n ons . ▁ ▁After ▁several ▁days ▁of ▁successful ▁resistance ▁by ▁Jin z hou , ▁Hong ▁Ta iji ▁decided ▁to ▁try ▁his ▁luck ▁at ▁N ing y uan . ▁As ▁Hong ▁Ta iji ▁approached ▁N ing y uan , ▁he ▁was ▁intercept ed ▁by ▁a ▁M ing ▁army ▁led ▁by ▁Man ▁G ui , ▁You ▁Sh il u , ▁and ▁Zu ▁D ash ou . ▁The ▁two ▁arm ies ▁engaged ▁in ▁combat , ▁but ▁it ▁soon ▁became ▁apparent ▁that ▁the ▁Jin ▁were ▁at ▁a ▁severe ▁dis adv antage ▁as ▁Y uan ▁Ch ong hu an ▁had ▁expanded ▁the ▁def ensive ▁network ▁from ▁N ing y uan , ▁and ▁M ing ▁rein for c ements ▁r ushed ▁out ▁from ▁def ensive ▁fort ifications ▁to ▁attack . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Y uan ▁directed ▁can none ers ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁N ing y uan ' s ▁walls ▁who ▁assist ed ▁the ▁ground ▁forces ▁by ▁bomb arding ▁the ▁enemies . ▁The ▁Jin ▁army ▁dis eng aged ▁after ▁losing ▁several ▁thousand ▁men ▁and ▁retre ated ▁to ▁Jin z hou , ▁where ▁Hong ▁Ta iji ▁tried ▁once ▁again ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁As ▁M ing ▁can n ons ▁opened ▁fire ▁on ▁the ▁Jin ▁army , ▁a ▁cont ing ent ▁of ▁M ing ▁caval ry ▁engaged ▁the ▁enemies ▁from ▁the ▁rear , ▁forcing ▁them ▁to ▁retre at ▁with ▁yet ▁more ▁cas ual ties . ▁After ▁r ally ing ▁his ▁army , ▁Hong ▁Ta iji ▁attempted ▁another ▁assault ▁on ▁Jin z hou , ▁this ▁time ▁attack ing ▁from ▁the ▁south