In the eighteenth year of Yongli in the Ming Dynasty, on the seventh day of the first lunar month in the third year of Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty, we were on the border of Wushan and Hubei.
It snowed in the evening, and by night the snow was as big as a goose feather. The old people in the mountains said that the last time it snowed so heavily was when Master Chongzhen was there, and it may have been twenty years.
Logically speaking, there should be no people on the narrow mountain road with such heavy snow, and in a mountainous area, at night. However, at this time, there were two or three figures walking through the snow.
Although it was dark and the faces of the three of them could not be seen clearly, one could sense the anxiety in their hearts from their ever-accelerating pace and the urging of each other.
There seems to be an urgent matter.
More than 30 miles away in the direction where the three of them were heading in the snow, there was a Ming army camp named Wujiayuanzi.
As the name suggests, Wujiayuanzi was the place where people with the surname Wu lived in the early years. Under the vicissitudes of life, the people with the surname Wu may not be around anymore, but the place name has remained.
Generation after generation.
Up to now, Wujiayuanzi has become an important town for the Ming army in the Kuidong area. The man stationed here is Suo Yanlong, the general of Liu Tichun, the Duke of Anhui, who was granted the title of Emperor Yongli of the Ming Dynasty.
There are approximately 4,000 officers and soldiers in his department.
Suo is from Henan. When he was a teenager, his parents died of starvation, so he joined the peasant uprising army led by Li Zicheng. In order to survive and eat, he followed Li Zicheng's general Liu Tichun to fight against the Ming army.
After Li Zicheng died in the Jiashen year, his subordinates were divided into two parts to continue to fight against the Qing Dynasty, led by Hao Yaoqi, Liu Tichun and Li Guo and Gao Yigong respectively.
The two units successively contacted He Tengjiao, the governor of Huguang in the Ming Dynasty, and Du Yinxi, the governor of Hubei in the Ming Dynasty in Hunan and Hubei. From then on, they accepted the control of the Longwu Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty and were reorganized into the Zhongzhen Battalion to jointly resist the Qing Dynasty with the Ming army. Later, they were accepted by the Yongli court. control.
As a result, Suo Yanlong transformed from the Shun army into the Ming army, and continued to follow Liu Tichun to fight against the Qing Dynasty. Because he was brave, fearless and brave in death, and had many military exploits, Liu Tichun reported to the Yongli court to request him to be awarded the title of General Military Officer of Henan. .
The so-called "hanging seal" means "recording the name", which is not practical.
The reason is that after the Qing army entered the pass, the area controlled by the Ming Dynasty continued to shrink. In the later period, almost half of the territory was occupied by the Qing army. Therefore, when describing the military merits of the Jin Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty, most of them were awarded by "hanging seal".
That is to say, remember first that after Henan is recovered, he will be able to serve as the commander-in-chief of the province.
It's okay to write a free note or keep an account.
The Loyalty Camp was formerly the Dashun Army of the Peasant Rebel Army. Its combat effectiveness was much higher than that of the decadent Ming Army. It had more than 100,000 followers when it was reorganized. If the Ming Dynasty used it properly without imposing restrictions and giving them enough trust and support, they would have achieved great success. The results should not be lower than those of Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, etc. from the Great Western Army.
Unfortunately, due to the discrimination of the Yongli court and the shady operations of some officials, the Zhongzhen Camp, a well-organized and heavy military group, has been suppressed, broken up, and divided by the Ming Dynasty itself. In the end, it could only be divided into Xing, Fang, and Fang at the intersection of the three provinces of Sichuan, Hubei, and Shaanxi. Zhu, Wu, Feng and other counties were used as base areas to resist the Qing Dynasty.
This place has high mountains and steep waters, and the situation is dangerous. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It not only cuts off the channel between Sichuan and Hubei, but also can attack the two lakes, western Henan, southern Shaanxi and Sichuan, which is very important militarily.
However, this place is surrounded by mountains, sparsely populated, and remote areas, which are not enough to describe the hardships of this place.
Based on this, the Loyalty Battalion was greatly restricted in terms of money, food, and soldier recruitment. It could only restrain the Qing army in Huguang to a certain extent. It was beyond its reach to the war in the southwest and southeast, and it was difficult to exert a greater influence.
