That night, the rebels launched a counteroffensive and repelled the Qing troops in the narrow area on the south bank, and two pontoon bridges were blown up and burned. Because more than 10,000 soldiers and horses of the Qing army crossed the river from Dong'e, which was dozens of miles away, and was approaching along the south bank, it was impossible to kill the enemy by leaving the bridge.

In just two days of contact battles, the Qing army suffered more than 2,000 casualties and thousands of auxiliaries, and saw the clues of trench warfare. After the battle, the rebels also made more local soldiers gain experience, and realized some deficiencies in the defense, and began to adjust and improve overnight.

Just like the first round of a boxing match, both sides are testing to figure out their opponent's path and look forward to the next round. Although the Qing army broke through the river defense, it could not attack immediately, but had to build pontoon bridges to communicate the communication and transportation of the armies on both sides of the strait.

The enemy and the enemy stopped fighting for the time being, gasping, adjusting, and accumulating strength to prepare for the next round of fierce fighting.

Build pontoon bridges to cross the river and curb its waterways, besiege Limu City, build shield vehicles and ladders to prepare for the siege, Wu Sangui is very steady, and commands the Qing army to make various preparations before the general attack.

The rebels defending the city also continued to strengthen their defenses, stepped up the production of weapons and ammunition, and at the same time frequently carried out small-scale night raids and attacked from all sides to harass the Qing army with exhaustion. The harassers scattered in the mountains and forests around Yuanjiang City also began to move, attacking the Qing army scouts, pond horses, grain and grass transport teams, and Qing army auxiliaries who cut down trees, so as to disperse the Qing army's forces and reduce its pressure on Yuanjiang City.

On October 21, Wu Sangui led a large army to Yuanjiang; On October 25, Wu Sangui's subordinate Xiao led the army of Xia Guoxiang along the south bank of the Yuanjiang River to the city of Yuanjiang; On October 27, the Qing army erected three pontoon bridges in the northwest, north, and northeast of Yuanjiang City.

On the same day, Ma Bao led a Ming army of 4,000 from the Li Tusi and the Liudian Governors (Rongdian, Situodian, Luodian, Xichudian, Wazha Dian, and Zuo Nengdian. Now in Honghe County), Kaihua Mansion (now Pingbian Miao Autonomous County), 15 Meng18 Tusi (Jinping Miao Yao Dai Autonomous County) 8,000 native soldiers, and 4,000 native soldiers withdrawn from Yuanjiang City, entered the Niujie 70 miles east of Yuanjiang City, and dug trenches on the north bank of the Yuanjiang River, forming a corner with Yuanjiang City.

Any commander in his right mind will focus on the back lane, and it is impossible to easily let the back road be threatened. In particular, the Qing army that attacked the Yuanjiang River from north to south. It is even more impossible to send all the troops across the river and abandon the camps in the north of the river. In particular, the Ming army in Niujie set up a village in Jiangbei, and it was obvious that there was a time to take advantage of the situation to attack.

Although there was a pontoon bridge over the Yuan River that could connect the two camps in the north and south, Wu Sangui still did not dare to take it lightly, and stationed nearly half of the army in the northern camp of the Jiangbei to make sure that everything was perfect. Of course, Wu Sangui also had the idea of attacking the reinforcements of Niujie first, and then turning back to attack Yuanjiang. However, the frequent sorties of the rebels in Yuanjiang City, as well as the disturbance of the surrounding mountains and forests. Obviously, it is a very powerful performance. This made Wu Sangui worry that once the troops were dispersed, they would not be tightly encircled, so that the Yuanjiang City rebels would have the possibility of breaking through.

After an expedition and the loss of elite soldiers, Wu Sangui naturally didn't want the final result to be just to occupy an empty city. The previous posture of the Yuanjiang Righteous Army was arrogant in Wu Sangui's view, and it was a manifestation of the greed for the homeland of the Na clan. After seeing the strength of the Qing army, who knows if the enemy in Ludao City will change their minds. Desperately breaking through?

Western Yunnan has been defeated in a row, and the battle of Yuanjiang has reached the current situation. Wu Sangui would never let go of the enemies of Yuanjiang City. This was the only chance to recoup the impact and reduce the Qing court's guilt, and he could not give up halfway.

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Although there were many native soldiers, there was a big gap between them and the equipment and combat power of the Qing army. Historically, the anti-Qing uprising of Nasong in Yuanjiang, and the joint forces of the Tusi in eastern and southern Yunnan to resist the Qing Dynasty, also gathered tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of troops. However, it was difficult to resist the conquest and suppression of the 40,000 or 50,000 troops led by Wu Sangui.

