I founded a heavy industry group in the late Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 177 Mao Wenlong Makes a Small Demand

Chapter 176 The issue of the four prefectures in southern Liaoning was not simply a military matter; it also included people's livelihood, political struggles, and the game between various parties. If Nurhaci wanted to take over southern Liaoning, he would inevitably launch a fierce counterattack.

The Jurchens at this stage are actually stronger than those of the same period in history. This is mainly because after the defeat at the Three Rivers, Nurhaci turned his attack on Ligdan Khan and recruited the five tribes of Inner Khalkha Mongols. With the support of these five Mongol tribes, and in addition, Nurhaci changed his original strategy in advance, vigorously supported the Han army, and established the Chiyan Banner, which was mainly composed of Han soldiers. At this stage, Nurhaci has 80,000 to 100,000 mobile troops and has a strong military deterrent.

After Nurhaci captured Jinzhouwei and killed Zhang Pan, a general under Mao Wenlong of the Dongjiang Army, he transitioned to a phase of strategic defense and internal consolidation. This is the real reason why the Jurchens did not advance westward after Huang Taiji won the Battle of Liuhe. Nurhaci's policy focus was on consolidating the newly occupied territories and suppressing the Liaodong rebellion. However, the problem was that the Liaodong rebellion had already been decimated and could no longer pose a threat to Nurhaci. More importantly, Nurhaci possessed a strong intelligence advantage. Chen Ying's plan to launch a amphibious landing operation could not avoid the ubiquitous spies and dense network of informants. This battle could not be a surprise attack and could only rely on conventional tactics on the main battlefield.

In fact, Chen Yingke didn't have many options. His first plan was to have the Daning New Army and the Shahe New Army land at Lushun. This would prevent the troops on the beach from being charged by the Jurchen cavalry during the landing. At that time, the cavalry was equivalent to the tanks of later generations. Infantry on the beach could hardly withstand the charge of the cavalry. More importantly, because the sand was soft, it could absorb the kinetic energy of the shells, greatly reducing their lethality. It was like using one's own weakness to attack the enemy's strength.

However, the same problem arises if one wants to advance north from Lushun. The first step would be to confront Nanguanling, south of Jinzhou, a typical terrain of two mountains flanking a valley, which is also blocked by the ancient pass Hasihan Pass, built during the Liao Dynasty. This pass stretches from Yandao Village on the Yellow Sea coast in the east to Tuchengzi Village on the Bohai Sea coast in the west, traversing the entire Jinzhou Isthmus. The gate is located in the middle of the pass.

The city gate was extremely difficult to conquer. More importantly, since the Liao and Jin dynasties, rulers of all dynasties have clearly recognized the crucial value of the Jinzhou Gorge in national defense and have established fortified positions there.

Since Chen Ying occupied Lushun, the Jurchens have been reinforcing their troops here. The Jinzhou Gorge is the only land route to Jinzhou, Fuzhou, Haizhou and other areas in the heart of southern Liaoning. Once Nanguanling falls into enemy hands, the Shahe New Army will be trapped at the bottom of the pocket and unable to expand northward at all.

If the Da Ning New Army were to bypass Nanguanling by sea and land north of Jinzhou, it would face the risk of being attacked from both sides. At that time, the Jurchen army on Nanguanling could join forces with the reinforcements from the north to launch a pincer attack on the landing Ming army. The terrain here is unique, completely different from typical city sieges. Between the narrow valley and the fortified walls, both sides' tactical choices would be severely constrained, making it difficult to execute their strategies.

If the intention is to bypass the main force and land at Haizhou, which is the core stronghold of the Jurchens in southern Liaoning and the gateway to Shenyang, then besieging Haizhou would maximize the mobilization of the Jurchens' main force. Haizhou's defenses would be strong, and if the siege becomes a stalemate, the Shahe New Army might face a pincer attack from both inside and outside.

