On the vast grassland, a large team is moving forward in the late autumn season when the grass and trees are luxuriant. Even the core leaders, including Hou Jin Huntai, Ji Hei, and Yue Tuo, mostly seemed a little silent. Before, with the assistance of the Ming court, more than 100 elite dead soldiers were dispatched, and in the end almost all the troops were wiped out, only a few people who did not participate in the operation were originally used to ventilate the news returned, from Zuo Ling to the unification of the capital, a total of more than 20 military attaches and more than 80 excellent guards died in battle, such a thing was not expected by anyone.

If it was the plan of the Ming court, it was not impossible for these hundreds of people to encounter the assassination and defeat of thousands of the main forces of the Ming army. However, after the relay of the more reliable warriors in the army who finally escaped: more than 100 elite dead soldiers were not destroyed in the plot and ambush, but only in the frontal attack and battle that grasped the initiative on the battlefield, and faced with such a result in the face of more than 2,000 guards who did not have many car shields and heavy artillery, which still made many people feel shocked. Even Amin and even Mang Gurtai and others felt that the new emperor of the Han people was a great enemy who did not follow the habits of the Han people.

Jianzhou is not an army that completely relies on barbarism and bravery to support its combat effectiveness like the Jin Jurchens in those years, but a force that has become strong after a long period of army building, even organization and training, like the elite soldiers of the Han people. I understand very well what it means for a Han emperor to have such a family background, it is likely to mean that this emperor with real own strength can rely on the cards in his hand to mobilize the huge military resources of the entire Ming Dynasty.

The generals of Jianzhou, who have experienced a lot of battle formations, understand that if it is the era of cold weapons, and both sides do not rely on firearms and car shields, then I am afraid that Jianzhou would have already entered the Central Plains as early as the Nurhachi era, at least it is also the situation of the former Jin. The level of organization and training of most of the Ming army was more than one level behind that of the Jianzhou army at this time. However, the times have changed, and the advent of firearms and artillery has made the third- and fourth-rate armed forces of the Han people able to bring a lot of casualties and losses as long as they are properly commanded. The insufficient population of the core headquarters was a fatal wound in Jianzhou at this time.

Of course, these reasons alone are only able to form a consensus at the top. What really forced the Jianzhou army to finally decide to send troops ahead of schedule was the catastrophe in the first year of Chongzhen, which of course also affected Jianzhou. Although there was still a lot of grain in Jianzhou at this time, which could barely survive the second year, no one knew whether the next year would be a disaster year.

"This time to attack the border pass of the Ming army, you won't encounter much trouble, right? I heard that it was a military attache named Lu Xiangsheng who was defending here," Hun Tai Yoshiguro asked Bo Lie.

Yue Tuo looked very confident: "Lu Xiangsheng didn't have much experience in dealing with our army before, he should be just a local tyrant." Didn't our army already reconnoiter this area? It's just a powerful army of about a few thousand. Although there are natural dangers and pass defenses, it should not be able to stop our army. After the incident in the second year of Tiancong, the suspicious new emperor of the Han people also carried out a purge of the garrison in the border area, although our army has no internal response, but the defenders in this area are far less than before... ”

"If this place is not easy to attack, Dushikou, Qingshan Pass and other places are all choices. There may be a few people in the Ming court who can fight, but it is definitely rare, and the luck of our army will not be so bad... ”

Of course, Xiao Xuan knew that the first Manchurian entry was from Xifengkou, so he also deployed the "Tianxiong Army" led by Lu Xiangsheng in this area, and some other Ming army backbones and firearms were also added to the team.

However, Xiao Xuan still overestimated the strength of Lu Xiangsheng and his so-called "Tianxiong Army" at this time, at this time, although the combat effectiveness of Lu Xiangsheng's powerful private army was strengthened by Xiao Xuan, it was still not enough to defend in this place where there was nothing to talk about.

When the outpost encountered decent resistance, Huang Taiji quickly summoned the elites of the troops sent by each banner, and concentrated the Han artillery team carried by the troops this time to fiercely suppress the Ming army near the pass under the cover of 600 white-armored artillery teams and 600 elite archers of the protectors, a total of about 1,200 elite projection fire.

A total of about 20,000 people, including 12,000 armor and about 8,000 armor and about 8,000 clothed auxiliaries with decent combat effectiveness, also took the opportunity to fly by the sparse projectiles and arrows that came from time to time from the mountains and mountains at the fastest speed and in a relatively scattered formation.

As for whether such a force is likely to be insufficient? In this era, the Manchu army had never suffered a heavy defeat in a major battle with more than 1,000 people killed in a major battle, except for the Battle of the Hunhe River. The strength of the army does not depend on the number of troops, and most of the elite 20,000 people and about 13,000 armor of the Eight Banners at this time are concentrated, and the actual strength is far greater than more than half of the strength of the entire Jianzhou, and it is not impossible for the Ming army to compete with the main force of Jianzhou with such a force. But the Ming army of that size must not have too high mobility ability. As long as it was not confined to some narrow defensive lines in western Liaoning, and the entire main force of Jianzhou had full right to maneuver and combat choice, at a time when firearms were not as widespread and mature as they were later, the entire Ming court seemed to be like a Liao Han woman who was humiliated by others, and could act recklessly.

Seeing that the main force of the army outside the pass began to enter the pass continuously, Lu Xiangsheng, who knew that his strength was invincible, had no choice but to lead the main force of more than 3,000 township soldiers to launch a counterattack against the Manchu army under the mountain. However, the difference in strength made this and all seem so futile, in the face of the real elite, it was only less than a stick of incense, and this time the counterattack down the mountain failed under the fierce cannon and strong bow fire.

Lu Xiangsheng, who had planned to die in battle, was out of danger under the desperate protection of most of his family's deaths and was pulled back to the mountains.

"My lord, what's the point of dying at this time? The strength of our army is impossible to contend with the main force of Jianzhou? Now it is planned that only by relying on the mountains to drag the rear team and baggage of the Eastern Captives, and buy time for the army of King Qin of the imperial court... ”

"But now ... Now the saint is still far away in the Guanzhong area... Alas... ”

Not only Lu Xiangsheng at this time, but Sun Chengzong also felt the urgency of the situation at this moment. It's not that I'm really worried that the Central Plains, which has many tall cities, will fall into the hands of these Eastern captives who don't have many decent artillery, but if the emperor who is still outside the capital at this time is captured, then the Ming Dynasty will eventually face unpredictable risks. It's just that for some reason, at this critical moment, there are many Ming troops who began to listen to the tune and did not listen to the announcement, and it is obvious that some forces are secretly instigating...

(End of chapter)