Gabra led a part of the cavalry out of the camp gate first and quickly galloped to the west. There was no enemy obstruction there and it was a way of survival deliberately left.
But Gabra did not just want to escape. He planned to lead his troops to run a certain distance first, and then calmly reorganize the troops, or return to fight, or leave the battlefield.
However, he thought simply. The Feibiao Battalion, which was always ready to launch, had already bypassed the friendly forces in the north and was chasing them in an oblique direction.
The cold wind blew on Liu Qishi's face, but he did not blink and stared at Jianlu in front of him.
Although Jianlu could not be said to be fleeing in panic, it could be said to be a retreat. Chaos was inevitable. If chaos was used against strict order, defeat was certain.
In fact, before the battle started, the outcome was already determined. But Jianlu still had to fight to the death. This is also normal psychology.
If the eastward-moving Jianlu Group has been caught in a trap, then eliminating this group of Jianlu who defend the logistics base will be a decisive blow to the Jianlu Group.
With a lack of food and supplies and their escape route cut off, the Jianlu Group's demise has entered a countdown. It's just a question of how long it can survive.
Gabra saw the pursuing enemies, and reluctantly sent out troops to fight. Obviously, the enemies wanted to end the battle with constant attacks while they were still on a weak footing.
At this time, the Jianlu who escaped from the camp had been divided into two groups.
The first to escape were more than 2,000 people led by Gabra, and less than 2,000 people came out later. They were intercepted by Fei Biao Camp near the camp gate and were besieged by Fei Qi and Zhenjiang Fort troops.
Liu Xingzuo dispatched three thousand cavalry from the Feihu Camp, which had already bypassed the south side of the camp and was rushing towards Gabra's headquarters.
Facing the enemy cavalry sweeping in, Gabra knew that the defeat was certain, but he did not want to run away in panic and be easily killed by the enemy in pursuit.
"Charge, kill!" Gabra burst out in his final madness, leading less than a thousand captives around him, and rushed towards Feihu Camp.
In the vast wilderness, thousands of horses galloped, and the flying cavalry battalion with an absolute advantage galloped horizontally. The cavalry walls were like stormy waves, and they violently hit the Jianlu who were fighting.
Chen Zhongyu led the cavalry and pushed across to kill them. When they saw an open space in front of them, they reined in their horses and turned around.
There were still more than thirty people left in the cavalry wall of a team of fifty.
Quickly retracting it, Chen Zhongyu observed the battlefield, calmly installed arrows on the hand crossbow, held the crossbow in his left hand, pointed the knife with his right hand, and roared: "Brothers, continue to kill the slaves, charge!"
More than thirty cavalrymen galloped again, charging toward a group of Jianluo not far away.
There were only twenty or thirty cavalry left around Gabra. The rest of the Jianlu had been scattered and fell into the flying cavalry's hacking and slashing.
"Kill, kill!" Gabra saw another row of enemy cavalry charging towards them. He stared with red eyes, raised his sword, and led his men to fight bravely.
At a very close distance, dozens of crossbow arrows were fired at him. More than a dozen Jianlu soldiers were thrown off their backs. Gabra was also hit by an arrow, which was blocked by his breastplate.
The enemy cavalry was already in front of him, but apart from the coldness of the iron face, Gabra could not see any expression on the enemy's face, which made him very angry.
Whether he was excited, fearful or timid, they were all covered by this cold iron surface, making Gabra unable to feel the slightest pleasure.
"They must be scared to death. The expression behind the iron face must be panic and fear." Gabra thought this way, and he also had his own judgment. He screamed with a ferocious face to intimidate the enemy and increase his self-confidence.
The saber chopped down, not one, but two or three.
Gabra's body made a dodge movement, and he also raised his sword to slash at him. He had already figured out that he couldn't parry in a one-to-many situation, and he couldn't parry.
Although both sides were injured, Gabra could make himself less injured, chop down the enemy, and pass through the gap between the horses.
Blood light burst out, and Gabra let out a shrill scream. He did hit the enemy, but his dodge was not perfect. A saber hit his left arm, almost completely cutting it off.
Moreover, the saber's remaining strength scratched the horse's neck again. The injured horse jumped wildly.
Jumping wildly, neighing and wailing, Gabula was thrown off his horse.
Injured and falling, Gabra was so dizzy that he even took out his scimitar. He finally got up from the ground with great difficulty, but two black shadows shrouded him.
Two injured flying cavalrymen who fell off their horses endured the pain, dragged their blood-stained bodies, and approached fiercely with sabers in hand.
The sword shone brightly and struck down fiercely. Gabra stretched out his hands to parry in vain. Blood and flesh spattered, the screams became weaker and weaker, and Gabra fell to the snow in a bloody state.
