Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Has the main force of the Jurchens moved?"

Cao Bianjiao, who was leading cavalry reinforcements to Tian Jianxiu, hesitated slightly upon hearing the message from his personal guard.

In terms of threat alone, the main force of the Jurchens led by Huang Taiji was naturally the greater threat.

If the Ming army reveals a weakness, it may be completely defeated by the enemy.

However, on this battlefield, it is Tian Jianxiu's First Battalion that is in the most danger:

They faced a pincer attack from Dorgon and Daišan, and were in danger of total annihilation.

Cao Bianjiao observed the battlefield situation and quickly made a judgment:
"Huang Taiji will not allow the main force of the Jurchens to charge into battle, so the situation in the north is not dangerous."

"Everyone, listen to my command and go to the west to rescue our friendly forces."

He immediately made a decision to lead his soldiers to continue the rescue.

This is a complete process of observation, judgment, decision-making, and action, and it is also the battlefield decision-making cycle that the emperor emphasized in training cavalry generals.

Originating from Boyd's OODA cycle, it is a theory used for mobile warfare.

Unlike the Lanchester equations, which are suitable for attrition warfare, it is more suitable for cavalry operations that require adaptability.

Cao Bianjiao, as a new generation of cavalry general whom Zhu Youjian was keen to cultivate, was one of the people who received key training.

Young generals like him are also willing to learn new ways of thinking.

After extensive drills and training, Cao Bianjiao internalized this decision-making mindset. Whenever faced with any change, he would first observe and assess the situation before making a decision or taking action.

The rescue of infantry during the clearing of forests in southern Liaoning had given him time to adapt. Now, Cao Bianjiao had fully adapted to this way of thinking and understood the decision-making cycle the emperor had mentioned.

Now, the benefits of this training are becoming apparent.

Faced with the complex battlefield situation, Cao Bianjiao quickly made a judgment and decided to continue to rescue Tian Jianxiu.

The main battlefield in the north will be left to General Yang Jiamo to handle.

Yang Jiamo saw Cao Wenzhao continuing the rescue efforts from afar and nodded slightly in approval.

They believed that although Cao Bianjiao was young, he already had the potential to become a famous general.

As for the main battlefield, he wasn't worried at all.

He would be even more excited if the Jurchens thought they had exposed a weakness and attacked.

However, Huang Taiji obviously wouldn't do that. Having already considered relocating, he wouldn't easily risk his life savings.

He simply ordered the two Yellow Banners and the Plain White Banner to patrol and put pressure on the Ming army.

Cao Bianjiao's judgment was undoubtedly successful. The main battlefield in the north did not encounter any crisis simply because he left with a large cavalry force.
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When Tian Jianxiu, who was truly in crisis, saw that his allies had come to his aid, he immediately felt relieved.

He gave the order to his staff officer Bian Weizhong, who was standing beside him:
"You take over command. When General Cao arrives, listen to him!"

He then shouted to the left and right:

"Brothers, Brother Hao is killing Tartars ahead, are we just going to watch?"

"The Tartar's head is right ahead, follow me and charge!"

Leading two squadrons of cavalry that had gathered together, they charged forward without hesitation to meet Hao Yaoqi, who had already been fighting for some time.

When Cao Bianjiao arrived with his cavalry, Tian Jianxiu was already engaged in battle with the Jurchens.

He had originally intended to use muskets, but now he dared not fire them recklessly. After observing the situation, he gave the order:
"Throw it backwards, be careful not to hurt General Tian!"

They raised their muskets and fired them at the Jurchen troops behind them, preventing them from continuing their charge to reinforce them.

Although the hit rate was not high, it still killed quite a few people under concentrated fire.

The revolver's continuous firing capability was on full display. Under Cao Bianjiao's command, the sound of gunfire was incessant.

Soldiers who had already loaded their ammunition onto the crescent-shaped magazines quickly reloaded after the magazines were emptied. In a short period of time, they had unleashed tens of thousands of rounds.

(A revolver that uses a crescent clip to load six bullets at a time and quickly removes spent cartridge cases.)
Such concentrated firepower quickly created an isolation zone behind the Jurchen soldiers engaged in battle.

Any Jurchen soldiers who rushed in would be shot dead by concentrated fire.

These soldiers were already afraid of the Ming army's firearms, and now that they were fleeing from Haizhou City, they hesitated upon seeing this and dared not charge forward again.

After a while, people started to go around and join the White Banner along the western bank of the river.

Dai Shan did not stop this scene. Compared to taking down Tian Jianxiu's camp, escaping Haizhou City was what he valued more.

It's a pity that those soldiers who fought against Dajian Hide were no longer able to be rescued—

Daishan needed them to draw the Ming army's firepower, so that they wouldn't concentrate their fire on him.

So he deliberately ignored these people and led his troops to join Dorgon.

Cao Bianjiao was overjoyed at this, but he ignored them and continued to block the Jurchen reinforcements while firing at the rear.

At this time, Bian Weizhong had already brought in a team of soldiers, who, while setting up defensive positions, were learning to launch projectiles backward.

