Chapter 357 Countermeasures

Seeing the smell of gunpowder in the air getting stronger and stronger.

At this time, the inhuman Pingjiang Bo Chen Xuan, who was caught between both sides, sighed helplessly, knocked on his breastplate and reported:

"There is important military intelligence report!"

"explain!"

Zhu Neng, Duke of Chengguo, gave a cold shout and didn't even look at him. He was obviously still angry with his son. He didn't know which string in this silly boy's head was wrong. He still held on to the match rope in his hand and refused to let go. What's so good about that thing?

——The iron-clad horse is a man’s happiness!

What makes Zhu Neng even more confused is that he heard that this silly boy had a conflict with Jiang Xinghuo in Yanziji. How could he follow him to join the musketeers and artillerymen at the bottom of the Ming army's despised chain in the blink of an eye?

Chen Xuan was also a little helpless.

The titles of the Ming Dynasty were ranked in order by the Dukes, Marquises and Princes.

Chen Xuan was an earl, a general, and a naval officer. It could be said that he was at the bottom of the earls. Compared with Duke Cheng Guo, who was ranked extremely high, he naturally did not dare to show any dissatisfaction.

But in his heart, Chen Xuan knew that he was unlucky today. Do these big guys feel uncomfortable if they don't quarrel for a day?

But now he had to advise that the military situation should come second. Although Ding Xiaohong's information was important, it was not so important that it could not be delayed for a moment.

The reason why he interrupted now was because Jiang Xinghuo was actually protecting the interests and prestige of his commander-in-chief, Chen Xuan, and he had to appreciate this kind of protection.

After all, since the Fifth Army Governor's Office sent a military observation team, it was clear that they were dissatisfied with the slow progress of the counter-insurgency.

In the eyes of the nobles of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, what kind of combat effectiveness does the White Lotus Sect's tens of thousands of rebels have? Isn't it a matter of extinction? Even if the weather is bad, how could it take so long? Is it the incompetence of your general Chen Xuan?

But Chen Xuan also had unspeakable difficulties. Insufficient troops forced his navy to land for combat, and the firearms of the tax guards were difficult to exert their power due to heavy rain, coupled with insufficient logistics. All these factors delayed the time. day.

Until now, the Ming army has the minimum offensive capital and the weather to prevent firearms from being affected.

Thoughts flashed through his mind. Chen Xuan took a few steps forward, walked between the two of them, cupped his fists and bowed his hands in salute, then said:

"Reporting to the Imperial Advisor and Duke Cheng, Ding Xiaohong, a test pilot from the War Bureau, disappeared and was washed away by floods. He accidentally infiltrated into the rebels and has now brought back two pieces of important information."

"First, the White Lotus rebels will try to use the common people as the vanguard tomorrow to block the edge of our weapons and approach our army."

"Secondly, various forces within the White Lotus Sect rebels, including the White Lotus Sect's direct troops, seem to have hidden ships at the docks and ferries of Taihu Lake and are planning to retreat."

Hearing this, the faces of all the generals present turned gloomy.

Especially Zhu Neng, he said directly: "A mere group of rebels actually dare to fight a decisive battle with the imperial army? And they dare to use ordinary people as a shield? They are simply impatient!"

You know, this kind of thing has not never happened in the past thousands of years of ancient history, but it is hidden in the history books and the number is relatively small.

But whenever something like this happens, it leaves a very bad impression.

Because whether it is the officers and soldiers who kill them, or whether the enemy succeeds because the general is weak and hesitant, it is not a good outcome.

It can be said that this is a completely poisonous plan.

Moreover, once you choose the path of killing, although this is the most correct decision, the people will still have different emotions towards the government and military than before. It is like planting a time bomb that may explode at any time.

Once the resentment among the people reaches a certain level and someone deliberately incites it,

Of course, the generals of the army will think that this has nothing to do with them. Not only does it have nothing to do with it, but sometimes, the more chaotic it is, the more achievements they make.

