Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 120 Anything Abnormal Is a Demon

Chapter 120 Anything Abnormal Is a Demon

Since ancient times, China has considered defeating the enemy with strategy as the best option, while forming a battle array between two armies to attack each other is only considered a last resort.

However, over the past thousands of years, countless wars have been fought, but how many of them were truly defeated by strategy?

The final victory or defeat still depends on the two armies' battle array and the attacking side.

This resulted in an extremely strange situation where victory or defeat was mostly decided by a grand battle, but in history books it was only recorded that a certain general defeated the enemy with a certain strategy, but as for the rest, it was difficult to find even a single word about it.

Take today's battle for example. If it could be recorded in history books, it would probably be just a sentence like "General Fang Guoan fought with Liu Liangzuo's troops under the city of Hangzhou." As for how the battle took place, it can only be imagined by those who have read it.

However, Fang Anguo was not someone who had never seen a battle. When he saw colorful flags fluttering in the Qing army's formation, he realized that the other side was going to respond.

"You lead your troops to prepare. If the Tartars try to attack from the rear, do your best to stop them."

"Order!"

"Take your troops and prepare. If I raise the red flag, you will join him in attacking the Tartars. If I raise the black flag, you will cover their retreat."

"Order."

Two military orders were issued in succession, and then two generals went straight to their troops.

Yu Fang'anguo thought that there were only two options for the Qing army at this time: one was to watch this army be wiped out; the other was to try to reverse the situation.

However, due to that burst of musketry, the enemy collapsed too quickly, so if the Qing army wanted to reverse the situation, it had no other way except to send troops to encircle them from the flank.

Based on this, the two troops he sent out were not only prepared to intercept the enemy, but also had a backup plan.

As long as the Qing army dared to come, even if they could break through the first interception, they would surely be defeated at the second interception.

In this case, unless Liu Liangzuo was really willing to risk the firepower from the city walls and fight an all-out battle with him under the city of Hangzhou, the battle would probably end with the victory of the Ming army.

"Marshal! Look!"

Just when Fang Guoan thought he was paying attention to his nephew, the shout of the general next to him drew his attention to the left side of the Qing army's formation.

At this time, there was a group of people organizing their formation, apparently preparing to encircle Fang Yuanke's troops from the rear.

Clang.

Fang Guoan's heart sank.

Although he had responded, it was only out of the instinct of a commander. In his heart, he did not think that Liu Liangzuo really dared to fight a battle with him under the city.

Anything abnormal is a demon.

But where did this monster come from?

As Fang Guoan watched the two armies of our side slowly move toward the left side of the battlefield, a sense of foreboding grew stronger.

Both of them are experienced fighters. Both Fang Guoan and Liu Liangzuo know that as long as these two forces collide, the battle will become bigger and bigger.

But as the defending side, the Ming army would definitely gain an advantage in that situation because of the support of firepower on the city. Unless the Qing army had a way to offset this advantage, the Ming army would be invincible in this battle. What reason did the Qing army have to continue fighting?
Offset the firepower on the city. Offset the firepower on the city.
Fang Guoan repeated these words more than ten times in his mind but he couldn't figure out what Liu Liangzuo relied on.

Is it
He glanced at the Qiantang River three or four miles away, and then gave up the idea.

As we all know, the Qing army did not pay much attention to the navy. Not to mention how they could get here with those broken things converted from civilian ships, even if they got here, how could they suppress the firepower on the city?
After much thought, Fang Guoan still couldn't guess what Liu Liangzuo relied on. In this situation, he could only turn his attention to the battlefield again.

At this time, encouraged by the reinforcements, the Qing army in the center of the battlefield seemed to be stabilizing again. However, Fang Yuanke had already rushed to the center of the Qing army's formation. Even if the Qing army did not collapse now, it would not be able to hold out for long.

As for the left side of the battlefield, it was hard to tell who was stronger and who was weaker as the two generals had just joined the battle. There didn't seem to be any danger of being broken through by the Qing army for a while, so Fang Guoan looked towards the center of the battlefield again.

He focused most of his attention on this place. Firstly, it was because this was the key point of the battlefield. As long as the enemy in front of them was defeated, the Ming army could either retreat or fight. Secondly, it was out of selfish motives.

With Fang Yuanke's combat capability, he shouldn't be in too much danger as long as he's not trapped in a tight encirclement. However, Fang Anguo has always treated him as his own son, so it's only natural for him to pay a little more attention to him.

As time passed, the remaining three or four layers of the Ming army in the central battlefield were able to break through the Qing army's battle formation, while the situation on the left battlefield was just the opposite, and the Ming army was gradually showing signs of fatigue.

