On October 12, the 14th year of Chongzhen's reign in the Ming Dynasty, the sky was clear and cloudless. A thin layer of ice appeared on the north and south sides of Xiaoling River connecting the river banks, and it was also covered with a layer of sediment blown by the cold wind. Snow.
Both sides of the Xiaoling River are a silvery white color. Although some low shrubs have shown their original hard-working appearance, there are still some residual snow hanging on them. Unless you look closely, they still look white.
Floating bridges are built on the Xiaoling River one after another, like white rainbows spanning both sides of the Xiaoling River. As far as you can see, there are seven or eight of them. Even the north wind cannot stop the traffic on them.
There are rows of wooden fences on the north and south sides of each pontoon bridge, and inside the wooden fences there are many military tents. If you look carefully, you can see soldiers wearing Zanxin red mandarin duck war jackets patrolling back and forth.
There were a total of eight pontoon bridges on the Xiaoling River at this time, and each pontoon bridge had a Xuanfu Army officer stationed on the north and south sides.
There are also three camps on the north bank, namely Zhang Guodong's Chicheng Battalion and the soldiers on the left and right sides of the tank in the middle, He Zhenxiong's right-wing camp in the east, and Li Jiyu's Dengfeng Battalion in the west, guarding the eight pontoon bridges leading to Jinzhou. .
Zhang Cheng, the chief military officer of Xuanfu Town and General Zhenshuo, set up his Chinese army camp on a hill less than a mile south of the Xiaoling River. From the highest point here, you can see all eight pontoon bridges on the river. Close your eyes.
The Xuanfu Military Standard Battalion, Cavalry Battalion, Huwei Battalion and other cavalry were all stationed on the south bank of the river along with Zhang Cheng's Chinese army. As a mobile force, they could pass through the pontoon bridge at any time and cross the river north to support the infantry battalion operations of Zhang Guodong and others.
After all, the cavalry is different from the infantry who can just feed themselves. In addition to eating and resting themselves, they also have to take good care of their own horses, especially those who are in charge of the night and the heavy cavalry in each camp. There is more than one war horse.
You must know that war horses are large animals that are more precious than humans. Not only do they not go hungry for just one meal, their diet is even more complicated, and the amount of fodder they eat every day is extremely astonishing.
The Biao camp, the Cavalry camp and the Huwei camp together had six to seven thousand horses and mules. How much fodder and beans did they eat every day?
If such a huge amount of materials were to be transported to the north bank of the river through the pontoon bridge, it would not only consume a lot of manpower, but also in such cold weather, the snow on the pontoon bridge has not completely melted away, and it is still very slippery. If the car accidentally tipped over, Incidents on the river happen from time to time.
Therefore, Zhang Chengcai only left three battalions of infantry to garrison on the north bank of the Xiaoling River, while he led his cavalry to garrison on the south bank of the river to reduce the pressure on the transportation of grain and grass supplies.
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According to the plan decided by the previous military meeting, Wu Sangui's Ningyuan Army stayed around Tucheng in the south of Jinzhou City to assist Zu Dashou in resisting the possible return of the Qing army.
Zhang Cheng's Xuanfu army, with more than 10,000 elite troops, was ordered to station on the north and south banks of the Xiaoling River to guard the safety of the pontoon bridges on the river in order to ensure that the Songshan Jinjin Aid Channel was safe.
The Ming army from other towns retreated to station around Songshan. For example, Wang Tingchen's Qiantun Guards collected the defeated soldiers in Ji Town and Shanhai Town and then moved to the original Ma Ke camp in Shanhai Town on Rufeng Mountain.
Wang Pu still led the troops and horses of Datong Town to retreat to Huangtuling and garrisoned there. Cao Bianjiao's Dongxie troops and horses were garrisoned in Shimen Mountain. The remaining Ming troops followed Governor Hong Chengchou and retreated to the vicinity of Songshan Fort.
Chen Jiugao, the former commander of Shenji Camp, had to lead most of his soldiers to retreat to Songshan Fort along with Governor Hong Chengchou, and he also stationed his Chinese army in the fort.
However, the heavy Hongyi cannons of the Shenji Battalion were difficult to move and remained in the garrison area of the Xuanfu Army on the north bank of the Xiaoling River. Deputy General Fu Yingchong was also left by the commander-in-chief Chen Jiugao to preside over the Shenji Battalion here. military affairs.
More than ten days have passed since the last battle between the Nerv River and the north bank of the Xiaoling River. Bai Guangen, the commander-in-chief of Jizhen, was finally confirmed to have died at the hands of slave thieves on the north bank of the Nerv River.
However, although he was also said to have "died against his opponent", and Yang Guozhu, the former chief military officer of the Xuanfu, usually died in front of the battle, the honor and disgrace behind them were really very different.
Yang Guozhu was trapped in a tight siege and vowed not to surrender. He died in a fierce battle with his slaves. He was sacrificing his life for the country!
