Chapter 341: The Siege of Jiangning (XV)
Jiangning General Fu Cha Fu Qing woke up from his sleep. It was still dark. When Fu Qing walked out of the tent, he felt mosquitoes flying outside and rushing towards him.
Wanting to wake up, Fu Qing could only go back to the tent. Since he didn't send troops to attack at night last night, Fu Qing could sleep. Looking at the tent curtain, Fu Qing was thinking about what to do next.
In fact, what could be done was clear. Since the Qing army in Jiangning could not break through the city defense, they could only leave.
Although Jiangning is an extremely important city, it is only a border stronghold of the Huaxia Army. It is obvious that the Huaxia Army is gathering its forces and preparing for a decisive battle with the Qing Army when the Qing Army is exhausted.
If we don't retreat now while the Qing army still has fighting capacity, we will be unable to leave once those well-rested troops arrive.
However, it was not easy to leave. Hundreds of thousands of elite Qing troops were no match for 30,000 Chinese troops. Once the Qing troops withdrew, all the land east of Nanjing would belong to Huo Chong.
Any force only needs to occupy Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and then firmly occupy Jiangning. Even if it is a small Southern Dynasty. The Huaxia Army still controls Shandong, Henan, and Anhui at this time. This is not a simple Southern Dynasty, but a court. Fu Qing really doesn't want to bear such a responsibility.
As he was thinking, he saw some light outside the door curtain. Fu Qing walked out of the tent again and saw that the sky was bright. Looking at the rising sun, Fu Qing suddenly wanted to curse his useless subordinates. Firearms are not as good as the rebels, and you can say that Huo Chong, the rebel, is good at this. He was beaten to a pulp by the Chinese army in the hand-to-hand combat, and his subordinates' words before the battle that they could kill three people at once were all bragging.
The Qing army beat drums and went up to the tent. Fu Qing asked directly, "Who wants to attack the city today?"
No one responded after this. Fu Qing's face darkened, "Since no one has taken the order, I will call the troops. The battalions that did not participate in the battle before will attack the city."
The Chinese army on the city wall saw the Qing army coming again and quickly prepared for battle. The Qing army still used the same old trick, lighting the straw first, but the wind direction, which was originally blowing towards Jiangning City, slowly changed. When the straw burned and produced a lot of smoke, the smoke blew back towards the Qing army formation.
If the Qing army had not been motionless, they would have looked like gods wrapped in the smoke from the top of the city. However, the Qing army was not gods after all, and many of them were choked by the smoke, covered their mouths, and coughed. The solemn battlefield turned into a ridiculous situation.
Fu Qing wanted to supervise the battle sternly, but seeing this scene, he, who had already considered retreating, became even more uneasy. The Qing army had taken advantage of the smoke and fog in the past two days, so could it be that God's will had turned to the enemy's side this time?
Because of this gust of wind, the Qing army's attack was greatly delayed. When the wind died down, it was already past noon. The Qing army could only eat.
In the afternoon, the wind picked up again, but it was still in the direction of the Qing army. Seeing that the sight line on the attack route was very good, Fu Qing did not dare to let the Qing army advance under the firepower of the Chinese army. Seeing that the sun was setting, he could only order the troops to withdraw.
Another day later, a messenger arrived from Jiangning City. Lei Hu and other headquarters personnel were overjoyed when they heard that about 50,000 troops had arrived in Yangzhou. Lei Hu was even happier when he learned that Qian Qing was the leader of the army, while other senior officers were mixed with joy and worry.
However, Qian Qing did not plan to march the entire army immediately, but sent a division to reinforce first. Lei Hu and others also knew the overall strategic arrangement, which was to use Jiangning City to attract the Qing army and wait for the opportunity to surprise the Qing army.
Two days later, the reinforcements arrived at Jiangbei, opposite Jiangning City. Fu Qing soon got the news and learned that the troops were no more than 10,000 people. The Qing army immediately proposed to engage in a fight with the reinforcements.
Fu Qing made up his mind and decided to give it a try. Although it was said that the Chinese army was invincible in field battles, Fu Qing had never experienced it. Maybe the Qing army had just made a big mistake in the previous battle?
After making up his mind, Fu Qing asked how the Chinese army came and where the ships were parked. The scout immediately reported that the Chinese army was going upstream.
"Where are their ships at anchor, and how many are there?"
"Reporting to the general, the rebels used a large ship to pull many small boats upstream. There are not many boats."
