Chapter 152: The Flash in the Pan of the Qing Empire (II)

In general, due to the treatment of "mother-raising" in terms of logistics, the second round of Jinan Raiders launched by Chen Xinshuai is still very lacking in scientific and technological content: there is neither airship and aircraft bombing and strafing, nor is there a central breakthrough and decapitation tactics launched in the city through the [random gate], but Chen Dashuai personally led 60,000 Dengzhou troops, dragging artillery all the way to the west, preparing to blast through the Jinan city wall and enter.

Moreover, due to the need to sweep various strongholds along the way and station a part of the troops on the main transportation routes to defend the supply lines, when the military flag of Dengzhou Town was erected outside the city of Jinan, there were only about 25,000 people left under the command of Chen Xinshuai who could be used to attack the city.

However, even in the face of such a seemingly insignificant opponent, Huang Taiji still did not have the confidence to face the enemy.

An unconcealable fact is that the family background of the Qing Dynasty is too thin!

And another fact that cannot be concealed is that the Eight Banners of Manchuria can no longer afford to die!

You must know that when Nurhachi unified the Jurchen tribe, the apparent ruling territory seemed to have stretched for thousands of miles, which could be called a great power in the world. But in fact, at that time, all the Jurchens in Liaodong were only a few hundred thousand people, and in the previous Jurchen civil war, the Yehenara Department sent 1,000 troops to be regarded as mobilizing the army. As for Nurhachi's core descendant, the "Jianzhou Jurchen", there are only a few tens of thousands of people.

Therefore, at that time, Lin Dan Khan of the Mongolian Chahar Department would contemptuously call Nurhachi "the lord of the 30,000 Jurchens on the waterfront" in his national letter.

After Huang Taiji came to power, he founded the Han Army Banner and the Mongolian Army Banner, and gradually integrated some Han Chinese, Mongols and Koreans into the Jurchens, which made the total population of the Eight Banners reach 300,000. Due to the continuous wars during the reign of Huang Taiji and the consumption of a large number of men, the most men in the 300,000 population are about 100,000, and if these 100,000 men are subtracted from the underage children and the elderly, the maximum number of adult strong men who can really go to the battlefield is 60,000. If it weren't for relying on the Eight Banners system, which brought the Jurchens' war potential to the limit, with such a thin population base, it would have been impossible for the Jurchens to unify Liaodong, let alone enter the Central Plains.

Due to the limitations of population and troops, several decisive battles between the Jurchens and the Ming Empire, such as the Battle of Sarhu, the Battle of Ningyuan and the Battle of the Daling River, were all poured out, and all the men over the age of thirteen and under the age of sixty were recruited to fight. At the time of the entry of the Eight Banners, due to the attrition of the bloody battle of the Daling River in the previous stage, the total strength of the Eight Banners Army had been reduced to more than 50,000. Even if you add the Han Army Banner, the Mongolian Army Banner and the allied army of the Mongolian Horqin tribe, it is at most about 80,000 people, if it is not for the collective defection of the Guanning Army, this amount of troops will be enough for armed robbery at most.

Then, in a series of battles in the North Zhili, Shandong and South Zhili, the Manchurian Eight Banners lost thousands of people, and they could not be replenished for a while. Next, with the overall loss of Liaodong's homeland, the more than 100,000 old and weak women and children of the Eight Banners who stayed outside the pass also disappeared.

After the outbreak of the Beijing Rebellion, although Guan Ningjun did not want to do anything about it, he let the city gate open and took the initiative to release the families of the Eight Banners who lived in Beijing. However, under the frequent attacks of the landlords' militia along the way and the rebellion of the Ming Dynasty's surrendered army, the bannermen who were stranded in Beizhili at that time still suffered heavy casualties, and in the end, only about sixty percent of the bannermen successfully escaped to Dezhou, Shandong, and got the protection and rescue of their own people.

As a result, by the time the Dengzhou Army launched the second Jinan Raid, there were only more than 30,000 Manchurian Eight Banners soldiers left in the entire Qing Dynasty, plus more than 50,000 old and weak women and children of the Eight Banners who were not very capable of fighting, which was probably similar to a top tribe on the Mongolian steppe in terms of scale. However, this "Manchurian tribe" who moved into the hinterland of the Central Plains did not farm or herd sheep, but only single-mindedly robbed and slaughtered the Han Chinese.

