The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

"The Emperor's dragon banner... has fallen..."

Dorgon gripped the reins tightly, while the officers and soldiers of the Plain White Banner around him stared in disbelief, their faces pale and their expressions horrified.

The already chaotic military formation was now filled with a cacophony of panicked shouts that could not be contained.

The changes in the central army were clearly seen by all of them.

Within the Jingnan Army's large formation, the originally deafening chorus of gunfire was gradually weakening and becoming sparse.

Instead, the Jingnan Army's various formations resounded with battle cries that rose one after another, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.

In the central area, the Jingnan Army's formation kept changing, one bright yellow banner after another fell, and wave after wave of cavalry were swallowed up by the infantry counterattack.

Dorgon saw everything.

He witnessed the defeat of the Plain Yellow Banner, the collapse of the Left Wing Bordered Red Banner and the Bordered Yellow Banner, and the escape of the Plain Red Banner and the Plain Blue Banner.

it's over...

Everything is over...

A wave of intense dizziness washed over Dorgon, making it almost impossible for him to stay upright on his horse.

He had always hoped that Huang Taiji would close his eyes soon and give up the dragon throne he had been sitting on.

Now, his long-cherished wish has finally come true.

But Huang Taiji, he shouldn't have died here!
He died in this defeat outside Jining City!

The Jingnan Army has sounded the horn of counterattack, and large numbers of Jingnan infantrymen are slowly pressing forward in neat formations.

The bayonets formed a dense forest, resembling an endless, moving steel jungle.

"Brother!"

Dodo, covered in blood and with his armor in disarray, galloped through the gaps in the chaotic formation of the Plain White Banner cavalry, escorted by his personal guards.

Dodo's face was a mixture of madness and resentment.

Give me another fifteen minutes!

"Just fifteen minutes!"

Dodo's expression was ferocious as he roared angrily.

"I can..."

Dodo didn't finish his last words. His angry expression froze instantly when he saw Dorgon's ashen and desperate face.

He subconsciously followed Dorgon's dazed gaze and looked toward the battlefield to the west.

The next moment, Dodo's expression changed drastically, and all his fighting spirit and anger were extinguished instantly as if doused with ice water.

All the words he wanted to say were forced back down his throat by the sight before him, a scene that foreshadowed utter defeat, and he could not utter a single word.

"Sound the retreat..."

Dorgon suddenly pulled on the reins and turned north without hesitation.

"withdraw troops!"

All is lost.

The dragon banner was overturned, and Huang Taiji died.

Each banner suffered heavy losses and had no strength left to recover.

But even if it's over!

Dorgon would never give up, nor would he sit idly by and wait to be slaughtered!
As long as we return to the area outside the Great Wall, as long as we go back.

There is still hope.

Even if the hope is very slim, it is still hope.

They still have a chance.

of course.

This opportunity is no longer what it used to be.

What is the hope of conquering the Central Plains and establishing a firm rule over the world?

Rather, it was a hope to preserve the masses and secure a small corner of the world...

The deep sound of conch shells echoed among the two white-flagged cavalry formations.

In the battle, they had previously held a certain advantage, which made the formation of the two white flags still stable.

However, the collapse of the central and left flanks has caused panic to linger in all formations, and morale has been shaken.

Dorgon was extremely clear-headed. He knew that any attempt to gather troops and stabilize the situation at this moment would be futile and would only be completely swallowed up by the main force of the Jingnan Army that would follow.

He made a cold and decisive decision.

Dorgon even abandoned his own command banner, handing over command and the task of blocking the pursuing Jingnan army to his deputy, ordering him to make a final stand to buy time for the retreat.

have to say.

All of Dorgon's decisions at this moment were incredibly rational and correct.

Dorgon abandoned most of the army in order to preserve his core strength and his own life.

"Report!!"

A scout rode up on horseback, his face filled with panic, and the news he brought made Dorgon's already heavy heart sink even further.

"The Eighth Division of the Jingnan Army in Henan Town is heading north, and its vanguard cavalry, numbering about three thousand, is attempting to cross the Si River!"

Dorgon's thoughts raced; the Jingnan Army's actions were faster than he had anticipated.

This news means that their planned retreat route is now under serious threat.

Shen was trying to block their path back to Beizhili and then out of the pass.

However, blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone.

Before Dorgon could react to the news, a general, his armor stained with blood and his expression a mixture of shock and rage, rushed in from the flank, bringing even more deadly and chilling news.