"Why are there not many boats going upstream?" Fu Qing didn't quite understand.
The scouts didn't understand, so they could only tell Fu Qing what they saw. The paddle steamers of the Huaxia Army had huge wheels installed on both sides, which drove the ships upstream. Behind these large ships, many flat boats were towed by cables, carrying the troops of the Huaxia Army. So the more than 10,000 people did not take many boats separately, but arrived at the opposite side of Jiangning in several rows of boats.
Fu Qing still didn't quite understand after hearing this. It was not common to install wheels on boats and use them to paddle, but it was not unheard of. However, what the scout said was completely unheard of. Since ancient times, boats had to use oars to sail upstream in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. I have never heard of a boat sailing upstream with its own power alone. Not to mention a large boat towing a small boat behind it.
Before Fu Qing could finish scolding the scouts, another scout rushed into the tent and shouted in panic: "General, the rebels have crossed the river!"
Fu Qing didn't know what to say. It was only a few hours, and the rebels said they could cross the river? Could it be that all the rebels were the legendary white sharks in the waves?
After calming down, Fu Qing asked how he had crossed the river. The scout then gestured told him a strange story.
The big ship towed the small boat diagonally upstream. As the river water washed over them, they slowly crossed the river and docked at the river center slope. The Chinese army had already prepared a passage at the river center slope, and it was easy for them to cross the Yangtze River.
Not only the Qing army commander Fu Qing was shocked and confused, but the Cao Gang brothers who served the Qing army also witnessed with their own eyes the way the Huaxia army crossed the river.
As the saying goes, experts see the doorway, while laymen see the excitement. Even a white-necked man like Fu Qing, who knows nothing, can still feel the shock from the description. The Cao Gang, who make a living on the water, have been frightened and hurried to Jiangning City to "seek an audience with the master."
Although Lei Hu was welcoming the reinforcements, he still had time to see the heroes of Jiancao Gang. When these people saw Lei Hu, they knelt down. Lei Hu was happy and quickly ordered people to help them up.
The Cao Gang has already realized how powerful the Chinese Army is, and the captain tentatively asked Lei Hu how he would deal with the Cao Gang in the future.
Lei Hu said with a smile: "We all eat this food together, we can't let our family eat it all by ourselves. If brothers want to work here in the future, we will be very happy."
The captain of the ship felt helpless after hearing this. If the Cao Gang came to work in the Chinese Army's fleet, wouldn't it be unilaterally taken over by the Chinese Army? The so-called giving everyone food to eat means that the brothers of the Cao Gang can obtain ships and operate independently. This is called giving everyone food to eat.
However, the captain also knew that things had come to this point. Unless the Cao Gang jumped out to fight against the Huaxia Army and could win, they would have to obey for the time being.
So the captain didn't dare to confront Lei Hu head-on and could only listen to Lei Hu's nonsense.
Lei Hu just thought that he should try to get as many people as possible to his side, and he didn't really know anything about the canal transportation. Although he had heard the words of millions of canal workers' food and clothing, and knew what it meant, he didn't really take it to heart. The key was to fight the war now.
First, the reinforcements were arranged to rest in Mancheng, and Lei Hu strengthened the defense, fearing that the Qing army would take advantage of the Huaxia army's slackness to launch a fierce attack.
However, Lei Hu still underestimated Fu Qing. The Qing army did propose to launch an attack under cover of night, but Fu Qing flatly refused. At this time, Fu Qing was very clear about the fate of the former generals of Hangzhou and Jiangning. Originally, Fu Qing still looked down on the two and thought they were too timid.
But at this moment, Fu Qing felt some respect for the two men. The strength of the Chinese army was beyond imagination.
If 10,000 troops can be transported at any time, then 30,000 or 50,000 troops will not be more difficult. Before this battle, Fu Qing knew very well that speed is of the essence in war, and it depends on surprise attacks. He used his military strength to seize Jiangning, and then launched attacks on Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Suzhou and Hangzhou from Jiangning to recapture Jiangnan.
However, at this time, let alone taking Jiangning, it was unclear whether the Qing army could protect itself under the city of Jiangning. If the Qing army failed to take Jiangning, the purpose of this war would have failed.
If you cannot win and stay where you are, it is a way to self-destruction from the perspective of military strategy. However, if you fail in fighting, you will be punished. The former generals of Hangzhou and Jiangning escaped with nearly 100,000 people, but they were still dismissed and imprisoned. What will be Fu Qing's fate this time?
