In the afternoon, the Ming Army camp in Eucommia ulmoides forest became lively. The soldiers who had rested all morning began to get up to eat. They gathered together with bowls in hand to discuss the battle last night. Some well-informed people were gossiping and spreading rumors. People from Dongchang came out of the camp one after another. I heard that
It's the little governor trapped in the east...
Dust was flying in the distance and the sound of hooves was thunderous. Li Muxian, who was setting up an awning under the shade of a tree, looked up and hurried forward. Before he had taken dozens of steps, a horse galloped up to him: "Factory..."
Before he finished speaking, a black object came straight in front of him. Li Muchian raised his hand to grab it, but it was Chang Yu's helmet. Then he saw the little eunuch jumped off his horse and plunged into the woods without looking back.
Seeing the solemn look on his face, Li Muchian knew that the little eunuch must have had his hands pricked. He turned his head and looked at Kuang Ren and other soldiers behind him. Their bodies were stained with blood, and their faces were full of solemnity. It could be seen how fierce the fighting was, and he was horrified.
"Niubi, go and comfort yourself." Huang Degong jumped off the horse and patted Li Muxian on the shoulder. Li Muxian dodged sideways and said calmly: "How can the young governor Tian Zongying be so devastated by such a small ups and downs? We don't need to worry about it.
What?"
Huang Degong was startled for a moment, then laughed loudly: "What you said makes perfect sense. Well, I won't have to worry about that and go and catch up on some sleep." After saying that, he waved his hand and walked into the woods to find a shade, lay down and whine.
After sleeping, the soldiers of each battalion participating in the battle also dismounted and rested.
Li Muxian said it easily, but he couldn't help but worry in his heart. After all, the little eunuch was only a teenager. The sudden setbacks he encountered when he was young and successful may have a great impact on his mind. However, at this critical moment, he couldn't make trouble, so he walked in
Shu Shulin was thinking about how to comfort him, but he saw Chang Yu taking off his armor and washing up by the river. The little Taoist priest Li Chunfeng was obediently rubbing his back.
"I guess there will be a heavy rain later." Li Muchian pretended to be relaxed and said. Chang Yu turned around and looked at him and then looked at the sky: "The thunder is loud and the raindrops are small, just like the Tatars. It looks very intimidating but is actually
Vulnerable".
"Haha, the metaphor of the factory supervisor is so appropriate." Li Muchian flattered him, thinking that the little eunuch must have too much self-esteem. Looking at the miserable state of his own soldiers, you can tell that he has suffered a lot in the past, but he has a very tough mouth.
.
When Chang Yu heard what he said, he stared at Li Muchian with a half-smile but not a smile: "Actually, just like the governor, he looked so aggressive but failed to think about Dorgon's ways, and was almost buried by him digging a hole."
Um... Li Muxian didn't expect the young eunuch to be so frank all of a sudden: "Winning or losing is a common thing for a military officer. It's just a matter of finding the situation later. The factory supervisor must not be burdened by this."
Chang Yu laughed loudly: "Are you saying that this governor is unhappy because of this defeat? No," he said, shaking his head slightly: "As you said, victory or defeat is a common thing in the military, and the defeat at this time is also for me.
It's a good thing. The reason why I am unhappy is because I was too conceited and sacrificed the lives of many soldiers in vain. In fact, I feel guilty and can't be angry with myself. However, this somersault also made me sober. Don't underestimate any opponent, even if the enemy is an enemy.
Even if you are an ant, you must go all out."
"There are no immortals in a war. It is only natural for soldiers to kill the enemy and wrap their corpses in horse leather. This battle is also worthwhile for the factory supervisor to learn something..." Li Muchian did not expect that the young eunuch's mind was mature, which he expected.
But how did he know that Chang Yu was a human being in two lives? As a top fighter in his previous life, his psychological quality was even stronger. At this time, he looked like a boy of sixteen or seventeen years old, but he was actually a battle-hardened adult. This small setback was not good for him.
It only has a warning effect, it is not a blow, and it will not cause psychological shadow.
