It was September, the sky was high and the air was crisp on the grassland, and the grass was long and fat.
At this time in previous years, the nomads would have been busy harvesting pasture and fattening their cattle, sheep and horses in preparation for the long cold winter.
At the same time, we must actively prepare for war and be ready to cross the Great Wall and plunder daily supplies at any time.
But at this moment, the grassland is covered with clouds of war, and the blood is soaring, and every Mongolian's heart is covered with a haze.
After more than two months of arduous trek, Dorgon and the Qing Dynasty officials finally arrived at Xilin Gol Grassland.
This is where Horqin's left wing is currently retreating.
It is impossible to estimate how much property was lost along the way. In short, the Manchu Qing Dynasty was severely damaged by this, and it would be impossible to recover in a short period of time.
But the situation Dorgon faced was even more difficult and dangerous.
"Have all the troops arrived?"
The princes and nobles of Horqin Mongolia gathered together to welcome Dorgon and others.
In the past, such a scene would have been filled with singing and dancing, and the event was unprecedented. But today, there is only gloom and gloom.
Faced with Dorgon's problem, Badali was filled with resentment.
"Only Naiman, Aohan and other ministries sent people, and the other ministries... all didn't reply."
boom……
Dorgon threw his wine glass on the spot.
"These short-sighted people, do they think that the Chinese army will stop here? From now on, the Mongols on the grassland will become slaves of the Han people."
The faces of the Mongolian princes and nobles present were all ugly, but they did not take his words seriously.
Aren’t today’s Mongolians slaves of the Manchus?
Being shouted around and drank by Manqing. Any suppression will lead to a precarious life.
Relatively speaking, in the eyes of the Mongolians, the Han people may be better.
After all, although the Han people were able to penetrate the grasslands, they came and went in a hurry and could never gain a foothold. After the Han people left, the grasslands were still dominated by the Mongols.
This is the experience they have gained from the history of the past thousands of years.
This is also the reason why many Mongolian tribes did not heed the call of the Manchus and fight together this time.
Moreover, many Mongolian tribes sent a large number of soldiers and horses to follow the Manchus into the pass. They have not returned to this day and there has been no news.
Various rumors are rampant, making the Mongolians suspicious. It felt that the Manchu Qing Dynasty had suffered a defeat in the Central Plains, and even their people could not come back.
This made various Mongolian tribes full of complaints against the Manchus.
When the Manchu and Qing Dynasties were powerful, they could only stay humble and obey orders. Now that the Manchu Qing Dynasty is in decline and may die at any time, the Mongols must consider themselves.
Only Horqin's various ministries were tied too deeply to the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, and they had no choice but to go all the way to the dark side.
Moreover, this time the National Defense Force suddenly invaded Horqin's territory. Faced with the disaster, Horqin's various ministries could only unite around the Manchus.
Dorgon was angry, but he also understood that there was nothing he could do in the current situation.
With the power he has now, if he dares to use force against other Mongolian tribes, these Mongols may immediately defect to the empire and act as helpers to eliminate them.
The only hope now is to defeat the National Defense Force in front of them and let the Mongols understand that the Manchu Qing Dynasty is still the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
"Prince Rui, when will the other troops come back?"
Manzhu Xili asked tentatively.
Wu Keshan led most of the troops on Horqin's left wing to follow the Qing army into the pass, which made Horqin's left wing extremely weak now.
What Manzhu Xili fears most is that once these tribesmen cannot come back, their left-wing foundation may not be preserved.
Dorgon tried to keep his expression calm so that others would not notice.
"Prince Ying and Prince Yu have arrived in Shanxi, and Prince Su is waiting for them. It won't take long before they arrive in person."
Manzhu Xili didn't see anything unusual, so he could only hide his thoughts.
As the co-leader of the Horqin tribe, Badali began to preside at this time.
"Before Prince Rui returned, our Horqin tribe had already fought a war with the Han people. The Han people had powerful firearms and many troops, which caused us heavy losses and unable to gain a foothold in the Xilamulun River. I wonder if Prince Rui has any good ideas?"
The previous battles were truly unforgettable for the Mongols.
The overwhelming muskets and artillery were a powerful force they had never seen before.
The riding and shooting skills that the Mongols were proud of in the past all collapsed in the face of such firearms.
Horqin Mongolia lost more than 3,000 people, and the entire army lost their fighting spirit. They could only retreat four hundred miles westward, placing their hope of victory on Dorgon.
Facing the difficult situation, Dorgon was exhausted mentally and physically, and he grew older out of thin air.
"How many soldiers and horses are there now?"
"Together, all the tribes have 43,000 capable warriors and 60,000 war horses. This is the entire wealth of my Horqin tribe."
Badali spoke every word, and there was a special meaning in his words.
Although the Horqin tribe and the Manchus were related by marriage, Horqinfu had to consider his own life and death. In other words, it is impossible to throw all the wealth into it.
Dorgon calculated silently and gained a little confidence.
He brought back more than 30,000 Qing troops, and together with the various Mongolian tribes, there were more than 70,000 soldiers and horses.
The most important thing is that the Mongolian grasslands are flat and wide, and you can march everywhere, fully utilizing the mobility of the cavalry.
Coupled with local operations, they are more familiar with the terrain and landforms, and they are also blessed with intelligence, so they might actually be able to win.
"Without further delay, Liaodong cannot make any mistakes. I have decided to march immediately and destroy the Chinese army on the banks of the Xilamulun River."
Of course, the Mongolian princes had no objection to his idea.
The National Defense Forces attacked at the door of their homes, which frightened these Mongolians. What they want to do most is to drive away the National Defense Force as soon as possible.
After discussion, everyone dispersed and prepared their own preparations.
Without outsiders, Dorgon's figure swayed, and his eyes were dizzy.
"Your Majesty!"
Yue Le and Ye Keshu quickly stepped forward to support him.
After a while, Dorgon finally recovered.
Just looking at the two people in front of me, my heart became even more sad.
There used to be many famous generals in the Qing Dynasty, but now there are only these two people left beside him.
Although Yue Le has extraordinary qualifications, he is too young. If given time, he might become a famous general. But now that the war is underway, there is no such time.
As for Ye Keshu, Dorgon had another important use.
He held Ye Keshu's hand tightly, lowered his voice and gave instructions carefully.
"Although the Chinese army has blocked the Asila Mulun River, there must be a way around it from the north. No matter what, you have to return to Shengjing. Tell He Luohui that if things are not harmonious, we will lead the remaining troops The people returned to Hetuala."
Ye Keshu burst into tears and understood Dorgon's thoughts.
That night, he didn't disturb anyone. He just led his entourage and disappeared into the northern night.
