The sound of firecrackers to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new has not diluted the dense clouds of sadness hanging over the city of Shenyang. Due to the war deaths and disappearances, white silk ribbons can be seen hanging on the mansions on both sides of the main streets.
During this expedition, many of the casualties died of injuries and illnesses in the later stages of the battle, as well as those who lost their combat effectiveness and became disabled. The Qing army lost fifty thousand soldiers in combat alone, and more than seventy thousand soldiers died!
According to detailed statistics, out of the 265,000 troops at the time of the expedition, there are now just over 140,000 left.
This was the greatest loss suffered by the Qing Dynasty since Emperor Taizu Gao launched an army to attack the Ming Dynasty.
The Eight Banners soldiers alone lost 19,000 people, which made Huang Taiji's heart bleed!
In addition to the troops and horses lost in the previous effort to regain the Liaodong Peninsula, the Qing Dynasty defeated more than three Eight Banners soldiers in these two battles!
Huang Taiji was ill for more than two months, and his physical condition improved after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
But when he thought of those lost soldiers and horses, Huang Taiji felt like his heart was pierced by a knife.
The evil Ming Prince did not dare to let his army compete head-on with the Qing army, but secretly resorted to the smallpox virus!
It is really hateful. If there is a chance to capture the dog prince alive, he must be executed Ling Chi!
If the two sides open up their battle lines and compete with real swords and spears, the Qing army will definitely win a complete victory.
Being so sneaky and insidious, relying on heretical tricks to steal a victory by chance, clearly shows no respect for martial ethics!
The nearly 300,000 troops dispatched not only failed to capture the capital, but suffered many casualties.
Even if the main force has withdrawn outside the customs, how can Huang Taiji be willing to do so?
Thinking of this every day, I feel extremely angry. With the anger attacking my heart, I find it difficult to get better quickly.
However, Huang Taiji became even more angry when he remembered the banner hanging on the capital city that he would die of illness in four years.
If I really agreed to the time when the nonsense came out, and even died early, what would the Qing Dynasty do in the future?
Hauge's Zhenglan Banner has just been severely damaged and is still in the rebuilding stage.
The two white flags of the Dorgon brothers did not participate in the siege at all, and did not lose even a hair.
In comparison, if he passes away, the Dorgon Brotherhood will wait for an opportunity to attack Hauge.
If Dorgon succeeds, the emperor of the Qing Dynasty in the future will not be his heir...
Therefore, we are determined not to let that evil boy who has just turned 60 years old succeed!
Cheer up!
You must cheer up!
Relying on his tenacious perseverance and firm belief, Huang Taiji actually recovered after the new year, which made the concubines extremely happy.
To this end, the concubines specially invited actors who could sing the Italian opera "Little New Year's Greetings" from Guan Nei to congratulate the emperor!
Since Italian opera was introduced to Shenyang, it has become the object of intense pursuit.
Due to their low level of education, the nobles and generals all loved to listen to this easy-to-understand and popular opera.
Operators who are good at singing are even more in demand, their schedules are already full, and they can receive a reward of no less than ten taels of silver at a time.
After listening to several opera pieces, Huang Taiji naturally fell in love with this form of performance.
But when I learned that this was created by the evil boy Man Ming, I felt a little awkward.
But unfortunately, the concubines all liked it, so Huang Taiji had no choice but to do as he pleased.
Fortunately, its rhetoric is also based on ordinary life, and listening to it every day can cultivate your body and mind.
Unlike the damn "Jingshi Daily", the headline on the front page is "Defeat the Qing Army" and the like, which makes your eyes irritated just looking at it!
When the newspapers from those days containing the contents of the Battle of Beijing were delivered, Huang Taiji read them and put them aside.
But I also thought it was very unlucky, and if it was missing, it would make me look narrow-minded, and I felt extremely disgusting when I put it on display.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to step on it and use it as a stepping stone...
Fortunately, the previous propaganda to all parts of the Qing Dynasty was that Master Wang had achieved an unprecedented victory and gained a lot. Just like the last time he entered the pass, he severely damaged the Ming troops!
