The battle between the Chinese army to recover the north was first started with North Korea≥*shu*bar()

After Zhou Shaohuan pacified North Korea, he began to prepare to cross the Yalu River and attack Liaodong. Therefore, he ordered the Second Division to enter Yizhou on the Yalu River and prepare to cross the river and enter Liaodong at any time. Just after the New Year, on the seventh day of the expedition, Zhou Shaohuan ordered the Second Division to cross the Yalu River and first established a frontier stronghold on the north bank of the Yalu River to prepare to support the army across the river.

Yizhou is located in the lower reaches of the Yalu River, less than 20 miles from the sea estuary of the Yalu River. The river surface in this area is wide, reaching more than 500 or 600 steps, but the water flows quite fast. Opposite to Yizhou is Zhenjiang Fort, a border defense fortress in Liaodong, the Qing court.

The Chinese army began to cross the river from Yizhou on the 10th day of the first lunar month, and the Second Squadron also arrived at the Yalu entrance from the sea to support the Second Division's crossing operation.

After the Qing court entered the pass, the defense of the entire Liaodong was to be held responsible for Shengjing Angbang Zhangjing. Four years ago, after the Chinese army raided Liaodong, Shengjing Angbang Zhangjing Ye Keshu was dismissed and replaced by the first-class Jie Jue, the guardian Dunbai took over as Shengjing Angbang Zhangjing, and Wu Kuli, the assistant minister of the Cao Transport, served as deputy Angbang Zhangjing. At the same time, a large number of troops were stationed in Liaodong. At the highest, the number of troops could reach 100,000, including about 7,000 more people in the Manchu Eight Banners Army. Later, in the Central Plains, a unit of troops was drawn from Liaodong. There are still about 60,000 people, and there are nearly 4,000 left in the Manchu Eight Banners Army.

After Dunbai and Wu Kuli took office, they also learned from Ye Keshu's lessons. A large number of forts and castles were built at the southern end of the Liaodong Peninsula, from which the Jinzhou Bay area was located, and a large number of troops were stationed along the Jinzhou Bay and Liaodong Bay coasts, exceeding half of the Liaodong troops. However, the defense forces on the north bank of the Yalu River were not large, with only more than 6,000 guards on the entire line, while the Yalu River was more than 1,700 miles long, and there were as many as a dozen areas that needed defense. As a result, they were spread out to Zhenjiang Fort, with less than 1,000 defenders.

The news of the Chinese army conquering North Korea was naturally known by the country Zhang Jing, who was the first to know. Although the two thought that the Chinese army might attack Liaodong from the North Korean direction, it would be best to strengthen the defense along the Yalu River. However, Shengjing now has not many troops left, and there is no order from the court. The two dare not mobilize soldiers guarding Jinzhou Bay and Liaodong Bay. Who knows whether the Chinese army will play the trick of attacking the east and west? What if the army guarding the sea is transferred to defend the river, the Chinese army will attack again across the sea? Who can afford this responsibility?**--*

Therefore, the two had to draw another 5,000 troops from Shengjing's garrison troops to replenish them along the Yalu River. On the one hand, they reported to the Qing court and waited for Beijing's joint order. However, on the Yalu River defense line, there were only 5,000 more troops, which was also a cup of water, which was not enough at all.

Therefore, when the Chinese army launched a crossing the river from Yizhou, there were only more than 1,600 defenders in Zhenjiang Fort, only two small cannons, more than 60 muskets, and all of them were combs. All the good guns were assigned to the coastal defense army.

How can such a small force withstand the attack of the Second Division? The first batch of Chinese army crossing the river reached nearly 100 ships, with a total of about 2,000 troops. Moreover, on the south bank of the Yalu River, there are fire protection from artillery and heavy bronze cannons of the Chinese army can all hit the north bank of the Yalu River. When the firepower of warships is supported on the river surface.

As a result, as soon as the crossing of the river was about to bombard the Chinese army with artillery bombarded the Qing army on the north bank, and soon fled in all directions, scattering birds and beasts. The crossing of the Chinese army also took the opportunity to row the boat, cross the Yalu River as soon as possible, reach the north bank, and set foot on the land of Liaodong. Then quickly established a beachhead position on the north bank of the Yalu River.

Seeing that the Chinese army had already climbed to the north bank of the Yalu River, the Qing army did not dare to fight, so they all retreated to Zhenjiang Fort to defend. The Chinese army took the opportunity to seize the opportunity to transport the large group of people, artillery and other equipment to the north bank of the Yalu River.

On the second day, the Second Division sent two regiments of troops to launch an attack on Zhenjiang Fort◎Jiang Fort was not a Gucheng, and the troops of both sides were very different, so the battle ended in just over an hour. At the slightest cost of killing only nine people, the Chinese army captured Zhenjiang Fort, annihilated 537 Qing army and captured 487 people.

After occupying Zhenjiang Fort, the Chinese army officially gained a foothold on the Liaodong Peninsula. At this time, in the Korean North Korea, the Ninth Army of the Shandong Military Region also arrived in North Korea.

So Zhou Shaohuan immediately ordered the Second Brigade of the Second Army to be stationed in Seoul, the Second Squadron was still stationed in Zijianghua Island, and the Fourth Brigade of the Ninth Army to be stationed in Pyongyang as a reserve force. The remaining troops of the Ninth Army had three divisions and one special forces brigade. Zhou Shaohuan decided to attack in two groups. He and the commander of the Ninth Army Feng Jin led the 14th Division of the Ninth Army to Yizhou to cross the river, support the Second Division's operations, and attack Shengjing; while the commander of the Second Army Teng Yinyu led the 11th Division of the Second Army and the Special Forces brigade of the Ninth Army from Manpu and Cicheng areas upstream of the Yalu River to attack Jilin.

