Therefore, Zhu Youxiao was not afraid of losing the battle. As long as the defeat was not complete and the casualties were equal, it would be an unbearable "victory" for the Jiannu.

The ship slowly approached the shore and finally dropped anchor. Small boats slowly approached and began to load and unload supplies and carry personnel.

Zhao Huizu and others landed on the shore in a small boat, and military police immediately came forward to guide them, looking at them with awe.

Officers with a martial arts background have slightly different uniforms, but what is more eye-catching are the badges they wear and the imperial daggers at their waists.

The officers of the cavalry department were given imperial sabers, and those of the infantry department were given imperial command swords, demonstrating their pride in being "disciples of the emperor."

"It's so busy!" Zhang Jun looked around and saw carts coming and going for transport, and horses pulling artillery carriages. The busyness was filled with tension and a pre-war atmosphere.

Zhao Huizu nodded without saying anything. The atmosphere infected him and he was no longer as relaxed as he was on the boat.

But he is completely different from when he first went to the battlefield last year. From a dude who was just filling in the gaps, he has become an officer commanding artillery. How can this be justified?

……………………

Even with cavalry covering the battlefield and spying, the Ming army's advance in western Liaoning could not prevent the Jiannu from obtaining information. However, the intelligence was not accurate and detailed, so they could only make guesses.

But the Later Jin were preparing to fight, not to attack, based on a fake newspaper that contained false information.

With the help of Liaozhen, Dongjiang, Dengzhen and Jinzhen, the siege and blockade of the Later Jin Dynasty has been completed.

Despite losing the Lüda area, the Later Jin was still able to hold on except for the shortage of supplies, and on the surface still occupied a large area of ​​land in Liaodong.

The situation was certainly unfavorable, but if we were to say how bad it was, there were still disagreements and debates among the top leaders of the Later Jin Dynasty.

However, since Huang Taiji launched a tentative attack in southern Liaoning and then quickly retreated, most Later Jin generals became afraid of actively attacking cities or positions held by the Ming army.

Using a short attack against a long one was not only unwise, but also costly, exhausted supplies, and demoralizing. It was not surprising that the Later Jin generals came to this conclusion after a series of setbacks in their offensives.

Zaisanggu and Dergelei were high-ranking figures killed in action, and many more mid- and low-ranking officers perished. Not to mention the Four Beile, even the Khan was defeated at the gates of Ningyuan. Doesn't this speak volumes?

Therefore, when they learned that the Ming army in western Liaoning was making unusual movements and seemed to be advancing to Dalinghhe City, most of the Later Jin generals advocated waiting and watching.

Only Huang Taiji advocated launching a sudden and fierce attack before the Ming army repaired the city, in order to achieve a long-awaited victory and boost morale.

"Fourth Prince, you led your troops to attack southern Liaoning. It seems the Ming army has no strong cities to rely on, right?" Dabeier Daishan took the lead in another military meeting. "Why did you retreat so quickly after the first battle?"

Before Huang Taiji could defend himself, Daishan said, "Besides, the newspapers say that the Ming court has mobilized elite troops from the nine frontiers to join the war in Liao. That's at least tens of thousands of troops, right? Taking the initiative to attack now is like banging your head against a wall, isn't it?"

Huang Taiji frowned and said, "The Ming army in southern Liaoning does not have a strong city or red-haired cannons, but their defensive facilities were built in a long time. They have been quite complete and solid for several months, and their strength is at least equal to ours. Under such circumstances, a fierce attack will only increase casualties."

After a pause, he turned to Amin and said, "Second Prince, you were there at the time. Is what I said true?"

Amin blinked his eyes, scratched his head, and said "hmm" as if to confirm, but also as if to express dissatisfaction.

What Huang Taiji said was true. At that time, even he was unwilling to attack regardless of casualties. But he also disagreed with taking the initiative to attack. Helping Huang Taiji was really against his own will.

"Let's talk about mobilizing the elite troops from the nine frontiers to Liao." Huang Taiji took Amin's agreement and continued, "Looking at the date in the newspaper, can it be completed so quickly? If we don't attack before the enemy gathers, will we have to wait until the main force arrives and then be unable to resist?"

Dai Shan chuckled and said, "Overwhelmed? I don't think so! The Battle of Sarhu also saw a large concentration of Ming troops, but we took advantage of their deep penetration or their separate attacks to defeat them one by one."

Amin nodded vigorously, expressing his full agreement, and said, "Field combat is our army's strength. If the enemy attacks proactively, they will inevitably abandon their strongholds and fortifications, which is a perfect opportunity to defeat them. Moreover, although the Ming army is large, its morale is also mixed. I don't think the various Ming troops can truly unite and support each other."

Jirgalang and Huang Taiji had a very good personal relationship, but since his brother had already spoken, he could only sigh inwardly and was reluctant to step forward to help Huang Taiji.

Similarly, Yuetuo and Sahalian were Daishan’s sons, so how could they stand against their father in public?

Nurhaci listened expressionlessly, just as he had done in the previous military meeting; he hadn't yet revealed any specific inclinations. It was precisely because of this that several of the Beiles were still clinging to their own opinions, refusing to yield to one another.

If Manggurtai were here, with his character and bravery, he would probably support Lao Ba, right?

The thought of this filled the old slave with unspeakable pain. His most valiant son was crippled, no longer able to charge into battle with such majesty.

The debate below continued. Huang Taiji was trying hard to explain the pros and cons, but he was clearly at a disadvantage.

"If we allow the Ming army to advance, Dalinghe City will be rebuilt and equipped with red-haired cannons, making it a fortress that will be difficult to capture." Huang Taiji said with a look of worry on his face, "Then the Ming army will occupy Youtunwei and advance to Guangning. If so, we will be attacked from three sides and be completely passive."

Daishan shook his head and said, "Eighth Brother, you are wrong. When the Ming army abandoned Guangning, Dalinghe, Jinzhou and other places and retreated to Ningyuan, why didn't our army advance and occupy them? Why didn't we destroy the city to stop them?"

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!