Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 103: Disintegration of Military Morale

Chapter 103: Disintegration of Military Morale
The rumbling sound of cannons rang out intermittently, and the dull sound of heavy objects falling to the ground came one after another, mixed in with the whistling and exploding sounds of many rockets. There was almost no peace around Fengyang City.

Due to the barrier of the Dabie Mountains, if Duoduo and Ajige relied solely on Tangma, even if they ran back and forth day and night to deliver messages, it would take more than ten days to communicate. The distance was too far.

This made it almost impossible for the two to communicate their marching strategies, let alone truly achieve the effect of advancing in tandem and attacking from two directions!

Moreover, Duoduo was tied up in Fengyang at this time and could not send troops south. He could only passively wait for Ajige to gain a foothold in the south of the Yangtze River.

But when that time really came, what he wanted was not the reunion of the two armies, but the Ming Emperor Zhu Cilang.

Ajige's mind was completely focused on fighting, but Duoduo was different. He was calculating the merits and demerits of this march south and would never let Ajige gain any advantage.

But he didn't know the battle situation of Ajige's army in the west, so he could only find a way to force Zhu Cilang to fight at all costs, so as to prevent Ajige from failing in his eastward advance and the southern expedition from being in vain.

He was not worried about his defeated general Li Zicheng, but the dense water network in the Yangtze River basin was a big enemy for the cavalry.

Duoduo had already sent people to Yangzhou and other places to investigate. Looking at the reports that kept coming back, he became more determined to capture Fengyang first. Otherwise, going south rashly would be a dead end.

At this moment, in his eyes, Zhu Cilang was like a dormant tiger. As soon as he showed a flaw, he would suddenly jump out, bite him hard, and kill him.

The relationship between Zhu Cilang and He Tengjiao is actually not much better.

It would take five or six days to go from Fengyang to Nanjing, crossing the river and avoiding the intercepting scouts deployed by the Qing army. But to Jiujiang, crossing the mountains and rivers, riding at full speed, even if you can travel 300 to 400 miles a day, it would take almost ten days to go back and forth.

In other words, in the battle of Jiangxi, Zhu Cilang could only make proactive deployments, but he was unable to use the emperor's prestige and his understanding of the original history to seize the initiative on the battlefield.

He Tengjiao was good at commanding his subordinates, raising money and food, and he could also achieve good results against some ragtag armies, but once a real major battle came, his true level of leadership was completely exposed.

It can only be said that He Tengjiao is not completely incapable of fighting, and the various units of the Ming army are originally of varying quality. Whether he can fight depends mainly on the troops under his command and who he is fighting against.

After all, rookies also have dignity. Even if they can't beat the regular Qing army, they can definitely beat those surrendered soldiers.

The same was true for Zuo Liangyu. He could not defeat Li Zicheng's main force, but he was able to easily defeat the Huguang Shun Army after Yuan Zongde withdrew his main force to support him in the north. However, when Li Zicheng arrived, he had to flee in disgrace.

However, how long Zuo Liangyu can hold on is now a huge unknown.

He Tengjiao could win over those military leaders and let them defend the city, but he could not really command them to fight on the battlefield.

Among all the units under Zuo Jun's command, Ma Jinzhong's unit is the strongest. Zuo Liangyu could still allow them to stroll around the battlefield and fight at least one battle, but if it were He Tengjiao, Ma Jinzhong might be the first to retreat.

The title of "hun shi wan" was not picked up. The reason why Ma Jinzhong could survive until his death was that he was quick to seize credit when the wind was favorable and ran even faster when the wind was unfavorable!
But no matter what, Zhu Cilang had to fight the battle in front of him first. After He Tengjiao, there was also Li Banghua. If Nanjing City did not surrender, the Qing army might not be able to break through even if they besieged it for three to five years.

However, if it really came to that, Nanjing would be a dead city. Zhu Cilang did not believe that the gentry in Jiangnan would defend their land and fight, and he never pinned his hopes on it.

