Guangning, an important town in western Liaoning.

In the second year of the Apocalypse, the Battle of Guangning broke out between the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Ming army was defeated, Wang Huazhen and Xiong Tingbi were at odds, and they lost Guangning and the land of western Liaoning without a fight. Later, Xiong Tingbi was executed for the crime of losing Guangning and abandoned the world.

After Nurhachi occupied Liaoxi, he drove the Han people of Liaoxi to Liaodong and created a no-man's land in the Guangning area of Liaoxi.

In Fang Yuan's view, Guangning is a more important military town than Ningyuan and Jinzhou. Guangning is in, Liaoxi is in, Guangning is falling, Liaoxi is not.

The Ningjin defense line was nothing more than a territory that protected four hundred miles north of Shanhaiguan. The Manchus could still invade from any checkpoint on the Great Wall.

And Quang Ninh City, the military significance is obviously very significant.

First, the occupation of Guangning can be regarded as the real recovery of the vast area of western Liaoning. The Manchu Qing Dynasty did not break through the city of Guangning, and would never dare to go south to invade the defense line of the Great Wall, which was the real enemy outside the country. Otherwise, the Great Wall is one or two thousand miles, and any point may be pierced by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and then repeat the mistakes of the Renchen Change.

Second, occupying Guangning is to cut the throats of the tribes of the Manchu Qing and Mongolian Horqin steppes with a single sword. Before the nail of Guangning was removed, the Manchus did not dare to reach into the territory west of the Horqin steppe in Mongolia.

The submission of the Mongols to the Manchus was nothing more than an expedient measure of military oppression and political marriage. As long as we can divide the situation in northern Xinjiang, where Manchu and Mongolia are integrated, we can cut off the connection between Manchu and Mongolia, divide and rule. The Manchu Qing's sphere of influence was compressed in a corner of Liaodong, and it was impossible to compare with the Ming Dynasty, which was reborn after the baptism of Fang Yuan, both economically and militarily.

Third, occupying Guangning means having a bridgehead to attack Liaodong, coupled with the dispatch of troops on the third line of Phi Dao and Korea, which is enough to make the Manchus take care of one and lose the other, and ask for the old life of the Manchus.

The importance of Guangning to Liaoxi, whether it is the Manchu Qing Dynasty or the Ming Dynasty, is well known.

In the previous wars, whether it was Sun Chengzong, Yuan Chonghuan, or Zu Dashou, no matter how many military forts were built in Jinzhou and Ningyuan in western Liaoning, they never dared to cross the Daling River and approach Guangning, which was abandoned by the Manchus. Not to mention to reoccupy Quang Ninh and rebuild the city of Quang Ninh.

No matter how the Ming Dynasty repaired the Ningjin defense line, the Manchus did not come to forcibly fight for the Ningjin area. Because the pass of the Great Wall is far more than Shanhaiguan, the Manchu iron cavalry can bypass the Ningjin defense line and enter the customs from any pass. Even directly from the swaggering passage under Ning Jincheng, the Ming army did not dare to snipe.

In other words, the Ningjin defense line built by Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan in western Liaoxi never crossed the line of the Daling River and did not touch the core interests of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. So no matter how much you toss, the Manchus also let it go and didn't pay attention.

Yuan Chonghuan, who is the governor of Jiliao, is actually clear in his heart, and he has reached a tacit understanding with the Manchu Qing Dynasty. It seems that he is busy building castles in western Liaoning, but in fact, he is just tossing the thankless Ningjin defense line, and he has never crossed the Daling River to provoke the core interests of the Manchus.

After Yuan Chonghuan's death, Sun Chengzong, who took over, continued his work at the Liaodongdui Castle. After Sun Chengzong took over, he had the courage to tentatively make Zu Dashou and others advance less than fifty miles north of Jinzhou, wanting to build a city on the Daling River.

As a result, it was this seemingly insignificant strategic advance that attracted the Manchu Qing Dynasty to pour out an offensive, and the Battle of the Daling River broke out.

The result of the battle was that the Ming Dynasty reinforcements were completely annihilated, and even Zu Dashou surrendered to the Manchus.

