------------
Chapter 144 Surprise Attacks Against Surprise Attacks (Please Subscribe)
Lu Xuan ignored the stares of those around him and waved his hand. His guards immediately stepped forward and spread a large map on the table.
"This is a topographical map of the Liaodong area. From the map, we can see that if the Jurchens were to launch a major offensive, there are a total of four routes. The other land routes are not inaccessible, but they are not very friendly to their cavalry. Tielingwei and Fushunwei should be their first targets."
"How do you know?" Someone who seemed to dislike Lu Xuan's pretentiousness came out to confront him.
"Because they don't have enough food. There's only one possibility for why the Jurchens are attacking at this time: they don't have enough food. They didn't manage to seize much food in last year's battle. For those savages who don't know how to farm, they simply won't survive this winter. The Ming Dynasty has also blocked many trade routes, making their food shortage even more severe. Therefore, their primary objective in this uprising is plunder. They need enough food to get through the winter."
"Does General Lu mean they will choose the nearest location?"
"We'll definitely try it. After all, fighting close to the enemy always saves on supplies compared to expeditions."
At this time, the Tartars probably didn't yet have the ambition to conquer the entire country. Or rather, they wouldn't show it for the time being. They needed to get through the winter first. Winters in Liaodong can be deadly.
Tieling Guard and Fushun Guard were both on the front lines directly facing the Tartars. In last year's battle, Nurhaci first captured Fushun to secure his position before continuing the fight against the Ming army. Unfortunately, the supplies from Fushun couldn't be transported back, meaning the Tartars ultimately didn't gain much advantage in that battle. This time, if Daishan can't secure enough food for his people, his throne might be in jeopardy.
"Hmph, General Lu makes it sound so simple. What if the Tartars abandon Fushun and Tieling and march straight for Shenyang?"
"Nothing can be done. According to my opinion, Fushun City has not been rebuilt yet. It would be better to abandon it for the time being and move the residents back to Shenyang, so that the army can fight freely. Shenyang has tens of thousands of troops, strong city walls, and ample food supplies. It is not so easy to break through."
"Nonsense! You're retreating before the battle even begins. I think you're just passively avoiding the fight."
"So what? Should we do what we did last time, charge into the ravines of Sarhu, and fight a bunch of savages from the ravines to the death? Wouldn't it be better to shrink our lines, let them come out, and fight in familiar territory?"
The Battle of Sarhu, where the Ming army chose to fight the Tartars in the mountains, is a major point of criticism in later generations. If they had been able to control the battlefield in a more level area, the Ming army's firearms at the time would have pulverized the Tartars. But the Ming army insisted on engaging the enemy in direct combat in the mountains…
In Lu Xuan's view, this war had a significant advantage: the Tartars were under pressure to attack. They needed to plunder enough grain to survive the winter. Lu Xuan's plan was to preemptively harvest the crops and implement a scorched-earth policy. By denying them space to plunder the surrounding area, they would be forced to come out of the mountains, where hundreds of cannons could be deployed. This would also help them develop their talents in singing and dancing.
However, judging from Li Rubai's intentions, the Ming army still intends to launch an offensive. With 100,000 troops against 60,000, based on the standards of the Battle of Sarhu, they would likely be utterly defeated.
While the group was arguing, Ding Baiying suddenly burst in, ignoring the angry stares of the crowd, and handed Lu Xuan a note.
Lu Xuan opened it and his expression immediately became quite interesting.
"Gentlemen, I have just received news. Tielingwei has fallen."
"Nonsense. Tielingwei has more than 8,000 guards, strong walls, and ample food supplies. Even 100,000 men could not possibly capture it in a short time."
"It was not captured; the defending general simply opened the gates and surrendered."
Lu Xuan was also in a state of utter frustration. He had long known that many of the garrison commanders in Liaodong had been corrupted beyond recognition by the Jurchens. Therefore, when he took over Liaoyang Garrison, he started everything from scratch. Apart from accepting some soldiers, he removed the vast majority of officials, precisely to prevent such a situation from occurring.
Tielingwei was the first line of defense, and it fell. Fushun was not yet fully rebuilt, and the Tartars had virtually no chance of advancing. There was even a possibility that they would reach Shenyang directly.
"..." The entire hall fell into an awkward situation. After a long while, Li Rubai broke the silence.
"Time is of the essence, everyone, depart immediately. Head to Tielingwei to intercept the Jurchens." A classic Wen Daming tactic: treat the symptoms, not the cause.
"Yes, all generals obey. Only Lu Xuan stands still."
"Does General Lu have any further comments?"
“I won’t go with you. All of you together make about 90,000. Including me would just be icing on the cake. Here’s what we’ll do: you go to Tielingwei, and I’ll take my own group and take a detour straight to the Tartar camp.”
Li Rubai's face twitched; he had a feeling Lu Xuan was subtly criticizing him. Last year, he had a chance to storm the dragon's lair and turn the tide of battle. Unfortunately, he got lost in the mountains. But then again, he didn't have the guts.
"Alright, we'll do as General Lu says."
Lu Xuan naturally wouldn't travel with the other generals. To be honest, he wasn't sure if adding those men would make their fighting strength stronger or weaker. After all, the scene of Li Rubai's 15,000 men being routed by only 25 was still fresh in his mind.
After leaving the main hall, he led his men straight to the granary. They looted 30% of the supplies. Although he had brought enough for himself, there's no such thing as too much grain.
"Is there any other news from Zhao Jingzhong?"
The news of the fall of Tieling Guard was relayed back by Zhao Jingzhong immediately, even faster than the Ming Dynasty's postal stations. Lu Wenzhao approached Lu Xuan as he came out and asked.
"Not yet. Sir, how should we fight this battle? I noticed that the other generals seem to dislike us."
"It doesn't matter, let them fight their battles. We'll fight ours. Get the reconnaissance battalion moving now to scout ahead. No matter how the Tartars plan to come, we'll make it look like we're heading straight for their homeland."
"attitude?"
"Of course we can't actually go. If we push too hard, the entire Tartar army will retreat to defend, and we're too few people; it's not worth it. As long as we make this gesture, the Tartars will inevitably have to send troops to stop us. Then we can fight a tough battle and let these greenhorns experience a real battlefield, and our goal will be achieved. Ultimately, our foundation is too weak. Do you really think we can completely eliminate the Tartars in just one year?"
"But if they dare to return to defend, what about the other generals...?"
"Who else among the generals do you dare to trust?"
Lu Wenzhao was speechless. What Lu Xuan said was true. For some obvious reasons, their group had become an anomaly in Liaodong. Moreover, the integrity of the other Ming troops was not worth trusting.
"Understood, I'll arrange it right away."
Half a day later, the army set off.
Meanwhile, the Tartars, or rather the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Daišan, was leading 20,000 elite troops, bypassing Tielingwei, preparing to launch a surprise attack on Shenyang.
------------
Chapter 145 Preparation...Ignition
I wonder if some kind of will exists in the dark. It's still twenty miles north of Sarhu, the place where Du Song died in battle last year, and also the place where Lu Xuan first traveled through time.
Unlike Li Rubai, who walked blindly without knowing where he was, Lu Xu had already dispatched over a hundred scouts in a fan shape to explore the area ahead of the army before setting off. He had all the movements within a twenty-mile radius under his control.