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

Chapter 95 Difficulty
Jirhalang was on his way to provide assistance at breakneck speed, unaware that Daishan, who was in Zhangjiakou, had not issued any request for help at all.

The carrier falcon was a means of communication that the Jurchens learned from the Mongol tribes, and it was used most extensively by the Mongol tribes.

It was Zhang Shize who ordered the Chahar tribe to issue it!

After learning from the fleeing herdsmen that Zhu Youjian and Daishan were hunting in Zhangjiakou, he came up with this plan.

Based on past experience, the Jurchens would definitely split into two armies, the Ming and the Xu, when they entered the pass. Now that Daishan is in Zhangjiakou, the other army must be near Shanhaiguan.

Zhang Shize is currently traveling non-stop, and this is the only way he can help.

Even if it's just to disrupt the enemy's judgment, it's worth it.

He can no longer contact Zhu Youjian. After all, hawks also need to recognize their master and return to the flock. The Mongol tribes and the Manchu Eight Banners had the custom of raising hawks, but the Ming army did not.

However, he was unaware that this series of actions inadvertently facilitated Zhu Youjian's plan.

Inside the Qing army camp in Zhangjiakou at this time.

Daishan slammed his five knuckles heavily onto the cowhide map, causing the candlelight on the table to flicker.

He had just intercepted two carrier hawks and immediately understood that the Ming army wanted to besiege the point and attack reinforcements!

Once Jirgalang leads his army westward, Shanhaiguan will inevitably be lost.

If Shanhaiguan were lost, it would mean that Dorgon and Dodo would have no choice but to withdraw their troops from Zhangjiakou.

The Ming army only needed to set up ambushes along the way. Even if they didn't achieve any results, just slowing down Dorgon's march would cause huge losses to the two Yellow and two White Banners, which lacked food and supplies!
Daishan is now unsure whether Jirhalang has led a large army, but he cannot gamble on it.

To break the deadlock, either Dorgon and Dodo could cross the Yangtze River and force Zhu Youjian to move south.

Alternatively, they could quickly defeat or subdue Zhu Youjian's army, abandon the plan to conquer the north, and instead, as usual, plunder some money and people to take back to the border.

Obviously, the first request was unrealistic; otherwise, Dorgon wouldn't have asked him to achieve some victories in the north.

Anxious shouts pierced through the cowhide tent. Goshha, with the red-flag border, knelt outside the tent curtain, the command flag on his back still dripping blood.

"Is Flying Fox Ridge really in such dire straits?!" Dai Shan snapped out of his daze and hurriedly asked.

When the Mongolian Taiji said that Feihu Ridge was in danger, Daishan immediately sent people to investigate.

With his three personal guards, an entire Plain Red Banner, and thirty to forty thousand troops there, there shouldn't be any major problems in the short term.

That's why he didn't act rashly. But after seeing the state of the scouts, Daishan knew that he had to send troops.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the army pressed forward and repelled Zhu Youjian's army.

His finger traced the jagged contour lines on the map, his silver-inlaid armor glowing a dark red in the candlelight. "Where are the Khorchin troops?"

"Reporting to Master, Obataji's five thousand vanguards are still fifteen li away from the north entrance of Feihu Ridge."

The scout's Manchu language carried a Liaodong Han accent, "But Feihu Ridge has steep terrain, high mountains, and dense trees, making it ineffective for cavalry, according to the Kharachin tribe."

The sudden neighing of warhorses outside the tent interrupted the scout's words. Daishan was startled and abruptly lifted the curtain to go outside.

A strange orange-red hue appeared on the southeastern horizon. It wasn't the sunset; the night sky in the direction of Flying Fox Ridge was illuminated by firelight as if it were daytime!

A faint rumbling sound, like muffled thunder, could still be heard.

Daishan could no longer sit idly by. If he didn't send troops soon, the Plain Red Banner at Feihu Ridge might suffer heavy losses. "Order! All Niru of the Bordered Red Banner that have not yet gone into battle, prepare for battle immediately!"

"Order all 70,000 cavalry from the various Mongol tribes to advance. Tell Oba that they don't need to fight; simply surround Feihu Ridge, capture the Southern Emperor, and the trade volume next spring will increase by 30%!"

Just as the guards were about to turn around, Daishan grabbed their sleeves again: "Send six more guards to the Zhenghong Banner immediately and have Dulei hold them off while I surround Feihu Ridge!"

