Prince Tushetu said again: "Master, the Nanming barbarian is building a pontoon bridge over the Han River. ”

"Build a pontoon?" Dolgon's heart jumped, and he muttered, "The Han River is shallow, the cavalry can cross the horses, and the infantry can cross it on foot, and the Ming army built the pontoon bridge obviously to allow the baggage team and artillery team to cross the river, Wang Pulian brought the baggage team and the artillery team, it seems that he is determined to go north to Jining......"

Prince Tushetu asked, "Master, do you want to send troops to disturb and destroy the pontoon bridge?" ”

"Destruction of pontoons? Why destroy the pontoon? Only a fool would go and sabotage a pontoon! Dolgon Huoran raised his hand and said loudly, "Take care of your people, don't act rashly at this time, let the Ming army cross the north of the Han River first." ”

A grim smile flashed across Dolgon's eyes.

As long as the Ming army crosses the Han River and sends Mongolian cavalry to destroy the pontoon bridge, the Ming army will become a turtle in the urn, even if Wang Puneng and the defenders in Jining City converge? Without the canal and waterway, the Ming army could not be supplied with grain, grass, baggage, weapons and ammunition, and they were a completely lonely army.

Want to break through? Roads were destroyed, bridges were destroyed, canals were blocked, and the Ming army was dragged down by baggage teams and artillery teams, how to break through?

Throw down the baggage and the artillery team to break through lightly? How many days can you last with only individual ammunition and dry rations? I was afraid that before the Ming army fled back to Huai'an, the Mongol cavalry would be able to catch up with them and shoot them one by one on the way to escape.

Stick to Jining? How long can the Ming army hold out?

Even if the Ming army brought enough food, grass, baggage, and ammunition to this expedition, how long could it last? Half? Or a year?

This time, the Eight Banners Army and the Mongolian cavalry have brought enough grain and grass, enough to support more than a year, and the Eight Banners Army can also capture the Han people in Shandong to farm for them, and they don't have to worry about food and grass at all, not to mention that as long as Wang Pu is defeated, the Eight Banners Army can wave its army and point directly at Jiangnan, as long as it goes down to Jiangnan, are you afraid that you won't be able to raise grain and grass?

Reinforcements? In addition to Wang Pu, does Nanming have any generals who can fight? In addition to Wang Pu's army, does Nanming still have an army worthy of a war?

In Dolgon's view, as long as Wang Pu is trapped, it is equivalent to trapping the entire Ming Dynasty, once Wang Pu is defeated, the Ming Dynasty will be finished.

The only thing that Dolgon was puzzled about was that Wang Puming knew that going north to Jining was a dead end, but why did he have the heart to break into it? Could it be that Wang Pu has some conspiracy? Or did Wang Pu have any tricks to make the Ming army defeat a victory? But no matter what conspiracy Wang Pu had, such a God-given opportunity, Dolgon would never miss it.

■■■

Hanzhuang, Wu Temple.

The sky is light, the guards are busy packing all kinds of items of the headquarters, and then loading the car, in the chaotic footsteps, Wang Pu, the governor of the five provinces of the Ming Dynasty, appeared at the gate surrounded by Liu Ruyi, Liu Qingyan, Kou Baimen, Nenniang, Lu Liu, and more than a dozen staff officers of the headquarters, and the guards who were busy hurriedly stood up and saluted.

Wang Pu looked up at the eastern sky and asked, "The pontoon bridge has been reinforced?" ”

Military Secretary Liu Ru hurriedly stepped forward and responded: "Master Hou, after the overnight struggle of all the officers and men of the third battalion of the baggage, the two pontoon bridges have been reinforced, and the baggage vehicles and artillery trucks can cross the river smoothly. ”

"Well, Zheng Chenggong did a good job." Wang Pu bowed his head lightly, and asked again, "What about Jiannu, is there any movement?" ”

"Nope." Liu Ru shook his head and said, "The reconnaissance team reported that Jiannu and the Tartar cavalry had been stationed in Shagouji, fifty miles away, last night, and there was no abnormal movement. ”

"Hmph." Wang Pu sneered, "The purpose of this minion is very clear, he is intent on letting us cross the Han River, and then copy our back road, you see, as soon as we leave Hanzhuang with our front foot, he will send Tartar cavalry to burn the pontoon bridge with his back foot." ”

A staff officer said loudly: "Master Hou, I am willing to take a brigade to stay and guard the pontoon bridge to ensure the rear road of the army." ”

"Leave a brigade to guard the pontoon?" Wang Pu frowned and asked, "Do you think a brigade can hold it?" ”

The old staff officer blushed and replied, "No." ”

Wang Pu said: "Since you know that you can't hold it, why do you have to leave troops to guard it, isn't that sending the brothers to the tiger's mouth?" ”

After saying that, Wang Pu's gaze turned to all the staff officers of the army, and said loudly: "You have all remembered to Ben Hou that it takes courage to fight, but you can't do it brutely!" Sending it up knowing that it will die is called stupidity rather than bravery, and what our Central Army needs is brave and knowledgeable warriors, not brainless fools. ”

"Yes."

