Chapter 358: People's hearts are scattered, and the army's hearts are chaotic
These two flying cavalry were the first to enter the battlefield, and they also had the most tacit understanding. They rushed towards Huang Taiji's banner in unison.
When Jianlu came to resist, they divided their forces to intercept them, while the other group went around and continued to pursue them.
To shoot a man, shoot a horse first; to capture a thief, capture the king first.
In terms of cavalry's combat quality and tactics, Fan Dalin is still a little behind Liu Xingzuo and Liu Qishi.
As long as they keep an eye on Huang Taiji, the other Jianlu soldiers will not be able to assemble calmly and safely. They can only rush forward to fight and protect him desperately.
This is similar to the fact that Jianlu invaded the capital, causing all Ming armies to go to serve the king and defend Beijing, thus falling into complete passivity.
The thousand lancers who followed the flying cavalry were also divided into two teams, occupying two small highlands, and fired their light and heavy muskets together, like fire-breathing monsters, providing maximum fire support to their comrades.
Huang Taiji stood under the banner, with a stern face and slightly narrowed eyes, directing the battle.
He no longer wanted to retreat backwards. He wanted to defeat the pursuing enemy here, gather more troops, and stabilize his position.
We have withdrawn for more than ten miles, and the further we retreat, the more disorganized our troops will be. In the end, I am afraid that they will be out of control and will find it difficult to muster the will to fight the enemy.
The banner of King Ben Khan must never fall. This is the psychological sustenance of all the warriors who founded the state.
Although the defeat has been determined, since the enemy has a huge number of artillery, it is no longer possible to break through from Zunhua and exit through Da'ankou and Ma Lanyu, but there is still another way to go.
That is, instead of exiting Shimen via the original route, retreat through Jizhou, and take a different route out of Gubeikou; as long as you gather enough people, bypass Zunhua, go to Qian'an, and there is a cold entrance between Xifengkou and Shanhaiguan to exit the customs.
Although Lengkou Pass was built on the steep Fenghuang Mountain, and the terrain was dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack, Huang Taiji now did not pay attention to other Ming armies except the Dongjiang Army.
Of course, Lengkou Pass is only accessible to people and horses, not vehicles, and there is a small road outside, which is a rabbit trail and a bird path, making it difficult for people and horses to pass.
But for Jianlu, who suffered a disastrous defeat and had to significantly lower his expectations, this was still the next best option.
If they were to go through Gubeikou, they would definitely encounter tens of thousands of Ming troops following them in Jizhou. With their broken troops and horses, Huang Taiji could no longer bear any more casualties after another battle.
Moreover, in Huang Taiji's view, the Dongjiang Army's success in Zunhua City was due to the fact that they built strong defenses in advance or took advantage of the defense.
If it were to fight in the wild, the Dongjiang Army with few cavalry might not be the opponent of the Jianzhou Warriors.
In short, Huang Taiji did not think that it had completely failed. At least, he still planned to bring as many people as possible out of the wall.
In the distance, Azig, Dorgon and Duduo gathered a group of troops, looking coldly at Huang Taiji's banner and discussing in low voices.
Azig's face was bandaged indiscriminately, with only one eye, mouth and nose exposed, and his right arm was hanging on his chest. He was injured to the point of losing his ability to fight.
Duduo's helmet had been deformed, and there was dried blood on his face, which was caused by the impact of shrapnel. He was lucky not to have his brains exploded.
"Even now, he still refuses to give up and wants to bury us all here." Dorgon gritted his teeth and did not hide his hatred for Huang Taiji. "If the delay continues, our troops will gather here from everywhere, and the enemy will also
The beatings will become more and more severe. When the time comes, I won’t be able to leave even if I want to.”
Azig blinked his one eye and said in a deep voice: "Let's leave now, but we are running away from the battlefield. Will he let us go when he returns?"
"Unless he dies." Dorgon said fiercely, with viciousness flashing in his eyes and hesitation, "Or we can return to Shenyang first, join forces with Amin, or Mang Gurtai, and take advantage of this disastrous defeat. Take away his throne as King Khan."
Duduo blinked and thought for a while, then said: "I agree with my second brother, leave the battlefield immediately and rush back to Shenyang. After such a disastrous defeat, how can he still have the face to be the king of Khan?"
"Abahai is dead, Sahalian is seriously injured, and..." Azig only said a few names, then he couldn't help but sigh heavily and nodded vigorously.
For God, there is no high or low in life. Even if there are different identities and statuses, it will not give special favor to anyone, nor will it make anyone's death more meaningful or more beautiful.
