Ming Zhengzhi, I am Zheng Kezang

In the Northeast at the end of March and the beginning of April, the spring is cold and cold, and there is no feeling of spring warmth and flowers blooming and everything thriving.

Although the snow had already begun to melt, the snow seeped into the soil, turning the frozen road into mud.

Tens of thousands of bannermen and new account holders who have just been promoted from the lowest level of Aha are struggling northward on this muddy land voluntarily or involuntarily.Since the cattle and horses were requisitioned to transport various supplies, everyone could only walk.People often fall down, but they have to continue to move forward after being helped up.

Although every household prepared more or less bread and dried meat, and wore thick clothes, it was almost impossible to find a place to shelter from the cold and wind when camping at night, so they could only sleep in the open by the fire. Side to get some warmth.As a result, within a few days, those with thin bodies couldn't hold on anymore. They either fell to the ground as they walked, or they walked more and more slowly, and they were pulled at the end of the team, and finally disappeared.

For the dead, family members buried them at first, but the more people died, the more numb the people around them became.Gone is the burial of the dead body, replaced by the taking of the clothes and what is left in the arms of the dead body, so that they can survive this long journey almost walking with death

Yunyu stood on a high place and watched his troops file southward, but his heart was cold.

The Qing government’s massive evacuation of the Liaodong people began in early February of the second year of Tongzhi. However, due to poor organization, lack of sufficient means of transportation, and transportation of cattle and horses, the speed of the northward migration was extremely slow, and almost two months passed. , those who set out earlier arrived at the south of Alejin, and as for the brigade, they didn't even cross the Songhua River.

And Xia Jun had launched another march on Liaoshen at the end of March of that year. , Yunyu had to block Xia Jun in the wicker edge, which also meant that he had to fight Xia Jun when he was insufficient in strength.

However, it is not only the lack of troops that worries Yunyu, but also the problem of horses that makes him even more troublesome. Speaking of which, although Yunti's troops made great gains in attacking the Horqin Four Banners that rebelled against the Qing court, they killed three enemies. Thousands of self-inflicted injuries, nearly 1000 casualties of soldiers and the loss of nearly [-] military horses made the capture of only [-] horses and [-] sheep depreciate to a certain extent, not to mention the loss of fodder on the return journey. Insufficient problems cost another [-] horses and [-] sheep --- the horses that are now weak and unable to be driven were taken to the surrounding area of ​​Ninggu Tower by the auxiliary army to graze. Breaking through the Xia army blocking the fire net, and then using hand-to-hand combat to defeat Xia army's tactics will not be able to be used. Next, the Qing army can only use flesh and blood to resist Xia army's sharp artillery fire

Of course, Yunti didn't know that his opponent, Xi Daping, who was subordinate to the new Northeast Camp, was also worried at the moment.

The reason for Xi Daping's worry is almost the same as that of Yun Yu, that is, Xia Jun also lacks sufficient transportation tools and horses.

Xia Jun’s lack of horses is naturally not because the horses lose weight after one winter and cannot be used. You must know that Xia Jun’s horse feed is composed of dried alfalfa, oats, chaff, black beans, fish bone meal, and sea salt. The horse feed of the Qing army is higher than that of ordinary dry grass, so the horses of the Xia army do not lose weight in winter, but the key point is that most of the horses used by the Xia army are non-castrated male horses. Grumpy doesn't work at all.

The artillery and other materials equipped by the Xia army must be towed, which cannot be transported by a small number of geldings alone. However, a large number of former militiamen recruited before were used in the Battle of Anyang for reasons such as saving military expenses, reducing the pressure on the food supply in North China, and ensuring the farming season. After the end, he was ordered by Zheng Kezang to disband and return to his hometown, and Xi Daping was unable to recruit the necessary number of new soldiers during the spring plowing, so Xia Jun's actions were actually difficult.

Fortunately, after the Liao River and the Hun River thawed, the flat-bottomed transport ships of the Xia Army Navy could enter along the mouth of the river, which helped Xi Daping a lot, otherwise the food needed by the troops would not be able to be supplied in time.

On the first day of April in the 15th year of Huaxia Wucheng, Huang Tao, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, led the second division of the Gongsheng Army and the first part of the third division of the former Guangwei Army, which had just been reorganized into the seventh division of the Longxiang Army under the Yangtze River Navy. Liaoyang City and Tokyo City.

The next day, Xi Daping led his troops to Fengtian City, and also accepted the empty city without bloodshed.

"My lord, something is wrong." Xi Daping's staff reported. "All the divisions sent out scouts to check the surrounding (Hua) Xiali. Like Shenyang, people have been moved away by the Tartars." The staff officers confirmed. "This is no longer a simple fortification of walls and clearing the country, but a large-scale relocation of people, just like the Xiongnu's westward migration."

Xi Daping shook his head. He had been a monk halfway and got a job in intelligence for a period of time, so he was unwilling to rush to judge the Qing court's movements without sufficient information: "It doesn't matter whether it is moving westward like the Xiongnu, or taking advantage of the vastness of the Northeast and our It doesn't matter if you have to deal with it, the area to be done now is to push the front line to the Songhua River as soon as possible."

