Chapter 70

Amidst the roaring cries of "Your Majesty," Huang Taiji stared fiercely at the Eight Banners nobles before him and roared loudly.

"Sons, most of you know that the Han people have returned to kill."

"Today, I can tell you clearly."

"The Han's Jiliao Viceroy Hong Chengchou has already told the refugees in Liaodong."

"The day Shengjing falls, they will avenge the Han people of Liaodong!"

"They intend to reenact the events of the Chenghua era in Jianzhou once again today!"

Upon hearing these words, the Qing army in the entire camp immediately changed color.

Before, it was merely rumor.

Huang Taiji's words today were no different than confirming that all the rumors were true.

Fear suddenly appeared on the faces of all the Eight Banners nobles.

However, after a brief moment of fear, the expression on their faces turned to anger.

"They must be killed, they must be killed! These Han people should all obediently serve as our bondsmen!"

"Whether we live or die, let's fight!"

"..."

Listening to the cursing of these Eight Banners nobles beneath the tent.

A smile, not easily noticed by others, appeared on Huang Taiji's face.

Immediately, he drew the Ma Dao in his hand and shouted loudly.

"Sons, put on your armor, take up your Ma Dao, and fight the Han people to the death!"

"If we win this battle, the glory and wealth of the Central Plains are inexhaustible."

"If we lose this battle, I will die before all of you!"

"Break camp, start the battle!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

As soon as Huang Taiji finished speaking, the entire tent was immediately filled with the sound of "Kill" everywhere.

Accompanied by the sound of horns, the Eight Banners troops broke camp one after another and headed straight for Dalinghe.

Riding on his warhorse, Huang Taiji looked at Dalinghe in the distance, his eyes already filled with bloodshot veins.

And in the forest on the east bank of Dalinghe.

The Ming army, which had already crossed Dalinghe, naturally saw the sky filled with dust and smoke to the east.

Just when they were less than twenty li away from Dalinghe.

Suddenly, the huge sounds they were so familiar with rang out from the distant mountains and forests.

It was the Ming army's Red Barbarian Cannons!

The massive explosions instantly threw the Eight Banners iron cavalry into chaos, men falling and horses tumbling.

However, not a single one of these Eight Banners nobles paid any attention to their fallen comrades.

Everyone's eyes, like hawks, began searching for the distant Ming army.

Seeing this scene, the Ming army was obviously stunned for a moment.

The troops under Bai Guangen immediately arranged all the war chariots they had brought across Dalinghe in order on the battlefield.

To delay the Qing army's advance.

However, contrary to Bai Guangen's expectations.

Before these war chariots could even take their positions.

The chariot troops who first made contact with the Qing army, after resisting slightly for a moment, immediately showed signs of collapse.

Cao Bianjiao, located north of Bai Guangen, sensed that something was wrong.

Immediately, he led his own troops charging out from the forest, barely stopping the Ming army's collapse.

And all of this was merely the opening move of this century's great gamble...

67, Liaoxi is in dire emergency! Songshan is in dire emergency! Guanning is in dire emergency!

Cao Bianjiao, wearing armor, took the lead, cutting down three Ming army officers supervising the battle before he could barely reverse the downward trend.

With the war chariots barely taking their positions.

The Ming army, originally lying in wait in various places, also rushed out one after another.

However, when these Ming soldiers, wearing brand new armor and holding excellent firearms, charged out.

The result was completely opposite to Hong Hong Chengchou's expectations.

The bloody battle at Hunhe wiped out the Ming army's most elite Qi Family Army and White Pole Soldiers.

The Battle of Liaoyang saw the Liaodong Iron Cavalry either surrender or perish, with the survivors incorporated into the Guanning Iron Cavalry.

Kong Youde defected, taking with him the Denglai New Army, a firearms unit trained by the Franks hired by Chongzhen with heavy gold.

And in the fourth year of Chongzhen, with Zu Zu Dashou's surrender, the last force of Guanning Iron Cavalry built by the entire Great Ming nation beyond the passes was completely wiped out from then on.

Since then, only the so-called "Guanning Army," formed by the three thousand remnants that Wu Xiang and Wu Sangui father and son fought desperately to bring back, could barely be considered elite.

In other words.

The spirit and morale of the Ming army had long been beaten away in defeat after defeat.

This cannot be recovered by spending some money or issuing new armor.

When these Eight Banners soldiers hardened their hearts to fight a prolonged battle with the Ming army, these Ming soldiers, who were originally veteran soldiers, still collapsed at the slightest touch.

The most laughable and sigh-worthy thing is that these troops were still the most capable border army of the entire Great Ming Empire.

Cao Bianjiao's troops plunged into the chaotic army, and he personally heard the cries of alarm from countless soldiers.

"The Jurchens are not a force of ten thousand; if they reach ten thousand, they are invincible..."

"So many Tatars, how can we fight?"

"The court's ferries will only take the officials; what shall we do?"

"..."

Cao Bianjiao stood with a solemn expression, then immediately shouted loudly amidst the chaotic ranks,

"Anyone who shakes the army's morale shall be beheaded!"

Having spoken, Cao Bianjiao drew his bow and arrow, then immediately shot and killed several Ming soldiers leading the rout.

Pity.

Yet the assault of the Eight Banners soldiers in white and blue armor in the distance grew even more fierce after the Ming troops showed fear.

Even large numbers of troops from the Plain Yellow Banner and Bordered Yellow Banner appeared behind them!

Even the Khan has arrived!

The moment the Plain Yellow Banner and Bordered Yellow Banner appeared,

Cao Bianjiao knew.

This battle was likely lost!

But Cao Bianjiao remained unmoved, grabbed a scout by the collar, gritted his teeth, and asked in a low voice,

"Can you swim?"

"General, I am a man from Liangshan; I can swim."

Cao Bianjiao immediately ordered,

"Send someone back to the Zhi Society to inform Grand Marshal Hong immediately: set up decoy troops beneath Daling City, prepare the entire army to withdraw to Songshan; the Ling River front can barely hold."

"Tell them I, Cao Bianjiao, will do my utmost to buy the Grand Marshal a few days; this is our court's last capital, and it cannot all be thrown away in Liaodong!"

After releasing the scout,

Cao Bianjiao stared fiercely at the Eight Banners army in the distance, a cold sneer curling his lips.

"Plain Yellow Banner? I was just hoping to meet the Khan!"

"Send a signal arrow to the Red Barbarian Cannon position behind: fire toward the northeast!"

"Yes!"

Accompanied by a signal arrow soaring into the sky,

the Red Barbarian Cannon position deployed in the woods turned its barrels within a quarter-hour and fired in unison at Huang Taiji's central command.

Meanwhile, the Qing army also discovered the Ming army's Red Barbarian Cannon position.

The Deng-Lai New Army, earlier taken away by Kong Youde's rebellion, had now transformed into the Qing army's firearms unit; they turned their barrels and immediately began pouring cannonballs onto the Ming troops along the Ling River bank.

For a moment, the Deng-Lai New Army's firepower actually suppressed the Ming army's firepower!

At the very instant the Ming army's cannons fell silent.