In just less than two months, the strategic intentions of the Northern Expedition Army were unfolded. The actual controlled area of ​​the Qing court was not only swallowed by a large number of whales, but also divided into two sections with one knife, which was hard to echo.

In this regard, the Qing court chose the only way out. After the new army gathered in Tianjin, it headed south and has now arrived at the boundary of Cangzhou.

The Qing court made such a decision, as Liu Cheng analyzed, was exactly what Chen Wen planned. In this regard, Chen Wen believed that when his strategic layout was unfolding, the Qing court would immediately realize that only a decisive battle to go south was the only possibility of breaking the deadlock.

Even without Liu Cheng, the Qing court was not without military affairs. However, with Liu Cheng, the Qing court's reaction speed should be faster - it was not that Liu Cheng's talent was far superior to those relatives and nobles of the Qing court, but because Liu Cheng knew better about the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang and Chen Wen, and knew himself and his enemy. Compared with other important officials of the Qing court, this was a great advantage.

According to reports from the Military Intelligence Department after Liu Cheng defected and later the Supervision Department, Chen Wen believes that during his tenure as a training officer in the recruit training camp, Liu Cheng learned a lot of relevant military knowledge, and even formed the staff department to start military skills such as surveying, sand tables and map deductions, which he could also see some of the details.

More importantly, Liu Cheng was originally an officer with the captain level when he was in Dalan Mountain. During his time in Tiantai Mountain and his first entry into Jinhua Prefecture, he was one of the group of officers Chen Wen focused on training, and he learned a lot from him. In recent years, the information about Liu Cheng sent back to the Beijing Station of the Military Information Department also confirmed this point.

This enemy is like his student, but this student has greater ambitions. Perhaps not only Chen Wen, but also the Qing court may be a stumbling block to this ambition. As long as there is a suitable opportunity, it will be moved away or even crushed.

"If you want to change history, you must be mentally prepared to be crushed into powder by the wheel of history that deviates from the track. Unfortunately, at this point today, I am the general trend!"

After receiving the military situation of the Qing army's arrival in Cangzhou, Chen Wen did not hesitate and waved the main force of the central army to continue to advance north along the canal.

The army passed through Dezhou, and then Wuqiao County. The place belongs to Jingzhou, Hejian Prefecture, Zhili. It is famous for its acrobatics. Fan Jingwen, a great scholar in the Chongzhen Dynasty, who died in Jiashen, was from Wuqiao. He once recorded the grand occasion of Wuqiao acrobatics in the late Ming Dynasty in his notes. However, in the late Ming Dynasty, a group of Liaodong soldiers launched a mutiny here. The Ming court's dream of strengthening the army by learning Western military technology also turned into a bubble under the mutiny, the party struggles in the court and the stupidity of the people in charge.

Wuqiao County is at the southern end of the canal that first entered Hejian Prefecture, and is no less than 400 miles away from Tianjin Wei, the northernmost end. However, by this time, the new army of the Qing court was already in Cangzhou, which was between the two. The Northern Expedition Army did not need to advance so far. It could compete with the Qing court as long as it went halfway, and undoubtedly shortened the length of the supply line.

After passing Wuqiao County, first passed Dongguang County, and then to Nanpi County. Although the cavalry of the Northern Expedition Army was at a disadvantage, the Qing court's new army always stood in Cangzhou to wait for the Northern Expedition Army. It was difficult to stop the Northern Expedition Army from advancing with cavalry alone, and it only slowed down the speed of progress. In just four days, the army had already crossed Nanpi County and confronted the Qing court's new army in the south of Cangzhou.

The Qing court entered Cangzhou earlier, and the people nearby were either dragged their masters or fled to other places. The surrounding area was already sparsely populated. When the Northern Expedition Army arrived, the staff operations compiled based on intelligence also began to proceed. This was the last round of staff operations on the eve of the decisive battle. Everyone was extremely energetic, for fear of missing something useful.