However, the single-shot muskets they used provided very sparse firepower.

Although both were large brigades, the number of bullets they fired per unit of time was several times less than that of Cao Bianjiao's cavalry.

This led Bian Weizhong to discover the usefulness of the revolver musket, and he felt that the existing infantry firepower was deficient and that they should also be equipped with revolver muskets, so that concentrated fire could turn the tide of battle when necessary.

This scene is the best proof of the power of the revolver musket. They could play a significant role on specific battlefields.

Even Tian Jianxiu, who was in the midst of the battle, noticed these things at this moment.

Remembering that he also carried a revolver, he forcefully knocked down the enemy in front of him, drew the revolver, and shouted:
"Brothers, use pistols!"

"Let's shoot these Tartars!"

He used his revolver to shoot and kill several enemies.

The other soldiers who charged forward then remembered that they had brought handguns.

They all drew their pistols and shot the Jurchens in front of them.

Almost in the blink of an eye, the situation was reversed.

Seeing that the remaining Jurchens were trying to escape, Cao Bianjiao ordered a company:

"Surround them, don't let them escape."

"The rest of you continue the firepower blockade!"

He calmly directed his men to continue firing at the almost deserted area behind them.

This action, though seemingly a waste of bullets, deterred the Jurchens who had escaped from Haizhou City from launching an attack.

After receiving support from this fresh force, Tian Jianxiu quickly led them to wipe out the remaining hundreds of Jurchens.

Only then did he have time to take stock of his cavalry, and he discovered that of the more than 250 men in his two companies, only a little over 100 were still alive.

Many others are injured and it's uncertain whether they will be able to compete again.

But that wasn't the worst of it; Hao Yaoqi, who was the first to rush in, was the one who suffered the most.

Fewer than fifty men from his squadron survived, and Hao Yaoqi himself was also wounded.

But Tian Jianxiu couldn't possibly blame him; instead, she patted Hao Yaoqi's shoulder and said:
"Well done!"

"They fought with the fighting spirit of the Qin people!"

"The credit for this battle should go to you, Hao Yaoqi."

He bluntly stated that if Hao Yaoqi hadn't gone to meet them, the first battalion, which was attacked from the rear by the Jurchens, might have collapsed entirely.

The reason why Tian Jianxiu did not rely on muskets for hit-and-run tactics but charged forward was because he was worried that the Jurchens would rush into his formation.

Their courage saved the First Battalion from collapse.

Hao Yaoqi was punched by Tian Jianxiu, and winced in pain, saying:

"Go easy on me!" "Don't you think I'm hurt badly enough?!"

Seeing his brothers all wounded and many familiar faces gone, he felt no sorrow, thinking his own injuries were nothing in comparison.

At least I'm still alive, which is lucky enough.

Tian Jianxiu was equally heartbroken, because many of his cavalrymen were also his friends and fellow villagers.

But this is not the time for sentimentality. Looking at the Jurchens rushing out of the city, Tian Jianxiu said:
"Hao Yaoqi will stay behind to clean up the battlefield; the rest of you, follow me forward."

Leading his cavalry, he joined forces with Cao Bianjiao:
"Thank you for your help, General Cao."

"Otherwise, the First Battalion would be in grave danger!"

After thanking Cao Bianjiao for his reinforcements, Tian Jianxiu pointed to the Plain Red Banner, which had joined forces with the Bordered White Banner, and said:

"What should we do now?"

“The Jurchens on the opposite side already have two flags.”

Cao Bianjiao took out his binoculars and looked at it, saying disdainfully:

"They don't even dare to rescue their own people; they're nothing but chickens and dogs of the Plain Red Banner!"

“They certainly wouldn’t dare to charge, nor would Dorgon’s Bordered White Banner.”
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This judgment is absolutely correct.

Daišan and Dorgon's cavalry patrolled back and forth, but dared not charge into the enemy lines.

They drove the Han Chinese and Koreans to attack, but dared not charge forward themselves.

Without their leadership, how much combat power could those auxiliary troops exert?
It was better than nothing, but it depleted the Ming army's ammunition reserves.

The situation became a stalemate, with only Du Du, who had rushed out from the west gate, still fighting fiercely with Yang Yufan.

However, they obviously couldn't hold out for long, because after the city gates were opened wide, Chen Jisheng, who was besieging the eastern city, had already sent troops into the city.

Before long, the streets of Haizhou City will be cleared, and Dudu will encounter the enemy from behind.

The lookout, sitting in a hot air balloon observing the battlefield situation, had a clear view of everything and relayed it to the communications soldiers of each army using flag signals.

What Cao Bianjiao is waiting for now is to hold off the Jurchens and wait for Yang Yufan to take over the Bordered Red Banner.

Then, the soldiers left in the south were brought up to meet the main force of the Jurchens.

At that time, their chances of victory would be even greater, and the Jurchens would have no chance of winning.

The Jurchen side had clearly considered this possibility as well, and Dorgon questioned Daishan:

Why leave the Bordered Red Flag behind?

