The way of war is ever-changing. Started in but there are three basic points that have not changed, the right time, place and people.

Among them, harmony is the basic of the basics, because all wars must be fought by people. If the people who are the main body of the war do not want to fight at all, then it will not help if they have the right time and place.

Now the soldiers and generals of Qinghe have some such thoughts, they have been full of complaints when they let them go out of the city to set up defenses, and many people have the idea of fleeing back to the city at any time if something happens. Now let them go to guard the Crow Falcon Pass, once the battle starts, they will bear the brunt immediately, they know the power of the braided soldiers in Jianzhou, and if they can't stop it, they won't even have time to run.

But in front of Yang Hao, where did they dare to say half a word, and there was no legitimate reason to refuse. When they return to the city, they will immediately gather together to discuss countermeasures.

Zhang Jing was originally a guerrilla in Liaoyang, and after the defeat of Fushun, he was ordered to bring 3,000 soldiers and horses to reinforce Qinghe City. His troops were originally mobile troops, and field warfare was regarded as his profession, although it was not fully manned, but the quality was finally better than that of ordinary guards.

He knew that the Jurchen Iron Cavalry had a very strong combat effectiveness, but after all, he had been stationed in Liaoyang before, and he had not directly dealt with the Jurchens. So this person is still a little confident, thinking that the military order cannot be violated, if there is really no way to go, it is a big deal to fight with the Jurchen soldiers, even if he can't win, he shouldn't lose too badly.

However, Zou Chuxian and Zhang Yuncheng, the fort guard, thought that Yang Hao's military orders were just on paper, and such a task could only be achieved by those elite soldiers who had the courage to sacrifice, and none of the officers and soldiers in Qinghe City could achieve such quality. Forcibly pulled the team to the Raven Pass, it is estimated that there will be deserters every day.

Both of them are old fritters, they have been in the army for more than ten years, they have seen everything, and they are very clear about this in the army. In the army, there are no officials, and everything is decided with just one mouth and one order, especially in the border army system, which likes to break out mutinies and make trouble.

In these years, it is not easy to manage as a soldier, a good man is not a soldier, and a good iron is not nailed; Which serious person will be an honest person to be a soldier? Those who came were all tricky and slippery crooked melons and bad dates. Unless you scoop a knife with one hand and force them, and scoop up silver with the other hand to coax them, otherwise you will be against you everywhere, and if you really have to transfer them to the Yahu Pass now, you don't have to think about what will happen.

The three of them are the leading generals in the Qinghe Army, and in the end, they all feel that they are absolutely not okay to say that it is absolutely impossible to dismiss Yang Hao. In the end, he moved the idea to Yue Xiang's head, feeling that Yue Xiang was now quite reused by Yang Hao, and maybe he could get them around from it.

In fact, Yue Xiang's previous suggestion of fortifying the wall and clearing the wilderness, with the use of artillery in the fortified city, although they felt that it was a bit conservative, it was a feasible way. Disperse the forces outside the city to deploy layers of defense, and it is okay to deal with ordinary enemies, but dealing with the brave Jurchen iron cavalry has become a refueling tactic, and it is very likely to be broken by the enemy, and it may not be able to play any substantive role.

There is still a fight to concentrate the strength in the city, defend the city walls, limit the opponent's cavalry field advantage, and fully develop the power of firearms and artillery. They had been preparing carefully for a while along this path, but then Yang Ho came and was forced to give up halfway.

So they decided that Yue Xiang must also be against Yang Hao's approach, and now the only person who can talk to Yang Hao is him, and the time is pressing, so the three of them decided to go to Yue Xiangguan immediately.

Yue Xiang was also in trouble at this time, he really wanted to get rid of Yang Hao, but he didn't want to see so many people sent to a dead end by him, and he couldn't bear to see Qinghe City buried under his stupid plan. Qinghe has become a dangerous place, seeing that time is passing day by day, and now his top priority is to leave quickly, but he doesn't want to go all the way with Yang Hao. However, there is no other way to go except this choice, and Yue Xiang is now both conflicted and distressed.

There was also something even more inexplicable to him, the person sent to Puhe to inquire about the news had returned, and the result of the investigation turned out to be that Li Liang's caravan was still stranded in the city, and Li Liang did not run away at all. It's just that because of the Jurchen invasion some time ago, people everywhere were panicked, and many border people left the city to flee to Shenyang and Pingyubao. Most of Li Liang's caravan men also escaped, Li Liang couldn't muster enough manpower, and there was no news of Yue Xiang, so he has been stranded until now.

This reason is reasonable, Yue Xiang also feels a little inexplicable, could it be that his judgment is wrong, Li Liang is not a real traitor? Otherwise, why didn't he run? If he doesn't run, it means that he is not weak-hearted.

But apart from him, Yue Xiang really couldn't think of anyone else who could leak his news. Thinking about it, only Li Liang has this condition. With the degree of loyalty he had to Yue Xiang's eldest brother, it was likely that he had reached some kind of deal with the Jurchens, wanting to use himself as a spy in exchange for the life safety of the eldest young master of the Yue family.

