Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 113 A Hard Victory
The warships on the lake soon fired artillery shells at the Qing army on the plain again. More than thirty stone bullets ranging from three to more than ten pounds came whistling with smoke tails, which immediately affected Aobai's troop deployment.

These elite Eight Banners soldiers who galloped on horseback and made the Ming army tremble in fear were completely vulnerable to artillery shells. If they were hit in the torso, they and their armor would often be shattered into pieces, exploding into a pile of broken limbs.

However, the casualties of such long-range attacks in a short period of time were ultimately limited. The Qing army had already intentionally dispersed into charging groups at this time. As they got closer and closer to Jin Shenghuan's army formation, the hit rate of those naval guns was greatly reduced.

At this time, in order to delay the Qing army's offensive, the Ming army, under the command of Jin Shenghuan, quickly launched a counterattack. The musketeers in front of the Ming army launched rounds of volleys at the attacking enemies.

“Bang, bang, bang!!!”

Bursts of extremely loud musketry sounds came from the Ming army line at the mountain pass. Lead bullets weighing one or two pounds mercilessly harvested the lives of Qing soldiers. Dozens of Qing cavalrymen in the front row fell in an instant, but were soon trampled beyond recognition by the horses' hooves that followed, and screams of pain continued.

Although the Ming army under Jin Shenghuan had poor close combat capabilities, they occupied advantageous terrain, and the Qing army could not directly outflank them. The power of their muskets was greatly exerted. The lethality of such volleys was extremely terrifying, and it dealt a heavy blow to the Qing army.

But compared with the Ming army's volleys, the Qing army's cavalry was stronger in strength. Oboi led the charge himself, and the Qing army's cavalry soon rushed forward with earth-shaking shouts of killing. Zhuobutai also led a team of horsemen to attack the cavalry covering the northern wing of the Ming army.

As the musketeers retreated and the combat soldiers advanced, chaos began to appear in the Ming army's defense line. Under the sudden attack of the Qing cavalry, the two sides engaged in a melee, and the Ming army's combat effectiveness was obviously much weaker.

Jin Shenghuan was at the rear of the battle formation, observing the evolving situation on the battlefield. Although the initial volley of musketry was powerful, the rate of fire was too slow and difficult to sustain. If they wanted to repel the Qing army and win the final victory in this battle, they still had to rely on the infantry phalanx.

At the same time, taking advantage of Oboi's massive attack on the front and the north wing, Jin Shenghuan immediately ordered the cavalry on the south wing to fight and tie down this powerful Qing cavalry.

He was very clear about the strength of his infantry. Even in a favorable terrain like a mountain pass, without the assistance of cavalry, they would most likely be directly broken through by the Qing army.

However, the combat effectiveness of the household cavalry under Jin Shenghuan was actually much weaker than that of the Eight Banners Cavalry. The troops he assembled at this time were far from enough to stop the 1,500 Eight Banners Cavalry. Without the support of Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong, Xu Yong, Li Guoying and others, he would probably not be able to withstand the impact of Oboi's army.

Oboi concentrated his forces to attack the front of the Ming army in Yamaguchi, actually wanting to end the battle as quickly as possible to prevent the other three Ming armies from coming to their senses and sending cavalry to contain him.

He was already accustomed to the fine tradition of the Ming army not supporting each other on the battlefield, and even frequently abandoning their friendly forces in a united front and quickly withdrawing. This even became the direct reason for the Qing army's great victories in many battles outside the Great Wall.

The Ming army's defensive formation at the mountain pass quickly stabilized. When the Qing cavalry passed through the battlefield filled with white smoke, they were met with thousands of arrows shot from the formation and many flying short weapons. Amid the clanging sound of metal collisions, dozens of Eight Banners horsemen were shot to the ground.

The Qing cavalry on horseback also quickly shot arrows, threw out iron bones, and fought back with short axes, which hit the shields with bangs, and then shrill screams were heard from the Ming army line.

