On the last day of March, Gao Di, the general of Shanhaiguan, led 10,000 troops to the city of Shenyang.
He didn't want to come, but military orders were difficult to disobey.
On the way here, Gao Di had been inquiring about the news about Wu Sangui and Li Dingguo.
Since Huang Degong blocked the news and the roads, Gao Di's intelligence was limited to the fact that he had sent someone to tell Wu Sangui that Li Dingguo was leading his troops north.
He didn't know that Wu Sangui had already rebelled and failed.
He has been wondering what happened to Wu Sangui?
Is he going to rebel?
What was Li Dingguo’s purpose in going north?
But after asking around, I didn't get any useful information.
Upon hearing that Gao Di had arrived at the city of Shenyang, Liu Zhaoji was overjoyed.
He took out the military order he had prepared in advance and asked someone to give it to Gaudi.
"General," the confidant came to Gao Di, "Governor Huang Degong has ordered you to come to the city to attend the banquet and discuss the battle plan outside the pass (Fushun Pass)."
Gao Di was a little surprised: "How did Huang Degong become the governor? Where is Wang Yongji?"
"The military order says that Wang Yongji was dismissed by the court because of the defeat in the Battle of Sarhu, and Huang Degong is now temporarily appointed as the Governor-General of Pingliao." The confidant handed the military order to Gao Di.
Gao Di carefully identified the seal and found that it was real.
But the more this happened, the more suspicious he felt.
Especially when there was no news about Wu Sangui.
"Sir, when will you enter the city?" asked the confidant beside him.
"There's no rush to go into the city," Gao Di shook his head. "This might be a Hongmen Banquet."
"But if you don't go, you will be disobeying military orders." The confidant reminded.
"It's not that we're not going, it's that we're not in a hurry to go!" Gaudi turned around and walked back to the tent with his confidants, and took out a large wooden box from his luggage.
When the wooden box was opened, it was filled with Ming Dynasty round treasures.
The confidant estimated that there were at least several hundred Ming Dynasty round treasures in here.
Gao Di directly handed the wooden box to his confidant and said, "Take the money and go to the vicinity of Shenyang City to find a few defenders and civilians and ask them whether Wu Sangui is dead or not."
"Ah?" The confidant was stunned.
Gaudi patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't hesitate to ask."
"I obey your command."
The news of Wu Sangui's rebellion had already spread throughout Fushun.
Liu Zhaoji came from Fushun.
The soldiers under his command returned to Shenyang with the news.
Although Liu Zhaoji ordered the soldiers to keep it secret, there were many people and many gossips.
The news still spread.
An hour later, Gao Di bought back the news with a large sum of money: Wu Sangui surrendered to the Jian Nu after his rebellion failed, and Wang Yongji died in the chaos. The soldiers in the city were not under Huang Degong's command, but Liu Zhaoji's.
"It's bad!" Gaudi began to get restless.
He had close contacts with Wu Sangui.
Now that Wu Sangui has surrendered to the Jiannu, the imperial court must be on guard against him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been asked to come to Shenyang suddenly.
"What should I do?" Gaudi began to wonder.
His first thought was to launch a rebellion like Wu Sangui.
But he had many concerns.
First of all, there was no reason to launch a rebellion.
There are only two excuses that can convince soldiers to launch a rebellion.
One is that they were owed wages, and the other is that they were oppressed.
The soldiers under his command were neither owed wages nor oppressed.
It would be neither right nor reasonable to launch a rebellion at this time.
It is impossible to achieve universal response from one person.
Secondly, he did not have the ability to launch a rebellion.
Wu Sangui had tens of thousands of Guanning troops under his command, and was qualified and capable of confronting the government army head-on.
He had only 10,000 soldiers under his command and was completely unable to confront the government army head-on.
Launching a rebellion at this time would be tantamount to seeking one's own death.
Furthermore.
He did not have the courage to start a rebellion.
And the most important point.
He was in an awkward position.
When Wu Sangui launched the rebellion, the Guanning Army was stationed outside the city of Fushun.
Running eastwards from there was the Jiannu's sphere of influence, and the Ming army did not dare to pursue them further.
And his troops were all outside the city of Shenyang.
To the north is Shenyang City, to the east is Fushun Pass, to the south is Liaoyang City, and to the west is Liaoze.
Even if he succeeded in launching a rebellion, he would have nowhere to escape if he was defeated.
But if you don't start a rebellion, you have to go to the city for the banquet.
If it was the Hongmen Banquet, he would never come back.
After thinking for a long time, Gao Di said to his confidant: "Tell Governor Huang Degong that I fell off my horse and was injured while traveling, so I can't attend the banquet."
"I obey your command."
Liu Zhaoji was not surprised when he received the reply.
Instead, he was somewhat happy.
The so-called injury from falling off a horse definitely did not exist. The reason why Gao Di said this was mainly to delay time.
From this we can infer that Gaudi already had the intention of rebellion.
When the time comes, he won't have to show mercy.
Gao Di also knew that this reason would arouse the vigilance of the Ming army in the city, but he no longer cared about that.
In the evening of that day, scouts brought news: Liu Wenxiu led 5,000 elite troops to retreat from Qinghebao to Liaoyang, and then headed north from Liaoyang and set up camp 20 miles south of them.
After hearing the news, Gaudi was completely panicked.
Now to his north were Liu Zhaoji's elite cavalry, and to his south were Liu Wenxiu's five thousand elite troops.
To the east was the main force of the army to pacify Liao.
To the west is Liaoze.
You can't beat them, and there's nowhere to run.
This was almost killing him.
After thinking all night, Gaudi finally came up with a solution before dawn: run!
After the army finished breakfast, Gaudi began to give orders.
"You four," he pointed at the four generals and said, "Each of you will take 2,000 soldiers and go to the east, west, south, and north of the camp for training ten miles apart."
A general said: "Sir, to the north of the camp is Shenyang City..."
"Then go around the city and practice five miles north of it."
"We obey your command." The four generals responded in unison and then led their troops out of the camp.
Because the troops were mobilized with great fanfare, they were quickly discovered by scouts and reported to Liu Zhaoji.
"Is there any movement in Gao Di's camp?" Liu Zhaoji stood up suddenly and said, "Order all troops to assemble quickly and prepare for battle."
By the time he had gathered his troops, the four troops sent by Gaudi had already begun marching.
"Report!" The scout came again to report: "Four troops have left Gaodi's camp, each with about two to three thousand men, marching east, south, west, and north respectively."
"Four armies?" Liu Zhaoji was a little confused at first, then he slapped his thigh fiercely: "Oh no, Gao Di is trying to escape!"
In Liu Zhaoji's view, Gao Di knew he was no match for his opponent and could not launch a rebellion, so he could only flee.
In order to confuse him, the troops fled in four directions.
As for where Gaudi was hiding, he had no idea.
"Quick," Liu Zhaoji picked up the weapons and helmet on the table and walked out while saying, "Chase him! Gao Di is a criminal of the court, we can't let him get away."
"Sir," Ma Yingkui, a general under Liu Zhaoji, asked, "Should we gather our troops and pursue one of the routes? Or should we divide our troops and pursue the four routes?"
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