Zhu Youzhen listened to the arguments of the generals in the hall, and finally said out loud: "Whether the Tartars have any other tricks, after all, we have to cross the river first to know."

Since the others don't have a complete battle plan, then it's better to use Adjutant Ho's plan as a blueprint. Zhang Chun and Zhu Mei led two battalions of men and horses to build pontoon bridges east of Malanzhuang and south of Shiqiao, making a posture of crossing the river and attacking, and mobilizing the main force of the Tartars in the east.

Ma Dengyun led the headquarters to sit in Malanzhuang, and the other battalions prepared to attack Shiqiao. I will personally direct this operation, and He Kegang and Li Hongyuan will serve as my assistants to assist me in directing the operation.

The 1st Guards Division will serve as the first attacking force, opening the way for the armies to advance. In addition, a punishment camp has been set up, and from today onwards, all those who escape from the battle, those who violate military orders, and those who are afraid of the enemy will be put into the punishment camp to be punished. ”

Although Chongzhen's tone was not very harsh, none of the civil ministers and military generals who participated in the military meeting in the hall took it lightly. After all, this was the first time that the emperor said that he would personally command the battle. Prior to this, Chongzhen had never interfered in the specific operational deployment of the army except for the final decision.

The emperor's move to seize the command power of the Eastern Route Army today was obviously extremely dissatisfied with the status quo of the Eastern Route Army, and even Wang Zaijin, Zu Dashou and others were silent at the moment.

Under the emperor's order, Wu Xiang rectified the soldiers of the Ming army who had fled, selected more than 1,700 people who had not been injured, and organized them into a battalion of troops.

Although the emperor suppressed the discussion of the responsibility for the defeat of the Santun camp, Man Gui and other generals sent them to the rear to recuperate, while Wu Xiang and others had to take this demoralized defeated army into battle, or as the vanguard of the army. One only needs to look at the treatment of both sides to know who the emperor prefers to be responsible for the failure of the Santun camp.

But even if Wu Xiang and the others knew this fact, they did not dare to express any dissatisfaction with the emperor's decision. Because even those defeated soldiers who had fled from the Santun camp with great difficulty, knowing that they were about to be re-thrown into the battlefield by the emperor and fighting for their lives with those Tartars, they only showed some despair, and did not dare to complain.

This is not only because of their fear of the emperor's authority, but also the emperor's determination to avenge the martyrs by sacrificing the dead soldiers today. What's more, their comrades in the army, who had been supporting them before, also agreed that they should repay their kindness and take back the bodies of those comrades who died to protect their safe retreat, so that they could be buried in a closed manner.

The leaders of the soldiers who dared to take the lead in making trouble in the army in the past have not made any movement at the moment, and Wu Xiang and other generals naturally have no way to do anything about it. Wang Zaijin still needs to consider how to deal with them, whether it will arouse the anger of the Liaodong soldiers, and the emperor who rushed to the army in person wants to deal with a few troublesome generals, and it is estimated that no one dares to cry out for them.

Wu Xiang and the others waited in panic until the end of the military meeting, and although the plan to attack the Tartars across the river caused a lot of controversy in the army, the news that the 1st Guards Division would attack first brought by the emperor quickly suppressed the dissatisfaction caused by this battle plan in the army.

On the afternoon of December 1, Malanzhuang started from the nameless hill in the north to the west bank of the Luanhe River in the west of the mouth of the West Gorge in the east, and on the bank of more than 3,000 meters, there were countless Ming troops, who cut down the trees and reeds on the bank, leveled the field, and created five or six sites on this section of the river bank to prepare for attack.

The Houjin army on the other side was suddenly alarmed by the Ming army's aggressive offensive posture, and one after another of the Tartar cavalry quickly left the large camp in the east, patrolling back and forth along the east bank of the Luan River, and carried out key monitoring of the place where the Ming army was actively preparing to build a pontoon bridge.

The Tartar camp on the opposite side of the stone bridge has also increased some of its personnel, from about 500 to more than 800. The Ming army sentinel carefully observed the men and horses mobilized by the Tartars through binoculars, and found that although these Tartar cavalry carried the banner of the Jurchen Eight Banners, most of them were Mongolian cavalry without armor, and basically did not observe a few real Jurchen Tartars.

The news brought back by the sentinel immediately lifted the spirits of most of the Ming army generals, and they were still a little afraid of the Jurchens, after all, the several defeats of the Ming army in Liaodong had given them a certain degree of psychological shadow.

However, for those Mongol Tatars, the Ming army did not have any psychological burden, after all, the Ming army had fought with the Mongols for hundreds of years, and basically won more than defeated, and even the newly trained Gyeonggi New Army defeated the most powerful Chahar tribe among the Mongol tribes last year.

Therefore, after hearing that there were not many true Tartars in the Tartar army opposite, the courage gradually recovered in these Ming army generals. Zu Dabi and Zu Dale are even more eager to try, wanting to replace the First Guards Division and become the first attacking force early tomorrow morning.

