Regarding this expedition, Huang Taiji aimed at occupying Qin territory. However, the Jianlu was too small in the end, but the suggestion given by Hong Chengchou was to bribe the Qin people and drive the Qin people to use it for the Qing Dynasty. In this way, the problem of the Qing Dynasty's troops was solved.

This involves the issue of rewarding and surrendering to the Qin people. Although Huang Taiji was in poor health, he was also prepared to go to the battle himself. In this way, he could reward him casually and not waste time on his own.

Similarly, in order to ensure success and effectively utilize the suddenness of the first attack on Qin, Huang Taiji was also preparing to gather as many troops as possible.

Due to the isolation of Shanhaiguan, the Jianlu of Liaodong and traitors like Hong Chengchou did not understand the situation inside the palace in time, so they could only rely on their guesses to estimate.

In fact, the same is true for the Ming Dynasty. There is also a lack of sources of information for the Jianlu of Liaodong.

Fortunately, there is one thing, because Zhang Mingwei traveled through time. He knew that the Jianlu would invade the capital in history in October, and thus reasoned in reverse, and knew that the Jianlu must have consumed all the supplies after the Battle of Songjin. Even if eight major Shanxi merchants smuggled the Jianlu to supplement the supplies to the Jianlu in Liaodong, it was still not enough.

In this way, the Ming Dynasty could conclude that in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the Jianlu of Liaodong would definitely have an urgent need for entering the pass to plunder materials.

Zhang Mingwei told this matter to Emperor Chongzhen, and also to the governor of Shanyong Zuo Yingxuan and the general of Shanhaiguan Yan Yingyuan, and made a strategy of crossing the sea to raid the hinterland of Liaodong and restraining the establishment of the enemy.

Now that there has been a comprehensive attack on the border that has never happened before, the level of the attack has not been strong, it can be basically inferred that this was the order of their master to come to test the Ming border defense.

Based on this time, Yan Yingyuan can draw a conclusion on when the Jianlu will send troops.

In fact, even if Jianlu did not send troops, Yan Yingyuan would still implement Zhang Mingwei's strategy of harassing the heartland of Liaodong.

On this day, after Gu Sanmazi, a guerrilla in the coastal defense, was ready, Yan Yingyuan made a decision and personally led the only four thousand cavalry in his hand to the expedition.

Speaking of which, there were not so many cavalry yet, but Zhang Mingwei arranged people to collect war horses outside the pass. Sure enough, he got some of them, and was assigned all the war horses to Yan Yingyuan's side by the governor of Shanyong, and he had gathered the four thousand cavalry.

On the school ground, Yan Yingyuan walked slowly among the cavalry on a horse. While reviewing them, he said loudly: "Now, when the imperial court is using money everywhere, he has made up for you in the past owed wages, and the subsequent military wages are also paid on time. Not long ago, he revised the "Ming Dynasty Law" and added the "Ming Dynasty Military Soldiers' Pension and Exemption Regulations". Such things are unheard of!"

"It is the best job to be a soldier in my Ming Dynasty! Everyone is grateful, so it is a human being. I, Yan Yingyuan, was appreciated by the court, and decided in my heart that a real man, wearing a horse and corpse, is the best destination for our soldiers. The court has high hopes for us, hoping that we can stop the Jianlu and no longer let them harm the country."

"This expedition is the purpose. The only way to fight to the death is to hurt Jianlu, let them know that our Ming soldiers are different now. If you don't achieve this goal, I will never return to the army. If you want to enfeoff your wife and children, and want to protect your family members who retreat into the pass, don't have the idea of ​​living. Follow me and fight to the death, you can only die and live!"

The Guanning Army had never taken the initiative to go out to fight the Jianlu, let alone to go to the hinterland of Liaodong like this time. Yan Yingyuan was worried about the uneasiness of the army, so he made this speech before the expedition.

However, he did not expect that after he finished speaking, the four thousand Guanning troops suddenly roared together: "Fight to the death, fight to the death..."

It’s not that the Guanning Army was born to be afraid of Jianlu, and no one of them had a deep hatred with Jianlu. However, in the past, food, clothing and expenses could not be guaranteed, and only the servants of the generals could guarantee these. In this way, those with combat power in the army would naturally focus on the general’s meaning. Which general in the Guanning Army wanted to go to the hinterland of Liaodong? No! Then the Guanning Army would naturally not do this.

Now, not only does the military pay not have any deductions, but there is no need to worry about the family after death in the battle. The "Regulations on the Pension and Preferential Treatment of Military Soldiers in the Ming Dynasty" was written into the "Law of Ming Dynasty". In this way, there are no worries. Who doesn't want to seek revenge on Jianlu and give their families in the pass a peace?

The big-headed soldiers are already cheap, and the generals are going to fight to the death, let alone them!

Therefore, when Yan Yingyuan saw that the morale was available, he did not delay. He returned to the front and back of the general station, looked at the four thousand cavalry in front of him, and prepared to order to set off.

If he had no worries in this battle, it would be fake. Of course, this worries do not mean that he was afraid of not being able to come back or death.

The so-called scholar who died as a confidant, Yan Yingyuan was directly promoted from a mere Dianshi to the general of Shanhaiguan. This kind of kindness of knowing the favor is only to repay him by death. It is no big deal.

