allendalepharm Chapter 1601 Gao Cheng: See how that little Jia Heng responds!
Chapter 1601 Gao Cheng: See how that little Jia Heng responds!
Chapter 1601 Gao Cheng: See how that little Jia Heng responds!
Shenjing City, Li's Study
Li Zan, the chief minister of the Han cabinet, returned home and sat down behind a lacquered wooden table. His face was as solemn as iron, and he placed his official hat on the table beside him.
The atmosphere in the capital these days has indeed made the cabinet chief feel worried.
Li Zan stretched out a finger and tapped lightly on the small table. In the flickering candlelight on the lacquered wooden table, the face was half bright and half dark. Under the brows, his eyes flickered, and he was thinking non-stop.
When offering sacrifices to ancestors in the Taimiao, Concubine Duanrong had already agreed to this matter, so the next step was to make active preparations.
However, any disturbance in the capital could not be hidden from the eyes of the Jinyiwei under Prince Wei. It was not easy for him and Concubine Duanrong to assist the Eighth Prince in ascending the throne.
He could only wait until the situation of the war in Bashu became clear. No matter if the imperial court was unsuccessful and Prince Wei went to war personally, or if the rebellion in Bashu was quelled and he tried to alienate Jia and Xie, it would be better to stay still than to move.
Thinking of this, Li Zan let out a long breath, slowly stood up, stood behind the desk in front of the window, put his hands behind his back, looked up at the bright silver moon in the inky sky, and felt sad.
Emperor Sejong, the great Han country is about to fall into the hands of traitors and villains. What should he do as a regent?
The summer night is quiet and the fireflies are dim.
From time to time, the sound of cicadas chirping could be heard from the leafy sycamore trees, making the night even quieter and more silent.
An indescribable loneliness and melancholy welled up in Li Zan's heart.
Now that Gao Zhongping has passed away, he is left alone and cannot do anything. Can he protect the Chen Han dynasty for a hundred years?
Palace Garden, Funing Palace
A bright silver moon hangs high in the inky sky, and endless moonlight shines on the dark tiles of the palace and the empty steps, which are as bright as water and seem to reflect people's shadows.
Concubine Duanrong was also unable to sleep alone. She looked at the bright moon on the phoenix tree outside the courtyard and sighed in her heart.
If Ze'er were to ascend the throne, he might be able to carry forward the legacy of Emperor Shizong Xian and recreate the prosperity of the Han Dynasty.
As Concubine Duanrong thought about this, for some reason, the scene of Jia Heng carrying Queen Song up and down in her arms and the wind and rain along the way appeared in her mind...
Concubine Duanrong's eyebrows twitched, her heart trembled slightly, and she spat secretly. She felt that beautiful face with fragrant skin and her cheeks were burning hot like fire.
What a shameless pair of dogs!
Concubine Duanrong cursed in her heart, feeling both ashamed and angry.
Summer nights were already hot and dry, and the beauty was unable to sleep alone, her heart aching. She calmed herself down and fell into a deep sleep with a feeling of tiredness.
But, if your mind is too confused, you will easily have many dreams at night.
……
……
Sichuan, Jiameng Pass
As Baoning Prefecture was captured by the Beijing Camp troops in one fell swoop, the Shu army and generals withdrew to Jiange one after another like a withdrawn fist. At this moment, on the city wall of Jiameng Pass, the Shu army's flags covered the sky and fluttered in the wind.
In the city gate and the government office, there were crowds of people.
Gao Cheng was sitting at a table with a big horse and a golden sword at the moment. He looked at Chen Yuan, Chen Ran and Chen Wei and said, "The Han army has already breached Baoning Prefecture. The next step is to attack Jiameng Pass and fight a decisive battle with me. This battle is related to whether Shu can resist the tyranny of the court. As long as we can hold on, the people of the world will be grateful and rise up to fight against Jia thief."
In fact, Gao Cheng himself didn't really believe such high-sounding words.
At this point, the promised phenomenon of the eighteen princes from all over the world asking for merchants had not been seen at all.
It is really true that among a hundred thousand people taking off their armor, not one of them is a man!
The governors and governors-general of various provinces of the Han Dynasty watched coldly and quietly watched the imperial court mobilize troops from the capital to quell the rebellion in Bashu. No one responded to the major event at all.
No one submitted a memorial to denounce the Three Chen Rebellion or express loyalty to the central government.
Firstly, Jia Heng had no signs of "rebellion", and secondly, the Rebellion of the Three Chens in Bashu was morally untenable.