Since a lot of food was actually collected from the Jifu area, a lot of people were taken away, and the Wang division had inherent strong combat power, the people had no choice but to believe it.
The generals who participated in the war were strictly ordered not to reveal the truth to anyone. If they spoke indiscriminately, they would be severely punished once the situation was verified.
The lost coat Aha died for his country during the siege. This was a well-deserved death!
The soldiers were lost in sieges and field battles, only ten thousand, that's all!
The reason why the generals and lieutenants of the Cavalry School and above were lost was because they took the lead in the charge. This was the practice of the Qing Dynasty's royal divisions in combat. There is nothing wrong with it. Just give more compensation to their families.
Several articles praising the victory of the Qing Dynasty King's Division written by academicians such as Fan Wencheng, Ning Wanwo, and Bao Chengxian have been published in the previously published "Qing Daily".
We must make everyone feel that with just one more fight, the Qing Dynasty can achieve a decisive victory and successfully enter the pass!
The common people did not dare to doubt, and they did not have the time. It was too late to defend against smallpox.
Except for Bagala, all soldiers and horses "returning in triumph" were not allowed to enter the cities.
They had to be stationed outside the city first to determine whether the smallpox patients were completely isolated.
Even with strict precautions, due to the negligence of some generals, smallpox spread like wildfire and spread into Shenyang, Liaoyang, Haizhou and other cities.
Although the defenders in the city subsequently tightened control and used many methods, including isolating smallpox patients and their families, and even moving them to live outside the city.
However, tens of thousands of people are still infected, and those who are not infected do not dare to go out on the streets for fear of being infected inadvertently and affecting their whole family.
This caused people all over the Qing Dynasty to panic, and even though they knew it was caused by the clever dog prince, no one knew how to resolve the disease.
What's even more frightening is that if Man Ming uses such a vicious trick again if he sends troops southward again, what should he do? ? ?
The academicians were at a loss what to do, and the generals were even more worried.
If you want to fight poison with poison, if you use smallpox, I will use snake venom, but...
If the game continues like this, can the Qing Dynasty Master, who is at a numerical disadvantage, withstand such an extremely brutal battle mode?
One of the soldiers of the Qing Dynasty died, and five or six barbarians died. Barbarian Ming still took advantage of it!
If the king's division loses tens of thousands of people again, they will probably have to retreat in despair like this time.
Huang Taiji also thought deeply about this for many days, but racked his brains and couldn't come up with a good countermeasure.
For this reason, we can only convene everyone to discuss it, hoping to come up with a more stable and feasible method.
"Your Majesty, I think that our Qing army is good at annihilating enemies in the field, while the barbarian troops are very good at defending the city. If we change the vigorous attack on the city to a siege and reinforcements, we may gain something!"
Fan Wencheng did not agree with launching another siege war. Not to mention the capital city, even if Songshan was not captured, the result of another attack would only be continued losses of troops and generals, nothing more.
"Your Majesty, I thought that after the spring, Master Wang could besiege Jinzhou, trap the defenders in the city, and force Zu Dashou to report to the Man Ming court. When reinforcements were sent, Master Wang could wait for work, so he intercepted and killed him on the way!"
Ning Wan and I also agree with fighting in the field. After all, it is unwise to abandon the horse and attack the city. We should use our strengths and avoid weaknesses and give full play to the advantages of the Qing Dynasty King's Division.
"Your Majesty, I think that the king's division can first block the enemy's army, then cut off its food routes, and then send a cavalry to burn down or occupy the place where the Ming army gathers food. If the reinforcements are short of food, they will be defeated. The defenders in Jinzhou City saw that If there is no hope for reinforcements to come to our aid, we will no longer have the heart to resist, so we can attack Jinzhou!"
Bao Chengxian further improved the plans of the first two, and thus drafted a comparative outline of the battle.
"Your Majesty, in this way, the King's Division will not only be able to inflict a heavy blow and even annihilate the main force outside the Manming Pass, but it will also be able to replenish food and wages, especially the various types of artillery that the King's Division is relatively lacking. After this battle, they can knock on the pass and attack again. It’s not too late in the Jifu area!”
