It was almost dusk, and the overcast sky was even heavier. The scattered snowflakes turned into catkins and fluttered to the ground.

Mang Gul Tai grabbed the horse's head and looked at Ning Yuan City, which was gradually immersed in the night and wind and snow a few miles away, revealing a somewhat solemn look.

Different from the contempt and arrogance on the road, as soon as he led the vanguard to Ningyuan City, he learned the obvious changes between the Ming army and the past.

At that time, the snow was still very small, and the Ming army set up two infantry phalanxes on Shanhai Avenue, and under the cover of grenadier trucks and vehicle-mounted Francophiles, launched a tentative attack on the newly arrived Jiannu.

Mang Gurtai commanded the troops to meet the battle, but found that under such terrain, it was difficult to give full play to his strengths, and he suffered a loss.

The official road is narrow, and Jiannu can't flank and detour, so he can only face it head-on. The Ming army's dense spear array as dense as a forest prevented the cavalry from attacking, and the power of muskets and artillery was better than that of bows and arrows, and Jiannu was beaten back step by step.

Seeing that the casualties were increasing, but they could not shake the battle formation of the Ming army, Mang Gurtai chose to retreat temporarily.

The Ming army did not pursue, and withdrew its troops to the city defense circle. For the return of Mang Gurtai with his troops, he will not be changed.

Mang Gurtai thought that this was a tentative attack by the Ming army, and in order to delay time, he and his troops were not allowed to set up camp before dark.

And Xiong Tingbi's initiative to face the battle this time has a deeper purpose. That is to warn Jiannu that the Ming army dares to take the initiative to attack, and if it wants to go beyond Ningyuan and continue to go deeper, it must be mentally prepared to be cut off.

Although this is unlikely, it cannot be said that it is non-existent. If Jiannu really wants to divide the troops, then at least enough troops must be left to watch Ning Yuan, which is also the goal that Xiong Tingbi wants to achieve.

And Mang Gurtai really didn't dare to set up camp in the place where the Shanhai Avenue was crossed, although this could cut off the connection between Ning Yuan and Guannei.

"Fifth brother." Derge urged the horse to come, stopped beside Mang Gurtai, and said: "The camp has been set up, let's rest temporarily tonight, and when the army of my father Khan arrives, we will divide our troops to besiege Ningyuan." ”

Mang Gurtai knew that the so-called camp was only a simple arrangement, and it was already dark, and it was very difficult to build a strong defense.

Originally, this was not a problem, but the initiative of the Ming army gave him a wake-up call. Therefore, the camp is far away from Ningyuan, and he will also send troops to strengthen the guard.

"The Ming army is different from the past!" Mang Gultai raised his whip and pointed at Ningyuan City, which only showed its outline in the vast expanse in the distance, and said, "Amin's defeat at Fort Arthur is not all careless! ”

Derge was relieved that his brother had finally put away his contempt for the enemy, which was a good thing!

Mang Gurtai narrowed his eyes and continued, "Firearms are indeed powerful. But in rainy and snowy days, it will be greatly discounted or even unusable. ”

Derge agreed: "Fifth brother is extremely right. Moreover, if the Ming army wanted to fight in the field, it could only rely on the terrain. If we were in the open today, our army would surely win. ”

Mang Gurtai's face turned slightly pale, and he said: "When the army of Father Khan arrives, the Ming army can only shrink into the city defense, and dare not go out of the city to fight." According to a certain point of view, the artillery we carry is not weaker than that of the Ming army, and the siege battle has a good chance of victory. ”

Derge said: "Fifth brother, go back to the camp to rest first!" Tonight, I will stay on duty, and I will definitely let the Ming army have no gaps. ”

Mang Gurtai smiled and said, "I'll take care of you in the second half of the night, how can I say that I am also your fifth brother, and I can still let you suffer alone." ”

After speaking, without waiting for the Derge class to fight again, Manggul Taylor turned his horse's head and shouted to the Derge class to rush back to the camp together.

………………………

Even if it didn't get heavier and heavier snow, Xiong Tingbi didn't want to engage in a field battle with Jiannu. Although it may not be defeated, it is not the safest means to ensure Ning Yuan.

The great retreat from Quang Ninh, the emperor's meaning was very clear, undefeated is victory, to block the momentum of Jiannu with a strong city and deep trenches, and to besiege and blockade to consume Jiannu's strength.

In fact, judging from the strategic situation of abandoning Quang Ninh, Shouning Yuan and Shoushan Customs should have similar effects.

Neither of these places was sufficient to advance and affected the alliance and control of the Mongol tribes; Secondly, even if Ningyuan was abandoned, just like Guangning and Jinzhou, Jiannu would not occupy it, let alone close the gate.

Therefore, the political significance of holding Ningyuan is greater than the military significance, mainly to provide a barrier to Shanhaiguan, to show the government and the opposition the existence of the Ming army in western Liaoning, and the stability of closing the gate without police.

