If they want to win, they must find a way to deal with the Ming Kingdom's new firearms. According to the intelligence obtained by Wu Sangui, this thing is known as the Long-range Matchlock.
Whether in terms of firing range or accuracy, it is a significant improvement over the Birdlock Guns held by the Qing Army.
It is truly strange, where on earth did the Southern Ming get these firearms?
Furthermore, their Dongfeng Bronze Cannon was surprisingly similar to the Dingyuan General Bronze Cannon, yet it was much more powerful. Previously, Wu Sangui had even suspected that someone might have leaked the blueprints for the Dingyuan General Bronze Cannon.
He had conducted a thorough investigation for a long time, adhering to the principle that it was better to kill the innocent than to let a culprit escape; he had killed anyone who appeared suspicious, yet after searching for ages, he still could not find who had leaked the blueprints, as if the people over in Southern Ming had suddenly gained the knowledge without any teacher.
If the Dongfeng Bronze Cannon could still make Wu Sangui suspect that the other side had improved his own cannons and ordered them to be built, then the other firearms emerging from Southern Ming had dismissed that thought.
Especially the new long-range matchlocks the other side has recently produced; these have absolutely nothing to do with the original birdlock guns. Even if Wu Sangui's subordinates were to study them, it would be useless.
When Wu Sangui arranged for people to make tentative contact with the Southern Ming army, he discovered that the opponent was extremely difficult to deal with.
Most of the Southern Ming firearms used previously were primarily for wide-area strikes with short ranges, so they could not demonstrate their advantages in relatively cramped spaces, making them not particularly difficult to fight.
However, the long-range matchlock has now compensated for some of its shortcomings; in this situation, narrow spaces are actually harder to fight in than vast plains.
After all, the defining characteristic of the Long-range Matchlock is its long range and high lethality, but its area of effect is somewhat lacking. If used on a plain, when the enemy numbers are sufficient, the Long-range Matchlock's effectiveness is effectively halved.
Wu Sangui thought for a moment, sending someone to ask Dorgon whether to abandon Pianlingkou, while simultaneously secretly sending someone to find a way to contact the Ming Army.
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Some people are truly skilled at playing both sides of the fence. Cat loading bullets into a gun. jpg
Next update at 6:00 PM
Chapter 244
“Wu Sangui has sent someone?” Zhu Ci asked, hearing the news brought by Nie Wu's messenger. Although he spoke in a question, his expression showed little surprise.
Most of these people who surrendered to the Qing Army were opportunists; they had no loyalty to either side and would defect immediately as long as one side showed strength.
It was just that he hadn't expected Wu Sangui to shift his stance so quickly; although Dorgon had not gained the upper hand, he had not been completely defeated either.
If it were him, once he discovered that Pianlingkou could not be held, he would immediately retreat to Huairen, at that time, he would rely on the broader terrain of Huairen to render the Long-range Matchlock useless.
Without the long-range matchlocks, the Great Ming army's firearms appeared unchanged from before; however, Dorgon would naturally be able to fight exactly as he had done previously.
As it turned out, it was as if Wu Sangui had already sentenced Dorgon to death.
Bai Zhuo said softly, "Your Majesty, it seems Wu Sangui has also sent someone to Pianlingkou."
Sent people to Pianlingkou as well? Given the current situation, Wu Sangui is either seeking reinforcements or offering advice.
Truly playing both sides.
Zhu Ci lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then turned to look at Bai Zhuo and asked, "Is there any way to have Dorgon investigate Wu Sangui's actions?"
Bai Zhu bowed and said, "I shall try."
Their information channels were mostly focused on contacting Jirgalang, but Bai Zhuo did not believe that Jirgalang had not planted spies around Dorgon.
After Bai Zhuo contacted Jirgalang, regardless of Jirgalang's position, he would have to inform Dorgon.
In fact, at this very moment, Jirgalang was already somewhat regretting his cooperation with the Ming Kingdom.
Previously, Dorgon's conquest of the Ming Kingdom had been far too easy—so easy that it made him worry that before long, Dorgon would return to Beijing riding the momentum of his victory, which was one of the reasons that led him to cooperate with the Ming Kingdom.
Anyway, he wouldn't be able to topple Dorgon all at once, so he could completely join forces with the Ming Kingdom, slowly laying his plans, wait until Dorgon captured Nanjing before he found a way to strike.
