Chapter 1519
Chapter 1519
Chapter 1519
Of course, for such an impressive record, the price paid by Haihan is not insignificant. In addition to the astronomical military expenditure, the Haihan army stationed in Liaodong has also suffered triple-digit casualties. It is a rare figure in the past combat operations of the Haihan Army.
The Haihan army is characterized by being small but refined, rich in experience, highly mobile, and fierce in firepower. It is suitable for defensive warfare relying on fortifications, or assault warfare in which the enemy is unprepared. However, if the war enters a long-term confrontation, it will start to rely on consumption Fighting with resources and personnel is extremely disadvantageous for an army like Haihan who does not have enough troops and relies heavily on logistical supplies.No matter how great the Haihan Army's advantage is, casualties are unavoidable in this long tug-of-war.
However, to Mei Shengchuan and Jin Shangxian's ears, such casualties were like thunder.Haihan fought in Liaodong for half a year, and the number of casualties in the battle was only a hundred, but they achieved results that they could only look up to.Looking at the way Qian Tiandun described these numbers, it seemed that he was still not satisfied with this situation, which made them a little incomprehensible.If the army of Ming Dynasty or North Korea can achieve such a record, it will definitely be a national celebration, and the various rewards for the generals will naturally be nothing to worry about.
"For our country, a war with huge casualties and too little return has no meaning in fighting for a long time." Qian Tiandun said to the envoys of the two countries with a calm face: "If there is no motivation to support us to continue the war, then we A truce order will be issued soon, and we will not take the initiative to fight with the Houjin army in the future."
Qian Tiandun's statement can be said to be quite clear, and he almost didn't say "the side where you don't form an alliance will cease the war".Naturally, the envoys of the two countries could not continue pretending to be confused. Meijin and Jin looked at each other, and they both saw a hint of helplessness on the other's face.
Mei Shengchuan couldn't wait for Jin Shangxian to come out to make a statement at this time, otherwise, if the other party directly agrees with this surname Qian and agrees immediately, wouldn't he be roasting himself on the fire?He coughed dryly and said, "Your country sent troops to Liaodong to rescue the people of the Han family. It was a righteous act. Now that the battle is in the upper hand, it would be a pity to give up and continue the pursuit. Wouldn't it be a pity to fight for months?"
Qian Tiandun said: "Since Mr. Mei said it was a righteous deed, then I will open the skylight and speak out. This part of the friendship, you have already talked about it before you came to the battlefield for inspection. Now it can be brought out in this place. There is no friendship, only interests. If there is no benefit, why should our soldiers continue to fight for your country in vain?"
Mei Shengchuan thought to himself, isn't it good for you, Haihan, to use force to occupy my Ming's territory?Isn't it a good thing to take thousands of Liaodong Han people captive?Now that even the entire Ming army in Dongjiang Town has been abducted, what other benefits do they want?
Of course, he could only think about this kind of complaint silently in his heart, but he didn't dare to blurt it out. The Haihan people are obviously impatient with the slow progress of the negotiations, and they can't do things that add fuel to the fire at this time.
If Haihan ceased the war in Liaodong, at most it would be regarded as a timely stop loss, and it would not really hurt its national strength and national security.Even if Hou Jin can mobilize a large army to break through the isthmus defense line operated by the Haihan army and regain control of the Lushun area, Haihan should be able to escape safely from Liaodong.After all, Haihan's strength in maritime transportation is obvious to all. Since these troops can be transported to Liaodong from thousands of miles away, there will naturally be a way to pick them up safely from Liaodong.
But for Daming and North Korea, this is by no means good news.If Haihan ceases fighting in Liaodong, then this means that Houjin will lose an opponent that they will have to concentrate on dealing with.As for Hou Jin, who has freed his hands and feet from this battlefield, the most likely choice is to make up for the losses inside the dike and outside the dike. First, he will take Da Ming and North Korea first, and get back the losses from these two fat sheep.And at that time, Hou Jin might not have any spare power left, and the predators that Ming and North Korea would face would probably be more vicious and ruthless than in previous years.