Zhu Neng's statement actually contained some kind of instruction.

But for Jiang Xinghuo, that was not the case.

Those are all good employees in our factory!

Does that mean you don’t care if you don’t care?

Regardless of whether they live or die, who will build infrastructure or spin cotton?

Can you, Zhu Neng, go?

Moreover, it is foreseeable that in addition to the attitude towards the people who are held hostage by the rebels, repairing water conservancy facilities and establishing cotton textile industry handicraft workshops are both thankless tasks. There will definitely be a lot of dissatisfaction among the people about the new changes. Voices of approval and even opposition.

Although the construction of water conservancy facilities with work-for-relief can stabilize or even increase food production, industrial changes will inevitably lead to a "sheep scolding people" movement, in which cultivated land is occupied in order to grow cotton on a larger scale. It is an inevitable social phenomenon to allow farmers to work in handicraft factories and even promote the increase of urbanization rate.

Under such circumstances, it is inevitable that the people's resentment and distrust of the imperial court will reach its peak, and even the deterrence of the imperial power and the army will be greatly weakened. By then, the entire Jiangnan may once again fall into turmoil and chaos!

Therefore, Jiang Xinghuo went through it in his mind, thought about it for a moment, and determined what he wanted to do.

The first point is, of course, to save our good employees.

The second point is to strictly control the process of industrial reform in the future and protect the interests of the people.

The most important thing at the moment is naturally the first point.

But the tangled place is that it is okay not to attack the people, but the White Lotus Sect rebels took the opportunity to use the people as the vanguard and broke down the Ming army's formation. What if the Ming army was defeated?

No one can afford this responsibility, and it is a responsibility that is highly likely to arise.

No one can bear such consequences and responsibilities, not even Jiang Xinghuo. Opposition to him from both the government and the public has never stopped. How many pairs of eyes are staring at him closely, waiting for him to make a mistake and then throw dirty water on him. .

Looking at Jiang Xinghuo who didn't speak for a while, as the founding disciple, Zhu Gaoxu certainly understood his master's concerns.

Zhu Gaoxu frowned slightly and said: "Master, if the rebels really plan this and you want to save the people, we might as well attack the camp at night."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Gaoxu stopped immediately, because he was much smarter and realized the problem.

As expected, Zhu Neng, Duke of Chengguo, sneered and said, "Night attack? You can't imagine it."

"When my father-in-law came, he roughly knew the situation around the battlefield. The White Lotus Sect rebels had set up camp behind Taihu Lake. They had both water and land forts. It seemed that there were some rules and regulations, and many common people were placed in the middle. Outside, there were non-direct sects. Among the various green forest forces are the direct line troops of the White Lotus Sect."

After all, it was the second prince Zhu Gaoxu who was the most brave among the three armies. Zhu Neng still maintained some respect and just explained further.

"If it is a night attack, it will at most cause riots and roars, but this means that the direct troops of the White Lotus Sect who have not harmed their roots will be disturbed, and then give up the plan for a decisive battle, and use the large number of accumulated ships to transfer. Once they no longer have any scruples, If other miscellaneous forces gather together, the war will easily spread to other counties along the Taihu Lake, which is extremely detrimental to the complete elimination of the rebels."

Lieutenant General Zhu Gaoxu was frustrated, and Chen Xuan, as the general commanding the entire army, had to speak.

Chen Xuan said kindly: "If we don't attack at night, and the White Lotus Sect rebels will drive away the people tomorrow to use them as shields, casualties will definitely be inevitable; but if we follow the advice of His Highness the Second Prince, we can save most of the people. Even if we attack at night, It caused a roaring and stampeding in the camp, and the casualties caused would definitely be smaller than letting the people face a hail of bullets in front of the battle."