More importantly, the current weather conditions are extremely unfavorable for Chen Ying. The Liao River is frozen over, and his Da Ning naval forces are unable to penetrate deep into the Liao River, threaten Liaoyang and other places, or rally the Liao people. If Sun Chengzong insists on resigning, the situation in the entire Liaodong region will deteriorate instantly, so he has to prepare for the worst.

Regardless of the plan, conquering Liaonan would not be an easy task. Under the current conditions, neither the Shahe New Army nor the Daning New Army, despite their powerful artillery and muskets, could breach the stone walls of the four prefectures of Liaonan. In the era of cold weapons, the attacking and defending sides were essentially equal. Conquering a city was no easy feat. More importantly, Nurhaci had too many cavalry, giving them a significant advantage in mobility. If the situation became stalemated, Chen Ying would be put on the defensive.

After much deliberation, he could only seek help from Mao Wenlong. To conquer Liaonan, he needed Mao Wenlong's support. Chen Ying could not stay in the capital; he had to go to the front lines. Neither Commander Zhou Bin nor Wang Gui could completely replace Chen Ying.

Chen Ying entered the palace and told Emperor Tianqi about his plan.

"Recapture the four prefectures in southern Liaoning?"

The Tianqi Emperor suddenly perked up. When he ascended the throne, Liaoyang and Shenyang had already been lost, and by the time he took over this mess, southern Liaoning had also been lost. He had been holding onto this grudge since the first day of his reign, and now that Chen Boying said he wanted to recover southern Liaoning, the more he thought about it, the more he thought it was a good idea.

At least for now, during his more than five years as emperor, he has not recovered a single garrison city from his control. Lushun City is not included, as it was only considered a castle in the Ming Dynasty. However, his joy was short-lived, as the Tianqi Emperor soon had another headache. Warfare costs money and requires funds and provisions, but the national treasury is currently empty. The military pay for Datong Town is still unpaid, and the princes of the imperial family also need to collect their salaries. It seems that they cannot come up with the silver at the moment.

How could Chen Ying not see the Tianqi Emperor's financial difficulties? He stepped forward and explained, "Your Majesty, I believe that the four prefectures of Liaonan were originally part of the Ming Dynasty's territory, but now they have been seized by the Jurchens. The people yearn day and night for the imperial army to recover them. If Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang Town were to provide support and launch a pincer attack, advancing by land and sea, encircling them from the east and west, the Jurchens would be overwhelmed and Liaonan could be captured!"

"But what about money and provisions?"

"I can repay this debt myself!"

Chen Ying earnestly said, "Your Majesty, I wish to contact Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang Town to discuss the recovery of Liaonan. I humbly request that Your Majesty grant me permission to write a letter."

A letter to get Mao Wenlong to cooperate!

"this one?"

"That's it!"

The sky was perfectly clear, as if afraid Mao Wenlong wouldn't be able to see it clearly.

"General Mao: Chen Boying, the commander of the Da Ning region, has ambitions to govern Liaonan and wishes to join forces with you to suppress the rebellion. You have long been stationed in Dongjiang and are loyal to the country, which greatly pleases me. This alliance is not because Chen Boying is superior to you, but because I wish to join forces against the enemy and face the national crisis together. You must prioritize the overall situation and not harbor any resentment." He then wrote a letter to Mao Wenlong.

He wrote very slowly. His calligraphy wasn't good; among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, it was even considered mediocre. But at this moment, he wrote very carefully, each character meticulously written. "All military pay, equipment, and provisions have been ordered by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to be allocated promptly. As for the needs of Dongjiang Garrison, I will do my utmost to meet them; do not refuse."

Three days later, Chen Ying, carrying the edict of the Tianqi Emperor, boarded the Zhenhai warship in Tianjin and embarked on his journey to Pi Island. In December of the fifth year of Tianqi's reign, the winter was deep, and large and small ice floes floated on the surface of the Bohai Sea.

The ice shards had no effect whatsoever on the massive Zhenhai. At this moment, Chen Yongren, who was standing beside Chen Ying, asked with some worry, "Godfather, will Marshal Mao agree to cooperate with us?"

