Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 162 Conspiracy
In the Qing army tent, Tong Yangjia, Li Chengdong and the two generals were all sitting in the tent, but at this moment everyone was silent, and the atmosphere in the tent seemed extremely heavy.

Tong Yangjia looked gloomy, looked at Li Yangchen below, and asked

“What’s the situation outside the city?”

"In the afternoon, a large number of Ming troops arrived outside Guangzhou. According to scouts, there are probably no less than 10,000 of them. Including the Ming troops that arrived yesterday, there are probably no less than 30,000 Ming troops outside the city now."

"After the Ming army arrived in the afternoon, they marched out of the east of the city. Now they are camping three miles southeast of my camp."

The generals in the tent all looked shocked when they heard what Li Yangchen said. The Qing army was now camping at the Beixiaochang outside Guangzhou.

Although it is called Beixiaochang, it is actually located in the northeast corner of Guangzhou City. The north of this Xiaochang is backed by mountains, and the west is the remnant of Guangzhou Donghao. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and is an excellent place to camp. However, it has become a dead end.

To the north of the parade ground are Yuexiu Mountain and Baiyun Mountain. The rugged mountains are not suitable for the passage of the army. Going west to Zhaoqing, the whole way is the hinterland of the Ming army. Now the 30,000 Ming troops outside the city are stationed in the southeast and the Qing army has no way to go.
The Ming army outside the city seemed to want to trap them to death here.
Tong Yangjia's expression became more gloomy when he heard this, and he asked again

"The army still has a few days' supply of food and wages."

"There are still three days of food and wages. If the army tries to be frugal, it should be able to last for five days," Li Yangchen replied carefully.

Tong Yangjia's face finally darkened when he heard this. The army only had three days' worth of food and wages left. They didn't even have the option of holding on and waiting for change.
Even if the Ming army did nothing, after three days, if the army ran out of food, the soldiers would definitely mutiny and flee. At that time, no one would be able to help.

Tong Yangjia glanced at Li Chengdong below, and the murderous intent in his eyes was uncontrollable.

It’s all because of Li Chengdong!

If it wasn't for this bastard who lured him here, if it wasn't for Li Chengdong's insistence on attacking Guangzhou, how could he have fallen into such a desperate situation? It was all Li Chengdong's fault.
Tong Yangjia's eyes were filled with murderous intent, but he quickly suppressed the murderous intent in his heart, his expression turned cold, and he looked at the people below.
"The army is short of food and money, and the Ming army is surrounding the camp outside the city. If we continue to defend, we will just be waiting for death. I have decided to mobilize all the troops tomorrow and fight a decisive battle with the fake Ming!"

The generals below were all silent when they heard this, and no one raised a voice to object.

This is the only way to survive now. Either we defeat the Ming army in one fell swoop, or we will be defeated and leave.
The Qing troops that entered Guangdong are now surrounded here. They don't even know who to ask for help. In this situation, what else can they do except fight to the death?
Seeing that no one was talking, Tong Yangjia looked at Li Chengdong below.

"General Li, you will lead the troops to attack tomorrow. No matter what, you must defeat the Ming army's front line and lure out the 2,000 Ming cavalry."

"Our cavalry will be at the rear. As soon as the Ming cavalry comes out, our cavalry will immediately attack and fight a decisive battle."

"Even if we cannot defeat the Ming army tomorrow, we must kill the cavalry outside the city. This is our only way to survive. Do you understand?"

After hearing this, everyone thought for a moment, and then nodded slightly. If the Ming army had both cavalry and infantry, then none of them would be able to escape.

But if they could defeat the Ming cavalry, they would have a chance to escape. No matter how many Ming infantrymen there were, could they still catch up with the cavalry?

After everyone understood Tong Yangjia's meaning, they all looked at Li Chengdong on the right. Li Chengdong thought for a moment with a serious face, and finally spoke in a deep voice.

"I understand. Tomorrow I will personally lead the troops and defeat the pseudo-Ming army."

Everyone in the field heard this, including Li Yangchen, Ye Chengen and other generals under Tong Yangjia, all looked as if it was natural. It was Li Chengdong who caused the trouble, and now everyone was trapped in a desperate situation. Not killing Li Chengdong was a mercy. How could he refuse at this time?
Li Chengdong's generals such as Luo Chengyao and Du Yonghe had grim expressions on their faces. They had already experienced the hedgehog-like chariot formation of the Ming army today. What other methods could they use to attack such a formation except to sacrifice their lives?

