On the Twin Mountains on the south bank of the Nerv River, Tang Tong, the commander-in-chief of Miyun Town in the Ming Dynasty, opened his mouth to explain to General Cheng Haishan: "I don't know how many people the Tatars have when we break out to the east, and our division still has many infantry. If there are more troops later, If the Tatars intercept us, our cavalry may be able to push forward, but how will the infantry and the many civilians escape?"
He continued: "And if we break out to the west, even though there are thousands of slaves and bandits in Dudu blocking the way, our division's soldiers have been fighting with them for half a day, and they are hungry and tired like me, so it is always easier to deal with them.
And our division does not have to cross from the post road floating bridge to the north. Less than two miles west of here, there is a mountain road, and a few miles south is the boundary of Songshan. Although it is rugged and difficult, it is also conducive to camp step by step and rely on the mountains to stop the slave thieves. . "
Tang Tong continued in a firm tone: "In this way, although the march is much slower, most of the infantry of our division, as well as the strong men of the civilian population, can be preserved."
Cheng Haishan couldn't help but wonder, why did General Tang suddenly cherish those infantrymen and civilians? He was puzzled, and he still couldn't figure out why Tang Tong suddenly changed his gender?
In the end, Tang Tong showed up in person to explain his confusion. He heard Tang Tong say to him earnestly: "Haishan, you also saw the Tatars in the east, coming menacingly. There must be a large group of Tatars behind them, otherwise I dare not be so presumptuous.
It can be seen from this that Bai Guangen's entire division must be completely defeated, and it is difficult to say whether Ma Ke can save them all. After all, the retreat will be cut off, the morale of the army will inevitably be weakened, and morale will be lost. How can we protect ourselves? "
He continued: "No matter whether we win or lose this battle, Bai Guangen will not be able to escape the blame, and Ma Ke will not be able to protect himself. As for you and me, it all depends on how many soldiers can be retained in this breakout.
Do you understand this truth? "
After Tang Tong's sincere words of enlightenment, Cheng Haishan instantly understood what he meant. He knelt down on one knee, cupped his fists and said, "Tang Shuai has thought carefully and considered the long term. I really admire Haishan."
He stood up and asked again: "What to do next depends entirely on Commander Tang's orders. Haishan will serve bravely and will not dare to be vague in front of the battle."
Cheng Haishan's reaction really surprised Tang Tong. His original intention was to protect himself, and his judgments about Bai Guangen and Ma Ke were very correct.
Moreover, Tang Tong's judgment on the direction of the breakout was completely beyond everyone's expectations. As a result, the soldiers and horses of Miyun Town were saved, and he became a member of the general soldiers in Ji Town that should not be underestimated.
It can be seen from this that no one who can reach the position of commander-in-chief is a real waste!
As for Bai Guangen and his ilk, they are actually not without merit. They are just delayed by greed and resentment. What's more, they have bad luck. To put it bluntly, they are just bad luck.
In fact, just like comparing Tang Tong, Bai Guangen, and Ma Ke, there is not much difference between them. The only difference may be mentality and luck.
Just like the previous battle at Shimenshan, Ma Ke favored one over others in military strategy due to selfish selfishness. Finally, General He Youren's left-wing battalion collapsed due to civilian soldiers fleeing, causing a roar in the camp.
The situation got out of hand, and then Marco's Shanhai navy was completely defeated, and even the camp of Bai Guangen, the commander-in-chief of Jizhen, was severely damaged, and the two commanders were no longer as powerful as before.
And Tang Tong has always been cautious. His greatest advantage is that he dares to charge when it is time to fight, but he is not greedy for merit when it is time to accept, and always regards preserving his strength as his first priority.
Therefore, Tang Tong is actually a truly smart man!
Smart people will always see one step, even two or three steps ahead of others. They will always make some considerations for the future, so they are worth following.
Now, General Cheng Haishan was completely impressed by Tang Tong, and he also wanted to sincerely join him. This can be said to be an unexpected gain for Tang Tong.
He was ecstatic in his heart. If Cheng Haishan could be of one mind with him, then after his power increased greatly, he would really be able to control the sky with one hand in Miyun Town, and the other deputy officers, counselors, and tourists could only be at their own discretion.
Although Tang Tong was extremely happy, the expression on his face did not change at all. He stepped forward and grabbed Cheng Haishan and said to him: "You and I are both Miyun brothers, what difference do we have between us?"
He then continued: "Our luck is bad now. We are attacked by slaves and thieves, so we really have to retreat. It is not due to the incompetence of our Miyun Army. I don't think I will blame you or me.
And if the whole army in Ji Town and Shanhai Town is really defeated, when this Liao incident is over, Ji Town will definitely make adjustments. If possible, I will recommend you to be promoted to deputy general. "
Tang Tong said, patting Cheng Haishan's arm gently, and encouraged him again: "If you accumulate some more military exploits, it might not be a bad idea to be promoted to the rank of commander-in-chief!"