After the division of troops, the two Chinese troops set out separately. Zhou Shaohuan and Feng Jin led the 14th Division to Yizhou, crossed the Yalu River, came to Zhenjiang Fort, and met with the Second Division. Then they launched an attack on Phoenix City, north of Zhenjiang Fort.

The Qing army did not have much troops stationed in Phoenix City, so after the Chinese army arrived, the defenders abandoned the city and fled. The Chinese army occupied Phoenix City without bloodshed. Then they took advantage of the situation to retreat northward, and successively captured Tongyun Fort, Caohe Fort, Lianshanguan and other places, crossed the Motianling Mountains, and arrived at the border of the Taizi River. They advanced by a little high of nearly 500 miles. They were less than 200 miles away from Shengjing.

At this time, Dunbai and Wu Kuli, who were in Shengjing City, had already received the news, and they were shocked. At this time, there were only more than 10,000 defenders in Shengjing City. Once the Chinese army attacked the city of Shengjing City, even the city wall was unsatisfied with such a small amount of troops.

Therefore, of course, the two of them did not care about any sea defense at this time, and hurriedly ordered to transfer troops from Liaodong Bay and Jinzhou Bay back to Shengjing to guard. However, whether it was Liaodong Bay or Jinzhou Bay, it was hundreds of miles away from Shengjing, so they would definitely not be able to rush back before the Chinese army arrived in Shengjing. Therefore, the two had to order to defend Shengjing to the death. At the same time, they mobilized people from all around Shengjing, and they also collected strong people in the city, all of them went to the city to defend, so that they could not stand until reinforcements arrived.

However, after the Chinese army arrived at the Taizi River, it was not in a hurry to launch an attack on Shengjing. Zhou Shaohuan ordered the Second Division to go west along the Taizi River and first to capture Liaoyang. Because all the defenders of Liaoyang had been transferred to Shengjing to guard, Liaoyang is now basically an empty city with no resistance. As a result, the Chinese army still easily captured Liaoyang...

Liaoyang was the second largest city in the Liaodong region after Shengjing. It was only 160 miles away from Shengjing and was also an important gateway to the south of Shengjing. Therefore, the fall of Liaoyang not only opened the gateway to Shengjing, but also cut off the road for the Qing army stationed on the seaside to return to Shengjing.

Zhou Shaohuan's intention was very clear. Shengjing was basically within reach now, but the Qing army stationed in Liaodong Bay and Jinzhou Bay still had nearly 40,000 people, and they were all elite troops of the Qing army in Liaodong, and the weapons were well equipped. This was the biggest tail of the Chinese army in Liaodong. Therefore, Zhou Shaohuan decided to siege Shengjing without attacking, use Shengjing as bait to first annihilate the living force of this Qing army, and then the entire Liaodong would be allowed to gallop across the country.

Although the total strength of this Qing army is twice that of the Chinese army, and the Chinese army has only one division stationed in Liaoyang and the other division restrains the Qing army in Shengjing. However, Zhou Shaohuan was full of confidence in annihilation of this Qing army, because before Zhou Shaohuan set out from Seoul, he had already issued an order to Shandong, ordering the Fifth Army, which remained in Shandong and the 23rd Army to cross the sea and land in Liaodong. Therefore, behind this Qing army that was returning to rescue, there were two armies of the Chinese army. As long as the Chinese army defended Liaoyang, once the troops behind arrived, they could attack forward and backward and annihilate the Qing army. Then they captured Shengjing, and the entire Liaodong could be decided in one fell swoop.

Therefore, after conquering Liaoyang, Zhou Shaohuan immediately ordered the 14th Division to approach Shaling Fort, Baitafu and other places around Shengjing to garrison. He led the Second Division to build a defensive position in Liaoyang and prepare to block the Qing army. When he sent a large number of scouts to carry pigeons to the south to inquire about the landing troops and establish a flying pigeon connection for both sides.

On the 27th day of the first lunar month, the Qing army troops stationed by the sea arrived in Liaoyang.

There were more than 20,000 Qing troops stationed in Jinzhou Bay, and the main general was Bayalajialaezhenbuksha; and there were more than 18,000 Qing troops stationed in Liaodong Bay, and the main general Ribayalazhang Jinglaita people received the order from Dunbai, who asked them to give up their coastal defense and bring all their men back to Shengjing to defend, and collect all the people along the way, the more the better.

The two of them learned that the Chinese army crossed the Yalu River from North Korea and attacked Liaodong, and had approached Shengjing, so they did not dare to neglect them. They immediately recruited all the troops along the coast and rushed back to the fort and castle built by Shengjing. They had to give up all the cannons on the forts, and the cannons on the forts could only take away those below 3,000 jin. Those above 3,000 jin were too heavy, which would affect the speed of the march. They could only cast the holes with iron and throw them on the fort.

The two groups of people gathered in Haicheng County, and together with the other troops recruited along the route, there were a total of about 42,000 people, and then headed towards Shengjing together. However, the Qing army did not know that on the second day after they abandoned the seaside defense line, the Chinese army's fleet arrived at Jinzhou Bay. The two armies landed on the shore near Ninghai County, and then quietly followed the Qing army and headed towards Shengjing.


Chapter completed!