On New Year’s Eve, I wish my friends and family happiness, good luck, lots of money, and all their wishes come true.
As long as they break through the two key positions defended by the Jiannu, the cavalry will be unstoppable.
The only thing that restricted the Ming cavalry's pursuit and extermination of the slaves was the supply of food and supplies.
Things like one man riding multiple horses and traveling a thousand miles by drinking mare's milk were the unique skills of the Mongols, which the Ming army certainly could not do.
Therefore, taking into account the consumption on the return journey, the food and supplies we bring can only allow us to pursue the enemy for three or four days. There is no other way around it.
However, both Xiong Tingbi and Mao Wenlong predicted that although the Jiannu would escape genocide, they would not pose a threat to the Ming Dynasty again for at least ten years.
What is Haixi? It is a land of snow and forests, sparsely populated. Even if the Jiannu could plunder there, it would be a drop in the bucket. The lack of food and supplies would cause a large number of Jianzhou Jurchens to freeze and starve to death.
The Jiannu will retreat to a primitive society where they have to rely on fishing and hunting to survive. Why should the Ming Dynasty, which is at the top of the feudal society, be afraid of them?
This was the emperor's idea, so he did not plagiarize the heroic words "It is better to use the remaining courage to pursue the enemy rather than seek fame by imitating the tyrant" to inspire the generals.
Due to the constraints of transportation and roads, and the harsh natural environment, ending the Pingliao Campaign at the arrival of midwinter should have been a rational choice.
There is still a long way to go, and it is a good opportunity to expand the territory northward and train the army by continuously suppressing the remaining Jiannu.
In fact, the emperor also considered a possibility: the Jiannu, who were at the end of their rope, could not rule out launching an attack on the Mongolian tribes and looting cattle, sheep and horses.
Regardless of whether the Jiannu, whose strength has been greatly weakened, can defeat the Mongols, the two are enemies anyway, and a fight to the death is none of the Ming Dynasty's business. Instead, it is possible to force the Mongolian tribes to assimilate in order to seek protection.
The emperor did not tell Xiong Tingbi and Mao Wenlong his thoughts truthfully, but based on their intelligence and years of understanding of the emperor's thoughts and actions, they might be able to guess something.
What's more, victory was already in sight. A defeat would not only spoil the emperor's mood, but would also make him be accused of underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly.
The emperor didn't urge a war, clearly having longer-term considerations. Why would you abandon the merit you've already achieved and take that risk?
Therefore, weakening the strength of the Jiannu as much as possible and destroying their possibility of making a comeback became the first choice of Xiong Tingbi and Mao Wenlong.
The attack on Jiefan City had already made it difficult for the Jianlu to cope, but they could not commit too many troops. Daishan and Dorgon both knew that the Ming army's pursuit was inevitable. If they did not retain some strength, how could they resist and stop it?
After Shangjian Cliff was lost, the Jiannu did not dare to attack and retake it. Instead, they blocked the Ming army, preventing them from continuing their actions and cutting off their retreat.
Under strict orders and the strict supervision of the army, whether they were high-ranking officials or civilians, they tried their best to abandon their belongings and retreat lightly.
Migration, retreat—to put it bluntly, it's running away, not a major move. You didn't have that in mind when you started planning, and only when the situation became critical did you think of throwing away the pots and pans. Admittedly, it's a little late.
There will be a price to pay if you are late, and there are too many examples to prove this in the ever-changing battlefield.
For the sake of a mess of belongings, the Jiannu paid the price of a heavily damaged army. But at this point, it was useless to say anything.
Jiefan City was in danger. Shangjian Cliff managed to block Man Gui's troops, but the Ming army chasing behind them broke through the blockade again and attacked again.
"Khan," Yuetuo rushed over, wounded, and bowed to Dorgon. "It is no longer feasible for our army to divide its forces to stop them. I am willing to lead the troops to support them, withdraw the troops from Jiefan City and Shangjianya, and reorganize the defense on the main road."
Dorgon was still young after all, and although he inherited the Khan throne, the final decision was made by his assistant Daishan. He looked at Daishan hesitantly, wanting to seek his opinion.
Daishan sighed helplessly and said, "Jiefan City is in danger, and Shangjian Cliff can't hold out for much longer. Now, this is the only way."
Retreating in large strides and blocking the Ming army on the main road would prevent the Ming army from using its superior force. Moreover, concentrating the troops would also avoid the problem of spreading them everywhere.
Yue Tuo bowed and accepted the order. When he was about to ride away, Daishan held him back with his hand and said with a complicated expression, "It would be best if we can hold the enemy back for a day or two."
"This..." Dorgon said, "That's too much."
He certainly understood Daishan's intentions. A day or two would be enough to ensure the safe transfer of Jianzhou's soldiers and civilians. But what about the blocking troops? Could they escape the Ming army's pursuit after being exhausted and suffering heavy losses?
Obviously, Daishan was going to abandon the blocking troops, including his son Yuetuo.
Yue Tuo looked at his father deeply, and saw in his father's expression a complex mix of helplessness and regret. He smiled, bowed, and said, "As you command."
Watching Yuetuo spurring his horse away, Dorgon's raised hand fell weakly, and he turned to Daishan and said, "Why do you have to do this? It hasn't come to that yet, has it?"
Daishan shook his head without explaining, but urged Dorgon to speed up.
A venomous snake bites a finger, a brave warrior cuts off his arm. When faced with a desperate situation, one should have such courage and determination. Daishan now felt not only helpless and heartbroken, but also regretful for the mistakes he had made in planning his retreat.
The Jianlu abandoned their jars and pots and sped up their advance. The Ming army's offensive power also intensified, especially the Liaonan pursuit force led by Zhou Yuji, He Kegang, Cao Bianjiao, and Zhang Pan.
Their troops were the strongest, and they also carried a lot of light artillery on carts and horses. When the artillery was a little slow to move, the Lancers would dismount and form a battle line, using muskets to fiercely attack and stop the advancing enemy.
Sahalian led his troops to fight back step by step. The number of soldiers became fewer and fewer, and it became more and more difficult to stop the enemy.
Only after retreating to Sarhu did they rely on the favorable terrain and receive support, and were able to stabilize their position somewhat.
But as the Ming army advanced again, Sahalian's troops fell into a difficult situation.
Artillery roared, muskets roared, and the Ming army attacked in turns without stopping. The Jiannu army's numbers dwindled and they became more and more frightened.
In terms of long-range artillery, the Ming army had an absolute overwhelming advantage; in terms of medium-range muskets, compared with bows and arrows, their range was comparable and their lethality was greater; in close combat, the Ming army relied on their large numbers and were extremely ferocious in bayonet fighting.
Sahalian glanced at his subordinates, feeling helpless and sad.
Even the strongest Jianzhou warriors were exhausted after such a long and fierce battle, and it was extremely difficult for them to draw their bows and shoot arrows.
On the other hand, the Ming army fought in rotation, their physical strength was abundant, and the frequency and intensity of musket fire remained the same. From time to time, there were also sniper attacks from heavy muskets, and many middle and lower-level Jiannu officers fell.
"Lord Beile," the messenger came running, crouching low. "The Khan has ordered all troops to retreat and form a battle array along the main road ten miles north of Shangjian Cliff to block the enemy."
Sahalian breathed a sigh of relief, but then frowned again. Retreating during wartime was a headache, even for a renowned general.
A brave man cuts off his arm, a gecko abandons its tail.
Sahalian knew that he had to leave behind another group of death warriors in order to have as many living forces as possible.
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