Xi Daping said this for a reason. Zheng Kezang had already ordered 30 households in northern and southern Hebei to be resettled in Liaodong at the price of [-] mu for [-] mu and compensation of [-] shi of rice per population.Therefore, Xi Daping must ensure that the area south of the Songhua River is a safe zone, lest the Chinese court's plan to strengthen borders be destroyed by the Qing army.

It was for this reason that Xi Daping gave Huang Tao an order: "Let the Second Division of the Gongsheng Army guard the rear of our army in Haicheng, Liaoyang, Tokyo, Shenyang, Fushun, etc., and the Seventh Division of the Longxiang Army to go east immediately. After controlling the Phoenix Gate, Aiyang Gate, and Alkali Factory Gate, move towards the Yalu River and Changbai Mountain."

Then Xi Daping left two completely useless siege artillery regiments and a heavy artillery regiment directly under the Privy Council to wait for the arrival of Huang Tao's troops, and the rest of the main force continued northward, heading towards Kaiyuan.

On the sixth day of April, the Xia army entered Tieling; on the ninth day of April, the Xia army entered Kaiyuan City.

Just as the Xia army was advancing triumphantly, a shocking news came from the [-]st Division of the Gongsheng Army of the Xia Army that had recently taken control of Fushun. Fushun rushed over.

What's happening here?Could it be that the Qing army was preparing to encircle Wei and rescue Zhao?Huang Tao, who had yet to stay in the town, realized that Fushun was surrounded by the Qing army.Fushun City is small, and the garrisoned Xia army only has one regiment of infantry and one regiment of white soldiers. The total strength is less than 500 people. It is doubtful whether they can persist under the attack of several times the Qing army until the reinforcements arrive.But what is even more frightening is that the Xia army only has two regiments in Shenyang and the three artillery regiments left by Xi Daping. If the Qing army takes Fushun and goes straight to Shenyang, the mere 4000 people can't even fill the Shenyang city wall. How to be on guard for a long time.

However, it is not advisable to urgently withdraw troops from the front lines of Liaoyang, Haicheng, Gaizhou, and Phoenix. Let alone time, if the Qing army bluffs Shenyang with a feint shot and instead attacks Liaoyang City, which has fewer troops, problem as serious.

Then the Seventh Division of the Longxiang Army returned to aid?The same is too late in time.

Huang Tao had no choice but to leave Fushun to fend for himself, and at the same time strictly ordered everyone to guard against death. At the same time, he also asked Xi Daping to call back at least two divisions.

When he received the request for help from Huang Tao's fast horse, Xi Daping was standing on the gate of Weiyuan Fort, an important gateway beside the wicker.

The so-called wicker side is divided into the old side and the new side. The old side was built in the Huang Taiji era, about 230 (China) Xiali. Except for some sections that were built using the Liaodong side wall, the rest is a three-way construction with a height and a width. On the earth embankment of Buchi, a willow stake is erected every five Buchi on the embankment, and ropes are tied in the middle to block it. After a long time, the willow will grow and form a green barrier.The new border was built in the Kangxi era, extending northward from Weiyuan Fort in the north of Kaiyuan to Ula, Jilin.

The old side is used to prevent the Han and Mongols from crossing the border to reclaim and graze, but the Manchus still have to pass through, so 21 gates were opened along the entire wicker side, and the Weiyuan Fort Gate is one of them.However, because the wicker borders were built by exiles of the Han people with limited labor, each pass was narrow and simple and compact. After the gate tower was closed, it was the government office of the officials guarding the pass. There was a second row of ear rooms under the city, which were the barracks for the garrison and the cells for detaining those who crossed the border.

"This dilapidated place actually blocked countless people." Even so, Xi Daping knew that people might be able to sneak over the wicker edge, but considering the height of the earth embankment and the moat in front of the embankment, it was absolutely impossible for horses and chariots to pass through. , without chariots and horses, it is probably not an easy task to travel in the sparsely populated Northeast land. "However, it is delusional to want to stop the army of this dynasty." Xi Daping said with a pun. "Remove it, remove the edge of this section of wicker."

Zou Ming, the first-class lieutenant and military commander beside him, asked, "Commander, should the south be saved or not?"

Xi Daping asked, "Tell me, how many cannons does the Qing army have that can be used to attack the city?"

Zou Ming was stunned: "Although the outer city of Shenyang is only made of rammed earth, even if there are a hundred Wucheng Yonggu cannons, it may not be able to blow up immediately, not to mention that it is impossible for the Qing army to have so many cannons."

Zou Ming sighed for a while, and then confirmed: "So, the Qing army is just trying to slow down our advance."

"It should be so." Xi Daping sneered. "Besides, Huang Guowei is dizzy. I only have five divisions. I transferred two divisions back. How can the rest move forward? Just transfer them all back to make a rescue."

Shouque Duwei and Jun Sima suggested to Feng Chunying: "Shouldn't the Seventh Division of the Longxiang Army come back to help?"

Xi Daping thought about it for a while: "Since it is reported that the Qing captives came from Hetuala, let the Seventh Division of the Longxiang Army seize the gate of the alkali factory and attack Xingjing with great fanfare."