The Flying Cavalry was divided into six battalions based on their "mighty, sharp and victorious" character, with two thousand men in each battalion. After arriving in southern and western Liaoning, the local army would supplement each battalion with one thousand lancers, and only then would it be considered a complete organization.
In addition, there is the Naturalized Flying Cavalry Battalion led by Man Gui, which consists of 3,000 flying cavalry and 2,000 spear cavalry.
With such a strong force, allocating one or two cavalry battalions to Dongjiang Town would not affect the overall situation.
"The Flying Cavalry's tactics differ from those of ordinary cavalry. I'm afraid General Mao isn't fully aware of this." Yuan Keli continued cautiously, "This commander-in-chief suggests transferring one battalion to Dongjiang Town. However, regarding combat, I hope General Mao can discuss this with the commanders of the Flying Cavalry Battalion and ensure they are deployed appropriately."
Mao Wenlong readily agreed, saying, "Of course. The Flying Cavalry are the elite troops of the Beijing Camp, personally trained by His Majesty. I must use their best steel where it counts, and I dare not give them random orders."
"General Liu..." Yuan Keli turned to Liu Xingzuo, his intention to ask for advice was obvious.
Liu Xingzuo stepped forward, bowed, and said, "If General Mao doesn't mind, I'm willing to lead the Victory Battalion back to Dongjiang Town and put it under General Mao's command."
"I've been wanting this for a long time, how could I give it up?" Mao Wenlong's face was filled with joy as he laughed heartily, "With General Liu's Victory Camp supporting us, Dongjiang Town will be even more powerful!"
Yuan Keli nodded with a smile, and Xiong Tingbi also laughed heartily. Although it wasn't a formal military meeting, it was still a joy to finalize the general plan so harmoniously.
After that, the three leaders began to discuss it in more detail. In general, western and eastern Liaoning, as well as the Han-Mongol coalition forces, were to contain and harass, while southern Liaoning was to be the main offensive direction.
In other words, Xiong Tingbi would mobilize his elite troops and generals to prepare for a decisive battle with the Jiannu. Meanwhile, the other three factions would launch an attack in Liaonan before them, trying to contain and attract the Jiannu's forces.
"If the Jiannu in Liaoshen is weak, the Liaoxi cavalry can be used as a surprise attack, leaving Huangniwa and striking directly at the Jiannu's heart, robbing them of their courage." Xiong Tingbi narrowed his eyes and outlined his plan. "Our Liaonan army will attack Haizhou head-on and advance towards Liaoshen. With General Mao attacking from the east, we can achieve our goal."
This only considers the strength of the Ming army itself. There are some variables in the Han-Mongol coalition forces. If they are not taken into account for the time being, the plan will be safer.
"Master Xiong, this is a brilliant plan," Mao Wenlong praised, before adding, "We can use two divisions of troops from Dongjiang Town to contain the Jianzhou rebels, while the other three divisions will attack from Fengcheng, approaching Tongshan Fort and Lianshan Pass, and threaten Liaoyang from the east."
Since it is a diversionary force, there is no need to place Dongjiang Town south of Yagu Pass. Break through from the middle route, attack Benxi, or threaten Liaoyang, which will put more pressure on the Jiannu.
Yuan Keli nodded in agreement at first. He had carefully studied the strategy of pacifying Liao and discussed it with Xiong Tingbi.
It was believed that with the Ming army's combat effectiveness, even if they attacked in different directions, as long as they advanced steadily, it would be difficult for the Jiannu to defeat them one by one as they did at Sarhu.
"Don't forget the navy, both of you." Yuan Keli said with a smile, "The combined strength of the Deng, Jin, and Juehua navies is considerable. Even if they can't launch a major attack ashore, transporting supplies and containing the Jiannu's harassment can still be quite effective."
The navy attacked along the river. As long as the waterway was open, whether it was approaching Liaoyang along the Taizi River or attacking Shenyang directly from the Hunhe River, the Jiannu had to guard against it.
