Although Jinzhou has been besieged by the Qing army for more than a year, fortunately the captive chief Huang Taiji has been thinking of persuading Zu Dashou to surrender and has never really launched an attack on Jinzhou City. If the Mongolian general Nomqi and others had not surrendered to the Qing army, I am afraid that the outer city would have been destroyed. None will be breached.
Moreover, in March this year, Wu Sangui and other Liao generals even risked their lives to transport a large amount of grain and grass into the city, and they were able to hold on until now.
Although the Qing army attacked Jinzhou City dozens of times, they used various methods, such as shelling, gunpowder explosions, digging tunnels, and ants climbing the city.
However, it can be seen that the Qing army's will to attack the city is not firm. It is more like a test or putting pressure on Zu Dashou. As long as the defenders in the city fight to the death and see no advantage, the Qing army will often They will all take the initiative to retreat.
But since noon yesterday, the Qing troops outside the city seemed to have become fierce, as if they would not give up until Jinzhou City was captured. Not only did the offensive become more determined and fierce, but many reinforcements were also mobilized.
Usually, the only people surrounding the city were some soldiers and horses of the Tatar Manchurian Red Flag and the True Red Flag, but now Tatar soldiers and horses of other banners also appeared outside the city one after another.
Artillery of various sizes also gathered outside Jinzhou City, more and more, and even the Huanglong Huagai umbrella of the captive chief Huang Taiji appeared several times, which made the defenders in Jinzhou City suddenly feel uneasy.
"The slave thieves are so anxious that they storm our Jinzhou City. Their intention is to force Governor Songshan Hong to come to the rescue so that they can find an opening to attack. Their intention is still to encircle the point and call for reinforcements."
Zu Dashou spoke in a low voice. His voice was rich and powerful, with an undeniable flavor.
This is also a habit he has developed over the years while standing at the pinnacle of power.
After all, there are very few people in Liaodong who can compete with him or even have the ability to question him. Even important officials like Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, were always polite when meeting him in the past. gas.
Zu Dashou pressed his sword with his left hand and stood steadily. He didn't seem to care about the overwhelming force of the Qing soldiers.
He kept giving orders. Wherever the defense should be strengthened, he would send more troops, and where where reinforcement of artillery fire was needed, he would dispatch artillery. He was really a decisive commander.
The Guancheng on the east, north and west sides of Jinzhou, including the outer city of Jinzhou, were captured by the Qing army after Nomqi and other Mongolian generals rebelled. However, they were too close to the inner city and could not block the artillery bombardment on the city. The Qing army therefore retreat.
After that, the Ming army recovered and repaired it briefly, but was again attacked by the Qing army. Then the Qing army retreated, and the Ming army regained it again. This attack and defense changed hands many times, but as long as the Qing army seriously attacked, the dilapidated outer city could not be defended. .
Fortunately, when Zu Dashou followed the Ming Dynasty governor Yuan Chonghuan to regain Ningjin, he built the inner city of Jinzhou very solidly and was surrounded by water on both sides, so he could persist to this day. The only scarcity was the lack of fuel materials.
I hope Jinzhou City can resist this wave again!
Zu Dashou's sharp eagle-like eyes kept looking around Jinzhou City. In addition to the endless sea of Qing troops attacking the city, they could also faintly see the camp they set up around the city.
Especially there are many on the east, north and west sides of the city.
The south of Jinzhou City was originally not far from the Xiaoling River, making it inconvenient to set up camp and form formations. Even though the Qing army now occupied the outer city, there were rubbles all over the place and it was within the range of artillery fire in the city, so in that direction, There were only a few rovers galloping back and forth.
They seemed to be on alert, and they seemed to be demonstrating against the Ming army in Jinzhou City!
However, not far beyond the south bank of the Xiaoling River, there were some Qing army camps, but they were relatively few. Those were the openings deliberately opened by the Qing army to facilitate the arrival of reinforcements from the Ming army in Songshan.