Of course, in addition to the more than 30,000 Eight Banner soldiers, Huang Taiji also had the allied forces of the Eastern Mongolian tribes such as the Han Army Banner, the Mongolian Army Banner, and Horqin, as well as the Ming Dynasty Surrender Army under the banner of the Qing Dynasty, the Wenxiang Sect Surrender Army, and the landlord Xiangyong Tuanlian, all of which added up to no less than 200,000 people. But with the exception of the Mongolian military flag and the Han military flag, they are all wall grasses that can only share wealth and prosperity but not suffering, and now they have become very unreliable.

In particular, the Eastern Mongolian reinforcements led by the Horqin tribe, after confirming that the Qing Dynasty had lost its hometown in Liaodong, even Beijing had changed its master, and the remnants of the Eight Banners were trapped in the Central Plains in a dilemma, the 20,000 Eastern Mongolian reinforcements who were originally stationed on the outskirts of Jinan immediately ripped off the banner of the Qing Dynasty, and without saying hello to Huang Taiji, they decisively tore up the covenant, pulled out the camp and left, preparing to jump out of this mess in the Central Plains and return to their hometown in the grassland.

On the way north, a Horqin cavalry even looted the belongings of the Eight Banners' dependents in Texas, without thinking about the long-term alliance.

If these Mongols want to go home, they have to pass through the territory occupied by the Guanning army, but since Wu Xiang and Zu Dashou, the two famous wall grasses, even refuse to tear their faces with the Jurchen Eight Banners who lost their dogs, they naturally will not fight with these Mongolian cavalry who are bent on going home. Therefore, after bargaining with the Guanning army and agreeing on the amount of money to buy the road, the Mongols successfully passed through the Great Wall Pass and returned to the Horqin steppe to hibernate.

Although the Horqin tribe's approach to falling into the well seems to be a bit impersonal, or treacherous, in the harsh grassland environment, the rules of survival have always been like this. Only a strong enough overlord can gain the submission and allegiance of many small tribes, hoping to be protected by the strong and share the benefits. On the other hand, once any strong person shows his decline, the next fate will definitely be betrayal.

In any case, the collective defection of the Eastern Mongolian alliance tribes still dealt a heavy blow to the already stormy Qing court. Even the Han army flag and the Mongolian army flag were a little unstable, and soon there was a sporadic desertion and escape. Some of the fugitives became bandits and bandits on the spot in Shandong, while the other part of the fugitives found new jobs in the Han army banner of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and many of them were originally adapted from the captured Guanning army. Also in the establishment of the Guanning Army, there are also many Mongolian rider positions.

In the face of such a panicked collapse situation, the anxious Huang Taiji no longer had the heart to fight with the Dengzhou army in Jinan: there were only tens of thousands of soldiers left in the Eight Banners, and the Central Plains could not be replenished. Not to mention that the Dengzhou Army is a hard nut to crack, and even if it wins the battle of Jinan, what can it do? If the last capital is also lost here, what will he, the so-called Qing Emperor, have left?

Like any nomadic barbarian khan, at this time, Huang Taiji would not care too much about the gains and losses of one city or one place.

So, when the Dengzhou army approached again, the Qing army once again abandoned Jinan and retreated westward to Dongchang Mansion on the bank of the canal.

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However, when the wise and martial Emperor of the Qing Dynasty fled thousands of miles away with his Eight Banners soldiers, the Han landlord of Jinan Prefecture in Shandong Province, the gentry, in order to defend the last provincial capital city under the rule of the Qing Empire, once again launched a desperate fight with the "perverse" Dengzhou army...... Under the overwhelming artillery bombardment, the village warriors of Jinan Prefecture showed amazing courage, first killed nearly 1,000 people on the city wall, but still stubbornly guarded the gaps in the city wall, and repelled the two assaults of the Dengzhou army with ash bottles, gold juice, 10,000 enemies and shotguns.

After the city wall of Jinan was smashed by cannonballs and collapsed in a large area and could no longer be defended, these villagers retreated into the neighborhoods of the city, and fought with the Dengzhou army for a day and a night in street battles, taking advantage of the complex terrain to successfully delay the fierce offensive of the Dengzhou army. The second prefect of Jinan, who had just taken office as a new official, even sent an envoy to quietly go out of the city to contact the landlords lurking in the nearby countryside to train in an attempt to sneak attack the camp of the Dengzhou army.

