Chapter 134 Daqing River Defense Line
Although, He Xi also knows that one person cannot do many things. Must have its own team. Many things have to be borne by others, and all he can do is believe and support. But at this moment, He Xi is still reflecting on himself.
I thought to myself: "I was careless."
Since Naha's surrender, there has been no major movement in Yuan Ting for a long time. He Xi thought that Yuan Ting would not do anything. Historically, after the surrender of Naha, the battle of Yu'er followed immediately. So He Xi also felt that the Mongols would not move out in large numbers.
But the problem is that under the influence of He Xi, the Ming army changed its strategic direction. This will give Mongolia a chance to breathe. This is not much time. Just a year or two. But it also gave the Mongols time to regroup.
Of course, if there was no decision to make the Northern Expedition this time. Perhaps the Mongols still want to lick their wounds. But now that the news has spread. Naturally, it is better to strike first.
However, many people have ignored that the veteran Timur, no matter the older he gets, the bolder he becomes, he still survives in death. In short, this is the big situation today. Many Ming soldiers did not expect this. Because since the death of Wang Baobao, the Mongols have naturally invaded and harassed the borders. But it was such a bold move for tens of thousands or even more cavalry to bypass the border cities and attack the enemy's rear. No one dares to do it anymore.
He Xi didn't expect it. King Yan didn't think of it either.
Has anyone thought of that?
Yes, it was none other than Wu Gao.
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Wu Gao was the second generation general. His father Wu Liang's education has always been a traditional Chinese frustration education, which is very strict. Wu Gao was almost criticized for nothing. Even before his death, Wu Liang did not say anything good to Wu Gao. I think it would be best for Wu Gao not to go to the battlefield for the rest of his life. Don't humiliate the country by losing your teacher.
However, now the nobles occupy the highest level of power in the Ming Dynasty. Wu Gao's own status is not just his own. And they follow many old members of the Wu family. The Wu family has one family and two princes, and there are always many disciples and former officials. If there is no one to support the portal. In less than ten years, all the disciples and former officials of the Wu family will have to step aside.
Officialdom has always been the most competitive.
Although it was said that it was easy to be knighted in the early days of the country, having a title and not having a title were very different in many cases.
Wu Gao himself was not reconciled and lived in idleness all his life. Naturally, he is willing to come out and do things.
Just, under the influence of his father. Wu Gao's methods of marching and fighting are also remarkable. Different from Ye Chen. Ye Chen is a talented person. Wu Gao, on the other hand, sticks to the rules and is very cautious. What he wants in his heart is not to lose badly, but to succeed.
Because as long as there is no major defeat, his position as Marquis of Jiangyin can be kept. The family's status in the court can be preserved. And go all out to win a big victory. Once defeated, all nine tribes will be implicated. Why bother?
Putting Wu Gao's ability in front of the heroes who founded the country would naturally not be enough. But if compared with the second generation Jiangmen, they should be ranked in the first echelon. At least above Li Jinglong. And precisely because of Wu Gao's thinking, all his skill points are focused on defense.
As the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, the first thing he did when he took office was to travel thousands of miles to seize all defense lines in Liaodong. The guard station and the coastline were all visited.
Many plans were made secretly.
What if Mongolia invades in a big way? If the army that conquered Goryeo was completely wiped out. What to do if there is a massive invasion with hundreds of thousands of troops?
Of course, after the destruction of Goryeo, Wu Gao crossed out the word Goryeo and changed it to Japan, adding a new issue to himself. That is, what should we do if the Japanese navy attacks the Liaodong coast?
Wu Gao was silent in front of He Xi. But in his entanglement, he had thought through almost all the situations he could face. There are also backup plans.
Therefore, when the war spread to Shenyang, Wu Gao immediately sent troops.
However, we didn’t know all this until He Xi arrived at Laomi Bay.
I mentioned Laomi Bay before.
This was the original end point of the upper reaches of the Liaohe River. After the arrival of He Xi, the upper reaches of the Liaohe River were extended upward for hundreds of miles. Did a lot of things. Of course, there is a reason why this is the end point of the original waterway. As a result, the Liaohe River channel became wider here. In addition, the Liaohe River starts to flow southward here, and further upstream it flows more from west to southeast. Then there is here, and there is Tieling, near Kaiyuan. There are two guard posts, tens of thousands of people and even dependent tribes. Historically, it was the strategic fulcrum of the Ming Dynasty in the northernmost part of Liaodong. Now, about two hundred miles further north, near Changchun Fort is the northernmost fulcrum of the Ming Dynasty.