Chen Yuan was already notorious, and Chen Ran and Chen Wei were demoted to commoners for forcing Emperor Shizong Xian to abdicate. It can be said that the three of them together have such a bad reputation that what they say is hardly convincing.
As for the obscene rumors made up by the three people, they are more like slander and defamation by losers.
If Gao Zhongping were alive, with this minister entrusted by Emperor Sejong Xian around, it might have been more convincing.
However, Gao Zhongping's death caused this war, which could have caused a turbulent storm, to be completely aborted before it could even begin.
At this moment, a tall and burly palace guard entered the hall with a sword on his waist and reported to Gao Cheng, "General, the third young master is back."
When Gao Cheng heard this, he couldn't help but feel happy.
Gao Yong had previously visited the southwestern chieftains and instigated local leaders in the southwest and other areas to assist the Shu army.
After a while, Gao Yong came in quickly from outside. The beads of sweat on his face were still not completely dry. He looked excited and said, "Brother, the chieftain's troops have arrived."
Gao Cheng asked, "A few chieftains are coming. Come with me to greet them."
Upon hearing this, all the generals present stood up and went outside with Gao Cheng.
At this moment, some chieftains and generals wearing strange clothes and with Miao swords hanging around their waists began to gather in the courtyard.
The system of fifteen chieftains was established in Sichuan during the Ming Dynasty, and the Chen and Han dynasties continued the Ming system. However, during the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong, the Yi people rebelled repeatedly, causing considerable trouble to the southwest of the Han Dynasty.
The largest rebellion occurred in the second year of Chongping, when Gao Zhongping led his troops to Sichuan and put down the rebellion in one fell swoop, re-established the order, and reduced the number of chieftains to twelve.
As a result, he enjoyed great prestige among the Sichuan chieftains.
After Gao Zhongping entered the cabinet, he once considered the policy of converting the aboriginals into Han people. However, before the new emperor could take action, Emperor Sejong Xian passed away and Emperor Guangzong was assassinated in the capital. A series of events happened like a revolving lantern, and the matter was gradually shelved.
However, the policy of changing the native chieftains into officials became an excuse for the brothers Gao Cheng and Gao Yong to deceive the chieftains and foreign leaders into resisting the imperial court.
At this time, Gao Cheng led a group of generals and walked out of the hall quickly.
But outside I could hear the hustle and bustle and the noise of many people talking, just like a vegetable market.
When Gao Cheng approached, a group of foreign generals quickly surrounded him and saluted him with their fists clasped.
"Hello everyone, please come in." Gao Cheng imitated Gao Zhongping's behavior and extended his hand to invite them in.
Afterwards, all the generals entered the side room, talking and laughing, and then sat down. The atmosphere became a little serious.
At this moment, Yang Pu, a chieftain of the Qiang tribe, said, "General Gao, your brother asked us to bring troops to help you this time. How is the battle going now?"
Everyone looked at Gao Cheng, waiting for his words.
Gao Cheng said in a deep voice: "Everyone, the court was tyrannical and treacherous, and the court was in chaos. The court troops wanted to invade Sichuan, to round up the soldiers of the chieftains and turn them into commoners. My father thought that the customs and habits of Sichuan and other places were very different from those in the Central Plains, so he tried his best to mediate in Beijing. In addition, my father was upright and honest, which angered the King of Wei. The King of Wei harmed my father in every way, and my father unfortunately died."
At this moment, in Gao Cheng's mouth, Jia Heng was the advocate of the policy of changing the native system to the Han system, and was also a treacherous king who was causing chaos in the court.
The Sichuan chieftains and generals who were leading the group all showed indignation on their faces.
They didn't know what kind of person King Wei was, but they knew Gao Zhongping's ability and ambition.
Isn't it going to cost them their lives to change the native people into Han people?
They are all local tyrants in their own tribes.
Gao Cheng saw that the situation was getting heated, so he stirred up the crowd's emotions and said, "The Prince of Wei has relied on his achievements in Liaodong to monopolize power and corrupt the palace in recent years, intending to usurp the Han Dynasty. My father sensed his evil ambitions and was unwilling to go along with him. He wanted to support the Han Dynasty, so he was harmed by him."
Gao Yong's face turned serious, and he also joined in the conversation, "Everyone, the King of Wei has always regarded foreigners as enemies. If we let them invade Sichuan and implement the policy of changing the natives into Han people, the wealth and women of all tribes will be robbed by the government troops."
Yang Pu frowned and asked with concern, "General Gao, where are the imperial troops now?"
Gao Cheng's eyes were solemn under his thick eyebrows. He said, "The imperial army has just breached Baoning City, and the vanguard has already approached Jiameng Pass."
