My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 158 Dorgon: My plan is perfect and there is no flaw at all!

As for Kong Youde, he lowered his head with a blank look in his eyes.

He knew that he was doomed to die and had already lost all hope. Even when he saw Chongzhen, he had no reaction.

After a while, Chongzhen was tired of scolding.

He then waved his hand, and the Jinyiwei came forward, dragged Kong Youde away and locked him up.

After a while, an official from the Ministry of War hurried over and reported the results of the head count to Chongzhen.

"Your Majesty, the number of heads is correct, and the appearance of each head also matches the characteristics of the Jiannu, but..."

When the official who came to report said this, he suddenly looked embarrassed and seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Chongzhen frowned and said:

"Just say what you want to say, don't be so nagging."

The official then took a deep breath and said cautiously:

"Your Majesty, among these heads, there are more than a thousand of them that are women and children."

Hearing this, all the civil and military officials around frowned and showed expressions of pity on their faces.

Although the Ming Dynasty and the Jiannu were at war, attacking women and children was too cruel.

At that moment, an imperial censor who was accompanying him stepped forward. He straightened his back and accused indignantly:

"Zheng Zhilong and Huang Fei's actions are truly too cruel. They shouldn't kill women and children. This goes against the principles of benevolence and righteousness of the Ming Dynasty!"

"I request Your Majesty to issue an order to punish Zheng Zhilong and Huang Fei!"

Although the other officials did not say anything, it could be seen from their expressions and eyes that they were also deeply dissatisfied with this matter.

When Chongzhen heard this, his face instantly became extremely gloomy. He glanced at everyone present and sneered:

"Are the Jiannu still human? They have invaded the Ming Dynasty numerous times, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of evil, just like evil spirits!"

"To treat them, we must emulate Chenghua Li Ting's strategy of eradicating them completely! Regardless of gender, age, or youth, all must be killed!"

"Otherwise, how can we be worthy of those soldiers who are fighting bloody battles against the Jiannu and sacrificing their lives?"

"How can we be worthy of the innocent people who were brutally massacred by the Jiannu?"

"I tell you, this is my intention! Zheng Zhilong and Huang Fei were just following orders. In this battle, they have made contributions and no mistakes!"

"If anyone dares to impeach them again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Chongzhen's words were extremely cold, which frightened the censor who had spoken just now and made him tremble slightly, but in the end he dared not say another word.

Although other officials were dissatisfied, they felt that this move was too cruel and violated their moral principles.
But under the pressure of Chongzhen, they all chose to remain silent at this time.

Zhu Cilang saw all this and sneered in his heart.

These scholars usually read books of sages and talk about benevolence, righteousness, and morality, but they are so pedantic at this time.

The Ming Dynasty is now at a critical moment of life and death, and these guys still have unrealistic sympathy for the Jiannu. They are so stupid!
They should all be sent to Liaodong so that they can witness the brutality of the Jiannu with their own eyes!

Fortunately, these people finally behaved better and stopped saying anything that would make Chongzhen unhappy.

After finishing the handover of the Jiannu head, everyone dispersed.

Chongzhen returned to the harem, and Zhu Cilang also returned to the Eastern Palace.

As for the gold, silver and treasures handed over by Zheng Zhilong, they were sent to Zhu Cilang's back treasury.

The amount of gold, silver and treasures was not large, less than twenty boxes at most.

Zhu Cilang knew in his heart that there must have been more than this amount, and some of it must have been used by Zheng Zhilong and Huang Fei to reward the soldiers.

However, Zhu Cilang did not care. After all, he had made so many contributions that these small problems were not worth mentioning at all.

Besides, Zheng Zhilong covered all the expenses this time, even including the pensions for the soldiers who died in the battle.

This means that the Ming Dynasty won the naval battle without spending a penny.

After this incident, Zhu Cilang no longer cared about these little things.

In the next few days, Zhu Cilang devoted himself to the preparations for the imperial expedition.

He was well aware that this expedition was of great significance and concerned the rise and fall and survival of the Ming Dynasty, so he did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

He first summoned the cabinet and the six ministers to the Eastern Palace, and then explained some things that needed special attention after he and Chongzhen left the capital.

First of all, the grain transported by the Zheng family from the sea will be delivered to the Ming Dynasty this month. According to the previous plan, this batch of grain will be sent directly to the Tianjin Port, and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Households will need to receive it.

When receiving the money, the silver must be paid in person, and no arrears are allowed. You cannot use Ming treasure notes or the like to settle the bill!

After all, the Zheng family was already making a loss this time, and they can’t be allowed to lose again.

In addition, there are 100,000 acres of sweet potatoes and potatoes that are about to mature. This is the life-saving food of the Ming Dynasty.

