allendalepharm Chapter 1431 Jia Heng: Do something about the granary.
Chapter 1431 Jia Heng: Do something about the granary.
Chapter 1431 Jia Heng: ...do something about the granary.
Shengjing City, Xiande Hall
At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall was somewhat depressing. In the hall were not only Lekedehun, but also Husai and other Jurchen princes and ministers, as well as some old nobles from the Jurchen Eight Banners. The hall was crowded with people.
Dorgon nodded and asked, "How is the Han army's siege going these days?"
Lekedehun paused for a moment, then said in a gentle voice, "The Han army's siege has become increasingly fierce in the past few days."
Dorgon's resolute face showed no sign of worry. He said, "What about Shuosai? Is there a letter from Liaoyang sent by carrier pigeon?"
Lekedehun nodded and said, "After several more attacks, but two of them were traps set by the Han army, Shuosai has decided to leave Liaoyang for the time being."
Dorgon's face suddenly became gloomy and his eyes were full of worry.
At this moment, a Jurchen knight in white cloth and spiked armor came quickly from outside and entered the hall. He bowed and said, "Regent, the Han people have sent an envoy into the city."
Hearing this, Dorgon was surprised and asked, "Why are the Han people sending envoys here at this time?"
"I don't know either." The guard shook his head and said.
Dorgon frowned and said, "Let the Han envoy enter the palace to talk."
Most of the Jurchen civil and military leaders in the hall showed worried expressions on their faces.
Lekedehun frowned and looked deeply, wondering in his heart what the Han envoy's purpose was.
"The envoy of the Han court is entering the palace."
Along the side of the palace, the eunuch's shrill voice was heard loudly, and a Han army lieutenant wearing armor and a cloak escorted a clerk in a green shirt and straight robes, walking into the palace with their heads held high and their chests puffed out.
His face was calm, and he faced the gazes of the Jurchen princes and ministers with an extremely frank expression.
At this moment, Husai was already speaking harshly, and said in a cold voice: "How dare you not kneel in front of my regent?"
"The envoy of the superior country is here, why don't you kneel?" The clerk said in a deep voice with a serious face.
The man was Jia Lin, a relative of Jia Heng, who formerly served as a clerk in the Beijing Camp and was now the commander-in-chief of the 12th Regiment. Upon hearing that Jia Heng was selecting someone to be the national envoy, he volunteered.
Husai snorted coldly and was about to explode, but at this moment, Dorgon, sitting on an embroidered cushion under the throne, said in a loud voice with a serious expression, "Give the Han envoy a seat."
Jia Lin waved his hand and said, "No need to wait for a seat. My commander-in-chief has left a message for your fake king, urging you to give up your country's title, open the city gates and surrender, and pay homage to the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty will forgive the Jurchens for their past crimes on the Han border, and you will not lose your position as a prince in the capital."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the Jurchen princes and ministers in the hall changed slightly. Some of the commanders of the old Eight Banners of the Jurchen Eight Banners, who originally had little confidence in whether the Jurchens could withstand the continuous offensive of the Han army, began to murmur in their hearts.
Do not lose your position as a king!
Dorgon's face was as gloomy as iron. He took in the changes in the expressions of some civil and military officials below, and felt an inexplicable irritation in his heart.
This was a trick of Jia Heng, who wanted to use it to divide the princes and nobles of the Qing Dynasty.
What a sinister intention!
Just as the Jurchen nobles below were whispering and discussing, Dorgon said in a cold voice: "My Qing Dynasty will never surrender, and will live and die with the city!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Lekedehun's expression changed slightly, and he secretly thought that something was wrong.
At this time, with heavy troops surrounding the city, it is absolutely impossible to reject the Han envoy's surrender with firm words, otherwise, all the civil and military officials in the military tent would become uneasy.
Of course, this also has its advantages, which is that this move cut off the thoughts of the Jurchen dignitaries in the palace.
At this moment, Jia Lin was not annoyed at all, and said lightly: "If the city is captured, it will be a disaster for both sides."
Anger kept surging on Dorgon's resolute and majestic face. Under his thick eyebrows, he looked at Jia Lin with murderous eyes and said loudly: "Han envoy, please withdraw."
As the saying goes, when two countries are at war, envoys will not be killed. However, Dorgon did not kill the Han envoy to vent his anger.
In this regard, Dorgon thought that he was better than Jia Heng, who had murdered Shuotuo through conspiracy and harm.
