On the outskirts of Hengshui city, flags of various colors were densely packed, fluttering in the wind, almost all over the river bank.
The Qing army camp stretched for dozens of miles, and it was difficult to even see the edge at a glance.
There are four colors of flags flying in the Chinese army. The elite Jurchen soldiers with the four flags of white flag, white flag, red flag and red flag have all been assembled.
The outer camp is decorated with six-color flags, which is the headquarters of the Eight Banners Mongolia.
The status of the Han army among the Qing army was still extremely low at this time. Although Huang Taiji had a lot of money and improved the treatment of the surrendered Han ministers and Han generals, the Han army was still just a vassal in the army.
In the second year of Chongde, which was the tenth year of Chongzhen, the Han army expanded into two banners, and the flags were still green.
However, at this time, the people under the Han army were all under the Manchu banner. When going on expeditions, they were mostly incorporated into each banner to serve as auxiliary soldiers.
The status of the bannermen of these Han military banners was not only lower than that of the Jurchens, but also lower than that of the Mongols. Most of them were responsible for the drudgery of attacking fortresses or being trapped in battles.
But after joining the banner, you are a bannerman, and you have some status and can own a certain amount of property.
There are still many Han people among the Jurchen Eight Banners, and they are the real misfortunes.
Every time the Qing army went on an expedition, most of the bannermen of the Jurchen Eight Banners had Han coats in their homes, and they would also bring certain coats with them when they went on an expedition.
The former duties of these men were to serve their masters as slaves at home and to cultivate the fields of their masters. They were actually slaves.
And during wartime, they had to go out with them as auxiliaries and followers, helping to carry military equipment, as well as grain, grass, gold and silver, and also served as cannon fodder during fierce battles.
This is also why the Jurchens only have 300 people per Niu Lu, but in fact, when they go on an expedition, the number of Niu Lu can reach 500 or 600 people. This is because they include the Bao Yi who serve as auxiliary soldiers.
At this time, everywhere in the Qing army camp was noisy, with joy and laughter everywhere.
"Those Nikans really have no bones. I held a knife across them, made them kneel on the ground in a row, without being tied up with ropes, and beheaded them one by one. No one dared to run. It was worse than killing a chicken. Easy, hahahahaha.”
"What's the point of killing? It's better to grab more things. This is the right thing. Those officials in Nikan really know how to enjoy it. Those beautiful girls I found from the officials' mansions in Renqiu City a few days ago, That taste, tsk tsk..."
In the military tent of the Qing army's camp, a group of Qing army generals were talking loudly about the gains they had made along the way, showing off the cities they captured and their military exploits.
They were originally scattered all over the country to attack cities and territories, but they all came to join together after being ordered to do so.
This time when they entered the pass, although the Han people resisted quite fiercely at first, now as usual, the Han troops were huddled in the major cities and did not dare to go out to fight with them.
They looted along the way, as if they were in an uninhabited land. The things they looted during these days were more abundant than what they had gained at the entrance in previous years. How could they not make people happy?
After this battle, the gold and silver treasures obtained and the slaves snatched were enough for them to live a good life of fine clothing and food for several years.
These Nikans occupy a good place, unlike Liaodong and Monan, which are both bitter and cold places. If possible, they would like to live in this pass and enjoy it.
"Snapped!"
The sound of a whip came from outside the tent, and all the Qing army generals in the Chinese army tent stopped their voices in unison, and everyone's eyes immediately turned to the outside of the tent.
Under the gaze of everyone, Dorgon, who was wearing silver-white armor and holding a single-edged helmet in his arms, and Yue Tuo, who was wearing pure red armor, walked into the tent together.
The two teams of armored soldiers wearing the same color armor as Dorgon and Yue Tuo also followed them into the Chinese army tent, and then stood in various directions in the tent, one on the left and the other on the right.
The originally relaxed and lively atmosphere in the tent suddenly became tense.
All the Qing army generals calmed down their expressions, straightened their backs, lowered their heads, and sat upright with their hands flat on their knees.
Dorgon walked like a dragon and tiger, holding his helmet in his arms, walked all the way to the main seat, and sat separately from Yue Tuo.
Dorgon sat down in the main seat, first glanced sideways at Yue Tuo who was sitting next to him, then looked down at the generals in the tent, and finally his eyes fell on Duoduo.
Duduo understood immediately, stood up, clapped his hands gently, and two armored soldiers wearing pure white flag armor walked into the tent pushing a huge map hanging on it.
"According to the latest intelligence reports, the Ming Dynasty Governor of Shaanxi Province Sun Chuanting and his troops have left Zhending Mansion and entered Qingyuan of Baoning Mansion. As General Fengyi expected, Sun Chuanting and his troops were placed in Baoning Mansion for defense."
