Chapter 2347

The northern defense line of the Haihan Army is only ten miles wide, and there is no need to worry about the opponent launching an offensive from the sea. In this way, at least 3,000 troops are stationed year-round to prevent the opponent from launching an offensive suddenly.

The Ming Dynasty has a vast territory and the northern defense line stretches for thousands of miles. It is impossible to adopt the defense strategy of deploying heavy troops along the entire defense line like Haihan in Jinzhou. It can only disperse the troops to guard various important military towns along the border. In this way

For the Qing army with strong mobility, the defense method was undoubtedly full of loopholes. As long as the troops were concentrated in one place, they could basically penetrate it with one hit.

Today's Ming Dynasty can only cope with the Qing army's nearly routine raids every year, and has no effective means of resistance. Under such circumstances, if the Qing army's weaponry and equipment level is raised to another level,

Then Daming would be completely out of luck.

Of course, the threshold for producing advanced weapons such as muskets and artillery is not just technology. With Haihan's industrial capabilities, it is far from being able to have one musket per person in the military, and there are only a few high-end weapons with outstanding performance.

Only elite troops are eligible to be equipped. Considering the social productivity level and resource output of the Qing Dynasty, even if they master some weapons manufacturing technologies originated from the West, it may be difficult to truly form large-scale production capacity in the short term.

From the prisoners' mouths, we learned that the Qing army still had three outstanding musketeers on the Daheishan front line. These covert troops should have a strength of nearly a thousand. This is also very likely to be the upper limit of the new muskets they can install. Maybe there are still some among them.

Mixed in are many old-fashioned matchlocks brought to Liaodong by the Ming rebels.

The Qing army hid these musketeers, probably learning from last year's lesson. They knew that exposure would lead to targeted attacks from Haihan. This secret weapon had to be reserved for the most critical times before being used. For example, this time in Jinzhou

The feint attack in this direction finally turned into a real attack, and then the Qing army might have to draw out its own musketeers to fight. If the Haihan army was unprepared for this, it might actually have a miraculous effect.

However, compared to the size of the Qing army's musketeers, Chen Yixin was more concerned about whether they had mastered the corresponding tactics and had actual combat capabilities. If they were only equipped with some muskets, it did not actually mean that they had formed a real combat effectiveness.

But regarding this issue, Welin was unable to obtain more detailed information from the prisoners. He could only confirm that Spanish and Japanese served as instructors in the Qing army last year, and this news was no longer relevant to Haihan.

It's new. When the Marine Corps went deep behind enemy lines last year, they already discovered that Westerners were instructing the training of musketeers in the military.

Due to the limitations of weapon performance, almost all musketeers in this era use array tactics. The training is not complicated. Even ordinary people with no military foundation can be trained into musketeers with qualified combat skills in a few months.

The speed of forming combat effectiveness is very fast.

"It seems that we need to say hello to the Ming Dynasty. We can't just watch them suffer!" Chen Yixin quickly made a decision. Even though the scale and actual combat effectiveness of the Qing army's musketeers training cannot yet be determined, the opponent

The first target to deal with after possessing such advanced arms is obviously the Ming Dynasty.

The reason is very simple. The Qing army is unlikely to use its hard-won musketeers to fight Haihan, and will only use them to deal with relatively weaker targets. After losing thousands of people in Jinzhou one after another, the Qing army has realized

When it is difficult to expel the Haihan Army from Jinzhou through military means, continuing to invest troops in the frontal battlefield will only give the Haihan Army military exploits in vain. It is already an ideal state to block the Haihan Army in Jinzhou like it is now.

On the North Korean side, Haihan's elite troops are stationed, and there is the natural chasm of the Yalu River on the border. If they attack and are cut off by the Haihan navy, it will be troublesome. In comparison, Ming Dynasty is the best target to deal with.

Xuanfu, Datong, Jizhou and other places can all enter the Ming Dynasty. Breaking through the defenses of these places is much easier than the Jinzhou Isthmus defense line and the Yalu River natural chasm.

Although a considerable number of combat troops were restrained north of Jinzhou by Haihan all year round, the Qing army often found ways to mobilize some troops to participate in the attack on the Ming Dynasty. This time, the Military Intelligence Bureau found out the recent troop mobilization status of the Qing army, and was

The transferred soldiers and horses were most likely to participate in the attack on the Ming Dynasty.

