Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 137 The War That Decides the Fate of the World

"Hong Chengchou, you have been the governor of the military affairs of Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Huguang, and Sichuan provinces. You are the minister who is most familiar with the local customs and climate of the southwest. Please tell me how I should advance my troops in this southern expedition."

After Dorgon's bold words, he turned to look at Hong Chengchou and asked. He knew that Huang Taiji would never make a mistake in choosing someone, and after several major battles since entering the Pass, he had no doubts about Hong Chengchou's strategic talent.

However, Hong Chengchou's judgment on Li Zicheng and the Ming army in the Nine Frontiers was so accurate, but there was a huge deviation in his judgment on Zuo Zhen and the remaining Ming. This made Dorgon suspicious - is this old guy still nostalgic for his old master?

"Your Highness, I think the matter of the southern expedition requires further consideration." Hong Chengchou clasped his hands together, frowned slightly, and an unreadable look flashed in his eyes.

More than two months ago, the news of Duoduo's disastrous defeat in Fengyang reached Beijing. This was like a bolt from the blue for the Qing court, and it completely disrupted the Qing's momentum of winning battles one after another and conquering the whole country since entering the Pass.

The prosperous Jiangnan region was once a source of revenue and tax revenue that the Qing Dynasty had always aspired to acquire, but now, due to this defeat, it had become unattainable. Seeing Dorgon's anger and anxiety, he naturally knew that his previous determination was just an act.

Upon hearing this, Dorgon looked at Hong Chengchou with a complicated look in his eyes. He became more suspicious that although this Han minister had surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, he might still have his homeland in his heart and was only giving him advice due to the situation.

"Tell me, how can we take a long-term view?" Dorgon's tone was tentative.

Hong Chengchou took a deep breath, paused, and then said in a deep voice:

"The defeat at Fengyang made it difficult for our army to capture the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers and cross the river to attack Nanjing. Emperor Ming must have built stronger fortifications between the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers.

Jingzhou is the hub between the north and south of Huguang, and Wuchang is the base for advancing eastward. Therefore, I think that the main force of our army should be concentrated in Huguang and advance southward along the line of Jingzhou and Wuchang.

If Yuezhou and northern Jiangxi prove difficult to capture, we should concentrate our superior forces and march directly from Changde to Changsha, thereby threatening Jiangxi and Zhejiang, and forming a circuitous encirclement of Nanjing."

"Oh, so we're going to take Changsha from Jingzhou, and then make a detour to attack Jiangxi and Zhejiang?" Dorgon was a little surprised, but he also knew the terrain of the south, so he immediately asked:
"However, the Huguang region is densely networked with rivers, and Jiangxi and Zhejiang are strategically located, making them easy to defend but difficult to attack. Although our Eight Banners have the advantage of mobile field operations, we still need to be cautious when fighting against the Southern troops in the midst of rivers, lakes, and mountains.

The most important thing is that if we attack Jiangxi from Changsha and then capture Zhejiang, the army's food and supplies will be difficult to transport, and it will probably take several years to succeed."

After hearing this, Hong Chengchou smiled slightly and said confidently:
"Your Highness is absolutely right. However, the imperial army has already occupied strategic locations such as Xiangyang, Jingzhou, and Wuchang. We only need to concentrate our forces and capture Changde and Changsha with lightning speed. This will open the road to Liling-Pingxiang to Jiangxi, and Guangxin-Quzhou to Zhejiang."

By then, the Ming army would be attacked from all sides, and its main forces would be concentrated on the fronts of northern Jiangxi, northern Hunan, and northern Jiangbei. The various prefectures and cities would be short of troops and would surely collapse without a fight and surrender at the first sign of trouble, just like what happened in North China and the Central Plains.

By then, Nanjing will surely fall in no time."

After hearing this, Dorgon nodded in agreement, but then raised a new question. He was not so easily fooled.

"But what if the Ming army holds Changsha and refuses to leave? Changsha City is probably equally easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the Ming Emperor must have sent a heavy force to guard it."

However, Hong Chengchou was well prepared. He pondered for a moment and then bowed and said:
"If the Ming army holds on to Changsha and refuses to leave, our army can split into two parts. One part will continue to besiege Changsha, while the other will disperse to the surrounding areas and capture Yiyang, Xiangyin, Xiangtan, and even Hengzhou, cutting off Changsha's connection with the outside world and making it an isolated city.

