Chapter 280: Hangzhou is unmanned

"Grandpa, this is specific news from the city..."

Zhao Xin handed over a secret letter to Chen Cao, Chen Cao opened it and looked at it, and all the words in the letter were explanations of the deployment of military forces in the city and the specific strength of troops.

After reading it, Chen Cao handed over the letter to Huang Chunyao, and then said: "There is no need to worry about the 30,000 people's strong combat strength, I am only worried that once you kill too many people, it will cause a backlash from the people of Hangzhou." ”

There were only three people in the account, Zhao Xin, Huang Chunyao and Chen Cao, and Chen Cao whispered: "The current Hangzhou general, the Beicheng guard general Kang Shu, is my people." ”

Huang Chunyao frowned, and then looked at Chen Cao in surprise: "No wonder Grandpa can make up his mind to fight Hangzhou, it turns out that people have already been arranged." ”

"Mu Qishan's Yunnan soldiers are guarding Qiantang, Kang's 3,000 town soldiers are guarding the Wulin Gate in Beicheng, 30,000 Qingzhuang and 2,000 guards are guarding Genshan Gate, and there are 3,000 Dusi remaining troops in Qiantang Gate;"

Chen Cao said and pointed to the rectangular Hangzhou city on the map: "The gates of the eastern city are located at the mouth of the Qiantang River, and it is a waste of time to fight, and in front of the Yongjin Gate and the Qingbo Gate is the West Lake, which is not conducive to the deployment of the army, and once it is hit by firearms on the city wall, the casualties are not small." ”

"People say that Hangzhou must guard Qiantang, and guarding Qiantang must protect Hangzhou," Huang Chunyao looked at the map after reading the letter: "Qiantang County is in the northwest corner of Wulin Gate, compared with Changzhou in Wu County, Suzhou, this Qiantang County in the inner city of Hangzhou City Gate only has a three-person wide doorway, can only pass a carriage, if Qiantang is lost, Hangzhou only needs to block the door hole to ensure safety;

It is the direction of our army's attack, and we can only choose the Wulin Gate and Genshan Gate in the north city. ”

"The choice of military direction, those young and strong people in Genshan Gate have low combat effectiveness, when attacking from Genshan Gate, they can also relax the pressure of Kang Rate, after all, once Kang Rate responds internally, his soldiers will have to play a big role."

"Grandpa, another letter."

A lieutenant quietly walked into the big tent and handed the letter to Chen Cao, after watching, Chen Cao laughed: "Hangzhou is really empty, hahaha..."

Huang Chunyao looked at the letter with doubts, and then also showed a gentle smile, and then shook Kong Ming's fan and said with a smile: "If the student is not mistaken, Guan Haiwei's commander Lin Guodong is the person who his grandfather has arranged a long time ago?" ”

Chen Cao nodded and should be: "I kept Lin Guodong back then because I thought of today, but Zhang Yangming, the old man, was dizzy and dizzy, and Huang Sihai was captured and the whole army was wiped out, he didn't take Qi Changguo down, but he still let Qi Changguo garrison the local area, didn't it make it clear that the carriage and horses dug a big hole for themselves?" ”

Qi Changguo's son and nephew are in Chen Cao's army, and now Chen Cao has erected the banner of 'Qingjun side', and the Qi family has fallen into a situation of rebellion, that is, Qi Changguo himself does not rebel, according to the Ming law of the nine clans, once Chen Cao fails, the people of Qi Xianzong and Qi Xianyun will definitely be cut in half.

Qi Changguo is still a general in Taizhou, although his 5,000 soldiers were transferred away, and there are still 3,000 soldiers and horses left, although Huang Sihai left a henchman to temporarily take the military power of Taizhou, but Qi Changguo has been guarding Taizhou for many years, and his prestige in the army is not comparable to that of the new generals.

"Immediately write a letter by hand, let people send it to Taizhou quickly, tell General Qi, and ask him to raise troops to meet in Hangzhou."

