A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 801
The Yuanwang Valley meanders towards the Qinling Mountains. Although the South Plains looks flat, there are some small ravines that need to be avoided from time to time. There are also some ruins of Seoul and Tangcheng that have become part of the local military fort.

Everyone rode their horses to the southern end of the original, Yuanwanggou extended obliquely to the west, intersected with Jingou, and at least a dozen other ravines, forming a very complicated place in the southwest.

Standing by the side of the ditch, the drop at the bottom of the ditch here is relatively flat, and more, it is the natural stepped defensive terrain, just like a large block of terraced fields.

Each "terraced field" also has a steep vertical slope, almost ninety degrees, and the height ranges from one, half, to two or three feet. This kind of terrain is also very conducive to defense.

Everyone looked over the ditch and looked to the southeast. There was a large plain above the ditch, and there were some fortresses.A few miles southeast of Nayuan, we cross a big ditch called Xiegou by the locals, which is a larger plain with Daiziying and other guard fortresses on it.

"Our division can deploy soldiers and horses in the Daizi camp. If the bandits attack Yuanwanggou, our division can commandeer them, attack their rear wings, and disrupt their troops and horses."

A staff member made a suggestion.

Sun Chuanting was a little moved, but in the end he shook his head. The idea of ​​deploying soldiers and horses on that side and attacking their backs and backs was very tempting. However, once the battle started, it would be difficult for the soldiers and horses of that side to respond to the main force of this side. There are too many variables when the army is alone up.

When the bandits found this army, they would definitely not sit idly by, maybe they would cross the inclined ditch and attack its flanks.If even the inclined ditch needs to be defended, it will require too many troops. It is better to concentrate our forces and focus on guarding the Yuanwang and other ditches.

Soon Sun Chuanting made a decision: "In a few days, all the guards in the east of Yuanwanggou will be withdrawn, so as not to be used by thieves."

"Forbidden ditch!"

Sun Chuanting and others walked west again, and finally saw the deep ditch in front of them, which was the famous Forbidden Ditch through the ages.

This "blockade trench" that is tens of miles long completely blocks the east-west passage. The ditch is deep and wide, with loess standing on the wall, overgrown with trees and weeds, and there are few gentle places. It forms a long and narrow trench with Tonggou. Originally, it was called Tongluochuan.

Beacon towers stand tall on the upper beams, and there are castles at key points at the bottom of the ditch, with garrisons ranging from 300 to [-], and even the city walls are connected to the original Shanghuo pier on both sides.

The staff beside him praised that the dangers of the Forbidden Ditch and the Twelve Linked Cities must be strong.

Sun Chuanting frowned for a long time. These fire road piers and fortresses are not unfortified. However, the visit to Taojiazhuang cast a shadow on him. If the local guards were still stationed there, the thieves would most likely blow them down, so they must be cleared. Substitution.

That Fang Wen Shiyan whispered to Wu Zhengchun and others obviously meant the same thing.

Their worries are not unreasonable. In history, Bai Guangen defended the Jingou and Tongluochuan, but was defeated by Li Zicheng. Gao Jie on the Xiyuan was so frightened that he fled immediately. , Tongguan city was broken.

Whether the castle is strong or not is closely related to people.

Sure enough, everyone went to the fort at the bottom of the forbidden ditch from the west of Nanyuan. There were more than 100 soldiers guarding the fort, but there were less than ten of them. They were still the kind of people who were too old to walk. Kowtowing, through the generations of the village, their military dialect has also become the local dialect, and Sun Chuanting can't understand it.

It was still Zhang Eryou who said embarrassingly that he took two of his servants and went to Haochayukou to do business. Some merchants from Luonan and Shangzhou would cross the Qinling Mountains and go to Tongguan to make a living. Haochayukou is home to many merchants. There are some shops on the pass, so the total...

"Zhang Eryou, capture this beast immediately, and behead it for public display, so as to be a righteous soldier!"

Sun Chuanting shouted sharply, his face was livid and murderous, and he could no longer hold back the anger in his chest.

Zhang Eryou bit his lower lip, cupped his hands and said, "Yes!"

All the staff around him looked serious, and Wu Zhengchun and others were silent. The chief executive of Taojiazhuang was still digging the ground by the fort, but this chief executive left his post without authorization and ran to a distant valley. Against the background that the enemy is coming, there is no reason to live.

After that, Sun Chuanting kept his face cold and said nothing. He just rode his horse to the bottom of the ditch, and everyone followed.

The valley is full of walls, bushes and vines are everywhere. Anyone who has passed through Hangu Pass will feel like being on the Hangu Ancient Road at this time.

However, the bottom of the forbidden ditch is quite flat and wide, about ten feet long, and the meandering ditch flows slowly. There are quite a lot of wheat fields and vegetable fields beside the water. It's empty talk.