"Lu Xiangsheng, the governor of the Ming Dynasty, led his troops to Zhending in Zhending Mansion on the 22nd. Yesterday, he moved his camp to Zhaozhou, a hundred miles east of Zhending. As General Fengyi expected, They are coming in pursuit of our army.”
Duduo's voice was not loud, but it was enough for all the generals and commanders in the tent to hear clearly.
The atmosphere in the military tent was stagnant, and all the generals and commanders in the tent were holding their breath and waiting for the next step.
Dorgon and Yue Tuo jointly summoned them. There were more than 40,000 soldiers gathered in Hengshui, accounting for almost half of the people who entered the pass.
The gathering of troops must be for a big war, and all the Qing generals sitting here had already expected this.
Now that I heard what Duduo said, I understood that the gathering of troops this time was probably to target Lu Xiangsheng.
"Our army is now deep into the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty, and the troops of King Qin of the Ming Dynasty are constantly coming, gathering more and more."
"The current situation is no better than the situation at the entrance a few years ago. Although our Qing Dynasty's attack was successful this time, it is still much more difficult than it was in the first year of Chongde. The Ming army is much stronger than it was a few years ago. More and more troops dare to fight in the field."
"If this problem is not solved, it may be difficult for our army to bring the looted goods outside the customs."
Duduo's words spread among the military tents and reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Therefore, our army should gather its forces in one place, combine tens of thousands of elite soldiers, and use the power of thunder to annihilate part of the Ming army first, kill the chickens as a warning to the monkeys, and frighten the armies of the Ming Dynasty in all directions! They will lose their courage and dare not confront the Qing Dynasty. Confrontation.”
There were a lot of Qing army generals in the tent, and the expressions of several generals changed slightly as a result.
Lu Xiangsheng's time as governor of Xuanda was not short. Since he took office in Xuanda, the military forces in Xuanda and Xuanda towns have become visibly stronger.
Lu Xiangsheng's name was remembered by the generals of the Qing army in several battles in Shunyi, Beijing, Qingdu and other places.
The banner leaders and generals of the Mengba Banner also had different expressions at this time.
Nowadays, the reason why the Mongolian tribes are willing to surrender is the death of Lin Dan Khan and the surrender of his son Ezhe. Another big reason is that the Qing army has always suppressed the Ming army and gained a lot from several battles.
The Mongols surrendered to the Manchus only because they could gain huge benefits by joining the border, but they did not come to serve as cannon fodder to fight tough battles.
This time when they entered the customs, the Mongols and Han people suffered the most casualties in several battles. The Eight Banners of Manchuria did not suffer much losses.
Now we are gathering troops to prepare for a big war. When the time comes, they will most likely be the vanguard and dead soldiers. They will be used as cannon fodder to fight tough battles. How can they not have any complaints in their hearts?
Dorgon narrowed his eyes slightly, but he was not in a hurry to speak. He gently raised his hand to signal Dodo to continue speaking.
"The three generals under Lu Xiangsheng's command are Du Wenhuan, the general of Datong, Yang Guozhu, the general of Xuanfu, and Hu Dawei, the general of Shanxi. There are three battalions of soldiers and horses, of which more than half are cavalry. They are agile, agile, and brave as our army. .”
After receiving Dorgon's order, Duduo walked to the map and continued to explain.
"Lu Xiangsheng once served as the Daming Military Prefecture, with jurisdiction over the three prefectures of Daming, Guangping and Shunde. His subordinates supervised Biaoying, also known as Tianxiong Army. Most of them were from the Daming Prefecture. They were well-armed and extremely powerful. Most of them were infantry. The chariot soldiers are equipped with a large number of guns, artillery and firearms, and are our formidable enemies of the Qing Dynasty."
Duduo's expression was serious, no longer as relaxed as before.
The Xuan army under the command of Lu Xiangsheng was indeed a formidable enemy. Their morale was high, their armaments were good, their numbers were large, and their generals dared to fight, which brought them a lot of trouble.
If they attack from the border of Xuanda, they may not be able to cross the Great Wall and enter the pass.
The reason why they bypassed Zhuozhou and went south to plunder was because they were afraid of the Xuan army led by Lu Xiangsheng.
But now, Lu Xiangsheng's troops are no longer as numerous as those in Changping.
The atmosphere in the Chinese military tent was a little dull because of Duduo's words. Most of the generals present had fought against Lu Xiangsheng, and they did not get any benefits.
And the more important thing is that fighting Lu Xiangsheng will definitely be a hard battle, not an easy task.
Lu Xiangsheng was a tough nut to crack, and even if he defeated Lu Xiangsheng, there would be no gains. It would be better to plunder a few more cities to get down to business.
Dorgon changed his sitting position, glanced at everyone, and said calmly.
"What do you think? Just say it."
