That was the moment the result of the Battle of Daxingzhuang came out.
Huang Taiji felt cold all over.
It's as cold as being fished out of an ice cave.
I lost five or six kilograms that day, my head turned gray, and my whole body shriveled up. The bright and ambitious light in my eyes disappeared, leaving only endless turbidity and decay.
As if he had been struck down by something, he no longer had the confidence and fighting spirit he once had.
Lost.
Because the elite of the Eight Banners Headquarters were defeated.
The 20,000 elite Manchu Jurchens failed to destroy the 8,000-strong Xu family army. Instead, they themselves suffered 18,000 losses, nearly annihilating the entire army.
If this is just an ordinary fiasco, Huang Taiji can accept it even if the casualties are large. After all, there are still more than 40,000 elites in his clan, and the foundation is still there, and he can recover after more than ten years of rest.
But the way he lost the battle was unacceptable to him, and he couldn't find any excuse to hypnotize himself.
Hand-to-hand combat.
The elite of the Eight Banners Headquarters lost in close combat. Their own force advantage was three to four times, but they were completely defeated in close combat!
If firearms are not as good as humans and you are defeated by firearms, it is acceptable.
If the number of troops is not superior, and the opponent outnumbers the opponent, and the defeat is due to insufficient numbers, it is also acceptable.
The result was that in close combat, which the Eight Banners elites were best at, were most proud of, and considered themselves invincible, they lost completely, and the Xu family army was at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.
How could Huang Taiji find excuses to comfort himself?
The Xu family's army of only 8,000 could defeat the 20,000 elite troops of the Eight Banners headquarters without relying on the power of firearms and just melee combat. What if the Xu family's army used a large number of firearms? What if the Xu family's army sent more troops, such as 20,000 to 30,000 people, specifically to follow them?
Did Da Jin oppose him and march directly into Liaodong? What could the Eight Banners use to resist the Xu family's army? Can all the soldiers of the clan be effective?
No matter how he imagined it, Huang Taiji could only come to an extremely desperate conclusion and could not see the slightest possibility of defeating Xu Jiajun.
Because the most important pillar of confidence in his heart has been shattered, he can no longer deceive himself and others.
So what to do next?
withdraw.
Withdraw your troops immediately! Return to Liaodong and never plan to break into the Pass and never cross the Great Wall again.
But running away in a hurry is not an option!
The news of the defeat of the elite of this unit must not be spread and must be kept strictly confidential.
In particular, it must not be known by the Eight Banners of Mongolia and the troops who surrendered to the Han Dynasty, otherwise there will be big troubles, because the number of these vassal forces exceeds 100,000, which is much more than the Eight Banners headquarters. Once trouble occurs, the Eight Banners headquarters will be difficult to control now.
Hold on tight.
We can only release false information internally, saying that the Xu family's silver-armored army has been defeated and annihilated, with only some casualties, and that the Ming Dynasty's King Qin's army is getting larger and larger, and it will be dangerous to continue to stay. This robbery has also gained a lot.
Feng, it is better to accept it when it is good, and there is no need to continue to entangle with the Ming army.
"Okay, we have robbed enough this time, we can go back."
"It's okay not to fight, it's okay not to fight."
"The bright Ming Dynasty cannot be conquered by wiping out a few Qinwang armies. It is better to work step by step and slowly weaken it. To rob it once a year is the best way to weaken the Ming Dynasty."
"Go back, go back! Winter is about to come, and the road will be difficult to walk when it snows."
The decision to retreat was supported by the vast majority of the Mongolians who surrendered to the Han army. In other words, it was exactly what they wanted, because they had so much harvest and their pockets were full. They didn’t have much will to fight now and just wanted to go back as soon as possible.
, stay safe and share the results with your family.
But they will not realize that the moment they make the decision to retreat, they become abandoned.
There were more than 40,000 Eight Banners troops left, carrying the most valuable belongings and running at the front as fast as possible.
The Eight Banners of Mongolia behind them surrendered to the Han army. Although they sensed something was wrong, they just couldn't move faster.
The grain in the cart is too bulky, but it cannot be thrown away. The grain must be taken to Liaodong, which is short of food.
The captured Han women with small feet walked slowly, but were too beautiful to let go or kill. They had to be taken back to be their concubines.
There are also livestock such as cattle and sheep, which are important properties. It is really difficult to abandon them and must be taken away.
As for walking slowly, just go slower. Those timid and cowardly troops of the Ming Dynasty didn't even dare to go out of the city to fight in the field. How dare they catch up?
So I slowly walked to October 5th.
The total distance moved was less than a hundred miles, and they did not even leave the territory of Changping.
From a distance, one could feel that the extremely elite imperial army was surrounding them from all sides.
