Li Sixing opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say, because he felt that there was something else in his father's words.

His Royal Highness Min left behind most of the gold and silver he received, which shows that he is fair and sincere. King Zhao wants to withdraw Tengchong's troops, and His Royal Highness will send another soldier to garrison it, if his father is still pretending to be confused, he will be suspicious of His Royal Highness. Li Dingguo sighed and continued: "Your Highness must still have doubts about being a father, otherwise why only talk about the expansion of Sichuan, but not mention the matter of the Thirteen Families in Kuidong." ”

"My father is loyal to the Ming Dynasty, and he is also unswerving in times of crisis, why should His Royal Highness Min be suspicious?" Li Sixing became a little angry, but he was a little suspicious, so he muttered again: "Is my father too worried, His Royal Highness Min knows people very accurately, how can he not know the loyalty of his father?" ”

Li Dingguo sighed secretly in his heart, but laughed and said: "I think my father is too careful, my son doesn't have to care, Haosheng follows His Royal Highness Min, and often writes letters, don't let your father worry." Well, what His Royal Highness Min said and did could be written in letters, and my father also wanted to know how His Royal Highness Lu Dao would promote the way of heaven. ”

When Li Sixing heard his father say this, he didn't think much about it anymore and agreed. The father and son chatted for a while, and then went to rest.

The clan stays behind, which is a righteous name; Personally in the battle array, repeated victories, this is a military feat; Proper administration is a matter of gathering the morale of the military and the will of the people. Li Dingguo, the king of Jin, was lying on the bed, thinking about it again and again, and felt that he really couldn't compete with Zhu Yongxing. Moreover, at present, the situation in Yunnan Province has just improved, and Zhu Yongxing is not wrong and difficult to investigate, and the internal strife must not start on his own. Thinking of Yongli in Myanmar, and thinking about Zhu Yongxing's achievements as a clan in the future, Li Dingguo couldn't help but sigh.

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It was a blue, fresh dawn, and the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the mountains blended together, making people feel a sweet tiredness.

The Qing army broke through the resistance of Laowu Mountain and Dazhuqing, and the Ming army had already retreated at night, although it was not captured. But it can also be called a victory. It's just that Wu Sangui's chest was uncomfortably blocked, and he stood on Lao Wu Mountain, speechless for a long time.

was once again hit by a catastrophe, and before he reached Yuanjiang, an ominous shadow shrouded Wu Sangui's heart. Dali fell, and the town was defeated. retreat to Chuxiong, this is an emergency document written by Fang Guangchen himself; The roundabout troops were ambushed, losing thousands of soldiers, and the main general, Wang Pingfan, was also captured.

He died before he left the army, and the conquest and suppression operation had not yet reached Yuanjiang, but he had already lost two henchmen and generals, Wu Guogui and Wang Pingfan. How not to let Wu Sangui feel painful, full of hatred, and at the same time have a sense of fear. Moreover, the situation in western Yunnan has deteriorated so rapidly that he feels even more confused. I couldn't help but have the idea of retreating and diverting the target of the attack.

"Lord Wang." Liu Xuan first saw Wu Sangui's face change, and knew that he was undecided, so he opened his mouth to advise: "Mr. Fang's letter is urgent, but there are still letters from Kunming Doni and Yierde, saying that Doni has led the Manchu army to reinforce Chuxiong, but he does not want the prince to stop the conquest. There are more than 10,000 horses sent by the prince, which can make them rush to Chuxiong, so they should not worry. ”

Wu Sangui smiled bitterly. He sighed, "I don't know what Doni and Ilde mean, I'm afraid I'll give up halfway." But the conquest of Yuanjiang. But I have a heart of fear, and I am hesitant to make a decision. ”

Of course, Liu Xuanchu knew the reason why Wu Sangui suddenly became indecisive, so he deliberately said in a very certain tone: "Long Shirong must be dead, and he will win the trust of Mu Zhongxian and lead our army to death, and he is extremely vicious. ”

That's all there is to say. Only then can the ambush of the surrounding troops be explained, instead of letting Wu Sangui give birth to the worry and fear that the opponent has unpredictable abilities and knows the actions of the Qing army well.

Wu Sangui frowned slightly, not quite believing what Liu Xuanchu said. If Long Shirong is done in the dead world, it will be too unbelievable. A local official. What is he trying to do? Could he be like some of the faithful men who saw death as home?