In the past, the Qing army was able to break through the Ming Dynasty's border defenses only by relying on the winding cavalry. If more musketeers joined, I am afraid that the Ming Dynasty's situation would be even more unbearable. As a nominal ally, Haihan indeed has an obligation to warn the Ming Dynasty.

.

Wei Lin responded: "How about you, humble minister, go and inform the envoy?"

Chen Yixin thought for a while before responding: "You go and inform him to come, and I will tell him face to face. This is more serious."

The official official contact between the Ming Dynasty and Haihan began in Jinzhou. In 1636, Mei Shengchuan, the minister of the Ministry of War, secretly came to Jinzhou to discuss military cooperation and the ownership of Jinzhou with Haihan, which later led to the official establishment of the two countries.

diplomatic relations. After that, Ming Dynasty also sent official personnel to Jinzhou to serve as a communication channel between the two sides.

This kind of stationed agency is actually very free. The Ming envoy only needs to write a memorial to the court every month based on the battle report provided by Haihan. If the court has a decree, the envoy of the stationed agency will convey it to Haihan. The rest.

The time spent playing can be used to plant flowers, fish, read and play chess. There are no places for consumption and entertainment in Jinzhou, but it is very suitable for a life of self-cultivation.

The Ming Dynasty envoy currently stationed in Jinzhou is a close associate of Mei Shilang of the Ministry of War, named Yue Yongshou. Although he is only a small chief of the Ministry of War, he is backed by Mei Shengchuan, so he can get such a good job.

In addition to the monthly memorials submitted to the court to create a sense of existence, Yue Yongshou could also receive a certain amount of money from Haihan on a monthly basis, which was euphemistically called "office expenses". This amount was not accounted for.

Naturally, all the income went into his own pocket, and it was quite a considerable amount after one year.

He is soft-spoken when he eats people, but he is short-handed when taking advantage of others. When Yue Yongshou was stationed in Jinzhou, he often took advantage of Haihan. Naturally, he always cooperated, not going where he was not allowed to go, and not asking about things he was not allowed to ask.

After receiving the notification, Yue Yongshou quickly came to meet Chen Yixin. He was very aware of his role in Jinzhou. If Chen Yixin summoned him, he must have something to convey to the court.

Chen Yixin went straight to the point and explained to Yue Yongshou why he was anxious to summon him. It was because he found that the Qing army was most likely forming and training musketry troops, and these special troops might appear in the Ming Dynasty sometime in the near future.

On the border, the Ming Dynasty will face the Qing army whose weapons performance has surpassed its own.

Yue Yongshou was shocked after hearing this. He knew that the Ming army had a firearms battalion, but the weapons used were mostly primitive matchlocks or very old-fashioned flintlock guns, which were far inferior to those of the Haihan Army.

Equipped with repeating rifles and artillery of various calibers. If the Qing army had similar arms and equipped them with weapons with better performance, then the Ming Dynasty's border defense would have to bear greater pressure.

Yue Yongshou said: "Since even Mr. Chen feels it is very dangerous, I will definitely report the matter to the court as soon as possible. But I wonder if Mr. Chen has any solution to this problem?"

Chen Yixin said: "For now, we have not been able to confirm the true strength and deployment status of the Qing army's artillery troops, so it is difficult to assess their specific combat effectiveness. If these troops were delivered to the northern border of the Ming Dynasty, I think the Ming army would

It is difficult to have the power to fight with them. To solve this problem, unless the Ming army is equipped with a large number of weapons of the same level."

Yue Yongshou said: "What do you mean, Lord Chen, to ask me to make suggestions to the imperial court to purchase weapons and equipment produced in your country in large quantities?"

Chen Yixin nodded without hesitation and said: "That's right. Only if your country takes the initiative to improve its military strength can the Qing army be blocked from the country."

Yue Yongshou hesitated and said: "But the imperial court does not seem to agree with the purchase of weapons from your country. The price is high, there are too few types of weapons to choose from, and the delivery cycle is long. Many adults think that this kind of transaction is too disadvantageous."

What Yue Yongshou said is indeed true. Although Haihan also wanted to sell weapons and equipment to the Ming Dynasty, there were many restrictions. Moreover, the performance of the weapons sold to the Ming Dynasty was not even as good as those sold to Fujian Xu Xinsu. As a buyer, the

If money still needs to be punished, naturally this transaction will not be very comfortable.

Chen Yixin said: "There is only one reason for these problems, and that is that we are the only one on the market who can sell these weapons and equipment to your country. If your country wants to continue fighting with the Qing army, then only by obtaining enough weapons from our country can we

Guarantee that your country will not be defeated by the Manchus in the future."