It can be seen that the Ming Dynasty did not have the strength to continue to advance north of the Daling River and penetrate deep into the Quang Ninh region. wants to regain Liaodong by piling up castles, but it is just nonsense to fool the imperial court's military spending.

In other words, the Daling River is a military red line drawn by the Manchus to the Ming Dynasty. Once the Ming army crossed the Daling River to build a city, if it wanted to reach into the Quang Ninh area, it would inevitably be attacked by the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Fang Yuan and Dolgon are heroes who see the same thing, once Guangning is lost, Liaoxi will be lost; Once Liaoxi is lost, Mongolia will be in turmoil; Mongolia is in turmoil, and the Han people in Liaodong will also be ready to move; Once the Mongols and the Han people of Liaodong rebelled, the Manchus would immediately be beaten back from the great empire of northern Xinjiang to their original form and become a tribal society in which the state was established.

Therefore, in the face of Fang Yuan's offensive that could be launched at any time, Dolgon did not adopt the strategy of shrinking the front and defending Liaodong. Instead, they sent the brave and warlike Azig, as well as the elite 200 Niu Lu to garrison Quang Ninh, just to compete with Fang Yuan for this strategic fortress at all costs.

A cold wind blew, Fang Yuan shivered, and said to himself, "The next target, Quang Ninh!" ”

Two days later, Fang Yuan convened the cabinet and the officials of the six ministries; Chigutai, commander of the Northern Military Region, Zhou Yuji, deputy commander, and Wu Sangui, chief soldier of Jizhen; Shi Lang, commander of the Eastern Military Region, and Li Zongze, deputy commander of the Eastern Military Region, gathered together at the Huangji Hall to discuss the matter of the opening of the spring expedition to Quang Ninh.

Fang Yuan didn't want to reveal his true thoughts first, but instead asked the generals, "After a year's rest, the Northern Military Region and the Eastern Military Region are considered to be strong!" ”

Chigutai came out and said, "Yes, Regent, the 40,000 iron horsemen under my command can immediately leave the customs and go to Liaodong to sweep away the Tartars' lair!" ”

Shi Lang also came out and said, "Regent, the aircraft carrier formation, and 10,000 sailors are on standby, and they can invade Liaodong at any time and harvest the heads of the people!" ”

Fang Yuan smiled noncommittally and asked Jing Jie, "Jing Shuai, you just returned from going to Phi Dao, how is Phi Dao's combat readiness?!" ”

Jing Jie reported, "Regent, the Great Army Fort on Phi Island has been built, the soldiers, horses, grain and grass are all supplied by the Korean State, and the swords of the 30,000 soldiers are already hungry and thirsty, waiting to kill the enemy and make meritorious contributions and earn silver." The Korean side is also waiting for the movement of our army, as long as our army sends troops to Liaodong, they can also cooperate with the Northern Expedition. ”

In the public place of the military and political meeting, whether it is Jing Jie or Shi Lang, Fang Yuan can only be called the regent, and the boss can be the boss in private, and the third and fifth children do not have to be restrained.

Fang Yuan smiled and said, "Heh, I estimate that the 30,000 elites of Zhao Quanzhong and Zhang Ying's department have been scattered on Phi Island for nearly a year, drinking the sea breeze all day long, and they are going to get sick." The first military order, after ordering Zhao Quanzhong and Zhang Ying to open spring, lead the headquarters of Phi Dao to land from Jinzhou and go to Gaizhou and Jianzhou to carry out activities! According to the old rules, the main force was not allowed to fight a decisive battle, and guerrilla harassment was the mainstay. Only kill the Manchurians, not the Han people, and continue to publicize the folk songs of Song Changshi! ”

"As for the direction of Korea, let them cross the river and break the wicker side, attack the Manchu Dingliao right guard, and take revenge. But they could only kill the Manchus who could not speak Chinese, not the Han people. ”

As soon as Jing Jie heard that these two roads were just harassing and containment attacks, he knew that Fang Yuan's real target was not in the direction of eastern Liao, but in the direction of western Liaoning, and asked, "Regent, the target of our campaign in the spring is Guangning?!" ”

Fang Yuan smiled, "Yes, the next target is Quang Ninh." I'm going to annihilate the Azig in Quang Ninh! Let's talk about how to take Quang Ninh! ”