The musketeers in the front row of the Ming army had already retreated to the rear of the formation. Although they had undergone a lot of training and Jin Shenghuan had given up the last round of volleys to give them enough time to retreat, panic still broke out at such a critical moment, even affecting the mobilization of the front and rear columns.

Fortunately, the Ming army at the mountain pass had breastworks and trenches for protection, and the phalanxes on both sides were still on the hillside, overlooking the enemy. When the Qing cavalry rushed to the front of the formation, the speed of the attack did not continue to increase.

As the Qing cavalry charged towards the square formation, the Ming army soldiers in front of the formation raised their spears, and the two groups of people and horses quickly collided with each other. The sound of golden spears clashing and heavy objects colliding and breaking was endless. Corpses kept falling to the ground, screams and wails, and the sounds of people and horses neighing continued.

Neither the Ming nor the Qing sides were able to defeat the other for a while. In the fierce charge and counterattack, the lines of the two armies were filled with soldiers and combatants, layer upon layer, densely packed, with countless people and horses mixed together. As soon as one person in front fell, another one would immediately crowd in from behind to take his place.

The corpses soon piled up on the ground in front of the formation. The soldiers and horses behind stepped on the corpses of the fallen soldiers and horses in front, still fighting desperately. Under the corpses, blood was constantly spreading and flowing, and the blood in the narrow trench outside the breastwork was gradually rising.

However, no retreat bugle call was sounded from the rear of either army. Under the angry shouts of the armored soldiers on both sides who raised their swords, the soldiers on both sides could only rush forward in order to hope for survival.

As the smoke on the battlefield was dispersed by the lake breeze blowing from the south, Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong and others in another direction finally saw the battle situation on the front line.

From the moment Oboi personally led the troops to attack, Zuo Menggeng's eyes never left the main battlefield where Jin Shenghuan was. As the battle progressed, his expression became more and more serious.

The fierce musket and artillery bombardment of the Ming army failed to repel the Qing army. Several rounds of volleys only delayed the Qing army's offensive. Only more than 100 soldiers were lost, and the combat effectiveness was not greatly affected.

After all, these were all the front-line field cavalry of the Eight Banners Army, and their fighting will was quite strong. One or two percent casualties were not enough to make them collapse.

At this time, Zuo Menggeng was still hesitating when to send the cavalry under Wang Yuncheng to join the battlefield. At that time, maybe he could push Ma Jinzhong down together, and with the help of Oboi, kill Jin Shenghuan, Ma Jinzhong, and Wang Yuncheng, the three traitors who had defected to He Tengjiao.

This time he went into battle, not only to annihilate Oboi's army, but also to eliminate dissidents. As long as the troops of Ma Jinzhong, Jin Shenghuan and others were exhausted, and Xu Yong and Li Guoying did not send reinforcements, then the credit for the battle in northern Jiangxi would belong to him as the commander, and he would not be held accountable after the war.

He has always held a grudge against these three people who chose to join He Tengjiao when Zuo Liangyu was at his lowest point, as well as Xu Yong and Li Guoying who defected to the court early on.

"I'm afraid Jin Shenghuan can't hold on for much longer. Wang Yuncheng, you must immediately gather your cavalry and launch a surprise attack on Oboi from the north. I will soon dispatch Ma Jinzhong, Xu Yong, and Li Guoying to provide support from another direction." Zuo Menggeng ordered Wang Yuncheng beside him.

"Jin Shenghuan has nearly 4,000 infantry and cavalry under his command, so he should be able to hold out for a while. I think it would be safest to wait for the other three generals to join forces." Wang Yuncheng immediately evaded the question.

He naturally knew what Zuo Menggeng was thinking. It was none of his business whether Jin Shenghuan rescued him or not, but he did not want to choose between disobeying orders and losing his life. The best way was to continue delaying and wait until Ma Jinzhong, Xu Yong, Li Guoying and others joined him. Then the law would not hold them responsible.

