"How many soldiers are there?" Huang Degong continued to ask.

Although he already knew about Dorgon's military strength, he was not sure whether the other side had increased its troops during this period.

If he adds more troops, he will need to change his tactics.

To be on the safe side, it is better to ask clearly.

"About twenty thousand."

"That's good!" Huang Degong breathed a sigh of relief.

"When does Brother Huang plan to have a decisive battle with Dorgon? What can I do to help Brother Huang?" Tang Tong asked sincerely.

In the eyes of Ming Dynasty scholars, Juyongguan is known as the most important pass in the world, with a strategic location that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Since he could stop Li Zicheng's army of more than 100,000 with the pass, he could also stop Duoduo.

As long as you complete the task assigned by Huang Degong, it will be a great achievement!

It makes sense whether you are talking to your superiors or subordinates.

Huang Degong immediately said: "If I'm not mistaken, Duoduo will attack Juyongguan starting from tomorrow. Brother Tang needs to stop Duoduo. Only in this way can I deal with Dorgon with peace of mind."

Tang Tong bowed his hands earnestly and said, "Brother Huang, rest assured. As long as I am alive, I will not let the Jian Nu set foot on the Great Wall!"

Huang Degong didn't care whether Tang Tong was telling the truth or not. He stood up and talked politely to Tang Tong.

Believe it or not, he has no choice.

However, judging from Tang Tong's performance in blocking Li Zicheng at Juyongguan for several days, this man was still loyal to the Ming Dynasty.

The two chatted until the evening, and after a few drinks, they went back to rest.

The next day before dawn, Huang Degong was awakened by the sound of artillery fire coming from the north.

The personal soldiers outside the door soon brought news: Duoduo was attacking the north gate of Juyongguan!

"With Tang Tong guarding us, don't worry! Continue to rest for a day, and go out of the South Pass to fight Dorgon tomorrow."

By noon, the sound of artillery fire gradually subsided.

After Tang Tong came back, he looked very relaxed and continued to drink with Huang Degong.

At the beginning of the Yin hour, the soldiers under Huang Degong began to cook and prepare weapons.

At the end of the Yin hour, more than 30,000 infantrymen came out of the pass and formed a battle line under the cover of darkness.

By the time it got light, 35,000 infantrymen had assembled!

The Ming army was divided into three armies: left, center and right.

The left wing had 10,000 infantry, the center had 15,000, and the right wing also had 10,000.

Every 200 people formed a small square, and dozens of squares formed a large square. The squares formed in this way were of equal length on all four sides, so that the flanks and rear would not be easily defeated when fighting against cavalry.

Each formation has a chariot in the front, followed by a mixed group of soldiers consisting of firearms, swords and shields, and spearmen.

The crossbowmen were hiding in the formation, and behind them stood an equal number of mixed arms soldiers, including sword and shield soldiers and spearmen.

Three huge square formations were lined up in a row south of Juyongguan.

Dorgon had received the news long ago. Except for the infantry and baggage soldiers, all the other 20,000 Eight Banners soldiers had already formed up and were waiting for orders.

The formation on Dorgon's side was very simple. The infantry stayed in the camp and did not leave, while the cavalry lined up in a row looking for opportunities.

"That's not right. Why are there suddenly fewer Huang Degong's cavalrymen?" Dorgon had a telescope in his hand and scanned the Ming army's formation more than ten times, but only found two or three thousand cavalrymen.

Fan Wencheng, Ajige, and Ebilun all looked for a while with their clairvoyance and shook their heads.

"Could it be that Huang Degong's main cavalry force was destroyed by Prince Yu?" Ebilun couldn't help but say.

Fan Wencheng shook his head: "Impossible! Those cavalrymen are more valuable than Huang Degong's life. He will not make such a mistake."

"The only possibility is that Huang Degong hid him and planned to attack us unexpectedly."

Dorgon, Ajige, Ebilun, Shi Tingzhu and others nodded in agreement.

"But," Ajige said with a smile on his face, "the total number of Ming army infantry is only over 10,000, and the rest are infantry. What can infantry do against cavalry even if they have several times the number of troops? If they win, they can't catch up, and if they lose, they can't escape."

"In this battle, the Ming army will surely be defeated!"

Although Ajige's words contained some boasting, such inspiring words were still supported by others.

Seeing that the Ming army had already formed up, Dorgon ordered: "Ajige, I will give you 5,000 cavalry as the right wing; Ebilun, I will give you 5,000 cavalry as the left wing; the rest of the troops will be with me in the center."

"Everyone must obey orders!"

"Yeah!" Ajige and Ebilun responded at the same time.

"After the two armies start fighting, remember to shoot arrows from thirty steps away. Don't use arrows close to the face. The Ming army's grenades can be thrown twenty to thirty steps away. The war horses will be frightened by the grenades."

"If we are defeated, withdraw immediately. The Ming army's infantry cannot catch up with us. Even if they send cavalry to pursue us, we can gain the advantage through numbers."

"I'll repeat this important thing again. If you lose the upper hand, you must retreat without hesitation!"

As soon as Dorgon finished his instructions, the Ming army began to move forward.

The 10,000-strong infantry phalanx on the left wing of the Ming army slowly started up, entered the battlefield first, and attacked in the direction of the Jiannu cavalry.

The right wing of the Jiannu army, corresponding to the left wing of the Ming army, was led by Ajige.

He led five thousand cavalrymen on horseback, their bright armor reflecting a dazzling light in the early morning sun.

The flags fluttered in the wind.

The war horses neighed under the flag and stomped the ground with their front hooves, unable to hide their excitement just like their owners.

Boom boom!

Ten thousand Ming troops marched in unison, shouting in unison: "The Ming army is mighty! The Ming army is mighty!"

The shouts soared into the sky and then fell to the ground like thunder, shocking everyone.

Woo!

The attack horn sounded.

Ebilun brandished his sword and shouted: "The Qing Dynasty is mighty! The Eight Banners are mighty!"

"The Qing Dynasty is mighty! The Eight Banners are mighty!"

Five thousand Eight Banners soldiers responded in unison, with whistles rising one after another.

"Kill!" Ebilun drew his sword and swung it fiercely, then took the lead and rushed forward on his horse.

Seeing this, the five thousand cavalrymen immediately followed.

The Eight Banners Cavalry started, ran, accelerated, and accelerated again.

The sound of trumpets, shouts, neighing of war horses, and the sound of iron hooves gradually intertwined together, forming an indescribable roar.

Boom! Boom!

The fast-moving cavalry raised up thick dust, and amid the flashing swords, the horses’ hooves galloped like rain, with an extremely huge momentum!

Huang Degong was holding the clairvoyance with an extremely serious expression.

It was not until this moment that he believed that he had encountered the elite among the elite of the Eight Banners!

If the cavalry under Duoduo's command were at the same level as the Guanning Iron Cavalry, then the cavalry under Dorgon's command were roughly equivalent to the Liaodong Iron Cavalry of that time.

Apart from the skills and tactics, it is not clear for the time being, but their voice and momentum are not much worse than those of the Liaodong cavalry back then.

The Ming army moved forward, and the Eight Banners cavalry also charged forward!

The two armies meet!