Before the advent of a weapon as devastating as the atomic bomb, the doctrine of weapon triumph was limited and not a decisive factor.

Even in modern times, it is not uncommon to defeat well-equipped troops with rudimentary weapons.

Again, the victory or defeat of a war depends on people, on the quality, will, and spirit of generals and soldiers.

In historical records, Jiannu and the Ming army won more and lost fewer battles, and the victories were quite easy. Dozens of casualties and tens of thousands of Ming troops were defeated at every turn, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as devastating.

History is written by the victors, and this sentence is enough to show that the historical record is not true. In other words, Jiannu deliberately exaggerated his own combat power and covered up his real casualties.

In the war to seize the world, the Han army contributed the most, which was a traitor army headed by Wu Sangui and King Sanshun. It is impossible to accomplish such a great cause by Jiannu alone.

This is not to belittle Jiannu's bravery, but to state a truth.

Li Dingguo was able to defeat the famous king twice, and Zheng Cheng's troops forced Nanjing, which fully shows that if the will to fight is equally resolute, the gap between the army composed of the Han people and the Eight Banners Army, which is known as "invincible".

Just imagine, although the Dongjiang Army, which was dominated by fugitive Liao people in history, did not receive the full support of the imperial court, and in the case of lack of food and clothing, it still became a problem for the henchmen of the Later Jin, so it could not rest assured that it would go west.

However, the Ming army in Liaoxi, which was built by the imperial court with a lot of money, could only hide in the fortified city to reap the "great victory", which was a big disappointment.

And now, the Dongjiang Army is well-armed and well-equipped, the food and salary are sufficient, and the combat power is several times stronger than in history, and the only thing that remains unchanged is that most of the officers and soldiers in Dongjiang Town are full of hatred for Jiannu.

Therefore, in this big battle that broke out in the hilly area, it was not surprising that the Ming army was victorious.

Although Jiannu also miscalculated and did not give full play to his own combat advantages, the fighting spirit of the Ming army was also real.

Sakhalian was urging his subordinates to carry out a fierce attack, hoping to annihilate the isolated Ming army in front of him at any cost before the Ming reinforcements arrived.

In fact, his goal was almost achieved.

A 600-strong Ming army battle formation on the left flank continued to shrink and reduce its strength in the surging and continuous attack waves of Jiannu, and finally fell to the ground, and there was no longer a single soldier who could stand.

And just when Sakhalian commanded the troops to attack with all their might, the Ming army on the right flank suddenly launched a fierce counterattack, and the Ming army in the middle of the battle formation also sent people to attack and use the few remaining grenades.

Under the ferocious counterattack of the two sides, Jiannu, who blocked the battle formation of the Ming army, was caught off guard, and was killed so that he turned on his horse, and a big gap appeared.

As a result, more than 200 Ming troops joined up with friendly troops in the middle, and suddenly became 500 men, and the battle formation became stronger.

When Sakhalian redeployed his troops for the final assault, he saw the troops in charge of the reinforcements retreat in a panic.

The banner was half rolled, and a group of guards hugged the unconscious Dai Shantou and ran away without looking back. Saharan was taken aback by such a look of urgency.

Immediately afterwards, Yue Zhen also led people to retreat. Concerned about his father's situation, he only met with Sakhalian and urged him to lead his troops to retreat immediately, and the small number of blocking troops he left behind could not last long.

Sakhalian was no longer reconciled, and when he saw the Ming army banner appearing on the official road from afar, he also knew that the general trend had gone, and retreat was the only correct choice.

The trumpet whimpered, and sorrow was like a howl. The Jiannu broke away from the battle one after another, then mounted their horses in the rear and galloped away into the distance.

The muskets were still firing, and from time to time some Jiannu fell headlong before they could run to the bolting horse, and some Jiannu were shot down and dismounted.

"Rush, kill!"

Jiannu's surging attack stopped abruptly, and the only remaining more than 400 people in the Ming army's array did not wait passively, but broke out into a chorus of shouts, rushing down the mound with bayonets, and chasing and killing the defeated Jiannu.

As long as the cavalry wanted to escape, no matter how tenacious the infantry was, no matter how brave they pursued, they could not outrun the horses and inflict a annihilating blow on the cavalry.

This is a difficult difficulty for the infantry to overcome, and it is also a defect that is difficult to remedy. But being able to defeat Jiannu in the field is proud enough.

Sakhalian glanced back, teeth chattering.

On the small mound surrounded by corpses, flags fluttered. Bright red as blood, it stinged his eyes.

……………………

Shenyang.

That's right, it's still called Shenyang, not Shengjing. Moreover, although Nurhachi made Shenyang the center of his rule, he had not yet officially established the capital.

The factors that affected Nurha's Chiding capital were the unfavorable operation and the bad situation. It's okay to have a definite capital, but once the capital is officially established, the political and military significance will be extraordinary, and it is not something that can be easily abandoned.