Liu Sheng next to him was a little dumb. He originally wanted to say something, but he didn't dare to say more at this time. Indeed, what he was facing now was an unsolvable problem, and no one had found an effective way to deal with this kind of problem since ancient times.

Drive the people to fill the gullies.

The defenders were always attacked directly as enemies.

Other than that, I really can't find any other good way.

A general must not be lenient, otherwise the three armies will be exhausted. This is an iron law summarized with much blood.

After everyone expressed their opinions or remained silent, they looked at Jiang Xinghuo.

At this time, Zhu Neng looked around at the generals and asked calmly: "Who else among you thinks that there is a way to get the best of both worlds?"

A group of generals lowered their heads

Is there any other good way?

What's more, in front of you is the mainstay of the Ming Dynasty's military. Do others dare to question his hints?

Zhu Neng, the duke of the country, made it with his own sword and spear.

In the battle of Jingnan, Zhu Neng followed Zhu Di throughout the whole battle. These were all achievements achieved by killing countless enemies and fighting bloody battles.

With such a fierce man coming to patrol the army, it would be great if the generals could command the troops to fight normally without being picked on by Zhu Neng. Why would they rush to bump into Zhu Neng's edge?

Only Ding Xiaohong, who had been silent, straightened his back and shouted loudly: "National Master, I have seen with my own eyes that the people who were held hostage have been deprived of food for several meals, and everyone is hungry. There are rumors in the camp, National Master Once we arrive, we can save them from danger! Imperial Master, you are their last hope!"

Ding Xiaohong's voice immediately attracted everyone's attention, including Cheng Guogong Zhu Neng.

Ding Xiaohong did not give his own suggestions, but only described what he saw and heard, but he had clearly expressed his attitude.

He, an insignificant person who could have taken the credit and hid in the rear to wait for the results, was risking the anger of the Duke at this moment to speak out for the people who could not speak in front of Jiang Xinghuo.

Jiang Xinghuo, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

"What Duke Cheng Guo said just now is very right."

"Jiang has indeed never fought in a war and does not understand military affairs."

"But Jiang understands people's hearts."

Zhu Neng, Duke of Chengguo, said unceremoniously: "Can people's hearts determine the outcome of this battle?"

"Besides, if something goes wrong, can you take the responsibility, Imperial Master?"

At this time, Liu Sheng suddenly interrupted and asked: "National Master, you must think twice!"

Jiang Xinghuo waved his hand and said, "No problem, just arrange the troops to garrison and fight."

When he said this, his tone was very calm and he seemed extremely firm, as if he had already made up his mind.

Seeing Jiang Xinghuo's resolute attitude, the others could not dissuade him, so they could only nod silently.

"Mr. Cheng Guo, there is no order from His Majesty in your imperial edict for you to take over the army, so we still have to be under the command of Uncle Ping Jiang."

Jiang Xinghuo looked at Zhu Neng and said, "Besides, I can shoulder the responsibility, and I know more clearly what responsibility I shoulder."

This means success is mine and failure is mine, shouldering it all.

"War is the continuation of temples."

Jiang Xinghuo said slowly: "Of course the war and the generals who command the war cannot be completely restricted by the temple, but one thing must be clear. The war must serve the temple. What does the temple need most right now? It is Jiangnan's reform, Jiangnan people's hearts, so if we can save these people without violating military strategy, we will naturally save them."

Zhu Neng didn't rush to refute when he heard this, but fell into thinking.

"War is the continuation of temples."

Now that Zhu Neng has become the Duke of the country and the de facto person in charge of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, he is no longer a simple military commander. Perhaps other military commanders would feel an instinctive aversion to the influence of the temple on the war, so they directly said, "The general will be outside." Military orders are not obeyed." But Zhu Neng quickly understood the profound meaning of Jiang Xinghuo's words.

Zhu Neng asked with a hint of curiosity: "What book did you read these words about the Imperial Master, or did you hear it from someone?"