However, Bai Guangen abandoned the army due to the unfavorable battle, and led a few servants and elite cavalry to escape alone. On the way, he was overtaken and killed by slave thieves. How can he compare with Yang Guozhu, who was surrounded by slave thieves and died in battle for his country?
What's more, he originally had more than 13,000 soldiers and horses from Ji Town to aid Jinzhou, and there were more than 10,000 soldiers who crossed the river to the north this time. Now after a huge defeat, there are only less than 1,000 cavalry left, and less than 2,000 more. The infantry escaped with their lives.
The remaining more than 7,000 men in Jizhen all died at the hands of slaves and thieves because of him. Even if they did not die on the battlefield, most of them became prisoners of slaves and thieves, and they had no choice but to become slaves under their banners.
In fact, even if Bai Guangen could escape with his life, he would not be able to escape the outcome of being beheaded upon trial. However, in the context of aiding Jinwei's victory, if he was willing to spend some money, he would have a chance to save the dog's head.
Ma Ke, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan, also suffered a huge defeat, but he put all the blame on Bai Guangen.
Moreover, Ma Ke's performance in this battle across the river and heading north was also remarkable, although judging from the strength of Shanhai Town's troops and horses alone, it did not seem to be as strong as Bai Guangen's Jizhen troops and horses.
But Ma Ke benefited from his initial caution, and even more from his judgment of the battle situation after the defeat of Bai Guangen's troops. Yao Gong, the deputy envoy of the Shandong Yongping Military Supervision and Inspection Division who went to the battle with him, experienced it personally. all of these.
Yao Gong has therefore become Ma Ke's most powerful witness.
Furthermore, Ma Ke did not abandon his army like Bai Guangen and led hundreds of fine cavalry to escape alone. He predicted the danger in advance and led the army to retreat in a step-by-step manner.
Therefore, when Ma Ke led his troops to retreat to Wang Tingchen's station, he still had five or six thousand men and horses under his command. He even led these troops to cooperate closely with Wang Tingchen and fought fiercely with the slaves until the end, and he was killed because of this. Seriously injured.
After this battle, Ma Ke's Shanhai Town also lost most of its troops, from more than 13,000 people at the beginning of aiding the Liao Dynasty to more than 5,000 people now.
However, Marco is not sad about this now. In his opinion, he is lucky to be alive!
His situation is almost the same as that of Tang Tong, the commander-in-chief of Miyun. It is not easy to keep a clear head when being attacked from both sides. It is precisely because of this that Tang Tong has nearly 10,000 elite soldiers from Miyun Town who participated in the battle. More than 7,000 troops were able to retreat to Songshan.
Therefore, Tang Tong's merits and demerits at least offset each other, and the responsibility for his defeat was the same as that of Ma Ke, and all the blame was placed on Bai Guang'en, the commander-in-chief of Jizhen.
Therefore, whether Bai Guangen lives or dies, he can no longer preserve his reputation.
Not to mention Ma Ke and Tang Tong, even the Biao camp of Liaodong governor Qiu Minyang lost most of his troops. If Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, had not reacted quickly and sent his Biao camp in time to resist the slave thieves.
The Manchurian Zhenghongqi Tatars led by Shuotuo can rush all the way eastward, cut off the retreat of Wang Tingchen, Wu Sangui and other Ming troops, and may even break through Hong Chengchou's Chinese army camp in one go.
Not to mention that time, more than ten days have passed now. Hong Chengchou still has lingering fears every time he thinks about this matter. It was such a critical moment that people still shudder when thinking about it.
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As for the whereabouts of the Qing army, conclusive news was finally obtained the day before yesterday. Dorgon retreated to Liushuibao, fifteen miles northeast of Jinzhou, Daishan's troops retreated to Dasheng Fort in the northwest, and Jierharang's troops retreated to Dasheng Fort in the northwest. Then he retreated to Baimiao Fort and stationed himself.
After all, in these three castles, the Qing army had hoarded a large amount of grain and fodder, and large troops could be stationed in the forts. Although the barracks were limited and not everyone could be stationed in the forts, even camping outside the forts was better than the Ming army. It would be better to confront each other under Jinzhou City.
In fact, when Zhang Cheng's Xuanfu army launched a surprise attack on Jinnan Tucheng, Dorgon had already foreseen such an ending.
However, he did not want to bear the responsibility of retreating without authorization, so that night he still spared no effort to organize various banners and build shield vehicles and other equipment in preparation for launching a counterattack the next day.
But all this is actually just what Dorgon did. His inner thoughts still wanted to pull Daishan together to make the decision to retreat.
But Daishan, that old fox, couldn't fall into his trap. During the military discussion, he was as steady as a mountain and said nothing. Poor Prince Rui, Dorgon, could only sing a one-man show by himself.
Prince Su Hauge and Prince Wuying Azig, these two fools, thought Dorgon was sincerely planning a counterattack. Not only did they speak loudly in the military meeting, they also expressed their support for Dorgon.
