Chapter 306 A small battle

A surprise attack on the capital is the so-called "heart" strategy.

As far as Sarhuda is concerned, the first is to have a smooth journey and arrive smoothly. The key to this surprise attack strategy is not to break through the capital. With only more than 10,000 soldiers and horses, the probability of breaking through the Southern Dynasty capital was pitiful.

The Donglu invaded the pass four times, all on a large scale. They also showed off their power outside the capital, but they never broke through the capital.

The purpose of the surprise attack on the capital was to shake the Shanhaiguan defense line. Whether it can be broken is not important. What is important is to panic the capital, thereby causing a chain reaction and creating opportunities for Dorgon.

As for the next best thing, killing people, even if their whereabouts are revealed, is the next best thing. What's the use of killing a few people? Arriving at the city gates and intimidating the heart of the capital is the strategic purpose.

Jin Sheng led his troops in formation. Two or three miles away, he saw figures in the forest. He couldn't help saying: "Fortunately, the veteran has a long pole and has to catch up quickly. If the Tatars had escaped, the general would have had to kill them." You can’t hurt my skin.”

He said: "Jiucai, I don't think you want to be a village chief anymore. Keep working with me. With this merit, not to mention the camp general, the veteran military leader can still give it."

Jiucai was a little moved, but hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Being the village chief is also a service to the king. My lord, this time it is a fluke, and I don't have much credit... not to mention that my hands and feet are not as flexible as before after being injured..."

"Bullshit." Jin Sheng said: "Isn't this considered credit? Stop talking useless words. I don't think your hands and feet are inflexible. That's it. After the war, the old boss will write a note for me."

"this..."

"Stop talking nonsense, the Tatars are coming."

But I saw densely packed Tatars pouring out of the forest, with big bald heads and a disgusting rat tail behind their heads. They formed a formation by the forest, with spears, shields, and swords and axes.

Jin Sheng observed for a moment and said, "How many people are there? Not two thousand, right?"

The left and right said: "About 1,500 people."

Another sharp-eyed person said: "It doesn't look like a real Tatar."

Jin Sheng's mind suddenly changed and he shouted: "Where are the people who don't accept the night? Go and show me, there is no way the Tatars only have this kind of people."

Li Jiucai also said: "My lord, that's right. Four to five hundred ships, at least tens of thousands of Tatars."

"I guess they plan to use this small number of troops to contain the old boss, so that the main force can escape!" Jin Sheng didn't make any guesses and said: "No, we can't let the Tatars escape easily."

He shouted: "Commanders, press me up, eat first and then talk."

Three thousand people lined up in a row, not in a hurry or panic. When the military order was given, they advanced like a wall. In two or three miles, the time required to make a cup of tea has been shortened by half. The faces of the Tatars are already vaguely visible.

Seeing the Xia army approaching, the Tatars arrayed beside the forest became commotion. Kong Tingxun's heart was in his throat, and he shouted to order his soldiers to prepare for battle. They were filling firecrackers, erecting shields, and it was a mess.

After one and a half miles, Xia's army shot out a group of cavalrymen, numbering about four to five hundred people. The entire square infantry formation also began to change into a half-moon shape.

The horse's hooves rolled, the sound was like thunder, and a mile passed in an instant. In the smoke and dust rising into the sky, they have reached two hundred steps.

At this time, the Xia army's infantry, which had transformed into a half-moon formation, began to accelerate, forming a semi-encirclement formation. Following the cavalry, they quickly closed the distance with Kong Tingxun's troops.

Two hundred paces, the cavalry was huge. Although there were four to five hundred people, it was like a tsunami. Two groups of traitor soldiers under Zhenghong Banner had been fighting for a long time. I don't know who accidentally fired a blunderbuss. Suddenly, the crackling sound was like rain hitting the plantains, and all the blunderbuss were fired in one go. But no one was hit, they were all out of range.

Kong Tingxun was furious, but there was nothing he could do, so he could only shout: "Fire the gun, fill the gun!"

But where did it come from?