"According to the horse-study report, the entire army of the new Tatar Army was dispatched, among which the president of the Wuwei Right Army was changed to the Minister of the Guards, Ebilong, and the other did not change from the information they had obtained before. In addition, several cavalry arrived. Judging from their outfits and weapons, they should be Mongolian Tatars in the south of the desert. The two hatchbacks were added together,"

The new army was organized according to the requirements of the Gustav phalanx. There were 10,800 infantrymen, and the cavalry was divided into five battalions, each with a thousand cavalry. Including artillery, officers and other personnel, there were no less than 16,000 people.

The Qing court has put all its efforts into this time. The five new troops and several Mongolian cavalry in the south of the desert had an army of less than 90,000, of which there were 34,000 cavalry alone, and its strength should not be underestimated.

"The Tartars are known as one million troops, and their moisture is quite large. But just talking about cavalry, this man, two horses, or even one man, three horses, will be a lot of moisture if added together."

The number of cavalry of the Qing army was always incomparable to the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. This was impossible. Backed by the Mongolian grassland, even the traditional horse farming land in the Han area was in the hands of the Qing court. Compared with the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which relied on seizing and purchasing to form cavalry units, it was indeed the biggest advantage.

"When we destroy the Tartars and recover the North and Liaodong, our number of war horses will also increase."

The Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are full of confidence in victory. Over the years, it has been less than ten years since they lived in a corner of Tiantai Mountain to recovering most of the world. The army won consecutive battles, and the Qing court's Ganzhou Green Camp and the Eight Banners Army were both defeated generals, and now they are even stronger than before. If you still have doubts about whether to win or not, that would be strange.

After summoning all the generals, Chen Wen signaled Zhang Gongyan, who was with the military staff department, to explain the conclusions of the staff operations and preliminary plans to the generals with sand tables: "According to information, the Tatars have been stationed in Cangzhou for several days, and the new army has always maintained the front line from the canal to Cangxian. According to deduction, it is likely that the battlefield set by the Tatars is located."

Cang County was the seat of the ancient Cangzhou capital, but it was not until the Ming Dynasty that it moved to the current Changlu Town. It was southeast of Cangzhou City, and west of Cangzhou is the southern canal section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The new army maintained such a large section of the front line, and its purpose was to block the route north of the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

The Northern Expedition was the purpose of the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The capital was the most important goal. The new army's mission was to intercept and defeat. At this strategic level, with the strategic layout of the three routes of the Northern Expedition, the strategic intentions of both sides were on the surface.

"The Tartars' troops are unfolding, but when the decisive battle is over, it will inevitably shrink partly, because the total strength of the Tartars is not as strong as the King's Army. If the front line is unfolding, it is not enough to rely on cavalry alone."

The baton crossed the straight line from the canal to Cang County. Zhang Gongyan did not talk about this matter anymore, and then talked about the results of the General Staff Department's deduction: "Five departments of the New Taurus Army, according to intelligence, are the strongest guards formed by the old new army. They are the killer weapons of the Taurus. They will not be the reserve team of the entire army, but will appear with the arrows that break the formation. The latter is more than 80%. However, the position of the Imperial Guards should not be on the western front near the canal."

When the canal is approaching, the area that can be used for cavalry development and roaming is smaller, and the geographical advantage is more conducive to defense. The number of cavalry in the Qing court was superior. Since the imperial guards were used as the arrows, the plains without geographical obstacles should be used as the forward position. This principle is not only not only the party that has the advantage in the number of cavalry, but also the same is true for the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In the past few years, Chen Wen had also arranged combat troops in accordance with such a geographical environment.

"The other four new troops, according to the report of the Beijing Station of the Military Information Department and the analysis results of the Staff Department, the training progress of the Gonggu Army, the Wuwei Central Army and the Wuwei Left Army is the most reasonable, and the firearm training time is also the longest. As for the Wuwei Right Army, it should not be underestimated. The army's queue training time is the longest, and the firearm training time is affected by weapons and equipment, which is the least, only half of the other three new troops. However, since the army moved to Tianjin, it has killed many people in the countryside, and many of the soldiers have seen blood. This proportion is obviously superior to those three new troops."

