Although the fire was isolated and burning in only a few areas, the crackling sounds and the rumble of falling beams were still heard.
The Dongjiang Army's retreat surveillance made Jianlu's plan to raid at night fail. Thousands of eyes blinked in the night, shining with unwillingness and despair.
The light in Hauge's eyes gradually dimmed, and he lowered his head dejectedly, unspeakable despair and sadness welling up in his heart.
That's right, he didn't participate in the suicide charge, and he left nearly a thousand elite troops behind. There was no way, the place was too small, and there couldn't be too many people hiding under the bombardment of artillery fire.
Facing the enemy's fierce formation, even Ta Zhan, who died in battle, knew that it would be wishful thinking to break through or defeat the enemy.
Therefore, Hauge was waiting for the dark night, waiting for the enemy to move overnight, and then he led more than a thousand soldiers to suddenly burst out from their hiding places and start a night melee with the enemy amidst fireworks.
Jianlu is also not good at night fighting. But this may be the only way to fight the enemy in close combat and limit the enemy's artillery fire.
However, Hauge and other Jianlu did not expect that the Dongjiang Army would withdraw to a safe area. Seeing the victory at their fingertips, they could wait one more night.
Doesn’t the enemy understand what it means to make a big push and what it means to end the battle?
No matter what Hauge and other Jianlu think, they are in a very embarrassing situation. When it gets bright tomorrow, the fire is extinguished and the smoke disperses, they will be completely exposed to the enemy's artillery fire.
No matter which outcome it was, there was only one death. Hauge also felt dirty, so he leaned against the half-broken wall and looked up at the stars.
In the crisp autumn season, the far-reaching starry sky makes people involuntarily think about it. Hauge unexpectedly calmed down for a rare moment, and memories flashed through his mind.
As the eldest son of Huang Taiji, he went to war with his father on the battlefield when he was young, and successively conquered the Mongolian Gukui, Chahar, Ordos and other tribes. He made military exploits in several battles and was named Baylor by his grandfather Nurhaci.
In the sixth year of tomorrow, Haug will follow the great Beiledaishan and others to conquer the Mongolian Zalut tribe. Haug performed outstandingly in this battle and personally killed Beile Ezhaitu of the Zalut tribe.
In the seventh year of tomorrow, Hauge participated in the Battle of Ningjin, fought with the Ming army in Jinzhou, defeated the Ming army, and then led an army to maintain Tashan's grain transportation.
In the first year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty, he and Beiljirharang conquered the Mongolian Gute Tabu Nang, defeated them and then killed them and collected all their troops.
In the original history, Hauge would participate in Huang Taiji's detour operation.
But Guo Dajing flapped his wings and changed history. The strength of the Dongjiang Army forced Huang Taiji to keep elite troops in Liaodong, and Hauge escaped.
However, what Hauge experienced later can also be called a disaster.
In terms of resourcefulness, he was defeated by his brother-in-law Dorgon. The disastrous defeat in Zunhua made Jianlu resentful of Huang Taiji. When competing for the throne of Khan, Hauge was isolated and had to withdraw from the competition.
Hauge was worried that Dorgon would catch him sooner or later in Shenyang, so he took the initiative to garrison in Liaoyang with the idea of making peace outside.
Although this allowed Hauge to spend nearly two years relatively smoothly, in the end, he still could not escape death.
"Father Khan, Ama——" Hauge seemed to see his father's face flashing in the starry sky, and couldn't help but murmured, was this Father Khan calling him in the sky?
Two figures approached, they were Hauge's cronies. They came to them and whispered: "Master Beile, the servants are ready to fight to the death and protect you from Liaoyang City."
Hauge turned his head, looked at his men calmly, and said calmly: "Fight to the death, and we will not lose our reputation as a Jianzhou warrior. That's for sure. As for escaping from the city, there is no need to mention it again."
That was simply wishful thinking, and Haug knew it very well.
The city was captured in an instant, resulting in chaos, and there was no time to arrange a breakout. If it were a normal siege, when the city realized that it could not be defended, it might be possible to gather all the troops in order to succeed.
Now, there are only more than a thousand men and horses left, but there are tens of thousands of enemies, surrounding the city like an iron barrel. What's more, all the war horses have been lost, how can you escape with your legs?
Before his men could say anything more, Hauge had already raised his hand to stop him and asked: "Tell me, where is the defense more lax?"
Wherever there is a loose defense zone, if there is, it is only relative. His subordinates reported helplessly: "It is more feasible to raid to the east. There are several gaps in the city wall there, so there is no need to go through the city gate."
