On the west bank of the Liao River, Prince Heshuoli Daishan rode a jujube red horse through the corpse piles all over the field.

The warriors of the red and red flags followed, silent to each other and with a heavy heart.

The wilderness on the west bank of the Liao River, a few miles away, was trampled by the iron hooves of the cavalry, leaving countless marks with black blood stains, and there were countless shell craters between these hoof prints. The broken knives, spears and arrows stuck in the ground, stained with dark red blood, looked like a terrible crop.

He rode across the battlefield on horseback, and everywhere he could see was the horrors of the aftermath of the war.

Broken knives and guns, arrows stuck in the ground, and piles of corpses.

The corpses were stacked on top of each other, each with hundreds of corpses, forming a pile of corpses. To great fright, the corpses had no heads, only an empty neck cavity. The armor and clothes on the corpses were also stripped naked.

This is the Jingguan, the Jingguan full of deterrence, the Jingguan built up with the corpses of the warriors of the Eight Banners.

"There were more than 4,000 headless corpses." Subordinate reports.

Dai Shan was silent, his mind was a little confused, and his heart trembled with fear. Although these corpses had no heads and no armor, he could still see at a glance that these were the warriors of the Eight Banners.

Even he already knew their identities, and returned to Liaoyang with the emperor to reinforce the warriors of the Three Banners. Now, all these warriors are dead here.

I can't believe it.

"The emperor must have broken through." A general said from the side.

Dai Shan didn't say a word, and more than 4,000 corpses of the Qing army were left on the battlefield by the Liao River, while there were only 5,000 people around the emperor. Did the emperor really break through? Or has the emperor been captured? Looking at Jingguan on the battlefield, Dai Shan had a very bad premonition in his heart, since the Ming army still had time to cut off all the heads and take them away, and also piled up the corpses into Jingguan, it means that the Ming army has plenty of time.

They cut off the heads of the Eight Banners warriors who died in battle. They stripped them of their armor, took away their ordnance, and did not even see the corpses of horses on the battlefield.

The Ming army cleaned the battlefield, and the cleaning was still very thorough, leaving only the Jingguan made of headless corpses, and some broken and useless broken guns and knives.

At this time, a fast horse came to report.

"Lord Wang. The warships of the Ming army appeared on the Liao River, and there were quite a few of them. ”

On the Liao River, a fleet of more than 100 boats appeared, and the flag of the nine-headed bird was hung on the high mast. Although it was not a four-masted ship, it still carried a lot of artillery on board.

The fleet found the Qing army on the west bank, quickly drove over, stopped at anchor in the middle of the river, and then swung out on the side and fired a few cannons on this side.

The Qing army was in turmoil.

Dai Shan's heart became more and more uneasy, and the fleet of the Ming army sailed into the Liao River. The Liao River was also blocked, which was a bad situation.

"Lord, look, there's a small boat coming."

A small boat in the Ming fleet docked on the west bank, and then three people led the horses ashore and rode over.

Dai Shan stopped a Qing soldier with a bow and arrows, "Let them come." ”

The three cavalry Ming troops galloped close and handed a letter to the Qing army that met them. The Qing army brought the letter back and handed it to Dai Shan. Dai Shan opened it and looked at it hurriedly. Hands are already shaking.

"Bring them up."

The three Ming soldiers were brought forward, and Dai Shan stared at them, "Do you think that if you talk nonsense, I will believe it?" ”

"The Duke of Chu sent me to inform you that Huang Taiji had been killed by our Ming army, and now give you a chance. You shall be given three days to surrender your weapons, and if not, you will be pacified after three days. ”

After speaking, the Ming soldier took out a burden and opened it, took out a bloody coat from it and threw it in front of Dai Shan.

It was a dragon robe. Huang Taiji's dragon robe.

"Farewell!" The three Qing soldiers rode away, and Dai Shan let them go, keeping an eye on the dragon robe.

"Lord Wang?" The generals of the two red flags shouted loudly, "This must be a lie, we will kill Liaoyang immediately." ”

Dai Shan looked at the blood-stained dragon robe, then at Jingguan behind him, and then at the Ming fleet on the Liao River in front.

Finally he shook his head, the situation was unknown.

There are not many soldiers around Dai Shan, only 5,000 horsemen. When he came, he thought that it would be enough to bring 5,000 horsemen, with his 5,000 horsemen plus Huang Taiji's 5,000 horsemen, and 10,000 elite horsemen to reinforce Haoge in Liaoyang, it was enough to defend the city. It's just that he didn't expect that the emperor would be so defeated, and he couldn't even understand how all this happened.

It was precisely because he couldn't understand it that he didn't dare to take these 5,000 people out of the blue. Moreover, the Liao River has been blocked by the Ming fleet, and his 5,000 people can't cross the river if they want to go to Liaoyang.

This year's weather is a little strange, it's the middle of November, but the river is still only a thin ice floe, and it is impossible to cross the river at all, and the original pontoon bridge on the river has long been demolished by the Ming army.

