In Liaodong in April, although it has not yet entered summer in terms of climate, it has also reached the season of spring flowers. On both sides of the road, the grass and trees sprout, everywhere green silk, a piece of vitality.

The Eight Banners of Manchuria marched in whole teams according to the sequence of each flag. The Eight Banners of Manchuria are distinguished by the color of the flag, but it is not really eight colors, but yellow, white, red, and blue, and the four flags with yellow, white, red, and blue are inlaid with red and white trims on the four-color military uniforms and flags. Looking from a distance, I saw a long dragon composed of four colors rolling on the land of Liaodong, and there was no edge in sight.

The scale of this Qing army dispatch was unprecedented, and the Eight Banners of Manchuria and the Eight Banners of Mongolia were drawn from the three dings, and more than 80,000 elite soldiers were concentrated. And the Eight Banners Han Army's Gongshun King Kong Youde, Huaishun King Geng Zhongming, Zhishun Wang Shang Kexi, Xushun Gong Shen Zhixiang and other infantry cavalry are pouring out. The total number of troops dispatched exceeded 100,000, and all the grain and baggage were also complete.

For this minority dynasty that has grown savagely in the Northeast for decades, whether it can enter the Central Plains and become a strong contender for the top of the world is a matter of one move!

As the commander of the 100,000 Qing army, the regent Dolgon rarely rode horses during the march because he was not in good health, and most of the time he traveled in a yellow sedan chair carried by four people, and there was a yellow umbrella in front of the sedan chair. In addition, he had a yellow sedan chair carried by sixteen people prepared for himself, divided into bundles, and carried by camels. There is also a large felt tent called the tent hall, which is also carried by camels. These yellow utensils were all taken out of the royal treasury and used by Huang Taiji.

He has not yet settled in Beijing, so he openly uses the utensils that only the emperor can use, which inevitably makes people reverie.

Dolgon's army left Shengjing and Shenyang on April 13, although Zu Zepu arrived in Shengjing on April 11 and met with Dolgon, agreeing to borrow troops to fight the thieves. But Dorgon was prepared for both.

According to the plan, the army would first march due west, and then turn to the southwest, or go to the Shanhaiguan in the western Liaoning corridor to attack Beijing together with Wu Sangui; Or break through the Great Wall from Jizhou or Miyun, fight steadily, and approach the city of Beijing step by step.

The former is of course the most ideal, remove the nail of Shanhaiguan, and the Qing army will be able to enter and exit the Central Plains along the shortcut of the Liaoxi Corridor. And without any worries, you can go all out to seize the Central Plains territory.

And the latter is not ideal, and it is stuck in the throat by the 50,000 Ming troops on the Shanhai Pass, and the back road will be threatened. There is nothing wrong with taking Beijing, but it will not be easy to pursue Li Zicheng with all his might and quickly expand his territory. Unless Wu Sangui is eliminated after Li Zicheng is resolved.

But after beating Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui, how many Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing Dynasty will be left?

In addition, Li Zicheng was surprised by Hong Chengchou's expectations and retreated to Beijing after the defeat in the field battle. Dolgon's going to be blinded. One end is Beijing Jiancheng, and the other end is Shanhai Xiongguan. If the 100,000 Qing army wants to storm and seize these two fortresses, I am afraid that there will not be even a few scum left to be consumed.

In other words, Li Zicheng is not without a chance of winning - as long as Wu Sangui does not lead the Qing troops into the customs, Li Zicheng does not fight the Shanhaiguan but fights the Qing army under the city of Beijing. Then the winner is between five and five.

Even if the army is defeated, it will not be too embarrassing.

So for a few days after the army was dispatched, Dolgon was restless. I was afraid that Wu Sangui would regret it, and I was even more afraid that Li Zicheng would not move in Beijing.

Later historians like to regard Li Zicheng's delay in moving to Beijing for a long time and failing to attack Wu Sangui in time as a major mistake. However, at this time, Dolgon was worried because he had not received the news of Li Zicheng's expedition to the east.

Because in his opinion, it is impossible for Li Zicheng to capture Shanhaiguan in a short period of time, and he will not pay heavy casualties.

Li Zicheng wants to have this ability, and Dolgon doesn't dare to enter the customs to send him to death!

A strong city like Shanhaiguan, coupled with a garrison of 40,000 or 50,000 people, even if the Eight Banners were to fight, it would be protracted and heavy casualties.