This kind of support was even reflected in actual actions. After the military meeting, Haug and Azig urgently urged their officers and soldiers to go out and cut down trees and build shield vehicles overnight.
Even the next day, Dorgon did not organize a battle due to the lack of shield vehicles and other attack equipment. Hauge and Azig did not have the slightest doubt, and just forced their subordinates to step up the production of equipment.
But what they don’t know is that just after the military meeting last night, how many people were whispering to each other in private, how could the Ming army, which already had many firearms, capture the Tucheng in the south of Jinzhou, connect the inside and outside, and have high morale? Can you beat him?
Although it was only the princes and Taijis of the outer Mongolian tribes who discussed the matter the loudest, there was not without a trace of opposition among the Eight Banners of Manchuria and Mongolia.
Perhaps only the Four Banners of the Han Army, as well as the Tianzhu Army and the Tianyou Army had no complaints. They had the lowest status in the Qing Dynasty, not to mention the princes, Baylor, and generals of the Eight Banners of Manchu and Mongolia. Even the Taijis of the outer vassal Mongolia Not on them.
Even though Emperor Huang Taiji of the Qing Dynasty had great trust in them and respected them very much, the ministers and generals of the Qing Dynasty still looked down upon them.
This may be due to the fact that the Han people had the lowest status within the Qing Dynasty. After all, the Han people existed as slaves of the Manchus for decades.
Even after Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne, he worked hard to improve the status of the Han people and greatly improved the lives of most Han slaves. But how can the deep-rooted concepts be reversed so easily?
Even though officials such as Fan Wencheng, Ning Wanwo, Zhang Cunren, and Zu Zerun were in high positions, such as Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi, etc. were even named princes.
But in the eyes of the Manchu and Mongolian noble princes, Baylor, and generals, they were still like slaves of the Qing Dynasty, and they could be bullied and humiliated by them.
After all, traitors such as Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo who surrendered first and later paid for their money had all worked as slave wrappers for Baylor, the leader of various banners. This was a status symbol that they could not escape for a lifetime, or even several lifetimes.
Although each person was later reused due to his talents, the identity of the flag coater was not removed. Whenever and wherever he saw the flag owner, Baylor, he would kneel down to greet him and say hello.
Even though Huang Taiji worked hard to improve their status, and even later incorporated them into the banners of the Han army, they were still humiliated by the Manchu and Mongolian ministers and generals after they became bannermen of the Han army.
As for how to deal with this kind of thing, most of them are to play ten big boards on each side, raise them high, and then put them down gently.
Even if Huang Taiji wanted to improve the status of the Han people and use the Han people to make up for the natural numerical disadvantage of the Manchus, he would not allow the status of the Han people to reach the same level as the Manchus.
Because this would greatly shake the foundation of the Manchus' status as rulers.
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Although it was only the princes and Taijis of the outer vassal Mongolian tribes who discussed the matter the loudest, there was not a trace of opposition among the Eight Banners of Manchuria and Mongolia.
Perhaps only the Four Banners of the Han Army, as well as the Tianzhu Army and the Tianyou Army had no complaints. They had the lowest status in the Qing Dynasty, not to mention the princes, Baylor, and generals of the Eight Banners of Manchu and Mongolia. Even the Taijis of the outer vassal Mongolia Not on them.
Even though Emperor Huang Taiji of the Qing Dynasty had great trust in them and respected them very much, the ministers and generals of the Qing Dynasty still looked down upon them.
This may be due to the fact that the Han people had the lowest status within the Qing Dynasty. After all, the Han people existed as slaves of the Manchus for decades.
Even after Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne, he worked hard to improve the status of the Han people and greatly improved the lives of most Han slaves. But how easy is it to reverse the deep-rooted ideas?
Even though officials such as Fan Wencheng, Ning Wanwo, Zhang Cunren, and Zu Zerun were in high positions, such as Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi, etc. were even named princes.
But in the eyes of the Manchu and Mongolian noble princes, Baylor, and generals, they were still like slaves of the Qing Dynasty, and they could be bullied and humiliated by them.
After all, traitors such as Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo who surrendered first and later paid for their money had all worked as slave wrappers for Baylor, the leader of various banners. This was a status symbol that they could not escape for a lifetime, or even several lifetimes.
Although each person was later reused due to his talents, the identity of the flag coater was not removed. Whenever and wherever he saw the flag owner, Baylor, he would kneel down to greet him and say hello.
Even though Huang Taiji worked hard to improve their status, and even later incorporated them into the banners of the Han army, they were still humiliated by the Manchu and Mongolian ministers and generals after they became bannermen of the Han army.
As for how to deal with this kind of thing, most of them are to play ten big boards on each side, raise them high, and then put them down gently.
Even if Huang Taiji wanted to improve the status of the Han people and use the Han people to make up for the natural numerical disadvantage of the Manchus, he would not allow the status of the Han people to reach the same level as the Manchus.
Because this would greatly shake the foundation of the Manchus' status as rulers.