On the battlefield, the sound of horse hooves was heard, and the shouts of killing were still passionate. However, the number of captives was decreasing sharply. They were scattered into groups and were crushed by the cavalry wall.
The battle was coming to an end, and almost all the Jianlu troops were wiped out. Only a few people fled the battlefield in twos and threes, and the total number was only more than a hundred.
But their fate is basically doomed. Under the continued pursuit of the flying cavalry, they can only take a few more breaths.
An injured war horse ran slower and slower, and finally fell down with a cry, bringing unspeakable sadness to the gradually calming battlefield.
There were corpses lying dead in the snow everywhere, both human and horse; broken swords, guns, flags, and bright red bloodstains could be seen everywhere.
War is so cruel. Behind the victory, only those who have experienced it know how much price they paid and how much sadness they had to bear.
But there is no doubt that this is the result that the Dongjiang Army soldiers must endure and are happy to see. It is a life-or-death battle with Jianlu. Unless the enemy is completely eliminated, the turmoil and sorrow will not end.
Jianlu's camp is still burning, and the flames are so blazing that they have burned down to the walls of the camp. It seems that there will be no capture except ashes.
All the defenders in Zhenjiang Fort also moved out, using carts to pull the bodies of the wounded and those who died in the war, and transported them to the city. Zhenjiang Fort would still hold on, waiting for the invaders to retreat, and then quietly pursue them.
For this reason, Liu Xingzuo will leave the Feibiao Battalion and the Lancers in the fort to form a powerful force with a mixture of infantry, cavalry and artillery.
The troops joining this force may include two infantry battalions led by Liu Xingzhi fighting in Korea, as well as the Korean army.
Although it is not yet clear how much losses will be caused by entering the imperial court and establishing captives, it is fully calculated, with only 20,000 troops, but it is already under siege by the Dongjiang Army with two or three times the strength.
"In a frontal attack, we can use fewer enemies and more enemies, and pursue and intercept them from behind, but we may be turned around and counterattacked by the Jianlu." Liu Xingzuo told Wang Zhan the main points of the next battle.
"Therefore, if the troops are not sufficient, don't pursue them too closely, and set up simple fortifications along the way to prevent the rebels from counterattacking."
Wang Zhan nodded vigorously and said: "General, don't worry, I will know the right measures and will not take risks because of greed for merit."
With the war reaching this level, it would only be a matter of time before the Jianlu were destroyed. Without logistical supplies, even if some could be looted in North Korea, it would be impossible to sustain them for a long time.
To put it bluntly, as long as Jianlu could be successfully blocked, perhaps without counterattack, Jianlu would have been starved to death.
Of course, Guo Dajing still hoped for a quick victory, but this also depended on the specific situation. He did not impose strict requirements on the generals below.
Being able to use troops flexibly instead of executing plans step by step is a very important improvement for the future development of the Dongjiang Army.
After Ping Liao, there will still be wars, and Guo Dajing cannot personally take command every time. Of course, the powerful enemy has been destroyed, so there is no need for him to personally take action.
Liu Xingzuo was very satisfied with Wang Zhan's answer, smiled and said, "The Jianlu who entered the court will probably retreat soon. After cleaning the battlefield, our army will immediately turn to the west."
Wang Zhan thought for a while and said: "According to the general's estimation, it will take more than a day for Jianlu to return to Liaodong at the earliest. If the troops are tired, they can rest in Zhenjiang Fort overnight."
"No need." Liu Xingzuo waved his hand with a smile and said, "It won't be too hard if you walk slowly on the road."
A night's rest didn't seem like much of a problem, but Liu Xingzuo didn't want any accidents to happen.
The flying cavalry suffered some losses in this battle. If we are to fight against the main force of Jianlu, it would be better to give full play to the advantages of infantry muskets and artillery to reduce the casualties of the flying cavalry.
Of course, after the enemy is defeated and flees, they are still pursued mercilessly by flying cavalry and lance cavalry. At that time, the battle will be much easier.
At this time, the importance of Zhenjiang Fort was revealed. The wounded could be resettled on the spot, and food, grass and horse feed could be provided immediately, which greatly eased the difficulty of flying cavalry to move in.
Although they said they had to move in quickly, after cleaning the battlefield, the exhausted flying cavalry still took a short rest. The soldiers ate horse meat, drank hot horse meat soup, and the war horses were fed fodder.
As the Flying Cavalry Camp moved in, silence fell outside Zhenjiang Fort, with only the burnt smell filling the air and the still-burning embers of the Jianlu Camp.