"Wait?" Zuo Menggeng glared at him and shouted, "If we miss the opportunity to fight, Jin Shenghuan will collapse, and Aobai will escape. Can you afford it?"

"I am your humble servant." Wang Yuncheng lowered his head and did not dare to speak for a moment.

In fact, there was nothing wrong with Zuo Menggeng's dispatch, but the biggest problem was whether the other troops would obey orders and go into battle, or just sit back and watch him and Oboi fight to the death.

"Hurry up and go!" Zuo Menggeng shouted again, with an attitude that completely left no room for doubt.

No one could find fault with his deployment this time. If Wang Yuncheng did not go, it would be a violation of military orders. Once Oboi finally ran away, he would be able to punish him or even directly swallow up his troops.

In other words, all the troops on the Nankang battlefield at this time were within his calculations. Zuo Liangyu agreed to send troops not only because Zhu Cilang was going to visit northern Jiangxi in person, but also because he wanted to kill someone with a borrowed knife, kill three birds with one stone, and regain control of the main force in northern Jiangxi.

As the tense battle continued, both the Ming and Qing sides suffered heavy casualties. Countless swords, spears, knives and axes were wielded on the front lines. Soldiers from both armies were hacking and stabbing each other with various weapons. Most of the Eight Banners cavalrymen who were attacking the Ming army had dismounted and were fighting on foot.

Oboi led his subordinate Bayala to personally supervise the battle and even charge into the battle line. Bayala once broke through the Ming army's defense line, but was repelled by the tenacious resistance of the Ming army. Several attacks failed, and there was even a case of soldiers retreating without authorization.

The Ming army's combat effectiveness and seemingly high morale, as well as the commander's calm command, all influenced his determination. Since Oboi entered the Pass, he had never seen such a calm and orderly Ming army except in northern Shaanxi.

After all, based on previous experience of entering the Great Wall, most of the Ming army had probably already fled by this time. He had fought with the Ming army many times before, and the scenes were always similar.

Since both sides had deployed sufficient troops and the terrain was restricted, the contact area between the two armies was not large, and neither side consumed all its troops in a short period of time.

Amid the deafening shouts and cries of killing, some positions in the two armies' formations had become useless. Some officers and soldiers were even fighting only based on their battlefield experience and bravery. After killing the cowardly and retreating armored soldiers, several Qing army Bayalas forced the others to charge forward.

Jin Shenghuan was also personally leading the household servants to supervise the battle. He saw the cavalry on the side begin to move out, but they finally held on. How could he not have guessed Zuo Menggeng's little tricks by now?
But if He Tengjiao had not deceived them, and if His Majesty the Emperor really wanted to visit northern Jiangxi in person after the war to reward them according to their merits, then the crime of allowing the enemy to escape would be a very serious one.

Moreover, this was their only chance. After this battle, Jin Shenghuan was even more cautious about the Qing army's strength. The 1,500 Eight Banners had fought so hard, and if they missed this opportunity, they would never have another chance to make meritorious contributions on the battlefield.

"Brothers, go forward. Anyone who retreats without my order will be executed on the spot." Jin Shenghuan ordered the head of his servants.

The head servant had a look of fear in his eyes, but when he saw Jin Shenghuan's expression, he nodded in agreement, and then immediately led a dozen servants from the hillside into the rear of the military formation at the mountain pass.

The second round of attack by the Qing army quickly came to a halt due to the tenacious resistance of the Ming army. The two sides had now turned into a melee. As the Ming army soldiers in the rear continued to join the battlefield, especially the cavalry on the flank of the mountain pass launched a counterattack, the Qing army's fighting spirit was gradually worn away, and they no longer had the contempt for the Ming army at the beginning.

