Haisheng Mingdi

Chapter 343
Kangkala, who is stationed in Suzhou, is now a bare-handed commander. His 500 people lost more than 700 in Changzhou before, and now there are more than 1000 stationed in Suzhou. He came to Jiangning to discuss matters with Tu Guobao, and he will return now not going.

After sitting dully for a while, Kangkala proposed to return to Suzhou.

"I suggest that Jinglue immediately transfer Hangzhou's Zheng Jiwu, Zhu Dagang, Li Yuchun, etc. to the north to join the troops from Hangjiahu, Songjiang and other places. First go to Suzhou to join forces, and then I will bring Suzhou soldiers to rescue Jiangning."

Hangzhou and Songjiang also each have 1 banners, while Li Yuchun and Zheng Jiwu in western Zhejiang are brave and capable of fighting, and they have a lot of soldiers and horses. Together, they can draw at least 2 or even [-] people to help.

The Qing army in Zhejiang has a strong record. If they reinforce Jiangning, they will still have the power to fight the Ming army.

But Tu Guobao objected on the grounds that the Ming army controlled the canal. Although West Zhejiang had always been under the firm control of the Qing army, under the current circumstances, it was not easy for the Qing army to pass through Suchang Town to rescue Jiangning. On the contrary, there is a danger of being ambushed and rescued halfway, and it may even leave western Zhejiang empty and be seized by the Ming army.

"Hangzhou can't lose any more."

"Suzhou doesn't have many soldiers and horses now, so we should stick to the city, otherwise Suzhou may fall for the fourth time."

Tu Guobao even suggested that Kangkala should stay in Jiangning City now. He was afraid that he would never return to Suzhou if he went out of the city, and would be intercepted and captured by the Ming army halfway.

Kangkala still insisted that the soldiers from the south of the Yangtze River should be concentrated to guard Jiangning City and fight the Ming army.

Now that there are no reinforcements outside, if we scatter to defend the city, we may be defeated by the Ming army one by one, and we should move closer to Jiangning.

"Kang Shilang's words are very reasonable. Jiangning City can't afford to lose, but Hangzhou can't ignore it." Yan Wogong pondered for a while, "I think the current situation should mobilize troops from Anqing, Huizhou and other places upstream to reinforce Jiangning, Suzhou and Hangzhou. The remaining part of the Green Battalion guards the city, and the most elite garrison Eight Banners soldiers and the Governor's Standard Battalion are transferred to reinforce Jiangning. Ma Butang, what do you think?"

Ma Guozhu, the governor of the three provinces, is suffering from a headache, and he still can't figure out why Zhenjiang lost so quickly and so badly.

[-] elites went to guard Zhenjiang, and there was the danger of the Yangtze River, but they were defeated in a blink of an eye, and the [-] Banners elites were all gone. What's more, [-]% of the artillery in Jiangnan was lost in Zhenjiang. Even lost [-]% in Zhenjiang.

Jiangning City is very strong, but such a big city also needs more soldiers and horses to defend it. Only [-] soldiers cannot defend such a big city, especially now that the city is short of gunpowder, but the Ming army has a lot of artillery and gunpowder. Next, it has a complete advantage in the navy.

He didn't know how to fight this battle.

"If the Eight Banners and the Green Battalion in the south of the Yangtze River are to be transferred to guard Jiangning, then the localities may not be able to defend it."

For example, all places in Anhui upstream are now blocked by the Ming army and unable to leave the city. Once the main force comes to Jiangning again, it doesn’t matter whether they will be ambushed on the road, but after the main force leaves, the remaining soldiers are more likely to be unable to defend city.

My Lord Yan also sighed, "Now we have only two ways to go, either to concentrate our efforts to protect Jiangning City, or to keep the city waiting for reinforcements, but the reinforcements may not arrive in three to five months, we have to make a good plan to stick to it for a year. Prepare, but based on the number of soldiers and horses, artillery and warships of the Ming army, I guess we can't defend it for a year, and maybe not for three months. Now there are thousands of soldiers in Jiangnan, and thousands of soldiers are scattered there. Once Jiangning If the city is not defended here, the whole of Jiangnan will collapse, and the Ming army will surely break it down one by one."

Ma Guozhu said, "But it is impossible for the imperial court to just sit back and watch us. In three months, I think the imperial court should be able to send troops to help, and it will not even take three months." If you come to help with all your strength, even if the canal is blocked, you only carry a small amount of food and grass, and go directly south by land. Then it will take about a thousand miles from Yanzhou to Yangzhou.

Walking hundreds of miles a day is ten days at most.

Even if they can't cross the river, they can still support Jiangning City if they camp directly in Jiangbei, threatening the back of the Ming army and preventing them from attacking the city with all their strength.

"What about food and grass? I arrived in Yangzhou in ten days, but there is no food and grass to support me. How can I maintain 2 people?"

Ma Guozhu gritted his teeth and said, "At the Battle of the Daling River, I surrounded the city with more than 1 Ming troops from [-] troops. The city was besieged to fight for aid, and the city had no food for more than two months. I ate everything that should be eaten, and everything that should not be eaten. After they ate, the people in the city ate each other and still clung to each other, and finally fell to the city. They ate more than [-] people!"

"The [-] Shandong reinforcements stationed in Yangzhou can collect food and grass in the north of the Yangtze River. The autumn harvest is just over, and some can always be collected. In addition to food and grass, cattle, horses, pigs and sheep can be eaten. Even when necessary, people can also catch them to eat! "

These remarks about cannibalism are very shocking, but there are too many records of cannibalism in wars in history books throughout the ages, especially during the siege, there were even more cannibals. battle.

Even when Hangzhou defended the city last time, beggars were tied up and slaughtered to be sold as rice and meat.

