Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 111 Final Battle
"As ordered!"

Shi Lang clasped his hands in a salute, and was about to leave when he remembered something else and asked again.

"What if we open up Shengjing and Hauge comes out of the city to provide support?"

Zheng Chenggong calmly shook his head, "He wouldn't dare. Even if that old scoundrel Dorgon defeats the royal army, Hauge, who is already on edge, wouldn't dare leave the city."

He paused briefly, then said with a touch of emotion, "Winning or losing a battle is a small matter; losing our ancestral land is a great matter, whether we are Han or barbarian, inside or outside the country."

Shi Lang understood what was going on, but dared not respond at all, even though this was the Zheng family army camp.

"In that case, I will go and make the arrangements."

"Yes, we must be quick. We can't let the Jurchens react!"

"I will obey your orders!"

Shi Lang rushed out of the tent, Zheng Chenggong glanced back at the map, and then also stepped out with his hand on his sword.

Actually, his plan was very simple.

The plan was to first besiege Shengjing to force the Jurchens within the Great Wall to turn back, which was also Zhu Youjian's demand.

If no one follows the Jurchens after they return to the pass, he will then march from Shengjing to Korea and once again seize control of the Jurchens.

If a large army were to pursue them, he would lead the troops outside Shengjing to turn around and form an encirclement.

By completely surrounding Dorgon and utilizing the superior mobility of Zhang Shize's 3,000-strong battalion, they besieged the enemy and attacked reinforcements, effectively starving Dorgon to death!
The strategy was extremely simple, yet extremely effective.

Moreover, it's about overwhelming people with the overall situation, without any conspiracies or tricks.

Even if Dorgon wanted to break the move, he could only rely on his own strength to withstand it.

However, there were still some concerns, such as whether Hauge would mobilize the Jurchen tribes or seek reinforcements from the wild Jurchens and unborn Jurchens further north.

It should be noted that the Jurchen people were soldiers of the entire tribe. If it weren't for the newly expanded Liaodong region, where there were not many native tribes and most of the migrating Niru had been conscripted, Zheng Chenggong would never have been so reckless.

Chen Ze's 150,000 North Korean troops perfectly resolved these concerns.

Even though the North Korean soldiers were weak, they were still able to hold back these hastily assembled troops.

With an order.

The 40,000-strong army that had besieged Shengjing for several days withdrew in a grand manner.

Only Haug remained in the city, filled with unease.

……

Just as Zheng Chenggong had predicted, Hauge had no courage to give chase.

His foundation lay in his status and the throne. If Dorgon died, there would be no more political enemies within the Qing court, and he could then easily depose Fulin and declare himself emperor.

Therefore, Hauge not only did not send troops, but he also did not take back the lost places such as Liaoyang.

They simply stayed within Shengjing, sending out scouts only to see if they could find Dorgon.

The result is definitely negative.

The number of scouts sent by Zheng Chenggong alone was more than three times that of Hauge's, and there were also Zhang Shize's troops constantly advancing to intercept them.

Hauge didn't even know Dorgon's exact location.

How can we find communication?

They are aided by warhorses plundered from beyond the Great Wall.

Even though Zheng Chenggong's troops were all southerners who were not good at riding horses, their marching speed made a qualitative leap.

In just four days, they successfully leaped 800 li.

We arrived near Daningwei.

That is, the Kharachin Grassland.

Meanwhile, Dorgon's troops arrived at the same time.

The two sides encountered each other without any prior preparation.

Neither dared to make a move for a moment, and they could only gaze at each other from a distance of fifty miles across the grassland.

Dorgon is now in an awkward position, his army is at the edge of the Kharachin grassland.

Fifty li behind Dorgon was Zhu Youjian's dragon banner.

In front of it was the banner of Commander Zheng.

To the north lies Hongfeng, and to the south, the Yanshan Mountains. At this point, their supplies are almost exhausted, making it impossible to continue taking a detour.