"The outer Mongol vassals...have defected..."

"Those bastards are blocking our way!"

This news struck like a final, devastating blow to everyone's hearts.

They didn't consider why the outer Mongol vassals would suddenly turn against them.

Because all of this is meaningless to them now.

What they need to think about now is how to escape from this chaotic battlefield.

All eyes turned to Dorgon.

Their minds were in turmoil, their hearts were filled with fear, and they were almost unable to suppress their anxiety.

The sudden defection of the outer Mongol vassals meant that they were about to be caught in a pincer movement!
Dorgon clenched his teeth so tightly that his gums almost bled.

In the midst of extreme hardship, his mind unexpectedly entered a terrifying clarity.

He couldn't believe the news.

But facts speak louder than words.

As Dorgon led his entourage out of the cavalry formation and looked towards the northwest.

He witnessed firsthand how, on the outskirts of the south bank of the Fuhe River, large numbers of Mongol cavalry were mercilessly slaughtering Qing soldiers who had fled from the main battlefield.

The defection of the outer Mongol vassals was clearly premeditated.

I am afraid……

As tensions rose within the Great Wall and a large number of Mongol tribes were forcibly conscripted into the army, the threat posed by the Jingnan Army grew ever stronger.

Those Taijis of the outer Mongol vassals had already secretly made contact with the Jingnan Army, and may even have reached some kind of secret agreement.

Those two-faced, damned fence-sitters!
Dorgon's mood darkened further. The defection of the tribes in southern Mongolia not only pushed them to the brink of despair, but also made the situation outside the Great Wall increasingly unfavorable for them.

Even if they manage to escape back to the border, it will be difficult to sustain themselves by only gathering the scattered followers and the troops left behind. "Those Mongols won't dare to cause us trouble."

Dorgon's gaze was clear, and although numerous thoughts surfaced in his mind, the entire process took only a few breaths.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately ordered his troops to continue their retreat towards the northeast.

As Dorgon had predicted, the Mongol cavalry from the outer vassal states behind the battlefield simply turned their swords on the fleeing deserters.

Upon seeing this still-organized unit of soldiers, they tacitly chose to ignore them, even making way for them...

……

"Dorgon has fled..."

Dai Zhenglin led his warhorse forward a few steps and stood to the side and behind Chen Wang, reporting the news.

Chen Wang glanced at the northeast direction and then nodded slightly.

"understood."

Chen Wang's expression did not change much, as if he did not care at all about the fact that the outer Mongol vassal state had released Dorgon.

In fact, Chen Wang really didn't care at all.

"Dorgon..."

Chen Wang's gaze was fixed to the north; he didn't even glance at Dorgon, who was fleeing.

In time, they will all understand.

All the struggles.

All of this was in vain.

"Tell Chen Gong to stop leading his troops in pursuit and stop south of Sunshipu. Since Dorgon wants to leave, let him go. But the troops of the Two White Banners cannot leave."

Chen Wang had already given the order to Hu Zhili.

However, it wasn't an order to intercept Dorgon.

Hu Zhili's main task was to lead his troops to block the route of the fleeing White Flag soldiers to the northeast and surround them along with other Qing troops on the plains east of Jining.

However, it was not an easy task for Dorgon to escape from the Northeast; he would have to abandon at least most of his troops.

Chen Wang's gaze lingered on the rows of black military flags stretching across the countryside on the south bank of the Fu River.

The owners of those military flags were none other than the tribesmen of the Outer Mongol vassal states.

"Send an order to Gumu to dispatch a cavalry force to the east to assist in the annihilation of the Qing army's Two White Banners defeated troops."

Gumu was the Jasak of the right wing of the Tumed Mongols.

The term "Zasak" can be understood as "banner leader".

After Huang Taiji subdued the tribes in southern Mongolia, he divided them into several banners, with a Jasak in charge of military, administration and justice in each banner.

The Tumed tribe was a powerful tribe in southern Mongolia.

In the eighth year of the Chongzhen reign, Huang Taiji organized the surrendered Tumed tribes into the Right Wing Banner, with Omubuchuhuer serving as the first Jasagh of the Right Wing Banner, commanding ninety-seven Zuoling (military units).

The Tumed tribe of the Eastern Wing Banner submitted to the Later Jin Dynasty as early as the first year of the Chongzhen reign (1644), even earlier than Omubuchuhuer.

Gumu was the son of Omubuchuhuer, and after Omubuchuhuer's death, he succeeded to the position of Jasak of the Right Wing Banner.

