Beitang is a very famous place in the Tianjin area and is often associated with Dagukou.

After Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing, Dagukou's strategic position became increasingly prominent, because it was the only gateway to Beijing from the sea. Once it was lost, Tianjing was in front of us. Once Tianjing was over, Yanjing City would be exposed to outsiders without any restraint. Especially during the Jiajing period when the Japanese turmoil was severe, the Japanese turmoil was severe. In order to prevent Japanese pirates, Dagukou's sea defense was getting tighter, building fortresses and garrisons fortifications.

The first construction of the Dagukou Fort, which played a very important role in the history of the late Qing Dynasty in modern times actually started in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. The supervisors and supervisors were the famous Qi Nantang. While Qi Jiguang was building the Dagu Fortress, he also built a fort on both sides of the estuary of the Ji Canal River, namely the Beiying Fortress and the Nanying Fortress. The two forts together form the current Beitang Fortress.

Unfortunately, when the Jiajing period was fought, both Dagukou and Beitang had already been relaxed, and the engineering defense was even more unsightly.

Not to mention anything else, the north and south turrets of Beitang Fort have even been filled with mud. However, the pontoon bridge between the two forts is still very strong, because the tax collectors in Tianjin are still expecting it to make a fortune. The defenders of the forts on both sides are also hoping that they can get more cheap here.

After Zheng Zhilong took over Tianjin, he asked the main force to build the Tianjin defense circle and the Tianjin Cang City itself, and on the other hand, he asked someone to repair the Beitang Fort and Dagukou Fort. He also brought several sand ships from Shen Tingyang. Although he could only carry some small cannons and muskets, he wandered in Beitang, which still added a layer of great protection to the place.

Zhang Kui stood on the only watchtower in the Beiying Fort, holding a telescope and looking forward. From the fact that he had been keeping this posture motionless for several minutes, there must be something very important to do.

That's the case. A large number of troops were slowly moving forward by the Ji Canal in front. Behind him, Feng Kaizhang was also holding a telescope and looking at the opposite side carefully. As Feng Yuanyang's eldest son, Feng Kaizhang, who has been a scholar for more than 20 years, certainly did not want to change his career and become Qiu Ba, but his son couldn't resist his father. Feng Yuanyang threw him to Zheng Zhilong, so Zheng Zhilong had to accept it. It was just like Shen Nanguang at the time, with the same effect.

Behind Feng Kaizhang are two officers from Zhang Kui Camp. Although he performed well in the battle in Yangcun, Zhang Kui was still an officer in the first battalion. This is the peak of the current Zheng family's new army.

Further up the bidding system has several camp leaders under his command. Zheng Zhilong now has little capital and must choose his own people to do it.

But Zhang Kui has already entered Zheng Zhilong's eyes. He will definitely be the first to be thought of whenever the army is expanded and newcomers are promoted in the future.

Two staff officers in the army, which was added to Zheng Zhilong's army since last year. The so-called staff officers in the army are trainee officers. One of them is carefully estimating the number of people on the opposite side, and the other is recording the enemy's troops composition and weapons and equipment.

"About three thousand men, half of them were armored soldiers, including about five hundred horse soldiers. There were ten artillery pieces and about five hundred musketeers."

"The Tartars are going to knock us out." Zhang Kui's face was not moved after hearing the report, and he only sighed so much in his heart.

Just as Zhang Kui looked at the opposite side, Kong Youde was also holding up a telescope and staring at the Beiying Fortress not far away.

The trenches outside the camp were not only dredged, but also deepened and widened, now at least two meters wide. The guns exposed on the fort were no less than ten gates in size. Judging from the banner, the main general on the opposite side was also in Beiying.

"According to a detailed report, Zhang Kui on the opposite side is Zheng General who was guarding the Sheep and Horse Wall in the Battle of Yang Village. How does General Bai feel?" Kong Youde asked Bai Guangen next to him with a little run.

What can Bai Guangen say? Nothing he says now is good. He can only say nothing!

The ones surrounded by Kong Youde and Bai Guangen were either other than Zheng Zhilong’s old friend Tu Lai. Although Dorgon is in power now, he looks at Tu Lai very coldly. But Tu Lai is a real Tartar or a well-known real Tartar, Kong Youde and Bai Guangen are willing to take action.

Tu Lai ignored Kong Youde's run against Bai Guangen and kept looking at the opposite side. He knew that Abatai sent him with bad intentions, and if he could not make any contribution, Dorgon would have a reason to deal with him. But even so, Tu Lai did not want to ruin the lives of his subordinates in vain, especially the yellow-flagged soldiers he led directly.

The suspension bridge on the trench has been pulled up, and no one can see outside the fort.

Only one of the top stood solemnly, obviously he was ready to start a war.

Tulai waved his hand and the Qing soldiers set up camp five miles away from the Beiying Fort. Even if Abatai forced him, he didn't ask him to take down Beitang immediately. Tulai clicked his son again, "Huisai, go and bring people to catch some Nikan."

Whether it is fortifications or fighting later, Nikan is indispensable.

There was still silence in the Beiying Fort.

However, the Nanying Fortress on the other side of the shore was rioted by the strong men who were detained behind. They were afraid that the Tartars on the other side would defeat the people in the Beiying Fortress with one charge, then rushed across the pontoon bridge and came to them again.

