The setting sun in the sky sprinkled on the earth like blood, dyeing everything light red.
The fighting in the lower reaches of the Ningyuan River finally stopped.
The fields were littered with corpses.
Broken limbs, weapons and armor were scattered all over the ground.
The blood seeped into the ground, appearing a cold dark red under the pale red sunlight.
Hauge put down his clairvoyance and walked back to the central military tent silently.
Although the casualties were still being counted, Hauge already had a bad feeling based on his years of battlefield experience.
The brutality of this battle gave him an idea: the situation of attack and defense is easy!
Before, the Eight Banners attacked and the Ming army defended!
Now...
The two sides are evenly matched.
No!
Hauge had a vague premonition that in the days to come, the Eight Banners might no longer be able to confront the Ming army head-on.
"Report!" The messenger delivered the news: "Today our army suffered 2,200 lightly wounded, 1,100 seriously wounded, and more than 3,000 dead or missing. Among them, 70% were infantry and 30% were cavalry. In addition, we lost four red cannons, 62 light and heavy cannons, more than 10,000 kilograms of gunpowder, and countless bullets."
"What...what?" The pen in Hauge's hand fell directly onto the table.
The Baoyi next to him hurriedly picked up the pen and placed it on the inkstone.
After the messenger repeated it, Hauge threw the inkstone and pen to the ground.
More than 6,300 casualties!
It hurts. It hurts so much.
The total force downstream plus reinforcements was 35,000 people. In one battle, 6,000 people were lost, and the casualty ratio was as high as 17%.
If it were an ordinary army, they would have been defeated long ago.
"Don't be angry, Your Majesty," Man Dahai advised, "Aren't there still many missing soldiers? We can send people to look for them overnight."
"It's unnecessary and meaningless!" Hauge shook his head.
The battle was over long ago and the soldiers on both sides had returned to their camps.
The campsite is right there, there is no such thing as not being able to find it.
So there are only two possibilities for disappearance.
One, surrender.
2. Being killed or captured.
"What about the casualties of the Ming army?" Hauge asked somewhat unwillingly.
"Today's battle was too chaotic, and the Ming army's casualties cannot be counted for the time being. However, according to preliminary estimates by the generals of various units, the Ming army's casualties were about 5,000! The main casualties came from the Ming army that penetrated our left wing. They suffered heavy losses under the artillery attack."
"It's not a big loss!" Hauge sighed.
"Prince Su," Man Dahai asked, "Regarding the withdrawal of troops...?"
"According to the plan." Hauge replied.
"Yes!" Man Dahai took the order and left.
The Eight Banners soldiers in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Ningyuan River set up their pots and cooked early.
After finishing their meal as quickly as possible, the baggage train set off first with food, fodder, artillery and ammunition.
In order to take away as much supplies as possible during the retreat, Hauge mobilized all the ox carts, horse carriages, and even war horses.
Each of the Eight Banners cavalrymen rode two or even three horses, and the large number of war horses increased their ability to transport supplies exponentially.
With the help of these animals, the Eight Banners soldiers took away all the supplies except tents, flags, chevaux de frise, and deer antlers.
When the baggage train was evacuated, it was still light and the road could be seen clearly.
However, every few meters they would pile up firewood on the roadside using wood and other flammable materials.
After the baggage train left, all the infantry in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Ningyuan River began to evacuate at the same time.
When they evacuated, it was already completely dark and they couldn't see the road at all.
The Eight Banners soldiers in front were holding torches to find the way and lighting the firewood piles on the roadside.
These fires provided both illumination and marked the way of retreat.
Guided by the fire, the Eight Banners soldiers accelerated their evacuation.
The fire not only helped the Eight Banners soldiers, but also alarmed the Ming army.
"Report!" The scout rushed into Wang Yongji's central army tent. "The Jiannu camp was completely dark. I risked my life to go check it out and found that there was no one in the camp. I climbed up to look at the back of the Jiannu camp and found that there was a fire at regular intervals. Someone vaguely passed by the fire. It seemed that the Jiannu were retreating."
"Retreat?" Wang Yongji was a little surprised. "Hauge's performance today doesn't seem like retreating! If we weren't in Ningyuan, I would have thought he was going to counterattack Ming!"
Huang Degong immediately stood up and said, "Governor, give the order to pursue!"
"Yes, Governor. If we pursue them now, the Eight Banners soldiers will inevitably go from retreating to being defeated!" Gao Yigong said.
Wang Yongji changed his previous determination and fell into hesitation.
"Governor, don't hesitate any longer. If you hesitate any longer, all the Jiannu will run away!" Huang Degong shouted.
Wang Yongji shook his head slowly and said to Huang Degong: "I have been the governor of Ji and Liao for eight years. Although I have been in the interior of the country most of the time, I know the enemy Jiannu very well."
Huang Degong reminded: "Governor, the Jiannu are retreating!"
"I know!" Wang Yongji sighed, "The Jiannu are retreating! If we want to pursue them, we can only send out cavalry, because the infantry can't catch up. Even if we catch up, their combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced due to excessive consumption of physical strength."
"Since the Jiannu troops are retreating, they must have made some preparations. Even if Haoge is stupid, he will set up ambushes along the way."
"Is that right?" Wang Yongji paused for a moment and looked at Huang Degong and Gao Yigong.
The two blinked and nodded at the same time.
Wang Yongji pointed to the black sky outside and continued, "It's dark outside now. The ambushers can find any place to ambush, and it's hard to find their traces when chasing. Once you encounter an ambush, not only will you fail to expand your victory, but you will also suffer heavy casualties."
"My Great Ming lacks nothing except cavalry! I cannot take such a risk!"
"But..." Huang Degong was somewhat helpless, "Are we just going to watch the Jiannu retreat calmly?"
"Let me think about it!" Wang Yongji put his left hand across his chest, supported his chin with his right hand and began to ponder.
While I was thinking, I heard chaotic footsteps outside.
"Report! General Wu Sangui is reporting urgently that the Jiannu are retreating, requesting pursuit!"
"Report! General Li Xingzhong is reporting urgently that the Jiannu are retreating, requesting pursuit!"
"Report! General Liu Zhaoji is reporting urgently that the Jiannu are retreating, requesting pursuit!"
Three messengers entered the central military tent one after another, reported to Wang Yongji the news of the Jiannu's retreat, and requested a pursuit.
Wang Yongji asked, "What's the situation on the Ningyuan city wall?"
"There are shadows moving, but not many!" the herald replied.
"In other words, there are still defenders in Ningyuan City?"
"It should be."
Wang Yongji took a deep breath and said, "Order all units to send out a small group of troops to carefully investigate the situation in the Jiannu camp. If there is no one in the camp, immediately send infantry to occupy the camp. As for the cavalry... the main force should not move rashly to avoid being ambushed by the Jiannu."
"Each unit can send a small number of cavalry to pursue the enemy!"
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