In the battle of Daling River back then, it is said that Zu Dashou and other fortified cities refused to defend, and there was no food, and they ate up all the civilians in the city.

Now Ma Guozhu also claims that after Tan Tai went south, he directly robbed the people of Jiangbei for food maintenance, instead of thinking about how to transport food from Beizhi or Shandong and Henan, and get food locally.If there is no food, the livestock will be eaten, and if there is no livestock, the nearby people will be directly captured as military rations.

"It's too appalling. To directly arrest the people for military rations. Isn't that what Zhu Can, Huang Chao and others did? Then how can the court win the support of the people?" Yan Wogong asked.

Ma Guozhu said indifferently, "War is cruel. If we were besieged in Jiangning City, Jiangning is such a big city with so many residents, what would it be like if there was a shortage of food? Let me tell Jinglue, At that time, the people in the city will eat the beggars first, then some unprotected refugees, the old and the weak, and finally women and children, and then they will eat their children until the city breaks down, or until the last person is eaten... "

"If you want to protect Jiangning, you have to take an unusual path. There are [-] elites in Yanzhou, and you can't be unable to move because of lack of food and grass. At critical times, all means must be used."

"If 2 people from Yanzhou go to Yangzhou in the north of the Yangtze River, and then another 2 people from the west of Zhejiang go to Suzhou in the south, and then abandon the cities of Chitai, Huining and other cities, and transfer all the troops to Jiangning, then I can gather at least 5 people. , can completely fight against the Ming army. I have always believed that the rise of the Minglu Supervisory Kingdom was not long, and its soldiers and horses were not many, especially the elite. , we rely on the strong city of Jiangning and build two battalions in the north and south of the Yangtze River, not only will we be able to defend Jiangning, but we may even have a chance to defeat the Ming army in one fell swoop."

"When necessary, even Huguang's soldiers can go down the river for reinforcements."

Kang Kara stated, "I support Governor Ma's proposal. Since I entered the Qing Dynasty, I have been invincible. The defeat of the Huguang Ming bandits shows that the Qing army is mostly mobs. We must take the initiative."

Yan Wogong pondered for a long time.

"Okay, then, according to what Governor Ma and Kang Shilang said, we will fight to the death with the Ming thieves here in Jiangning. I will make a memorial to the court. Please join me in the memorial, and urgently transfer 2 people from Tantai, Shandong. Then transfer Huguang 2 Banners to the south, and transfer [-] people from the west of Zhejiang, and more than [-] green battalions from Anqing, Chihui and other places, and let the rest be ignored, and first concentrate the troops and horses to fight against the main force of the Ming thieves."

"National Treasure."

"The subordinate is here."

"You are the governor and admiral of Jiangning, Caojiang, who was newly appointed by this strategy. You will go to Suzhou and Hangzhou with Kang Shilang first, gather the soldiers from the south, gather in Suzhou, and then go north along the canal to Zhenjiang to establish a Jiangnan camp. Recover Zhenjiang and help Jiang Ning."

"Governor Ma, I have to trouble you to go to Shandong in person and invite Tan Tai's army to go south and station in Yangzhou to establish a Jiangbei camp in Yangzhou. And transfer Henan soldiers to go south."

"Liu Yingbin!"

Liu Yingbin, the former governor of Anhui and now the Zuo Buzheng of Jiangnan, has been silent all this time, and hastily stood up when he heard the roll call.

"Go upstream to Taiping, Qinghui, Huichi and other prefectures, mobilize green camps from all over the country and rush to the Dashengguan area in the west of Jiangning to establish Jiangxi camp."

"This book leads [-] soldiers to guard Jiangning City, and the three camps outside the city will defend Jiangning City to the death, and fight the Ming army to the end!"

Tu Guobao was stunned.

"Jinglue, Butang, now Hongguang is still in the city, Qian Qianyi and Chen Hongfan are also in the city, are you using Hongguang to negotiate peace with Lu Jianguo? Didn't the imperial court promise to relax some conditions as long as Lu Jianguo is willing to talk?"

"But Lu Jianguo didn't see any envoys at all, and he refused to negotiate peace."

"Then relax the conditions? Even if it can be delayed for a while."

Tu Guobao had no idea, and he didn't want to see the Qing army really defeat the Ming army. He even believed that Yan Wogong was a spy of Lu Jianguo, so he felt that Yan Wogong's big move was big. Deployment, obviously there must be many pitfalls, just like the first battle in Zhenjiang.

He would rather have less trouble.

"Nalu Jianguo is gaining the upper hand, how can there be any reason not to eat meat at this time?"

"It's better to send some money first. If it's not possible, you can send Hongguang directly."

Yan Wogong looked at Ma Guozhu and Kangkala.

Kang Kara bowed his head and remained silent, obviously unwilling to get involved in this matter, or to say that he did not want to take responsibility in the future.

Ma Guozhu hesitated for a while and said, "It's good to take advantage of the opportunity to buy more time, but there is not much money left now."

Strictly, I am fair, "Now that the treasury has no money, it can only be donated by the gentry and the common people. The situation is critical. Everyone should contribute money and strength, and each household should contribute a small one, and take turns to go to the city to help defend. According to the last time For the donation amount, another 300 million taels of silver will be collected, 100 million will be sent to the Ming army as a demonstration and sincerity, and the remaining 200 million will be used to reward the soldiers for their bravery!"

Ma Guozhu and the others nodded in agreement, since they didn't have to spend their money anyway.

The last time they levied 300 million yuan, they also distributed 100 million yuan. Now there are still a few dead ghosts to share the money. If they divide another 100 taels, then they can get a lot more.

100 million was given to Lu Jianguo for peace, 100 million was rewarded to the army, and they divided another 100 million, perfect.

(End of this chapter)