You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 168 Nikan: All troops attack!
December 12th, the eighth year of the Shunzhi reign.

Light snow~
Although the weather was cold, the Eight Banner soldiers were happy to endure it, because the cold was better than the heat.

In the southern summer, a single bite from a tiny insect can cripple even the most elite Bayara warriors, who are clad in heavy armor, wield powerful bows, and can kill from a hundred paces away.

Before the mid-20th century, casualties due to climate and disease far exceeded direct casualties caused by gunfire.

……

South of Hengshan County, west of the Xiang River, lies Masitang.

Two thousand Ming soldiers and more than one thousand Eight Banner vanguard cavalrymen unexpectedly met and engaged in open battle.

Half an hour later.

The Ming army suffered over 800 casualties and slowly withdrew.

The Eight Banners army suffered over 200 casualties, but won a minor victory.

The next day.

In Xuanzhou Town, the two sides once again engaged in a bloody battle.

The 1 Ming soldiers who held the position fought to the death and refused to retreat. The Eight Banners soldiers, unwilling to suffer heavy casualties, drove the Green Standard Army soldiers to launch repeated attacks.

Both sides used a large number of firearms in this battle, and the battlefield was filled with smoke.

Three days later, heavy fog descended.

The Ming army seemed to be intimidated, abandoned the town, and retreated again.

Gushan Ezhen Shalibu seized the opportunity and, without prior reconnaissance, boldly dispatched a small group of elite cavalry to pursue and kill them.

The Ming army was thrown into chaos by the charge of the Eight Banners cavalry. They fled in disarray, suffering heavy casualties and countless trampled to death.

The scales of victory seem to be tipping.

In just a few days, the Ming army suffered more than 1 casualties.

However, unlike the Ming-Qing wars of the past decade or so, in this battle, the Ming army rarely surrendered voluntarily.

Both sides adopted the same strategy against the enemy: do not take prisoners, but kill them all.

……

Hengzhou City.

The remnants of the Ming army, who had just retreated, supported each other in small groups, and blood seeped out from the bandages covering their wounds, a shocking sight.

On one side of the city gate, Li Dingguo silently watched this scene.

Suddenly, he took off his helmet and knelt down in front of the soldiers.

dong dong dong~
Three kowtows.

The soldiers were at a loss.

"Prince Jin!"

Li Dingguo knelt down, raised his head, and saw blood seeping from his forehead.

"Brothers, I'm sorry."

“I swear to you, in a few days I will make the blood of the Eight Banners soldiers stain the Xiang River red! I will make the corpses of the Eight Banners soldiers block the Xiang River! If I cannot do it, I will have no face to live, and I will throw myself into the Xiang River.”

After saying that, he cut off a lock of hair.

A guerrilla general who had lost his right arm in Xuanzhou Town lost control of his emotions, knelt down in front of Li Dingguo, and wailed loudly.

The scene was filled with weeping, and a somber atmosphere permeated the air.

……

There is fighting every day, and people are dying every day.

Relying on the advantage of armored archer cavalry and firearms, the Qing army gradually gained the upper hand on the battlefield, and everything seemed to indicate that the Ming army was about to collapse.

The flames of war have already reached the outskirts of Hengzhou City.

The garrison has 3 new recruits; they are bait.

On the city wall.

Ma Jinzhong, the garrison commander of Hengzhou, looked solemnly at the small group of Qing cavalry that had just appeared outside the city.

"General, when should we execute the Prince of Jin's plan to abandon the city and flee?"

"Wait a little longer~"

"General?"

"fire!"

Guns roared, but they caused almost no casualties to the Qing cavalry outside the city.

……

It is located on the north side of Hengzhou City, on a tributary of the Xiang River.

The Qing army erected three pontoon bridges: one for the Eight Banners, one for the Green Standard Army, and the third for transporting supplies.

Cross the river!

In the distance, a troop of scouts roared back to camp.

Beile Tunqi dismounted. "Reporting to the General, I was ordered to survey an area of ​​50 li, but I found no trace of the enemy."

