To avoid being caught in a pincer movement from the north and south by Wang Yongji and Li Dingguo, Dorgon set out on a path of flight toward the north. Shi Tingzhu, the Han Plain White Banner commander, followed closely behind him, also fleeing northward. Li Dingguo was twenty miles to their west, marching day and night.
Li Xianzhong and Liu Zhaoji had already crossed the Liao River and discovered the trail of Shi Tingzhu. Each leading their own cavalry units, they pursued relentlessly. At this moment, the contest between the two sides was not about the individual combat prowess of the soldiers, nor their overall strength, and certainly not the command capabilities of the generals. It was a race of marching speed. Whoever could march faster and be the first to reach Weijialing Pass would hold the upper hand in the coming battle.
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Chapter 1053