As it turned out, Dorgon actually encountered a worthy opponent.
That Little Emperor of the Ming Kingdom was too terrifying; he learned through various channels that all of the Ming Kingdom's firearms were improved and manufactured by that Little Emperor himself.
Internally, the Emperor of Ming can stabilize the people in the shortest possible time, externally, he is invincible in battle.
To say he is both capable in civil and military affairs is no exaggeration; what is most terrifying is that he is still so young.
Dorgon was already thirty-six years old this year, while the Emperor of Ming was only eighteen; Dorgon was more than a full generation older than him.
The Emperor of Ming's physical and mental abilities might not have reached their peak yet, Jirgalang already dared not imagine what Zhu Ci would look like when he grew a bit older.
Of course, given the current situation, if things go wrong, he might not live to see the terrifying form Zhu Ci takes when he grows up.
Jirgalang intended to sever all contact with the Grand Secretariat of the Ming Kingdom; he had no intention of killing those merchants. On one hand, the merchants did not know too many secrets, on the other hand, he could easily use these people to pass messages and mislead the Ming Kingdom.
Most importantly, he was worried that the Grand Secretary of the Ming Kingdom held evidence that could be used against him, so he needed to find a way to distance himself first before he could launch his attack.
Luckily, he had not given the other party too much useful information so far.
On the contrary, the other party brought very useful information; he must find a way to pass the news of Wu Sangui's rebellious intentions to Dorgon.
In fact, once the answer was known, searching for clues became much easier; Jirgalang only needed to drop a hint to his own people to find a way to uncover Wu Sangui's weakness.
Unfortunately, Wu Sangui was naturally cautious and had not left behind much evidence, except for one detail that raised suspicion.
After Zhu Ci learned the news from Bai Zhuo, he thought for a moment and decided to "help" Dorgon.
He directly ordered Nie Wu and Ding Qi to slow their offensive, creating the illusion that most of their attacks were merely feints.
Compared to the previous intensity of the attack, this shift was quite abrupt, making it seem as though Wu Sangui and the Ming Army were already in contact.
However, Dorgon did not believe it at first; he even suspected whether the Emperor of Ming had intentionally ordered the offensive to slow down in order to sow discord.
On the other hand, Wu Sangui saw that the previously aggressive Ming Army had suddenly become much more subdued, he felt a surge of joy, thinking that the Southern Ming Emperor was willing to accept him.
Since that was the case, he could negotiate terms with the Emperor of Ming.
Wu Sangui was already the Prince of Pingxi in the Qing Dynasty, which was equivalent to the rank of a Commandery Prince. If he were to defect to Southern Ming this time while still bringing his own troops, it would not only bolster Southern Ming's strength but also strike a blow against the Qing Dynasty. He could even find ways to launch a surprise attack on Dorgon.
His role was of such importance that he could surely secure a princedom, wouldn't he?
Otherwise, why would he have sought refuge with Southern Ming?
"A Prince? He's not worthy!" Jiang Quan couldn't help but scoff. He had no idea where Wu Sangui got the confidence to think he could become a Prince of the Ming.
Zhu Ci let out a sneer. "You're quite delusional for someone so ugly."
He paused and said, "There is no need to reject him completely for now; just say that I need to consider it."
Titles in the Great Ming are never granted lightly; this was established from the time of Zhu Ci's Accession, unless one has rendered great service to the state.
As for Fu, it goes without saying; without him, it is highly probable that even the current Great Ming would not exist.
Zhu Ci's status was unique; both Zhu Yujian and Zhu Yihai were members of the imperial clan, yet even so, after their surrender, they were nothing more than a Duke of Xin and a Marquis of Anguo, without even a throne.
Besides him, there is only the Chuangwang Li Zicheng, who surrendered in the capacity of an emperor, so he must naturally be settled well as well.
Is Wu Sangui's importance comparable to Zhu Ci's or Li Chuangwang's? He actually dares to dream of a princedom.
However, Zhu Ci still wanted to see Dorgon and Wu Sangui fight like dogs, so he did not refuse directly; instead, he prepared to stall and see when Dorgon would finally realize that Wu Sangui was playing both sides.
Dorgon did not discover it too late, especially since he had repeatedly sent people to inquire about the battle situation at Dayukou and Xiaoyukou, only to find that the situation there was extremely "stalemated."
Wu Sangui could only defend passively, the Ming Kingdom was unable to advance to Dayu and Xiaoyu Mouth.
