"King Khan, urgent news from Fuzhou." The personal guard outside the tent came in again and bowed to report.
The old slave frowned. He really didn't want to hear any more bad news. It was boring.
Huang Taiji waved his hand and said, "Bring in the urgent report and have the messenger wait outside."
After a while, the personal guard brought in the urgent report, glanced at Nurhaci, and hesitated.
The old slave gestured towards Huang Taiji and said briefly, "You come and read it."
"Yes, Father Khan." Huang Taiji took the urgent report and checked the seal before opening it to take a look.
After reading the urgent report, he frowned slightly and did not read out the entire report. Instead, he selected the key points. "Mao Wenlong led his troops to land and launch a surprise attack, capturing the Huanggu Island Fort, burning the surrounding villages, and relocating all the Liao people."
"Mao Wenlong?" The old slave sat up straight, a little surprised and confused.
Mao Wenlong suffered a series of defeats in Zhenjiang and Tieshan, and fled to Korea with the refugees. It was said that he hid in the desolate Pi Island. How could he make a comeback in such a short time?
Huang Taiji glanced at his father Khan and added, "According to the urgent report from Fuzhou, there are more than 200 soldiers in Huanggudao Fort, 37 of them are wearing armor, and none of them have escaped."
In this case, the number of troops led by Mao Wenlong should be no less than one thousand, or even more.
After a rough estimate, I felt that the order issued last night was somewhat inappropriate. With the remaining troops in Gai, Hai, and Fu Prefectures, it would be difficult to deal with two Ming armies.
Moreover, where will the Ming army's next move be directed? The coastline is long and difficult to defend!
"The Ming army's harassment is merely a distraction for our main army. There's no need to worry." After much deliberation, the old slave decided that he couldn't be bothered by the enemy's actions. He should focus on dealing with Guangning, the tough nut to crack. "Send a message to Fuzhou, Gaizhou, and other places, ordering them to hold their forts firmly and not act rashly."
Huang Taiji nodded in agreement. The Ming navy's swift deployment was unexpectedly rapid, but because it was so rapid, it was inevitably rushed, and the mobilized force would not be large, thus limiting the damage to the occupied territories.
Therefore, we must not let the enemy lead us by the nose. Hastily returning is what the enemy wants, and it plays into their trap.
………………
As night falls, Guangning City is still a scene of bustling work.
Soldiers, volunteers, and civilians in the city, tens of thousands of people took action at the same time, and the sounds of shouts and tools banging filled the air.
The tree trunks and timbers were simply processed and inserted obliquely through the firing holes in the battlements of the city wall. The two adjacent ones were as close as possible at the far end, or intersected to form a triangle, or formed a shape without sharp corners.
Then, planks or timbers were laid out, forming a platform that protruded several meters above the city wall. Several wooden posts were nailed around the platform, sacks or straw mats were hung, several holes were cut, and water was poured in.
At first, the prefect Gao Bangzuo was puzzled, not knowing what all the effort was for. As the frozen platforms continued to form, and after careful observation, he finally figured out the trick.
Dozens of branches as thin as spear shafts were sharpened at one end and tied horizontally and vertically into loose squares. They were hung under the city with ropes and then frozen with water, forming a barrier similar to plum blossom piles to protect the city wall.
One by one, trees with iron hoops were lifted up from the bottom of the city, their angles adjusted, and placed at the battlements, pointing straight out of the city.
This thing—Gao Bangzuo walked slowly on the city wall, occasionally reaching out to touch the cold trees, with a strange look on his face.
Below the city, torches were lit, and hundreds of craftsmen brandished their tools, the sound of clanging filling the air. They had been working since morning, for nearly a day, but they only took a break when they were exhausted.
Gao Bangzuo naturally knew the reason behind this. It was very simple. The wages were high, but he was working hard for the lives of himself and his family.
Spend the money, enjoy the treasures. The city is about to fall. What's the point of keeping the things in the warehouse? Either they will be burned or they will be given to the Jiannu.
With all the intense preparations and preparations, everyone knew an unprecedented war was about to begin. If they could survive, there would be a bright future; if they couldn't, the city would be engulfed in blood and fire.
Xiong Tingbi and several personal soldiers came towards him, and Gao Bangzuo hurried forward to greet them.
"You've worked hard, Prefect Gao." Xiong Tingbi returned the greeting and said, "We're running short on lumber. I'd like to trouble you, Prefect Gao, to bring in your runners and some civilians to cut down all the wooden fences for the parade ground and bring them here."
Gao Bangzuo quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "This is what I should do. Why should I say it's hard work?"
Watching Gao Bangzuo leave, Xiong Tingbi continued his patrol along the city and met Ma Chengfei and others at a section of the city wall with many platforms.
"Greetings, Your Excellency." Ma Chengfei bowed and pointed to the platform and the city wall. "I think we could also erect poles and tents on the city wall to protect against the Jiannu's arrows. And moving it up and down isn't very convenient either."
Xiong Tingbi nodded in agreement and said, "Captain Ma's words make sense. I will send people to reinforce it now."
Ma Chengfei smiled and said, "Your Excellency has been in Liaodong for a long time. Looking at the weather, I wonder when the thaw will come?"
Xiong Tingbi was confident and said, "It will take at least another month, enough time for the Jiannu to retreat."
"That's good, that's good." Ma Chengfei breathed a sigh of relief, squinting his eyes at the Later Jin camp outside the city. "The Jiannu are also working overnight to build their weapons. If they attack again, I'm afraid it will take all day and night, with fighting."
Xiong Tingbi stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "A fierce battle is inevitable. As long as the soldiers and civilians of this city are united and determined, this governor is confident that we can hold the city."
Ma Chengfei turned to look at the lights across the city, smiled, and said, "I am also very confident. I will not delay your inspection, Your Excellency. Farewell."
"Captain Ma, please do as you wish." Xiong Tingbi smiled and nodded.
As Ma Chengfei walked away, he could hear a low grumble, "Shaodaozi is no longer drinkable. Other wines are just bland!"
Xiong Tingbi turned around, his face grim, and said solemnly to Councillor Xing Shenyan, "Recruit the best and strongest men from the city to increase our volunteer forces. All the silk and cloth in the treasury can be used as rewards. We must recruit another 30,000 volunteers to help defend the city."
"As you command." Xing Shenyan bowed and accepted the order, then took several people down to the city to make arrangements.
Xiong Tingbi then instructed Han Chuming, the assistant minister, "Select strong men from the former volunteers to supplement the army. The more the better."
"I understand." Han Chuming, the assistant official, bowed and accepted the order, then turned and left.
Xiong Tingbi let out a long breath, and white mist rose up, then quickly dissipated in front of his face.
Victory or failure depends on this one move. As long as we defeat the fierce attack of the Later Jin army, its retreat is certain.
Given the Jiannu's financial resources, they cannot carry out a long-term siege, and attacking the city will only result in heavy casualties. What should they do next? I believe that this old slave will make a wise but helpless choice.
He reached out and patted the falconet on the battlement. The heavy and cold feeling seemed to give him more strength. He turned around and strode forward.
………………
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