Zhu Yongxing was well aware of this, and although many of the weapons captured in the battle in western Yunnan were equipped with native soldiers, he was still very cautious about the Yuanjiang Campaign. He did not hesitate to order Ma Bao to withdraw all the troops that had captured Mengzi and Lin'an, and to mobilize the Annan garrison to go up the river, plus the soldiers and horses he led. Gather in Yuanjiang and fight a decisive battle with Wu Sangui's army.

Although almost all the troops that could be mobilized were mobilized, Zhu Yongxing still had to adopt a strategy in order to be more certain of victory. And the success of this plan depends on the newly formed sailors of 1,000 people, as well as the improvement of the bombardment shells.

On October 30, everything was finally ready. Zhu Yongxing led the last group of 3,000 troops, and like the troops that had set off earlier, they left Jingdong and marched along the river, which was already five days later than he expected to set off.

On the second day of November, Zhu Yongxing, who was traveling on the road, received a messenger sent by Ma Bao and received the latest report on the situation. Although the Yuanjiang River is blocked, the communication by land to bypass Yuanjiang City can still be smooth, but it will take a little longer. Calculating the time, Zhu Yongxing gave Ma Bao a clearer order, and the plan to attack the Qing army in Yuanjiang would be fully launched in eight days.

On the sixth day of November, Zhu Yongxing's army arrived at the line of Pingzhang and Mosha, which was only a hundred miles away from Yuanjiang City, and made contact with Natao and Li Chengjue's headquarters in Menglong.

The rebel army that withdrew from the west of Yuanjiang City to Menglong not only met Zhu Yongxing, but also shielded the spies and scouts of the Qing army. So far, it seems that Wu Sangui's army has not been aware of the approach of Zhu Yongxing's army.

The boycott of the shaving order in the remote areas of Yunnan Province also made it more difficult for the Qing army to send secret agents. Anyway, whether it's true or not, Na Tao and Li Chengjue set up a card to stay at the intersection of big and small intersections and detain all the hair shavers. Moreover, those who are allowed to enter but not to go out can be let go as appropriate, and those who flee from the direction of the Yuanjiang River can be let go as appropriate, and those who rush to the direction of the Yuanjiang River are all intercepted.

It doesn't matter whether there are any fish that have slipped through the net, Zhu Yongxing's plan has already begun to be implemented, and the various armies are far apart, and if the voices of each other are temporarily changed, it will be too late in time.

On the seventh day of November, Zhu Yongxing pulled out 3,000 native soldiers and went to Menglong, which was under the jurisdiction of Natao and Li Chengjue. He also ordered them to lead 5,000 native soldiers to move the Yuanjiang River in ten teams with a wide front, and move the shield line eastward, while the army quietly advanced forty miles behind.

On the ninth day of November, the shielding troops encountered the Qing army's scouts and horses on the Dong'e line, and engaged in small-scale scattered battles, at which time the army was less than 40 miles away from the Yuanjiang River.

The decisive battle is imminent. Nervousness is unavoidable. Although Zhu Yongxing was able to guess the historical thread and took advantage of a lot of advantages, the most decisive outcome depends on the strength of both the enemy and the enemy.

After making the most final arrangements for the sailors who stayed on the river, when Zhu Yongxing rushed back to the land camp, the sky was already full of stars. Xiao Xingdou did his best in the night sky, interweaving bits and pieces of light. Not as dazzling as the sun, nor as clear as the moonlight, warm and soft.

Seeing Zhu Yongxing coming back, Mengzhu and Long'er hurriedly stepped forward to serve. In the tent, a lamp is like a bean, Zhu Yongxing sits on a chair, Long'er washes his feet with hot water, and Mengzhu pinches his shoulder. Zhu Yongxing has become accustomed to this kind of extravagant enjoyment, but the soldiers and generals have no complaints and opinions.

What kind of identity. What kind of treatment should be there, this was the general perception of people at that time. A noble clan disciple like Zhu Yongxing was able to come to the battle in person, and often set an example, eating the same meals as the soldiers, and marching on foot, which was already unique and praised. With two female officers. And some maids, what is this!

Zhu Yongxing's eyes swept away. It was found that there were several weapons on the table, including a Miao crossbow, a hook knife and a Dai knife, and a whetstone under the table.

"Tomorrow, Long'er and I will go into battle with His Highness to kill the enemy." Mengzhu is simply a roundworm in Zhu Yongxing's stomach, just looking at his gaze, he can take the initiative to answer his questions.