Including the staff officers who had just taken the initiative to ask for help, more than a dozen staff officers of the headquarters suddenly agreed.

■■■

Sand ditch set, Dolgon line.

Prince Tushetu hurriedly entered the hall, knelt down and saluted Dolgon, and then said: "Master, just after returning from the horse, Wang Pu has already left Hanzhuang with the Ming army and is heading towards Shagouji. ”

"Oh?" Dolgon put down the half-eaten fat leg of lamb and asked in a condensed voice, "Is there any Ming army left behind in Hanzhuang?" ”

Prince Tushetu shook his head and said, "No." ”

"Okay." Dolgon slapped his hand on the desk and stood up, "Send two thousand cavalry to Hanzhuang immediately and burn the pontoon bridge!" ”

"Wow."

Prince Tushetu answered the call and went away.

"The show begins, haha." When Prince Tushetu had gone away, Dolgon looked up to the sky and snorted, then turned around and instructed Hasalian, "Hasalian, you take five hundred elite soldiers to dig the two stone arch bridges erected on the Shagou River, and then destroy all the official roads in the area of Shagouji, and dig as many ditches as possible." ”

"Why?" Sakhalian wondered, "If the stone arch bridge and the official road are destroyed, won't even our march be affected?" ”

"You know what?" Dolgon said coldly, "Without bridges and official roads, although the actions of my Qing army will also be affected to a certain extent, the Ming army will be affected even more, and the heavy baggage vehicles and artillery carriages of the Ming army will be difficult to move an inch. ”

"Advance and retreat?" Sakhalian was puzzled, "The master doesn't plan to let Wang Pu go to Jining?" ”

"Idiot!" Dorgon frowned and scolded, "Can you grow your brains?" If Wang Pu's main force of the Ming army and the defenders of Jining can be divided and surrounded, then why do you want to let Wang Pu go to Jining? Only when it is difficult to divide and encircle, we can only retreat and let Wang Pu enter Jining, and then concentrate our forces to besiege the city. ”

"Wow." Sakhalian suddenly said, "The slave understands. ”

"Go ahead."

Dorgon waved his hand, and Saharan took the order.

■■■

Ten miles north of Hanzhuang, a small village.

Daddy Li was leading people to pour a pale green medicinal juice into the well at the entrance of the village, and Wang Pu, who was standing on the side and watching, couldn't help but ask, "Dad, what kind of medicinal juice is this?" ”

Father Li said: "This is a kind of medicinal juice prepared by the old decay, which can make the war horses of the Tartar soldiers sick. ”

"Sick?" Wang Pu said awe-inspiringly, "Horse plague? ”

"No, it's not." Father Li shook his head and said, "It's not so easy to make the war horses of the Tartar cavalry get horse plague, this kind of medicine can only make the war horses of the Tartar cavalry have a great appetite, they don't like forage, and the war horses of the Tartar soldiers will get sick after a long time, and only the war horses of the Tartar soldiers get a large number of diseases, so it is possible to induce horse plague." ”

Wang Pu nodded again and again, what Daddy Li said, the reason is the same as the epidemic surname cold, in the young and middle-aged people with strong immunity, it is difficult to have a large-scale epidemic of the epidemic, only among the elderly, children and patients with weak constitution, the epidemic surname cold can have a large-scale outbreak.

"Daddy, is this medicinal juice harmful to people?"

"Yes, but after half a month, the surname of medicine will disappear, and when the people return to the village after this battle, the water in this well can be drunk with confidence."

"That's good, otherwise it wouldn't be cost-effective if it didn't poison the war horses of the Tartar soldiers, but poisoned their own people."

As he was talking, Lu Liu hurriedly came and said loudly: "Master Hou, the Tartar cavalry really went to Hanzhuang. ”

Wang Pu said indifferently: "How many Tartar cavalry are there?" ”

Lu Liudao: "At least two thousand horses." ”

Wang Pudao: "Has the pontoon bridge been burned?" ”

"It's burning." Lu Liudao, "Both pontoon bridges were burned by Tartar cavalry. ”

Lu Liu's voice fell, and another guard ran up panting, gasping and said, "Master Hou, the Tartar cavalry is here...... It's five miles away. ”

Lu Liu looked around and said nervously: "Master Hou, this place is not suitable for a long time, let's go quickly." ”

The main force of the Central Army is almost ten miles away, and at this time only the guard team led by Lu Liu is left by Wang Pu's side, although the guard team is equipped with the latest breech rifle developed by the Nanjing Arsenal, but after all, there is only one brigade of troops, and it has to protect Wang Pu, Father Li and the accompanying staff officers of the headquarters, once surrounded by Tartar soldiers, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Panic what." Wang Pu frowned and said, "The Tartar cavalry didn't dare to catch up. ”

As he was talking, Daddy Li's people had already poured all the two buckets of medicinal juice into the well, and Daddy Li stirred the medicinal juice with a bamboo pole until there was no trace on the surface, and then said to Wang Pu: "Master Hou, you can go now." ”

Only then did Wang Pu turn to Lu Liu and said loudly: "Withdraw." ”

■■■

Half an hour after Wang Pu left with the guards, Prince Tushetu sent a small team of Tatar cavalry to investigate repeatedly, and made sure that there was no Ming army ambush in the village, so he dared to take a large group of Tatar cavalry to the entrance of the village cautiously.