Jiang Xinghuo had no grudge against Zhu Neng, and did not want to intensify the conflict. He replied directly: "On War, I will teach it as a course at the military academy when I return to Nanjing. If Duke Cheng is interested, you are welcome to attend."

"good."

But Zhu Neng then said seriously: "Driving the people to fill the gullies is an eternal problem. Does the Imperial Master have a solution?"

Although this kind of dirty trick is shameless, it is still very useful. There are so many famous generals, but I have never heard of anyone having any feasible solution.

Therefore, Zhu Neng took it for granted that Jiang Xinghuo would not have the answer. It was just the scholar's soft heart that prevented him from making up his mind.

In the eyes of Zhu Neng, a general who fought through iron and fire, this was an extremely fatal thing.

Compassion does not command troops.

However, to Zhu Neng's surprise, Jiang Xinghuo actually answered!

"There is a solution."

Jiang Xinghuo had been thinking for such a long time. Of course, he was not in a daze, but thinking about countermeasures.

Don't tell me, he actually came up with a solution.

"What's the explanation?"

Not only Zhu Neng, but also Zhu Gaoxu, Chen Xuan, Liu Sheng and others also looked at Jiang Xinghuo curiously.

Jiang Xinghuo took a deep breath, raised his head and said, "Do you know how Liu Jinu defeated the 30,000 cavalrymen of the Northern Wei Dynasty with two thousand men more than a thousand years ago?"

"Que Yue Formation."

Chen Xuan blurted out.

As a naval general, Chen Xuan naturally treasured this rare formation that was set up with the navy as a necessary condition.

"Queyue Formation" itself is composed of naval forces and infantry, and the infantry is dominated by chariots. That battle was a typical example of Liu Yu commanding the troops to cooperate in combat. After this battle, "Queyue Formation" The reputation of the "formation" has become so great that later generations talk about it, so much so that when talking about how to "control riding by foot", "Queyue Formation" must be mentioned.

To put it bluntly, this formation is to use hundreds of chariots to set up an arc formation more than a hundred steps away from the water, hugging the river at both ends, with the river bank as the crescent moon. Liu Yu's arrangement method is to set up seven staff-wielding soldiers in each chariot. , a total of 700 people; after the formation was set up, another 2,000 soldiers were sent ashore to meet them, carrying a hundred large crossbows. Twenty soldiers were added to each chariot, and shields were placed on the shafts to protect the chariots.

Because the "Queyue Formation" is arc-shaped, from a physical point of view, the arc can disperse the force at the stress point and has good impact resistance; the soldiers in the formation have weapons such as staffs, crossbows, and spears, so The destructive power is very strong; at the same time, the soldiers in the formation have their backs to the water, which can have the effect of "being trapped to death and then surviving".

Of course, the prerequisite is that the right to control water is in your own hands.

Liu Yu dared to do this because the Jin army had water control, so the river water could ensure the safety of the rear and flanks of the "Queyue Formation". He did not have to worry about being surrounded by the enemy. The flat river bank had a wide field of vision, and the good field of vision also made it easy to observe the enemy and ourselves. actions to grasp the situation on the battlefield in a timely manner, and the Jin army could overlook the battlefield from a tall warship, which was equivalent to occupying the commanding heights.

"But it's the White Lotus rebels who are standing behind the enemy right now."

Zhu Gaoxu said doubtfully.

"No, what Principal Jiang means is that the White Lotus Sect rebels are actually using the expanded version of Queyue Formation!"

Liu Sheng suddenly woke up and reminded the generals.

The generals also suddenly realized. Isn't this the Queyue Formation? On the periphery are miscellaneous troops, in the middle are the common people, and closest to the river are the direct line soldiers of the White Lotus Sect. The waterways from the Wusong River and other waterways into Taihu Lake are also blocked. The White Lotus Sect has the control of water in the combat area and can retreat at any time.

Seeing that someone finally understood, Jiang Xinghuo guided him and asked:

"What formation can break the Moon Formation?"

