The Red Mansions

Chapter 1430 The Han army’s food supply will never have peace!

Chapter 1430 The Han army’s food supply will never have peace!

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall——

Grandmother Jia sat on a Luohan bed covered with a soft mattress, while Madam Xing, Madam Wang and others sat on an embroidered cushion not far away.

In addition, there was a couple of newlyweds, Xia Jingui and Xue Pan.

Xia Jingui was wearing a chrysanthemum yellow dress, her dark black hair was combed into a dignified bun and pinned with a golden hairpin. Her long and narrow eyebrows were extremely sharp, with a hint of meanness and shrewdness.

Grandmother Jia smiled. Under her gray eyebrows, her old eyes were kind and warm. She said softly, "When you two do business, you should help each other and make the Xue family's business bigger and bigger."

Xia Jingui forced a smile on her face and said softly, "Grandfather, I usually listen to my husband's decisions."

In front of Lady Jia, the Lady of Rongguo, Xia Jingui's temperament as a lion from the east had to be restrained a lot, and she had to try her best to show her best side.

Xue Pan seemed a little unnatural at the moment, as if he was trying to force a donkey to grind its way to a millstone.

Aunt Xue thought Xue Pan was just being shy and didn't say anything. She just smiled and said, "Pan'er, your grandmother is talking to you."

Xue Pan's honest face showed a simple smile, and he said with a forced smile: "Old lady, we are doing business in the palace now, and we came here for discussion."

Grandmother Jia nodded and said, "You were ignorant before, but you should understand things now."

Xue Pan replied hesitantly.

Grandmother Jia smiled and advised Aunt Xue, saying softly, "The child has grown up and has his own ideas."

Aunt Xue smiled and said softly, "No matter how old this child is, he is still a child in our eyes."

Grandmother Jia sighed: "Yes."

As he was speaking, he looked at Madam Wang beside him and asked, "Zheng'er, has he sent any letters recently?"

Mrs. Wang had an unnatural smile on her face and said, "The master said he would stay in Bashu until the end of the year. If it is feasible, he would like to hear Heng'er's opinion."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "It's good to listen to Brother Heng's advice. Brother Heng's way of paving the way is reasonable."

Even if Baoyu is getting older and doesn't take up an official position, this is not a big deal.

While everyone was talking, suddenly, a maid dressed in silk and satin came into the hall and said, "Madam, there is news from outside that Master Heng has won another victory."

Grandmother Jia was surprised and asked, "Well, what do you mean?"

The Buddhist bead that was spinning in Mrs. Wang's hand stopped in her palm, and the corners of her jade-white face twitched.

I thought to myself, has Mr. Heng won another battle?

Well, I'm used to it.

But this kind of person did not keep his word at the beginning.

Last time, I sent someone to Princess Jinyang to call her eldest daughter back home, but she hasn't come back yet.

The maid nodded and said softly, "It is said that Master Heng won a victory in Liaodong and will soon defeat the Jurchens and return to the capital."

Grandmother Jia paused and asked, "So soon?"

The maid said, "That's what's spread in the capital."

At this moment, Aunt Xue's eyes lit up and a hint of hope appeared in her eyes.

Xia Jingui, who was sitting on an embroidered cushion with Xue Pan, had a pair of narrow and long phoenix eyes that flashed with shrewdness under her beautiful eyebrows, as if showing a hint of thought.

I've heard my uncle talk about this Duke of Wei several times, but I've never seen him.

Actually, he should call her sister-in-law.

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Brother Heng is winning one battle after another."

A thoughtful look appeared on Jia's old face. She smiled and said, "Yes, if Liaodong is pacified, it will be a truly amazing achievement. I'm afraid he will be awarded the title of a prince when he returns."

When Aunt Xue heard this, her heart started to burn again.

Now her daughter Bao is the wife of a first-class duke, so when Hengge'er becomes a prince, her daughter should also be a princess, right?

After all, she and Keqing are both wives of dukes of the same rank.

Madam Xing smiled and said softly, "If that day really comes, it will be a great blessing for the Jia family. It will bring honor to our ancestors. The title of Prince of a County has only been bestowed on four people since the founding of the country. Now there is one more, but it is a hereditary title."

After hearing what Mrs. Xing said, the corners of Mrs. Wang's mouth twitched. She was probably imagining that the girls from their Xing family would be given the same title of concubine as a royal lady.

For a while, there was constant laughter and joy in Rongqing Hall, as if everyone was lost in some kind of longing.

……

……

Shengjing City

At this moment, Dorgon was wearing a black hat with the word "山" on it and a black and red satin embroidered python robe. He stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the Han army camp in the distance, observing the next move of the Han army.

The Han army was in the wooden camp, and although extremely busy, they were having breakfast in an orderly manner. There was a solemn atmosphere in the silence.

