Soldiers from the Ming and Qing Dynasties had been fighting fiercely for two days. The road from Nuerhe to Xiaoling River and then outside Jinzhou Nanguan was full of traces of the battle. The bloody wreckage was filled with the corpses of both sides.
Some people or war horses who were not dead for a while struggled to crawl forward alone in the cold wind that blew by. They let out weak wails, seeming to tell their unwillingness to the vast sky.
At this time, the sun was gradually setting between the sky and the earth in the wilderness to the west, and its dazzling light was slowly weakening, followed by waves of chills.
On the desolate battlefield, there were some soldiers who were not seriously injured, lying flat on the hard and cold ground, humming and groaning from time to time to prove that they were still alive.
Just because the war has not yet completely ended, the main forces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are still fighting fiercely, and the field doctors who save lives and heal the wounded do not dare to leave the brigade too far.
Moreover, although there were some medical doctors in the Qing army, they almost only treated important generals such as Prince Baylor. They were not responsible for taking risks on the battlefield to rescue and transport wounded soldiers. These were the duties of the subordinates.
But now the fierce fighting between the Ming and Qing Dynasties has reached a fever pitch. Those uniformed soldiers from various banners who accompanied the army have also gone to the battlefield with the armored soldiers. Naturally, there is no one to clean up the wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
On the other hand, the situation is similar in Xuan Dajun. Datong Town is like other military towns. There are only a few army doctors who serve the generals, and they do not pay much attention to the treatment of wounded soldiers.
Although the Xuanfu Army had many medical doctors in its battalions, it also had medical officers in each battalion and established a medical bureau dedicated to treating wounded soldiers.
But today's battlefield is too majestic and huge, and it is at the peak of the fierce battle that even Zhang Cheng is not willing to let the doctors risk their own lives. Moreover, even if they are like the soldiers of the Xuanfu army, they are not afraid of death, but
The battlefield is so huge that it can't be transferred at any time.
Although transporting and treating wounded soldiers is of great benefit to restoring morale and stabilizing the morale of the army, when the war is pending, the soldiers of both sides are fighting to the death, and victory or defeat is the key.
Once the battle is defeated, it will be a critical situation where the entire army is completely defeated. At that time, not to mention the wounded soldiers lying on the ground waiting for help, how many soldiers in the entire army will survive?
But if the battlefield is won, things will become simpler. In addition to the elite cavalry chasing the fleeing enemies, the infantry of each battalion will have plenty of time to rescue and transport the wounded.
It is precisely because of this that the battlefield on the north bank of the Xiaoling River in the south of Jinzhou was filled with wailing. There were not only those who were about to die but were unwilling to die, but also soldiers who had not injured their vital organs. They were enduring the pain and letting out low moans.
At this moment, the war between the Ming and Qing Dynasties was coming to an end. On the main battlefield, the Qing army seemed to have the advantage. The Xuan Ming army abandoned its original position and retreated nearly two miles south.
However, the Qing army did not pursue forward. They still defended their original position. In the large wilderness in the middle, there were only a few elite cavalry with different colors of armor and flags, still running back and forth to fight.
However, even these elite cavalrymen were able to capture the enemy from a distance with cavalry and shooting. Close combat rarely occurred. Dozens or hundreds of cavalrymen formed a team of their own. They gathered together or ran to chase.
the enemy, or retreat together.
Zhang Cheng sat alone on the mound, breathing heavily. The heavy duck-billed knife stick was thrown diagonally in front of his feet. It could be seen that his physical strength was very exhausted.
There were large holes in the armor on his left shoulder and under his left ribs, but no blood was seen flowing out. It seemed that his skin was not injured. Looking at the blood all over his body, you could tell how intense the fight just now was.
It is rare for the Ming Dynasty to see the commander-in-chief of a town and the leader of an army so personally risking their lives, bathing in blood, and fighting for their lives against slaves and thieves in the Ming Dynasty.
Wang Pu, the chief military officer of Datong Town, was on the left side of Zhang Cheng. He was sitting on a saddle. He didn't know whether he took off his helmet by himself or discarded it during the battle. His hair was messy and scattered, and there was more on his forehead.
It was covered with big beads of sweat that kept dripping.
His legs were still trembling, and he seemed to have no intention of stopping. He was breathing out loudly, and his chest was constantly rising and falling.
However, the armor on his body was very complete. Although it was covered in blood mixed with dust, there was no damage. There were only a few arrows hanging on the armor, but they did not seem to cause any harm to him.
"Zhang...Zhang Shuai, it's so enjoyable...so enjoyable."
Wang Pu was not breathing evenly, and his words were still intermittent. He continued: "It is better... to follow Zhang Shuai to kill the slaves, which is more exciting... to be more energetic... to kill the slaves like this... What a happy grudge!
"
Zhang Cheng was in a much stronger state than him, and he had already taken a breath. He said in a calm tone: "Haha, General Wang is so brave. He was fighting in and out of the slave and bandit formation just now, like a god of war."
