Hong Chengchou said: "You can not believe it, but I think this is the case, because our advance has put great pressure on all the northern forces. [Full text reading. There are many knowledgeable people among these people, such as Sun Chuanting, such as the King of Qin, such as Fan Ju who betrayed from the Qin army, they are all far-sighted. If we destroy Li Zicheng, the next opponent will be one of them, and they will all be annihilated in the end. Everyone understands the truth of cold lips and teeth. ”

Wu Sangui was a little worried: "When these people get together, at least no less than three or four hundred thousand." And we only have a few hundred thousand people. ”

Dolgon laughed: "A few months ago, Li Zicheng didn't have an army of 200,000, but he was beaten by my tens of thousands of Eight Banner soldiers, and now even if you add Sun Chuanting, Qin Jun and Fan Ju, they are just a rabble." Their cavalry is by no means as powerful as ours. When the time comes, you can scatter them with just one charge, and then split up and break them down. ”

Hong Chengchou shook his head: "Lord Belle can't be careless, the terrain in this area is not favorable to us, and although Li Zicheng's men and horses have average combat effectiveness, the Qin army is extremely fierce, and their cavalry is also very brutal, and this time it must be Bai Qi, this person uses soldiers, and he is unusual, so this battle is still good to be cautious." ”

Dolgon still respects Hong Chengchou, because this gentleman was personally recruited by Huang Taiji, and ordinary officials of the Ming Dynasty do not have this treatment. And Hong Chengchou can be civil and martial, not only is he good at writing, but he is also ruthless in fighting, which is similar to Dolgon, so Dolgon and him are still tempered.

At this time, when he heard Hong Chengchou say this, Dolgon also remembered that he led his troops to break into the pass that year, but was ambushed by the Qin army and captured a side Fujin, which was a great shame in his life, and he couldn't even keep the woman he loved, and he was still a manly man.

Since then, he has always wanted to fight with the Qin army on the battlefield, but the Manchu army's military strength was all placed in Liaodong and Shanhaiguan, and Guanzhong could not transfer men and horses, so Dolgon has been holding this anger in his heart, at this time, he finally has the opportunity to vent his anger, how can he let it go.

However, Dorgon was not a brainless fool who could only be brave, he fought hundreds of battles, large and small, and rarely lost, because he was in war, his mind was clear, his reaction was flexible, he used cavalry properly, and most importantly, he would never lose his mind because the enemy was strong or weak.

Therefore, he asked Hong Chengchou: "From Mr.'s point of view, how can this battle be law-oriented?" ”

Hong Chengchou thought for a while: "The soldiers have clouds, and if they don't think about victory, they will think about defeat first." Let's first think about what the consequences will be if this battle is lost. ”

Dolgon was displeased: "How can there be a war that has not yet been fought, and you should first consider retreating?" I know that there was a Western Chu overlord in the history of your Han people, who fought the Qin army in Julu and broke the cauldron and sank the boat, so he won this battle. In the eyes of our Manchurians, that is the real man. ”

Hong Chengchou shook his head and smiled: "But this overlord of Chu was finally defeated by a man named Han Xin. You must know that, too. And this Han Xin, before every battle, will put out the advantages and disadvantages of both the enemy and the enemy, and carefully study it, and now we are fighting against a large number of enemies, and we must know the other side. ”

Dorgon said, "Then please tell me how one knows the other." ”

Hong Chengchou pondered for a while and said, "The current situation is unfavorable to us. First, with the Yellow River at its back, there is a big enemy in front of it, and there is no way to retreat; second, the terrain is complicated, which is not conducive to the operation of the cavalry; third, the enemy can attack and defend with the help of a strong city, and advance and retreat freely. With these three disadvantages, we must not go to war recklessly. ”

Dolgon nodded, "Well said. So how can you defeat the enemy army? You've got to have a solution. ”

Hong Chengchou smiled: "There is only one way, retreat across the Yellow River." ”

When Dolgon and Wu Sangui heard this, they were both stunned. Wu Sangui said: "If you retreat across the Yellow River, you will let Li Zicheng go, won't you fight?" Dolgon said, "As soon as the enemy reinforcements arrive, our army will withdraw?" Isn't that a shame on the family? Our Eight Banners soldiers can die in battle, but they must not let the enemy be frightened. ”

Hong Chengchou shook his hand: "That's not what I mean, listen to me, retreat across the Yellow River, not to let Luoyang go, but to ensure that this battle will be won." ”

Dorgon said, "How can this battle be won?" ”

Hong Chengchou said: "When we withdraw from the Yellow River, those three unfavorable conditions have all become favorable conditions. If the enemy pursues the Yellow River, it will become that they have no way to retreat, and the terrain north of the Yellow River is open, suitable for cavalry galloping, and the enemy army is separated from Luoyang, and there is no strong city as a base, and it is impossible to hold on. ”

Wu Sangui said: "What you said is true, but Li Zicheng is not a fool, will he bring a large team of men and horses across the Yellow River to a decisive battle?" We can think of these things, can't people think of them? ”

Hong Chengchou sneered: "I know that the enemy army must think of this move, but they still have to come." ”

Dolgon shook his head: "Knowing that it is not good, but still following it, it is like knowing that the transaction is at a loss, and still doing it, no one is so stupid." ”

He and Wu Sangui both looked at Hong Chengchou with inexplicable expressions.