Under the concentrated fire bombardment of rockets, shrapnel hit Abahai's face, making him so dead that his original appearance was unrecognizable.
Saharian was also seriously injured by the rocket's indiscriminate attack. Although he was still alive, whether he could survive or not depended on his luck.
In addition to these noble Baylor, other middle and lower-level officers such as Bei Yu, Niu Lu Ezhen, etc. were killed in countless numbers by the indiscriminate bombardment of thousands of rockets.
Nearly 30,000 men and horses have lost more than half of the Jianlu troops since entering the pass through a detour. Mongolians have died even more, and they have been beaten to the point of losing their fighting spirit. Mongolian soldiers from several tribes have left the battlefield and begun to flee.
"Master Beile, Mang Gurtai took his troops and fled towards Shimen." A white-armored soldier rushed to the front and reported hurriedly: "There are also Mongolian soldiers from Horqin's tribe following behind."
Dorgon sneered. He didn't want to go back and fight another battle with tens of thousands of Ming troops. He raised his hand and squinted his eyes and said, "Look, the enemy's reinforcements have arrived."
Mang Gurtai's men and horses ran away first, followed by Fan Dalin's flying cavalry and lances, and the fighting on the battlefield became more intense.
The successive changes finally made Azig and Duduo dispel their last doubts, knowing that they would be trapped if they rushed for reinforcements and it would be difficult to escape.
On the battlefield, the two lancers guarding the small highland were originally in a precarious position. With the support of friendly forces, their morale was greatly boosted. They fired muskets and stabbed bayonets randomly. They actually managed to hold on to their position despite suffering heavy casualties.
"Now that we have a beginning, we have nothing to fear." Azig sighed and looked at the two brothers, "Without further ado, let's leave now!"
Dorgon nodded and said: "I have already found a guide. I will turn east into Qian'an and exit through Lengkou. Although the road is more difficult, it is much better than turning back and taking a detour through Gubeikou. ."
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Duduo agreed first. Azig hesitated for a moment and nodded vigorously.
The flags were not raised, and the three Dorgon brothers acted as if they had not seen the banner of Emperor Huang Taiji and left quickly. They would first go south, then east, bypassing Zunhua, and then move into Qian'an.
Behind them, some Jianlu and Mongolian soldiers who didn't know what they were doing also followed. Maybe some of them understood, but they were just pretending to be confused.
The unauthorized departure of brothers Mang Gurtai and Dorgon made the situation on the entire battlefield even more unfavorable to Jianlu.
Although they no longer have an advantage in terms of military strength, if they rely on the mobility advantage of the cavalry, they can still escape from the battlefield.
Of course, this still requires concerted efforts to withstand the fierce pursuit of flying cavalry and lance cavalry.
This was Huang Taiji's idea, but unfortunately his banner made some people shy away from him, and they didn't want to lose any more troops on the land of the Ming Kingdom.
In the eyes of Mang Gurtai, Dorgon and others, if they can escape safely with the plundered people, livestock, food, grass and money by fighting desperately, then there is still value.
But looking at the current situation, this goal is already difficult to achieve. It’s better to save your strength as soon as possible and go home alive.
This is why people in different positions have different considerations, different views, and different actions.
Huang Taiji hoped that the defeat would be as good-looking as possible, not only for the sake of future money, but also for his own benefit; brothers Mang Gurtai and Dorgon wanted to save their own men and horses as much as possible so that they could have the upper hand in the battle with Huang Taiji.
The suspicion and fear that had always existed in my heart were finally exposed at this critical moment.
Huang Taiji didn't know that Mang Gurtai, Dorgon and others had quietly left the battlefield with some gold and silver treasures, brocades and silks, and fled towards what they thought was the best way to survive.
"How come there are so few people gathered?" Huang Taiji looked at the fierce battle battlefield with a gloomy mood.
The gathered troops were sorted out a little before they were sent out to fight. There were only a dozen guards left around him, and even the banner looked a little lonely.
However, reinforcements from the enemy continued to arrive, the firing of muskets became more and more intensive, and the sound of gunfire became louder and louder.
The lancers who rushed to the battlefield, regardless of their own weak strength, fired the bullets from their guns without stopping, then jumped off their horses, continued to reload, and fired fiercely at the enemy.
Jianlu, who originally had a slight advantage, lost the opportunity to seriously inflict heavy damage on the pursuing Dongjiang Army cavalry, and their morale plummeted.
The sun was setting in the west, dyeing the sunset glow in the small half of the sky as bright as blood. On the official road, a large flag emerged with its tip, followed closely by the fluttering flag.
Huang Taiji sighed helplessly. The enemy's main force had arrived very quickly. Another failure was inevitable.