Yue Yongshou smiled bitterly and said: "I have personally seen your army fighting the Qing army on the front line of Jinzhou, so I naturally believe what Mr. Chen said. But those adults in the court do not know the difference between these weapons, and they may not understand what Mr. Chen means.

That makes sense. There are many things that cannot be understood by looking at the memorial."

"After all, it's because there are too few officials like Mr. Yue who are well versed in practical matters!" Chen Yixin sighed deliberately and flattered Yue Yongshou by the way.

Yue Yongshou said: "Master Chen is ridiculous. I can only do my best and try to make the matter more clear in the memorial. As for whether this matter can be accomplished, I dare not give assurance to Master Chen."

Chen Yixin emphasized: "Buying weapons is just a suggestion. What your country really needs to pay attention to is the situation of the Qing army. If the Qing army has an established musketeer unit appearing on your border, it is most likely because the Manchus have mastered the manufacturing of these weapons."

Your country must be more careful about the technology used to develop weapons."

After sending Yue Yongshou away, Chen Yixin still felt a little uneasy. He really had no confidence in whether the warning he raised could have its due effect.

However, in fact, Chen Yixin's warning was already a step too late. During Operation Treading Snow, the Qing army, led by Prince Dorgon and Beileyue Tuo, divided into left and right armies and invaded the Ming Dynasty. The Qing army successively captured Qian

An, Fengrun, Nengzhou and other places came all the way to Gyeonggi.

The capital of the Ming Dynasty was shaken. Supervisor Lu Xiangsheng personally led the army to meet the enemy, but still could not stop the Qing army's offensive. The Qing army attacked forty-three cities in the Ming Dynasty, and all the towns in the capital area were defeated. And the soldiers guarding these places were defeated.

The Ming army either cowered or fled, and it did not play any role in stopping the Qing army.

In this series of battles in the Gyeonggi region, the Ming army was surprised to find that in addition to the usual sword and bow cavalry, there were actually musketeers in the Qing army. Moreover, the weapons used by these musketeers were unified and they knew how to combine them.

They fought in formations, and the Ming armies who fought with them were quickly defeated.

The two firearms battalions of the Ming army stationed in the Gyeonggi area suffered small losses after fighting with them. They found that the weapons they used were not even as good as the Qing army. If it were not for long-term training and rich practical experience, they would probably be defeated.

The opponent is defeated directly.

This discovery is definitely bad news for the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty has gradually become a passive party in military confrontations. It can only parry but has no power to fight back. Now the strength of the Qing army has been further enhanced, and it even has muskets.

Advanced arms such as soldiers have already appeared on the battlefield. As time goes by, the Ming army's disadvantages due to backward weapons will further expand, and the Qing army's ambition to go south will begin to expand uncontrollably.

Almost at the same time that Chen Yixin was interviewing Yue Yongshou, the Ming court was already in a quarrel because of the recent decline on the battlefield.

Some people think that it was Lu Xiangsheng's inability to supervise the war, which is why the Qing army was in a deserted state in the Gyeonggi area. At this time, other generals with real abilities should be replaced to take Lu Xiangsheng's position.

Some people also think that the fact that the Qing army has musketeers just shows that the Ming army should further expand the establishment of firearms battalions. However, this statement has been refuted after it was thrown out. The Ming army is currently unable to even maintain the existing army size.

With so much effort, there is no room left to expand the size of a money-burning unit like the Firearms Battalion.

Some people have suggested that since military expenditures are tight, we should try to collect Liao pay at home and use taxes to subsidize the army's combat expenses. However, this opinion has also encountered opposition, believing that the crux of the Ming army is not insufficient military expenditures.

But they simply didn't know how to fight an opponent like the Qing army.

Since the rise of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, the Ming Dynasty has been in a state of passive defense, losing more and winning less, and even losing in repeated battles. How to defeat the Qing army has become a problem that troubles the Ming Dynasty and the public, and this problem has evolved over time.

After that, it seemed that it was about how not to be defeated by the Qing army.

Even if there were no musketeers in the Qing army, the decline of the Ming army was slowly becoming apparent. The musketeers only accelerated the process. But even if the situation was so urgent, no one in the court took the initiative to mention whether it should be

Seek help from Haihan. Compared with the ferocious Qing army, it seems that "Haihan" is the existence that the big shots are so afraid of that they don't want to mention it.
Chapter completed!