In the end, Chen Xin, who could not bear it, ordered a fire attack on Jinan City, but at this time, it rained a torrential autumn rain, which made the fire attack strategy ineffective, and the morale of the defenders was even higher, thinking that he had been blessed by God, and continued to fight tenaciously in the dilapidated streets and alleys......

This tragic battle of urban attack and defense lasted for a total of five days and five nights. By the time the new prefect of Jinan in the Qing Dynasty committed suicide and the last flag on the roof of the government was cut down, the entire city of Jinan was covered with rubble, scorched smoke everywhere, and scattered corpses piled up all over the streets, and the scene was like hell. And Chen Xinshuai's liquidation after the city was broken, so that most of the remaining landlords and gentry were also hung on the tree.

Then, after the capture of Jinan Mansion, the offensive of the Dengzhou army also reached the limit again, making the Shandong battlefield silent again.

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However, when the Han landlord gentry of Jinan City were leading their village warriors to practice and fight to the death for the glory of the Qing Dynasty, Huang Taiji, who "transferred" to Dongchang Mansion, continued to retreat south after arranging the car, boat, and grain for the families of the Eight Banners.

Although this strategy of avoiding war and fleeing is really humiliating, it is indeed a helpless move for Huang Taiji at this time.

Because, the Qing Dynasty, which is now collapsing, can't hold such a large territory at all. It can be seen from the map that the occupation areas of the Qing Dynasty are now lined up along the canal, north to Dezhou, south to Yangzhou, not only most of the terrain is flat, convenient transportation, easy to attack and difficult to defend to the extreme, and all sides are at war with enemies and potential enemies, from ancient times to the present, no one can hold such a strange shape of territory.

Now that the Guanning army has betrayed, the people of the Eight Banners are scattered, and it is hopeless to go north to recover the homeland of Liaodong. In view of this situation, Huang Taiji decided to abandon Dezhou, Linqing and other places in the northernmost part of the occupied area, and moved to Yanzhou Prefecture south of Mount Tai.

In this way, in the east and north of Yanzhou Mansion, it can rely on the majestic and tall Dongyue Taishan to separate it from the front of the Dengzhou army. To the west is the Yellow Flood created by Dolgon's previous excavation of the Yellow River embankment to capture Kaifeng, which can also block the movement of the army. To the south is the Xuzhou Mansion where the Emperor Taiji is stationed, and there are two places where grain and straw taxes can be collected, and the strategic situation is much better than when he was in Jinan before.

On the other hand, the land of Yanzhou Mansion is relatively flat and fertile, the production is quite rich, and the climatic conditions are more suitable for the people of the Eight Banners to live in than the hot and humid Lianghuai area. At present, the Manchurian Eight Banners, which have just completely lost their Liaodong homeland and have been driven all the way, can establish a foothold in this land to recuperate, while watching the movements in the north, waiting for the next opportunity to make a comeback.

However, in the repeated tug-of-war between the Ming army, the Qing army and the Wenxiangjiao rebel army, the area along the canal in Yanzhou Prefecture was the main battlefield, which suffered from military disasters and is now sparsely populated and dilapidated. If Huang Taiji wants to properly settle these tens of thousands of Eight Banners dependents in Yanzhou Mansion, the money and food required is not a small amount. Although Huang Taiji copied the treasury of the Wenxiang Sect in Xuzhou before, and now he still has some savings on hand, considering the military expenses of the future battle, it feels more comfortable to spend other people's money after all. So, he searched carefully on the map, and sure enough, he found a fat sheep suitable for robbery nearby, and was immediately overjoyed, and immediately ordered someone to call his confidant Wenchen Fan Wencheng.

“…… Kendou! Huang Taiji shouted Fan Wencheng's words, "...... I have an errand I want you to help me do! Now our Qing soldiers and horses have been frustrated one after another, the homeland of Liaodong has been stolen by the Huangshi thieves, and the city of Beijing has also fallen into the hands of traitors. went all the way to the boundary of Yanzhou Mansion in Lunan before he settled down. However, in order to reorganize the division and brigade and settle the families, the money and food in the army are really a little out of hand.

