Chapter 287 Don’t believe it

The control of Liaodong by the previous Ming Dynasty declined rapidly since the death of Li Chengliang in the late Wanli period. Earlier, Nurgandusi even controlled the vast northeastern region including Sakhalin Island.

With the decline of national power, the military power also retreated, and Nurgandusi was gradually abandoned starting from the middle of the Ming Dynasty.

The abandonment of Wudi Hewei and Guli Hewei, which penetrated into the deepest part of the Far East, marked the decline of the most prosperous Han Dynasty.

The eunuch Sanbao set up the stele of the Heavenly Concubine when he sailed to the West. It says, "The emperors of Ming Dynasty and Ming Dynasty blended in the same sea area, surpassing the Han and Tang Dynasties for three generations, spanning the sky to the end of the earth, and did not accept concubines." How heroic is that!

The prosperity of Ming Dynasty is really far away from the Han and Tang Dynasties.

Whether it is in the depths of the Far East or the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, there are military guards and all are under the control of the Ming court.

But its rise is also booming, and its decline is also sudden. The Emperor Ming's heyday lasted less than a hundred years, and it quickly declined.

By the late Wanli period, the Ming court had completely lost control of Nuergandusi and half of Liaodong. Its military frontier first retreated to Liaoyang, then to Jinzhou, then to Ningyuan, and finally to Shanhaiguan.

Liaoyang became the capital of Donglu, and Jinzhou became the pain of Ming court. The enemy's troops arrived outside Shanhaiguan, only a few hundred miles away from the capital, and could arrive in a day.

I am afraid that even Zhu Hongwu would not have thought of such a dilemma.

After the Battle of Songjin, the Ming court's military power retreated to the Guanning line with Ningyuan as the front line, almost completely losing the entire Liaodong. It was probably when Ying Yi first came to this era, and it was almost exactly when the Battle of Songjin ended.

At that time, bandits were wreaking havoc in Henan, and the Eastern pirates destroyed Liaodong.

Its momentum is eye-catching. His anger is so crazy that it is rampant and boundless.

Such a rising trend indeed has some of the confidence to enter the Central Plains in history. It's a pity that I met Ying Yi.

Ying Yi spent a year annexing Henan, and then within a few months, he launched his troops to the north. Exterminated the Ming Dynasty, killed Abatai, and gave Donglu a dull blow!

How could Donglu be reconciled to such a situation? Starting from the wild boar Pinurhachi, how can the efforts of three generations and decades be abandoned?

It is not unreasonable for Dorgon to attack with all his troops.

Not willing to give in.

Hauge's vanguard arrived in Jinzhou and Wu Sangui surrendered. Later, he marched to Ningyuan to spy on the mountains and seas.

At that time, at Hauge's request, Wu Sangui sent a large number of troops to inquire about Ying Yi's military deployment. Small-scale battles frequently occurred in the vast area from the former garrison to Shanhaiguan.

Hauge suppressed Ningyuan for half a month, waiting until most of Wu Sangui's troops were destroyed before he started to take action.

In half a month, Wu Sangui lost 18,000 of his 25,000 troops, leaving only 7,000.

As a result, he gained Hauge's complete trust and roughly figured out the military deployment of Yingyi's defense line at Shanhaiguan.

"The military structure of the Xia thieves is different from that of the Ming Dynasty."

On a hill a few miles outside Qiantunwei City, Wu Sangui, Hauge and others were watching the walled city.

Wu Sangui said: "According to the research, the Xia bandit's army structure ranges from ten commanders to uncle commanders to military princes, with battalion generals, department generals and school lieutenants above them. The strength of a battalion general level organization, depending on the type of arms, can be as few as three Four hundred, as many as seven or eight hundred. A general level includes an establishment of five battalion general levels, with a troop strength of 3,000 people. A school captain includes an establishment of four general levels, with a strength of 12,000 people."

Hauge nodded slightly: "So how many soldiers and horses are there in the front guard?"

Wu Sangui bowed and said, "Master, there are probably two general-level establishments, about six thousand people."

Hauge said: "Six thousand people..."

He looked up for a moment, stretched out his hand, and a soldier in white armor next to him handed over a monocular telescope.

Monocular telescopes have been used in this era. Standing on the hill, you can clearly see the deployment of troops on the Qiantun Guard City.

Hauge put down his telescope and frowned: "The Xia soldiers at the top of the city are all covered in iron armor..."

Turge on the side heard this and said: "Prince Su is saying that the Xia soldiers in the former garrison are all covered with iron armor? Can you allow me to take a look?"

Haug handed the telescope to Turg.

Turg was defeated in the previous round and was deprived of many rights after returning. This time he asked himself to join the vanguard, which also meant that he would be guilty and meritorious.

He held the telescope and observed it for a moment, then breathed out heavily.

Said: "When I fought with the Xia bandits at Shanhaiguan, the Xia bandits only had about 6,000 armored soldiers, and the rest were ordinary. Now it's only March and April, and it's impossible for them all to be equipped with iron armor. I think it's a bluff!"

It's no wonder Turg is like this. In this era, due to low productivity constraints, the popularity of military armor is not high.

Not to mention the heyday of the Ming Dynasty, for example, during the Chongzhen period, the generals in various towns were probably only equipped with iron armor for their Ding Biao camp, while the others were in tattered cotton armor, and most of them were even without armor.

The Tatars, who claim to be invincible, only have elite soldiers wearing armor.

To build a qualified piece of armor, the manpower, material and financial resources required are extremely expensive. In Turg's view, even if he puts all his efforts into making two thousand sets of armor in three or four months, he will have to beg his father and grandma.

At the beginning of Shanhaiguan, Turg's 20,000-strong army clashed with Wang Yisheng and Lin Jiangsheng's troops, and was severely defeated in the field battle. He admitted that the elite soldiers of the Xia rebels were invincible, but he also knew that there were only these 6,000 armored soldiers in the Shanhaiguan defense line at that time.

At that time, both the former garrison guards and other soldiers and horses at Shanhaiguan were ordinary and couldn't be more ordinary.

In his opinion, these six thousand people should be half of the elite soldiers that Ying Yi can provide - as for the other half, they are the culprits of Abatai's downfall.

He didn't think that Ying Yi would be able to equip more armored soldiers in just three or four months.

The armored soldiers on the former garrison city were more likely to be bluffing.

"Are you bluffing..."

Abatai looked determined and couldn't help but said: "You are right. I heard that the Xia bandit has only been in power for two years. What achievements can he make in two years? The six thousand armored soldiers have probably drained him of all his gold and silver."

Turge opened his mouth when he heard this, and finally nodded.

Wu Sangui was expressionless, but he was sneering secretly in his heart: "Six thousand? Sixty thousand?!"

For a time, he became more confident in his strategy. He felt that he could not be more wise by surrendering to the King of Xia.

As a surrendered general who had secretly surrendered to Ying Yi, Wu Sangui already knew the situation on the front line and within the Shanhaiguan Pass.

During this period, he secretly communicated with Shanhaiguan many times. And also got in touch with Wu Xiang in the capital.

Of course he knew that the King of Xia had been recruiting troops aggressively in the past few months, and he also knew that invulnerable armor was the standard equipment of the King of Xia's army.

He was even very eager to see the expressions of Haug and Turg when facing countless armored soldiers.

But he could only suppress the laughter in his heart.

To stand out in front of the King of Xia, his strategy must not be compromised. Before the plan is completed, no flaws should be exposed.

Then he said: "Master, this slave also thought it was a bluff. The Xia thief's soldiers are indeed not weak, but if they are all equipped with iron armor, I don't believe that I can kill the slave!"