The rain finally fell, but as Chang Yu said, the thunder was loud and the raindrops were light or even just a drizzle. But even this made the camp boil. The soldiers either hurriedly used local materials to build awnings or rushed in without hesitation.
Go play in the river and enjoy the rare coolness.
Under the shade of the tree, under the awning built by Li Muxian, the little Taoist priest was playing with a frog and looking at Chang Yu who was fishing with a pole next to him. Li Muxian was holding a dead branch in front of Chang Yu and scratching on the ground; "The Qing army went south along the river, which means that
We are going directly to Tianjin, and we must pass through Xianghe. According to the fastest speed, we can arrive tomorrow night and meet General Li Yan." Then he went a little further north: "General Zhou should lead his troops south at this time, and he is lightly equipped.
It can be reached in a day with a fast horse. Jinwu Guard and Tengxiang Guard have already sent troops forty miles to the west of the Tatars to march south side by side. Factory Supervisor, at the earliest tomorrow night, we can fight the Tatars to the death."
Chang Yu, who was fishing, shook his head: "Tongzhou is a hundred miles away from Xianghe River. The Tatars plundered and marched all the way. The fastest march can only be 40 miles in one day. It will take two days to reach Xianghe River, which is what you expected to arrive tomorrow night, but
If the Tatars send an army to advance first, I'm afraid the fight will start early."
Li Muxian frowned and said, "There's no need for the Tatars to be so anxious."
"It's hard to say." Chang Yu shook his head slightly: "The Tatars plundered the people all the way and fled after hearing the news. If they only gained a little from the raids on the villages and forts, and the Xianghe River was full of oil and water, there was no guarantee that the Tatars would not attack the city. But if they strolled slowly and leisurely, the Xianghe River would
The people in the city heard the news and fled, leaving an empty city behind. What is the use of the Tatars?"
"In that case, the Tatars are very likely to send an army first, and even if they don't attack the city, they can still besiege it..." Li Muxian frowned, "In this way, once General Li is exposed, he will start fighting in advance...
”.
"We have to show our faces anyway. What I'm worried about is not starting the fight early but..." After saying this and sighing, Li Muchian turned to look at him: "Is the factory director worried that General Li will not be defeated?"
"Maybe so." Chang Yu bit his lip: "If you lose, you can retreat. What's worrying is that once you retreat, the door will be opened for the Tatars, and the encirclement situation will become a single pursuit. The Tatars' mobility will be
There is no restriction... The governor was too entrusted before, and should not let Zhou's troops go north, but should go south to join forces with Li Yan to stop the enemy side by side."
"If this is the case, it will be difficult." Li Muxian frowned: "It is too late to send reinforcements at this time."
"It's not that it's not in time. Jinwu Guard and Tengxiang Guard may be able to make it in time. It's just that by the time they reach the end of the field, they are already exhausted and useless. Why should I exhaust all the troops? In the end, I don't even have the strength to pursue the enemy..."
"The factory supervisor doesn't need to worry too much. After all, these are all our guesses. Maybe the Tatars are not so smart. After all, Dorgon has suffered several hardships and would not easily dare to disperse his troops and go alone. Moreover, even if he made a
We will send troops to besiege Xianghe, and the number of troops will not be large. General Li may be able to win in one battle," Li Muxian pretended to be relaxed and reassured.
Chang Yu smiled bitterly: "I hope so! But if it doesn't go as we wish, we will have a lot of work to do."
Li Muxian nodded and looked around: "Will we break camp tonight?"
Chang Yu glanced at him and said: "You think so. If the rain is not heavy in the evening, we should break camp immediately and bite Dorgon's main force. This way he will not dare to divide his troops, and it can also reduce Li Yan's burden."
Yu was definitely not the only one to realize that the strategy was flawed. Zhou Yuji, who was a hundred miles away in Sanhe, also began to murmur mentally that the little eunuch had just made a useless move. When the Qing army left the capital and marched eastward to Tongzhou, he should not have gone there.
Instead of giving way to the north, he should go south as quickly as possible to join forces with Li Yan, because the Qing army will eventually go south, and now he is going north to avoid it. If the Qing army goes south without any accident, he will have to turn around and chase after him. This is simply a fool's errand.