With a cold face, Sun Chuanting went through several checkpoints, and several more were about to lose their heads. Zhang Eryou didn't say anything more.

Seeing that the defenses of the forbidden ditch are relaxed, everyone around is feeling heavy. If it is not for the on-site inspection and inspection, the forbidden area will become a thoroughfare, and the thieves will surround the west gate, and Tongguan will be in danger of being isolated.

Soon, a group of people arrived at the mouth of the ditch, where the ditch was suddenly steep, and the water in the forbidden ditch was turbulent, splashing in all directions, like a white train hanging high, and then a deep pool was formed below, surrounded by green trees, but It is a famous local scenery, forbidden ditch Longqiu.

But how could Sun Chuanting and others bother to read it?They went down the ditch from the path, and arrived at the lower west side of the South Plain. Looking at the plain again, it looked like a stretch of mountains, with only some trails going down from the plain to the west.

There is water from Tonggou, which merges with the water from Bangou to form Tonghe River, and then flows to Nanshuiguan. Not far from the west bank of Tonghe River is Phoenix Mountain.There is a city wall extending from Nanshuiguan and winding along Fenghuang Mountain. There is a thick and tall tower at the southernmost end, which is very close to Tongluochuan, not far from Tonghe River.

The tower is Shimen Pass, and the west end is connected with the west gate by the city wall, and there are enemy towers on it. Together with Tongluochuan, they form a fire attack point on both sides.

Everyone looked at Tonghe and the Shimen Pass, and one of the staff said, "It's not easy to get down from Nanyuan, and when the bandits attack Nanshui Pass, be careful that the defenders of Shimen Pass attack the rear flanks. It is also possible for the bandits to attack Shimen Pass and pass through the Luochuan defenders." Attack the rear abdomen of its flanks. The Forbidden Ditch and Shimen are not lost, and the thieves will not be able to copy to the west gate."

Sun Chuanting nodded, the forbidden ditch and the Shimen pass were not lost, how dare the bandits transport troops and food before the pass?Not to mention the road problem, even if the defenders took advantage of their unpreparedness, they suddenly copied behind them, and some bandit troops who got past by luck also became rootless duckweeds. This is the role of an important pass.

There is a city wall connected, so it is easy to transfer troops from the south gate and west gate to Shimen Pass. If the bandits want to cross the Tonghe River and turn around this place, they will pay a heavy price in the face of fire from the two wings.

Moreover, from the west of Tongluochuan to Xiyuan, there are gates at various critical intersections, forming a tight line of defense together with the entire Tongguan.

Although there was a bridge in the distance, everyone rode their horses across. The Tonghe River was a hundred steps wide, and it was not deep at this time. It only reached people's waists.

On the other side, dozens of steps away from the river is the city wall, which is completely within the strike range of the defenders above.Looking to the south, the valley in front of you is Tonggou, which is about the same length as Jingou and more than 200 steps wide.

Sun Chuanting and the others walked south for a while, looking at Tongluochuan and Xiyuan on the left and right, both of which are densely covered with fire roads and castles.

They randomly chose a small fort that controlled the intersection to enter. To Zhang Eryou's relief, the fort's boss fell inside the pass, although in fact he was happily playing horseshoes with his subordinates, which was also his way of making money.

The governor's sudden arrival scared him into a cold sweat. This person was still "dedicated to his duty" and avoided the danger of losing his head. However, Sun Chuanting passed the fort without saying a word, and decided to replace him. The local guards could not use him.

After passing the small fort, there is a Uehara trail in the back, which is winding and winding, and the sides of the ravines are full of wheat fields, which are sparse and not growing well.

After an unknown amount of time, a group of people landed on Xiyuan, which is as flat and vast as Nanyuan, with some castle villages dotted around it.Not long afterwards, everyone's eyes brightened. They saw the Weihe River and several plains with different heights in front of them.

These are considered to be the annexes of Tongguan City, each of which is densely populated, and houses and buildings spread all the way to the foot of the West City.The buildings in the city are also vividly visible. The West Gate Tower and the North Gate Tower are all in sight, and the Yellow River can also be seen.

Along the avenue beside the Wei River, the tide of marching soldiers, the red torrent, is approaching Tongguan City.

Standing and watching from the original side, Sun Chuanting took a deep breath, and he said to himself: "I will definitely guard Tongguan and protect Shaanxi!"

……

That night, Sun Chuanting couldn't care less about being tired, and discussed matters with all the officials and generals in the Xingyuan all night long.

His Governor's Xingyuan is located on Qilin Mountain, near the upper south gate. There are many main towers and archery towers here. On the mountain plain, there are many towers, barracks, and temples. It's good.

On a tower not far from Lingyunmen, the banner of "Communication of the Three Armies" is flying high.