Where is Prince Dudu?

Daišan pursed his lips, clearly displeased with Dorgon's questioning. He pointed at Sahalian and said:
"The Khan's appointed commander of the Bordered Red Banner is here. How can you say I am not carrying the Bordered Red Banner?"

"Du Du chose to fight his way out from the West Gate himself. If he's incompetent, who can he blame?"

He then said to Dorgon:

“If Ninth Prince wants to save Dudu Prince, then he should go and save him himself.”

"Your white-bordered flag hasn't even been used yet!"

Dorgon was annoyed, but he knew that Daishan was telling the truth.

Regardless of what Daishan did, he sent out the Plain Red Banner and nearly routed the Ming army.

His White Banner was never deployed, even when the Plain Red Banner was on the verge of breaking through the enemy lines.

If we were to argue about it, Daishan could easily say that it was because of his lack of cooperation that the pincer attack was not completed.

Thinking that he and Daishan's two banners hadn't even managed to defeat one of the enemy's battalions, Dorgon angrily cracked his whip, unsure how to continue the fight.

Huang Taiji was also somewhat annoyed at this point, because he had never expected that Daishan would use the Bordered Red Flag as bait and only bring out the Plain Red Flag.

This shattered his plan to rescue the two Red Flags, leaving him only halfway there.

Now he has to choose: fight the Ming army at all costs and rescue the Bordered Red Banner.

Or should we stop here and retreat with our men?

Before he could hesitate for long, a cheer suddenly erupted from the Ming army formation opposite him.

Huang Taiji was startled and blurted out the question:

"How is the Bordered Red Banner?"

"Could they have been wiped out by the Ming army so quickly?"

No one answered, because they couldn't use hot air balloons to monitor the battlefield like the Ming army.

Ajige, who had been positioned at the rear, rode up on horseback and shouted:

"Great Khan, the Ming army is here!"

"Cao Wenzhao and Sun Yingyuan have arrived with their troops!"

However, the Ming army had gained another 10,000 fresh troops.

Moreover, Huang Taiji also knew that these 10,000 fresh troops were all new firearms troops, not old-style troops like the Guan Ning Army.

If these people were to surround him from behind, he might very well be the one left behind.

Having figured out this potential Huang Taiji, he no longer cared about the Bordered Red Flag and issued orders to his subordinates:
"Fall back!"

"Withdraw your troops and return to Liaoyang!"

Command the various units to retreat in an orderly manner and head towards the Liaoyang area.
-
Upon seeing this, the Ming army cheered loudly, knowing that they had won the battle and the Jurchens had retreated.

Some Ming soldiers wanted to go out and pursue, but Yang Jiamo sternly stopped them, only sending Ma Ke to lead cavalry in a probing chase.

After realizing that the Jurchens were retreating in an orderly and methodical manner, they eventually withdrew.

He knew his troops were better at defense than offense. Sending only a portion of cavalry in pursuit was far too dangerous.

The most important thing now is to completely capture the Bordered Red Banner and achieve a complete victory in the Battle of Haizhou.

Yes, he has already called this battle the Battle of Haizhou, a victory of a major battle fought by the main force.

There were more than 7,000 soldiers of the Bordered Red Banner alone who were surrounded.

Including the casualties of the Plain Red Banner and the auxiliary troops who were killed, the total number undoubtedly exceeded ten thousand.

This battle alone could be called a major battle, not to mention the skirmishes a few days earlier, in which more than 5,000 enemy soldiers were killed or captured.

Yang Jiamo undoubtedly won this battle and deserves twice the credit of a regular battle.

In particular, the Bordered Red Banner was a supporter of Huang Taiji, and their military achievements were 1.2 times that of ordinary Jianzhou Jurchens. Yang Jiamo couldn't help but laugh out loud at this thought, imagining what rank he would be granted.
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Yang Yufan was also extremely pleased, because the greatest victory in this battle was his own.

With this military achievement, he will become a general in the future, and let's see who dares to disobey him!

He ordered his soldiers to intensify their firing and take down the Bordered Red Flag as quickly as possible to obtain as many heads as possible.

Chen Jisheng led his troops to search the city and arrest everyone they saw alive.

Cao Bianjiao and Tian Jianxiu guarded the northwest corner, shooting down enemies who tried to come out from there.

Everyone in Liaonan Town could earn military merits. Even the Tianxiong Army captured quite a few people at the South Gate.

The most disappointed were Cao Wenzhao and Sun Yingyuan, who rushed as fast as they could but ultimately fell short.

When they arrived, the Jurchens had already withdrawn. Having marched for several days, they no longer had the strength to pursue them.

However, the two men still deserve credit for the victory. If they hadn't arrived, the Jurchens wouldn't have retreated so quickly.

Yang Jiamo promised to treat them as reinforcements and share the credit with the reserves.

This finally eased the mood of Cao Wenzhao and Sun Yingyuan, allowing their subordinates to join the cleanup effort. (End of Chapter)