"How can a son-in-law be compared with a parent-in-law." Liu Xuanchu continued to analyze matter-of-factly: "It must be the pseudo-sect that promised great benefits, which can make Long Shirong willing to fight to the death for the wealth of the next generation. Hearing that the pseudo-clan has demagogic tactics such as losing the people and granting land, and indiscriminately sealing the official title, Long Shirong must be able to get the supreme reward. If the prince still has doubts, he can send soldiers to arrest his family, but it is estimated that the building is empty and he has fled. ”

Wu Sangui nodded lightly in disbelief, Liu Xuanchu's words somewhat alleviated his suspicions, and with the disguised supervision of the Manchurian generals, he could only continue to wave Yuanjiang.

"The main forces of the puppet clan and the puppet king Dingguo and Wen Xuan are all in western Yunnan, which is true; Yuanjiang Nasong gathered many chieftains, and the momentum was not small, but it was empty. Liu Xuanchu continued: "At the beginning, I made a mistake in judging my humble duties, and I did not distinguish the layout of the Ming army's virtual reality, and I did not observe its strategy of confusing the real with the false and attacking the false with the real. However, if the situation is like this, it can still be changed. Chu Xiong gathered troops to hold on, and he could reject the truth; The onslaught of our army in Yuanjiang is to attack the void with reality. ”

"Treat others the way they do." The corners of Wu Sangui's mouth turned up, and finally a smile appeared, "The enemy army in western Yunnan is strong and fierce, and it is a plan to besiege Wei and save Zhao." This king is not fooled, first calm Yuanjiang, and then return to the division to face the battle, the situation may be reversed. If you withdraw from the army, you will not fall for the enemy's tricks. ”

"The prince is wise." Liu Xuanchu took advantage of the situation to compliment him, and reminded: "The puppet king Dingguo is treacherous and makes good use of ambushes, and the prince should repair a letter to order the defenders of Chuxiong not to fight, just rely on the strong city to resist the enemy." ”

"yes!" Wu Sangui remembered the bloody battle of Mopan Mountain, and still had palpitations, and sighed: "The puppet king is the country, and the great enemy that the king has seen in his life. According to Mr. Fang's words, if Mr. Fang plans in Chuxiong, he should be worry-free. ”

……………

Lead the enemy with the void, and attack the void with the real. It's just a few words, but it's fickle. The tactics of war have been different, and Wu Sangui and the others have obviously not yet deeply realized this.

Taking advantage of the victory to attack was a normal way of thinking, but the Ming army in western Yunnan quickly turned from a fierce attack to a feint attack, and Yuanjiang will soon change from containment to the main battlefield. Between the virtual and the real, the strength of Wu Sangui's army has been thinned. Shiping's Manchu army was transferred 3,000 and rushed to Kunming; Wu Guogui's department was annihilated, and Wang Ping's department was lost by nearly half; There were more than 10,000 men and horses of He Jinzhong in the early stage to reinforce Chuxiong, and the Qing army that conquered Yuanjiang now has 35,000 or 6,000 soldiers left.

And even with less than 40,000 soldiers, Wu Sangui is still very confident. Because of the battle-hardened combat power, the combat power and experience of these soldiers. It's not that Yuanjiang's native soldiers can compare. Of course, he would not have imagined that the defensive arrangement of Yuanjiang was very different from the tradition, and a new way of defending the city would greatly offset the strengths of the Qing army, which would face a brutal and bloody war of attrition.

……………

Wu Sangui's army continued to advance towards the Yuanjiang River, and the soldiers and horses led by Zhu Yongxing also moved south into Menghua Province. Because of Zuo Xinghai's help, he provided grain, grass and people along the way. The march of the Ming army in Menghua Province was very fast.

After passing through the jurisdiction of Menghua Prefecture, the Ming army entered the land of Jingdong, and Tao Dou, the prefect of the Ming Dynasty, asked for guilt and defeat when the Ming army crossed the border to attack Yongchang.

When starting from Erhaiwei, the Ming army was about 12,000 soldiers, and another 4,000 native soldiers were added in Menghua and Jingdong, plus 5,000 baggage soldiers. More than 20,000 horses and horses were stationed at Longjie and Xishe Road in Jingdong for temporary rest. Prior to this, Zhu Yongxing had already informed Yuanjiang and Yuanyang of the general arrangements for joint attacks and the methods of liaison. After arriving at Xishe Road, he received the latest information from Yuan Jiang, which may also be the last time Yuan Jiang transmitted information to the outside world. After thinking about it for a while, Zhu Yongxing made the decision to postpone his progress.

In terms of time, the Qing army may have just arrived in Yuanjiang and had not yet launched an attack on Yuanjiang City. According to the layout of the city defense of Yuanjiang City. Coupled with Yuanyang's Ma Bao's dispatch of troops to respond, Yuanjiang City will be safe for at least half a month. It's quite sure to stick to it for a month. Going down the Yuan River, the Ming army could arrive within six days, which made Zhu Yongxing have the idea of attacking the Qing army to the greatest extent.