"Yes, it will!"

Chen Ying smiled confidently and said, "Because he's poor, and he has a large number of soldiers and civilians under his command who need to be fed. It's freezing cold now, and they're having a very hard time. If they don't cooperate with us, many of them will starve to death. For the sake of food, he has to..."

"Cooperation!"

Meanwhile, at the General's Office in Dongjiang Town, Pidao.

Mao Wenlong was sitting in the signing room. There was a brazier in front of him. He was rubbing his head, which was aching, as he used arrow shafts to stick steamed buns on the brazier to roast them.

As the commander-in-chief of Dongjiang Town, he once led 197 men in a night raid on Zhenjiang, capturing the Later Jin general Tong Yangzhen alive, thus gaining fame in one battle and being relied upon by the court as a maritime bulwark. At its peak, Pi Island was garrisoned by more than 28,000 soldiers, plus the families of the soldiers on the island and the civilians who had come to him, totaling more than 56,000 people. If those scattered across various islands are included, the number of soldiers who depended on him for sustenance reached 156,039. On the surface, he was a commander-in-chief of a town, holding a large army and enjoying immense prestige. However, Mao Wenlong knew in his heart that this was not the case.

He claimed to have 150,000 able-bodied men under his command, but the Ministry of Revenue did not recognize that claim at all. They only allocated rations and pay based on the number of 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers. From the fourth to the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, the rations for Dongjiang Town amounted to only over 200,000 taels of silver, which was barely enough to feed the soldiers. As for firearms, bows and crossbows, armor, and warships, they had to find their own solutions.

The situation in Dongjiang Town was indeed unique. Among the able-bodied men he recruited, there were also hundreds of thousands of Liaodong people with their families. These people were both a source of soldiers and a burden. The meager amount of rice and grain provided by the imperial court was not even enough to feed the living, let alone fight a war. So he had to scavenge everywhere like a hamster, soliciting donations from the Korean monarch and his officials, engaging in maritime trade with merchants from Dengzhou and Laizhou, and even secretly doing business with the Han people in Liaodong, trying every possible way to obtain food. These methods barely kept him afloat, but his men mostly used outdated firearms, and they still had to rely on cold weapons and their meager rations to grit their teeth and survive in battle.

Mao Wenlong rubbed his slightly tense temples. How were they going to get through this winter? The weather outside was too cold.

The soldiers of the Dongjiang Army didn't even have enough cotton-padded clothes to go out in. What's more, the families of the soldiers were in even worse shape. Some families only had one quilt. Teenage girls didn't even have clothes to wear when they went out and could only stay indoors. In the summer, it was okay, but the boys would go out naked. Some even wove grass skirts out of straw. As the commander-in-chief of Dongjiang Town, he not only couldn't support these soldiers and made them suffer with him, but he also felt terrible.

With the occupation of Lushun by Chen Boying, the commander of the Da Ning region, shipyards, ironworks, and numerous workshops were established there. On Pi Island alone, more than 20,000 people crossed the sea to Lushun to make a living. Including the soldiers and civilians on the islands, the number of people who followed Chen Boying for food was in the hundreds of thousands. If Chen Boying had not occupied Lushun, he dared not imagine how many people would have starved to death this year.

The Dongjiang Army was now completely neglected and unloved, living worse than dogs. Just when Mao Wenlong was feeling this way, one of his adopted sons, Mao Chengjun, strode in: "Father, Commander Chen is here!"

"Which General Chen?"

"Chen Boying, Commander-in-Chief of the Great Ning!"

"Quickly, please come in!"

