"Nope." Wang Pu shook his head and said with great certainty, "It is impossible for Jiannu to storm like today. ”

Zhen Youcai asked in a condensed voice, "The general is so sure?" ”

Wang Pu said: "Talented, how many people did Jiannu lose today?" ”

"At least 40,000 people." Zhen Youcai said, "However, judging from the banner, the loss is only the Eight Banners of the Han Army and the Eight Banners of Mongolia, and the most elite Jurchen Eight Banners of Jiannu have not suffered any losses." ”

Wang Pudao: "Even if the losses are all the Eight Banners of the Han Army and the Eight Banners of Mongolia, it is enough to make Jiannu retreat in the face of difficulties." The Eight Banners of the Han Army are the slaves of Jiannu, there is nothing to say, let them die, they can only die, but the Mongolian Eight Banners are not the slaves of Jiannu, they will not obediently be cannon fodder for Jiannu, if Jiannu forces them hard, they will betray if they are not good. ”

Zhen Youcai thought deeply and said, "That's right." ”

"And." Wang Pu continued, "Datong is not the main target of Jiannu. ”

Zhen Youcai's heart moved when he heard this, and he asked in a low voice, "......What does the general mean?"

"That's right." Wang Pu nodded affirmatively and said, "The main target of Jiannu must be Jingshi, compared to Jingshi, Datong is just a small city, how much oil and water can it have?" Yesterday's battle also gave Jiannu a taste of power, and they would definitely think that the price of defeating Datong was too high, too high for them to bear. ”

■■■

Wang Pu's judgment was correct, Jiannu really couldn't afford to storm Datong.

The next morning, Dolgon left Datong with an army of 100,000 and went straight to the Bauhinia Pass, while Hauge led the remaining 30,000 troops to continue to besiege Datong, including 10,000 bannermen with the Zhenghuang and Yellow banners, as well as 20,000 Mongolian cavalry from the Tushetu and Zasak tribes.

Because the strength of the siege of Datong was suddenly reduced to 30,000, Hauge followed the advice of the ministers of the Yellow Banner Xifu and Sonny's uncle and nephew to shrink his troops, and set up four large battalions outside the four gates, each camp left 5,000 Mongolian cavalry to garrison, and the remaining 10,000 taels of Yellow Banner iron cavalry were stationed outside the north gate and the south gate respectively, and were ready to meet the east gate and the west gate at any time.

However, in this way, Jiannu could not protect the fence surrounding Datong City.

That night, the Ming army blatantly touched out of the city to break the fence, although Jiannu sent cavalry to try to stop it, but was attacked by the Ming army's firearms battalion, after losing dozens of cavalry, Jiannu decided to give up the protection of the fence and focus on the camp, after all, as long as the four camps were blocked, the four gates of Datong were blocked.

After holding the four gates, the reinforcements and grain and grass from the outside will not be able to enter the city, and Datong will be broken sooner or later.

In the next few days, Jiannu did not launch any form of attack on Datong, and the Ming army in the city did not rashly launch a counterattack against Jiannu outside the city.

The battle situation in Datong fell silent for the time being.

■■■

In Datong City, the total army is marching.

Wang Pu is discussing countermeasures with Zhen Youcai and Zhao Xin.

Zhen Youcai said: "The thieves on Lei Gong Mountain are now difficult to argue with friends and foes, but there are more than 10,000 troops stationed in Datong Zuowei, but it is obviously unrealistic to expect them to break the 30,000 Jiannu outside the city, and the only thing that can be counted on now is the firearms battalion, but unfortunately, the ammunition reserves of the firearms battalion are no longer enough to launch a major attack." ”

Zhao Xin suddenly proposed: "Can you just defend and not attack?" ”

Zhao Xin's proposal is not unreasonable, there is no shortage of food in Datong City.

In order to repel Jiannu, Zhu Chuanqi, the acting king, almost took out all his own family funds, in addition to donating 2 million in silver, he also took out 100,000 stone of grain, plus 80,000 stone of grain from the Wang family and a large amount of bacon, if you save a little food, it is enough for 70,000 or 80,000 people in Datong City to eat for almost a year.