After being praised by Zhang Cheng, Wang Pu became visibly excited. He jerked upwards and seemed about to stand up. However, he was exhausted from fighting for a long time and could not breathe evenly. He suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell down on the spot.
Fortunately, the soldiers on the side had quick eyesight and quick hands, and stepped forward to support him, thus avoiding embarrassment.
Wang Pu stood there and took a few breaths quietly, feeling a little calm, and then he said vigorously: "Everyone says that 'slaves and thieves are invincible', but in my opinion it's not true.
Zhang Shuai, why don't you assemble your army and kill the generals again, and kill them in one go until the slaves and thieves cry, howl, and leave no trace of armor behind, so that he can know the power of our Xuan army and hurry back to Shenyang City in disgrace."
Zhang Cheng looked at Wang Pu's appearance, shook his head secretly, and thought to himself: This person is really not worthy of praise, and he will get angry when he praises him.
He also stood up with the support of the soldiers on the side, looked at the smoke and dust everywhere in the north, and said: "Today's battle, I declare that the army is indeed marching in danger, it can be said to be extremely dangerous."
After a while, Zhang Chengcai continued: "Fortunately, Li Jiyu and He Zhenxiong fulfilled their mission and successfully drove away the slave thieves, broke down the trench wall, and welcomed the soldiers and horses of the ancestral commander in the city to break out.
It seems that the war in Jinzhou is finally coming to an end!"
Wang Pu had also recovered some strength at this time. He asked with a little worry: "Shuai Zhang, what should we do next? Do we want to fight the slave again?"
Zhang Cheng smiled and said to him: "I have just reported back that the Mongolian Tatars with red flags have rushed to the south gate of Jinzhou, and they also found that the Tatars with red flags from Manchuria and white flags from Mongolia are galloping towards Daishan.
.
It looks like there will be another battle before dark."
Wang Pu was shocked when he heard this and said: "Ningyuan General Wu's side was defeated. How come Dorgon still has the strength to support Dai Shan, an old immortal?"
Zhang Cheng shook his head and said: "Commander Wu, Commander Cao's side may not have been defeated. It's just that I assisted the King of Liao's division to cross the Hebei Province first, and then fought fiercely for two consecutive days. The troops will be exhausted and their fighting strength will not be as good as before.
The slaves and thieves stick to the north bank, waiting for work, and they are best at outdoor battles, so they naturally have a slight advantage. We are very lucky that today's battle has ended like this."
He turned his head and looked at the setting sun in the west, and said: "At most, for an hour, as long as we can hold the South Pass, there may be no need to fight again tomorrow."
In Wang Pu's puzzled eyes, Zhang Cheng called the military officer Zhang Chengfang and asked: "Has the military report been sent to the governor?"
"Come back to Marshal, I've already reported it. General Zhang Qian of Supervisory Biao Camp sent someone back to the camp." Zhang Chengfang replied.
When Wang Pu heard that he mentioned Zhang Zhongping, the Commander-in-Chief of Qian who was supervising Biao Camp, he actually became somewhat interested. He looked around for a while, but when he saw that he was not nearby, he said with a sinister smile: "This supervisor who came from the Governor's camp is also
You are brave, you have contributed a lot in today's battle, and you are worthy of being a trusted general in Hong Governor Biao's camp."
As Wang Pu said, although Zhang Zhongping, the Qian Commander in charge of the Biao Camp, was sent by Hong Chengchou to urge Wang Pu to cross the Hebei Province as soon as possible, he was left behind to monitor whether he was doing his best.
At first, Wang Pu was extremely bored with him and disliked him very much. However, in the final decisive battle, Zhang Zhongping was able to lead the accompanying soldiers from the Supervisor Battalion, rush into the battlefield with Zhang Cheng and Wang Pu, and fight to the death.
It was precisely because of this that Wang Pu's view of them changed greatly, and he secretly admired them in his heart.
After this battle, Wang Pu seems to have changed. Although he still loves beauty as before, and there are many exaggerated expressions in his style, compared with his previous styles, he has become much more restrained.
Zhang Cheng glanced at Wang Pu and said, "Commander Wang, please rest here for a while while I go to arrange military affairs for each battalion."
After he finished speaking, he strode eastward. Wang Pu was stunned for a moment, then strode forward to chase him, shouting: "Wang Pu, follow Zhang Shuai."
…………
At the end of Shen Shi, the sun had already set at the edge of the wilderness in the west. It was just before dark, the sky and the earth were dim, and everything was shrouded in haze.
After the last battle before sunset, the Qing army launched two fierce charges in succession, but they were still unable to recapture the trench defense line outside Nanguan. In the end, they had to give up, otherwise it would be difficult to retreat once the sky completely darkened.