In view of the declining record of Ming Dynasty against Hou Jin in recent years, Mei Shengchuan did not have much confidence in whether his army could resist the looters.If Haihan can sell a large number of standard weapons to Daming, maybe Daming will still be able to fight, but Mei Shengchuan also understands that the other party has expressed his attitude long ago and will only sell weapons to allies. As for Daming, I am afraid that there are only two provinces in Fujian and Guangxi Only the local garrisons with a close relationship with it, and Dongjiang Town, which has only an empty shell of the Ming army left, can hope to receive military assistance from Haihan.
As for North Korea, whose military strength is far less than that of Ming Dynasty, the situation will only be more passive.Hou Jin had already planned to completely subdue North Korea. If Haihan hadn't intervened in Liaodong last year, the [-] Hou Jin cavalry would have gone south to Seoul this year, forcing the North Koreans to cut their robes with Daming.Although this situation did not happen in this time and space, the North Koreans may never know that they may have faced such a disaster, but their perception of danger is not bad, otherwise they would not just look at the North After the fleet's armed exercises on the Han River, Kim Sang-heon was sent to Liaodong.
Kim Sang-heon may be more sensitive than Mei Shengchuan in his judgment of changes in the situation. He believes that if Haihan chooses to cease the war indefinitely, North Korea will be the first to be unlucky, not Da Ming.There is no other reason, as long as Hou Jin has a little bit of brains, he will know to avoid the two hard bones of Haihan and Daming, and first pinch the soft persimmon of North Korea.Although Jin Shangxian didn't think that Houjin could conquer his country in just over ten days, no matter how big his heart was, he also knew that if Houjin made a real move, it would be difficult for North Korea to survive until the day when Daming sent reinforcements across the sea to reinforce it. one day.
For Mei Shengchuan and Jin Shangxian, an important problem to be solved at present is to understand what the actual benefits the Haihan people are seeking.The de facto occupation of Liaodong is obviously not the fundamental goal of the Haihan people, but a means to achieve their ultimate goal.Haihan has repeatedly emphasized that the alliance that requires the two countries to agree will bring Haihan what kind of benefits. The two believe that this may be the key to resolving the differences in the current negotiations.
It's a pity that their contact with Haihan was too short, and they couldn't understand Haihan's methods like those bureaucrats in the southern coastal area of Ming Dynasty. It is difficult to draw correct conclusions just by guessing out of thin air.
Seeing that the envoys of the two countries showed embarrassment on their faces, Bai Kesi said at this time: "Actually, interests, please don't narrowly understand it as the unilateral benefits of our Haihan country. Between countries , There is also a common interest. For example, if the three of us form an alliance and work together to attack Houjin and remove the threat from the north, it is a common interest for us.”
Mei Shengchuan said: "Could it be that what your country is looking for is just an alliance?"
"Of course there will be corresponding alliance conditions. I believe that Mr. Mei has heard my colleagues say it before. Commerce, immigration, and recognition of our country's rights and interests in the actual control area, our country's requirements are as simple as that. For Ming and North Korea It's all the same." Beks repeated Haihan's request again.As for the command of the coalition forces in the military, logistical support, etc., he did not repeat it again. As long as the two countries can let go of the alliance issue, then these details can be postponed and negotiated slowly.
"Our country has no objection to this framework, but the specific details still need to be discussed." Halfway through the speech, Jin Shangxian found that Mei Shengchuan's face was not very good-looking, and quickly added: "Of course, the alliance between you and us must also be discussed." Only with Da Ming’s consent.”
Mei Shengchuan saw that Jin Shangxian was also knowledgeable, interesting and able to speak, and then his face turned pale and he said: "Some conditions proposed by your country are too sensitive, and I am afraid it will be difficult to get approval after reporting to the court."
Bai Kesi said: "The agreement doesn't need to be so detailed, just write down the main conditions. As for how to implement it, it can be changed flexibly at that time. Rules are dead, but people are alive!"
Mei Shengchuan felt that Bai Kesi's statement was inappropriate, but at the moment he didn't know where to refute it.The Haihan people undoubtedly took the initiative in this tug-of-war negotiation. Although Mei Shengchuan wanted to protect Daming's interests, Haihan pressed on every step of the way, and every step left him with the narrow choice of yes or no. It is very difficult to practice Taijiquan without space.Facing such a strong negotiating opponent, Mei Shengchuan was really distressed that he didn't have anything he could use to bargain with the Haihan people.