It can be said that the heavy pressure he is facing now makes Nurhachi feel that Liao and Shen may not be insured, and there is a little possibility of loss.

The brigade of the Ming army in southern Liaoning, the Dongjiang headquarters in eastern Liaoning, and the Xiong barbarians in western Liaoxi already made Nurhachi feel that his troops were insufficient and difficult to deal with.

The news that the Ming court mobilized the elite of the Nine Sides into Liao to participate in the war, and the Ming army in Liaozhen made great strides forward, which made Nurhachi feel even more worried.

But this is not over, the news that has just come makes Nurhachi frown again, and he feels very troubled.

Thousands of vanguard cavalry of the Ming army in western Liaoxi had arrived in Quang Ninh, which was the news that had been received before, and Nurhachi did not act immediately.

Thousands of cavalry of the Ming army came forward with the intention of temptation, and if they sent troops to cross the Liao River to attack, they would obviously not be able to do so with the mobility of the cavalry.

Moreover, because of the large amount of sand in the upper reaches of the Liaohe River, the riverbed is constantly raised, a large amount of water floods the river, and the west side happens to be a swampy low-lying land, forming the "Liaoze" in the literature.

Liaoze does not have a large area of lake water bodies similar to the ancient Yunmengze and Juyeze, but a natural complex of swamps, lakes, rivers and other complexes that are formed together and intertwined.

In the Ming Dynasty, in addition to Beizhen (Guangning City) to the central Liaozhong area, there were two places in "Liaoze", one is the section from the west of Shenyang to the Liaohe River, and the other is the section from the south of Liaoyang to the Niuzhuang area, all of which are in the area east of the Liaohe River.

Lakes, wetlands, and swamps are intertwined, which is naturally not conducive to marching and fighting, especially for the Jiannu, who are mostly cavalry, and the obstacles are particularly huge.

The Guangning defense line was able to hold on, and it was also thanks to the blockage of "Liaoze", so that Jiannu could not easily overcome.

But in winter, the large and small rivers in Liaodong have a freezing period of several months, and the men and horses are like walking on the ground, which is also the time when the Jiannu are often launched, and the Ming army's defense is the most difficult.

Similarly, crossing the Liaohe, Hunhe, Taizi and other rivers and trekking through the "Liaoze" was not an easy task for the Ming army.

In view of the practical difficulties of both the enemy and us, Nurhachi believed that even if the Ming army in western Liaoxi reoccupied Quang Ninh, it would be difficult to launch an offensive immediately. Relying on the mobility advantage of their own army, they have time to wait for an opportunity to dispatch and strike.

However, the new information made Nurhachi's analysis and judgment almost fail, and he couldn't help but take it seriously and think hard about countermeasures.

The information was sent by the Horqin Ministry, and it was to ask Houjin to send troops for help. The Chahar and Nekhalkha divisions dispatched men and horses to launch an attack on the Korqin division.

Nurhachi was not surprised by this, and with his reconnaissance and exploration of Lin Dan Khan, he naturally understood Lin Dan Khan's intention to unify Mongolia.

Among the left-wing Mongol tribes, Obadagi's Korqin and Chahar were the most tense. The reason is simple, the Korqin tribe had close contacts with the Later Jin, and abandoned Lin Dan Khan to form an alliance with Nurhachi.

Unlike the Nekhalkha forced to ask for an alliance, the Korqin tribe took the initiative to form an alliance with the Later Jin and explicitly targeted Lin Dan Khan. It is a matter of course that Lin Dan Khan bears the brunt of the great cause of unification.

Although the Fifth Ministry of Inner Khalkha was forced to ask for an alliance, it has always harbored hatred for Houjin and waited for an opportunity to retaliate.

In particular, the Zalut Ministry's Taiji Angan has always been a hardliner against Houjin. It was not surprising that he received the order of Lin Dan Khan to send troops to help in the war.

For the Korqin Ministry's plea for help, Nurhachi can ignore it, or he can bluff, and he doesn't have to defend his ministry to the death.

However, from the perspective of the entire strategic situation, Nurhachi found that Chahar and Nekharkha joined forces to crusade against Korqin, and there may be hidden intentions of the Ming court behind it. If not handled properly, the consequences can be severe.

Because the Korqin tribe was a barrier, or buffer, between the Mongol tribes and the Houjin. Once the Horqin tribe was destroyed, the Houjin had to confront the Mongol tribes hostile to him.

Even more worrying is the pro-Ming tendencies of the Chahar and Inner Khalkhas. If the Ming army attacked by the road, it could enter Liaodong from the upper reaches of the Liaohe River, avoiding the obstacle of "Liaoze".

Liao Town, Dongjiang Town, hostile Mongol tribes, Korea, Nurhachi looked at the map and felt the heavy pressure coming from all directions like mountains.