Nikan nodded:

"Issue the order: leave 5000 bannermen and 5000 Green Standard Army soldiers to guard the main camp on the north bank, and the rest of you shall cross the river. Within three days, we shall capture Hengzhou."

"General, our cannons are not yet in position. Why don't we send 10,000 or 20,000 men across the river to keep watch on the Ming troops in Hengzhou and prevent them from escaping?"

Before Tunqi could finish speaking...
Then everyone heard a chorus of shouts from the opposite bank, the shouts growing louder and louder like the rising tide.

"What are they shouting?"

"It sounds like they're shouting that the Ming army has fled."

Countless eyes were fixed on Nikan's face.

Nikan was excited, and he almost blurted out, "Cross the river lightly equipped, and launch a full-scale assault!" But then Bolo's dying words came to mind.

be careful!
Boro, Boro, you've really scared me to death!

Nikan took a deep breath:

"To guard against any possible enemy trickery, I will first cross the river to observe the situation before making a decision."

"Whoo."

……

Two quarters of an hour later.

Nikan arrived at the city of Hengzhou, surrounded by a large number of guards.

"Your Highness, look!"

Looking around, Nikan saw black smoke rising into the sky from Hengzhou City.

The south and west gates are wide open!

Countless Ming soldiers poured out and fled south, their ranks scattered and dust billowing.

The Ming cavalry, who had crossed the river first, were in hot pursuit. The Ming army was fleeing in disarray with little resistance. Along the way, only a very small number of brave Ming soldiers had spontaneously formed ranks.

"Your Majesty?"

The guards were eager to try.

"No rush, get closer."

Nikan did not forget Bolo's instructions. He followed the Ming army for several miles to observe whether the Ming army was truly fleeing or luring the enemy deep into their territory.

Along the way, they saw the Ming army fleeing in disarray, their armor and weapons discarded, their flags toppled, and their troops running for their lives.

The Ming army was defeated.

The Ming army was truly defeated.

……

The Xiangjiang River pontoon bridge.

Nikanlema, who rushed back, roared:

"Pass on my order: all troops, charge! Cross the river! Cross the river! Cross the river!"

The sound of drums was earth-shattering.

The banner of "General Dingyuan" was the first to cross the river.

The soldiers cheered and their morale soared to unprecedented heights. They abandoned their baggage train and the main camp, leading their warhorses at a trot to cross the river. Everyone was joyful and eager for battle.

After crossing the pontoon bridge, the bannermen quickly mounted their horses, brandished their swords and spears, and galloped south in groups of three or five. In order to seize the credit, they decisively abandoned the Green Standard Army infantry.

If viewed from the air, it would be like a stampede of ten thousand horses, with an imposing momentum and deafening battle cries.

……

The reckless Nikan led his guard battalion to the very front of the column.

The flag bearers, galloping wildly, stared at the conspicuous banner ahead, their eyes bloodshot, howling madly. To increase their speed, they stepped into the stirrups and lowered their upper bodies as much as possible, both to reduce air resistance and to resonate with their warhorses.

Only Beile Tunqi remained somewhat calm. He slowed his horse and randomly stopped a Plain White Banner officer.

"what's your name?"

"Your Highness, I am Suhetai, a captain under the Zhengbai Banner."

"Zuo Ling Suhetai, listen to my command: lead your men back and organize the Green Standard Army soldiers who have crossed the river to quickly seize Hengzhou City and support the main army. Afterwards, I, the Prince, will reward you with half of your future."

"Whoo."

Suhetai was overjoyed; he was lucky.

He sheathed his still bloodless sword, stopped his horse on the banks of the Xiang River, and watched the large troop of rearguard crossing the river. The crossing was orderly, with no shouting or arguing, and the impressive military bearing filled him with pride.

In this situation, he couldn't help but think of his wife, Ulinzhu.

Unlike other Manchu women in Beijing, Wulinzhu did not appear bloated or rough even after giving birth to a son and a daughter, and her face was not large.

Suhetai felt a little excited when he thought of Wulinzhu's slender waist.

He couldn't wait to return to the capital in triumph and to properly love his wife.

(End of this chapter)