May 12, the 24th year of Chongzhen.
While Li Xingzhong was looking for Li Dingguo's whereabouts, Li Dingguo's army was marching southward along the Great Wall.
That was not the direction to support Dalinghhe Fort, but Wujiafen Village.
After arriving at Wujiafen Village, the army did not stop and soon arrived at the city of Xining Fort.
There were three hundred Jiannu soldiers in Xining Fort.
Man Dahai had two purposes in asking them to stay here.
One is to serve as a post station for the soldiers who delivered messages to rest.
The second is to serve as an outpost base to provide early warning to the rear.
Gao Wengui led two thousand cavalrymen wearing Jiannu armor and carrying Jiannu flags and ran in front.
These armors and flags were spoils of war captured on the battlefield.
Li Dingguo led 8,000 Ming cavalry in pursuit.
It gives people the feeling that the Eight Banners soldiers are being chased by the Ming army.
"Our people are being chased by the Ming army. Let's let them in." The Jiannu soldier on the city wall loudly suggested to the general beside him.
"Why rush? Let's see clearly first." The Jiannu general called on the soldiers to climb up the city wall to resist the enemy, while sending cavalry out of the city to deliver the news to the rear.
No matter whether the other party is an enemy or a friend, his task is to deliver the message as soon as possible.
The news only states the facts and does not make any speculations.
As soon as the cavalry delivering the letter left the city, Gao Wengui arrived at the foot of Xining Fort.
"Let's go!" Gao Wengui did not stop and galloped away with two thousand "Eight Banners Soldiers".
The Jiannu soldiers on the city wall were stunned.
They thought that the "Eight Banners Soldiers" outside the city would resist with their backs to the city, but they never expected that they would flee without a fight.
In surprise, Li Dingguo and his cavalry chased after them.
Looking at the Ming cavalry all over the mountains, the Jiannu generals felt as if they were falling into an icy cave.
He opened his mouth with difficulty and shouted tremblingly: "Gather...Gather to fight the enemy!"
A drumbeat sounded.
The Jiannu soldiers in Xining Fort gathered on the city wall, ready to defend to the death.
The Ming army soon arrived at the city.
The iron hooves rumbled on the ground, and the Ming flag fluttered wildly in the wind.
A Jiannu soldier suggested in a low voice: "How about... we surrender?"
Bang!
The Jiannu general kicked him to the ground and said, "I would rather die than surrender. Anyone who talks about surrendering will be executed immediately!"
Others did not dare to say anything. They hid behind the battlements of the city wall, shivering and having no fighting spirit at all.
There are too many Ming troops outside the city, a rough count shows there are nearly ten thousand of them!
Let alone ten thousand people, even ten thousand steamed buns would be enough to fill them to death.
Just when everyone thought that the Ming army was going to attack the city, Li Dingguo led his army to bypass it.
"I... am I seeing things right?" A soldier rubbed his eyes and asked, "The Ming army neither attacked the city nor persuaded them to surrender, but... bypassed it?"
"You're not seeing things." Someone nearby responded.
"Isn't this too weird?"
"Yeah, how can you do that? At least try to persuade them to surrender!"
"Wait," the sharp-eyed soldier pointed into the distance, "look over there!"
Everyone looked in the direction the soldier pointed.
That is behind Xining Fort, on the bank of the Liao River.
Under their gaze, the "Eight Banners Soldiers" who had fled earlier had already stepped onto the wooden bridge over the Liao River and reached the east bank of the Liao River.
The Ming army pursuing behind also began to cross the river.
The Jiannu soldiers in Xining Fort looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what this Ming army was going to do.
After a moment.
The Jiannu general stood up suddenly and shouted to those around him: "Quick, tell Prince Li (Man Dahai) that more than 10,000 Ming troops have jumped over the Liaohe River and entered the heartland of the Qing Dynasty."
The soldiers next to him realized it later.
Two of them quickly ran down the city wall, rode out of the city on horseback, and after identifying the direction, ran towards Dalinghhe Fort.
The reason why Li Dingguo did not attack the city or persuade the enemy to surrender was because of this.
I just want them to take the initiative to send a letter to Man Dahai.
After all...only the news sent by his own people will make Man Dahai believe it.
After jumping over the Liaohe River, Li Dingguo continued to march forward. In the afternoon of the same day, he crossed the Sancha River and arrived at the Haizhou City.
Just when the soldiers of Haizhouwei were about to verify Gao Wengui's identity, Gao Wengui fled directly to the north.
Li Dingguo also followed and bypassed Haizhouwei and chased northward.
at the same time.
Man Dahai, who was besieging Dalingh Fort, received news from Xining Fort.
After listening to the soldiers' report, Mandahai's face was as gloomy as water.
He originally wanted to use the tactic of besieging a point and attacking its reinforcements to kill Li Dingguo and avenge Nikan.
I never expected that Li Dingguo would not play by the rules.
Not only did they not rush to the rescue of Dalinghhe Fort, but they also headed towards the heartland of the "Qing Dynasty".
Before that, he left the difficult problem to Li Dingguo.
Now Li Dingguo has thrown the problem back in this way.
This made him very embarrassed.
"You mean," Man Dahai pointed at the soldier delivering the letter at Xining Fort and asked, "the people who escaped in front of Li Dingguo were soldiers of the Eight Banners?"
"In reply to your Highness, they were wearing the armor and holding the flags of the Eight Banners... Logically, they should be soldiers of the Eight Banners. But before I could verify their identities, they ran away."
Man Dahai frowned and analyzed the situation, then guessed, "Our troops are all near Dalinghe Fort, and there are no one of ours there. If nothing unexpected happens... they must be the Ming army pretending to be us."
"Your Majesty," Wu Shoujin asked in a low voice, "What should we do..."
"Don't worry about him," Man Dahai said after thinking seriously, "Li Dingguo is lightly equipped and has limited food and fodder, and he also has no siege equipment. What can he do if he goes deep into our army's hinterland? He can only sigh at the sight of the city."
Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard outside the military tent, followed by someone shouting, "Your Highness, urgent news from the Haizhou Guards!"
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