The siege of Datong by Jiannu could not last for a year anyway, and Jiannu only brought a small amount of grain and grass with the Ming Dynasty this time, so they pointed to the captive of the Ming people to maintain the logistics supply of the army, even if Jiannu dug Datong three feet into the ground, it was categorically unable to make up the grain and grass needed to maintain the 30,000 army for a year.

"Nope." Wang Pu said categorically, "It's absolutely not okay to just defend and not attack." ”

Wang Pu obviously thought farther than Zhao Xin, it would definitely not work to let Jiannu besiege for a long time, if the siege lasted for a long time, who would dare to guarantee that the defenders in the city would not be in trouble? In real history, Jinzhou City and Songshan City were not all broken by Jiannu because of the defection of the defenders in the city?

Who dares to guarantee that there will be no "Xia Chengde" in Datong City?

[In the official history, it was Xia Chengde who opened the city gate that led to the fall of Songshan and Hong Chengchou was captured]

Also, if Jiannu is allowed to be besieged for a long time, it will also be a catastrophe for the people of Datong Mansion.

In order to raise military supplies of food and grass, Jiannu will definitely plunder the people of Datong Mansion on a large scale, and it is not only the people of Datong Mansion who will suffer at that time, Wang Pu will also be unlucky, because he must take out food to help the people of Datong, Datong is the foundation of Wang Pu, and the people of Datong are the foundation of Datong.

Unless Wang Pu can find a new base, otherwise, whether from personal emotion or intellectually, Wang Pu cannot allow Jiannu to wantonly slaughter the people of Datong Mansion.

"Yes, you can't just defend and not attack." Zhen Youcai echoed, "This time the change was hasty, many people in Datong Mansion did not have time to move into the city, if they only defended and did not attack, Jiannu would definitely poison these people, these people are the foundation of Datong Mansion, we can't let Jiannu harm the people." ”

Zhao Xin said: "Then you can only find a way to get ammunition." ”

Wang Pu asked Zhen Youcai: "Youcai, have you contacted the craftsmen sent out to collect nitrate?" ”

Zhen Youcai said: "I have been contacted, a total of more than 500,000 catties of nitrate have been collected, and now it is placed on the Quelu Mountain, if we can find a way to transport this batch of nitrate into the city, the raw materials for making gunpowder will be complete, not a humble boast, as long as the weather is good, it can be turned into tens of thousands of catties of gunpowder in less than five days." ”

Wang Pu frowned and said, "It seems that we have to find a way to transport that batch of nitrate into the city." ”

Zhen Youcai said: "But that batch of nitrate soil has more than 500,000 catties, at least hundreds of carts have to be loaded with carts, and it takes at least 5,000 people to carry them. ”

Jiannu sent cavalry to intercept it, Wang Pu had to send a firearms battalion to respond, so that there would inevitably be a fierce battle between Jiannu, but the ammunition reserves of the firearms battalion were already seriously insufficient, and the brothers of the firearms battalion could not be allowed to fight with Jiannu with their muskets with bayonets.

Although the musketeers with bayonets and Jiannu might not fall into disadvantage, Wang Pu was reluctant to do so.

The remaining 4,000 musketeers are all his precious bumps, how can he take them and fight with Jiannu unless he has to?

Wang Pu thought for a while, and suddenly raised his head and shouted, "Tender Niang." ”

The young lady walked in and responded crisply: "Yes." ”

Wang Pu said: "You immediately go back to the Wang family's compound and find Xiao Qi." ”

"Yes."

The young lady answered and took the order.

■■■

Lei Gong Mountain.

Although Jiannu did not launch an attack on Lei Gong Mountain, Li Yan never relaxed his vigilance against Jian Nu, and at the same time always paid attention to the situation in Datong.

Three days ago, Jiannu suddenly withdrew from the foot of Lei Gong Mountain.

At the same time, the secret agents lurking outside Datong City also sent back the news that Jiannu's brigade had left Datong, leaving only about 30,000 people to continue to besiege Datong, Li Yan didn't know what was going on, and urgently sent Jing Maocheng to spy on the news.

"Senior brother, please drink water."