After Jia Lin left, Dorgon pondered for a moment, then glanced at the Jurchen civil and military leaders below him and said, "Why, are you tempted? Do you want to surrender and sell all the assets of my Aisin-Gioro clan to the Han people?"
The expressions of the Jurchen princes and nobles below, such as Beizi, Beile, and some veteran commanders of the Eight Banners, suddenly changed. Facing Dorgon's gaze, they all lowered their heads, not daring to look up and meet his gaze.
I couldn't help feeling inexplicably ashamed.
Dorgon stood up, his sharp eyes scanned the court officials from under his thick eyebrows, and said, "Two generations of emperors worked diligently and overcame many difficulties to create such a small foundation. Can you bear to let it fall into the hands of others? When the Han army of 400,000 troops besieged us, the emperor defeated hundreds of thousands of Han troops in Sarhu. We, the descendants of the unworthy generations, are not worthy enough to sit idly by and watch the army besiege the city?"
The Jurchen princes and nobles below couldn't help but murmur in their hearts at this moment.
The late emperor was both wise and brave. Now you are in charge of the Qing Dynasty, but you are in such a situation? You still have the nerve to mention the late emperor?
In fact, after such a long period of time and repeated defeats, Dorgon had lost his prestige and popularity among the Jurchen princes and nobles.
Dorgon's thick eyebrows were filled with cold eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Now that the Han army is outside, as long as we can hold out until winter, the heavy snow will block the roads and cut off the Han army's food supply, it will be our chance to counterattack."
Dorgon could only use similar words once again to encourage the wavering Jurchen princes and nobles.
However, this time it did not work as well as the first time. Although everyone agreed, their attitude was mostly perfunctory.
Dorgon nodded and said loudly: "Everyone go back and organize the troops and wait for a while to defend the city. Prince Shuncheng will stay."
After all the civil and military officials left, only Lekedehun was left, with a worried look on his face.
Dorgon paused for a moment, stared at Lekedehun, and said, "That kid Jia Heng has a heart that deserves death."
Lekede said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, now not only the princes and nobles of the Qing Dynasty, but also the Han soldiers and generals in the city are beginning to feel uneasy and are ready to surrender."
The Jurchens were obviously not fools and they knew about some of the changes in the city.
Dorgon's eyes became gloomy and angry, and he said in a cold voice: "What do you mean?"
Lekedehun paused for a moment and said, "According to Sun Shaozu, some Han soldiers and generals in the city seem to be wavering, especially after the battle of Jinzhou, many Han soldiers and generals have been treated preferentially, there is nothing else."
A trace of livid anger emerged on Dorgon's haggard and dark face, and then a look of dejection appeared on his face. He said: "Even some of the elders of the Eight Banners have been shaken, let alone these traitors?"
At this moment, Dorgon probably had the mentality of "if it rains, it will rain; if my mother wants to get married, she will marry", so just let it be.
Lekede's face was as calm as a lake, and he said, "Then, Prince Regent, if we let these Han officials and generals run wild, I'm afraid they will endanger our Qing dynasty."
"Next, we can't arrest people on a large scale, otherwise the people in the city will panic." Dorgon nodded and said, "Let Sun Shaozu lead a group of people to keep an eye on those Han generals and ministers. Don't let them cooperate with the outside world and open the city gates."
Lekedehun nodded, cupped his hands and said, "I will tell Sun Shaozu when I return."
In this way, the Zhongshan Wolf used the trick of accusing others of being wolves, thereby once again gaining the trust of the Jurchen Dorgon and seizing the initiative over the Han officials in the city.
The commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief of the Eight Banners of the Jurchens in the city were secretly discussing the Han court's surrender today.
……
……
Outside the city, in the military tent—
Jia Heng was sitting behind a lacquered wooden table in the central army tent. Not far away from him stood Chen Xiao, a tall woman with a fair face as white as frost.
Chen Xiao handed over a military report and said, "Look at this. At the location of Xiping Fort, our Beijing Camp has lost another 100,000 shi of grain and fodder."
Jia Heng took the military report from Chen Xiao, his eyebrows knitted tightly, his eyes flickered, and he looked at Chen Xiao intently, saying, "This is not a solution. What does Cao Bianjiao say?"
Chen Xiao said: "I handed over a military report apologizing for the crime."
Jia Heng looked very silent, and said thoughtfully: "It's not Cao's fault that he changed his mind. The Jurchens have already been alerted, so the plan of luring troops will not work."
Chen Xiao stared at the young man in the python costume and whispered, "If we continue to be robbed of our food, it will be difficult to sustain for a long time."
