Ming Empire

Chapter 239 That's the only way
The leak in the house was rained all night, and there was more than one bad thing. Just when the news came that Cao Bianjiao led his troops to attack Beijing, Dorgon received another military report that made him look pale-Jinan Mansion fell.

A Ming army unexpectedly appeared outside Jinan while the Battle of Liaocheng was in full swing.This Ming army, unlike the Ming army outside Liaocheng City, only defended but not attacked. After arriving at the city of Jinan, it immediately began to attack the city.

After the Ming army attacked the city, the Ming troops in the city surrendered without a fight, and opened the city gate to let the Ming army enter the city.The thousands of Jurchen Jiannu and the Mongolian Eight Banners in the city could not resist the elite Ming army's attack on the south, and they were quickly defeated. Most of them were wiped out, and some fled towards Liaocheng.

After the Ming army occupied Jinan Prefecture, they only sent a part of troops to guard it, and the rest went to the north of Liaocheng, preparing to attack Cangzhou.

After receiving this news, Dorgon's face changed.

He didn't expect that Cao Yue was so courageous that he not only fought on two fronts, but deployed troops in three directions.A group of troops stood on the front line of the Yangtze River to guard against Zuo Liangyu, another group attacked Jinan Prefecture from the direction of Qingzhou, and the main force went north along the canal to attack Liaocheng.

What made Cao Yue have the guts to divide his forces and attack in such a way when his forces were clearly at a disadvantage?Is it just the firearms in his hands?Duo ErGun puzzled.

Although it is said that he has experienced the power of Ming army firearms many times, and there is almost no way to crack it, Dorgon still has no way to completely change his concept.He stubbornly believes that it is the cavalry that ultimately determines the victory of the war.The cavalry is fast and has strong adaptability, while the musketeers cannot shoot on horseback, and the artillery cannot be pulled and run quickly by horses. They can only move forward on foot.

If you win, you can't chase quickly, and if you lose, you can escape more slowly.Dorgon believes that Cao Yue did not pursue immediately after many victories. It is also for this reason that the Musketeers and Artillery cannot move quickly.This is also the reason why he does not admit the final defeat and always thinks that one day he will turn defeat into victory.He believes that as long as the Ming army suffers a major setback, the entire army is likely to be defeated. At that time, it will be his proud time.

However, the Ming army has not shown signs of being defeated for the time being, and Cao Yue's defense is very good, almost impeccable.In such a situation, Dorgon had no choice but to respond.

Dorgon, who was devastated, immediately summoned his main generals and advisers such as Fan Wencheng and Tong Yangxing to discuss countermeasures.

The battle has become like this, which is beyond anyone's expectation, including Dorgon himself, as well as his first advisor, Fan Wencheng, and other bloodthirsty generals.

"Everyone, in the Battle of Liaocheng, it was difficult for our army to conquer the Ming army's position. The war will be protracted. Cao Bianjiao of Datong led his army to attack Beijing. Although Cao Bianjiao has tens of thousands of horses, as long as the Beijing defenders are not careless, there is no way to break through the city of Beijing. Yes, but we must not forget the lesson that Shengjing was easily breached by Cao Yue two years ago." In the large tent of the Chinese army, Dorgon asked the generals under the tent with a gloomy face, "Jinan Mansion was captured by the Ming army. Urgent, how to deal with it next, you can speak freely!"

After Dorgon's voice fell, no one stood up to answer immediately, and no one knew what to do, including Fan Wencheng, who was always known for his resourcefulness.In the past period of time, Fan Wencheng's proposals have been proved to be ineffective. Although he said that Dorgon did not vent his anger on him, Fan Wencheng was frightened and dared not say what he thought of like before. If Dorgon didn't take the initiative to ask him, he simply didn't say anything.

Dorgon didn't name him today, and Fan Wencheng was unwilling to stand up and say something in public.

After seeing for a while no one came forward to say anything, Dorgon's face became even uglier.He also had to roll his name, and the first one was still to ask Fan Wencheng, who had always been trusted: "Sir, do you have a good plan to defeat the enemy?"

"Master, this servant feels that we can only call back the troops of Prince Yu and Prince Wuying, otherwise there is no way to defeat Cao Yue's Ming army, and even Beijing may not be able to hold it!" There is no other way, Fan Wencheng dare not mention risky tactics anymore , can only take a safe way.

Duoduo, Prince of Yu and Azige, Prince of Wuying County, are leading tens of 10 troops to fight against Li Zicheng's bandits in Shaanxi.Now Dorgon's 10,000+ troops can't beat Cao Yue's less than 10 horses.The superior strength of the Qing army can only stand up against the Ming army. Fortunately, the Ming army is not strong in mobility. Otherwise, if it takes advantage of the situation to attack, the Qing army may have been defeated across the board.

The current battle situation shows that the number of the Qing army is still seriously insufficient, and most of the troops are in the front to prevent the Ming army from speeding up the attack and taking Liaocheng. The cavalry who didn't move, came to a desperate pursuit.At that time, the situation will be unpredictable.Because of this consideration, Dorgon has never dared to send more troops to attack the back of the Ming army in a detour, let alone drive straight in and attack in the direction of Nanjing.

We can only call back the troops of Duduo and Azig, so as to prevent the war situation from continuing to develop in an unfavorable direction.

After hearing Fan Wencheng's proposal, someone soon came forward to agree.The Jiannu generals, who were helpless against the artillery and muskets of the Ming army, all hoped that more troops would join the battle.No matter which general's men and horses have lost a lot.Military strength is a symbol of strength. With fewer soldiers under their command, their authority is also challenged. This is something no Manchu noble would want to see.

Seeing that Fan Wencheng made such a proposal, and no one else stood up to oppose it surprisingly, Dorgon's face became even uglier.He sighed slightly, and stared at the generals under the tent one by one, without saying a word for a long time.

Dorgon is of course the clearest about the current predicament, and he also understands the lack of troops in his hands. The Ming army's cavalry is not a display and can act at any time.Cao Yue has never used the cavalry, not because the cavalry is weak in combat effectiveness. Now Dorgon has no doubts about the combat effectiveness of the Ming army, including the cavalry.He just thinks that Cao Yue will definitely use the cavalry, but it's not the time to use the cavalry yet.

Therefore, he did not dare to divide his troops and attack Nanjing, because he was afraid that Cao Yue would suddenly speed up his attack, and then use the cavalry to quickly detour and divide. At that time, the battle situation would be unpredictable. If you don't know how to turn against the water before the battle, Liaocheng may be lost immediately.Once Liaocheng is lost, the Ming army will soon be able to advance to Beizhili, and Beijing is at stake.

What's more, now Cao Bianjiao's men have left Datong and are heading all the way to Beijing.

The troops in the Beijing area are also seriously insufficient!
"That's the only way to go," Dorgon finally bowed his head with a dejected face, and agreed with Fan Wencheng's proposal.

Soon, the order for Duo Duo and Azige to lead the army back to Liaocheng and Beijing was quickly spread from Dorgon's camp.

(End of this chapter)