Tushetu Khan said: "Ambahai, are there any Nanming barbarians in the village?" ”

"Nope." He shook his head and said, "There isn't even a ghost shadow." ”

Tushetu Khan breathed a sigh of relief, turned over and dismounted, and his own soldiers had already stepped forward to lead his mount, Tushetu Khan sat under the big tree at the entrance of the village, and said loudly: "Pass the order, send rangers to guard the surroundings, beware of the sudden attack of the Nanming barbarians, and the rest of the brigade dismount and rest." ”

"Wow."

Several groups of rangers separated from the large group of cavalry and galloped out of the village, while the rest of the brigade of Tartar cavalry turned over and dismounted, and the slaves who were responsible for feeding the horses had already led the horses of the Tartar cavalry together, and found wooden barrels from the village to draw water and drink horses.

"You." Tushetu Khan summoned one of his attendants to him and instructed, "Ride on a fast horse to find the regent, and say that the two pontoon bridges on the Han River have been burned by us, and the official road has been dug to the ground, and that the Nanming barbarians have passed twenty miles north of Hanzhuang, and are less than thirty miles away from Shagouji." ”

"Wow."

The squire said yes and took the order.

■■■

At noon, the main force of the Central Army advanced to the south bank of the Shagou River.

Although Jiannu dug many ravines on the official road, in front of the well-trained baggage soldiers of the Central Army, this obstacle was nothing at all, and along the way, the speed of the Central Army was not even affected in any way, but the army had to stop when it reached the bank of the Shagou River.

The Shagou River is not a big river, the width of the river is about 20 meters at most, there were originally two stone arch bridges on the river, which were located in the town of Shagou and the east end of the town, but now these two stone arch bridges have been demolished by Jiannu, and hundreds of houses in Shagou market town were also burned by Jiannu.

When Wang Pu rushed to the river, Zheng Chenggong was contemplating a strategy for crossing the river.

Seeing the thousands of baggage trucks and artillery trucks of the Central Army and nearly 20,000 officers and soldiers huddled together by the river, Wang Pu couldn't help frowning and asked, "What's the matter?" Why not hurry across the river? ”

Zheng Chenggong smiled bitterly: "Master Hou, the bridge was destroyed and it was impossible to cross the river. ”

Wang Pu frowned and said, "Why don't you build a pontoon bridge?" ”

Zheng Chenggong said: "All the houses in Shagou Market Town have been burned down by Jiannu, and there is no forest within a radius of 20 miles, and there is no way to build a pontoon bridge without wood. ”

Wang Pu's face changed slightly, and he said in a condensed voice: "Is there any other way?" ”

Zheng Chenggong nodded and said, "Yes." ”

Wang Pu asked, "What way?" ”

Zheng Chenggong said: "Just now, I went to the vicinity to investigate, and found that the terrain of Shagou Market Town is high in the middle and low on all sides, and the whole is triangular, and the vehicles and men of the Central Army can first be stationed on the ruins of Shagou Market Town, dig a hole in the east of the town, and lead the water of Shagou River to the south, and then fill in the original riverbed, so that the army and the baggage vehicles can cross the river smoothly." ”

If it is really possible to dig a hole in the embankment at the east end of Shagou Market Town, and let the Shagou River change its course first, it is indeed not difficult to fill a small river that is only less than 20 meters wide, and it is indeed enough time for one day at most.

Wang Pu glanced at Zheng Chenggong with some surprise, thinking that this is really terrifying, this guy can think of this method in such a short period of time, it is indeed commendable, Wang Pu classified Zheng Chenggong as a descendant in his heart, but he didn't know that his own biological age was only twenty-eight years old.

Zheng Chenggong didn't know Wang Pu's inner thoughts, and thought that Wang Pu was not satisfied with his suggestion, so he said in a low voice: "Master Hou, although this method needs to be delayed for a day, it is the fastest way that the humble can think of, but it may take less time to cut down wood and build a pontoon bridge from twenty miles away than filling the river, not to mention that it will be attacked by the Tartar cavalry." ”

"Not bad." Wang Pu came back to his senses and said busily, "This method is good, you can do it quickly." ”

(To be continued)