Hong Chengchou smiled slightly: "Lord Belle, General Wu, war is changing all the time, the winner can be transformed into the loser, and the weak can also become the strong, but one thing remains the same." ”

Wu Sangui said: "Which one?" ”

Hong Chengchou said: "That is logistics support. Without this, no matter who it is, it is impossible to win, in a word, whoever runs out of food first is the loser. ”

Wu Sangui said: "But Li Zicheng doesn't seem to be able to run out of food, he got a huge amount of grain, grass and treasures in Luoyang City. ”

Hong Chengchou said: "Yes, but the situation is different at this time, the weather is getting colder, everything in the Central Plains is no longer growing, and when it is mature, they can only eat and store grain." And at this time, 100,000 reinforcements came, plus Li Zicheng's men and horses, at least more than 300,000, so many people, how much grain and grass do they need to consume every day? In recent years, Henan has suffered from famines, and there is not much grain in stock, so Li Zicheng definitely does not have so much grain in stock. However, we are different, Zhili has suffered fewer natural disasters, and there has always been a stable output of grain, and we can supply grain and grass from Zhili when we retreat across the Yellow River, and we are not afraid that he will last forever. ”

Dolgon suddenly realized: "What Mr. means is that it is impossible for Li Zicheng to confront us like this for a long time, and he will definitely be in a hurry to fight a decisive battle in order to avoid sitting on the empty side." ”

Hong Chengchou nodded: "If he is not in a hurry to start the war, after a long time, not only will the supply of food and grass not be available, but those reinforcements will also be slack." In order to avoid accidents in your base, you may even go back early. Therefore, as long as we retreat across the Yellow River, Li Zicheng will definitely chase after us and fight a decisive battle with us. ”

Dorgon was very pleased: "Listening to what the gentleman said, it is indeed extraordinary." I listened to the gentleman, and then withdrew the men and horses across the Yellow River. ”

Hong Chengchou hurriedly waved his hand to stop: "Does Lord Belle know how this soldier can be withdrawn?" ”

Dolgon was stunned: "How else can you evacuate?" The rear battalion became the front battalion, and one battalion after another slowly withdrew, and I led the elite soldiers to personally break the rear, and finally withdrew across the Yellow River, which must be foolproof. ”

Hong Chengchou shook his head again and again: "No, no, you know, the men and horses in the rear camp are all Eight Banner soldiers, and the men and horses in front are Guanning Iron Cavalry, if the Eight Banners in the back are withdrawn, after the Guanning Iron Cavalry in front knows about it, they must feel that they are isolated and abandoned, and what will happen when the time comes, it is difficult to say." ”

Wu Sangui said: "This is impossible, with me sitting in the army, no one dares to move." ”

Hong Chengchou said with a smile: "I know this, but if Li Zicheng suddenly comes to attack at this time, it will inevitably panic in the army, so it will give Li Zicheng an opportunity." The general should not forget how the previous battle of Weishui, the million-strong army of the former Qin, was defeated. ”

Wu Sangui naturally knew that in this war, Fu Jian, the master of the former Qin, did not listen to the dying advice of the mastermind Wang Meng, and was bent on taking the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but he was defeated by Xie Xuan in the water, and the main reason was that there was panic in the process of pulling out the camp and retreating across the river, and everyone thought that the Qin army had been defeated, and they rushed to cross the river, and there was no one to resist, so they were defeated by the Jin army.

At this time, Hong Chengchou reminded Dolgon and Wu Sangui not to rush to cross the river and retreat north, and to be careful.

Wu Sangui nodded again and again when he heard this: "Mr. is right, according to what you mean, how can this soldier be withdrawn?" ”

Hong Chengchou said with a smile: "The front battalion will go first, and the Eight Banners Army in the back can hold the troops first." Dolgon frowned: "Isn't it easier to defeat the rear camp if the front camp retreats first?" Hong Chengchou said: "Absolutely not, when General Wu ordered the retreat, you can walk slowly, don't panic, and the Eight Banners behind are very brave, and there is a point, they feel that the combat effectiveness of the Han people is not strong, in the past few months, it has been the Guanning cavalry charging ahead, attacking the city and grabbing the land, the Eight Banners have long been eager to try, and Belle Ye can order, saying that the withdrawal of the Guanning Iron Cavalry is to let them stand in front, and the Eight Banners Soldiers in order to compete with the Guanning Iron Cavalry, at that time, not only will the morale not be low, but will be strengthened. ”

Dolgon laughed when he heard this: "Yes, yes, when General Wu finishes withdrawing, I will give an order to let the Eight Banners withdraw across the Yellow River, and my men and horses will definitely not be chaotic." It's a fantastic plan. ”

Hong Chengchou said: "Without further ado, don't wait for Li Zicheng to meet everyone and come to attack, even if you want to withdraw at that time, it is impossible to withdraw." ”

Dolgon nodded again and again, and immediately ordered Wu Sangui to return to the camp immediately, pack up his men and horses, and withdraw to the Yellow River at noon the next day.

Then he ordered his own Chinese army to strengthen C training and prepare for war.

Wu Sangui returned to the front camp and began to pack up military supplies, grain and grass, war horses and equipment, and prepare to withdraw the army.