Haug nodded and said without thinking: "We will launch a raid in the early morning. You go down and deliver the order and let the soldiers rest and recuperate."
The confidant took the order and left, and Hauge looked up at the stars again, wandering around.
For him, death is the same, and he no longer wants to worry about it. Perhaps, dying early is what he hopes for, so as not to suffer here.
………………
It was another sunny morning. Guo Dajing walked out of the camp in high spirits, breathing in the fresh air and doing chest expansion exercises.
"I've met Guo Shuai!"
"I've met the handsome man!"
Soldiers kept bowing and saluting, and they were in high spirits. The news that Liaoyang had been conquered had spread, which was exciting and boosted morale.
Guo Dajing had a smile on his face, and he had a superior status, but he was not arrogant at all. This was his nature and characteristics, which could not be changed, and the soldiers were all accustomed to it.
After inspecting the camp, Guo Dajing was very satisfied. It had already set in Liaoyang, and the Zuo Xie came to meet up last night. Today, we can make great strides forward, approaching Hupiyi.
With more than 30,000 troops, more than a hundred mortars, dozens of field guns and Franchise machines, it was enough to defeat any enemy in front.
It would take a day at most for another army to arrive. At least more than 20,000 troops would be available after the liberation of Liaoyang.
After breakfast, Liu Xingzhi from the left, Feng Xijian from the special operations battalion, and Li Weiluan from the right rushed to the camp to await Guo Dajing's orders.
"There are no other arrangements. The order of march remains unchanged, Zuo Xie is postponed. If there is no enemy resistance today, we will go straight to Hupiyi." Guo Dajing said with a smile: "The great cause of Pingliao has not yet been completed, and we still need to work hard!"
Feng Xijian smiled and said: "Taking Liaoyang and Pingliao is half the battle. Now I'm just afraid that Jianlu will escape without fighting, but I don't worry about anything else."
】
"That's why we have to be quick!" Li Weiluan said: "After arriving at Hupiyi, do you want to launch an attack immediately?"
Guo Dajing shook his head slightly and said: "Our army is not good at fighting at night. It is better to set up camp and attack again tomorrow."
Liu Xingzhi said: "Liaoyang was captured in one day, something the Jianlu would never have dreamed of. They should still resist stubbornly and not flee immediately."
This is indeed the most advantageous aspect. Who would have thought that the solid Liaoyang City would be destroyed by the Dongjiang Army in one blow.
If Jianlu expected it to be true, he would be able to defend it for at least ten days and a half.
In just a few days, the flying cavalry regiment would be able to break into the enemy's rear. What Guo Dajing wanted was to stabilize the rebels, but also to contain a large number of their troops.
Before they knew that Liaoyang had fallen, Jianlu would not retreat hastily. This was a fluke mentality, and they would not easily give up the wealth they had obtained and the life they had enjoyed.
Guo Dajing took it seriously and said slowly: "So, Hupiyi is not a good place to kill many Jianlu. It is not important to capture it as soon as possible."
Guo Dajing is not sure yet how effective the Navy, the Front Association, the three cavalry regiments, and these two sharp knives will be.
But he will do his best to create the most favorable conditions for them. Although Hupiyi is the gateway to Shenyang, Jianlu will not stick to it, especially after receiving the news of the fall of Liaoyang.
When their hope was finally dashed, the Jianlu wanted to escape and flee north, but they found that their rear was already in chaos. Tens of thousands of cavalry burned, killed and looted, which would make their retreat a mess.
After a few people made simple arrangements, they returned to their respective troops, broke out of camp and marched towards the north. Tens of thousands of people, in a mighty force, once again set foot on the land of Liaodong, which had been suffering from the poisonous smell for more than ten years.
Bathed in the bright sunshine, Guo Dajing moved with the Zuo Xie. Liu Xingzhi accompanied him, chatting casually.
"The Jianlu are still hesitating now, not understanding that their destruction is just around the corner." Liu Xingzhi felt puzzled and said, "Maybe he doesn't understand the power of our army in attacking the city."
Guo Dajing didn't see it that way, at least he didn't agree with everything. He shook his head slightly and said: "After all, there are very few people who admit defeat and dare to cut off their arms heroically. It's not just Jianlu, the imperial court is in western Liaoning and insists on garrisoning troops in Jinzhou, which is insignificant.
It should be the same reason that leads to a passive battle situation."
"The Jianlu still have tens of thousands of troops, and they still occupy a large area of territory. It is not an easy decision to ask them to give up what they have gained from the war and flee to the bitter cold land in the north in embarrassment."
Liu Xingzhi nodded and said: "Let alone Dorgon, even Huang Taiji does not have the prestige to make the decision and serve the public."
