved has arrived. I also excused myself from the ceremony and sat down to discuss the matter!"
Zheng Zhilong had previously informed a certain prince that this time his brother Zheng Zhibao would lead the fleet to assist in the battle, together with the provisions needed to transport the army.
Zheng Zhibao had already fought two battles with the Braided Navy before, and the results were resounding victories. With experience accumulated, his brother felt that there was no need to change the command.
"This time, the two Aiqings are in charge of the two battlefields, one in the south and one in the north. I feel very relieved. To be honest with General Hota, I have ordered Zheng Aiqing to launch an attack on the Spanish defenders on Dongfan Island at the right time in order to regain it. Lost ground. Since the Spanish army stationed in Luzon massacred tens of thousands of Ming merchants, I can no longer turn a blind eye."
A certain prince had long been thinking about the Spanish garrison in the northern part of Dongfan Island, but he still wanted to give some face to Warlock Tang's colleagues.
Now the Governor of the Philippines, Sebastian Coquilla, took a preemptive strike, and a certain prince could become famous by sending troops.
After you kill all the Ming people on Luzon Island, let's see what else you kill!
Then it will be your death!
If there is one, don’t even think about running away!
"How could such a thing happen? It is truly an evil act infuriated by humans and gods. It is truly an unforgivable crime!"
Hotta Masamori could not care how many Akito died, but he had to look indignant to express his indignation.
"Yes, there are always people who think that Ming Dynasty is easy to bully, and Zimin of Ming Dynasty can be killed at will. I think this idea is not good, and this action is even worse, so I asked Zheng Aiqing to help these people understand their mistakes. Most of the time, admitting your mistakes It's not as simple as saying an apology. If you make a mistake with human life, you must pay with human life. To say the least, whichever hand the culprit used to kill the person must be chopped off. Not only should we help him change his evil ways, but also We must help him reform!"
The Spaniards still don't know how big a trap they have created, but I believe they will know it soon.
No Spanish garrison soldier is innocent, whether it is Luzon or Dongpan Island.
The massacre during the Wanli period was not ordered by Coquilla, but I'm sorry, but it has to be blamed on you!
"What His Highness said is absolutely true!"
Although the Crown Prince of Ming Dynasty said this as if he was talking and laughing, it didn't sound that way to Hota Masamori.
Abe once again explained that the crown prince was extremely smart, but Hota Masamori was not convinced. How smart can a ten-year-old child be?
When he really saw himself, Hota Masamori felt that Abe Shigeci was right, and he was even smarter than General Tokugawa.
"Your Highness, I have brought more than 300 red barbarian prisoners this time, claiming to be mercenaries, and want to serve your Highness!"
"Okay, let a few leaders come in, I want to take a look!"
"yes!"
Zheng Zhilong has already brought the officers leading the team to Donghua Gate. This is a great gift, because this group of red barbarians are really good at fighting, but they have lost many soldiers in his own unit.
Since there was no abuse on the road, but meat and delicious food every meal, these people did not run away, just waiting to realize their dream of getting rich in the East!
The three officers who came to see him were Captain van der Williams, Captain Haken Meyer, and Captain Victor Ghazi, plus Hans Bruck, the most capable soldier among the more than 300 people.
"Is there anyone who can speak Chinese?"
"..."
Zheng Zhilong, a language genius who is good at Japanese, Dutch, and Spanish, had to convey the prince's meaning on his behalf, but the answer he got was just the opposite, making the situation quite embarrassing.
"Does anyone speak German?"
"I can!"
Hans Bruck looked at the short Ming prince and felt extremely incredible when he heard the familiar mother tongue. He did not expect that there were people in the far East who could speak German.
"Are you German?"
"Yes!"
"No need to be surprised. Your compatriot Mr. Tang Ruowang came here very early under the commission of Rome."
"I see!"
"Are you going to work for Ming Dynasty? Or make money?"
"With your permission!"
"There are many people who want to make money here, but not many people have the ability to make money. If you have the ability, you'd better prove it!"
"How to prove it?"
"In the near future, that is, in two or three months, our army will launch a large-scale military operation in the northern coastal zone. The enemy is the Donglu, which is what you call the Tatars. This city was previously occupied by three One hundred thousand Tatars besieged them. Fortunately, our army repulsed them and captured many Tatar soldiers. How about you compete with one of them. If you can kill him, then I will trust you and you. The strength of your companions will also equip you with all weapons and equipment. Otherwise, there will be doubts!"
"no problem!"
"This time I prove that your work will not be in vain, enter the court!"
"yes!"
A certain prince asked Yang Jinchao to bring over a large bag of new silver coins, totaling three hundred coins, and gave them directly to him.
When Yang Jinchao walked up to the mercenary and saw his mountain-like body, he couldn't help but be so frightened that his legs weakened.
"Our reward standard is for every Tatar soldier killed, the total price is two hundred taels of silver, equivalent to three hundred silver coins. Our soldiers can get 60%, that is, 180 silver coins. The officers can get 30%, that is, Ninety silver coins. Generals can get 10%, which is thirty silver coins. There is no upper limit, the more you kill, the more you get. This silver coin is similar to Spanish silver coins. One hundred taels of silver can be exchanged for one hundred and fifty Spanish silver coins or Ming silver coins. You can choose this Ming Dynasty silver coin, or the same amount of Spanish silver coins."
A certain prince believed that he could get better service by paying first, so he showed the other party a little.
"Okay, I'll take it! Where is the enemy?"
Hans Bruck weighed the money bag in his hand and felt that the price was very high. Bolger, a miser, would not be so generous. This trip was worth it.