Zhang Cunren, who was in charge of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, also offered suggestions and advice. The first three people all expressed their opinions directly, so he could not lag behind others.
"Hmm~! My dear friends, what you said makes sense!"
Huang Taiji thought about it and felt that by acting like this, he could avoid the real situation and attack the weak. After all, no matter how powerful the special weapons of the Ming Ming army were, they could not compete with the brave and skillful Qing cavalry in field battles.
In this battle, the King's Division lost nearly ninety Hongyi cannons in one go, and the number of other artillery pieces was as high as hundreds, and they were in urgent need of replenishment.
The cannon foundry produced thirty more guns, which could only make up part of the difference. If they wanted to make up for the rest as soon as possible, they could only make up for it through seizures.
It can kill tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Ming soldiers and horses, and also capture a large amount of artillery and food, and maybe even the silver shipped to Jinzhou. This is still a good deal.
What's more important is that it can catch all the barbarian armies outside the pass, even if there are a few fish that slip through the net, it is not something to be afraid of.
After the Wang division has won a complete victory, they can go straight to Shanhaiguan and conquer this obstructive pass in one fell swoop.
Without the barrier of Shanhaiguan, Manming would have no danger to defend, and his capital city has become the possession of the Qing Dynasty!
"Your Majesty, if we are besieging the city for reinforcements, we can take advantage of the bravery and fighting skills of our Qing cavalry. Not only the Eight Banners soldiers can fight bravely, Meng Gujian'er can also shoot and kill the barbarian soldiers at will!"
Gang Lin's meaning was very clear, that is, the Menggu soldiers did not exert much force when attacking the city, and the Qing Dynasty could ignore it, but in a field battle, they could no longer push back and block the city.
"I agree with what Gang Lin said, Your Majesty, the Menggu banners can be used as a containment this time, and our Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing Dynasty can give a fatal blow to the reinforcements of the Ming Dynasty. If we cooperate like this, we will be sure of victory!"
Xifu immediately understood what Ganglin meant and came up with a fairly smart idea.
"Emperor Ama, I am willing to lead Menggu's banners into battle!"
Hauge's Zhenglan flag was destroyed before he could hold it in his hand. The newly added troops did not have much combat effectiveness at all, and were not as good as Menggu soldiers.
So Hauge focused on the Menggu banners. There were eleven banners, and each flag drew a Jia La, which was equal to the number of men and horses of two banners.
"Yeah! Let me think again!"
Of course, Huang Taiji was very aware of his son's little thoughts, but since he tried his best during the siege, he didn't want to think that some people deliberately conserved their strength, so he might consider this suggestion.
"I wonder what my fourteenth brother thinks?"
The smartest among many clans, besides himself, is Dorgon. Huang Taiji also wants to hear what this fourteenth brother means.
If Dorgon also agrees to besiege the city for reinforcements, then send two white flags to charge into the battle, otherwise he must give reasons to convince the crowd.
"Your Majesty, my brother is willing to lead the two white flags as the vanguard!"
Dorgon had long thought about regaining the city in this way, and the only possible way was to besiege Jinzhou and force Wang Zaijin to fight.
If Jinzhou fails, it will definitely shock the Ming Dynasty and everyone. It is impossible for Wang Zaijin not to be responsible for the consequences of Jinzhou's failure.
Since the civil servants all suggested that Huang Taiji send troops to Jinzhou, he would be offending the public if he refused.
During the siege of the capital, the two white flags were on guard against King Man Mingqin's army and the army's grain collection, so they escaped unscathed.
Now if he doesn't want to go to war, he will become the target of public criticism, so he might as well take the initiative to ask for help.
"Okay! With the fourteenth brother leading the two white flags into battle, Master Wang will surely win a complete victory!"
Dorgon agreed very happily, which made Huang Taiji very happy, at least he was spared a lot of persuasion.
"..."
Looking at Dorgon's side face, Duduo was very puzzled. Is the second brother too sleepy to be the first to take the lead in this matter?