In fact, it was not safe for Zu Dashou to stand on the high tower. The Qing army knew that this tall Liao Tower was the highest point in Jinzhou City. It was often used as a command place to watch the enemy when defending the city, so many artillery aimed at Liao Tower. There was a fierce blast from the tower.
Not long ago, a Qing army's artillery roared in and hit the top of the tower, sending rubble flying in all directions, which was very scary.
The surrounding generals and servants tried to persuade Zu Dashou to leave the tower quickly, but they were all rejected by him sharply. From then on, no one dared to persuade him again.
"snort!"
Zu Dashou snorted and said: "The Tatars are shelling so fiercely, but there is no siege action. I think their intention is not to capture Jinzhou. The siege is fake, but the intention is to lure Hongdu to come to help."
Zu Dabi was stunned when he heard this, and shouted anxiously: "What? Brother, are you not really serious about attacking the city? According to the Tatars' offensive, there is no need to send troops to attack the city, just a few more battles, Are you afraid that Jinzhou City will collapse?
If reinforcements don't come, we'll be doomed! "
Zu Dashou glared at his younger brother and saw that Zu Dashou immediately became speechless. Although he was extremely brave in battle, he had been very afraid of this elder brother since he was a child. Under the prestige, Zu Dashou only had to look at him. , Zu Dabi shut up habitually.
Zu Dashou shook his head secretly in his heart, his brother was brave and courageous, but the overall strategy was too different.
He said patiently: "You also experienced the battle at the beginning of the month. The Tatars were so ferocious that even the servants of my ancestral family were nothing more than that.
That time, you and I fought hard and broke through two Tatar trenches, but finally stalled on the third trench, which made Jinzhou no longer have the chance to rescue the siege, which is a pity.
As for the news from Songshan, you also know that although General Yang of the Xuanfu who came to help died, many generals' troops and horses were seriously injured, and Li Fuming and others lost more than half of their troops.
But he also killed and wounded more than 10,000 Tatars. He even killed two Tatars in front of the battle, Gushan Ezhen, and seized many dangerous mountainous areas in Jinnan. He forced the captive chief Hong Taizheng to send all his men to come, and he also personally To command at the front line.
Look at the big yellow dragon umbrella, why don't you understand the intention of the captive chief? If you are trying to get the brocade, why wait for today? Its intention is obviously to help my Liao army. "
"According to the news from the eldest uncle, there is a deputy general named Zhang Cheng in Xuan Town. His troops are quite capable and he is expected to succeed General Yang in the Xuan Mansion. He has a very clear idea of the captive chief's thoughts.
It’s true that there are talented people in every generation, and we can’t do it if we don’t accept the old age! "
Zu Dabi said angrily: "I don't care whether others are talented or not. Anyway, in this place in Liaodong, it's up to our ancestors to decide. However, the Tatars are attacking so fiercely. If the city is broken, , but that’s bad.”
Zu Dashou was silent for a long time, and finally sighed and said: "Yes, with such a fierce attack, I don't know how long the city wall can hold on."
Jinzhou has been besieged for more than a year, and it has been several months since Wu Sangui risked his life to transport grain last time.
Now the defenders in the city are very tired. Although there is plenty of food and grass in the city, there is insufficient firewood. Although they can barely make a fire to eat, if the siege lasts longer, it will become a problem. I am afraid it will affect the situation. Military morale.
He suddenly asked: "Has the war situation in Jinzhou been sent to Governor Hong's camp in Songshan Fort?"
A general stepped forward and replied: "Delivered. The messenger went back and forth smoothly, and there were not many Tatar spies and spies to intercept the Shengsheng army. Yesterday evening, they were divided into multiple groups and left the city at night. That night, they arrived at Hongdu The place where the journey is.”
Zu Dashou looked expressionlessly outside Jinzhou City and said calmly: "That was the Tatars' intention!"
He asked again: "What did Governor Hong say?"