Jin Shenghuan now holds a great deal of command power, and he is calm and composed, and commands properly. These are all elite troops under his command. After being equipped with armor, they certainly cannot be compared with the Eight Banners armored soldiers, but they are enough to fight.

In fact, it wasn't just Jin Shenghuan. In the original history, many Ming generals who surrendered to the Qing army saw their combat effectiveness improve immediately after changing their banners and losing their incompetent teammates, or in other words, after gaining the constraints and food supplies of the Qing army. After all, even Li Guo, who had defeated Ajige in northern Shaanxi and even caused the famous Qing general to be punished by Dorgon for heavy losses of troops and horses after the battle, suffered a series of defeats after becoming the commander of the Zhongzheng Battalion. He was repeatedly defeated by the Qing army due to the reckless command of civilian officials and the inaction of friendly forces on the flanks.

This was a problem caused by the Ming Dynasty's use of civil power to control military power, unclear rewards and punishments, and constant factional struggles. Any military general who was capable of fighting and dared to fight would not be able to perform under such a system.

Zhu Cilang arranged He Tengjiao in northern Jiangxi and prepared food, fodder and military equipment half a year in advance. In fact, what he had to do was to ensure the supply of food, fodder and military equipment to each unit. At the same time, he repeatedly ordered He Tengjiao not to interfere in the specific war, so that these troops could exert their due strength.

However, under the fierce attack of the Eight Banners, the elite troops under Jin Shenghuan began to gradually expose their problems due to lack of coordination, insufficient training and equipment.

Although the Ming troops in northern Jiangxi had replenished some of their weapons and food supplies, they had no time to complete the planned training. Because of the approaching Ajige army, they had to go into battle early.

If it weren't for the internal battle, the advantage of the navy, and the geographical advantage, even gathering troops on such a large scale would probably be a problem.

As the melee continued, the lack of sufficient protective equipment caused the Ming army to suffer increasing casualties when facing the attacks of the Qing army, and they began to gradually lose their strength.

The Qing army also began to gain the upper hand locally. If it were not for the cavalry supporting on both wings and containing the attack of the Eight Banners, the consequences would have been disastrous.

Jin Shenghuan looked at the wave of Qing troops coming from behind and his heart couldn't help but rise. The enemy's target was obviously his own infantry formation. The cavalry on the north wing was already unable to take care of itself under the attack of the Qing army. The gap in combat power between the two sides was very obvious.

The reinforcements from Zuo Menggeng, Wang Yuncheng, Ma Jinzhong, Xu Yong and Li Guoying had not arrived yet, and Jin Shenghuan's determination could not help but waver. But if he could not hold on until that time, his troops would be defeated by the Qing army in such terrain, and he would probably be wiped out.

There were low hillsides on both sides of the mountain pass battlefield. The upper and middle parts of the hillsides were covered with dense vegetation, making it impossible for the army to pass through. This meant that he only needed to send a small number of troops to easily block the breakout route.

But similarly, if the army was defeated, except for the soldiers deployed on the two wings and the rear formation who could escape, the rest of the armored soldiers would have no way to retreat in the defeat and would be killed by the enemy.

Even if the troops on the two wings and the rear were unable to evacuate in time, or if the Qing army was also deployed in these places, it would also be difficult for them to escape.

During the brief period when the Qing army regrouped and launched an attack, Jin Shenghuan finally saw Wang Yuncheng and Ma Jinzhong move out one after another. Xu Yong and Li Guoying also sent out troops, but their movements were very slow, and it seemed that they wanted to wait for him to continue to consume the Qing army.

Jin Shenghuan didn't dare to trust them anymore. After some hesitation, he immediately dispatched the last servant under his command to lead the musketeers in the rear to the hillsides on both sides, forming a battle array with their backs to the mountains and forests to strengthen the defense there.

If the situation turned sour, with the support of these musketeers, he could at least prevent the Qing army from unilaterally slaughtering the defeated soldiers and save more troops. He didn't trust Zuo Menggeng, and he didn't dare to trust Wang Yuncheng and Ma Jinzhong either.

