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

The Jurchens were most skilled at hunting, because their ancestors had made a living by hunting.

In their view, hunting is a battle, a battle against cunning beasts, and also a military training ground where everyone is a soldier.

When the Jurchens went hunting, they organized themselves according to clans and production units, with "each person taking one arrow, and ten people forming a Niru Ejen to lead them." Nurhaci institutionalized this primitive hunting organization, creating the Eight Banners system. Therefore, the most basic unit of the Eight Banners army was essentially a hunting team.

When hunting, the Jurchens used the terrain to employ an encirclement tactic of "no retreat": the vanguard would probe and drive the enemy away, the two flanks would surround and encircle them, and finally they would gather together and annihilate them.

This mindset was carried over to the battlefield exactly as it was.

For them, war was nothing more than a larger, more dangerous hunt.

This time, Huang Taiji's strategic vision far surpassed that of his father. He was no longer satisfied with border raids, but regarded the entire Ming Empire as prey. He had enough patience to travel west for more than 20 days in order to avoid the heavily guarded Ningjin defense line of the Ming army. Like an experienced hunter bypassing the sharp teeth of his prey, he chose to break through the weak defenses of Xifengkou and Longjingguan, and went straight into the heart of the Ming Dynasty, giving the huge prey of the Ming Dynasty a heavy blow.

But now, after the left-wing army had lost more than half its strength and learned of Baturu Ajige's death, Abatai suddenly realized that he was actually the prey.

"Big brother!" Dorgon's voice rang in his ears, young and nervous, trembling, "What do we do?"

Abatai took a deep breath and gripped the knife tightly in his hand.

As any hunter knows, once prey falls into a trap, if it tries to burrow deeper and struggle, it will not only fail to break free but will become even more trapped, eventually leading to its demise.

"withdraw!"

When the word came out of Abatai's mouth, the surviving members of the Jin army breathed a sigh of relief.

The few thousand surviving Jin soldiers began to retreat like a tide.

But at that moment, countless torches suddenly lit up on the hillsides on both sides of the valley, forming a continuous line that illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime.

Beneath the torches stood a dense, dark mass of cavalry.

Directly in front, a large flag flutters in the wind, bearing a huge character "满" (Man).

Mangui!

Abatai's heart sank to the bottom.

Man Gui is the General Commander of Xuanfu and Datong, a well-known fierce general in the Ming army. How come he's here? Shouldn't he be in Xuanfu?

Man Gui didn't give him time to think.

"kill!"

With a roar, three thousand Xuanda cavalrymen poured down the hillside like a black tide, flanking the retreating Jin army.

The shouts of battle from all directions alone were enough to make the retreating Jin army panic and flee like headless flies.

At this moment, the Jin army was like a frightened bird or a stray dog, with no fighting strength left.

The army was defeated like a mountain.

Abatai knew there was no way to reverse the situation, but he couldn't escape yet.

Because he was Nurhaci's son, and one of his brothers had already died, and now he had another brother, they couldn't all die here.

His large hand was gripped tightly by Dorgon, and then he roared at the last dozen or so men of the Plain White Banner:

"Go! Take the Fourteenth Prince with you! Go now!!!"

With tears in his eyes, Dorgon was dragged onto a horse and, under the desperate cover of his personal guards, charged toward the pass.

Behind them, the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

Before Longjing Pass, corpses lay strewn across the land.

Three thousand elite Plain White Banner troops and ten thousand remaining soldiers were almost completely wiped out...

……

October 27th, early morning.

The central command tent at Hongkou Mountain.

Huang Taiji did not sleep all night.

Good news kept coming in: Da'an Pass had fallen, and Hongshan Pass had also fallen. Yuetuo and Jirhalang were already advancing towards Zunhua, while Daishan and Mangultai were cleaning up the mess.

Only Longjing Pass is missing.

The only thing missing is the route to Abatai.

Huang Taiji stood before the map, looking at the location of Longjing Pass, his brows furrowed.

It shouldn't be this slow. Longjing Pass is a small pass, smaller than Da'an Pass and Hongshan Pass. With the abilities of the two brothers, Abatai and Ajige, they should be the first to break through the pass.

Why haven't we heard anything yet?

At daybreak, the scouts who had gone to investigate returned.

The information gathered by the scouts left everyone present stunned, including Fan Wencheng, who was always confident and in control.

"There's no sign of the left-wing army entering the pass?"

Huang Taiji frowned, seemingly unable to believe his ears, and asked the scout again.

"Yes, Great Khan!" the scout replied clearly once again.

Huang Taiji habitually turned to Fan Wencheng, who was standing beside him, and asked, "Sir, what do you think is going on?"

Fan Wencheng shook his head, indicating that he did not know.

At that moment, news came from the front that shocked everyone present.

The imperial banner is located in Zunhua Town.

Huang Taiji's first reaction was: "Has the Ming army already discovered our entry into the pass, and is therefore setting up a feint?"

Fan Wencheng shook his head and said, "It doesn't seem like a feint. Who would dare use a royal banner to create a diversion?"

Huang Taiji gasped, "So, the Chongzhen Emperor is really here?!"

Fan Wencheng nodded.

Why is Emperor Chongzhen here?

No one could answer Huang Taiji's questions.

Fan Wencheng said, "It seems that the delay in the arrival of Abatai's left-wing army is probably related to Emperor Chongzhen. Perhaps they encountered the main force of the Ming army. The fact that Chongzhen is here at this time is really strange."

Huang Taiji nodded and said, "Send the order for the vanguard to set off immediately and investigate the situation at Zunhua City."

"Yes, sir!"

Commander Thurus, the vanguard battalion commander, accepted the order and departed.

For three whole days, Huang Taiji's army did not move, but did only one thing: reconnaissance.

The information obtained from the reconnaissance was that Zunhua City was mostly normal, with few soldiers guarding the city walls and no signs of alert. The only unusual thing was that there were not many civilians coming and going.

Everything was too calm, so calm it was frightening.

A skilled hunter must possess ample patience, but the fluttering imperial banner in Zunhua City was like a powerful and alluring temptation, constantly luring Huang Taiji to attack.

If we can capture Zunhua, we can capture Emperor Chongzhen alive. What a magnificent feat that would be!

Perhaps if he succeeds in one battle, the world will belong to Huang Taiji!

Five days later.

After much deliberation and consideration, Huang Taiji finally could not contain himself any longer: "Order all banners to prepare food at dawn tomorrow, depart at dawn, and form ranks beneath Zunhua City at dawn. Attack the city!"

The first day of the eleventh month, at Chen hour (7-9 AM).

Outside Zunhua city.

The Later Jin army, like a black tide, swept across the plains and arrayed itself three miles outside the city.

The banners of the Eight Banners fluttered in the wind, swords and spears stood like a forest, and the sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, and commands mingled together, shaking the very ground.

Huang Taiji reined in his horse and stood on a high place, with Daishan, Mangultai, Yuetuo, Jirgalang and other Beile behind him.

In the distance, the city of Zunhua stands quietly.

The city walls were very high, higher than many of the Ming army cities he had seen.

But that's all there is to it. Every city that the Jurchen warriors conquered was high.