Although he has the background of a big country, but he has no bargaining chips in this kind of negotiation, Mei Shengchuan really felt powerless for the first time after being an official for many years.Facing the tyrannical Haihan, Mei Shengchuan felt that none of the conditions he could offer to threaten Haihan seemed to be able to beat the guns and cannons of the Haihan people.
At this time, he couldn't help but think of a Haihan proverb mentioned in a secret report by Shen Shikui, the chief soldier of Dongjiang Town - truth only exists within the range of a cannon.The arrogance and absolute confidence in force revealed in these words were incomprehensible to Mei Shengchuan before he came to Liaodong. Mei Shengchuan, like most of the officials in the court, believed that this was just a small country in the south that focused on maritime trade. It was only because it was good at deceiving people and luring people with profit that it created a big situation in the south.
But after seeing the Haihan army with his own eyes, Mei Shengchuan knew that the high-ranking officials of Ming Dynasty, including himself, were all very wrong. Let both parties negotiate as equals.
At this time, some soldiers brought several binoculars under Qian Tiandun's signal, distributed them to the envoys and entourages of the two countries, and then taught them how to use this observation tool.
"About five or six miles north from here is Houjin's control area. You can see from the binoculars that Houjin is building a group of fortresses in the north. We have calculated that if they maintain the current If the construction speed is fast enough, then the fortress will be built to the edge of the fire range of the isthmus defense line before the end of the year." Qian Tiandun introduced the current battlefield situation to the visitors in a steady voice: "Once such a fortress group becomes Due to the climate, it is unlikely that our army will advance northward in the future. And what the enemy wants is probably to let our army stop here, and then free up their hands to deal with Ming and North Korea."
The envoys of the two countries quickly learned to use this tool. In fact, Mei Shengchuan was not completely unfamiliar with binoculars. The Ministry of War already had binoculars donated by Western missionaries, but the workmanship and vision were indeed inferior to those of the Haihan people.
They quickly confirmed from their field of vision that there were indeed dots of small fortresses distributed in the northern field. The distance between the fortresses was only about a hundred feet, and they were indeed very dense from a distance.If you want to destroy them one by one by means of war, it will indeed take a lot of work.Obviously, the Haihan people probably came up with the idea of a truce after the opponent used this seemingly stupid but clever countermeasure.
While watching, Mei Shengchuan was also thinking about how the Ming army would be able to respond to such a method in order to be effective.After thinking about it, apart from using a large number of troops to push flatly, there seems to be no other immediate means.And the Haihan army has already begun to complain about three-digit casualties, so how could they be willing to spend their lives to fill this fortress formation.However, he still thinks that Haihan must have some countermeasures, otherwise, how could he just sit back and watch the enemy continue to build fortresses southward like this? It is just that the Haihan people deliberately made the current situation intolerable in order to use the armistice to force Daming and North Korea to submit. Described as if there is nothing to do.
This day's patrol operation was without any surprises or dangers, and Hou Jin's side may have adapted to this kind of scene deliberately created by Haihan from time to time, and did not try to organize a field offensive at all.It seems that Geng Zhongming is also determined to build the fortress iron barrel formation, and will not try to compete with Haihan in the field duel.For the Haihan Army, which uses fire suppression as its main means of attack, this is indeed not a battlefield environment that is convenient for exerting its combat effectiveness.
As for the envoys of the two countries, it was more or less a little bit regretful that they could not see the fierce battle between the two armies on the line of fire.Of course, according to the Haihan people, there is often no fierce battle with the Houjin army, and the Haihan army is almost overwhelmingly overwhelming the opponent.Just imagining such a scene makes the envoys of the two countries feel a lot of pressure. After all, on the battlefields of their respective countries, their armies have been overwhelmingly suppressed by the Houjin army. There are times when someone ravages me too much.
On June [-]th, the representatives of the three countries finally sat down at the negotiating table again and began the final stage of consultations on the issue of forming an alliance against gold.