After Chen Cao finished giving the order, he looked at Huang Chunyao again: "At present, the plan to encircle the point and send reinforcements can only be in the direction of Genshan Gate, but I am worried that You Shiwei will go straight from Haining to Hangzhou from Zheshan Town." ”

Huang Chunyao shook his fan and pointed: "Grandpa, the student thought that he needed to make two preparations, first, You Shiwei's headquarters arrived from Zheshan Town, and second, the student was worried that You Shiwei would divide his troops into Hangzhou from Hangzhou Bay. ”

Chen Cao was shocked, now the fleet of the sailors is still in Jiangyin, Jingjiang Island and other places, even if the horse is sent to the letter now, it is estimated that it will be too late, if You Shiwei enters Hangzhou, the plan to encircle the point and send reinforcements will become empty talk.

"But Grandpa doesn't have to worry too much," Huang Chunyao said again: "Even if You Shiwei really entered Hangzhou by the Sea of Watergate, our army can also use this to drag You Shiwei in Hangzhou, so as to eliminate their living forces." ”

After hearing this, Chen Cao thought about it, and then realized that his ultimate goal was to eliminate You Shiwei, the wandering border army, and he could choose which method to use, not to mention that now Zhang Yangming also summoned the remaining guards in Zhejiang to come to Hangzhou to defend it, but it will be more difficult to attack the city from this point.

"It seems that new weapons from Shanghai must be mobilized, and they must be transported by sea at the earliest."

Chen Cao said and asked Zhao Xin to set off immediately and escort him personally, and then said: "Yunsheng, the first attack on Qiantang County, how do you think you will fight?" ”

Huang Chunyao shook his fan and thought for a long time: "Mobilize the troops of Jiaxing Mansion, give each person ten taels of silver, and in the name of King Fu, order that the troops of Qiantang County will be captured, and each person will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver. ”

The strength of this kind of reward is very high, the soldiers in the city of Jiaxing Mansion are all the local guards in Zhejiang, the veteran oil is a lifelong military household, if a big soldier goes to Hangzhou City, it is a great achievement, the hereditary commander and the earl, some of the general soldiers can not get it in a lifetime.

"This is okay, but you can't mobilize the soldiers of Hangzhou Mansion," Chen Cao nodded: "This matter is up to you, and it will definitely be completed." ”

.

"There have been some discordant voices in the city recently, and the last general has ordered the soldiers to strictly investigate the rumors."

Zhang Yangming very much agrees with Kang Rate's approach: "Kang Shen will be dedicated to the country, this official is in mind, this matter must be strictly investigated, it involves the safety of Hangzhou, whether it is a high-ranking official or a wealthy gentry, they will be arrested together, if someone entrusts him, even if he is sent to the governor's yamen." ”

"Although the city of Hangzhou is not big, the city defense is strong, and the terrain is dangerous, as long as our army can hold Hangzhou, drag on for half a month, I believe that the first wave of reinforcements can arrive."

Kang Shu said and clenched his fists: "Lord Zhang, the last general thinks that the defense of Genshan Gate will be strengthened. ”

Genshan Gate was defended by Zhang Yangming's cronies, Ma Liang, the governor and pacesetter, with 30,000 Hangzhou people, but although the 2,000 patrol soldiers belonged to the regular army, their combat effectiveness may not be as good as the guard's army, let alone 30,000 Hangzhou people.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yangming was also a little worried, the number of Chen rebels outside the city was increasing, and Hangzhou City had ten city gates, although the terrain was dangerous, but if the rebels really divided their troops to attack, they would really lack the skills to defend Hangzhou.

"Your Excellency..."

With a shout, a patrol soldier ran into the lobby with a happy face: "My lord, I am happy, You Shiwei, the chief soldier of Yulin, came to the sea with reinforcements, and entered Hangzhou through the mouth of the Qiantang River, and the reinforcements have now arrived outside the Wangjiang Gate." ”

Zhang Yangming laughed, and then pulled Kang Rate and said with a smile: "Quick, General Kang will go with this official to greet General You..."

