In addition, Zhenjiang Fort was not large to begin with, so 8,000 people worked day and night to complete the construction of the field fortifications surrounding the fort in just one day and one night. In addition, sufficient ammunition, supplies, weapons and equipment were transported into the fort.

After the work was completed, seeing that the Jiannu army had not yet taken action, Mao Wenlong ordered his officers and soldiers to build a circular fortification along the river.

According to the plan made in advance, this semi-circular fortification along the river was called the Queyue Formation.

That's right, chariots were replaced by trench breastworks, and strong bows and crossbows were replaced by grenade carts and flintlock rifles, with the firepower support of the navy on the river behind them. This was an imitation of Liu Yu's Queyue Formation, which defeated the Wei cavalry.

The Queyue Formation and the circular fortifications of Zhenjiang Fort were only two miles apart at their closest point, and they could support each other with artillery, forming what was often referred to as a "horn formation" in military books.

Mao Wenlong's obsession with Zhenjiang Fort and even the Zhenjiang area finally made him determined to engage in a face-to-face battle with the Jiannu.

"The Jiannu have abandoned the ten miles of land along the river and even failed to defend Zhenjiang Fort. I'm afraid they won't launch an attack." Chen Jisheng wanted to establish merit in the defense of Zhenjiang Fort. Even if it was not as good as the victory in Ningyuan, it would still make the Jiannu suffer a heavy loss.

Mao Wenlong looked around with the telescope, and after a while he put it down and said, "If he doesn't attack, we will continue to expand the occupied area and make this defense along the river impregnable."

Gou Zhenhuai put down the telescope, pointed ahead and said, "The Jiannu scouts are annoying. Wait until night, send people out to ambush, and come back tomorrow during the day to show them how powerful we are."

"This is a very clever plan." Mao Wenlong smiled and nodded in agreement.

Gou Zhenhuai smiled and said, "The news that the newly promoted Jianzhou Commander Nara Zhongming is stationed in Tieshan should be known to the Jiannu soon, right?"

Mao Wenlong nodded and said, "The news has already spread. The Jiannu may not take it seriously, nor may they act rashly."

"It doesn't matter whether they come to kill Nara Zhongming or not." Gou Zhenhuai sneered and said, "Just let the Jiannu know about this. The more the better."

"The imperial court..." Chen Jisheng said hesitantly, "This move may not be effective, but it will only cause more trouble."

Mao Wenlong also felt that it was redundant. Seeing his old friend speak for him, he looked at Chen Jisheng with gratitude.

"We've only sent a hundred or so soldiers to protect him, so it's not really a big deal." Gou Zhenhuai smiled faintly and said, "There's no apparent effect at the moment, and it's only a short-term solution. But in the future, it might prove to be of great use, beyond our wildest dreams."

Mao Wenlong signaled Chen Jisheng with his eyes not to ask any more questions, and then started talking about defense, thus putting the matter behind him.

Gou Zhenhuai actually didn't understand everything, but he knew that this was the emperor's intention, so he naturally tried his best to explain its great usefulness and did not dare to have any doubt.

Gou Zhenhuai estimated that, given the current situation, within two years at most, as long as the imperial court could guarantee supplies of food, weapons, and ammunition, the Liao would be pacified. As for why Nara Zhongming had to be brought into the picture, he felt it was somewhat unnecessary.

Although the Later Jin still occupied most of Liaodong, the vast territory had become a burden. Due to limited military strength, it was difficult to effectively control it.

According to the output of Liaodong at that time, even without fighting, the Later Jin could be exhausted by just siege and blockade.

Of course, the emperor had already said that natural disasters were imminent and that the timetable for pacifying Liao would be three years at most. Therefore, simply consuming the enemy was definitely not enough.

"Field battles still rely on chariot formations." Chen Jisheng's words interrupted Gou Zhenhuai's thoughts. "Kong Youde, Zhang Pan and others defeated the Jiannu with this method. Marshal Qi also has a successful method to follow."

Mao Wenlong stroked his beard and said thoughtfully, "Chariots alone may not be enough. Cavalry is essential."

Gou Zhenhuai remained silent. The imperial court, however, dispatched a number of war horses to the Dongjiang Army and formed mounted musketeers. However, the cavalry Mao Wenlong was referring to was clearly not this type.

Mounted swordsmanship, to be able to fight against the Jiannu, is not something that can be trained in a short period of time. Perhaps the Mongolian tribes can lend a hand.

As the Ming army advanced in western Liaoning, Hu Duntu also wanted to lead his troops back east, and wanted to use Yi County as a place to receive reward silver and open a horse market.

The court hadn't yet given a clear answer to this, but Gou Zhenhuai thought it was a good thing. Allying with the Mongols to resist the Jin was the court's established strategy, and the Chahars' return to the east would also put considerable pressure on the Later Jin, right?

Moreover, the Chahar tribe's occupation of the area north of Yi County meant that they were guarding the Ming army's flanks at Jinzhou and Dalingh River, thus eliminating a lot of concerns in their eastward advance.

……………………

Different perspectives lead to very different conclusions.

Xiong Tingbi also supported the Chahar tribe's return to the east. Of course, he did not expect that Hu Duntu was not targeting the Later Jin, but the Khalkha tribe, and wanted to fight for the dream of unifying the Mongolian tribes.

Only Emperor Zhu Youxiao could see through Hu Duntu's thoughts and predict the consequences. He hesitated to respond because he was worried and wanted to find a way to circumvent the situation.

Historically, the Later Jin seemed to have been quiet for several years after Sun Chengzong took power in Liaodong.

But in fact, the Later Jin Dynasty conquered the Khalkha tribe several times and obtained a large number of cattle and sheep. With the help of Hu Duntu, it completely wiped out the pro-Ming Khalkha tribes and stabilized the rear.

Now the Ming army's continuous actions have tied down the Later Jin's forces, making it difficult for them to free up their hands to attack the Khalkha tribe.

Another eastward shift of the Chahars could very well disrupt the current situation, either causing internal strife within the Khalkha tribe, with its people defecting to the Later Jin, or refusing to confront the Later Jin, resulting in a gap in Yi County and threatening the flanks of Jinzhou and Daling River.

Don't think that Huduntu is a tough guy just because he has the ambition to unify Mongolia. Historically, he was a coward against the Later Jin Dynasty and couldn't even send troops to reinforce the Khalkha tribe that was attacked by the Later Jin Dynasty.

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