Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Luring the Jurchens westward was a backup plan prepared by the imperial court.

However, the Ming Dynasty's first choice was always to completely eliminate the Later Jin.

The generals on the Liaodong front were all preparing to achieve the feat of destroying a country in order to obtain the titles of dukes and marquises.

Even Hong Chengchou, who had not been very enthusiastic about the battle before, put in his best effort after learning that the Jurchens might flee.

He sent messengers to Li Zunzu, Liu Zongmin, and other generals under the jurisdiction of the Andong Protectorate, instructing them to do everything in their power to intercept them.

At the same time, 10,000 Japanese soldiers who were not yet properly trained were transferred from the rear.

The intention was to use more troops to capture Fushun as quickly as possible.

However, he was still a step too slow.

At Hupiyi, Mao Wenlong and Hou Shilu, who were seeking to be ennobled, learned that the Jurchens were going to abandon the city and flee. Regardless of the danger they might encounter, they left the infantry to Ma Shilong, who was coming to reinforce them, and led all the cavalry and mounted infantry straight to Shenyang.

With only enough ammunition for one battle, they marched sixty li (approximately 30 kilometers) that same day and arrived outside Shenyang.

If it weren't for the Hun River running south of Shenyang, which Huang Taiji hadn't sent the Plain White Banner to guard, they probably would have attacked the city that very day, preventing the Jurchens from escaping.

Huang Taiji was greatly surprised when he received this news.

Although he knew that the migration could not be kept completely secret and that the Ming Dynasty might find out.

However, the Ming army's arrival at Hupiyi Station was so swift that it still terrified him.
"The Ming generals have gone mad!"

"Completely disregarding logistics."

The Plain Blue Banner was right behind them, and the Ming army's supply lines could be cut off at any time.

However, the Ming army completely disregarded this and launched a light cavalry raid.

He knew that as long as he made up his mind, he could completely exhaust the Ming army's ammunition and even annihilate them.

But seeing the panicked state of the Eight Banners soldiers, he no longer had the will to fight.

"What good would it do to defeat them?"

"Besides them, the Ming Dynasty also has tens of thousands of troops."

"If we risk everything, how will we rebuild the Jin Dynasty in the Western Regions?"

Having accepted Ning Wanwo's explanation, Huang Taiji became quite interested in establishing the Western Jin Dynasty, modeled after the Western Liao Dynasty.

He didn't have high hopes for the harsh and cold northern desert region.

Even the Nenkhorchin people migrated from the Aru River area, so the situation in other parts of northern Mongolia must be even worse.

Huang Taiji did not want his Jin Kingdom to merely replace the northern desert overlords of Outer Khalkha, so his goal for migration was the Western Regions.

He will obviously encounter many difficulties along the way, and he needs to preserve enough troops.

Seeing the panicked group of princes, Huang Taiji frowned and gave the order:
"Dorgon, the Ming army has come from afar. Go and help Dodo stop them."

"We were able to defeat the Ming army at Hun River back then, and we can do it a second time now."

His words were grand and inspiring, but he showed no intention of gathering troops to defeat the Ming army.

Dorgon looked at him expectantly, hoping to send more troops.

Huang Taiji simply ignored it, because he had no more troops to send:

The two Yellow Banners, as his headquarters and his hope for rebuilding the Jin Dynasty, must not be lost.

Of the two red flags, the Bordered Red Flag had been damaged, and the Plain Red Flag led by Daishan was no longer so obedient.

If we send him to guard the Hun River, I reckon he'll be able to escape if the war gets too dangerous.

He had already dispatched the two blue flags, so the only troops he could mobilize were the two white flags.

Even though Dorgon's Bordered White Banner had been reduced to only a few hundred main forces, Huang Taiji still had no choice but to send him to reinforce the Plain White Banner.
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Helpless, Dorgon led his men out of the city, feeling utterly powerless.

Watching the chaos of people and horses rushing about in the city, and families scrambling to gather their belongings, he felt a sense of impending doom.

The loss of two banners was not a large sum for the Eight Banners. However, the fact that they were wiped out in an organized manner with almost no chance of fighting back left all the Eight Banner soldiers feeling powerless.

Their hard-earned bows and arrows were completely useless.

No matter how thick the armor, it couldn't stop the musket fire.

To this day, they have not found a way to counter the Ming army's firearms, except to use human lives to consume ammunition.

The thought crossed Dorgon's mind, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He then gave the order:
"Go, drive the Han and Korean people out of the city and make them build camps along the Hun River."

"Everyone must go; those who disobey will be killed without exception!"

The plan was to use the pretext of building a camp to detain them in the camp. If the Ming army attacked, they could use them to consume ammunition.

The soldiers with the white-bordered flag naturally carried out the order without hesitation.

They were all leaving, so naturally they had no qualms about it.

For a time, the Han Chinese and Koreans in the city were all weeping.

Even merchants who had connections with some of the Eight Banners nobles were robbed.

The spies sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to create chaos were overjoyed at the sight. They created chaos throughout the city, shouting, "The Tartars will kill everyone before they escape!"

Those who remained in the city but were not captured were equally filled with anxiety. Some began to consider leaving the city to temporarily escape the war.

People gathered at each city gate, and some even broke through the city walls. Some Manchu soldiers were also trampled to death in the chaos.

Dorgon never expected that the Han people he looked down upon would cause such a mess, and he roared in anger:
"All of you, listen to my command: Draw your swords!"

"Anyone who dares to approach will be killed without mercy."

He ordered all Eight Banner soldiers to draw their swords and kill any outsiders who dared to approach.

After their frenzied slaughter, order finally returned to the city.

However, the story of the Tartars massacring the city before fleeing remains in the minds of all Han Chinese and Koreans.
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When Huang Taiji learned of the incident Dorgon had caused, he was so angry that he cursed him, saying, "He's more trouble than he's worth."

However, he also found Dorgon's idea of ​​capturing Han Chinese and Koreans to deplete the Ming army's ammunition to be reasonable.

Now, the only thing that can withstand the Ming army's firearms is human life.

If he had been ruthless back then, he might have been able to breach the Dalinghe Fortress.

Now that they're about to run away, it's not the time to be soft-hearted.

He said to Dorgon:

"All people were incorporated into the Bordered White Banner and the Bordered Red Banner, and made into slaves under their banner."

"If the Ming army attacks, send them into battle."

"Those who survived were raised to the banner and their strength was replenished in the Eight Banners."

Dorgon and others were authorized to arrest everyone to replenish the losses of the Eight Banners.

Upon hearing the order, Dorgon impatiently led his Bordered White Banner soldiers to arrest the people.

His brother Azig was even more passionate and cruel. They not only captured slaves, but also robbed people of their property and raped other men's wives and daughters.

Although Sahalian was somewhat reluctant to do so, his Bordered Red Banner had been almost completely destroyed. How could he rebuild it without capturing banner slaves to replace them?

Therefore, those in Shenyang who were not previously incorporated into the Eight Banners were truly unlucky.

They used to think that being a submissive subject would keep them safe, but now they realize that under the rule of the Jurchens, they are nothing but waste.

Some people, in desperation, set themselves on fire with their entire families, causing fires to break out in the city.

It was already night. Mao Wenlong, Hou Shilu, and others on the south bank of the Hun River watched the fires and smoke rising from Shenyang, and for a moment they did not know what had happened.

It wasn't until a secret agent from the Imperial Guard risked his life to report that they learned the Jurchens intended to plunder everyone in the city before fleeing. (End of Chapter)