At that time, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War will need to send more personnel to strengthen supervision to ensure that there are no problems before the sweet potatoes and potatoes are harvested.

In addition, regarding the matters concerning the victims outside the city, we must strictly follow the methods previously instructed by Zhu Cilang to ensure that no plague occurs.

Naturally, the cabinet and the six ministers all agreed to what Zhu Cilang instructed.

In fact, even if Zhu Cilang didn't say it, they would not forget it.

But then, they looked helpless again.

Because Zhu Cilang also wanted to go to Liaodong with Chongzhen!

Since ancient times, how could the emperor and the crown prince lead the army to war at the same time?
The emperor has always led the army in person and the prince has always been responsible for supervising the country.

But now they all have to go to Liaodong. If something goes wrong, what will happen to the Ming Dynasty?
But they could only keep these words in their hearts, and no one dared to speak them out loud.

After all, everyone knows that the decisions made by the prince cannot be changed by his ministers.

In addition to these, Zhu Cilang had also made careful plans for the deployment of troops.

The troops for this expedition included 2,000 Jingjun, 3,000 Jinyiwei, 10,000 Tengxiang Five Guards, 10,000 Baigan soldiers, and 30,000 Jingying, totaling 55,000 soldiers.

If the ceremonial guards, chefs, imperial doctors and other attendants are included, the number of people will be nearly 60,000.

The remaining troops stayed in the capital to ensure its safety and stability to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation.

In addition, a number of nobles will also accompany the expedition, and Zhang Shize is one of them.

Zhu Cilang also gave him the title of General Jianwei and let him lead 3,000 troops.

According to convention, when the emperor personally led the army to war, the ministers of the court had to accompany him, and the Minister of War was indispensable among them!

However, considering that Li Banghua was too old and not suitable for long-distance journeys, and Zhu Cilang had already made a detailed plan and did not need anyone to discuss it with, Zhu Cilang did not bring the ministers with him this time.

They were just worried that Chongzhen would be lonely on the road, so they found a few imperial censors for him.

Finally, after another two days, the expedition team was ready.

Before setting off, Zhu Cilang rewarded each pair of soldiers with ten taels of silver as usual.

When Chongzhen learned that Zhu Cilang had rewarded the soldiers with silver, he felt heartbroken for a moment.

Because he felt that the country was in a critical situation at the time of war and needed money, so such a generous reward was too wasteful.

But Zhu Cilang just smiled and didn't say much.

Because he knew that war was a money-burning business, and this reward was insignificant compared to the soldiers' efforts on the battlefield.

Moreover, as the saying goes, there will always be brave men under great rewards. These rewards can greatly boost the morale of the soldiers and make them fight more bravely on the battlefield.

This expedition was different from the previous two. In order to better boost morale and inspire the soldiers' fighting spirit, a grand oath-taking ceremony was held.

After the oath-taking ceremony, the army set out from Zhengyang Gate.

The people of the capital had already learned from the Daming Daily the time when Chongzhen would lead his army in person, and they spontaneously came to the roadside to line the streets to see him off.

Chongzhen sat in the dragon chariot, looking through the window at the enthusiastic people around him, and his heart was also excited.

In this way, the army officially marched towards Liaodong, and a battle that would determine the fate of the Ming Dynasty was about to begin.

At the same time, on the other side of the Mongolian grassland.

The originally quiet and peaceful atmosphere was instantly broken by a sudden and rhythmic vibration.

Looking into the distance, I saw dust filling the sky, like a surging black wave covering the sky and the sun.

Soon, a cavalry of about 20,000 people appeared!
It was Dorgon himself who led 20,000 Jiannu cavalrymen, who were like an unstoppable steel torrent, sweeping towards the depths of the grassland.

The dense sound of horse hooves was like the dense sound of war drums, hitting every inch of the grassland heavily, making people terrified.

The Mongolian grasslands are vast and boundless, and the Mongolians have the habit of migrating, so logically speaking, Dorgon should not be able to find Abunai's tribe.

Even if you find it, it will take a lot of time.

However, at this time, Dorgon seemed to be assisted by God. In just less than five days, he accurately locked onto the grassland where Abunai was hiding.

Then he swept in with a large army.

Such an astonishing speed is really unbelievable, as if Dorgon had already seen through every hidden corner of the grassland.

The reason is actually very simple.

Firstly, Dorgon did not bring any logistical troops with him on this expedition. The entire army only carried enough food and fodder to last for three days as they headed towards the Mongolian grasslands.

Along the way, they were like ferocious and brutal wolves, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of atrocities wherever they went.

