Of the three main forces on the Korean battlefield, if you say which one is the easiest, it must be the Fifth Division.
The Fifth Division was the last to join the battlefield, and the first thing it faced was the remnants of the Korean army.
After clearing the Jeolla Province and Chungcheong Province, the Fifth Division took advantage of the situation and moved northward, filling the gap between the 1st Marine Division and the 4th Marine Division.
Facing the fifth division that suddenly appeared, Dorgon had no time to mobilize his troops and had to let Tan Tai block it.
Tan Tai's troops are now stationed in Yangping and have deployed defenses along the Han River.
The Fifth Division attacked several times in succession, but failed to complete the crossing. It seemed that they were in a confrontation with Tan Tai.
But Lou Fu is not someone who is content with the status quo, and the Fifth Division did not come to Korea just to enjoy the scenery.
Therefore, when both the northern and southern fronts were fighting, Lou Fu felt that this should be a God-given opportunity for the Fifth Division.
Since Tan Tai had few troops in front of him and could only hold on, Lou Fu boldly divided his troops.
He asked Yi Guozheng to lead the 17th Regiment and add a large number of North Korean recruits to pretend to be the main force and confuse Tan Tai on the west bank of the Han River.
And he himself led the main force in a major detour.
Don't forget that Yuanzhou is in the hands of the Xia army, and opposite Yuanzhou, the Qing army in Hengcheng has already retreated, so there is a huge gap between Yangping and Hengcheng.
Lou Fu is like a vicious wolf, looking for the weak points of his opponents to attack.
He led an army of 30,000 people and rushed in from this empty space.
If he leads his army westward, he will definitely be able to make Tan Tai's dumplings.
But in his eyes, how much is Tan Tai worth?
He has only one goal.
[Fight to Hongchuan and capture Dorgon alive!]
As soon as this slogan was raised, the entire Fifth Division felt as if they had been given a shot of blood, and their advance speed accelerated a lot.
This alone was not enough, Lou Fu even ordered the entire army to abandon their bags, pack lightly, and march towards Hongchuan.
He has the confidence to dare to do this.
Intelligence departments lurking in various places have already become active.
They mobilized the Koreans who hated the Qing army and prepared food and drinking water along the road, so that the Fifth Division did not have to worry about supply problems even if it did not carry food and grass.
"Leave your bags behind and someone will pick them up."
People from the Ministry of Intelligence stood on the roadside, shouting with loudspeakers.
The officers and soldiers of the Fifth Division who rushed in from a distance, when they got closer, threw their heavy luggage on the roadside without saying a word.
My body felt relaxed and my running speed became faster.
When they got further ahead, there was already hot food waiting for them.
In order not to delay the march of the Fifth Division, the food prepared was potatoes.
This kind of thing is steamed in a big pot in one go, then the skin is peeled off, and it can be eaten in a few bites.
Moreover, to eat potatoes, you don’t need bowls and chopsticks; the running soldiers can just hold them with their hands.
Drinking water is also replenished quickly.
The Intelligence Department prepared a large number of kettles in advance, filled them with water, and placed them on the roadside.
Soldiers who were short of water ran over, threw away the water bottles they carried with them, replaced them with ones full of water, and could move forward again without stopping almost every step.
The kettles they leave behind will be cleaned and filled again by the Intelligence Department and left for those behind.
This repeated cycle ensures water supply for the entire army.
In order to accomplish this great feat, everyone in the Fifth Division worked hard.
They set out from Yuanzhou and walked hurriedly, covering one hundred and sixty miles in one day and one night, and arrived at a small village called Guiwangli.
This place is absolutely critical.
Because going north from here, along the official road, there is less than two hundred miles to Chuncheon, and less than eighty miles to the northeast is Hongcheon.
No matter which direction the Fifth Division moves, it will bring disaster to the Qing army.
It seemed like a difficult choice, but Lou Fu quickly made up his mind.
"I have said that I will capture Dorgon alive, and I will fight to the end. Order the entire army to rest for an hour, then continue to advance and go straight to Hongchuan."
This choice is also carefully considered.
Although Chunchuan was the key point of the entire battle, Lou Fu did not dare to consider how much strength there was left to devote to the counterattack, considering that the Third and Fourth Marine Regiments on the Western Front were insufficient in strength and had been fighting a defensive battle for so long.
Convinced.
It is very likely that he led his troops to capture Chunchuan, but the 3rd and 4th Marine Regiments were unable to counterattack and instead let Duduo escape.
In this case, it is better to attack Hongchuan and steal the Qing army's retreat on the southern front.
After all, there were fully 200,000 Qing allied troops on the southern front.
As long as the Qing army group on the southern front is defeated, the outcome of the entire war will be determined.
Dorgon woke up leisurely and felt shaking underneath his body, and the sound of the wheels turning was clearly audible.
"Where is this?"
Ah Shan came closer, with a worried look on his face.
"Your Majesty, this slave has made the decision and abandoned Hongchuan. We are returning north."
Dorgon got up and panicked.
"What about Yu Yanli's army?"
Ah Shan reported quickly.
"I have asked Tu Lai, Nikan and others to lead the army to retreat to the northeast, and at the same time notified Prince Su to retreat together. If nothing else happens, they will meet at Linti."
Upon hearing this arrangement, Dorgon couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
If all the 200,000 troops were lost here, he would not be able to shoulder this responsibility.
Now he woke up and immediately began to take charge of military affairs.
"How's it going with Tan Tai?"
In the current battlefield situation, with Ashdar Khan, Turai and others retreating eastward, and with Brother Hao supporting them, there won't be any major changes.
On the contrary, the most dangerous person is Tan Tai who is in Yangping.
Ashan is worthy of being a veteran of Zhengbai Banner, and his arrangements made Dorgon very satisfied.
"My slave has asked Tan Tai's son-in-law to withdraw to Gapyeong and join Prince Yu. Prince Yu will carry the grain and grass supplies from Chunchuan to the north and withdraw to Hwachuan. At the same time, he will clear the Xia army in Yangkou and ensure the retreat of Prince Su and others.
"
"What did the emperor say?"
What Dorgon is most concerned about is Huang Taiji's attitude.
At this point in the battle, the Qing army could be said to have completely lost. The next thing to consider is how to preserve more soldiers and horses so that the Qing Dynasty can retain its vitality.
"The Emperor has sent General Tong to go south quickly and will set up a formation in Cheorwon. Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Our army will have no worries about its retreat."
After fully understanding the situation, Dorgon finally felt relieved. At the same time, his body felt weak and he slowly fell asleep again.
As the Qing army retreated, there was no longer any obstacle in front of the Xia army.
The Fourth Division finally completely occupied Yuyanli and opened the road to Hongchuan and Chunchuan.
However, the Fourth Division also suffered heavy losses, with more than 11,000 casualties, and had to stop and redo repairs.
"Tell Lou Fu, don't stop. Destroy as many enemies as you can."
The Fourth Division was unable to fight anymore, and the task of chasing down the remaining enemies was assigned to the Fifth Division by Liu Yiyuan.
Lou Fu received the general's order, and now he completely let go of his hands and feet.
Just one day later, the Fifth Division occupied Chuncheon and Hongcheon, completely turning the southern and northern lines into one.
From this moment on, Xia Jun's victory finally became a fact.