Moreover, if my guess is correct, Changsha must be the granary of the entire Huguang Ming army. If we surround Changsha, we will cut off the Ming army's food supply. The front and rear of the army will definitely not be able to take care of each other, and the morale of the army will definitely be shaken.

At that time, the Ming army in Yuezhou will be forced to return to support. In this way, our army can adopt the strategy of surrounding the point and attacking the reinforcements. After luring the main force of the Ming army to come to the rescue, we can defeat them with cavalry on the plains."

After hearing this, Dorgon nodded repeatedly and finally smiled. Seeing this, Hong Chengchou added confidently:
"By then, if the Ming army does not fall for it, our army can simply send elite cavalry to attack Liling and Pingxiang, threatening Jiangxi. The Ming emperor will naturally waver and dare not withhold his aid."

"Hahaha, this plan can be said to be both offensive and defensive, and it can advance and retreat freely!" After hearing this, Dorgon's eyes were full of admiration, and he couldn't help but exclaimed:

"During the Battle of Songjin, I felt that you were difficult to deal with. Although you are no match for me, you are one in a million among the Han people."

After hearing this, Hong Chengchou smiled slightly. In the past, Dorgon was beaten back by him again and again, and was even demoted and punished three times by Huang Taiji. Now he is bragging.

Of course, he could not mention these things again, otherwise Dorgon would definitely kill him. At this time, seeing that Dorgon supported his strategy, Hong Chengchou continued:
“However, judging from the military intelligence reported by Prince Ying and Prince Yu, our army still needs to be careful to guard against the Ming army’s firearms.

The Ming army in the south was equipped with a large number of muskets and artillery, which had great destructive power and could not be defended against by shields and armor. Soldiers could only be trained in the skills of dodging firearm attacks to reduce casualties.

Dorgon agreed with this. He raised his hand and pointed at the air, indicating:
"Although firearms are powerful, they are not invincible. Our Eight Banners cavalry are brave and skilled in combat. As long as we are on the plains, we can use the cavalry's advantage in charging and quickly attack the Ming army's formations, rendering their firearms ineffective."

"Your Highness is absolutely right." Hong Chengchou nodded in agreement. "Our army can also take advantage of the rain and fog to launch a surprise attack on the Ming reinforcements, thus avoiding the sharp edge of their firearms."

Dorgon nodded approvingly, but suddenly frowned and asked:

"However, if the army goes all out to attack Huguang, Shaanxi will be left empty, and there might be changes in Sichuan. Zhang Xianzhong seems to have already become a powerful figure, with tens of thousands of soldiers under his command. If he takes advantage of the situation and marches north, will there be changes in Shaanxi?"

How could Hong Chengchou not think of this? He had already had a plan to deal with it. As soon as Dorgon finished speaking, he bowed and said:

"Your Highness, rest assured. The terrain surrounding Sichuan, especially the northern and southern provincial borders, is extremely rugged. If the Western bandits were to attack from central Sichuan, their superior numbers would be difficult to effectively utilize. Our army only needs to dispatch a detachment to garrison the Hanzhong fortress to stabilize the situation."

Furthermore, if the war in Huguang goes badly, Your Majesty can mobilize Shaanxi troops at any time, enter Sichuan from Hanzhong, and capture Sichuan Province. Then, from the north and west, you can form a two-pronged attack on Hunan."

After hearing this, Dorgon had already made up his mind about the southern expedition. He patted Hong Chengchou's shoulder happily and said, imitating Huang Taiji's tone of admiration for talent:

"This southern expedition will follow your strategy, Hong Chengchou. This battle is of great importance, so caution is required. Please carefully organize the specific marching strategy. I will summon the other kings to discuss it later. When the time is right, we will march south and conquer Jiangnan in one fell swoop!"

A complex emotion flashed across Hong Chengchou's eyes, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings for a moment, but he remained expressionless. He immediately bowed and said:
"I will do my utmost to live up to the trust placed in me by His Majesty and the cultivation of the Qing Dynasty."

As night fell, Prince Rui's mansion was brightly lit. Ministers from the Qing court arrived one after another. Arguments could be heard constantly, and the air was filled with tension.

Amid their quarrel, a war that would determine the fate of the world was about to begin. At this time, Zhu Cilang, who was far away outside the city of Jingzhou in Huguang, was also making his deployments in full swing.
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On the thirteenth day of the Ming army's siege, outside Jingzhou City, smoke filled the air, the sound of war drums shook the earth, and the army formations were neatly arranged, covering the plains on the east, west and north sides.