He thought about it, but he felt that only this explanation made sense. As for Li Liang, he could only think that this person was really calm and calm. Even though he was on the verge of exposure, he still held his breath.

According to him, Li Liang received a big deal in the local area, and he was negotiating with them, and it was estimated that he would have to stay in Puhe for a while, and when the negotiations were completed, he would return to Qinghe with the goods. Yue Xiang asked him where he got the capital, and the executioner said that he didn't know either, but the upper family seemed to be an old friend of the Yue family in the past. He often cooperates in business, and Li Liang knows him.

If you ask what again, the man will not know. After Yue Xiang sent him down, he felt that Li Liang must have ulterior motives. He knew that I had escaped from the tiger's mouth, and he wanted to continue to come back and lurk in disguise. But what exactly is that so-called businessman? Li Liang should have been aware of his suspicions about him, and dared to act so blatantly, one of which may be pretending to clear himself, and the other may be planning something.

Perhaps the Jurchens wanted to repeat the victory in the Battle of Fushun at Qinghe. In Fushun, a part of the Jurchen elite soldiers pretended to be caravans, took advantage of the opportunity of the horse market to infiltrate the city gate, and suddenly seized the city gate in one fell swoop. The Jurchen caravans outside the city responded in groups, and the Jurchen troops in ambush in the distance launched an attack at the same time, and the Ming defenders were unable to close the city gate in a hurry, and finally the city was captured by the inside and outside.

Maybe Nurhachi thinks that the same trick can be used a second time, maybe he chooses Li Liang this time.

Maybe wait until the day Li Liang returns to the city, that is, when Nurhachi launches an attack on Qinghe.

This is just Yue Xiang's conjecture, in fact, there is no evidence. But he didn't think he needed evidence for his conjecture, and he didn't have the time to find it. He knew that if his guess was wrong, then he would have lost a very important and only logistics assistant, and the consequences would be quite serious. But if it is correct, then he will never let a spy remain by his side and secretly plot against him.

Which one is lighter and which one is heavier is really for him to weigh carefully.

At the same time, the situation of Puhe is also very special now, the guard general Wang Xuan basically took away three-quarters of his troops, and after a battle with the secret troops of Manggutai, he was invaded by the evil art of the Wenxiang Sect, and suffered heavy losses, and now he is still stationed in Hoi An Fort Li Guangrong, because the Jurchen soldiers are still moving around, he does not dare to return easily.

Most of the officials and soldiers who remained in the city also abandoned the city and fled, and the whole city was temporarily in a state of anarchy. Yue Xiang's plan to catch Li Liang with an official document could not be realized, and he himself was now in a state of semi-house arrest and could not go in person, so objectively he had to let him go free for a while and wait and see.

At this time, Zou Chuxian and others came to visit, and after a few polite sentences, they euphemistically asked Yue Xiang what he thought of Yang Hao's so-called suspicious strategy.

Yue Xiang is such a smart person, he can guess seven or eight points of their intention at a glance. He doesn't need to have any scruples when talking to them, in fact, he doesn't need to beat around the bush when he talks to Yang Hao.

"Alas, our Fu Shuai belongs to the kind of master who talks on paper. The Crow Pass is indeed a natural hazard, and in the past, this calculation is feasible. It's just that now our military generals in Liaodong are not my intention to decline, and they are very different from before. There is a way to be rewarded, and there must be a brave man. Now don't talk about heavy rewards, the salaries and silver have been owed for almost three months and have not been paid, and the soldiers are already thankful that they don't make trouble, and they are still expected to go to guard the Raven Pass? With the current morale, it is really difficult to take on this position. ”

As soon as Zou Chuxian heard that there was a door, he immediately climbed up the pole: "What Ziyi said is very true, the food and salary are not enough, and the sergeants have long complained. It is still the efforts of those of us who are generals to appease the pressure and try to raise funds in various ways to ensure that nothing big happens. That is, arranging them in the city can also keep them a little morale, once they go out of the city to camp permanently, this is really ...... It's hard. Those of us who are officials, usually have been scolded by the soldiers in the stomach, this is also a helpless thing, what we do is this scolded errand, if we are scolded, we can protect the territory and the people, I Zou Chuxian is willing to let others scold my ancestors for eight generations to scold to the bitter end, but the current thing is ...... Alas......"

Of course, Zou Chuxian didn't dare to blatantly ridicule Yang Hao like Yue Xiang, and his tone was much more tactful, as if he was seeking understanding, and Zhang Jing and Zhang Yuncheng next to him also nodded their heads frequently.

Yue Xiang knew that what he said was the truth, and that a charismatic iron-fisted leader could not be anyone, it was the army, and those who were in charge in peacetime sometimes had to compromise with their subordinates and reconcile the contradictions and conflicts of all parties, because most people were ordinary people. He himself has been the general manager and knows what to worry about leading soldiers.