(End of this chapter)
Of course, for such an impressive record, the price paid by Haihan is not insignificant. In addition to the astronomical military expenditure, the Haihan army stationed in Liaodong has also suffered triple-digit casualties. It is a rare figure in the past combat operations of the Haihan Army.
The Haihan army is characterized by being small but refined, rich in experience, highly mobile, and fierce in firepower. It is suitable for defensive warfare relying on fortifications, or assault warfare in which the enemy is unprepared. However, if the war enters a long-term confrontation, it will start to rely on consumption Fighting with resources and personnel is extremely disadvantageous for an army like Haihan who does not have enough troops and relies heavily on logistical supplies.No matter how great the Haihan Army's advantage is, casualties are unavoidable in this long tug-of-war.
However, to Mei Shengchuan and Jin Shangxian's ears, such casualties were like thunder.Haihan fought in Liaodong for half a year, and the number of casualties in the battle was only a hundred, but they achieved results that they could only look up to.Looking at the way Qian Tiandun described these numbers, it seemed that he was still not satisfied with this situation, which made them a little incomprehensible.If the army of Ming Dynasty or North Korea can achieve such a record, it will definitely be a national celebration, and the various rewards for the generals will naturally be nothing to worry about.
"For our country, a war with huge casualties and too little return has no meaning in fighting for a long time." Qian Tiandun said to the envoys of the two countries with a calm face: "If there is no motivation to support us to continue the war, then we A truce order will be issued soon, and we will not take the initiative to fight with the Houjin army in the future."
Qian Tiandun's statement can be said to be quite clear, and he almost didn't say "the side where you don't form an alliance will cease the war".Naturally, the envoys of the two countries could not continue pretending to be confused. Meijin and Jin looked at each other, and they both saw a hint of helplessness on the other's face.
Mei Shengchuan couldn't wait for Jin Shangxian to come out to make a statement at this time, otherwise, if the other party directly agrees with this surname Qian and agrees immediately, wouldn't he be roasting himself on the fire?He coughed dryly and said, "Your country sent troops to Liaodong to rescue the people of the Han family. It was a righteous act. Now that the battle is in the upper hand, it would be a pity to give up and continue the pursuit. Wouldn't it be a pity to fight for months?"
Qian Tiandun said: "Since Mr. Mei said it was a righteous deed, then I will open the skylight and speak out. This part of the friendship, you have already talked about it before you came to the battlefield for inspection. Now it can be brought out in this place. There is no friendship, only interests. If there is no benefit, why should our soldiers continue to fight for your country in vain?"
Mei Shengchuan thought to himself, isn't it good for you, Haihan, to use force to occupy my Ming's territory?Isn't it a good thing to take thousands of Liaodong Han people captive?Now that even the entire Ming army in Dongjiang Town has been abducted, what other benefits do they want?
Of course, he could only think about this kind of complaint silently in his heart, but he didn't dare to blurt it out. The Haihan people are obviously impatient with the slow progress of the negotiations, and they can't do things that add fuel to the fire at this time.
If Haihan ceased the war in Liaodong, at most it would be regarded as a timely stop loss, and it would not really hurt its national strength and national security.Even if Hou Jin can mobilize a large army to break through the isthmus defense line operated by the Haihan army and regain control of the Lushun area, Haihan should be able to escape safely from Liaodong.After all, Haihan's strength in maritime transportation is obvious to all. Since these troops can be transported to Liaodong from thousands of miles away, there will naturally be a way to pick them up safely from Liaodong.
But for Daming and North Korea, this is by no means good news.If Haihan ceases fighting in Liaodong, then this means that Houjin will lose an opponent that they will have to concentrate on dealing with.As for Hou Jin, who has freed his hands and feet from this battlefield, the most likely choice is to make up for the losses inside the dike and outside the dike. First, he will take Da Ming and North Korea first, and get back the losses from these two fat sheep.And at that time, Hou Jin might not have any spare power left, and the predators that Ming and North Korea would face would probably be more vicious and ruthless than in previous years.
