On the 27th day of the second month of the 26th year of the reign of Wanli, Xiao Ruxun led fifty thousand cavalry and twenty thousand infantry to Yanmen Pass. Along with the army, there were also a hundred thousand stones of wheat, beans, and fodder, as well as a large cart of horse meat.
Xiao Ruxun's arrival gave the garrison at Yanmen Pass great support and joy, especially the ample provisions, which gave them unparalleled confidence.
In the battle at noon that day, the garrison at Yanmen Pass took the initiative to attack, directly repelling the Northern Barbarians stationed outside the city for seven or eight miles before withdrawing their troops back to the city. The one who was so active was Nurhaci.
During this period of time, Nurhaci's activity was witnessed by everyone. Although he was a foreigner, his stance in fighting for the Daming was seen by everyone. Soldiers in the army worshipped brave and good at fighting, and Nurhaci was undoubtedly such a person. At the pass, which lacked a general, Wei Yunzhen also handed over the command of the army to Nurhaci, allowing him to attack outside the pass again and again.
At present, the Northern Barbarians outside the pass numbered less than thirty thousand people, and their morale was low. On the other hand, the Ming Army had finally gotten rid of the lack of troops and received a large number of reinforcements. Under such circumstances, lifting the siege of Yanmen Pass was no longer a difficult task.
Shanxi Inspector Wei Yunzhen, who assumed the position of the garrison at Yanmen Pass, had long known everything that had happened outside, including the fall of Pingxing Pass, Dong Yikui's death in battle, the fall of Taiyuan and the crisis of Qi County, Xiao Ruxun's appointment as the Governor of the Four Borders, Wang Shiyang's dismissal from his post and sent back to the capital, as well as the current advantage in the war and the upcoming counterattack.
He had been forcing himself to hold on. In the days when there were no reinforcements, he could only show an attitude of 'if I can do it, who else can do it' and persevere in the struggle. Only then could he win over the soldiers and hold on to Yanmen Pass under the premise of fifty thousand Northern Barbarians' repeated attacks. It had to be said that Wei Yunzhen's courage had exceeded many people's expectations.
However, after Xiao Ruxun arrived at Yanmen Pass, Wei Yunzhen fell ill.
After suppressing his nervousness for a long time, he forced himself to face the strong enemy in his best state. By the time Xiao Ruxun arrived, all the danger had been resolved. He heaved a sigh of relief and then collapsed with a loud bang.
The military doctor that Xiao Ruxun had brought with him diagnosed that he had caught a cold after overworking himself and was running a high fever. His body was severely damaged and he needed to rest for a while. It was likely that he would not be able to participate in military affairs in the future.
After arranging for the troops to be stationed, Xiao Ruxun held an emergency military meeting. After praising Nurhachi and his son, he ordered the whole army to attack outside the pass the next day and annihilate all the less than thirty thousand Northern Barbarians cavalry. Then, with Datong City and the important pass of the Great Wall, Hukou, as their target, the troops would be divided into two groups. Xiao Ruxun and Chai Guozhu would lead the troops to attack respectively.
"The Northern Barbarians are declining and have suffered serious losses. At present, there are about forty thousand soldiers and horses left, but this number is estimated according to the earliest military report from Datong. We cannot rule out the possibility that after Datong falls, there will not be more Northern Barbarians pouring into Datong. Therefore, we may encounter more and more ferocious Northern Barbarians at any time. I request that all divisions be careful. Next, I will arrange the attack route. Chai Guozhu, Dong Yiyuan, come forward and listen to my orders!"
Xiao Ruxun picked up an arrow of command.
"I am here!"
Chai Guozhu and the newly appointed commander-in-chief of Shanxi, Dong Yiyuan, who had just arrived, knelt down on one knee and cupped their fists to receive the order.
"Under my command, the commander-in-chief of Ji Town, Chai Guozhu, will be the main commander, and the commander-in-chief of Shanxi, Dong Yiyuan, will lead ten thousand soldiers from Ji Town and twenty thousand cavalry from Shanxi, a total of thirty thousand soldiers and horses. Advance through Mayi, Shuozhou, Pingchu, and Weiyuan to the Right Guard of Datong, and attack Hukou. Send someone to inform me.
Although the previous military report of Datong did not mention any Northern Barbarians committing suicide and heading south, Hukou has always been the focus of the confrontation between Daming and the Northern Barbarians. It is highly possible that the Northern Barbarians will head south from here. Therefore, you must be careful. If you encounter a large group of Northern Barbarians, do not rush into battle. You must form a formation to face the enemy. I will give you five Hongyi Cannons. Your ultimate goal is to take down Hukou and close the door of the Northern Barbarians heading south. "
Chai Guozhu and Dong Yiyuan took the arrow of command, cupped their fists and said, "Yes!"
Xiao Ruxun nodded and said, "The rest of you will march with me through Shanyin, Ying Zhou, and Huairen to reach Datong City. This is an important route for the Northern Barbarians to head south. It is very likely that you will encounter a large group of Northern Barbarians. I want you to be prepared for a field battle. Be prepared to fight against tens of thousands of Northern Barbarians, General Tong!"
Nurhachi heard Xiao Ruxun's call and immediately stepped forward.
"I am here!"
Xiao Ruxun took out an arrow of command and handed it to him.
"General Tong is brave and skilled in battle. You have defeated the Northern Barbarians several times and can be the vanguard of the army. I order you to lead five thousand elite Jurchen cavalry to open a path for my army. If you encounter a large group of enemy, do not fight them. Send someone to report and retreat slowly. Do you understand?"
Nurhachi sighed in his heart and stepped forward to take the arrow of command.
"I understand!"
"Good. Tomorrow morning, order the soldiers to have a full meal and go out to battle. Our target is to defeat the Northern Barbarians outside the city, Li Rusong and Wang Hui."
Li Rusong and Wang Hui stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
"I am here!"
"Tomorrow morning, Wang Hui will lead the cannoneers out of the city and bombard the camp of the Northern Barbarians with the cannons. Li Rusong will lead ten thousand Liaodong Cavalry and ten thousand Yulin Cavalry to line up behind the cannons. When the Northern Barbarians attack, immediately attack and break through the front!"
"I understand!"
Li Rusong and Wang Hui received the order.
"Good. The current battle plan ends here. We will plan for the future after we recover Datong. Generals, if you encounter the Datong army that is still defending the city on the way, you must provide support and protection. Until today, we still do not know if there are still cities and fortresses of Datong that have not fallen in the hands of the Ming Dynasty Army. If you find them, you must save them. They are all heroes."
"Yes, Sir!"
The generals left with the order.
"Dong Yiyuan, stay for a while."
Xiao Ruxun called out to Dong Yiyuan.
Dong Yi Yuan stayed behind. After all the generals had left, Xiao Ruxun walked up and said in a low voice, "Commander Dong, I feel very sorry for what happened to your brother. I hope you won't be too sad."
Dong Yiyuan took a deep breath and nodded.
"My brother died for the country. He died a heroic death and died a worthy death. Even his parents would feel relieved. We, the descendants of the family of generals, have been waiting for this day since we were born. When my brother's wish is fulfilled, he will smile in the underworld."
Xiao Ruxun sighed.
"It is for the best that Dong Yiyuan can think this way. As for the imperial court, I will do my best to help your brother fight for glory. After all, this battle came too suddenly. Although your brother lost Pingxing Pass, his death is enough to atone for his crimes. I will still fight for some things for your brother. Dong Yiyuan, please rest assured. I have worked with your brother before and will not ignore him."
Dong Yiyuan's eyes reddened and he choked with sobs. "Thank you, Governor!"
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