The general replied: "Commanders-in-Chief are still arguing about the strategy of fighting and defending, and Governor Hong is having trouble making a decision. I don't know when reinforcements will arrive in Jinzhou."
He gritted his teeth and suddenly said bitterly: "Master Wu advocated for rescue, and his intention was the strongest. But the newly appointed commander-in-chief of Xuanfu repeatedly said that this was a plan by the Tatars to force me to send troops, and they wanted to encircle the area and send reinforcements. He firmly opposed the immediate invasion of troops and insisted on holding on to the slaves for a long time before advancing again.
Now several of Songshan's generals, including Wang Pu, Chen Jiugao, Li Fuming, etc., are all on his side, and even the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi is leaning towards his side.
Wu Ye was alone, with weak troops and horses, and did not dare to come alone. Liu Zhaoji was sent to Gaoqiao again, Zuo Guangxian also stayed in Xingshan, Ma Ke was undecided, and Tang Tong, Bai Guangen and others were even more undecided. fear death……
What does Zhang Cheng want to do? Could it be that he has achieved some minor achievements and occupied the position of the general soldier of Xuan Mansion, so he can just sit back and watch Jinzhou perish without caring about it? "
"It's just...it's..."
As soon as the general's words came out, the surrounding generals on the tower immediately started talking, and there was some resentment towards Zhang Cheng in their words.
They all knew that when Zhang Cheng first arrived in Liaodong, he tried his best to prevent the army from rushing to the front line of Songshan. He always said that caution should be the priority and not to underestimate the enemy and advance rashly. The generals trapped in Jinzhou City had not said anything yet.
After all, using chariot formations to advance slowly to force the Qing army without resorting to light warfare was the strategy set by Zu Dashou and Hong Chengchou at that time to support the Jin Dynasty.
At that time, the Qing army was powerful, and of course they could see that if they made any rash actions, it would probably lead to total overthrow. At that time, even Zu Dashou and others felt that the imperial court and the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi's urging to fight was indeed a bit too much.
Just when Hong Chengchou led his army to Songshan for the first time, he fought with slaves, killed and wounded more than 10,000 Qing troops, and beheaded two Manchurians in Gushan Ezhen. When the news reached Jinzhou City, the soldiers and civilians in the city cheered and celebrated. .
However, now the Qing army suddenly attacked Jinzhou without stopping, and this time it seemed determined. The Jinzhou defenders were unable to survive alone. After receiving the news that Zhang Cheng was blocking immediate rescue, they immediately felt resentful towards Zhang Cheng.
As everyone knows, all of these are rumors deliberately spread by people with good intentions, taking advantage of the communication of messengers in Jinzhou City.
Zhang Cheng took the lead and insisted that as long as the Jin army did not move, Jinzhou City would be impregnable and would not be breached by the Tatars. However, it was the governor of Jiliao, Hong Chengchou, the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi, and others who made the final decision to proceed steadily. .
Now, Zu Dashou listened to the complaints from his subordinates. He looked over with a stern gaze and suddenly shouted: "Shut up, everyone!"
He had great prestige among the Liaodong Army, so with just this shout, all the relatives, generals and servants around him shuddered involuntarily, stopped complaining, and looked at him with some fear.
Zu Dashou said coldly: "The war is dangerous, but if you are not careful, you will make the same mistake as the Daling River. How can Governor Hong not act with caution?
Regarding military and national affairs, Governor Hong has been through many battles and has his own considerations. What's more, it's not that reinforcements won't come, they'll just be delayed for a few days. "
He scanned the crowd with firm and cold eyes, and said: "I heard that Zhang Cheng of Xuanfu was even more loyal and loyal. During the Battle of King Qin in the eleventh year of Chongzhen, he first shot the captive King Dorgon with an arrow, and then beheaded Ma. Zhan and Yuetuo have since emerged.
He was only a few years old now. Although he heard that he had achieved considerable military exploits in suppressing bandits in Henan Province, he became the deputy general of the Xuanfu and led tens of thousands of troops to aid the Liao Dynasty. This shows that he must have some abilities.