But even so, the Zhongzhen Battalion still held on to Zuo, the Kingdom of Ming, in this poor mountainous area for eighteen years!
Even if the news of the fall of the Yongli court came, Jin King Li Dingguo died of illness, and Yanping King Zheng Chenggong failed to regain the southern capital, the national anti-Qing situation reached its lowest point in history!
The Ming army generals headed by Li Laiheng, Liu Tichun, Hao Yaoqi, Yuan Zongdi, etc. still held high their flag, refused the Qing court's surrender, and insisted on fighting the Qing army to the end!
This means that everyone in the world will surrender but not surrender!
What is moral integrity?
This is.
Two years ago, after the fall of the Yongli court, Li Guoying, the governor of Sichuan in the Qing Dynasty, immediately petitioned the Qing court and suggested mobilizing the three provincial capitals of Sichuan, Huguang, and Shaanxi to suppress the Ming army in the Kuidong area in order to achieve the unification of the country.
In September of that year, the Qing government approved Li Guoying's invitation.
Then he transferred three members of Huguang Admiral Dong Xueli, Supervisor of the General Army, and 30,000 troops to attack in the direction of Huguang;
He transferred Shaanxi's Admiral Wang Yi, Zhenggong, and two general soldiers to command 25,000 troops; coordinated with Bao Zhao, the commander-in-chief of Hebei Town in Henan Province, to command 5,000 troops, and a total of 30,000 troops were sent to the direction of Shaanxi for suppression;
The Qing army in Sichuan was personally led by Governor Li Guoying, and more than 50,000 land and sea officers and soldiers were contracted to march towards Chongqing and Kuizhou.
That is, three ways of using troops.
Under the pressing pressure of more than 100,000 Qing troops, the Ming army, which lacked clothing, food and weapons, resisted tenaciously but still suffered heavy losses and suffered heavy losses.
Yuan Zongdi, Hao Yaoqi and other troops were the first to be hit, and were forced to abandon the Fang, Zhu, Feng and other base areas they had operated for many years, resulting in the entire Ming army's area of activity being reduced by half.
Later, although under the leadership of Duke Linguo Li Laiheng, the Ming army made concerted efforts to achieve a great victory, severely inflicting heavy losses on the 30,000 Qing troops under the command of Dong Xueli, the Admiral of Huguang. However, the 50,000 Ming troops on the western front were defeated at the gate of Wushan City by the Qing Governor of Sichuan who was wily and skilled in using troops. Li Guoying, the Ming army's soldiers suffered more than 7,000 casualties and had to retreat.
This retreat caused the Ming army to fail to break the Qing army's encirclement, and strategically it was in a passive position of being beaten.
Since the Qing army in Huguang on the eastern front was severely damaged by the Ming army, the Qing government hoped to clear away the last resistance of the Ming army on the mainland as soon as possible, so it sent more troops to Kuidong again last autumn.
This time we have added real Manchurian soldiers!
The soldiers and horses on the way were the Eight Banners Army stationed in Xi'an, with more than 6,000 people. They were led by Xi'an General Fu Kachan and Deputy Commander Du Min from Shaanxi to Sichuan;
The other group was led by Jingxi generals Mulima and Dingxi generals Tuhai from Hubei. The troops they led were 10,000 strong Eight Banners troops from the capital.
After two lines of reinforcements from the Eight Banners Army arrived, the Qing army encircled Kuidong with a total force of more than 160,000, employing 100,000 civilians, and more than a million servants from various provinces to transport grain and grass.
The number of troops far exceeded any previous use of troops by the Qing army, and even the use of troops in the "war of annihilation" in the southwest was not as good as this time.
This shows that the Qing court was eager to completely occupy China, and also attached great importance to the combat effectiveness of the original Shun Army Group.
The gathering of heavy troops means that a decisive battle is about to begin. Otherwise, if it lasts for a long time, the logistics of the Qing army will simply not be able to bear it. Therefore, in a letter to General Mulima of Jingxi, the Qing auxiliary minister Sony requested that "the work should be completed in one battle as soon as possible." win a victory".
