That’s right, it’s the Red Cannon from Ningyuan.
After the Ming army advanced to the Guangning area, Ningyuan became the rear, and the red cannon became a decoration, which was a great waste.
Therefore, Xiong Tingbi divided these red cannons into two parts: one part was used to strengthen the defense of Guangning, and the other part was transported to southern Liaoning by sea, ready to be used for attacking and unleashing its might.
According to the battle plan, several warships of the navy will be loaded with red cannons and cruise in Sancha River to provide fire support to the defenders of Niuzhuangyi and Dongchangbao.
At the same time, the navy's gunboats could also enter the Hunhe or Taizihe River, pretending to head straight for Liaoshen. Wouldn't it be even more impressive if they fired a few shots along the way?
The remaining red-haired artillery will be assigned to the main attacking army and will open fire under the city of Haizhou.
"For the Jiannu, the Haicheng River is both a barrier and an obstacle." Xiong Tingbi drew a line on the sand table with his pointer and said, "It's a barrier for Haizhou City in Hebei, but it's an obstacle for Yaozhou Post and Tashanpu in Henan, making it difficult to quickly send reinforcements."
As he spoke, Xiong Tingbi pointed at Yaozhou Post and Tashanpu on the sand table. "According to intelligence, there are only a small number of Jiannu scouts in these two places, so it will be very easy to capture them."
The river was a natural obstacle for the Jiannu. Not only were there few Jiannu people who could swim, they were also not good at operating boats. Building a pontoon bridge would risk cutting off their retreat.
Therefore, since the Jiannu army concentrated its troops in Haizhou City, they would not engage in a direct confrontation with the Ming army at the two strongholds south of the Haicheng River. In other words, the Ming army would face almost no resistance if it advanced northward to the Haicheng River.
Even so, Xiong Tingbi's deployment was quite cautious, and the number of troops he dispatched was sufficient. Even if the Jiannu with two red flags came, he was not afraid at all.
Similarly, Niuzhuangyi and Dongchangbao, sandwiched between the Sancha River and the Haicheng River, were also difficult for the Jiannu to defend. However, with the support of the navy, the Ming army found it quite easy to attack or defend.
The Jiannu army was mostly composed of cavalry and had strong mobility; the Ming army had a navy and could transport people and goods very quickly.
The battle plan formulated by Xiong Tingbi can be said to have maximized the strengths of the Ming army.
In addition to the navy, another major advantage of the Ming army was its weapons and equipment, namely the number and sharpness of its muskets and artillery.
Drawing on previous experience with the Jiannu, Xiong Tingbi ordered all units to prepare sufficient chariots within two weeks. This included both artillery chariots capable of mounting small artillery pieces and boxcars capable of withstanding the Jiannu's assaults. The number of these chariots had to be sufficient.
Obviously, without cavalry capable of matching the Jiannu, the Ming army had to use infantry to counter the cavalry. This required a strict battle formation and wugang carts or boxcars to hinder the Jiannu cavalry.
The battle plan was meticulously detailed. After Xiong Tingbi laid it out, he merely asked for the generals' opinions. Of course, no one had any objections, so simply following orders was enough.
After the military meeting, Xiong Tingbi deliberately left behind Zhang Keda, the general of Dengzhen, who is now also the supreme commander of the navy.
As the Liaodong War progressed, the navy became increasingly important. Previously, it was primarily used to transport supplies and troops along the coast. Now, it had the capabilities to launch direct assaults on the Liaodong Strait and land attacks.
"Surveys are underway on the Hunhe River, but the Taizihe River has yet to begin," Zhang Keda reported truthfully. "I've already submitted a petition to Lord Yuan, requesting the dispatch of inland vessels to be towed to southern Liaoning by the Dengzhen Navy's seagoing vessels."
The river had been closed to navigation for a long time and needed to be resurveyed; seagoing vessels had a deep draft and were not suitable for inland navigation. Building on site would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, and there was a risk of missing the opportunity for war.
Xiong Tingbi nodded slightly and said, "I have also made a clear request to the court regarding the transfer of inland vessels, and I expect a response soon. If there are sufficient vessels, General Zhang, do you think it is feasible to transport two divisions of troops to Liaochen at once?"
Zhang Keda thought for a moment and said, "The Jiannu have dropped a lot of wood and other floating objects to block our navy's passage. They may also drive piles into the riverbed in the future. I dare not predict this easily."
Xiong Tingbi pondered for a moment and nodded, feeling that this answer was prudent and cautious. Who knew if the Jiannu would have other means or come up with another solution?
Zhang Keda glanced at Xiong Tingbi and continued, "If Your Excellency relies heavily on the navy, I believe we can advance along the Sancha River by both land and water. If we capture strongholds like Dongsheng Fort, Changning Fort, Changding Fort, and Huangniwa, not only Haizhou Guard, but also the flanks of Anshan and Liaoyang will be threatened, forcing the Jiannu to focus on one thing and lose sight of the other."
Xiong Tingbi lowered his eyes and did not answer immediately. He had considered such a battle, which basically meant deploying troops along the Liaodong Great Wall, occupying various forts, and threatening Liaoshen from the flank.
Although they could rely on the Sancha River, Hun River, or Taizi River and use the navy to transport troops and supplies, the Liaohe River was to the west, and they could not connect well with the Guangning Ming army for mutual support.
Moreover, if the Liaodong Great Wall is used to build a defense line, the defense system in Guangning area will be of little use.
A new round of civil engineering projects, mobilizing troops and transporting supplies would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, and would certainly not be as solid as Guangning's defenses.
In short, Xiong Tingbi had to buy time and try to create a situation where he could at least launch a direct attack on Liaoyang before the start of next year's winter-spring offensive.
Without telling Zhang Keda about these ideas, Xiong Tingbi asked Zhang Keda to retreat and speed up the preparation of small boats in order to build a pontoon bridge to cross the Haicheng River when attacking Haizhou City.
I wonder what arrangements the Emperor will make after receiving my secret report. Perhaps he will have some brilliant ideas that will help in the battle.
Xiong Tingbi walked to the sand table, thinking of the capital thousands of miles away and the young emperor, he actually felt a little bit of anticipation.
……………………
Bang! A newly published copy of "Da Ming Forum" was thrown on the table. Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but sneer, revealing a bit of cruelty.
Luo Sigong acted decisively, rushing to Shanxi with the Imperial Guards and mobilizing the Datong garrison with the emperor's secret decree. With lightning speed, he rounded up all eight families. Of course, sealing off their homes and confiscating their property was also essential.
With Fan Dafu's testimony, the evidence of Fan Yongdou's treasonous behavior was irrefutable. Luo Sigong also had a plan for the other seven families. Even under torture, there were always weak bones. With the Fan family's accusations, how could he not be dragged into the water?
When the secret report reached the capital, Zhu Youxiao showed no mercy and directly issued an order to execute the seven "main culprits" on the spot and hang their heads for public display; the main culprit of the Fan family was taken to the capital to be executed according to the law.
The newspapers immediately published the relevant news, and controlling public opinion was still Zhu Youxiao's best strategy. The arrest of Fan Yongdou and other main culprits in the capital also proved that the emperor was not making false accusations and was not greedy for the money of these eight families.
Of course, plundering wealth was also one of the emperor's main goals, but with the crime of collusion and treason, this unspoken goal was downplayed.
Regardless of the rumors that "the eight families fall, Tianqi eats well" in the future, there is no need to worry about the finances this year and next year. Not only that, there are even benefits such as tax cuts for the people, which has earned a good reputation.
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