Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"hurry up!"

"Hurry up, all of you!"

"The Jurchens are just ahead!"

Not far from the Liaodong border wall, Man Gui roared loudly.

When he first led his troops out, he was somewhat unhurried, taking care of the marching speed of Qin Liangyu's infantry.

However, upon learning that the Jurchens were about to flee, he immediately became anxious. Leading his five thousand cavalrymen and the Mongol cavalry recruited by Zaisai and others, he was the first to head towards Shenyang.

Even so, they are still quite far from Shenyang, having only just arrived at the border wall, a hundred miles from Shenyang.

Normally, this journey of a hundred li would take at least two days, but Man Gui, impatient, urged his men to march overnight.

Each team carried torches and flares, resembling a fiery dragon, creating a truly magnificent sight.

"Like a wildfire spreading! Like the sun at its zenith!"

"Who could have imagined that the Ming army would grow to such strength in just a few years!"

Earl Zaisai watched this scene with envy and sighed to the other leaders.

They never imagined that the Ming Dynasty's large army would one day dare to march like this.

This requires not only sufficient fuel, but also strong organization and strict military discipline.

Otherwise, the army would fall into disarray at night, not to mention the possibility of being attacked.

Zaisai dared not let his men follow him, even though the two thousand men he had chosen were the elite of the tribe.

Nengqi, Tujin, and Daiqing also dared not, as they were the ones from the Naiman and Aohan tribes who chose to submit to the Ming Dynasty.

This choice proved to be correct. The Ming Dynasty not only bestowed titles and rewards upon them, but also allowed them to lead the remaining herders of the Naiman and Aohan tribes after conquering them.

Now, each of the three can field over a thousand cavalrymen, and when combined with Zaisai's two thousand cavalrymen, their combined strength is comparable to Man Gui's.

However, they dared not have any other thoughts, watching with both respect and fear as Man Gui rushed towards Shenyang.

"The firearms of the Ming Dynasty are truly amazing!"

"When will we have such a divine weapon?"

The one among the three leaders, Dai Qingdao.

He knew that the reason Man Gui dared to march through the night without worrying about the soldiers' fatigue was that firing a gun required very little strength, far less effort than shooting an arrow.

If they also had such muskets, no one on the grasslands could defeat them.

They even dared to provoke the Jurchens.

Zaisai also held this expectation. Last year's battle on the Daning Grassland not only terrified the Jurchens, but also instilled great awe in the Mongols on the grassland.

They knew how powerful the Jurchens were; last year, they swept across southern Mongolia with almost no one able to withstand them.

Yet these Jurchens were slaughtered by Man Gui, who massacred thousands of them like chickens. Their heads were piled up into a mound, shocking everyone on the grasslands.

That's why they cooperated so well this year when Man Gui asked them to lead the way. They even drove livestock in winter to help transport logistical supplies.

Watching Man Gui leave with the fire dragon, Zai Sai Che:

"Let's go!"

"Let's go see General Qin."

"General Man has ordered us to transport General Qin's soldiers to Shenyang within three days. This is a military order, so we must not miss the deadline."

"If I make contributions in the future, I will definitely be able to get a quota to buy firearms."

Leave one detachment to guard the border wall, while the others return to help Qin Liangyu transport troops.
-
Meanwhile, the Jurchen troops in Shenyang had begun to withdraw.

Under the threat of the Ming army outside the city, Huang Taiji quickly determined the order of withdrawal, with the Plain Yellow Banner and Plain Red Banner withdrawing first.

They will be responsible for protecting the Eight Banners soldiers, especially the families of the princes, as they travel to Khorchin first.

As he saw Daishan off, Huang Taiji held his hand and said earnestly:
"Brother, I know you're unhappy with me and think I didn't play well."

"But think about it carefully, whose responsibility is it for these defeats?"

"It's simply that the Ming army's firearms are too powerful, and we can't deal with them."

"Now we should unite more closely to preserve the Manchu people."

His words were earnest and profound, and Daishan thought of the many victories he had achieved while following Huang Taiji.

He knew that, in terms of ability alone, no one could surpass his younger brother. Back then, it was out of respect for him that he had recommended him to the throne.

The reason for the discontent in recent years is that after Huang Taiji became the Great Khan, he encroached on the power of the various Beile (princes).

Now that things have come to this, he put aside his resentment and said:
"Don't worry, Brother Khan!"

"With me here, I will definitely escort them safely to Horqin."

He bowed to Huang Taiji and escorted tens of thousands of troops away in a grand procession.
-
Such a large commotion was naturally noticed by the Ming army on the south bank.

Mao Wenlong and Hou Shilu wanted to lead their troops in pursuit, but they discovered that the Jurchens on the north bank had a much larger force.

Most of these "soldiers" were not wearing armor, and some were even carrying only a sharpened wooden stick, being driven ahead by the Jurchens.

If the Ming army had used firearms, they could have easily killed them.

But what they need most right now is ammunition, so how can we waste it on this!
"How to do?"

How should we fight this battle?

Cao Wenzhao asked Hou Shilu for instructions.

Hou Shilu looked solemnly at the opposite bank and ordered, "General Liu and I will lead the troops across the river."