Upon further inquiry, the intensity of the warfare was not high at all; the Ming Kingdom had not even deployed Long-range Matchlocks!
This was highly unusual. Wu Sangui had brought many people, Dayukou and Xiaoyukou themselves already had men arranged by Dorgon.
Nowadays, those people have been marginalized by Wu Sangui; not only are they unable to access military secrets, but several of them have even been sent to their deaths—even two Meile E Zhen have fallen in battle.
The intensity of the war was extremely disproportionate to the number of fallen soldiers, not to mention that everything he had ordered Wu Sangui to do, the latter had failed to accomplish!
Dorgon was naturally suspicious by nature, even if he did not want to doubt Wu Sangui, he could not continue to allow Wu Sangui to put on a show at Dayu and Xiaoyu Mouth at this moment.
He immediately ordered his subordinates to replace Wu Sangui, had Wu Sangui come to Pianlingkou to defend alongside him.
At the same time he received the order, Wu Sangui also grew suspicious. Just then, he received news: in order to suppress Dorgon, Jirgalang feared that a partnership between Dorgon and him would create a formidable force, so he arranged for someone to find Dorgon and slander him for having rebellious intentions!
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Hehe, you guys should just keep biting each other; it would be best if everyone suffers equally. Evil kitty smirking in a box. jpg
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock~
Chapter 245
When Wu Sangui received this news, his first reaction was skepticism. He immediately used his connections in Beijing to start inquiring everywhere. He found no definite news, but he did indeed discover that Jirgalang's family had secretly left the city, heading in the direction of Datong.
By this time, Wu Sangui was quite convinced. He thought for a moment and immediately had someone contact the Ming envoy, saying, "Please convey a message to His Majesty on my behalf, asking His Majesty to launch as many attacks as possible on Dayu and Xiaoyu Mouth over the next couple of days."
With frequent combat occurring here, he could have an excuse to disobey Dorgon's orders.
Upon learning this, Zhu Ci immediately said, "Do as he says, remind him to play the part through to the end. Tell him our army is going to use long-range matchlocks, let him handle the rest himself."
He believed that Wu Sangui would definitely choose the right people to go into battle.
As expected, the people Wu Sangui arranged to charge at the front were almost all Manchus; his own men were mixed in among them but were all positioned at the rear.
Zhu Ci did not care about this; it was fine if Wu Sangui wanted to preserve his strength. After all, in Zhu Ci's eyes, Wu Sangui was nothing more than a nobody on the side of the road. Once he found a way to get rid of him, his soldiers would naturally become soldiers of Great Ming; as for the Tartars, as long as they did not surrender, they would absolutely be mortal enemies.
Zhu Ci's cooperation caused Wu Sangui's arrogance to swell even further; he was certain in his heart that the Emperor of Southern Ming must value him highly, otherwise he would not have been so cooperative.
He immediately arranged for someone to notify Dorgon.
And after Dorgon learned the news, he slammed the table heavily and said with great indignation, "This is outrageous!"
Dorgon was not a fool; by simply reading a few more battle reports, he could analyze that the so-called frequent and intense fighting was nothing more than the Emperor of Ming coordinating with Wu Sangui.
It was clear that the long-range matchlocks had not been used for such an extended period that Dorgon had even begun to doubt whether there were simply not enough of them, which was why they had only been used to attack Pianlingkou. Yet, just as he had ordered Wu Sangui to be recalled, the Ming Army began using long-range matchlocks. How could such a coincidence occur?
Dorgon said decisively, "Wu Sangui cannot be allowed to stay. We must find a way to either recall him or kill him."
However, Wu Sangui currently occupies Dayu and Xiaoyu Mouth; if Dorgon were to turn against him immediately, it would not be easy to take him down.
Moreover, compared to Wu Sangui, the Emperor of Ming is the one most worth fearing.
He also had to be careful that the Emperor of Ming would take advantage of the chaos if he were to end up fighting Dorgon.
After his irritation subsided, he turned his head and asked, "Where is Shang Kexi?"
Reporting to the Regent, Prince Zhishun has already arrived at Datong and is rushing here overnight.
Let him go directly to Dayu and Xiaoyu Mouth to replace Wu Sangui. If Wu Sangui dares to defy orders, kill him on the spot!
Compared to Wu Sangui, Prince Zhishun Shang Kexi was more reassuring to Dorgon.