Under the afterglow of the evening glow, the soldiers of Xuanfu, Datong, and Liaodong towns were also busy and busy.
In the last battle before sunset, Prince Daishan of the Qing Dynasty commanded tens of thousands of Qing troops from the Eight Banners of Manchu and Mongolia, plus thousands of Han troops and Mongolian troops from foreign vassals. Despite fierce attacks, they still failed to break through the Ming armies of Xuan, Da, and Da. The defense lines of the three towns in Liaodong.
Seeing that he could not defeat the Ming army and there was no hope of retaking the lost outer trench wall of Jinzhou Nanguan, he had no choice but to temporarily lead his army to retreat westward and set up camp first before discussing how to deal with it in the future.
The same was true for the Ming army. After two consecutive days of fierce fighting, everyone was exhausted. When the Qing army attacked fiercely, they managed to hold on with their blood.
Therefore, when they saw the Qing army retreating, the Ming army, from the generals of each battalion to all the officers and soldiers, secretly rejoiced in their hearts. It was not until the Qing army retreated completely that they screamed like a madman.
Being able to repel the Qing soldiers in this state and hold on to the fruits of today's successful meeting with Zu Dashou was already their limit for the Xuan Daming Army.
But even so, there was still no rest. They were divided into independent teams, searching for wounded soldiers on the entire battlefield, sorting out the ordnance left by the soldiers, and even carrying back the dead and injured horses.
Of course, there were many teams of sergeants who were busy digging trenches and building walls, establishing lines of defense. Soon the prototype of a large camp gradually emerged.
In the south, the Xuan Dajun camp on the Xiaoling River also began to be busy. Zhang Guodong's Chicheng Battalion was arranged to stay on the south bank of the Xiaoling River to guard the pontoon bridges necessary for crossing the river.
After all, the military supplies of the Xuan Da Army officers and all the supplies for the rescue of Jinzhou must be transported through here. Although ferries can also be used for transporting supplies, they are not as convenient and fast as the pontoon bridge.
The other battalions of the Xuan Army have also been assigned. According to Zhang Cheng's latest deployment, they are moving their camps to the north of Jinzhou Nanguan. In this way, the Xuan Army has erected a row of camps from Xiaoling River to Jinzhou Nanguan. , to guard the lifeline to save the siege of Jinzhou.
There were also many sergeants pushing carts, transporting carts of fuel wood and river water. From Xiaoling River to the wilderness outside Jinzhou Nanguan, there were all busy Xuan Dajun officers.
Although it was already dark, there were fires every few hundred steps, and the torches held high by the sergeants made the road shine as brightly as the main roads of later generations.
It was not until this moment that Zhang Cheng saw the longevity of the long-famous Liaodong general general Zizu. At this time, he was already sixty-three years old. Thanks to the training in the military, he was still in good health. It is health.
It was no longer a matter of course to pick up a sword and mount a horse. Just like this time, he felt that it was possible to lift the siege of Jinzhou, so he personally led his army out of the city to fight against the slave thieves. It can be said that the sword is still young.
…………
Zu Dashou was a highly controversial figure in the Ming Dynasty. Although he was an important general of the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong, he was the governor of the left, the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong forward troops, and he was also the Ming Dynasty's forward general in the Liaodong expedition.
Dozens or even hundreds of members of the ancestral family served as officials and generals in Liaodong, stationed in various fortresses and castles in Liaodong. There were hundreds of loyal generals under his command, and thousands of servants.
Rather than saying that he was an official of the Ming Dynasty, it would be better to say that he was a warlord of the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong!
The Ming Dynasty was able to hold on to Liaodong under the iron hooves of the Qing Dynasty's cavalry, so it actually relied on their group of ancestral generals and ancestral armies.
In China's thousands of years of history, whenever a person's surname is added in front of a military leader, it actually has more or less the meaning of a family soldier. This is also one of the things that emperors of all ages were most afraid of.
The rise of the ancestral family in Liaodong occurred after the Taifu and Ning Yuanbo Li Chengliang's clan lost power during the Wanli period. It can be said that the expansion of the ancestral clan's power was accompanied by the growth of Jiannu.
During the Wanli period, Zu Dashou's father Zu Chengxun, as the deputy commander-in-chief, followed the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Army of the Ming Dynasty and the admiral Li Rusong to fight against Japan and aid Korea. He participated in the battle to regain Pyongyang and made contributions. During this period, he even trained troops in the fields of Korea. Made great contributions to stabilizing the situation in North Korea.
After that, with Li Rusong's death in battle, the Li family in Liaodong had no outstanding figures and gradually declined, but the ancestral family continued to grow during this period.
It was not until the old slave Nurhachi raised his army that the ancestral family finally became the largest clan in Liaodong, almost completely controlling the land and population in Liaodong.
Whether it was Yuan Chonghuan or Gao Di in the past, or Hong Chengchou, the current governor of Jiliao, if successive governors of Jiliao want to make a difference in Liaodong, they must have the support of their ancestral families.
As a result, the power of the ancestral family has spread to all corners of Liaodong. Now, his brother-in-law Wu Xiang's clan has also risen with the help of the power of the ancestral family, making all the land of Liaodong available to the Zu and Wu clans.
