On the south bank of the Nerv River, Miyun Commander-in-Chief Tang Tong stood on a section of earth platform that was still sending out bursts of green smoke. Looking down at the remains of the pontoon bridge to the north, he suddenly felt very high-spirited.
At this moment, he had completely broken through the Qing defense line at East Shimen, and the entire division moved to the south bank of the Nuer River. Although the Mariner Camp was in ruins, after all, he had single-handedly broken through a camp heavily defended by the Qing army.
Tang Tong slowly turned his head, his eyes looking deeply to the west, and his mind quickly calculated the benefits and losses.
"Commander, Tang Shen will send someone to ask if we should continue to attack westward, open the passage to the west Shimen, and encircle Shimen Mountain."
Tang Tong's face tightened when he heard this. He turned his head and looked south, only to see bursts of smoke and dust on Shimen Mountain. It seemed that the battle was in full swing and could not be ended in a short time.
He had a tangled look on his face. After a moment, he said: "Go and tell Tang Youren to divide Hu Yuntong and Liu Sanjin into the left and right to open the way in front. Tang Youren will lead the main barracks in the center to support them. Each battalion must use chariots in front to clear the way and take strict precautions. The Tartar thieves and horsemen suddenly came out."
When the flag-ordered soldier was about to leave, he was stopped by Tang Tong and ordered: "Tell them, now that I am going deep alone, I must not rush forward greedily, and the military achievements obtained will be ruined again."
Looking at the retreating figures of the soldiers, Tang Tong raised his hand and stroked his not very thick beard a few times, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
…………
To the northwest of Rufeng Mountain, a trench blocks the road on the south bank of the Nuer River.
There were nearly 3,000 Ming troops stationed behind the trench. In front of them, they formed a defense line alternating with chariots and horses. There were also some places in the middle where there were earthen walls made of a mixture of large logs and excavated soil.
After all, He Youren, a general, only brought less than three thousand troops and horses under his command. How many tanks could he have?
Therefore, on this side of the defense line, horses, earth walls and chariots were combined to form a defense line similar to a stockade wall behind the trench.
The soldiers of He Youren's left wing battalion hid behind the defense line and stared nervously to the west, fearing that the Tatars and their cavalry would suddenly attack.
However, things are unpredictable. The more you fear something, the faster it will come.
Not long after the soldiers of the Shanhai Town Left Wing Battalion here completed building the defense line, a "rumble" of hoofbeats came faintly, which seemed a bit dull.
This is entirely because this place is too close to the Daughter River, and the ground is not as dry and hard as elsewhere. Especially in the section closer to the Daughter River bank, not even trenches have been dug.
Firstly, time was urgent, and secondly, the distance of about 250 steps was quite soft, and if one could pass by on foot, it might be difficult, but the cavalry would not be able to charge here.
He Youren also vaguely heard the sound of horse hooves trampling on the ground. Although he could not tell for a moment that it was the Tatars attacking, he nervously climbed to the high platform of the Central Military Department and looked towards the west.
But after watching for a while, he saw no sign of the incoming cavalry, and no smoke rising up. The only thing that made him uneasy was the "rumbling" of hoofbeats, which seemed to be getting closer and closer.
In this situation, He Youren couldn't help but be full of suspicion. He turned his head to his general in the Chinese army, Du Si He Buyi, and saw that the other man's eyes were full of suspicion.
"No, send the order quickly, the whole army is on alert...the whole army is on alert..."
He Youren seemed to have a premonition of something, and his eyes quickly moved to the southwest, while shouting wildly, which later became very urgent.
I saw a cloud of smoke rising vaguely at the foot of Rufeng Mountain over there. Because it was blocked by the mountain wall, I didn't pay attention to that place at first.
Some cavalry figures were vaguely visible in the smoke. As they gradually galloped out of the foot of the mountain and no longer hid their figures, they could see clearly here.
A rough estimate showed that the vanguard alone numbered three to four thousand. He Youren was panicked and shouted urgently: "Quick, report to General Ma immediately and ask him to send troops to support our division!"
…………
Ma Ke's main barracks is stationed about five miles away from West Shimen, but it is only more than three miles away from He Youren's left wing camp, and about four miles further is the Numer River.
He has not left Rufeng Mountain too far, and is also a long way away from the frontline battlefield. With this arrangement, if the battle ahead is successful, he can provide timely reinforcements and also have military exploits.
But if the situation goes bad, he can defend and retreat at the same time, lead the army back to Rufeng Mountain, and defend again. In his opinion, he is already in an invincible position. He can attack when advancing, and defend when retreating.
At this moment, Ma Ke was on the wooden platform of the central army, looking around one by one, as if he was reviewing his subordinates, looking very relaxed and comfortable.