It can be said that Dorgon was worried to the extreme at this moment.

It was an expectation of wanting to speed up time as quickly as possible. As long as it was the winter month, when the mountains were covered with snow and everything was white, troops could be sent out to attack the food routes.

And just outside Shengjing City, in the white tents, a large number of soldiers were coming in and out, busy all the time.

"Dong dong..."

Accompanied by the incessant drumbeats, as dense as raindrops, a large number of Han troops dressed in black and red armor, led by the Han general of the Beijing Camp, poured out of the camp like a tide, carrying ladders and launching a tidal attack towards the majestic Shengjing City.

The soldiers of the Beijing camp carried wooden ladders and rushed towards the city walls.

On the towering city walls, teams of soldiers in armor, with strong bows in their hands, shot at the Han army below. They were as dense as locusts and covered the sky and the earth.

"Puff, puff..."

A red blood mist was seen billowing up, and a large number of Han army officers and soldiers screamed after a while, and a large number of soldiers fell to the ground.

At this moment, Jia Heng was wearing a dark red armor with a mountain pattern on it, a black cloak on his body, and riding on a dark red horse. He was holding a monocular telescope in his hand, looking at the top of the city.

At this moment, hundreds of thousands of Han troops in the capital camp, after several days of siege, were overwhelming. At this moment, arrows rained down like a waterfall on the top of the city.

"Ding ding..."

One after another, black arrows shot at the stone wall, and soon fell down, as if they could not touch the wall at all.

The sound of cannons rumbled. At this moment, shells landed on the city wall. In the air was filled with smoke. After the shrapnel shells exploded, groans of injured people could be heard all around.

The Jurchen soldiers in Shengjing City set up the emplacements of the red cannons. Thick smoke was billowing from the black muzzles of the red cannons as they fired at the troops in the distance.

The guards of the Eight Banners of the Jurchens threw logs and rocks down onto the officers and soldiers of the Han army who were in the process of climbing.

A large number of Han troops approached the city wall, and the siege did not stop until the afternoon.

Afterwards, the Han army retreated like a tide to the camp with fences and began to eat one meal after another.

Chen Xiao nodded and said softly, "This is not a good way to attack the city. Even if it lasts for a month, it will be difficult to break the city."

Jia Heng said: "By continuously attacking the city, we can first wear down the morale of the Jurchens, and then launch a general attack."

Chen Xiao said softly, "I'm afraid that if the Beijing camp stays under the strong city for a long time, the morale of the soldiers will be worn out first."

"You have a point." Jia Heng nodded, looked at Chen Xiao, and said in a clear voice: "What's the situation in Liaoyang City?"

Chen Xiao frowned, stared at Jia Heng, and said softly, "I was just about to tell you that Lord Xie defeated the Shuo Sai troops who hijacked the grain route of the Jurchens, and killed more than 4,000 enemies. After this battle, the grain route in the direction of Liaoyang should not be easily harassed anymore."

The previous strategy of luring the enemy must have made Shuosai afraid of ropes for ten years after being bitten by a snake.

Jia Heng thought for a moment and said, "There is also the food route between Ningyuan and Jinzhou, which is even more important. Has Cao Bianjiao discovered the main force of the cavalry led by Man Dahai?"

Chen Xiao said: "No letter has been delivered by carrier pigeon yet."

Jia Heng thought for a moment, then glanced at the towering city wall in the distance and said, "Let's go back to the camp first."

As they talked, they entered the military tent.

At this time, the guards brought a wooden plate with steaming dishes on it.

Jia Heng picked up a pair of bamboo chopsticks and was about to pick up the dishes when he looked up at Chen Xiao and asked, "Are there any movements from the Jinyi Mansion spies in the city?"

Chen Xiao said: "There is no movement. The siege has not made much progress in the past few days, so some Han generals in the city are wavering in their beliefs and are starting to sit on the fence and wait and see."

Jia Heng said coldly: "That is to wait for the winter month, when my army fails in the siege, and then send troops to hijack the enemy's food supply. That will be their chance to turn the tables."

Chen Xiao nodded, picked up a piece of leek and egg, put it in Jia Heng's bowl, and said, "You have been working hard these days, eat this first."

While the two were talking, a Jinyifu guard suddenly stopped outside the military tent and said, "Commander-in-chief, His Royal Highness the King of Wei and His Royal Highness the King of Chu are here."

Jia Heng put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hand, looked at Chen Xiao intently, and said, "Wait here, I'll go take a look."

Chen Xiao said softly: "I'll go with you."

While the two were talking, they walked out of the military tent and came to the outside of the military camp accompanied by a group of Jinyifu guards.

As he was speaking, the King of Wei and the King of Chu, who were also accompanied by their soldiers, came closer and whispered, "Zi Yu."