In view of the dire and urgent situation, in November, after discussing with Yuan Zongdi and Hao Yaoqi, who had retreated and joined forces with him, Suo Yanlong, the general of Mingwan Duke Liu Tichun's ministry, and the general of the sealing general, Suo Yanlong, Wu Zhiqi, Wang Jiayu and other troops contracted more than 8,000 people to launch a counterattack against the Sichuan Qing army approaching Chenjiapo, with the intention of forcing the Qing army facing them to retreat to Kuizhou south of the Daning River, thus alleviating the approaching military pressure on the Western Front.
However, the Qing army approaching Chenjiapo was the main force led by the Qing Sichuan Admiral Zheng Jiaolin, the commander-in-chief of Chongkui Town Cheng Tingjun, and the commander-in-chief Liang Jiaqi of the Suppression Department. The army division alone had more than 30,000 soldiers and many artillery pieces. , the Ming army, which had a huge disparity in strength and inferior equipment, fought bravely, but was still unable to achieve a breakthrough and had to withdraw its troops and retreat.
Liang Jiaqi, the commander-in-chief of the Qing Fu Suppression Campaign, took advantage of the situation and led his troops to pursue him. In this battle, more than half of the Ming army was killed and morale was extremely low.
Liu Tichun was speechless for a long time after hearing the news.
Three or five days later, something unexpected happened.
However, Wu Zhiqi, Wang Jiayu and others, who were in charge of sealing, became timid when they saw the hopelessness of victory, and quietly led their troops to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. This caused major loopholes in Liu Tichun's defense line deployed around Tianchizhai, Wujiayuanzi, and Laomukong.
In December, under heavy attack by the Qing army, Tianchizhai, an important stronghold of the Liu tribe, fell, and Li Zhicui and Liu Yingchang, the generals of the Han Dynasty, rebelled and surrendered to the enemy.
Suddenly, everyone in Liu's department was panicked.
In order to ensure that the Wujia Yuanzi, the west gate leading to Laomukong, the last stronghold, was not lost, Liu Tichun ordered Suo Yanlong to lead more than a thousand elite troops to garrison.
These more than a thousand people are all veterans who have followed Liu Tichun for more than ten years. They are also the most elite troops in Liu Ying. If they are defeated again, it will be difficult for Liu Tichun's troops to fight alone with the Qing army. They will have to fight with Hao Yaoqi and Yuan Zongdi. Wait for the remaining troops to retreat to the final base - Maolu Mountain where Lin Guogong Li Laiheng is stationed.
If this is the case, the Ming army will never be able to recover.
If Suo Yanlong can hold Wujiayuanzi to block the Qing army on the west, Liu Tichun can join forces with Hao Yaoqi and Yuan Zongdi and Li Laiheng's troops to attack the Huguang Qing army southeast of Xingshan. Even if they cannot force the Qing army to lift the encirclement, they can It can win a breathing space for oneself.
This strategy is undoubtedly risky, and can even be said to be Liu Tichun's last move.
If he wins, there is still a chance of recovery.
If defeated, the Ming Dynasty will be destroyed.
But now there is no other choice. After experiencing consecutive defeats, the Ming army urgently needs a victory to restore the declining military morale.
Suo Yanlong did not delay after receiving the order and immediately led his troops from Laomukong. It took him two days to arrive at Wujiayuanzi to take over the command. He also gathered hundreds of scattered remnants of Yuan Zongdi's troops, making Wujiayuanzi's The number of guards increased from the original 2,000 to nearly 4,000.
Only these 4,000 men were also mentally unstable. First, the Qing army was aggressively advancing, and the Ming officers and soldiers who suffered consecutive defeats were under great psychological pressure;
Second, many generals have defected to the enemy recently, so no one knows who will surrender next, which makes not only the generals suspicious of each other, but also the soldiers find it difficult to unite.
Moreover, under the long-term blockade of the Qing army, the officers and soldiers of the Ming army not only did not have enough cotton-padded clothes to keep out the cold, but also could not even meet the minimum food and clothing. Their weapons and equipment were several levels worse than those of the Qing army. Under such a situation, we hope that the officers and soldiers of the Ming army can be full and healthy. It seems that it is difficult for others to resist to the best of their ability with a firm fighting spirit.
In panic, a heavy snow fell on Wushan.
The heavy snow made the Ming army soldiers secretly relieved, because it could delay the Qing army's new offensive and make it difficult for the Qing army to transport baggage.