If you are to force both of you to fight with your sword, what kind of battle will it be? Zhu Yongxing thought so in his heart. But he was grateful for the two girls' intentions, nodded with a smile, and said, "Okay, protect me tomorrow, don't let the enemy get close." Well, it's up to you both to keep me safe. ”

Long Er wiped Zhu Yongxing's wet feet. He smiled: "My knife is made by a famous craftsman from Tosa, and it sharpens iron like clay." Your Highness, let me give you two tricks? ”

"The tent is small, so don't dance with knives and guns." Mengzhu said with a smile: "I will use a crossbow in the distant future, and you will use a pendulum knife when I am near, and I will use the fruit to soar, and I will definitely protect the safety of His Highness." ”

Zhu Yongxing smiled happily, these two people, as soon as they talked about it, they really regarded themselves as powerless sons. However, in this way, it relieved his pre-war tension.

"Rest early, you have to wake up early tomorrow!" Zhu Yongxing stood up, touched Long'er's hair, and said in a harmonious voice: "Remember to put on the armor, although it doesn't fit well, you can't wear it." ”

Long Er nodded vigorously, packed up the basin and his own treasure knife, turned around and walked out of the tent.

"This little girl is getting more and more well-behaved." Mengzhu said with a smile, seeing that Zhu Yongxing was not sleepy, he sat in front of the table and looked at the map to study, so he brought tea.

If Wu Sangui knew that a large reinforcement from Dao Yuanjiang had arrived, how many troops would he draw to come? As long as Ma Bao led the army to move, for the safety of the camp on the north bank, it was impossible for the Qing army to come over. In addition, there is a siege of Yuanjiang City, Zhu Yongxing is calculated according to the 50,000 soldiers of the Qing army, and it is estimated that at most 20,000 soldiers will come to meet him. His brow furrowed, this was not the first time he had measured the strength of the two sides.

The key is to see whether the action on the river is smooth! Zhu Yongxing's fingers tapped lightly on the map, and his mood became undulating.

"Your Highness, this battle will be won." Mengzhu saw Zhu Yongxing's melancholy expression, and whispered comfortingly: "I'm afraid that the most difficult time is just out of Myanmar and into Yunnan, the foothold is not stable, and the remnants of the army are tired, not all of them have survived." Now that the west of Yunnan has been decided, the Qing army is tired under the city of Yuanjiang, our army is gathered, and His Royal Highness even counts the direction of the wind, how can it be invincible? ”

Zhu Yongxing smiled bitterly, holding the soft wattle of the dream bead, and seemed to have some comfort in his heart. Yes, I had the courage to go out of my way in the most difficult time, but now I am suffering from gains and losses, but I am a little weaker in my confidence in victory. If you have self-confidence, you may not win; If you don't have self-confidence, you're going to lose.

After calming down, Zhu Yongxing began to recalculate, measure, and try to recall the various information he received, and regarded himself as Wu Sangui, and tried his best to use Wu Sangui's mentality to deduce the military deployment of conquest and suppression of Yuanjiang.

Shiping should be garrisoned; On the road from Shiping to Yuanjiang, troops should also be sent to Lizhai to ensure the smooth flow of the grain road; More than ten days have passed since the attack on Yuanjiang City, and there will be many casualties; In case Ma Bao's army attacks the camp in Jiangbei, it is also necessary to leave troops to defend, or send troops to meet it; The siege of Yuanjiang City required at least 10,000 horses......

Zhu Yongxing exhaled a long breath gently, not all because he had come to a relatively optimistic judgment, but because his confidence was increasing. Mindsets are changing. If you want to fight, you must go all out, and you must have the will to make a decisive decision. Thinking about failure and the consequences of failure, you will lose your momentum and lose your fighting spirit.

"Sleep!" Zhu Yongxing put Mengzhu's hand to his lips and kissed it. smiled: "Go to bed early, get up early, win early, and win tomorrow's battle." And then—I'm going to ask you to change your name to the princess." ”

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Yunnan has a low latitude and is close to the Indochina Peninsula in the south, and is in the transition zone between the East Asian monsoon and the South Asian monsoon. Therefore, there is no obvious change in the prevailing wind direction in most areas in the winter and summer months, and the southwest wind and westerly wind are mostly blown, and the northerly wind is occasionally blown when the strong cold air and cold wave from the north are infected.

When the rising sun showed his forehead and one eye on the top of the mountain in the east, Zhu Yongxing had already led the army for more than an hour. Feeling the west wind blowing on his back, a smile appeared on Zhu Yongxing's face. He let the golden light shine on his face and body, while the army rolling eastward in front of him, behind him, and beside him, marched forward against the light.

