Chapter 59: Quick-travel strategy for the soldier king (Seventeen)
When the urgent report from the northern border arrived, the celebratory wine in my hand was still unfinished.
The messenger was covered in dust, looked panicked, and said in a hurried tone: "Report! The main force of the Qing army has assembled and will march south soon!"
As soon as the words came out, everyone in the room was shocked. The banquet, which was full of joy just now, suddenly fell silent, and everyone's face was filled with disbelief.
I took a deep breath, tried to suppress the shock in my heart, and asked in a deep voice: "Can you find out who the commander of the Qing army is? How many troops does he have?"
The messenger replied, "General Feng, the one leading the troops south this time is Prince Duoduo of Qingyu, who is leading the elite of the Eight Banners, a force of 100,000!"
"One hundred thousand?" My heart sank. This is not a small number.
Bi Yuntao stood up suddenly and put the wine bottle in his hand heavily on the table, making a crisp sound. "It seems that this celebration banquet is too early! The Qing army is coming with great force this time, we must make plans early!"
I nodded, looked around, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, now the main force of the Qing army is heading south, and a war is imminent. I wonder if you have any good plans?"
Everyone looked solemn upon hearing this. Bi Yuntao was the first to break the silence and said in a deep voice: "In my opinion, we should divide our troops to guard the fortresses. Yangzhou and Zhenjiang are both places that must be fought for by military strategists and must not be lost!"
I nodded in agreement: "Yun Tao's words make sense. In addition, we need to strengthen intelligence gathering and find out their specific movements before the Qing army moves south."
Sima Konghan, who had been silent all this time, spoke up at this moment: "Jiangnan is densely covered with waterways and has a complex terrain. Our army can take advantage of this and set up more traps and defenses to slow down the Qing army's offensive speed and put them in a desperate situation."
Sima Kongxian is a think tank after all. His proposal made me feel enlightened. What he said was the unique geographical advantages of the Jiangnan region. If used properly, it would greatly weaken the fighting power of the Qing army.
"Master Sima, this is a brilliant plan!" I praised, "This matter will be left to you and the local people to complete together. You must set up a dragnet before the Qing army arrives!"
Sima Kongxian stood up and accepted the order: "I will definitely live up to the general's high expectations!"
At this time, Hua Mu Cao, who had killed countless enemies, also stood up, clasped his fists and asked for mercy, saying: "General, I am willing to lead a team of light cavalry to the north to investigate the movements of the Qing army and buy more preparation time for our army!"
Although Hua Mucao is young, he is very brave and skilled in riding and shooting. He is a rare general. I thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Okay! Mucao, you must be careful and cautious on this trip. If you encounter a strong enemy, do not fight to the end, but retreat in time."
"I will obey your orders!" Hua Mucao's eyes flashed with determination, and he turned around to prepare for departure. I looked at their backs as they left, my heart filled with worry, but also hope.
Now, the Qing army is marching south, and Jiangnan is in danger. We can only unite as one to resist the foreign enemies and defend our homeland. I took a deep breath, suppressed all my worries, turned back to the study, and began to reorganize the army, strengthen training, and improve the combat effectiveness of the local soldiers.
This army, from a few hundred people at the beginning to tens of thousands today, has gone through countless battles and has been completely transformed.
Among them, there are farmers devastated by war, chivalrous men who are willing to sacrifice their lives, and generals who are loyal to their emperor and their country. They come from all corners of the country, but they all have a common goal, which is to defend their country and drive out the Tartars.
I know very well that the combat effectiveness of an army depends not only on the personal qualities of the soldiers, but also on their mental outlook and fighting will. Therefore, I not only focus on tactical training for the soldiers, but also on cultivating their patriotism and team spirit. I often go deep into the barracks, eat and live with the soldiers, understand their sufferings, listen to their voices, and use my own actions to infect and inspire them.
However, just as I was preparing for war, a piece of news came like a bolt from the blue, casting a shadow over my heart. Li Zicheng, the leader of the peasant uprising army, was now beginning to stir, attempting to seize Jiangnan during the chaos.
This news was not groundless, but came from our spies planted in Li Zicheng's inner circle. According to the spies' reports, after Li Zicheng learned that the main force of the Qing army was heading south, he began to secretly deploy troops and assemble troops. His purpose is self-evident.
I have met Li Zicheng once before. He was born in a poor family, but he had great ambitions and strategies. His army was brave and good at fighting, so he should not be underestimated. Last time, he and Wu Ergou had a conflict and killed each other. I thought they would no longer cooperate with each other, but unexpectedly they joined forces again.
I held the intelligence tightly in my hand, with a lot of thoughts in my mind. Now, the Qing army is eyeing us covetously, and Li Zicheng is trying to take advantage of the situation. The situation in Jiangnan is precarious. How should I deal with this situation of internal and external troubles?
After much deliberation, I decided to send someone to Li Zicheng's camp to try to persuade him to join the fight against the Qing. This candidate must be both talented and well-informed about justice. After much deliberation, I decided to let Sima Kongxian go.
"Sima sir, now that we are facing a powerful enemy and the internal turmoil continues, I have a plan that requires you to go with me." I told him Li Zicheng's intentions and my thoughts.
Sima Kongxian listened and nodded solemnly, "I understand what you mean. Although Li Zicheng is brave and good at fighting, he is just an illiterate. I will try my best to convince him to put the overall situation first."
A few days later, Sima Kongxian went to Li Zicheng's camp alone with my handwritten letter. In the letter, I earnestly explained the truth that the lips and teeth are cold, and hoped that he would put national interests first and fight against the Qing army with us.
A few days later, Sima Kongyan returned exhausted and brought back a reply from Li Zicheng, in which Li Zicheng fully agreed to my proposal and expressed his willingness to form an alliance with us to jointly resist the Qing Dynasty.
I was relieved, but Bi Yuntao looked worried, "Zi'ang, Li Zicheng is a fickle man, we must be on guard!"
"You're right, I will be careful." Although I said this, I still held a glimmer of hope in my heart, hoping that Li Zicheng would cooperate with us sincerely.
However, just as we were actively preparing for war and getting ready to welcome the Qing army's southward advance, Li Zicheng suddenly tore up the alliance and led his army to launch an attack on us with lightning speed.
"Report! Li Zicheng's army has broken through the front line and is heading towards us!" the scout reported in a panic.
I was suddenly struck by lightning, and everything in front of my eyes went dark. Li Zicheng's betrayal completely disrupted my plan and put me in a situation where I was attacked from all sides. Looking at the dense enemy marks on the map, I felt powerless. Could it be that Jiangnan was really going to fall?
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