Lieutenant General Zhu Xingfa never expected to catch the Liaodong cavalry from the beginning to the end. After all, they were elite cavalry riding two horses. They ran really fast and were not easy to chase.
But if the opponent's infantry, artillery and heavy equipment cannot run so fast.
Yes, Zhu Xingfa's target was the thousands of infantry, artillery and baggage under Zu Dashou's command.
In the case where the enemy's cavalry cannot be annihilated, it would be great if the enemy's infantry and artillery baggage of several thousand troops could be swallowed up in one go, especially the large amount of grain, grass and baggage carried by the opponent's army.
Without food and grass, he wanted to see what the more than 4,000 cavalrymen and nearly 10,000 horses on the other side would eat!
Even if he wanted to rob food and grass on the spot, Zhu Xingfa was not going to give them this opportunity!
Because Zhu Xingfa still had more than 4,000 cavalry under his command, he was chasing them all the way. If the other party dared to stop to plunder and collect grain and grass, he would dare to lead the cavalry to kill them directly and entangle them.
At noon on July 16, a chase took place outside Wen'an City!
A group of Ming court officials and gentry in Wen'an City first watched with panic as a large number of Liaodong border troops roared past, and then watched with fear and trembling as a large number of Chu thieves soldiers in gray military uniforms passed by...
"Fortunately, they didn't attack the city..." Just when the officials and gentry in the city thought they had escaped, in the afternoon, another group of Chu thieves with more than a thousand soldiers came.
When they saw these Chu bandit soldiers pulling out artillery and preparing to attack the city, they all became desperate!
They thought that the first two armies were just passing by. They were glad that they had escaped, but they didn't expect that they still couldn't escape.
Facing the attack of more than a thousand Chu thieves, the officials and gentry in Wen'an City simply did not have the courage to resist.
Well, they don't have the strength to resist.
In fact, Wen'an City, like the previous Ye County City, was a city that was abandoned by Hong Chengchou's strategy. A large number of troops were not sent to garrison at all. The number of troops defending the city was only a few county braves and the local guards' young men, which together could not be counted. Hundreds of people.
There are not many weapons such as guns, armor, and other weapons.
So when they saw the Chu army on the opposite side firing artillery, the officials and gentry in the city couldn't sit still and quickly opened the city gate to surrender...
The one who captured the city was not the main fighting force of the Chu army, but the 10th Baggage Regiment under the 10th Division.
The Tenth Baggage Regiment was originally marching with the main force of the Tenth Division, but as the main force of the Tenth Division began to accelerate today, two infantry regiments and some two-and-a-half-pound and five-pound field artillery with a large number of mules and horses and a few accompanying army baggage carriages In addition to continuing to run wildly, most of the 10th Baggage Regiment's baggage troops and a few heavy artillery and mortar troops could only slowly catch up behind them.
While chasing, they also captured Wen'an City. This city was captured not because of any threats to the city, but purely to establish a front-line material transfer station.
When the 4,000 cavalry and tens of thousands of troops of the 10th Division at the front were chasing the Ming Army Zu Dashou's headquarters, their 10th Baggage Regiment and the transportation groups affiliated with the logistics department in the rear had to be responsible for transporting large quantities of combat supplies. Maintains security of logistics lines.
Not only them, in the rear, General Li Chengtong also mobilized the newly formed 105th Class B Division to be close to the Wen'an line to protect the logistics security along the way, including garrisoning various material transfer stations and sending troops to escort the transportation group. .
The fall of the small Wen'an City naturally failed to attract the attention of the top generals on both sides.
Both Zu Dashou and Zhu Xingfa are now eyeing each other's main force.
In the afternoon of that day, Zu Dashou looked at the large number of infantrymen and the large quantities of baggage and artillery in the rear who were moving more and more slowly, and his expression was a little ugly.
They had been running for most of the day, and they had traveled at least thirty miles. However, the Chu thieves pursuing them behind them not only failed to distance themselves, but instead got closer.
The nearest Chu bandit cavalry pursuit was less than eight miles away from our own rear troops.
Seeing that the sky is getting dark, if the other party continues to catch up with such a desperate attitude, we may not even have time to set up camp.
Moreover, it is also possible that as soon as our front foot sets up camp, the opponent will approach directly, and it will not be so easy to leave at that time.
what to do?
Zu Dashou first looked at his own cavalry, then at the infantry who were lagging behind, as well as a large number of baggage and artillery, with an uncertain expression on his face.
——
In the evening of that day, regardless of whether there were pursuers behind them, these Liaodong soldiers who had been running all day had to stop and start setting up camp. If they continued to run like this, they would be in big trouble after nightfall.
Zhu Xingfa, who was chasing after him all the way, saw the other side stopped and set up camp, and immediately laughed twice: "Still setting up camp...haha!"
"The 10th Division was ordered to continue to advance, and they started to build field defense positions right in front of them, with the cavalry on guard outside."
Someone nearby was worried: "If we get too close, what if the other side launches a night attack?"
Zhu Xingfa said: "If the other side had the courage and the ability to launch a night attack, they wouldn't run away!"
"Besides, what are field defense positions used for!"
When the armies of both sides closed to a distance of more than ten miles this morning, and when Zu Dashou did not give up the infantry and artillery from the beginning, it was already destined that they would not be able to escape.