Li Chengdong is fighting for his life, isn't it them who are fighting for their life?
However, Li Chengdong had already agreed, so even if Luo Chengyao and the others were dissatisfied, they did not dare to refute him.
Tong Yangjia was relieved when he saw Li Chengdong agreed. Without waiting for Li Chengdong to change his words, he immediately said:
"Take out all the wine and meat in the army tonight, reward the soldiers and boost their morale. Tomorrow morning, the whole army will march out of the camp to fight a decisive battle with the Ming court."

Tong Yangjia spoke in a cold voice, and all the generals in the camp stood up and accepted the order, and then dispersed.
After the discussion in the camp was finalized, all the generals left, and soon only Tong Yangjia and Bai Yindai were left in the tent.

Tong Yangjia ordered his personal guards to guard the camp gate, and suddenly he started speaking Manchu.
"How many cavalrymen are there in the army now?"

Bai Yindai was also stunned when he heard this, and then he began to reply in Manchu

"We have more than 500 Jurchen warriors, all of whom are cavalry. In addition, we have 1,800 Han cavalry, but many of them are Han generals in Li Yangchen's army."

"Go down to each camp and seize all these cavalrymen under the pretext of gathering them to attack the Ming army."

"When the battle starts tomorrow, as soon as Li Chengdong leads out the Ming cavalry, we will immediately lead the cavalry to retreat eastwards!"

"When the Ming cavalry is held back by Li Chengdong, and there are nearly 10,000 Green Camp Han soldiers on the field, the Ming army will certainly choose to defeat those Han soldiers first. This is our only way to survive. Do you understand?"

Bai Yindai was startled, then a hint of joy flashed across his face, and he immediately bowed his hands in response.
Tong Yangjia's expression was grim. What decisive battle? Today, they also sent out all their troops. After a lot of casualties, the two chariot formations of the Ming army did not even show signs of collapse.
Today, they have the advantage in military strength, but they still can't break through. Now that the Ming army has more than 10,000 troops, they can break through. What a joke!

After discovering that the Ming army's strength had suddenly increased to 30,000, Tong Yangjia immediately decided to evacuate.
This matter has nothing to do with him at all. It's all the fault of that idiot Li Chengdong.

But it was useless to say anything now. With over 10,000 soldiers cut off from food supplies and no reinforcements, they were doomed to be defeated.
The most urgent task now is to evacuate with the more than 500 Jurchen soldiers.
This is the strength of two Niulu troops. Since the imperial court entered the pass, it has never suffered such a great loss.

Duoduo led his troops from Jin Province all the way to Jiangnan, and never lost so many people at one time. If the troops of these two Niulu were defeated by Tong Yangjia, I am afraid that the court would cut him into pieces.
Tong Yangjia's heart trembled when he thought of this. Now he didn't want to care about anything else. He just wanted to take these two Niulu back intact.

As long as he can bring back these 500+ Jurchen warriors intact, then he won't be guilty of a serious offense this time. The Tong family also has a say in the court. With the Tong family's plea, he can get away with dismissal and a fine.
He is a genuine bannerman, and he may have a chance to make a comeback in the future!

As for what to do with the remaining 10,000 Han troops after he ordered them to escape?

What does that have to do with him?

They are just a group of Han soldiers. If they die, it's no big deal. There are not many things in this world, but Han people are the most numerous. If these people die, we can just recruit another batch.

"Li Chengdong, he really deserves to be cut into pieces"

In the empty tent, Tong Yangjia sat on the main seat with a violent look on his face. Only a cold voice echoed slowly in the tent.

Li Chengdong's big tent, Li Chengdong sat at the top, Luo Chengyao, Du Yong, Ma Bao and other generals in the army were all sitting in the tent

Li Chengdong glanced at the silent generals below, but his expression remained unchanged. He looked at Du Yonghe below and spoke in a deep voice.

"How many cavalry are there in the army now?"

"All the departments together still have more than 800 people."

Du Yonghe said in a deep voice. At this time, hearing Li Chengdong's words, the generals in the tent also focused their attention on him.
Li Chengdong looked at the generals who were hesitant to speak and spoke in a cold voice

"Tong Yangjia wants us brothers to die in order to survive, but we brothers have fought all the way here, not to work for the Tartars."

"Since Tong Yangjia and the others want to die, let them die."

When the generals heard this, they were all shocked. They looked at each other and then looked closely at Li Chengdong.

"Listen, when you go back, gather all the sons and nephews and their own soldiers. Tomorrow, all of them will pretend to be cavalry and charge into the battle with me." "As soon as the cavalry of the Ming army appears tomorrow, we will immediately leave the battlefield and retreat westward."

