Qiao Mingjun wiped the sweat off his face and cursed fiercely. The orderlies around him quickly came over, thinking that Qiao Mingjun was going to give some order. Qiao Mingjun waved helplessly to signal the orderlies to be quiet.

Going deep behind enemy lines and reaching Zhenbeiguan without anyone noticing is a task that is like ascending to the sky. It seems impossible to complete. Unfortunately, Qiao Mingjun accepted this seemingly impossible task.

It has become a habit to march day and night, and the scouts are as tired as monkeys. During the day, they must conduct detailed reconnaissance to find the resting place of the army. At night, they must explore the marching route and report at any time. They must know that the army must pass through Shenyang and Tieling and other places before arriving at the town. Beiguan, especially Tieling, blocked the main road to Zhenbeiguan, so the army had to find another way to Zhenbeiguan.

Qiao Mingjun was not much better. As the commander of the army, he needed to make many decisions. The sergeant marched at night. When resting during the day, Qiao Mingjun had to take time to analyze the intelligence detected by the scouts, inspect the temporary camps, and also The sergeants must be on alert at all times, and sometimes they even have to worry about whether the many soldiers are well fed and rested.

The vast desolate area in the north under Hou Jin's rule helped Qiao Mingjun.

Perhaps it was because the Han people had suffered ruthless suppression in recent years. It turned out that Han people in many places had chosen to flee. There were almost no households outside the city. Therefore, during the three days of continuous march, the whereabouts of the army were kept strictly confidential.

The area from Shenyang to Zhenbeiguan is called the Northeast Plain, with no big mountains and only a few hills.

In the north at the end of February and early March, the climate is still cold, especially at night. If you are not careful, you may freeze.

These natural factors helped Qiao Mingjun to a certain extent. Marching at night could prevent him from being frozen. There were no big mountains, so the army could build bridges over water and open up roads to march.

The five guides in the middle of the team are the treasures of Qiao Mingjun. These people are all Han people from Liaodong and have a deep hatred for Hou Jin. Either their families were killed by Hou Jin's Tatars, or they were mercilessly humiliated by Hou Jin's Tatars. Therefore, they were willing to lead the way for the Denglai New Army without any reward. They cried bitterly in front of Qiao Mingjun and said that as long as they could see the Denglai New Army soldiers killing Houjin Tatar with their own eyes, they would be satisfied.

The sky is getting dark gradually, and the march will begin soon.

The oldest guide came to Qiao Mingjun's side.

This guide was an old hunter who lived on the outskirts of Tieling. His hunting trails were all over Zhenbeiguan, Kaiyuan and Tieling. When the cavalry of the Eight Banners Army entered the north, his family was killed. His daughter was humiliated and committed suicide, and his son was also unknown. The old hunter was so sad and angry that his hair and beard all turned white overnight. Fortunately, he had the ability to survive and hunt in the wild for many years. During this period, he was killed several times by Hou Jin's Eight Banners Army. When they were discovered, they all used their hunting skills to avoid them.

After the imperial court opened the mutual trade in Liaodong, this old Orion was discovered by merchants from Liaodong, and he naturally became the imperial court's spy in Houjin. The old Orion no longer had to live a life of sleeping and sleeping in the open, and his days were finally over when he followed the merchants to Xipingbao and other places to trade goods. It's been a little calmer.

When Denglai's new army marched east of the Liao River, the old Orion naturally became a member of the army and followed the army's movements.

The remaining four guides were all introduced by old hunters and had special experiences. They were also the court's spies in Houjin.

On the ground is a simple map drawn by the scout.

"Old man, look at it. Tieling is ahead. As long as the army passes Tieling, it can reach Zhenbeiguan directly. If it reaches Zhenbeiguan smoothly, we will win..."

The old Orion nodded solemnly and looked at the simple map spread on the ground.

"General, the most difficult part of the march is about to come. The army has two roads to choose from, but neither of them is easy."

The old Orion pointed to the left side of Tieling.

"There is a small road here, not very far from the official road. It is usually walked by hunters, which is not conducive to the march of the army. If you take this road, it is too close to the official road and too close to Tieling. There is a great risk of exposure.

When I was hunting here many years ago, I met Houjin Tatar patrolling, and Houjin Tatar also knew this road..."

Qiao Mingjun's expression became serious, he looked at the map and nodded.

The old Orion pointed his finger between Kaiyuan and Tieling, and kept going through it.

"There is also a road here, but it is in the mountains. Houjin Tatars generally do not pay attention to this place. Marching from the mountains, they can reach Zhenbeiguan without anyone noticing, but the terrain in the mountains is too complicated.

, if you accidentally get lost, you won’t be able to get out..."

Qiao Mingjun looked at the old hunter and nodded again.

"Is this big mountain the old man mentioned Changbai Mountain..."

The old hunter nodded.