These small groups that had seized all the national interests had no idea of ​​the true face of the Qing Dynasty at this time, and only thought that it was just another pseudo-Yuan Dynasty.

Moreover, they will only follow the winner. Whoever wins, they will follow him. Zhu Cilang must win!

On the city wall, the Ming army's artillery fire stopped after bombarding for a while. The gunpowder shells were not unlimited, and the soldiers on the city wall needed to act strictly in accordance with the orders issued.

Zhang Huangyan came to the first earth wall. He looked out from a watchtower where a corner had collapsed. Dozens of Qing soldiers were marching in groups of three or five, escorting teams of civilians through the winding trenches.

The civilians and Qing troops who had been hiding in the trenches immediately began digging after the artillery fire stopped, and heads kept appearing at the edge of the trenches.

During the advance, the Qing army tried various ways to avoid artillery shells. At first, they used shield carts to clear the way, but they still couldn't stop the artillery shells and muskets of the Ming army. Then they piled up sandbags in front of the trench to increase the protection, but the effect was still not ideal. Finally, it evolved into the current digging method, which is sometimes straight, sometimes slanted, and sometimes horizontal.

As a result, due to the arc of the ballistic trajectory, it was difficult for the artillery and muskets on the city walls to hit the civilians and Qing soldiers digging in the trenches, until they dug about a hundred steps and entered the range of some rockets.

"Do you remember what I said later?" Zhang Huangyan retracted his gaze and turned to look at a civilian who had risked his life to escape eight days ago while digging the soil at night when the surveillance soldiers were not paying attention.

"I know, I know. Just tell them about the situation in the city and the fact that Your Majesty treats the soldiers and civilians well. Also tell them about the food, drink, and some small matters," the civilian nodded vigorously.

Zhang Huangyan saw the other person's skilled look, then turned his head to look at another person. This person had fled from Liaodong and entered the pass more than ten years ago. Now he is a soldier in the palace army, but he still speaks with a Liaodong accent.

"Do you remember clearly what happened to Nurhaci, Huang Taiji, and Dorgon?"

"Chief Instructor, you can rest assured. I remember exactly what happened in my crotch!" The soldier wearing a light cotton armor said respectfully.

"Well, you're doing well. I'll be speaking to the audience based on what we've been rehearsing for the past few days."

During this period, the experiences of Nurhaci, Huang Taiji, and Dorgon, father and son, were all distorted through the compilation of several literati and poets in Fengyang City, mixed with rumors that spread to the interior.

There were soldiers from all banners of the Eight Banners outside the city. Duoduo was only the wartime commander, and he also had a large number of surrendered soldiers and civilians with him. Zhu Cilang naturally had to find a way to conduct psychological warfare and undermine the morale of these people.

Before this, the Qing army was still far away, and even if they shouted from the top of the city wall, they could not hear clearly. But now that the Qing soldiers have dug to the bottom of the city, the situation is different.

The Liaodong native soldier who participated in the rehearsal believed these fabricated words without a doubt. After this period of rehearsal, they had roughly sorted out the messy relationship between Nurhaci, Huangtaiji, and Dorgon.

Although the soldier was illiterate, he had listened to storytelling and folk anecdotes and knew many classic routines. However, because Zhang Huangyan's stories were different each time and became increasingly detailed, he still couldn't fully understand them after listening for so long.

But this is no longer important. He had already made up these restricted stories in his mind and even linked them together. Not to mention scaring the Qing army and civilians outside, he himself was stunned by what he heard.

A dull shout suddenly rang out from the edge of the earthen wall where the smoke was gradually dissipating. Amplified by the wooden loudspeaker, the sound could be heard from far away.

"Brothers, digging the trenches, listen carefully while you dig. You will soon reach fifty paces. The archers on the wall can cover you. When you find an opportunity, run quickly. Once you reach the trench, our soldiers on the city will immediately come out to support you."