At this time, the lanterns on the upper and lower floors were shining brightly, and Zanhua's staff came and went. On the top floor, the Zanhuas of the mercenary battalion were busy hanging up maps and setting up sand tables to make this place look like a headquarters. On the second floor, They also have their own duties.

Seeing the mercenaries busy, Wu Zhengchun, Gao Xun, Wen Shiyan and others were also whispering to each other, Sun Chuanting suddenly felt that he couldn't do anything.

He watched the painting fans busy, and according to the map marks, he continuously spliced ​​the various sand tables that he had brought into shape, and then the terrain near Tongguan appeared in front of his eyes, especially the Yuanwanggou and Forbidden Ditch that he visited today. , just like mountains and rivers, condensed in front of my eyes.

He also saw that Wu Zhengchun, Zanhua and others were constantly marking important positions and inserting various small flags. As expected, the form was clear at a glance. Sun Chuanting thought: "In the future, this Tongguan sand table must be in my own hands."

He listened to the mercenaries whispering, writing and drawing, and kept listing all kinds of things. Their planning was so detailed that it was jaw-dropping.

For example, guarding the Yuanwang Ditch, the entire ditch, how many strategic points are there, how many places need to be guarded, how many sections of parapets need to be built, how many troops are needed for each place, how should they respond, how should their logistics be supplied, and even the platoon number Number one, number two, number three.

Even the medical aid, the names of the officers, the composition of the military branches, etc., made people dizzy.

Sun Chuanting thought: "Since the emergence of the Jingbian Army, the combat situation is completely different from the past."

In the past few years since he was dismissed from office, the staff he has collected can be regarded as elites, but at this time, he can only serve as a helper for those who admire paintings, and do some errands and transportation.

The lack of talents is the biggest gap between him and Wang Dou.

According to Wen Shiyan's plan to collect Zanhua in the battalion, it was finally handed over to Wu Zhengchun and reported to Sun Chuanting. The defense of Tongguan involved a lot of affairs, and two points were prioritized. All the Tunbao guards in the east of the ditch.

The Zanhuas calculated the local living standards and possible property losses. When relocating these military households, they felt that it would be better to compensate each household with ten taels of silver. After moving them to Nanyuan or Xiyuan, they could also do some logistical work. , and supply rations.

If the military households in Nanyuan are to be relocated eventually, it will be done accordingly.

"Ten taels of silver per household?"

A few close aides beside Sun Chuanting almost screamed. It is necessary to fortify the walls and clear the country during war, but the government has always issued an order and the people enforced it. How can there be any compensation?Giving a little porridge at most is already benevolent and righteous. How about paying ten taels per household?

Only Zhang Eryou's eyes are bright, if the military households have been compensated, at least they can get through this year safely.

Sun Chuanting's face was ugly, each household compensated ten taels, which is not a small sum. Although he borrowed 200 million taels, he still spent money like running water, and there were huge expenses every day. The battle of Tongguan did not know how much he would fight...

In the end, he was heartbroken. Anyway, he already owed 200 million taels of silver. At most, he would borrow it after spending it. He waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Let's rely on General Wu."

Wu Zhengchun praised sincerely: "The governor is sympathetic to the people, and I will admire it in the end."

Looking at his admiring face, Sun Chuanting wanted to explode, but he couldn't.

……

Zhang Eryou, the tenth generation commander of Tongguan Guard, has a calm temperament, but at this time he can't restrain his inner excitement. As a local guard, his task is of course to lead the military households and civilians in Dongyuan to relocate under the order of the governor.

At first he summoned the officers of the forts of the guards to announce the matter, and everyone was half-believed, but when he led his family and Lord Tiger's cavalry, they brought boxes of silver coins to a military fort called Beitoubao in Dongyuan. , a local city of thousands of households.

He recruited all the military households, and after opening the box on the spot, revealing layers of white flowers and round things inside, everyone gasped.

Recently, there have been thieves riding around to spy on the surrounding area. It is said that hundreds of thousands of thieves are approaching.At noon, the general manager came back and said that Sun Du asked the military households to relocate, and every household would be compensated. Everyone was dubious, would there be such a good thing?
Most of them don't want to leave their homes. What if the house and the surrounding wheat are ruined by thieves?A poor family is also my treasure, and the home is destroyed once, how will I live in the future?
However, when the orders of the superiors come down, how can the humble people dare to resist, not afraid of being caught and executed?While hesitating, to see if he should hide in a ditch mouth to avoid, the scene in front of him proves that the rumors are actually true.

Some well-informed people also exclaimed: "That is the silver dollar of Xuanfu Town."

The silver in front of me is so strange, it is flat and round, and the shape, color, and weight of each piece look almost the same. It is well-informed to know that this is a silver coin from Xuanfu Town, which is currently only in circulation in the provincial capital and some big cities. , full ten hard currency.

