Fu Shanhe

Chapter 289 The situation continues to deteriorate

Outside Jinan city.

"Great Chanyu, this is dangerous.

The enemy's artillery is powerful and shells can be fired at any time.

You should go to the safe area at the back and watch the battle!"

Seeing Huugjile coming, Arutan Wanhu hurriedly persuaded him.

The range of a cannon is related to many factors. The defenders' artillery is mounted on the city wall, so the shells can naturally fly farther.

As the attacking party, if they wanted to break through the city, they could only launch the attack under the enemy's artillery fire.

When attacking a city, the elite cavalry could not play any role, and they were reluctant to use cavalry to attack the city.

The main force of the attack now is the vassal army gathered by the Khanate.

"Don't worry, the artillery that can kill this Chanyu has not yet been produced.

You continue to command the battle, I am just here to take a look, don't be influenced by me."

Huugjile said with a smile.

He has been a soldier all his life and must have seen all kinds of big scenes.

The location in front of you seems to be full of dangers, but in fact the risk is not that great.

The enemy's shells could indeed fly over, but they had already passed the effective range.

Even if the defenders on the city discovered his position, with the accuracy of artillery these days, they would not be able to lock on to him outside the effective range.

The target of the enemy's artillery is also the soldier launching the attack.

The attack on the rear was merely a few symbolic shots, mainly for deterrence.

As long as your luck is not too bad, you won't be hit.

The boss may not care, but Arutan, as the younger brother, dare not take it lightly.

He immediately put protecting Huugjile's safety first, and handed over the specific attack matters to his subordinates.

They launched round after round of attacks, but each time they were dispersed halfway by the defenders' artillery fire.

The prepared trebuchets, battering rams and other siege weapons were blown into pieces as soon as they were put into use.

“What battle are you fighting?

Just give your head to the enemy!"

Huugjil was furious at his poor performance on the battlefield.

This march south was to annihilate the troops of Marquis Wuyang and severely damage the resistance forces of the Dayu Dynasty.

According to the current fighting style, even if all the vassal troops are killed, they can only consume some of the enemy's ammunition.

"Great Chanyu, calm down!"

“The government troops guarding the city are the elite troops of Dayu, and are not comparable to the enemies we encountered before.

The previous siege tactics are useless now, and we can only let each unit launch a violent attack."

Arutan explained hurriedly.

It’s not that he didn’t try hard, it’s just that the enemy was too difficult.

The army that came to support the king came from Guangdong and Guangxi and had no connection with the local people.

The previous tactics of arresting family members and threatening the defenders to open the city and surrender had no effect here.

Moreover, before they came, the local government of Shandong had begun to fortify the city and clear the countryside, leaving no human habitation within a radius of fifty miles.

If you want to capture cannon fodder, you have to run hundreds of miles away.

Even so, few people were caught.

Knowing that the northern barbarians were coming to attack, the government made a big fanfare to fortify the city and clear the countryside, and those who could escape had already left to avoid the war.

The only people left to look after the house were a group of elderly people who were reluctant to leave.

"madness!"

“If you don’t know how to attack a city, then go learn it!
There are so many methods of siege in military books, but you don't know how to use them. Instead, you use the stupidest method of brute force.

If you continue to fight like this, the vassal army will be completely wiped out in a few days.

Will you let the Guifang cavalry attack the city, or let our people put on armor and go to the battlefield?"

Huugjile scolded angrily.

After all, they came from a makeshift group and although they had experienced many wars, the knowledge they had learned was still limited.

In order to enhance the military capabilities of his generals, he had repeatedly asked them to learn the art of war, but unfortunately, the results were minimal.

Many generals, including Arutan, would rather trust their own experience than bother to learn military tactics.

Of course, it also has something to do with the military books they collected.

Most of the above is nonsense that seems correct. It only emphasizes the power of strategies but does not teach them how to apply them in practice.

The method of training soldiers is even more outdated and has long been out of date.

After experiments, they found that the outdated knowledge was not as useful as the experience they had summarized themselves.

We ran into a wall at the gates of Jinan. The enemy we encountered this time was different from the ones we had encountered before.

The enemy was at the forefront of the times in the use of firearms.

The tools used to defend the city were not the rolling stones, logs, and gold juice of the past, but a combination of cannons and muskets.

Many of the soldiers who launched the attack suffered heavy casualties before they even reached the city wall.

We organized an artillery counterattack to suppress the enemy's firepower, but unfortunately the enemy had the advantage of being high above us.

Since we are at a disadvantage in firepower, we can only make up for it with human lives.

But the enemy did not play according to the routine and had no intention of saving ammunition at all.

Before they could get close, the enemy's muskets opened fire.

Of the soldiers who launched the charge, only one or two dozen were killed, but a large number were injured.