The firearms soldiers of the Eight Banners of the Eastern Han Dynasty still used old-fashioned weapons. It cannot break armor at a hundred steps, is slow to refill, and is easy to explode. A cup of tea can hit two or three blunderbuss, which is the limit.

But facing a cavalry charge, where would there be time to refill his medicine?

After a burst of empty cannon fire, the cavalry rushed into the shooting range, but there were no more cannons to fire. In the eyes of the traitor soldiers, those armored knights who were armed to the teeth, with only one pair of eyes exposed, made people's hearts tremble under the cold light.

The four to five hundred cavalrymen had not dispersed yet at this distance and were still in a tight formation. At a hundred paces, they all held the gun, holding the rein in one hand and the gun in the other. At fifty paces, they released the gun. In the smoke and fire, the big shield of the traitor soldier on the opposite side burst, his forehead exploded, his brains and blood flew out, and he suddenly fell to the ground.

Kong Tingxun's troops were in chaos. At this time, fifty steps passed in the blink of an eye. The cavalry put away the three-eyed gun, took off the simple sword with the backhand, and raised the sword. A flash of sword light flashed, and the chaotic traitor soldiers' defense line was torn apart, and the armored cavalry rushed in like a broken bamboo.

A traitorous soldier was knocked into the air by an armored cavalry, and his chest collapsed in mid-air. Before he even hit the ground, he was stabbed through by the soldiers behind him. An armored knight was accidentally knocked off his horse, but he looked completely fine. He stood up, pulled out a dagger from his waist and killed one person with a single lunge. With one hit, even three or five people could not stop him. He was so powerful and ferocious. tiger.

At this moment, Jin Sheng's voice came forward.

"Come forward! It's round!"

A battle ends as quickly as it begins. Kong Tingxun was chased by the armored cavalry and could not escape. He knelt down to beg for mercy and surrendered. Of the 1,500 traitor soldiers under the Red Banner, more than 1,200 were killed and less than 300 were captured.

"Send your name."

Jin Sheng rode his horse and drew his sword, looking down at Kong Tingxun who was kneeling on the ground, with disdain on his face.

"The surrendered general Kong...Kong Tingxun."

Kong Tingxun buried his head in the ground and said tremblingly.

"Kong Tingxun? I've never heard of it." Jin Sheng said, "Do you want to die or live?"

"Want to live!"

"Then tell me." Jin Sheng said: "Where did the main force of the Tatars go?"

Kong Tingxun did not hesitate: "The other side of the woods."

"How long?"

"Less than two moments."

"How many people are there? Who is the leader?"

"Thirteen thousand people, all elite soldiers of the Eight Banners. The leaders are Shaerhuda and Eshuo."

"Oh, when you hear that name, you know that they are real Tatars." Jin Sheng said to him, "It's not like this one. He's a traitor."

Kong Tingxun buried his head deeper.

"Where is your target? Is it the capital?" Jin Sheng lowered his head slightly.

"...yes."

Jin Sheng nodded: "Take him there."

He added: "Send people into the city and, in the name of our headquarters, ask the Lord of Baodi County to help guard the prisoners."

At this time, Ye Bu collected his horse and reported: "Your Majesty, the brothers have been wearing Tatar tails. The Tatars escaped from the other side of the forest and went east."

"To the east?!"

Jin Sheng frowned and shouted: "Wang Mazi, take your people and clean the battlefield here. The others should follow Laozi and don't escape from the main Tatar force!"

"Here!"

At this time, the closed east gate of Baodi County in the east suddenly opened, and a young man wearing an official robe, holding a sword and riding a horse came out with a group of government officials and thousands of young men.

"The Tatars are right in front. Don't let them run away. Everyone, there is nothing to fear from the Tatars. Don't panic or be afraid. Just stay there. Our elite soldiers are in the south of the city and will be there in a moment."

It must be said that the county magistrate was very courageous. When he discovered the traces of soldiers and horses, he quickly closed the city gate, summoned the government officials and the young men in the county, and moved them with emotion and reason. After mobilizing them, he actually came out of the city.