The Han army had a large number of troops on the front line, and the daily consumption of food and fodder in the siege was increasing day by day.
Jia Heng took the map in his hand, stared at the small Ling River on it, and said loudly: "The grain route is divided into two routes. One route is from Shanhaiguan and Ningjin Prefectures by sea, then through Sancha River to Hunhe River, and then to Shengjing City. The other route is to be transported by heavy troops. The Beijing Camp will select 20,000 cavalry to escort it."
Jurchen raids were never a problem.
Chen Xiao nodded and said loudly: "This method is feasible, but it takes a little more effort."
Jia Heng said: "It is not possible to do it without any trouble. Let Cao Bianjiao lead the troops to escort them."
Just as the two were talking, a Jinyifu guard wearing a flying fish suit embroidered with python patterns and an embroidered spring sword hanging from his waist entered the military tent and said in a deep voice: "Commander-in-chief, Master Jia is back."
Jia Heng looked at the Jinyifu guard and said loudly, "Let him in."
After a while, Jia Lin came in from outside, looked at the young man in the python robe, bowed and said, "Greetings, Marshal."
Jia Heng asked, "Thank you for your hard work. What do the Jurchens say?"
Jia Lin said, "The regent and the others in the palace seem to be making moves."
Jia Heng nodded, his expression paused, and said: "There is some intention. The people in the Jurchens are already in chaos, and this will naturally be reflected when they defend the city."
Jia Lin said: "The Marshal is right."
Jia Heng encouraged Jia Lin again and asked him to go back and rest. He looked at Chen Xiao beside him and said, "The strategy has begun to work. During this period, we should attack the city first and counter the enemy's moves."
Chen Xiao nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.
……
……
Time flies, and before I knew it, three days and three nights had passed.
The Han army soldiers' rest and recuperation in the Beijing camp also came to an end, and on this day, the sound of drums rang out "dong dong". At this moment, it was as dense as raindrops, deafening, and broke the autumn season.
The Han army rushed out from the wooden camp and climbed up the city wall to attack. The shouts and screams were deafening at this moment.
At this moment, it seemed no different from the sieges of the past.
The two sides had been fighting offensively and defensively since morning until dusk, when the sunset glowed bright and beautiful, dyeing the western sky red for a moment.
Jia Heng frowned as he watched the Han army retreating like a tide.
No matter how good the strategy is, it is still necessary to put pressure on the Jurchens in the city in terms of defending the city.
When the soldiers returned to the military tent, they saw the young man in the python robe sitting behind a lacquered wooden table with a gloomy face.
The generals felt that atmosphere and couldn't help feeling awe-inspiring.
"There has been no progress in the siege today. Do you generals want to celebrate the New Year outside Shengjing City?" Jia Heng paused and said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, the generals below showed a look of shame on their faces and lowered their heads tightly.
Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "The Jurchens are defending the city, clearly intending to hold out against our army until the winter month, and then harass our food supply route to turn defeat into victory. You are veterans of the Beijing camp, and when you attack the city today, you should use more brave men to capture the city as soon as possible."
The generals were silent for a while.
Jia Heng then said solemnly, "Concentrate your superior artillery fire and bombard the South Gate."
The generals below bowed and agreed.
After the generals left, Jia Heng said nothing more and sat down behind a lacquered wooden table again.
Chen Xiao's bright eyes showed a hint of thought under his willow-leaf-like eyebrows. He said loudly, "Let's dig a tunnel or have someone bury explosives."
Jia Heng said: "We can only try it first."
Generally speaking, sieges have always relied on these few tricks: digging tunnels, water attacks, artillery bombardment, or internal help to capture the city. There are not many other new tricks.
The Han army now has red cannons, which can bombard the city walls continuously.
Chen Xiao nodded and said, "This kind of siege lasts for several months. It is not easy to break the city. We have already used the strategy of sowing discord. We just need to wait for the result."
Jia Heng frowned, his eyes sharp as a sword, and said, "If this continues, it's not a good sign."
As the saying goes, after nine steps in building a mountain, one fails at the last moment.
Chen Xiao nodded and said loudly: "The internal support in the city will see if it can do something, but it still depends on the strength of the siege outside the city."
Jia Heng said: "In the past few days, the entire army has been attacking the city and exerting extreme pressure."
Chen Xiao's clear eyes were as bright as water under her willow-shaped eyebrows. She consoled him, "The Jurchens have suffered as many casualties as our Han army these days. The Red Barbarian cannons have completely suppressed the Jurchen soldiers."