According to scouts, there was another cavalry force of no less than 30,000 men, flying the banner of the Duke of England, galloping from Nuluhuer Mountain.

It only takes one day to get there.

Jirhalang, who was in the mountains, was missing and his fate was unknown. Only a few scattered soldiers of the Bordered Blue Banner could be found.

As for Hauge, we can only say that he is not found.

This scene clearly demonstrates that Shengjing was perfectly fine at all; rather, it was Hauge who wanted to frame Dorgon.

Enraged, Dorgon roared with curses in his tent.

"Hauge has destroyed the foundation of three generations of our Qing Dynasty! He has ruined the lives of 200,000 of our Qing soldiers! How dare he! How dare he!"

Dodo paced back and forth, knife in hand, his eyes bloodshot.

"I will kill him! I will use his blood to appease my father and brother!"

Even the usually composed Sony is starting to get restless.

Hauge's actions were utterly tantamount to offending the Jurchen tribes.

For a sparsely populated nomadic people, their greatest asset has never been land or property, but their population!

Those athletic young men who grew up hunting.

The destruction of the two Red Banners, the deaths of 30,000 men and the escape of 30,000 men, had already depleted the Jurchen's resources over ten years.

Even Dorgon couldn't protect himself; he was prepared to spend two years as a bondservant after returning home.

Hauge's idea of ​​sending 100,000 elite troops to the southern desert is as ridiculous as breaking one's own arms and legs to hunt a tiger.

Fan Wencheng was not annoyed at all; on the contrary, he was overjoyed.

He quickly approached Dorgon and whispered a reminder.

"Your Highness! This is a golden opportunity!"

"Hauge's actions are tantamount to digging his own grave. If the prince escapes alive this time, it won't take two years or two heads; all that's needed is Hauge!"

Although Fan Wencheng did not say it explicitly, Dorgon immediately recovered from his anger.

"Mr. Fan means..."

"That's right!"

"After several days of travel, the men are exhausted. How can they possibly win?"

"The victory lies in Prince Yu's skill in battle, the fact that the Ming army was also exhausted, the fact that the Ming army had not yet completed the encirclement, the soldiers' eagerness to return home, and the hidden advantage of Datong!"

When Fan Wencheng made his fifth victory, Dorgon's eyes hardened, and he suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

"No matter what, we cannot let our sons perish here."

"By my decree, all units shall take turns resting and regrouping in preparation for the final battle!"

In fact, after Zheng Chenggong stopped Dorgon, everyone, including Zhu Youjian, knew that something was about to happen.

That was the decisive battle. Since Dorgon entered the pass through Shanhaiguan in early April, the two-month-long war had come down to this one.

Moreover, the results all favored the Ming army.

Either Dorgon wins and returns safely to the border region to recuperate.

Either Zhu Youjian wins and eliminates the Ming Dynasty's greatest threat in one fell swoop.

Moreover, a decisive battle at this moment would clearly be advantageous to the Ming army.

The Jurchens' strength had been weakened to the limit due to various battles and a twenty-day journey.

Before Zheng Chenggong could make contact with Zhu Youjian.

The three large formations had already been silently arranged.

The army, consisting of 90,000 troops under two yellow and two white banners, including 80,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, was divided into three formations. The left formation, consisting of 40,000 troops under two white banners, was led by Dorgon and confronted Zhu Youjian.

The right wing, led by Sony, consisted of 30,000 yellow flag soldiers and 10,000 red flag soldiers, who were defeated and confronted Zheng Chenggong.

Ten thousand cavalrymen formed a mobile force, led by Dodo. There was no central army.

Dorgon came with the mindset of either winning or dying, aiming to maximize the Qing army's advantages.

While Zhu Youjian's side had an advantage, it wasn't significant.

He simply didn't have the energy.

All the elite troops were exhausted on the previous battlefields.