The wailing of the wounded seriously affected the morale of the troops.

"Great Chanyu, calm down!
They are all ignorant and incompetent, so you must not get angry and make yourself sick."

Arutan looked very frightened, but deep down he didn't care.

Those who died were all cannon fodder, and many of them were surrendered soldiers who were recruited after they invaded. They were not worth anything at all.

When this batch dies, there will be another batch.

As long as the Khanate remains strong, there will be no shortage of cannon fodder.

By using the people of the Yu Dynasty to kill the people of the Yu Dynasty, they will not lose regardless of whether they win or lose.

"Humph!"

"Hurry up and order the troops to withdraw. We will only need to launch a feint attack later.

Arrange people to secretly dig tunnels under the city wall, bury a large amount of gunpowder, and directly blow up the city wall!"

Huugjile gave the order while cursing.

Although he stayed in Liaodong all year round, he never relaxed his attention on Dayu.

The White Lotus Sect was wreaking havoc in the south and immediately caught his attention.

The method of digging tunnels to attack cities was often used by the White Lotus rebels and had long been widely known.

This kind of overt intelligence has always been the favorite of intelligence agencies and soon reached Huugjiler's ears.

In the past, he didn't take it seriously.

But now that the siege has been blocked, we naturally have to give it a try.

……

The Northern Tartars' tactical adjustments soon attracted the attention of the defenders.

As the nominal second-in-command and the actual commander of the city defense, Li Mu was also closely watching the changes of the enemy.

The defenders of the city only need to defend, which is a reassuring statement.

Others don’t need to think too much, but the defender must always pay attention to changes in the situation and make timely adjustments based on his actual situation.

The army sent to support the king was no match for the main force of the Northern Tartars. That refers to a frontal field battle, which does not mean that they had no power to resist.

If a bloody fight really breaks out, Li Mu is still confident that he can inflict heavy losses on the enemy.

However, it is not easy to accumulate wealth, and he will not do such a losing business.

"Pass the order down and let the defenders be more vigilant.

There is dust rising in the distance. The enemy is probably digging a tunnel."

Li Mu gave the order calmly. The underground tactic was not invincible. Blowing up a section of the city wall did not mean that they could attack.

As long as we are prepared in advance and plug the gap in time, their efforts will be in vain.

What's more, digging tunnels also requires technical skills.

Not only must the location be accurate, but the path must also be chosen and the depth must be well controlled.

A team without any earthwork experience trying to dig a tunnel might end up burying themselves alive.

As soon as the order was issued, Li Mu received an invitation from Marquis Wuyang.

……

There was a sudden change in the capital, and the factional struggle in the court escalated, which directly affected the battlefield on the front line.

"My Lord, Governor Li died at the wrong time!"

Looking at the information in his hand, Li Mu said helplessly.

Although everyone has the surname Li, the Governor of Xuanda, Li Zhihong, has nothing to do with his Li family.

One took the path of a civil servant, and the other took the path of a military general, which destined them to be on different paths.

"Before the court had even convicted him, he had died in the imperial prison.

Having finally caught this evidence, the civil servants will certainly not let it go.

Investigating the cause of Li Zhihong's death seems to be an attempt to seek justice, but in fact it is a continuation of the dispute between civil and military officials.

The Northern Tartars had just withdrawn from the capital, and they were already in a rush to make trouble, without any sense of the overall situation!"

Marquis Wuyang couldn't help but complain.

These are all obvious troubles, but what really worries him is the change in the situation.

Originally, all parties agreed to put pressure on Liaodong Town and force them to engage in a decisive battle with the Northern Tartars.

Li Zhihong's death disrupted the previous deployment.

A governor had just died, and the court arrested another provincial governor. All local officials felt insecure.

"My Lord, it seems that those people are getting anxious.

The smuggling trade outside the Great Wall had huge profits, and many officials from all factions were dragged into it.

According to factional divisions, Xuanda Governor Li Zhihong is also a member of the Qingliu camp and is most likely involved in the case.

Given his status, he must know a lot of information.

In order to survive, it is only natural for him to use the information in his hands to threaten other people in the interest group to take action.

If the price has not been negotiated, or if the person hiding behind wants to eliminate this hidden danger, it is not impossible to take action against him.

It just so happened that problems arose in Liaodong Town, and a large number of honest officials were implicated.

These people simply killed Li Zhihong to silence him, trying to cover up the truth, and by the way, they could also rescue Liaodong Governor Zhong Jingming.

But they forgot His Majesty's temper. The more people go against him, the more he likes to do it.

Although Zhong Jingming escaped accountability this time, he will not be able to withstand the next one.

When the northern barbarians leave, that will be his end."

Li Mu thought for a while and said.