Not to mention silver coins, even those who have seen copper coins can brag about it with their neighbors for a long time when they come back.

Migrants, can each household get these ten silver coins?move!Why not move?
Sometimes good things can be spread thousands of miles. Under the powerful offensive of silver coins, the people of Dongyuan did not have the slightest resistance. They happily took over the silver coins one by one, helped the old and the young, drove pigs and sheep, brought their belongings, and watched from afar. The ditch was continuously crossed.

The migrating team was vast and mighty, and even many military households who did not know where they went ran back again, and hermit households who had disappeared for a long time also appeared one after another. After they got the silver coins, they were all grateful, and they all said: "Sun Du is really a benevolent man!" Righteousness."

After receiving the silver coins for compensation, they also learned how to feel the touch, touch the patterns on them without a teacher, the way of blowing a breath and listening to the buzzing sound of the silver coins to distinguish the real from the fake, and it quickly spread among military households. .

Supervising the standard battalion is everywhere, guarding the safety of the people, and is also responsible for supervision. Each household is given ten silver dollars, one is not a lot, and the military households are even more grateful.

"Your Majesty Sun, Lord Wandai."

Dongyuan's relocation was orderly. People flocked to Nanyuan along the path on the ditch, and then they saw the banner of Lord Sun on the original, and saw Lord Sun under the banner. , the image is so tall.

All the military households and civilians cheered sincerely to the banner, and many people knelt down one by one, thanking the patron saint in their hearts, the generous and benevolent Master Sun. Seeing their sincerity, Sun Chuanting suddenly felt that ten taels of silver per household is also not many.

He thought even more dazedly: "My generation read the books of sages and sages, and it is also for the well-being of the people... Money is something outside of the body."

……

Gao Jie, the new Shaanxi general, arrived at Tongguan on the afternoon of the [-]th. By this time, all the new troops had arrived, and Tongguan City was in full swing for defensive preparations.

According to the planning of Zanhua, their army will set up camps along the Weihe River and various places in Xiyuan, and then enter Guancheng, Nanyuan, Jingou and other places one by one to see the arrangements of Shuaiying for them.

In the towns of Shaanxi, Gao Jie, Zheng Jiadong, and Niu Chenghu followed the new army to defend Tongguan. They were in the main barracks, each with 5000 to 1000 soldiers, and then the guerrilla-level generals in the town needed to send troops, each with more than 2000 soldiers and [-] soldiers. Even hundreds of soldiers.

There are about 5000 battalions in the three towns, and it is impossible to have such a large number.

After all, it is normal for the battalions to eat empty wages and drink soldiers' blood. At that time, even Yang Guozhu and others could not avoid it, and the hinterland was even worse. Their actual total strength was about 1000 or [-]. wait.

Because Sun Chuanting had Wang Dou's assistance, he was rich and powerful, and he paid all the half-year salary arrears in one go, and now he also receives military salary every month, so the morale of the soldiers is very high.

Although many people in Shaanxi were full of resentment towards Sun Chuanting, the army generally supported him, and they didn't care where Sun Chuanting's money came from, as long as he had money, he was fine.

However, the old army's long-standing evils can be sorted out in a short time?Gao Jie had arrived a few days ago, but there were only over 1000 cavalry with him, and thousands of infantry were far behind, and it might take several days to arrive.

For the rest, it will take longer for the soldiers and reinforcements from all walks of life, the soldiers and horses from the two towns of Guyuan and Lintao to arrive.

Regarding the arrangement of the battalions, the Commander meant to let them fight in the field. As rangers, only some of them would accompany the new army to defend.

Soldiers and horses from all sides continued to arrive. Inside and outside Tongguan City, horse infantry troops were stationed, tents stretched, and the atmosphere of gold and iron horses spread.

Fans of the Jingbian Army believe that allowing new troops to participate in defense construction can accumulate their practical experience.

There are also military households inside and outside Nanyuan, Xiyuan, and Tongguan. They should not be allowed to be idle. They should know that this war is not irrelevant to them.

Sun Chuanting also went all out. According to the opinions of Wu Zhengchun and others, a large number of civilians from military households were hired to do things, and they were incorporated into the supply team, paid wages, provided with food and clothing, and the enthusiasm of the soldiers and civilians was very high.

On the [-]th, Sun Chuanting inspected the city defense, from inside the city to outside the city, from Nanyuan to Xiyuan, wherever he went, there were cheers, and countless people cheered at his banner: "Du Chen, Du Chen, Du Chen."

Sun Chuanting suddenly felt tears welling up in his eyes, and Wen Shiyan next to him said happily: "The army and the people are united, and their strength breaks gold. Tongguan is already an iron wall!"

(End of this chapter)