The situation is getting worse and worse, and the current Houjin army, as well as Nurhachi, is very different from last year.

The current Houjin army, which has experienced the setbacks of the offensive battles of Guangning, Ningyuan, and Lushun, has suffered a lot of losses in terms of strength and morale, which has further eroded Nurhachi's combat confidence.

Psychological changes occur unconsciously, and even the person may not be aware of it.

When he first rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, Nurhachi was determined to break the boat.

When the Ming Dynasty gathered heavy troops and pressed from all sides, the Jedi broke out without victory or death, not only Nurhachi, but also other Jiannu had the same mentality.

The battle of Sarhu strengthened Nurhachi's confidence and saw the weakness of the Ming army in Liaodong. Breaking through Liaoshen forced the Ming army in Liaodong to take a defensive position, and did not dare to fight in the field easily.

At that time, Nurhachi was ambitious and did not take the incompetent Liaodong governor Wang Huazhen seriously. Although Xiong Tingbi is powerful, he is not well received, but as a strategy, he has no soldiers in his hands.

Through Li Yongfang's operation, the rebel general Sun Degong's internal response, Nurhachi felt that launching the battle of Quang Ninh was already in his hands.

But when he confidently led his army to the city of Quang Ninh, he was greeted by Xiong Barbarian and tens of thousands of mobilized soldiers and civilians.

It was also under the city of Quang Ninh that Nurhachi tasted his first defeat since the start of the army.

Of course, a setback is nothing. It is no secret that the Houjin army lacks the strength to attack fortifications, and Nurhachi knows it very well in his heart.

But the subsequent change in the situation shocked Nurhachi. The Ming court quickly stabilized its position, blocked and besieged it, and started a war of attrition with Houjin step by step.

With Houjin's family background, confronting the behemoth Ming Empire is simply looking for death.

The weak fight with the strong, the weak take advantage of the victory, and the strong are conducive to wrestling; The rich sue the poor, the poor are happy to settle the matter quickly, and the rich are happy to last.

How could Nurhachi not know that in a corner of Liaodong, he wanted to hold on to the Ming Empire for a long time, just like the weak wrestling with the strong, and the poor competing with the rich for wealth.

Therefore, after painstaking planning and careful preparation, Nurhachi personally led a large army and launched the Battle of Ningyuan.

However, the result not only did not improve the situation of Houjin, but because of the loss of troops, it fell into a greater passivity.

What frightened Nurhachi was not only the sharp muskets and artillery of the Ming army, but also the performance of the officers and soldiers who fought was very different from that of the previous Ming army, and made him realize the difficulties of the future battle.

With only the Eight Banners and some loss in strength, Nurhachi really felt that it was difficult to deal with the multi-point attacks of the Ming army and its allies.

After thinking for a long time, Nurhachi summoned his personal guards and ordered Erbel Amin and several confidants to be summoned to discuss together.

In fact, Nurhachi already has a belly case, and that is bluffing. Externally, he claimed that he would personally lead Minister Baylor to help, but in fact, only Amin was sent with 5,000 men and horses to deter Lin Dan Khan and Nekhalkha.

In Nurhachi's view, Lin Dan Khan was very inward-looking, and he did not dare to really fight with the Houjin army.

Moreover, Lin Dan Khan also had concerns about the annexation of Nekharkha, and the relationship between the two ministries was not very harmonious. How strong can such a coalition army with different dreams in the same bed be and how firm its determination can be?

If history had not changed, Nurhachi's strategy would have succeeded. Except for the replacement of Mang Gurtai with Amin who led his troops to help, the result will not change much.

However, Nurhachi ignored that behind the operation of Lin Dan Khan was the bribery and pampering of the Ming court, and both the Chahar Ministry and the Nekharkha were working for the conditions put forward by the Ming court.

Yixian County and Quang Ninh Tuanshan Fort reopened Ma City, one to Chahar and the other to Inner Khalkha. After the defeat of Horqin, the two divisions gave a reward of 5,000 and 3,000 respectively.

Zhu Youxiao, who was thousands of miles away, was ruthless in his heart, even if I used money to smash it, I also wanted to defeat Houjin's allies and make them fall into total isolation.

And in the vast grassland, the army that conquered the Horqin Department was mighty and rushed to the Horqin Department.

In the army, in addition to the 10,000 horses led by the special minister Sierhu Nak Duling sent by Lin Dan Khan, and the 6,000 cavalry cobbled together by the five Inner Khalkha departments, there were 5,000 Ming cavalry behind.

Man Gui was ordered to lead 3,000 naturalized cavalry, Fan Hualong's 2,000 dragoons, and a baggage force of more than 500 people, to join in the middle of the road, which would become the decisive force in this conquest operation.

And this information was not discovered by the Korqin Ministry, let alone known to Nurhachi, and the key to victory or defeat was born from this.