It seemed that the battle on the other side of Shimen Mountain had nothing to do with him. His face was peaceful and there was no urgency at all.
Du Sima Zhiren was accompanying him, holding a folding fan in his hand and fanning Ma Ke with a nauseating smile on his face. He said: "Commander, this hot ghost Depending on the weather, you should drink more water to avoid feeling uncomfortable."
The expression on Ma Ke's face remained the same, but while there was no one around, he suddenly asked in a gloomy tone: "Can that matter be handled properly?"
Ma Zhiren was startled when he heard this, his heart pounding loudly, like a deer bumping into each other, and he even forgot to fan the fan in his hand.
Fortunately, he has been with Marco for a long time and has experienced some big scenes. It only took him a moment to recover, and he whispered with a charming smile on his face: "Come back to the commander, handle it properly. This is a small matter." I can do it myself, I haven’t touched anyone with false hands, so Commander, please rest assured.”
"Okay, okay, okay. Just do it properly!"
There was something in Ma Ke's words, and a trace of murderous intent flashed in his eyes, but then he thought about it, although Ma Zhiren was not good at fighting, he was still very loyal to him, and secretly helped him do a lot of dirty and dirty work.
What's more, Ma Zhiren also has an older brother, and Ma Zhiyong is his own general. He is now commanding the main camp for him, and he is a rare general.
Over the years, he has led his army to conquer the east and west. Ma Zhiyong has contributed the most to where he is today, and he is indeed indispensable.
As he thought about this, his face was full of smiles. Although he was a little embarrassed to smile but not smile, he also expressed very obvious kindness: "Zhiren, you have worked hard for this."
Ma Ke took two steps forward, raised his hand and patted Ma Zhiren's shoulder very affectionately, saying: "You and brothers Zhiyong are really my right-hand men. When the Liao Dynasty is over and the merits and rewards are announced, you will also It’s time to mention a guerrilla dangdang.”
Ma Zhiren was still worried at first. He had followed Marco for a long time and often helped him do dirty work in secret. Naturally, he knew how sinister and ruthless he was. Whenever he was alone with him, he would always feel flustered.
But now he heard Marco's personal promise that the war here was over and he could be promoted. How could he not be very happy?
You know, his brother Ma Zhiyong has followed Marco for many years and fought his way out from a team officer. Now he is covered in scars and has only been promoted to a general.
And he is about to be promoted to a guerrilla. You know, although there is only one level difference between a captain and a guerrilla, they are actually very different. As long as he is promoted to a guerrilla general, he has also entered the ranks of a general. Isn't this the same thing? Are the little ones comparable?
Ma Zhiren was overjoyed and thanked him hurriedly: "Thank you so much, Marshal. I only know how to do things for the Marshal with all my heart and soul, even if my heart is ruined, I will not hesitate..."
Ma Zhiren seemed to want to continue talking, but Ma Ke waved his hand to stop him: "Okay, just do your best."
Damn it, Ma Ke might still believe that Ma Zhiyong was so cruel to him, but what about Ma Zhiren?
Not necessarily!
Now that he is gaining power, as long as he is still sitting in the position of commander-in-chief, he, Ma Zhiren, will serve him wholeheartedly for a day. But once he loses power, he may be the first to kick him with a backhand.
However, when it comes to employing people now, the two brothers are close to him, so they have to work hard to win over them.
Ma Zhiren is a smart person, so he naturally knows that Marco doesn't like to listen to his chatter, so he smiles and says: "Yes, yes, I will save it for you, the villain. I will definitely do my best for the commander-in-chief."
Suddenly, a sentry galloped over on horseback and loudly reported in front of the Chinese generals: "Commander, it is suspected that the captives are riding from the west. General He Shen has sent someone to ask for reinforcements."
I’m really afraid of what will happen!
The smile on Ma Ke's face disappeared without a trace in an instant, and Ma Zhiren next to him turned pale and trembled all over, as if he was sieving chaff.
After all, he was the commander of the first army. Although Marco was frightened, his face did not show any panic. He shouted loudly and asked: "Do you know how many troops the Tatars have?"
"Return to the commander-in-chief. The person who reported the news said that the captives were charging from the west with three to four thousand men and horses."
"Hurry up and gather the people and horses. Quickly send the horse council to come to discuss matters."
As he spoke, Marco strode off the general platform and headed straight for the Chinese army's tent.
…………
He Youren looked at Qing Qi opposite, feeling extremely nervous.
Although there were less than four thousand Tatar cavalry on the opposite side, he knew that the two or three thousand men under his command would not be able to resist them no matter what.