At the same time, on the Ming artillery positions, thirty red-haired cannons formed a wide square formation, their black muzzles pointed at the towering walls of Jingzhou City. At the command of the officers, the artillerymen simultaneously lit their fuses, and amidst the flashes of fire, a deafening roar resounded through the sky.

Solid iron bullets whizzed out, streaked across the sky, and slammed into the already riddled city walls. The originally solid bricks on the edge of Jingzhou City shattered and flew under the violent impact of the shells, bricks, stones, and soil flew everywhere, and huge new gaps suddenly appeared on the city walls, as if they had been torn apart by a giant beast.

The Qing soldiers stationed on the city wall were frightened by the sudden artillery shells and screamed in fear. They hid in all directions, screams and wails one after another. Some soldiers were hit by the flying debris from the city wall and fell in a pool of blood, while more people were dizzy and dazed by the deafening artillery fire and hid behind the parapets.

After several rounds of artillery fire, teams of armored soldiers immediately rushed out from the Ming army positions outside the city. In front of them were auxiliary soldiers pushing shield carts, carts and carrying ladders. Hundreds of teams were slowly advancing towards the city wall.

These shield carts are all made of thick wooden boards, with the outermost layer wrapped in cotton cloth and a layer of sand in the middle. They can effectively withstand the bombardment of Qing army artillery on the top of the city, and the shooting of bows and muskets cannot cause any damage.

Behind each shield car, there were several carts pushed by auxiliary soldiers, which were filled with bulging bags of sand and gravel. The Ming army planned to use these things to fill the moat in front of them.

As the Ming army advanced, the Qing soldiers on the city walls, under the command of officers at all levels, quickly organized a counterattack. They poked their heads out from the city walls and fired fiercely at the Ming army with artillery.

Solid iron bullets and stone bullets quickly hit the shield cart's baffles. They bounced off quickly at first, but as the Ming army advanced, the outer cotton cloth was smashed to pieces. Many shield carts were hit by artillery shells and wood chips flew everywhere. The baffles as thick as feet were blown to pieces, and the auxiliary soldiers pushing the carts screamed.

However, the Ming army did not retreat. They braved the bombardment of artillery shells from the city walls, shouted slogans, and continued to advance. As soon as the soldiers in front were hit and fell, new auxiliary troops immediately came from behind to replace them.

Soon, the Ming army advanced to the edge of the moat. The moat of Jingzhou City was about ten feet wide and more than ten feet deep. It was a natural barrier for Jingzhou City. At this time, under the bombardment of artillery shells, the river water was turbid and bottomless.

Under the cover of shield carts, the Ming army's auxiliary troops acted quickly, dumping sandbags and earthbags on the carts into the moat, trying to fill the moat so that the siege troops could pass smoothly.

When the Qing troops on the city wall saw that the Ming army was approaching the moat, they immediately concentrated their firepower to shoot at them. Muskets and bows and arrows rained down on the Ming army. The dense arrows filled the shield carts, making a "thump thump" sound.

The Ming soldiers, hiding behind shield carts, also returned fire with muskets and bows. A fierce exchange of fire ensued, but with the protection of the city walls and shield carts, casualties on both sides were minimal. On the edge of the moat, Ming soldiers, braving the fierce Qing fire, desperately dumped sand and gravel bags from carts into the moat, splashing countless water.

However, these bags of sand and earth were not enough to fill the moat. Behind the shield carts, countless auxiliary soldiers were digging trenches, building shelters while taking soil from the spot. There were also auxiliary soldiers on the side who put the excavated soil into bags and moved them onto the empty carts.

Zheng Siwei, who was on the city wall, saw the Ming army dumping sand and earth bags into the moat under the cover of shield carts. He was extremely anxious and immediately ordered to intensify the attack on the carts pushed out through the gaps between the shield carts.

“Bang, bang, bang!!!”

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——"

Muskets and bows and arrows poured down like a rainstorm, trying to stop the Ming army's actions. More than a dozen Ming soldiers pushing carts were hit by arrows and fell to the ground groaning in pain, but they were quickly pulled behind the shield carts by other soldiers. The others still insisted on moving forward and dumping sandbags and earthbags into the moat.

"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry up!" A Ming army officer shouted loudly while waving his sword next to the shield cart.