Toss.
Of course, judging from the situation at the time, Chang Yu's ambush at Sanhe was only to prevent the Qing army from advancing deep eastward and forcing them to go south to encircle them, but then he did make a useless move and let Zhou Yuji's troops struggle in vain.
It is said that Zhou Yuji's soldiers and horses were hidden in the mountains in the north of Sanhe. They only dispatched a small group of elite soldiers to ambush the small group of Qing troops who entered the territory to plunder, killing more than a hundred enemies. I thought that there would be a counterattack by a large group of Qing troops.
Unexpectedly, when Zhou Yuji was about to flash his sword to greet the Qing army, he found that he was ignored at all. Yes, when the scouts came to report, a large number of Qing troops did not come, and the Qing troops in the territory began to withdraw southward!
Fuck, you got slapped and walked away without saying a word? This is not the style of the Qing army!
Zhou Yuji unexpectedly guessed that the Qing army had changed its strategy and adopted a strategy of focusing on defense, making money, and looting, so he ordered the army to pursue those Qing troops.
However, he pursued quickly, and the Qing army moved even faster. When his army arrived outside Sanhe County, he was waiting to report that the Qing army had moved southward for more than 20 miles and entered Xianghe territory.
All the generals under his command clamored to continue the pursuit, but Zhou Yuji stopped him. Instead, he ordered his scouts to investigate the movements of the Qing army in Tongzhou, and at the same time ordered his subordinates to rest and stand by.
At noon, the scouts came to report that the Qing army had burned Tongzhou City and the army moved south along the canal... At the same time, the scouts who were tracking south also reported the news, and the Qing army began to dispatch large numbers of troops to intercept and kill the Ming army scouts.
After chasing for half a day, the two armies were exploring and fighting outside, but no large-scale conflict was seen. At this time, the Qing army was uncharacteristically so that Zhou Yuji smelled something unusual. After discussing with his generals, he ordered his general Niu Yong to lead 3,000 troops.
Go first, and then lead the main force in person and move slowly.
Sure enough, the news came soon. Three thousand Ming troops were in hot pursuit. The Qing army immediately counterattacked. The two armies fought for more than 20 miles south of Sanhe and each retreated!
The Qing army did not pursue it!
Niu Yong pursued again, and the Qing army returned and fired a shot. The two armies fought again. Then the Ming army withdrew, and the Qing army also called for gold and retreated its troops to prepare for battle several miles away.
This is a boundary. Zhou Yuji and other battle-hardened veterans immediately understood the intention of the Qing army. Just follow me and watch me plunder our wells without violating the river. But if you step across the boundary...hehe, you will bear the consequences.
.
What a beautiful idea, Zhou Yuji sneered. At this time, he had roughly figured out the formation of the Qing army. The main force was about 20,000 soldiers and horses heading south along the west bank of the canal, and the other tens of thousands of soldiers who were originally responsible for looting in the east of Tongzhou.
The horses went directly south to the Xianghe River. There was a canal between the two groups of soldiers and horses, about twenty or thirty miles apart.
As for the Qing army's demarcation of territory, Zhou Yuji also understood the strategic policy of not taking the initiative to attack.
What to do next? Follow the Qing army to move a little bit or directly eat the Tatars in the east. The generals started a fierce debate, but Zhou Yuji remained silent.
In fact, Zhou Yuji was also struggling in his heart. First of all, he was ordered to rush to the Sanhe ambush half a month ago with light equipment. He did not carry enough food and grass. Now he started to lick the bottom of the tank. At most, he would be completely out of food and hungry until tomorrow night. Plus, it was rare for the Qing army to do so at this time.
The troops were scattered. On the east side of the canal, there were only less than 10,000 troops and they had to escort the looted materials, so he wanted to fight.
However, Zhou Yuji was not sure whether he could defeat the Qing army, not even half sure. It would be fine if he won, but losing would definitely affect the overall situation and mess up the little eunuch's chess strategy, causing unpredictable serious consequences.