"Use firearms as cover and prepare to move in when the opportunity arises."

He mobilized three thousand cavalrymen composed of the retainers of various generals, as well as several Jurchen Niru (units of cavalry) trained by Liu Xingzuo, to prepare for close combat across the river.

In this battle, he will use the most primitive methods to break through the Jurchen army's formation.

Cao Wenzhao was filled with excitement; a highly skilled martial artist himself, he also wanted to demonstrate his abilities in the same way. He requested:

"General, your health is precious. Perhaps I should lead the attack."

"The Left Army Camp also originated from Liaodong, and they haven't forgotten close combat!"

Hou Shilu refused without hesitation:
"You are a newly trained army carefully prepared by the imperial court. The troops in Liaodong will still need your training in the future."

"It doesn't matter if we die, but you can't die. The Guan Ning Army will depend on you in the future!"

He rejected Cao Wenzhao's request, ordered his personal guards to don armor, and personally led the cavalry into battle.

He handed over command of the rear to Mao Wenlong, while giving Cao Wenzhao and Sun Yingyuan the power to make independent decisions.

Mao Wenlong knew perfectly well what Hou Shilu's purpose was in being so brave:
This is an attempt to secure a decisive achievement for the title of Marquis!
If Hou Shilu were to break through the enemy lines and enter Shenyang first, then it would be a certainty for him to become a marquis.

He, too, desired to be granted a title and wanted this opportunity.

However, he was not known for his bravery, and the number of cavalry under his command was less than that of Hou Shilu.

They could only watch helplessly as Hou Shilu, in his capacity as commander-in-chief, seized the opportunity.
-
"The Ming army is about to cross the river!"

"The Ming army is charging in!"

"The Ming army has opened fire with their firearms!"

"Run...run!"

On the other side, the Jurchen army, composed of slaves, undoubtedly collapsed.

Seeing that they had retreated into the range of the arrows, Dorgon immediately gave the order:

"Fire arrows!"

Drive away these slaves and continue facing the Ming army.

For him, the value of these men was realized the moment the Ming army opened fire.

He wanted to use these men to deplete the Ming army's ammunition and even force them into close combat.

Hou Shilu's choice was exactly what he wanted. He wanted to kill the Ming army commander-in-chief just like he had done to Zhao Lüjiao.

However, Hou Shilu clearly learned his lesson and did not rush to the front.

He even calmly directed his soldiers to build pontoon bridges to cross the river, and commanded the generals who had already crossed to lead their servants to drive away the Jurchen slaves and order them to counterattack the Jurchen army formation.

With his back to the river, he appeared more composed than the Jurchens. This was because the Ming soldiers behind him were protecting them with firearms.

As soon as the Jurchens get close, the Ming army's cannons and rifled muskets will open fire.

Although sound is not as dense as saturation fire, its lethality is far greater.

Protected by them, Hou Shilu calmly directed the Ming cavalry to drive away the slaves in small units, destroying the Jurchen army's formation set up by the slaves.

Mao Wenlong directed Li Jiucheng and others to cross the river to provide support.
-
Dorgon watched this scene with a solemn expression, knowing that this battle was dangerous.

Although Hou Shilu, who was opposite him, was known for his bravery and skill, he was not a reckless person.

His tactics precisely targeted his own weaknesses—

The Eight Banners soldiers were afraid to face firearms, which is why they used slaves to set up their battle formations.

However, the hastily captured slaves, even with bondservants leading them, did not form a very effective formation.

The personal guards of Hou Shilu and other Guan Ning army generals were able to easily defeat them.

Although the Ming army suffered some losses against these people, it made little progress in depleting their most important ammunition targets.

Seeing his slaves constantly scattering, and some even killing their bondservant servants and fleeing to both sides of the river, Dorgon knew he couldn't continue like this. He said to his younger brother, Dodo:
"Tenth brother, this battle depends on you."

"Once we get past this distance, the Ming army will not dare to fire their firearms."

Pointing to the Ming army driving away the Manchu slaves, Dorgon used them for this very purpose.

As long as the Eight Banners soldiers charged forward and clashed with the Ming army, the Ming army on the other side would not dare to fire their firearms indiscriminately.

This is the kind of battle the Eight Banners soldiers were familiar with: close-quarters combat with the enemy.

Dodo nodded firmly and immediately gave the order:
"Plain White Banner, move out."

"The day is the day to wash away our humiliation!"

They regard the previous Battle of Liaoyang as a disgrace and are now determined to win.

This time, the Ming army, separated from them by the river, was unable to provide support.

Moreover, the Guan Ning Army was even smaller, only half the size of them.

Under his command, the Jurchens of the Plain White Banner displayed fearless courage.

Braving the barrage of fire from Ming army guns, they clashed violently with the Guan Ning army, who were driving away the Manchu slaves.

Following the Battle of Liaoyang a few days ago, the old rivals, the Plain White Banner and the Guan Ning Army, once again engaged in a bloody battle.

The sheer number and severity of the casualties stained the murky river red.

Cao Wenzhao urgently urged his men to cross the river and come to their aid. (End of Chapter)