Thinking that his reputation might be ruined in this way, Fu Qing felt uneasy and even had a feeling of total despair.
Thinking that his family would be disgraced because of him... Fu Qing suddenly gained some courage. If his parents and brothers wanted to survive, they had to save the Qing Dynasty first. If he lost hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers because of his impulsiveness, he would be the real culprit for the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Thinking of this, Fu Qing calmed down. Up to now, the Qing army had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties. And the casualties were all the most elite Qing troops.
It's not that they don't have the strength to launch a fierce attack at this time, but with 10,000 more troops in the city, not only will the chance of winning be reduced, but the casualties of the fierce attack will only increase. At this time, they can no longer besiege, but must first find a key point to defend that can resist the Chinese army's counterattack.
Fortunately, there are many natural dangers on this side of the Yangtze River. If you retreat to the west, you can reach Ma'anshan and Wuhu. If that doesn't work, there are Jiujiang and Anqing, both of which can be effectively defended and can block the key areas of the Yangtze River.
If the Chinese army underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, they might be defeated in these places. Moreover, the Qing army occupied the upper reaches after all, and it was always an advantage to go downstream.
Thinking of this, Fu Cha Fu Qing made up his mind and said to his subordinates: "All troops should prepare to evacuate Jiangning City and station in Wuhu to defend Tianmen and other places."
The generals were dumbfounded when they heard the order. Fu Qing was prepared for his generals to object, but he saw that everyone was just surprised and did not object. This surprised Fu Qing a little. After a long silence, someone in the general's order asked, "Can Tianmen be defended?"
Li Bai has a poem titled "Looking at Tianmen Mountain", which describes the Tianmen Mountain in Wuhu.
Tianmen Mountain is located on the bank of the Yangtze River in the northern suburbs of Wuhu City. It is famous all over the world for Li Bai's poem "Looking at Tianmen Mountain". Tianmen Mountain is the joint name of Dongliang Mountain and Xiliang Mountain, which are "facing each other on both sides of the river". Among the two Tianmen Mountains, Dongliang Mountain is the steepest, standing out in the river, like a knife or an axe, towering in the middle of the river, causing the Yangtze River to turn north, forming a unique scene of "clear water flowing eastward to this point". For thousands of years, its unique mountain shape and water situation and rich historical and cultural heritage have attracted celebrities and poets of all ages to travel and write poems. However, the most impressive poem is still Li Bai's "Looking at Tianmen Mountain":
The sky gate is broken and the Chu River is opened, the clear water flows eastward and returns here.
The green mountains on both sides face each other, and a lone sail comes from the horizon.
This is the artistic conception of "Tianmen Smoke and Waves".
Fu Qing wanted to retreat to Tianmen Mountain as the main defense, but he did not retreat here completely. Instead, he used Ma'an Mountain between Wuhu and Jiangning as the front line defense.
When passing Tianmen Mountain along the way, both Fu Qing and the Qing generals were deeply impressed by this place.
Tianmen Mountain is steep, like a knife cutting an axe, and it stands out in the river, facing each other across the river. It can be said that "the gate of heaven is interrupted and the river of Chu is opened". Among the two mountains, Dongliang Mountain is the steepest, towering in the middle of the river, making the Yangtze River turn northward, forming a strange scene of "clear water flows eastward to this point". In the distant place where the water and the sky meet, various ships shuttle back and forth through the "gate of heaven", allowing tourists to enjoy the beautiful scenery of nature; after passing the "gate of heaven" and going down the river, you can visit Caishiji, where the poet Li Bai embraces the moon in the river and rides a whale to the sky, and the tomb of Li Bai in Qingshan; not far down is Wujiang Town in Hexian County, where you can visit the Temple of Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu, who was born a hero and died a ghost hero and was defeated at Gaixia. There are many poems and songs about Tianmen Mountain, but the most imposing one is still Li Bai's poem "Looking at Tianmen Mountain": The gate of heaven is interrupted and the river of Chu is opened, and the clear water flows eastward to this point. Green mountains on both sides of the river face each other, and a lone sail comes from the horizon. This is the artistic conception of "Tianmen Smoke and Waves".
The Qing army commanders all thought that defending here was an important pass for the Yangtze River. Controlling Tianmen Mountain could also effectively block the Yangtze River.
Fu Qing had already put aside his personal honor and disgrace at this time, and immediately made it clear that he had to do this. Since Jiangning could not be taken, if the Qing army waited for the Chinese army to gather heavily, it would only suffer greater losses.
