Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

Chapter 113 A calculated strategy: the more bunkers you capture, the fewer people you have left...

"Even if we manage to defend Jinzhou for a year with ten million taels of silver, the city and its affiliated fortresses will still require three million taels of silver annually, especially in terms of food supplies, which will be an astronomical figure."

"The disaster situation in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, and Beizhili is still worsening, and there is a faint indication that it will spread to Huguang, Sichuan, Nanzhili, Jiangxi and other provinces. At this time, a huge amount of grain and fodder has been left on the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line. Will the flames of war reignite in the interior?"

After finishing his speech, Zhu Jian glanced at Sun Chuanting, then picked up his teacup and took a sip of the pre-rain Longjing tea. This Longjing tea was a tribute item, costing several taels of silver per pound. Due to the crackdown on tea-related matters by local governments, the price of this tea skyrocketed, especially in the Beijing area, where the price increased several times over. Many officials and wealthy merchants lowered their tea standards, but Zhu Jian did not.

"This..." Sun Chuanting was speechless for a moment. He had been focusing all his energy on military affairs and hadn't paid much attention to the disaster situation.

Zhu Jian held up his teacup, and with his other hand pointed to the pre-rain tea in front of Sun Chuanting: "A pound of pre-rain tea is worth three taels of gold; it's too cold to drink."

Upon hearing Zhu Jian's voice, Sun Chuanting picked up his teacup and stared at the emerald green tea in a daze.

He then took a sip of the tea and was immediately struck by its delicate fragrance. For an official like Sun Chuanting, who didn't embezzle, his salary was barely enough to support his family; he simply couldn't afford such high-end tea.

He took a few sips and said, "If we abandon Jinzhou, rumors will spread throughout the court and the World Society."

Sun Chuanting's words were rather vague; he wanted to imply that it would damage the prestige of the court and the emperor, but he couldn't say it explicitly, so he changed it to rumors.

It started everywhere.

However, he also knew that the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line was now so much the same with or without Jinzhou. After the fall of the Dalinghe and Xiaolinghe rivers, the Qing army could bypass Mongolia, break through the Great Wall, and enter the pass, while the Jinzhou garrison would be unable to hold back the Qing army's rear. Even if Jinzhou was lost, the Qing army would not be able to break into Shanhaiguan, especially the Ningta fortress complex, which had been newly built at a cost of over two million taels of silver.

The density of the Ningta bunker complex is unparalleled in the world. Sun Chengzong built more than 300 bunkers in a 60-mile-long and 30-mile-wide area between Ningyuan and Tashan. Among them, there were 10 large bunkers, more than 70 central bunkers, and the rest were small bunkers. Tashan Fort was expanded into Tashan City, and two satellite cities were built on the left and right. There was also a large transit city between Ningyuan and Tashan, as well as crisscrossing trenches.

As long as the food supply to the Ningta fortress complex is guaranteed, even if Huang Taiji mobilizes 100,000 troops to launch repeated attacks for three years, they will not only fail to break through, but will also suffer heavy casualties. However, Sun Chuanting is more worried that if Jinzhou is lost, Huang Taiji might organize 100,000 or even 150,000 troops to enter the pass and launch a raid on the plains near the capital. If that happens, it will be a devastating blow to the entire region north of the Yellow River.

Zhu Jian saw Sun Chuanting's worries: "Mr. Sun, don't worry. Before long, the Jurchens will no longer dare to invade the border on a large scale."

Sun Chuanting looked at Zhu Jian with a puzzled expression. After a moment, he slowly said, "If the Qing army cannot enter the pass on a large scale, and the fighting continues, the Tartars will inevitably become unstable."

Zhu Jian nodded slightly, meaning that was the idea, but instability alone would not suffice. He also needed to spread the battlefield throughout Liaodong, constantly shifting the Jurchen's manpower and further depleting their material reserves until they were completely exhausted.

Meanwhile, in front of Songshan Fort.

Jirhalang and Hauge are building fortifications to cut off the connection between Songshan Fort and Jinzhou, in order to cooperate with Dorgon in besieging Jinzhou.

"Damn it, these Ming soldiers have all retreated back to Songshan Fortress." Jirhalang cursed as he rolled off the fortress and looked out at Songshan Fortress.

He had previously led his troops in a surprise attack on seven or eight small bunkers, only to find that the bunkers were already empty and nothing was left behind, which made him furious.

But there was no good solution, so they had to leave soldiers to guard the forts left by the Ming army, lest the Ming army suddenly change their minds and take them over.

Hauge nodded. He also felt that this matter was a bit strange. It would be normal for the Ming army to be defeated after a battle, but now the fort was deserted without any battle. Was the Ming court preparing to abandon the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line?

After thinking for a long time without coming up with a solution, he looked back at the Plain Yellow Banner and Bordered Yellow Banner soldiers who were building their positions. Originally, there were more than 20,000 soldiers, but now, without fighting a single battle, more than 5,000 of them had been sent out to guard the empty fortress.

There are still more than 15,000 people left. If we push forward any further, there may be even fewer people left.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about we abandon these Ming army fortifications and surround Songshan with our entire army?"

"No, if Ming reinforcements arrive suddenly and retake these fortresses, we will be attacked from both sides," Jirhalang shook his head and refused.

This was the Ming army's calculated strategy: they could forgo these fortifications, but you couldn't. If you refused, and Ming reinforcements arrived suddenly, you would be attacked from both sides. They dared not gamble, especially since Jinzhou was already besieged.

"I'll write a memorial to Father Emperor to see if we can get some more soldiers," Hauge said.

The situation at Songshan and Xingshan is currently unclear. His 20,000-plus men can still be effective when united, but as they capture Ming army strongholds, their numbers are dwindling. If the situation at Xingshan is similar, his total strength will likely drop to 10,000. At that point, let alone besieging Songshan, even self-defense will be difficult. If they encounter a Ming counterattack or reinforcements, they might be forced into defeat and retreat...

"Alright, I'll lead the cavalry to scout out Tashan first." After saying that, Jirhalang turned around, glanced at the clear weather, mounted his horse, and led more than three thousand of his own cavalrymen around Songshan Fortress towards Tashan.

After scouting and searching at the same time, Jirhalang discovered that the small bunker behind Xingshan was also empty, so he became even more reckless in his advance.

As evening fell, the air grew even cooler, and more than three thousand cavalrymen lined up in a single file twenty miles in front of Tashan Fort.

He had been to Tashanbao before, but it wasn't like this then. It was similar to Songshan and Xingshan. Now, Tashanbao has expanded, with satellite cities on both sides. There are also a large number of connected bunkers, and in front of these bunkers, there are crisscrossing trenches.

Jirhalang's nephew, Bayintu, who was also Jirhalang's deputy, pointed in the direction of Tashan and exclaimed, "How can we attack with this density of bunkers?"

"What's the point of fighting? Without an army of 100,000, we can't even make a move!" Jirhalang replied.

After saying that, he paused for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "I was wondering why all these small bunkers were empty. It turns out they've all moved to Tashan. It seems the Ming army has abandoned Songjin."

Baiyintu glanced at the sky and asked, "Should we camp here, or turn back?"

"After retreating another twenty li to set up camp, I will write a memorial to the Emperor."

After Jirhalang finished speaking, he made no move to attack the Ningta defense line during the Battle of Ma.

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