Good news after bad news.

Good news after bad news.

Yuan Zong's first army was secretly attacked and defeated by the Aobai cavalry under the city of Luzhou, retreated dozens of miles, and lost the county town of Lujiang that he and Li Laiheng had captured. Yuan Zongdi died in the rebellion. The rebels in the attached Yinghuo Mountains were not left behind, but fortunately, Li Laiheng was alert, and the loss of the headquarters was not large, and the remnants of the collection retreated to the front line of Wuwei Prefecture.

If it weren't for Aobai's eagerness to return to Gaoyou, their situation would have been even more miserable.

The good news was that the Qing captives had stopped seven days of frenzied attacks on Gaoyou City.

"Five thousand cavalry, but five thousand cavalry" Zhai Zhe waved his arms, he was surprisingly angry.

Because he had no cavalry.

The difficulty of the Northern Expedition is a glimpse of it.

Yuan Zongdi was the first general soldier to die on the battlefield since the conquest. There are not many generals who can be in the loyal battalion, and Yuan Zongdi's ability is not satisfactory, and the important thing is to be loyal and obedient.

Soon after the surrender of the Loyal Battalion, it was difficult for the foreign generals to lead the troops to convince the people, and it was not easy to select a capable leader from among the leaders of the Loyal Battalion who were accustomed to being thieves.

"Order, order the Huguang army to enter Yunyang and attack Hanzhong with Wu Sangui."

"Order Li Laiheng to recuperate in Wuwei Prefecture and find an opportunity to attack"

One after another, military orders went out.

"I need cavalry" Zhai Zhe seemed to be muttering to himself, as if he was confiding in the generals.

Li Zhi'an came out of the column and echoed: "The Northern Expedition does not necessarily have to be dominated by cavalry, but without cavalry, it is too passive on the battlefield. Dolgon attacked the city of Luzhou from Gaoyou City, just as Duke Lu attacked Gao Yingxiang in Chuzhou from Fengyang Mansion. Most of Mr. Li's soldiers were foot soldiers, and they were defeated by surprise, and it was rare to be able to keep the soldiers and horses from dispersing. "He is excusing Li Laiheng, and those who are keen can always grasp the thoughts of those in high positions." It was me who was too careless about the defeat of Luzhou Mansion, and Hugh had to mention it in the army, and the offender would be beheaded. Zhai Zhe slowly calmed down and ordered.

He and Dolgon's slash and my shot are all temptations before the decisive battle, and Jianghuai is the main battlefield. Whoever is in turmoil first loses.

The construction of cavalry is not a day's work, if you want to obtain a large number of war horses, it is too difficult to buy them only by caravans with limited money, he has already laid out in Mongolia, to open up the northwest passage, from Shaanxi to Xiangyang through Sichuan or Yunyang to transport war horses. "Dolgon has this victory, morale is greatly shaken, I see that the battle under Gaoyou City has stopped, you go back and step up your defense, the big battle is just around the corner." "Obedience"

The generals were ordered to retreat.

The defeat of Luzhou Mansion reminded Zhai Zhe that perhaps it was too smooth to recover Jiangnan Huguang, and he inevitably had some intention of underestimating the enemy. If Dolgon went all out to attack the Ming army camp with the Qing troops in Yangzhou City, who would win and who would lose might not be as clear as he expected.

That's true.

In the following days, the exhibition of the battle situation was as expected by Zhai Zhe.

The Qing Navy Division went south from Xuzhou, blocked the canal, and fought a big battle with the Ming Army Sailor in the upper reaches of Ailing Lake.

The canal is not a magnificent sea, and the Ming army has an advantage, but the advantage is very limited. A tragic water battle, the two sides won or lost, the canal channel was narrow, it was difficult to accommodate a large number of warships, and the Ming army sailors took refuge in Ailing Lake to rest.

The Aobai cavalry had not yet returned, and Dolgon's orders were frequent.

