Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 153 No Retreat
The Qing army tent, Tong Yangjia sat at the top, Li Yangchen, Ye Chengen and other generals of Tong Yangjia's army sat on the left, and Li Chengdong and others sat on the right

At this time, Li Chengdong was wearing a blue cloth armor, which was stained with blood. The rest of Du Yong, Ma Bao and others were also wearing armor and were covered in dust.

Tong Yangjia glanced at Li Chengdong who looked gloomy below, then looked at Li Yangchen on the side and asked

"What happened to those armored cavalry just now?"

"Your Excellency, today at dusk our cavalry patrols discovered a large number of Ming cavalry camping thirty miles to the west. Those armored cavalrymen should be from this group."

Tong Yangjia glanced at Li Chengdong below him, and sure enough, Li Chengdong's face changed immediately after hearing this.

Tong Yangjia's eyes turned, and his expression suddenly became extremely serious. He looked at Li Yangchen and spoke in a deep voice.

"How many people are there? Have you found out where they came from?"

"This group of soldiers and horses is at least a thousand strong, and they are all cavalrymen, extremely elite. Our scouts cannot get close enough to investigate, so we cannot find out their exact number."

"Although we haven't found out the flag of this group of troops, but these Ming troops came from the west and are so elite, I'm afraid they should be the Guangdong troops from Zhaoqing."

Li Yangchen looked at Tong Yangjia above him. Seeing that he nodded slightly, Li Yangchen stood up, glanced at Li Chengdong and others opposite him, and continued to speak.

"According to the intelligence we got from Chaohui and other places, the Guangdong army in Zhaoqing has 20,000 soldiers. Although only the cavalry have arrived first, they must be followed by a large number of infantry."

"Our army has been attacking fiercely for several days and is exhausted. Now that the Ming army's reinforcements have arrived, I think we should not take the risk of attacking the city at this time. We should withdraw our troops to Zengcheng and make further plans."

Li Yangchen's eyes flickered. Although they had just arrived yesterday, Li Chengdong had been attacking the city for several days. Isn't Li Chengdong also one of our troops?

Tong Yangjia immediately responded by saying

"General Li is right. Attacking the city is not going well now. To avoid being attacked from both sides, we should first withdraw our troops back to Zengcheng and then..."

Tong Yangjia directly took the initiative to discuss the withdrawal of troops, but Li Chengdong's face darkened and he interrupted Tong Yangjia before he finished speaking.

"Your Excellency, we must not withdraw our troops at this time."

"We have been attacking the city for several days, and the city has long been exhausted. When we attacked the city this afternoon, the city stopped firing arrows and could only drop rocks. It seems that the city has run out of ammunition and food."

"If it weren't for the fact that it's getting dark today, if we charge twice more, we might be able to capture Guangzhou today. As long as we continue the siege tomorrow, we will definitely be able to enter the city within half a day. If we withdraw our troops now, all our efforts will be wasted."

"Besides, even if the Zhaoqing army came to help, what would happen? The Ming army has always been weak. Our army has gathered a large number of soldiers, more than 10,000 people. Even if all the 20,000 Ming troops arrived at the city, our army can still leave at any time."

"These reinforcements can't threaten us at all. I think we should continue to attack the city and never give the Ming army in the city a chance to breathe. If our army can attack Guangzhou tomorrow, we will be able to occupy the city immediately. At that time, we will defend the city, and the Ming army will come from afar. Who knows, we can even defeat this Ming army..."

Li Chengdong bowed his hands with a serious look on his face, but before he could finish, Tong Yangjia waved his hand and interrupted Li Chengdong.

"Okay, General Li, you don't have to say any more."

"The governor has already given you a chance today. Since you can't capture Guangzhou, don't say anything more."

"There is a strong city in front of us and the enemy is coming to support us from behind. If we stay under the city now, we will be attacked from both sides. If we are not careful, our entire army will be wiped out."

"The Ming army is weak, but it still has a large number of people. How can we, as generals, underestimate the enemy? The court has entrusted the army to us, so how can we put the army in danger?"

"I have made up my mind. I will withdraw my troops and return to Zengcheng tomorrow morning. First, I will see how the Ming court will use the troops in the future. Second, I will rest my troops and horses. After reporting the situation in Guangdong Province to the Ming court, I will decide how to capture Guangdong Province."

Tong Yangjia spoke indifferently, looking at Li Chengdong who looked gloomy below, but sneered in his heart.

He also saw that the Ming army in the city was already at the end of its strength. He also knew that if he continued to attack the city tomorrow, he might be able to break into the city before the Ming army arrived.

But so what? All this is just speculation after all. If the attack fails and Zhaoqing's reinforcements arrive at the city, there is a possibility of a major defeat, although this is likely to be relatively small.

Although Tong Yangjia said to be cautious, his thoughts were not much different from Li Chengdong's. He did not think that the southern Guangdong soldiers would pose much of a threat to them.
The four towns in northern Jiangnan and Fang Guoan in Zhejiang Province all claimed to have tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, but they were immediately dispersed when the Qing cavalry charged.
Although the Ming army was not a threat, why should he accompany Li Chengdong to attack the city? If he could withdraw his troops and return to Zengcheng, he would not have to take any risks.

