On a hillside, two war horses were standing proudly.
Bai Minghe and Liu Tichun were both looking into the distance at this time. Their faces had the same look, that is, they were very serious and a little heavy.
The Ming army actually counterattacked!
This result really surprised the two of them. It was completely inconsistent with the information they had received before.
According to what Bai Bangzheng said, the Ming army was preparing to break out and escape with Emperor Chongzhen. The set time was tonight, but why did they take action in advance?
As we all know, in ancient times, due to nutritional problems, people at that time often suffered from night blindness. It was easy to see things that were too far away at night. If you really want to break through, it is only natural to choose night.
But the Ming army counterattacked during the day. What were they going to do?
Breakout?
I'm afraid this excuse will only deceive fools. Then the question comes again. If it is not a breakout, what does the Ming army want to do?
The intelligence results of various parties showed that the number of Ming troops in Beijing was limited, that is, only about 15,000 people. But their Dashun army numbered hundreds of thousands. Given the huge disparity in strength, if the Ming army had not broken through, how could they have failed to attack?
The two people who couldn't figure it out were the reasons for their sad faces.
It was precisely because they couldn't figure it out that the two of them did not lead the army to directly reinforce Liu Rukui's troops. Instead, they slowly advanced towards the battlefield.
As a general, it is extremely unwise to take the initiative to attack in any way without fully understanding the battlefield situation. Unless the situation is clarified, I am afraid that the two of them will not order their troops to advance quickly.
"Brother Liu, what kind of trick did Ming Jun play?" Bai Minghe, who had been thinking for a long time and couldn't figure it out, chose to ask Liu Tichun to see if he could answer his doubts.
An idiot-like look immediately fell on Bai Heming. Liu Tichun thought that if he could see it, he would become one of the top three advisers.
No, Li Yan and the other three didn't see it, so he couldn't see it either. "have no idea."
After a very simple answer, Liu Tichun thought for a while and said: "But what I know is that this Ming army is different from the previous Ming armies and is a bit difficult to deal with."
"Yes, it is difficult to deal with." On this point, Bai Heming obviously agreed.
How can someone who can kill three generals, Li Mou, Ma Chongxi and He Jin, be easy to get along with?
Even if the other Ming armies could defeat them, the most they could do was disperse them for a while. As long as they were given enough time, they could quickly form a new team. But the Ming army in front of them specializes in killing generals. Based on this, they cannot be treated with caution.
Just like now, the two men leading the army were a little slow on the road. Why not for this reason?
In the past, they had nothing but their lives, so they really dared to risk their lives.
But now, after grabbing so many good things, I have wealth.
What a great contribution he has made, and he has the power.
He became a leading general and gained status.
After you have money, power, and wealth, you will naturally not be the same as before, and you will start to cherish your life.
At least they wouldn't choose to do tasks like charging on the battlefield lightly.
While the two were chatting and chatting here, suddenly a cavalry scout ran back from the front. They saw him quickly coming to the slope. He quickly turned over and dismounted, and then half-knelt on the ground, using some force. The trembling voice said: "Report to the two generals that our army is defeated at the front. General Liu Rukui, he..."
"How is General Liu?" Bai Heming asked first.
"General Liu died in battle." The scout reported directly after hesitating for a moment. In fact, when he got the news, he was really shocked. This is a mighty general, a level higher than their own General Guo Yi, but now they have all been killed. These Ming soldiers are really too powerful.
"ah!"
Seemingly in unison, Bai Heming and Liu Tichun both exclaimed.
Just now, they were still thinking that even if they were to fight with the Ming army, they would not rush to the front line, but would remotely control from behind.
It is naturally best to defeat the Ming army, and that is credit; if you cannot defeat it, then be ready to retreat at any time. In short, your life is at stake.
The two of them could think of it, and they believed that Liu Rukui could also think of it. But now, this person is dead.
"What's going on? Are all the soldiers in the old battalion around General Liu working on dry food?" After being stunned for several breaths, Bai Heming finally thought of asking about the cause of death.
"General Bai, I heard that it was because the Ming army was unable to defeat the Ming army and they retreated. General Liu and his brothers from the old camp blocked their way back, and then they were killed by the Ming army's muskets." The scout continued to answer. Regarding this issue, he met the old battalion soldiers who ran back first and asked about the process before reporting.