Of course, in the large surrounding area, headless corpses with their armor removed and broken weapons can still be seen everywhere, indicating that a fierce and bloody battle took place here.
………………
The camp built against the mountain is five or six miles northwest of Fengcheng. It is less than two miles away from Lianshanguan and the road from Yuanbao to Fengcheng.
The reason why he did not choose to camp on the road and completely block the road from Lianshanguan to Fengcheng was because Guo Dajing did not want to start a war with Jianlu, but mainly to act as a diversion.
Moreover, the terrain here is easier to defend and harder to attack. Even if the enemies from Shangguan and Fengcheng come to attack, Guo Dajing is fully confident.
"It has been almost two days since the attack on Tangzhan Fort. The enemies in Fengcheng are not in a hurry to counterattack. Apparently they feel that their troops are insufficient, so they will send a message to ask for reinforcements."
Guo Dajing lowered his head gently and smiled, indicating to Shang Kexi to continue.
"Before the enemy's reinforcements arrive, our army should contact the rear alliance, flank Fengcheng, occupy this stronger mountain city, and completely block the enemy's eastward reinforcements."
Shang Kexi stopped and looked at Guo Dajing with questioning eyes.
Guo Dajing smiled and said slowly: "General Shang's idea is quite good, and it is a proactive battle plan. My commander's battle plan focuses on stability, and is a bit conservative compared to General Shang's."
Shang Kexi hurriedly said: "It's not conservative, it's prudent. It will ensure nothing goes wrong."
Guo Dajing laughed and said: "Actually, the purpose of setting up a stronghold here to protect the immigrants who have been settled in the Zhuanghe area. Immigrants will continue to pour in, and the Zhuanghe area is already a base area that our army cannot give up."
"This battle, annihilating Jianlu's effective forces and destroying their attempts to plunder people and supplies, is all paving the way for a major counterattack."
Guo Dajing sighed helplessly and said: "For now, the preparations for a major counterattack are not enough. Whether it is troops or ammunition and supplies."
"Therefore, I hope that this battle will be stopped without too much casualties. If we wait for a while, the Jianlu will become weaker and internal conflicts will become greater, so that the time for a major counterattack will be more mature."
Speaking of which, if we had a decisive battle with Jianlu now, we would be 60 to 70 percent sure of victory. But the biggest limitation is not the number of troops, but ammunition and supplies.
It has become a habit for the Dongjiang Army to take advantage of its firepower, which leads to a considerable consumption of ammunition. Especially for rockets and mortar shells, at least several hundred are needed after a battle.
Although the reserves are enough to fight several battles, they are still insufficient for sustained operations. If there is insufficient ammunition, they will have to fight for strength. Excessive casualties are obviously what Guo Dajing does not want.
"General, I understand." Shang Kexi stopped insisting and said, "Guo Shuai is more foresighted and has a long-term combat plan, which is more clever."
Guo Dajing waved his hand and said, "I have already said that both battle plans are very good, and there is no difference between them."
Shang Ke smiled happily and asked with some confusion: "Did the internal conflicts Guo Shuai mentioned about the internal conflicts between the Jianlu people refer to Dorgon and other slave chiefs?"
Guo Daqian pondered for a moment and said, "That's okay. But I believe that after this battle, there will be a debate among the Jianlu people about whether Liao and Shen should defend or abandon it. Conflicts should also arise around this debate."
In Guo Dajing's view, Jianlu continued to defend the Liaoshen area despite the unfavorable situation, and they were just sitting back and waiting for death.
And abandon the prosperous place, retreat to the bitter cold hometown, recuperate and recuperate, and maybe make a comeback.
day.
But Dorgon may be wise, but other slave chiefs and many captives will not retreat without a fight and give up the wealthy territory they have held in their hands for several years.
For example, if you are used to eating delicacies from the mountains and seas, then you will naturally find it difficult to swallow steamed buns and pickles.
Therefore, most of the Jianlu were determined not to give up until they reached the Yellow River, and they would definitely fight the Dongjiang Army to the end. In fact, this was what Guo Dajing hoped for.
What's the use of just occupying the empty city? Only by killing and injuring its effective forces as much as possible, so that it loses the capital for development and recovery, can the Liaodong region achieve long-term peace and stability.
Otherwise, a considerable number of troops must be retained to deal with the harassment of the Jianlu. As the territory occupied is larger, the defense line is also stretched, and loopholes and flaws are inevitable.
And if they want to continue marching into the bitter cold areas and plow the trenches and sweep holes, the Liaoshen area is not managed, and supplies can only be transported from the rear. The long supply line will become an insurmountable difficulty for the Dongjiang Army.