"The brothers who fled to the city a few days ago have been properly accommodated. There is water and food in the city. After entering the city, there are white flour buns and rice porridge as much as you want. There is no way to finish them all.

After we defeat the Tartars, if you want to go back to farm and live a peaceful life, His Majesty will give you oxen and seeds, so you can return to your hometown, farm and live a peaceful life."

"Anyone who can chop off the head of a Baoyi soldier will be rewarded with thirty taels of silver and promoted to auxiliary soldier. If you chop off a Tartar, each head will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver and you will be directly enlisted in combat training."

"Even ordinary people, if there are willing to serve as soldiers to kill the Tartars for revenge, the court will provide you with weapons, armor, and training. The Tartars are nothing special. You have all seen how many of these sons of bitches have been killed in recent days."

As Zhang Huangyan and the civilian who had escaped back shouted alternately, a burst of threats and curses came from the trench outside the city. The Eight Banners soldiers and Baoyi soldiers who were supervising the work waved their weapons and threatened the civilians not to act rashly.

The laborers, holding digging tools in their hands, carefully concealed their emotions, each with their own thoughts. Ever since the Qing army suffered setbacks under the city, especially the failure of the night attack, they had lost their initial fear.

Shen Zhizhong saw the two civilians in front of him glance at him almost at the same time, and was immediately startled. After a moment of hesitation, he immediately stepped forward and swung the back of his knife at the two men, cursing as he chopped:
"What are you looking at? What are you looking at? Do you want to chop off my head? I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you!"

However, although he was furious, he didn't dare to kill anyone without permission. Nearly ten thousand civilians had been killed or injured while digging and filling the holes, and thousands more had died from exhaustion while felling trees and transporting supplies. And with no new recruits around, Duoduo had already issued orders not to kill indiscriminately. If he had been an Eight Banners soldier, he would have only been scolded for killing them, but he was only a bondservant. If he dared to kill indiscriminately, the punishment would be severe.

But some time ago, when those civilians escaped one after another, they chopped off the heads of more than a dozen bannermen and five armored soldiers. He was always afraid that the same thing would happen to him.

At this moment, he heard the shouting from the top of the wall and saw that the civilian he was monitoring was so suspicious, so he immediately exploded and did not stop until Etuhun next to him shouted.

"Everyone, be quiet. All those words were lies. If anyone goes over there, I will draw and quarter you once the prince breaks into the city."

Shen Zhizhong glared fiercely at the two civilians who were shrinking their bodies and holding their heads. After cursing, he quickly turned sideways and stuck to the trench, carefully running towards where Etuhun was.

And on the wall, after a short pause, the shouts of Zhang Huangyan and the civilian worker continued to be heard:

"The Tartars can't hold out for much longer. The Ming has already organized rebel armies in Shandong and Henan. Everywhere south of the Huai River and north of the Yangtze River is under heavy defense. Food can't be transported here. Without food, what's the point of fighting?"

"Not to mention the distant ones, can the Tartars capture Fengyang City? They have Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, and finally Nanjing. To the east is Huai'an, and to the north is Xuzhou. Think about it, the rainy season is coming soon. If it rains every day, how can we attack the city?"

"It's not just the common people, my brothers. To all the soldiers who have been deceived and led astray, you must remember that you are all Han Chinese. You and those Tartars have nothing in common. How can a man be a slave to others?"

"Serving as a soldier under His Majesty, you will have meat to eat, white flour and rice, and silver to receive. Even if you are injured or disabled, we will take care of you for the rest of your life. What's wrong with following the Tartars?
Remember, chopping off the head of a baoyi soldier is worth thirty taels of silver, and a Tartar is worth fifty taels. When you catch a Tartar baoyi soldier alone, go and chop him off, and then run over here, and our brothers will naturally come to help you."

The more Shen Zhizhong listened, the more frightened he became. He gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, fearing that someone would believe what he heard from the wall and attack him.

