The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

Due to the escalating war in Liaodong, the Ming Dynasty shifted its defensive focus entirely to the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line outside Shanhaiguan. Starting from the Tianqi era, a large number of elite troops from the Jizhou garrison were transferred eastward to strengthen the defenses of Shanhaiguan, Ningyuan, and Jinzhou.

This "strong in the east and weak in the west" troop distribution resulted in extremely thin troop strength in the eastern section of the Jizhou defense zone, which stretches over 200 kilometers from Shanhaiguan to Xifengkou.

The fortifications were crumbling, and the army was in disarray.

After Emperor Chongzhen arrived in the Jizhou defense zone with his generals, he began to deploy a series of defenses in the Jizhou defense zone.

The generals were not surprised by this, as some had already realized the weakness of the Jizhou defense zone, but there was nothing they could do. The court's finances were exhausted, and all the limited resources had been invested in the Liaodong battlefield. There was simply no way to spare enough manpower and resources to fill the huge gap in Jizhou.

Now, the Emperor himself has taken action.

He brought one million taels of imperial funds to pay the army, and then transferred six generals, Lu Xiangshan, Hong Chengchou, Zhao Shuaijiao, Yuan Chonghuan, Zu Dashou, and Man Gui, along with their troops, such as Lu Xiangshan's Tianxiong Army, Man Gui's Xuanda Iron Cavalry, and Zu Dashou's Mongol soldiers.

The defense zone of Jizhou suddenly became strong, transforming from a dilapidated fortress with a lax military into a fortified city with a powerful army.

Moreover, the emperor himself was in charge.

The generals could understand the need to reorganize the Jizhou defense zone, but they were puzzled by the fact that the emperor was personally overseeing it. They reasoned that so many resources had already been invested, and that both middle-aged and young generals were present. Was it really necessary for the emperor to be present?

However, the emperor not only personally oversaw the situation, but also attached far more importance to the defense of Jizhou than they had imagined.

Not only did he don armor and mount his horse, but he also personally surveyed the terrain with his generals and discussed defense strategies. He also conducted more than ten exercises with them to simulate the invasion of the Jin army. Finally, he formulated the strategy of "catching the turtle in a jar" and named it "Plan to Catch the Turtle". The name was strange, but who dared to say anything when the emperor named it?

In short, it made it seem as if the Manchus were really about to launch a large-scale invasion.

After more than four months in the Jizhou defense zone, the Emperor has completely changed. When he first arrived, he was fair-skinned, but now he is much darker. People who don't know him might mistake him for a border general.

With the Emperor placing such importance on this matter, the generals naturally dared not relax.

On this day, the Jizhou defense zone was under martial law as always. Emperor Chongzhen and his generals remained at the front line, with scouts taking turns monitoring the area outside the pass in twelve-hour shifts.

Zunhua Town, the imperial court.

"Report! The Manchus have launched a massive invasion! Their army stretches for miles, seemingly endless, and is estimated to number around 100,000. They have already reached within 30 miles of the pass!" A dusty scout rushed in to report.

coming?

The Jin army has really arrived!

All the generals on the expedition were dumbfounded.

They were on high alert in the Jizhou defense zone, preparing for war and conducting exercises for more than four months. Looking back now, not a single drop of their sweat was wasted.

The emperor, as if possessed by divine insight, had pre-planned a strategy to trap the Jin army like a turtle in a jar, waiting for them to come. Unexpectedly, the turtle actually crawled in.

The Emperor, the chosen one, is the embodiment of divinely ordained imperial power.

Before the generals could even offer a few words of flattery, Emperor Chongzhen had already given the order: "All generals, listen to my command! Proceed with the 'Turtle-Catching Plan'!"

"Yes, sir!"

The generals immediately accepted the order and went to their posts to perform their duties.

They've rehearsed "Operation Turtle Catching" at least eight or ten times; they're practically experts at it, handling it with ease...