The Qing soldiers set up iron cannons seven or eight miles upstream of Ailing Lake to block the canal waterway. The Ming army's naval divisions made several sorties, but they were all repulsed by the Qing naval divisions and batteries, and completely lost control of the canal waterway north of Ailing Lake.

The Ming army scouts were forced to leave the camp by the Qing captives on 6 places, and after losing the advantage of waterways, they became completely blind on the battlefield of Huaiyang. "Report, the Qing soldiers in Yangzhou City have come out again"

Zhai Zhe stood on the high ground, his vision was full of green. It was originally fertile land, but because of the war, the rice fields were covered with grass.

The war during the spring ploughing season was not a good thing for both the Ming and Qing courts, but in the final analysis, it had a greater impact on the Qing court, because there was no shortage of grain in Huguang and Jiangnan.

Today's weather is good, and when you lift the clairvoyant mirror, you can see the banner of the Qing Capture Breakthrough Cavalry dozens of miles away. "Ordered Sun Zhijing to intercept and do his best"

The heralds rode away.

Li Zhi'an, who was watching the battle together, was sad and said, "I'm afraid that General Sun won't be able to stop it." ”

Yesterday, a group of people in Yangzhou City broke through. These Ming troops under the city of Yangzhou, in addition to the general's personal guards, were the most elite with Li Zhian and Yuan Qizhou. These two are inherited from the foundation of the Tianxiong Army, and the soldiers have a loyal heart and are not afraid of death in every battle. Sun Zhijing and Zheng Zunqian in eastern Zhejiang are not from the military, although they have served under Feng Qin for several years, but Feng Qin is not the kind of general who wants soldiers to fight without their lives, Zheng Zunqian and Sun Zhijing can't learn his skills, and the ability of these two soldiers and horses to fight tough battles is a step worse.

Zhai Zhe raised the clairvoyant mirror to see the enemy's situation, and the banner of the Qing cavalry continued to move north, and it seemed that the Ming army really couldn't resist it. "When man's power is exhausted, he does everything he can, and if he can't do it with all his might, it is fate."

His words were plausible, as if he had answered Li Zhi'an's words, and as if he had meant something else. "In a few days, it will be the sacrificial ceremony, as long as this scene is performed well, the Qing captives in Yangzhou City will leave."

Li Zhi'an was puzzled, could it be that hundreds of thousands of troops were dispatched to cross the river just to kill thousands of Jurchen prisoners?

He had the courage to say, "Lord, since Dolgon does not dare to go south, it is better to break through Yangzhou City, why let those Qing captives escape." ”

The tunnel under the south gate of Yangzhou City has been hidden for more than 20 days, and when it rained a few days ago, he had to assign nearly a thousand soldiers to scoop water out of it every day, and it took so much effort, wouldn't it be a pity not to. "Doing a good sacrificial ceremony is the first priority," Zhai Zhe's voice was resolute.

Li Zhian was stunned, not only him, but even Zhai Tianjian, who was standing beside him, thought that his father was dazed by the beheading ceremony.

Li Zhi'an advised the capital: "Lord Wang, you can kill the prisoners after capturing Yangzhou City, and take advantage of the great victory to repel the Qing captives in one fell swoop." ”

Zhai Zhe smiled and waved his hand without saying a word.

It's about not talking any more.

Li Zhi'an stepped aside.

After the news of the captive sacrifice spread in Jiangnan, the response was a little different from what Zhai Zhe expected. Although some scholars and monks shouted against it, it generally raised the reputation of King Jin to a new level.

But, is King Jin going crazy in his quest for fame?

For two consecutive days, there were three groups of Qing cavalry in Yangzhou City to break through, and the Ming army's seemingly solid battalion was like paper paste under the impact of the Qing cavalry.

On the night of the third day, a force of cavalry entered Yangzhou City from the corner between the West Gate Camp and the North Gate Camp. The Ming army reacted quickly, surrounded and intercepted all the way, and killed more than 60 people, but still let 30 or 40 cavalry flee into Yangzhou City.

