Just when the main force of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was defeated by the Guards Corps led by Emperor Zhu himself.
In Boye County, Baoding Prefecture.
The 170,000 troops of the Eight Banners led by Qianlong were stationed here at this time.
Not much of the ambition and ambition left in the grand march south from the capital was left.
Originally, everyone in the Qing court was very satisfied, thinking that with the large number of cavalry, this battle would not be lost even if it could not be won.
A tie with Zhao Si's Northern Expedition Corps can always be achieved.
The reality turned out to be cruel.
After the two sides conducted a small-scale test on the battlefield south of Zhengding Mansion.
The Ming Army's Northern Expedition Corps began to take the initiative to launch attacks.
Under the gaze of the Ming army's hot air balloons, the Qing army's cavalry advantage could not be shown at all.
Their assembly was easily observed by the eyes of heaven.
The terrible thing is that the weather in North China during this period was so good that the visibility was very high.
When the Qing troops gathered in the field, they could not withstand the bombardment of the Ming army's artillery and rockets. When they got out of the way, they were easily targeted by the Ming army's mule soldiers.
Especially when the Ming Army's Northern Expedition Corps took the initiative to attack, the Qing army's defense lines were broken through one after another. As a last resort, Qianlong could only retreat with the Qing army.
Withdrew from Zhengding Prefecture to Baoding Prefecture.
If we evacuate again, we will reach the capital.
Right now.
It was inevitable that the news coming from the battlefield shocked the Qing army. From Qianlong to the generals, everyone was shocked.
terrible.
An army of less than 20,000 people actually defeated the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's army of more than 100,000 people in a majestic battle.
The Qing army has learned how powerful the veteran soldiers of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom are.
Even if Qianlong formed the Great Eight Banners, he would incorporate the coat troops in the capital, the remaining elites of the Green Camp, and the Mongols outside the Pass into the Eight Banners, at least doubling the Eight Banners' strength.
The system of the Eight Banners, which integrates military and political affairs, as well as military and civilians, is actually very convenient for organizing a community of interests and turning some people into one's own, which is conducive to governance and warfare.
But even so.
Facing such a terrifying Ming army, the Qing army did not have much confidence.
In addition, the battle with the Ming Army's Northern Expedition also made the Qing army a little bit hesitant to continue fighting with the Ming Army. The complacency at the beginning of the formation of the Great Eight Banners has been exhausted.
Especially those Mongolian cavalry who were originally full of confidence and high morale, are now a lot sluggish.
On the one hand, of course, nothing good was gained from entering the customs war this time.
There was no siege, and no loot was obtained.
On the other hand, it was because the Mongols discovered that they seemed to be unable to keep up with the Han people in terms of cavalry.
At the time of entry.
The Zasaks of Mongolia in Mongolia and Mongolia are all preaching the glory of their ancestors to the Mongolian herdsmen.
After a lapse of hundreds of years.
The Mongols once again set foot on the land of the Central Plains! !
This moment is just like that moment.
But as the Qingqi from both sides continued to clash.
The Mongolian cavalry equipped with scimitars and bows and arrows were no match for the Ming army's dragoons.
Their scimitars and bows were of no use at all.
in this case.
The Great Emperor (Qianlong) transformed some Mongolians into dragoons like the Ming Army, which were equipped with muskets. They mounted their horses to maneuver and fight, and dismounted to fight in formation like infantry holding their muskets.
This situation made the morale of the Mongolian soldiers unprecedentedly low.
The Mongols should have used scimitars and bows to win.
What's the point of using muskets to fight nowadays?
However, if Qianlong didn't have so many muskets, he would even prepare to turn all the Mongolian soldiers into dragoons
The previous battle between the light cavalry of both sides showed that.
The Mongols, who relied on scimitars and bows and arrows, were basically in a state of being slaughtered.
On the contrary, the Mongols, who were also equipped with muskets, were able to compete with the Ming army's dragoons on the battlefield - after all, their riding skills were much better than those of the Han people.
This more or less restored the confidence of the Eight Banners Mongolian soldiers - it's not that we are incompetent, it's the Han people who are cheating. Fighting well, how can we use muskets in matters between warriors?
It's so insidious and cunning.
Buddha must not bless them.
The former Boye County government office has now become Qianlong's Chinese army camp.
After the Qing army settled in Boye, the local people were unlucky.
The Eight Banners soldiers ran amok in the city, plundering finances and raping women.
And they have to arrest people.
Capturing young men and women - this is preparation for escape.
Historically, the main purpose of Nurhachi and Huang Taiji's repeated raids was to rob people and property.