"Front Arrow Formation cannot be cut hard, it is easy to get stuck and unable to get out, so Crane Wing Formation is required!"

Zhu Gaoxu said with absolute certainty that this was a standard tactical solution.

The Crane Wing Formation, to put it bluntly, is a "V"-shaped formation, with two wings surrounding the Queyue Formation. If the long-range projection capability is sufficient, the Queyue Formation can be destroyed even by smashing it.

The cavalry of the Northern Wei Dynasty was defeated because they had never seen this formation. They could not break through the river and then adjusted their formation and came back to kill them. If they rushed in, they would have to jump into the river.

However, the Moon Formation has many shortcomings, such as the demanding battlefield terrain environment, poor maneuverability, and the need for naval cooperation, etc., so the solution to deal with it is easy to find.

"What Principal Jiang means is that we use the Crane Wing Formation to deal with the rebels?"

Liu Sheng said with some uncertainty, and then questioned himself: "That's not right. Although the impact is smaller, it still can't change the fate of the people in front of being used as shields."

"It would be nice to improve the camp."

Jiang Xinghuo didn't hide it, and directly wrote the word "concave" on the ground, and asked: "It is impossible for the White Lotus rebels to drive all the people to rush into the formation together, which will probably lead to a rollback, so they have the best chance." How many people might be sent into battle to use as a shield to consume us?"

"There should be less than 10,000 people, and they must be strong men. The old, weak, women and children are all too hungry and have no strength."

Chen Xuan calculated it and said with certainty.

Jiang Xinghuo pointed to the word "concave" and said: "Then clear the camp in front of the camp and leave a space for the people to crowd forward. Then prepare the outer wall to collapse directly. From a distance, The enemy doesn't know that the front of our camp has been cleared, so they will drive the people into this place. The people are safe, and the enemy can't get in. It's similar to the effect of the Wengcheng... But the two sides remain unchanged, and shooting can still be carried out. At the same time, the fire can be The hollow phalanx formed by gunners came out of the camp and V-shaped crane wing formations were arranged on both sides. In this way, wouldn't the enemy's vicious plan be defeated?"

Chen Xuan's eyes lit up and he said repeatedly: "The master's plan is very clever!"

"But what if the enemy doesn't move forward to attack the camp? What if they form a formation in the distance and wait for us to leave the camp?" Liu Sheng's thinking was obviously more comprehensive.

Jiang Xinghuo simply said: "Then let the hot air balloon guide you and use the new bronze field cannon to launch a straddle fire! Use cannonballs to separate the White Lotus rebels from the common people. Even if there is a possibility of accidental damage, it will not cause too many casualties... …This is a last resort. If we send troops from both wings when the time comes, whether the people are fleeing in all directions or crowding forward, they can be saved and the casualties can be reduced."

After hearing Jiang Xinghuo's solution, the generals thought about it for a moment. Almost everyone, including Duke Cheng Zhu Neng, thought it was feasible.

Zhu Neng glanced at Jiang Xinghuo in surprise, and his attitude towards the national master also changed slightly.

"I really didn't expect it. I originally thought that the Imperial Master was a scholar who didn't know how to fight. But now it seems that he has read military books and seriously thought about how to deal with it."

Zhu Gaoxu, the deputy general of the army, concluded: "So, if there is a decisive battle tomorrow, our army has the advantage in terms of strength, abundant firearms and well-trained gunners. If we only need to rescue the people, the White Lotus rebels will be defeated." "

"Yes, from the beginning, the White Lotus rebels actually failed to make any waves."

Chen Xuan said: "But how can we completely annihilate this group of rebels?"

What I want to say here is that the Ming army's inland water division led by Chen Xuan has an absolutely crushing advantage over the "naval division" improvised by the rebels.