In view of the declining record of Ming Dynasty against Hou Jin in recent years, Mei Shengchuan did not have much confidence in whether his army could resist the looters.If Haihan can sell a large number of standard weapons to Daming, maybe Daming will still be able to fight, but Mei Shengchuan also understands that the other party has expressed his attitude long ago and will only sell weapons to allies. As for Daming, I am afraid that there are only two provinces in Fujian and Guangxi Only the local garrisons with a close relationship with it, and Dongjiang Town, which has only an empty shell of the Ming army left, can hope to receive military assistance from Haihan.
As for North Korea, whose military strength is far less than that of Ming Dynasty, the situation will only be more passive.Hou Jin had already planned to completely subdue North Korea. If Haihan hadn't intervened in Liaodong last year, the [-] Hou Jin cavalry would have gone south to Seoul this year, forcing the North Koreans to cut their robes with Daming.Although this situation did not happen in this time and space, the North Koreans may never know that they may have faced such a disaster, but their perception of danger is not bad, otherwise they would not just look at the North After the fleet's armed exercises on the Han River, Kim Sang-heon was sent to Liaodong.
Kim Sang-heon may be more sensitive than Mei Shengchuan in his judgment of changes in the situation. He believes that if Haihan chooses to cease the war indefinitely, North Korea will be the first to be unlucky, not Da Ming.There is no other reason, as long as Hou Jin has a little bit of brains, he will know to avoid the two hard bones of Haihan and Daming, and first pinch the soft persimmon of North Korea.Although Jin Shangxian didn't think that Houjin could conquer his country in just over ten days, no matter how big his heart was, he also knew that if Houjin made a real move, it would be difficult for North Korea to survive until the day when Daming sent reinforcements across the sea to reinforce it. one day.
For Mei Shengchuan and Jin Shangxian, an important problem to be solved at present is to understand what the actual benefits the Haihan people are seeking.The de facto occupation of Liaodong is obviously not the fundamental goal of the Haihan people, but a means to achieve their ultimate goal.Haihan has repeatedly emphasized that the alliance that requires the two countries to agree will bring Haihan what kind of benefits. The two believe that this may be the key to resolving the differences in the current negotiations.
It's a pity that their contact with Haihan was too short, and they couldn't understand Haihan's methods like those bureaucrats in the southern coastal area of Ming Dynasty. It is difficult to draw correct conclusions just by guessing out of thin air.
Seeing that the envoys of the two countries showed embarrassment on their faces, Bai Kesi said at this time: "Actually, interests, please don't narrowly understand it as the unilateral benefits of our Haihan country. Between countries , There is also a common interest. For example, if the three of us form an alliance and work together to attack Houjin and remove the threat from the north, it is a common interest for us.”
Mei Shengchuan said: "Could it be that what your country is looking for is just an alliance?"
"Of course there will be corresponding alliance conditions. I believe that Mr. Mei has heard my colleagues say it before. Commerce, immigration, and recognition of our country's rights and interests in the actual control area, our country's requirements are as simple as that. For Ming and North Korea It's all the same." Beks repeated Haihan's request again.As for the command of the coalition forces in the military, logistical support, etc., he did not repeat it again. As long as the two countries can let go of the alliance issue, then these details can be postponed and negotiated slowly.
"Our country has no objection to this framework, but the specific details still need to be discussed." Halfway through the speech, Jin Shangxian found that Mei Shengchuan's face was not very good-looking, and quickly added: "Of course, the alliance between you and us must also be discussed." Only with Da Ming’s consent.”
Mei Shengchuan saw that Jin Shangxian was also knowledgeable, interesting and able to speak, and then his face turned pale and he said: "Some conditions proposed by your country are too sensitive, and I am afraid it will be difficult to get approval after reporting to the court."
Bai Kesi said: "The agreement doesn't need to be so detailed, just write down the main conditions. As for how to implement it, it can be changed flexibly at that time. Rules are dead, but people are alive!"
Mei Shengchuan felt that Bai Kesi's statement was inappropriate, but at the moment he didn't know where to refute it.The Haihan people undoubtedly took the initiative in this tug-of-war negotiation. Although Mei Shengchuan wanted to protect Daming's interests, Haihan pressed on every step of the way, and every step left him with the narrow choice of yes or no. It is very difficult to practice Taijiquan without space.Facing such a strong negotiating opponent, Mei Shengchuan was really distressed that he didn't have anything he could use to bargain with the Haihan people.