Daishan led the Manchu and Mongolian Tatars to set up camp in the west of Jinzhou City, not far from the camp of Prince Rui Dorgon.
The morale of the Qing army was not high. After two days of fierce fighting, they failed to defeat the Ming reinforcements. Instead, they met outside the Nanguan Pass in Jinzhou.
As a result, the strategy of "encircling the brocade and calling for reinforcements" personally formulated by the Qing Emperor Huang Taiji could no longer be continued. The efforts of the past year and a half were in vain. How could morale not be low? Even the morale of the military had begun to fluctuate.
stand up.
The Qing army's camps are surrounded by the surroundings. The two camps in the middle are Prince Li Daishan Xianghong Banner and Prince Rui Dorgon Zhengbai Banner. Next to their camps are Prince Su Hauge Zhenglan Banner Camp and Wuying County Camp.
King Azige's camp with white flags.
Right in the middle of the Manchuria Zhengbai Banner camp is Prince Rui Dorgon's Chinese army tent. Surrounded by numerous Zhengbai Banner Baya soldiers guarding the tent, there is a high woven gold dragon banner.
Hunting in the cold wind.
In the central military tent, the princes of the Qing Dynasty, Baylor, and generals such as Gushan Ezhen of each banner were discussing where to go tomorrow?
Now they are left with only two choices.
One is to take advantage of the fact that the Ming army has not yet all gathered outside the South Pass of Jinzhou, launch a fierce attack, and retake the Jinnan defense line lost during the day. Only in this way can we continue to besiege Jinzhou and wait for opportunities to defeat the Ming reinforcements.
The second option is to retreat to Yizhou and look for opportunities to fight again. After all, if the Jinnan defense line cannot be recaptured as soon as possible, once the main force of the Ming army is gathered here, it will be too disadvantageous for the Qing army.
However, the Ming army could rely on the fortified city of Jinzhou to form a defensive formation. The inside and outside of the city were at the horns of each other. They could also continuously transport grain, grass and fuelwood from Songshan Mountain to Jinzhou City through the Xiaoling River.
If we simply fight for consumption, the Qing Dynasty still can't afford it!
During the military meeting, the faction headed by Prince Su Ge and Prince Azige of Wuying County insisted on fighting again tomorrow and must retake the lost trench wall defense line in Jinnan, and strongly opposed the withdrawal of troops back to Uiju.
As for the opinion of withdrawing troops, the most supportive ones were the princes and Taijis of the Mongolian tribes in the outer vassals. They were originally lured and forced by the Qing Dynasty to join the war.
Now, seeing that if they continue to fight, they will only continue to lose troops and generals, with no benefit at all. They don't want to continue to make unnecessary sacrifices here.
A tough battle like this is not as tempting as when Chongzhen entered the Ming Dynasty to plunder the mainland in the eleventh year.
If you can rob money and people, it doesn't matter even if you suffer some battle damage. After all, you may not be the one who dies, and as long as you don't die, you can rob a large amount of gold, silver, wealth, men, and women. Why not do it?
But this time in the Battle of Jinzhou, what they faced was the fortified city of Jinzhou and the hundreds of thousands of elite Ming soldiers who aided the Liao Dynasty. If they had not succeeded in their ingenuity, even if they could completely defeat the Ming army, it would have been a disaster.
win.
But what if we win?
Jinzhou City has been defended for more than a year and a half, and all supplies such as grain and grain have long been exhausted. And the personal property of those generals must be placed in Ningyuan and other cities in the rear. How could they stay in this dangerous place on the front line?
Then there is Dingkou. Apart from the Liao soldiers under Zu Dashou, how many young men and women are there in Jinzhou City now?
Although in Songshan, Xingshan, Gaoqiao and other places, especially in the cities and fortresses around Ningyuan further back, there is indeed some gold, silver, silk and Dingkou that can be plundered.
But there are fortified cities everywhere, so how can they be easily conquered?
It is precisely because of these reasons that all the Mongolian tribes in the outer vassal disapproved of continuing to waste time with the Ming army outside Jinzhou City. They all wished to withdraw their troops so that they could take their warriors home. Preserving their own strength was their true intention.
idea.
Even some affiliated Mongolian tribes and auspices have spoken out in favor of withdrawing their troops, and the Eight Mongolian Banners, each of which has its own stronghold in the mountain front, has no shortage of people who agree with the withdrawal of troops.
Although Haug and Azig were so angry that they jumped on their feet and scolded them as "cowards", they still couldn't change their minds.
Prince Li Daishan was sitting on the big chair next to Dorgon. He was stroking his beard and meditating while peeking at Dorgon from the corner of his eyes, but he himself never said a word.
Dorgon was similar to Daishan. He allowed everyone to argue in the military tent without saying a word to support which side or to stop which side.
However, he was also secretly squinting at Daishan. Seeing that he was smiling, he never expressed his stance. He couldn't help but curse in his heart: "It's so old and slippery, like an old fox!"