The leader of the Mongol vassals currently ruling the south bank of the Fu River is none other than Gumu.

In fact, just as Dorgon had guessed.

Among the outer Mongol vassals, there had long been secret communications between them and the Jingnan Army.

While Chen Wang was adjusting his military deployment and constantly putting pressure on the Qing army, he also sent envoys to secretly contact the various Mongol tribes that had been forcibly conscripted into the Central Plains.

Chen Wang understood perfectly.

During this period, the Qing court's rule over Southern Mongolia was not monolithic.

The core allies were the Khorchin and Khalkha tribes, which had long-standing and frequent political marriages with the Aisin Gioro family.

However, many more Mongol tribes were forced to submit due to the strength of the Qing army.

This is why, although the Qing army occupied southern Mongolia, its troop strength did not increase much when it entered the pass.

The Chahar tribe, once the overlord of the Mongols, was forced to surrender in the eighth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.

Although his son Ejei was granted the title of prince, this submission was filled with humiliation and resentment.

The Qing government was most wary of the Chahar tribe and exercised the strictest control over them.

The Qing court had little trust in these tribes and would not conscript them as the main force in crucial battles such as the conquest of China; in fact, it would even guard against them.

This large-scale mobilization was largely a last resort for Huang Taiji.

As the war progressed far less smoothly than expected after entering the pass, and the troops suffered heavy losses, Huang Taiji had no choice but to put pressure on these tribes and forcibly conscript their people into the army.

To appease them, Huang Taiji even gave them a large amount of gold, silver, cloth, salt, iron, and other valuables as compensation.

If the war goes smoothly and the Qing army advances triumphantly, these outlying Mongol tribes will indeed not dare to easily challenge the authority of the Qing court.

They will most likely continue to maintain their usual outwardly respectful and humble demeanor, content to play a supporting role.

But the actual situation is quite the opposite.

After entering the pass, the Qing army faced fierce resistance and counterattacks from the Jingnan Army, and suffered repeated setbacks, making slow progress.

Not only were they unable to control important strategic passes, they couldn't even capture Guan Ning.

In the course of successive battles, the troops of the outer Mongol tribes were often used as cannon fodder and vanguard.

The soldiers of the Manchu and Mongol Eight Banners always maintained a superior attitude, treating them like slaves and cattle.

They were treated like slaves, and were frequently beaten and scolded.

All of this caused the dissatisfaction and resistance in the hearts of the leaders of the various Mongol tribes to accumulate and deepen.

Chen Wang was naturally aware of all these circumstances.

The fragile ties between the outlying Mongol tribes and the Qing court were based solely on force and interests.

Therefore, Chen Wang sent people to make contact with the various Mongol tribes outside the capital region early on.

Gu Mu was the joint leader they elected together.

However, with the situation still uncertain, the various Mongol tribes outside the capital still sided with the Qing army in the early stages of the war.

Chen Wang never placed his hopes for victory on the defection of the outer Mongol vassals.

What he wanted from beginning to end was simply to have the main Qing army suffer a crushing defeat, and then have the outlying Mongol vassals turn against them, completely annihilating the main Qing army on the open fields east of Jining.

Chen Wang chose the eastern suburbs of Jining as the main battlefield for the decisive battle because he had always acted with this in mind.

"Ugh——"

The deep sound of horns echoed across the open fields on the eastern outskirts of Jining.

The Qing army on the eastern outskirts of Jining had suffered a complete rout. Tens of thousands of Qing soldiers had completely lost all organization and fighting spirit. Under the pursuit of the Jingnan Army's cavalry on both flanks, which was like herding a flock of sheep, they were fleeing in panic to the north. The scene was extremely chaotic.

south.

Amidst the rhythmic beat of drums, the infantry of the Jingnan Army were regrouping.

Soon, they formed neat and dense red lines once again, converging into wave after wave of red.

The cavalry covering each formation were arranged in their own ranks, resembling menacing dragons, traversing the waves of fleeing Qing troops.

They wielded their blood-stained knives, efficiently carrying out a series of tasks including driving away, killing, and breaking up enemy formations, further exacerbating the collapse of the Qing army.

And in the north.

The light cavalry of the various Mongol tribes also raised their sabers and mercilessly slaughtered the fleeing Qing soldiers.

They were far more ruthless than the pursuing troops of the Jingnan Army.

The long-standing oppression and discrimination they had endured now transformed into flames of anger and a desire for revenge. (End of Chapter)