"Your Highness." Jia Heng looked at the two princes. Along the way, he was actually worried that the two princes would be harassed by Man Dahai's troops.

King Chen Qin of Chu frowned and asked, "Zi Yu, how is the attack on Shengjing City?"

The King of Wei was also standing nearby, looking at the young man in the python robe with a worried look on his face.

Jia Heng said: "The war has been going smoothly these past few days. We are still testing the enemy's strength and wearing down the morale of the Jurchen soldiers on the city walls."

The King of Chu nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.

Chen Xiao said: "This is not a place for conversation, please go to the military tent and talk."

The King of Chu nodded, said nothing more, and entered the military tent with the King of Wei.

Several people were seated separately.

Wei Wang Chen Ran said: "I heard that during this period, the Jurchens sent cavalry to harass our army's food supply."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "This is the Jurchens' strategy to defeat the enemy. They want to use harassment to delay our army's siege progress, and then look for an opportunity to counterattack when the weather gets cold."

King Wei Chen Ran said: "After the weather gets cold, it is indeed inconvenient to transport food and fodder. It is already mid-August, and winter will come in more than a month. Do you have any plan to defeat the enemy?"

Jia Heng's face was solemn, and he said loudly: "It's easy to say how to defeat the enemy. Attacking the heart is the best, and attacking the city is the second. There are still many Han officials and military officials in the city who are in a panic and are wavering. Shoot the silk book in the bag into the city to persuade them to surrender and submit to the court in time."

King Chen Ran of Wei said, "It is indeed a strategy. Zi Yu did not punish the surrendered generals of Jinzhou before."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "In addition, we can send messengers into the city to persuade Dorgon in Shengjing to surrender. As long as he abandons the name of his country, opens the city to surrender, and follows the army to Shenjing, he will still remain a prince."

Although the Han Dynasty had suffered from the Jurchen rebellion for a long time, if the Jurchens really opened the city gates and surrendered, the emperor and the ministers in the court would probably agree.

King Chen Ran of Wei nodded and asked, "Zi Yu, do you think the Jurchens will surrender?"

"It certainly won't happen now." Jia Heng paused for a moment, and said loudly: "But it is possible to sway their hearts. Not all Jurchens are on the same page with Dorgon. There must be righteous men who are willing to break with Dorgon for the future of the Jurchens and choose to kill the traitor!"

The Jurchens were a large tribe with a population of over one million. It was obviously unlikely that they would carry out a complete genocide policy and kill all of them.

But leaving it alone is not practical, so the solution is to separate the princes and ministers of the Jurchen aristocracy from the ordinary Jurchens and carry out cultural taming by sharing the same language and ethnicity.

For example, they could keep their braids but not their heads, or keep their heads but not their braids. Then they received a unified education on Chinese culture, and the Manchu writings within the Jurchens who missed the Later Jin and Qing dynasties were subjected to a "literary inquisition" style of cultural destruction.

Well, it's really like giving someone a taste of their own medicine.

These are all parallel universes. The Qing Dynasty's strategy of governing the country was to use spiritual enslavement and cultural castration.

Upon hearing this, King Chen Ran of Wei nodded and said, "Zi Yu's strategy of sowing discord is brilliant."

Deng Wei, the seated aide to King Wei, looked at the young man in the python robe, and a look of admiration also appeared on his face.

This Duke of Wei is indeed a first-class patriot of the time. He is adept at using strategies to capture cities and win over the hearts and minds of the people.

At this moment, a Jinyifu guard came closer and said, "Commander-in-chief, the dishes are ready."

Jia Heng extended his hand to invite them, saying, "Let's have dinner first to welcome the two princes, Chu and Wei."

King Wei Chen Ran nodded, then followed Jia Heng to the military tent and sat down.

Everyone put down the drinks and for a moment, they were toasting each other.

……

……

Jinzhou City

A hundred miles south of the city, there is dense grass more than one meter tall, and the Xiaoling River flows around the city, winding through the mountains and forests. In late autumn, under the soft sunlight, ripples can be seen on the lake.

The gates of Jinzhou were wide open, and horse-drawn carriages loaded with bags of grain and fodder were heading towards Shengjing City, escorted by Han cavalrymen flying red flags.

I don’t know how long it took, but after passing Dalinghhe Fort, Xiping Fort was in front of us.

On the vast grassland, a large number of elite cavalry were circling the hill. At this time, a black horse head appeared beside the hill.

Soon, after a while, a figure sitting upright on the saddle could be seen.

He was a middle-aged general wearing black armor and a bronze helmet. He had a dense beard under his chin that looked like steel needles, and his eyes were like an eagle and as ferocious as a wolf.

Xipingbao

The commander in the fort was named Fang Xing, a guerrilla general. He had heard the news that the army was coming to Xiping Fort early on, so he led a group of officers to meet them outside the fort.