In the last war, all the armies fought hard. General Yang of Xuanfu was a veteran on the battlefield, and his troops in the west were even more brave, but they were also attacked by the Tatars and divided and surrounded.
Only this deputy general Zhang Cheng led his troops to rescue, and even killed the Tatar thief Gu Shan'erzhen "Batulu" warrior Zunta in front of the battle. Such a brave and powerful person, looking at the Ming Dynasty, how many people can do it?
If word of your back-up tactics reaches General Zhang’s ears, wouldn’t it damage our relationship with Xuan Dajun? "
The most important thing about Zu Dashou's rise in the border town of Liaodong and his ability to stand firm for decades is that he understands the importance of personal connections. He has his own judgment on who should be offended and who should not be offended!
Ever since Zhang Cheng came to prominence during the Battle of King Qin, Zu Dashou had paid attention to him and often secretly compared him with Wu Sangui. After all, the two of them were similar in age and both were rising stars among young generals.
Especially after Zhang Cheng assisted in the suppression of Henan as the deputy general of the Xuanfu, he deepened his attention to Zhang Cheng.
For Zu Dashou, Zhang Cheng can be said to be an excellent ally. Not to mention the extremely powerful troops and horses under his command, he also has an extremely extensive network of contacts. He is appreciated by the emperor and supported by his own soldier Chen Xinjia.
What's even more clever is that there is no conflict of interest between them. Zu Dashou lives in Liao Town, and Zhang Cheng lives in Xuan Town. They are one to the east and one to the west, and they are both the key and barrier of the capital. They can draw each other's support and learn from each other's strengths to offset their weaknesses, so as to protect the country forever. Status is not lost and wealth remains forever.
Zu Dashou's family knew about his family affairs. Although Guan Ningjun was very prosperous on the surface, how many people were resentful and jealous behind his back?
The government and the public were also full of suspicion towards Liaoxi Military Gate, but they did not dare to touch them because of the fear of all parties, or because they were bound by interests.
Therefore, this time Zhang Cheng led the Xuanbei Army to help Jin Dynasty, Zu Dashou made up his mind to look for an opportunity to make friends with him. Even if he could not become an ally secretly, he could not offend him and harm the relationship between them. Out comes an enemy.
Especially when news came that Zhang Cheng had killed Manchuria Gushan Ezhenzhun Pagoda not long ago, and had great hope of succeeding as the chief military officer of the Xuanfu, Zu Dashou was even more determined on this.
Under Zu Dashou's many years of prestige, the generals around him had no choice but to obey and listen attentively.
In fact, when the news of the victory at West Shimen came that day, they were also deeply shocked.
Everyone who has fought with the Qing soldiers for many years knows how difficult it is to behead the thieves and slaves, let alone the head of the Tatar "Batulu" Gu Shanerzhen.
To everyone, being able to kill a Tatar Niu Lu Zhangjing was already an unprecedented victory. Therefore, for the Xuanbei Army and Zhang Cheng, everyone had to admire him out of curiosity, jealousy and fear.
They were also cautious when discussing in private, fearing that some words would reach Zhang Cheng's ears and cause unnecessary trouble.
Especially after the outbreak of the Liao Dynasty, how many armies of the Ming Dynasty were buried in the land of Liaodong. Many military generals in border towns were wary of the Liaodong soldiers and even regarded them as mourners and the source of disasters.
Moreover, who is Zhang Cheng?
It is said that he was prolific in killing people in Xuanbei. When he was a general, he dared to kill the tiger men who were the deputy commander-in-chief!
How can you buy into their account?
Even if Zhang Cheng proposed to hold his troops still and wait to see the situation before making a decision, what would the generals in Jinzhou do?
Thinking of this, all the generals on the tower couldn't help but feel depressed, and the first general even said: "Grandfather, tell me, Governor Hong and his reinforcements will come? The Tatars are attacking very urgently now..."
The generals also asked questions one after another, and their words were full of worry.