But the problem is that the Wusong River and other waterways entering Taihu Lake have been blocked by the rebels through shipwrecks and other means. It is very troublesome to clear them. The stern fighting ships of the Ming Army's inland river navy cannot pass through, and only some small boats can pass through.

Chen Xuan said: "National Master, since the White Lotus Sect rebels still dare to burn food, plunder merchants, and hoard ships when our army is blocking the area around Taihu Lake and the army is pressing down, it means that this group of rebels has already made preparations. Supplies are being transferred.”

"In other words, this group of people may want to take advantage of the chaos to leave Taihu Lake and escape to Jiaxing Prefecture and Hangzhou Prefecture while our army is dealing with other peripheral rebels."

After hearing this, some generals nodded in approval.

Combined with the information brought back by Ding Xiaohong, it seems that what Chen Xuan, the naval commander, said does make sense.

But this is just Chen Xuan’s personal judgment.

There were several other generals, but they still had no intention of agreeing with this view.

After all, in their view, although the rebels were ferocious, they were definitely just bastards and there was no need to be afraid of them.

Even if I run away, it doesn't really matter. Where can I go if I run? There is also a Ming army fleet in the outer sea, and in the subsequent attack, as long as they are willing to pay the price, even if the losses are slightly higher, they will have a chance to annihilate this group of rebels.

Seeing the hesitation on everyone's faces, as if they didn't mind if the White Lotus rebels escaped, Jiang Xinghuo finally sighed and said.

"Eradicate all evil."

Everyone knows this truth. The problem is that many times, many things cannot be solved by reason and human will alone.

"But the water of Taihu Lake is wide, and the White Lotus Sect has a lot of ships in its possession. It is not a problem to withdraw most of the direct troops. How can we eliminate all evil?"

Jiang Xinghuo's eyes turned to Ding Xiaohong and his party.

"You know there are narrow waterways where boats can pass, and you can access several docks where the White Lotus Sect rebels in Taihu Lake are located, right?"

Ding Xiaohong nodded: "Reporting to the Imperial Master, that's exactly what happened."

Jiang Xinghuo felt the temperature at night after the cold rain. Frost seemed to have condensed on his green shirt. This was extremely cold weather, for the summer in Jiangnan.

"Then if you are asked to take dozens of small boats and sink them in front of several docks of the White Lotus Sect, can you do it?"

The sailors around Ding Xiaohong looked at each other, and someone asked loudly: "Yes, it is possible, but after all, it is a fool's errand. Can the National Master allow us to be innocent and live ashore in the future?"

"sure."

Jiang Xinghuo said affirmatively: "Whether you are a commoner or a soldier, you can do it."

"——That'll do!"

Ding Xiaohong recently gained more knowledge about hydrology and said, "But the Imperial Master, the boat shouldn't be able to block the pier, even if it sinks."

Jiang Xinghuo couldn't comment, but asked the last question, but this question was asked by Zhang Anshi and others.

"How much saltpeter are there among the materials our craftsmen carry with the army?"

Zhang Anshi scratched his head: "A lot. This stuff is needed for gunpowder and other aspects. From the Wusong River, the Sanbao eunuchs shipped dozens of large ships over before leaving."

"That's fine."

Jiang Xinghuo looked at Ding Xiaohong and the others, and then at Chen Xuan.

"Uncle Ping Jiang, gather all the small boats, carry all the saltpeter that can be carried on board, and follow them into Taihu Lake to hide. Tomorrow the battle will begin, and the ships will be sunk at various docks... There is no need to freeze the lake, just freeze the dock channel, so that As long as they can’t escape by boat smoothly!”

"Let the White Lotus Sect see that drops of water turn into ice!"

PS: [Important reminder (there is no charge for this content)] Chapters 316 to 356 are about the rectification of officialdom and the suppression of rebellions in Jiangnan. They do not contain any theoretical knowledge. They are all practical content. If you are not interested, you can jump directly to Chapter 366. "Class" will contain theoretical knowledge content from now on.