Once the order was given, hordes of Mongol cavalrymen roared off.

Daishan donned his armor but did not set off immediately. Instead, he summoned the Taiji of the Tumed tribe.

He cautiously instructed, "You must immediately lead your own and the other tribes' 50,000 light cavalry back to Tumed to intercept the Chahar. I suspect that Abunai has surrendered to the Ming!"

Having said that, he rode away without waiting for Tumed Taiji's reply.

When the main force of the Bordered Red Banner, carrying torches, surged out of the camp.

The chaotic battle at Feihu Ridge has lasted for two hours.

Zhu Youjian's golden armor was splattered with mud, and his hand holding the short bow trembled slightly.

Kneeling on one knee behind a wind-blown rock, several Manchu bannermen were being surrounded and killed by Ming soldiers a hundred paces away.

His original intention was to wait for Daishan to send troops to support Feihu Ridge before leading his elite troops to defeat the Mongol light cavalry.

Due to the terrain of Feihu Ridge, only extremely elite units like the Xuanjia Cavalry have room to maneuver.

If Daishan weren't stupid, he certainly wouldn't have sent Mongol cavalry into battle.

This way, Huang Degong only needs to use the terrain to entangle Daishan's two Red Banner elites, and then he can use the Xuanjia Cavalry and the Imperial Guards to drive the Mongol cavalry back to the grasslands, and then turn back to entangle with Daishan, who has lost his numerical advantage.

Unfortunately, Huang Degong had only just arrived at Feihu Ridge when the night watchman brought extremely bad news.

Daishan actually chose to ambush at Feihu Ridge!

Moreover, a red flag was left in the camp.

That's why he hurriedly led a large army to provide support.

The entire war descended into chaos from the very beginning.

"Your Majesty, the Jurchen camp has moved!" A scout suddenly rushed over. "There are no fewer than 50,000 cavalrymen alone, and the old traitor Daishan's banner has also moved. The men below are still keeping an eye on things!"

Zhu Youjian nodded and said calmly, "Order the Xuanjia Cavalry to regroup, and Qi Jiguang's army to retreat to Rolling Stone Peak! Where are Huang Degong's men?"

"General Huang was entangled at Luomapo by three Jiala from the Bordered Red Banner!"

Zhu Youjian closed his eyes and recalled the terrain of Feihu Ridge.

Feihu Ridge is not Feihu Valley, one of the eight valleys of Taihang Mountains.

It's just a small hill located next to the Yanghe River.

Feihu Ridge runs north-south, with its highest point being no more than 500 meters high, and is characterized by numerous trees and slopes.

After climbing a slope of several hundred meters, you suddenly come to a forest. After passing through the forest for a hundred meters or so, you may encounter another slope.

It is no more than sixty li long and has two entrances, one in the north and one in the south.

Qi Jiguang's army led Lekedehun into Nankou.

The north entrance was left vacant by Zhu Youjian.

Because no matter which entrance you take, you'll end up in a forty-mile-long forest area.

The few high points among them were all under the control of the Ming army.

There are two dangerous terrains in Feihu Ridge. One is the Black Wind Forest located on the north side of the South Pass. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and you can't see the details inside without climbing over Luoma Slope.

The main force of the Zhenghong Banner set up an ambush in Heifenglin.

The other place is Rolling Stone Peak, where Zhu Youjian is located. It faces Black Wind Forest across a plain of less than three miles and is the highest point of Flying Fox Ridge.

Standing on the peak, you can see the whole view.

Upon realizing where Luomapo was, Zhu Youjian immediately opened his eyes and looked to the south.

The moonlight was bright, and with tens of thousands of troops standing amidst torches on the ridge, Zhu Youjian could barely make out the specific situation at Luoma Slope.

At this moment, about 5,000 Eight Banner soldiers were arrayed on Luoma Slope, and arrows were constantly being fired.

Meanwhile, Huang Degong was leading 7,000 Ming troops in a hard-hitting attack from below.

Not only were Huang Degong's troops fighting, but fierce battles were also taking place on the mountains on both sides of Black Wind Forest, while Qi Yuan's Qi Family Army was arrayed on the flat ground at the entrance of the valley on the right side of Black Wind Forest.