At this moment, the officer in charge of the convoy was Zhuo Shijin, the lieutenant general of the Fenwu Camp of the Beijing Camp. He led about three thousand soldiers and two thousand strong men, and was escorting 100,000 shi of grain and fodder.

"General Zhuo." Fang Xing led a group of followers and walked quickly forward and said.

Zhuo Shijin got off his horse, threw a rein in his hand to an attendant beside him, and asked, "General Fang, has there been any abnormality in Xiping Fort recently?"

Fang Xing smiled and said, "There's nothing unusual here, General Zhuo. We have prepared wine and food in the fort, and we are going to host a welcoming party for General Zhuo."

"General Zhuo, should we transport these grains and fodders into the fort first so that we can take a rest and feed the horses?" Fang Xing said in a low voice.

Zhuo Shijin paused for a moment, and told the deputy general following behind him, "Carry these grains and fodders into the fortress first."

The deputy general behind him responded and began to order the soldiers to take care of the matter.

However, at this moment, the rumbling sound of iron hooves was heard, deafening. On the vast grassland, a red flag embroidered with a dragon pattern could be seen. From a distance, it was thought to be the cavalry of the Han army.

But Pao Dingjia told Zhuo Shijin clearly that these were the Jurchen cavalry.

The cavalry in the distance were almost black, and a solemn and sharp aura was overwhelming.

The leading general had a beard and a big face, holding a thin but flexible rein in his hand. It was Man Dahai.

Man Dahai was holding his breath at this moment.

Seeing the Han army's grain and fodder convoy at this moment, a hint of ferocity flashed in Man Dahai's cold eyes beneath his thick eyebrows.

The cavalry behind him swept in like a gust of wind.

Suddenly, the Han cavalry general also noticed this scene, his pupils widened, and a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.

"Enemy attack!"

"Woooo..."

As the desolate horn sounded suddenly, all the Han soldiers escorting the grain and fodder were on alert, holding bows and crossbows and goose-feather swords, surrounding the grain carts with upright shafts, and looking at the mighty cavalry team in the distance.

"Whizzing……"

Suddenly, the sound of crossbow arrows breaking through the air was heard, shooting at the horses and knights that were rushing towards them, and muffled groans and groans were heard from time to time.

"Dangdang..."

One after another, the shining steel knives were drawn out of their scabbards and collided with the Jurchen cavalry, making continuous noises.

The extremely sharp blades split the armor and cut the skin, and blood could be seen flowing everywhere.

This battle to rob food lasted from the morning until the afternoon, when the shouting and screaming gradually faded away.

Man Dahai's heroic face was covered in blood, and even his beard was covered with steel needles. He felt extremely relieved and shouted loudly: "Set fire!"

As a large number of Jurchen soldiers poured kerosene onto the grain carts, several Jurchen soldiers threw a torch, and soon after, a "boom" was heard.

Looking at the battlefield littered with broken limbs, debris, and broken swords and spears, Man Dahai's eyes swept over the bodies of the soldiers wearing Han army armor.

Man Dahai's face became serious, and he could not help but feel happy in his heart. He shouted loudly: "Let's go!"

This was only the first food robbery. After this, the Han army’s food supply will never be at peace!

In the evening, the sun was setting and the sky was full of rosy clouds. It could be seen that the entire battlefield was in a mess and the flags were burning with thick smoke.

And on the grain carts, thick smoke was rising from the grain and fodder.

When dusk was approaching, the sound of horse hooves was heard on the grassland in the distance, followed by the appearance of cavalry galloping like a river. It could be seen that a large number of soldiers were coming on horseback.

The leading general was none other than Cao Bianjiao, who sat upright on his saddle with a spear in his hand. He looked at the grain cart in front of him that was still on fire, his brows furrowed and anger surged on his face.

Deputy General Yan Du looked at Cao Bianjiao and said in a deep voice, "General Cao, judging from the blood and flames, the Jurchens left not long ago. Should we send troops to pursue them?"

Cao Bianjiao's face was as gloomy as iron. He shook his head and said, "I can't catch up. Let's collect the bodies first and think of a way later."

This is the third incident of grain and fodder being attacked in the past ten days.

Upon hearing this, Yan Du said nothing more, and remained silent. He ordered the cavalry behind him to begin preparing the troops.

Cao Bianjiao's sharp brows were tightly knitted together as he pondered over a strategy to defeat the enemy.

Compared with Shuosai, Mandahai is undoubtedly much more experienced. Before robbing and burning a grain cart, he would send scouts to investigate the situation.

In fact, even if Man Dahai was a careless person, he would have been alert after being ambushed by Shuo Sai and warned by Dorgon via carrier pigeon.

In other words, the effectiveness of the strategy of luring the enemy has been greatly reduced.

(End of this chapter)