After receiving Yu Chongxiao's military report, Yuan Chonghuan did not blame the Third Army for releasing dozens of slave soldiers. Instead, he praised the Third Army for its successful surprise attack on Xipingpu.
Daming had already made an all-out Northern Expedition, and Jiannu knew about it, and it didn't matter. Maybe this time, Zhu Youjian's Left Army and Wei Xin's Right Army had already exchanged fire with Jiannu.
There was also a military order that arrived with the commendation order. In the military order, Yuan Chonghuan ordered Yu Chongxiao, and the Third Army rested in Xipingbao for two days. After Sun Chengzong's Liaodong Army took over Xipingbao, it immediately attacked eastward and continued the northern expedition.
Yuan Chonghuan led the First Army and the Second Army to rob Sanchahe Fort.
The Sancha River is the lower reaches of the Liao River, Hun River and Taizi River. The three rivers share a section of outlet, hence the name Sancha River. It has plenty of water and wide river channels.
The Jurchen people built a pontoon over the Sancha River to communicate between the two banks of the Sancha River. On its west bank, there is also a Sanchahe Fort built by the Ming army. Dorgon stationed four Niulu this time.
On March 25th, Yuan Chonghuan's army arrived at Sanchahe, and Daming set up a camp ten miles away from Sanchahe Fort.
The Jurchen soldiers who fled from Xipingbao had already brought the message of the Ming army's eastward march. Therefore, the Jurchen soldiers stationed in Sanchahe Fort were ready to meet the Ming army.
Sanchahe Fort only has two gates, east and west, and they are all closed now. All the Jurchen soldiers retreated into the fort. They were leaning against the earth wall, closely monitoring the Ming army ten miles away.
There were originally three pontoon bridges on the Sancha River. After the Jurchens learned that the Ming army had moved eastward, they immediately removed two of them. Only one pontoon bridge at the exit of Zhaimen on the east side of Sanchahebao was left. This was given to them by Jurchen soldiers. The escape route left.
Dorgon, who had been staying in Liaoyang, was shocked when he heard the news that the Ming army had conquered Xiping Fort. The peace talks between Daming and Daikin failed. Now that the Ming army does not declare a war, it will obviously not be a small-scale war.
While sending someone to report to Huang Taiji, he hurriedly went south to Haizhou to personally command the defense of Sanchahe.
When Xipingpu was lost, Dorgon knew that Sanchahepu would also be attacked by the Ming army sooner or later, so he took the east bank of Sanchahe as the focus of defense and tried to use the wide waters of Sanchahe to block the Ming army. Eastward.
Huang Taiji urgently mobilized soldiers from Anshan, Haizhou, Yaozhou, and Gaizhou to set up three defensive tents on the east bank of the Sancha River, from south to north, each with three Niulu soldiers.
He also removed the tiger cannons from each city head and prepared to allocate ten tiger cannons to each big tent. However, the tiger cannons moved slowly and were not deployed yet, Yuan Chonghuan's army came to Sanchahe.
Yuan Chonghuan is no stranger to fortresses like Sanchahe Fort. The Ming army used to build a large number of such forts in Liaodong to fight against the slave-building cavalry. However, after the Jurchens occupied Liaodong, most of the fortresses were demolished. Only a few strategies were needed. The fortress on the ground has been preserved. Because Sanchahe Fort guards the traffic arteries of Sanchahe, not only has it been preserved to this day, it has also been simply repaired and reinforced by the Jurchens.
Yuan Chonghuan and Li Hongjun, commander of the First Division, approached and observed Sanchahe Fort.
"This kind of earthen fort is not as tall as Songshan fort and Tashan fort in western Liaoning. This kind of earthen wall can also block the bows and arrows of building slaves." Yuan Chonghuan pointed to the earthen wall of Sanchahe fort and said to Li Hongjun with a smile.
Li Hongjun immediately understood Yuan Chonghuan's intentions: "Is the commander planning to use artillery?"
"Using artillery will reduce the casualties of soldiers," Yuan Chonghuan held the rein of the horse and slowed the horse's speed. "Do you know why your Majesty makes so many advanced firearms?"
Li Hongjun did not hesitate: "Of course it is to improve the combat effectiveness of the soldiers."
Yuan Chonghuan stopped completely and stood side by side with Li Hongjun: "You are right, but this is only your majesty's lowest goal."
Li Hongjun was taken aback, then his eyes widened: "Your Majesty has a higher goal?"
"Of course," Yuan Chonghuan nodded, his gaze still moving on Sanchahe Fort, "Your Majesty not only wants to defeat the opponent, but also to reduce casualties, or even no casualties. That's why your Majesty has created so many cash firearms. You see, the three cities in Liaodong were recovered last year, and the casualties of building slaves exceeded 15 thousand, while the casualties of our army were less than two thousand. This is the first time that the flintlock has been on the battlefield."
"Commander, your Majesty is using new firearms to deter opponents?"
"This is also the first level. If our opponents are afraid of being beaten by us, they will not dare to invade Daming for at least 30 years."
"So the commander likes to use these new firearms?"
"While we are killing our opponents, we try to minimize our losses. Moreover, we have to test the maximum energy of various firearms, such as how many times the flintlock can be used repeatedly, the rate of fire of the artillery, and so on."
"Commander..."
Yuan Chonghuan gestured with his hands and made a shooting posture, "Red Army, you said, if you use artillery to bomb Sanchahe Fort, what will happen?"
"Commander, this kind of earth wall will collapse after three rounds of shelling at most."
