Before the emergence of destructive weapons like the atomic bomb, the theory that weapons determine victory was limited and not a decisive factor.
Even in modern times, it is not uncommon to defeat well-equipped troops with simple weapons.
As I said, the victory or defeat of a war depends on people, on the quality, will and spirit of generals and soldiers.
In historical records, the Jiannu often won more battles against the Ming army than they lost, and their victories were often quite easy. They often suffered dozens of casualties and defeated tens of thousands of Ming troops. It is not an exaggeration to describe them as crushing the Ming army with ease.
History is written by the victors, and this statement alone is enough to explain the inaccuracies of historical records. In other words, the Jiannu deliberately exaggerated their own combat capabilities and concealed their actual casualties.
In the war to conquer the world, the Han army contributed the most, led by Wu Sangui and the three Shunwang traitors. The Jiannu alone could never have accomplished such a great cause.
This is not to belittle the bravery of the Jiannu, but to state a truth.
Li Dingguo was able to defeat two famous kings, and Zheng Chenggong was able to force his troops to attack Nanjing, which fully demonstrated that if the fighting will was equally resolute, the gap between the army composed of Han people and the Eight Banners Army, which was known as "invincible with ten thousand men", was not that big.
Just imagine, the Dongjiang Army, which was mainly composed of fleeing Liao people in history, although it did not receive full support from the court, was still a major threat to the Later Jin Dynasty due to the lack of food and clothing, making it impossible for the Later Jin Dynasty to advance westward with confidence.
However, the Ming army in western Liaoning, which the imperial court had invested heavily in, could only achieve a "great victory" by hiding in a fortified city, which was very disappointing.
Now, the Dongjiang Army is well-equipped with weapons and equipment, has sufficient food and wages, and its combat effectiveness is several times stronger than in history. The only thing that remains unchanged is that most of the officers and soldiers in Dongjiang Town are full of hatred towards the Jiannu.
Therefore, it was not surprising that the Ming army won this battle that broke out in the hilly area.
Although the Jiannu army miscalculated and failed to fully utilize its combat advantages, the fighting spirit that the Ming army showed was real.
Sahalian was urging his troops to launch a fierce attack, wanting to wipe out the isolated Ming army at all costs before the Ming army reinforcements arrived.
In fact, his goal was almost achieved.
A Ming army formation of 600 men on the left wing was shrinking and losing men in the face of the Jiannu's continuous attacks. Finally, the flag fell and the men were killed, with not a single soldier left standing.
Just as Sahalian was commanding his troops to attack with all their might, the Ming army phalanx on the right wing suddenly launched a fierce counterattack. The Ming army in the middle battle formation also sent people to attack and support, and used the few remaining grenades.
Under the fierce counterattack from both sides, the Jiannu who were blocking the Ming army's battle formation were caught off guard and were killed in large numbers, leaving a huge gap.
As a result, more than 200 Ming troops joined forces with friendly troops in the middle, and suddenly became 500 people, making the battle formation stronger.
When Sahalian redeployed his troops again and prepared for the final fierce attack, he saw the troops responsible for blocking the reinforcements retreating in panic.
The flag was half-rolled, and a group of guards rushed away with the unconscious Daishan without looking back. Such panic shocked Sahalian.
Soon after, Yuetuo also led his men to retreat. Concerned about his father's situation, he only met with Sahalian and urged him to lead his troops to retreat immediately, as the small number of blocking troops he left behind could not hold out for long.
Even though Sahalian was unwilling to give up, when he saw the Ming army flags appearing on the official road from afar, he knew that the situation was hopeless and retreat was the only correct option.
The horn blew mournfully, like a howl. The Jiannu soldiers broke away from the battle, then mounted their horses at the rear and galloped away.
The muskets were still firing, and from time to time some Jiannu soldiers fell down before they could reach the horse tie, and some were even shot off their horses.
"Charge, kill!"
The Jiannu's fierce attack suddenly stopped. The remaining 400-odd soldiers in the Ming army phalanx did not wait passively. Instead, they burst into a unison of shouting, rushed down the mound with bayonets, and chased after the defeated Jiannu.
As long as the cavalry wanted to escape, no matter how tenacious the infantry was or how bravely they pursued them, they could not outrun the war horses and could not inflict a devastating blow to the cavalry.
This was a difficult difficulty for infantry to overcome, and a flaw that was difficult to make up for. But being able to defeat the Jiannu in a field battle was enough to be proud of.
Sahalian looked back, his teeth chattering.
On the small mound surrounded by corpses, the flag fluttered, its blood-red color stinging his eyes.
……………………
Shenyang.
Yes, it is still called Shenyang now, not Shengjing. Moreover, although Nurhaci used Shenyang as the center of his rule, it had not yet been officially designated as the capital.
The factors that influenced Nurhaci's decision to choose the capital were unfavorable military conditions and a bad situation. It would have been fine if he didn't choose the capital, but once he officially chose the capital, the political and military significance would have been extraordinary and he couldn't give it up easily.
It can be said that the heavy pressure now makes Nurhaci feel that even the sinking of Liao may not be safe, and there is a slight possibility of loss.
The Luda Ming army in southern Liaoning, the Dongjiang headquarters in Liaodong, and the Xiong Manzi in western Liaoning had already made Nurhaci feel that they were short of troops and difficult to deal with.
The news that the Ming court had mobilized elite troops from the nine border areas to join the war in Liao, and that the Ming troops stationed in Liao were advancing in great strides, made Nurhaci even more worried.
But this is not the end. A piece of news that just came made Nurhaci frown again and feel very difficult.
Thousands of vanguard cavalry of the Ming army in western Liaoning had arrived in Guangning. This was news that had been received earlier, but Nurhaci did not take immediate action.
The advance of several thousand Ming cavalry was a test. If they sent troops across the Liao River to attack, it would obviously be impossible to achieve their goal due to the mobility of the cavalry.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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