Perhaps we should retreat further, such as twenty miles or thirty miles, and then start a fight with the chasing enemy cavalry. In that case, the enemy's reinforcements will have difficulty arriving quickly because of their legs.
"Retreat." Huang Taiji said two words with great difficulty, which was almost the same as running away.
"Protect King Khan and go first." Sony loudly ordered the other guards, and he personally stopped the rear.
The banner wrapped around Huang Taiji and headed west. The Jianlu prisoners on the battlefield also turned their horses and fled away like bereaved dogs.
This was a fierce head-to-head fight, with both sides suffering heavy casualties, but victory once again belonged to the Dongjiang Army.
If we say that under Zunhua City, the Jianlu were defeated by a dense rain of rocket bombardment; but this time, they were frightened and truly saw the bravery of the Dongjiang Army.
"Team up, continue the pursuit!" Liu Xingzuo raised the flag, rushed to a high ground, and waved it vigorously.
After the fierce battle, the flying cavalry regained their energy and moved closer to the banner; the lancers loaded their bullets, got on their horses, and ran towards the banner.
More than half of the three thousand flying cavalry have been casualties, and now there are only fifteen or six hundred cavalry left; but the number of lance cavalry has increased, and there are more than three thousand people.
The war drums rumbled, and Liu Xingzuo and others took a look at the main force coming quickly from the official road. The deputy general's flag was fluttering, followed by countless figures and vehicles.
In the wilderness, dozens of infantry groups were advancing bravely, killing all enemies that appeared in their sights.
This is an unparalleled inspiring force. No matter how far they chase, they will never fight alone. Behind them, there is a firm force that is indestructible and unstoppable.
"Charge!" The battle flag in Liu Xingzuo's hand was pointed forward, and he took the lead, leading thousands of cavalry to rush away like a flood.
Whether in the capital or in Liaodong, the Jianlu were the mortal enemies of the Dongjiang Army. Now, the Jianlu were fleeing in confusion, and there was no reason to let them go.
"Kill all the Jiannu!" Liu Qishi's armor was stained with blood, and the iron surface was almost dyed red, but his passion remained the same. He waved the sharp dog-leg knife in circles over his head and roared in a hoarse voice.
With.
"Kill all the Jiannu!" the surrounding comrades shouted in response.
"Kill all the Jiannu!" More people shouted.
"Kill all the Jiannu!" hundreds of cavalry shouted like thunder.
"Kill all the Jiannu!" On the battlefield, the infantry and cavalry all made the same voice.
Whether they were flying cavalry, lancers, or infantry, they all raised their weapons in the shouts and shouts. The passionate voices resounded through the fields, making people's blood boil, and making the enemy frightened.
This is the heroic army in my mind, this is the invincible iron army I hope for!
Guo Dajing was also shouting loudly, pointing his sword forward vigorously, leading the sonorous soldiers to roll forward.
Victory, complete victory, frightening victory! Finally in hand, although not yet completely over, there is no doubt about it.
It is this emotion that inspires all the Dongjiang Army officers and soldiers, making them forget fatigue, ignore hunger and thirst, and move forward bravely under the last rays of the setting sun.
………………
On the road, dozens of soldiers from the special operations battalion were laying mines; in the woods on both sides, they received early warning from sentries, and the soldiers from the special operations battalion wrapped in white cloth quickly made preparations.
After capturing Zunhua City, two thousand soldiers from the special operations battalion were ordered to rush to Shimen. After careful survey, they lurked in the mountains and forests surrounding Shimen.
Their mission was not to stop the Jianlu at Shimen, nor to block their retreat when the Jianlu were defeated. In Guo Dajing's view, since they could not divide their troops too much, they should not make arrangements to annihilate the enemy.
After Jianlu passed through the stone gate, the special operations battalion waited for the opportunity to move quietly, keeping a distance of more than 20 miles from Jianlu's rear team.
It was not a blockade, but an interception, forming a flanking attack with the main force, causing the Jianlu to suffer greater casualties.
It is more than sixty miles from Zunhua to Shimen. For the cavalry, it may not be a big deal. But for the Dongjiang Army, which lacks war horses, it is a long distance.
Therefore, Guo Dajing asked the special operations battalion to leave Shimen and sneak forward to shorten the depth of the battlefield and facilitate the movement of infantry.
According to the heavy load and training level of the Dongjiang Army infantry at that time, a distance of thirty to forty miles could be completed in one go, and the physical strength would not affect the battle too much.
The main force pressed to the west, and the special operations battalion moved to the east. Both moves at the same time shortened the distance by nearly half.