The soldiers waiting behind the shield cart immediately sped up, pushing the cart forward with a "squeaking" sound. Two soldiers pushing the cart had just dumped the sand and gravel bags on the cart into the trench and were about to retreat when they were shot in the shoulders and calves by arrows flying from the top of the wall.

They groaned almost at the same time. Seeing this, the soldiers holding shields next to them hurried forward to cover the two of them. Another soldier immediately came forward with a shield to cover them from behind. The group slowly retreated behind the shield cart.

The Qing army archers on the city wall took advantage of the wall's high ground, cursing while pulling the bows to their full extent, aiming at the Ming army soldiers pushing carts below, and continuously shooting sharp arrows.

Arrows whizzed past and headed straight for the Ming soldiers. Seeing this, the Ming soldiers on the edge of the shield cart hurriedly dodged sideways. The arrows brushed past the shield cart's guardrail and their helmets and flew past with a clang.

However, as the Ming army's artillery arrived at the battlefield and set up small cannons to bombard the city walls, the Qing army soon lost control. People were constantly hit and fell from the city walls, screaming.

Under the bombardment of the Ming army's artillery, the Qing army's counterattack capability on the city was greatly weakened, and it was no longer possible to prevent the Ming army from filling the moat.

The battlefield was filled with the thick smell of gunpowder and blood. Screams, shouts, and gunshots were intertwined together. The gurgling blood continued to gather and flow into the moat.

At this time, on the high ground at the edge of the battlefield where war drums were thundering, Zhu Cilang, wearing gilded armor and with a sharp gaze, overlooked the entire battlefield.

"Your Majesty, our army's offensive is like a rainbow. The Qing army is at the end of its strength. Jingzhou City can be captured at any time!" Zhou Shixian looked at the battle situation in front and reported excitedly, with the joy of victory flashing in his eyes.

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, a confident smile appeared on his lips, and he said with a smile:

"Jingzhou City is the north-south hub of Huguang. If we take this city, we can control the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. We can attack when we advance and defend when we retreat, and fight the Qing army to the end. If the Qing army wants to capture Changsha, they will have to capture Yuezhou City first."

To the east of Dongting Lake, the defense line formed by Yuezhou Prefecture and Linxiang City is far easier to defend than Lizhou-Changde to the west. In particular, the city defenses of Lizhou, Changde and other prefectures had long been completely destroyed by Zhang Xianzhong. If Jingzhou was in the hands of the Qing army, even if Yuezhou was combined with the troops of Li Guo and Gao Yigong, it would probably be difficult to stop the Qing army.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang immediately turned around and his eyes fell on Li Guo and Gao Yigong. These two generals of the Chuang Army who had just surrendered were standing respectfully beside Zhu Cilang, also observing the battlefield.

After this period of adjustment, the two men and the commanders of the various camps of the rebel army were no longer so awkward when facing Zhu Cilang, especially after the grain and grass in the Changsha Prefecture warehouse arrived at the Songzi Caoping camp.

"Li Guo, Gao Yigong, what are your plans after retaking Jingzhou?"

Upon hearing this, Li Guo stepped forward, clasped his hands together and said:
"Your Majesty, Jingzhou City is strategically located. If we can build it into a strong city like Jiujiang and Yuezhou, we will definitely be able to resist the Qing army advancing southward, and even seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack."

"General Li is right."

Gao Yigong no longer doubted Zhu Cilang's confidence in his capture of Jingzhou City, and immediately echoed:
"With the current defensive capabilities of Jingzhou City, as long as the city walls are further reinforced, more artillery batteries are added, more trenches are dug outside the city, and obstacles such as deer horns are installed, the Qing army's plan to storm it will be a pipe dream.

Zheng Siwei currently has no power to fight back, essentially because he lacks strong soldiers capable of field combat. Otherwise, our shield carts would never have been able to break through to the moat so quickly."

Zhu Cilang nodded, expressing his appreciation for their opinions. However, he knew very well that the traditional city defenses they mentioned were very fragile in the face of the powerful artillery of the Qing army and could not last more than a few months.

"The two generals' ideas are certainly good, and the direction is correct. To deal with the Qing army, we must first use strong cities to consume its strength. But the Qing army's artillery is extremely powerful, and even a strong city like Tongguan cannot withstand it, let alone Jingzhou?" Zhu Cilang asked in a deep voice, with a hint of depth in his eyes.

Li Guo and Gao Yigong's hearts sank when they heard this. This was the true secret of the Jieshun Army. When they met up with He Tianjianxiu and others, they still knew the power of the Qing army's artillery.