He already had the military merits of Chaozhou and Huizhou. The failure in capturing Guangzhou was entirely due to Li Chengdong's responsibility and had nothing to do with him.
As long as he reported this to the court, Li Chengdong would certainly be questioned. As long as Li Chengdong was imprisoned, he could then swallow up all the soldiers under Li Chengdong.

Now the Qing army has occupied Chaozhou and Huizhou and penetrated into the heart of Guangdong Province. Once he swallows up Li Chengdong's troops, as long as he advances steadily, he will be able to capture Guangdong Province sooner or later.
After the Ming army received Gui Regent from Guangzhou City, they would probably escort the Ming Regent away. By then, Guangzhou might be taken in one fell swoop. The military merit that Li Chengdong had been striving for might be delivered directly to him. In that case, why would he risk his life with Li Chengdong?
"You all should make preparations tonight, and at dawn tomorrow, we will begin to withdraw our troops back to Zengcheng."

When Tong Yangjia thought of this, his expression became more indifferent. He stood up and walked out of the tent.
Li Yangchen, Ye Chengen and the others also had a smile on their faces and stood up to leave.

Li Chengdong sat on his seat, glanced at Tong Yangjia and others who were looking playful, and suddenly spoke in a cold voice

“I said, you can’t withdraw.”

The cold shout echoed through the tent. The people in the palm were stunned at first, and then they all looked at Li Chengdong who was sitting on the right.

When Tong Yangjia saw Li Chengdong's cold expression, his face was expressionless, and he said in a cold voice
"Then you can stay here and die on your own."

Tong Yangjia looked indifferent. Without the cooperation of his 9,000 men, Li Chengdong alone would never be able to capture Guangzhou.
The reinforcements from Zhaoqing will arrive soon. Unless Li Chengdong wants to die, he will have no choice but to withdraw with me.
Li Chengdong stared at Tong Yangjia with an angry look on his face

"Today, during the siege, our soldiers braved dozens of artillery fire and fought desperately. This afternoon alone, nearly a thousand of our soldiers were killed or injured."

"We are about to capture the city, and you tell me you want to retreat now?"

Li Chengdong's roar continued to echo in the tent, but Tong Yangjia's face remained calm when he heard it. He said

"Victory and defeat are common in the military. If you lose, you must admit it."

"General Li's surprise attack has no merit but has been a great effort. I will report the truth to the court. General Li should go back early and prepare to withdraw his troops."

After Tong Yangjia finished speaking, he no longer wanted to talk to Li Chengdong, and walked directly towards the tent door.
Li Chengdong looked at Tong Yangjia who was walking in front of him, and the rage on his face suddenly disappeared, leaving only a cold expression.

Li Chengdong chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and spoke softly.

"Governor Tong, I have no way to retreat." "The Ming army in this city has hidden artillery and killed thousands of imperial soldiers. If we withdraw like this, Li will definitely be held accountable."

"If you want to leave, it means you are ready to kill me, Li Chengdong. Anyone who wants me, Li Chengdong, to die, will never live again."

"Governor Tong, the Ming army is already near Guangzhou. If you suddenly withdraw your troops now, what will you do if they suddenly attack you along the way?"

The cold voice echoed quietly in the tent. Tong Yangjia, who had already walked to the door of the tent, suddenly turned around and looked at Li Chengdong who was leaning on the chair.
Li Chengdong's face was calm, but looking at Li Chengdong like this, Tong Yangjia's heart suddenly trembled. He felt that Li Chengdong at this moment was several times more dangerous than the furious Li Chengdong just now, like a poisonous snake coiled on the chair.
Tong Yangjia's face was gloomy. How could he not hear the threat in Li Chengdong's words? As soon as Li Chengdong finished speaking, Du Yong, Luo Chengyao, Ma Bao and other generals immediately stood up and stood behind Li Chengdong, staring coldly at Tong Yangjia, Li Yangchen and others at the door of the big tent.

Tong Yangjia's forehead was bulging with veins. He looked at the generals gathered behind Li Chengdong, his expression changed several times, and finally he spoke in a deep voice.

"Li Chengdong, what do you want?"

When Li Chengdong saw Tong Yangjia speak, his face turned cold, he sat up straight and said in a deep voice

"We will continue the siege tomorrow"

"If we can capture Guangzhou, it will be because of the good command of the governor. I will never dare to compete for the credit. At that time, I will also submit a petition to the court and request the governor to serve as the governor of Guangdong Province."

"I am willing to serve as the vanguard of the governor's army and help him clear out the remaining prefectures in Guangdong Province and seize Guangdong Province."

"I have already said this before the battle today. Now I only want to make amends for my mistakes."

Tong Yangjia's face was uncertain. He was silent for a while, then he spoke again.
"Now the Ming court's reinforcements are thirty miles away, how can we continue to attack the city?"

Li Chengdong was not annoyed when he heard Tong Yangjia's question. Instead, he felt relieved.