A hint of cruelty flashed in Li Chengdong's eyes, and he spoke in a cold voice

"I have sent people to gather intelligence on the Ming army. The main forces of the Ming army are in the southeast. There are only two thousand infantrymen in the west who are camped behind the city to prevent us from escaping to the west."

"Tomorrow the army will line up for battle. We only have 800 cavalry. If we try to escape, the Ming cavalry will not chase us. Instead, they will keep a close eye on Tong Yangjia's cavalry."

"After we withdraw, the Qing army's front line will inevitably collapse, and the Ming army will then prioritize dealing with the main force of Tong Yangjia's army."

"We are all cavalry. The two thousand Ming army infantrymen in the west cannot stop us. With Tong Yangjia holding back the Ming army for us, as long as the Ming army cavalry does not chase us, we can evacuate smoothly."

When the generals heard this, they all looked delighted. But at this moment, Li Yuanyin suddenly spoke:

"If we escape, the Qing army under the city will surely be defeated. If the Qing government holds us accountable, what should we do?"

Luo Chengyao and the others were stunned when they heard this. It was obviously impossible for them to surrender to the Ming Dynasty now. If they escaped at this time and Tong Yangjia's army was annihilated, the Qing Dynasty would not let them go. How would they deal with it then?
Li Chengdong's face darkened when he heard this. He was silent for a moment and suddenly spoke in a deep voice.

"We can't worry about so many things right now. The most important thing now is to stay alive. The west is the heartland of the Ming army and we can't go there. After we escape, we will go to northern Guangdong."

"The Ming army in Guangdong Province is now under the city of Guangzhou. There must be no soldiers guarding other places. I will attack the city when I reach northern Guangdong. After I get money and food, I will immediately recruit soldiers. As long as we have soldiers and food, the Qing court and the Ming court will have to win us over."

All the generals nodded when they heard this. Regardless of whether Li Chengdong's plan was problematic or not, the most important thing at the moment was to escape. As for what happened next, that would be discussed later. Who cared about these things right now?
Seeing the excited crowd, Ma Bao's eyes flashed, and he suddenly stood up and said

"If so, I still have a concern in my mind."

"That Tong Yangjia is a Jurchen Tartar with a cunning temperament. Although he has said that he will lead us to a decisive battle with the Ming army, there is no guarantee that he will not have hidden intentions."

"Now that we are surrounded by the Ming army, there is no guarantee that Tong Yangjia will not secretly lead his men to evacuate. Although the Ming army is surrounded outside, if Tong Yangjia breaks out with a small number of people at night, the Ming army may not be able to discover it in time."

"If Tong Yangjia escapes with his men, we will be trapped immediately. We must abandon the camp and flee with Tong Yangjia."

Everyone's faces turned serious when they heard this, and Li Chengdong's face also turned serious. He said

"Yes, we must guard against Tong Yangjia's escape."

The key to their evacuation plan tomorrow is to use Tong Yangjia's army as bait to pin down the Ming army and prevent them from chasing.
If Tong Yangjia escapes, the Qing army will be in chaos tomorrow. By then, the camp will be destroyed without a fight. How can they escape?

Seeing everyone nod, Ma Bao continued to speak.

"We are now only occupying the western camp gate, while the other three gates are guarded by Tong Yangjia's men. To be honest, given the current situation, if Tong Yangjia wants to escape, he may leave Guangzhou city without us noticing."

"I think we should send people to these gates to guard the camp together with Tong Yangjia's men. This way, even if Tong Yangjia leads his men to withdraw, we will be able to know it at the first time and be able to respond early."

"Yes, what Brother Ma said makes sense. This camp gate is now a matter of life and death. We cannot let Tong Yangjia's people control it on their own. We should also send people to guard the camp gate."

Yan Keyi spoke up immediately upon hearing this, and Luo Chengyao, Hao Shangjiu and others also responded immediately. Li Chengdong saw this and also spoke up.
"In that case, Brother Ma, you should send people to the four gates to help guard the camp gates with Tong Yangjia's men. If you find Tong Yangjia escaping, report it immediately."

After Li Chengdong finished speaking, he looked at Li Yuanyin on the side.

"Also, send someone to monitor the situation in Tong Yangjia's army. If you find any unusual movement, report it immediately."

Ma Bao and Li Yuanyin both bowed their hands and accepted the order. Ma Bao's eyes turned and he continued to speak.

"There is one more thing. Now the other gates in the camp are controlled by Tong Yangjia's men. It is easy for me to send people to help guard them, but Tong Yangjia's men may not be willing to guard the camp gates with us."