But in fact? The Zheng army guards on the forts on both sides were not afraid at all, but instead thought that the enemy could come to the door as soon as possible.

With the muskets in their hands, the care of warships on the river, and the artillery of the artillery, we were really not afraid of the Tartars on the opposite side at all.

Just like the opposite of Tianjin Acropolis, across the South Canal, in a bastion where the main body had built, although the defenders were less than 500, they were not afraid of Abatai's army at all.

What's there to be afraid of?

The Zheng new army has fought many big and small battles, and has long believed in a truth. - Guns and cannons cannot be stopped by flesh and blood.

No matter how thick the armor you wear, a big turtle dove-footed gun will kill you. If a gun cannot penetrate the armor, you can kill someone.

No matter how many soldiers charge, when you get close, a few shots are fired, and the field will be cleared immediately.

Although they are not many people, there are many cannons in the bastion. They have food, and the canal is on the back (to the east) and the Tianjin Acropolis is across the canal. The resources of the aid are constantly available.

To the north are the North Canal, to the northeast are the Sancha River mouth, and to the west are the Triangle Lake. Whether it comes from the west or from the south, as long as the Triangle Lake does not form a thick layer of ice, the enemy will even pull a long dragon when they are merciless.

No matter how few people are, they are not afraid of the Tatar army opposite. On the contrary, the guard Wang Dalei only hopes that the Tatars can attack and kill soon.

Zhang Kui was of the same level as him, but after the battle of Yangcun, Zhang Kui was obviously favored by the superiors, and Wang Dalei was not willing to let it go.

But, in this case, how can Abatai fight?

The first day he led his troops to Trianglean, he asked Geng Zhongming to induce Wu Zhenchao to destroy the small fort in front of him. The latter is not large in size, and there are not too many soldiers who see that there are many heads of guards. In Abatai's eyes, isn't it just a small fort?

The Qing Dynasty had rich experience in dealing with such fortresses. They didn’t know how many such forts they had nibbled outside the pass.

Just pull up one cannon and knock it down for a few rounds, and the small castle will explode.

Either the defenders raised their flags and surrendered, or the fort wall collapsed.

But how did he understand the power of the sacrificial bastion? The Tartars took advantage of the winter to cross the sea to Juehua Island, which was a loss, but Abatai had only heard of it and had never seen it with his own eyes.

This time I opened my eyes very well.

The shells hit the fortress, but there was no landslide on the wall. Instead, the precious red-clothed cannons of the Tartars were successively knocked out by the military cannons on the fort.

It would be fine if there were only pieces of cannon trucks. Unfortunately, three cannons were damaged by their own body and were completely useless.

Three cannons were missing at once, not only did Abatai feel sorry for him, but Dorgon, who had already entered Yanjing City, was alarmed.

"I'm going to see the regent." Shi Tingzhu knelt down at Dorgon.

As a person who was highly valued by Huang Taiji before, Shi Tingzhu did not dare to complain about Dorgon who is now staying in the dragon bed at night. Who said that Dorgon is in power now?

He didn't think that the empress dowager in the palace could work sincerely with Prince Su because of him, the Master of the Han army's Zhengbai Banner, to prevent Dorgon from asking for his own head. Since this is the case, he could only respect Dorgon, just as he treated Huang Taiji at the time.

He didn't ask about the fights of the senior executives, and just kept the trouble and obedient. Even if he was actually a bannerman.

"Have you seen the Wang Gongchang? Can you restore the casting of cannons as soon as possible?" Dorgon knew that last year a talented man named Nan cast twenty cannons for Emperor Chongzhen. He was no less than the red-clothed cannons in the hands of the foreigners.

"When the Regent, the slave is already called Wang Tianxiang, Dou Shouxin, and Liu Jiping took a look. The cannon molds there have been completely destroyed, and there is no copper, iron, lead and zinc at all." Chongzhen swept away all the people who cast the cannons. When Li Zicheng ran away, he didn't even give the man Qing Dynasty a scum.

Dorgon's face immediately pulled down. It was not because of the news from Abatai that he forgot about the cannon. But it was so unfair to care about the cannon.

"Reported to the Regent, the slave thought that at this time, people should go to Macau to buy cannons."

Shi Tingzhu knew that it would be fine for him to leave at this time, but he also hoped from the bottom of his heart that the Qing Dynasty would be stronger. Therefore, it would not exist if there was more than less than more. He would never conceal the news he received.

"Buy cannons from foreigners?"

Dorgon frowned and said, "Will they sell it to me to the Qing Dynasty?" Didn't the Folang Ji people in Macau stand on the side of the Ming Dynasty? Their shadows appeared in the previous battles, and some individuals were more backbone than the generals and civil and military officers of the Ming Dynasty.

"Why don't they want to buy it with a lot of money? Besides, although the place is dominated by the Folang Jiren family, there are more than Flang Jiren family among the other people, and there are also Hong Mao Yi. The person that the slave met said that Zheng Zhilong defeated Hong Mao Yi only last year and seized a large island called Dashen in the sea south of Fujian. Although the two sides have been in a truce for several months, they have never agreed."

The enemy is a friend.

"Okay, okay. Get that person for me as soon as possible." Dorgon was delighted.
Chapter completed!