The Red Mansions

Chapter 1413 Jia Heng: As a general, I am in charge of the central army and dispatch the generals.

Chapter 1413 Jia Heng: As a general, I am in charge of the central army and dispatching the generals...

Niumao Village

The battle of attack and defense of the mountain stronghold lasted until dusk, when the western sky was filled with sunset glow and the setting sun was as red as blood.

The golden red setting sun fell on the entire mountain. The rugged rocks looked as if they were carved by an axe or a knife. Corpses dressed in red uniforms of the men could be seen lying all over the place. Because it was summer, many flies were buzzing and circling among the corpses.

The broken swords and guns as well as the burnt flags undoubtedly added a sense of desolation and tragedy to this battlefield.

Mu Sheng turned around and went back to the military tent and sat down. At this moment, the guards brought the steaming dishes, placed them on the table, and then slowly retreated.

Mu Sheng picked up the bamboo chopsticks, his face dazed, still thinking about how to defeat the enemy.

"Did you also see the attack on the mountain stronghold today?" Mu Sheng turned to look at the deputy general Wei Tong not far away and asked, "What do you think?"

Deputy General Wei Tong put down his chopsticks and said, "Your Highness, my army was originally from the Denglai Navy, and we have a lot of navy soldiers. When the two armies meet, we are not as brave and good at fighting as the Jurchen soldiers. In addition, the Korean soldiers have never been a match for the Jurchens, so we still have to attack for a few more days. Today I bombarded the mountain stronghold and completely suppressed the Jurchens. From now on, we will use more bombardment to suppress them and cause more casualties to wear down their spirit."

Mu Sheng nodded and said loudly: "We can't act too hastily, but I'm worried that the general guarding the city will lead his troops down the mountain to charge and no longer maintain a defensive position. We may not be able to stop them."

Thinking of this, Mu Sheng's uneasiness grew even more intense, and he said, "Have someone keep an eye on the movements of the mountain stronghold. At the same time, dig deep into the mountain stronghold and set up more deer horns in the next few days to prevent the Jurchens from raiding the camp."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tong responded with a "yes".

At this moment, inside the Niumao Village, pine oil torches were lit and the lights were bright. From time to time, the sounds of soldiers clinking cups and shouting could be heard from the military camp. It was so lively and noisy that it made people's hearts shocked.

Inside the mountain stronghold, Man Dahai was feasting and drinking with his officers to celebrate their victory in repelling the Han army's siege.

"Your Highness, the Han army's artillery fire is fierce and we have suffered heavy casualties today. This is not a long-term solution." The general on the side paused and spoke.

Another officer said, "Yes, Your Majesty, if the Han army continues to bombard us with red cannons, our village will definitely not be able to withstand it."

Man Dahai put down his wine cup, his face also full of worry, and said: "I have been thinking about it for the past few days. Instead of passively defending the mountain stronghold, it is better to send a group of soldiers to attack the Han army and defeat the Han army in one fell swoop."

As soon as these words were spoken, several officers and soldiers who were eating and drinking at the scene all raised their heads.

"Your Highness is right. We have been passively beaten in the mountain stronghold and have had enough of it."

Everyone was talking at once, making a lot of noise.

Man Dahai said: "The ones attacking this time are only the Han navy and the Korean troops. Our army does not need to be afraid at all."

It can be said that if Man Dahai knew what a misconception was, he would probably know that he was equating the Han army in front of him with the Beijing camp led by Jia Heng.

Mandahai said: "In the next few days, if the time is right, our army will select an elite force to go down the mountain and charge the Han army head-on. No matter how powerful their cannons are, they will be difficult to use when the troops are mixed together. Then, it will be time to test the bravery of the soldiers."

Upon hearing this, all the officers and soldiers present responded in agreement.

……

……

On the second day, in the morning, the Han army did not launch an offensive, but instead ordered the soldiers to start digging trenches and strengthening the camp, preparing to switch from offense to defense.

This was undoubtedly seen by the Jurchen scouts, who then turned around and reported it to Man Dahai.

After hearing the letter, Man Dahai secretly praised the enemy commander for his quick reaction, but he did not care about it at all. He just waited for the Han army to attack the city again and then led the Jurchen Eight Banners to launch a counterattack.

On this day, Mu Sheng was in the central military tent of the military camp, looking at the map hanging on the screen and thinking about how to defeat the enemy.

Suddenly, the Jinyifu guards who were accompanying the army entered the military tent quickly and said, "General Mu, a letter has been sent by carrier pigeon from Liaoyang."

Mu Sheng was slightly surprised when he heard this. He took the pigeon letter from the Jinyi Palace Guard, read it, and said happily, "Liaoyang was captured?"

The fall of Liaoyang City meant that the navy from Gaizhou and Haizhou in Liaodong had already cleared the obstacles to attacking Shengjing City.