Mao Wenlong quickly finished his steamed bun and then excitedly went to greet Chen Boying. Whatever Chen Boying's purpose in coming to Pi Island, his opportunity had arrived. Everyone knew Chen Boying was incredibly wealthy, and his chance had come. Although he was unconvinced of Chen Boying's military prowess—Chen Boying had won the victories at Sanjiang and Lushun—if the court had provided him with the equipment of the Daning New Army, he could have won those battles too. More importantly, he could have fought even better and achieved even greater results. The problem was that the equipment Chen Boying had acquired for the Daning and Shahe New Armies wasn't provided by the court; it was manufactured by Chen Boying himself. In terms of business acumen, Mao Wenlong was impressed.

"General Chen, you've worked hard. Please come in!"

It was too cold, so Mao Wenlong and Chen Boying exchanged a few pleasantries before arriving at the banquet hall of the General's Office. Mao Wenlong ordered a banquet to be prepared and invited several trusted generals, such as Deputy General Chen Jisheng, Deputy General Liu Xingzuo, and Lieutenant General Shen Shikui, to accompany them.

After several rounds of drinks, Chen Ying put down his glass and looked intently at Mao Wenlong, saying, "Commander Mao, I have come here today to discuss something with you—"

Mao Wenlong was secretly delighted. He wasn't afraid that Chen Boying would ask him for something; on the contrary, he was worried that Chen Boying wouldn't ask him for anything. He waved to several generals, who understood and hurriedly left their seats.

After the generals left, only Chen Boying, Mao Wenlong, Mao Chengjun and Chen Yongren remained in the banquet hall. All four were now father and son.

"Alright, General Chen, now you can speak!"

"Chen intends to join forces with your department to jointly conquer southern Liaoning."

Chen Ying revealed his plan in detail: "The Da Ning New Army will take Jinzhou and Nanguanling directly from the sea, while the Dongjiang Army will launch an attack from the Zhenjiang Fort, Tangzhan Fort, Yanjiangtai Fort, Fenghuang Fort, and Tongyuan Fort, in order to contain the Jurchen forces and prevent them from supporting each other from the north and south."

Upon hearing this, Mao Wenlong was overjoyed, finally able to make exorbitant demands. Of course, he remained outwardly calm, stroking his beard and pondering silently for a while before slowly speaking: "General Chen's plan is not bad. However—you know our Dongjiang Army, our swords and spears are all rusted, and few of our firearms are even functional. Our soldiers are underfed and poorly clothed; what kind of resistance can they possibly exert on empty stomachs?"

Mao Wenlong's words were very straightforward, and they were indeed true. In fact, Mao Wenlong was very good at seizing opportunities. Historically, when Nurhaci attacked Ningyuan, he led more than 8,000 Dongjiang soldiers to raid Xuanchengwei (now Dandong) and Kuandian and other places, and achieved certain results.

To talk about combat effectiveness without considering equipment and supplies is utterly irresponsible. The Dongjiang Army's equipment was actually slightly better than that of the bandits within the Great Wall, but only by a very limited margin. The archers' arrows would break as soon as they were drawn, and the cannons would explode as soon as they were fired. How could they possibly fight like that?

Chen Ying was no fool. He had anticipated this situation when he came, and now he understood Mao Wenlong's meaning. He smiled and said, "Marshal Mao, please speak freely if you have any difficulties. If your army can go all out in this cooperation, I, Chen, will certainly not treat your troops unfairly."

Mao Wenlong had been waiting for Chen Ying to say this, and immediately replied, "General Chen, how many troops from our Dongjiang Army do you need to draw the Jurchens' firepower? Let me state in advance that our Dongjiang Navy currently has a total of ninety-three warships of various sizes at its disposal, and can deploy a maximum of four thousand three hundred men. Our infantry can deploy twenty thousand men, and our cavalry—a maximum of four hundred and fifty men!"

Chen Ying silently calculated that the Dongjiang Army could mobilize a maximum of 25,000 troops by land, sea, and naval forces. Although this was not ideal, it was still barely enough.

"That's enough!"

"Then I need a batch of firearms, rations, and uniforms. In addition, there are tens of thousands of mouths to feed in Dongjiang, so you must allocate a batch of grain to help them. Also—the Dongjiang army must also receive a share of the military supplies captured after the war."