Ming Empire

Chapter 241 Cao Yue began to take the initiative to attack

Dorgon didn't expect Zuo Liangyu to lose so quickly. He also hoped that Zuo Liangyu's rebellion would make Cao Yue lose his position, making Cao Yue unable to make a timely decision, and he could fish in troubled waters.In order to make Zuo Liangyu more confident, Dorgon sent a team of about a few hundred riders to Hubei as a support after sending out a secret envoy, in order to show his firm support for Zuo Liangyu.

But before the hundreds of riders joined Zuo Liangyu, Zuo Liangyu died of illness. His son Zuo Menggeng didn't have the confidence to fight against the Ming court anymore and chose to surrender.Zuo Liangyu's massive rebellion came to an end just after it started.It was many days after Dorgon received the news.Zuo Liangyu's rebellion was put down before it became a reality, which surprised Dorgon and was even more shocked.

There were tens of thousands of Hong Niangzi, and the news that they rushed to help Shandong reached him at about the same time, and Dorgon became even more restless.

This is the news that Cao Yue deliberately released. His purpose of doing this is to continue to coerce Dorgon, forcing him to recall Duoduo and Azige, and to give Li Zicheng in Shaanxi a chance to breathe.He is also going to force Dorgon to abandon these cities in Shandong and retreat to the front line of Beijing.During the Northern Expedition, Cao Yue did not intend to attack Beijing. The reason was that he told the generals during the military discussion that the logistics supplies could not meet the needs of the war.

As long as the entire territory of Shandong is reoccupied and the rule of Ming Dynasty in Shandong is stabilized, these state capitals in Shandong will become new logistics supply bases for the new army of Ming Dynasty, and firearm workshops can also be re-established to produce ammunition, even muskets, Artillery and food can also be raised in these places, or transported from the south to Shandong.

If these preparations are made, the delivery of logistics supplies will be much more convenient when attacking Beijing.

The current victory is achieved by gunpowder. If the ammunition is exhausted, then the two armies will definitely have the upper hand in the confrontation. In the cavalry confrontation, the Ming soldiers are far from Jiannu's opponent.

Cao Yue also knew that if Jiannu didn't take the initiative to attack and just confronted the Ming army, it would be almost impossible for the Ming army to achieve the current results.Jiannu went forward to meet the charge of artillery and muskets. This suicidal way of warfare was the main reason why the Ming army achieved such brilliant results.If Jiannu changed his tactics and avoided fighting instead, it would be impossible for the Ming army to win an overwhelming victory.

Now Dorgon seems to have learned his lesson, and instead of continuing large-scale active attacks, he has adopted harassment warfare and medium-scale roundabout sneak attacks.Unless Jianu continues to launch large-scale active attacks every day as it did at the beginning, it is unrealistic to wipe out these two 10,000+ Jiannu in one fell swoop.Cao Yue is now slowly advancing, in order to force Jiannu to take the initiative to attack. The Ming army equipped with a large number of firearms can use field fortifications to greatly kill Jiannu, but the price paid by the side is very small.

However, Dorgon didn't fully understand Cao Yue's thoughts. Facing Cao Yue's slow advance to the city wall of Liaocheng, he felt great pressure.The Qing army has never retreated timidly. In the confrontation with the Ming army, the Qing army has always played the role of taking the initiative to attack and mastering the rhythm of the war.Facing the pressing force of the Ming army, Dorgon couldn't bear it, and he, who would never show weakness, could not escape without a fight.

Dorgon knew that there would be more Ming troops rushing to help Shandong, and even Zuo Liangyu's tribe, which had originally rebelled, might become the main force to fight back against the Qing army.Duoduo's troops are still far away in Shaanxi, and they can't quench their thirst far away, and they can't rescue Liaocheng.And Cao Yue's men were pressing harder and closer to Liaocheng. This made Dorgon feel at a loss for the first time. His unyielding personality and strategic overall consideration made him understand that Liaocheng must not be lost so easily. To take the initiative to retreat, you must fight to the death with the Ming army.

If the superior forces are unable to defeat the Ming army led by Cao Yue and keep Liaocheng, then his prestige as the regent of the Qing Dynasty will be severely reduced, and those who oppose him can take the opportunity to jump out and fight against him.Also, members of the Qing royal family had just moved to Beijing, and Beijing had become the capital of the Qing Dynasty.No matter which aspect is considered, Dorgon must find a way to defeat the Ming army.

However, Dorgon couldn't figure out how to defeat the Ming army.

Just when Dorgon was thinking about how to break the huge threat of the firearms of the Ming army and how to prevent the army from being killed by the firearms of the Ming army when they charged, Cao Yue launched an active attack on Liaocheng.

The Ming army's attack on Liaocheng still used shelling first.

Several warships moored on the canal closest to Liaocheng, as well as dozens of cannons on land with a long range, launched a large-scale bombardment on the south gate of Liaocheng and the slave garrison outside the south gate.

Under the daily slow pressure of the Ming army, Dorgon retreated again and again, and his troops finally retreated to the vicinity of Liaocheng.

Nearly 10 people retreated to Liaocheng City, including most of the Jurchen elite cavalry and about half of the Mongolian Eight Banners. Then defend outside the city.The slave defense line for defense outside the city is mainly outside the city gates, and the most distributed force is of course outside the south gate facing the canal.

Jiannu knew the great power of the Ming army's artillery fire. After finding out that the Ming army launched a large-scale artillery fire inside and outside the south gate, all the people on the city wall and outside the city found places to hide to avoid being hit by the huge artillery explosion. The power hurts.Jiannu still believed that the Ming army would always adopt such long-distance attacks and did not dare to fight with real swords and guns at close range with the Qing warriors. Therefore, he was not wary of the possible charge of the Ming army. They all hid, and there was no one on the top of the city.

Jiannu is also equipped with artillery, many of which are Hongyi cannons with a long range and relatively strong power.But in the previous few battles, their artillery was hit by the Ming army's artillery just after they were tested. After losing dozens of Hongyi cannons, in order to preserve their strength, they dared not start an artillery battle with the Ming army.Their artillery couldn't hit the Ming army, but the Ming army's artillery could hit them. The difference in range and the difference in strike accuracy made them only suffer.After hiding in Liaocheng City, their artillery was also hidden, ready to be used at critical times.

The attack started by the Ming army was exactly as Jiannu had imagined. It only used artillery to bombard the inside and outside of the south gate city.After three days, Jiannu guarding the city, including Dorgon, believed that the Ming army just wanted to take advantage of the artillery to further suppress the Qing army and buy time for the arrival of subsequent reinforcements.

Unexpectedly, after the intensified artillery attack on the fourth day, when all the Jiannu inside and outside the city hid to avoid the artillery bombardment, nearly [-] Daming soldiers took advantage of the artillery cover to attack the city.

(End of this chapter)