In fact, if everyone worked together, this battle would have been a sure win to annihilate the Qing army. How could it have developed to this point?
Jin Shenghuan became more and more angry, but he could only adopt this strategy temporarily to ensure that his troops would not suffer a devastating blow.

Following Oboi's order, the Qing army immediately launched the third round of attack. The deafening sound of horse hooves came from far away and rumbled closer, and a large group of Eight Banners cavalrymen rolled over.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the sounds of swords clashing, shouts of killing, and screams continued in front of the two armies. Oboi personally led the attack on the Ming army's infantry formation. Most of the Qing army's cavalry quickly dismounted and engaged in a fierce battle with the Ming army's phalanx.

On both wings of the battlefield, due to the presence of Jin Shenghuan's cavalry, hundreds of cavalrymen were constantly fighting each other, and Oboi only left dozens of cavalrymen in the rear to be on guard.

After the battle just now, he realized the strength of the Ming army, especially the Ming cavalry taking action in other directions. He knew very well that he had no chance to launch a fourth attack, and now he was completely in a posture of last fight.

After consuming the first wave of firepower from the Ming army at Yamaguchi, the Qing army quickly tore some gaps in the front line. Oboi led Bayala to the front of the formation and even rushed forward directly, forcing the armored soldiers in the front to continue charging.

These Eight Banners soldiers were originally strong soldiers. They quickly destroyed the Ming army's defense line in the melee, attacked back and forth several times, and finally rushed forward with all their might, shouting. The Ming army's defense line, which was already struggling to hold on, was quickly torn into more holes.

Their previous multiple attacks had greatly depleted the combat effectiveness of Jin Shenghuan's Ming army. Now these Ming soldiers, who were almost on the verge of collapse, were once again attacked by the Eight Banners soldiers wielding swords and guns. They had no chance to breathe at all, and their counterattack capability was greatly weakened.

Amid the sounds of gunfire and drums on the battlefield, more than 200 Eight Banners soldiers in the rear, under the command of Oboi, seized this rare opportunity, sped up their horses, and rushed forward directly through the passage where the soldiers in the front had rushed out, crashing into and trampling on the Ming troops who were in chaos.

The soldiers on the Ming army line in Yamaguchi had just endured the fierce attack of the Qing army, and their formation had already become chaotic. Now they were suddenly hit by the aggressive Eight Banners vests and could not hold on at all.

The Ming army's formation suddenly fell into chaos. Faced with the galloping Qing army horses, many Ming army soldiers instinctively retreated in panic. The front line that had just barely held on quickly showed signs of collapse.

The spearmen, swordsmen and shieldmen in the front row who had lost their command were eventually either killed by the swords of the Qing cavalry or fled in groups of three or five.

Jin Shenghuan's guess was correct. Wang Yuncheng waited until Ma Jinzhong led his troops to arrive before speeding up his action. Zuo Menggeng, Xu Yong and Li Guoying were still watching at this time. They only sped up their horses and rushed over when they saw that the Qing army was about to break through the formation. They could not be relied upon at all.

Fortunately, he had made preparations, withdrawing the troops from the rear and deploying the musketeers on the hillsides on both wings, thus avoiding a large stampede when the soldiers were defeated.

At this time, Abahai had no time to care about the Ming cavalry attacking from the rear. When he saw that the Ming army's line had been broken, he immediately ordered the rest of the armored soldiers to mount their horses and quickly evacuate this dangerous area.

At this time, Oboi had realized the seriousness of the situation. Once the other Ming troops surrounded him, even if he wanted to escape, it would probably be too late.

However, after the Qing cavalry in the front killed the Ming soldiers who had no time to escape in the formation, they were immediately attacked by the Ming musketeers on the hillsides on both sides. At the order of the officers to fire a volley, the musketeers raised their guns and shot at the Qing cavalry who rushed into the mountain road.