Even Zu Dashou woke up at this moment, they were frightened by the defeat of the Santun camp before, and the main force of the Houjin appeared in the Santun camp, and fought continuously to beat the Ming army back to Malanzhuang, but this does not mean that the main force of the Houjin will always confront them on the opposite side.

After all, now Houjin has no rear to rely on to fight, and it is impossible for them to carry too much baggage when they make a detour to enter the pass, so they can only rely on the looting in the pass to supply military supplies. If Zunhua City is defeated, the Houjin army will not be able to confront the Ming army for several months, but now, it is obviously impossible for the Houjin army to confront the Ming army for a long time.

The Houjin army either captured Zunhua as soon as possible and relied on a large number of supplies in Zunhua City to drag on the war; Either defeat the Ming army of the Western Road under the banner of the emperor, force the center of the capital to submit and surrender to the Later Jin.

As for using the main force to confront their Eastern Route Army across the river, it was really the worst choice for the commander of the Later Jin army, which could not obtain material supplies and force the center of the imperial court to admit defeat and surrender.

A bluff attack not only exposed the Tartar army on the other side, but also restored the morale of the Ming army, which Chongzhen had not expected before.

In the afternoon of the same day, Zhu Youzhen put on an ordinary suit of armor and went to the vicinity of the only existing stone bridge in this section of the Luan River, accompanied by several generals.

The stone bridge is located on a narrow section of the river, about 150 to 60 meters, and the length of the entire bridge is close to 200 meters. The Ming army set up three barracks on the west side of the bridge, and dug two trenches at the head of the bridge, while the Houjin army on the opposite side only roughly built a wooden fence that was not strong.

The camps of both sides were about 200 meters from the bridgehead, with the Houjin camp leaning to the east and the Ming army camping directly facing the bridgehead. After Chongzhen finished looking at the position layout of the two sides, he immediately said to the generals around him easily: "The main force of the Tartars on the opposite side has really withdrawn, otherwise why make a defensive formation."

If they didn't think that our army would attack them, why would they set up such a wooden fence. The Tartars claim to be invincible in the field, and we rush across the bridge, isn't it just what they want? Setting up a wooden fence without digging a trench shows that the Tartars on the opposite bank want to defend against our attack, but they are worried that the fortifications are too well built and will arouse our suspicions.

They suffered so much from gains and losses, it can be seen that the main force has been transferred to other places, either under Zunhua City, or in front of the Western Route Army. We must take advantage of the absence of the main force of the Tartars to defeat this partial division in one breath, and then join forces with the defenders in Zunhua City victoriously. ”

Although the emperor's statement sounded a bit arbitrary, coupled with the news from the previous sentinels, these generals couldn't help but be suspicious.

Zhu Youzhen immediately asked Li Hongyuan and He Kegang: "I asked you to choose from the artillery carried by each army, how many artillery pieces can cross this river?" Can you choose? Have you also chosen the preset positions for artillery? ”

The two hurriedly replied: "There are about 45 artillery pieces that can hit the enemy camp on the opposite bank, and the preset positions of the artillery have also been selected, 15 guns will be placed on the left side of the bridge, 25 guns will be placed on the right side of the bridge, and 5 artillery pieces will be used as a mobile force to follow the troops who rush across the bridgehead and set up artillery positions on the opposite bank." ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded at the two and said, "These artillery pieces are organized into the third and fourth artillery regiments respectively, which belong to the operational command of the Eastern Route Army. In addition, the 2nd Artillery Regiment in Qian'an was informed to speed up its advance, and I hoped to see them in Malanzhuang tomorrow.

Tomorrow's battle, let the second regiment of Sun Yingyuan, the first division of the guards, be responsible for the first merit, and the third regiment of Yang Yufan be responsible for support. Tomorrow at noon, I will stand on the other side of the land, and you will tell them the truth of my words. ”

Li Hongyuan and He Kegang agreed without hesitation, and Wang Zaijin opened his mouth, but finally did not make a sound. After hearing the emperor's instructions, the other generals felt both relieved and a little lost in their hearts, as if they felt that they had been ignored by the emperor.

Zhu Youzhen did not stop, he paused for a moment, and then continued: "After the 1st Guards Division stood on the opposite bank, Zu Dabi and Zu Dale crossed the river with two battalions of troops to block the counterattack of the Tartar battalion on the bridgehead in the east, and He Kegang led a battalion of men and horses to block the attack of the Tartars on the bridgehead in the west.

Wu Xiang and Song Wei attacked the Tartars on the Golden Mountain with all their might, and it was necessary to take the Golden Mountain before it got dark tomorrow. As for Zu Dabi, he guards my left and right. In tomorrow's battle, whoever dares to retreat without obeying the order, who breaks away from the ranks and cuts off the head without authorization, and who hears the sound of drums but refuses to attack, whoever is beheaded. ”

Chongzhen's murderous order suddenly made Zu Dashou feel a little cold in his neck. He could only comfort himself in his heart, the emperor was after all.