On the fifth day of the Qing army's departure from Shengjing, on the morning of April 17. The White Banner Brigade of the Regent and Prince Shuorui Dolgon had reached the banks of the Liao River. After crossing the Liao River, he had to decide whether to go to the Western Liaoning Corridor and to the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain.

It can be said that the moment of relationship that will determine the fate of the Qing Dynasty has arrived!

Just when the white flag was resting and eating, and preparing to cross the river. As the vanguard of the army, Geng Zhongming, the commander of the Eight Banners Han Army, who had already crossed the river, suddenly returned to the east bank in a small boat and arrived in front of Dolgon.

"Good news, Lord Regent!" Geng Zhongming, who is almost 50 years old this year, still looks strong and strong, full of energy, and has a rosy face full of joy.

"What's the news?" Dolgon, who hadn't slept well for a few days and had a sallow face, asked.

"It's a rebellion! The goal is Shanhaiguan! ”

Dolgon let out a long breath and folded his hands and said, "Buddha bless! ”

"And whatever!" Geng Zhongming said happily, "Tianjin Wei was broken by the rebellious generals Li Guo and Li Yan!" On the way to escape by boat, Chongzhen and the prince were near the rebellious female general Red Lady, and the boat caught fire and sank...... Da Ming is dead! ”

"God bless the Great Qing! Hehe......" Dolgon's salallow face was also rarely ruddy, and he couldn't close his big mouth with a smile, "Quick, hurry up Xuan Fan Wencheng and Hong Chengchou." ”

Fan Wencheng and Hong Chengchou were soon announced, and after learning the news brought by Geng Zhongming, the expressions of the two were also quite funny, and Fan Wencheng was full of smiles and joy. Hong Chengchou is face is crying, like mourning.

Dolgon smiled and comforted Hong Chengchou and said, "Hengjiu, don't be sad...... Da Ming Qi is exhausted, let's take a good look at it now, how to avenge Chongzhen's father and son! ”

Fan Wencheng had never been an official in the Ming Dynasty, so he didn't have to be sad about the death of the old master, so he smiled and said: "Lord Wang, since the father of the Ming Dynasty has been mourned, Li Zicheng personally led the army to fight against Wu Sangui." Then what reason does Wu Sangui have not to submit to my Qing Dynasty? The minister suggested that the army should march to the west of Liaoxi and arrive near Shanhaiguan to go down to the village. ”

Hong Chengchou wiped his tears and said: "Lord Wang, the minister also has the same opinion as Fan University. Li Zicheng made a big mistake to woo Wu Sangui, Wu Sangui was already desperate and had to vote for me in the Qing Dynasty. So you don't have to go around the northern foot of Yanshan anymore, you should go straight to Shanhaiguan! ”

Dolgon smiled and said, "Since the two of you have the same meaning, let's march to Shanhaiguan!"

In addition, I sent an envoy to Wu Sangui to say that I would join forces with him in the Qing Dynasty to avenge the first emperor and the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty! ”

......

When Dolgon was determined to avenge Emperor Chongzhen and Zhu Cihong, the Shanhaiguan side was also panicked because Li Zicheng's pro-conquest army was approaching.

Li Zicheng's army is actually not large. Because he didn't bring too many troops to Beijing, otherwise Chongzhen and Zhu Cihong's father and son would not have been able to escape. When he entered Beijing that day, including Liu Fangliang's troops in Baoding, the old battalion soldiers he brought with him were only 60,000. In addition, there are Chen Yongfu, Bai Guangen, Tang Tong and other Ming Dynasty troops, and the full battle is only 100,000.

However, Li Zicheng was quite able to fool, but 100,000 people were blown into millions by him, which really frightened many Ming troops.

And this time, although Li Zicheng only led 60,000 people to the expedition, he still had to blow hard. 60,000 people have been blown into 200,000, and the gang on Shanhaiguan still believes it - Shanhaiguan is so strong, and there are many defenders, and they are the elite of Guanning. Li Zicheng wouldn't dare if he didn't have 200,000 people, unless he became the emperor and was a bastard!

Therefore, the news that the "200,000 army" came to attack Shanhaiguan immediately scared the Ming army entrenched in Yongping Mansion.

The call to borrow Qing soldiers to help the war, which was suppressed by Feng Yuanyang, also sounded again.