To be honest, Emperor Chongzhen's personal expedition this time was actually quite stressful. The reason is just as others are worried, this battle is not easy to fight.
Until now, he had no particular clue, so he used a strategy to scare the snake away from the grass. First, he let the snake run out of the grass. If there was movement, he would then see if he could catch the snake.
For this reason, Emperor Chongzhen's personal expedition came with great fanfare, instead of secretly as before.
Of course, in addition to the reason of alerting the enemy, there was another very important reason why Emperor Chongzhen gave up his previous stealth.
Because this time on the grassland, the Jianlu army was the main force. The leader was Jierhalang, who was relatively famous in the Manchu Qing army. Jianlu is also very good at using spies, and Jierhalang must be very skilled as well. At least half of their wars were won by this method. What's more, the cause of this war was the Ming rebel general Chai Shihua's collusion with the rebels.
If they sneak like before, this time they come out with the Rock Battalion, which is not as easy to sneak as the cavalry. And with such a long border line, Jianlu's traitors would definitely be able to get the news. Instead of doing this, it would be better to alert the enemy.
No, Emperor Chongzhen had learned about the situation in Guihua City in detail through the Class A eavesdropping seeds on Ying'erdai and Xilinjueluo.
It is said that if you know yourself and your enemy you will be victorious in any battle. This is really true.
Emperor Chongzhen just knew the situation in Guihua City, and he had the idea of dealing with the Jianlu and Mongol Tatars.
In the important town of Yulin, it has been an important border town for the defense of the grassland since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, here you can find relevant information on the grassland, such as a rough grassland map. All are available.
After reading the Class A eavesdropping seed information on Xilin Jueluo, Emperor Chongzhen drew a reference route that Jierhalang believed was a surefire route. After verifying it again, he sealed the map with the route and a copy of his decree, and asked Wu Zhong, the commander of the accompanying Jinyi Guards, to select a reliable person and immediately secretly send it to Datong Mansion and hand it over to Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of the reinforcement and suppression campaign.
As for Emperor Chongzhen himself, he seemed not to know that Guihua City was eager for him to lead troops to attack Guihua City. The decrees were passed down one after another with great fanfare, just to attack Guihua City.
The important town of Yulin suddenly became very lively, and elites drawn from all walks of life were gathering in Yulin Town. And from Yulin Town to the grassland, Ye Bushou also kept going in and out. There are also grain and grass supplies transferred from neighboring prefectures, which are also transported to Yulin Town one by one.
No matter who it was, even ordinary people who had never fought in the war, or passers-by, they all knew that the emperor was going to send troops when they saw the emperor sitting in Yulin, the huge movements of the roadside troops, and the non-stop delivery of food and supplies. Attack Guihua City.
However, there is one situation that is rather strange, at least in the eyes of the person involved, it seems strange.
Those border troops who received the emperor's order would receive a word of secret instruction from the messenger angel: "You must be cautious in recruiting elites, arrange everything properly, and avoid any surprises. It is better to arrive at Yulin Town later. Don't do it just because the emperor is here. , and hurried to Yulin."
Generally speaking, when the emperor is here, the generals in the border armies will never dare to neglect. They will definitely dispatch their elite troops and rush over as soon as they receive the order. However, the decree within the decree seemed to require them to focus on arranging local affairs before going to Yulin. The point of this matter seems to be missing!
However, the oral instructions were given, and the generals on the roadside did not dare to disobey them. They could only try their best to arrange everything, check again and again, and then rushed to Yulin when they felt that there was no problem.
In this way, those who did not know the oral instructions seemed to believe that the Dudao Emperor was indeed right. He would only go out with peace of mind after arranging the defenses after he led the army. It can be seen from this that the emperor is absolutely determined to go out to attack the Jianlu in Guihua City. It's just that if you are so cautious, it seems that the speed of gathering the army will be slow. At the same time, I also feel that the gathering efficiency of the Ming army is really a bit low.
Many people have expressed concerns about this situation.
Although the emperor had shown his wise and mighty side several times before, what about this time? With this approach, although the security of the rear will be guaranteed after the army goes out for battle, isn't the most critical thing about the army going out to defeat Jianlu? This is the point!