"With such a simultaneous advance by land and sea and attack from all sides, the fall of the Jiannu is imminent." Xiong Tingbi stroked his beard and made the assertion with full confidence.
Mao Wenlong nodded repeatedly, expressing his full agreement with this.
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Shenyang.
Although the Ming army had a very tight intelligence blockade and the Jiannu were unable to learn the exact movements of the Ming army, the old slave still sensed the approach of danger with his keen sense of smell.
At Haizhouwei in southern Liaoning and Yaguguan in eastern Liaodong, the Ming army showed signs of attacking, but was not in a hurry to take them, which was extremely suspicious.
The two Red Banners were defeated at Haizhouwei, and the Plain White Banner was also defeated at Weizi Valley. The Ming army's equipment and combat power were rapidly improving, which was an obvious fact, and it made the old slave even more uneasy.
The Eight Banners had already sent out four banners, but judging by the situation, it was still difficult to resist the attack of the two Ming armies. If more troops were sent, what would happen to Liaoshen?
The Ming troops in Haizhouwei and Yaguguan were not in a hurry to launch a fierce attack. Perhaps they were waiting to mobilize the Later Jin troops that were sinking in Liaoning, but their trump card was the Liaoxi area that had been silent.
This old slave didn't know that Xiong Tingbi was already in command in southern Liaoning. The existence of this old rival forced him to pay attention to the Ming army in western Liaoning.
Therefore, the old slave never dared to call upon the four banners of troops deployed in Liaoshen. Even if he wanted to reinforce them, he would prioritize defeating the Ming army in southern Liaoning.
The reason is very simple. Most of the Jurchens moved to Liaoning to enjoy a better life, and very few stayed in the remote and poor area of Jianzhou.
Moreover, it is very fast to move from Liaoshen to Haizhou, as the distance is very short. If something happens in Liaoshen, we can quickly withdraw and respond.
The continuous setbacks over the past few years had resulted in considerable losses for the Eight Banners, and their strength had declined. The population disadvantage also made replenishment quite difficult.
Therefore, the old servant issued a mobilization order, relaxed the age limit, expanded the manpower as much as possible, and prepared to seize the opportunity to achieve a great victory.
I don't dare to hope that a victory can turn the tide of the war in Liaodong, but it can relieve the pressure on the Ming army and buy some breathing time, which can be regarded as achieving part of the goal.
"Father Khan." Daishan handed the letter to the old slave and coughed a few times before speaking. "Yuetuo reports that the Ming army is extremely cautious, their camps are well-fortified, and they are advancing cautiously towards Haizhou City. He has been unable to find an opportunity to attack."
The old slave sighed silently. The Later Jin army was already quite afraid of attacking the Ming army's camps or fortifications. It was simply because they had suffered many losses and lost many lives.
After briefly reviewing Yue Tuo's report, the old slave thought for a moment and said, "Tell Yue Tuo not to engage in a reckless battle. The defeat at Haicheng River was due to insufficient preparation. They launched a hasty attack without even a few shield carts."
Daishan agreed, but he began to worry about his son Yuetuo and the two red flags in Haizhou.
The defeat of the two red flags in Fuzhou, southern Liaoning, was deeply engraved in his mind. It was no longer a storming of the Ming army with established fortifications, but a near-field battle, and a siege.
"Old Eight went to inquire about the situation in Korea, but hasn't sent back any news yet?" The old slave frowned slightly and said, "He's still overthinking it. Korea doesn't dare to become an enemy of the Great Jin, but it won't anger the Ming Dynasty either."
Daishan pondered for a moment, then said helplessly, "It wouldn't hurt to give it a try. The current amount of food and supplies is really too small. If we can buy some from North Korea, even if it's not much, it would be good."
The old servant remained silent and lowered his eyes. He had a feeling his son was doing something behind his back, but he had no evidence to prove it, so it was difficult to deal with him.
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