But this time the unlucky ones were not the Han people, but the Mongols!
Dorgon adopted the method of fighting to support the war this time, plundering all the Mongolian tribes he encountered along the way and using their supplies to support his own troops!
In Dorgon's eyes, the Mongols were nothing more than fish on the chopping board, powerless to resist, and could only be slaughtered!
Even though they had destroyed Mongolia, they never regarded the Mongols as their compatriots from beginning to end. They only regarded this grassland and its Mongolians as an inexhaustible treasure house.

Whenever necessary, you can come and plunder at any time!
Therefore, Dorgon's marching speed was greatly accelerated!

Furthermore, there were many surrendered Mongols in Dorgon's army.

These people were willing to betray their own people for their own selfish interests, and they knew Abunai's whereabouts very well.

After all, other people don’t know where the Mongols will gather, but don’t they, the Mongols, know it?

Under their guidance, Dorgon's army was assisted by God and easily found the grassland where Abunai was currently!

At this moment, Dorgon's army temporarily stopped in a place with relatively abundant water and grass for a short rest.

The soldiers were all busy, some were feeding the horses, some were looking for clean water, and others were busy cooking.

For a moment, wisps of smoke rose from the grassland, and the smoky scene looked like a tranquil and unique pastoral painting.

Unfortunately, the person who came this time was not a good person.
At this time, Dorgon was standing on a small hillside, looking into the distance, and no one knew what he was thinking.

After a moment, he asked a Mongolian-looking soldier beside him:
"How far is this place from the grassland where Abunai is?"

Upon hearing this, the Mongolian soldier hurriedly replied respectfully:

"Your Highness, it's less than fifty miles."

After hearing this, Dorgon raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a cold and murderous sneer.

Because he knew that he would meet Abunai soon!

Dorgon hated this guy who was appointed as the Great Khan of Mongolia by Chongzhen!

Even though Mongolia was destroyed by them, Abunai still refused to give up and insisted on surrendering to the Ming Dynasty.

Since that’s the case, he will let Abunai know what the consequences will be if he goes against them!
Anyway, they have already destroyed Mongolia once, so they don’t mind destroying it again!
Of course, Dorgon was not an idiot. He knew that this time he might not only face the Mongolian army, but also the Ming army!

If the intelligence is correct, there are even 50,000 Ming troops!
Therefore, he would not launch attacks blindly, but would adopt a tactic of continuous harassment and pulling to ensure that he could not only intercept their army on the grassland but also consume their manpower.

After all, this was what he planned at the beginning!

Thinking of this, Dorgon smiled slightly, then turned and left.

In his opinion, his plan was perfect and there was no flaw.

Poor Dorgon, he didn't know that he had been tricked by Zhu Cilang when he led 20,000 cavalrymen to the Mongolian grasslands.
On a grassland not far away, Abunai had just received the news that Dorgon was leading his troops!

After all, Abunai is not a fool. With so many troops, how could he not have scouts?

When the scouts discovered that Dorgon's army was heading towards them, they quickly told Abunai the news!

After hearing the news, Abunai was struck by lightning and was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.

He couldn't figure out how their plan was leaked.
Knowing the importance of this matter, he kept it very secret to prevent the plan from being leaked.

Unexpectedly, the Jiannu not only had learned the news, but also sent 20,000 cavalry!
You know, he is not ready yet!
In fact, this plan was certainly not leaked by Abunai, but by Qin Liangyu and Hong Chengchou.

One reason is to cooperate with Zhu Cilang's plan.

As for the second one!

That is to take the opportunity to consume Mongolia’s population and resources!
After all, if Mongolia remained strong, even if the Ming Dynasty successfully defeated the Jiannu in the future, Mongolia would inevitably become a major concern for the Ming Dynasty and would always threaten the Ming Dynasty's border security.

So why not take advantage of the present opportunity to weaken Mongolia's strength with the help of the Jiannu!
This is a hundred benefits and no harm for the Ming Dynasty!
But Abunai obviously didn't think of this.

At this moment, although his heart was full of doubts and anxieties, facing the approaching army of Dorgon, he had no other choice but to bite the bullet and prepare to fight!
There was no way. Dorgon's army was only fifty miles away from here, plus the time it would take for the scouts to come back, perhaps at this moment, Dorgon's army was about to reach their doorstep.

It is impossible to escape at this time. After all, he not only has an army here, but also a large number of women, children, cattle and sheep. These things cannot be moved in a short time.

If he abandoned them, how could he, the Great Khan of Mongolia, gain the submission of his people?
So at this moment, there is no other way except fighting!

So Abunai pretended to be calm and quickly gathered his men to prepare for the upcoming brutal battle.

Not long after, Dorgon arrived at the grassland with a huge army.

Not far away, Abunai was also leading an army of 30,000 and was ready for battle.