……

October 26th, the second year of Chongzhen's reign, at night.

Longjing Pass lies between two mountains, with the Great Wall winding along the mountain ridge like a sleeping dragon. The pass is not large, and usually only three hundred soldiers guard it. But tonight, it is eerily quiet, not just quiet, but deathly still.

Three miles outside the pass, Abater stopped his warhorse and squinted at the distant pass.

"The scouts report that the Ming army is unprepared." Abatai turned to his two younger brothers, "Ajige, Dorgon, in this battle, the three of us brothers will lead the charge and show the Khan just how sharp our Plain White Banner's swords are!"

Ajige, a burly, fat man, grinned and said in a deep voice, "Big brother, I'll lead the charge! I alone can break through this barrier!"

Seventeen-year-old Dorgon didn't speak, but gripped the knife in his hand tightly. This was his first time going on a military expedition. Abatai hadn't wanted him to come, but he had knelt before Huang Taiji and begged for it.

"Let's go." Abatai cracked his whip. "We must break through the pass at midnight and rendezvous with the Khan inside before dawn!"

Three thousand elite Plain White Banner troops, along with more than ten thousand soldiers, silently pressed towards Longjing Pass.

On the ramparts, the firelight was dim, and several Ming soldiers were dozing against the battlements, seemingly unaware of the impending danger.

Abatai smiled.

"Ajige, go."

With a wave of his hand, Ajige ordered five hundred soldiers from the vanguard battalion to carry ladders, crouch low, and creep towards the wall.

Fifty steps, thirty steps, twenty steps.

The door was closed, but there was still no movement.

Ajige's heart pounded faster and faster, not with fear, but with excitement. He could almost see himself being the first to charge over the fortified walls, the first to behead a Ming soldier, the first...

boom!!!

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard, and the earth shook violently.

Ajige's warhorse suddenly reared up, throwing him to the ground. Before he could react, a second and third explosion rang out in succession, flames shot into the sky, and debris flew everywhere, sending the vanguard soldiers flying like straw.

"Landmine!!!"

Azig's roar was drowned out by the sound of the explosion.

Suddenly, a torch lit up the wall.

Countless muskets emerged from behind the barricades, densely packed like a honeycomb.

"put!"

At a single command, a thousand guns fired simultaneously.

Lead bullets rained down like a storm, instantly riddling the Plain White Banner formation with holes. Soldiers fell in droves, warhorses neighed and rolled on the ground, and blood stained the frozen earth before the pass.

Ajige's face turned pale.

Having fought for twenty years, he naturally understood what was going on instantly.

They were ambushed.

It seems that the Ming army had discovered their movements and had already taken precautions.

Ajige got up from the ground, his face covered in blood, he didn't know if it was someone else's or his own, but he didn't bother to wipe it off and hurriedly retreated back to the main force.

Before even entering the pass, they'd already suffered a humiliating defeat. Ajige, furious, cried out, "Brother, damn it! The Ming army has laid an ambush ahead! What do we do?"

Abatai looked puzzled and said, "That shouldn't be the case. According to the scouts, the Ming army's defenses are lax. How could there be an ambush?"

Ajige shook his head: "I don't know either."

Abatai pondered for a moment and said, "The Khan said that the main force of the Ming army is in Liaodong. There are no heavy troops here. It must be that the Ming army discovered our whereabouts and therefore set up an ambush in advance, trying to scare us away with a feint. We cannot fall for their trick!"

Ajige nodded in deep agreement.

Abatai added, "We've already arranged with the Khan to meet inside the pass at dawn; we can't afford to waste time here!"

Ajige nodded emphatically: "Charge! Charge! If we get in, they're finished!"

Without further hesitation, Abatai drew his long sword, pointed it to the sky, and commanded, "Give the order: all troops, charge!"

"Kill them!"

More than ten thousand people roared and charged toward the fortified wall like madmen...