Such a low assembly efficiency has completely lost the principle of war with high speed and rapidity. The Jianlu outside the pass must have known about it and responded accordingly. The grassland is no better than Liaodong. When the army leaves the border, Jianlu must have run away long ago and hid in the vast grassland, hiding in the dark to harass and attack the army. You can think of such a way of coping with your feet! In this case, how else can the emperor respond?
The more they thought about it, the more worried the Ming army generals and officials became. At first, they thought that the emperor had his own plans. With his wisdom and prowess, it was impossible not to see this. However, after waiting for many days, Emperor Chongzhen did not issue a new decree, but he was still gathering preparations leisurely.
Finally, they got tired of waiting. I also remembered that for a long time after the emperor ascended the throne, he did not show any wisdom or martial prowess. Could it be that the emperor has returned to mediocrity?
There have been many such examples in history. For example, when Emperor Li Cunxu of the Later Tang Dynasty led the army in a war, he was invincible. However, later on, his relatives betrayed him and his country was destroyed. Could it be that the current emperor is the second Li Cunxu?
Thinking like this, these ministers became really anxious, and began to look for various opportunities to advise Emperor Chongzhen.
"Your Majesty, soldiers need to be quick. If we assemble so slowly, the news will inevitably be leaked. It will be unfavorable to go into battle with a large army!"
"Your Majesty, despite such deployment, we are not afraid of Jianlu sneak attacks in the pass. However, the suddenness of the army's expedition to the grasslands loses its suddenness. Jianlu is prepared. If they avoid fighting, how will the army respond? The food and supplies will eventually be exhausted. What should I do?”
"I sincerely ask your Majesty to think twice. Now that we have left the border to attack Guihua City, we have no chance of winning. We also ask Your Majesty to cancel this war."
"..."
Emperor Chongzhen seemed nonchalant about these admonitions, as if he didn't want to pay attention to them. When he was really annoyed by the advice, he just dealt with it casually.
"Why do I need your ministers to teach me when I'm going to fight? Don't worry, I have my own clever plan to defeat the captives!"
"Soldiers are wiser and faster. It's just what military strategists say. You can't believe it all. I did the opposite, and the result must be beyond Jianlu's expectation. This is my tactics, isn't it wonderful?"
"Since I have led the army to fight, I have never lost a battle. Do you have such no confidence in me leading the army to fight?"
"That's enough, no need to say more, I know everything from my heart!"
"..."
Emperor Chongzhen became increasingly impatient with his ministers' advice, and even tended to get angry, which disappointed many civil servants and generals.
But hearing the emperor speak so confidently, they could only take another look. The result was good, Emperor Chongzhen simply hid from them, but his military strategy did not change at all.
As a result, many people became worried about Emperor Chongzhen's performance, feeling that something was going to happen to the emperor's personal expedition this time! Could it be that if he really complied with those words, the general would inevitably die on the battlefield? Or will people become blindly confident after being smart for a long time? Just like Zhuge Liang, there was the defeat of Jieting?
While they were worried, news from the Ming army also reached Guihua City through Jianlu Xizuo and Tanma.
When Azige heard this, he couldn't help laughing and said: "The dog emperor of the Ming Dynasty is nothing more than that. You really treat him as a wise and powerful emperor. What a joke!"
He said this to Ying Erdai.
Ying Erdai was a little suspicious when he heard this. He felt that the performance of the Ming Emperor this time was completely different from the performance of the Ming Emperor in his impression. Therefore, regardless of Azig's ridicule, he turned to look at Jierhalang and said seriously: "Your Highness, is it possible that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is playing some conspiracy?"
After finishing speaking, he remembered Azig's ridicule, and immediately explained: "It does not mean that the emperor of the country destroyed the Hetao Tumote tribe in one battle. Just because he destroyed Prince Rui's more than 10,000 troops in one battle, this is definitely not the case. You can do it by luck. And the general has seen him with his own eyes. He is definitely a very wise emperor. The eyes that penetrate people's hearts are still fresh in the memory of the general. This emperor of the Ming Dynasty is by no means a mediocre person!"