Even though the generals of the Qing Dynasty may not be able to defeat the Chinese army, they are not incompetent. Everyone has their own judgment of the situation, and their judgment is exactly the same as Fu Qing. Now there is no need to expect to capture Jiangning City in one fell swoop. The Chinese army will continue to send reinforcements to Jiangning. In this case, there is nothing wrong with retreating directly.
Since they were going to retreat, they had to consider the Qing army that had already reached Jurong. This Qing army had also fought fiercely in the siege, and if they were left behind when the whole army retreated, this group of people sandwiched between Jiangning and Zhenjiang would definitely not be able to escape.
Fu Qing also had his own ideas. After hearing his subordinates raise such a serious question, he said, "We don't need to pretend to retreat now. Instead, we should feint an attack on Jiangning City. Let Jiangning City be unaware of the government army's deployment, and mobilize the troops in Jurong to bypass them."
Fu Qing was deciding on the subsequent operations, while Qian Qing was also making his own preparations in Zhenjiang.
Fu Qing's troops were not the only ones attacking Jiangning. The Qing troops in Guangdong and Guangxi did not make any moves, but the Qing troops in Fujian took action.
There was also a Manchu city in Fuzhou, with three to four thousand Qing troops in the city, and an unknown number of Green Camp troops. Qian Qing sent troops to Xianxialing, striving to completely defeat the Qing troops blocked here in one fell swoop.
Xianxia Ancient Road was originally a military passage. It was not wide, only 2 to 5 meters wide. The road crossed mountains and was quite dangerous, but it was still the shortest, most convenient and safest "golden road" connecting the Qiantang River and the Minjiang River. Therefore, since the Tang Dynasty, countless Zhejiang merchants have transported tea, silk and other commodities to Fuzhou and Quanzhou ports through the Qiantang River, Xianxia Ancient Road and Minjiang River for sale overseas.
Xianxia Ancient Road was created because of war, so it certainly has important military value. Xianxia Ancient Road is located at the transportation hub of Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi, and is a "throatland" that has been fought over by military strategists since ancient times. Therefore, since the Tang Dynasty, Xianxia Ancient Road has been "extraordinarily lively", and wars would ignite every once in a while.
Although war is about to break out this time, there is nothing surprising about it.
At this time, Qian Qing still met with female civil servants from all over Jiangnan. They heard that Qian Qing was Huo Chong's eldest disciple and was also rumored to be Huo Chong's spokesperson. Qian Qing was the second in command of the entire Chinese court. The female civil servants were very excited.
This meeting was not meant to be a reunion for girlfriends, so there were more men than women. Chen Mingtai, the salt official, and his daughter Chen Tuiyi met the second-in-command of the Chinese court.
Chen Mingtai had to look up when he saw Qian Qing. Chen Mingtai was not short in Jiangnan, at least 165cm tall. However, Qian Qing was 170cm tall, and wearing military boots and a military cap made him look even taller.
What surprised Chen Mingtai was that Qian Qing was not the fierce and aggressive person he thought, but he was not a gentle and indifferent scholar. Although Gao Pang said that Qian Qing was very knowledgeable, when he saw it with his own eyes, it was different from what Chen Mingtai imagined.
If I must say, Qian Qing made Chen Mingtai feel familiar. Although this twenty-something girl had reached the age of marriage, she still had the feeling of an unmarried woman. She was sharp and aggressive but not without calmness. In her gestures, many aspects were similar to Huo Chong.
If the two did not look completely alike, Chen Mingtai would even think that Qian Qing was Huo Chong's biological daughter.
Other local people in Jiangnan served Qian Qing carefully, but Chen Mingtai said nothing. Gao Pang said that once Huo Chong declared himself emperor, he would be crowned king. Because Huo Chong only had one son, although he was said to be considering having more children, Huo Chong did not really work hard in this regard.
Therefore, the first prince under Huo Chong was destined to be a prince of a different surname. Moreover, it would be a female prince of the opposite sex that he had never seen before.
Chen Mingtai felt that it would be best for him to say nothing at this moment, because nothing he said would be right.
However, many people did not think so, and some even asked Qian Qing about her views on the future situation. Qian Qing did not pretend to be profound, she answered: "The people's support is very important, but the world is not stable, so there is no such a good situation. At present, as long as the people of Jiangnan understand that the Qing Dynasty will never come back, it will be fine. Most of you are from famous families in Jiangnan, I think you will spread this matter to the court, right?"