It is clear that the command of the Eight Banners has been completely thrown into chaos. Due to Huang Degong's fierce attack, Daishan's brocade banner has been withdrawn back into the Black Wind Forest, while nearly 15,000 Eight Banner troops are still outside the Black Wind Forest.

On the other hand, the Ming army was able to maintain command because Zhu Youjian was at the highest point and the dragon banner was particularly conspicuous, allowing the generals to know their soldiers and the soldiers to see their generals.

The general deployment was as follows: Huang Degong led 15,000 troops to surround Feihu Ridge from three directions; 5,000 Shenji Battalion soldiers and 800 Imperial Guards were beside Zhu Youjian; 4,000 Qi Family Army soldiers were at the valley entrance, 5 li away from Rolling Stone Peak and Black Wind Forest; and more than 2,000 Xuanjia Cavalry had just dealt with the Bordered Red Banner Cavalry and were now arrayed below the peak, forming the central army.

Three thousand elite guards and eight thousand Ming soldiers formed the right wing, engaging in a stalemate with ten thousand Manchu bannermen on the plains north of Black Wind Forest.

It can be said that all available resources have been used, and there are no reserves at all.

If Daishan were to lead 30,000 fresh troops into battle, the Ming army would surely be defeated no matter where they attacked.

To win, we must trap Daishan's Bordered Red Banner on the Sanli Plain below the peak.

Using the Qi Family Army and the Imperial Guards as shields, the Shenji Battalion fired cannons from high ground, while the Xuanjia Cavalry seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack!

After a moment of contemplation, Zhu Youjian suddenly pointed to the plain below the peak.

"See that grove? All Imperial Guards, form ranks in the grove and plant my dragon flag right under Daishan's nose!"

However, Zhu Youjian did not go over. This time the situation was different from before. This time he was making arrangements at the cost of the complete annihilation of the Imperial Guards.

What if he dies inside?!

As the Imperial Guards planted the dragon banner in the center of the forest, the morale of Huang Degong's troops soared, and their offensive became even more ferocious.

We almost reached the top of the slope.

The moonlight gradually dipped westward.

At 4:45 PM, the Bordered Red Flag finally arrived.

On the mountain road at Nankou, Daishan gazed at the distant, flickering flames, his gold-inlaid wristbands bearing deep marks from the reins.

Seventy thousand Mongol cavalrymen, like a migrating herd of wildebeest, swept past the Bordered Red Banner formation and wandered around Feihu Ridge. The white banners of the Kharachin tribe and the black wolf banners of the Khorchin tribe shone brightly against each other. But the valley, which should have been unobstructed, was now crowded with defeated soldiers, and the remnants of the Plain Red Banner and the Bordered Red Banner were trampling each other.

"My lord, Prince Dulei has sent an urgent report!" Dai Shan had just stopped his horse when a scout came galloping up. "The prince says that the emperor of the Southern Dynasty is in the Lingzhong Plain. My lord need not worry about anything else. Lead the army from the south and go straight to the Dragon Banner!"

"Furthermore, the prince said that he was trapped in the Black Wind Forest Depression, and there were still 15,000 soldiers of the Plain Red Banner outside who could not be commanded. He asked the master to take command on his behalf."

Daishan's pupils constricted. Although there were three or four thousand defeated soldiers in front of the valley entrance, and many of them were his personal guards, he could not afford to worry about the losses of the defeated soldiers if he wanted to rush in quickly.

But in order to win this battle, Daishan cannot consider so many things.

"Let the Mongol Eight Banners cavalry clear the way! Tell all the generals that the reward for beheading a Ming soldier of the first rank is fifty taels of silver and two slaves. The one who cuts the dragon banner will be granted the title of Baturu, Third-Class Light Cavalry Commander, and hereditary Niru! The one who beheads the Southern Emperor will be granted the title of Third-Class Duke, and hereditary without fail!"

"Awooo!!!"

Five thousand Mongol Eight Banners cavalrymen charged toward the valley with strange cries, followed by more than twenty-six thousand Bordered Red Banner soldiers who dismounted and, under the command of their respective regiments, formed an orderly charge formation and advanced slowly.

"Your Majesty! That old traitor Daishan is here!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian looked up.

The brocade banner that truly represented Daishan arrived as expected.

Five thousand Mongol cavalrymen, like wolves smelling blood, surged towards the dragon banner in waves of white blades.

They showed no regard for the lives of the routed soldiers in the valley.