The Wuwei Right Army, all the officers present knew that it was the new army led by the rebel general Liu Cheng. From training in the capital, moving to the Tianjin Wei, and then slaughtering the countryside in the name of sweeping the rebel army against the Qing Dynasty, all of which were Liu Cheng's actions. Although the treatment of this new army was the worst, with Liu Cheng's existence, he was always looked up to him. Even if the president of the Wuwei Right Army is no longer Liu Cheng, he cannot deny the impact caused by the loss of the person.

When the Qing court was defeated several times in Jiangnan, the Eight Banners veterans with rich combat experience suffered a lot of losses. In recent years, the Qing court has transferred back from Huguang and from Liaodong, but it is really an unsuccessful task to maintain such a large-scale new army and ensure the proportion of veterans. Among the current new army, in addition to the Imperial Guards, the other four new armies have their original Baoyi and the Eight Banners of Goryeo, and there are many new recruits who have never seen blood. For soldiers, it is not psychologically ignorant to kill people or see blood.

"The Wuwei Right Army is likely to be the second strongest among these four new troops, but the Tartars may not be able to see it. The reason is very simple. The Tartars look down on Liu Cheng, and they will also ignore the strength of the Wuwei Right Army. Moreover, it is more of the same thing that the soldiers of the Wuwei Right Army have killed people, but they are not killed on the battlefield after all. It is difficult for anyone to guarantee what it will look like when they are on the formation. Therefore, this army is most likely to be arranged on the line near the canal."

In combat, you must always play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. This involves the basic quality of military generals, which is prediction. The current Jiangsu and Zhejiang Ming Army predicts that they need to learn, but it is also a more scientific learning method. In addition, the existence of the Staff Office, which is specifically responsible for planning, will make many things more understandable under one data after another.

"The other three new troops of the Tatars will not have a big gap in combat effectiveness. Our company has formulated the following plan based on the will and intelligence of His Highness the Superintendent:"

"Our army is headed by the Yuzhang Division, Dalan Division and Yongjia Division. The third division commands the various units. President Wu Dengke of Yuzhang Division leads the central army. The Jinhua Division and the Siming Division are headed by the right wing. President Yin Yue of Jinhua Division leads the right wing. The Young Guard Division is headed by the left wing. The Young Guard Division commands Ma Xin commands the left wing. The Danyang Division and the Elder Guard Division are headed by His Highness the Superintendent."

During Chen Wen's Northern Expedition, all the older generation of division-level units went out. Among them, the Fujian Central Division and the Luling Division swept the Henan battlefield, the Yuyao Division rushed to Shanhaiguan, and the Jiangdu Division was in charge of Shandong and eroded the Daming and Guangping Prefectures in southern Zhili. The original occupied areas were all guarded by local garrisons, including the Xiangyang Division, Jiangling Division, and Changsha Division, and seven newly built division-level units.

In this way, Chen Wen's main force on the Cangzhou front line reached six older generation first-level division units and two newly formed first-level division units, with a total force of 93,000. In addition to the fact that the number of cavalry is still at a disadvantage, it is generally more than the Qing army.

However, the old generation of division-level units have different tactics and the newly formed division-level units, and the width of the battle formation is also different. Although the left wing of the Young Guard Division is only half the soldiers on the right wing, the width of the battle formation is not much different, and the sacrifice is nothing more than depth.

The General Staff immediately formulated a plan based on Chen Wen's will and intelligence, and the generals also answered one by one inquiry. When the military discussion ended, the generals were prepared for their respective tasks, so they returned to the camp and arranged one by one to wait for the decisive battle tomorrow.