"Haha, were you scared out of your wits after being captured by the Ming Dynasty once?" When Azig heard this, he mocked unscrupulously, "Don't talk about the useless things before. Tell me, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is here What kind of trouble can happen on the grassland? When he leads the army to attack, in the vast grassland, you can see at a glance what he wants to do, how can he destroy us? "
Although Azig was right, Jilharang was cautious by nature, but he was still a little worried in his heart, just like Ying Erdai said. After pondering for a moment, he said seriously: "Instruct Tan Ma and other agents in the pass not to slack off, keep an eye on the Ming Emperor's movements, and report any unusual movements immediately!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" After hearing this, Ying Erdai thought that the emperor was wise and Prince Zheng should indeed lead the army. Otherwise, if Azig came to lead the army, he would be deceived by the appearance of the Ming emperor, and he would definitely bring trouble to the army.
Azig next to him really didn't take it seriously. But Jilharang is the coach, and Azig doesn’t care if he issues this military order. Seeing that his performance was much more relaxed, it was almost time to say it directly.
Jierhalang still frowned. He couldn't understand the Ming Emperor's behavior. Logically speaking, it should never be like this. Maybe something bad is going to happen. Therefore, in addition to ordering to step up efforts to investigate the movements of the Ming army, he also issued new military orders.
First, Guihua City must speed up its actions and be prepared to evacuate at any time. All supplies, food, grass, etc., should be taken away if they can be taken away, and no one can be left behind for the Ming army. Using the strategy of strengthening the wall and clearing the field, the Ming army could not get any supplies on the grassland.
Second, urgently order all Mongolian tribes who have not dispatched their elites to Guihua City. If you continue to urge them, those who have not arrived before the deadline will be regarded as disobeying the orders of the Qing Dynasty and intending to rebel, and their tribes will be exterminated without mercy.
Jirhalang believes that as long as he is prepared, he can start a war at any time. In this way, with the buffer of the grassland, no matter how many tricks the Ming emperor tried, I believe he would not be able to succeed.
Therefore, his military orders were immediately implemented in the most severe way.
Here in Guihua City, the commotion is getting louder. All the food, grass and other supplies are loaded into the car and ready to go at any time. Cattle, horses, sheep and the like were also moved to the foot of Qingshan, so they could stay away from Guihua City at any time. As well as the farmland outside Guihua City, they are no longer taken care of and are ready to be destroyed at any time.
The Jianlu army, including the elite Mongolian tribesmen who came under orders, also slept without taking off their armor and horses without taking off their saddles. With such a rigorous preparation, let's see what else the Ming Emperor can do. Even if he sends 20,000 Ming cavalry troops to hide it from Guan Nei Xizuo, or dares to raid Guihua City before Guan Nei Xizuo sends the news, Jierhalang is sure that he can get nothing from the Ming cavalry troops in the first place. , can only get an empty city.
Haha, that trick of the hussar general in the history of the Ming Dynasty was useless against the Qing Dynasty!
Jierhalang had a vague suspicion in his mind that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty wanted to use this trick. On the surface, they were gathering slowly to paralyze themselves. In fact, they used the cavalry as the vanguard to make a surprise attack, and the infantry followed up. Wasn't there someone in the Imperial Guard of the Ming Emperor named Hussar Battalion? It can be seen from this that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty had an idea for that hussar general, and he might do this.
Therefore, although the Ming army on the Yulin Town side and the Jianlu and Mongolian coalition forces on the Guihua City side never went to war. But the confrontation between the two sides had already begun.
Jierhalang didn't know that his coping methods were known to Emperor Chongzhen through Class A eavesdropping seeds. He breathed a sigh of relief and sighed that this Jierhalang was really good, and he really had to do what he thought. Did it. Yes, after waiting for a while, if he starts to doubt, he can continue to add more ingredients.
Thinking about this, Emperor Chongzhen secretly calculated in his heart. Wu Sangui is almost ready to succeed, right?
…………
Let's talk about Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of the reinforcement and suppression campaign. When he suddenly received a secret order from Emperor Chongzhen, he couldn't help but be surprised. He was a little confused as to why the emperor could get the route map for Jianlu to escort people and materials back to Liaodong, and even explained who would lead the army and how many troops it would have. I'm afraid only Jianlu's top brass would know such detailed military information, right? Could it be that the top Jianlu officials have spies from the emperor?
Wu Sangui was really shocked, it felt so incredible! Looking back and thinking about it now, I feel that what his uncle did in Dashou was really unwise. If his uncle in Tianzhiling could have known that there were spies from the emperor at the top of Jianlu, wouldn't he have been able to use two boats in the first place? Are you thinking of playing both sides between Jianlu and Ming Dynasty?