Because everyone was ready to leave, Qianlong also broke the pot, even though this was Zhili Province, under the emperor's feet.
It stands to reason that they are the Han people who are most loyal to the Qing Dynasty.
But he still couldn't care less.
If he didn't let those Mongolians vent their anger, he really couldn't think of anything else to reward them to encourage them to fight.
In the Boye County Government Hall.
Qianlong, Fukang'an, Mingliang, Helin, Eldenbao and others were all present, except for a few generals.
Even Heshen, Wang Jie, Liu Yong and other high-ranking civil servants came.
It looks like he moved his entire Qing court here.
"Your Majesty, the Taiping and Taiguo armies have been defeated. The puppet emperor of the Ming Dynasty has led his troops to the north and publicly launched the banner of "conquering the Central Plains." Their purpose is very obvious. Moreover, every time they occupy a land, they hold rural examinations there. , county examinations, using local talents and candidates as officials, and assumed the posture of completely consolidating one area by occupying it."
Mingliang looked at everyone on the seats and reported the latest situation.
"Now the Ming Army has a total of four armies coming towards the capital. One is the Liaodong Corps on the North Road. The East Route Army is the Ming Army's Northern Expedition Army in the direction where Shandong and Zhili are handed over. The West Route Army is a 10,000-strong partial division under Luodingshan. And in the middle, there is the Guards Regiment led by Emperor Ni Ming who just defeated the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s hundreds of thousands of troops!”
"The direction of the four armies is very clear. They are coming towards my army and the capital behind it!"
As Fukangan's words fell.
The faces of the Qing generals present changed slightly, and everyone's expressions were quite solemn.
The Fourth Army, a single guard regiment defeated the Taiping Taiguo's more than 100,000 elites.
Now the four armies are coming together.
Can the Qing Dynasty bear it?
Everyone's eyes turned to Qianlong who was sitting in a high position.
Qianlong's face looked much better than before.
Qianlong in history still had several good years to live.
Although he suffered repeated blows in this time and space, Qianlong looked very strong and was not knocked down. He had the energy to fight against repeated defeats.
Qianlong looked at Fukang'an, who had just arrived from the capital.
The training regiments of Zhili and Shandong provinces led by Fukang'an were not very useful, so they took about 600,000 to 700,000 people and a large amount of food in Zhengding, Baoding, and Xuanhua prefectures and entered the capital.
After arriving in the capital, they broke up the regiment's training troops and organized them into the Eight Banners. After controlling them, they came to the front of the army to obey orders under Qianlong's order.
Fukangan saw Qianlong's gaze and looked over.
He also hurriedly came out and said: "Your Majesty, when the five armies of the Ming Dynasty invaded the Liao Dynasty, I, the Emperor Taizu, "don't care how they come, just go all the way." He defeated the Ming army. This battle became the key to the Qing Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty. Twist.”
Qianlong frowned slightly when he heard this.
"Could it be that our army also has to concentrate its forces and only focus on the Ming army to fight?"
Qianlong said.
Which way can you beat?
It seems that the road on the Luoding Mountain side is the weakest.
But this road is a partial division, and it is not far from Zhu Daohua's Guards Regiment, so they can respond to each other at any time.
not to mention.
What's the point of defeating this Ming army?
The Ming army will still march in three directions and encircle the capital.
"Your Majesty, I said just go all the way, not just fight all the way."
Oh, no?
Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
But if you don’t fight, where will you go?
"Just go all the way? Where?"
Fukangan looked at Qianlong.
He knew very well what Emperor Qianlong was thinking.
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Liu Zhixie was so powerfully defeated.
Emperor Qianlong was also afraid.
That's why he retreated all the way to Boye.
But Emperor Qianlong was also concerned with saving face, so he sent hundreds of thousands of troops southward, and ran away after making every effort.
This hurt morale and Qianlong's prestige too much.
So he won't take the initiative to withdraw.
"We just attack northward!"
Fukangan said.
Attack north?
What is there to attack in the north? The Ming army is in the south.
The Liaodong Army is in the north, but it won't be able to reach it for a while.
And there is a capital city in the middle.
"Okay! Then attack to the north. I will mobilize the Ming Dynasty army to find an opportunity to defeat the enemy!"
Finally, we are going to escape. No, we are attacking to the north, to the northwest.
The Qing generals present also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Long live the wise Lord!"
the crowd chanted.
Qianlong stroked his beard and sighed in his heart.
"I have given up. I am leaving the Central Plains. In this case, Zhu Daohua, you should let go of my two million Eight Banners, right?"
(End of chapter)
