After listening to the words of his adviser Fang Guangchen, Wu Sangui sat in his chair in a daze, silent for a long time.
Although what Fang Guangchen said was unpleasant to hear, it was all true.
If you refuse to dispatch troops according to the order, you are openly defying the imperial court. At the very least, you will be punished, and at the worst, you will be eliminated like Liu Zeqing.
Even if the imperial court lets him go temporarily, they will still cause trouble for him later.
In this case, he had no choice but to surrender to the Jiannu.
Is it really feasible to surrender to the Jiannu now?
The Guanning Army and the Jiannu have a long-standing feud. They did not surrender when they were seriously short of pay. Will they surrender now that they have sufficient pay?
Even if he really surrendered, there were only three possible outcomes for Wu Sangui.
1. Capture cities and seize territories and charge ahead like the Eight Banners of Han!
Although he could achieve great things and get a lot of money, there would be casualties in war, and his strength would be reduced by one point for every death.
Once all the Guanning troops were killed, he would lose his value.
Second, he was transferred to Liaodong by the Jiannu to guard their rear area?
This is almost impossible.
He cannot even allow others to sleep soundly beside his bed, and the Jiannu will never easily hand over the rear to him.
The last one was that he was stripped of his military power and became a useless person like his uncle Zu Dashou, who only drank tea, wine and listened to folk songs.
no!
These three outcomes were far from his expectations and even completely opposite!
The most important thing is that the Ming Dynasty’s basic foundation is still there, and it is wise to continue to serve the Ming Dynasty.
Wu Sangui clasped his hands and said to Fang Guangchen, "Thank you for your advice, Brother Fang. Now I know what to do."
Fang Guangchen smiled slightly, bowed in return and left the room.
Wu Sangui thought for a moment and then ordered outside: "Come here, ask the commander of the Zhenbiao Middle Camp, Bake Yong, to come here."
The organization of the Guanning Army underwent many changes, but there were roughly two stages.
The first stage was the Guanning Army during the period of Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan.
The Guanning Army at that time was organized into 15 battalions.
They are the Vanguard Battalion, the Back Force Battalion, the Center Battalion, the Left Wing Battalion, and the Right Wing Battalion.
These five camps are further divided into three camps: left, center and right, for a total of fifteen camps.
The soldiers of the 15th Battalion are divided into different sequences: combat soldiers, guard soldiers, and combat reinforcements.
During the reign of Zu Dashou, four Yi camps were set up, namely Pingyi Left Camp, Pingyi Right Camp, Jiangyi Left Camp and Jiangyi Right Camp.
The Four Yi Battalions were non-established troops, but it was these people who made the Guanning Army famous.
(Both the reinforcements and combat soldiers can fight in the field. The combat effectiveness of the former is much stronger than that of the latter. They are the elite among the elite.)
The second stage was the Guanning Army during the Wu Sangui period, when the Guanning Army was organized into seven battalions.
They are Zhenbiao Neidingying, Zhenbiao Zuoying, Zhenbiao Youying, Zhenbiao Zhongying, Zhenbiao Frontying, Zhenbiao Houying and Zhenbiao Dabaoying.
The Zhenbiao Neiding Camp was the elite among the elite, and was also Wu Sangui's personal retainers. Although they were small in number, their combat power was extremely strong.
Wu Sangui thought about it for a long time before deciding to send Bakeyong to lead the main cavalry force of the Zhenbiao Central Camp, and to draw some cavalry from other camps to go to Xuanfu for support.
It's not that he was hesitant, it's just that there were too few troops available.
First of all, the soldiers in the Dingying camp in the town flag cannot be transferred! These are his servants, his private army, and his combat power!
Whenever there is a war, these people follow him. With them around, Wu Sangui feels confident!
Secondly, the people from the four Yi camps cannot be transferred!
These four battalions of troops are composed of Mongolians and Jurchens. They are well-equipped, well-paid, and are also responsible for combat power!
We cannot and dare not transfer it to lend to the court.
Although the commanders of the four Yi camps were all his confidants, the loyalty of these Mongols and Jurchens was not very high, and it was very likely that they were bribed by the literati in the court and became the court's soldiers.
There are no such concerns when sending Bakyong and Zhenbiaozhongying.
First of all, Bakyong was born in the Dingying Camp of Zhenbiao and was absolutely loyal to him. He would not be persuaded to rebel by the court's coercion or inducement.
Secondly, the combat effectiveness of the Zhenbiao Middle Camp is medium, neither high nor low! Although it cannot be on par with the Jiannu with the same number, it can still protect itself.
In this expedition, self-protection is the most important thing.
A moment later, the chief officer of the Zhenbiao Central Camp, Lieutenant General Bakeyong, walked in with strong and powerful steps.
He was not tall, but he was very strong, and he looked fierce. Especially his square face, decorated with a pair of big round eyes, made people feel a little scared.
After entering the room, Bakyong knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, General!"
"No need for formalities." Wu Sangui stood up and handed the bowl of tea beside him to Bakyong.
Buck Yong didn't hesitate to pick up the big bowl and gulp down the tea in it.
Seeing that Buck Yong was still unsatisfied, Wu Sangui smiled bitterly and said, "Damn, you must have died of hunger and thirst in your previous life. You eat and drink like an animal."
Bucky reached out and wiped the tea off the bottom handle, grinning: "I can eat, drink, and poop, so I must have been an elephant in my previous life!"
Wu Sangui smiled for a while at first, then his face froze and his expression became serious.
Bake Yong knew that Wu Sangui had something important to discuss with him, so he immediately stopped smiling and stood by respectfully.
Wu Sangui coughed lightly and said, "The imperial court has issued an order to dispatch 5,000 cavalry to Xuanfu to fight against Duoduo."
"Ah?" Buckyon rubbed his ears, thinking he had heard it wrong.
"You heard it right!" Wu Sangui emphasized, "The Jiannu troops are divided into three groups. Duoduo led 60,000 people to enter the pass from Dushikou and besiege Xuanfu; Dorgon led 20,000 people to enter the pass from Qiangziling and contain Huang Degong in the Miyun area; and the other group is Jirgalang, who is containing our army at Shanhaiguan."
Bake rolled his eyes and said, "Five thousand cavalrymen against sixty thousand Jiannu? The imperial court is afraid that we will not die! General, you will not let us die, right?"
Wu Sangui was a little embarrassed and hurriedly explained: "This time we go to Xuanfu to fight, the 40,000 troops under Huang Degong are the main force, we are just supporting them."
Bakeyong thought about it and said, "That won't work. Huang Degong and the Guanning Army, plus other troops, only have more than 50,000 people at most. The chances of winning are not high with the same number, let alone 50,000 against 60,000!"
Wu Sangui patted Bakyong on the shoulder and said: "Whether we can win is the court's business, and whether to send troops is my business. If you were me, would you choose to disobey the order or send troops to support us?"
Buck opened his mouth helplessly, then sighed.
This is a matter of principle. Once such a mistake is made, the civil officials in the court will impeach you and make you disappear without a trace.
"What do you mean, General?"
"I'll give you 5,000 cavalry when you go to Xuanfu. If you can beat them, fight. If you can't, run away. Maintain your strength!"
"If the imperial court blames you, they won't dare to do anything to you as long as I'm here."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