The use of troops in mountainous areas, even though the Qing army was strong, was limited by the terrain. If the wind and snow lasted for several days and the mountain roads were frozen and it was impossible to move vehicles and horses, the Qing army might really stop using troops.
For the Ming army, which had suffered continuous defeats and was forced to retreat, it was definitely a good thing. It would at least allow the extremely tired Ming army soldiers to have a short rest.
As the commander-in-chief of Wu Jiayuan, Suo Yanlong presided over a military meeting the day before yesterday.
In addition to Tian Shouyi, the general soldier stationed in Wujiayuanzi, those who participated in the military meeting were also the general soldier Hu Jungui, deputy generals Wang Zhili, Zhao De'an, Yu Guohua, Lu Congyun and others.
Some of these people were from the old Chuang Army, and some were former Ming Army members who later joined the Zhongzhen Battalion during its activities in Huguang, or were leaders of local regiments.
The military meeting did not discuss the current situation because there was nothing to say. Suo Yanlong only made some implementation of Wu Jiayuanzi's defense.
The generals didn't say much, and the overall atmosphere was more pessimistic than lonely.
According to reliable information, there are at least 20,000 Qing troops facing Wu Jiayuanzi. So how can the Ming army really hold on with only 4,000 Ming troops who lack clothing, food, and weapons?
The answer is obvious, but no one dared to propose surrendering to the enemy at the meeting, just because Suo Yanlong was a close confidant of Liu Tichun, Duke of Anhui, and the more than a thousand officers and soldiers he brought with him were the most elite troops of Liu's tribe. This person refused to surrender to the enemy. , How can others dare?
It was late at night, and the snow was still falling outside. Due to the strong wind, the bonfires raised by the Ming army were not extinguished except for a few places against the walls, and the rest were blown out by the strong wind.
The conditions are limited. Most of the houses in Wujiayuanzi are made of earth and stone. There are basically no brick houses. However, there are very few houses made of earth and stone. After all, this place was originally just a gathering place for people surnamed Wu. The town has grown bigger. The village is small, but there is no place that can accommodate thousands of soldiers in a place as big as a palm.
What's more, this area is already a poor mountainous area.
Therefore, the vast majority of soldiers can only live in thatched huts, which makes it difficult for many Ming soldiers to sleep at night.
Without it, it would be too cold.
There is air leakage everywhere.
The north wind is still howling outside, and the mountains and plains are covered in white.
The heavy snow made the Ming army, who was shivering from the cold, at least feel safer.
From a distance, the entire Wujiayuan was terrifyingly quiet and dark, and not even a barking dog could be heard.
In the wind and snow, a young figure pushed open the broken door of a house made of earth and stone and walked out. He looked up at the snowflakes flying in the sky, couldn't help but shrink his neck, smiled bitterly, and then sighed softly. He shook his head and murmured: "Once upon a time, the sea was difficult to deal with, except for Wushan, it was not cloud."
These two lines were written by Yuan Zhen, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. The poet expressed his unswerving feelings for his wife with "Canghai Sea" and "Wushan Clouds". The verses murmured from the young man's mouth, but he didn't know whether he was also expressing similar feelings. emotions.
The answer cannot be revealed.
All I know is that the young man's expression in the wind and snow is very complicated, especially the clear-lettered flag that roars in the wind, which makes his eyes even more confusing.
Time seems to have stopped, the world has turned to stone, and there are only constant questions in my heart.
Is there any help?
Is it still too late?
What on earth should I do?
Fight to the death or surrender?
I asked myself countless questions but could not get any answers.
Some are just extremely confused.
After a long sigh, the young man in the cold wind put away the sour feeling in his nose and turned his sight to a bonfire in the distance.
Beside the fire, several soldiers huddled in the corner, staring motionlessly at the flames that were blown by the wind. They seemed to be sleeping soundly. However, if you look closely, you can see that several of them have their weapons firmly placed on their knees. And hold it tightly with both hands. If the wind is louder, the eyes of those who are slightly louder will immediately open their eyes, looking into the deep surroundings like a hunter.
A gust of wind blew, and the flames instantly rose, and the faces of several people were completely displayed in the young man's sight.
All of them are white-headed people!