Judging from the comparison of troop numbers, 20,000 against 30,000, Abunai's side seemed to have a clear advantage in numbers, and the balance of victory seemed to be quietly tilting towards them.

However, Abunai was riding on his warhorse with his brows tightly twisted into the shape of a "川" character, and his heart was filled with deep worry.

Because he knew that this time he was not facing an ordinary army, but the Jiannu cavalry that had defeated the Mongolian cavalry with a crushing force and made them flee in disarray.

In previous wars, the Jiannu cavalry demonstrated superb combat effectiveness and fierce fighting style, which frightened the entire Mongolia.

This led to the Mongols always feeling an uncontrollable fear in their hearts when facing the Jiannu cavalry.

But at this moment, Abunai had no way to retreat. He had no choice but to fight bravely and fight the enemy to the death.

On the other side of the battlefield, Dorgon, wearing armor, stood tall on a high slope, his eyes fixed on the Mongolian army that was ready for battle not far away.

Then, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a contemptuous smile.

In his eyes, the 30,000 Mongolian troops were just a mob and were not worth his time and effort.

At the same time, Abunai took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and suddenly drew out the long sword from his waist, raised it high, and roared loudly:
"Warriors, for our homes, for our loved ones, charge!"

With his order, the Mongolian cavalry rushed towards Dorgon's army like a flood breaking through a dam.

The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and the earth trembled.

Seeing this, Dorgon's eyes flashed with a cold light. Without hesitation, he waved his hand and gave a decisive order:

"Meet the attack! Hit me hard!"

In an instant, the cavalry under his command rushed towards the Mongolian cavalry like arrows.

Soon, the cavalry of both sides rushed together and a thrilling battle began.

On the battlefield, the shouts and cries of killing were deafening, rising and falling one after another, as if they were going to tear the entire sky apart.

The swords and sabers flashed and shone coldly, and every collision of weapons produced dazzling sparks.

The neighing of war horses and the screams of soldiers intertwined together, playing a tragic war song.

Even so, the casualties of the Mongolian army were still far higher than those of the Jiannu army. Basically, for every one person who died on the Jiannu side, two people would die on the Mongolian side.

The casualties are huge!
But people are all brave. When the Mongols thought that the Jiannu not only destroyed their country but were now going to massacre them, their eyes instantly turned red and they fought even more desperately.

Before long, the battlefield was littered with the bodies of soldiers from both sides.

The Jiannu lost about 500 people, and the Mongols lost more than 1,000 people!

"woo"

Just when the battle was reaching its climax, a horn suddenly sounded from afar.

When he heard the horn, Dorgon was startled.

Because this was an alarm sent by their scouts, warning them that a large army was marching towards this side!

Apart from the Ming army, Dorgon really couldn't think of any other army!

The next second, without the slightest hesitation, Dorgon said coldly:

"retreat!"

Immediately afterwards, the soldiers around him blew the horn.

"woo"

As the retreat horn sounded, the Jiannu cavalry instantly withdrew from the battlefield, then quickly collected the bodies and wounded of their companions and rushed quickly into the distance.

Sure enough, just as the Jiannu army left, a neat and orderly team suddenly appeared in the distance.

Dorgon stopped his horse and took a closer look. He found that it was indeed the Ming army, and it was composed of well-trained border troops and white-pole soldiers!

When he saw this scene, Dorgon knew how wise his decision was!
Because Qin Liangyu's white-pole soldiers are not to be trifled with!
They are one of the few infantrymen who can fight against cavalry!
In the previous battles, their armies had suffered heavy losses.

Coupled with the Mongolian army led by Abunai, retreat is the best option at this time.

If we continue to fight hard, we will only end up with a tragic outcome of total annihilation.

Besides, Dorgon had no intention of fighting with anyone when he came here this time.

His main purpose was to block Abunai and this Ming army on the Mongolian grasslands, preventing them from going to Liaodong for support and thus disrupting the strategic layout of the Ming army.

Thinking of this, Dorgon sneered and quickly led his army straight into the depths of the grassland, just waiting to launch a surprise attack on Abunai next time!

At first, Abunai didn't understand why Dorgon wanted to withdraw his troops. It was not until he saw Qin Liangyu's army coming that he understood everything.

At the same time, a spark of hope suddenly ignited in his heart.

As long as they join forces, they might be able to completely wipe out Dorgon and his army now!

Therefore, Abunai immediately sent someone to find Qin Liangyu to discuss pursuing the victory together.

But who could have thought that before he could take any action, Qin Liangyu, who was not far away, retreated with her army without hesitation.

This scene left Abunai stunned, and he couldn't recover for a long time.

Not
What exactly is going on?

Didn’t we agree before to join forces to fight against the Jiannu?
Why haven't you fought yet?

The Ming army ran away first?
(End of this chapter)