"Call all the generals to the military tent to discuss matters." Mu Sheng gave the order with a look of joy on his face.

Such good news must be spread to all the generals in order to boost morale.

Soon, the generals of the Jiangnan Navy and the Korean generals, such as Li Shang, Tian Siquan and others, rushed into the military tent and lined up to salute.

Mu Sheng smiled and said, "Generals, please don't be polite. Prince Beijing has led his troops to capture Liaoyang City and threaten the Jurchen capital Shengjing. The small army has already won the victory."

When the generals heard this, they were surprised and happy, and most of them showed excitement on their faces.

Mu Sheng said loudly: "Two of the three armies have made progress, and we cannot fall behind."

Upon hearing this, all the generals nodded in agreement.

Otherwise, they would have become a detachment supporting the other two armies. When the Jurchens were pacified and the imperial court awarded rewards based on merit, they would definitely be the group with the least contribution.

But Mu Sheng changed the subject and reminded, "But don't underestimate the enemy and rush in. These few days, my army will be organized into three teams, which will take turns to attack the bandit stronghold. Later, I will send the order of the relevant team formation to all generals."

"Yes."

The faces of all the generals present became solemn, and they all clasped their fists in response.

In the next few days, the Han army launched another fierce attack on Niumao Village.

All these changes naturally fell into Man Dahai's eyes. At this moment, he was standing in the mountain stronghold, looking at the fearless Han soldiers below, frowning, wondering about the intentions of the Han general opposite.

At this moment, the Han army below shouted: "Ningyuan and Liaoyang have been captured, why don't you surrender?"

At this moment, a Jurchen Eight Banners commander was confused and looked at Man Dahai beside him. He lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, the Han army seems to be saying that Ningyuan City and Liaoyang City have been breached."

Upon hearing this, Man Dahai frowned, his eyes became sharp, and he was confused.

He knew that Ningyuan City was breached, but how did Liaoyang City get breached?

The officer looked solemn and asked, "Did something happen to Prince Shuncheng?"

Man Dahai's face was slightly tense, his eyes flashed fiercely, and he said in a deep voice: "Tell the soldiers under your command that this is a rumor spread by the Han army. Liaoyang City is now as safe as a rock and has not been breached by the Han army. Tell all the generals in the city to relax."

Upon hearing this, the commander answered loudly, "Yes."

After Man Dahai finished speaking, he returned to the military camp and looked down at the Han army that was raging like a sea of ​​fire. However, he did not feel as relaxed as he had just said to his generals, and his face was covered with a solemn look.

Once Liaoyang City is breached, Shengjing will face the enemy head-on. Is the Qing Dynasty... going to be finished?

While Man Dahai was thinking about it, he heard the rumbling sound of cannons and the Han army's bombardment below began again.

Mu Sheng was also urging the Korean soldiers to join the battlefield. They fired bows and crossbows, and the arrows were as dense as locusts and rained down, instantly suppressing the Jurchen bannermen.

After the Han army received the news that Liaoyang City and Ningyuan City had been captured, their morale was undoubtedly boosted, and at this moment, they surged forward.

Seeing this, Man Dahai said loudly: "All troops, listen to my orders, take the initiative to attack, and do not engage with the enemy any more."

As soon as these words were spoken, the soldiers of the Eight Banners in the mountain stronghold suddenly rushed out, holding weapons, and bravely charged towards the soldiers below.

Not long after, the two sides broke off combat.

Mu Sheng was holding a monocular telescope in his hand, observing the battle situation. He saw that the Korean soldiers were caught off guard and their front lines seemed unstable. He frowned and said to the deputy general Wei Tong beside him, "Han troops should hold the line. Be careful not to disrupt the front lines."

The deputy general responded loudly and then went to pass the order.

Mu Sheng was still using a monocular telescope to watch the attack and defense battle in the mountain village.

It can be seen that a large number of Korean soldiers are holding steel knives and fighting with the Jurchens, but the elite soldiers of the Jurchen Eight Banners are very brave and often fight one against two.

Fortunately, the Han navy soldiers were also attacking from the side, maintaining an overall undefeated situation.

Mu Sheng's eyes flickered and he couldn't help but shake his head secretly in his heart.

Man Dahai's eyes were piercing and sharp under his thick eyebrows. He said loudly: "That's right. In a field battle, the Han army is no match for our army!"

Now it seems that staying in the mountain strongholds and city walls was undoubtedly a foolish move, which gave the Han army's red cannons an opportunity to be used.

At this moment, the soldiers of the Eight Banners of the Jurchens rushed out of the mountain stronghold, holding shining steel knives, and started fighting. The Han and Korean soldiers were retreating step by step.

All of a sudden, they suppressed the Han army in terms of momentum.

"Dangdang..."