He knew that Tong Yangjia had finally given in. He immediately replied

"The Ming army is still thirty miles away, and has not yet reached Guangzhou. That group of Ming troops should be the vanguard cavalry in Zhaoqing City. There must be not many of them. Now that they have been discovered by our scouts, they will not dare to rush in and launch a surprise attack. Our army can send people to set up defenses in Huangding and Shen'an to block the Ming army from coming to support them."

"The city is already at the end of its strength. We will launch an attack on the city tomorrow morning. If we still cannot capture Guangzhou tomorrow, I will follow the governor's orders."

Li Chengdong kept talking. Seeing that Tong Yangjia still had a gloomy face and refused to express his opinion, he continued to speak.

"If the Ming court's reinforcements arrive, they will definitely attack the west and north of the city first. I am willing to lead the army to attack these two sides."

"Your Excellency, the Governor can attack the east and south of the city. This way, even if reinforcements arrive, you can calmly withdraw your troops and respond."

After Li Chengdong finished speaking, he stopped talking. The tent became silent. Everyone stared at Tong Yangjia, who had a gloomy expression.
Tong Yangjia thought for a long time with a gloomy face, then he looked up at Li Chengdong and said in a cold voice

"You can send someone to guard Huangding Shen'an yourself. I will not send anyone to die."

"Tomorrow, I will follow you to attack the East City and the South City, but as soon as the Ming army reaches the city of Guangzhou, I will immediately withdraw my troops. Whether you can capture Guangzhou depends on your own ability."

"Okay, I'll send someone to guard Huang Ding Shen'an."

Li Chengdong looked at Tong Yangjia with a gloomy expression, but he gritted his teeth and agreed directly.
Li Chengdong's army originally had more than 6,500 people, but they encountered artillery raids during the siege, and today they led their troops to attack again. After several losses, there are now less than 5,000 people.
We have to join forces to attack the city, and we have to send troops to block the reinforcements. In fact, the troops have long been stretched to the limit.
But at this moment he had no choice but to agree. If he dared to refuse, Tong Yangjia would probably turn hostile and leave.
Tong Yangjia saw that Li Chengdong agreed, but there was no joy on his face.

"I will report today's events to the court truthfully. General Li, you take care of yourself."

Tong Yangjia snorted coldly, and left with Li Yangchen and others.

After Li Chengdong returned to the camp, Luo Chengyao led 800 soldiers and headed west to Shen'an Town.
In the middle of the night, Zhu Lang paced back and forth in his study. The dim light cast a staggered shadow on the screen behind him.

The door opened, and Li Chengzhi, sweating profusely, hurried into the room. Zhu Lang immediately came to greet him. Li Chengzhi did not waste any words and directly reported

"According to news from outside the city, the reinforcements from Zhaoqing have arrived thirty miles outside Guangzhou. The exact number of people is unknown, but it is very likely that they are just the vanguard cavalry."

"In addition, the Qing army has discovered this reinforcement and has sent people to Huangding and Shen'an to intercept it."

Li Chengzhi finished the information in one breath, and Zhu Lang, who was originally anxious, suddenly calmed down after listening to Li Chengzhi's words.

Zhu Lang let out a long breath and spoke softly

"It seems that we should still defend the city."

He had been feeling uneasy since the afternoon, but now that he had made the decision, he suddenly felt relaxed.

Li Chengzhi was anxious when he heard what Zhu Lang said. He was about to persuade him again, but Zhu Lang stopped him.

"Chengzhi, there is no need to say more. We have already agreed this afternoon. If it is really reinforcements, we will defend the city."

"Besides, the imperial court's reinforcements are approaching, and the Qing army outside the city may suddenly change their minds and decide not to attack the city, but to withdraw. If so, if we leave now, won't our efforts be in vain?"

Li Chengzhi looked at Zhu Lang with a determined look. How could he not know that His Royal Highness the Regent was just making up his mind? If the Qing army was really going to withdraw, why would they send people to guard Huangding Shen'an? It was clear that the Qing army was still going to continue attacking the city.

"If the Qing army is going to attack the city tomorrow, Your Highness, the city has suffered heavy casualties today. Without the imperial guards leading the way, if the Qing army continues to attack tomorrow, the city will have no chance to defend..."

Before Li Chengzhi could finish his words, he was interrupted by Zhu Lang.

"If he attacks, we defend"

"Now that the imperial army is approaching, since the Qing army is not afraid of being attacked from both sides and being annihilated, then our Ming Dynasty is not afraid either!"

Zhu Lang had a determined look on his face. Without waiting for Li Chengzhi to say anything, he opened his mouth and ordered:
"Go and get Lü Daqi, Su Guansheng and other ministers here. If morale is low, then find a way to boost it."

"If the Qing army wants to fight to the death, then we will fight to the death with them."

Zhu Lang stuffed a stack of papers on the table into his sleeve and walked straight out the door.
Before Li Chengzhi could summon the ministers in the court, Lu Daqi, Su Guansheng and others had already come to him.

(End of this chapter)