Zhu Youjian raised the torch in his hand, shouting, "Set up a wall of fire!"

Five hundred gunpowder jars buried on both sides of the mountain road exploded simultaneously, and the pine resin mixed with sulfur ignited upon contact with the fire.

A wall of fire, three zhang high, rose from the ground, turning the Khorchin cavalrymen and their horses into fireballs.

But the Mongol charge did not stop, and the cavalrymen continued to advance, stepping over the charred corpses of their comrades!
As the valley narrowed and the forest drew closer, the cavalry slowed their pace.

When they reached the edge of the woods, the cavalry had already stopped.

"Change formation! Three Talents!" Qi Yuan's voice suddenly boomed from the woods.

Four thousand Qi family soldiers, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, darted out of the woods like ghosts and plunged into the Mongol cavalry formation in small formations of three. Before the smoke from the volley of musket fire had even cleared, dozens of warhorses had already been cut down by the goose-feather sabers.

Just as the heavily armored infantry with the Bordered Red Banner were about to form ranks, they were scattered and broken up by the retreating Mongol cavalry.

"Send the order! All the Baiya La troops, go and confront Qi Jiguang's army!" Daishan's scimitar slashed at the messenger's shoulder. "The rest of the Niru (military units) disperse and flank the Southern Emperor, quickly!"

Although the Bordered Red Banner was not as elite as the Yellow and White Banners, it was not a problem for nearly 30,000 men to assemble 3,000 heavy armored soldiers. Moreover, there were Daishan's surviving personal guards, who immediately resumed their formation after seeing their master's banner.

Five thousand heavily armored soldiers clashed with four thousand Qi family soldiers in close combat, and for a time the outcome was uncertain.

The remaining 20,000-plus men broke into smaller units, forming "niru" (units), and ventured into the dense forest, heading towards the location of the dragon banner behind Qi Jiguang's army.

The night wind from Feihu Ridge, carrying the smell of gunpowder, blew into the iron helmet.

Dai Shan, who was watching the battle from the rear, was not idle. Although he only briefly observed the terrain of Feihu Ridge, he immediately made a plan in his mind.

"Let the Mongol Eight Banners split into three groups, each worth five thousand, abandon their horses and fight on foot, circling around the southeastern mountain pass and attacking the Ming army's rear! Do you see that highest peak? Take it at all costs!"

Zhu Youjian could see the movement of the red flag clearly, and he could also see the more than 10,000 Mongol cavalrymen who came from behind dismounting and taking a detour.

They were willing to let the Mongol cavalry dismount and fight on foot, and judging from their movements, they were heading southeast.

The target was clearly Rolling Stone Peak. Zhu Youjian quickly raised his hand, "Li Guozhen, the Jurchens want to take a detour. Quickly take the Shenji Battalion's musketeers to the mountain path behind them to block them!"

Li Guozhen was still calculating the trajectory when he heard this. He suddenly looked up, threw the watchtower into the hands of the military advisor, and shouted behind him.

"Left side! Right side! Gunmen, follow me!"

Nearly three thousand men immediately crawled out of the pile of rocks, carrying their weapons and rushing towards the mountain path behind them.

Just as the Khorchin forwards rounded the bend in the mountain pass, Wan Hu, who was leading the attack, suddenly froze.

Seven sidecarts were parked across the narrow pass, with a dense array of gun barrels visible behind them.

His eyes instantly changed from confident to terrified, and he opened his mouth to shout.

Before the shout of "Scatter! Scatter!" could be finished, the Shenji Battalion's muskets fired in unison like popping beans.

The sound of lead bullets piercing leather armor mingled with the soldiers' wails.

With Wanhu dead, the deputy general immediately issued the order, "Push the shield wagons over him! Switch to armor-piercing arrows!"

Thirty small armored wagons rolled over the gravel road, and archers hidden behind them suddenly leaned out and fired a volley.

The Shenji Battalion, which was reloading its ammunition, suddenly fell in large numbers.

This immediately disrupted the firing rhythm of the Shenji Battalion.

Previously, the Shenji Battalion would have collapsed long ago. Fortunately, Zhu Youjian added many entries to their vocabulary, which allowed the Shenji Battalion to remain calm.

But Li Guozhen was unwilling to suffer too many casualties for nothing.

After firing a burst of iron pellets, he gave the order to retreat.