Cheng Haishan was overjoyed when he heard this. He leaned close to Tang Tong's ear and expressed his loyalty: "Don't worry, Commander Tang. Haishan will never let down Commander Tang's cultivation. He will definitely follow Commander Tang's lead."
The corner of Tang Tong's mouth rose, showing a smile. He didn't say anything more, but immediately called Tang San, the leader of his servant team, and asked him to quickly send someone to summon Hu Yuntong and Liu Chengwu to discuss the breakout. .
Soon Hu Yuntong and Liu Chengwu rushed up the mountain. Before they got close, Hu Yuntong shouted: "Commander Tang, the right camp was attacked by Tatars. The general can't withstand it. I hope the general will not punish him!" "
Tang Tong waved his hand and said: "The Tatars came suddenly, and neither you nor I expected it. It is not human fault, how can we blame the general."
He didn't waste any more nonsense and said directly: "Looking at the current situation, it is no longer convenient for our Miyun army and horses to continue to defend the Twin Mountains, otherwise we will be in danger of being besieged by slaves and thieves."
Hu Yuntong and Liu Chengwu also had this idea, and they couldn't help but nod their heads to show their agreement. Tang Tong continued: "For the current plan, the only way to break out of the encirclement is feasible.
What I mean is that we should first hold the Tatars with the blue flag to the east and repel their offensive before we can withdraw. "
Liu Chengwu interjected: "Tang Shuai, we all agree with the breakout, but we don't know where we are going to break out?"
Tang Tong did not directly answer this question, but looked at Zuoying Commander Cheng Haishan. After understanding, Cheng Haishan said: "I have discussed with Commander Tang and we all thought that the army would go west first. Then head south and take the Rufeng Cliff Road.
Although the road is rugged, we can rely on the mountains to camp step by step to prevent the slave thieves from pursuing us. In this way, our army's many foot soldiers and civilians can survive. "
Hu Yuntong and Liu Chengwu looked at each other. Most of their camps were made up of infantry. They were still worried, fearing that Tang Tong would lead the Zhenbiao camp's cavalry to break through first and abandon them to the Tatars instead.
Now, after listening to Cheng Haishan's words, the two of them finally felt relieved. Hu Yuntong spoke first: "Tang Commander-in-Chief can care about the infantry and civilians. He is so benevolent and righteous, which is really admirable.
Hu Yuntong asked himself to be the leader of the army to atone for his failure to hold on to the fortress. "
"Ha ha……"
Tang Tong laughed loudly when he heard this. Amid the doubts of several people, he said, "How can we distinguish between you and me, brothers?"
Hu Yuntong was deeply moved when he heard this. Even Cheng Haishan and Liu Chengwu on the side were moved. They couldn't understand why their commander-in-chief suddenly became so considerate today.
Hu Yuntong even said: "Ask the commander-in-chief to assign them, Yuntong will definitely live up to his orders!"
Tang Tongtong: "All the horse soldiers of each battalion have been brought out, led by Tang Youren. Now go west and form an ambush one mile away. Cheng Haishan's left wing battalion immediately formed a formation to the west of Shuangzi Mountain, and all the chariots and horses were Arrange them in front of the formation, we can't take these with us, they can be used to stop the enemy."
He looked at the few people with deep eyes and continued: "In a moment, after the civilians go west, the soldiers of the right camp will retreat first, and then the traveling camp will retreat, heading west quickly.
The Zuoying camp and my Biao camp resisted the slave thieves, preventing them from pursuing the Right camp and Youying camp. After killing and repelling the slave thieves, the Zuoying camp and the Biao camp retreated westward.
Let the horsemen block the enemy's pursuit, and alternately cover them in this way. Two miles away to the west, when they enter the valley cliff road, they will not be afraid of slaves and thieves. "
"Tang Shuai is really easy to arrange, but if he does this, he may lose some horses."
Liu Chengwu said with regret. There were not many horsemen in his camp, and the horses were even more scarce. The mountain roads were rugged and difficult to navigate. It was unknown how many horses would break their legs during this retreat and would not be able to fight again.
Cheng Haishan comforted him and said: "These are all helpless methods. We will keep the green hills without fear of burning without materials. As long as our soldiers are still there, there will always be war horses."
"Fuck Bai Guangen, why did the Tartars come to kill this brat?"
…………
When Bai Guangen led the soldiers and horses of Miyun Town to break out of the encirclement, a powerful force also broke out in Jinzhou City. Four thousand Ming troops, led by deputy general Zu Dabi, fought out from Guangshun Gate in the west.
Although most of them were infantry and had less than a thousand cavalry, they were all like tigers emerging from the cage. They killed the Tatars by surprise as soon as they left the city.
After Zu Dabi led his army into conflict for a while, he did not hesitate to fight, but quickly turned and rushed south. When the Tatars were panicked, they did not have time to mobilize troops to stop them. This effect was exactly as Zu Dashou expected.