Kang Shu's smiling face was suddenly a little embarrassed, You Shiwei's reinforcements actually arrived in Hangzhou from the sea, and he suddenly had a plan in his heart.

Wangjiangmen and Houchaomen are facing the Qiantang River estuary, and on the wharf of Wangjiangmen, hundreds of sand boats are parked by the wharf, and the Yulin border army led by You Shiwei is landing and assembling.

Zhang Yangming and the supreme general of Hangzhou at this time, Kang Shu, went out to greet him, and when he arrived at the wharf, Zhang Yangming personally went out and shouted: "This official sent Zhang Yangming, the governor of Zhejiang, I don't know which one is the general soldier You from Yulin?" ”

You Shiwei walked out of the military formation with a knife on his shoulder, followed by a group of personal generals: "You Shiwei, the chief soldier of Yulin, has seen Lord Zhang..."

The chief soldier and the governor are both members of the second grade, but it is a pity that in the later period of the Ming Dynasty, the era of suppressing the military with literature and force, the governor is much larger than the general army, and You Shiwei can only be called 'lower official'.

Zhang Yangming stepped forward and grabbed You Shiwei's hand, and said excitedly: "General You soldiers have come from afar, this official is deeply pleased, come quickly, follow me into the city, this official has prepared a reception banquet in the governor's yamen." ”

You Shiwei and other generals will lead into the city, and the troops behind will slowly enter, in the governor's yamen, Zhang Yangming took the lead in raising a glass: "The old man is trusted by the saint, the governor of Zhejiang, and now he encounters the traitor and the thief in Zhejiang, although he has the heart to serve the country and eliminate the thief, but he has lost several battles frequently, and now Chen Rebellion's army has approached Hangzhou, and 500,000 people in Hangzhou have the old man's hand, but it is a pity that there are less than 10,000 soldiers who can fight;

Fortunately, Mr. You came from thousands of miles away, floating to the sea, and came, the old man replaced the people of Hangzhou City, and paid a cup of respect to Mr. You. ”

You Shiwei didn't dare to hold it up, stood up and thanked him and then drank the wine in the cup, and then spoke: "Although Xiaguan broke the rebels' camp in Gaosakadi in the first battle of Jiashan, it is a pity that the rebels' reinforcements arrived at the end of the success, which fell short, but even so, our army also caused a lot of casualties to the rebels. ”

Saying that, You Shiwei pointed to Zuo Liangyu: "This is Zuo Liangyu, the general of Ningguo, and he should be the first to break through the Jiashan Pass Fort in this battle." ”

Zhang Yangming also suffered the loss of Chen Cao's reinforcements, and after the news of Huang Chongtao's capture in Jiaxing Mansion came, he felt sorry for Huang Chongtao, after all, civilian officials have the responsibility to defend the territory, and it is really a bit embarrassing to leave Huang Chongtao's soldiers in front for his own life.

"The left staff general is young and promising, and the old man respects you with a cup..."

After a few glasses of wine, Zhang Yangming turned the topic to the city defense of Hangzhou: "The 20,000 Yunnan border troops and 4,000 guards of General Mu's army are stationed in Qiantang County, Beicheng bears the brunt, and the existing 3,000 town soldiers of General Kang are guarding the Wulin Gate, and the patrol general Ma Liang and 30,000 Qingzhuang are guarding the Genshan Gate under the command of the old man, and the rest of the gates are guarded by the soldiers of the inspection department. ”

This kind of defensive force is completely undefended in a large city with a population of 500,000 like Hangzhou.

"I don't know how many soldiers and horses Mr. You brought with him this time?"

You Shiwei gave up his hand: "There are 40,000 border troops in Yulin, 23,000 soldiers under General Zuo, and more than 20,000 auxiliary soldiers formed by the guards and military remnants recruited in Haining, totaling more than 83,000 people. ”