A distance of more than ten miles is actually only two or three hours of marching time. If you close it by a few miles, you can enter the fighting distance.
That night, Zu Dashou and a group of generals frowned.
By this time, everyone knew that a decision had to be made.
Either tens of thousands of people were completely besieged, or the infantry and baggage artillery were abandoned and only the cavalry was withdrawn at high speed.
But no matter which one it is, it is an unbearable loss.
Therefore, Zu Dashou ordered a night attack to see if he could repel the enemy. If the Chu thieves could be defeated in the night attack, then the dilemma would be solved.
Therefore, a large number of Ming troops launched a night attack that night.
It's a pity that night attacks are really difficult to fight. Before the Ming army came over, they were already in chaos. There were chaotic Ming soldiers everywhere...
Immediately afterwards, the Chu army's field artillery unit, which had been well prepared, began to launch fierce bombardments in the direction of the Ming army's camp. They did not seek to kill many enemy troops, but only wanted to continue to disrupt the situation.
As a result, after noisy for most of the night, the Ming army's night attack troops failed to get close to the Chu army's field defense position...
Who knows where they went during the night raid...
But wait until early the next morning...
Wu Xiang from the Ming army scolded his mother: "The night attack is fake, but taking advantage of the chaos to escape is real. That bastard Zu Dashou abandoned us and ran away with the cavalry first!"
Last night, Zu Dashou looked worried about the country and the people, and asked Wu Xiang to lead a night attack to get everyone a way out. However, he did not expect that after the chaotic night attack, he could not even find Zu Dashou. arrive.
At this time, Wu Xiang didn't know that he was abandoned by Zu Dashou as an abandoned son.
And by the way, he also took away the thousand fine knights who originally belonged to Wu Xiang. It is estimated that these thousand fine knights will have the surname of ancestors before long.
Wu Xiang would be damned if he didn't scold his mother.
Zhu Xingfa, who was facing the Chu army, was not surprised by this!
Zu Dashou had only two choices left, either to stand firm and resist, or to run away with only the cavalry. He had no third way to go because Zhu Xingfa wouldn't let him...
And when Zu Dashou took the initiative to evacuate from the camp with good field defenses yesterday morning, Zhu Xingfa knew that this man would eventually run away with the cavalry.
Now that I see it, it is indeed the case!
It's just that Zu Dashou's way of running away is quite unique, and he even staged a night attack to hide his eyes from others...
In fact, there is no need to do this at all. After dawn today, Zu Dashou can directly lead the cavalry and run all the way. He, Zhu Xingfa, can't catch up even if he wants to...
It's just that this is Zhu Xingfa's thinking perspective, not Zu Dashou's.
It is true that Zu Dashou ran away, but his escape also took Wu Xiang's direct cavalry hostage.
Rounding it off a bit, I barely made up for it.
Anyway, if Wu Xiang is left where he is, Wu Xiang will either die in battle or surrender to the thieves. No matter which choice he chooses, it will not affect him from taking over these thousand fine cavalry.
Zu Dashou's abacus crackled, and then Wu Xiang suffered a tragedy...
The next morning, facing a large number of Chu bandit infantry and artillery that gradually came forward, Wu Xiang and the other abandoned generals were very straightforward and surrendered without a fight!
If you can't fight, you can't run, so you have no choice but to surrender.
At about nine o'clock in the morning that day, Wu Xiang, the general of the Ming Dynasty, formally led his army to surrender to Chu Army Lieutenant General Zhu Xingfa!
After a pursuit, the two sides actually did not engage in large-scale fighting. The two sides were exhausted, and only the scouts and cavalry of each other engaged in small-scale fighting. The casualties were not many, but the soldiers on both sides were exhausted, and the mules pulling the carts and cannons were also exhausted. A large number of horses were also exhausted.
While running, Zu Dashou abandoned Wu Xiang and 6,000 infantry and artillery troops and other troops, and ran away with the cavalry. Wu Xiang also surrendered as soon as he turned around...
I guess no one would believe that this is a war...
At noon on July 17, Zhu Xingfa wrote to General Li Chengtong to report Pegasus' victory, saying that he had annihilated the enemy's infantry and artillery baggage of 16,000 people who were detouring south. More than 5,000 of them surrendered and were captured. More than a hundred were killed and hundreds escaped. .
In addition, two and a half kilograms, five kilograms and other field cannons, old red barbarian cannons and eight different types of robes were seized, hundreds of mules and horses, more than two hundred carriages, and a large amount of grain and grass.
The enemy general Zu Dashou fled in panic with four thousand cavalry alone.
After writing the victory report, Zhu Xingfa continued to lead the cavalry troops in pursuit. This pursuit was not really to catch up with the enemy cavalry, but mainly to drive away the enemy cavalry to prevent them from killing a carbine.
On July 18, the Chu army captured Baoding City. Zu Dashou's troops did not garrison Baoding City, but refused to enter the city.
The next day, the 38th Reinforcement Regiment of the 10th Division of the Chu Army captured Bazhou, which surrendered without a fight.
Immediately, news came from the reconnaissance cavalry that Zu Dashou's cavalry entered Xiong County yesterday and stayed overnight. After plundering the entire city, they left for Rongcheng early this morning.
At this time, Zu Dashou's troops were like frightened birds, and they were also frightened birds that had lost their food and grass.