Of course, this distance can also be seen.
How big a gap does Liaodong's defense have?
He Xi arrived at Laomi Bay and asked Qingyun Castle for news.
Originally, He Xi had not yet decided where to stop.
It's not that he's timid, but he's very self-aware. His staying here may not be good news for the frontline soldiers, but may very well be the problem. It's just the news he found in Laomiwan. But he was shocked and said: "What are you talking about? Wu Gao has already arrived at Tieling Guard and the Shenyang Three Guards?"
"Why so fast?"
"How many days has it been?"
Qianhu of Qingyunbao said: "I heard that Lord Wu cut off the shipping in the Hun River of Liaohe River as soon as he learned that there was an enemy invasion. No matter what kind of ship it was, no matter what materials it contained, even if it was gold and silver. Unload it as soon as you want. Throw it on the dock and immediately pull up the Shenyang Three Guards. It took five days and we are now gathering at Tieling Guard."
He Xi secretly said: "What a fast move."
He Xi calculated the channel. Although the straight-line distance from Shenyang to Tieling is still too far. But if you take the water route, you have to first go from the Hun River to the Liao River, and then go upstream from the Liao River, which is about 600 miles of waterway. Going down the Hun River is fast, but going upstream is a waste of time.
Five days and six hundred miles, probably a journey day and night.
Not to mention, he made a prompt decision when he got the news.
This level is already very good.
This time Wu Gao gave He Xi a big surprise.
In fact, this is also the overall quality of the Ming Dynasty generals. After all, it was the beginning of the founding of the country, and there were so many famous generals. Most of the generals at all levels below, whether they were veterans or second-generation generals, had a few tricks up their sleeves. When the country is subjugated, the competition at that time is at the lowest limit, and all friendly generals cannot be counted on at all.
Since He Xi knew that Wu Gao was in Tieling. He Xi naturally decided to stop at Tieling.
Take the waterway from Qingyunbao in Laomiwan to Tieling and follow the river in less than a day.
On the same day, He Xi had arrived at Tieling.
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When He Xi arrived at Tieling, Wu Gao was overjoyed and went out to greet him.
The two of them entered the inner room and sat down.
He Xi immediately asked: "In the current situation, what has Wu Hou decided to do?"
Wu Gao said: "Guard this river."
He Xi looked at a shallow river on the map and said, "This is it?"
Wu Gao said: "This is the Daqing River."
Qinghe is a common name for rivers in the north. There is Daqing River in Shandong, Jiangsu and Hebei. This is probably because rivers in the north can be divided into two categories, clear and turbid. Many rivers are turbid, with few clear streams. It was named after Qinghe River.
The Daqing River here is just a tributary of the Liao River. It originates from Changbai Mountain and flows westward into the Liaohe River. It lies between Tieling and Kaiyuan. The river is not that big. Not too small.
But He Xi was very confused. Wu Gao had several guard stations, totaling more than 30,000 people. Although not all cavalry, the army of more than 30,000 people is already a heavy force. And Wu Gao just wanted to defend a river?
Although Qinghe River is a tributary of Liaohe River. But it's still a hundred or two hundred miles long. Tens of thousands of people may not really be able to defend it?
Wu Gao saw He Xi's doubts. Said: "Sir, I have brought nearly a thousand ships, large and small, and the ships on the Daqing River are also close to my hand. I sent soldiers to board the ships and cross the river. The Tatars cannot fly, and the Daqing River originates from Changbai Mountain. The Tatars Zi wants to bypass it. There are only two ways. One is to go deep into Changbai Mountain. Cross the mountains and come out of Tieling. The other way is to cross the Liao River, detour to the west of the Liao River, and then go deep into the south and cross the Liao River again to attack Liaodong. land."
"Both of these two strategies are undesirable. However, the Daqing River is a small river. If we defend it for a long time, we will lose it. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on for long, but I have a backup plan."