Dai Shan ordered to retreat ten miles back and camp, and then sent several light cavalry to let them find a way to return to the vicinity of Liaoyang to find out information.

Liaoyang.

As night fell, the defenders in Liaoyang City were all panicked, and no one could sleep.

Hauge paced around the room.

The Ming army besieged the city on a large scale, and all the soldiers and horses who came to reinforce were wiped out, and the emperor was killed in battle. Now Hauge felt that the sky had fallen, and that a catastrophe was coming.

Hauge faced the Ming army outside the city, and there was a kind of fear from the bottom of his heart. After seeing the sharpness of the Ming army's siege artillery, he clearly knew that if there were no reinforcements, he would definitely not be able to hold Liaoyang with the soldiers and horses under his command.

"Lord Wang, there is a messenger from the Ming army outside the city who asks to see you."

Hauge was a little surprised, thought for a moment, and nodded, "Bring it in." ”

After the envoy of the Ming army brought it up, he first told Hauge a bad news. When the 5,000 taels of Red Banner cavalry led by Prince Dai Shan crossed the Liao River, they were attacked by the Ming army half-crossing, and after the defeat of the lost troops, they retreated to the west bank of the Liao River. After learning the news that Huang Taiji had died, he had withdrawn to Jinzhou.

"Lord Wang, Liaoyang is already a lonely city, and after the defeat of Huang Taiji and Daishan's reinforcements, it is impossible for any more soldiers and horses to come to help. With the artillery of our Chu army, Liaoyang can be conquered in three days at most. The Duke of Chu asked a certain person to come and tell the prince that he should not resist stubbornly, so as not to increase casualties, and if the prince surrenders, the Duke of Chu will try to save the life of the prince. ”

The envoy of the Ming army once again gave Hauge an ultimatum, tomorrow at noon. If Haoge does not open the city and surrender, the Ming army will directly bombard the city with artillery, and after the city is broken, the Liaoyang Jurchens will be bloodied.

After the messenger left, Haug couldn't sit still.

After a long time, Haug gathered the city's generals. Orders were given to them.

"In the middle of the night, the whole army broke through and retreated back to Shenyang."

Hauge was skeptical of the news of Daishan's defeat, but he didn't plan to defend Liaoyang alone. The order was given, and the Qing army in the city began to prepare to retreat, and in the middle of the night, Hauge and his subordinates opened the north gate and rushed out of the city at night.

"Dashuai, Hauge has run away!" The nine-headed birds who had been staring at Liaoyang City for a long time did not collect at night, and they found Haoge running away for the first time. Report immediately.

When Liu Jun heard the news, he was not surprised at all, and sent people into the city at night to add some pressure to Haoge. Dai Shan's 5,000 men and horses were still on the west bank of the Liao River, and Liu Jun did not want to storm Liaoyang. Even if the artillery can break through the city wall and fight hard with the more than 10,000 Qing troops in the city, the Tartars will definitely be killed, and Liu Jun has already lost more than 3,000 horses on the west bank of the Liao River. I don't want to lose any more.

"Leave Hauge alone." Liu Jun said, "But don't let all the Tartars go." After half of the Tartars are out of the city, we will intercept the ambush and block the people behind. ”

The one who went out of the city in front must be Haoge and his elite men, let go of the front, and avoid the battle of the Qing army.

Outside the north gate, the Ming army had expected that the Qing army might break through from the north gate. Therefore, a lot of artillery has been added here.

"Almost, do it." Fu Shan personally sat at the north gate, and when he saw that nearly 5,000 horsemen had left the city, he ordered to intercept them.

A shrapnel streaked across the sky with a tail flame, sounding the horn for the start of the battle.

Gun after cannon shot was ejected. The musketeers lying in ambush on the flanks also began to fire at the Qing troops.

The Qing army was in turmoil.

Hauge was startled when he heard the sound of guns behind him. A general in the back reported loudly, "Lord Wang, only about 5,000 people came out, and most of the centaurs were intercepted and didn't come out." ”

Gritting his teeth, Hauge shouted coldly, "The Ming army has already taken precautions, leave them alone, let's go first." ”

Haug didn't have the courage to turn back, so he lowered his body, whipped his mount hard, and sped north to escape.

Seeing that the front army did not come back to rescue, the remaining Qing army was finally forced back to Liaoyang by artillery fire.

Without the 5,000 men and horses of Haoge, the defenders in the city became more and more isolated, although there were still thousands of soldiers and horses, but these were just some improvised patchwork of the banners and the Han and Mongolian youths.

After dawn, Liu Jun ordered the bombardment of Liaoyang.

Half a day later, the Liaoyang city wall was blasted open several gaps, and Liu Jun sent people to persuade him to surrender again.

In the end, the Qing army in Liaoyang City, which was isolated and knew that it could not hold the city, surrendered.

Liu Jun led his army into Liaoyang, imprisoned the Jurchens and Mongols in the city, and then sent people to repair the broken city walls.