As a warlord, he naturally puts the interests of his family and clan first, because what brings them substantial benefits is not the official positions awarded by the Ming Dynasty, but the land, villages and troops he owns in Liaodong.
Therefore, although the Zu family and the Wu family, as local powerful people, were still ministers of the Ming Dynasty, they had secretly formed a complex interest group. They were united for their own interests and naturally gave priority to protecting their vested interests.
However, just as Zu Dashou had been educated since he was a child, he also had loyalty and integrity in his heart. When his personal clan interests were not greatly infringed, he was still very loyal to the Ming Dynasty.
Just like the last time when slaves were besieged in Dalinghe Fort, Zu Dashou and his deputy He Kegang led their soldiers to fight to the death with the slaves. They tried to break out dozens of times, but the slaves surrounded Dalinghe Fort. Damn it, I never got what I wanted.
After holding on to Dalinghe Fort for three months, all the food in the city was eaten up, so they began to kill the war horses to get their meat. The horses were also eaten by the horses, so they began to kill each other. The people in Dalinghe Fort Almost all the people were killed.
Several reinforcements sent by Sun Chengzong were repelled by the slave chief Huang Taiji. With no food and reinforcements, Zu Dashou had no choice but to surrender to the slave chief Huang Taiji, and then falsely claimed that he wanted to gain Jinzhou City for Huang Taiji.
Huang Taiji was very happy after hearing this. He sent Abatai to lead five thousand Qing soldiers wearing Ming army uniforms to go with Zu Dashou. However, he never thought that there was heavy fog on the road, and Zu Dashou took the opportunity to get rid of Abatai and other Qing soldiers who were accompanying him. , he entered Jinzhou City alone.
He also bombarded Abatai and other Qing soldiers who came to attack. From then on, he continued to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty and defended Jinzhou for ten years.
Of course, there is the fact that Zu Dashou is unwilling to give up his ancestral business and the hard work of his family for more than ten generations, but there is also his loyalty to the Ming Dynasty.
You know, with his status and reputation in Liaodong at that time, if he sincerely surrendered to the slave chief Huang Taiji, he could earn the gate of Jinzhou City for him, and even the Ningyuan City behind him could easily earn it.
If this is true, the vast land in Liaodong will be owned by slave thieves, the Ming Empire will retreat to Shanhaiguan more than ten years in advance, and the slave thieves will rise faster.
But Zu Dashou did not do this. Although he left more than ten thousand elite Liaodong soldiers for the slave thieves when he surrendered at Dalinghe Fort, he did so as a last resort.
As the leader of the Liaodong warlord, he relied on these Liao soldiers who followed him. Rather than letting them die in vain, it would be of no benefit to Zu Dashou, but at the time of desperation, finding a way out for him would be beneficial. Win people's hearts.
In this way, other Liao people and soldiers in Liaodong will only trust him more, and after he returns to Jinzhou, he can also take care of the families of those surrendered soldiers.
In fact, as a well-established local clan, its core interest is always the inheritance and continuation of the family, and its loyalty to the court depends on whether the court can guarantee its interests.
Of course, if the imperial power is too powerful, they will succumb to the imperial power and let it be slaughtered. However, for the survival of the family, they will also try to place the children of the clan into different forces, so that no matter which side wins in the end, they will The clan will not be cut off.
…………
Zhang Cheng looked at the old man in front of him. His beard and hair were all white, but he was in good health, and there was a natural air of majesty in his movements.
Zu Dashou was wrapped in a thick layer of white cloth from his left shoulder to his right waist, with a hint of dark red blood showing, as if he was seriously injured, but he didn't pay any attention to it.
Zhang Cheng was quite surprised, and he stepped forward and asked, "Commander Zu, you were injured by a slave thief, why don't you rest for a while?"
Zu Dashou's gray beard was stained with a little blood. He waved and said: "It doesn't matter, these injuries are not a problem."
When he came closer, he stretched out his big hand to grab Zhang Cheng and said with a smile: "The slave thieves have besieged Jinzhou for more than a year. I never thought that it would be Zhang Cheng and your Xuanfu army who came to the city first."
As Zu Dashou spoke, he clasped his fists again and said, "Zu will remember the kindness of coming thousands of miles to help."
Zhang Cheng only felt that his powerful hands were covered with calluses left by years of holding weapons. They were as hard as iron and stone, and he couldn't help but admire them.
He also cupped his fists and said: "Zhang Cheng, it is our great fortune to meet Master Zu in this life, and to work together with Master Zu to fight slaves!"
After hearing this, Zu Dashou didn't see any change on his old face. He could only look at Zhang Cheng with his eyes. He looked left and then again. After a while, he spoke again: "He is indeed a young hero, and his reputation is well-deserved. The eldest uncle." Boy, it’s really incomparable.”
Zhang Cheng was quite surprised when he heard Zu Dashou's words of praise for him. You must know that Zu Dashou was the number one military leader in the Ming Dynasty in terms of his power in Liaodong.
Looking at the entire Ming Dynasty, I can probably count the number of people who can catch his eye on two hands, and there will definitely be no more than ten people.
