The location of Shimen Village was so dangerous, so Mao Yuanyi did not want to risk moving quickly, thus giving the enemy troops defending the village a chance to bear. He would rather be able to triple the enemy's strength and slowly push through, preferably to scare these Mongol Tartars away.

In the final analysis, Mao Yuanyi, who had been in Liaodong for a while, was not optimistic about his side's field combat ability. Although last year, the Ming army had a rare outbreak and won the Chahar people in Fengzhen.

However, the combat effectiveness of the Later Jin army and the Mongol tribal army are completely different things. Even the Mongol tribes who took refuge in the Houjin often played better on the battlefield. Although in the information he got now, there were no real female and real Tartars in Shimen Village, this was news a day ago after all.

Who knows what the situation will be in Shimenzhai now. In the first battle of the army, Mao Yuanyi could not afford to lose, so he arranged the most stable lineup.

After reading this plan, Zhu Youzhen did not show any expression, but asked the staff officers and generals present: "Do you think this battle plan is feasible?" Feel free to share any ideas. ”

Zuo Liangyu looked at the expressions of his colleagues, and carefully observed the emperor's expression, before he said out loud: "The minister thinks that Chief of Staff Mao's plan is very stable, even if the whole army of Houjin is dispatched, the minister's 4th division and Hongguangxian's 5th division can also support each other, and withdraw to Ma Shenqiao under staggered cover."

Of course, if the 1st and 3rd Divisions can get out of the horse and stretch the bridge in time to respond, then we will have nothing to worry about in the rear. ”

Hongguang nodded hurriedly and echoed Zuo Liangyu, the commander of the Fifth Division, was a Mongolian who returned to the Ming Dynasty during the time of Yingzong, and his surname was Ulan Bari, which has been passed down for so many generations, and the family is no different from the Han people, and even the surname should become the Han surname Hong.

Hongguangxian was originally the capital division of the 3,000 battalions, and after the Beijing battalion was restructured, he was selected to form a new army. The 5th Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Division was formed on its own because of the merits made in the Battle of Fengzhen, and finally formed the 5th Cavalry Division with the available cavalry selected by the 3,000 battalions plus some newly recruited soldiers.

Hongguangxian's original position was high enough, and his family background was also very innocent, although his talent was mediocre, he was still quite loyal to the Ming Emperor, and he balanced the relationship between the old department of the Beijing camp, so it was logical to serve as the commander of the Fifth Cavalry Division.

Although Hongguang has been paid in Beijing for more than ten years, it is really the first time to go to the battlefield, and it is also the notorious Houjin army. Rao was called a skilled bow horse by his colleagues in the Beijing camp, and he was also a little flustered in his heart. He naturally agreed with Mao Yuanyi's plan to slowly oppress with superior forces and support each other's advances.

Wu Huai, who had just arrived in Jizhou last night, was obviously dissatisfied with this plan, and he couldn't help but say sarcastically: "This plan is stable, but the slave soldiers are not fools. If they set fire to Shimenzhai and retreat across Shimenxia to continue to cover the road to Zunhua, then we still can't be sure of the situation in Zunhua.

So what did our firepower reconnaissance find? Your Majesty, the minister thought that he should send an elite cavalry to attack Shimen Village, even if he could not completely annihilate the defenders in the village, he would also annihilate most of it.

Only by weakening this army to the point that it is impossible to delay our army in the area east of Shimenxia to Baozizhai will Houjin make the response envisaged by His Majesty. If we capture Shimen Village fast enough, Houjin can't react for a while, so he will simply send scouts to find out the news of Zunhua City.

Shimenxia to Zunhua City is only 60 miles, and you can go back and forth within one day. Isn't that better than the temptation to hesitate right now? Perhaps, Zunhua City will still be in our hands by then. ”

Wu Huai's proposition was supported by several young staff officers who had just entered the General Staff, Shi Hongmo of the Third Division and Yuan Xin of the Second Division, both watching the emperor's actions, apparently intending to take the emperor's opinion as their own.

Zhu Youzhen didn't make a decision immediately, he immediately opened the second battle plan and looked through it.

This plan is somewhat similar to Wu Huai's proposal, which advocates annihilating or destroying most of the enemy army in Shimenzhai. However, its purpose was not to better test whether Zunhua had fallen, or to send sentinels to investigate the situation of Zunhua.

According to the plan, the enemy army in Shimenzhai was 60 miles away from Zunhua, and in fact it had become a lone army. As long as it is properly arranged, this Houjin army can be eaten. Regardless of whether this army was Mongol Tartar or not, the elimination of this army was equivalent to the elimination of nearly one-tenth of the enemy's strength.

As long as this kind of annihilation war is won two or three more times, Houjin will inevitably shrink its troops and shrink the current control area, and our army will be able to flank Zunhua from the east and west.

At that time, regardless of whether Houjin captured Zunhua or not, they would lose the room for maneuver in cavalry combat. If the Houjin army can be restrained near Zunhua City, the terrain surrounded by mountains and rivers in Zunhua can weaken the power of the Houjin cavalry to the greatest extent.

