"We still have tens of thousands of warriors in the Great Jin. If we mobilize them all, we can have a hundred thousand ready to fight," Manggurtai argued, his face flushed. "Just because of one defeat, they abandoned Liaoshen and didn't even dare to defend Jianzhou. How cowardly!"
Daishan shook his head and said, "We've already mobilized before, and even if we can muster a fighting force, it's too old and weak to fight a major battle. The Ming army has powerful artillery and a strong force, and now it's fully launched, it's already forming a siege. If we delay and don't withdraw, our Great Jin will not only be destroyed, but also face the risk of extinction."
"My father Khan rebelled against the Ming Dynasty with only ten sets of remnant armor. Didn't the Ming Dynasty have a strong military force at that time? But our Jianzhou warriors fought bravely and seized the entire Liaodong with unparalleled bravery."
Manggurtai showed disdain for Daishan's words and said, "Is the current situation more difficult than when my father Khan started the rebellion?"
Li Yongfang said, "Third Prince, this time is different from the past. Although our army still has the strength to fight, it is difficult to defeat the Ming army. If we fight with attrition, we will not be able to sustain it, whether in terms of manpower or food supplies."
This is true. The Jiannu wanted to defend the city to the death, advance step by step, and wait until the middle of winter, so that they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
But manpower and food are problems. If the city is besieged by the Ming army, it will be difficult to sustain it for a month even without attacking.
Therefore, Nurhaci's decision to retreat before his death was not solely due to the loss of troops and horses in the defeat. He had made a clear judgment before mobilizing the expedition that if he could not defeat the Ming army and reverse the decline, he would have no choice but to retreat.
"As cowardly as a mouse." Manggurtai glared at Li Yongfang, then turned to look at Daishan and said, "Give me 10,000 troops, and I will definitely make it impossible for the Ming army to advance."
"Fifth Brother, the military has already made its decision. You don't need to be so aggressive." Daishan lowered his eyes and said, "Immediately speed up the relocation of the people, especially the elderly, the weak, women, and children. Yuetuo won't be able to hold them back for long. If the Ming army breaks through, Shenyang will be a river of blood."
Dorgon was only fourteen years old. Although he inherited the Khan throne and obtained the military strength of the two yellow flags, he was far inferior to Dorgon in experience and prestige.
Daishan was both a great beile and a regent, and he already held great power. Nurhaci also relied on him to stabilize the situation. Otherwise, the Later Jin Dynasty would inevitably have been in turmoil and hastened its demise.
It must be said that Nurhaci's painstaking efforts were relatively correct. Since Daishan's injury and long-term treatment failed to heal, his desire to fight for the throne was far less intense than that of Huang Taiji and Manggurtai.
Historically, Huang Taiji's ascension to the throne had a lot to do with Daishan's concession. Judging from his strength, he was actually the most promising.
"If that's the case, then we should expedite our actions," Dorgon said. "First, send Sahalian with his troops to Sarhu to prevent the Ming army from attacking and cutting off our retreat."
After saying this, he turned to Manggurtai and said with a smile, "Fifth Uncle, how about you take your family and leave the city first? We will meet up in Fushun."
Manggurtai saw that things were difficult to change and his plan to recruit some men and horses failed. No matter how unwilling he was to accept it, he had to pay a hasty bow, agreed casually, and got up to leave.
"Grand Prince, how about calling back Yuetuo and sending someone else to stop the Ming army?" Dorgon said to Daishan seriously as he watched Manggurtai leave.
Daishan was stunned for a moment, then understood what Dorgon meant. He shook his head and said, "When the nest is overturned, no eggs can remain intact. The Great Jin has reached a critical juncture. Everyone should be prepared to face death."
After a pause, he urged, "Retreat to Sarhu as soon as possible. The longer we delay, the worse the situation will be. The Ming army in Kaiyuan and the Dongjiang garrison may have already encircled us and are trying to cut off our retreat."
Dorgon nodded and agreed, "After the Ming army's great victory, the main force initially advanced slowly, hoping to create an illusion and force our army to defend each city and be trapped in Liaochen."
Li Yongfang bowed and said, "King Khan is wise. Xiong Manzi must be thinking the same thing."
"They're accelerating north now because they realize their conspiracy has been exposed and they can't encircle our army in Liaochen." Daishan stood up and said calmly, "The Ming army is large, and they need a lot of food and fodder. I have a plan to slow down the Ming army's advance."
……………………
Baitapu, the last checkpoint on the road to Shenyang. It is not accurate to call it a checkpoint, but the Jiannu did establish a defensive position here to block the advance of the Ming army.
Trenches, trenches... All that appeared in the telescope's field of view were trenches, as many as seven or eight of them, blocking the Ming army's way forward.
Cao Wenzhao observed for a long time before putting down the telescope, a look of contempt appearing on his face.
"Hey, it seems the Jiannu are copying our fortifications," Huang Degong exclaimed in surprise. "Breastwork, trenches, and wooden stake fences."
Yang Guozhu nodded slightly and said, "He is indeed learning from us, although there are still some differences."
"When I saw this, I knew the Jiannu had lost their nerve." Cao Wenzhao raised his whip and pointed. "Aren't they famous for their horsemanship and archery? By abandoning their strengths and focusing on their weaknesses, they are making a last-ditch effort."
After saying this, he turned around and ordered the messenger to return to report the news, asking the infantry and artillery to speed up and report to Xiong Tingbi.
Obviously, the hindrance that the trench formation poses to cavalry is self-evident, but isn't it still a war of attrition for both sides to fight around the trench?
What's more, the Ming army had a large number of indirect fire artillery, so they still had the upper hand and were in an advantageous position in the battle.
"The Jianlu have run out of tricks!" Xiong Tingbi sneered and concluded after receiving the report. He ordered the artillery to speed up and dispatch the captured troops.
The captured troops were Han soldiers, and whether they were forced or not, they raised their swords and spears against the royal army. On the battlefield, they were enemies; surrendering did not mean they were free from trouble.
Whether it was to atone for their sins, avenge their humiliation, or prove their loyalty to the Ming, the Ming army gave them the opportunity to speak with their actual performance on the battlefield.
If they died in battle, their families would receive pensions and enjoy the same treatment as Liao people, with land distribution as expected; if they killed the enemy and made meritorious service, they would receive rewards, the same treatment as the Ming army.
This was already the most righteous thing they could do, even though they were being treated as cannon fodder. But no matter what, it was still a hundred times better than working for the Jianlu in vain.
Chen Sanhe was in the middle of this team. From the battle of Haicheng River to defending and breaking the city, he should have been lucky. But he was uneasy about whether his luck would last.
"Let me die, at least I can leave something for my family." A sturdy man, holding a shield and a knife, walked to encourage himself, not caring whether anyone was listening. "Maybe I can kill one or two, and get the reward to build a house and buy land."
Chen Sanhe clenched the spear in his hand, thinking that it was useless to overthink it now, so he just had to bite the bullet and charge forward.
Although he thought so, he also secretly prayed: Bodhisattva, please bless me, all the gods, please bless me, and let me go home alive.
"Everyone, get your ass ready!" A dissatisfied voice rang out. Zhang Xiaoxi led his troops to supervise and guard the captured troops. "What's so scary about the Jianlu? They all have a head and two legs. Whoever is ruthless and courageous will survive. The more afraid you are, the faster you die, and the more cowardly you are."
"Killing one Jianlu is worth twenty silver dollars. I can buy a house and land, and even marry a wife..."
Chen Sanhe swallowed hard, feeling aroused by these rude words.
……………….
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