Currently, he only has Li Guo's 10,000 veteran cavalry, 40,000 Mongol light cavalry, 4,000 Qi Family Army soldiers, 5,000 Shenji Battalion soldiers, plus Huang Degong's 20,000 infantry.

These troops were able to fight to a draw with the Two White Banners, which was a testament to Zhu Yuanzhang's concern for them.

According to Zhu Youjian's plan, Dorgon was to be driven east of Nuluhuer Mountain and into the Liaodong Plain before the war could begin.

With Zhang Shize and Zheng Chenggong's large armies present, the chances of victory would be much greater.

But now it seems we can't wait any longer.

In modern terms, the atmosphere had reached such a point that it would be unreasonable not to have a decisive battle.

As Zhu Youjian rode his warhorse, gazing at the billowing dust on the horizon, he thought, "That old dog Dorgon is ruthless indeed."

"In that case, let each department rest and prepare food, and let Li Guo's department go and meet them first."

“Your Majesty,” Huang Degong said, wiping his goose-feather saber, “I’m afraid the rebel’s ten thousand men can’t withstand the two white flags.”

"Of course I know that, but I also know that Dorgon would never break the strategic stalemate just because of ten thousand cavalry."

"Now both sides' soldiers are exhausted, and whoever attacks will lose the initiative."

"Then why did Your Majesty send Li Guo's troops there?" Huang Degong asked, puzzled.

Zhu Youjian smiled and said, "Do I want Li Guo's troops? I want the Mongol troops to come!"

"Mongolians grow up on horseback, and with one person and three horses, there is no physical exertion at all."

"But they have been oppressed by the Jurchens for more than a decade, and they must be filled with fear. Moreover, these wolf cubs value population above all else. Only if Li Guo's troops go to hold them off will they dare to make a move."

"Send word to Li Guo, instructing him to give the various armies a good show of the veteran cavalry!"

Not long after the order was given, Li Guo broke away from the formation.

The sound of horses' hooves, like muffled thunder, came from the morning mist. Facing the approaching Li Guo troops, the Bayara Protectorate of the Bordered Yellow Banner launched the first counterattack.

These two thousand fierce soldiers, clad in triple armor and wielding iron maces, suddenly split into three groups three hundred paces away. The middle group charged straight at Li Guo's banner, while the two groups on the left and right circled around to the flanks.

“The Jurchens have learned their lesson.” Zheng Chenggong put down his telescope. “They know that the royal army’s firearms are powerful, so even in heavy armor they dare not charge head-on.”

“I guess the next step for the Jurchens will be to send their infantry forward and seize Li Guo,” Shi Lang said with a smile.

As if to confirm his words.

A cow horn sounded.

A force of 7,500 armored soldiers from the Gushan Army stepped forward, heading straight towards Li Guo's cavalry, whose charge had already been halted.

As the command flag was waved, 40,000 Mongol cavalrymen drew their horn bows, and a rain of arrows fell on the armor of the guards.

The clanging and banging filled the air.

Zheng Chenggong then asked Shi Lang, "What do you think the Jurchens will do next?"

Shi Lang thought for a moment, "If I were Dorgon, I would definitely send my cavalry over there. After all, the Mongol light cavalry are not good at close combat. As long as the Mongols are defeated, His Majesty will be in danger."

"No." Zheng Chenggong shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, Dorgon will likely send two Red Banners into battle."

"The Two Red Banners?" Shi Lang was puzzled upon hearing this. "The Two Red Banners have long been decimated by His Majesty. Even Daishan was captured. What use is it for Dorgon to send such a defeated army?"

"What are we betting on?" Zheng Chenggong chuckled softly.

Just as Shi Lang was about to speak, he saw the two red banners of Dorgon's formation actually step forward.

The two red flags, numbering less than ten thousand men, grinned as they crashed into the Mongol ranks, the sounds of scimitars hacking and screams echoing across the plains.

The Mongols, however, dared not resist at all, and fled in terror.

Even worse, they turned against their own side in the heat of battle, turning on and killing other nearby Mongol light cavalry.