Unlike other divisions, the Young Guard Division sits alone on the left wing. Although it is close to the canal and is more conducive to defense, the pressure is also considerable.

Ma Xin returned to the battalion and summoned officers at the bureau level to convey the order. The combat tasks of each battalion were refined, and each battalion could be responsible for the tasks of the headquarters. By the same token, when the communication was completed, the battalion officials of each battalion would return to the garrison and refine the tasks to the bureaus of each bureau under his command.

In the camp of the Young Guard Division, Ding Junjie and his team were not on duty at night, and they had already rested in the tent after dinner. However, the decisive battle was about to come tomorrow, and everyone was either excited or worried. Except for the captain Huang Chengming, who took off the word "agent" when he was formed, he was already snoring loudly, he tossed and turned, and could not speak anything.

The lights have passed, and according to the rules, those who can't sleep cannot speak. This is the regulation, and it is also military law in wartime. The military law of the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is famous for its strict discipline. They are more or less able to read, and they are even more clear than those ordinary soldiers.

The war was imminent, and what we saw and heard along the way came to our minds like a lantern. The poor people who were not covered in clothes and could not feed their worries were willing to sell their children and daughters in order to survive. When the army headed north, and with the support of civil servants of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Mingjun Group, which held the power of prefectures and counties, most of the people also had ways to survive.

However, the prefectures and counties along the canal, such as Linqingzhou, which is known as "the prosperity of the two capitals and the prosperity of Jiaqi County" and "the world's number one wharf", those famous canal cities with a blooming flower before entering the pass, and the population of millions have now become ruined. In Ding Junjie's opinion, they are even less prosperous than Yongkang County, which is remote in the mountainous area of ​​eastern Zhejiang. At least there are no messes everywhere and beggars all over the city. When people see it, they only feel dilapidated, and they can't think of a vocabulary that is linked to beauty.

In comparison, Yangzhou has been recovered for three years and its population is gradually recovering. Compared with a city like Linqingzhou, it is a blessing in disgrace. However, the damage caused by the Qing Dynasty to that city cannot be restored overnight.

Destruction is always easier than construction. They followed the army to fight for revenge for those who were in vain and to strive for a better future for the surviving people. All of this must be written in the blood of the Qing court.

Huang Chengming's snoring sounds were in his ears, and he recalled all this in his mind. Gradually, the snoring sounds in the tent became more and more. As the night was late, more and more robes fell asleep. After a while, Ding Junjie also fell asleep, and there was no more tossing and turning in the tent. Huang Chengming opened his eyes, glanced, and then breathed a sigh of relief, changed his position, and continued to sleep.

That night, like the previous few nights, the Qing army dispatched horses to harass the enemy. The Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang also made necessary responses to this. Neither side could achieve the goal, but they did not suffer any losses. The next morning, the army had breakfast according to the usual hours, and stepped out of the camp in the morning dew and headed towards the tacit battlefield.

The army unfolded and advanced step by step, and the horses striking and fighting in the middle, trying their best to see the opponent's situation, and even tried their best to send the information back to the commander's army during the interception.

The Northern Expedition Army did not have the advantage in the number of cavalry, but as the army continued to advance, more and more information was added to the battle. The new army set up its formation, as calculated by the Staff Office, the Wuwei Right Army was on the right wing near the canal, the Imperial Guard guarded the left wing in the plain area, and the heavy central army was handed over to the Wuwei Central Army and the Wuwei Left Army.

By this formation, the Qing court clearly did not want to pay too much casualties and tried to defeat the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang from the left wing, thereby accelerating the collapse of the Northern Expedition Army with the help of the number of cavalry advantages. This is the safest tactic and the tactic that is most in line with the current situation of the Qing court.

The banner of the right army of Wuwei fluttered in the wind on the right wing of the Qing army. Seeing this, Chen Wen glanced at the corner of his mouth. Knowing himself and his enemy, and winning every battle is not only about knowledge, but also about scientific and reasonable analysis.
Chapter completed!