For the residents of Ningguta, the climbing plough is a spare means of transportation for every household, just like the second * car in the gate. After all, it is covered with snow for half the year, and it is difficult to go out without a plow.

Compared to the tribes in the north, the ploughs in the Ningguta area are mostly pulled by horses rather than dogs, and of course the tribes further north are also pulled by reindeer, but they are not as fast as horse-drawn plows on solid planes.

Hailang River, Mudanjiang River, Songhua River, Heilongjiang River, these northeast rivers, in winter is the best traffic artery to climb the plow, the fastest speed of the horse-drawn plow, is a day and night up to 200 miles.

From Ningguta to Sanxing City, it was only three and a half to four days. After Xingjia decided to send troops, he asked his younger brother Xinghai to bring 200 climbing plows and 300 soldiers to support Sanxing City.

The Jurchens stationed in Ningguta have not yet shed their simple and belligerent style, and they are much more obedient than the children of the Eight Banners in Shenyang City. Xingjia gave an order, and the Jurchens, who were named to go on the expedition, silently went home to pack their things, and then took the family's climbing plow to the Hailang River north of Ningguta, waiting for the order to set off.

It took a little half a day's work, when Xingjia sent Xinghai out of the north gate, he saw that most of the soldiers who received the order had already gotten on the plow and waited, so he turned around and held his brother Xinghai's hand and whispered: "You go to the rescue this time, as long as you can keep the city of the three surnames, it is a great achievement, and you must not go to the pursuit without authorization, otherwise once there is a loss, it will be too much to do." If you don't arrive, the city has already fallen, so hurry back and don't think about attacking the city. ”

Xinghai nodded, and said after arching his hand to his brother: "The younger brother has already remembered, please rest assured that the eldest brother." It's not too early, so I think it's better to let the team leave early, and it's better to get more miles before dark..."

The city of the three surnames is located at the confluence of the four rivers of the Mudanjiang, the Wuken River and the Balan River into the Songhua River, and there are three mountains of Xiaoxing'an Mountains, Shagen Chailiang and Wanda Mountains around it, which can be said to be a place of beauty. It's a pity that in the hands of the Houjin, it was only used as a military stronghold to control the Songhua River basin and enter the Heilongjiang River basin, and there was no way to carry out economic development and utilization.

However, it is precisely because of the identity of the military stronghold of the three surnamed cities that when Zhao Chengdong arrived here with 1,500 people, he could not break through the city. In the lower reaches of the Three Surname City, at the confluence of the Ussuri River and the Heilongjiang River, the residence of the Daur tribe was easily taken by them.

After the Ming army entered the outer northeast and the lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River, in the past three years, it not only stabilized the two strongholds of Temple Street and Vladivostok, but also established Wallenberg 1,000 miles from the mouth of the sea in the lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River, and restored the twin city guards 200 miles north of Vladivostok.

Originally, Wallenberg was just a village of the Oroqen people, and there is nothing to say, but the origin of these two castles is not small. It is said that in the 9th century, Shuangchengzi was already an important town of the Bohai Kingdom. As for Shuangchengzi, its name originates from the Shuangchengwei at the beginning of the founding of the country. It is named after the coexistence of two cities, east and west, the east city is called "Fuldan", and the west city is called "Zhuergen", which is about four miles apart.

When the expedition team of the Vladivostok town guard discovered Shuangchengzi, Chongzhen also issued a special edict to reward the expedition team and the officials of the Vladivostok town guard, and asked if the place could be defended.

Shuangchengzi is located at the confluence of three rivers such as the Suifen River, and at the southern end of the Ussuri River-Xingkaihu Plain, with many plant resources such as ginseng, eleutherococcus senticosus, Schisandra chinensis, and kiwi fruit nearby. Although it was only more than 500 li away from Ningguta, the nearest stronghold of Houjin, the terrain between the two places was complicated, and it was difficult for a large group of people to cross, so the Vladivostok town guard quickly expressed to the emperor that it could be defended, but it was necessary to establish a land passage between Shuangchengzi and Vladivostok.

After three years in Vladivostok and Temple Street, Zhao Chengdong finally had a basic idea of the area. The ice period here is at least half a year, the ice period in spring is full of mud, in early summer it is heavy rain, only at the turn of summer and autumn in August and September, is the season suitable for hunting and going out, and in winter it is cold wind howling and snow is full of snow.

The biggest enemy here was never the Jurchens, but the harsh natural conditions and all kinds of unexpected dangers. For example, floods caused by heavy rains, plagues caused by humid and muggy heat, mosquitoes, leeches and various insects in summer, and severe cold and snowstorms in winter.

It can be said that it is difficult to survive without a sturdy and dry house in the outer northeast. Whether they are outsiders or natives, they can only use waterways or naturally formed river valleys and plains when they go out, and no one can directly cross the dense forests and mountains, which is no different from suicide.

After understanding this, Zhao Chengdong found that things became simpler, whoever controls the rivers in the outer northeast is equivalent to controlling here. Unless your enemies can cut a path out of the forest, they'll have to follow the river.