Yang Pu was surprised when he heard this: "The imperial court is advancing so quickly? Almost unstoppable?"
Although he was a chieftain of the Qiang ethnic group, he was actually from a genuine Han family and had a deep understanding of Han culture.
Gao Cheng said with emotion: "The imperial court's Beijing camp troops have fought in many battles over the years. They are elite and brave and should not be underestimated."
At this moment, another man with a curly beard and a broad face asked concisely, "How many troops did the court send this time?"
Gao Cheng said in a deep voice: "The imperial court does not have many troops, only about 50,000 or 60,000, led by Xie Zaiyi, the third-class Liao Duke of the Han Dynasty. We can recruit 100,000 brave soldiers in Shu. With the advantage of the terrain, we can completely resist the offensive of the Han army."
He now does not expect to capture the capital in one fell swoop. As long as Sichuan can remain unmoved under the suppression of the imperial army and hold out for half a year to a year.
The situation is bound to change!
At that time, troops from all directions were surging to support the king. Let's see how Jia Heng would respond!
And his Gao family can at least dominate one side with its own troops, then support a new emperor and call on the world to fight against the rebellion.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the chieftains and generals present changed, and it was clear that they were moved by Gao Cheng's words.
Gao Cheng said loudly: "In the past few days, my army has been stationed at Jiameng Pass, and the Han army has been unable to deploy its forces. You are all experienced in military affairs and good at fighting in the mountains and forests. You are enough to resist the advance of the Han army."
The generals looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
……
……
Northwest, Hamiwei
After nearly half a month of siege and tug-of-war, the Dzungars did not gain any advantage under the Hami City Wall. Then the elite cavalry of both sides sent out in all directions, repeatedly harassing and fighting over the grain routes.
After the fight, both sides suffered losses.
Of course, the Han army's main loss was still the food supply. With so many soldiers stationed in Hami City, it would not be an exaggeration to say that a thousand grains of grain were consumed every day.
On this day, in the Acropolis—
Pang Shili was convening a group of officers to discuss strategies to repel the enemy. At this moment, the hall was crowded with people.
"Everyone, the Junggar troops have repeatedly harassed our grain route from Hami to Xining today. How should we deal with them? We should confront them for a long time and prevent them from robbing our grain route." Pang Shili said.
As a general, Pang Shili still wanted to achieve success in one battle, expel the Dzungar tribe, and establish his achievements to be awarded titles of nobility.
A lieutenant general named Li stood up and said, "General, I think since the court has not issued an order to urge troops to the Western Regions, our army can attack freely and buy the two armies a chance to maneuver. There is no need to underestimate the enemy and advance rashly."
"If we can defeat the invading Junggar enemy, it will help the court to ease the military situation and will be helpful." At this moment, another guerrilla general spoke with a serious expression.
Lieutenant General Li raised his thick eyebrows and looked at Pang Shili, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.
Pang Shili said, "That's exactly what I meant. Now Bashu is in chaos. The imperial army is mainly used to suppress the rebellion here. Our northwest and southwest routes are to prevent the enemy from colluding with us and supporting us."
Jin Xuan said: "The battle situation in Bashu should have made some progress."
Pang Shili said: "This time, the Duke of Liao is leading the army, and they are the brave and victorious Beijing Army. The rebellion in Bashu will be put down in no time."
Jin Hyun nodded, his eyes lost in thought.
Just as everyone was discussing the matter, a tall young lieutenant came over quickly, his voice full of joy as he said, "General Pang, the Red Cannon from Shenjing City has arrived."
A flash of joy flashed across Pang Shili's rough and resolute face, and he said loudly: "Everyone, follow me to welcome him."
At this moment, in order to escort the Red Cannon, the Shenjing City specially sent a senior officer who was the deputy governor to be responsible for the entire escort.
"My humble servant greets General Pang." The young officer walked quickly forward, bowed to Pang Shili and said.
Pang Shili stared at the young officer, extended his hand and said, "Mr. Fang, please come in."
As he spoke, Pang Shili extended his hand to invite the young officer to go to the wing room.
As the red cannons were transported to the Hami Citadel in a mighty manner, the firepower inside the Hami Citadel was suddenly increased a lot.
Pang Shili led the officer to the hall. The officer's name was Fang Sheng, and he was also a newly promoted officer in the Beijing Camp in recent years.
"What is the recent situation in the capital? Did the prince give any instructions before leaving?" Pang Shili asked.
"The situation in the capital is stable." Fang Sheng said, "The prince wrote a letter to General Pang."
As he spoke, he took out a letter from the recruitment bag on his back and handed it over.