Therefore, it is the top priority of this dynasty to raise military salaries and grain as soon as possible, and I heard that the Yansheng Mansion in Qufu, Yanzhou is a thousand-year-old family, and the rich and wealthy families enjoyed by all dynasties and dynasties have been unswerving, and half of Yanzhou Mansion is his family's acres. Because Qufu County is not by the canal, and the previous war did not go there, it must be that there must be a lot of savings in the Yansheng Mansion now. So I prepared to lead my troops over and borrow some money and food from Yan Shenggong. You are also a sage reader, and you are familiar with the etiquette of those scholars, so how about going to the Yansheng Mansion to inform me first, and standing up for me? ”

When Fan Wencheng heard this, his face suddenly turned pale, and even his words were a little crying, "...... Did Your Majesty want to copy the Yansheng Mansion? Never! All dynasties and dynasties only gave gold and silver, titles and land to the Confucian Mansion in Qufu to show their favor, but there has never been a precedent for apportioning money, grain and taxes to the descendants of saints! As soon as this incident came out, even though I got some money and food in the Qing Dynasty, I must have lost the hearts of the world's corporals! Regarded as a robber and bandit by the Central Plains Confucian students! Since ancient times, there is only a way to fight the world immediately, and there is no reason to rule the world immediately! Please don't lose your own prestige because of a small loss......"

“…… Hey, you can't say that! The so-called whole world, it is not the king's land, even if this Yan Shenggong is a descendant of a saint, but he is also my courtier of the Qing Dynasty! Since Sage Kong's family has been given the title of Yan Shenggong of the Qing Dynasty, then his Confucian family can be regarded as my clothed servant, and the wealth of the Confucian Mansion is naturally the wealth of my Qing Dynasty! At present, there is a famine in the master's family, and it is natural to want to use the money and food of the slave's family! It's a big deal, I will reward the Confucian family to raise the flag, and let them also merge into the Eight Banners of Manchuria! ”

Huang Taiji waved his hand disapprovingly, interrupting Fan Wencheng's admonition, "...... Needless to say, let's settle it......"

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On the other hand, when the Qing Dynasty, which once dominated most of northern China, was suddenly extinguishing like a flash in the pan, in the Yangtze River valley of southern China, the life-and-death struggle between the two Ming emperors also came to the decisive juncture of a decisive battle between swords and soldiers.

After spending a full four months and completing a series of difficult tasks from recruiting troops and raising food, training the whole army, to catching up with the ordnance, Lu Xiangsheng, the secretary of the Ming military department who supervised Jiangnan and was ordered to rebellious, finally confidently presented a letter of request to Emperor Chongzhen:

“…… Long live our emperor Jin An, the governor of Jiangnan Governor of the military affairs Lu, play Chen: Since the emperor set up a vast camp in the lake to rebel, the armies of the Quartet have gathered one after another, and the grain and horses of Wuchang are long...... By the end of August, the Eastern Expeditionary Army had been gathered, and the ordnance, horses, and grain and grass had been fully prepared, with more than 4,000 cavalry, 35,000 foot soldiers, 15,000 sailors and slender men, more than 100 large and small artillery, 400 large and small warships, more than 900 copywriters and clerks with the army, and more than 26,000 craftsmen, militias, and dingfu...... When the soldiers and food were complete, the troops were neat, and the three armies were all waiting for each other day and night, often thinking about the king's deep grace and seeking to serve the country to serve. And the traitor of the puppet emperor who stole the southern capital is still stubborn and the thieves are arrogant, which is outrageous. The art of war is cloudy, and the morale can be drummed up but not discharged, so the minister Lu is frightened, begging to surrender during the conscription period, and the heart of the three armies, the emperor's sage is also ......"

At this point, the court of Emperor Chongzhen, who was exiled from Beijing all the way to Huguang, finally basically completed the preparations for the battle of the Eastern Expedition, and only waited for the order of Emperor Chongzhen, and the 80,000 counterinsurgency army would sail eastward, advance by land and water, and directly attack Nanjing, the capital of Yonghe and the puppet emperor.

At the same time, the prefectures and counties in the south of the Yangtze River under the rule of Emperor Yonghe in Nanjing were still in a state of chaos......

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ps: I plan to end the Smash Bros. volume at the end of the Ming Dynasty this month as much as possible, in short, I will definitely enter the "Sword Art Online" volume next month at the latest.