"Don't worry about them, just send someone over. If Tong Yangjia has any objections, I will talk to him about it."

Li Chengdong said in a cold voice, now all of them are surrounded by the Ming army in the camp, even if Tong Yangjia is dissatisfied, so what, can he dare to fight with him?
As for whether Tong Yangjia would retaliate against him afterwards, Li Chengdong didn't care. Anyway, he would lead his troops to escape after tomorrow. Before Tong Yangjia retaliated against him, he should think about how to save his life first.
Besides, he was not unkind. If Tong Yangjia was dissatisfied, he could just send someone to help guard the west gate.
After being reminded by Ma Bao just now, he immediately reacted. Under the current circumstances, Tong Yangjia might indeed escape overnight. If that was the case, he could not leave those camp gates to Tong Yangjia and others.
If Tong Yangjia escapes, who will be the bait? How can they escape?
Everyone in the tent decided on a plan for escape, and then discussed guarding the gates and tomorrow's escape plan, and then hurriedly left to prepare for their own escape.

Ma Bao returned to the tent and just as he entered the camp gate, Ma Ziyuan came up to him and couldn't help but say:
"Dad, what's going on? What are those Tartars saying now?"

Ma Ziyuan looked at his father with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes. Previously, he thought his father was crazy, leaving the Qing army behind and secretly joining the Ming emperor in the city. But now he saw his father's cleverness.
Previously, the Qing army was powerful and the Ming army in the city was blocked and unable to move. They followed the Qing army to attack the city without any risk. Now the Ming army is powerful and the Qing army in the camp is surrounded and unable to move. They also have no risk.

Who could have thought the situation would change so quickly?
Ever since the 10,000 Ming troops arrived in the afternoon, everyone in the camp had been in a state of panic and despair. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Qing army was in great danger.

The Qing troops in the camp can only wait and die now, but they are not like that. They are in the same group with the imperial court!

Ma Bao took the teacup from the table, raised his head and drank the tea in the cup, then sat on the chair and briefly explained the situation in the camp.
After Ma Bao finished speaking, he did not wait for Ma Ziyuan to speak, and immediately spoke in a deep voice

"Li Chengdong is ready to flee. Although Tong Yangjia is determined to fight to the death, I think he is not the kind of brave man who dares to die."

"Tong Yangjia must have some other conspiracy behind his back, but it's too late to investigate now. You should leave the camp immediately and pass the news to the court."

Ma Ziyuan was shocked and was about to walk out of the tent, but just as he started, he was stopped by Ma Bao.

"Also, tell the court that I have gained Li Chengdong's trust. I will guard the south gate of the camp tonight. Ask the court whether they will launch a night attack tonight."

"If the imperial court wants to launch a night attack, I can seize the South Gate tonight and help the imperial court break through the Qing camp!"

A sharp light flashed in Ma Bao's eyes. Why did he go to such lengths to remind Li Chengdong? It was just for this opportunity to defend the camp.

He had already surrendered to the imperial court, so his life would not be in danger during this siege.
But then, as a general who broke into the camp and joined the court, how should he deal with himself?
Although he had helped the court send messengers and constantly delivered information to the city, what kind of merit could he have achieved by sending messages?

If he could assist the imperial court at this time and attack and destroy the Qing army camp at night, it would be a real achievement!
Ma Ziyuan was shocked when he heard this, and said hesitantly

"Dad, isn't this too risky? Besides, your wounds haven't healed yet..."

Ma Ziyuan had just finished speaking when Ma Bao waved his hand to interrupt him.
"You are the one who caused the injuries on my body. Don't you know the situation? If you can't lift the knife just because of these few cuts, then your father should go home and retire as soon as possible instead of fighting a war."

"I am not afraid of seizing the gate now, but I am afraid that the court will not be willing to attack the camp. After all, we are from the camp. If we don't have great achievements, how can we gain a foothold in the court in the future? This is a major issue related to the future of our Ma family!"

"Don't say any more, just go and deliver the message quickly."

Ma Bao spoke in a cold voice, and Ma Ziyuan felt that what Ma Bao said made sense. He glanced at Ma Bao, who was wrapped in bandages, gritted his teeth, and hurriedly retreated.

The west gate had been controlled by Li Chengdong and others. At this time, the people in the camp were in a panic. Ma Ziyuan found a random excuse to go out of the city to investigate, and then he left the camp easily. Soon, the city received the intelligence sent by Ma Ziyuan.
(End of this chapter)