"The prince said that General Pang is using the red cannon in the northwest to repel the enemy first. As for the recovery of the Western Regions, after the rebellion in Bashu is quelled, the court will raise food and fodder and make full preparations." Fang Sheng said.
Pang Shili was reading the letter sent by Jia Heng at this moment.
The letter roughly explained the initial military mission of Hami Guard, which was to resist the eastward invasion of the Dzungar tribe. After the rebellion in Bashu was quelled, the Han army would send more troops to the northwest and pacify the Western Regions.
He also proposed a military strategy, using elite cavalry to divide the troops and advance to annihilate the enemy's main force.
Pang Shili finished reading the letter, then looked at Jin Xuan, who had an expectant look in his eyes, and said, "General Jin, you can also take a look at this."
Upon hearing this, Jin Xuan took the letter and read it attentively. After a while, a look of understanding also appeared on his face.
"King Wei's intention is to focus on defense first and then plan for advancement." Jin Xuan closed the letter, raised his eyes, looked at Pang Shili and said.
Pang Shili nodded and said, "Now that our army has obtained the Red Cannon, it will be even more powerful than a tiger with wings when defending the city walls."
If it is just a defensive move, then the Red Cannon is indeed an important military weapon for defending the city.
Jin Xuan nodded and said, "Then let the officers make the arrangements."
At this moment, with the rapid action of the Han army, red cannons began to be placed on the corner towers and gate towers of Hami City, with the black muzzles pointing at the military tents of the Junggar tribe outside the city.
……
……
Five miles outside the city, in a central army tent inlaid with blue gems—
The Dzungar Khan Batur Hui Taiji sat on a Hu chair covered with a mattress. His resolute and calm face seemed to show a hint of embarrassment.
"Galdan, where are you now?" Baturhui asked with his rough brows furrowed and his eyes flashing fiercely.
At this moment, an officer stood up and reported, "Khan, the young master has not returned yet."
At this moment, there were bursts of chaotic sounds of horse hooves outside, followed by roars and neighs of horses.
Soon, a tall, handsome young officer entered the military tent and said, "My son greets my father, Khan."
"Get up." Baturhui said with his tiger eyes bright as stars.
Galdan thanked him, then turned his gaze to Baturhui and said in a loud voice: "Father Khan, the Han army's reinforcements have arrived, and it seems that the Han people have the Shenwei Dajiangjun Cannon."
Although the Dzungars had never been bombarded by the red cannons, the Han army in the Beijing camp relied on this invincible military weapon to pacify Liaodong and bombard Huang Taiji, and their reputation had long spread throughout the desert.
It was called the Divine Power General Cannon by people at that time.
Baturhui hesitated for a moment and said, "Are you sure?"
Galdan said loudly: "All my soldiers and generals have seen it. Although they don't recognize it, I can tell at a glance that it is indeed the Divine Mighty General Cannon."
As a nomadic leader who later competed with Kangxi, Galdan had a keen sense of smell that was far beyond that of ordinary people.
Baturhui Taiji nodded and said, "The Han army has obtained the Red Barbarian Cannon. It is indeed not easy for our army to attack the city."
Galdan said: "Father Khan, the Jurchen Huang Taiji was bombarded by the red cannon when he attacked Ping'an Prefecture. The Han people's red cannon is extremely powerful. My Junggar tribe is definitely unable to resist it."
Baturhui said: "What should we do?"
Galdan's resolute and majestic face showed a firm look, and he said: "Using our Junggar cavalry to harass and kill them is to use our army's strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses."
"That's too wishful thinking." Baturhui frowned and said in a deep voice, "The Han people are not fools. They won't leave the city to fight with my cavalry. Since they have brought these cannons, they have already made up their minds."
Galdan said firmly: "Then our army will withdraw first and lure the Han army to pursue us."
During this period, Galdan read a lot of Han Chinese military books and strategies, and the one he loved most was a novel about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Obviously, I got a lot of inspiration for military operations from this book.
Baturhui nodded, his eyes flashing, and said: "We can give it a try, but I don't think the Han general in Hami Weicheng is reckless."
This kind of strategy of luring troops requires the enemy to be greedy for success and advance rashly.
Galdan said in a deep voice: "Father Khan, if the Han army does not come out, our army will turn around and attack Quxianwei and Andingwei. There is no need to fight to the death with the Han army in Hami."
Baturhui nodded heavily and said, "That makes sense."
Obviously, there is more than one road leading to the northwest of Han territory, and as Galdan said, he would first attack Quxian Guard and Anding Guard, and then attack Chijin Mongolian Guard. Although it is time-consuming, it is still a strategy to defeat the enemy in the current stalemate.