At the right time, choose the right target for the raid and deal a heavy blow to the tired Qing army. Obviously, it is better to go straight to the Yuanjiang River now and fight with the Qing army. Be wise, but also be much more insidious.

So, where is the weakness of the Qing army attacking Yuanjiang City? Where is the right target for an assault? When Zhu Yongxing preached comfort in Yuanjiang and inspected the terrain of the city defense, it was just a relatively vague idea. And when it came time to attack Longwei Pass. When he saw the defensive arrangement with Erhai Lake as a barrier, his thoughts became clear.

The boats and sailors used to travel up the Yuanjiang River were still waiting to be picked up on Xishe Road, and were under the care and care of the pottery bucket of Jingdong Tufu. Now, Zhu Yongxing is not just thinking of using these ships to transport troops and go to reinforce Yuanjiang City, but to use the ships as a sharp weapon to hit the vital points of the Qing army.

It doesn't matter if there are few ships, the Qing army has no sailors at all, so it can't pose much of a threat; It is also okay to have a small boat, and you can nail multiple boats together with planks. In addition, Zhu Yongxing also collected some boats from Menghua Mansion and Jingdong Mansion, and made some bamboo and wooden rafts, which can be regarded as a sufficient number.

At the same time, Zhu Yongxing ordered the soldiers to cook more rice and reserve it for 15 days. Along the way, he took out gold and silver, and searched for grain, bacon, dried fish, salt and other materials along the way, plus the support and feedback of the Tufu, so that he could make logistical preparations for continuous marching and fighting.

The cessation of the army and the rest of the army is not the case for the whole army. Five days later, Zhu Yongxing sent an vanguard force, led by Chen Sheng, with 5,000 men and horses, to the south by land along the Yuanjiang River, and slowly marched southeast.

At this time, the battle around Yuanjiang City entered the third day, and the enemy and us continued to fight, and the victory was indistinguishable.

……………

After ambushing the Qing army led by Wang Pingfan, the righteous army blocked Wu Sangui for two more days at Dazhuqing and Laowushan, and then retreated at night, crossed the river by the pontoon bridge, and entered the city of Yuanjiang.

Subsequently, after some reorganization, 25,000 men were left in Yuanjiang City to defend, and the rest of the rebel army was divided into two parts. A group of 2,000 men marched west into Meng Lane, preparing to receive reinforcements led by Zhu Yongxing; A group of 4,000 men marched eastward, preparing to join the men and horses led by Yuanyang Ma Bao and accept Ma Bao's rule.

All the residents in Yuanjiang City have been evacuated, which can ensure that the food stocks in the city can last for a long time. In the past few days, in addition to continuing to consolidate the city defense and stockpiling all kinds of materials, the rebel army has also received a steady supply from the Sapa Arsenal. Tianwei cannons, bombardment cannons, and all kinds of ammunition are constantly transported by ships going up the river and stored in warehouses in the city.

With the continuous improvement of defense facilities, the increasing abundance of materials, coupled with the victory encouragement of annihilating Wu Guogui, ambushing Wang Ping Domain, and blocking the Qing army, as well as actual combat training, Na Song and the small staff were more and more confident in holding on to Yuanjiang City.

When the Qing army appeared on the other side of the Yuanjiang River, the enemy and us fought fiercely around the two pontoon bridges on the river, marking the official stage of the Yuanjiang Campaign.

The pontoon bridge was deliberately left behind. It seemed to provide convenience for the Qing army, but it could kill and injure a large number of enemies. The Qing troops who rushed across the pontoon bridge were faced with a half-moon-shaped blocking position, and they would be hit by fire from three sides. However, after the Qing army landed on the shore, the depth was only a few hundred meters, and it could only rely on the river and try to break through with a limited number of troops in a small area.

Wu Sangui didn't fail to see that the opposite position was easy to defend and difficult to attack, but he wanted to attack Yuanjiang City. It is certain that the river will be crossed, and building a bridge is an inevitable work, and these two ready-made pontoon bridges are undoubtedly very attractive. Besides, there is no easy thing to fight a war, and it is not his character to avoid it when he is in trouble.

As a result, the newly formed "Loyal and Brave Battalion" was sent up and engaged in a fierce battle with the rebels in the south of the Jiang'an Bridge.

In Wu Sangui's plan to expand the army, the Ming army that surrendered to Cheng was divided into two battalions, namely the "Loyal and Brave Battalion" and the "Volunteer Battalion". Among these two battalions, each is divided into five battalions: center, front, rear, left and right. There were 10 battalions in total, each with 1,200 horses and infantry soldiers. After this establishment, there were 6,000 horse infantry in each battalion of "Loyal and Brave" and "Righteous and Brave" battalions, and 12,000 officers and men in the two battalions.