Yan Yingyuan was just afraid that he had left Shanhaiguan. If Jianlu had a large invasion, if Shanhaiguan fell, then Yan Yingyuan would not be redeemed for a hundred deaths.

However, this expedition to Liaodong is also of great importance. If he does not go in person, he is worried that he will only tickle the Liaodong Jianlu in the end. Not only will he lose the benefits of the sudden war, but he will be prepared for the future Jianlu, and may even be unable to restrain the Jianlu's main force from detours through the Mongolian grasslands.

After measuring, he finally decided to ask Chen Mingyu, who recommended him to help him, to guard his life, which was a trade-off.

He thought so, when he really wanted to order to set off, suddenly a fast horse came to the point of the station and reported to him: "The new Liaodong guerrilla Li Laiheng led more than a thousand cavalry to report to the general."

When Yan Yingyuan heard this, he was overjoyed. He was short of cavalry, and more than a thousand cavalry came, which was great.

With more cavalry, you will have a greater grasp of this war.

So, without saying a word, he immediately sent an order to ask the Liaodong guerrillas to come to the school grounds.

Li Laiheng did not delay along the way, and it could even be said that he had already rushed as quickly as possible, and the whole army was in turmoil. When he came to the school field and saw this posture, he knew that he might not be able to catch up if he came a little later.

It turned out that the imperial government army would really take the initiative to attack Jianlu! Li Laiheng thought to himself that he once again changed his mind about the imperial government army. Before he came here, he heard the roar of "fight to death".

He could hear this roar, not the kind that just shouted casually. As a person who is used to fighting wars, he is sensitive to it.

Seeing that the general was on the stage, the main general was also wearing military uniforms. Seeing that he was about to go to war, Li Laiheng also admired such a hero. He immediately turned over and dismounted, clasped his fists and reported: "Li Laiheng, Liaodong guerrilla Li Laiheng, came to report on the order of Duke Xing to participate in the battle in Liaodong."

After saying that, he took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Yan Yingyuan with both hands and said, "This is the letter from Duke Xingguo to the Grand Marshal."

When Yan Yingyuan heard that Li Laiheng was sent by Duke Xingguo, he felt even more fond of him, so he immediately responded with a smile and took the letter and read it first.

He never expected that Li Laiheng was a powerful general among the bandits of Li Zicheng's troops. He was moved by the changes in the court and did not want the world to continue to be in chaos and the people were in vain. He abandoned the darkness and turned to the light. He was enfeoffed as a guerrilla in Liaodong by Duke Xingguo. He did not want to attack his original companions and volunteered to come to Liaodong to fight Jianlu.

If it were other generals, they might feel despised of Li Laiheng's origin, after all, they were born as a thief. However, Yan Yingyuan himself was born as a classic and was suddenly promoted. In the eyes of ordinary people, his background is actually low.

Therefore, Yan Yingyuan didn't mind Li Laiheng's origin at all, and even had a little admiration. He didn't expect that he could tell right from wrong at such a young age. This is a very rare thing to abandon darkness and turn to light, not to surrender after being captured.

In addition, Zhang Mingwei also told Yan Yingyuan in the letter that Li Laiheng was born into a thief and happened to be good at mobile combat. He was the best candidate for the head coach to attack the hinterland of Liaodong. Therefore, this time when he went to the hinterland of Liaodong, Li Laiheng could be the main general.

The main purpose of Zhang Mingwei's writing this letter was also to consider that in the original history, Yan Yingyuan was known for defending the city. If possible, he hoped that Yan Yingyuan would guard Shanhaiguan and ensure that Shanhaiguan was not lost.

Yan Yingyuan definitely attached great importance to the meaning of Duke Xingguo.

So he had no other considerations and immediately told Li Laiheng what the meaning of the Duke Xingguo letter was, and asked Li Laiheng straight to the point: "If you follow the Duke's arrangements and you will lead the army, what would you do?"

If he could pass his interview, he would be relieved. Otherwise, the first expedition to the hinterland of Liaodong would be of great importance, even if it was recommended by the Duke of the State, he would have doubts.

When Li Laiheng heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised. He didn't expect that the Duke Xingguo valued him so much and considered handing over the world-famous Guanning Iron Cavalry to him to command.

If ordinary people say that, they will be frightened by this. However, you can say that Li Laiheng is not afraid of tigers for a newborn calf, or he really wants to make contributions. In short, after hearing this, he was not afraid at all, and he raised his head and replied: "If you don't move, you'll move like a rabbit. With a thunder strike, you will escape from a distance, floating around, and not responding to Jianlu."

Similar wars can be said to have been experienced many times.

After a pause, Li Laiheng added: "The most important thing about this kind of war is not to be afraid of death, not to stop, and not to leave traces!"

Yan Yingyuan was satisfied with his hearing, so he asked a few more questions. Li Laiheng didn't even think about it, and he could satisfy him by answering it casually.

Finally, he sighed: "The Duke of the State is indeed a wise eye!"

But he didn't know that Li Laiheng could persist in resisting the Qing Dynasty until the end. If he had no sense of danger, he would have been killed by the Qing Dynasty long ago.

So, Yan Yingyuan ordered the army to set off after another day of rest, with Li Laiheng as the main general and Chen Mingyu as the deputy, leading 5,000 cavalrymen and marched to the hinterland of Liaodong by sea.
Chapter completed!