The guards battalion led by Xiao Xuan and even the Yongwei battalion led by Zhou Yuji and others still crossed the frozen Yellow River at the fastest speed before the main horse team of tens of thousands of people in Jianzhou approached, but it was obviously impossible to move forward as safely as before. Xiao Xuan also understood that an important moment in the fate of himself, including the entire army, would also come. If he ends up besieged or buried in the Daimyo's mansion, it is not impossible that history will develop more quickly. Although Chongzhen in history made many wrong decisions, he at least played a role in maintaining the unity of the regime, rather than showing the lower limit like Nanming.

Amid the rumbling sound of cannons, night gradually fell, and the fire was still bright outside the position that had been hastily formed in half an hour. With a scale of nearly 10,000 people, the Golden Horse team still organized a night raid at night from multiple directions. For the first time, the entire team encountered casualties and losses that made many young officers and soldiers feel quite stressed. In a short period of time, hundreds of people were killed on the spot, and nearly 100 others were seriously injured or maimed. Facing the Jianzhou horse team with enough elite strength, even if the opponent did not have a car shield to cooperate, it was inevitable to fall into a brutal melee battle in the night encounter. Many people were killed in the dark by heavy arrows through the heart or with short spears.

However, the earthwork training on weekdays still made many officers and soldiers feel that it was not in vain at this time. In many cases, it was the squatting foxhole that looked very shallow and was not enough to accommodate the whole body to stand and a black cloth that allowed the officers and soldiers to avoid fearless casualties in the face of a strong enemy to the greatest extent, and also made the Manchu troops who attacked at night suffer casualties far exceeding the battle record. At least the last horse was killed and wounded in the large-scale night attack, and the six or seven hundred main forces in Jianzhou armor, including four assistant leaders, suffered casualties in the dark night's firepower.

Hun Tai Ji Hei Huan Bo Lie, who personally led the army to launch a tentative attack, also found that this Ming army, like many other Ming troops, was also very good at firearms, especially shotgun cover fire. In the face of such an opponent, launching a night attack at night is actually very passive. Because you can't see the shotguns falling from the sky, you will suffer more casualties than you would if you attacked during the day. And this opponent seems to be very different from other Ming army formations, using lighting means as much as possible to expose their own men and horses, and hide themselves to the greatest extent. It doesn't seem like the right choice to launch a night raid on such an opponent.

"How long will it take for the gun wagons and shield wagons to arrive?" Hun Tai Ji Hei also Bo Lie suddenly asked at this time.

"Mangui's reinforcements have delayed the army for a lot of time, and it is estimated that it will take five days to arrive... Yue Tuo said with some regret.

"Five days..."

"Don't worry, in four days, it is impossible for this group of people to rush to the capital under the pressure of our army. . . ." Amin, who came with Hun Taiji and Yue Tuo, said disapprerovingly.

At night, Xiao Xuan still let the entire army rest in rotation according to the normal rotation of combat readiness standards, preparing for the next day's battle march. At this time, Xiao Xuan was also very clear: I am afraid that reinforcements can only be expected and cannot be expected. He had to arrive at the capital in about thirty days, that is, before the supplies he was carrying were exhausted, and he would have to travel at least thirty or forty miles a day before he could have a way out. It is likely that there will be a decisive battle with the opponent. Therefore, it is necessary to make the entire army ready for a showdown with the main force of Jianzhou at any time, and not let the whole team look tired and difficult to face a high-intensity decisive battle when approaching the capital.

When the sky dawned the next day, the Jianzhou scout cavalry in charge of reconnaissance did not notice that the team seemed to have not rested well at night or that its morale had been greatly damaged, and it still advanced northward in battle formation in this relatively flat terrain of the North China Plain with full spirit.

It's just that at this time, the strength of the entire Jianzhou Army approaching is still maintained at about more than 10,000 people, including about five or six thousand armor, and there is no obvious increase. After several encounters, we roughly understood the combat effectiveness of the Jianzhou Army without the cooperation of car shields and artillery. The officers and men of the Guards Battalion and the Brave Guard Battalion did not feel the pressure they had imagined. Hun Tai Ji Hei and Bo Lie did not organize a rash attack during the day.

What Xiao Xuan didn't understand was that since the Battle of Hunhe that year, there was a common sense in the Jianzhou Army that many people deeply understood: if there was no shield vehicle and even artillery to cooperate in the battle, then it would be unsuitable to organize a large-scale attack in the daytime in the face of an opponent with sharp firearms and a well-organized lineup. What's more, in the eyes of Hei Huan Bolie at this time, compared with the Battle of the Hunhe River that year, his own troops at this time were obviously small, only equivalent to fifty or sixty Niu Lu, not at least eighty Niu Lu that year. The opponent's troops were obviously much larger than the Sichuan army back then. Even a rash attack in the midst of the opponent's march in battle formation will inevitably end in a defeat with heavy casualties.

When he saw that the opposite side was still an hour before it was dark, Hun Tai Yoshiguro finally gave up his plan to organize another large-scale night attack.

"Our army's strength is insufficient, and after the other side crosses the river, whether it is marching or camping, it seems quite orderly, or let the armies have more morale and casualties to prepare, and prepare for a decisive battle! The other party doesn't seem to have any plans to take refuge in the Daimyo's Mansion for the time being... ”

Hun Taiji's decision followed by several main generals did not have much opinion. Even at this time, Mang Gurtai couldn't help but laugh at the legendary new emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who was still very young: "If the new emperor of the Ming court temporarily hides in the Daimyo's mansion, and then comes out when our army has to withdraw during the New Year, then there may be a glimmer of life, and now this is clearly planning a showdown with the main force of our army... ”

"Then give him a chance!" Hun Tai Jihei still feels that this may be a vicious battle, but the gain will also be huge: "By the way, before the day after tomorrow, can our army's baggage convoy reach the area of Baoding Mansion?" ”

Hearing this question, Yue Tuo at this time also understood Hun Taiji's combat determination: to concentrate about 20,000 mixed forces of multiple arms, including more than 10,000 armor, in the area of Baoding Mansion to launch a decisive attack, and concentrate at least nearly half of the elite of the entire Jianzhou, and no longer take risks. After all, Baoding Mansion is different from other places, and it is likely that there is enough food and water to stockpile, enough for the more than 10,000 people and horses to get too much food.

Although he had not yet experienced a real war, Xiao Xuan also hesitated at this time, wondering if he needed to replenish supplies or simply avoid the war until the next year when the army approached to Baoding Mansion and other important towns.

(End of chapter)