It was not until noon that the two sides withdrew their troops as the gong sounded.

The generals under Man Dahai wanted to give chase, but were called back by Man Dahai.

Man Dahai looked at the generals and explained with a smile: "The Han army has a large number of troops and has already made arrangements. If our army continues to pursue them, it will be easy for them to be ambushed."

Upon hearing this, the general beside Man Dahai said cheerfully, "Let's end it today. The next time the Han army attacks, our army will take the initiative to attack and will not wait for the enemy in the mountain stronghold."

Obviously, Man Dahai had found the weakness that could restrain the troops led by Mu Sheng.

Meanwhile, Mu Sheng was also in the central army tent. He looked at the generals who were attacking the city today with a gloomy look in his eyes and asked, "What's going on?"

The Korean generals and Han officers below felt the thunder that was about to fall, and they were silent at this moment.

Mu Sheng nodded and shouted, "Are you mute?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the temperature in the entire military tent suddenly dropped a lot.

The Korean general Li Shang below had a solemn expression on his face. He gritted his teeth and hurriedly said, "Governor Mu, I am incompetent in commanding the army. Please forgive me, Governor Mu."

At this moment, Tian Siquan also spoke up: "I share the same guilt."

Another Korean general, Park Chung-wi, also looked ashamed and came forward, bowing and begging for forgiveness.

Mu Sheng looked at Li Shang and said in a deep voice: "Today, the Korean soldiers were the first to collapse, almost shaking our army's front line. Can tens of thousands of people defeat 10,000 or 20,000 people?"

The three generals lowered their heads, filled with shame.

Mu Sheng shouted coldly, "We will take a day off today. Everyone, supervise the soldiers and attack the mountain stronghold again."

After all the generals left, Mu Sheng looked grim, still somewhat angry. He looked at his deputy general Wei Tong and said, "The Jurchens have turned the corner."

Comrade Wei said: "Although our army has a large number of troops, its combat effectiveness is inferior to that of the Korean army, especially."

Mu Sheng's face was as solemn as iron, and he said, "The next step will be troublesome. Our army can only contain this route. The enemy relies on the terrain, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Our troops cannot make much breakthrough."

Originally, I wanted to make achievements, but now it seems very likely that the confrontation with the Jurchens will continue like this.

Wei Tong thought for a moment and said, "Sir, why don't we split up the troops and bypass the Niumao Village in front of us and head to Hetuala."

"There are mountains on both sides, how can we attack from the outside?" Mu Sheng frowned and said, "Even if we attack from the outside, the risk is quite high."

Mu Sheng was born in the Prince of Dongping's Mansion and had a profound family background. His style of employing troops was mainly cautious, but of course he was also adaptable and flexible.

Wei Tong clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead a group of soldiers and horses, cross the mountains and ridges, and launch a surprise attack on Hetuala. I hope the prince will allow me to do so."

As the saying goes, fortune and honor are sought in danger. Instead of stopping in front of Niumao Village, it is better to find another way.

Mu Sheng thought about it, his expression changed, and he finally made up his mind. He said in a deep voice: "Then I will agree to your request and allocate 10,000 troops to you, but the Korean army must have 5,000 soldiers. We need the Han army to hold the line here."

Wei Tong bowed and responded.

……

……

Jinzhou City

One day, Cao Bianjiao, deputy general of Shanhaiguan, led a group of cavalry and rushed to the military fortress and fortress in Liaodong.

Along the way, except for the Jurchen scouts, they did not encounter any Jurchen cavalry blocking the way. Then, Cao Bianjiao began to order his soldiers to set up camp three miles away from Jinzhou city.

He led his troops and swept towards Jinzhou City.

In the government office in Jinzhou City, Dorgon had ordered his soldiers to reinforce the city and store food and fodder in order to confront the Han army for a long time outside the city.

"Fourteenth brother, the vanguard cavalry of the Han army is here." At this moment, Ajige walked into the hall with heavy steps and looked at Dorgon with concern.

Dorgon raised his head, his expression slightly changed, and said: "The Han cavalry is coming, I will go and take a look."

Ajige nodded, and accompanied by Dorgon and his personal guards, went to the top of the city to observe the enemy situation.

At this moment, on the battlements of the city wall, the Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing army were already facing a formidable enemy, holding weapons and standing on high alert.

However, the cavalry below were patrolling along the city wall, galloping on their horses, as if in provocation.

Dorgon and Ajige were standing on the top of the city wall. When they saw this scene, their faces became somewhat gloomy.

Ajige's eyes were full of anger, and he said indignantly: "The Han dogs are too arrogant. This is how the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty treated the Han people in the past!"

Dorgon sighed, his eyes fell on the face of the young general in white robe, frowned and said: "Look, that man is the young general in white robe who defeated Prince Zheng at Shanhaiguan?"

