kvmb Chapter 636 It all depends on human effort
Chapter 636 It all depends on human effort
The cool summer breeze blew on Wu Sangui's handsome face. He took a deep breath, trying to get into the right state of mind. Then he raised the tightly clenched letter high above his head and said:
"After a battle, it should be time for you to relax, but I just received urgent military intelligence. Our Grand Marshal is besieged by Huang Taiji's army of hundreds of thousands in Guanshan and is in imminent danger!
I think you all should understand what the safety of the Grand Marshal means to us, right?"
Wu Sangui's voice was high-pitched but trembling, showing his worry.
"What? The Marshal is surrounded? General, are you kidding me?"
The 20,000 resentful soldiers present were all stunned. An old soldier from western Liaoning asked in a northeastern dialect.
Most of the resentful soldiers present had seen Zhang Shikang twice. The first time was when Zhang Shikang went to Shanhaiguan to remove the military power of his ancestors.
At that time, the lower-level soldiers of the Liao army were worried about being liquidated, but Zhang Shikang used a peaceful way to give dignity to the Zu family and retain the jobs of the veterans in western Liaoning.
Not only that, Zhang Shikang also gave the veterans from western Liaoning a designation - the Yuan Army.
In addition, Zhang Shikang repaid their arrears, allowed the old and weak soldiers to retire and allocated land, and even the government came forward to reissue pensions to the children of Liao people who had lost their husbands in recent years.
Most importantly, Zhang Shikang promised them that he would lead them back to their homeland in western Liaoning within three years.
Since then, the deeds of the Grand Marshal have always been a hot topic among the veterans in western Liaoning. All situations have improved, and the families of those comrades who died in battle have indeed received compensation.
They had every reason to believe that the Grand Marshal would really lead them back to western Liaoning within three years.
And they didn't have to wait too long. The news of the Guards' expedition really excited the veterans in western Liaoning for several nights.
At that time, Dorgon besieged Jinzhou for a long time. When he learned that the Grand Marshal's troops were approaching, he actually fled in panic.
You should know that Dorgon's reputation is well-known throughout the entire border defense line. As a prince of the Jiannu army with outstanding military achievements, Dorgon was actually scared away by their young marshal.
This incident surprised the military and civilians of Jinzhou for a long time, and it was also the peak of Zhang Shikang's prestige in the Guanningjin Defense Line.
It is also said that the Grand Marshal had never been defeated before.
But now Wu Sangui told them that the Grand Marshal was surrounded and in imminent danger.
Who would believe this news? One person asked, then two people asked, and then everyone asked, asking why Wu Sangui lied to them.
"The Grand Marshal has done me a favor. Even if I were to deceive you, I wouldn't risk his life!"
As he spoke, Wu Sangui handed the wrinkled letter in his hand to an old general from western Liaoning.
The Liaoxi veteran carefully unfolded the letter, read it carefully under the torchlight, and then read it out excitedly:
"General Wu, if I unfortunately die in battle at Guanshan, you must fulfill my promise and bring our brothers from Liaoxi back home.
Letter from Grand Marshal Zhang Shikang."
The letter was written with a red pen, and in the light of the torch, it looked like a letter written in blood. The letter was also stamped with the seal of the Grand Marshal.
The old Liaoxi veteran's eyes suddenly turned red.
The soldiers who were a little further away thought it was Zhang Shikang's blood letter and became anxious.
"General! What are we waiting for? We should rush to support the Grand Marshal!"
"That's right, the mission here has been completed. We barely expended any energy. We must rush back to Guanshan as soon as possible!"
"Please give the order, General!"
The old veteran from western Liaoning knelt on one knee, and soon all 20,000 veterans from western Liaoning knelt on the ground to beg for orders.
It is said that men from Northeast China are rough and tidy, and are born optimists. No matter how difficult their living conditions are, they can always find fun in the hardship.
But the men in Northeast China are also the most loyal. They never forget where they come from, and they never forget their comrades who have shared life and death with them.
The Grand Marshal had done them a favor and given them hope, so these simple men would naturally not stand by and watch them die.
Wu Sangui sighed upon seeing this:
"I am more anxious than you, and I want to save the Marshal even more, but we are 320 miles away from Guanshan!
The Marshal only has 30,000 soldiers. Even if they fight to the bitter end, they can only hold out for three days at most. We may only have two and a half days left. Do you have what it takes?
That’s three hundred and twenty miles!”
After Wu Sangui finished speaking, he squatted on the ground with red eyes.
This is the most common action among Northeastern men, but they will only squat in front of others when they are helpless.
Although Wu Sangui's ancestors were from the south, he was born in western Liaoning and grew up by the Liao River. He was considered a native Liao person.
The Ming Dynasty infantry usually marched fifty miles a day, while Qi Jiguang's Qi Family Army was of a higher standard. When carrying conventional weapons and equipment, they could march sixty miles a day.
Of course, there were also forced marches that covered a hundred or even a hundred and twenty miles a day, but for infantry, there were not many records.
Wu Sangui clearly showed his distrust of his subordinates present, believing that his soldiers did not have the ability.
"General, everything depends on human efforts!" The old general from western Liaoning was the first to come to his senses and raised his arms to shout.
The rest of the people were also shocked, and the Liao people's never-give-up spirit was suddenly aroused.
"Instead of worrying about the Marshal here, why not give it a try? What if we can save him?"
"Zhang Laosan is right. The Marshal is a man of good fortune. If we give up just because of the distance, I don't know how disappointed the Marshal would be."
……
The Liao people present were talking to each other, encouraging themselves and their comrades around them.
If we calculate based on the three days Wu Sangui mentioned, they only have less than thirty hours left.
In other words, they had to march 320 miles in the next two and a half days.
However, the 20,000 veteran soldiers from western Liaoning present did not want to give up. Instead, they were somewhat disappointed with Wu Sangui's performance. Many Liao soldiers even began to complain and instigate.
Wu Sangui then stood up reluctantly.
"This is what you requested. If you complain about the heavens and the earth during the march, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Since he wanted to play the good guy, Wu Sangui was of course very rude.
"Don't worry, General. I will never let you down!"
"As long as we can rescue the Grand Marshal, we will risk our lives!"
"Okay, if you want, I'll be there for you.
They immediately started cooking, and except for the fireman and the soldiers on duty, everyone else immediately rested on the spot.
Set out in an hour, abandon your baggage, travel light, and be sure to arrive at Guanshan by noon on the fifth day!"
After Wu Sangui finished speaking, the old soldiers in western Liaoning actually cheered, as if they had accomplished something great.
After the order was issued, all the soldiers of the Resentful Army immediately began to carry it out. It was summer and the soldiers were lying on the ground. The barracks suddenly became quiet.
Wu Sangui looked up at the moon and remembered the words of the Grand Marshal before he left.
'Huang Taiji is not that easy to deceive. The only way to deceive him is not to deceive him.
Then the impossible can become possible.'
"Marshal, three hundred and twenty miles, I can definitely do it!"
Wu Sangui muttered to himself.
He knew that this was a test for him. Perhaps not a test from the Marshal, but definitely a test from the Tiger Guards, the Imperial Guards, and even the current Majesty.
If he failed to reach Guanshan as planned, he would probably have no face to live.
If you want to stand out, you should work hard!
……