Onward, onward! The Syrian stallion Weixing rode on a horse, his face was grim, and he led the 5,000 Ming army to rush west along the south bank of the Yuan River. Behind him, nearly a hundred boats of all sizes on the river rowed their wooden oars and followed the army on land. The splash of water shimmers in the sun.

In order to win the Battle of Yuanjiang, Zhu Yongxing did not hesitate to transfer the garrison of Annan. Two thousand Ming troops marched upstream. On the seventh day of October, he met with Ma Bao's department in Niu Street. After being strengthened by 3,000 troops, the Jiangnan Corps was formed, which lagged behind Ma Bao's headquarters for a day, and slowly approached Yuanjiang City. It was only in the middle of the night of the ninth month of October that the Jiangnan Corps suddenly accelerated and rushed overnight.

It's going to be a fierce battle! Ma Weixing was excited. I feel nervous again. Being transferred from Annam means that he is likely to be rewarded for his meritorious service in the Battle of Yuanjiang, and it also means that he will be trapped in a battle battle with uncertain victory or defeat, and it also means that the Annam base is empty, if this battle is lost. Inevitably, there will be changes.

Your Highness Min, you are desperate to win. The Syrian stallion Wei Xing helped his helmet and suddenly smiled with relief. Think about the performance of the emperor and the imperial court since the Qing army's large-scale attack on the southwest, as soon as the news came, they were displaced and migrated, how could they have the courage to fight to the death?

Now he finally has a heroic lord and gives himself the opportunity to make contributions. Isn't that what you're looking forward to? Fame is only taken from the horse, and he is really a hero's husband. Ma Weixing felt that it was time to defeat the Qing army, defeat Wu Sangui, immediately cross the sword, and rush to kill bravely, how fast!

On the other side of the river, the troops led by Ma Bao were also heading westward. Tens of thousands of people and horses waved their flags, and although they were only temporarily containing and luring the enemy, the momentum was huge, and the illusion was very realistic.

For this decisive battle, Ma Bao, the king of Ruyang, is more confident than Ma Weixing. Although he didn't know what kind of means Zhu Yongxing would take to separate the Qing army as quickly as possible, from the perspective of the Qing army, the Jiangbei camp must not be lost. Therefore, no matter what the effect of his bluff can be, the Qing army will inevitably keep a considerable number of soldiers and horses in the Jiangbei camp.

Even in Ma Bao's view, Zhu Yongxing's strategy of attacking the Qing army was still cautious and reserved. If the appetite is greater and the strategy is more aggressive, it should be done later, so that the Qing army will be consumed more under the city of Yuanjiang. Then bluff on the south bank to attract more Qing troops to cross the river, and then isolate the Qing troops on both sides of the river, take advantage of the situation to attack the Qing army's Jiangbei camp, and completely cut off the retreat of the Qing army.

If Zhu Yongxing is very sure of destroying the pontoon bridge on the Yuanjiang River and isolating the Qing troops on both sides of the strait, then it is very likely that he will succeed in adopting a more radical strategy. But obviously, Zhu Yongxing had no intention of completely annihilating the Qing army in Yuanjiang, and he did not want to drag on the war for too long.

This may be His Royal Highness Min's consideration of the overall situation, right? In terms of strategic vision, Ma Bao has been willing to bow to the upper hand, although he can't annihilate the Qing army, but defeating Wu Sangui is also a great credit, and he has nothing to dissatisfaction with. What's more, Ma Bao also admired Zhu Yongxing's plan this time. Covering up the real with the false, using the real enemy with the virtual, and combining the virtual and the real can make Yuanjiang more useful for me, no less than tens of thousands of troops, which is indeed very ingenious.

The evaluation of Ma Bao in the history books is that he is capricious, called "two skins", cunning and good at fighting, and known for his bravery. But in Zhu Yongxing's view, Ma Bao's stain is only to be cleared, or forced by the situation, or pessimistic and disappointed in the future, which is still understandable. However, after he joined Wu Sangui, he was loyal and followed Wu Sangui to oppose the Qing Dynasty until he was killed in defeat. At that time, whether the war was going well, or the general trend had gone, and the Qing court had repeatedly persuaded him to surrender, he could not be moved, how could it be regarded as capricious?

In fact, Ma Bao has the same principle as many of his contemporaries, that is, if you find a hero worthy of allegiance, you will be loyal to the end. Wu Sangui's appreciation and reuse, as well as Wu Sangui's prestige and status, make Ma Bao loyal and dedicated, and it is not unreasonable. Therefore, I don't blame others for rebellion, I only blame myself for being incapable, charismatic, and loyal. (To be continued......)