This time, Zhai Zhe was on fire. The Ming army strengthened the defenses of the camp at the West Gate.

In a few days, the original optimism among the generals disappeared.

The battlefield is changing, and victory or defeat is often decided by a thought.

The Qing cavalry was unstoppable, and Bolo and Dolgon in Yangzhou City connected with the news.

In late May, Ao Bai took advantage of the momentum of the great victory of the Ming army and marched all the way back to the Gaoyou camp.

Dorgon summoned the generals to the meeting.

Ao Bai's battle this time was like a storm, killing the strong middle route army of the Ming Dynasty to cry and cry for his mother, and cut more than 3,000 people, and it was inevitable that he would be a little complacent when he returned to the camp.

As soon as he returned to the barracks, he heard about Huaiyang.

People are in good spirits on happy occasions, and Dorgon looks more energetic than he did the other day.

All the generals already knew about the victory of Luzhou Mansion, and Ao Bai still made a list of details to show his merits.

Dolgon's face was relieved, and he said, "The thief seems to be strong, and so far he has been able to fight my Qing Dynasty only by relying on some strong cities. ”

A simple sentence cleared all the domineering color on Ao Bai's face. Don't forget, you are still guilty of being defeated by the Ming army in the field. "Recently, the two victories of the Navy Division and Luzhou show that the momentum of the Ming army has declined. In recent days, Boluo sent cavalry to kill out of Yangzhou City to report the news, Yangzhou City Defense is strong, grain and grass are sufficient, and the Ming army is helpless outside the city. But ......"

Dolgon's stern gaze patrolled around the tent and said, "This king has decided to fight with the defenders of Yangzhou inside and outside to break the camp of Ming thieves. ”

He paused for a moment, "before May 20th"

This was Zhai Zhe's challenge, and he decided to go next.

It was a difficult decision, a courageous one, but not a rash one.

Ezhe's rebellion in Mongolia was not a mustard pain, but a serious calamity. As far as the situation in Huaiyang is concerned, if he does not cut through the chaos quickly, there may not be a result within a year, unless he gives up Yangzhou City, but why should he give up a city that the Ming army is unable to capture. "The prince is wise" bowed and knelt on the ground. Baturu with a yellow flag is also the Baturu of the Qing Dynasty. Before the expedition, Zilharang had a long conversation with him for two hours. "Aobai, you are a warrior of my Qing Dynasty, with the name of Baturu, you were defeated in front of the Fengqin Formation, and then rushed to attack the Ming army in Luzhou, and the two battles offset each other. This time to attack the camp of the Ming army, I will give you a chance to be ashamed before the snow, and hand over the Fengqin Department on the shore of Ailing Lake to you" "Thank you Lord Wang"

In a few words, the arrogance and resentment of Ao Bai are gone. "The White Flag cavalry has stepped up patrols to prevent the Ming army from daring to go out of the camp at will." ””

The generals were given their own orders.

The Qing army camp was busy, and the cavalry was in and out in a hurry.

The Jurchens really regarded Huaiyang as a ranch.

The rain came and went, and as a rule of thumb in previous years, it lasted until June, and then soon the heat was sweltering.

Although it was the rainy season, it didn't rain every day, and Dolgon wanted to pick a rainy day, preferably heavy rain for several days in a row, because he was worried that he would not be able to break through the Yangzhou camp in one day.

Twenty miles east of the Qing army camp, the lonely Gaoyou City, like a weak woman, accompanied by the side of the rushing canal.

It had been quiet for some days.

After a month of bloody fighting, the battered town had become impregnable in Dorgon's eyes, and he did not want to devote his limited forces to the infinite siege of the city

Judging from the breakthrough of the cavalry in the city, it is easier to attack a large battalion than to attack a city, and the benefits obtained are completely incomparable.

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