The red lady personally poured a bowl of water for Jing Maocheng, and handed it to Jing Maocheng with both hands, Jing Maocheng glanced at the red lady gratefully, took the big bowl and drank it all, then wiped the corners of his mouth with unfinished eyes, and said to Li Yan: "Dashuai, you have found out clearly, Jiannu's brigade has indeed left Datong." ”

Li Yan frowned and asked, "Have you really left?" ”

Jing Maocheng said: "I really have left and gone to Yanjing." ”

"Yanjing?" Li Yan nodded and said, "That's right, but what is strange is that Datong City has not yet been breached, why did Jiannu's brigade leave?" ”

Jing Maocheng said: "Dashuai, there is a reason for this. ”

Li Yan asked, "What is the reason?" ”

Jing Maocheng said: "The last general caught two Jiannu who happened to know Chinese, and when I asked, I found out that in the fierce battle three days ago, Jiannu killed nearly 50,000 people!" Jiannu left because he felt that there was no hope of laying down Datong. ”

"What!?" Li Yan was taken aback when he heard this, and lost his voice, "Nearly 50,000 people died in the Jiannu battle? Senior Brother Jing, you can't be mistaken, right? ”

"No, it won't." Jing Maocheng said with great certainty, "Although those two Jiannu are hard bones, the last general has a way to make them tell the truth, and the last general dares to vouch for it with a human head, and what these two Jiannu live say is true." ”

"So it's all true?" Li Yan's expression changed from surprise to solemnity, and he said in a low voice, "Nearly 50,000 Jiannu were killed in one battle, how did this Wang Pu do it?" Could it be that it is the firearms battalion and that unique set of tactics? Awesome, awesome! ”

The red lady on the side was also shocked when she heard it, she knew how powerful Jiannu was, at the beginning, only seven or eight thousand Jiannu cavalry killed nearly 60,000 righteous soldiers without the power to parry, but Wang Pu destroyed nearly 50,000 Jiannu in one battle, which is too terrifying!

Although Wang Pu has twice helped the rebels tide over the catastrophe, Li Yan also feels that Wang Pu's attitude towards the rebels is very ambiguous, but Wang Pu is an official army after all, while Li Yan is a rebel army, one day the two will face each other on the battlefield, with the terrifying combat effectiveness of Wang Pu's firearms battalion, Li Yan can still have a chance of winning?

When Li Yan and the Red Lady were secretly frightened, Li Yan suddenly came in and said, "Big brother, Wang Pu has sent someone." ”

"Oh?" Li Yan's expression moved, and he said hurriedly, "Hurry up, please." ”

Li Hu took the order and left, and soon took Xiao Qi into Li Yan's line.

This is the second time that Xiao Qi has come to the camp of the righteous army, and when they met, Xiao Qi shook his fist at Li Yan and said loudly: "In Xia Wang Xiaoqi, see Leader Li." ”

"No need to be polite." Li Yan smiled and said, "I don't know what advice the little seven brothers have when they come to Lei Gongshan?" ”

Xiao Qi said: "I was ordered by my general, and I have something to ask for." ”

Li Yan said: "Please speak." ”

Xiao Qi said: "There is a batch of nitrate soil tun in the mountain, I hope that the leader of Li can take the rebel brothers to transport this batch of nitrate to the outside of Datong City, then my general is very grateful." ”

"Nitrate?" Li Yan asked indifferently, "Is it to make gunpowder?" ”

Xiao Qi replied without hesitation: "Yes, it is to make gunpowder." ”

Before leaving, Wang Pu had told Xiao Qi that there was no need to hide anything from Li Yan on this trip, in fact, Wang Pu did not intend to hide Li Yan, because with Li Yanzhi's ability, he would definitely guess that Wang Pu asked the rebels to transport nitrate to make gunpowder, and then deduced that the ammunition in the city had run out.

Since you can't hide it from Li Yan, it's better to say it generously than the surname Suo.

Li Hu said coldly: "Big brother, you can't help the officers and soldiers transport nitrate, who knows if the officials and soldiers will make gunpowder to deal with us?" ”

Xiao Qi said: "My general said that this batch of gunpowder will only be used to kill Jiannu, and will never be used to fight the righteous army, but the condition is that the righteous army can no longer attack Datong!" My general also said that after the defeat of Jiannu, as long as Leader Li leaves Datong with the righteous army, my general will never leave difficulties, and there will be generous gifts! ”

"Little Seventh Brother, please wait a moment." Li Yan said, "The stakes are very high, and the commander needs to discuss with the generals first." ”

(To be continued)