At this time, as long as the rear army is constantly transferred up, the camp is established in the Zunhua area, and the advance is gradually advanced, the Houjin army can be squeezed out of the Great Wall little by little.

As for the defenders attacking Shimenzhai, it did not advocate the selection of elite cavalry for assault. Instead, it was suggested that 3,000 people from the Jizhou Wei and Yingzhou Wei, which had low combat effectiveness, should be selected to march eastward in the name of rescuing Zunhua, tempting the defenders of Shimenzhai to take the initiative to attack.

Our side ambushed the main force of the new army in the rear, looking for an opportunity to eliminate the enemy army out of the village, and then besieged Shimen Village.

Zhu Youzhen liked this plan very much in his heart, but he noticed that the generals and Mao Yuanyi and others present were not impressed.

Zhu Youzhen put down the plan, smiled at Mao Yuanyi and said, "Does Chief of Staff Mao have anything to say about this plan?" ”

Mao Yuanyi suddenly shook his head and said, "This Li Hongyuan is younger after all, and this plan is a bit taken for granted."

Since the founding of the post-Jin Dynasty, there has been no defeat in field battles with our army. Although the combat power of these Mongolian Tartars is not as good as that of the real Jurchen Tartars, they are not too far behind, can Yingzhou Wei and Jizhou Wei really hold out until the moment when the main force of our army arrives?

If we can't hold out until the main force of our army arrives, it will only be sent to the door to be beaten, which will only damage the morale of our army in vain.

Even if they can really hold out until that moment, the Mongol Tartars are all cavalry, can they still run if they can't beat them, how can they be completely annihilated? The Mongol Tartars may not be as effective as the Jurchen Tartars, but their horses are not bad at all..."

Mao Yuanyi's merciless refutation of this plan made a young man sitting in the corner red.

He is Li Hongyuan, the drafter of the latter plan, who was originally a student in Baoding and already loves martial arts. After the emperor opened the army officer school, he came to the capital to sign up for the military academy as soon as his heart was hot.

As a student, he used to make these warriors retreat. But after entering the military academy, it became the reason for rejection. Everyone doesn't understand that he didn't take a promising career as a civil official, and what he was doing among the martial artists.

Although he did well in the military academy, he was recruited into the General Staff. But he can only do some chores, if it weren't for the urgency of time, others would not be willing to fight against Mao Yuanyi's battle plan, and it would not be his turn to draw up another plan.

Mao Yuanyi's merciless criticism embarrassed Li Hongyuan, but he still endured it. But he didn't have much hope for his plan.

After listening to the many faults in this plan pointed out by Mao Yuanyi, Zhu Youzhen couldn't help but nod in agreement: "Sure enough, the General Staff Headquarters still needs a stable person like Chief of Staff Mao to take the helm.

There is indeed a gap between those who have been on the battlefield and those who have not. If the chief of staff hadn't said it, I really wouldn't have known so many details.

But Li Hongyuan, staff officer, right? You don't have to blame yourself too much. The knowledge gained on the battlefield can still be learned slowly. Being able to come up with such a strategy, I think it still has a certain reference value.

Okay, I don't think we need to continue the discussion. In accordance with Chief of Staff Mao's plan, Zuo Liangyu's 4th Division and Hong Guangxian's 5th Division were organized into the First Army, and immediately after lunch, they set off for Mashenqiao.

I took the Imperial Battalion, the Night Guard, and a company of the 7th Artillery Regiment and set out for Mashen Bridge in the afternoon to hold on to your formation.

Wu Huai's First Division rested for a day today and will go to Mashenqiao early tomorrow morning as a reserve force for the First Army. ”

The emperor's words suddenly made Mao Yuanyi, who had just been a little proud, change his face greatly, "Your Majesty, you should sit in Jizhou City to stabilize the mood of the military and people in Jizhou, and leave the affairs of this formation to the ministers." ”

The generals present also nodded, none of them supported Chongzhen's idea of going to Mashenqiao, and even Wu Huai opposed the emperor's adventure again.

Zhu Youzhen raised his right hand, and after letting everyone quiet down, he said disapprerovitously: "According to Chief of Staff Mao's plan, our trip should be very smooth, could it be that the 4th and 5th divisions, with nearly 7,000 people, can't beat the Mongolian Tartars of about 2,000?"

I am very confident in Chief of Staff Mao's plan, and I am also confident in the officers and men of the 4th Division, the 5th Division, and the Imperial Battalion, and I am confident that they will be able to protect my safety.

Besides, the soldiers and civilians of Ma Shenqiao are also my people, can't I go to Jizhou to appease the soldiers and civilians who are at the forefront of the war?

Of course, if you don't have confidence in your own army, if you don't have confidence in Chief of Staff Mao's plan, you can come out to me. I can change people, but Ma Shenqiao, I have to go.

Not to mention the rest, if the war changes, who will be able to make a decision on the spot? I don't think anyone can stand up to this responsibility but me..."