Zhu Youjian's camp was located on the coast of the Bohai Sea, in the shade of two hills sandwiched between the main road, about twenty miles away from the mouth of the Qinghe River.

This camp cleverly borrowed the mountains of two hills named Banshi Mountain and Mingke Mountain. The mountains were used as walls, and the mountain passes between the two were used as passages. The camp was extremely open, and there were also two mountains

A mountain stronghold was erected on the top, which could be used to observe the enemy's situation and prevent the Qing army from raiding and occupying the two mountains. Behind the camp was a small stream called Shahe. Although it had not rained for many days, it did not dry up, which was convenient for drinking.

It can provide daily water for horses and tens of thousands of troops, and it can also slightly block enemies who are making roundabout attacks.

The defense of this Ming army camp was not tight, the trenches were not deep, and the barriers were not strong. It was not a so-called hard stronghold. The defense of the camp relied entirely on the cover of Banshi Mountain and Mingke Mountain, as well as the more than 10,000 people who followed Zhu Youjian northward.

The warning provided by the cavalry. When the enemy arrives, he can be spotted from a long distance, just in time to leave the camp for a field battle!

Because the previous cavalry confrontation between the two sides had been divided, the Manchu cavalry on the Qing side did not dare to dispatch, and the Mongolian cavalry lost no less than 2,000 in just a few days!

Under the black guns of the cavalry in front of the Ming army's tent, the Mongolian cavalry of the Eight Banners were no match at all and had no choice but to retreat to the north bank of the Qinghe River.

This time, the Ming army following Zhu Youjian from Lushun to the north totaled more than 40,000 people, including eight regiments of cavalry in front of the tent, an artillery regiment of the army in front of the tent, four infantry regiments of the Pingliao army, and a baggage regiment.

regiment, as well as the two infantry regiments of the Jizhou Army that had just been shipped over from the Beiyang Navy. In total, there were eight regiments of cavalry, six regiments of infantry, one regiment of artillery, and one regiment of heavy equipment, about 40,000 people.

In terms of quantity, the Ming army on the battlefield south of the mouth of the Qinghe River was only about one-third of the Japanese and Qing allied forces on the north bank of the Qinghe River.

But the military is good, not too many!

Although the number of the Ming army was small, it was truly elite. Even the six regiments of the Pingliao Army and the Jizhou Army were fully strengthened due to the reorganization of Sun Chuanting and Shi Kefa, as well as the large number of additional knight officers in front of the tent.

of improvement.

As for the eight regiments of cavalry in front of the tent and one regiment of artillery in front of the tent, it is even more incredible. The officers are all from the guard regiment, and the soldiers are all young soldiers. Those soldiers in front of the tent who are in their early twenties are all

After serving in the army for more than ten years, he is not only proficient in martial arts, but also can write and calculate!

This is a semi-modern army with a 100% literacy rate, ideals, ambitions, and a reason to fight (is it a good reason to become a knight and rise to the nobility?).

At this time, the camp was filled with people shouting and shouting. The cavalrymen who came down from the front post to take turns returned to camp to rest. The three "Yangma Regiments" that had led the battle were all recharging their strength and preparing for the decisive battle, so

What was sent out were five "grass horse regiments" (not grass mud horses, but grassland horses).

The Cao Ma Regiment was equipped with fine horses bought from Mongolia. There has always been a horse market between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia. The Ming Dynasty exchanged silk cloth, salt and iron pots for Mongolian horses. However, Zhu Youjian firmly controlled the desert.

Before the Southern Grassland, both sides did not trade well. The Mongols sold "vegetable horses" and the Ming Dynasty sold rotten pots. But after Zhu Youjian conquered the rest of Chahar, this situation completely changed. Wu Liangha

The eldest concubine herself belongs to Zhu Youjian, so how can she dare to use "vegetable horses" to cover up troubles? Zhu Youjian has relaxed the embargo on various Mongolian ministries under his jurisdiction. Not to mention a fine iron pot, just want to

Buying 24 pounds of black pot cannon is just a matter of words!

In addition, Zhu Youjian's seven concubines, Orduo, have all introduced advanced horse-raising technology. It is unbelievable to say that the Mongolians, known as the horseback nation, actually do not know how to raise horses! The Mongolian method of raising horses is to "raise them casually"

"Raising", not paying much attention to selective breeding, usually just letting the horses roam in large groups, allowing the horses to fall in love freely and give birth to whatever they want.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that they have too many horses. Now Zhu Youjian's seven concubines, Orduo, have as many as two million horses. If they all engage in feudal arranged marriages, it will be troublesome.

Already?