"Yes, that's what the officials call it, but you don't have to worry too much, general. We are marching from the mountains and just pass by the edge of the mountains. If we continue to go east, towards the old village, we will see at a glance

There are no mountains nearby. I heard from the elders that wild animals in these places may get lost and be unable to get out..."

Qiao Mingjun looked at the old hunter and smiled.

"I understand. There is another question. How long will it take for us to reach Zhenbeiguan when we march from the mountains?"

The old Orion pondered for a moment, then looked at Qiao Mingjun and spoke.

"It's hard to tell the condition of the road when walking through the mountains. According to my estimate, it will take three to five days..."

Qiao Mingjun nodded, with a slightly calmer look on his face.

"Okay, just as you said, when we march from the mountains and enter the mountains, we don't need to march day and night. We can seize the time, except eating and sleeping, and spend all the rest of the time marching, so that the speed will be natural

It should be faster, but the road must be explored. If you take the wrong road and waste time, it will not be worthwhile..."

The old hunter nodded.

"I understand. General, please arrange for a few people to enter the mountain with me first. We will definitely find the nearest road and mark them all. I went there ten years ago and wandered around the mountain for more than two years.

No one has entered the mountains in recent years. They have no ability to live in the mountains..."

Qiao Mingjun nodded with satisfaction.

"Okay, I will arrange the road into the mountain from here right away. Can other guides lead the way..."

There was a look of confidence on the old Orion's face.

"There is absolutely no problem with the guides I introduced. They are all very familiar with this area. However, you must be careful when marching. There are many Jin Tatars in this area. Do not march during the day, and you must speed up the march at night.

, it is best to enter the mountains in one day, so it will be safe..."

Qiao Mingjun looked at Tieling and Kaiyuan on the map and sighed slightly.

Marching in an unfamiliar place, we encountered too many difficulties. Fortunately, the 60,000 sergeants under Qiao Mingjun were all the elites of the Denglai New Army. They would find ways to overcome any problems they encountered. If Qiao Mingjun led All of them were navy officers. He couldn't imagine what kind of situation would happen.

After all, Liao Wenru is a commander-in-chief, and his perspective on the problem is far-reaching.

"Old man, go get ready. The march will start soon. Tieling City is right on the Liao River. It will be very difficult for us to cross between Tieling and Kaiyuan. We need to find a way to cross the Liao River. I think we should go from Tieling. It is inevitable to go through it and directly enter the mountain. What do you think..."

The old Orion nodded and gave Qiao Mingjun a thumbs up.

"General, you are really awesome. When I thought of the Liao River, I didn't think of the Liao River. Crossing it from the south of Tieling is a little more difficult. There are many merchants from Shenyang to Tieling, and there are also a small number of households in this area. ."

Qiao Mingjun's body swayed and he waved to the old Orion.

"Wait, why didn't I think of it? Dorgon sent Xianghuang Banner to station in Tieling, and he will definitely strengthen the investigation around Shenyang. We chose to pass between Shenyang and Tieling. The danger is too great. If we don't do it, we will be completely exposed. Well, old man, do you know how far away Tieling City is from Liaohe River..."

The old Orion pondered for a moment, then looked at Qiao Mingjun and spoke.

"General, I'm not sure. It's about ten miles away. There aren't many people in this area. After the Liao River, it's the place controlled by the Mongolian Tatars. The Han people can't survive here at all..."

Qiao Mingjun squinted his eyes and nodded slightly.

"Okay, let's go from here. The distance of ten miles is enough. We can pass by without anyone noticing, unless the Eight Banners Army stationed in Tieling patrols this area day and night..."

Having said this, Qiao Mingjun looked at the messenger next to him.

"Order the scouts to come immediately..."

...

The sky finally darkened, and the sergeant had already finished packing and was ready to start marching.

Qiao Mingjun's expression became solemn. He had made detailed calculations just now. He passed between Tieling and Kaiyuan and entered the mountains. The entire path was not very long, less than a hundred miles, and the terrain in the first half was also It is very flat, but there are a lot of mountains in the second half. All the sergeants must march overnight to enter the mountains.

Between Tieling and Kaiyuan, there are constant patrols by Hou Jin's Eight Banners Army. If the Eight Banners Army is discovered by the patrolling Eight Banners Army, all previous efforts will be wasted. Although the number of Xianghuang Banners stationed in Tieling is more than 10,000 sergeants, the Eight Banners Army stationed in Shenyang has received the news. After that, they will definitely be dispatched in full force, and it will be dangerous at that time.

As long as the army enters Zhenbeiguan, Qiao Mingjun will not worry. He can rely on the terrain of Zhenbeiguan to resist the attack of the Eight Banners Army. Besides, once the army captures Zhenbeiguan, Liao Wenru will order the Denglai New Army The soldiers launched a comprehensive attack on Liaoyang and other places.
Chapter completed!