Inside was the Xujiazhuang Silver Armored Army, each armed with a horse-cutting sword, which was said to have been annihilated by the elite of the Eight Banners Headquarters. Not only did they reappear today, but their numbers did not decrease significantly.
In addition, there are also very elite Guan Ning cavalry, numbering more than 10,000, which is much more than the Mongolian cavalry left behind on their side.
Inside the Changping logistics camp.
Standing on the wooden building.
Tong Yangzhen, the leader of the Han army, looked at all this with a pale face.
In fact, the moment the Xu family's silver armor army appeared again, he knew that he had been deceived, played by Huang Taiji and the others, and became an outcast who helped them become the queen.
The Xu family's Silver Armor Army was not defeated at all, but it was the elite of the Eight Banners Headquarters who returned with a disastrous defeat!
Otherwise, Huang Taiji and the others would not have announced a retreat in a hurry and would have run as fast as possible.
"Go and tell Geng Geer (Mongolian general) that Zu Dashou is happy for them and be ready for battle. We are going to fight a bloody battle!"
Tong Yangzhen ordered that if we don't fight to the death today, no one will be able to return to Liaodong.
"It's not good!"
A soldier came over in a panic and said: "General! Zu Dashou and Shang Kexi announced that there was a sudden rebellion anyway. They are attacking the Mongols and will be here soon!"
Tong Yangzhen was shocked. He immediately heard chaos in the camp and shouts of killing.
The tens of thousands of imperial troops outside also began to charge and attack. Under attack from both inside and outside, even those who were loyal to Hou Jin and surrendered to the Han army were quickly defeated and either died in battle or surrendered and were captured without mercy.
Tong Yangzhen had no choice but to draw his sword and kill himself.
…
In just one hour.
After the Jin army's Changping camp was breached, they killed 7,000 Mongolian cavalry and 5,000 iron soldiers who surrendered to the Han army. The remaining more than 40,000 surrendered to the Han army. Under the leadership of Zu Dashou and Shang Kexi, they announced their surrender anyway.
, to return allegiance to the Ming Dynasty.
Lu Xiangsheng was extremely disdainful of these two despicable people who were good at repeated leaps and bounds, and advocated that they be beheaded or tied up in Beijing and handed over to the court for disposal.
"Have mercy, we know we were wrong!"
"We will never betray the Ming Dynasty again. If we violate our oath, we will be struck by thunder and die badly!"
Zu Dashu and Shang Kexi both knelt down and begged for mercy and life.
Cao Wenzhao, Wu Xiang, Zu Dabi, Wang Yinghui and others who all belonged to the Guan Ning army system interceded for Zu Dashou, saying that it was a good idea to kill Zu Dashou. Zu Dashou had extenuating circumstances, so it was better to spare his life and let him serve his crime.
"Leader Shi, I think it would be better to kill all these people. They have shaved their heads for a long time and have made money after joining for many years. They are no doubt like the Tatars. Their heads can definitely be exchanged for 50 taels of silver."
"That's right, there were originally 50,000 to 60,000 heads to behead, but these two bastards suddenly changed their minds and ruined our plan to make money!"
"These people have committed heinous crimes and have Han blood on their hands. They are the most hateful and murderable people."
What the three commander-in-chiefs Yang Yufan, Wang Hong, and Deng Qi said made Zu Dashou and Shang Kexi frightened, and they had to kowtow to confess their crimes and beg for their lives.
"Leader Shi, tell me what to do. It's up to you to decide."
Lu Xiangsheng looked at the superior Shi Yong and still felt awkward. After all, he was a high-ranking official in the imperial court and a senior general. However, he ended up obeying the orders of a general from a businessman's power. This made him feel absurd and ridiculous, but he had to
Abide by the agreement and temporarily obey the orders and arrangements of this historical leader.
Cao Wenzhao, Wu Xiang and others also had a similar sense of absurdity.
Only the three generals, Yang, Wang, and Deng, who had cooperated more with Xujiazhuang, did not feel there was anything wrong, and instead actively responded and obeyed.
Because it was so pleasant to work with Xujiazhuang, there was no need for them to fight for leadership.
Moreover, Xujiazhuang's accompanying caravan can ensure that logistics supplies are always sufficient, can help you realize your loot in a timely manner, can pay bounties immediately without a moment's delay, and can also provide extremely accurate information to make efficient and correct decisions.
When cooperating with Xujiazhuang, there is no need to fight for dominance. Just sit back and win comfortably. You can also make a fortune, so why bother with extraneous matters.
Seeing so many generals of the imperial court, senior officials looked at me, waiting for me to make a decision.
Shi Yong thought for a while and said: "Let these surrendered Han troops serve as vanguards to attack Juyong Pass. Huang Taiji sent three thousand Eight Banners elites to defend after Juyong Pass, with his eldest son Hauge as the guard, and then
The main force of the Jin army hasn't gone far yet. If we can break through Juyong Pass as quickly as possible, we can catch up with Huang Taiji, forcing them to leave something behind and not even think about returning to Liaodong safely."