In the Battle of Tongguan, the Qing army relied on the powerful artillery to break through this towering pass known as the "No. 1 Pass in the World" almost without a fight, and scared off Li Zicheng.

"The Qing army's artillery is indeed powerful. How did Your Majesty rely on the strong city of Fengyang to repel Duoduo's army?" Li Guo asked worriedly.

Gao Yigong was also filled with anticipation. He only knew the basics of defending a city. If it weren't for Zuo Zhen's artillery demonstration, he would have been completely unaware of the Qing army's powerful firepower.

Zhu Cilang looked at the expressions of the two, smiled slightly, and said in a resounding voice:
"The key to my defeat of Duoduo's army in Fengyang was not only the strategy of fortifying the city and clearing the countryside, but also the support of the elite troops of the Palace Army and the Beijing Camp, as well as the detachments led by Gao Jie and Huang Degong. The most crucial factor was that Fengyang, Xuzhou, Huai'an, Yangzhou, and other places all imitated a type of defensive fortification called a bastion, strengthening the city defenses and effectively resisting the Qing army's artillery attacks."

"Bastion?" Li Guo and Gao Yigong looked at each other in surprise. They had never heard of this kind of defensive fortification.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang knew that they didn't understand, but he didn't doubt their learning ability, so he patiently explained:

"A bastion is a type of fortification introduced by the Franks from the west. Its characteristics are low, thick walls, stacked one on top of the other, and equipped with multiple salients, which create crossfire, effectively dispersing the impact of artillery shells and launching multi-directional attacks on attacking enemy forces.

On the bulge, artillery batteries could be set up to fire back at the attacking enemy, making it difficult for them to approach the city walls. In addition, multiple trenches could be dug around the perimeter of the bastion to further enhance its defensive capabilities.

After we recover Jingzhou, I will send people to assist the two generals in building a bastion-like city defense on the basis of Jingzhou City to enhance the defense against artillery.

However, bastion-like city defenses are not omnipotent. The most crucial factor is the city's army's field combat capabilities. If the defenders lack the ability to counterattack, no matter how strong the city defenses are, they will be nothing more than a dead city."

Li Guo and Gao Yigong listened with great interest, their eyes full of surprise. They had never thought that fortifications could be designed in this way. They couldn't help but feel an indescribable admiration for Zhu Cilang, the young emperor who was good at fighting and building bastions.

"Your Majesty is truly a god!" Li Guo bowed and clasped his fists towards Zhu Cilang, praising him sincerely.

"With your majesty's support, Jingzhou City will be as strong as Fengyang City, and will be able to withstand the Qing army's artillery!" Gao Yigong said excitedly.

Zhu Cilang listened to the two people's praise and smiled with a slight raise of his eyebrows. He knew very well that to defeat the Qing army, relying on defensive fortifications such as bastions alone was far from enough. A strong army and correct strategies and tactics were also needed.

For him, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Jingzhou was important, but it was just one of many important cities.

"However, Jingzhou is only a key link in the Yangtze River defense line. Both generals are rare military commanders. If they were both in Jingzhou, it would be a waste of their talents." Zhu Cilang said, and his eyes stopped on Gao Yigong.

"As long as your majesty commands, I will not refuse even if it means death!" Gao Yigong said with a bow.

Zhu Cilang nodded, and then said in a gentle voice:

"Yunnan is now experiencing another Tusi rebellion. I intend to dispatch General Wang to lead troops from Guizhou and Chongqing to Yunnan to quell the rebellion. This will leave Chongqing vulnerable to attack. I would like to dispatch General Gao to lead a battalion to garrison Chongqing and Kuidong. This will serve as a defense against Zhang Xianzhong and also provide support to Jingzhou from the rear."

"The Yunnan Tusi rebellion?" Gao Yigong was slightly surprised, but he did not ask any more questions. He nodded firmly and said:
"I obey your command. I am quite familiar with many of Zhang Xianzhong's generals and will be able to properly handle the defense of Chongqing."

"Good!" Zhu Cilang nodded with satisfaction. He knew Gao Yigong's military and political abilities would be enough to govern Chongqing. If necessary, he could even recover the remnants of the Western Army that had fled south. He then gave another order:
"Jingzhou City is about to fall. Generals, reorganize your troops and horses. Within ten days, you will be able to enter the city and take over all matters related to its defense!"

(End of this chapter)