I was living at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and I dealt a brutal blow to the Eight Banners!

When a country, a regime

It rises from conquest, and then wins battle after battle, constantly expanding its territory.

From emperors to commoners, they are united in some way, and their spirits are incredibly proud.

This is a depiction of the Qing Dynasty today.

In contrast, during the Ming Dynasty, when defeat became the norm, the focus shifted to how to lose more gracefully and how to give a better account to the court. This became the skill of generals.

Victory brings glory.

There is an art to defeat.

The loss of Gaizhouwei and Fenghuangcheng dealt a huge blow to the Qing army.

but,

It was their previous victories and the confidence they had built up that gave them enough support.

Valiant generals like Dorgon and Dodo would never be afraid of the Ming army, let alone fear them like tigers.

A temporary setback can be recovered on other battlefields.

So what if their cavalry blocked our doorstep? It's just a matter of using some tricks to gain an advantage.

After receiving the imperial decree from Shengjing,

Dorgon and Dodo did not hesitate at all; they received the decree that morning and set off that afternoon.

For Dorgon,

The siege of Shengjing brought him anger and frustration, not fear or cowardice.

But for Dodo, a bold idea began to take root.

Huang Taiji is seriously ill, and Shengjing is in crisis.

This,

It is also an opportunity.

This is an opportunity to fight for my brother Dorgon; if he doesn't want it, perhaps I can fight for it for myself.

They defeated Zhang Jingchuan's forces and returned to the capital with their victorious army.

The merit of saving the Qing Dynasty was enough for Dodo to gain sufficient political capital.

Therefore,

Dodo led three thousand cavalrymen of the Plain White Banner as the vanguard, traveling day and night, hoping to reach Shengjing as soon as possible and then take charge of the overall situation.

As for his elder brother Dorgon's main force, he had already left them far behind.

As they approached the Hun River, Dodo, not daring to cross it rashly, ordered the entire army to set up camp and wait until dawn the next day before crossing the Hun River and heading straight for Shengjing.

In the tent,

Dodo was wiping his saber when Bamburshan lifted the tent flap and came in.

Reporting:

"Your Highness, scouts have spotted Ming troops on the north bank of the Hun River. I'm worried they might launch a night attack!"

Dodo looked up at Bamburshan and sneered:

"The ice on the river is solid enough, but even the solidest ice can't withstand the galloping of hundreds or thousands of riders."

If the other side really dares to do that

Ha ha,

They'll probably fall into the river before they even reach the south bank.

Bambursan nodded thoughtfully.

If the Ming army on the other side of the river wanted to launch a night attack, they would have to cross the river, but if they did not want to break the ice, they would have to dismount and walk slowly.

But in this way,

They would then be discovered by their own scouts and sentries, giving them ample time to gather their troops and wait for the enemy to attack.

and,

Crossing the river in the dark

If they reach a place where the ice is thinner, rescue will be a troublesome matter.

Dodo noticed the worry on Bambursan's face.

He couldn't help but comfort her:

"Don't worry, the Ming army on the other side won't be able to cross!"

……

"Damn it, do the Qing troops on the other side really think we can't get through?!"

Zhang Jingchuan, mounted on his warhorse, used his far-seeing eyes to observe the faint firelight in the distance.

He believes,

The commotion caused by their thousand-plus cavalry must have been noticed by the Qing army on the opposite bank. The reason they hadn't reacted was because of the Hun River in front of them.

Even knowing they were on the north bank, the Qing army was still able to set up camp so steadily.

It's either contempt for oneself,

Either the commander of the Qing army on the other side has something wrong with his head.

Zhang Jingchuan was well aware of the risks of crossing the river at night, but the other party had clearly overlooked one issue.

That means it's inconvenient for me to cross the river here. I can walk two or three miles east, dismantle the dock, and use the dismantled planks to lay on the ice. Wouldn't that allow me to cross the river then...?

Without much hesitation,

Zhang Jingchuan then led his more than a thousand cavalrymen eastward for three miles, dismantled the dock, and laid the dismantled wooden planks on the ice.

To prevent accidents,

Zhang Jingchuan also ordered his men to dismount and lead their horses across the ice.

The horseshoes were wrapped in rags, and there were also things placed on the ice, so slipping was minimized.

In less than an hour,

More than a thousand riders crossed the river and then regrouped on the south bank.

then,

Everyone started eating dry rations and being fed horse feed. Those who needed to relieve themselves went to the outer area to take care of their bodily needs.

Military habits

Before any major battle, eating, drinking, and relieving oneself must be addressed all at once.

otherwise,

If a real war breaks out, there won't be time for you to pee or poop.

"call out!"

The bone whistle emitted a sharp whistle.

After receiving the order, officers at all levels began to give commands to their troops:

"Finish your armor, wipe your sword, mount your horse!"

Subsequently,

Zhang Jingchuan led over a thousand cavalrymen and arrived at Dodo's camp before dawn.

This time,

Because the Qing scouts spotted them in advance, they didn't have time to prepare their strength and instead began charging into the camp.

The thunderous roar of the horses' hooves, like a thunderclap, shattered the last vestiges of tranquility before dawn.

Even though the Plain White Banner cavalry in the camp had received advance warning, it was almost impossible for them to organize several hundred cavalrymen to go out and fight in a short period of time.

All the horses' speeds were kept at a constant frequency.

and,

What makes this cavalry force of over a thousand men so formidable is their unwavering composure during the charge.

It gives people a sense of stability without them even realizing it.

It's like charging into battle and killing enemies is the same as eating and drinking.

When the Qing cavalrymen in the forward camp rode out one after another...

Zhang Jingchuan's Overlord Spear began to point forward.

Then, he waved his hand to the north.

The more than 800 cavalrymen of his personal guard following behind him broke away and began to accelerate to the right to make a detour.

The breakaway of the Imperial Guard revealed the more than seven hundred armored cavalrymen behind them.

……

When Dodo and Bamburshan saw the hundreds of armored cavalrymen, their expressions changed drastically.

No time to think too much,

Dodo then led the thousand riders that had just been assembled behind him to meet the armored cavalry.

Meanwhile, Bambursan continued to gather his men who were filing out of the camp.

But obviously,

He doesn't have much time left.

Because the Imperial Guard's eight hundred cavalrymen had arrived.

After all, the Qing army had a fortified camp behind them, and Zhang Jingchuan couldn't possibly lead just a large group of 1,500 cavalrymen to charge over there.

Once blocked at the camp entrance, the Qing cavalry, with their numerical superiority, would pose a significant threat to Zhang Jingchuan once they recovered.

Therefore,

Zhang Jingchuan divided his cavalry into two routes: heavy cavalry and light cavalry, which were like a broadsword and a dagger.

The purpose was to suppress the Qing cavalry that had emerged, and then use daggers to cut and break up the Qing cavalry that had not yet formed a fighting force.

The Art of War

It has always been a game that can only be played by outstanding generals in conjunction with the most elite knights.

Meanwhile,

One was recognized by the Ming Dynasty as the first military merit marquis in a century.

One of them were the two most elite cavalry units in Liaodong.

At this time, they

That is truly the pinnacle of cavalry combat power.

……