Hearing this, Ajige's face seemed to be shrouded in gloom, his brows were knitted tightly, and a trace of contemplation appeared in his tiger-like eyes. He said, "It seems so."

Dorgon was silent for a moment, then said with emotion: "The Han court is full of talented people, and rising talents are emerging in an endless stream, just like bamboo shoots after rain."

Think about it, the Qing Dynasty almost completely crushed the Han court's troops, and at that time the Qing Dynasty was full of talented people, brave generals like clouds, and strategists like rain.

A strong anger surged on Ajige's majestic face, and he said loudly: "Fourteenth brother, let me lead a cavalry to capture this man."

Dorgon waved his hand and said, "Don't act rashly."

When Ajige heard this, he looked very angry.

Dorgon thought about it, his heart moved slightly, and then said: "It would be good to test the quality of the Han army."

It can be said that Dorgon was also evaluating whether it was a mistake to defend the city, which was entirely using his own weaknesses to counter the enemy's strengths.

Ajige was delighted to get Dorgon's permission, and he acted decisively, leading a group of cavalry out of the city at lightning speed.

At this moment, Cao Bianjiao was leading the cavalry below. When he saw the Jurchen cavalry rushing out of the city, his eyes lit up and he led his cavalry to quickly meet them.

Cao Bianjiao shouted in a deep voice, "Come here, general, tell me your name!"

"Your grandfather Ajige!" Ajige shouted loudly, with anger on his face.

After a while, Cao Bianjiao came up to him, holding the reins of the horse under his crotch, and said, "Thieves, die!"

As he spoke, Cao Bianjiao raised his spear and stabbed Ajige in the chest.

"clang……"

Along with the sound of weapons clashing, Ajige blocked Cao Bianjiao's spear with a knife in his hand, and a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.

Cao Bianjiao thrust his spear quickly, and at this moment, in an instant, the spear flower was swaying, shining brightly, making people's eyes flash.

Ajige snorted coldly, his expression paused, and he angrily said, "Don't try to show off, you brat!"

After all, Ajige was also one of the most powerful generals in the world. At this moment, he was wielding a big sword in his hand and was not at all inferior. The horse under his crotch was neighing non-stop.

At this moment, the weapons of both sides collided almost like a revolving lantern, which was somewhat dazzling and overwhelming to outsiders.

The spear in Cao Bianjiao's hand was like a dragon emerging from water, not at all inferior.

The two fought back and forth for about thirty rounds.

The surrounding cavalry started fighting each other. The Han soldiers fought against the Jurchen soldiers, and both sides suffered casualties.

It was not until almost noon that the soldiers of both sides showed signs of fatigue, and Ajige led his troops back to the city.

Cao Bianjiao also led his troops to the military camp.

The first battle between the two sides undoubtedly tested each other's combat effectiveness and they were evenly matched.

……

……

Without mentioning the battle that took place under the city of Jinzhou, it is said that the army of more than 100,000 led by Jia Heng and Chen Xiao approached the city of Jinzhou in a mighty manner.

Chen Xiao looked at the young man in python clothing beside him. Under his willow-leaf thin eyebrows, his bright eyes sparkled and he whispered, "After the Jurchens were defeated twice in the siege, they must have reflected on it and may return to the city to fight with our army in the field."

Jia Heng smiled and said, "Needless to say, they will definitely go out of the city to fight in the field to test the combat effectiveness of our army, but our Han army is also a brave and experienced army, and the Jurchens will have no way to resist."

Chen Xiao's eyes flashed with a sharp light under his eyebrows, and he said, "How do you plan to deal with it?"

Jia Heng said: "Earlier, Marquis Xie had already followed the Daling River and attacked Jinzhou. If the Jurchens leave Jinzhou and want to fight with us in the field, then Marquis Xie can provide support from the side to curb the momentum of their cavalry."

Xie Zaiyi's journey was actually more about looking for opportunities to fight.

Chen Xiao nodded and said loudly: "These are all done by your officers. Isn't it missing a little..."

To put it bluntly, in Chen Xiao's opinion, Jia Heng's sense of involvement in this matter seemed to have weakened a little.

Jia Heng's face was extremely calm, and he said slowly: "Since you are a general, you should be in charge of the central army and command the generals. Han Xin commanded a million soldiers, but he never charged into battle."

In fact, he did a lot of preparatory work for this war in the early stage and also did it personally, such as the Haizhou and Gaizhou guards along the Liaodong route and the Korean route.

It can be said that his contributions have been fully reflected in these military routes, not to mention his achievements as commander-in-chief, which are unmatched.

Especially since he was a military minister and a local commander, it would be too degrading for him to fight for all the credit.

As the couple was talking, they rode on their maroon horses and led the army to Jinzhou City in a mighty manner.

(End of this chapter)