After all, a mighty general could not die without knowing anything. Not only his own general, but also King Dashun must be eager to know what happened.
"Nonsense, how far can the Ming army's fire cannons hit? How could General Liu be unprepared? Besides, there are so many old soldiers protecting him, it's impossible for him to die in battle like this." Bai Heming said in confusion.
"General Bai, this is not an ordinary Ming Army gunfire, but a new firearm of the Ming Army. My subordinates asked several people, and they didn't even see the Ming Army approaching, but General Liu still had many soldiers from the old battalion riding war horses. died."
The scout explained aloud that this was really the result of asking several people, and it couldn't be false.
But it was obvious that Bai Heming was not completely convinced and wanted to ask more questions, but Liu Tichun on the side said, "Brother Bai, all this should be true."
Liu Tichun would say this at this time, obviously thinking of the Ming army's night attack on his military camp that night.
That night, he also did not see what the Ming army that attacked him looked like, but his army suffered heavy losses and thousands of people were killed. In the end, not even a single Ming army was left behind, not even the shadow of the opponent. I didn’t see it, but now that I think about it, it is indeed very scary.
"Really? Are you saying that the Ming army has a new firearm that can kill people from a long distance?" Bai Heming actually already believed it in his heart. After all, if the scouts were not completely sure, they would not dare to mess around. Report blindly, otherwise the consequences will be very serious.
"Yes, other Ming armies don't have it, but the Ming army we are going to face probably has it." Liu Tichun said in an affirmative tone.
"Then...this..." Bai Heming was indeed a little panicked when he heard this.
If this is really the case, doesn't it mean that it would be too dangerous to confront this Ming army? Liu Rukui was killed, so if it were him, would he be able to ensure safety?
Bai Heming is very satisfied with what he has now, but he doesn't want to die. Liu Tichun had the same idea as him. The difference was that while the other party was still thinking about how to fight this battle in order to protect himself, he was already thinking about retreating.
Let's not talk about whether he can definitely defeat the Ming army when he brings people to fight. If he can win, he will be severely damaged. What's the point of doing so?
Thinking that he was attacked by the Ming army that night and suffered heavy losses, he reported the casualties to Li Zicheng, and then received some reinforcements. But if you look closely, you will see that those soldiers are just ordinary people who cannot afford to eat.
Among these common people, the oldest one is nearly fifty years old. In this era, such an age can definitely be called an old age.
Don't point out that such soldiers can fight any tough battles. When the fight actually breaks out, it's good enough if they don't fall behind.
A lot of elites died in the battle, as well as some old battalion soldiers. But Li Zicheng supplemented the old, weak, sick and disabled, which directly caused his strength to shrink greatly.
As a general leading troops, if the strength in his hands is not strong enough, his voice will be much lower.
After experiencing a weakening of strength, why would Liu Tichun want to do it a second time? He has now made a decision, that is, he will not lead his troops to confront the oncoming Ming army head-on. Anyone who is willing to do such a thing can do it well. Well, he was going to retreat anyway.
"General Bai, General Liu died in battle. This is a serious matter. I think it is necessary to report it to King Dashun. I am ready to go back. General Bai will have to worry about things here. Don't worry, if Bai My brother has made great contributions here, and all the achievements are his alone."
Liu Tichun reacted quickly. Before Bai Heming could think clearly about what to say, he had already cupped his hands and clasped his fists, then turned around and rode away. His men under the slope also retreated backwards.
"Go...go?" Bai Heming saw Liu Tichun leaving before he reacted. It's just a little late. One of them can leave, but they can't both leave. Otherwise, once King Dashun asks about the crime, the consequences will be serious.
"General, what should we do next?" The scout asked Bai Heming in a cautious tone after seeing that Liu Tichun and his men had left.
"What else can we do? Of course we have to fight the Ming army. In this way, let's notify all the soldiers to stop advancing and set up their positions on the spot. Let's take a look at the situation first."
It was said to be a battle, but it was not difficult to tell from Bai Heming's words that he was also a little scared. It's just hateful that Liu Tichun left first. If he left, I'm afraid Li Zicheng would be very unhappy, and the big plan would fall on him.
Cursing Liu Tichun for not being loyal and fastidious enough, Bai Heming bit the bullet and stayed, but he was always ready to withdraw if he couldn't defeat him.