Previously, Zu Dashou had been observing the movements in the south of Jinzhou City from the high tower in the city, regarding the two Ming armies of Wu Sangui and Wang Pu. Crossing the river to the north one after another from the west to the east, you can see it really clearly.
But having learned from the previous failure to cooperate with the inside and outside, he did not dare to attack rashly this time. He was afraid that if he went out to support the Ming army crossing the river and failed again, the blow to the morale of the troops in the city would be unbearable. .
Therefore, it was not until Zu Dashou saw the banner of Prince Dorgon of Qing Dynasty that he decided to fight to the death.
After all, on the north bank of the Xiaoling River, the Ming and Qing Dynasties were already fighting to the death. The fighting was so fierce that it made people's hearts tremble even when they looked at it in Jinzhou City. This shows the determination of the Ming army.
Now, the commander of the Qing army, Prince Rui Dorgon, has been alerted, forcing him to personally go to the south of Jinzhou to take command. This shows that the key to today's battle is.
But even so, Zu Dashou did not dare to leave the city with his entire army, and still left thousands of troops in the city just in case.
There are still more than 10,000 Liaodong warriors capable of fighting in Jinzhou City, but there are not many cavalry, only less than 2,000. Now, Zu Dabi has nearly half of them, which shows that Zu Dashou also attaches great importance to this battle.
Moreover, the reason why he did not choose to leave the city through the south gate closest to Xiaoling River was after careful consideration.
Through observation, Zu Dashou found that there were slightly more Qing troops in the south and west of the city. Judging from the flag color, the Mongolian white flag troops and horses of Yibai were in the south of the city, while the Mongolian red flag troops and horses of Buyan Dynasty were in the west of the city.
He has been fighting with the Qing army for half his life, so he is naturally more familiar with the number of troops and combat capabilities of each banner of the Qing army than others. Although they are all Tatars from the Eight Banners of Mongolia, there are still some differences.
Relatively speaking, the white-banner northern barbarians under Yibai's command are more vigorous and brave than the red-flashed banners of Buyendai. Moreover, Yibai's command has nearly five thousand cavalry, while Buyendai's command only has about four. Just a thousand riders.
Another point that is also very important is that outside Jinzhou Nanguan has always been the focus of Tatar defense. In addition to the Mongolian Zhengbai Banner knights of Ibai, there are also many Tatar coated followers, as well as a considerable number of Han troops.
The first section of Kong Youde's Tianyou Army and the Wuzhenchaoha Artillery Battalion, which was formed by drawing gunners from various banners of the Han Army, were also deployed here, which shows how much the Qing army attached importance to the southern defense line of Jinzhou City.
Furthermore, the last time Zu Dabi led his troops out of the city for an assault, they reached the third trench before being intercepted by the Qing army. Since then, the low walls of the trench outside Nanguan have been deepened and strengthened a lot.
Of course, there is another option, and that is to go out to Ningyuan Gate in the east of Jinzhou. There was originally a group of Tatars from the Zhenglan Banner of Manchuria stationed there. Although after the banners of the Han army were transferred away, many Tatars were sent to follow them. But their combat power is ultimately limited.
But once they fight out from the east gate, although they gain power for a while, they always have to rush outside the South Pass. In the end, they still have to fight against Yibai's Mongolian Zhengbai Banner and Kong Youde's God's Blessing Army. However, fighting out from the west gate is different.
Zu Dashou saw from the high tower that the Ming army crossed the river in two groups. One was closer to him at the bend of Xiaoling River, and the other was farther away from him at the intersection of Nvnu River and Xiaoling River.
However, Zu Dashou recognized at a glance the banner of Wu Sangui's Ningyuan Army in the distance. Relatively speaking, he was more willing to believe his nephew. After all, he had grown up watching him.
Moreover, he was also very clear about the strength of Wu Sangui's Ningyuan Army. The nearly 20,000 Ningyuan Army he had formed with more than 3,000 servants under his command was second only to him in Liaodong.
It was for these reasons that Zu Dashou finally decided to let his younger brother Zu Dabi lead his army out of the west gate, catching the Tatars by surprise before turning south and waiting for an opportunity to break through the weak Tatar defense in the southwest corner.
As long as Zu Dabi and Wu Sangui can successfully join forces, it will almost be equivalent to solving the siege of Jinzhou.
Even if Zu Dabi could not break through the Tatar defense line, he could at least attract some of the Tatar cavalry to relieve the pressure on the Ming army.
This is the limit of what he can do.
Of course, in order to be able to break the Jin siege in one battle, Zu Dashou also made other preparations and gathered three thousand dead soldiers in the south gate of Jinzhou, as long as the Ming army could enter the south gate.
Zu Dashou planned to fight to the death and sent his own servants to break through the Tatar siege and join the Ming army to aid.