The chaotic sound of gunfire filled the narrow mountain road, white smoke quickly filled the queue, and hundreds of cross-fired lead bullets caused dozens of casualties to the Qing army.

However, this still could not save the situation of the complete collapse of the Ming army's line in Yamaguchi. The Qing army that rushed in later quickly fought their way out, and the Ming cavalry on both wings, seeing that the situation was not good, also began to retreat.

They had the forests on the mountain to protect their flanks, so they were less affected by the Qing army's attack. However, Zhuobutai still wanted to pursue the enemy. He saw that Oboi had begun to command the army to withdraw, and a large group of Ming cavalry were about to arrive behind him. He turned his attention to the Ming musketeers' line on the side of the hillside that was firing in volleys, hoping to clear the obstacles for the army's withdrawal.

Zhuobutai had always looked down on the Ming army, and he looked down upon the musketeers even more. He was very confident that he could break through the Ming army line on the side of the hillside in one fell swoop, and use these defeated soldiers to block the pursuing Ming cavalry to ensure the safe evacuation of the army.

After a burst of rumbling horse hooves, Zhuobutai led the ferocious Qing cavalry and rushed towards the Ming army's musketeer line along the passage left by the Ming army cavalry when they retreated.

Hundreds of iron-bone weapons and short axes and swords quickly attacked the Ming army line on the side of the hillside. Some Ming cavalry who wanted to block the attack from the side were chopped to the ground by the sharp swords on the backs of the Qing army horses.

However, their blocking did play a certain role. When the Qing army rushed forward, the musketeers raised their muskets and fired at the cavalry rushing in front of them at close range.

Dozens of Qing cavalrymen on horseback fell in the blink of an eye. Zhuobutai, who was charging in the front, was shot eight times, then fell to the ground with convulsions and was quickly overwhelmed by the horse armor following closely behind.

He eventually died at the hands of the Ming army musketeers whom he despised the most, and the remaining hundred or so cavalrymen of the Eight Banners cavalry he led also, out of inertia, disrupted the already chaotic formation of the Ming army musketeers.

As the sounds of soldiers, horses and armor colliding with each other became more and more intense, the musketeers, after firing a volley, had no time to reload and fire again before they were thrown into chaos by the sudden attack of the Qing cavalry. Shouts and screams were heard everywhere.

However, these Ming army musketeers did not flee in all directions. Instead, under the cover of the infantry that suddenly arrived from the flank, they launched a counterattack against the Qing army, which was obviously outnumbered.

Jin Shenghuan actually sent out the last army around him at this time, and then the charge bugle sounded, and the Ming army, which had been retreating, suddenly launched a counterattack.

It turned out that at the last moment, Wang Yuncheng and Ma Jinzhong led their cavalry to attack from the side and rear. The dozens of cavalry deployed by Oboi were instantly overwhelmed and blocked at the mountain pass. The Qing cavalry had no time to rush out, and were then cut in half, suffering heavy losses.

On the battlefield where people shouted, horses neighed and gunshots rang out, Oboi shouted angrily while commanding his subordinate Bayala, and wanted to evacuate with more cavalry, but soon Xu Yong and Li Guoying each led more than a hundred servants and rushed into the melee.

The Qing army had suffered heavy losses after breaking through Jin Shenghuan's formation. At this time, they were attacked by Ming cavalry from the rear and were completely unable to fight back. The cavalry who entered the mountain road in front heard the shouts of killing behind them, and they were confused and ran for their lives. The remaining Qing cavalry fled quickly like an avalanche.

Before Oboi could think, he was taken away by several armored soldiers. When he came to his senses, he found that Zhuobutai had disappeared long ago, and all he saw before him were the Eight Banners soldiers who were fleeing for their lives, each of them in a miserable state!

(End of this chapter)