Jia Heng nodded and said thoughtfully: "We still have to use the method of gunpowder. Or the gunpowder in the earthen road of the city wall is not enough."
If the power is not enough, make up for it with quantity.
While Jia Heng was thinking, a Jinyifu guard wearing a flying fish uniform entered the military tent and said with a bow, "Commander-in-chief, His Royal Highness the King of Wei and His Royal Highness the King of Chu are here."
Jia Heng nodded, then walked out of the military tent to greet the two princes, and then returned to the central military tent while chatting with them.
King Wei showed concern in his eyes and asked, "Zi Yu, is the siege going poorly today?"
Apparently, when he was dealing with food and fodder issues in the rear camp, he heard the news about Jia Heng's anger in the military tent in front.
Jia Heng said, "It is a bit unsatisfactory. The officers have rested for a few days, so they may be a little lazy. They are not very attentive in attacking the city today."
In other words, it did not meet the standards he had in mind.
King Wei Chen Ran asked: "It takes time to attack a city. I heard that the grain road has been harassed by the Jurchen cavalry these days. There are problems. I wonder how to deal with it now?"
Jia Heng paused for a moment, then continued, "We have already taken measures, so it won't affect the grain supply."
Suddenly, my heart moved, and I vaguely grasped a key.
The Han army’s food supply was cut off. Could the millions of soldiers and civilians in the Jurchen city of Shengjing have enough rice?
The Jurchens were not originally a completely self-sufficient regime, and their previous wars had consumed a lot of food and fodder.
Most of the grain and fodder in Shengjing City was not enough. Perhaps some princes and nobles hoarded some, but how could they take it out? Even if they were forced to take it out by Dorgon, it would inevitably cause a rift between Dorgon and the Jurchen nobles.
King Chen Qin of Chu looked deep in his eyes and said, "Zi Yu, some cannons and ammunition have been transported to the barracks recently."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "Recently, we have been bombarding Shengjing City, and we have consumed a lot of cannonballs and ammunition. The ammunition from the King of Chu has arrived just in time."
Chen Xiao glanced at the young man in the python costume and said, "Have you thought of a strategy to defeat the enemy?"
The King of Chu and the King of Wei looked at each other, somewhat confused.
Jia Heng said slowly: "I wonder if the food in Shengjing City will not last more than a month."
Upon hearing this, the King of Chu and the King of Wei were surprised at first, and then they suddenly realized.
Deng Wei, who was standing by, also showed a look of realization on his face.
Jia Heng said, "Shengjing has a large population. A lot of military rations have been transported to defend Jinzhou and Ningyuan. How much food is left in the city?"
The King of Chu and the King of Wei nodded and said almost in unison: "There won't be too much food in the city's treasury."
Jia Heng looked at Chen Xiao standing beside him and said, "Try to get the spies in the city to do something about the granary."
He finally thought of a plan to defeat the enemy. Instead of using an insider to take the city, it would be better to let the insider burn the granary. The latter would definitely be much easier than the former.
Chen Xiao's eyes lit up as well, and he said, "This plan is feasible."
The Wei and Chu clans also nodded.
And in Shengjing City, Xiande Hall——
Outside the palace, there were several sycamore trees, whose branches had lost all their leaves and were swaying in the wind. Under the sunlight, they cast mottled shadows.
"What are the casualties today?" Dorgon asked in a deep voice with sharp eyes.
Lekedehun's face seemed to be covered with a layer of haze, and he whispered: "There are probably three to four thousand casualties."
Dorgon frowned, his eyes deep beneath his thick eyebrows, and asked, "Are the casualties so severe?"
If this is the case, in just one month, all the soldiers in Shengjing City would be wiped out by this continuous offensive.
Lekedehun pondered for a moment, then said in a loud voice: "Today's Han army's offensive has become more fierce, and the Red Barbarian cannon's fire is much more fierce than yesterday."
Dorgon's face became serious, and he said loudly: "Hold on, if you hold on for another month or so, winter will come."
It can be said that Dorgon has now hypnotized "winter is coming" into the last straw for the Qing Dynasty.
Upon hearing this, Lekedehun remained silent for a while.
Dorgon asked, "By the way, have the Han soldiers in the city made any moves recently?"
Lekedehun nodded and said, "Sun Shaozu has sent people to infiltrate the area and is closely monitoring the secret movements of the Han generals. There is not much news yet, but they are closely monitoring it."
Dorgon said: "Tell Sun Shaozu that if he can discover the rebellion in advance, I will confer the title of Duke on him."
Lekedehun nodded and bowed in response.
(End of this chapter)