Dorgon's question naturally received no response. The troops had already gathered. The fact that Dorgon and Yue Tuo came in at the same time sent a signal that the two commanders had reached a consensus on this decision.
If you stand up at this time, it will not change the outcome at all. If you really stand up, you will probably become the target of Dorgon's power.
"You don't have to worry about the casualties under our banner. Our army will win this battle, and it will definitely be a great victory."
Dorgon lightly knocked on the armrest, snorted coldly, and said in an unquestionable tone.
"Now Lu Xiangsheng's Xuan army has been divided several times, and its strength is extremely weak, with only more than 8,000 people."
"This time our Qing army gathered in Hengshui totaled 40,000 troops, five times the number of Ming Dynasty soldiers. Lu Xiangsheng was lured here by our army as planned, and it is impossible to escape this disaster."
Buyandai, the leader of Mongolia's red flag, rolled his eyes slightly, thought for a moment, stood up, and spoke.
"I share the strategy of General Fengyi. If we defeat the first army of the Ming Dynasty first and then wait until the Qin army of the Ming Dynasty gathers, it will be difficult for us to transport our hard-earned money out of the pass. Moreover, the Ming army will become more and more daring to fight. It will also be extremely detrimental to me after the Qing Dynasty."
Buyandai was a Mongolian, and he led his troops from Xiratala to join Houjin. Later, he married Huang Taiji's daughter and became his consort. He was awarded the rank of second-class general and was assigned to Manchuria with a red flag. After the establishment of the Eight Banners of Mongolia, he naturally became The leader of the Mongolian red flag.
However, despite being related by marriage, his status is still lower than that of the banner leader of the Eight Banners of Manchuria.
The men with red flags led by Buyandai were not wealthy, and their numbers were not large. They suffered heavy casualties in the battles under Beijing City, and did not gain much.
Now that Dorgon was about to start a war again, he could only bite the bullet and ask.
Being able to become the banner leader and also become a subordinate, Buyandai is certainly not a fool. He first raised his hand to Dorgon, and then asked the question he wanted.
"If our army attacks Lu Xiangsheng's troops, and if Ming troops from all directions rush to help, our army will probably be surrounded. If we cannot annihilate Lu Xiangsheng's troops with thunderous force, it will be quite difficult to evacuate from behind. "
Buyendai's words won the approval of the Mongolian Eight Banners, although most of them were Manchurians.
But as banner owners, their military strength is related to the power in their hands, so they naturally consider the interests of the Eight Mongolian Banners.
Dorgon's eyes were slightly focused, and a stern look flashed in his eyes, but it only happened for a moment and was not noticed by everyone.
Although he has led his troops to victory many times over the years and has accumulated a certain amount of prestige in the army, he still cannot compare with Huang Taiji.
If Huang Taiji comes, the military orders issued will probably not be questioned by anyone. This is the gap...
"Don't worry, these things are all under my consideration."
Dorgon restrained the sharpness in his eyes and said calmly and calmly.
"Since Lu Xiangsheng took office as the governor of Xuanda, the armies of the two towns of Xuanda have become stronger and stronger. If he is not eliminated at this time, he will become a serious trouble for our Qing Dynasty in the future. The Ming court is currently fighting internally, which is the best opportunity to eliminate this person!"
Dorgon emphasized his tone, and his sharp eyes swept over everyone.
The strong pressure made Budaiyan and the banner owners of the Eight Mongolian Banners lower their heads involuntarily.
"The internal fighting in the Ming Dynasty is serious. I have already been informed of the inside story. If our army attacks Lu Xiangsheng's department, Gao Qiqian from the east will probably not come to the rescue."
"In order to prevent variables, I will also arrange for a partial division to intercept to ensure the safety of my army."
"As for Sun Chuanting's department currently stationed in Baoning Mansion, there is no need to worry."
Dorgon slowly stood up and strode forward, walking all the way to the huge map hanging in the tent.
"The battlefield I chose is hundreds of miles away from Baonyeong Mansion. Even if Sun Chuanting's troops get the clear order, they won't have enough time to rush south for reinforcements!"
Dorgon turned around and faced the generals in the tent, and slowly pulled out the sword from his waist.
The sword was unsheathed, and the cold blade was as graceful as the cold autumn water in autumn. It reflected in everyone's eyes, and a chill could not help but feel in their hearts.
"This is where I will be buried for Lu Xiangsheng!"
Dorgon raised his knife and pointed it diagonally, the tip of the knife facing a red mark on the map.
Everyone looked up and saw the two bright red characters on the map - Giant Deer!
Starting from next month, normal updates will resume. This time I am not a pigeon. Because of some of my own problems, I have caused all the book friends to worry about it and caused trouble to you. I am really sorry.
(End of chapter)