Because Zhu Yongxing did not give Wu Sangui time to sit firmly on his ass and expand his strength, although the "Loyal and Brave Battalion" was established, the "Volunteer Battalion" only had two battalions of soldiers.

However, Wu Sangui did not particularly trust the "Loyal and Brave Battalion" and "Volunteer Battalion" composed of surrendered soldiers and generals, and always let the officers and men of these two battalions follow the brigade, and did not dare to let them act alone. Right now. It should be time to test the loyalty of the officers and men of these two battalions, and it will be able to reduce the casualties of Wu Sangui's men.

This is the sorrow and helplessness of surrendering troops and generals. Wu Sangui should have a deep understanding of this. After the surrender of the Qing Dynasty, he did not work hard, fought with his heart, and was ruthless to the enemy, so as to prove his loyalty to the Qing court.

Gain trust. If you want to become Wu Sangui's descendant and become Wu Sangui's henchman, you must have the consciousness of being cannon fodder, the determination to sacrifice, and the ruthlessness to swing a knife at the sun and slash at the sun.

The five main generals of the "Zhongyong Battalion" are the former Nanming Qishan Hou Wanghui, Yang Wubo Xiaoyu, the former Baiwen Xuan General Liu Zhifu, and Ta Xince. and Sun Chongya, who plundered the troops when Yongli entered Burma. After the surrender, the banner was changed, and these people changed their lives and sold their lives for the new master. However, the price of this allegiance was blood and life, and it was a heavy casualty under the fire of muskets.

Bamboo sticks are laid in front of the trench, bamboo guns stand in the trench, and river water is introduced, about fifty or sixty meters behind the trench are three chest wall trenches that are no more than ten meters apart, in the form of a ladder from low to high, and the defenders in each chest wall trench are equipped with personnel according to the ratio of one archer, one shield bearer, and one loader.

Tactics always need to be constantly improved and changed according to the actual situation, one shooter, five loaders, although this configuration can greatly increase the rate of fire, but the trench must be widened, or the distance between the shooters must be widened. The disadvantages of this are either a reduced density of fire, or a large amount of damage to soldiers in the widened trenches with the thrown bow and arrow.

And the current tactic of multi-step trenches effectively avoids the shortcomings mentioned above. The trenches do not have to be dug too wide, the density of fire can be guaranteed, and the muskets in the three trenches can provide continuous firepower, and the shield-bearer can provide protection, which is quite reasonable and efficient.

Of course, this defensive tactic of relying on the chest wall trench also has a variety of troop configurations, which can be flexibly changed according to the actual situation and the effectiveness of the effect.

The Qing soldiers and auxiliaries who rushed to the shore along the pontoon bridge first tried to clear the obstacle and fill the trench, but they were fiercely attacked by muskets a few dozen meters in front of the trench. The shield could not stop the burst of buckshot, the bow suppression had little effect, and the archers quickly became weak and exhausted. Attempts to the south, east, and west all ended in heavy casualties. Although the battalion commanders of the Loyal and Brave Battalion were all personally in battle and worked very hard, they were still unable to make progress.

Wu Sangui Mingjin withdrew his troops, although he had the intention of treating the "Loyal and Brave Battalion" as cannon fodder, but the vain casualties were still not what he wanted. Cannon fodder should also be used well and play a greater role! Moreover, Wu Sangui found that this attack method was useless and had to be changed.

First of all, the Hongyi artillery carried by the Qing army could not be bombarded across the river, and it was also difficult to transport it through pontoon bridges; secondly, the transportation of troops through pontoon bridges was limited, and the space on the opposite bank was small, which made it impossible to deploy troops; The last point is the lack of armor and shield protection, which can be solved.

The Qing army retreated across the river and temporarily abandoned the plan to pass through the pontoon bridge, form a breakthrough on the opposite bank, and occupy a solid bridgehead. But this was only temporary, a large number of auxiliaries were sent to cut down trees, build equipment, and fill dirt bags, and the next attack would undoubtedly be even more ferocious.

"Ladder, shield car...... The same is true for the attacking equipment. Chen Guogong Wu Zisheng held a telescope, looked at the movement of the Qing army on the other side, and saw it building a camp and erecting a lookout, he couldn't help but bow his head slightly, and said: "It is also strict and orderly, Wu Wei has repeatedly fought in battle, and his subordinates are also many brave generals, but this battle is to be cautious." ”

"It's a pity that our army has too little artillery." Xu Mingchen shook his head with some regret, the effective weapon against the shield cart is a direct-fire cannon, a solid cannonball hit, it is enough to destroy a shield cart, and the flying wooden spikes can also cause damage to the enemy behind the shield cart. (To be continued......)