"As for these surrendered Han troops, let them die. Their heads can be used in exchange for rewards, which will also greatly reduce our casualties during the attack. We will achieve multiple goals with one stone. What do you think?"
Shi Yong said.
"Okay, there's nothing better than recycling waste." Lu Xiangsheng nodded.
"Hahaha, these troops who surrendered to the Han were originally used by the slaves to attack the city. Now they are back to their old profession." Yang Yufan laughed.
Cao Wenzhao, Wu Xiang and others opened their eyes in disbelief. Xujiazhuang's style of doing things can really be called "pragmatic". If it were any civil servant from the imperial court who came to lead the troops, he would never do anything like this.
The decision to surrender troops to fight a war of attrition is to repay grievances with kindness, give those who surrender good treatment, and have a very tolerant attitude. They will use surrender troops to consume the enemy's army. They cannot do such things that are not in line with the benevolence of saints.
But this Shi Yong did not hesitate to consume these surrendered soldiers, and even wanted to kill them, and he would not let them go even if they died.
Regarding this style of conduct, Cao Wenzhao, Wu Xiang and others did not object to rejection. Instead, they were glad to be on the side of Xujiazhuang instead of becoming opponents, otherwise it would be an absolute nightmare.
Zu Dashou and Shang Kexi also widened their eyes, finding it difficult to accept such an arrangement. Just as they were about to express their dissatisfaction, they saw Lu Xiangsheng, Yang Yufan and others putting their hands on the handles of their knives, shrouded in countless murderous auras. They had no choice but to accept the arrangement and behave obediently.
Accept your fate.
…
October 6th.
At the foot of Juyong Pass, there was a loud shout of killing.
"Charge and kill!"
"There are only three thousand defenders, and our number is more than ten times their number. As long as we work hard, we will definitely survive!"
"You abandoned us, now we want revenge!"
"This is all forced by you, go to hell!"
"I have wanted to kill you for a long time!"
"..."
Countless Han troops, using simple tools such as ladders, launched an attack on Juyong Pass. Wave after wave of attacks continued from morning to afternoon. Under the small pass, nearly 20,000 corpses were piled up.
It was piled at least five to six meters high, more than half the height of the city wall. It can be said that it was shocking and caused blood to flow like a river.
But these Han troops had no way to retreat anyway. No matter how heavy the casualties were, they could only launch waves of desperate charges, because behind them were the Xu family's army supervising the troops with swords to kill. Anyone who dared to retreat would be killed miserably by the swords.
For example, the leader of the Han army, Shang Kexi, refused to advance and tried to escape with his men, but was chopped in half with a horse-cutting sword.
However, Hauge and other three thousand Eight Banners elites, who were on the defensive in Juyong, fought from morning to afternoon. They had no time to eat and drink water. All their arrows were exhausted. Several of the swords in their hands were cut open. They were tired.
I was exhausted but couldn't stop to rest.
Moreover, under the attack of many Han troops, the 3,008 elite bannermen have been reduced by half, and now only 1,500 are left, and all of them are exhausted to the limit.
"Hold on a little longer, Father Khan wants us to hold on until the eighth day, and we have to hold on for two more days!"
Hauge cheered everyone up.
suddenly!
Many iron lumps, emitting white smoke, were thrown onto the top of the city, and one of them landed at Hauge's feet.
Haug realized something was wrong, but his exhausted body couldn't react, so he heard a loud roar!
"Master Belle!"
"Lord Beile has become a few pieces. Lord Beile died in the battle!"
"Boom boom boom boom!"
More grenades were thrown onto the city, and Xu Jiajun took action. Because it was getting late, the Juyongguan siege cannot be postponed until tomorrow.
"Kill!"
With the help of these grenades, this wave of Han troops finally rushed to Juyong Pass, successfully gained a foothold, and quickly killed all the remaining Eight Banners elites, with only a few of them escaping.
…
The morning of October 8th.
Outside Longmenkou.
Just led more than 40,000 Eight Banners headquarters troops and a group of high-value captured Houjin troops into the vast and desolate prairie.
Huang Taiji, Daishan, Dorgon, Shuotuo and others just breathed a sigh of relief.
Two bad news came on the back foot!
Juyongguan fell, and Bellehaug, who was in charge of breaking up the rear, and three thousand elite troops were completely wiped out.
Lu Xiangsheng is leading the Tianxiong Army in pursuit, and he is very fast, and he will catch up soon!
"Pfft~!"
Huang Taiji spurted out a mouthful of blood.
He was already in poor health, was overweight, and was probably suffering from diabetes, heart disease and other diseases. His vision went dark and he fell into a long darkness.