In fact, his confidence in the Qing army was somewhat shaken. Fengyang City looked like an indestructible beast, constantly swallowing shells and spitting out shells and arrows, but it still stood firm.

During this period, a large number of laborers deserted. To prevent them from deserting, Duoduo ordered that they be placed under surveillance. Those without families were not allowed to dig trenches. If anyone deserted, his family would be killed.

However, at this time, there were also many ruthless people among the civilians who completely ignored the fact that their families were still in the hands of the Qing army and ran away when they got the chance. Moreover, these people were often the most aggressive, and most of the baoyi soldiers and Eight Banners soldiers who were attacked were attacked by them.

Shen Zhizhong quickly came to Etuhun. Looking at his master, whose face was solemn and ferocious, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of security. Although Etuhun had beaten and scolded him a lot when he was outside the Great Wall, he even vaguely remembered that it was Etuhun's father who killed his entire family.

"Master, these Nikans are truly despicable. When the city is broken, I will kill them all to vent my anger for you!"

Etu had a stern face and showed no joy when he heard this. Instead, he said coldly:

"This is not something you should be thinking about. Keep an eye on these Nikans. The prince has sent a new order. If anyone tries to escape, they will be killed immediately. More and more people have been running away in the past few days. We must deter them."

"My master is right. Those people are really stupid. After they captured Fengyang City, made merit and raised the flag, good days would have come. But they were bewitched and surrendered to the Emperor Ming." Shen Zhizhong responded.

"Hiss" Etuhun heard it and suddenly thought of something, muttering:
"If those Nikans could be induced to surrender, why can't the Qing Dynasty do the same? Perhaps we can even recruit a group of useful slaves."

On the other side, after Zhang Huangyan finished shouting, he went over the plot with the armored soldier one last time, and then handed the wooden horn to him. He listened on the side, ready to give instructions at any time.

A loud voice rang out from the top of the wall. Its tone was obviously different from Zhang Huangyan's and the civilian worker's:
"Brothers, I'm from Liaodong. Today I'm going to tell you about that old slave, Huang Taiji, that Dorgon, and that bastard Fulin. I'll show you what kind of dogs these savages are!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Han Eight Banners, the Baoyi soldiers, the Mongolian Eight Banners who could understand Chinese, and some of the armored soldiers of the Manchu Eight Banners near the trench were all trembling in their hearts and could not help but listen attentively.

"Nurhaci was a bad boy since childhood. He either stole chickens and dogs or went to the pond to watch the pretty widows in the village take a bath.
As a Jurchen, this kind of moral corruption, in order to annex other tribes, did not hesitate to surrender to Li Chengliang, in order to please Li Chengliang, and became Li Chengliang's little singer. What is a little singer? It is a woman who sleeps with men and provides entertainment for Li family father and son day and night.

The armored soldier kept talking, and inspiration kept coming to him as he spoke, and he even added a lot of scenes on the spur of the moment.

"What do you think of the seven great hatreds of this old slave? The wanton humiliation, isn't that clear enough? The others are just deceptions. They sound so righteous, but in reality, they're just the ugly deeds of thieves and prostitutes. Disgusting.
As for the so-called thirteen sets of armor to start the rebellion, where did those armors come from? It was nothing more than Nurhaci stealing them one by one while Li Chengliang and his son were asleep. Little by little, he finally collected enough armors.

Zhang Huangyan was trying to remind them at first, but soon he couldn't keep up. This version was too advanced!
Although he knew that these words were completely fabricated and not credible at all, when he saw several armored soldiers in the trench baring their teeth and claws, trying to jump out but being immediately pulled back, he knew that the other party believed it.

Zhang Huangyan was not a pedantic person. As long as it was useful, he would naturally not stop it. These words, which were full of folk rumors, now seemed to be mocking the Qing Dynasty's arrogance and directly exposing the so-called "founding myth."