Based on past experience, he told him that he might be able to withstand the first two charges from the Tatars. After all, a trench had been dug in front of his own formation, and the car camp was very strong, with guns and cannons to help.
However, even with these many advantages, if there is no external aid to save it, I am afraid that it will eventually be defeated!
But what gave him some peace of mind was that the main barracks of General Mako was nearby. As long as he could lead the army to help in time, when five or six thousand of his own troops gathered, he would not be afraid of the Tatars in front of him. Although he could not defeat them, It can be maintained and maintained.
However, He Youren was very worried about this.
Based on his understanding of Ma Ke, although this person is greedy by nature and will not let go when he sees a benefit, he is also as cunning as a fox and never enters dangerous places.
Now that his side was raided by the Qing cavalry, he could only hope that the prestige of Governor Hong Chengchou would make Ma Ke dare not to save him. If his troops were defeated, his main barracks would be the first to bear the brunt.
That's why he hurriedly sent sentry riders to ask for help from Ma Ke. He Youren hoped that Ma Ke would consider everyone's colleagues in Shanhai Town and consider himself, so that he could come to the rescue in time.
And now, the Qing cavalry from the opposite side came slowly, four miles, three miles, two miles, slowly, their armor and horses could be seen more and more clearly.
He Youren looked at the clear cavalry on the opposite side. They were all Tatar armored soldiers from the Eight Banners of Manchuria. There were armored soldiers from the Zhengbai Banner and the Bordered White Flag, as well as some elite cavalry from the Zhenghuang Banner and the Bordered Yellow Banner.
There were also many cavalry from the Eight Banners of Mongolia, scattered on the left and right wings, and they were also roaring towards them.
"Woo...Woo...Woo..."
The desolate horn sounds sounded, and the Tatars riding on the opposite side were slowly speeding up.
When they entered a distance of more than a mile, there was a sudden neighing of war horses, and the sound of hoofbeats on the ground was as loud as thunder. Countless Qing cavalry galloped towards the trench.
He Youren suddenly shouted: "Send the order, prepare each gun, listen to the order and fire again. Anyone who disobeys will be beheaded on the spot!"
Like the tide on the sea, thousands of Tatar thieves on horseback, carrying banners of various colors like clouds, rushed towards He Youren's position.
The entire earth seemed to be shaking violently under their iron hooves!
As the Tatar cavalry got closer and closer, it could be clearly seen that the Mongolian Eight Banners, which were originally rushing on the two wings, suddenly accelerated and rushed to the front.
They roared past the elite cavalry of various Manchurian flags, and galloped straight towards the trench at extremely fast speeds. They were all wearing light armor, and their fast horses and light bows were used.
He Youren stared at the Mongolian cavalry running across from them with burning eyes, and in his mind he was calculating the power of the artillery of his own car camp. When they rushed 200 steps, he ordered the artillery and rockets to fire at the same time.
He nervously estimated the distance. Just as he was about to wave his hand and give the order, the Mongolian cavalry coming in like a tide suddenly used their skilled equestrian skills to pull out their horses and swept towards the left and right sides of the trench. go.
He Youren couldn't help but be stunned, but before he could say anything, he saw the Mongolian cavalry on the opposite side turning their horses' heads again at an extremely tricky angle and charging towards the trench again.
The officers and soldiers of the Ming army suddenly panicked when they saw this. Without waiting for He Youren's order, they lit the fuses of the artillery on the chariot.
"Tum! Tum! Tum!..."
Hearing the roar of artillery, the car camp of his own car camp opened fire in advance without receiving military orders.
However, He Youren didn't care to reprimand his subordinates anymore. He hurriedly turned his head and looked across. After falling in the Mongolian cavalry formation, the cannon was still jumping left and right.
Although this piece of land is not very hard, it still does not affect the ricocheting of these cannons after they land. It will just skip a few less times.
However, the Ming army's artillery did not fire according to the order, but the gunners lit the fuses on their own out of panic, so they fell sparsely within the enemy's cavalry formation.
Moreover, some gunners saw that their superior officers did not issue orders and did not light the fuses of the artillery they were responsible for. As a result, the density of the cannons was not enough and the lethality was limited.
"not good……"
Suddenly, He Youren shouted loudly, with a look of panic on his face.
I saw the Mongolian cavalry on the opposite side rushing to the trench despite artillery fire, but suddenly turned their horses' heads again and ran towards the wings again. At the same time, everyone held the reins of the horses with their left hands and threw bags of earth into the trench with their right hands. .
No wonder He Youren's face was full of panic. It turned out that the Mongolian cavalry on the opposite side was not charging into the formation. They were rushing up to throw out bags of earth to fill the trench.