Seeing this, Fang Guoan sighed in his heart, ordered the flag officer to raise the red flag high, and then thought about the possible response of the Qing army.

In the previous battles, both he and Liu Liangzuo had tacitly controlled the scale of the battle to between three and two thousand people. But today, Liu Liangzuo seemed to be determined to turn this battle into a big one.

Based on the principle of never letting the enemy achieve its goal, Fang Guoan had already considered retreating.

However, no matter how they retreat, the Qing army in the central battlefield must be defeated, otherwise the retreat may turn into a rout due to the entanglement.

By then, not only would the safety of the army outside the city be unpredictable, but even the city of Hangzhou might be breached by the Tartars.

"You two take your troops to help them retreat. When you hear me sound the horn, you move forward." Having said this, Fang Guoan roughly estimated the range of the artillery on the city wall, and then looked at the distance between his own army and the city wall before saying, "Move forward 200 steps to intercept the enemy."

"Order!"

The two generals took the order and left. Fang Guoan seemed to feel uneasy, but he hesitated for a while and finally did not give any orders to the only two generals left beside him.

"After all, there are too few soldiers."

He looked at his soldiers fighting on the battlefield and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Although the Ming army seemed to have the upper hand at this time, Fang Guoan knew in his heart that he had tried his best, while the Tartars had only sent Liu Liangzuo's troops.

He was helpless in this situation, but the situation was stronger than the person, so he could only do it despite his helplessness.

"I just hope that if I win this battle, the people in the city will stop being so hesitant."

This thought was forcibly dispelled by Fang Guoan. After all, Fang Yuanke was about to break through the Qing army's formation, and Liu Liangzuo would also come up with a countermeasure at this time.

If he continued to let his imagination run wild, he might miss this fleeting opportunity.

just
Why didn't the Qing army move?

According to common sense, the Qing army should have responded immediately after the encircling troops were stopped by the Ming army. However, it had been almost an incense stick of time and there was no movement at all, which made Fang Guoan really confused about what Liu Liangzuo was doing.

One demon after another made him determined to withdraw his troops back to the city as soon as he defeated the enemy in front of him.

It was not that Fang Guoan was greedy and wanted to wipe out the more than a thousand Qing troops, but with Fang Yuanke's breakthrough, the two sides had become entangled.

Unless one side flees first without any hesitation, the two armies will never be separated in this situation.

separate!

That’s right, separate!

"Ming Jin withdraws his troops!"

"Master!?"

"quick!"

"Yes!"

clang!clang!clang!
After a moment, the sound of golden bells echoed over the battlefield, and then all the troops moved according to the order. However, Fang Yuanke, who had already killed his way through the enemy's formation, hesitated at this time.

According to his previous plan, no matter whether the victory was big or small, as long as he could win a little, he would immediately retreat to avoid losses. But now that he had just broken through the enemy's formation, the signal to retreat had been given.

Under such circumstances, if they dared to retreat even half a step, the Qing army, which was already on the verge of collapse, would surely follow and kill them.

By then, not to mention a small victory, even the advantage gained at a huge cost would be wiped out immediately.

"Major General!"

The sound of golden bells continued to ring in his ears, but Fang Yuanke seemed to be unaware of it.

These thousand-plus soldiers are Fang Guoan's capital for survival. If they are really sent here, how can the uncle and nephew survive in this chaotic world?
"Major General!"

The soldier beside him blocked the spear that was stabbing from the right for him, and then shouted again.

Although Fang Yuanke did not order a retreat at this time, the soldiers had no intention of fighting. Instead, the Qing army, which had been on the verge of collapse, not only stopped retreating but also began to counterattack in groups of two or three.

In this situation, even if Fang Yuanke was unwilling, he was powerless to turn the tide of the battle.

"withdraw!"

The cry was filled with grief and indignation.

Just because of that burst of golden sound, not only did they fail to complete their original plan, but they might also cause heavy casualties to the elite battalion.

If they lose this battle, not only will it boost the confidence of those in power in the city, but even their own army may become unstable.

What's the point of talking about defending the city then?
It would be better to cut the neck earlier and recover more easily.

"Tattoo!"

"Tattoo!"

Just when Fang Yuanke was feeling uneasy because of the sudden sound of golden bell, the sound of galloping cavalry suddenly reached his ears.

When he found time to look in the direction where the sound came from, he saw several cavalry troops rushing to various parts of the battlefield, and the Qing army's main formation had actually started moving.

In this situation, he understood the reason for the golden sound, but at the same time he did not understand why the Qing army did this.