Although he has the background of a big country, but he has no bargaining chips in this kind of negotiation, Mei Shengchuan really felt powerless for the first time after being an official for many years.Facing the tyrannical Haihan, Mei Shengchuan felt that none of the conditions he could offer to threaten Haihan seemed to be able to beat the guns and cannons of the Haihan people.
At this time, he couldn't help but think of a Haihan proverb mentioned in a secret report by Shen Shikui, the chief soldier of Dongjiang Town - truth only exists within the range of a cannon.The arrogance and absolute confidence in force revealed in these words were incomprehensible to Mei Shengchuan before he came to Liaodong. Mei Shengchuan, like most of the officials in the court, believed that this was just a small country in the south that focused on maritime trade. It was only because it was good at deceiving people and luring people with profit that it created a big situation in the south.
But after seeing the Haihan army with his own eyes, Mei Shengchuan knew that the high-ranking officials of Ming Dynasty, including himself, were all very wrong. Let both parties negotiate as equals.
At this time, some soldiers brought several binoculars under Qian Tiandun's signal, distributed them to the envoys and entourages of the two countries, and then taught them how to use this observation tool.
"About five or six miles north from here is Houjin's control area. You can see from the binoculars that Houjin is building a group of fortresses in the north. We have calculated that if they maintain the current If the construction speed is fast enough, then the fortress will be built to the edge of the fire range of the isthmus defense line before the end of the year." Qian Tiandun introduced the current battlefield situation to the visitors in a steady voice: "Once such a fortress group becomes Due to the climate, it is unlikely that our army will advance northward in the future. And what the enemy wants is probably to let our army stop here, and then free up their hands to deal with Ming and North Korea."
The envoys of the two countries quickly learned to use this tool. In fact, Mei Shengchuan was not completely unfamiliar with binoculars. The Ministry of War already had binoculars donated by Western missionaries, but the workmanship and vision were indeed inferior to those of the Haihan people.
They quickly confirmed from their field of vision that there were indeed dots of small fortresses distributed in the northern field. The distance between the fortresses was only about a hundred feet, and they were indeed very dense from a distance.If you want to destroy them one by one by means of war, it will indeed take a lot of work.Obviously, the Haihan people probably came up with the idea of a truce after the opponent used this seemingly stupid but clever countermeasure.
While watching, Mei Shengchuan was also thinking about how the Ming army would be able to respond to such a method in order to be effective.After thinking about it, apart from using a large number of troops to push flatly, there seems to be no other immediate means.And the Haihan army has already begun to complain about three-digit casualties, so how could they be willing to spend their lives to fill this fortress formation.However, he still thinks that Haihan must have some countermeasures, otherwise, how could he just sit back and watch the enemy continue to build fortresses southward like this? It is just that the Haihan people deliberately made the current situation intolerable in order to use the armistice to force Daming and North Korea to submit. Described as if there is nothing to do.
This day's patrol operation was without any surprises or dangers, and Hou Jin's side may have adapted to this kind of scene deliberately created by Haihan from time to time, and did not try to organize a field offensive at all.It seems that Geng Zhongming is also determined to build the fortress iron barrel formation, and will not try to compete with Haihan in the field duel.For the Haihan Army, which uses fire suppression as its main means of attack, this is indeed not a battlefield environment that is convenient for exerting its combat effectiveness.
As for the envoys of the two countries, it was more or less a little bit regretful that they could not see the fierce battle between the two armies on the line of fire.Of course, according to the Haihan people, there is often no fierce battle with the Houjin army, and the Haihan army is almost overwhelmingly overwhelming the opponent.Just imagining such a scene makes the envoys of the two countries feel a lot of pressure. After all, on the battlefields of their respective countries, their armies have been overwhelmingly suppressed by the Houjin army. There are times when someone ravages me too much.
On June [-]th, the representatives of the three countries finally sat down at the negotiating table again and began the final stage of consultations on the issue of forming an alliance against gold.
(End of this chapter)