"Abandon the vehicle! Retreat to Erdaoliang!"

The mountain road gets narrower as you go up, and it is in narrow terrain that the true power of the wheel-launched gun can be unleashed.

On the frontal battlefield.

Qi Yuan remained unfazed by the siege of heavily armored soldiers.

Seeing that five thousand heavily armored soldiers had finally clashed with Qi Family Army after losing nearly six hundred lives, Qi Yuan merely raised his hand slightly.

"Retreat twenty paces and bring out the wolf-tooth spear!"

Command flags fluttered and bugles sounded.

The four thousand soldiers of Qi Jiguang's army immediately retreated in shifts, and nine hundred wolf-tooth spears, each twelve feet long, suddenly thrust out from behind the formation.

The poisoned iron rod hooked onto the heavy armor soldier's calf, the only part of his leg that lacked armor plates.

They pulled him to the ground and dragged him into the formation, whereupon the swordsmen and shieldmen swarmed him, tearing open his armor and hacking at him wildly.

The heavy infantry's offensive momentum stalled once again.

"Fire more arrows!" Qi Yuan continued to raise his hand.

Twenty large crossbow carts, each capable of firing dozens of bolts at a time, were pushed forward. In a single volley, thousands of bolts were fired.

The iron-clad wooden pole exploded after piercing the third layer of armor, and the flying splinters caused the entire squad of heavily armored soldiers to fall to the ground with cries of agony.

The heavy infantry's offensive stalled, and they even showed a tendency to retreat.

Having no other choice, Daishan had to send out his last Jala to provide support.

He was now surrounded by only a thousand personal guards.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhu Youjian hurriedly issued an order.

"Black Armored Cavalry! Charge!"

A roar ripped through the night sky.

More than two thousand heavy cavalrymen clad in black armor suddenly charged out from both sides of the dragon banner, bypassing the vanguard of the Bordered Red Banner. The iron splatter from their three-eyed muskets could tear apart any Eight Banner soldiers who stood in their way.

Then these cavalrymen finished reloading on horseback, and the second volley of fire crushed the two Niru that were trying to form a defensive formation in front of them.

Seeing this, Daishan's neck guard was soaked with cold sweat. Terrified, he quickly pulled over the messenger and shouted, "Have everyone leave the forest! Forget about the dragon banner! Send two Gushan to support Dulei!"

"The rest of you, switch to rockets, get fuel, burn the forest, and burn the Southern Emperor to death in the forest!"

Arrows soaked in fish oil streaked across the night sky, creating a fiery trail.

The forest where the dragon banner was located instantly turned into a sea of ​​fire. The heat wave forced the Xuanjia cavalry's warhorses to rear up. Although there was no substantial damage, they were unable to advance.

After being separated from the dragon banner by flames, Qi Yuan reacted immediately. His task was to lure Dai Shan's army into the range of the Shenji Camp while ensuring that the dragon banner remained unharmed.

Now is the perfect opportunity.

He immediately produced two blue command flags, shouting, "Qi Family Army, retreat!"

The four thousand soldiers of Qi Jiguang's army reacted immediately, retreating in an orderly and alternating manner.

At this moment, the brocade banner with red trim suddenly pressed forward, and Daishan personally led his heavily armored soldiers in a charge.

These heavily armored elites advanced through the wall of fire, their scimitars slamming against the Ming soldiers' shields, sending sparks flying.

One side fought and retreated, while the other side seized the opportunity to pursue.

Just as Zhu Youjian thought Daishan would lead his army into the firing range of the Shenji Camp, the brocade banner stopped outside the firing line.

At this moment, the two guards of the Bordered Red Banner arrived at Luomapo and joined forces with the Plain Red Banner inside to complete the encirclement!
Huang Degong is under attack from all sides!
Zhu Youjian hurriedly wanted Qi Yuan to go and provide support.

At this moment, the heavily armored soldiers with the red flag suddenly took off their cotton armor, bared their upper bodies, and rushed into the sea of ​​fire, launching a desperate charge.

A series of chaotic events left Zhu Youjian at a loss.

But then another strange phenomenon appeared on the northeastern horizon.

Three green fireworks exploded.

Daishan's pupils suddenly contracted; it was a signal that the camp was under attack!
Zhu Youjian was also confused. How could he possibly have reinforcements arriving now?

(End of this chapter)