Frankly speaking, Liaodong Governor Zhong Jingming also made contributions, but he caused more trouble.

During his tenure, he stabilized the local situation and built an elite force in Liaodong.

Unfortunately, he forgot that power needs checks and balances, and took it for granted to exclude dissidents, resulting in the dominance of Liaodong Town.

Li Mu also saw his own shadow in Liaodong Town.

He was also the only dominant company, but the Guangdong-Guangxi faction he created consisted of a group of nobles.

He has considerable influence in the court, and when encountering problems, he can communicate directly with the emperor himself.

Unlike the Liaodong generals, their connection with imperial power was separated by a group of civil servants.

Lack of communication will inevitably lead to suspicion.

So much so that in the eyes of Emperor Yongning, the Guangdong and Guangxi faction was the direct armed forces he built after he ascended the throne.

Even if he was not familiar with the generals in the army, he was very familiar with their families.

Regardless of how much affection they have, the heads of these noble families can at least become familiar faces in front of the emperor.

Compared to strangers you have never met, acquaintances you have known since childhood are easier to trust.

In his eyes, the rapidly rising Liaodong Town became a vassal state that was unruly and could escape from his control at any time.

Not only was the emperor suspicious of Liaodong Town, but all the generals in Liaodong also lacked confidence in the emperor.

They have too many problems because of their interests.

If they were caught in any of the above crimes, they would be charged with the serious crime of having their property confiscated and their entire family exterminated, which meant that they were destined to seek to protect themselves.

Although he understood, Li Mu did not have the slightest sympathy.

He really disliked the style of the generals in Liaodong.

Even if you are seeking to protect yourself, you must at least fulfill your responsibilities.

They allowed the northern barbarians to invade and watched their colleagues fighting with the enemy. Who on the throne would not be suspicious of them if they were to behave like this?
If there were a monarch with strong political skills, he would be able to break them up and eliminate them in less than two or three years.

Rather than fighting for their rights from the imperial court, what they needed to do more was to find a way to protect Zhong Jingming.

No matter what, in the process of their development and growth, Zhong Jingming, the Liaodong commander-in-chief, made great contributions.

According to official rules, this is their benefactor.

Even if they do it for the sake of impressing others, they should behave well and prove that they are kind and righteous people.

In an age of poor communication, a good personal label plays a vital role.

The emperor only dares to employ those who are grateful and repay their kindness.

Moreover, if they saved Zhong Jingming, they would have someone who could have a say in the court.

The deeply bound relationship between the two parties is much more reliable than winning over other civil servants.

If handled properly, Liaodong Town would never have fallen into its current embarrassing situation.

In essence, the imperial court cannot do without them now.

If you take care of your face, everyone will take the initiative to help cover up the problem and prevent it from being exposed.

"Zhong Jingming, it's not a pity to die!
The good situation in Liaodong was ruined in his hands.

If it weren't for this idiot who acted recklessly and allowed the feudal lords to grow stronger, the northern barbarians would never dare to invade.

It’s a pity that countless good men who were stationed in Liaodong before did not die at the hands of the northern barbarians, but instead fell under the conspiracy of their own people.

No matter how the situation in the court changes, there are still a group of wise ministers supporting it. The situation on the southeast battlefield makes me worried.

News came from Zhejiang that Hangzhou Prefecture fell half a month ago, and Nanchang Prefecture was also on the verge of falling.

In fact, the fact that the two places have been able to hold out until now is also the result of the rebels' active slowdown of the offensive.

During the time we were away, they launched a counterattack in Jiangnan, Huguang and other places, and seized several provincial capitals.

The war has crossed the Yangtze River and begun to spread northward.

If this continues, I’m worried that Nanjing won’t be able to hold on!”

Marquis Wuyang said worriedly.

As a relative by marriage, his wealth and glory are completely tied to Dayu.

The Northern Barbarians were wreaking havoc in the north, the White Lotus was wreaking havoc in the south, and the most powerful Liaodong Town was no longer under control.

Dayu, which was attacked from both the north and the south, was already showing signs of collapse.

Once Nanjing falls, the precarious situation in the southeast will inevitably collapse completely.

"My Lord, at this moment, all we can do is to defend Jinan Prefecture."

Li Mu replied helplessly.

From the moment he joined the campaign to support the emperor, he knew that the situation in the South would get out of control.

Without reinforcements, the fall of Nanjing was inevitable.

If the rebels had not been worried about heavy casualties, they would have received the bad news by now.

Knowing the ending does not mean you can change it.

The emperor had issued an imperial decree, and it was impossible for them to disobey it and not join in the rescue of Nanjing.

Giving priority to the northern battlefield will inevitably lead to the situation in the south getting out of control.

……

(End of this chapter)