Gou Manzi made a Shenzi armored chariot and a Shenzi airship, which were extremely powerful.
If the two white flags lose more men and horses, it will really hurt their vitality.
King Kong Youde of Gongshun, King Geng Zhongming of Huaishun, and Shang Keai of Zhishun all returned to their bases. The second brother Dai Shanyuan was in Yizhou to guard against Zu Dashou.
"Do you have any objections?"
"I have no objection!"
After asking the civil servants and the fourteenth brother for their opinions, the opinions of others, including Jierhalang, Abatai, Dudu and others, can be ignored.
"Ji'erharang still leads the Xianglan Banner to stay in Shenyang. I will lead the two yellow banners and the three banners of the outer vassal to fight in person. The twelfth brother (Ajige), the fourteenth brother (Dorgon), the fifteenth brother (Duduo) Leading the two white flags as the vanguard, I gave the fourteenth brother the command of the eight banners of Menggu. The fourteenth brother is fully responsible for how to fight. Hauge is responsible for commanding the four flags of the eight banners of Menggu and is responsible for the response, waiting for the opportunity to cut off his food. Dao. The two red flags serve as backup to occupy the enemy's food garrison. The two gray flags and the three Shun Wang soldiers and horses are responsible for besieging Jinzhou. There must be no mistake."
"yes!"
As for when to send troops, it's not yet the first lunar month, and it's freezing and snowing outside the pass. It's slightly warmer in Jinzhou, but it's not as good as inside the pass.
If Jinzhou is besieged at this time, can Wang Zaijin send reinforcements to rescue him?
It’s probably unlikely!
So Huang Taiji planned to wait a few days to decide on the dispatch of troops. The specific time would depend on weather changes.
But no matter how late it is, it cannot be later than the end of the first lunar month. There will still be some days of walking on the road.
Fortunately, the outside of the pass is not like the inside of the pass, and the distance to send troops to Jinzhou is more than half shorter than to attack the capital.
If the three armies advance at full speed, they will reach the gates of Jinzhou City within three days.
This time it was a fake siege and a real reinforcement, so there was no need to use too many coats. Bringing 20,000 people would be enough.
The key depends on whether Wang Shi can successfully mobilize reinforcements. On the other hand, the stubborn Zu Dashou is determined not to voluntarily abandon the city and surrender.
"Second brother, why did you take the initiative to be a pioneer?"
After leaving the court, Duduo couldn't bear it any longer and asked.
"What else? Wait until the vanguard job falls on our brothers?"
Dorgon couldn't help but feel funny when he heard this. Do you really think you can avoid this pioneer's errand?
"..."
These words directly stopped Duduo, but he had not thought about this key point in detail.
"Second brother, Mingming's reinforcements may not be able to rescue Jinzhou in the short term!"
Azig thought about the whole process and felt that Master Wang would not achieve anything in the near future.
"Isn't that good?"
Dorgon didn't want to lose any more troops and generals, so he wouldn't fight if he could.
"Second brother, what are your intentions?"
Duduo didn't want to go around in circles anymore, he had to figure it out.
"The combat effectiveness of the Ming army in western Liaoning is obviously inferior to that of the defenders of the capital. If they go to battle, Wang Shi will naturally win. Otherwise, our troops can just wait and see."
"..."
"What's more, do you think the Japanese army will only come this time? How cunning is the Man Ming Prince? After tasting the sweetness, how can he not fall back on his old tricks? If the Japanese army comes back after the spring, the strength will be the same as last time, or even better than last time. There are still more, so what should Master Wang do? Don’t you also know the combat power of the Japanese army? Is it easier to fight the Ming army in western Liaoning, or is it easier to fight the Japanese army?"
"……I see!"
After hearing this, Duduo really admired his second brother's foresight. Even the Japanese army was calculated by his second brother.
Compared with the dog barbarians in western Liaoning, the Japanese army was really a smelly, hard rock that was extremely difficult to chew.
Fifty or sixty thousand Japanese troops would be enough to give me a headache. If more came...