"The praise from Commander-in-Chief is really well deserved. Zhang Cheng is just a martial artist, how can he be praised like this by Commander-in-Chief."
Seeing Zhang Cheng's modesty, Zu Dashou couldn't help but said: "In the eleventh year, I was quite surprised when I heard that you killed Ma Zhan and Yue Tuo in formation. How come such a fierce general was unknown before?
It wasn't until we met today that I realized that you, Zhang Cheng, are close in age to your eldest uncle. After all, heroes come from youth. With you and other talented young people, I can't bear to accept my old age. "
Zhang Cheng and Zu Dashou went to the military tent and said, "Zhang Cheng praised me highly, but Zhang Cheng was too embarrassed to accept it. Although I have been in the army since I was a child, I have always been under the protection of my uncle. After the battle of Julu, I was especially sad. I just want to fight with the slaves and don't care about life or death.
It was only by chance that he killed Ma Zhan, Yue Tuo and other slave thieves. In fact, if it were other commanders, they would have done the same. "
"Hahaha……"
Zu Dashou saw that Zhang Cheng was not proud of taking the credit, and he respected himself very much, and he was also happy in his heart. However, he had experienced so many ups and downs in his life, how could he become emotional because of it.
However, in this battle of Liaodong, the Xuanfu army performed extremely well, and it seemed to have become the first among the towns that aided the Liao Dynasty, and its various achievements had long been heard by Zu Dashou.
He had thought before that if there was a chance, he should form a good relationship with Zhang Cheng so that he could help each other in the future. And if he could make friends with Zhang Cheng, it would be more like what he wished for.
Liaodong and Xuanfu were separated by Beizhili, so they did not interfere with each other. He did not need to worry that once Zhang Cheng gained power, his family's position in Liaodong would be endangered.
And their two towns, one in the east and one in the west, are both important border towns that protect the capital of the Ming Dynasty. If they can make friends with Zhang Cheng, and the two towns can help each other, why not?
After bursting into laughter at this moment, he stood still and stopped moving forward. He turned around and said to Zhang Cheng: "You are wrong, even if the previous killings of Ma Zhan and Yue Tuo'er were just a coincidence.
But the defeat of the Tatars with the white flag and the killing of Duduo not long ago could not be a coincidence. "
As Zu Dashou spoke, he waved his hand and pointed to the surroundings, saying: "Today, the troops of Xuanfu that you brought can be the only one who can advance to this point without being intercepted by the Tatars."
His movements while speaking were a bit large, as if they were touching the wound on his chest. Zu Dashou stood still, his brows furrowed, as if he was forcing himself to endure.
Seeing what he said, Zhang Cheng had no choice but to reply: "It's all thanks to the bravery of the soldiers that we were able to drive back the slave thieves. It's just luck that we advanced here."
He went on to say: "Zhang Cheng is a latecomer in his studies, and there are still many things he doesn't know about the military. From now on, he will have to ask Commander-in-Chief for advice. I hope Commander-in-Chief can help the juniors and give Zhang Cheng some pointers."
"Easy to say, easy to say. Liaodong and Xuan Datong are the barriers to the capital, so they must move around frequently to rescue each other."
As soon as Zu Dashou finished speaking, Zhang Chengfang trotted over and whispered softly in Zhang Cheng's ear: "Commander, the governor sent someone from the camp to convey a message, saying that Governor Hong has crossed the Xiaoling River and will be on his way shortly. When I come to the army, I have important matters to discuss in detail.
Please don’t leave the camp, Commander-in-Chief, and Commander-in-Chief Zu, and wait patiently! "
Zhang Cheng just said "I know" softly, and then ordered Zhang Chengfang to retreat, but said to Commander Zu, "Commander Zu, the governor is on his way here. Let's go into the tent and wait."
However, Marshal Zu said that he also needed to return to the camp to settle down, and would come back to Zhang Cheng's camp later to wait for Governor Hong Chengchou.
…………
Looking at the retreating figure of Marshal Zu, Zhang Cheng felt very complicated in his heart. He still knew something about Zu Dashou. In the original history, after the defeat of the Songjin War, he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty for the second time.
After that, dozens of Zu clan served the Qing Dynasty and fought in all directions. In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, it can be said that the whole family was prosperous and the whole family was rich and noble.
But Zhang Cheng also thought that at that time, the Ming Dynasty's hundreds of thousands of reinforcements were defeated and fled. Even Hong Chengchou was captured by the Qing Dynasty, and Qiu Minyang, Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen and others were beheaded by slave thieves.
He led more than 10,000 troops to defend Jinzhou. There was no food, grass or fuel inside, and no reinforcements arrived from outside. Apart from surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, he had no choice but to die.
Although in the original history, Zu Dashou had no choice but to surrender to the Qing Dynasty for the sake of his family's interests, he still managed to persevere until the last moment.
Nowadays, the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the Songjin War are equally powerful, with each other winning or losing. Zu Dashou no longer has the external conditions to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. Zhang Cheng believes that he can still be a qualified general defending the Ming Dynasty.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but blurt out: "Zu Dashou, I hope you can take care of yourself!"