"Brother Ziyi is the one who really fought with the rebels in Jianzhou in our Qinghe City, according to the elder brother, our Ming officers and soldiers and women really face to face, if it is a field battle, what are the chances of winning?" It was Zhang Jing who was questioned, he was a guerrilla, and he was in charge of the field battle. Yue Xiang had made some gains, he felt that if Yue Xiang's kind of irregular family was fine, even if his subordinates couldn't win, it shouldn't be difficult to get some heads back, he was the only one here who was more confident.

It depends on what the situation is. The cavalry of the Eight Banners of Jianzhou can be called brave and fierce, and they are not afraid of death at all when they fight. Moreover, the Jurchen people are fierce, due to the harsh living environment, they have been good at shooting and hunting since they were children, and they have been trained all year round to be natural warriors. Nurhachi has used troops for 30 years Now all the departments in Liaodong have been conquered or razed by him except for Ye He, Lord Zhang, please think about it, 30 years of battlefield fighting, often winning and undefeated, what kind of army has been honed. On the other hand, our Ming Dynasty has not fought for many years, and most of the soldiers and ruffians in the camp are here to eat food and live together. On weekdays, sending an errand officer is still complaining and lazy and slippery, counting on them to fight against this kind of tiger and wolf army, and the victory or defeat is self-evident. ”

What Yue Xiang said is also the truth, the quality of the officers and soldiers is really rotten enough, the generals have no intention of training, the soldiers can't even eat enough, and most of them are slippery people, let alone work hard. Not to mention the more difficult skills of firearms, bows and arrows, it is a simple knife and gun, many people are trying to figure it out. Moreover, in terms of armor and equipment, it is also mostly rotten and defective, and it is equivalent to being empty-handed when it really fights.

Zhang Jing felt uncomfortable when he heard it, but what people said was the truth, and there was no way to refute it. But in the end, he was still a little unconvinced, so he said: "What Brother Ziyi said is indeed some shortcomings in the army today, but now that Lord Jingluo is here, he must have to rectify the Liaodong army in the future, and if those bad habits and disadvantages are gone, military discipline will naturally improve." By then, are you still worried about the lack of elite soldiers? If our elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty face the Jurchen Tartars, what will happen to the victory? ”

He is purely trying to save face, he is a general, and when he says that he is incompetent as a soldier, he is actually talking about the incompetence of being an official.

"If it is our elite soldiers, it also depends on how good they can be. The Jurchens were mainly cavalry, mobile and fast. Our Daming battalion brigade is mixed with cavalry and artillery, and it has already lost a chip in terms of mobility, and it cannot take the lead, so it can only passively meet the battle. ”

"Moreover, the Jurchen military law is extremely harsh, and the chieftain leader must charge forward in battle to set an example for the whole army. If the leader does not take the lead in the charge, he will behead the man. And if one team loses its commander, the whole team will be executed. This links the relationship between officers and soldiers, and it is related to the life of the family, which is not willing to move forward? Therefore, the strength of its combat effectiveness is not trivial, and it is often indestructible to win more with less. Although some of our Ming officers and soldiers are not afraid of death, if we want to compete with them as a whole, we will not be able to train such elite soldiers in three and five years. ”

"Moreover, the Jurchen is good at riding and shooting, and the strength of the bow horse can be called unparalleled. He is mobile and flexible in fighting, and his tactics are skillful and sophisticated. The battlefield is basically without any golden drum banner to know what you should do. However, our officers and soldiers are too rigid in tactics, and the routine of the ever-changing battle is to resist the enemy with chariots in formation, frustrate their forwards with firearms, and then jump on both wings and cavalry into battle, and then the foot soldiers rush up. It takes a lot of time to fire a firearm, and before you can load the second shot, the enemy cavalry has already rushed in front of you, and the arrows have rained down, and our army will be in chaos, and the routine behind can only be a mess worse. If the two armies are equal in numbers, and if they do not innovate their tactics, I think it will be difficult to win. ”

Yue Xiang belittled the Ming army as if it was worthless, and Zhang Jing's face was very embarrassed. Zhang Yuncheng hurriedly interjected on the side and said: "What does Ziyi mean, or is it the original idea of sticking to the city?" ”

"That's right, everyone's net worth and life are all in the city, and when the Jurchen soldiers come, they will besiege the city on all sides, and no one will be able to escape. Maybe it will arouse the courage to die and come back to life, which is also a way to do it. If it is the garrison of the Yahu Pass, if I am the leader of the rebels, I only need to send a large army to press up head-on, and then send a team of elite light cavalry to follow the path over the mountain, and I don't need to bring any baggage, copy the grain road behind, I dare to say that as soon as our soldiers find that there are thieves behind the buttocks, I guarantee that the morale of the army will be in chaos immediately, and the time will collapse without a fight. If Qinghe is lost, the next place is Liaoyang, and if Liaoyang loses anything, the situation in Liaodong will collapse. ”

Hearing this, Zou Chuxian and the other two breathed a sigh of relief, Yue Xiang's side was no longer a problem, and the only thing left to consider was how to explain it to Yang Hao.