If only Shanhaiguan is left as a barrier, it is inevitable that people's hearts will fluctuate. Without a stable social environment, how can Zhu Youxiao carry out the great cause of reform?

Don't look at Zhu Youxiao's investment in army building is very large, but his main mind is still on the internal and rejuvenating the state affairs to promote the good and eliminate the bad.

Xiong Tingbi naturally knew that the emperor needed a relatively stable environment to continuously promote and deepen reforms. Therefore, Ning Yuan and Juehua must not be lost.

It's better to build a slave to break the head and bleed, and it doesn't matter if you retreat in the face of difficulties, Xiong Tingbi is not ready to take too active action. To be without fault is to have merit, which the emperor repeatedly emphasized in his tantric recitals.

Standing at the head of the city, looking at the little fires in the distance with a telescope, Xiong Tingbi's face was expressionless. But the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, with a sneer.

In the winter, it is really not easy to build a slave.

Bringing your own food, running one or two hundred miles, and sleeping in the ice and snow, how could you never have thought that it would be a loss-making business, right?

Knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent, Jiannu has indeed done this very well in combat before. However, after Guangning abandoned and the Liao people moved away, their news and intelligence were almost cut off, and the deployment of Ningyuan was almost a black eye.

The snow was falling a little heavier, and the vision was confused. Xiong Tingbi put down the binoculars, stood in the covered fort, and when he raised his eyes, he saw the heavy and powerful Hongyi cannon, which made people feel a little more confident.

Zu Dashou and Jin Guofeng were holding the battlements not far away, pointing, and talking in a low voice.

"After consuming the slaves outside the city, they were released to the city and dealt a heavier blow."

"It's also a way. Let Jiannu taste the sweetness first, and feel that there is hope for breaking the city, so he will invest more troops and work harder. ”

"We're not afraid to climb the city ladder, if you want to dig the city wall, you will throw thunder to blow him up... Damn, what tricks do you say Jiannu has? ”

"Jiannu brought cannons, but he can't underestimate the enemy."

Xiong Tingbi listened to the discussion and smiled faintly. There is no need to take pains, no matter how hard you fight, you will thwart Jiannu's siege attempt, it is just a matter of how many kills and injuries.

Ning Yuan didn't just rely on the Hongyi cannon, but also the city wall similar to the fortress, a large number of grenadiers, thunderstorms, and muskets with no dead ends in the city.

Therefore, whether it is the breast wall and ditch outside the city, or whether it attracts Jiannu to the city, Ningyuan is impregnable and unbreakable.

But Jiannu was completely kept in the dark and came in a hurry, with the hope of breaking the city and winning, who would have expected that this would be a more disastrous defeat than the attack on Quang Ninh.

Along the city wall, the messenger came quickly, and came to the front to give a salute and report: "Lord Jingluo, General He of Juehua Island has sent someone to report that all kinds of defenses have been arranged, and the coast has not been frozen on a large scale, please rest assured." ”

Xiong Tingbi nodded, stretched out his hand to take the letter, and it could be said that he was completely relieved. Ning Yuan is strong and difficult to break, and Juehua has no problem, this battle is already in hand.

…………………

At noon on the second day of the Lunar New Year, it was the day when the emperor was busy with the complicated affairs of the first day of the new year and wanted to rest and relax.

Nurhachi led the main force to Ningyuan, only one day later than the forward troops.

After the soldiers were strong and strong, Nurhachi immediately adjusted the deployment, crossed the Shanhai Avenue three miles away from the city, and set up a large camp in the north of the city.

After making arrangements, Nurhachi led his generals to observe the city defense of Ningyuan closely, looking for weak spots to launch an attack.

At the beginning of the day, the city of Ningyuan was snow-white. But if you look closely, you know that it is mostly covered by the roof of the shed. Between the deep ditches and high barriers, there were Ming officers and soldiers waiting for them.

Looking at the city in the distance, the big flag flutters in the wind. The once familiar feeling came back to Nurhachi's heart.

Just a year ago, at about this time, the fiasco under the city of Quang Ninh was still vivid. That was his first defeat since he rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, how could he not be unforgettable?

Now, the defense system of Ningyuan City looks even tighter than that of Quang Ninh, and it has inflicted heavy losses on Amin's troops at Fort Arthur. Despite carrying a large number of artillery, Nurhachi did not dare to take it lightly.

