Shenyang.

The atmosphere in the conference hall was depressing. Even the old and trusted ministers who had followed Nurhaci in battle for many years could feel Nurhaci's pent-up anger and did not dare to speak casually.

The news of the fall of Fuzhouwei and Gaizhouwei shocked the Later Jin Dynasty. But what made Nurhaci even more furious was that Liu Aita rebelled against the Jin Dynasty and returned to the Ming Dynasty.

If it was just a defeat on the battlefield, the loss of two cities would not be a serious loss. Although it was beyond Nurhaci's expectations, he originally thought that with Daishan's two flags in southern Liaoning, they should be able to withstand the attack of the Ming army.

In Nurhaci's plan, Fuzhouwei and Gaizhouwei were mainly guarded by Han soldiers. As long as they could hold out during the Ming army's landing and siege, the cavalry of the two red flags would rush to support them.

But the heavy blow was Liu Aita's betrayal. He trusted the Han boy so much, promoted him from a slave, took him in as a son-in-law, gave him food and clothes, praised him and promoted him. How could he have raised an ungrateful person?

Being betrayed, especially by someone you trust and are close to, is an absolutely heartbreaking feeling. You want to catch the betrayer right in front of you, denounce his ungratefulness, and then hack him to death.

Despite his immense anger, Nurhaci still harbored a glimmer of hope, hoping the news was false, deliberately spread by the Ming army. The fall of Fuzhouwei and Gaizhouwei had other reasons, and it was definitely not the work of Liu Aita, whom he had entrusted with such an important task.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, the sudden change in southern Liaoning required a response, and it had to be done quickly. With the fall of Fuzhou and Gaizhou, Daishan's troops in southern Liaoning had been cut off from their retreat, and the situation was dire.

Now, Amin had already set out with 5,000 cavalry to reinforce his ally, the Khorchin. Nurhaci was not planning to personally lead his troops out of Shenyang, and his bluff became even more real.

Anyway, the news has been released, and it is unlikely that the Mongolian coalition attacking Khorchin will obtain accurate intelligence so quickly.

Excluding Daishan's two red flags, Huang Taiji and Dudu's two flags, and Amin's troops who were resisting the Ming army outside, there were only less than four flags left in Liaoshen.

Moreover, after several setbacks, although the Later Jin army was still known as the Eight Banners, the number of troops in each banner had been reduced and its strength was no longer as strong.

The Ming army in western Liaoning also had to be on guard. Nurhaci believed that he could only send a half-flag army to southern Liaoning at most, and leave two flags to guard Liaoning, which would make him feel more at ease.

Nurhaci glanced at the gloomy officials and tried to keep his voice calm and steady as he said, "Southern Liaoning is in danger. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share them."

Suggestion? Since it's urgent, send troops to rescue!

Otherwise, abandoning southern Liaoning and implementing a strategic contraction might be the right strategy. Given the strength of the Later Jin, the Ming army could not afford to attrition the enemy even if they launched attacks everywhere.

Everyone pretended to think, no one dared to offer suggestions. How could they, in their high positions, not be aware of the changes in the situation over the past year?

Southern Liaoning was difficult to defend, especially since the Ming army had already established a stronghold in Luda. Furthermore, the Ming navy could choose the right time and place to land and attack, making defense impossible and exhausting.

But southern Liaoning is a fertile land, and we are counting on the autumn harvest to ease the food shortage! If we abandon it, famine will hit by the end of this year, not until next year.

Keeping silent and pretending to be stupid was not a solution. When He Heli realized that the Khan's eyes were on him, he finally had to speak.

He Heli coughed dryly, then bowed and said slowly, "Khan, I believe that southern Liaoning cannot be lost lightly. We should send troops to rescue it immediately. The two red flags of the Great Prince are still in southern Liaoning. Together with the reinforcements, we have a good chance of retaking the lost territory."

Nurhaci nodded slightly to express encouragement and appreciation, and then turned his gaze to Yangguli.

"Khan, I have no doubt that we should urgently send reinforcements," Yangguli said. "But the first batch shouldn't be too large, and should primarily consist of elite cavalry. There's been no news from the Grand Prince, so the specific situation is unclear. If we send a large army, the Liaoxi enemy might take advantage of the situation and attack. We must be on guard."

Yes, the Ming army in western Liaoning has advanced to Guangning. Although it is difficult to march across Liaoze, it is not foolproof.

Nurhaci nodded again, but he was also confused. He didn't know why Daishan didn't send anyone to report back the urgent information, making the situation unclear and making it difficult to make accurate plans.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead 5,000 elite cavalry to Liaonan first." Eyidu bowed and requested, "We will serve as the vanguard to deter the enemy from rampaging; we will also serve as reinforcements to prevent the Grand Prince from fighting alone."

Nurhaci pondered for a while and said, "Very good, you will lead the vanguard first."

As one of the five ministers, Eyidu often served as the vanguard of the army. He had never lost a battle in decades and was deeply trusted by Nurhaci.

After a pause, he added, "The intelligence isn't very clear. Even though this is urgent assistance, we must advance with caution."

"I understand." Eyidu accepted the order respectfully.

Nurhaci caught a glimpse of Li Yongfang sitting next to him and saw that he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then lowered his head slightly and said nothing.

"Fushun Prince Consort." Nurhaci's eyes flashed, and he asked, "What suggestions do you have? Why are you hesitant to speak? Are you worried about your eldest son in Fuzhou?"

Li Yongfang was startled and quickly bowed and replied, "I was just wondering what the main purpose of the Ming army's attacks was. But after much thought, I found it difficult to analyze clearly without sufficient intelligence."

Nurhaci frowned. Li Yongfang had a point. Knowing the real and the fake was a key principle in military strategy, but right now, it was difficult to determine where the Ming army was real and where it was fake.

Since we can't distinguish between the real and the fake, we can only be on guard everywhere, and we can't distinguish the key points when deploying troops. On the surface, it seems that everything is taken care of, but there are some weaknesses. Once a loophole appears, it is not easy to remedy it.

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