After cursing Nurhaci's family for their dirty deeds, the armored soldier completely let loose. He then started cursing Huang Taiji from the age of five until his death, and also cursed Huang Taiji's mother and Jirgalang, Huang Taiji and Abahai.

Thus, Duoduo became Huang Taiji's illegitimate son, and was discovered by the old slave. The two of them poisoned the old slave together, and then after Dorgon knew the truth, he also poisoned Huang Taiji. The next step was to kill Duoduo, so he sent him to the south to die.

Not only that, in order to avenge Huang Taiji, Dorgon secretly had an affair with Huang Taiji's concubine and gave birth to the current Fulin. This is why Dorgon supported Fulin to take the throne, drove away Haoge, and then became the regent.
When Kong Youde heard those words, his face turned pale. He was also implicated. He cursed that his wife had had affairs with several Manchu princes, and even that he had been raped by Dorgon in the artillery workshop.

Is it true, can we just say it?

Inside the moat outside the city, some of Duoduo's Bayala soldiers who could understand Chinese could not help but climb out of the moat when they heard these words. They cursed and shot arrows at the wall, but it had no effect at all.

On the other hand, the Ming army was laughing and joking, and the air was filled with a happy atmosphere. The armored soldier who was shouting seemed to have his talent stimulated. He became more and more excited as he spoke, and could even verify the previous events from the back. It can be said that the situation was progressive, with ups and downs, and suddenly there was light at the end.

Zhang Huangyan laughed heartily as he listened. He watched more and more baoyi soldiers and Eight Banners soldiers running out of the trenches and cursing angrily. He knew that the Tartars were angry and had already decided in his heart to pull this talented person to the other two city walls to continue to develop his talent.

"Geng Zhongming and Geng Jimao are not much better. They are all in the stable, being treated by those Tartar princes, hehe, just like Nurhaci was treated by Li Chengliang and his son, hehe."

“BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!!”

Before the armored soldier could finish his words, more than a dozen balls of orange-red flames erupted from the Qing army's artillery positions outside the city. More than a dozen black iron bullets whizzed across the sky and slammed heavily into Fengyang City with trails of smoke.

Kong Youde couldn't stand it any longer. After asking Tulai, he directly ordered the artillery to bombard the city walls, trying to stop the Ming army's slander!

Zhang Huangyan was quick-witted and pulled the armored soldier down, cursing and laughing:
"Damn it! The Tartars are really getting anxious!"

The armored soldier had fought for so long on the city wall and was already a veteran of hundreds of battles. When he heard the cannon fire, he showed no fear at all. He even asked in a hoarse voice with a flattering look on his face:

"Chief Instructor, my scolding just now was okay, wasn't it? The part about Dorgon and Huang Taiji's affair wasn't detailed enough. I think I should make up for it next time I scold him."

"Hahaha, no rush, wait until they fire a few more shots, the sound is too loud right now."

Zhang Huangyan knew that the cannon was not accurate. He was safe inside the watchtower. He patted the armored soldier's shoulder with satisfaction and said with a smile:
"However, I think there's one point I mentioned earlier that can be changed. Although Duoduo is Huang Taiji's illegitimate son, he has always been dissatisfied and wants to inherit the throne and kill Huang Taiji. He also discovered that Dorgon was having an affair with Huang Taiji's concubine. He forced Dorgon and Huang Taiji's concubine to feed him the medicine."

"But in this way, isn't the before and after different?" asked the armored soldier, scratching his head.

"It's better if they're different. Let's go to the other side of the city wall. When the two groups of soldiers bump into each other, they'll argue about the differences. Once they argue, even the fake will become real."

"Boom boom boom!!!"

On the east side of Fengyang City, as some Qing soldiers ran out of the trenches to shoot arrows, the Ming army on the city wall also fired artillery. Rounds of thunder-like explosions rang out one after another. Seven or eight of the Qing soldiers who rushed out fell down instantly, and the rest immediately retreated back into the trenches.

(End of this chapter)

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