"Father Khan." Mang Gultai raised his whip and said, "The city wall of Ningyuan is built strangely, it seems, it seems-"

Nurha narrowed his eyes and said, "Guangning City also has a similar arrangement, but Ningyuan is more formal and stronger. ”

After a pause, the old slave said again: "When defending Guangning, the Ming army can only rely on the fortified city. Now dare to deploy troops outside the city, it should be the power of firearms, and want to compete with our army. ”

After speaking, Nurhachi turned his head to look at Tong Yangxing and asked, "If you want to break through the enemy's deep ditch barriers, can artillery help in the battle?" ”

Tong Yangxing's face was bitter, and he bowed down on his horse and replied: "King Huihan, artillery can bombard the city, but it can't cause much damage to the enemy in the trench. ”

Nurhachi thought about it and understood the truth. He didn't blame Tong Yangxing, but gently bowed his head in agreement.

Cannonballs are solid projectiles that are fired on a trajectory similar to that of a bow and arrow. The breast wall of the trench could protect the Ming army from the damage of bows and arrows, and the same was true for artillery shells.

In this attack on Ningyuan, Nurhachi not only brought the newly formed artillery unit, but also carried a lot of chariots and hook ladders to save time and attack the city as soon as possible.

Regarding the shape of Ningyuan City, Nurhachi also understood in his heart that it was crossfire and inflicted a large number of casualties on the troops who approached the siege. At the same time, the dead spots of fire attacks are also reduced.

But Ningyuan City was renovated, not rebuilt, its original shape was square, and there was no way to change it.

Therefore, Nurhachi led people to reconnoiter around the city, and finally discovered one of the weak points, that is, the corner fort of the city.

Indeed, from the point of view of the attacking side, the density of fire to attack here is much less than that of attacking the frontal wall.

It's just that it seems to be a weak point, but Nurhachi also knows that the wall at the corner is very thick, and it is quite difficult to dig through it.

Putting aside the idea of storming the horn fort for the time being, Nurhachi decided to first break through the Ming army's defensive positions outside the city, forcing the Ming army to retreat into the city, and then the artillery approached to bombard the city wall.

At the head of the city, Xiong Tingbi and several generals were also observing Nurhachi and the others. They have a telescope in their hands and can see much more clearly than with the naked eye.

"It's an old slave." Zu Dashou shouted: "Bombard him with cannons... Damn. ”

Artillery officer Luo Li looked at Xiong Tingbi, waiting for him to give orders, and his expression was a little eager to try.

Xiong Tingbi pondered for a moment, shook his head and said: "Jiannu is moving, bombarding in a hurry, it is difficult to ensure accuracy, and it also exposes the reality of our army. ”

The corners of his mouth turned up, Lao Xiong showed a few sneers, stretched out his hand, and said, "Luo Li, the Jiannu camp [Doudou] is within the range of the cannon, right?" ”

Luo Li nodded without even looking at it: "My lord is wise, Jiannu is looking for death." ”

Xiong Tingbi narrowed his eyes and gave a powerful order, "Bring in a few more cannons and shell the enemy camp at night." ”

"I'll arrange this in the end." Luo Li bowed down to receive the order, and added a few words, "The old slave's camp is the first target, it depends on whether his life is hard or not." ”

The Hongyi cannon at the head of Ningyuan City is about the level of 1,000 catties, with a range of three or four miles, and it has the advantage of being condescending, so it is indeed not too difficult to bombard the Houjin army camp three miles away.

If it is more than 2,000 catties, the range should be able to reach five or six miles. As for the data in the books at that time, what ten miles, twenty miles, it could not be reached at all.

As for the artillery brought by Nurhachi, the most powerful general cannon, the effective firing range is only about 500 meters, and the maximum firing range is no more than two miles.

It was also because the old slave didn't know that there was a more powerful Hongyi cannon at the head of Ningyuan City, so he put the camp within the range of the artillery.

This is not surprising, in history, during the Ningjin War, Huang Taiji also set up the camp in Jinzhou City for about a mile! Later, it was bombarded by artillery, and only then retreated to five miles away.

That's why intelligence is so important in warfare. If you can't get accurate information, you can only learn a lesson with flesh and blood.

In the dead of night, when Jiannu was asleep, suddenly a thunderbolt roared, and shells flew in the air, destroying tents and killing and wounding people in the bounce......

It's nice to imagine that! Jiannu, who was bombarded, had to move to camp overnight, and he wanted to sleep well.

Regarding Xiong Tingbi's idea of bombarding the enemy village at night, all the generals smiled evilly, imagining the chaotic and embarrassing scene of Jiannu. Even if you can't beat any big bosses, tossing Jiannu is also a pleasure.

In the ice and snow, even Jiannu, who is accustomed to bitter cold, is not so easy to camp in the wild. They will also wear leather garments, and they will be burned by fire, and they will be frozen, and they will be tired.

It is not an easy task to set up camp, and it is necessary to have the simplest protective and defensive facilities, such as nailing piles and erecting tents, adjusting the arrangements for officers and men, and so on. There are thousands of troops, and there are few hours that cannot be handled well.

In other words, if you have to move the camp to the shelling tonight, you will have to sleep well for almost the night.

……………………