Huang Taiji took a detour to enter the pass, firstly to solve the great famine, and secondly to strengthen his authority through merit.
After all, after several defeats against the Dongjiang Army, his prestige was hit, and his road to becoming emperor became even more bumpy.
It's a pity that Guo Dajing worked hard and tried his best to finally crush his plan and reverse the situation of Mingjin.
Compared with Huang Taiji, Dorgon was not only younger, but also did not have many achievements to support him. To win the throne, it was just that all the older generation of slave chiefs died, and Amin's strength was seriously insufficient.
But he is also a Khan, and Dorgon's prestige cannot even match that of Huang Taiji, let alone Lao Nu.
Therefore, even if Dorgon has any ingenuity, he will still be constrained by Jianlu's senior leaders. If the internal opinions are not unified, how can Jianlu unite sincerely, and how can they compete with the rapidly developing Dongjiang Army?
"Fleeing north may be a good strategy to avoid disaster and rebirth, but that's from our point of view." Guo Dajing smiled: "Because we didn't annihilate too many Jianlu and let them run away, we are naturally disappointed."
"But from the perspective of Jianlu, when the strength is still strong, it is a difficult choice to flee without fighting, hand over the territory conquered by our ancestors, and not reach the end of the river."
After a pause, Guo Dajing sneered and said: "Psychologically, Jianlu can never accept the fact that he is at a disadvantage in terms of combat power. Why should he concentrate his forces to attack a certain group of people that our army rushes into? Even if he succeeds by luck,
, in fact, it can’t change the overall situation.”
The Dongjiang Army has capital, and even if it fails once or twice, it will not be broken.
However, it is impossible for Jianlu to repeat his previous record against the Ming army with minimal casualties and huge damage. To put it bluntly, even if the casualty ratio is one to two, Jianlu cannot afford a victory.
"Liaoyang has recovered, and the Jianlu have lost nearly half of their troops." Liu Xingzhi said with a smile: "Even if Liaodong cannot be pacified this year, they will still flee north before spring plowing. Sooner or later, they will not be able to defend it, and they are still holding on to it, which is stupid."
This is the truth. Even if the Jianlu occupy the territory north of the Hun River, including Shenyang, can they still dare to farm next year?
Most of this year's harvest has been basically destroyed, and there is no need to worry about the areas south of the Hun River. According to Jianlu's material reserves, they will not be able to sustain next year's autumn harvest anyway.
Escape to the north quickly, settle down before spring plowing, and cultivate the land quickly. If you don't miss the farming season, you can barely feed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians.
As long as you consider the long term, building a captive army and fleeing north is the best strategy. Leaving behind the severely damaged Liaodong should be able to hinder the Dongjiang Army. It will take at least one year of farming in Liaoshen to have sufficient supplies for the northern expedition.
Assure.
It is a pity that Jianlu did not have a strategic vision and only focused on the territory and interests they had already acquired. Or, they could no longer adapt to life in a cold and bitter land and were reluctant to leave this prosperous and prosperous place.
Guo Dajing laughed at Liu Xingzhi's contempt and said: "It is human nature, and it is not just Jianlu. If the imperial court could admit Xiong Tingbi's strategic contraction after the Battle of Guangning and retreat directly to Shanhaiguan, Jianlu might be proud for a while, but
To get into trouble."
This also involves the strategic issue of the Guanningjin Defense Line. Maintaining this useless defense line depleted the Ming Dynasty of food and wages, and also depleted the Ming Dynasty of combatable soldiers.
But at that time, any retreat would be regarded as cowardice and weakness towards the rebels. Under the banner of political correctness, the Ming Dynasty continued to invest in western Liaoning and continued to lose money, becoming a bottomless pit.
Dorgon should be facing such a dilemma now. He simply abandoned his land and fled, throwing away all his father and brother's inheritance. This big hat was enough to crush him to death.
Unless the situation is irreversible, other slave chiefs may wake up, but by then, it will probably be too late.
"Guo Shuai." Liu Xingzhi's face became solemn and he asked: "General, I know that you have lofty ambitions. Even if you don't want to eliminate the remnants of the rebels who fled north, you still want to expand your territory to the north. But the imperial court only gave Dongjiang Town
Five years will definitely not be enough."
Guo Dajing turned to look at Liu Xingzhi, and nodded gently as if in appreciation. Not everyone could think of this problem. In other words, many people did not realize the political incompetence of the court and the emperor.
Without war, ordinary people can live a good life. It doesn't matter who governs Liaodong. What's more, the court gave it five years, which is already quite a favor.