On the west bank of the Liao River, the scouts sent out reported that Prince Su had abandoned Liaoyang and returned to Shenyang, and Liaoyang City had been occupied by Liu Jun. They also brought back another important piece of news, that the emperor had indeed been killed in the Battle of Liaohe, and that Daishan's second son, Shuotuo, had also been captured by the Ming army and later executed under the city of Shenyang. The emperor's 5,000 soldiers and horses to reinforce Liaoyang were wiped out in the Liaohe River, more than 4,000 killed in battle, and more than 800 captured, all of whom have now been killed under the city of Liaoyang.

"There are more than 50,000 Ming troops in Liaoyang City, and 20,000 horses from Kong Youde and other troops have also served under Liu Jun."

Five thousand against fifty thousand, there is still an uncrossable Liao River in front of them. Dai Shan pondered for a long time, and finally decided to withdraw to Jinzhou.

Some subordinates persuaded Dai Shan to return to Shenyang first, but Dai Shan finally decided to return to Jinzhou first.

He actually understood the intentions of his subordinates, and they wanted to persuade him to return to Shenyang to compete for the throne. If it were the last few years, Dai Shan would indeed covet the throne, but now, Dai Shan, who is in his fifties, has no such thoughts.

Dai Shan is the second son of Nurhachi, Nurhachi has sixteen sons, the eldest son Chu Ying was abolished and imprisoned in the early years and died, although Dai Shan is the second son, so it can be said that he is also the eldest son. Therefore, in the later period of Nurhachi, when the four beyles were in power and the five ministers were praised, Daishan was the head of the four beylers.

Later, Nurhachi died, and Daishan was originally a strong contender for the throne, but in the end he gave way to Huang Taiji, not because he did not fight, but because he had a stain on him. At the beginning, among Nurhachi's five concubines, the eldest concubine Abahai had an ambiguous relationship with Dai Shan. Abahai is the biological mother of Daishan's brother Dolgon, as a foreign barbarian, the Manchus originally had the custom of "the father dies, the son wives his mother" - Nurhachi once told Daishan, who was equivalent to the quasi-prince at that time, that after his death in the future, he would hand over the eldest concubine Abahai and his young descendants to Daishan to raise, which was originally a Jurchen custom.

At that time, Abahai was in his early thirties, young, beautiful, and scheming. Nurhachi is not dead yet, and Abahai is already impatient to confuse Daizen. Originally, she may have wanted to get on good terms with Daishan in advance and find a way back for herself, but when this matter was revealed, Nurhachi couldn't bear the fact that Abahai and Daishan were so frowning and ambiguous while he was still alive.

It is said that she often took advantage of Nurhachi's unpreparedness to go to Daishan's mansion late at night, and entrusted three packs of gold and silver to Daishan for safekeeping. Once, when Nurhachi held a celebration banquet, and all the concubines came out to drink, Abahai actually dressed up in fancy clothes, stood behind Dai Shan, and did not persuade others, but only persuaded Dai Shan with good wine.

Nurhachi did say that after his death, he would entrust his concubine and son to Daishan, but now he was still in the "peak of spring and autumn", so, in his eyes, he was very dissatisfied, and after learning that she had entrusted the gold and silver to Daishan, in a fit of anger, he ordered the guards to go to Daishan's mansion and searched out the three bags of gold and silver, so that the maid who helped to harbor was beheaded, and Abahai was abandoned, but Nurhachi forgave the older son - after all, this matter cannot be investigated deeply, and the ugliness of the family must not be publicized; In addition, the eldest son Chu Ying has died due to his own mistreatment, and he does not want to lose another son.

Because of this scandal, Daishan was very disadvantageous in the struggle for the throne after Nurhachi's death. In the end, Dai Shan supported Huang Taiji as the emperor, and Huang Taiji also treated Dai Shan very well after becoming the emperor, crowned Prince Li, and let him take charge of the two red flags.

Now that Huang Taiji is also dead, it is reasonable that the throne should be inherited by Huang Taiji's sons, Dai Shan is the elder brother of Huang Taiji, and he is old, and he wants to take over the throne The conditions are not as good as back then. Moreover, he knew that Dolgon, Duoduo and a group of other people would definitely not agree to him to be the emperor, and the three Dolgon brothers were paranoid about holding the two white flags, which was much stronger than his two red flags.

Dai Shan himself is not suitable to fight for the throne, and his son is even more unsuitable, thinking about it, Dai Shan feels that he can't let Dolgon be the emperor, or should support Hauge to inherit the throne.

It is reasonable to say that if Dai Shan wants to support Haoge as emperor, he should return to Shenyang immediately. But the old fox thought about it, if he returned to Shenyang like this, then tens of thousands of Qing troops in Jinzhou would be in the hands of Dolgon, in case he supported Haoge and Dolgon refused, this would be a mess.

After thinking about it, Dai Shan decided to go back to Jinzhou first to control the military power of the two red flags, so that as long as he held the military power of the two red flags, no matter who was the emperor, he had to ask him first.

"Go back to Jinzhou." Dai Shan ordered. The top priority is to return to Liaoyang and Dolgon to elect the new emperor, and then come to clean up the situation. (To be continued.) )

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