This also made it possible to build a fortress in a dangerous part of the river to control the entire nearby watershed and prevent the Houjin army from moving in the area. It's like the three-surname city built here by the Houjin army, which can make Zhao Chengdong, who has superior troops, helpless.

Due to the geographical constraints, almost all operations in this area can only be carried out in winter, and operations far from the rear do not allow both sides to use too many troops, otherwise the logistics will not be able to bear it. Not to mention the dense forests and river valley terrain, which does not allow tens of thousands of troops to fight.

This battle was fought here, but it was difficult to capture the three surname cities, so that Zhao Chengdong finally had a hint of retreat. However, it also made him realize that Boleigh, which is nearly 800 miles away from Wallenberg, is really a node that cannot be discarded. By following the Ussuri River south, Boli would be connected to the Twin Cities, and Vladivostok and Temple Street would have a land passage in winter.

In the lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River and the area east of the Ussuri River, even if a whole line of defense has been established. Vladivostok and Temple Street are no longer two solitary sons, but the north-south pillars of the northeastern frontier outside the Ming Dynasty. The East China Sea Woji Division, the Varkha Division, and other ethnic minorities in this area were brought under the control of the Vladivostok Township Governorate.

Just as Zhao Chengdong was sitting in the tent and thinking about the fire, Ye Lei, who was in charge of commanding the siege, and Baihu Chulko, Ye Lei was the patriarch of the Beishan Jurchen envoy Lu tribe who had served Miaojie a year ago, and Baihu Chuerko was a native who had just been recruited by the Vladivostok Town Guard.

After the two walked in together, Ye Lei saluted Zhao Chengdong in a decent manner, but Chulko had already sat unceremoniously by the fire, took off his shoes and baked the wet footcloth on his feet. A choking smell suddenly filled the tent.

Although Chulko seemed very rude, Zhao Chengdong said as if he hadn't smelled anything: "Did something happen to the two of you who came to me?" ”

Ye Lei frowned and glanced at the bear-like Chulko, before he said to Zhao Chengdong: "Although the earthen wall of the city of the third surname is not as tall as the wall of Temple Street, it is frozen harder than iron in such weather, and our cannon only leaves a white spot when it hits, and nothing can be broken.

In the current weather, no one can use bows and arrows, and the muskets used by adults' subordinates cannot be used more, so they can only rely on people to come forward and fight hand-to-hand. But the ice around the walls is so slippery that our warriors have to deal with the ice under their feet and the attacks from the top of their heads.

Chulko's subordinates said that a group of reinforcements had come from the Mudanjiang River, and there was no end in sight to the plow, and it was only about a day's mile away from us. Isn't it time for us to retreat, my lord? ”

Although there were not many Chinese words in the Chulko Society, he understood the word retreat, and he immediately said angrily: "The Laura Vitlans never retreat, we will defeat those reinforcements, as long as the adults give me wine and food..."

Zhao Chengdong clapped his hands to silence the two, and he turned to Chulko and asked, "Where did your subordinates meet the reinforcements of the Jurchens, can you draw them?" ”

Chulko put on his shoes, got up and went to the outside of the account to call his men, and asked him to draw where he had met the Houjin reinforcements. Zhao Chengdong took out a map and found that the place drawn by the other party was just within the range of his map. He compared the distance between the three surnamed cities and thought for a long time before speaking.

"It has been 21 days since the expedition from Wallenberg, we destroyed three Houjin fortresses on the way, and relocated more than 600 people from 11 villages.

We hadn't trained how to attack a military fort in the winter before, so it was to be expected that we didn't capture the Three Castles this time. I thought that the mission of our expedition was over, and there was no need to stalemate with the Jurchens here anymore. ”

Zhao Chengdong stretched out his hand to stop Chulko and continued: "Of course, we can't leave without teaching the Jurchen reinforcements, otherwise wouldn't it make them think that we fled because we were afraid of them." Along the Mudanjiang River into the Songhua River estuary down 20 miles, it is a river bifurcation.

I took 150 of Chulko's subordinates and three teams of men and horses, including Wubik and Gino, to ambush Houjin's reinforcements at this fork, Ye Lei, you continue to take the rest of the men and horses to monitor the three surnamed cities, and when we succeed, we will retreat home..."

After running wildly for three days with 300 reinforcements, Xinghai finally arrived at the river less than 100 miles away from the three surnamed cities.

The three-day march was also a considerable physical exertion for these Ningguta soldiers. In addition to the howling cold wind, the sound of ghosts crying wolves in the forest at night also made them highly nervous.

Therefore, at the request of the soldiers, Xinghai decided to rest here for half a day, so that the soldiers could recover their strength and relax their spirits. After all, when they arrived in the city of the three surnames, they would face a fight, and if they did not have enough physical strength, it would be equivalent to sending them to death.

While the soldiers were squatting on the sand bank on the right to roast the fire and make soup, Xinghai was also constantly looking at the map in his hand, thinking that he was taking advantage of the cover of night to attack the enemy under the city of the three surnames; It's better to find a place to rest before arriving at the Three Surname City, and then attack those enemies in the early morning.