"Report! The Khalkha have defected!"

Zhu Youjian abruptly drew his imperial sword. "I knew these opportunists couldn't be trusted! Qi Yuan!"

"The general is here!"

"Bring the Qi Family Army to fill the gap and suppress the rebellion; anyone who dares to retreat will be executed!"

"The general will get the order!"

Qi Jiguang's army had barely gone out five hundred paces when five thousand heavily armored cavalrymen of the Plain White Banner suddenly charged out from the dust.

These heavily armored cavalrymen, wielding twelve-foot-long spears, charged straight at the gunners.

Three hundred steps, two hundred steps, one hundred and fifty steps...

"Bang bang bang!"

As the smoke rose, the front rank of heavy cavalry fell like wheat being harvested, while the rear rank continued their charge, stepping over the corpses of their comrades.

Qi Yuan watched as the musketeers in the front row were knocked away by spears, but he did nothing. As long as the formation was in place, someone would naturally take their place.

He was waiting for the Tiger Crouching Cannon, because only the Tiger Crouching Cannon could stop the cavalry charge.

"Dorgon, you've got some trick up your sleeve!" Zheng Chenggong ripped off the ribbon of his telescope. "Using the Bordered Yellow Banner as bait, the Plain White Banner as a feint attack, and the two Red Banners as backup, but the real killing move is here!"

Seeing Shi Lang's confusion, Zheng Chenggong explained.

"The Mongol tribes have always been suppressed by the Two Red Banners. Back then, the Two Red Banners swept across the grasslands. Our Great Ming has not entered the grasslands for nearly fifty years. Facing the Two Red Banners in battle, we are naturally afraid. It is not uncommon for them to defect."

"Now it seems that Dorgon's real target is probably the Four Thousand Flowers Team that flies the Qi banner."

"They actually went so far as to split their cavalry in half to charge this tight formation."

Shi Lang suddenly realized what was going on, but he still had some questions in his mind.

"Doesn't His Majesty know this? Why did he still send the Mongol cavalry first?"

"This..." Zheng Chenggong was speechless for a moment.

Yes, doesn't His Majesty know?
Judging from the battles of the past two months, Your Majesty is clearly exceptionally brave and powerful.

However, Zhu Youjian did not provide them with an explanation.

They didn't even care about Qi Jiguang's army and the Mongol light cavalry at the front lines.

He simply kept sending Huang Degong to check on the soldiers' meals.

At the same time, Li Guo was allowed to rest and recuperate.

This is tantamount to sending the entire Mongol cavalry into Dorgon's open mouth.

Not only was Zheng Chenggong puzzled, but even Dorgon couldn't understand it.

Although he had only clashed with Zhu Youjian a few times, he knew this enemy he had never met all too well.

This guy is a fishing fanatic!

Now, the Mongol cavalry must be bait he laid out, just waiting for him to bite.

Dorgon initially intended to ignore it.

But the Mongol cavalry was too tempting. Once they were defeated, Zhu Youjian's encirclement would fall apart on its own!

Even if it was bait, Dorgon was confident he could take down the Mongol cavalry before Zhu Youjian raised his paddle.

After much hesitation, Dorgon finally succumbed to the temptation.

He ordered 20,000 troops to encircle the enemy from the left and right.

And what Zhu Youjian and others are waiting for is now.

Dorgon's move immediately cost him the initiative.

Zhu Youjian mounted his horse and shouted, "Raise my dragon banner! Tell my sons, the Emperor is with you!"

The Ming army, which was organizing its troops, suddenly roared when they saw the nine-dragon banner.

"Soldiers, follow me to kill the enemy!"

"Huang Degong, hold off the left flank; Qi Yuan, hold off the right flank; Li Guo, cover the rear; all Mongol tribes, charge with me!"

When the military order was issued, only Abunai's cavalry fought desperately before Dorgon arrived.

(End of this chapter)