Therefore, Zhu Youjian, who "knows how to raise horses best", asked the seven noble concubines Orduo to set up seven Tianma farms in Saihanba Grassland, Jinlianchuan Grassland, Tumotchuan Grassland and other places.

From Orduo, 50 male Pegasus and 500 female Pegasus were selected (of course they would be rewarded generously) and sent to seven Pegasus farms to breed these Mongolian horses that were taller and stronger than other Mongolian horses (bred through free love).

The horses were like this, tall, short, fat and thin). From then on, they lost the freedom to ride on the prairie and could only serve as reproductive tools inside wooden fences.

The ponies born from them will also undergo strict selection. The largest stallions can be used as stallions, and the larger ponies (the requirements for mares are relatively low) can also be kept.

As a female, the stallion that is not big enough will be castrated into a eunuch horse. The gelded foal can grow larger than the horse that has not been castrated or is castrated after adulthood. The "big eunuch" among eunuch horses

, became the mounts of the officers and soldiers of the "Grass Horse Regiment" of the Zhangqian Army. The average shoulder height of these "Great Eunuch" horses can reach more than four feet three inches, and the taller ones can even reach four feet four inches, four feet

Five inches. The fastest updated mobile version::

Although it is not as good as the horses of the foreign horse regiments, it is still much stronger than the horses of the Qing army, so it still suppresses the horses of the Qing army and does not dare to take the lead! But this is nothing to the officers and soldiers of the five "horse regiments"

Good thing.

Seeing some listless straw horse soldiers returning to camp, some of the straw horse soldiers waiting to attack loudly asked Pao Ze who was passing by them.

"How many more heads did you get this time?"

"Where can I see the head? The slaves and cavalry have all retreated to the north bank. There are only a few small villages on the south bank. There is also a small square formation near the river mouth, which is used to cover us who are building the pontoon bridge and Qiaotou village.

Without artillery, we can’t break up the phalanx of slave thieves. We can only watch from a distance, and I’m really worried to death!”

Hearing this, the "horse soldiers" who were waiting to attack all frowned, but at the urging of the officer, they got on their horses and ran out of the camp, sweeping away the dust in the sky.

In the Chinese imperial tent of the Ming army camp, Zhu Youjian was in a happy mood after receiving the news that the Qing army had built a pontoon bridge and a fortress at the mouth of the river. At this time, he was talking with Shi Kefa, the governor of Liaodong and the army commander in front of the tent.

Counselor Hei Yuntao, deputy general of the cavalry of Zhangqian Army Wu Sangui, deputy general of Jizhou Army Cao Bianjiao, deputy general of Pingliao Army Wang Dadou and others were surrounding the map table for military discussions.

"It seems that the slave thieves are also preparing to fight us at the mouth of the Qinghe River." Zhu You slapped his hands and said with a smile, "As long as they are willing to send troops, no matter how many they come, we can win in one battle! As long as the Qinghe side wins

, the slave thieves’ days are numbered!”

Just as he said this, the voice of the compatriots in the royal guard suddenly came to mind outside the door: "Your Majesty, the slave and puppet queen mother has sent military envoys to declare a war."

Zhu Youjian smiled and nodded, "It seems Taisong can't wait any longer!" He ordered: "Xuan! Xuan, let him come in!"

The military envoy sent by Taisong this time was Zhang Xiaoqi, who brought a letter of battle written by Taisong himself, and also brought a handwritten letter.

Zhu Youjian first opened the battle letter and read it. There was nothing special in it. It was just an appointment to fight to the death on the plain south of the Qinghe River mouth in the early morning three days later!

Then Zhu Youjian opened the letter written by Empress Dowager Taisong. This letter was full of soft words. Empress Dowager Taisong had a very low attitude, expressing her willingness to pay tribute and become a vassal, and was willing to go to the Hajj in person to see Dorgon.

Dodo and Azig's troops were recalled from North Korea.

All in all, it’s a good attitude that wants to be let go.

However, on the key issue of Liaodong territory, there is no intention to relent. The lost land in Liaodong is the ancestral land and cannot be claimed by the vassal state. Therefore, the peace conditions proposed by Taisong have no possibility of being realized at all. Maybe it is just a

The arrogant soldier's plan may also be to say soft words in advance so that he can beg for mercy after defeat, right?

Zhu Youjian collected Taisong's autographed letter, approved the five words "confrontation in three days" on the letter of challenge, and handed it back to Zhang Xiaoqi. Finally, he smiled and said to him: "Go and tell Taisong.

I have already built a mansion for Funing in Beijing, and prepared a palace for her in Xiyuan. I can also give her a thousand-household office.
Chapter completed!