There are only three battalions of soldiers on the entire battlefield. If they really want to keep them, there is no need to fight like this. But if they are not the target, what target is worthy of Liu Liangzuo's entire army?

Did he intend to wipe out the main force arrayed near the city wall in one fell swoop?
The thought turned to his mind, but it did not delay Fang Yuanke's actions. He suddenly turned sideways, and then his gun turned, and a Qing soldier behind him immediately fell down holding his neck.

At this time, the two battalions responsible for intercepting the Qing army were fighting and retreating, and the support troops had also headed to the support position.

As long as the two armies join forces, they will be able to calmly retreat into the range of the city's firepower. If the Qing army dares to pursue them again at that time, they will surely be hit head-on by the artillery on the city.

If we only look at these, it seems that only Fang Yuanke's battalion is at risk of being surrounded. However, if we take the cavalry troops that are galloping into consideration, it seems that those two battalions will find it difficult to join up with the reinforcements.

At this point, Fang Guoan was certain that Liu Liangzuo wanted to devour all of his men.

Otherwise, why would he have to spend a battalion of troops to distribute his battalions to different parts of the battlefield? Why would he have to send out cavalry to try to divide them?

just
Were they really not afraid of the artillery fire from the city walls? Or did the Qing army have a way to offset the damage from the artillery fire?
"Marshal! I'll take some people to pick up the Major General!"

Just as Fang Guoan was racking his brains to understand why the Qing army did this, the anxious voice of the general beside him reached his ears.

How could he not know that Fang Yuanke's troops were about to be surrounded? How could he not feel sorry for his nephew who he treated as his own son and the elite troops he had devoted his heart and soul to?
But the troops under his command are the only ones capable of fighting in Hangzhou. If they are all killed here, the city of Hangzhou will certainly no longer be able to be defended.

How could he ignore the safety of the country for his own selfish interests?
"Prepare the city to fire!"

"Marshal! Let me take the men! We can't just ignore the Major General!"

"Shut up! The safety of Hangzhou depends on my army! How can I sacrifice public office for personal gain?"

"Commander!"

"Snapped!"

The general was about to plead for mercy, but Fang Guoan whipped him directly in the face.

"Are you going to disobey orders on the battlefield?"

"Yes!"

The general's response was somewhat tearful. He had followed Fang Guoan for many years and had watched Fang Yuanke grow from a young boy to a brave warrior.

Even though he could see the Marshal's inner struggle from his bloodshot eyes, he had no other choice on the battlefield except to obey orders and leave.

Seeing the general leave, Fang Guoan turned his attention to the battlefield again.

Although the two camps on the left side of the battlefield were still entangled by the Qing army at this time, they were only about twenty steps away from the reinforcements.

As long as we can reunite with the support troops, even if we still have to pay some price in the end, it is within our tolerance range.

just
Fang Guoan's eyes moved and looked towards the center of the battlefield again.

A team of cavalry had blocked Fang Yuanke's retreat route, and the distance between them and the Qing army's formation was very small.

There was no need to explain what this situation meant, but the battle-hardened Fang Guoan could only stare at it for a while before looking away.

"Take the remaining archers to the left to defend. If the Tatar cavalry tries to charge, you will intercept them with crossbows. Remember, don't go too far!"

When Fang Guoan just opened his mouth, the general thought he was going to meet the major general, but when he heard the word "left side", he understood the marshal's intention.

Fang Yuanke's troops were inevitably surrounded, and their location was in the center of the battlefield. Even though they had retreated a long way, they were still far out of the range of the artillery on the city.

If we really want to send people to provide support, not to mention that we won't be able to rescue many people, even the supporting troops may be attacked by the Tatar cavalry.

Under such circumstances, the most sensible approach is to abandon this group of troops and make every effort to ensure that the battalions on the left side of the battlefield can retreat within the range of artillery fire.

"Marshal! Major General."

"Listen to my orders! Go now!"

"Order!"

With a sigh in his heart, the general knew that he could not anger the commander again.

But he really couldn't understand what the Tartars relied on.

Was it just to eat up this battalion of soldiers? Or was it to anger the Marshal with the death of the young general?
This problem not only troubled the general, but also Fang Guoan himself.

At this time, he was certain that the Tartars wanted to use Fang Yuanke's life and death to lure him into sending troops to rescue him.

As long as he could place his army out of the range of the artillery on the city wall, the Qing army would definitely gain even if Liu Liangzuo's troops perished together with the Ming army.

"But how did the Tartar know that Yuan Ke would lead the charge?"

(End of this chapter)

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