"Red Army, you didn't understand what I meant," Yuan Chonghuan shook his head, "I mean, we are not in a hurry to crash the city wall."
"The commander meant..." Li Hongjun didn't want to understand for a while.
"The Red Army, now Jian slaves are closing the door tightly. We can't go in, and they can't get out. If we don't rush to destroy the earth wall, but let the blooming bomb explode in the fort..."
"Commander, I understand." Li Hongjun's pupils widened sharply, shining with excitement, like a dreamer who was thinking about it, unexpectedly appeared in front of him, "We don't need to break Sanchahe. Fort, just cast flower bombs into the fort, and then block the two gates. The slaves in the fort are naturally the turtles in the urn."
"That's what it means. When Jiannu is almost dead, we will enter the fort again and clean up the mess."
"Commander, then we must guard the Dongzhai Gate. The west gate is facing our direction, which is easier to guard, but Dongzhai Gate... Commander, I'll go to see Dongzhai Gate nearby."
"Red Army, you think well, don't let Jiannu slip away from the east gate," Yuan Chonghuan laughed, "But since I'm here, let's take a look together. There are soldiers guarding him, Jiannu dare not dare yet. Attack out of the city.
"Yes, Commander."
The two took hundreds of soldiers and approached Sancha River at a distance of five hundred steps from Sanchahe Fort.
The water of the river was quite clear, and it seemed to the naked eye that the flow rate was not fast, but the surface of the river was quite wide.
"Red Army, can you estimate how wide Sancha River is?"
Li Hongjun shook his head: "Commander, the other side can't see clearly, the subordinates really can't estimate it."
"Oh, actually, I can't figure it out."
"Don't the commander know? Didn't the commander come to Liaodong before?"
Yuan Chonghuan smiled bitterly: "I have been to Liaodong, but I have only been to Ningyuan, Jinzhou, and even Guangning. When I went to Liaodong, Jiannu had already occupied Guangning." However, he immediately laughed." Your Majesty is still strategizing, and your Majesty inherits the general rule, but in two years, we have not only taken back Ningyuan, Jinzhou and Guangning, now the Bingfeng has reached Sanchahe.
"Your Majesty is strategizing, but you have to rely on the commander in frontline operations."
"Haha," Yuan Chonghuan laughed up to the sky, "Red Army, you are wrong, strategizing, your Majesty is indispensable, no one can replace it, but it is not for Yuan to kill the enemy on the front line."
"Commander means..."
"The Red Army, there are so many competent people on the front line to kill the enemy, even if you are allowed to be the commander of the First Army, you are also competent."
"Commander..."
Yuan Chonghuan waved his hand, "As long as you don’t make mistakes in military common sense, anyone with a certain amount of military life experience should do it. Flintlocks against bows and arrows are like an adult, fighting a seven or eight-year-old child... To be honest, if not Master Sun is about to become obsolete, the commander of the First Army is none other than him."
"Commander, I kind of understand."
"Haha, just understand, just understand... Huh? What's on the river?" Yuan Chonghuan pointed to the river in the distance.
Li Hongjun looked in the direction of Yuan Chonghuan's fingers, and there was a long line like a white strip on the river. "Commander, is that a floating bridge for building slaves?"
"Well, it must be a pontoon bridge." Yuan Chonghuan stroked his beard and nodded, "Yes."
It turned out that Sanchahebao was built on the back of the river, and the east exit was facing the pontoon bridge. If the Jurchens could not hold the Sanchahebao, they could also retreat from the pontoon to the east bank and defend according to the river.
"Does the commander want..."
"Haha, of course..." Yuan Chonghuan waved his horse's head, "Red Army, go, we are worthy of this trip today."
The main attacker of Sanchahe Fort was Li Hongjun's first division.
Forty artillery pieces stood quietly in the northwest of Sanchahe Fort, only 400 steps away from the earth wall of Sanchahe Fort.
The distance of 400 steps is actually measured by Yuan Chonghuan and Li Hongjun.
The soldiers of the Wanyu First Division have filled the flintlock with ammunition, and they are waiting for the order to enter the fort.
The Second Division temporarily acted as cavalry, guarding the two wings of the First Division. Their mission was not only to protect the infantry of the First Division, but also to prevent Jian slaves from escaping from both sides. Therefore, their eyes were fixed on the three sides. The two-sided Zhaimen of Chahebao.
As a reserve team, the Third Division is far behind the First Division. If the First Division's offensive is unfavorable, or if there are slave soldiers who escape the encirclement of the First Division, they will have combat missions.
Yuan Chonghuan did not go to the front at all. He was in the second army garrison, drinking tea and talking with Du Wenhuan.
"Commander, how many troops does Dorgon have?"
"A month ago Costin sent back a message. He said that Dorgon had a total of 28 records."
"Twenty-eight Niu Lu? That would be 8,400 people." Du Wenhuan thought in his heart, "The four Niu Lu of Xipingpu have been annihilated. If the First Division can wipe out his four Niu Lu again today, , Then he has twenty cattle records left."
"I hope the First Division can wipe out the slaves of Sanchahe Fort."
"Commander, the slaves of Sanchahe Fort, you are considered deadly. They never dreamed that they didn't even see the first teacher, so they went to report to their Changshengtian."
"Wen Huan, the combat effectiveness of building slaves is still very strong, we must not underestimate the enemy."
"Commander, am I not bragging right now? The hero of today's battle is Li Hongjun."
"Wen Huan, you are here again, do you want to make meritorious service again?"